Harbhajan Singh would have enjoyed reading that he was at the top of the batting averages in the just concluded Test series against Sri Lanka. He is used to topping the averages in his speciality spin bowling, but his unbeaten innings of 40 in the second innings of the last Test at Ahmedabad has helped him to achieve this rare distinction, though he may have had less runs than the others below him. He will no doubt tease his Punjab teammate Yuvraj Singh, who too batted brilliantly, about being above him, and the jovial Sardar might even remind ‘Sachinbhai’ that he was well below him in the averages. The beauty is that the little champion will enjoy it and laugh heartily at being told he was down the order in the batting averages than the off-spinner. He may have been top of the batting averages, but it was Harbhajan’s superb bowling in Ahmedabad that would have gladdened the hearts of the team management. The variety he displayed and the constant positive approach shows a person at peace with himself. India has two world-class spinners in Harbhajan and the incomparable Kumble, and when they are firing together, batting is a matter of tangled feet for most batsmen. Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar also provided the breakthroughs for the team at crucial times and the Lankan batting was never allowed to settle.
The Lankans seemed a dispirited lot. Whether it was due to their drubbing in the one-dayers earlier or whether some members of the team were not happy with the selections is not clear, but there seemed little pride in their performances and the way they approached their tasks. Batsmen played and went back to the dressing room hardly showing any disappointment at all. The skipper Marvan Atapattu tried to stem the rot, but he had little support from the others. Jayawardene sparkled, but unless he converts his fifties and sixties to big hundreds, he will never be in the league of the greats, to which he certainly has the talent and ability to belong. Much was expected of Sangakkara, but maybe the twin responsibility of keeping wickets and then batting soon after took a toll on his energies and concentration.
The Lankan bowling, apart from Chaminda Vaas and Murali, did not look Test-class at all, and though the Indian top-order struggled for consistency, the lower-order was able to defy and enjoy itself as there was no threat from the tiny bowlers. Malinga is awkward till the batsmen get used to his action, but he has little by way of variety, and on Indian pitches, he struggled to get any joy.
There was little joy for the Indian openers either as they just couldn’t find the middle of their bat. Sehwag’s form continues to be of concern, but what is more worrying is the couldn’t-care attitude of Gambhir. He has shown little willingness to buckle down and bide his time, and has tried to blast his way, which is surprising, for he appears a studious person with a willingness to learn. That he is not learning from previous errors is not a good sign, for he still has to establish himself in the team. The makeshift opener Irfan Pathan batted with good cricketing sense, and his overall approach to both batting and bowling and the thought he puts into improving, makes him a very good prospect for the captaincy in the future.
The middle order of skipper Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman and Yuvraj all got useful runs, with the little champion getting his record 35th Test century. Now that its been achieved, he looks a lot more relaxed and though he didn’t get too many runs after that, there were enough glimpses of the aggression that has made him such a feared batsman by the bowlers. India does not have a problem with its middle-order bating lineup, but questions do persist about the opening slot. What was clearly seen was the depth of the Indian batting, with even No. 11 Harbhajan Singh willing to dig in and not sell his wicket cheaply. With Dhoni and Pathan capable of contributing regularly with the bat and Agarkar, Kumble and Harbhajan no mugs with the willow, the Indians may well be tempted to play with five bowlers, not only to give the attack more balance and options, but because the Pakistani batting will be stronger than the Sri Lankan.
Kumble winning the Man of the Series award was a perfect culmination of his 100th Test in a career that has had more questions asked, in spite of being answered most emphatically time and again by sheer dint of performance on the field.
The series was one-sided for sure, but it has given the Indian team just the right dose of confidence as they prepare for sterner battles already, especially the one against old rivals Pakistan. That will be real cricket, not what we just saw.
