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Fleming: the man Kiwis look up to

By G. Viswanath

After being thrown in the deep end at a young age Stephen Fleming has more than fulfilled his role as New Zealand team's mainstay. The Kiwis will once again be expecting him to guide the team to victory on its tour of India.

Rajkot Sept. 30. Ten years ago New Zealand blooded a 20-year-old Stephen Fleming against India in the Hamilton Test. He had done sufficiently well in the provincial championship to impress the selectors who wanted to test his mettle in international cricket. The New Zealanders too believed that there was a vast gap between domestic first-class and international cricket.

Moreover New Zealand was looking for an able and reliable replacement for Andew Jones who along with Mark Greatbatch was the backbone of the New Zealand Test team. Fleming's selection in no way suggested that the selectors were taking a big gamble.

People like Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, Jeremy Coney and many others were talking in glowing terms about the prospect of a rising star in New Zealand cricket. They all wanted him to be put in the middle and face some of the most serious and skilful practitioners of fast and spin bowling in the business.

It was a one-off Test as a part of a short series for which the Indians appeared not keen at all. But for the bony-looking Fleming it was a chance he could not have afforded to spurn; he was keen to face the likes of Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Venkatapathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan.

The sheer variety of the Indian bowling itself posed the ultimate challenge. Sent in to bat at No. 5 after Blair Hartland, Bryan Young, Ken Rutherford and Mark Greatbatch, the debutant made 16 off 44 balls, not a flying start by any standard.

Back then the surface at Hamilton was considerably flat and slow-paced and Fleming grabbed his second chance with both hands. He made 92 off 177 balls, stroking the ball beautifully in front of the wicket, in control of himself and the Indian attack. Fleming has not been able to improve upon that near-miss century in his next 10 Tests against India.

Fleming has now returned to India as captain for the second time on the back of an impressive aggregate of 75 Tests, 4671 runs with five centuries and 34 half centuries and 202 LOIs, 5523 runs, four centuries and 34 half centuries.

What looks formidable is the number of runs he has scored on overseas tours - 2907 runs from 41 Tests for an average of 44.05, which is many notches above his career average of 38.60.

Fleming, the longest serving New Zealand captain, has not really troubled the Indian bowlers though; he's collected only three fifties. All the more the reason for him to shoulder the kind of responsibility he showed in Sri Lanka last April. Then he made 274 not out and 69 not out in the first Test at the P. Sarvanamuthu Stadium against the likes of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Evidence of his ultimate aim to be called a world-class batsman was seen in his phenomenal effort in Sri Lanka. Hs first double century came on the heels of his spectacular 134 not out against South Africa in a World Cup match at The Wanderers. Before Fleming's effort in the rain-interrupted match, the South African opener Herschelle Gibbs appeared to have played a match-winning essay. But Fleming changed it all in an exhibition of strokeplay against the likes of Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Allan Donald, Jacques Kallis and Nicky Boje.

The Wanderers pitch might have been most friendly to the batsmen, nonetheless, to hit Donald straight over his head and behind the sightscreen must be a feat in itself. The circumstances in which he cracked an unconquered century, just about reflected the New Zealand captain's commitment, courage and character.

Fleming's aggregate against India is around one-eighth of his career total. He showed a marked improvement three years ago when he made 43 and 73 at Mohali, 2 and 32 at Kanpur and 48 and 64 not out at Motera.

But for the Kiwis individual deeds are far less significant, the priority always being positive results for the team. Fleming led his team to a drawn series in Sri Lanka and in doing so lapped up lessons while tackling the likes of Muralitharan.

Time only will tell how Fleming & Co deal with the Indian spinners. An absorbing tussle seems on the cards and the Kiwis' fortunes in India will revolve around Fleming's capacity to deliver.

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