With this Border Gavaskar series win the India has upped its test ranking. They are number 2. It reminds me of a famous advertising campaign run by Avis- the car rental company a couple of decades back ‘We are #2’. The campaign was immensely successful. Being number two is no easy because it decodes two things, broadly 1) retain the spot 2) Capture the top slot.

Getting up there has only added fuel to the tubo charged team India. I won’t be surprised if our players do similar campaign prior the South Africa event, or may be early. They (the players) are equally good acting and don’t mind at all shaking a leg or two with those PYT’s. Dhoni is a package. He is dashing, photogenic, articulate and can relate with the Indian masses very easily. Others are Sreesanth, Harbhajan, Utthappa, Irfan, Yuvraj, Munaf etc. Trust me they are learning the trick faster.

The shorter version of cricket, the 20-20 is futuristic, designed and tailor made for TV audience. When the going gets good, wanting to do better doesn’t cease, seems appropriate for team India, as of now. I see more of those eye candies, poster perfect faces hankering for eyeball in the Idiot Box ahead.

Thanks

Gully cricket

India 2-0 Down Under

The Border –Gavaskar Trophy ’08 will be remembered in the history of cricket for more than one reason. Lot of milestones achieved from the series. The once formidable, determined, unbeatable, arrogant Australians are a bunch of demoralized team, whose dominance was confronted by Indians.

The baton has been passed to new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The best part, he deserves it, viewing the quicker format of cricket catching steam in years to come ahead.

The statistical figures speak more than what can be written at the moment. The Border Gavaskar series has conjured up a combination of emotion and ability to perform to prove, right from the first ball being played. With a phenomenal win of this level the BCCI (Board of Cricket Control if India) has added more chink in existing armour.

Let me point out major highlights of this series. Dada voluntarily retires from international cricket. Saurav Ganguly the most successful captain led the team when shadows of match fixing hovered over prime players then. Over the years he has earned love and respect from one and all by sheer 24 carat performance. He has displayed diplomatic temperament, PDE Public display of euphoria (The Lord’s shirt swinging episode) and talking more with his bat as well as shooting from the hip (the Greg chapel mail leakage and Dalmiya to name only two).

Anil ‘Googly’ Kumble will be known as a player who has scored a century also. He is a fighter who had an inherent ability to turn the game during crucial overs. It was the same venue where Delhi witnessed a 10 wicket haul by this silent killer against traditional rivals Pakistan and he fought till the end spilling his blood to save a run against world champion Australia. We can’t forget you AK.

Sachin ‘little master’ Tendulkar becomes highest test run getter from this series with most centuries in test cricket. Sachin has been playing for more than 20 years and a win at ICC World Cup to be held in South Africa 2011 will be the last brick in the wall.

Harbhajan ‘turban-ator’ Singh found himself in the 300 plus test wicket takers club next to Anil and Kapil Dev. Punter ‘Ponting’ was his catch.

VVS (special) Laxman at Nagpur joined the elite club of players who have played 100 or more tests. There are just eight Indians.

MSD is a lethal mix of the entire above mentioned players. “Dhoni has that extra bit luck. He has a great future.” Ganguly spoke of him in his outgoing speech at Nagpur. Get set to be to see and read more of this guy in years to come. Dhoni is a package that fits all, to be crisp, he is a dynamic player who can handle tight situations.

The Border–Gavaskar Trophy 2008 will be remembered in the history of cricket for more than one reason.

Thank you!