India Beat Oz To Sweep Triseries 2-0, Signal Shift In Cricketing World Order
It doesn’t get any better than this,’’ exulted M S Dhoni. As with his bold selection choices, bowling changes and winner’s attitude, he was spot-on. The Men In Blue didn’t just beat Australia, they made history, bagging a tournament that none of their illustrious predecessors had ever managed to capture, and no one ever will again — with this final, the curtain has come down on the Aussie triseries format. Dhoni and his men have probably accomplished even more. They may have signalled an impending change in the world cricketing order, while wrecking the aura of Australian invincibility. India has long had the financial clout. But now, with cricketing muscle lending that support, the power equations in the game seem to be shifting. In 1995, Australia had beaten the West Indies in the Caribbean to mark the ending of an era, and the beginning of another. After Tuesday, Australia may remain No. 1 in the ICC rankings, but it increasingly resembles an ageing bull elephant facing a younger, aggressive challenger, who senses that the leader is past his prime. That challenger is, of course, Team India — which shrugged off all the trauma of a bitter, ill-tempered tour to hold off Australia by a nailbiting nine-run margin. The young Indians sprinted singles, dived on the field to save precious runs and held their nerve even as the Australians, supposedly masters at handling crunch situations, disintegrated mentally. Throughout, they went sledge for sledge, eyeball to eyeball, till the Aussies blinked. In the process, Dhoni’s insistence on bringing fresh legs, and young bravehearts, into the ODI squad was thoroughly vindicated. It was a huge gamble, but it succeeded, enhancing Dhoni’s skyrocketing stature. He spoke later of how this was an important step in the building of ‘‘my team’’. Clearly, he’s no shrinking violet. Neither are his men. But then, shrinking violets don’t beat world champs on home turf. Everyone may not like the bold new face of Team India — indeed, some may find it abrasive. There is some truth to that, but perhaps it is precisely this cockiness that allows these youngsters to play their natural game, unfazed by the towering reputations of the other side. They expect to win — and do so. Dhoni has often spoken of how the men he has reposed faith in have responded spectacularly. They did it again. There was man of the match Praveen Kumar. Handed the new ball, he cleaned up the Aussie top order, then returned to claim a fourth wicket. There was Irfan Pathan, leaking runs throughout, then coming good when it mattered — with two wickets in the dramatic final over.
It doesn’t get any better than this,’’ exulted M S Dhoni. As with his bold selection choices, bowling changes and winner’s attitude, he was spot-on. The Men In Blue didn’t just beat Australia, they made history, bagging a tournament that none of their illustrious predecessors had ever managed to capture, and no one ever will again — with this final, the curtain has come down on the Aussie triseries format. Dhoni and his men have probably accomplished even more. They may have signalled an impending change in the world cricketing order, while wrecking the aura of Australian invincibility. India has long had the financial clout. But now, with cricketing muscle lending that support, the power equations in the game seem to be shifting. In 1995, Australia had beaten the West Indies in the Caribbean to mark the ending of an era, and the beginning of another. After Tuesday, Australia may remain No. 1 in the ICC rankings, but it increasingly resembles an ageing bull elephant facing a younger, aggressive challenger, who senses that the leader is past his prime. That challenger is, of course, Team India — which shrugged off all the trauma of a bitter, ill-tempered tour to hold off Australia by a nailbiting nine-run margin. The young Indians sprinted singles, dived on the field to save precious runs and held their nerve even as the Australians, supposedly masters at handling crunch situations, disintegrated mentally. Throughout, they went sledge for sledge, eyeball to eyeball, till the Aussies blinked. In the process, Dhoni’s insistence on bringing fresh legs, and young bravehearts, into the ODI squad was thoroughly vindicated. It was a huge gamble, but it succeeded, enhancing Dhoni’s skyrocketing stature. He spoke later of how this was an important step in the building of ‘‘my team’’. Clearly, he’s no shrinking violet. Neither are his men. But then, shrinking violets don’t beat world champs on home turf. Everyone may not like the bold new face of Team India — indeed, some may find it abrasive. There is some truth to that, but perhaps it is precisely this cockiness that allows these youngsters to play their natural game, unfazed by the towering reputations of the other side. They expect to win — and do so. Dhoni has often spoken of how the men he has reposed faith in have responded spectacularly. They did it again. There was man of the match Praveen Kumar. Handed the new ball, he cleaned up the Aussie top order, then returned to claim a fourth wicket. There was Irfan Pathan, leaking runs throughout, then coming good when it mattered — with two wickets in the dramatic final over.
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