Indian cricket in 2007: First heartbreak, then victory

The year 2007 was a mixed bag for Indian cricket.

In February, the team landed in West Indies for the World Cup as one of the favourites. But what happened thereafter was, perhaps, the worst for Indian cricket since the 1979 World Cup. However, in 1979 there was at least some consolation – the team was playing in just its 2nd World Cup, the one day format of the game had not yet caught on, and India was pitted against the mighty West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

But what happened in 2007 was nothing short of a disaster. The team had a great batting line-up — probably the best in the world — it had the right blend of youth and experience, and it had fared very well in two previous series at home against West Indies and Sri Lanka just prior to the World Cup.

Even then the World Cup dreams of a million people back home crumbled in the first round itself. Team India was stung by Bangladesh in its first match. In the second, it redeemed its grace somewhat by achieving a victory against minnows Bermuda after scoring a World Cup record score of 413. However, in the third match India was comprehensively beaten by Sri Lanka, and eliminated from the World Cup.

Now, the question was how would Team India rise up from the ashes? Will the fans back home forgive the team for its disastrous World Cup campaign? Will Indian cricket regain its lost glory? If yes, how?

All these questions were answered in September, just seven months after the World Cup disaster. India reached South Africa to participate in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, this time with Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm.

No one gave this team a chance. Their three batting superstars - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly - were missing and India had played just one Twenty20 match before this. But Dhoni’s boys surprised everyone by winning the tournament after a series of giant-killing acts. En route to the final, India beat Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan (twice).

It was India's first major triumph since winning the 1983 World Cup. Apart from adding a glorious chapter in the history of Indian cricket, the victory also laid to rest demons of the 50-over format of the World Cup.
India cricket in 2007 can be classified as the tale of two dreams - one that fans all over the world wished they never had, and, the other, that the country will never want to wake up from.

Now, all that needs to be done is to continue the victory march in Australia.

Chak Diya India

“The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game. So who knows (what's may happen this time)…”

This is what I had written in my post on September 11 - the day the Twenty20 World Cup began. A fortnight later Mahi and his boys have proved me right by pulling off a remarkable and almost unbelievable victory in the first Twenty20 World Cup.

What a moment for Indian cricket! Who would have dreamt of this victory? A young and enterprising team, led from the front by a great captain, winning the tournament in which the pundits had written us off. Without Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, the result was against all expectations.

This no-fear cricket has not only warmed all Indian hearts but instilled tremendous belief in India’s new-generation team. Above all, the win has, as Dhoni said, done the “repair work” that was necessary after India’s disastrous exit from the World Cup earlier this year. This is really looking good for the future of Indian cricket.

India beat the biggest teams in international cricket, Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan (twice). The team batted like lions, bowled like tigers and fielded like leopards. In a tournament that was supposed to give nothing but trouble to the bowlers, the opposition never got on top of our attack, and don’t forget we did not have Zaheer Khan. Bowlers like RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Sreesanth and Joginder Singh did it for us.

This win celebrates youth. Yuvraj Singh hitting six sixes in an over, Robin Uthappa, who can come in at any situation and make his mark, Rohit Sharma, not intimidated by the opposition even on debut, Irfan Pathan, once the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket who came back the hard way after being sent home in the middle of a tour. And a special mention to Gautam Gambhir whose quiet but effective contribution laid the foundations for Yuvraj’s heroics.

Age is on their side as it is for the captain who led from the front. MS Dhoni has shown that he has the capabilities of being a true leader, one who can lead from the front and inspire his team. His appointment as ODI skipper is probably one of best things to have happened to Indian cricket in a long time.

All the best to Dhoni and his boys! Hope you give us many more such reasons to rejoice in future.

Underdogs India knocks 'chokers' South Africa out of Twenty20 World Cup

When a young Indian team under the captainship of Mahendra Singh Dhoni landed in South Africa about 10 days ago for the Twenty20 cricket world cup, nobody gave them any chance. They were the “underdogs”. However, people have now started taking the “underdogs” seriously when, in two successive days, they put it across two teams with the most experience in this version of cricket.

The hero of the match against South Africa was a 20-year-old making his debut. Rohit Sharma played with the poise, composure and temperament of an experienced professional. And if we add his exceptional fielding abilities to his batting, we can say that India has found a long-term middle-order batsman who should eventually make a mark in all forms of the game.

India, who is all of one game old in this format when the Twenty20 WC started, has shut many critics with their awesome performance. While we got to see some awesome batting display in the match against England, the victory against “chokers” South Africa — one of the best teams in cricket that has failed to go past the semi-final stage of a major tournament since being readmitted to the international fold in 1991 — saw significant performances in batting and a sensational display of fielding skills — Dinesh Karthik’s sensational catch to dismiss Graeme Smith, and Rohit Sharma’s Jonty Rhodes-like dive to run out Justin Kemp.

The only area that India needs to keep a watch on is the indiscipline in bowling. They gave away a handful in wides. Their excellence in other areas along with South Africa’s uncanny ability to play their worst cricket at the biggest stages allowed India to get away with it, but on Saturday against Australia such profligacy might cost them dear.

Way to go Zimbawbe

Cricket fans all over the world, except Australia, will not forget last night in a hurry. It was a night to remember as Zimbabwe inflicted the mother of all upsets in their Twenty-20 game against Australia. They outplayed the best team in the world... a team that looked overconfident right from the word go.
What an embarrassment for the men in skin-tight yellow and grey lycra.

And lest anyone think this was a fluke, it was not. For almost the entire game Zimbabwe were, almost unbelievably, on top. They bowled sensibly, fielded like demons and, finally, batted with the kind of wisdom that any top team would be proud of. They made the world champions look like no-hopers.

The Aussie batting lacked fluency, their bowlers were too wayward and their fielders fumbled and gave away overthrows. On the other hand, Zimbabwe threw themselves wholeheartedly into everything.

A great lesson for all those teams out there looking for ways and means to defeat the Aussies... put them under pressure... they will crumble.