It was cricket, not Pakistan or India, that earned the honours in the series
When a man of the match award is announced, it is almost mandatory to preface the prize giving with the usual cliche that it was a very exciting and closely contested decision. Thus it is customary to describe a Test series as having been closely fought, full of thrills and absorbing in its moment to moment volatility. Well, notwithstanding such traditions, let us state categorically that India’s home series against Pakistan was in a word fantastic.
It had the unpredictability which is the essence of cricket, it had the super-heroes and the down-in-the-dump villains and the kind of suspense we normally associate with the one-day variety of the game. Younis Khan, Inzamam and Virendra Sehwag emerged as men of substance just as Danish Kaneria made his mark as a bowler of the highest class — after all remember that neither Warne nor Qadir ever held major terrors for Indian batting. And lastly, for the visitors, Shahid Afridi proved his worth in the Test side with some hurricane batting when required and aggressive bowling at the busy end.
It is the home side, in the main, which provided the villains. Captain Sourav Ganguly had an abysmal series and apart from his pathetic form with the bat, purists feel he did not provide the kind of dynamic leadership that came with Inzy and allowed things to drift and let complacency set in.
When Younis was appointed vice captain, the decision was received with mixed feelings, but the series found in him a super-hero. In him many see the future captain in both temperament and talent. He has guts and staying power as he proved time and again and as Imran Khan pointed out in his column “How many seniors in Test cricket would field two metres away from the bat?”
But surely words are not enough to describe Inzy’s inspired leadership through the series, during the Bangalore triumph we actually saw him animated and smiling! Earlier at Mohali, where many might have given up, Inzy stayed faithful to his batting and helped save a lost match after the scoreboard had read 10 for 3 on the fourth day.
You may well ask why so much praise for the visitors when the series was after all tied. Well, Pakistan is a team of limited star value, with really no more than the skipper and Youhana as established luminaries. On the other side was the formidable batting lineup of Sehwag, Tendulkar and Dravid and experienced spin attack. And the Pakistanis were playing away from home. I recall how when Miandad was picked to play against India in his twilight years the facile explanation was that against India old-timers are a far better bet than rookies, however talented.
The visitors had two international class bowlers in Sami and Kaneria and some useful stuff form the considerably diminished Razzaq. Arshad Khan is not perhaps in the same league and Afridi is no more than a batsman who also bowls. Given these resource, surely it was the triumph of spirit and commitment against a superior opponent playing in his own backyard. Now, say supporters of Pakistan cricket, Inzy should use this magnificent comeback to make an impact in the one-dayers and to demand his stature as skipper count.
The Indian had no perceptible game plan. Neither with their body language nor with their stroke play did they communicate to any one whether, on the final day, they were playing for a draw or chasing meaningfully the 358 required for victory in the remaining 90 overs. When they decided on playing out time, they went too much into a shell and the runs dried up giving the Pakistanis the luxury of giving away runs profligately and being able to set incredibly attacking fields. While it would be too much of a cliche to say that attack is the best defence, it is certainly true that normal stroke play with the odd boundaries would at least have kept the fielding side in check. As it was, Inzy could place a slip, gully, silly point, silly mid off , leg slip and a forward short leg to pressurise the batting.
It is fair to say that for India the tied series was a major loss out of which only Sehwag and, in alternate bouts, the two spinners emerged with any brownie points. For the Pakistanis, except for the unfortunate Yasser Hameed episode it was roses all the way. The all square series was like sweet victory.
But say what you like, the highest point for the Pakistan team in the series was the great effort by Akmal and Youhana to save the Mohali Test. For me it will be the abiding part of the TVS Test series.
The fireworks of the Test series have had their impact on the one-dayers ahead. Ticket sales have been so brisk that for the April 2 encounter at Kochi tickets have reportedly been sold out completely. Not that bookmakers are any kind of authority but they do provide accurate barometers. They have made the two teams almost joint favourites for the opening match, in contrast to India’s overwhelming favouritism before the Bangalore Test.
A few words about other Pakistanis who were here. Understandably, the urbane and charming Shahryar Khan is all smiles. On his way to Bangalore, he participated in a book launch function in Kolkata where the packed house at the Park Hotel was enthralled by his disarming manner and erudite discussion the subjects of which varied from his stint in Rwanda to his accompanying the Pakistan team during the two tour as at the turn of the century including the World Cup of which he has some great memories.
After all, diplomats have always made good managers especially in series between the two countries. It brings back to mind the 1978 tour when Maharajah Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad was the manager of the Indian team and built some great bridges between the two neighbours. This time around, Salim Altaf has in his quiet way been immensely popular. For the meantime all eyes are focused on the one-dayers. By the time this will appear in print, the first match would have been over. May the team better equipped to face pressure win.
It was cricket, not Pakistan or India, that earned the honours in the series 
