|
They
Came, They Saw and They Conquered |
A review on India's tour of Pakistan
2004 by Venkat
As the Men in Blue embarked on a historic cricket tour across the border, they were given the double responsibility of "winning matches" and "winning hearts" by the countries leading diplomats and political personas. But for the man in the Hot Seat of Indian Cricket, Saurav Ganguly, the tour meant "business" as usual. For him, beating Pakistan in Pakistan was the "Final Frontier". Yes, indeed did he make it come true by holding firm his hands on the coveted Samsung Cup (both Tests and ODIs) and this piece of silverware, will mean more than a lifetime for Indian cricket. Cricketfundas.com presents its readers with a complete tour review of "Dhamaka Reloaded - India's Tour of Pakistan 2004".
India, who had a tough tour of Australia preceding this all-important series, had a clear mental edge over their rivals in both forms of the game. What made this series so special indeed was the environment in which it was played. After a close shave for the Indians at Karachi in the 1st ODI, the reaction of the crowd was beyond imaginations and its great to note that the public in general are prepared to appreciate the better team on the day and take the home team's loss with a pinch of salt. In addition to the sporting nature of the crowd, was the hospitality shown by the Pakis and this is why, this series went successfully without a major blemish (both on and off the field).
Samsung Cup (ODI Series) :-
If anyone wanted to become an instant hero, the Indo-Pak One Dayers has over the years been an ideal stage for youngsters to become near demi-gods. The one-day matches were always projected to be the more exciting, entertaining and it certainly did not disappoint its projections. The Indians were tipped to be the favourites to win this series, but the way the series went, it showed signs of no differences between the two on-field teams. The first ODI was the ideal one to kick-start the tour as India escaped a world-record chase attempt by the Pakistanis after a miracle brought Pakistan close to India's 349. The second ODI at Pindi, was close again, but the past began haunting the Indians as they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Peshawar, the venue for the 3rd ODI was the ideal location for Pakistan to go one step ahead, as they managed to do it with a brave innings by Yasir Hameed on a lively track. It was a must-win situation for India at Lahore (the venue for the last 2 ODIs) and Pakistan lost their way as Kaif and Dravid held their nerves to re-stretch India's neck in the Samsung Cup. The series had to witness a tiebreaker, and Laxman along with the young turks (Pathan and Balaji) sealed India's first ever One Day series win in Pakistan by a narrow margin of 3-2.
Our Verdict :-
An Indo-Pak Cricket series is one where the team which takes its opponent for granted suffers and suffers big. It was Pakistan, who were in a position of dominance, but finally paid the price for taking India too easily. Although it was a humdinger or a cliffhanger series, at the end of it all, the Pakistanis looked no match for a great resurgence by the Men-in-Blue in the last ODI at Lahore.
Samsung Cup (Test Series) :-
Although the pundits had predicted Pakistan to be on top in the Test Series mainly because of their bowling attack, which was hyped forever by the Pakistani media as "World Class", it was India who took their momentum from the ODIs to the Tests. Virender Sehwag reiterated the way Test Cricket is being played in the modern era with his aggression and excitement, which only helped himself as India's first triple centurion and highest individual scorer in Tests. One must not forget the valuable contribution of the Master, as he notched up his 33rd Test hundred. With 675 runs conceded with only 5 wickets taken, severe aspersions were cast on the self-proclaimed world class bowling attack. The hosts were comprehensively beaten at Multan by an innings and 52 runs by a history-making Indian team. The Pakistanis were certainly showing signs of desperation. But, some
lackluster batting by India helped them cease the initiative of the Lahore test and through Inzamam and Farhat tons and support form Asif Kamal and Youhana, the game was drifting away from India and finally Pakistan won it by 9 wickets to draw level in the series.
All eyes were on the decider at Rawalpindi, with Pakistan preparing a green top. India took a vital decision to field and then that decision pulled the shutters on the hosts. After being bundled out for 224 on Day 1, there was only one team, which could hold the Samsung Cup and it was India. Rahul Dravid's determination and technique by scoring a gritty 270 with some vital knocks by Patel, Laxman and Ganguly were enough to seal the match for India. Balaji's quality swing bowling mesmerized the Pakistani batsmen and it was all over for the hosts as India created history by winning the match by a margin of an innings and 131 runs and the series 2-1.
Our Verdict :-
It was a series which India could have easily won 3-0, but for bad batting at Lahore. But, it was complacency which cost them the defeat at Lahore. But, India successfully learnt from their past mistakes, which surprisingly Pakistanis did not, which was ultimately the cause of their downfall. At the end of the day, it was India's discipline, willingness to learn and most importantly doing things rightly which earned them the deserving result.
As the title suggests "They Came, They Saw and They Conquered", which indeed they did. Not only did they conquer the Final Frontier of Indian Cricket successfully, but they conquered the hearts of many Pakistanis, which fulfilled the additional responsibility bestowed upon them by the Prime Minister. As a fan of cricket, I would like to see more such encounters between India and Pakistan bilaterally played again in an atmosphere where good cricket comes before victory or defeat.
Top of the Page |
