India vs Australia - The 'Up Above' series

Without stalwarts like Laxman and Dravid, this series will be quite a different affair between Australia and India.

What happens when you take out the sheen of a glittering object? It becomes drab, monotonous and a lot less interesting. That is what happened when Sheen was taken out of the Two and a half men sitcom, as well. Anyway, with due focus on the metaphor intended, the upcoming India-Australia series seems to lack that very sheen that used to exist when these age old rivals met on the cricket field. There are reasons galore for such a thought to cross one’s mind. There’s no Dravid, no Laxman, no Gilly, no Kumble, no Punter, no Hayden, no Dada, no Warne, no McGrath and no Sreesanth! Wait, I might have just stretched that elite list a little too far. Sreesanth will obviously be missed, but not for his cricket, and that we all have cognizance of. However, coming to some of the other greats I mentioned, it would be a series devoid of rich legacy, milestone records, sheer grit, unparalleled perseverance and cut-throat competition. The late nineties and the early-mid 2000s would be missed primarily for the quality of cricket that was exhibited, particularly when it came to the Indian tigers and the Aussie kangaroos.

Save the 4-0 drubbing we received when we went Down Under last season, there have been minimal occasions when the Border-Gavaskar series has been entirely one-sided. Either team has fancied its chances at various stages of the Tests, and the team that has maintained its composure and calm, prevailed ultimately. Who can forget Dravid’s sensational 233 at Adelaide, or Laxman’s 281 at Kolkata, or Ponting’s 257 at the MCG? These knocks form vivid images in every cricket lover’s mind and are bound to stay that way till their demise. The playing eleven from either side exuded class and quality and demanded respect. So, it automatically becomes difficult to digest the fact that both the teams having undergone major shuffles in their squads and would resume their rivalry in less than a week’s time, with some fresh faces, albeit with quite some talent.

The Turbanator, as they call him, is back to haunt the Aussies, and so they say. Well, only time will tell how this contest unfolds as you and I know that he is well past his prime. He would sorely miss his “bunny”, Ricky though. India, once upon a time, boasted of a daunting spin attack, capable of terrorising opponents in subcontinent conditions. While the current situation is quite different to that, we can always hope that the likes of Ashwin and Ojha can someday come close to being at least a shadow of the legends of spin – Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, Venkataraghavan, Kumble and Bedi. The pace battery has appeared depleted for quite some time now, with Zaheer Khan spending more time recovering from injuries than playing and the other speedsters showing similar levels of uninspiring match fitness. Bhuvneshwar Kumar seems to be the genuine swing bowler we have been scouting for seasons now. We can only hope that he would not fizzle out like RP Singh and Praveen Kumar, who were touted as the next best thing for Indian cricket, at their respective peaks.

Coming to batting, all the onus will undoubtedly be on the Master Blaster. Will this be his last series? Will he be able to replicate his previous achievements against the same opponents? I would say, leave Sachin alone. Focus on the Kohlis, the Pujaras, the Dhawans and the Jadejas for they are going to carry on the baton that has been passed on to them. New responsibilities and great challenges await the young brigade of India. This series would surely lay the foundation for India’s Test future, for we know the Kangaroos are fierce competitors, however depleted their team may be. So let us continue celebrating cricket, out of respect for what the legends of the game have left behind for us. After all, this is not Down Under, this is ‘Up Above’, Kangaroos!

May the best team win!