Ishant and Shami looked better because of Zaheer

After being routed in the ODIs, India’s performance in the first Test against South Africa has been uplifting to say the least. Almost everybody anticipated a crushing defeat for Dhoni’s team — and I must admit to having some doubts myself — and the turnaround has been quite splendid.

The result of the Test as I write this is still unknown. Cricket, to use a cliché, is a game full of uncertainties so we’ll have to wait till the last ball is bowled before reaching a verdict. What’s clear though is that after three days, India have not only battled gamely but also turned the screws on the number 1 ranked team.

What explains this transformation? In hindsight, the ODI results must be seen in the context of the hastily devised, ill-conceived itinerary.  To go straight into an international match without any period of acclimatization was always asking for trouble. 

The pitches and weather in South Africa differ quite dramatically from those obtained at home, and India were badly exposed. By the time the tour was a week old, the ODI series had been lost. There is surely a lesson there for the BCCI that whatever its dispute with another cricket board, the interest of the team and the players must be paramount and never compromised.

From a cricketing point of view, India’s recovery is even more heartening because it involved bowlers too. The return of Zaheer Khan has not only added the richness of skill and experience to the attack, but also given the team a fine mentor. One need hardly emphasise that Ishan Sharma and Shami Ahmed looked better bowlers because of Khan’s constant advise from mid-on or mid-off.

The trick in bowling on pitches which help seamers is not just in bowling quick, but also adopting the right line and length. In the ODIs, India’s bowlers were walloped because they strived for extra pace at the cost of control. This is where Zaheer’s experience became invaluable in the Test.  I venture that if he can play for another year, he might leave behind a far better attack.

From a batting perspective, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara showed that their being rated so highly is not all fluff; that they are not just flat-track bullies, that they have genuine class and are arguably the best in the world in their age group.

Pujara has a watertight technique, based on solid defence, and an unflappable temperament. But he also has a wide range of strokes which he is unafraid of unleashing. Kohli may not be a technical virtuoso, but has the panache, hunger and ambition to become the most dominant batsman of his generation.

It is tempting to see Dravid in Pujara and Tendulkar in Kohli because they now bat at no 3 and 4 respectively. But I would eschew such odious comparisons.  It is good to see the legacy of Dravid and Tendulkar being continued, but Pujara and Kohli should be allowed to become their own men.

All in all, a rousing week in Indian cricket. But there is one thing which rankles me. I’ve been on the Ranji Trophy circuit doing TV commentary and was disappointed to not see either Yuvraj Singh or Suresh Raina in action in round 7 matches though they were back from South Africa after the ODI series.

Mohit Sharma and Amit Mishra, on the other hand, turned out for their state teams promptly on their return. Perhaps Yuvraj and Raina had strong reasons not to play, but these were not made known to the media and the public, which shows how lightly the matter has been treated.

It is only incidental perhaps that Punjab and UP, the teams these two international represent, lost their matches, but it tells a story nonetheless: that star power should be for the benefit of the team — as much state as national — and not the other way around.

Something for the cricket establishment in the country to mull over.