It's been so worth the wait ...!

It’s over. It has been delightful, painful, amazing, strenuous, nerve wracking and all that ….

 

If you have a plateful of bitter and sweet items to partake, how would you go about it? I would have the bitter one first, have the rest of the items in increasing order of the taste that I relish the most and leave the last piece in there as the one I would relish the most and would want the taste to linger on for a long time.

 

This test series has been like that. Started off with the bitter pill of 36 all out and then reached the crescendo in the last hour on the last day of the last test. Can there be any better script?

Mind goes back to 1992, the first India – Australia test series in Australia that I followed. Somewhere in one corner of my mind, is a memory of my dad listening to the radio commentary of the Sydney test of 1986 when India scored 600-4 or something like that. It was a drawn series against a rebuilding Australia after the famous Kim Hughes press conference breakdown. There was also the iconic tied test of 1987 at Chepauk that really introduced me to test cricket! Somewhere in between the two was the 16 run loss to Pakistan in Bangalore – Sunny Gavaskar’s last test.

 

Cut to 1992, a humiliating 4-0 loss in a 5 match series, the couple of highlights being a brilliant century at WACA, Perth by Sachin Tendulkar and a scintillating century by Mohammed Azharuddin (20+ fours, if I remember correctly) at Adelaide, where we lost by 38 runs. The only match we managed to draw was at Sydney, with Ravi Shastri scoring a double century. It was Shane Warne’s debut match as well, and it was one of the least impressive debuts! I used to eagerly look forward to a 30 minutes’ highlights capsule that was introduced as ‘RK Swamy BBDO presents’! Much later I realized that this was an ad agency. Imagine an ad agency sponsoring the highlights package of such a series now! The highlights package was all about drooling those phenomenal pickup shots that Azharuddin used to play from the off stump nonchalantly into the leg side and to admire the gumption of a Sachin! Being able to challenge Australia across 1-2 sessions was enough to fill our cockles!

 

1998-99 then, the only memory being Sachin playing well, all by himself and finding new ways of getting out every match (hit on shoulder and given LBW, for instance). This was a forgetful series.

 

2003-04 was played post the 2001 Eden Gardens epic and hence the rivalry took on a different tone and hue. Inspiring century by Sourav Ganguly at the Gabba helped India draw a tough match. Adelaide was about Rahul Dravid especially and Ajit Agarkar. That Adelaide test instilled belief into the Indian team that we could defeat the mighty Australians at their home. Incidentally the first innings lead for Australia despite scoring 556 was exactly 33 runs. We lost at Melbourne and the final test was at the SCG. I cannot forget those beautiful drives unleashed by VVS Laxman in India’s mammoth 700 plus score in the first innings. That innings is more famously remembered for Sachin’s highest score of 243 not out. More famous than the score was his refusal to even attempt a single cover drive throughout his stint at the crease. We were eagerly anticipating a famous Indian win. Only for Simon Katich to play the spoiler in both the innings. I have not been able to forgive Parthiv Patel for all those mistakes behind the wicket, especially a missed stumping of Simon Katich. Not to forget Steve Waugh’s match saving knock in his final essay. In the end 1-1 was a fair score, but we could not digest the ‘so near, yet so far’ feeling that has lingered on ever since.

 

Come 2008 and there was a whitewash looming after the first match at Melbourne. The second test at SCG was a bitter one – both in terms of the number and percentage of umpiring decisions that went against India and also the monkey gate scandal. There was the stumping of Andrew Symonds that was ruled not out by the 3^rd umpire (that was simply wrong, there was no iota of doubt there), the bump catch off Saurav Ganguly with Ricky Ponting playing the umpire signaling it was indeed out. We collapsed in a heap with Michael Clarke picking up 6 wickets! That was very painful to watch. Who would have thought that Anil Kumble and team will bounce back at WACA of all places? The entire team rallied and it was one fairy tale win. The last test at Adelaide petered out into a draw, India initially dominating and then subsequently trying to survive. Virender Sehwag scored a century and the series ended 2-1 in favour of the hosts. Irrespective of monkey gate, everyone was in agreement that the score line was not a fair summary of the goings on in the series.

 

2011-2012 was painful to watch as well. A 4-0 drubbing. It was painful to see the legends go through the motions. Rahul Dravid kept getting bowled to Peter Siddle and he took the decision to retire post that series. He was coming off 3 centuries in England, where Dhoni and his men got a 4-0 drubbing. VVS Laxman also played his last test there in Australia in that series. One enduring memory of that series was Virat Kohli’s first century in Australia.

 

2014-15 looked to be a contest, though set against the background of Phil Hughes’ tragic death. Michael Clarke’s sporting declarations in both the innings meant that India had a whiff of a chance and Kohli took it on. Lasting image is of Kohli going after Lyon, only to be caught in the deep, followed by Wriddhiman Saha’s ridiculous charge. Yet another Adelaide test, and yet another story of so near and yet so far. India did stay in the contest for the second match only to be derailed by the wagging tail of Australia – Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood enjoyed themselves. I think Shikhar Dhavan had an injury in the nets that forced a change in the batting order. Kohli was visibly unhappy coming into bat as well! We lost that test in that session. Rahane – Kohli partnership was the highlight of the third test at Melbourne. Rahane dominated Mitchell Johnson and how. Kohli was just handing the strike to Rahane and played second fiddle. Around the end of the day’s play, it was an ego tussle between Kohli and Johnson and Johnson had the last laugh. That proved very costly as India folded quickly in the first essay post Kohli’s dismissal. Dhoni and the lower order prevented a collapse and the match ended in a draw. That MCG match also marked KL Rahul’s debut. It was one horror of a debut. He looked totally out of place (much like Rahane did in his debut at the Kotla which prompted Gavaskar to say that he was not ready to play test cricket!). Kohli was encouraging him to take on Lyon in both the innings and Rahul just did that. Without getting the pitch of the ball, he was a sitting duck. There were laughs all around when he got out in both the innings. Rahul also dropped a sitter at slip and there was an article on cricinfo of Rahul’s horror show at the MCG. Anything that is so bitter has a tendency to be evened out by sweet stuff. Rahul did redeem himself with a hundred at the SCG. So many Indian batsmen’s careers have got a fillip at the SCG and Rahul is definitely not the last one of them. The last at Sydney also ended in a draw, with both teams looking to dominate and finally had Dhoni come out to calm the frayed nerves, yet again.

 

The 2018-19 series was played in the long shadows of the Cape Town scandal with Australia having banned their two most prolific batsmen for a year for the key roles they played in the ball tampering scandal. India were strong favourites – definitely the first time ever. You still had to go out and play well and win. Day 1 of the first test did not go so well for India. Pujara scored the first of his 3 centuries and the day ended with a fantastic piece of fielding by Cummins to get Pujara run out. Ashwin picked up 4 wickets in the first innings. It was still a close game with Lyon batting so well to come within 40 runs (another Adelaide test and the margin being less than 40 runs!). India won the test to go 1-0 up. I remember the second test at Perth for one of the best innings I have seen ever – Virat Kohli’s magnificent 123 at the new Perth stadium. The boundaries he scored in that innings are a connoisseur’s delight. India lost the test, thanks to Lyon’s heroics (a match where pacers were expected to dominate). The series was setup 1-1. Thanks to Bumrah’s spells in both the innings and Pujara’s partnership with Kohli in the first innings, India won. The key moment of the match for me though was Mayank Agarwal’s debut and his opening partnership with Hanuma Vihari (who scored just 18), but that stand gave India stability and saw through the new ball for Pujara to come in and setup his stall. Mayank threw it away by going after Lyon one too many a time. He did that yet again at Sydney to get out in his 70s yet again. India dominated that test like no other. Kuldeep Yadav came in for his first match in Australia and picked up a five-for. Pujara extended his amazing form and got within a whiff of a double, Pant showed what he’s capable of by getting a big century. India made Australia follow-on and then it rained and how. Weather intervened to save Australia a massive defeat! We all thought that the series win was pre-ordained and I, for one, thought the score line of 2-1 was unimpressive.

 

And then this series! Wow, what a series. From the humiliation of 36 all out – media calling it the winter of 36, much like the summer or 42. India looked absolutely down. The 36 all out was more of a freakish session of play, where the entire Indian innings had only 32 chances and 10 of those were taken. The usual average in a test innings is about 1 in 8-10. The next test set the trend of all those coming into the squad making an impact immediately, by either scoring crucial runs when it mattered or taking wickets at the right opportune moments. India’s domination of the test was also thanks to Australia doing exactly what India did at Adelaide – dropped so many chances that we all lost count! This was so un-Australian.  Rahane ensured that the misses were costly for Australia with a superb century – a la Ganguly at the Gabba in 2003. Strangle hold on Steve Smith was found to be the key reason for India’s success. Steve Smith was back to his usual form in the next one at the SCG scoring big in both the innings. Going into the last day, I for one hoped India would do what Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell did on the last day of the Ranchi test a couple of years earlier. Australia looked down and out and 21/2 at the end of Day 4 only for some resolute batting to get the match to a draw. That series was setup nicely for a final flourish at Dharamshala (what a setting for the final match of the series). It was Rahane’s astute captaincy and aggressive approach in the last innings that ensured India chased the 120 run target comfortably and won the series 2-1 then.

 

Hanuma Vihari and Ashwin did even better, on an up/down surface at SCG that did not deteriorate to the extent we all thought it would. What fight and what resolve. We hung on for a dear draw, although at one point it looked like we could go for the win.

 

‘Can’t wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash, tell you what … ooh ooh’ was how Australia looked at the last match. So confident of annihilating a worn down India. I for one thought that the match would be a damp squib with India being rolled over within 3 days. It went to script, with India being 186/6 in reply to Australia’s 369. It was a rookie bowling attack. Am pretty sure that Natarajan, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur were pinching themselves, that they were indeed playing and not day dreaming! Shardul and Washington Sundar turned the script on its ahead with that amazing partnership of 123. That meant that we were beginning to clutch at straws. What if the lead came down to less than 50? What if we took the lead! Amazing conjectures! The lead in the end for Australia was 33 – cricinfo reminded us that this was a famous first innings deficit – remember Adelaide in 2003! I just laughed it off – a win at the Gabba – come on! I went through the trial and tribulation of sitting on a specific section of the sofa and not moving, waking up early with an alarm clock and not wanting to switch on the TV, hesitantly checking the score on the phone, trying to get back to sleep, unable to and with trepidation switching on the TV! Am sure that many amongst us went through the same chores! Rahane fell on the last day just when I checked the score on the phone! Should I check the score on my laptop?! Finally, I mustered courage to watch the match on my phone, but had the comfort of cricinfo updating me 1 ball ahead of what I could see on the phone. Seemed fine if I came across a wicket in my online update than watching it live. With just 10 runs to get, I took the tough decision of watching the match live on TV and what did I get! A poor reverse sweep from Sundar bringing about his downfall and Shardul Thakur followed soon after. Surely, this was not happening, shouldn’t be another instance of so near and yet so far. Such a relief it was to see the winning runs being hit.

 

Relief turned to marveling at the win and it subsequently turned to amazement at just what this team has done. This win over writes and should erase all those near wins and misses. The more I think of this win now, it is exultation and exhilaration more than relief and pride in winning ‘another’ series in Australia. It will be impossible to replicate this sort of a win against all odds. That is the problem with new benchmarks, I guess.

All those early morning wake-ups at or before 5 am IST, all those feelings of ‘what ifs’, all the humiliation and defeats was all worth it. This is absolutely the crescendo and summit that an Indian cricket fan can hope to climb, ever. Thanks to Team India. There’s not much else to convey!