da pinnacle： A boring Test series, marked by much mediocre cricket and lopsided results was at least enlivened by a well-contested finalTest at the Eden Gardens even if the denouement was rather tame
Partab Ramchand05-Nov-2002A boring Test series, marked by much mediocre cricket and lopsided results was at least enlivened by a well-contested finalTest at the Eden Gardens even if the denouement was rather tame.But the fluctuating fortunes and sudden twists and turns made fora rather engrossing encounter particularly against the backgroundof the disappointing events at Mumbai and Chennai. Going into thefinal day, any one of three results was possible and in the end,India salvaged their reputation by comfortably drawing a game inwhich West Indies had called the tune for most part.
© CricInfoHowever, India can still take heart from events in the KolkataTest. Much has been said about the Indian batting might but thishas centered round running up massive totals on good wickets andwhen things are running in their favour. At the Eden Gardens, theIndians showed that their batting could be mighty handy even in arearguard action. A first-innings deficit of 139 runs with almosttwo days left is enough to put immense and sustained pressure ona side. It is to the credit of the batsmen that they did notcrumble, even after they were 87 for four. At this stage, defeatwas a distinct possibility but a closing total of 471 for eightunderlined the strength of the Indian batting.The recovery was scripted by Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman andtheir 214-run partnership for the fifth wicket that brought backvivid memories of the Laxman-Dravid record stand againstAustralia in March last year on the same ground. Tendulkar’sinnings was really on a different plane altogether and even byhis own lofty standards, the 176 will take its place among thefinest of the 31 hundreds notched up by the maestro.The manner in which he made the runs confirmed his stature as theworld’s leading batsman. Even in a crisis situation, it was nevera typically rearguard action which is usually marked by dour,defensive batting. Judiciously mixing caution with aggression, henever gave the bowlers much of a chance. Soon after he came in,his steely eyes, grim determination and intense concentrationwere all there to see and he gave early indications of a longstay at the crease. He did not disappoint, staying at the creasefor seven hours and negotiating 298 deliveries. But, as I said,it was not a totally defensive knock, indicative of his havingstroked 26 fours.The little master realised that making runs was almost asimportant as consuming time. Tactically it was a masterly knock.Yes, the Indians are well served in their omnipotent departmentby the likes of Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag, Bangar and Laxman butthere is little doubt as to who is the of them all.I have often wondered why Laxman has been inconsistent. TheHyderabadi stylist, a direct descendant of ML Jaisimha andAzharuddin, is a batsman who has class written all over him. Someof the shots he plays are all his own and beyond the reach of anyother batsman. That being the case, I am unable to fathom why hedoes not play his full regalia of strokes, which are straightfrom the textbook and with greater freedom, now that he iscertain of a place in the side.Under the circumstances, he should not be lacking in confidenceand one can only hope that his unbeaten 154 at Kolkata for whichhe batted almost nine hours, will mark the final turning point inhis career. A true team man, he initially eschewed strokes, keento give Tendulkar as much strike as possible before going fullthrottle himself after the dismissal of his partner. I refuse tobelieve that Laxman’s current career average of 42 which is apretty big leap following events in the past three years isreflective of his talent, class and skill. There is no earthlyreason why it should not be in the 50-plus category. But havingcelebrated his 28th birthday during the Test, he has time on hishands and the thought that his best could still lie ahead is agood augury for Indian cricket.On a pitch that remained true till the end, the Indian bowlerswere up against it, though, Harbhajan Singh confirmed his risingstature by finishing with another five-wicket haul. Fittinglyenough, he walked away with the man of the series award for histally of 20 wickets. But if the series underscored his rise, italso signaled another step downward for Anil Kumble. There arenow distinct signs that India’s main strike bowler in the lastdecade is in the evening of his career.
© CricInfoI was never happy with Javagal Srinath’s decision to come backand his subsequent inclusion in the side. With just four wicketsfrom 53 overs at an average of 31.75 in the series, he is quiteclearly another bowler over the hill and it is time the selectorsfirmly installed Zaheer Khan as the spearhead of the attack whilekeeping their eyes open for new talent – and there are a fewyoung pacemen around.From the West Indian point of view, the foremost feeling must beone of relief that they avoided a clean sweep that was on thecards on the eve of the Test. But then there must also be a senseof regret that they could not capitalise on a winning position.Of the two weak departments, there were certainly more questionmarks over the bowling than the batting and this proved to theirAchilles heel. Also, the decision to go in with four pace bowlersand no specialist spinner proved to be a tactical blunder. Butthen in the ultimate analysis, the tourists never really had achance and a 2-0 result is a fair indication of the disparitybetween the two teams. However, the one-day matches that followshould be close-run affairs, particularly with Sachin Tendulkarout of the series.