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Memonics
I have some compunctions about excessive celebration and hoopla over the first anniversary of the T20 World Championship triumph a year ago if this is not accompanied by some sort of a reality check too.
There is no belittling the T20 victory in South Africa last year. Without doubt it was one of the outstanding moments in the history of Indian sport. But that does not mean objective stock-taking should be eschewed: Indeed, because the event is only a year old, perspective becomes even more pertinent.
In that context, I find that Indian cricket has not really taken off to the extent the T20 triumph promised. In saying this, I am obviously not referring to the quantum of money made by the BCCI or the phenomenal clout it currently enjoys internationally, but about performance on the field.
Remember, soon after the T20 tournament India beat Pakistan at home and then reached dizzying heights against Australia. Though the Test series was lost, enormous credibility was gained because of the skilful manner in which the team conducted itself on and off the field.
Around that time, new coach Gary Kirsten was talking about a one-year time frame in which India could become the number one side in the world. This was not just wishful thinking. The team was on a roll, old-timers and young players were all gelling well to make an indelible impact and the mood was upbeat. Six months down the road, that ambition seems drastically misplaced.
The home Test series against South Africa was drawn, against Sri Lanka, the series was lost. The one day contests too have been a mixed bag, and while beating Sri Lanka on their home soil was praiseworthy, two back-to-back tournaments — the Tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan — were lost.
It might intrigue some that India’s Test and one-day record over the past year should be juxtaposed with the T20 victory last year. Is there any connection? I believe there is. Taken cumulatively, this reflects true strength in the sport, for it is highly unlikely that a country can excel in one format, but is a complete flop in the others. When the West Indies ruled cricket, they did so in Tests and one-dayers. Ditto Australia after that.
The Twenty20 format is new, and therefore still full of surprises. But I reckon that the better equipped countries must show their strength in all formats ultimately — and consistently, not sporadically. In that sense, it is disappointing that from the T20 World Championship team, only MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir have made significant progress. Viru Sehwag, of course, has hit a purple patch, but the T20 tournament was not a turning point in his life. Not for Harbhajan Singh either.
But Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Sreesanth, Joginder Singh, Robin Uthappa, RP Singh, Dinesh Karthick and even Irfan Pathan — all wonderful performers one year back — now stand at the crossroads, at least in Tests. Their mediocre form has impacted the composition of the team, and left the selectors posing the same questions to which they may have believed all answers had been found a year ago.
I don’t mean to be cynical. These are all young, highly talented players. But success at this level does not come from mere talent, and prolonged celebration is a giveaway of poor focus.
So, as this new and hectic season begins amidst much fanfare and celebration, let there be honest admission that Indian cricket is perhaps back to square one. At least then, the path ahead becomes clearer.