Test cricket is considered the real cricket for it tests the mental and physical toughness of a cricketer spanning five days of play. And the “Ashes”,the oldest trophy is considered the fiercely competitive and fascinating test series played between two old rivals-Australia and England. But going by the one-sided nature and Australia’s dominance in the series it has apparently lost its sheen and charm over the years.
So can we saythe Border-Gavaskar trophy has taken the place of the Ashes? Going by the high-octane and fiercly competitive test series between India and Australia in recent years, not to mention the most recent onein Australia, and the growing interest inan Australia-India encounter, the answer to the afore-asked question should be in affirmative.
Many may argue that a series between India and Pakistan has all the ingredientsof eclipsing the Ashes. No doubt, an India-Pakistan match is called “mother of all matches” given its emotional and passionate nature. But the passion, the emotion and the pressure associaed with an India-Pakistan now seem to be on the wane. A cricket fan shows not much of interest in an India-Pakistan match today as he used to ten years ago. Many has attributed the decline in interest in an India-Pakistan encounter to the frequency with which the two teams have been meeting on the field since the resumption of bilateral cricketing ties between the arch-rivals five years ago. Also India has been getting the better of Pakistan in the matches of late thereby robbing one of the great rivalries in world criket of its charm which was once the hallmark of an India-Pakistan encounter.
Today an India-Australia encounter has presented the cricket fans with a whole new fascinating rivalry. While the nature of rivalry between the two teams has forced some cricket pundits to christen it “marquee”, othershave labelled both teams as “new arch-rivals” of world cricket at the expense of India-Pakistan and Australia-England rivalry.
Having witnessed a very high-octane duel between the “new arch-rivals” India and Australia inthe recently concluded test series no cricket fan must have been left in doubt about the quality of rivalry between two best teams(in test that is, according to the latest ICC cricket rankings) in the world.
Australia has been ruling the cricket world forover a decade now. No other team has come close to challenge its supremacy in both of the game, especially in test cricket during this period except India.Barring a few hiccups here and there, Australia has won every major tournaments and bilateral series during this period. It has remained the best test team unchallenged all these years. Only when the Aussies have come face-to-face with India on a cricket field, especially in test matches, the contest has got even and competitive besides offering the fans, who have otherwise been fed up fo the common sight of one team dominating the game for quite a long time, something to watch and enjoy.
It all began with the epic series in India in 2001. Under the strong leadership of Steve Waugh Australia came to India to conquer wht Waugh fmously called the “Final frontier” which they had not conquered for 31 years. Australia were looking ominous and confident to conquer the “final frontier” this time around what with 15 consecutive test wins behind them. No one gave India any chance of challenging the mighty Aussies. Cricket pundits even labelled the series as aduel between “David and Goliath”. Cricket fans started to take the result of that series as a forgone conclusion even before the first ball of the series was bowled.
As expected Australia decimated India in the first test at Mumbai and added one more to their already world-record tally of 15 conseutive test wins by making it 16 in a row. The action now shifted to Eden Gardens for second test of the series. Steve Waugh and Co. were one test win away from winning the “final frontier”. Everything went right for Waugh’s team till the lunch session of day three of the test match. Following on, India was staring down the barrel with 40-odd runs for four wickets. in came VVS Laxman to join Rahul Dravid at the centre. Thereafter the test took an unbelievable turn. With able support from Rahul Dravid, the Wall. strokes kept flowing from Laxman’s bat. Steve Waugh tried every trick in his book but all in vain.Australia’s lethal bowling line-up consisting of McGrath, Warne, Gillespie had no answer to Laxman’s thunderbolts and looked helpless. India scripted an astonishing victory in one of the greatest matches ever played in test cricket history. Laxman’s epic innings of 281 became a part of cricketing folklore. India wonthe third test test at Chennai and the series shattering the dreams of Steve Waugh and Co. and proving wrong the calculations of cricket experts.
Since that epic series in 2001,everytie the two teams face each other on a cricket field,particulary in a test match, the rivalry gets fierce, competitive and exciting. In fact, that series proved as a catalyst for the kind of rivalry between the two teams that we are witnessing for quite sometime now. Although Australia have meanwhile conquered the “final frontier” under Adam Gilchrist in 2004, India is the only team which have made the Aussies run for their money during this period. India has become the only team to beat Australia twice in Australia and square one test series in Austrliain the last five years.
One ofthe reasons why India has been able tochallenge Australia in test criket is India’s strong bating line-up. The fabulous four-Sachin, Sourav, Dravid and Laxman have successfully thwarted the challenge of the likes of McGrath, Warne, Brett Lee. Harbhajan Singh who bambozooled the Aussie batsmen with is doosra in that epic series in 2001 along with Anil Kumble have tormented the strong batting line-up of Australia.
India’s strong batting line-up and the variety in its bowling department have proved good enough to counter-balance the Aussie might and made the contest between the two teams even in the test matches played during this last decade or so.
This is clear from the results of test matches played between the two teams during this period. Since that epic seris in 2001, India and Australia gave played 15 tests between them and the result is just 6:5 in Australia’s favour. If we compare this result with England-Australia result in the Ashes played during this period, then we find Australia way ahead from England. Australia and England have played 20 tests between them during this period and the result is overwhelmingly 14:4 in Australia’s favour. This comparison between India-Australia and India-England rivalry shows howthe Ashes is facing threat from Border-Gavaskar trophy in terms of competition, charm, passion and overall attention.
Quite living up to the billing , India and Australia have just finished yet another high-voltage test series filled with action,drama,excitement. Though India lost the series, thanks to some umpiring blunders and unsporting behviour by the Australian players in the Sydney test, it yet again made the Aussies sweat and proved that India-Australiarivalry is no less competitive, fascinating than the Ashes.Cricket experts and former heroes of the Ashes are now beginning to acknowledge it.