Just a few weeks back, we were all so eagerly waiting for the Ind-Eng Test series. A thrilling contest was being anticipated in, what people thought would become, a monumental series; well you cant expect any less when two giants of the game clash : No.1 Vs. No.2, fanatics Vs. the creators, talent Vs. hardwork, India V.s England. However, the result of the series was mind boggling, to say the least. In an ironic ending to the series, all I could see were the 3Ds - domination, despair and disappointment.
The first D- domination, can safely be attributed to the English cricket team and their style of play throughout the series. This can be safely assumed, considering the fact that almost all of their players played a significant role in their team's triumph over India. Whether it was Ian Bell's 235 or Graeme Swann's 5-for ; Broad and Bresnan's allround display or Strauss's captaincy, the domination of this England side was eminent. Such strong individual performances would definitely allow any team to produce the kind of result that England just did. First the Worldcup, then the IPL, and a few cricketing series in between, involving different nations. The circketing action was endless before the Ind-Eng series, and so no one was made to wait for it ; It came rather quickly. However, it went as quickly as it came. Such a majestic performance by England meant that no one could spare a second to blink his eyes, as no one was foolish enough to miss even a nano-second of such overwhelming domination (unless you are one of those crazy Indian fans!); These five weeks just flew by, riding on the horse of English domination.
The second D- despair, was written all over India's face from the very second Zaheer Khan got injured and left the field. Sadly, India never recovered from that setback. Many could sympathise with India for playing that match with a bowler short, and consequently losing the match. However there isn't a plausible excuse to cover up for the Indian performances in the next matches. Many would rightly argue that the No.1 Test team should have enough bowling resources, to replace an injured one with a fresher talent who would be able to deliver atleast 60 % of what the injured bowler would have delivered. For India this wasn't the case, as their weak bench strength was exposed. While there was no hope in the bowling departement, despair was also creeping up in the minds of the Indian batsmen. Big names such as Tendulkar, Laxman and Dhoni just miserably failed. Sehwag was rushed in to the third test for the rescue, but it ended in an anit climax when he couldn't even contribute a single run (I could have done better!). By that time, despair had seeped into both the bowling and batting of the mighty Indians, as they found themselves trapped in a never ending vortex of helplessness.
The 3rd D - disappointment, came with the result. The series didnt do justice to the pre-series hype, and it certainly didnt do justice to all those who had paid to watch a contest, not a one-sided affair as it turned out to be. Its not about the fact the No.1 side lost a series, but it was the manner with which the former No.1 side lost. Many would seriously start to doubt the ICC rankings after this particular series, but to be honest, it isn't there fault. The India which showed up to play this series just wasnt the same. Their attitude, their form, their physicue just wasn't complementing the No.1 title that they had been clinging on to. As an english fan you might be jumping all over the place at the moment, but for someone who loves the sport more than anything, it surely was a major disappointment.
[About the author: Aun Zaidi is a 17 year old student from Pakistan, and is currently doing his A-levels from Roots School Islamabd.]
The first D- domination, can safely be attributed to the English cricket team and their style of play throughout the series. This can be safely assumed, considering the fact that almost all of their players played a significant role in their team's triumph over India. Whether it was Ian Bell's 235 or Graeme Swann's 5-for ; Broad and Bresnan's allround display or Strauss's captaincy, the domination of this England side was eminent. Such strong individual performances would definitely allow any team to produce the kind of result that England just did. First the Worldcup, then the IPL, and a few cricketing series in between, involving different nations. The circketing action was endless before the Ind-Eng series, and so no one was made to wait for it ; It came rather quickly. However, it went as quickly as it came. Such a majestic performance by England meant that no one could spare a second to blink his eyes, as no one was foolish enough to miss even a nano-second of such overwhelming domination (unless you are one of those crazy Indian fans!); These five weeks just flew by, riding on the horse of English domination.
The second D- despair, was written all over India's face from the very second Zaheer Khan got injured and left the field. Sadly, India never recovered from that setback. Many could sympathise with India for playing that match with a bowler short, and consequently losing the match. However there isn't a plausible excuse to cover up for the Indian performances in the next matches. Many would rightly argue that the No.1 Test team should have enough bowling resources, to replace an injured one with a fresher talent who would be able to deliver atleast 60 % of what the injured bowler would have delivered. For India this wasn't the case, as their weak bench strength was exposed. While there was no hope in the bowling departement, despair was also creeping up in the minds of the Indian batsmen. Big names such as Tendulkar, Laxman and Dhoni just miserably failed. Sehwag was rushed in to the third test for the rescue, but it ended in an anit climax when he couldn't even contribute a single run (I could have done better!). By that time, despair had seeped into both the bowling and batting of the mighty Indians, as they found themselves trapped in a never ending vortex of helplessness.
The 3rd D - disappointment, came with the result. The series didnt do justice to the pre-series hype, and it certainly didnt do justice to all those who had paid to watch a contest, not a one-sided affair as it turned out to be. Its not about the fact the No.1 side lost a series, but it was the manner with which the former No.1 side lost. Many would seriously start to doubt the ICC rankings after this particular series, but to be honest, it isn't there fault. The India which showed up to play this series just wasnt the same. Their attitude, their form, their physicue just wasn't complementing the No.1 title that they had been clinging on to. As an english fan you might be jumping all over the place at the moment, but for someone who loves the sport more than anything, it surely was a major disappointment.
[About the author: Aun Zaidi is a 17 year old student from Pakistan, and is currently doing his A-levels from Roots School Islamabd.]
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