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September 27, 1997
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Neither heroes, nor quite zeroes
Hemant Kenkre
Soon after the Indian cricket team won the Sahara Cup, coach Madan Lal was quoted as saying that he would not like the
team to go to directly to Pakistan.
He argued that the team
should visit for India for a short period of time so that the
boys get the opportunity of savouring the fruits of a victory --
something, he added, that they were not used to of late.
What happened? How did the Indian team, acknowledged by most as
one of the worst in the world, suddenly shock their detractors
by beating the team which has been its bete noir for a
long time?
Indian cricket fans, used to facile victories achieved
at home, are somewhat surprised with the sweeping win against Pakistan on foreign soil. But funnily enough, even before the next episode of the rivalry begins on Pakistan soil, die-hards are already looking for excuses to explain the defeat they think is ahead.
How, they ask, could a team without a single experienced bowler
cause any problem to a strong opposition on their own grounds? What chance would a
team without Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble
have against a batting side consisting of Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmed and Inzamam Ul Haq?
The fact is there was no miracle in Canada. The team won because they played within themselves, without any pressure as they went in as the underdogs. On greenish, two-paced wickets encountered in Toronto, the admittedly
inexperienced frontline Indian bowlers, Abey Kuruvilla, Debasish
Mohanty and Harvinder Singh bowled a good line consistently and,
more importantly, did not get carried away. And the death blows were dealt by Saurav Ganguly, who swung the ball just enough to
find the edge or slip through the gap. The Pakistan bowlers, more experienced, however made the mistake of trying too hard, and were thwarted by their own eagerness and also the experience of the Indian
batting lineup.
The team performed consistently because each player in the side
pulled his weight. And though Ganguly was the ultimate star, the most important role was actually played by India's seniormost player, Mohammed Azharuddin. It was great to
see Azhar drop anchor and keep the scoreboard ticking over, while allowing
Ajay Jadeja and Robin Singh to go for it at the othewr end. Like Test cricket, the one day game also requires
a batsman to drop anchor and keep rotating the strike, and this role was performed to perfection by the former India skipper.
The wickets in Toronto were to the dislike of Pakistan batsmen bred on flat
sub-continental wickets. Those who prefer to play on the rise
were found wanting when the ball started to swing. Thus, only the batsmen with real skill -- Azhar for India, Malik for Pakistan -- played consistently throughout.
It has been a long time since the Indian team won a series aboard
-- thus, the Toronto result comes as a definite morale booster.
It has undoubtedly given this young and inexperienced
side a shot in the arm. But I do hope we don't fall into the same trap as we did after the Hero Cup, when we began labelling our side as world-beaters.
The fact is that this Indian team is not the best combination that the country
can offer. When Kumble, Srinath and Prasad solve their respective
problems and make themselves available for the country, Mohanty
and Harvinder will find themselves sidelined. Indian cricket history
is full of Vivek Razdans, Raju Kulkarnis, Salil Ankolas, Subroto
Bannerjees and Dodda Ganeshes who performed well when given the chance only to find themselves back in the wilderness for no fault of theirs.
The key to be a winning combination is consistency over a period
of time, against all comers and in different conditions. And to achieve
a winning combination, the powers that are must persist with a
side over a period of time. The Sri Lankan team is the best example
of this when, despite all their problems, they stood by their
players and their captain.
Take the cases of Marvan Attapatu and Hasan Raza. The Lankans
persisted with Atapattu in spite of repeated failures because
they believed in his potential, and in the end he did not let them down. The
Pakistan team management gave plenty of chances to Raza, their
teenage boy wonder, who gave good support to Inzamam in the last
one-dayer which Pakistan won. Before this particular match, Raza
had averaged just 8 runs in as many matches.
Goes to show that a winning combination is not something which can be achieved overnight,
but something that needs to be nurtured. The powers that rule Indian cricket must realise that it is not merely form which qualifies
a player from being selected, but form coupled with potential.
The 'horses for courses' theory does work occasionally -- but does
not necessarily throw up a winning combination. Indian skipper
Sachin Tendulkar in a recent interview has clearly said that we
need to plan for the 1999 World Cup from now. And constant chopping and changing is not the way to do that.
For instance, what messages are we giving Nayan Mongia and Saba Karim,
who find themselves on one tour and out the other? Mongia bore
the entire blame for the run-out fiasco in Sri Lanka, and was labelled
selfish by most in the media. His match-saving efforts against
the West Indies in Tests, and match-winning efforts in the last
World Cup, were conveniently forgotten. It is not selfishness but
insecurity that stopped him from going to certain death. Why should
Mongia run when the ball is hit straight to a fielder, a Sri
Lankan one at that, and give one more reason for the selectors
to drop him on the grounds that he did not score runs? Why cannot a Mongia
be told that he is the best man for the job, that the selectors have faith in him, and that he can go out there and play without worrying about the next team selection exercise?
What is most interesting about Madan Lal's comment that he would like his victorious side to
bask in their moment of glory is that it clearly signifies that he still
does not have the confidence that the side will do well in Pakistan.
The flat wickets will give little or no purchase to our bowlers,
whose main job will not be to take wickets but to stem the flow of
runs. More importantly, Pakistan, smarting under their defeat,
will have a point to prove and the same bowlers who went through
Saeed Anwar's gate will find it difficult to even beat his bat.
After the win in Toronto, expectations from Sachin and his team
will be very high. The last thing the Indian team needs, at this
point in time, is pressure of this sort. Let the young team get
the experience of playing in tougher conditions, both on and off
the field, and come back as stronger and wiser men. It will not
be fair to put this victorious side on a pedestal so high that
it becomes convenient to throw stones at them later.
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