Curtains Down On A Great Show
Tremendous Boost For Cricket In India
By S Zeyaur Rahman 

The much hyped Aussie tour of India is finally over. This series will be remembered for long by cricket buffs all over the world. The thrill, suspense, drama and climax associated with the wonderful performances, individual as well as collective, is surely a thing of the past. But the past will not be so easy to bury. It will continue to linger in the present for quite some time. 

The Kangaroos are a brilliant side. Their presence on the ground promises a flurry of activity. They are known for playing aggressive and exciting cricket. The Indian team, even at its nadir always had a couple of world class batsmen and quality stroke players. The recipe had promised a mouth watering dish and the dramatis personae was sure to enact an engrossing drama. 

True to the forecast there were brilliant performances on both the sides. But the difference lies in the fact that the side caste slipped into the main role and hijacked the plot. Despite a galaxy of luminaries, it was the fading lights that stole away the thunder. 

The series undoubtedly belongs to VVS Laxman, Mathew Hayden and Harbhajan Singh. Laxman's has been a remarkable metamorphosis. He was existing on the fringes and now he occupies the central role. To do that in a team which is packed with the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly is an achievement in itself. It was more or less the same with Hayden. He was the number two opener and did not even command a place in the one day side. He has been consistency personified and none of his colleagues have come any way near him. Harbhajan was unable to repeat the magic in the one dayers. But his performance in the tests alone is sufficient to label him as the find of the series. 

The role reversal was not limited to the individuals but also took place in the collective sense. Australia had come with a tremendous reputation. The 15-0 aura was daunting enough to put any team on the defensive. In the one dayers they were the World Champions in any case. They were expected to have a cake walk over a demoralised team. 

Things were going as per schedule till the coup in Kolkata. That was not only a miraculous escape but it also paved the way for a glorious onward journey. Before the world had fully enjoyed the Kolkata special, another feast was laid out in Chennai and the series was in India's kitty. If ever there was complete and unexpected turnaround, it was this. 

The one dayers were a little bit of a disappointment after the nail biting finishes at Kolkata and Chennai. Though the matches were well contested, none of them went to the wire. But the series did. Australia showed stronger nerves and a better sense of history to wrap up the series with a commanding display in the crucial encounter. That was a consolation conquest of the final frontier. India has lost the one day series for the first time in 13 years. 

Off the field, the atmosphere was no less charged. In fact the din had begun much before the actual drama started. Waugh and Ganguly 'lead by example' in this case too. The Slater incident, the toss episode, the sledging complain all added to the tension, though cricket can do without such accessories. I guess it is the over influence of the West on our culture that the new breed of players are without the phenomenal Indian hospitality. Only time will tell if this development is good or bad. 

The biggest achievement of the series is that it has restored the credibility of cricket. We have managed to shrug off the shadow of match fixing controversy looming large over cricket. It appears that the problem never existed. The series was full of unexpected results, in fact it is an unexpected result itself. But not even for once did the veil of match rigging raise its head. The focus of cricket is back on the on field activities. Cricket is back in the heart of its passionate admirers. It is new lease of life, a new chapter, a new beginning for cricket in India. 

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