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Is the Indian Cricket Team on the Cusp of Greatness?

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(File image: Reuters)

After the miracle Down-Under and the wins against England at home, many pundits and fans have already anointed India as the champion cricket team. Ravi Shastri’s bombast adds to this somewhat pre-mature exuberance and celebrations. However, Ian Chappell’s recent observations brings a positive perspective and a lot of cheer and hope for the Indian cricket follower. “India have finally got the equation right and as long as they can avoid the pitfalls often associated with continuing success, they are better equipped than any other team to produce an era of dominance. The rest of the cricketing world.Beware!”

To be hailed amongst the all-time great teams India would need to show its class against quality opposition on their turf. And demonstrate supremacy on home soil. Really perform on the big occasions. Across the 3 formats- Tests, ODI’s, T20 cricket.

An objective look at our recent track record against the SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), shows that Indian cricket still has much to conquer. (0-1) Australia in 2015, (1-2) SA 17-18, (1-4) England 2018, (2-1) Australia 2018 and (0-2) New Zealand 2019-20. The Australian tour win be seen in the context of the host side shaken by the sandpaper-gate scandal and without their best batsmen Smith and Warner. Nine of our overseas Test wins have been against Sri Lanka (5) and the West Indies (4) languishing at the bottom of the table. Also take cognisance of our semi-final exits in the 2016 T 20 WC and the 2019 ODI WC.

The West Indies cricket team under Lloyd and Richards dominated cricket from the late 70’s till the end of the 80’s. They comprehensively won on all the Australia tours, only drawing the 1981-82 series (1-1). From 1976 onwards, they beat England in England decisively including a 5-0 blackwash in 1984. India, considered a difficult place to tour, lost (0-3) in 1983-84 followed by a (1-1) draw in 1987. Under Viv Richards they did not lose a Test series from 1984-91.

The Windies transformed themselves from a bunch of easy-going Calypso cricketers to a charismatic band of winners. Their sheer athleticism, ability to play exhilarating and attacking cricket, improvise and control the game changed cricket itself. The lethal pace quartet revolutionised the sport and the Caribbean impact was such that to this day cricket buffs can recall the names of all the players  in their squad and not just the marquee ones.The men in the maroon caps had also won the first 2 editions of the ODI WC in 1975 and 79 before losing to India in the memorable final in 83.

The Aussies under Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting were world beaters for almost a decade. They won the ODI trophy in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Awesome!!! Championship titles in 2006 and 2009. Their record in the other SENA countries is impressive. Under Waugh they won 8 out of 9 Ashes Tests, losing only one. Also, he led them to 15 of their record 16 consecutive  victories. England beat Ponting’s XI in a thrilling 2005 Ashes series (2-1) but they exacted a 5-0 whitewash revenge at home in 2006- 07. The stamp of Aussie dominance can be gauged by the fact that Ponting is the only cricketer in history to be a part of 100 Test victories. The next 6 top players with most Test wins are all Australians who were intrinsic parts of the great teams of the late ‘90’s-2000’s.

This Aussie era was marked by ruthless efficiency and driven by cold-blooded scientific analysis and planning. Sledging also reached its peak as winning was everything. But other than Waugh and Ponting others like Gilchrist and Hayden and McGrath and Warne have also left huge shadows on the cricketing grounds.

A few interesting nuggets for Indian buffs. Waugh’s winning streak ended at the Eden Gardens on the classic tour of India in2001. (2-1 for india) The Aussies could not breach the Last Frontier. Ricky Ponting never won a Test match in India, played 7 and lost 5. But under his captaincy from 2005 to 2008 there was a second incredible show of dominance over 22 undefeated matches and 20 wins. India again played the Spoiler at Perth in one of Indian cricket’s most famous overseas wins.

2008-14 was the golden age of Spanish football.  Spain topped FIFA rankings for 6 years winning the UEFA Championships in 2008 & 2012 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010. The first team to win 3 consecutive world trophies. From 2010-13 they went undefeated for 29 games. And the Spanish team scored the highest maximum points for WC qualification- 30 out of 30. The star players were mainly drawn from Barcelona and Real Madrid, bitter rivals in the domestic La Liga. But they combined as a team at the national level with the Tiki Taka style of play of short, quick passes. Retaining possession of the ball, wearing down and opening up the opposing defence and then shifting gears. They took the game to another level with their precision, well-oiled football.

After watching ‘ The Last Dance’ on Netflix, the glorious story of the Chicago Bulls stays with you. The treble NBA championships from 1991-93 and an euphoric encore from 1996-98. Although the Bulls have become synonymous with Michael Jordan, it went beyond MJ. The coach, Phil Jackson, created a great team around MJ for the first hat-trick of trophies. When MJ came back from retirement he was moulded into the ultimate team player with the likes of Scottie Pippen, Rodman and Toni Kukoc playing critical and even game winning roles. The dissipation and fall of the team due to the whims and ego of a General Manager and a pliant owner is both poignant and educative. Great teams are very difficult to build. Once they happen and come together they find a life and synergy of their own.

Sunil Gavaskar believes that India has a great team. He comments, “A captain is always as good as his team and he has a terrific team under him. The full balance of the team has been fantastic. When you have something like that you will win more matches than you lose.” He continues about the “terrific opening batsmen, a very good middle order and a bowling attack which has most variety. A wicketkeeper who is very good and who can come down the order and pummel the bowlers.”

Indeed, the bench strength is deep and impressive. We have 2/3 more openers who can take on international attacks. There is strong competition for the middle order slots. A pool of good all-rounders led by Jadeja lends flexibility to the team. A fit and energetic fielding side- thanks to the example set by Kohli and the demands of the IPL. A potent fast bowling battery plus an array of good spinners to choose from. And the dashing Pant has to keep improving as he has Samson, Rahul, Karthick, Saha breathing down his neck to don the gloves. Indian cricket has never had it so good, verily, a plethora of resources.

Behind the scenes, Indian cricket owes a debt of gratitude to Rahul Dravid. Whether at the Cricket Academy or at the U-19 level, the break-out youngsters have been groomed and mentored by this cricketing legend. Young, raw talents have blossomed like never before.

The X factor to make Indian cricket the force that it is- is the fast bowling arsenal. We have at least a dozen bowlers in domestic cricket who can bowl at 140 kmph plus consistently and make the batsman hop and duck. A far cry from the days of Saeed Ahmed Hatteea (a Bombay quick) who was advised by shaken batsmen to cut down on his speed so that he would not burn himself out.

Bharat Arun, our bowling coach, believes that’ over the last 2-3 years Indian pacers have mastered the art of bowling fast, pushing for speeds of over 140 kmph. They have become fast and lethal and most importantly consistent in maintaining fitness which is a crucial issue for speedsters. Bumrah, Shami, Siraj, Yadav and Bhuvi have troubled batsmen in international cricket irrespective of playing conditions. They have hugely influenced Team India’s success to become a top-ranked nation in cricket.’

The only other ingredient for continuing success is team spirit and the hunger for wins. As shown by the Windies teams of the 80’s, the Aussies under Waugh and Ponting, the Bulls era in the 90’s and the golden period of Spanish football. The fairy-tale victory Down Under by Rahane’s depleted team have many lessons to take forward. About getting all players on board, playing to their best potential and at times even out of their skins.  Team Spirit adds an extra dimension of its own to team performance. Capt Kohli should reach out and tap into the cricketing brains of Sharma, Ashwin, Rahane and Bumrah in both strategizing for and reading the game.

2021 may well be the watershed year for Indian cricket if events unfold as per schedule. First, the World Test Championships at Lords vs New Zealand on the 18th June 2021. Followed by a gruelling 5Tests tour of England. To cap it all, the World T 20 tournament at home from Oct this year. If the Men in Blue win the Lord’s contest, have a good English tour and lift the T 20 cup, then they are on their way to the Hall of Fame. And we will be ushered into an exciting and enchanting Era of Indian cricket.

Viv Richards- Masterclass

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As in other major sports, in cricket too success and failure is all too measurable. It is not only the fans and the experts but also the players who take an obsessive interest in statistics. Very rarely comes a cricketer who transcends numbers, who is beyond records. Say ‘Viv Richards’ and the stats, impressive as they are, fade into the background. The talk is all about his sheer brilliance and his swag. The profound influence he has had on redefining batsmanship and the game itself.

His impact on the teams he has represented has been phenomenal. For the Windies, Clive Lloyd was the father figure, the mentor, the captain. But it was Viv who became the talisman, the catalyst who turned a bunch of easy-going Calypso cricketers into the great West Indian teams from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. His aura on the field, his charisma at the crease and his dominating will to win embodied the Caribbean cricket revolution. Kallicharan, Greenidge, Haynes, Roberts, Holding all rode the waves of their talents and skills and realised themselves as champions.

Take the 1976 tour of England which transformed their cricket. Still hurting from the 5-1 thrashing Down-Under in 1975-76. Tony Greig, the England captain, said that he would make them ‘grovel’. Cricket lore has it that Richards checked out the meaning in the dictionary, “In other words he was going to have us down on our knees-begging for mercy. This was the greatest motivating speech the England captain could have given the West Indian team.” In 4 Tests he smashed 829 runs and the English team into submission. Helped by other impactful performances, it was a historic 3-0 win for Lloyd’s men.

Somerset, till the mid-70’s, were the laggards in county cricket. Enter Richards (+ Ian Botham). The county became the ODI team of the era with 5 trophies in 5 seasons. The Richards effect- instilling self- belief in small town players who had never possessed it before. At the fag-end of his career he signed up with Glamorgan, another struggling team and inspired them to a fairy tale win in the 1993 ODI Axa League title. The aroma of the daffodil win still lingers with the Welsh. Small wonder, that both the English counties have voted him as the best overseas player in a recent BBC sports poll.

Viv Richards- the man for the big occasions. In the inaugural edition of the World Cup finals in 1975, this live-wire fielder ran out Alan Turner and the Chappell brothers as the Windies became world champions. His 138 not out vs hosts England in ‘79 sealed a one-sided final with Collis King firing from the other end. It is widely acknowledged that the turning point in India’s great upset win in WC’ 83 was Kapil Dev’s superb catch to dismiss Richards (33 in 28 balls) just as he was moving into top gear.

In the 2 seasons of Kerry Packer’s World Series cricket against the world’s best bowlers on Aussie wickets he was the pick of the batsmen with 1200 plus runs at an average of 60. On the testing pitches of England and Australia he stamped his class as the best touring batsman of his time. His compatriot and fast bowling great Michael Holding sums it best, “Viv is the best batsman I have seen against anything and everything. He never got intimidated. Hadlee in New Zealand, Lillee in Australia, Qadir in Pakistan, Bedi in India, Botham in England. He got runs against anybody and everybody.”

There are runs and runs. Some runs count more than others for the team. Like the 189 not out at Old Trafford ’84, adding 106 runs for the last wicket and scoring 94 of those runs. Like the 61 not out in 36 balls against India at Sabina Park ‘83 to take his side to a dramatic win. The blistering 60 of 40 balls at the Benson & Hedges Cup final in Australia’ 88-89. Time and again he showed up to change the fortunes of a match, a series or a tournament.

His ability to play attacking cricket, improvise and control the game changed cricket itself. In the mid 70’s batting in Test matches was all about technique and temperament. Bill Lawry, Geoff Boycott and even Sunil Gavaskar were cast in this classic traditional mould. Runs came at a slowish pace with only the bad deliveries put away for four. Hitting the ball in the air was a cardinal sin, against the tenets of the game. There were stroke players like Kanhai and Sobers, Pataudi and Vishwanath, Gower and Ian Chappell who batted with flair and elegance and kept the score board ticking at a faster clip. However, Richards revolutionised the art of batting itself. His very presence at the crease unnerved bowlers. He captured the public imagination with his aggression and raw intent to tear apart the bowling attack. Let’s also not forget that he did this at a time where pitches were more challenging, boundaries were longer, fielding restrictions as of today were not there. He faced upto the fastest bowlers without wearing a helmet. Listen to Jeff Dujon, the Windies keeper-batsman, “He never wore a helmet but had the courage to hook the fastest of deliveries of his face. He never liked to be dominated.” His lightning hand-eye coordination, his flair in the middle and his remarkable performances all put together to make him a truly extraordinary batsman.

Dickie Bird, the famous English umpire, called him “A great character. There are very few left in sports.” Richards took swagger to another level. Scyld Berry, the well-known cricket writer, captures the persona,’ before anyone thought of the phrase, Viv Richards walked the walk. Head held high, jaw working his gum; the maroon cap- never, never the helmet and brandishing his choice of weapon- a Slazenger in his right hand. No choreographer equipped with spotlights and sound effects could have improved upon his entrance. Nobody batted like Richards either. His mental power and the awesomely muscular yet athletic 5’10’’ frame. By the second ball of a Viv Richards innings there were very few, if any, teams who did not recognise the Master in their midst.’

Who better to comment on the MAN than the great rival bowlers of the era. Bob Willis- “The best batsman by a mile. He had this fear factor about him. Even if you bowled a good ball, he could destroy you. He could win matches on his own.” Imran Khan talks about “This complete genius” with “amazing reflexes” who could destroy any attack. Jeff Thomson doffs his cap with his, “Nobody better than Viv” comment. His mate Dennis Lillee, “I just loved bowling to the man. It was such a challenge. I regarded him as one of the supreme players, if not the supreme player.” The great off-spinner Prasanna has called him, “One of the greatest of all time” and Bedi, Underwood and Qadir have all paid fulsome tributes.

The great batsmen peers have all saluted the Caribbean maestro. Gavaskar called his batting ‘Sensational’. Martin Crowe, “He walked out to own the stage.” Inzamam has it that Richards changed the very concept and idea of batting. He remains the ‘hero’ for Tendulkar and Kohli, Sehwag, Gilchrist and Jayasuriya.

The West Indian champion batter was a generation ahead, way ahead of his time. His 100 in 56 balls against England at Antigua ‘86 was only eclipsed by Brendon Mccullum’s century in 54 balls in 2016. Richards would have taken to the T20 format like a fish to water. Imagine the plight of bowlers the world over. Franchisees like the billionaire Mukesh Ambani would have rolled out the red carpet to get this most destructive of batsmen on board. With a blank cheque to write his price.

Hardly surprising that he makes every honour list in cricket. The Wisden’s top 5 cricketers of the last century. Amongst the best 5 Test batsmen ever. The finest ODI batsman in history. 31 man of the match awards in 187 matches at a strike rate of 90 tells its story. Strike rate on par with Kohli today. In 1994 he was knighted for his services to cricket by the Queen of England .(OBE). In 1999 his native Antigua and Barbuda conferred on him the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation. (KCN).

Some may remember that he refused to be a part of the rebel West Indies team to apartheid South Africa in 1983-84. Despite being repeatedly offered a blank cheque. Despite repeated calls from the SA President’s office. Despite the offer of being made an ‘honorary white man’, whatever that means. In the same vein he publicly thanked Ian Botham for always being in his corner and never turning his back on him when the Englishman received hate-mails during their shared apartment years at Taunton, Somerset.

The mettle of the man. In the WC’ 83 semi-final against Pakistan, Qadir deceived him with a googly but the catch was dropped at leg-slip. Richard’s 80 not out propelled his team into their third successive final. Whilst walking back, he approached  Qadir with a hand-shake and a, “Well bowled, Sir.’

After India’s disastrous 2007 WC, Tendulkar was planning to retire from cricket. The turmoil in Indian cricket (read Greg Chappell) plus his own inability to bat like the younger Sachin weighed on his mind. A 45 mins call with his ‘hero Viv’ changed all that. The West Indian urged him to continue as he still had a lot to give to Indian cricket. Become the Shaolin master- a mentor and inspiration for the younger guys.  The message resonated from one master to the other.

Watch any of his interviews or panel discussions on TV or You-tube. You see a grounded person, generous in his praise for his team-mates and rivals. Bob Willis called him a lovely person who left all his aggression on the field. His emotional eulogies for Abdul Qadir and Bob Willis after their passing in 2019 are touching. For him Gavaskar is the ‘Godfather’ of Indian cricket. He has high praise for Tendulkar and Lara, Dravid and Ponting, Kohli and AB and encouragement for youngsters like Bumrah and KL Rahul. Respect for Akram and Lillee, Bedi and ‘mystery man’ Chandra. He has humorously confessed to being a nervous wreck against our spin quartet on his debut tour of India in 1974. He could not read Chandrashekar at all. That the spinners took the new ball in the fourth over itself psyched him out.

Along with Andy Roberts he has changed the fortunes of Antigua and Barbuda. These had been relegated to forgotten backwaters after the exploitative sugarcane plantations were stopped in the mid ’50’s. Their fame brought international cricket to Antigua in 1981 and opened the doors for tourism. Today these islands attract around 3 lakh tourists annually, thrice the size of the population.

Viv Richards has founded the SVRF to promote education, sports and recreation and health. Thousands of locals have benefitted. He has used his stature and influence to persuade the Indian Manipal group to open its educational and medical facilities in Antigua. The colleges attract more than 100 Indian students every year.

Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is one of the very few sportsmen who have enriched their sport beyond measure. Federer in tennis, Jordan in basketball, Bolt in athletics, Messi in football.  Richards belongs to this exalted company- through his seminal influence and lasting impact on the evolution of cricket and enhancing its appeal-beyond measure.