The original 'Fab 4' vs the new 'Fab 4' - Which group is better?
Indian cricket has produced a number of talented cricketers over the years but few have been as good as the 'Fab 4'. In the 1990s and 2000s, the quartet of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman produced some amazing performances and became Indian cricket's original 'fabulous 4'.
Tendulkar, of course, was a child prodigy and made his debut at the age of 16 in 1989. Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman all entered international cricket in the 1990s. However, it was when the four played together that India enjoyed their best period. Before that, Tendulkar was a lone ranger for India. Considering what the ‘Fab 4’ achieved as a group, their phase is viewed as a golden era in Indian cricket.
It will be difficult for any of the modern-day cricketers to replicate the kind of success and impact the original 'Fab '4 had on the game. But if we have to pick for among players who have represented India in recent years, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul could be termed India’s new 'Fab 4'. On that note, let’s try and analyze which of India’s 'Fab 4' is better and why.
The Original Fab 4: Versatile to the core
One thing Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman will always be credited for is reigniting the belief that Indians can win away from home. In the 1970s, India had a historic phase where they won a Test series in the West Indies and then in England.
In 1986 as well, India won a Test series in England. However, by the 1990s, under Mohammed Azharuddin, India had become "tigers at home" and "lambs abroad." They were literal sitting ducks when playing in foreign nations.
This changed to quite an extent once the 'Fab 4' settled into the role. Although India did not win Test series’ instantly, they did draw a famous series in 2003-04 in Australia and won both the Test and ODI series in Pakistan during their historic tour in 2004.
Each 'Fab 4' member made a significant contribution during the tough series against Pakistan. In 2007, under Dravid’s astute leadership, India won yet another Test series in England, with the key men once again standing up to the challenge.
This Twitpic dedicated to Fab 4 of indian cricket ! Adieu ! http://t.co/nKe6j3or
As a group, the 'Fab 4' strengthened Indian cricket and brought things back on track after the match-fixing controversy threatened to sully the image of Indian cricket. In a nutshell, their contribution to Indian cricket was gigantic and went beyond just numbers and wins.
The New Fab 4: Uber-talented but inconsistent
If we look at Dhoni, Kohli, Rohit and Rahul, they too have done some incredible stuff for Indian cricket. 'MSD' is credited with reviving the fortunes of the Indian team in the aftermath of the 2007 50-over World Cup disaster. As a youngster, he led the Indian team to the inaugural T20 World Cup title in South Africa.
The tournament saw a young Rohit make his mark with some fine knocks under pressure. Kohli made his debut a year later and went on to become India’s run machine across formats. Rahul entered the international arena in 2014 and thus India’s new 'Fab 4' was formed.
Each quartet has contributed significantly to Indian cricket. Dhoni is India’s most successful white-ball captain, considering that he has won all the ICC trophies in limited-overs cricket, the only international leader to do so thus far. He was also a destructive batter and finisher in international cricket, playing many match-winning knocks for the nation, including in the 2011 World Cup final.
Kohli has scored runs all over the globe, across all formats and against the best of attacks of the modern generation. Rohit began as a limited-overs specialist, who still holds the record of being the only batter with three ODI double-hundreds. It is not for nothing that he is referred to as the "Hitman".
Of late, he has transformed himself into a wonderful Test player as well, moving up the order. Rahul, by contrast, has had his ups and downs, but when in form and fit, he is among the best in the business.
Where the new 'Fab 4', however, lacks in comparison to the original one is in consistency and versatility. Dhoni will be remembered as an all-time great in the white-ball format but he never quite cracked the code in Test cricket.
Playing away from home, Dhoni's unorthodox technique was exposed in seaming and swinging conditions. He did play a few blinders but those were few and far in between. In the original 'Fab 4', Laxman had a limited one-day career but proved his credentials in the chances that he had.
Coming back to the current generation, Kohli was brilliant for a decade. However, over the last two years, he has produced figures that have been pretty much below average. This phase came at a time when he was expected to be at his peak. Dravid, Laxman and Tendulkar experienced such a lull towards the fag end of their careers. Only Ganguly had a poor run a little earlier. However, the stylish left-handed batter often covered it up with some smart captaincy.
in ICC Knockouts since Virat's debut 🏏
#ViratKohli𓃵Most runs for India 🇮🇳 in ICC Knockouts since Virat's debut 🏏
Virat Kohli - 570 runs, 52 avg
Rohit Sharma - 497 runs, 45 avg
MS Dhoni - 267 runs, 38 avg
Shikhar Dhawan - 241 runs, 40 avg
Ajinkya Rahane - 202 runs, 29 avg
GOAT! 🐐 #ViratKohli𓃵
Of the new Fab 4, Rohit has been consistent across formats. However, ever since taking over the captaincy, he has struggled quite badly with the willow. Rahul, meanwhile, is more in the news for his injury than batting.
While Dhoni’s retirement left a void in Indian cricket that is yet to be filled, there is a chance for others to make an equally significant impact in the years to come. They might not be able to match the feats and consistency of the original 'Fab 4', but they still have a little time left to carve their own niche as fabulous performers.
Also Read: 5 Indian cricketers who deserved a chance to play Test cricket but never did