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 3rd 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!