There is something intriguing about a series against Australia. Often during such series, one finds fortunes fluctuating wildly resulting in the careers of a few international players either coming to an end or being revived. Take for instance, the ongoing series against Australia. Before the start of the series, senior Australian players such as Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey were looking down the barrel. Reports suggested that they were on the verge of being dropped from the Australian team for life if their poor showing continued. Now, the tables have turned. They are back in reckoning while senior players such as VVS Laxman are facing the heat. If reports are to be believed, the stylish Hyderabadi batsman has already played his last innings. Reports suggest that his second innings in Perth last week, where he could not even get of the mark, may well be his last. This is not the first time that careers have come to an end after a series against Australia. The last series against Australia, which was held during Oct-Nov 2008 at home, saw the retirement of Indian greats Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. Earlier that year, when India toured Australia, Adam Gilchrist hung up his boots. In the 2004 Test series, another Australian legend Steve Waugh called it a day. All these retirements came in the wake of an indifferent and inconsistent form. Though Ganguly was the second highest run-scorer in Test matches in 2007 before his retirement in 2008, he didn’t expect to be picked for the Australian series, thanks to some promising youngsters knocking at the door. He had commented before the Australian series at home, “To be honest, I didn’t expect to be picked for this series. I spoke to my team-mates and hopefully I will go out with a winning knock.” Ironically, Ganguly ended his career with a duck in his first and last innings. Anil Kumble, for his part, called it a day in the middle of that Australian series, as he was going through a long slump. Added to it were persistent injuries that made it difficult for him to carry on. Waugh and Gilchrist were also battling poor form before they called it quits.So, do we see the curtains coming down on the career of at least one senior Indian player, if not all? Or, should they call it quits, before facing the ignominy of being dropped? “It should be a personal call from Laxman or other senior players because if you look at the bigger picture, it’s one batsman failing in a series. It’s happened a number of times before,” says Karthik, a cricket fan. “Besides, it’s not like there’s a replacement for Laxman hopping on the bench. Neither Raina nor Kohli (at least till the third Test) seem to have impressed.”However, Indian captain MS Dhoni has let the cat out of the bag by hinting at phasing out the seniors. “(It’s) very important to have the right mixture at the right time,” Dhoni told the media. “You can’t have all the seniors missing out all of a sudden, and all the juniors coming in. We will have to thoughtfully decide the best option.”So, who will be the victim of the current Australian series? Who will be made the scapegoat for the debacle down under? Or, do we need some wholesome changes in the set-up? Only time can tell!
Comments
0 comment