Ganguly leaves on a high

Token gestures only rarely have any significance in sport. In Delhi a week ago, Anil Kumble opened the second-innings bowling in his final game. On Monday, eight years to the day after he first led the Indian Test side, Sourav Ganguly briefly surveyed the field and made his changes. "I was already switched off," he said with a smile, when asked about Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to hand over the captaincy at the fall of the ninth Australian wicket. "So he woke me up, I didn’t know what was happening the first six or seven balls. Luckily, they were nine down so I did it for a few overs and then said it’s his job and not mine anymore.

“The way this Test match finished, I’m ready to sacrifice a year of Test cricket for it,” he said, brushing off suggestions that he could be persuaded to continue after a series in which he scored 324 runs at 54. “It’s probably one of the best finishes I’ve seen in terms of a team performance.”

That game in Dhaka finished with India winning by nine wickets, and it's safe to say that Ganguly will cherish this triumph so much more, coming as it did in the city where it all started to go wrong four years ago. The 172-run thrashing completed Australia's heaviest series defeat in two decades, and gave Ganguly the sort of farewell that he might not even have dreamt of when he was left out of the Rest of India side for the Irani Trophy six weeks ago.

As for Dhoni, his captaincy record now reads: three games, three wins. At times on the final morning, he looked lost, but he has a happy knack of making changes that work. Zaheer Khan had gone for 44 from six overs when he called on Harbhajan Singh, and though he fluffed a catch off the second ball that Matthew Hayden faced, there were enough risks being taken to keep the fielders keen.

Hayden was in especially belligerent mood, not bothered by the 7-2 fields that Dhoni employed when Ishant Sharma was bowling. The 8-1 strategy that had so infuriated Simon Katich on the third day worked again though, with a crude hoick across the line giving India the early breakthrough they needed.

Ricky Ponting's run-out, after hitting the ball straight to Amit Mishra at mid-off, said more about his frazzled state of mind than anything else, and when Michael Clarke, unwell and batting with a runner, was undone by a peach of a delivery from Ishant, Australia were still 300 short of victory.

Hayden though batted as if he intended to smash the winning runs before the mandatory overs began. There was an astonishing passage of play right after lunch, when he and Michael Hussey whacked the ball around at will. The fields were deep and there were no close-in fielders to make them think twice.

Just as whispers about letting the game drift started though, Dhoni made his next big move. Mishra came on, round the wicket, and the fourth ball, a precise top-spinner, reared up so sharply that Hussey could only fend to Rahul Dravid at slip. When Hayden followed, having attempted one shot too many against Harbhajan, the innings lost all sense of purpose, with the spinners picking up the last seven wickets for 59.

Ponting made no excuses afterwards, admitting that his side had been comprehensively outplayed. There will be plenty of questions to answer when he heads home though, not least about the tactics employed on the fourth evening. The selectors too have a lot to answer for, having left Beau Casson at home and Jason Krejza on the bench for three Tests. Cameron White looked accomplished with the bat, but was nowhere close to being an international-class bowler.

Having been outdone by India in the reverse-swing stakes, Australia will also perhaps need to look at the likes of Doug Bollinger, Shaun Tait and Ben Hilfenhaus over the home summer. As for India, England await. Hopefully, the selectors will be sensible enough to give Ishant and Zaheer the rest they need during the course of an interminable seven-match one-day series.

The two Tests are in December and if India can summon up the skill and spirit that saw them blank Australia, Kevin Pietersen and his men could be on a hiding to nothing. But at least they won't have Ganguly (983 runs at 57.82) and Kumble (92 wickets from 19 Tests) to contend with.

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Comments

[John Ross]

M.Dhillon you have a short memory.The Indian team is the only one I can recall threatening to get on the bus to the airport if an umpire wasn't replaced.

[GA]

Joe, you're right. Gambir must have just decided to sit out the last test for fun.

[Punit]

Fantastic series win. Looking forward to England now.

I agree that a 2 match series is pretty pointless, but I'm not sure this down to the BCCI. I'm not one to leap to their defence, but I don't believe it was all their idea. The England players are desperate to be home for Christmas and after a few years of relentless tours, I think this is only fair on the players. They just don't have the presents-buying-potential that they thought they might! ;-)

I am forever disgusted by England seeing every series as a build-up to the Ashes, though. Perhaps India's win will focus their minds this time round?

[joe shah]

Um, GA the ONLY player to have definitely been convicted of racism or argy bargy as you put it WAS australian.No other world wide has ever been convicted, yes several have been charged but no coviction.
The better prepared team won this contest hands down.

[GA]

M Dhillon, you are kidding, aren't you? The Aussies aren't angels but, as the world has recently seen, neither are the Indians. The world has woken up the fact that the Indian team is playing fantastic cricket, but can be as boorish, cycnical and petty as any other team around. I think the only player convicted of "argy bargy" was from India.
Congratulations to the Indian team. Beware of reading too much into this, however. Remember, India beat a much better Australian team in 2001 - winning on the sub-continent is tough!

[Shyam]

Unfortunately India beating Australia is not a good predictor for their performances in the coming series. The series against England could go either way, and the series against New Zealand looms as a huge challenge with green pitches on which batsman with faulty technique will be found out. I hope they can win in NZ,but the leading lights of the Indian batting line up have usually lacked motivation to succeed while playing there. It's only the bowlers who have enjoyed themselves on previous tours.

[Mukhtiar Dhillon]

Indian Spin Bamboozle Australia Indian Spin Bamboozle Australia.India won the Border-Gavaskar trophy but the series marred by clashes,animated antics,silly and sometime amusing behaviour by the visitors.Aussies tried to disrupt and mess up indian concentraton.There policy to win by hook or by crook by fair means or foul has badly backfired and they have been knocked off their perch.This argy-bargies and nonsense has to cease in order to protect the game.This gradual but sure rise in Indian cricket hopefully continues under the command of M.Dhoni,who drove the team bus back to the hotel yesterday.This man knows how to spark things up.
M.Dhillon,London,ex Indian universities and YFC international

[Aditya]

I think we wanted to play England for 3 Tests, but the English board wanted the players to go home for christmas and not come back...still 2 Tests should still be fun. Pity centres like Kolkata haven't got a game though.

[ABC]

I was appalled the first time I read about the England series itenary. 7 one dayers!!! What on earth is the point. I can barely remember what happened when India played Australia for 7 one dayers a year or two back. A 2 match test series for two highly ranked teams is ridiculous. But again, BCCI goes where the money is. Sigh.

[neilsrini]

http://www.stmarysisc.org/cci1.htm

[neilsrini]

I think KP men will be a stiffer task. Dravid in a possibly career ending trough and two class act spinners to contend with England will be the real challenge in Indian conditions if they have the stamina and the batting holds up.

I would not take anything for granted.

Shame that certain fools only allowed two tests. Though I can't wait for the return of the Brabourne.

A good Series in which Ponting, the lack of a spinner and the aging Hayden were exposed. Their middle order needs to click and they could do without the needless exclusion of Symonds to bolster a faltering line up.

[Pritam Sinha]

After this wonderful memorable victory, I am just wondering if mighty Aussies have gone downhill or India have climbed up the ladder? Trust Australia to come back strongly at opponents.
India under Dhoni seem to be more fired up somehow. Celebrating Indian series win just now. More later.