What will make the series special is the clash of the icons -- Sehwag vs Steyn and Kallis vs Harbhajan

Friday, January 08, 2010

Virender Sehwag (319) produced perhaps the most extraordinary Test innings played on the Indian soil when the Proteas toured last time around. Will the World Championship of Cricket inspire Sehwag to complete the job he left unfinished in the  Mumbai Test? © AFP

On December 6, 2009, India changed the world order in Test cricket. With an historic victory against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium, MS Dhoni and his boys put an end to the era of Australian invincibility. Perhaps, the game needed it — a change of guard, a new champion team.

As the new decade beacons, India finds itself at the summit. And with it begins the more arduous task of maintaining their dominance. A bunch of boys, who are a heady concoction of skill, flair and flamboyance, will now have to add two more ingredients that make a champion side — consistency and desire to stay at the top. Soon, they’ll get a chance to prove it was no statistical anomaly that conspired in their ascendancy.

Quite befittingly, Team India get to defend their top ranking against the second best team in the world — South Africa. People of India couldn’t have asked for a better new year treat — World Championship of Cricket; though an unofficial one, yet as authentic as it can get.

Under Graeme Smith, South Africa have become one of the leading cricketing nations. The talent, athleticism and aggression they bring to their cricket make for a compelling viewing. And their record inspires awe. In the last two years, the Proteas have won five Test series and lost just one out of the seven they played. More importantly, they defeated Australia (2-1) and England (2-1) in their backyard and squared the series with India (1-1) in India.

Perhaps the toughest team to beat in contemporary cricket, South Africa have traveled well to India. In the last decade, they have won three Tests and lost two. The three series reads 1-1, a reflection of their image of a formidable opposition.

What will make the series special is the clash of the cricketing icons. What gives character to a contest is the duel between personalities and battle of egos. These skirmishes of sporting kind inspire players to raise their performance by a few notches, making cricket a fascinating game it is. Imagine the sight of fast bowler Dale Steyn charging in to bowl against Virender Sehwag with three slips and two gullies in place. Conversely, Harbhajan Singh rushing in to bowl against Jacques Kallis with five close-in fielders.

The contest between bat and ball, display of breathtaking fielding skills, the application of nerves to soak in the pressure and exhibition of prowess by the likes of Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid will make this series truly extraordinary.

India’s emergence as a truly world-class team, which has aggression, maturity and balance, will make the contest even more intense and gripping. It has a dream batting line-up and a competent bowling attack. Their fielding may be a little suspect but as long as they take their catches, the other two departments can hide the deficiency. Having won its last four Test series, Indian team knows a thing or two about winning. And under coach Gary Kirsten they are now striving to make it a habit.

India having played tons of ODIs recently, one only wished for a five-game Test series. However, the short series will push the teams even harder for there’ll be very little margin for error.

Can Dhoni’s boys plot Proteas’s fall and validate their position? Or will Smith and his men remove Team India from their perch? The winner will take it all — glory and the pride of place in Test cricket.