| Of symmetry and high stakes |
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| Written by Sreeram Ramachandran | |
| Saturday, 19 January 2008 | |
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Towards the end of the Australian second innings, Kumble bowled Johnson off a no-ball, which was followed by possibly the most aggressive phase of the game with Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark tonking the bowling around to bring the target down to 87 runs before you could say 'Nathan Astle'.
Now, we have had all the excitement that could have been asked for in this series. A keenly competitive first two tests, generous doses of controversy, three thrilling and extremely competitive days in this test and then an eventful fourth day. This final burst, from the point of view of entertainment, wasn't really needed. But it was as if the metaphoric scriptwriters of this game had decided to go the whole hog, and when putting forth a thrilling series, throw in every possible little element that would add excitement. Going into the fourth day, the stakes were higher than just a famous test win. Had India lost, it would have suddenly meant they were 3-0 down in a series where they had dominated most parts of at least two of the three tests. It would have meant all the credit and support they got for their performance and the general rotten luck they had in the second test would have been eroded. It would have also meant that one of the most eagerly anticipated series and rivalries of modern cricket had fizzled out into a repulsive mass of controversies, bad umpiring and one-sidedness (at least in terms of results, if nothing else), all of which made the result important for world cricket in general. And then, of course, there was the small matter of the phenomenal 17 win record that was at stake. Records are just numbers and in general should not be regarded with tremendous importance, but there are some records that are a little more than mere statistics and need to be accorded that much more respect. 17 wins in a row is a fantastic achievement, and for the Indians to deny them that at Perth is a win-all situation (or win nearly all). Let us spend a few minutes to just gaze in shameless awe at the sheer symmetry of events, and the wide round rings of poetic justice that have been woven. India broke Australia's 16 run win in Kolkata in a game where they came back from nothingness, and with amazing precision, things have fallen together to repeat the exact same scenario. For years no one had dominated and overwhelmed India in India (save the odd 2 match series against South Africa) until the Australia conquered the 'Fina---...ok, let's not use the cliched F- word. And in return, the Indians have blown a hole in the strongest fort in Australia, the WACA. In a nicely knit circle, the Indians were the last team to beat Australia in Australia back in Adelaide in 2003-04, and now they end the undefeated run in 2008. Interestingly, both these matches will now be engaged in tussle to emerge as India's greatest Test victory ever, but let us wait for the euphoria and general madness to settle before rushing to judgments on that. In a well-rounded world, there would be a right for every wrong, and a compensation for every drab disapointment. The Twenty20 World Cup came as the balancing figure to compensate for the misery that the ODI World Cup generated. If things go well in Adelaide, this edition of the Border-Gavaskar trophy will cancel out the no-show of the 5-0 Ashes defeat. In the light of this happy realization, let us raise a toast to India vs Australia, one of the most consistent, intense, compelling and competitive sporting rivalries of the 21st Century, and hope Adelaide provides a fantastic dessert to round off a sumptuous meal. |
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