After arguably the greatest test match of all time got over in March 2001 in Kolkata, and Australia’s streak of 16 consecutive test wins was broken, the losing captain Steve Waugh said that he was happy that it at least took something really special to beat his side.

 

Gavaskar has called this India’s greatest test win in 40 years (which really means ever, in his politically-correct language), and the only real competition for that title comes from that Kolkata 2001 test. The similarities are interesting though. In both, India were down and out in the series (1-0 in a three test series then and 2-0 in a four test series now), there was unhealthy controversy raging (Nayan Mongia’s suspiciously selfish play then – he never played for India again, the Sydney test imbroglio now), a relatively new captain in his second full series was grappling with his most challenging assignment (Ganguly then, Kumble now), India’s bowling was weakened because of injury (Kumble then, Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth now), a relatively inexperienced bowling attack trying to make its presence felt (Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan then, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma now) and then …VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid came together and turned the game on its head. And here, even though their contributions weren’t quite as dramatic, it is noticeable that Dravid top-scored in India’s first innings and Laxman in India’s second innings.

But the similarities between the two matches are perhaps less important than the differences. In Kolkata 2001, India had a miserable first innings and they followed-on before things changed dramatically. In Perth 2008, India played competitive cricket from the first session, and won almost every session of the match. In that match, three individuals turned the game on their individual brilliance (Laxman, Dravid and Harbhajan), in this match, almost every single member of the side contributed something special, from the bowlers to the batsman to the wicketkeeper. This last difference could hold the key to the next test match at Adelaide.

If India does not win the next test at Adelaide, this remarkable win will become a statistical achievement in the long run, just like the result in the final Chennai test in 2001 was critical in what followed for Ganguly’s team. India won that match by a heart-stopping two wickets, but if Australia had produced two wicket-taking deliveries then, Indian cricket history in this new millennium might have been different. There would perhaps not have been the remarkable performances in England and Pakistan and Australia later, nor the terrific ODI spate of results like the World Cup final.

 

Confidence and self belief counts for a lot in this level of the game where talent and skills are much more evenly divided in teams than the results usually reveal (West Indies and Pakistan being the best examples of this).

 

So, for the sake of Indian cricket, and indeed world cricket, let us all hope that the Indian team is able to produce something equally special at Adelaide. If they do, besides leveling the series (and perhaps morally winning it, given the dubious Sydney result), it could change the character of Indian cricket forever that relatively insignificant triumphs like the T20 World Cup win have shown signs of doing. How great the Perth victory is will eventually be seen in that light, if India really do turn the corner, as it tangibly did in Kolkata 2001.

So, the Adelaide test will be the most important test match for India till date. Winning this would, in my book, be greater than the 1983 World Cup triumph or the 1985 World Championship win, and India’s greatest test match triumph. The Kolkata 2001 test will always remain the number one match for its dramatic change of fortunes, but within the context of a series and perhaps the state of the game in an overall way, Perth could be a serious contender only if Adelaide brings something similar.

Enough has been said about Kumble’s wonderful leadership to get India smoking in this outstanding manner in Perth, and the astounding bowling from R P Singh and Ishant Sharma in particular, and Australia-India as the greatest cricket rivalry in the last ten years. Let’s give tautology a miss, and wish this magnificent Indian team luck and courage to combat a highly-charged Australian side that will come very, very, very hard at them.
 

 

 

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Write comment
Name:
Title:
UBBCode:	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge

Powered by JoomlaCommentCopyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.Homepage: http://cavo.co.nr/