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A Feature by Raghuram Cadambi


“Cricket is not cricket if it is not played in the meadows of England ”, wrote Neville Cardus , arguably the greatest cricket writer of all time. While the global cricket fan today might not readily buy that idea, there is something about cricket in England that captures your imagination like nowhere else. And Indian tours of England have always thrown up moments of magic: Gavaskar’s double hundred at the Oval, Kapil Dev’s four consecutive sixes off Eddie Hemmings, Tendulkar’s sublime ton at Egbaston, Ganguly and Dravid at Lord’s, right down to the incredible Natwest trophy win at Lord’s, the list goes on and on, cutting across generations. But this tour will be different. And this time, Indian cricket as a whole has a point to prove.

After a disastrous World Cup campaign, Indian cricket’s popularity has undoubtedly taken a hit. Voices who had been hitherto submerged are now screaming loud from the rooftops. Cynics have started writing the obituaries of cricket and its Gods. In this age of sensationalism, television channels run pointless shows based on SMS polls saying that football is more popular that cricket, the funds from cricket must be allocated to other sports, so on and so forth. Sponsors have started turning their back. Advertisements once deified cricket, today they caricature it. In India, cricket might still be a religion, but its followers are fast diminishing. ESPNSTAR, Manchester United, Chelsea and the like are all collaborating to ensure a change of faith. These are troubled times in the world of Indian cricket.

The Graham Ford fiasco was a huge embarrassment to the BCCI. And so was the establishment of the rebel ICL (Indian Cricket League), and the subsequent move of Kapil Dev and Kiran More. The image of the BCCI has changed from one of a board whose mandate is to develop cricket in the country to one of essentially a money making body. The BCCI knows that the only thing that can change this image is a creditable performance in England .

This tour is also of immense significance because of the fact that the ‘big three’ of Indian cricket will probably be playing their last tour of England . This will be a case of their careers coming full circle. All three batsmen famously burst on to the limelight on past tours, and this time, they know that with youngsters pushing for places, the critics will be ready to pounce on them in case of another failure. This might just be their last opportunity to prove that they still have cricket left in them. Tendulkar will also know that a century at Lord’s was one of the few things that he would love to have on his most impressive résumé. Signing off on the right note would be perfect for these legends.

Also, this is a phase of rebuilding in Indian cricket. The youngsters need to show that they are capable of filling in the shoes of Tendulkar, Kumble, Dravid, et al. For the young bowlers, this England tour will be the perfect opportunity, as the conditions will suit pace and seam bowling, in addition to movement in the air. This will be an acid test for the openers who many think have been given one chance too many. Yuvraj Singh needs to prove that he is capable of being a dependable player outside the subcontinent, especially on tracks which assist the bowlers.

The odds are stacked against Team India. Serious questions are being asked. Only time will reveal the answers. But undeniably, Indian cricket is at crossroads. For Indian cricket’s sake and my own, I still believe we can come up with the solutions.

To the true believers,

Keep the faith.
 

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