To see many up and coming youngsters do well in India’s 4-1 Test series victory over England has been a great joy and points to a great domestic structure
India’s Dhruv Jurel (extreme left), Devdutt Padikkal and Yashasvi Jaiswal interact with Shubman Gill (extreme right) during Day Three of the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala on Saturday. Pic/PTI
Not since 2001, and that epic showdown against Australia, have India had to scrap as hard to secure a home series victory. Not since Australia in 2020-21 have they had to battle numerous uncontrollable adversities, with several established players unavailable for one reason or the other and the onus of pulling the fat out of the fire falling on the slender shoulders of relatively inexperienced players.
Unearthing heroes
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Like in 2001 and 2021, India unearthed multiple heroes during their eventual 4-1 decimation of England’s Bazballers, carefree in Hyderabad but were careworn and bedraggled by the time the caravan set stall in this beautiful mountain city. Armed with an unexpected 1-0 lead as India played the most generous and welcoming hosts in the lung-opener, England were rocked by the strength in depth of Indian cricket, with debutants Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Akash Deep leading the charge in the third and fourth Tests.
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Other notable contributions came from Yashasvi Jaiswal, the four-Test veteran when Ben Stokes’s men arrived in Hyderabad from Abu Dhabi, and Devdutt Padikkal, who became the fifth debutant of the series in the final encounter. Of the five who made their maiden appearances, only Rajat Patidar failed to come up trumps. But the success of the other four points to a robust, vibrant, competitive domestic structure and a solid ‘A’ team policy that has proved its worth at various stages in the past too.
To see these 20-somethings wanting to play Test cricket, wanting to contribute to the team’s cause, wanting to make a name for themselves, is one of the greatest causes of joy from the last seven weeks, apart obviously from the lop-sided scoreline.
At a time when doomsday pundits are writing copious epitaphs to Test cricket, the new gen, weaned on T20 cricket, finds the longer version as attractive as its illustrious predecessors. To want to immerse themselves in the red-ball cauldron also testifies to the messages emanating from the grassroots level, where for all the focus on innovation and range-hitting and multiple bowling variations, there is no discernible shift from the emphasis on being solid in the basics.
The domestic calendar is a little too packed and players competing in the business end of the Ranji Trophy, especially, are knackered by the time the title clash arrives, given the short turnaround time between games.
Two-way communication
That’s something Shardul Thakur alluded to not long back, and it’s something Rahul Dravid, the head coach, believes needs to be seriously looked into. To feel emboldened to voice his opinion, like Thakur did, is also another example of the two-way communication process Indian cricket has encouraged in recent times. The devil is largely in the details, and what has manifested in the park in the last 45 days has much to do with attention to those details.
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