The B Team

Of late, words like ‘great’, 'awesome' and 'epic' seem too commonplace; we use them too graciously to show appreciation for even little things. But the recently concluded Australia vs India Test series was definitely a great exhibition of character and resilience, an awesome endorsement for Test cricket, and an epic victory for India, in the truest possible sense of these adjectives!

Not having the services of 6-7 first choice players in a team of 11 players, perennially losing players to injuries during and after every match, having a stand-in captain whose place in the team was questioned, being on the road for more than 5 months with restricted access to amenities and strict quarantine rules, facing arguably the best current Test bowling attack in their home conditions, and losing the first match of the series after getting out to the lowest score ever - any one of these is enough to hamper the preparation and deter the confidence of a team. But this Indian team didn't let any of the above factors, which were out of their control, get in their heads. They simply got the basic strategies right, chose to play by their strengths, focused on successfully implementing their plans, and thoroughly capitalized on the mistakes of their opponents. Reminds me of the kid from Home Alone managing to defeat adult burglars by sticking to simple tricks! 

Bravery is not something we often associate with professional sports. But when you're unexpectedly pushed to the front lines in the toughest of situations, while all you were expecting was a back-bench seat to quietly observe things and prepare for someday in the future when your services would be called-for, it does take courage to accept the challenge and perform admirably under those circumstances. The bench-strength of this Indian team showed this courage throughout the series, and they didn't win just the hearts, but also the trophy! Guess greatness isn't something one needs to actively seek, but just about being prepared to accepting it when it presents itself. 

Maybe having great international players in the IPL dressing rooms, or having a legend like Rahul Dravid coaching the Under-19 and India 'A' teams have had a magical effect on the intangible factors like attitude, confidence and temperament of an inexperienced bunch of players. There is no other logical explanation to how a team with a bowling attack having a combined tally of less than 15 Test wickets, defeated a full-strength Australian team on their home turf with a bowling attack of 1000+ Test wickets between them! 

I remember the following lines from my high-school English textbook, a quote by Otto von Bismarck: With confidence in God, put on the spurs and let the wild horse of life fly with you over stones and hedges, prepared to break your neck, but always, without fear. It seems the current generation of Indian cricketers subscribe to a similar approach. If that is going to bring more great, awesome and epic days like today, then why not ?!