Australia v India, Test series 2014-15: Positives and Negatives for Team India
It has been an extravagant exhibition of Test cricket - one that tempted ardent fans to immolate sleep and stay up watching what ‘other people’ think is a dragged, bland and boring form of cricket.India and Australia bared their fangs and fought head to head in this series, with both teams comprising of a largely inexperienced line-up. A barrage of runs were scored, lots of on-field banter was witnessed and surging, unbreakable intensity was observed. Everyone was playing to prove something, cement a spot and bring glory as Test cricket, once again, reigned supreme as the most beautiful form of cricket.Team India walked into this series amidst lots of conjectures, all built up from their shambolic disappearance from competitive cricket in England after the Lords’ victory. As a fan in attendance at The Oval on the day they collapsed, I could say that it was a despondent environment, one where even English fans were disappointed at the lack of competition. Spectators went home unhappy, fans were riled up and Indian cricket was in a disarray. India did well to rid themselves of that baggage and allowed themselves to really soak in the Australian environment. They seemed more prepared, more driven and much bolder. The end result may be 2-0, but Ravi Shastri’s golden ‘scoreline doesn’t matter’ phrase really applies, for India should look to emulate the positive cricket they played. Here are some major positives and negatives India can take from the series:
#1 Positive: Virat Kohli\'s Transformative Test Series
Virat Kohli is not unfamiliar with scoring runs and tons. He has done so with massive ease in ODIs, yet his performances in Tests were always under the probing scanner. The 26-year-old came to Australia after a disastrous English season, where he had scored 134 runs in 5 matches. He covered up by scoring a ton in his first innings itself, showing no regard for the extra pressure of captaining the team for the first time.
The ease with which Kohli dominated the opposition and the same display of hunger for runs and wins that he has shown in ODIs mean that Indian fans can now calm their raging critics. In Kohli, we finally have a batsman we can always rely on in all the three formats of the sport, and that is a legend-making material.
A bigger positive for India, however, has been the birth of Kohli’s permanent captaincy stint. His batting, if possible, seems even more determined now, and he prefers to embody the aggressive captain role, which stands in stark contrast to India’s previous (and highly successful) captain in MS Dhoni. This aggressive approach should be encouraged, for such tactics bring results in Test cricket, thereby making them more interesting. Sometimes, it’s better to lose while trying to win rather than play it safe.
The confidence that he has gained will only enhance his cricket, and I sincerely hope he uses it to score a few tons on green pitches to finally shut up those naysayers who refuse to acknowledge his numerous achievements.