Tumultuous 2024
The infamous ‘White Wash’ of our boys at home, triumph of our second team in South Africa, Cricket India, World Cricket Et al.
Cricket is a funny game. The year 2024 produced some tumultuous results. Test Cricket has lost the sheen after T20 was invented. ‘Diwali Cricket’; typically termed ‘Ball Baz’ cricket; will not do in Tests. Essence like ‘staying at crease, coming behind the ball, putting the head down etc,’ all seem to have been thrown to the winds. Umpteen Test series in recent times are winding up on the third day as the cherry starts turning square from the first day. In the batsmen, we see a fear complex rather than the conviction of a Sunil Gavaskar, G.R. Vishwanath, Sir Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Jaques Kallis, Waugh Brothers etc. No. These days, batsmen look ‘panting’ at the 38-year-old Ashwin in the first session of Day 1. Sounds absolutely ridiculous. The curators seem to have forgotten the art of preparing Test pitches.
Could it be funnier than Pakistan losing to England in the first Test by an inning and 47 runs after piling up 556 in the first inning? The Test that produced three centuries by Pakistan, one double hundred and one triple hundred by the Englishmen. It turned out to be an ugly satire later as England lost the next two Tests to Pakistan; ending 2-1. Barring resolute batting display by Joe Root, there were inconsistencies everywhere and the English media went hammer and tongs.
Soon after, it was Pakistan Vs Bangaldesh. It was evident that; “One on One”; Pakistan team was stronger by any yardstick. But, Bangladesh pulled a ‘Rabbit out of the Hat’ beating Pak in the two Test series 2-0; by resounding 10 wickets and six wickets in the two Tests. Former Pakistan players were red faced to accept the results at the hands of a poorer but determined Bangla Tigers.
The confident looking Bangla team arrived in India for two Tests and three T20 series. Our guys beat the Bangla Tigers ‘Black and Blue’; winning the Tests 2-0 and T20 series; leaving them yellow faced. Whereas our bowlers did a magnificent job, the batsmen let us down badly. Rohit Sharma @ 10.5, Virat Kohli @ 24.75, KLR @ 35.33 strike rates looked terribly short of runs. For sure we won the first Test on account of brilliant knocks by Ashwin (113) and Jadeja (86) in the first innings. Bumrah, Ashwin and Jadeja bowled splendidly.
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