Finally the number one cricketing status in terms of wicket taking abilities and scoring runs has dawned on the financial superpowers of the game. There was always a lurking question in everyone’s mind that a country that has so much cricketing money at its disposal can’t face the brunt of a nation with population of half of that of its most populated state. Australia was always a better team and better by a distance. India, South Africa and Sri Lanka always looked second but the difference from the number one was similar to that of a Usain Bolt from the number two in a 100 meter dash.
It took a good 10 years if not more for the sub-continental giants to reach the pinnacle of Test cricket and the journey was no less than what can be converted into a brilliant Hindi movie script. It had everything from humiliation, insult, exultation, moments of pride and honor and a lot of joy. After the match fixing scandal broke out the team was in a state of despair and a tour Down Under did not help matters. A 3-0 defeat shook a nation which prides in its cricketing icons. The media went gaga over the cliché which reads “Tigers at home, rabbits abroad” and the players had nowhere to hide. The only thing that could have helped was a resounding comeback.
The team waited as their chance of redemption came when Steve Waugh announced that by winning in India he would complete a win everywhere he played in this era. The Aussies came at the back of 15 consecutive wins and two more would have made it a world record. Mumbai was easy for them as the batting failed to rise again and the bowling looked average but for a team of champions including the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and skipper Sourav Ganguly, they have had enough. In Kolkata after a pathetic first innings show, a man known for his style of batting emerged to be counted from now on in the Fabulous 4. VVS Laxman played a momentous knock and from then till now has been a permanent fixture in the Test playing 11. Dravid showed what mettle he is made up of and Harbhajan did the rest. Redemption was on the cards and a win in Chennai would have made sure India had staged a comeback after a serious debacle.
This time it was the turn of the champion batsman Sachin to shine. He did the expected and the bowlers took care of the rest. Australia’s jaggernaut was halted and India was still a powerhouse at home. While the performances started to compel audiences, the attitude changed as well. Sourav Ganguly instilled the spirit of never-say-die and fearlessness amongst his wards. Even the great McGrath was seen in his eyes and Steve Waugh was intimidated.
What followed that series is a number game. India won Tests in England, West Indies and Sri Lanka and though winning Tests abroad was a good thing to happen, they still lagged behind in notching up series wins. The first big upset happened when this side hampered Steve Waugh’s farewell series in 2003-04. Ganguly staged a wonderful hundred at Brisbane to start of on an inspiring note and his wards especially bowlers took care of the rest. Laxman was again special and so was Rahul Dravid. The Adelaide win was the first in Australia in 22 years and had Sydney favoured us India could have done what no team since 1992-93 have done Down Under.
Then came the pressure cooker series against arch-rivals Pakistan. India were the better side going into the contest but Pakistan at home have always thrashed India. Diplomatically this was a “DilJeet Lo” contest and not only did the Indians win hearts they also did wonders with the willow and leather. India beat Pakistan hands down in both Tests and ODI’s. History graced them as this was their first series win in the sub-continental neighbourhood.
The team underwent a little passage of a administration hiccup post this as the Greg Chappell-Ganguly saga dominated more than the wins or losses, the latter though increased after a long time. The home defeats to Australia and England didn’t help matters. It was a classic case of a coup but like all the time, the Indian cricket team also came out stronger from the fracas. Dravid was handed over the helm of affairs and in West Indies, India won its first Test series outside the sub-continent in the last 20 odd years, discounting Zimbabwe from the account.
The side kept winning in bits and pieces in the coming years both home and away. The first ever win in South Africa came in a game in which India’s most successive skipper made a comeback and the angry young man S. Sreesanth skittled the opposition in their own backyard. Then came the big win as for the first time the Indian team beat England in a Test series at the English backyard.
Their was a debacle in 2007 when the side under the leadership of Rahul Dravid bowed out of the 50 over world cup in the first stage itself. India also lost a series in Australia and a lot of controversies came up for useless reasons. But this team as always fought back and the real race for the number one slot in Tests began from here.
Australia were beaten and so were the English. India had now learnt to win chasing 380 odd batting fourth and the batters looked equally good playing on sheets of grass. We now had pacers who could take 20 wickets and spinners who on a good track didn’t bother about anyone’s reputation. The confidence was sky-high and the pride intact.
Even then it took us 10 years from where the process began in 1999 to finally scale the number one summit in 2009. If we thought that the job is done, we are fools because the tougher task of retaining the place begins only now. In a country where it’s often said that the seat of the Indian skipper is hotter than the Prime Minister’s, to hold on to that seat when the pressure would be the most has to be tough. People criticized MSD a lot after the T20 World Cup debacle but if he heard all that patiently and did not retort like an angry general, this is his time to reap rewards. At the end of the day numbers say that this Indian team has won 22 and lost only 10 in the last five years. At a time when social disbalance is becoming a problem for India on a daily basis Dhoni’s wards have proved that no matter what people say the true beauty of India lies in its diversity.
