This is an archive article published on December 31, 2016

Opinion Playing to win

It was a year in cricket when it seemed only India could stop India

cricket, virat kohli, sachin tendulkar, sourav ganguly, indian cricket, indian cricket team, india news

Indian bowler Ravichandran Ashwin, left, celebrates the wicket of England's batsman Jake Ball with Indian captain Virat Kohli on the fifth day of the fourth cricket test match between India and England in Mumbai, India, Monday, Dec. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

By: Editorial

December 31, 2016 12:25 AM IST First published on: Dec 31, 2016 at 12:25 AM IST

Indian cricket never had so much good packed in 12 months before. Virat Kohli & Co. won nine out of 12 Test matches without losing any — more wins in a calendar year than ever in their history. But the numbers give only a glimpse of the full picture. Yes, all those wins came at home, and yes spin was a factor, but during the course of this purple patch, this young team also showed tremendous character and depth. Like the ‘90s, when Tendulkar was at the peak of his skills, this is no “one-man army”. Kohli has the Tendulkar aura but he doesn’t play “the lone boy on the burning deck”. Or like the team of the new millennium, those Sourav Ganguly years of hope, this isn’t a top-heavy unit with only batsmen figuring in the “Fab Four” club. Injuries don’t leave a void, spinners take turns to be match-winners, pacers bowling consistently in high 140kph intimidate opponents and new-comers walk on to the turf with the confidence of battle-hardened veterans. India seems like Australia of old.

Such performances of substance fuel hope that when Team India next leave these shores for South Africa, England or Australia, they won’t simply roll over. That it was India’s annus mirabilis was most evident in Test matches, but their success wasn’t limited to one format. In the fickle shortest format, where conventional wisdom says it is difficult to be consistent, the Men in Blue won a staggering 15 out of 21 matches. Yes, they did lose in the World T20 semifinal, but Kohli was globally recognised as the star of the tournament.

It was a rare setback in a year where often it seemed only India could stop India. The Indian administrators, that is. In trying to oppose the reforms imposed on them by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Panel, the reluctant BCCI office-bearers at times appeared to sabotage India’s incredible Test run. If 2016 was annus horribilis for them, 2017 promises to be worse. With the Supreme Court set to seal the BCCI’s current regime’s fate on January 3, the new year is a good time to press the restart button.