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Home victory good for cricket
Updated: Friday March 23, 2001 4:07 PM
Congratulations to India on its magnificent cricket Test series victory over Australia. Even as a proud Aussie, I have to put my disappointment aside and toast India's unlikely comeback to win the final two Tests of the three-match series. The Indians overcame the recent match-fixing scandal and injuries to key players like Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath to beat the world champion Australia. Undoubtedly, it's a good result for cricket. With a world-record 16 consecutive Test victories, Australia's dominance was captivating in one way but predictable in another. Now India has moved dramatically up the world ladder thanks to unlikely heroes like Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman. As a Sikh who wears a turban, Habhajan is also a frail looking 20-year-old. He may not have the appearance of a super-athlete, but his off-spin clearly mesmerized the Australians as he won the man-of-the-series award. Laxman emerged as a batting hero to lead the Indians to victory in the second Test after they were forced to follow-on. His prolific run-scoring eased the burden on Sachin Tendulkar and made Indian fans forget about Mohammad Azharuddin, another right-hander from Hyderabad who's currently suspended because of match-fixing allegations. By contrast, Australia was let down by several senior players who were unable to adapt to Indian conditions. Shane Warne has been a magnificent servant of Australian cricket but after several major injuries is apparently near the end of his career. He posed little threat to the Indian batsman and was even treated with contempt by the aggressive Laxman. On the batting front, Michael Slater and Ricky Ponting, in particular, were disappointing. Just one half-century in the final two Tests by Tasmania's Ponting (his highest score in the series was 11) might have turned the tide Australia's way. After his superb century in the first Test, Adam Gilchrist's risky technique against top-class spin bowling was exposed as his last four innings totaled just two runs. Harbhajan clearly got the better of this exciting cricketer (with victories in the first 15 Tests of his career) who dares to play across the line early in his innings. But there were many positives for Australia: the courageous batting of opener Matthew Hayden, excellent fast bowling from Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie and the captaincy of Steve Waugh. Waugh was typically gracious in defeat in Madras even though he must have been bitterly disappointed that Australia failed to win its first series in India in 31 years. I'm still not convinced about Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. He is an intelligent and determined cricketer, but still lacks the poise and judgment to be in the same class as Waugh. Clearly, the presence of New Zealander John Wright as coach has greatly helped the Indian cause. However, the real litmus test will be when India ventures outside the conducive pitches of the dusty sub-continent. After its recent success, England must be rubbing its hands in anticipation, ahead of Australia's Ashes tour later this year. But Nasser Hussain and his men shouldn't get too carried away yet. The Aussies are far more comfortable in English conditions than in south Asia and I expect them to comfortably defend the Ashes, a trophy they've held since 1989. Sydney-born Jason Dasey is an anchor for World Sport, a 30-minute sports highlights and news program shown daily on CNN-International and CNNSI.
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