Three Debutants And A Win

India eased to a 63 run win at Sabina Park, Jamaica a bit after lunch on the fourth day, earning a well earned extra day off for Dhoni and his men.  The huge gap in the Test ranking of the teams means that even a 3-0 sweep by India will not earn them any extra points in the ICC table. 

Only the most one-eyed will argue that India winning this Test in Sabina Park against a pretty good bowling attack consisting of two genuine quicks, a tantalizing leg spinner, and a solid line and length medium pacer, is less worthy of rating points than England beating a weak Sri Lankan bowling side in home conditions.  Yet the vagaries of the ICC ratings table give England more points for their "achievement". 

For an Indian fan who grew up during the heyday of the Mighty West Indies teams of the 1970s, 80s and 90s this is even harder to understand.  India have won four Tests in their ENTIRE history of sixty odd years of touring the Caribbean.  Yet somehow, the West Indies have fallen so low that now even a 3-0 sweep would not gain India any points.  Be that as it may, for the this fan, a 3-0 sweep or even a 2-0 result will be very welcome, and will go a long way towards balancing the tables between these two teams, and putting to rest some quite traumatic memories.  

What about the match itself?  The West Indies coach complained that the pitch was not conducive to this team, and that he was disappointed that it spun so much.  Otis Gibson, seems to have overlooked that fact that his main wicket taker was a spinner, and that almost 100% of the top order West Indies players got out to Indian pace bowling.  So his whinning is just that, and nothing more.

What was good is that a pitch where batting was not easy, truly separated the boys from the men with the bat.  Rahul Dravid showed by his Zen master like concentration that he is one of the all time great Test match batsmen.  Another old fashioned virtue that the Test threw up was the value of a genuine medium pace swing bowler who can swing it both ways, while cutting the ball, and maintaining immaculate line and length, and thinking on his feet.  Praveen Kumar's debut was one the most heartening ones of an Indian pace bowler in a long time, and his running on the pitch problems notwithstanding, a great vindication of the self-belief he has.  Once, a while back when asked if he was suited for Test cricket, and would he be effective with the old ball, given his lack of pace, he gave the classic reply "Khilake Tau Dekhiye".  Well Praveen, you showed 'em!  Hopefully now he will become a key member of the Indian seam attack in Tests going forward.  The Test also provided the three Indian Test newbies, Abhinav Mukund, Virat Kohli, and Praveen Kumar a taste of why Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game.  You may be a giant in Domestic cricket, or in ODIs and T20s, but Test cricket is a whole other level and only by proving yourself at this level can you truly measure yourself.  Praveen proved himself, Mukund and Kohli will have to wait till the next match to show that they belong at this level.

For the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni this was his 15th Test win in 25 matches at the helm, giving him a winning percentage that places him in the top three or four winningest captains of all time.  Meanwhile he also moves up to the second spot on the most overall wins for an Indian Test captain over taking Mohammad Azharuddin's mark of 14 wins in 47 Tests, and now just 6 wins away from equalling the mark of 21 wins in 49 Tests achieved by Sourav Ganguly.

It would be tempting fate to think too far ahead, but one cannot but start thinking of the upcoming series against England, who are basking in the warm afterglow of their Ashes triumph down under.  But before that India has some unfinished business in Barbados as well as the new Test center in Dominica and I for one look forward to a clean sweep, points or no points.