After 77 years of grind in the international circuit, about 435 matches and 101 victories, finally India hold sway in the Test Arena. ICC acknowledged the fact when India annihilated Srilanka with princely disdain, handing them 2 innings defeats in as many tests. Incidentally, India climb past SA to the top of the test table. Since the inception of the ranking system, India is only the third country after Australia and South Africa to have achieved the feat.
It is anything but facile. Generations of legends would be the recipe. And India over the years was served by Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and a host of other relatively lesser contributors. Had it not been for these men, the jamboree wouldn't have been plausible.
However, as most of us would affirm, contemporary cricket has no impregnable unit(Although it has been a while since India lost in India). If India and South Africa(or Australia, for that matter) had to play against each other, there would be no unanimous favorite. So the question that Dhoni and his men have to confront with is how long...? We await for the rejoinder....
One thing that is pre-empting India to stake its claim as the No. 1 Test side is probably the absence of champion bowlers(Harbhajan and Zaheer come perilously close). There have been bowlers with exceptional talent but most of them have failed to perform consistently. Harbhajan, for instance burst into International Arena as a luminary, nailing Australia in Chennai and Kolkatta in 2001 to bring home the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The ability has never been questioned, nor has been the dedication, but for reasons unknown, he hasnt really replicated those performances of old. Irfan Pathan was another of the many riveting prospects of the decade, and in peak form could swing the ball at 130kmph as much as Murali would spin it at 80kmph, well, almost. Sadly, irfan Pathan's conquests are of mere historic significance now.
The more we look back and appraise teams that have been celebrated in the past, more evident becomes the cause for a genuine strike bowler. Australia dominated Test cricket for the most part in 90's and 2000's. That was when they had a noxious combination of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie. The rampaging Windies of 80's had The "Lethal Four": Malcolm Marshall, Curtney Walsh, Michael Holding and Ian Bishop.
Nevertheless, one cant deny the fact that India have played to their strengths to have come this far. India feature the most consistent and resilient batting line up of probably all time. The top 4 batsmen now average more than 52. 6 out of top 7 batsmen average more than 40. The whole fuss about India is that they pack a batting line up that can stand up to any bowling attack, on any pitch, against any opponent.
Indian batting has always been their asset, and the batsmen continue to hold fort for India. Swashbuckling Sehwag and the new century machine Gambhir to open, followed by the two greats, The Wall, as they call him, Rahul Dravid and Mr. Cricket himself, Sachin Tendulkar. The Very Very Special Laxman completes the enviable top 5. King of 6's Yuvraj, and Captain Cool Dhoni come in at 6 and 7. And even the pyrotechnics of Harbhajan and Zaheer in store....This is incessant....This is daunting...
Dhoni has captained India to 7 wins in 10 matches without incurring any loss. One apparent reason you can accredit to the statistics, is that no bowling unit has really been able to take 20 Indian wickets. So on some surfaces, when you play against India, a draw is the best you can get...!!
Its unorthodox for sure, but India seem to have finally found a way around their inferior bowling unit to levitate to the peak. Cricket they say is a game of uncertainties, true. So, how long can India stay afloat with their limited bowling armory...? Will they be as defiant a batting unit when Rahul, Laxman and most importantly, Sachin retire...? Will Dhoni ever lead India to a defeat...? Well, the questions are sundry, and only time will give all answers...But India's crowning as the new Champions of Test Cricket will be for many Indian fans, one proud moment....
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