With Sri Lanka wrapping up an easy win, a very disappointing series for the Fabulous Four of Indian Cricket - Sachin, Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly comes to an end.
One way to look at their failure is to consider this as an aberration in their wonderful career and a watershed moment in history when a talented spinner in Ajantha Mendis made a remarkable debut. After all, I don't think there has been any other series where all four collectively failed and based on his performance so far, Mendis (especially in tandem with Murali) does look like a quality spinner to watch out for. Plus, if these four with all their natural talent and vast experience couldn't perform, who else could have? Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma? I don't think so. Olympics and the upcoming ODI series should provide enough distraction to forget this failure and move on!
But, the other way and I think the right way to look at this is as the beginning of the end of a wonderful chapter in Indian Cricket. The build up to the series couldn't have been better - the all young ODI team in good form was rendered clueless by a new spinner and the stage was set for the aging champions to show the new kids on the block how it's done. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. If these four with all their talent and experience could not produce a decent performance in even one innings, what is the point of persisting with them? If their talent, form and experience is not making a difference, then what value do they bring to the team? If their aging bodies and slowing reflexes has overwhelmed their talent and experience, how are they superior to other players waiting in the wings?
This doesn't mean that all four need to be dropped and replaced with the Rohits and Rainas in waiting. I cannot confidently name one player that absolutely deserves a spot over any of the fab four. But, this does mean that the playing field between the seniors and juniors is level now. Instead of being considered automatic picks, they need to be compared and evaluated against other players. Instead of being assumed superior, they need to compete for their place with the rest. Instead of blindly preferring the old masters, the selectors should take a chance and opt for some young blood. It's not the end, but the beginning of the end.
Even if the seniors want to quit, the commercial interest still makes them hang on.
ReplyDeleteI am not contradicting your observation. This is just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteI think this was as much a case of how difficult it is to face Mendis and Muralitharan. If not more.
Mendis it has been said "bowls offbreak, legbreak, the googly, the flipper, straight delivery, with different grips and different actions, different trajectory and at different pace, and he disguises them brilliantly".
It is difficult to face Murali on a spinning track, now having Mendis from the other end does not give any batsman a respite from the constant pressure.
It had to be the middle-orders that struggled. And I am certain any other middle order touring Sri Lanka would have crumbled in the same way.