Mahendra Singh Dhoni led India to a historic win against world champions Australia in their own backyard at Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday. The young Indian team backed by old warhorse Sachin Tendulkar won the second match of the best-of-three final of the CB Series to lift the trophy.
It was the first time that India had won a tri-series in Australia.
In the special show Chak Diya India the topic of discussion was: Has the Indian team come of age after this win?
Joining the discussion were former New Zealand all-rounder and skipper of Chandigarh Lions in the ICL Chris Cairns, Associate Editor of DNA Ayaz Memon, CNN-IBN's cricket expert Krishnamachari Srikkanth, East Zone selector Ranjib Biswal, actor Rahul Bose and CNN-IBN Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra. CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai moderated the discussion.
Chris Cairns, part of a team that was on the receiving end of the Aussies in many series, was very pleased with India's win in the CB Series.
"It is a massive result and my thumps up. I was hoping that Indian would win and they stood up and delivered. It is such a great blend of youthful exuberance. Praveen Kumar steeped in and bowled beautifully. The master Sachin Tendulkar, too, delivering in the finals with a 117 and a 91. He was truly the man of the final for me. It is a real big thing for him to deliver for India. I can't say much about Dhoni. As a leader and as a player, I am a huge fan of him," Cairns said.
When Ayaz Memon was asked what has changed now as India had been knocked out of the World Cup in the first round just a year ago, he said, "Well I really think that there has been a major attitudinal shift and I think that's been fundamentally responsible for the manner in which the Indians have performed on this tour. Let's not forget the Test series. It has got to do largely with the way Anil Kumble led in the Test series and of course Mahendra Singh Dhoni ever since he has become the limited overs captain. The Twenty20, the One-Day series at home and now this; its been a radical shift in the way Indians have approached the game. It is not about talent. I think it is as much as about attitude as a lot of players, exiting young talent which we have just seen."
Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth agreed with Memon's views.
"Yes. What is happening is that we have a very, very young team. It is young and energetic and everybody wants to go and do the best. Dhoni is a great motivator. He is able to give confidence to youngsters. Praveen Kumar has not even played 10 matches and Dhoni gives him the new ball. Dhoni also made a fantastic statement after the win, 'I think each player enjoys others success'," Srikkanth said.
Srikkanth added that the change started after the humiliating loss in the World Cup.
"It started right from the Twenty20 World Cup or from the England series. What has happened is that the knock we got in the World Cup probably was a blessing in disguise. I would say Indian cricket has come of age," he said
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Biswal said that cricket especially One-Dayers were now a game for youngsters.
"I think that One-Day cricket takes a toll on the body. It's a game of the youngsters," Biswal said.
But he was also quick to point out that it does not mean the end of ODI careers of senior players like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
"No I would not like to say that. We picked a young team and it did well. But we always look for combinations for different situations. We are not going to overlook anyone. So its a matter of combination at different stages," Biswal replied when asked if it was the end of Dravid and Ganguly in the ODIs.
Gaurav Kalra said that the chance was because the players who came from small towns were hungrier for success.
"There does seem to be a little more hunger at least of just wearing India cap," Kalra said.
Kalra also lauded the role of the selection committee.
"There is something very good about this young team. Srikkanth made a point about the Twnety20 World Cup but the unsung heroes here are really the national selectors," he said.
"Sometimes you have to gamble and if you gamble like the selectors as they did by not picking a young team for a series in India. They are not judging Gautam Gambhir's 400+ runs against an attack like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe. They have beaten Australia and Sri Lanka - the world's top two One-Day team in Australia and I think that's what they were looking for. I don't think they were necessarily looking for a victory. This is a bonus but they have got something on which they can build on from now on," Kalra pointed out.
Did India cross a psychological barrier beating Australia in Australia?
"It is a big one. The Indian players can thank the Australian media, the Australian players and the Australian public for giving them the attitude through all the garbage and the rubbish that was written and displayed by the Australians. The Indian team down there was facing all the publicity and anger and hate and they went out in the field and fought hard. They beat Australia in their own backyard. The confidence that the younger players will gain from that is a massive victory for Indian cricket," Memon said.
While the average age of the India team is 22.5 years that of Australia 31.
Memon said that though One-Day cricket demands young legs but the will to do better also matters
"Obviously young legs and young lungs do matter but the context of this series there has been a surge in ambition. It has been unfettered ambition that I have seen in the team as much in the Test series and in the One-Day series. As I have mentioned there has been an attitudinal shift in the Indian cricket scenario. There is now the urge to go out and win. It is not about playing for records. It is not about getting four wickets and losing a match. It is about everyone combining and even under adverse conditions. we had a lot of adversity on this tour. Guys like Harbhajan and even Dhoni were under a lot of pressure. During Test series everybody was questioning Dhoni's presence in the Test team. So I think they have come back strongly and they are such young players. The Aussies have all the experience and they are playing on their home turf. Its not just about a younger team, it is about toppling a far better team on paper, a more experienced team and really setting the stage for a new era in Indian cricket," he said.
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Is the new India hungrier for success than earlier generation was?
“I tend to agree with you but I don't think that being 35 is too old. This is a team that has shown how to suck up pressure and give it back unrelentingly. This and the Test team have great captains. They both are very different but both are extremely aggressive captains and extremely inspirational. Lastly we have enormous bench strength. Whether it is batsmen, bowlers or wicketkeepers. Today we have the luxury of bench strength and it is mark of a great unit. I predict if the Test series had started after the One-Day series, India would have won at least 2-0," Rahul Bose said.
Srikkanth, though a batsman himself, credited the bowlers for the win.
“One of the main reasons for the win in this particular series was that the bowlers have done a great job. I think that the actual credit should go to the bowlers. It is because the Adam Gilchrists, Ricky Pontings got out early that we were able to put pressure on them," Srikkanth said.
We are seeing some good medium pacers coming up. If its not Ishant Sharma, it is RP Singh. If nor RP Singh, it is Praveen Kumar. If not Praveen Kumar, then it is Sreesanth. The bench strength of the medium pacers is very good and they came move the ball well. The Aussies succumbed to pressure and did not play the balls well that moved laterally. Early wickets put the pressure on the Australians both in Tests and One-Day cricket,” he added.
Kalra explained how the Indian bowling once dominated by spinners was now pace-oriented.
“I think it is the viable thing. You can see your path to the Indian team if you are a very successful fast bowler. Even the selectors look at you. People look with a keen eye as soon as players start emerging as a fast bowling talent. They start gambling on the bowler just like Ranjib Biswal and the other selectors took a gamble on Ishant Sharma. They saw talent there. There has been help for fast bowlers in domestic cricket for the last two-three years. The wickets have changed. The credit should be given to the NCA (National Cricket Academy at Bangalore) and the MRF Pace Academy,” Kalra said.
Biswal, too, seconded Kalra and said,” Definitely. Now we have a pool of 10 to 12 fast bowlers. The fast bowler can win a series abroad because there the spinners are of less utility. We are looking for fast bowlers.”
Has the attitudinal change in the team come from the fast bowlers?
Cairns agreed but also cautioned that fast bowlers need to be nurtured.
“Yeah! I do. You have been producing over the last couple of years. You have Munaf Patel, Sreesanth has come through and so has Ishant. But the key is to keep these guys on the path because they play for a period of time and then they disappear for little while. Ashish Nehra was one and so the key now is to make sure that they are strong enough to be able to put some amount of games together as a group of fast bowlers. Sharma looks a great talent. He looks exciting but he has got to stay healthy and stay fit,” Cairns said.
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During the second Test at Sydney, Harbhajan was accused of racially abusing Andrew Symonds and suspended for three matches. The ban was subsequently overturned at an International Cricket Council hearing.
Ishant Sharma, too, was fined 15 per cent of his match fee for gesturing in an aggressive manner and Matthew Hayden called Harbhajan an ‘obnoxious little weed’ on Brisbane radio and challenged Ishant for a boxing bout. Aussie media also accused Harbhajan of making racist gesture towards the crowd in Sydney.
So did the off-field controversy help the team?
"Definitely. After the Sydney Test match, it brought the team together. Whether Harbhajan was right or wrong nobody knows but the entire team supported him and that was very, very important. As for the intensity, more than 75 per cent of the guys in the team come from smaller centres. These guys have raw talent and they know how to give it back. They are very street smart," Srikkanth said.
Kalra too seconded Srikkanth’s views.
“Yes. They were not only playing against Australian cricket team but almost against Australian media. Dhoni waited till today to remark that the Australian media almost made Harbhajan Singh a Michael Jackson of the Indian team. There was a sense in the Indian team that it needed to respond by playing good cricket and that’s why Anil Kumble instilled this during the Perth Test. Ayaz was spot on. Anil Kumble's role was crucial. He said the best way we can reply is by winning at Perth, which is the unlikeliest venue. Once that win came the team was together,” Kalra said.
"It spurred the Indians to better performance. As they say in Hindi Taali ek haath se nahi bajti hai (You cannot clap with one hand). I don't think Harbhajan carried it too far on his own. All kinds of comments were made about him by Hayden, Symonds, Ponting and it kept him on edge and helped him perform better. It became counter-productive. It became a rally cry for the Indian team. The results are there for everybody to see. This team just bonded so superbly together," Ayaz concurred.
However, Bose was the dissenting voice
"First of all I do think Indians are racist. I am not saying Harbhajan particularly as racist. I don't know him but as a country we have a huge history of racism and so do the Australians. Having said that I disagree with all the other panellists. I don't think any of the fracases has helped the Indian cricket team to become better. If they needed focus, it was enough that they had lost the Test match that they should have won in Sydney. if they needed focus it was that they were playing the best team in the world and they had to prove a point. If the needed focus in the One-day series it was because they had a young team that was out to prove a point. As an international sportsperson, I can tell you this and I play the most violent outdoor sports in the world. We never talk. We need no provocation or fire. I am sure this Indian teams needs no controversy. If you ask them it is a 50:50 thing. If they lost in concentration and emotional problems maybe they gained in the bond," Bose, who has represented India in Rugby, said.
Cairns pointed out that the Australians have been rattled and don’t know how to react.
“I think that in Australian cricket currently there is an identity crisis. I mean that they want to play cricket like Mike Tyson but want to be perceived as Mother Teresa. Australian cricket has been built on something, which is throwing bricks, but when they start throwing bricks on those who are giving back, they start crying foul. At the moment they are struggling with all of this like players' attitude. Australia at the moment are struggling. India were galvanised and I agree that India took a lot from their own strength and did that on the field,” he said.
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Is there a hunger in small town players?
“One very good thing about the small city or small town players is that they are very gutsy. They have raw talent and are willing to take up challenges. Guys like Munaf Patel, Irfan Pathan, RP Singh come from smaller cities. So they are able to come up and face challenges and take up pressure very well," Srikkanth said.
“Yes we have hunger as we have nothing to lose. We have to prove ourselves and whatever we get is bonus,” Biswal, who himself is from Cuttack, said.
“Absolutely. If you look at what Bombay cricket was based on, it was people wanting to get jobs and they excelled at cricket and got jobs where they would spend the life time. Young India or emerging India or what we call little India is now coming into its own. They have no baggage. They are not carrying any mental trauma or trepidations. i think they have just gone out there, played fearlessly. I don't think they are too worried about averages and all at this stage. There is a delight in winning and there is a lot of enterprise in the ay they approach their game. Obviously there are rewards and recognition. That matters a lot," Memon said.
Bose once against provided another viewpoint.
“Yeah. There is no question that there is an absence of fear but that’s a generational thing. It is not small or big town India. You show me any successful small town cricketer or even film director or actor and I will show you nine losers. Lets get real about it. It is a generational thing. You say that have no mental trauma. One person says it is survival for us, as we have got nothing to lose. The other person says we have no mental trauma. Survival is the biggest metal trauma guys, Bose argued.
Kalra, too, agreed with Bose.
“I tend to agree a little bit with Rahul Bose when he says that it is not small town or big town things. It is perhaps just this generation. There is fearlessness when they approach anything. However, there is one thing about small town cricketers with absolutely strikes you is the hunger. There is no doubt about that. Harbhajan is from a small town and he brings that earthiness. He doesn't want to become a big town guy. He wants to remain from Jalandhar. He brings that to the cricket field. When he told you have been called an 'obnoxious little weed', he said aye kee honda hai (What’s that?). That was his response. He doesn't want to bring Englishness to his cricket,” Kalra said.
Srikkanth added that players from smaller centre are not trained and that works to their advantage.
“They are more natural cricketers. In big cities we are more trained cricketers. We have coaching camps and academies. When you see Dhonis of the world, they are more natural cricketers and they depend on natural talent rather than developed talent,” Srikkanth said.
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Is Australian cricket on decline?
“No, for me it was interesting to see how Australia reacted without Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne. We are seeing that they have come back to the pack. But I think they are still going to be a force. I think it is a city versus the country thing for India and I don't think it is the players but the selectors are getting out of political connections and casting their nets wider, picking guys on merit. And it is pleasure to watch Tendulkar. What a legend,” Cairns gave his final comment
When asked if Sachin Tendulkar was the best player of the two final matches, Memon replied in the positive.
“Absolutely. And not just in the One-Day series. He was supreme in the Test series. Look at the tour in totality. We keep talking about the second win. I think Tendulkar is batting as he has done perhaps at the peak of his career. He may not be making runs at the same clip as he used to in the Test matches, but he is in far more control. He has got a 360-degree vision of what this game is all about and he is bringing his rich experience to the fore completely. He has been absolutely marvellous on this tour,” Memon said.
"Sachin Tendulkar is an icon for any sportsperson in any sports anywhere on earth. This is man who shuts up and just lets his bat do the talking. This is man who helps everybody in the team. He is along with Anil Kumble shinning examples of what great leaders should be. Yes this team ahs come of age. It is not going to lose easily,” Bose said..
Is this win as big as World Cup?
Srikkanth, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad, did not agree.
"It is because of media that this win is being talked about so much. It is one of the best wins of India but I don't think we should rate it on par with any of the world championship matches like World Cup. It is a fantastic win. Beating the world champions twice in a row, beating them in Australia is a great achievement. I would say it is a good achievement but I don't think we should equate it with the World Cup," Srikkanth said..
“Of late we have been winning more matches than what we used to do. This India team has started coming of age," Biswal said.
The discussion came to an end with Kalra explaining the significance of the tour.
“Except the first Test match at Melbourne where India were outplayed, every game after that was a hard fought battle. They won some, they lost some but in the end they come back with their heads held high because they always contested against the world's best team,” Kalra explained.
Final SMS result:
Yes: 74 per cent
No: 26 per cent.
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