Indian cricket '03- cynosure of all eyes

New Delhi, Dec 19: Adding a new-found aggression to their armoury, Sourav Ganguly and his band of warriors emerged as a new force to reckon with in the cricketing world and scaled new heights in an eventful year, which had its share of controversies too. Never before there was so much jubilation and annihilation thrown in such stark contrast, but everything just went on to ascertain India's growing status in the world arena.

The World Cup contract row threatened to render India hors-de-combat for the premier event but the game's governing body bent backward to accommodate a team that sends the cash bells ringing. Despite being humiliated by Australia in the final, India's dream run in the World Cup was the high point of the team which displayed remarkable resilience and character to shrug off the enormous pressure of an indifferent start and record eight consecutive victories.

For a team that was known to invariably choke in crunch situations, the 'Great Indian huddle' not only symbolised a resurgence in India's cricketing fortunes but also the spirit to overcome all odds. The Indians, for a change, learnt to fight and were also willing to give their opponents a dose of their own medicine. Ganguly had changed the image of the Indian cricketer-from apologetic and docile to an aggressive and determined one.

This new aspect of the team has come to the fore in the ongoing four-Test series against their World Cup nemesis Australia. They went into the tour with the tag of underdogs and desperate to prove they would not serve as easy prey for the lion in the den. And as it turned out they went on to achieve something; something which even a die-hard optimist would not have dreamt of.

They broke the 22-year jinx of not winning a Test on the Australian soil and took a 1-0 lead in the series with a stunning come-for-behind victory in the second Test at Adelaide. Records tumbled and history was rewritten as the Indians for the first time posed a real threat of humbling the world champions and registering their first-ever series victory outside the sub-continent. Two Tests still remain to be played but that one win was enough to force critics to eat their own words as India once again proved they did have a ruthless streak in them and unlike the teams of the past were willing to take the fight to the opposition.

There was plenty of sideshow as well in the year that went by--Javagal Srinath hanging his boots--for good this time around, and World Cup hero Sachin Tendulkar making news on account of his records and restaurant, form and Ferrari. The only black moment was perhaps the allegation that Maharashtra batsman Abhijit Kale had tried to bribe national selectors for a place in the Australia-bound team. The Kale episode opened a can of worms with accusations flying thick and fast from all corners and a dismayed Cricket Board was left groping for answers.

It was not all hunky-dory when India started their season with the tour of New Zealand. The Indians, with a memorable NatWest series triumph behind them, had given rise to expectations back home of a good show. But India's tour of the Kiwi land was nothing short of an anti-climax. They were blanked 0-2 in the Test series in low-scoring matches wrapped within three days by a contriving New Zealand on tailor-made pitches.

Back home, expectant fans braved the morning chill to see their heroes fight it out against New Zealand on their TV monitors. But what unfolded defied imagination as the famed Indian batting line-up was packed off for 161 in the first knock in the first Test at Wellington. It appeared to be an aberration but when the Kiwis made 247 in their reply before bowling out the Indians for 121 in the second innings for a 10-wicket victory, there sure was a lot of heartbreak for the fans.

While the Kiwis celebrated the win by going around Wellington in a limousine, the bowlers sipping champagne, the Indian dressing room was tense with apprehension of playing another Test on an under-prepared wicket. India's worst fears came true when it became known that New Zealand Cricket had made a special request for a pitch full of pace for the second Test at Hamilton. Even as the criticism over the wickets gathered momentum, Indians were handed another defeat, although not without a fight, for a 0-2 washout.

The rain-affected match saw New Zealand survive a scare before scampering home to a four-wicket victory. The story of the seven-match one-day series was no different but India did notch up two consolation wins before suffering a 5-2 defeat, not the idle build-up to the World Cup indeed. Obituaries began to be written and dirges sung as India embarked for the World Cup in South Africa. India did nothing to raise expectation as they looked hardly convincing in their victory in the opening match against greenhorns Netherlands.

Australia slaughtered whatever little reputation India carried with a merciless nine-wicket thrashing in their second match of the preliminary round. India failed to survive the their full quota of overs and were bowled out for 125 in 42 overs by an attack which did not have Shane Warne, slapped a drug-ban. But there was no looking back for India there on, as they rose like a phoenix to record eight victories including an unforgettable six-wicket win against eternal foes Pakistan, en route to the final. (Agencies) 

Published: Friday, December 19, 2003

Back to Index