My affair with test cricket has coincided
with the Fab4 of Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly and Dravid being the linchpin of
Indian batting. With only vestiges of that era remaining, I look back
at some of the moments involving fab4 that probably altered the course of
Indian cricket. And went on to define it. Their contribution was much more than the runs they made
together, perhaps something not quantifiable.
The clock was striking four on a typical lazy winter morning
in India. The kind of day on which most alarms would have got snoozed if it was
not for a test match going on, oceans across at Adelaide Oval. The stage was set. The Indian captain had
scored a fighting century to ensure draw in the first match at Brisbane, a result
which was more than acceptable from the bad tourists. A statement had been made
with that century. ‘We can fight’ was the message. The Indian intentions were
of something bigger than draw this time around and consequently, Adelaide test
was something the media and fans were desperately waiting for. The second test
began as a one-sided contest, putting lid to all the hype that preceded it. The
first four sessions all belonged to the home side, as Indian bowlers helped
Australia to post a mammoth 556 on scoreboard. Ricky Ponting smashed a 242, hitting Indian medium-pacers all over the park. Indians had their backs against the
walls. The Indian batting had to rescue from the situation their bowlers had put
them in. At 30/31, an age called to be a prime time for a batsman-Tendulkar, Ganguly,
Dravid and Laxman were probably playing in their last Australian-tour together.
You had a feeling they would click, even if the pressure was mountainous. And
they almost didn’t.
‘The wounded tiger is dangerous’. Australia turned the
tables in Melbourne test, outbatting the Indians again with Ponting going on to
better his 242 with a 257. Sehwag scored a quick 195 but only Dravid could make
an impact, as far as the fab four were concerned. Ganguly’s bat had gone quiet.
Laxman failed in both innings. The pressure was back to India, and more precisely
the spotlight was on Sachin Tendulkar, who was probably playing his last test
in Australia, which though didn’t turn out to be his last, years later. The
Sydney test was an emotional landmark for the Oz, as Steve Waugh had announced
to retire. The focus was on Waugh and Tendulkar, the two great men. And as they
say, ‘Cometh the moment, cometh the man’, both stole the limelight in their own
ways with the former hitting a double century and the latter knitting a
match-saving 80. The Border-Gavaskar
trophy was due for more grime-gathering, as it had remained intact in India after the series was drawn level. India had won the hearts. The fight
from the tourists was not much expected. And when David gives Goliath a run for
its money, it is the spirit of the fight that impresses the audience most.
fab4 series
Part1: The ‘Change the trend’
tour down under
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Part2: The World Cup debacle
and Controversial Oz tour.
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Part3:The Sunset, losing
streak and what lies ahead.
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I will start with
part one because it comes to my mind like yesterday, having seen the tour ball
by ball. Part-II will follow. And Part III will wind off the
series.
Part1: The ‘Change the trend’ tour down
under
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| Image source: Cricinfo |
After a 66 run opening stand, Indian batting line-up
crumbled to 85/4 within a few overs with all top four including Tendulkar and
Ganguly back in pavilion. The Dravid-Laxman partnership was the last hope for
the tourists in an illustrious line-up. The pair went on to recreate the Eden
magic, only this time the protagonist and the deuteragonist exchanging roles.
Dravid played the best innings of his life against a ‘Gillespie, MacGill and
in-form Bichel ‘lead attack. A sublime 233, undoubtedly a magnum opus adorned
with cuts, drives and pulls.The Wall batted 594 minutes on Day2 and 3, vindicating the sobriquet given to him. In an era where Dravid's rise met Sachin's fall, Rahul Dravid looked impermeable on the crease. There seemed no humanely way, at times,to procure his wicket. Laxman, the Picasso, meanwhile weaved wristy magic
with some majestic pulls, scoring 148, an innings better than all but the 281. India
went to achieve one of its greatest overseas victories ever thanks to Agarkar’s
spell; with the montage of Dravid hitting the winning runs becoming one of the most
memorable scenes of Indian cricket. It
wasn’t just a test win. It was a statement. A statement that Indian batting is
not a nominal line-up gloating of statistics, but an aesthetic and impermeable line-up
that can score runs on any surface against any line-up. Three members of fab4
had scored tons.
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| Image source: Cricinfo The winning moment |
The series was a landmark in Indian cricket. As a young
cricket fan, I had this feeling that it was something that will define the
subsequent years of Indian cricket. The fab four had all come good, at
different times, when the team needed them. The series on one side marked the peak
of Dravid and Laxman, then on other side a start of downfall of Ganguly’s own
form. Tendulkar, one could see, had much more left ahead of him. One thing was sure
after the tour, this was not the last tour down under of fab4. Indian cricket
was a hypothetical level-up
In his blog years later, Aakash Chopra revealed the motto of
the tour was ‘change the trend’, which they surely did…
I remember bunking school for watching India's chase on the last day at Adelaide and felt great when India won that match. It was a special feeling, i still watch the videos of that series. It surely was a trend setting series for India.
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