What began as almost a world record beginning ended up as being an almost record margin end for India in the Test series. The disappointment at the defeat was magnified because the capitulation was not to Shoaib Akhtar but to the medium pacers, Abdul Razaq and Mohammad Asif.
True, Shoaib with his pace may have created the uncertainty that bowlers of that speed normally do, but to see batsman after batsman being clean bowled by a newcomer was tough on the emotions. No wonder there’s such a hue and cry bordering on the hysterical among the cricket lovers.
It is here that the team management will have to play an important role in lifting the team from the psychological low a defeat can bring. It’s no ordinary defeat either, as it is to traditional rivals, Pakistan and as any Indian or Pakistani will tell you, it’s not just a game but goes way beyond bat and ball.
Unlike in the past, where it took days, if not weeks to know about what were the reactions at home when on tour, today thanks to the communication, the news can be got barely seconds after it is out to be in print or the electronic media. So the
players in Pakistan don’t have to go to the Indian Embassy to get news of reactions at home but would have been able to access it on their personal communication systems even as they would have been trying to close their ears to the sound of celebrations in the Pakistani dressing room. The best thing for Indian cricket would be if the team gets angry at the anger of the common man for that can then be channelized into a tigerish performance on the field, especially fielding. But if the team is allowed to wallow in self-pity and look for excuses, like suspect action of opposition bowlers, then they won’t be able to lift themselves from the floor.
That Test cricket is the ultimate, is what every player accepts because frailties in Tests can be hidden in the hurly-burly of the limited overs game. The plus point is that the average cricket followers invariably look at the excitement that the limited overs game brings and is not too focused about anything else. Limited overs cricket can make the Test pauper into a King because there’s more of a following for this version than the longer version and memories are brutally short in our part of the world and there’s a great opportunity for Test zeroes to be limited overs heroes.
Since the composition of the one-day team is barely different from the Test team and the pitches likely to be more the Lahore — Faisalabad variety, India should look positively at the opportunity to redeem themselves. The inclusion of Kaif and Raina fresh from their contribution to Uttar Pradesh’s first Ranji Trophy acquisition will bolster the fielding which for the Tests looked more like a local train stopping at all stations. Yuvraj’s magnificent century effort makes him a good candidate to come up the order because he is not only in good touch but will be high on confidence too.
With him leading the way, India’s fielding should be a joy to watch.
Pakistan will have to improve their catching for they dropped some in the Test series and even in the Karachi Test and yet won by a thumping margin which does underscore the frailty of the Indian batting and lack of penetration in the bowling.
In limited overs cricket, it’s the batting that wins games particularly on the kind of pitches that are on offer in the sub-continent which is why it makes sense to have bowlers who can bat like Irfan Pathan.
India have gone in for five new ball bowlers in their squad out of which one, if not two, will be tourists much like the openers Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Jaffer were for the Tests.
India were disappointing alright, but the one-day series offers them the balm to put on their wounds and injured pride. If they use it right, they can still put the smile back on the faces of their supporters.
