Ahoy Cricket, How’ve you been mate?
If flipping between the SL-England test and Ind-WI ODI gives me enough time to write this, there is something seriously wrong with today’s Cricket-planetary positions.
After wallowing in the hitherto-unknown bliss for over two months, and basking in the make-believe serenity that should follow after a World Cup victory, I feel I am ready to write again. I should admit though that writing about Cricket was a bit of a challenge. Like an old fountain pen that needs a violent jerk before it gets going again. I didn’t give up easily though, I was surely, miserably and flat-out defeated…..
After relentless attempts to follow IPL ardently, I am indifferent to report, that I have failed as comprehensibly as such failures can be. It didn’t take long for me to realize that a mortal human being can only follow a monstrosity of a tournament like IPL if it was being done for a living, in exchange of exorbitant amounts of money. And since neither of these applies to me, largely due to the painful reality of having a full time job to do unfortunate non-Crickety things, I figured that IPL will most certainly have to pass me by.
So, while I waited for the IPL tornado to pass, I started planning life beyond the Cricket World Cup. And all that soul searching also made me reflect back on simpler times when fans looked forward to Cricket. Back in the 90s when the human race hadn’t evolved enough to embrace Cricket twice a day, we waited and waited, sometimes for months, to see our boys in mild-tentative-blue back on the field. Now, things are quite different. Today, we don’t wait for Cricket, as our boys in bold-blue-and-other-shocking-color-combinations are playing about 500 days a year, as Cricket is fire-hosed down our throats sending us into a cathartic coma. Today we need to weed through and look forward to Cricket that fits our interests, from a big <expletive> basket of Cricket that is on offer.
For me it means waiting for tours like the ones to the Caribbean and England, watching Sri Lanka play test matches at the Lords, and shamelessly shutting myself out of Twenty20 extravaganzas.
Well then, after my longish rant, here is a look at our Caribbean vacation.
A quick look back
The first Indian triumph in the Caribbean went on to become more of an aberration than a fresh start for the sub continent teams. It was the magical year of 1971, when Sunil Gavaskar made his Test debut in the second test against WI in Port of Spain. Gavaskar wasted no time in announcing himself to the world by scoring 65 in the first inning, and an unbeaten 67 in the second to guide India to its ever victory in West Indies. The year 1971 continued its glory for India when immediately after the Caribbean tour, much like it is scheduled this year, India toured England and registered its first ever victory on English soil.
After that series victory in 1971, where India won one test match and drew the other two, it took India 35 years to register another series victory in the Caribbean. In the meanwhile, we toured West Indies 5 times, in 1975, 1982, 1988, 1996 and 2001, only managing to win two test matches and lost every single series.
Look no further
Considering the Test history in the Caribbean, India has fared relatively better in the ODIs. Though they have certainly dominated in the recent years, as India’s stock ascended into the Stratosphere and the West Indians invented new ways to implode every season. With Lara continuing to be the last good thing to have happened to Caribbean Cricket, this series, at the very least, provides yet another opportunity for the Windies to stir up the good ol’ Cricketing Love at home.
Things may have gotten a bit easier (or lamer depending on how you look at it) when India announced its squad for the tour. Some of our players need physical rehab, some need breaks and the remaining need surgeries.
The blatant truth of T20 Club Cricket being more important than International Cricket tours now looms on us like the mark of Death Eaters over Hogwarts. But that cynical story is for another gloomy blog, bottom line for now is that India comes to Caribbean with an outrageously depleted team for the limited-overs leg of the tour. Combine that with the largely-amateur WI performances and a gaping Chris Gayle hole, and what you have is really a not-so-promising limited overs Cricketing action.
Test Cricket that follows the five ODIs provides a glimmer of hope for watching some of our own greats back in action.
Although depleted, India will look to press its dominance in their first international appearance after the mind numbing stupor of the WC victory. Apart from a number of fresh players, it will also be testing grounds for the new coaching staff.
Being the undisputed Champion means beating everyone, everywhere. Winning the cup shouldn't be a conclusion, and the Indians would want to prove it to be the beginning of a lasting reign at the top.
Would the Caribbean tour offer enough quality to keep the audience engaged, or would we have to wait until we travel further north to English soil?
Extras:
§ WI remains a country where Sachin has not scored an ODI century, and with him missing the ODIs, it may well go into the history books that way.
§ At 13.41%, India has the lowest Test Match winning performance against WI. This rate falls to 9.5% winning performance against WI in WI.
§ Gavaskar has a comprehensive record in WI, scoring 7 centuries and 4 half centuries in 13 tests, at an average of 70.20. This record created at the time when WI produced its most successful and dreaded fast bowlers.
§ The only other contemporary batsman who comes close to Gavaskar is Dravid, with 2 centuries and 10 half centuries in 14 tests, at an average of 70.00
§ With 25 and 15 wickets in 5 tests respectively, Harbhajan and Zaheer are the only current Indian bowlers to have a respectable record in WI. Others either have less to no experience, or have fared poorly.
