i wrote this while 2005 ashes were going on.
it was as a comparison of the 2001 aus series [and from there on for india ]and the ashes 2005 series.
there are 8 and quater pages in all.
this is the first page. on futher interest i willpost the remaining pages.
Ashes 2005 or Border and Gavaskar 2001, which series is more exciting
Comparison
4th and 5th page
literally asked whether he knew how to make runs or win, or had a place in Indian batting order filled with aggressive batsman as he held up the run rate and after his valiant Mumbai test resistance when every other batsman was getting out the vitriol heaped on him was truly epical, and in second test second inning he was sent at number 6th position as the last recognized batsman but Australian team was to find the answer to question is Rahul Dravid soft hyped by media after Slater incident in Mumbai test. Rahul Dravid is not a man deterred by pressure, Rahul Dravid is cricketer who revels in pressure, and Rahul Dravid showed once again as he had series after series , that what ever is written about him in media or talked by the expert, what ever personal problem he might be facing of having his father recovering from serious illness before the Mumbai test or having energy draining flu day before the Kolkata test his commitment to Indian cricket is total, to get to India you will first have to get Rahul Dravid whether he bats at 1,3,6 or 7, it doesn’t matter, and the rest was magic of hard work of Rahul Dravid woven with a inning of complete abandon from VVS Laxman, and the Australian didn’t get Rahul Dravid , he was run out at 180 because Zaheer khan refused to take a easy single. And yes it’s not a good idea for any teams batsman to give Rahul Dravid slip and short leg catching practice.
But even In Kolkata the fans involvement was on personal level, they came to see Ganguly theatre show, Sachin and Laxman batting, and finally cricket [in the form of Rahul Dravid contribution]. And on final day Indian cricket team victory over mighty Australian team.
The importance of 2001 series for Indian cricket was that it made millions of Indian fans believe after the betting scandal that pure cricketing contest where both the team players fight hard to give all for their country’s win was possible.
But in 2001 after the series win, the man on street still asked why was Ganguly in the team he didn’t do anything. In 2005 the man on street is still asking that question.
And the 2001 series showed the media and BCCI how big the power of Indian cricket market could be, where the blind emotional fans could be seduced with few flamboyant dreams and who think showmanship is the real thing, where the show of aggression is more important then actual aggression of the intent. That the fans over the years were often left wondering why the team and all this attacking players don’t actually perform. Well no one was ready to bell the cat, not when every one was making money left, right and centre. Who cares about team, cricket and winning? The few players who actually cared were called names and were asked to take more and more responsibility without giving them any real power to improve the team.
The Indian learned the true importance of Australian loss and what it had meant to Australian team in 2004 by which time Australia team had progressed ahead on the road of growth and the Indians had regressed to low in quest to find how down they can go [fall].
The Australian had not surged of the 2001 defeat and the Steve Waugh dream of winning the last frontier had throbbed in his team mates heart’s translating into dedicated hard work over the years to be fulfilled in a romantic twist of fate by his wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist whose contribution to the Australian win in 2001 Mumbai test was special. Even though in 2004 Australian regular captain was Ricky Ponting, due to his thumb fracture. It was Adam Gilchrist who led Australia to victory. And in yet another twist of fate or providence regular Indian captain Ganguly declared himself injured and Rahul Dravid was made captain of India 40 minutes before the third test when Adam won the frontier in Nagpur test and when Ricky Ponting returned to captain in the final test, Rahul Dravid won the 4th test in Mumbai. There was a marked difference in the Australian team from the 2001, their hunger and ambition to win was the same but now it was clocked in humility and respect of the condition of the country they were in, they had acknowledged their mistakes and worked on it. Their intent was aggressing but they were ready to play the waiting game and conserve their energy when the nature, elements demanded it unlike 2001 when they saw nothing but the reflection of their glory in front of which everyone should automatically bow down, in 2004 they were ready to stoop to stand tall in the sweet pleasure of hard fought battle with their natural tendencies. And it helped that they found on arriving in India that India once again didn’t have a team, the captain was as usual out of form, preoccupied in [saving] his own hide [personal thoughts] well supported by BCCI and now there was no pretence that captain and the coach even talk about cricket, with batting consultant bought for a team having young bowlers with injuries screaming needing attention. And Rahul Dravid, he was still working hard to lead by example, breathing pure air like a monk on a mountain where he was untouched by pollution, but unlike that monk Rahul Dravid lives life on earth and has been showing by deed what a professional cricketer can do and what team spirit requires from the man who leads the team and his team mates but Indian fans, and BCCI are still to wake up to the simple fact. And luckily for Australian team’s hard work BCCI certainly didn’t wake up during their series. It is another matter we are in mid 2005 now and Indian fans and BCCI are still sleeping.
Or is it that the fans might be sleeping but BCCI intentionally doesn’t want a strong captain, they want a weak captain like Ganguly, what other reason could there be for Ganguly continued reign from 2000 to 2005 without any result, unless you think wining single test in every country in which he didn’t have any contribution and despite reaching several final due to the few individual performance and market manipulation but not winning the finals because the finals are won by the team and we don’t have a team, how can we when the captain has been out of form as long as he has been captain, he was off course cunning enough in how to make his record look great by making runs against our favourite opposition Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Namibia, but now Ganguly is so pathetic he can’t make runs even against them and he thinks he has 3 or 4 more years left . Wow, god give India more self serving players like him but if BCCI love him as a leader who are we mere mortals to find anything wrong in his obvious talents, Mr. Dalmiya must like the way Ganguly thanks him from saving him from his various ban and for organizing the series against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe when ever Ganguly is questioned, soon to make Ganguly happy Kenya and Namibia will start playing tests and one day series with India.
to be cont
AuthorTopic: well this one is of 12.9.05 . 4th and 5th page (Read 370 times)
July 24, 2006, 08:51:34 PM