The recently concluded India vs Australia series will go down as one of the best of all the time, with the classic tale of the underdog team delivering the knockout punch.
For India, it was all about guts and grit, with the mightiest of contributions coming from the unlikeliest of heroes. A win for the ages!
As an Indian fan, the most pleasing thing was not merely the fact that the bench strength really punched beyond their weight, but the fourth-innings performances. We had seen India compete for the better part of the game in previous tours but the wheels were coming off by the fourth innings. Quite a few times we have struggled to chase scores under 200.
On this tour, we came close to chasing 400-plus and then held on for a remarkable draw. Then, on the final day of the final Test, we did – chased down 325 on against arguably the best bowling line-up in the world.
Which leads us to the aftermath of Australia’s successive losses to India at home, most recently to a second-string team. But should we chalk this up to the team coming from a country with 1.4 billion?
India has long had a booming population – back when Australia dominated world cricket, Indian still had a billion population but produced patchy performances.
Back then, experts would often credit the tough Australian domestic structure for the country’s dominance, as the domestic Shield trophy produced tough and skillful cricketers from just six teams.
On the other hand, the Ranji Trophy was seen as less effective, with as many as 38 teams participating. The argument was that too many teams made for less-competitive games, hence the players breaking into the national squad were far from the finished product.
Cut to 2021 and the teams contesting in the respective countries is more or less the same. The only major shift was the introduction of the IPL, with a maximum of four foreign players in any team, played out as a global marquee event.
The contribution of IPL is a separate case study in itself – it is blamed when India does not do well in Test cricket, yet is also credited for giving players confidence when they win.
The IPL has not served Indian cricket as well in the T20 format, with the national team making the World Cup finals only once since the domestic tournament’s inception and winning none.
Of course, hindsight is 20-20. Had Australia won the series, they were the favourites going into the last day of the series, most people would have sympathised with India and there would have been no talks about India’s population or domestic structure.
Sure, with only 11 playing spots in a sport so passionately followed makes it competitive to make the Indian Test XI, but that was forever the case – it didn’t emerge in the last ten years. Also, a domestic format where close to 40 teams are competing can’t be ideal compared to one where just six teams are contending.
It is to the players’ credit that they performed as they did, even if having no expectation probably helped their cause.
Sometimes we should not look for ways to justify outcomes, but look to improve and say to the opposition at the end of the day, “Well played!”
Simoc
Guest
Croatia is the shining light in possibilities. Football (soccer) is the dominant World game across the World and Australia are weak at it in the men's game. It ranks way behind Rules and Union in support but most schoolchildren still play it at some stage here. Could we win a World Cup? Well not in the our lifetime. We had a golden era of players and that has passed. Starcs stats indicate he tires across all series where he plays every game. He needs to be fitter or to be rested. We weren't aware freshness makes such a difference until these fresh nearly unknown here Indian bowlers turned up in Brisbane and beat us with the batsman help. They were outstanding so I think rotation will be back in vogue now. The next group of bowlers are nowhere near as good but Jyhe Richardson has great potential.
Karthik
Roar Rookie
India always had high population,what happened suddenly? Its a lame excuse from Aussies(especially Langer) that its due to population. Cricket in India has to be seen as Pre 1996 Era vs Post 96 Era.Post 96 several reforms were introduced. Cricket was just a platform for people earlier to earn a job,but due to reforms, cricket became lively hood. One example, Players used to get 1500/-(approx 20$) per Ranji Match(Shield equivalent), but post reforms,they made it 1Lakh(Apprx 1400$ per match), that is just one case. Likewise, many stadiums were developed, many new torunaments.Everything contributed for success. One other point, People claim India still doesnt do well outside home. Want to understand which country is doing well? If Nz vs Ind series is taken as benchmark(played at NZ),then we should as well consider how NZ did in India.
Targa
Roar Rookie
Sightings of it in Australia have been rarer than the Loch Ness Monster, UFOs, and Big Foot.
Yeah I did read that Aus could still be there if India and England played a drawn series but I think both sides had to win tests so its going to be interesting...personally I hope we play India but its an achievement to get there so dont care who we play really....Just hope its able to be watched here in Aus....probably on FOX
Micko
Roar Rookie
Well apparently they're in the ICC Final now. Mathematically impossible to NOT make it after Australia pulled the pin on the SA tour, so it's down to India or England who you play now, since Australia can't gain any more points, and either India or England won't lose enough to promote the aussies, so good luck to your boys Jacko. :thumbup:
All good micko i just get a bit frustrated when others bring NZ into a conversation in a negative light and when I jump in and defend ( which I do ) I get told Kiwi's are rude and arrogant for defending ourselves...If the negative wasnt thrown in I would not have to defend... To be Honest for me I would rather reference the NZ population when we win rather than when we lose...
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Back when Australia was dominating world cricket there was a long period where the Indian team had a bunch of players well past their primes. I remember thinking at the time: " How can a cricket mad country with over a billion people not have red hot youngsters pushing these old guys out like Dravid and Gangully"? It was like the old boys club held sway. I said with the start of the IPL that this would all change. With 4 internationals passing on their skills and a billion Indians getting to see youngsters on live TV the pressure will mount and you won't be able to keep your spot in the Indian side if you're not performing. That has certainly happened. I think not enough credit has gone to Ravi the coach. Since he took over this team has improved in all facets of the game. In particular the fielding of India, which was perpetually terrible when compared to Australia, has improved out of sight.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Just making the point that kiwis constantly reference their population when losing at sport (amongst other things!). And I don't want aussies to find it necessary to use this excuse when losing a game of cricket. :thumbup:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Plus kiwis relentlessly bring up their population when losing to Australia etc. So I don't want aussies to have that level of sour grapes that kiwis have when they lose. It's never been a secret that India (and the rest of the south asian nations) are overpopulated, so it shouldn't be an excuse when aussies lose a game of cricket against them! :thumbup:
Micko
Roar Rookie
To be fair, anyone else in NZ is better than Santner, but they're obsessed with picking him as a stock bowler to run through overs, and not concede too many runs. So far it's working out ok for NZ thanks to the fast bowlers, but there's going to be occasions (like in India) where the team needs a genuine wicket taking spinner. NZ has Patel and Somerville, but they can't even get in the NZ side in NZ unless Santner is injured! :thumbdown:
Targa
Roar Rookie
Nah we've got lots of replacements for Boult and Southee. Biggest issue is still finding a quality spinner.
Micko
Roar Rookie
I was just making the point that the relevance isn't really there: cricket is the national sport of both Australia & India, but rugby union is the national sport of NZ, but is basically culturally irrelevant and unknown for most aussies...who often hear about the Bledisloe Cup for the first time when kiwi migrants are desperate to tell them about the all blacks smashing "their" wallabies at a barbie or some sort of party or function.
You may notice Micko that this was an article about the Indian population in regards to cricket yet you bought some anti NZ wording into it.....just saying!!!
Micko
Roar Rookie
Might have to manage Southee & Boult moving forward. Maybe alternate between the two instead of playing both together if Ferguson gets fit again and gets another chance.
I think netball is pretty-much a 50/50 sport between NZ and Aus...I think Aus league is weaker than its been for some years and ironically its because the clubs are scouring NZ for talent these days and I think Aus are going thru a low period in cricket and i think NZ are doing as well as they could ever expect so that will probably change a bit but NZ will be strong for the next 5 years based on the age of the current guys....Southee and Boult will be difficult to replace when they both go but Williamson could easily be around for 7 years yet as will plenty of the other batsmen.
Micko
Roar Rookie
"Hatred"???! Looks who's talking Jacko! :silly: You're the same bloke always complaining about aussies all the time, dreaming up conspiracies you're convinced we're hatching up to keep you poor "humble" kiwis down! :stoked:
Micko
Roar Rookie
That's sporadic though. You're never going to dominate the way you do with rugby union. I have a feeling you might roll us in the next Test series though...whenever that'll be.
The kiwis have won the lottery having a sport they can dominate Australia at, haha Micko thats funny....Like the netball...NZ no 1 in the world...The Cricket...NZ no 1 in the world...League...NZ no 1 in the world...All sports Aus has far more players playing the sport.....
FFS....Get over your hatred...
Micko
Roar Rookie
The point is I agree with you 100% Neil. Ironically you bringing up rugbyunion proves the point we both agree on: that population per se isn't the be all and end all in terms of competitiveness in sports.