WHAT a series it turned out to be even though India did not win it! On and off the field, the Indians had to face all kinds of tough situations and nothing signified the pain more than the fact that a match referee, who was expected to solve the matters, contributed towards making it a bitter experience, for most of us. There was some wonderful cricket for us to watch but what a pity that at one point we did not know if it was an official or unofficial Test (Centurion Park) that we were watching. What a pity!
Why did it all reach this stage and who would you hold responsible for the unfortunate developments in South Africa, developments which ultimately spilled over to other parts of the cricketing fraternity. The cricketers became mere pawns in the hands of administrators and it was extremely sad to see the players toiling on the field but not knowing if their efforts would find a place in the official record book.
There was no inkling of the enormity of the controversy when Mike Denness handed down those decisions against the Indians. Much has been said and written on the match referee's performance at Port Elizabeth and what he did was for everyone to see but in the process the image of the game suffered immensely.
Well, as has been the case in the past, here too the administrators will call the shots and I am not sure how well they will protect the interests of the cricketers.
Going back to cricket, I must say that there were few gains for India during the concluded South African tour. Even conceding the fact that India played much below its potential, there were certain grey areas which did affect the overall performance of the side.
I don't mind repeating myself. The fitness of our side was poor. It reflected in the movements on the field and it is indeed strange how this one aspect of the game has continued to haunt the Indians. Fitness has to be of paramount importance for all those wanting to excel in international cricket and I don't think this Indian team can say with pride that it has a bunch of fit athletes.
The Indian batting never took off from the time the team struggled to find a decent pair of openers. Shiv Sundar Das took time to adjust but then he was also guilty of playing some loose shots when the team expected him to hang on. True, Connor Williams was picked as an opener but then the team did not have the confidence to blood him earlier. It was known that the pitches in South Africa did not encourage front-foot play and Williams was not comfortable in playing the cut and pull. Not many Indians play these two shots in any case.
This uncertainty in the batting order showed the team in very poor light. The episode regarding the choice of batsman who would accompany Das showed the lack of depth. First it was Rahul Dravid and then we were told it would be Sourav Ganguly and then V.V.S. Laxman before Deep Dasgupta ultimately walked out with Das.
The failure of Laxman to get going was a blow but then I could understand the difficulty he must have had. The pressure on him will always be high and so will be the expectations but very soon he will have to understand that the responsibility on him should bring the best out of him.
For a batsman to be acknowledged as very good, it is extremely important that he scores his runs when the team needs them most. I had expected Laxman to come good because he has the kind of strokes that enable a batsman to dominate the attack. He must be disappointed as well and I am sure he would treat this as a learning process in a career which promises lots of runs from his bat.
Dravid and Ganguly did not quite live up to their expectations even though the vice-captain may have earned some consolation from his innings which helped the side draw the second Test. Tendulkar was not the master that we know him even though he started in such a sensational fashion at Bloemfontein. Sachin and Virender Sehwag made it such a memorable first day of the series, but the Indians failed to maintain their domination thereafter.
Among the few gains of the series was Sehwag. I liked his attitude and his aggression at the crease gave an indication of the awesome talent he has. He is a batsman worth watching and I am sure the controversy surrounding his one-Test ban would have taught him a few lessons. I am also sure it would have made him much more determined.
It was a wonderful series for Javagal Srinath. Even if late in his career, he discovered the importance of pitching up and was amply rewarded for his superb show. If only he had the support from the other end I am sure Srinath would have given the series a different course. It was really nice to watch this quality fast bowler do justice to his potential.
For Anil Kumble, it was a series which would have given him a chance to assess himself. I thought he made a confident return to the big stage after such a long lay off. That he is capable of better stuff is quite obvious but there is reason to believe that Kumble's rhythm was in place. Harbhajan Singh was not at his best but there was no reason for him to worry. It is not always possible to run through the opposition but Harbhajan would have learnt a lot during this series.
Indian cricket discovered new problems on the tour of South Africa as it finished without a series win overseas again. The South Africans did not have big stars in the line-up but excelled with a collective performance. It is this aspect which I would like the Indians to emulate against the Englishmen this winter.
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