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The victory at Hamilton was in the front page of all the newspapers and news channels also devoted great measure. Some would be muttering ‘why so much on a test win‘.
The sweetness of this victory at Hamiltonwould be understood when you know that we have so far played 428 matches and won 32 tests abroad (9 in the sub continent). Certainly calls for some celebrations. Please read on, you will find some reasons for succoring this.
Before that here are some interesting updates :
2. This game appears to be played not on turf – the news is that the second season of the beleaguered Indian Premier League is o be held outside India. Initially the holding of the matches where players have been bought for crores of rupees clashed with Indian general elections and then came the security issue. BCCI is flexing its muscles and in the working committee meeting of the Board, it has been decided to stage the tournament outside the country. It will now be played in South Africa. All because, the Government (with lot of politics going into the decision) decided that it simply could not take the risk. It was indeed a massive logistical exercise requiring deployment of thousands of paramilitary and police. But somehow I am unable to comprehend an Indian Premier League taking place elsewhere.
More than the mind accepting, think of the mind boggling wasteful expenditure that would be involved in the nature of payment to the overseas cricket authority, hotels over there and the like. The IPL provided a platform for Indian juniors to showcase their talent amidst big names which will be lost now. It is purely earning revenues from TV and commercials – they perhaps would not even mind having the games played in a remote nondescript venues without crowds as long as it is televised and revenue is generated.
3. Not many of you would have observed the England Women winning the World cup beating NZ by 4 wickets with 23 balls to spare in the Finals. In the Super Six a score of 400 was within the realms for Kiwis with SW Bates scoring 168 of 105 balls with 19 hits to the fence and 6 over it. Did you know the First WC for Ewes were held prior to the inaugural Prudential WC in 1975?
4. Elsewhere England won the first one-dayer after a calamitous misreading of the rain regulations by the West Indies coach Australian John Dyson who waved his batsmen in when they were offered the light with 27 needed from 22 balls in Guyana. The present day cricket is not all about performance on the field but you have varied team support and the highly paid coaches (Remember Greg Chappel during the 2007 WC). Dyson 54 played 30 tests and 29 ODIs for Australia between 1977 – 1984 and coached Lankans for two years. Now with the WI team and reportedly aspiring to replace Tom Moores he misread DL chart and called his batsmen in at Providence stadium, Guyana handing over the match to England on a platter.
Now to Indian win in the kiwiland…………………………..
1. Dhoni’s team ended the drought of a Test win in NZ after 33 years. Much of this resounding victory is anyway available in all the newspaper headlines. The indicators were very much available in the first session when Dhoni decided to bowl in humid conditions and the pacers vindicated his faith. Zaheer and Ishant tore through the top order - their total of 279 became the lowest in a completed innings which had two centuries. Then the maestro took care with some magnificent strokes all around the wicket scoring a positive 160 which was his 42nd in Test cricket. Bhaji bowled well and the second innings target was achieved with minimum fuss by the aggressive Gauti.
This ten wicket victory is 32nd at Overseas and fifth in NZ. India first played NZ in India way back in 1955 and the first tour to Kiwiland in 1967 was historic for the famous overseas test series win in 12 attempts. Nawab of Pataudi played with three spinners and won 3 tests. That was not the period when I had any knowledge of cricket due to the age and I vividly remember the 1976 series though much of it was from reading the newspaper. That was immediately after the inaugural WC where Indiafared poorly and we came to know of Glenn Turner who scored two centuries in 3 matches – 114 against Indiaand 171 against East Africawhich stood as a record long till Kapil broke it in 1983. In the series opener, Bedi the tour captain could not play and it was the chance for the young Sunny to lead for the first time. Chandra’s six wicket haul restricted them to 266 and Indiastrongly replied with 414 – centuries by Gavaskar and debutant Surinder. In the second essay, Erapalli’s fine 8/76 bundled them out for 215 and Indians won handsomely.
The southpaw Surinder, Vengsarkar and Kirmani made their debuts and only Surinder had a brilliant start. It is a pity that this aggressive classy schoolboy prodigy who made his Ranji debut at 15 was a treat to watch and could decimate best of attacks was given a raw deal and played only 10 tests and 3 one dayers. In the 1980-81 tour, Indialost one test and drew the other. During 1989, Kiwi won one and the other 2 were drawn.
The last time when we toured before 2003 WC, we were meted out harsh tournament with the first test folding in two and half a days. In the second test played at Hamiltonin Dec 2002, first day’s play was abandoned and there was a delayed start at 4.30 pmon the second day. Pointers to a dull draw ? far from it - Indians were bowled out for 99 shot back to gain a 5 run lead – first time in test cricket for a team to gain a lead having scored a sub par 100 but lost the Match by 4 wickets.
With this background, victory would certain smell sweeter.
(The author of this post is Mr. S Sampathkumar, my classmate in School and now a General Insurance Professional, working for Royal Sundaram Insurance in Chennai). He is also the Editor of BLISS a newsletter published by the Triplicane, Chennai based popular social service organisation called Srinivasa Young Men’s Association (SYMA)
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Superb Article. I actually felt it was too much a praise for a victory out of just 26 matches played between two countries spanning 30 and above years.
But after reading your reasons, I agree that it deserves a praise. But again not to the level of what has been happening for quite sometime.
The incident you referred to “Did you know the First WC for Ewes were held prior to the inaugural Prudential WC in 1975?” was very very good one.
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