From Jayasuriya's Dinner to Green-Track Bullies: The Rise of Indian Cricket

The joyous din of the 1,100,000 crowd in the Eden Gardens had subsided. They sat paralyzed, as Muralitharan ran in once more, with Ashish Kapoor facing his first delivery. A part of me had told me to switch off the television, but another part persisted, egging Kapoor to give Kambli the strike. Kapoor goes for a slog, mistimes it, and De Silva swallows the catch. Millions of people in India shook their heads in disbelief.

That of course, was the 1996 world cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka. One of the worst days in Indian cricketing history. But it summed up Indian cricket.

In the 90s, when Sachin walked in to bat, India stood still to watch, while Sachin’s frame never once betrayed the pressure he felt of performing consistently, yet never compromising on his flamboyant stroke-making paradigm.

On the odd occasion when India competed with a good team, it was either Sachin or Kumble, dragging India to the finishing line, or lending a lone contribution in another dreary performance. On foreign soil, we were a little more than tourists, and a lot less than an international cricket nation. But that was then.

When I heard the Kiwi commentators gushing praise for the Indian team today, my mind was reliving that fateful match in Kolkata. How much has changed since then.

We have possibly the best opening batting pair capable of depositing perfect outswingers over the cover boundary, a legendary middle order, a spinner who seems to have regained the flight and dip he devastated the Aussies with , and a consistently clinical new-ball pace duo that can also coax more reverse-swing from the ball than any other in the world at the moment. And of course, the skipper, the batsman-keeper, who deserves a place for his keeping abilities alone, and overcomes technical flaws in his batting style by sheer grit and application.

In short, this is a team for all the seasons. Even Bishen Singh Bedi can’t seem to find a fault.

Let us stop dwelling on whether this is the no. 1 team right now, or whether Sachin will play the 2011 world cup. This is the time to buy yourself a nice recliner, tell your boss you’re unwell, and enjoy Indian cricket. Unlike the Indian media, we have been reserving our judgement about this team till now, till they produced a consistent all-round performance on seaming tracks. And with the Hamilton win, the most self-critical of Indian fans, and the manufacturers of the phrase ‘flat-track bullies’ have now been successfully convinced that the Indian team is now capable of beating any team on any track.

Good players are as aware of their limitations as they are of their strengths, something the iconic Indian batsmen have acknowledged in the Hamilton match. Unlike the 90s, the batsmen didn't try and smash the leather off the ball first up, but make a conscious effort to be patient, leaving decisively, defending solidly, and easing the loose deliveries to the fence. Bowlers have bowled a fuller length, making the batsmen play, and Harbhajan has been willing to flight the ball, giving it the dip and deviation sufficient to decieve the batsmen in the air. A great team on paper is finally a great team on the field.

Remember Srinath growling at the point fielder when Anwar slashed a four past him? Remember Azhar’s disconsolate speeches at the post match presentations? Remember switching off the TV when Sachin got out? No, don’t try and remember these moments, because we’re well past that. Call your boss. A great cricketing summer beckons.