India win an away game. Yes it was a T20 game. But it was a win. Actually to hell with the but. It was a T20 game. Big deal. It was cricket wasn't it.
Even so, let us put this win in perspective.
It is huge. As in BIG huge. It got me all animated while watching. Alone. It felt important. It was needed. I needed it.
Even though my belief in India's youngsters is steadfast, it was not that I believed they would start winning games right at the outset. Especially after the mindset that the illustrious seniors had adopted, I had resigned myself to the definite possibility that this tour too like the one in England, end with no wins for India.
This win is indeed special.
First, it just feels nice to be winners.
Secondly, it came with no Sachin Tendulkar.
No VVS Laxman
No Rahul Dravid.
Thirdly, It came on the back of excellent fielding and more importantly...
...Fresh minds. New thoughts
Fourthly, it came against Australia. I hate losing to Australia. I hate it more than losing to Pakistan. Its just the way it has been for me.
Fifthly, it was delivered by Dhoni's team.
The way he can express himself with the seniors out is good to watch.
Sixthly, it was comprehensive. Not a fumbling, someone-had-to-win-the-game kind of win. India controlled the game right from the start. The kind of win that we can build on. This could translate to wins in ODIs and God willing wins in Tests.
I think we can now compete. On this tour. Something that seemed impossible after the 8 Test defeats. While the older lot was always in denial, the young ones know only wins matter. They have no past records to fall back on.
Before this win, I did not believe we could compete in the rest of the series.
Not after the doom and gloom and our experiments in trying to redefine insanity. Trying to do the same things over and over in 8 Tests and expecting a different outcome every time.
It feels good to see a young side win.
It feels beautiful to be the winning side. Feels good.
7 comments:
"Even so, let us put this win in perspective.
It is huge. As in BIG huge. It got me all animated while watching. Alone. It felt important. It was needed. I needed it.
"
Sums it up. Huge..important...possible attitude changer. Possible...
A post in expected lines from you ! If i were you i wouldn't start celebrating till the end of the ODI series. Remember..we are the world champions and no RD or VVS to take the blame. By the way what was the result of the England ODI series when more or less the same Fresh minds played? And something tells me Aus will take the ODIs liitle more seriously than they did with second T20.
Bala, All I am excited about is that we will compete. The old guard can no longer do that. Yes they have had their time but its history. With the seniors one eye of the team is on statsguru to dig up past wins and records. I suspect they have appointed Sehwag and Gambhir for that, that's not the mentality we need.
Gol, As i see it the ability of the Indian team to compete has got a lot to do with the kind of pitches we are offered than the members of the squad itself. People like Gambhir and Dhoni who looked so assured in the yesterday's match are the same people who looked clueless in the Test series. Now it appears Jadeja and Vinay kumar are the pillars on which the future of Indian cricket will be built (..based on the prices the IPL owners have paid to them..) Jadeja to me is not exactly a new face. He has been tried before and found wanting. Now he is a star again.. We must all reset our expectations from the Indian sides of the coming years and be happy with the odd wins they would be able to produce abroad. The main mistake the seniors did was to let the whole country believe that the Indian team has turned the corner and we will be competing abroad on consistent basis starting from 2003.
Bala, too much analysis sir.
It just feels good to win again. At the same venue where we lost a test match we should have won. Instead we lost and dumped a whole shitload of excuses. 90s style. Enough of that.
And outside of a series win in Pakistan, the current illustrious side has done absolutely nothing that previous Indian sides have not done and future sides will not do.
Gol -
Let's just celebrate this win for what it is. I agree with your analysis of Dhoni's leadership in the absence of the old guard, but that should be it.
The ODIs will the real test in my view. If Tendulkar is unable to pull his weight in the ODIs and India rides to wins on the backs of Gambhir, Kohli, Sharma and Raina, then we can start believing. India will miss Yuvraj.
For now, this win against an Aussie team that is also fairly new is simply refreshing, but not much else.
Meanwhile, the IPL is unraveling and it appears that there are cracks in the BCCI wall....time to celebrate because finally cricket in India might be freed of the kleptocracy and oligarchy.
Read the latest India Today...Finally!
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