The Hindu : India needs to sustain its effort for five days

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 12, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

India needs to sustain its effort for five days

By BETER ROEBUCK

ADELAIDE Dec. 11. Considering that precious little cricket was played, the 'Gabba test provoked a surprising amount of sound and fury. Doubtless long days spent twiddling thumbs in hotels and dressing-rooms had their effect. Once play did begin, a lot of pent-up energy exploded upon the field and the play was full of dramatic exchanges.

Concerning the main controversies, suffice it to say of Messrs Bucknor and Steve Waugh that the good outweighs the bad. Both will survive the minor setbacks that occurred in Brisbane, lapses probably caused by the delays that affected all and sundry. In any case it was all a storm in a teacup. Far and away the worst event at the 'Gabba was the rude treatment meted out to Indian dignitaries by goons leaving the ground.

At present Australian cricket enjoys a simplicity of theme absent elsewhere. India and other countries must consider all manner of complexities as they try to compete. Sooner or later, though, the game Down Under must reflect a new age captured in the names of the boys representing Sydney University's under 16 side — an outfit including Athulathmudali, Balsuriya, Fonseka, Kanalingam, Pathirana, Rankothge, Yeow and Parajasingham. As a distinguished indigent pointed out recently the mix is best regarded as a salad bowl full of contrasting delights.

Happily this challenge has been met on the rugby field and elsewhere yet cricket lags behind and remains, at the highest levels anyhow. An Anglo-Saxon stronghold. Eventually some of these contenders will take their place in the national cricket team and then the yobbos will fall silent. It helps that Indian sportsmen are nowadays more willing to train in gyms and accordingly no longer so much in awe of muscular Westerners.

Everyone will be hoping for five days of cricket played under a warm sun as the second Test begins in Australia's most admired Oval. Perhaps the pastoral nature of the ground will help the visitors to relax. Certainly they can expect strong support at this and subsequent matches. Moreover India has the singular advantage of beginning this last leg of the series without the baggage usually carried after Tests in Perth and Brisbane. It is a chance that must be taken.

Five days of keen competition are needed before an accurate assessment can be made of the relative strengths of these teams. No sooner had the Queensland Test been completed that friends were announcing that the period of Australian supremacy was over and that the time of India had come. Since the game has for 50 years been dominated by two forces, the West Indians and Australians, it might be wise to wait a while before reaching any such conclusion. Other countries have challenged before and some have had their days of clover only to fall back for want of the collective will needed to sustain excellence.

If the Indians are serious about imposing themselves on the game then numerous nuts and bolts must be tightened. Small things can bring down even the mightiest machine. Ashish Nehra was caught out of position once at the 'Gabba, whereupon a second run was taken and the rest of the over cost 14 runs. Virender Sehwag twice failed to stop edges flying past him to the boundary whereupon he threw his wicket away in his team's second innings. Sourav Ganguly missed a run and his partner fell next ball. Slackness of this sort must be eliminated.

Of course the Indians have improved enormously. Previously they have challenged sporadically and depended upon a handful of resolute characters. Now the visitors have brought an outfit that plays as a team. Doubtless it helps that many of the newcomers were raised in "outstations" and have been forced to fight for recognition.

By spreading its wings Indian cricket is following an international trend. Increasingly youngsters from the urban mainland are concerned with image and position. Hungry fighters are to be found in places untouched by fashions. Zaheer and Harbhajan belong to the fearless new school that bowls with its heart. Not that Harbhajan has been bowling well.

India needs to sustain its effort for five days because the Australians are eager to prove that life goes on even when great men depart. Waugh himself has a priceless ability to turn adversity into anger, and anger into performance.

Amongst his colleagues, Stuart Macgill bowled well in Brisbane and has nothing much to worry about except the need to strengthen his leg-side field. Nathan Bracken must find a red ball that swings and a strategy for taking wickets once the shine has been removed. Jason Gillespie uprooted India's leading batsmen in a fine burst somewhat overshadowed by the focus upon one crook decision.

Australia's main advantage lies with its opening batsmen. If the Indians score as heavily as their counterparts then the visitors have a chance. If Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer are able to impose themselves then five days of hard yakka await the tourists. Hayden has become arguably the most important player in the Australian side,which is not bad for any batsmen let alone an opener repeatedly rejected in his early years.

Above all let us hope for five dry days. Within a few weeks the series will be over. The slower ways of yesteryear had much to commend them, not least the sense of anticipation and familiarity with visiting players. Contrastingly these condensed modern arrangements can seem soulless.

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