For Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the tour of Zimbabwe so far has been one of R&R (rest and recreation) with a little bit of wicket-keeping, captaincy and press conferences thrown in on the side.
This is not a facile attempt at Sunday morning humour. The ODI series was so one-sided that the Indian captain must be wondering just what he is doing on this tour. Indeed, this could be the sentiment of most of his teammates.
Dhoni had volunteered to go on this tour with a second string team for two reasons: to scotch rumours that he was retiring, as well as to keep himself involved with international cricket since he has quit Tests.
Very little of the second objective was met. The home team failed to top 200 in any game. Batting second in all matches meant that barring the top three in the order, nobody else from the Indian team got a chance to show prowess with the bat.
Zimbabwe’s inept batting was matched by the bowling. In the three ODIs, India lost only three wickets. That was one less than the four wickets Zimbabwe lost in four deliveries to be scuttled out for a paltry 126 in the final game.
In the cakewalks to victory, Bumrah, K L Rahul and Chahal stood out. The opposition was mediocre true, but they made the most of the opportunities to boost their reputations.
Bumrah is already in the Indian limited overs teams, but Rahul and Chahal made fine impact immediately on induction. Apart from displaying very good skills, they also showed an attitude aimed at winning matches.
It is unlikely that either will make it to the Indian team immediately. But Rahul and Chahal have announced they are ready if needed. This will keep the regulars on their toes.
Fact though is that the present tour is turning out to be a forgettable one unless the T20 series goes topsy-turvy. In saying this, it is not my intent to be overly critical of Zimbabwe; rather to show up the challenge for the ICC and other Boards.
Given that there are so few countries playing cricket, it is imperative that quality of performance is maintained. This helps sustain interest at home as also the standards at the international level.
Zimbabwe had achieved fairly high performance parameters not too long back. As I write this, it is exactly 33 years to the day when Kapil Dev scored his magnificent 175 not out at Tunbridge Wells in the 1983 World Cup.
It was an innings that transformed the match, the tournament and the sport. Zimbabwe were to lose from a position of strength to Kapil Dev’s genius and derring do. But the defeat was not a disgrace.
This was their first appearance in a major tournament. In fact, clubbed along with the victory over Australia earlier in the tournament, Zimbabwe were seen as a rising force in cricket flush with exciting players.
Over the next couple of decades, Zimbabwe became a dangerous opponent to the best sides, in Tests and limited overs cricket. The slump in the last decade has been calamitous for the sport.
The player-base in Zimbabwe was always small, and with alleged maladministration in the cricket board it has shrunk even further. This has left the country without enough resources or wherewithal for recovery.
What is the scope for improvement from here then? Ironic as it may seem, the only way out is for Zimbabwe to play limited overs cricket against top-flight teams more often. This means more home and away series, which will require the assent of all other cricket boards.
In a wider sense, this is applicable to all the so-called 'minnow’ countries, which are battling against the ICC to get accommodated into the scheme of things in the sport more regularly.
Such series’ are not going to be financially lucrative for sure. But this is where the ICC’s role as custodian becomes crucial. It must manage diplomacy with other boards and finances adroitly enough to create the opportunities for the smaller teams. That is the only way to afloat to keep the sport alive and healthy in the long run.
