JOIN USSteely resolve in stirring victory
Not since 1993 under Mohammad Azharuddin has an Indian team won a series in Sri Lanka. Outclassed in the first Test but battling back to earn an honourable draw in the second, the best India could do going into the P Sara Oval was to ensure they didn’t lose the series.
The last time Sri Lanka were held to a draw at home by India was in 1997, when both Tests ended in tall-scoring, dreary stalemates. 2001 and 2008 produced identical 1-2 heartbreaks, but 2010 offered a different tale, thanks to the resolve and determination of the playing group that snatched an excellent five-wicket win on Saturday.
The efficacy of the Indian bowling attack was in question long before the series began, what with Zaheer Khan ruled out long before the squad was announced and S Sreesanth returning home after picking up an injury at practice immediately after arriving here. There was little to suggest, during the first two Tests, that this set of bowlers could bowl the formidable hosts out twice in a match, and when Harbhajan Singh too was ruled out of the P Sara encounter, the sense of foreboding grew stronger.
In such crises does strength of character shine through. At the first hint of a helpful surface, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha put his hand up and assumed the leadership role with aplomb, well supported by the rest of the line-up in which Virender Sehwag’s superb off-spin was a vital component.
Ojha was playing only his sixth Test, but the manner in which he embraced responsibility and sent down long, probing spells would have done a veteran proud. That he shackled Sri Lanka’s free-scoring batsmen, nimble-footed and at ease against the turning ball, spoke volumes of his control over his craft. His crucial strikes on the second and fourth mornings offered India a sniff, and fellow-Hyderabadi VVS Laxman completed the strong comeback with a match-winning 16th Test hundred.
The growth of Ojha, as well as that of Ishant Sharma and Abhimanyu Mithun, coupled with the emergence of Suresh Raina as a quality batsman at number six, have to be the biggest positives from a tour in which the established batting order held its own, barring the exception of Rahul Dravid, always fluent but not building on starts.
“It’s great that we had a couple of youngsters that came in and did the business,” coach Gary Kirsten agreed. “Suresh played two great Tests. Equally, Ojha bowled exceptionally well throughout the series and showed that he has something to offer at Test level. The way Ishant and Mithun bowled was also fantastic. They didn’t necessarily get the rewards they would have liked to get, but they put in a massive effort. When you do miss a couple of key players, it’s always good that the young guys are coming through and making contributions.”
Indeed, the biggest single gain for India was the ease with which Raina fitted into the Test set-up. The Uttar Pradesh left-hander answered those who questioned his technique and preparedness for Test cricket with three crucial, flowing knocks, none more so than his brazen unbeaten 41 on Saturday that dispersed whatever pressure might have been caused by Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal. A century on debut at the SSC grounds and a vital half-century in the first innings at the P Sara showcased his temperament. Saturday’s aggression, and the calculated risks he took, revealed an intelligent and a bold mind too, especially with Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitting it was no team plan for Raina to attack the Lankans.
“He just plays his game,” Dhoni observed. “He backs himself to do well. You can do that now and then, especially when you're fresh and have less burden on your shoulders. As you play more, if you get out easily, then there will be more criticism but if you are a youngster, then there is greater liberty to play aggressive cricket.”
The taste of success young India has had is a good augury, what with the established stars missing here eager to return and reassert their credentials. The competition for places and the rivalry among players, however healthy it might be, is just what is needed to keep them on their toes, and ward off potential complacency.