After Sachin's 199th test man, this gotta be a much needed discussion in Indian cricketing world. What is gonna happen to the India Test cricket. The most crucial format of the game, the format that earns the respect for any team in the cricketing world. Test cricket needs classy players who excel the game, who can give 120% every time they step into the field be it the department of batting, bowling or fielding. The focus after the exit of India's FAB4 was certainly on the replacements who can take the team to the same pinnacle that once the Fab4 took India, and was an example to the whole world. Every time they stepped into crease to bat they carried a billion hopes, a billion prayers, and a billion expectations, which was beyond imagination. No need to elaborate on the success the 4 has brought into the team. Be it Perth, Eden Gardens, Lords etc.. The list goes on n on. So whoever is to fill in these shoes had to have a more than good enough in them. India has been struggling since the exit of Ganguly(First of the FAB4 to hang boots) to find replacement. Laxman n Dravid exited in quicker time phrame and it all ends after the Mumbai test when the God of cricket retires from active cricket. Many batsmen came in went out, but could not make the impact on the game to match the expectation of a billion cricket fanatics. Gambhir, Yuvraj, Sehwag to name a few. Even though there are examples these have shown of their capabilities, but could not endure the same success as the FAB4. It needs more than good players to even come close to, if not match, the excellence the FAB4 exhibited. Lets hope we can India produce some extra ordinary cricketers to keep the India's success in the game and the most important format of the game.
In the current team, we can see some of the budding players who are showing the glimpses of the hope that Indian test cricket success can be endured in the coming years. Players who can be relied upon. Ones have the capability of excelling the game and delivering what is required. Lets go one by one to see what they are made of and how they position themselves.
The very first name than pops to my mind when we talk of performance in the batting department of the current Indian cricket team is Virat Kohli. Kohli made an impact right from the time he has earned the India cap. After leading India-U19 to a World Cup victory, Virat was chosen into the senior team very quickly as expected. And he has stood to perform to every expectation he carried. The thing most impresses me about Kohli is the passion and dedication with which he takes the game. He is emotionally connected to what he does on the Cricket field. Kapil Dev once commented on Indian young cricket payers of the time, a couple of years back. His opinion was then young players are extremely talented bunch India has ever had in terms of number of good cricketers. But he went on to say that, passion for the game is what lacks in the players. I could have not agreed more at that time. we have seen players who had taken the field just to do a job. Virat Kohli was the exact answer for Kapil's concerns. Time and we have see how passionate Kohli is about the game, how emotionally connected he is. Not only did we see the commitment and determination of his towards the team's victory and the game itself he is also a kind of person who inspires the passion around him. Be it the example of the Hobart game against Sri Lanka(Malinga in particular) of the recently concluded IND vs AUS series. With the cool, ignorant, devilish attitude of the delhi boy, it looks as if 'Impossible is Nothing' for the lad.
The next two in the list are relatively newer than my first pick but somehow has made the impact that influenced me in including them in the list. Its not premature judgment if the talent is so apparent to see. Dhawan had to wait longer than expected to get his Test cap after being debuted in ODIs in 2010. Though not very effective in the initial days, he needed some time to get an actual good start. With Indian Opening pair being formidable at the time, he really had to wait for a longer time to start being a regular. But the losing form of Sehwag n Ghambhir helped him in 2013. After being chosen as a regular opener for the ICC Champion trophy he made his impact on the International stage for the first time. Earlier he was one of the top players in both the India Domestic Leagues, IPL n Ranji. He is a combination of talent and hard work. Thats what make a cricketer special. One needs to have healthy respect towards the game to excel at it. With the right attitude and similar hard work the lad is here to make his mark.
In the current team, we can see some of the budding players who are showing the glimpses of the hope that Indian test cricket success can be endured in the coming years. Players who can be relied upon. Ones have the capability of excelling the game and delivering what is required. Lets go one by one to see what they are made of and how they position themselves.
1. Virat Kohli.
The very first name than pops to my mind when we talk of performance in the batting department of the current Indian cricket team is Virat Kohli. Kohli made an impact right from the time he has earned the India cap. After leading India-U19 to a World Cup victory, Virat was chosen into the senior team very quickly as expected. And he has stood to perform to every expectation he carried. The thing most impresses me about Kohli is the passion and dedication with which he takes the game. He is emotionally connected to what he does on the Cricket field. Kapil Dev once commented on Indian young cricket payers of the time, a couple of years back. His opinion was then young players are extremely talented bunch India has ever had in terms of number of good cricketers. But he went on to say that, passion for the game is what lacks in the players. I could have not agreed more at that time. we have seen players who had taken the field just to do a job. Virat Kohli was the exact answer for Kapil's concerns. Time and we have see how passionate Kohli is about the game, how emotionally connected he is. Not only did we see the commitment and determination of his towards the team's victory and the game itself he is also a kind of person who inspires the passion around him. Be it the example of the Hobart game against Sri Lanka(Malinga in particular) of the recently concluded IND vs AUS series. With the cool, ignorant, devilish attitude of the delhi boy, it looks as if 'Impossible is Nothing' for the lad.2. Shikhar Dhawan.
The next two in the list are relatively newer than my first pick but somehow has made the impact that influenced me in including them in the list. Its not premature judgment if the talent is so apparent to see. Dhawan had to wait longer than expected to get his Test cap after being debuted in ODIs in 2010. Though not very effective in the initial days, he needed some time to get an actual good start. With Indian Opening pair being formidable at the time, he really had to wait for a longer time to start being a regular. But the losing form of Sehwag n Ghambhir helped him in 2013. After being chosen as a regular opener for the ICC Champion trophy he made his impact on the International stage for the first time. Earlier he was one of the top players in both the India Domestic Leagues, IPL n Ranji. He is a combination of talent and hard work. Thats what make a cricketer special. One needs to have healthy respect towards the game to excel at it. With the right attitude and similar hard work the lad is here to make his mark.3. Rohit Sharma.
The last one comes as no surprises to most. The sheer talent, the gifted one, the next big thing, call it whatever but the ability of the guy has got this one so far and i wish he carries it on till the last. It is kind of a Mumbai mania with the India Test cricket. First it was Sunil Gavaskar, who was the pinnacle of batting talent of his time, then came along Sachin Tendulkar, for whom the only words that make any justice to his value is calling him 'God of Cricket'. Just when Sachin is exiting the active cricketing world, mumbai had to produce one of its utmost precious talent to the Indian Test team. And we are seeing the apparent in Rohit Sharma today. No doubts the guy has got the talent. The eye to watch the ball, the elegance of stroke playing, the ability to get on top of the opposition bowlers' game is simply mind blowing. He was really unfortunate at the beginning steps of his career. Though he was chosen to make the debut for India way before Virat Kohli, he had to pull out of it coz of injury he suffered during practice the previous week. After that it was a injury stuck period for Sharma, which time and again kept him from making his debut in test cricket. I agree that most of the crowd still do not believe Rohit can make it big on the international stage. And its only fair to understand the feeling as well. Rohit is not a kind of player who looks like to be so involved in the game. People have not seen his anger on field, nor the body language that speaks for the commitment. He has always carried a loose attitude of himself on the ground. But looks can be deceptive. Its just the body language he carries does not convince the passion he has within. After the like of what i have seen in his ODI performance that has totally changed for me. Time and again, he has performed at crucial conditions and proved his worth. Especially after making 177 on his debut, before given out for a very questionable decision. But the more important part is the time at which it came was when India were 6 down for mere 156 and looked in all certainty to fold within 200. The statement was clear. This lad is here to stay and make a mark on the game of cricket. But i would go on to say that he would require to keep a check on his commitment level though. In no point of time you can afford to loose a bit at the international level, playing the highest for of cricket.
All in all, The trio is doing a good job in leading Indian Cricket team to carry on its success as of the moment and have shown the potential to keep doing the same in coming year.
"Form is Temporary, Class is permanent."
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