Published: Sep 21, 2016, 07:47 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 22, 2016, 09:47 AM (IST)
September 22 is a memorable day in the history of Indian cricket. In 1986, it marked the final day of the first Test against Australia, a classic for the ages that ended in only the second tie in the long history of Test cricket. Thirty years on, on September 22, 2016, India will become just the fourth Test-playing nation, after England, Australia and West Indies, to play their 500th Test when the first game of the three-Test series against New Zealand begins in Kanpur.
It is a wonderful achievement, a testament to how far India have come as a Test team and how much India value the longest format. At a time when Test cricket is under genuine threat with dwindling audiences and an increasing disparity in skills and commitment between the stronger and the weaker nations, this milestone game is a shot in the arm for the five-day version in India.
It has been 84 years since India played their first Test, in June 1932 against England at Lord’s. Over that period, Indian cricket has seen numerous highs and some crippling lows, but through victory and defeat, in success and failure, in delight and disappointment, the game has maintained its dignity. Where Indian cricket is today is a reflection of the tireless endeavours of men before us, men who inspired succeeding generations — including mine — and men who fought tooth and nail with limited infrastructure and even less financial returns.
If Indian cricket is now strong and vibrant and flourishing, then it is thanks entirely to the tireless efforts and the unshakeable belief of the legends of the past. Their sacrifices have been immense, and no words are enough to express our gratitude to the men who have charted the path to this effervescent present. There can be no better way for Virat Kohli and his team to offer thanks and express their appreciation than through victory in Kanpur, against a spirited New Zealand outfit to be marshalled by Kane Williamson. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs New Zealand, 1st Test at Kanpur
The Kanpur Test is, as has been widely discussed across forums, the first of 13 home Tests, a wonderful position for the Indian team to be in. There will be pressure, of course, because India are expected to win every match they play, no matter where and especially so, when they are playing in their own backyard. But there is also the opportunity to do something special, and knowing Virat and Anil Kumble, it is this exciting chance to step up that will hold centre-stage in the Indian dressing-room.
There is nothing like a victory to set the tone for the rest of the season, and I do not see any reason why India cannot get off to a winning start if they play to their potential. There is enough depth in batting, and enough variety and versatility in the bowling, for India to build on the gains in the West Indies when it was only the weather that restricted their winning margin to 2-0.
Given the wealth of talent at his disposal, I believe Virat’s India must persist with their five-bowler theory unless the conditions are so heavily loaded in favour of the bowlers, that you are convinced four bowlers will do the job, and that the extra batsman will come in handy. Otherwise, I will be more than comfortable with five specialist batsmen, and more so given the heartening form with the bat shown by Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha in the West Indies, and the batting skills of Ravindra Jadeja, who has three First-Class triple hundreds, and Amit Mishra, who has four Test match fifties.
India have appeared a little uncertain of what their top five ought to be when everyone is fit and available. To me, it appears fairly clear-cut — Murali Vijay and KL Rahul to open, Cheteshwar Pujara at one-drop, Virat at No. 4 and Ajinkya Rahane after him.
Vijay has been India’s most consistent opener for the last three years or so, in different parts of the world. When he is fit like he is now, he is an automatic choice; Rahul, as he has shown in recent times, is a much improved, and more confident batsman who is, I think, at the top of his game. He has made Test centuries in Australia, Sri Lanka and West Indies, but equally important, showed his adaptability by making a century on his ODI debut and on his T20I debut as well. Clearly, he is high on confidence, feeling good about himself and his game, and must be allowed to maximise his form.
Apart from possessing excellent technique and impeccable temperament, Vijay and Rahul have shown several times in the past that they are capable of playing big knocks. In India where the game can move so rapidly in the last two days, a big first-innings total is imperative, and I cannot see a better opening pair than Vijay and Rahul to set the tone.
The other spot that has been up for debate involves Pujara and Rohit Sharma. I am a huge fan of Rohit and the talent he brings to the table. He has worked very hard in honing his special gift but for some reason or the other, he has not been able to translate his white-ball heroics into the longer format despite starting his Test career with centuries in his first two games. Perhaps it has to do with his mindset, or perhaps he is a little uncertain about how to approach a Test innings. Whatever be the reason, what is not debatable is that he has not quite done justice to his talent.
The same cannot be said of Pujara. There was a period when he too was overcome by the gremlins of self-doubt and that inevitably told on his psyche and his run-making, but he has gone back and rediscovered his mojo. The signs were promising in the Caribbean, and he emphatically proved during the Duleep Trophy that he is back at his best. One of the things held against Pujara is his strike rate, but over the years, Pujara has started slowly and then more than made up once he has passed his 50. That was again evident during the Duleep Trophy. I personally feel India needs Pujara’s calm, reassuring presence at No. 3, because that will not only enable stability but will allow the two best middle-order batsmen to play in the positions at which they are most comfortable and productive.
As I have said before, Ashwin and Saha offer batting depth at Nos. 6 and 7, which means as India begin their quest to become the No. 1 Test side in the world again, they can afford to play with five bowlers. It is, after all, the bowlers that complete Test victories. India is blessed with bowlers who can pick wickets in any conditions, and I think that is a fairly significant development.
There will be plenty of focus on the nature of the pitches, as there invariably is when India play Test cricket at home. It is no secret that Indian pitches traditionally have encouraged spinners, but I would like to see us play on pitches that are not as heavily loaded in favour of the spinners as some of them have been in the recent past, such as Mohali and Nagpur during the South Africa series last year.
In the days when we played at home, the pitches would assist the spinners, but largely from Day Three onwards. There would be a little bit of help for the quicker bowlers on the first day, and then a day and a half of excellent batting conditions. I think that helps set up the game nicely. At a time when we are trying to get people to the grounds to watch Test cricket, I do not think we are doing anyone any favours by having three-day finishes.
Also, the Indian batting does not need that kind of assistance in the shape of pitches where the ball starts to turn square from Day One. If anything, their lack of familiarity with the turning ball, particularly given that for the most part of three years they have been playing overseas, was somewhat exposed by even modest spinners during the South African series. All these batsmen have obviously grown up on Indian pitches and are comfortable against the turning ball, but they must get a little time to settle down before taking the fight to the bowlers. It is never easy when the ball starts to misbehave from the beginning, particularly when you are not exposed to quality spin bowling even in domestic cricket.
When I played at the Hyderabad nets, for instance, I had a star-cast in Arshad Ayub, Venkatapathy Raju and Kanwaljit Singh bowling at me. We do not have similar spinning stalwarts in domestic cricket, which is perhaps one of the reasons why our batsmen struggled a little bit to, adapt against South Africa. For many players, it was their first Test series at home, and I am confident they will be better from that experience as this season unfolds.
Ashwin will once again be the Indian bowling spearhead. I am delighted at the continued progress he has made, refusing to rest on his laurels and working on becoming better, more effective, more probing. In Anil, he has a kindred spirit, and I am looking forward to the coach and his mature ward working closely to plot the downfall of the opposition. Jadeja is always there and thereabouts, his accuracy his biggest but not the only plus; he is coming off five-wicket hauls in both innings of the Duleep final, and should fancy his chances against the Kiwis, while Mishra is an experienced and canny customer whose bag of tricks is a veritable delight.
If India do play only two quicks as I suspect they will, it should ideally have been Ishant Sharma, now in his tenth year of international cricket and starting to assume the mantle of the experienced pro, and Mohammed Shami, who showed in the West Indies that a long injury layoff had done nothing to take either his pace or his craft way. Both are also wonderful exponents of reverse swing, and if the pitches are as abrasive as expected, then they will also have a say. I remember how Umesh Yadav blasted South Africa out on a slow final-day track at the Kotla in December showing that there is place for fast bowling in the sub-continent, especially when there is reverse on offer. Ishant has been ruled out of the first Test through illness and while that will dent Indian plans somewhat, there are capable replacements in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh.
New Zealand will miss Tim Southee. Southee and Trent Boult make an exceptional new ball attack, pacy and able to swing the ball at that pace, but also more capable of using the old ball well. Without Southee’s skill and experience, and in the absence of Jimmy Neesham for the first Test, New Zealand will be somewhat handicapped though Neil Wagner is a good bowler and Boult is always a threat, particularly when he gets conventional swing at the start of the innings.
I will follow the progress of the New Zealand spinners with great interest. As they showed during the World T20, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi know how to bowl on turners, but Test cricket is, of course, a different ball game. Every bad ball will be punished by the Indian batsmen, who will be determined to stamp their authority at the first possible opportunity. It will be a huge test of character for Santner, Sodhi and Mark Craig, the classical off-spinner. It will also be a huge learning experience for them. If they can come out of the skirmishes holding their own, it will take them a long way in their international careers.
For all that, though, it is New Zealand’s batting that will be in the limelight. Williamson is a brilliant batsman, as crucial to his team as Virat is to India. Alongside Virat, Steven Smith and Joe Root, Williamson is one of the top batsmen in world cricket, and much of how New Zealand go with the bat will depend on their young captain who is in the early stages of leading the Test side.
Williamson is both technically adept at playing the turning ball, and has the temperament and the resolve to make it big on Indian pitches, as was obvious during our days together at Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has to be the fulcrum around which New Zealand must bat, because his reassuring presence will allow the rest of the batsmen to play their natural game. Williamson and Ross Taylor apart, I do not think the rest of the line-up has the requisite wherewithal to play out of their comfort zone and I am not sure about their defensive technique. I know that is asking a lot from two men, but if anyone is capable of scoring big, it is Kane and Ross.
As I said earlier, all other things being equal, Kanpur should kick off a successful home season for the Indian team. But cricket is never played on paper or over the internet. Strap in for some excitement.
(VVS Laxman, CricketCountry’s Chief Cricket Mentor, remains one of the finest and most elegant batsmen in history. He was part of the iconic Indian middle-order for over a decade and a half and played 134 Tests and 86 ODIs. He tweets at @vvslaxman281)
