JOIN USIt’s a sign of the growing disenchantment of the average Indian cricket fan that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys returned home unheralded, indeed almost unnoticed, after their Antipodean misadventure which included a 0-4 rout in the Test series and their inability to reach even the final of the triangular series.
Four years ago, in his first overseas assignment as the 50-over skipper, Dhoni had brought back the tri-series title, his team mobbed by enthusiastic followers who had reason to believe the success was retribution for the travails during a contentious Test series. The irony would not have been lost on the sensible Jharkhandi, who is also intelligent enough to understand that unless he plots a swift turnaround in the Asia Cup beginning next week, it will be impossible to win over the affection of supporters.
If it already hasn’t, Indian cricket will enter the throes of transition in the very near future. Some of the true legends of the game might have played their last games for the national team, some others are living on borrowed time. Most teams across the world have found this particular phase a demanding period of setbacks; India must be prepared to embrace a few more defeats as it seeks to unearth the combination that will take Indian cricket forward. The less charitable, though, will point out that defeat, especially overseas, has become something of a norm, given that the Australia drubbing came close on the heels of a similar scoreline in England last summer.
The next few months will test India’s bench strength, as also the character of the team. Fortunately, for nearly a year and a half, the national side will play all its Test cricket almost exclusively on home turf, allowing a young batting brigade to find its feet in familiar environs and gradually prepare for stiffer battles in more challenging lands. As it is, the calendar includes home series against England and Australia, among others. While neither outfit is particularly at ease travelling to India, there is enough quality in both ranks to ask serious questions of Gen Next, which will provide an indication of the technical and temperamental mettle of the young turks. Prudence demands that it is time to salute the legends for their contributions and start planning for the road ahead.