Dec 28, 1998
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CRICKET Set the Record Right India has the chance to show it can win both at home and abroad. By Sanjay Manjarekar in Dunedin The Indian cricket team is in New Zealand now and in the course of the next month or so will play three Test matches and five one-dayers. A genuine international cricket series. A series, to my mind, ideally combines the balance of one-dayers and Test matches. It is only at the end of such a contest that the true worth of a team is realised. And as far as the Indians are concerned, they get to play some Test cricket for a change. The Indian team left for New Zealand about two weeks ago with a lot of hope (which is usual) and their countrymen's faith behind them (which is quite unusual). This new-found faith is purely because the team has had an exceptional year, winning tournaments and, above all, showing consistency in their performance in the subcontinent.
The Indians have not won a single Test outside the subcontinent in the past 13 years. We can't afford to let a record like this linger on. It is very crucial for the Indians to look at the New Zealand tour as an opportunity to start improving on their truly dismal record away from home. The cricketing world watches us with interest today; it has acknowledged our prowess in our own backyard and in similar conditions, but no one will accord us the status of a "strong team" until we start beating teams in their own backyards. The defeat in the very first game in New Zealand at the hands of a first class side wasn't really shocking. India is a renowned slow starter in unsuitable conditions. We all know it and, sadly though, till date there have been no special efforts to counter this problem. We still go through the same grind before an overseas tour. There is always that big farce called "a conditioning camp" or sometimes "a preparatory camp" held before a tour. This time, the camp was held at the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai, on dusty, turning tracks! Wouldn't it have been better to have reached New Zealand earlier, got acclimatised and then held a four-day preparatory camp before the official tour started? Why can't we insist on an itinerary that will help us prepare better before the big games start? In my view, the outcome of the first game on the tour is definitely the result of our "preparatory camp". There is a problem area for the Indian team in the Test series that it will experience right from the start: the opening pair. Navjot Sidhu, Ajay Jadeja and V.V.S. Laxman are the nominated openers for the Tests. Sidhu, a good Test opening batsman, like his team, doesn't have a great record outside the subcontinent. My own opinion of Jadeja and Laxman is that they are not qualified for the job and sending them to open is at best a short-term measure. By not grooming youngsters to take the baton from the seniors we have damaged our own cause. In fact, such second-string teams are ideally developed easily when the team is doing well. As for the rest, Ajit Agarkar's injury couldn't have come at a worse time. His wicket-taking ability will be missed. However, the heartening sight was watching Harbhajan Singh at the Cricket Club of India nets. The recent controversy surrounding the young Sikh has had a different kind of effect on him -- it has made him a better, more determined bowler. This very talented off- spinner will be doing Anil Kumble -- our proven match-winner -- a big favour by easing the pressure on New Zealand wickets which aren't suited to the leg-spinner. About the hosts, the odds are in their favour. The Kiwis have somehow held the upper hand against us on all our previous tours since 1990. The New Zealand cricket administrators have also done their homework well -- the first Test is in Dunedin, one of the coldest areas there. Of course, this Indian team is surely the best team to visit this part of the world since 1990. The teams which visited Kiwiland four times since then had nothing much to show. Why, in 1994 in the only Test at Hamilton we could not even beat the weakest New Zealand side in decades with Ken Rutherford as their best batsman. The team of 1998 will do better than that, I hope. This team looks more likely to win matches and one of the main reasons for this is a man called Mr Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, who is a better batsman today than he was on his last tour here. (Former Test cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar will be writing a regular column on India's tour of New Zealand.) |
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But what happens when we leave the subcontinent? Obviously, when the
Indians left for New Zealand to play a team that isn't considered very strong, most Indian
cricket fans were sure their squad would go and thrash the Kiwis out of the ground. After
such a good year, it is only natural the average cricket lover should think so. But people
who are close followers of Indian cricket always remain a bit circumspect. That's because
they keep their perspective balanced with a sense of history -- and they are only too
aware of our overseas track record. 
