Kolkata: The roars have been silenced and the Bangla Tigers have been decimated at Indore. Virat Kohli’s men have added another victory to their tally and with it, additional points in the table for the World Test Championship. Bravado at its best! Can you imagine India with 300 points, are way ahead of second-placed New Zealand who only have a meagre 60? Now, for a layman, it is a testament to India’s sheer supremacy so far so good. But, without undermining or taking anything away from India, let’s not have the final verdict!
Since the beginning of the ICC World Test Championship, India’s six victories on the trot have come against weak opponents on benign tracks. Be it against a beleaguered West Indies on their soil or a struggling South Africa and a Bangladesh handicapped in the absence of two of their star players in Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal (they wouldn’t have made any difference though) on placid Indian tracks – it has been a one-sided show propelling Team India to the top. In every department of the game, Kohli and team have upped the bar –batters are toying with bowling, seamers are lethal and spinners are just turning it left and right. Well, an absolute decimation of opponents for sure!
Former India skipper and the current president the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Saurav Ganguly has always reiterated that a team should be assessed on the basis of its performance overseas especially outside the sub-continent (if it’s an Asian country). Ganguly would know it the best as his record at the helm abroad is enviable.
Kohli as captain has already attained legendary status and is hailed as the best ever. But aren’t we rushing through?
Former India skipper and the current president the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Saurav Ganguly has always reiterated that a team should be assessed on the basis of its performance overseas especially outside the sub-continent (if it’s an Asian country). Ganguly would know it the best as his record at the helm abroad is enviable.
Following the same logic, it is too early to go into raptures about Kohli and team.
Outside Asia, we were beaten 2-1 by South Africa (2017-18) and 4-1 by England (2018) but managed to rewrite history by winning a Test series Down Under in 2018 for the first-time ever. And then we scripted a Test series win over a much-maligned West Indian side – will it go down the annals of history as worth talking about? Now, with due respect, wouldn’t the Aussies have come all guns blazing had they had Steve Smith and David Warner in their ranks? Patriotism runs high when Indians simply destroy opponents but with a tweak. Don’t we expect this team to show the same ruthlessness under challenging conditions abroad? Can’t we look for double hundreds from our batsmen at ease on bouncy tracks at the Gabba or WACA? Can we envisage Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja making a mockery of batsmen at Lord’s?
Looking back, one team that had opponents on their feet with its weaponry, was West Indies under Clive Lloyd. With its menacing pace battery and deadly batting lineup, they were invincible in the true sense. No other team in Test matches has rendered its rivals so redundant and pusillanimous like Lloyd’s men. They were invincible everywhere irrespective of the conditions. A Malcom Marshall or a Michael Holding was 140-145 km/hour even on innocuous pitches in Asia.
Such was the strength of the team. Down the road, Steve Waugh’s Australian team had the same wherewithal to annihilate teams all over.
The interesting part is that both the teams’ run were somewhat stymied by India – West Indies were beaten by Kapil’s Devils in the 1983 Prudential Cup and Waugh’s men were taken aback by the zeal of Ganguly’s boys in 2001. But their unconquerable run cannot be rebuffed. As an avid cricket watcher, it would be an absolute delight to witness Kohli’s men making merry of their opponents all across the world in all the formats. Without an iota of bias, this team has the potential to be indestructible. Apart from its depth in batting, the success of the pacers on not-so-friendly Indian tracks gives us hope. Here’s signing off with a message for King Kohli – Sheer dominance against all odds is what separates the best from the rest (Kohli would second that)! So, let’s not get carried away, the best is awaited!
