India’s first assignment in whites after getting washed in
the same colour in the previous two series that they played couldn't have come
at a better place, or against better opposition. After being bullied and
outmuscled by two taller and stronger kids in their own backyard, there is
nothing quite so refreshing as the sight of a scrawny kid at least a foot
shorter than you challenging you to a fight in your backyard with one hand in a
cast. India dealt with New Zealand the way they were expected to, which was
refreshing. Before the series began, MS Dhoni’s team might have had some
misgivings playing a team that had given them a fair amount of trouble the last
time they visited and the Indians had to rely on a couple of centuries from
none other than Harbhajan Singh to bail them out of a few pickles they found
themselves in.
The series continued the way their last one in India had
ended – with fairly comprehensive wins for India with R Ashwin continuing to do
no wrong. With Ojha providing admirable foil, he ripped through kiwi batsmen
who were about as clueless when it came to playing spin as the English teams of
the 1990’s. They were so far outplayed in the first test that they had to be
content in taking positives about
putting India under some pressure in the second. Although their bowlers tried
their best and the relatively inexperienced Boult and Bracewell looked really
good in patches, the batsmen had generally dug themselves into a hole deep
enough that an army of sherpas couldn’t have dug them out in time.
Ashwin is similar to Kumble in some ways – he is tall,
relies on bounce for a lot of his wickets, does the same jump and clap
celebration that Jumbo trademarked and amazingly enough, displays the same
dive-over-the-ball technique that Kumble also made his own (Ganguly and Siddhu
may contest that claim, but this is not an argument that can be ended very
quickly). Fielding aside, however, he seems to be a great package at number 8.
Finally, we may have stumbled upon a lower order batsman the sight of who does
not have boundary fielders placing orders for cucumber sandwiches in
anticipation of an early snack and shower. He promised to fill the Anil Kumble
shaped hole that Harbhajan could not fill. It may be too early, but he has
shown potential. Let’s not count his struggles in Australia and England against
him since it took even the great Kumble a few years to come up with a good plan
while bowling overseas. In any event, India will rely on the faster men to do
more damage overseas and it while we have some distance to go before solving
the fast-bowling puzzle, Umesh Yadav again showed encouraging signs. Baby
steps, as they say.
Talking about human sized holes, there was a Laxman-sized
hole that had formed just before the series began in addition to the already
large Dravid-sized one in the ceiling. That was the one area which had everyone
fairly nervous. Kohli had already calmed a few nerves with his exceptional
batting against Australia en route to claiming one middle order spot. Pujara
rose to the challenge and displayed the necessary technique and temperament to
indicate that he may be the long term replacement for Dravid at #3. Gambhir and
Sehwag were a touch too flamboyant and while they might get away with it in
Indian conditions, it makes the role of the #3 critical, especially outside the
subcontinent and that’s what makes Pujara an extremely vital cog because he is
the link between the top order and the stroke-filled middle order.
The Great Indian Middle Order is already a think in the past
and you can possible see a giant ‘Work in progress’ sign around it at the
moment. As long as Sachin occupies the #4 spot, Sehwag will continue to open. I
personally think it’s time for Sachin to make way so Sehwag can take up the
middle order spot he’s wanted for a while. Although there have been clandestine
whispers in certain circles about mentioning the R-word in relation to Sachin,
there have been others in the media who have likened such talk to nothing
short of treason. While there is no taking away the great man’s genius, it’s
better for India in the long term to build a team with an eye on the future.
Discussions about his age and his technique are irrelevant – he is gifted
enough that he will continue to be an above average international batsman – but
he isn’t as flawless as he once was and he’d be the first to admit it.
Irrespective of the Sachin issue, it’s time the selectors decided once and for
all that Raina is probably not going to cut it as a test player. He is
extremely valuable in the shorter formats and it would be worthwhile for him to
focus on making himself the best player he can be in those formats and letting
someone else more technically equipped to test match batting take a turn.
While there are still some questions unanswered and sterner
tests await, this series was definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully,
the series against England will help answer a few more of those questions. That
series is especially significant considering the walloping that India took
there last summer. With the Pietersen saga unfolding in the British isles at
the moment, this is a good opportunity for India to seek another R-word that
the media is sure to bring up at some point. Hint: Quentin Tarantino thinks
it’s best served cold. Personally, I prefer it a la mode. I’m licking my lips
already.
