Gaji
Indian cricket has come a long way. Certainly the rush of the last few summers has caused a few headaches but cricket is lucky to have India as its driving force. Amongst major playing nations, only Sri Lanka has better half as much.
However, India has cause to worry about its prospects. Over the next few months the quality of Indian batsman ship will be examine and the new making needs to prove it can counter lifting deliveries as capably as their elders.
India's rise in the last 15 years has in no small part been due to the ability of senior batsmen to master back foot play. Now that go forward is in peril. Whereas the old guard of necessity learnt to play back, their successor can make millions by bashing away off the front peg.
India visits Australia this winter and within a few months group will know whether the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a breeding ground of brilliance or a promoter of charlatans. Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trot have risen on the back of old shaped technique and attitudes. Can the new Indians match them?
Lacking guts
Indian batting needs to keep its imagination. Not so long ago, and with few exceptions, Indian batsmen were incompetent against great pace and seam movement and were easily crushed by assorted English miners and antipodean roughnecks.
England once claims four Indians off the first 14 balls of a Test match. Forgetting about the Ghurkhas, and applying a caricature, observers finished that Indian batsmen lacked fortitude.
In fact many of those players lacked experience and sometimes leadership. As George Headley was obliged to play under useless West Indian pale skins so Indian teams were for an unconscionable period led by Maharajahs unburdened with cricketing knowledge or skill.
Not that the batting order was strong or knowledgeable sufficient to flourish in hostile conditions. Indian batsmen were raise on passive pitches. Expert against spin, they were found wanting next to cutters and rib ticklers.
Now they place up on fiery track in Perth and on damp decks in Leeds.
Of course, a strange generation of batsmen has emerge, one of the finest any country has produced. No nation can forecast such riches, let alone depend on it.
All a community can do is to organize itself so that talent is paying attention, recognized and knowledgeable. After that it's up to the player. Additionally the present seniors were lucky with their timing. Cricket has enter its second age of high scoring.
Helmets have summary the threat posed by fast bowlers, pitches have lost their spirit and, in India, faster tracks and more recurrent tours have forced the issue.
Scaling new heights
So Indian batting has scaled new heights. It is an impressive line-up. Sachin Tendulkar's 100th hundred for his country is eagerly awaited.
How easily that phrase “100th hundred” trips off the tongue, concealing a mind-boggling feat requiring unexpected skill and stamina!
Rahul Dravid is a remarkably durable and talented first drop. Alas! Virender Sehwag is upset, a serious loss to any team for he can control from the outset.
He is a master cast as a maverick. Still V.V.S. Laxman is approximately, continually fretting until the crisis comes.
Sourav Ganguly has reserved but Gautam Gambhir has risen, and formed a potent opening partnership.
What about their replacements? Is Indian batting in safe hands? Can the new group play off both feet?
Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and company have the capability, but are their education complete?
Can they build an innings? If not they will wither in the sun of separation, fall at the fence of high hope. Nothing lasts forever, not even Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid.
