India's missing centuries

What’s hurting India is that in the last seven Tests frontline batsmen have made just three centuries, two by Virender Sehwag, while 11  have been scored against us... numbers that are becoming a cause for concern

MUMBAI: Statistics, as Navjot Singh Sidhu put it evocatively ‘are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, what they hide is essential.’

One such suggestive number is 3. It is the number of hundreds Indian batsmen have scored in the last seven Tests — the three-match series against South Africa in March-April, three-match series against Sri Lanka in July-August and the first Test against Australia in Bangalore.

Incidentally, opposition batsmen have made 11 centuries against India in the same period. 

Of the three, two have been Virender Sehwag specials — a 201 at Galle and 319 in Chennai against South Africa. Dravid was the other centurion, his 111 at Chennai being completely overshadowed by Viru’s knock. The last hundred from any other batsman, other than Dravid or Sehwag, last came in January this year when Sachin Tendulkar made 153 at Adelaide.

That the big runs are not flowing from the bats of India’s frontline batsmen, save for Sehwag, has been cause of much consternation. Large-scale changes have been called for. Dearth of quality back-up fretted over. If only that three-figure wouldn’t be so elusive. At Kanpur and then at Galle, the two Tests we won since March, it was the bowlers who delivered the knock-out punches.

While hundreds glorify the individual performer, the three-figure mark can be a morale booster for the entire team, believes former chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar. “If someone goes on to make a big score, it can work wonders for the team as a collective unit. It can have a rubbing-off effect,” he said. “But the team should be doing well, otherwise the hundreds lose value. Our batsmen are going through a poor phase.
Hopefully, they will come out of it soon.”

Lalchand Rajput, who last travelled with the team as manager to Australia from December-February 2008, says he’d rather see a big hundred than bits and pieces performances.

“It is very important that in a Test match that at least two batsmen get a big score. If that happens, a total in excess of 450 is possible,” Rajput said.

“If you have fighting 50s, 60s, then you need at least five players to make that score each for the team to post a respectable total. Our batsmen are going through a bad patch. It has been rear-guard action that has saved us, like in the first Test against the Australia. Harbhajan and Zaheer’s gusty half-centuries helped our cause. Someone needs to raise their hand, and score the big runs.”

Former India coach Aunshuman Gaekwad, is of the view that team total is the crucial number. “I think how the team’s doing overall is more important. If the contributions are coming, then it doesn’t really matter whether someone has scored a big hundred or not. A few fifties will get you to the same place as a big hundred. However, a big hundred helps the individual’s morale definitely,” said Gaekwad. “Over the past few months, we have seen Sehwag score big hundreds, while the rest haven’t contributed.”

For India to break the ‘hundred’ jinx, Gaekwad believes that playing VVS Laxman at No.3 in the batting order might be an option. “I would think of bringing Laxman up the order, maybe at No.3. He is not enjoying great form. But we know he likes the ball coming onto the bat. Besides he has been a stellar performer against Australia,” he said.
Will Mohali see that big hundred? If Viru gets going it’s as good as half the battle won. But there will be a lot more relief in the team if it’s another who raises the bat in acknowledgement of reaching a three-figure mark.