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It has been a run-filled and fun-filled Test series - one that would always remain close to my heart. Probably, the only jarring note in an otherwise splendid contest was struck when rain prevented us from witnessing a fitting denouement, but then again the two teams sharing the series was a fair result as neither India or England deserved to lose. India's fightback at Headingley and at the Oval, after their bowlers had allowed England to pile up a huge first innings total, was indeed heartening as it came at a time when the players were involved in a stand-off with the ICC. But instead of distracting them, the controversy only seemed to pull them closer together. With Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly leading the way, the batting succeeded as it rarely has in foreign climes. And, though, the bowlers failed at The Oval, at least at Headingley they proved that they were up to the task of crafting the unlikeliest of wins. Talking of the batting, the success was due in large part to the splendid efforts of Dravid. Scoring 600-plus runs while batting for over 30 hours is no mean task and speaks volumes about the virtuosity and application of India's yet-to-be-hailed great. Tendulkar too chipped in in his own admirable way scoring 400-plus runs to ensure that India drew a series in England for the first time in 70 years. Sourav Ganguly, meanwhile, seemed to have become a transformed man after his successful series with the bat against the West Indies; in England he was scoring runs with the gay abandon that he had previously reserved only for the ODI stage. His 99 at Trent Bridge and his magnificent ton at Headingley will surely go a long way in making Ganguly a more assertive and confident leader in the coming years. Another gain was the arrival of Sanjay Bangar as an opening batsman. The 29-year-old might not have scored as many runs as his illustrious senior colleagues but his application and determination at the batting crease during the Test at Headingley and the Oval mark him out as a long-term India prospect. All that remains now is for the bowlers to sort themselves out and India could be winning matches with greater regularity overseas too. It is not that they don't have the talent but they sorely lack in discipline and guile. The sooner they develop these must-have qualities the better. Now, the players move on to the ICC Champions Trophy at Sri Lanka. It is nice to know that a settlement has at last been reached between the ICC and the BCCI and that all our best players shall be given the chance to play in one of the showpiece events on the cricketing calendar. The Indians are certainly one of the better one-day teams in international cricket and I wish them all the success in going one better in this edition and winning the trophy. © CricInfo |
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