In retrospect, India were the best performing cricket side of 2015.
In retrospect, India were the best performing cricket side of 2015. Since South Africa top the ICC Test rankings, Australia the ODI and India are second placed in both formats, eyebrows will understandably be raised.
But my argument is not based on points and stuff, rather how teams fared when the difficulty quotient was high. In this respect — and rationalizing performance in both formats — India move ahead of the others.
Essentially, the race for supremacy was between these three teams. While South Africa retained their number 1 Test ranking throughout the year, their lead at the top was whittled down considerably.
In ODIs, they were the most fancied side, but came a cropper in the World Cup losing, among other sides, to India. A 3-2 verdict in their favour when touring India was some salve to injured pride, but did not quit establish them as the top ODI side
Australia won that honour primarily by winning the World Cup in great style. Their Test record got a fillip towards the end of 2015 when they beat New Zealand and West Indies at home. But the manner in which they were thoroughly outclassed in the Ashes series in England left their ability to excel overseas questionable.
India meanwhile reached the semi-final of the World Cup and till they lost to Australia were arguably the most impressive side in the tournament. Notwithstanding a disappointing ODI series against Bangladesh, the recovery was swift and with a little luck, could have beaten South Africa at home.
India’s ODI performances when juxtaposed with those in Tests helps pip the others to the top spot in my reckoning. In the five-day format, unarguably the most challenging in the sport, they leapfrogged from rank 6 to 2 by the end of the year.
There were two fantastic series wins, against Sri Lanka and South Africa. Even if both were achieved in the sub-continent, it does not take away any from the brilliance of the effort.
Sri Lanka are never easy to bat at home as every team touring there for the past quarter of a century has realized. But India came from one Test down to turn the tables on them in a riveting contest.
This amazing turnaround forged the ambition and self-belief to take on mighty South Africa at home. The Proteas hadn’t lost a series overseas since 2006. This time they were routed 0-3, outplayed in each department of the game. Of course, India enjoyed the advantage of home pitches and crowd support, but the margins of victory were simply too emphatic to belittle their cricketing merit. Indeed, the results bespoke a side flush with high talent and resolve. In the Indian context, three players stood out for me for their extraordinary performances. I use the adjective advisedly, because all three — R Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli — were under tough scrutiny, albeit for different reasons.
Ashwin had been roundly criticized for his ‘excessive’ experimentation and also failure to deliver wickets in tough situations. In Sri Lanka and against South Africa, he showed not just how much he had matured, but how much he had advanced his skills too. So much so that to say that he is the best spinner in the world today would invite no dispute.
Rahane, despite several stellar performances, seemed to be India’s unsung and readily dispensable batsman in favour of those with greater ‘star’ value. Within three months of magnificent batting, particularly in crises, he emerged as perhaps India’s best in all formats and conditions.
Kohli’s batting may not have hit the dazzling highs of 2013-14, but as captain he came through superbly. There were several who doubted not just his tactical ability, but also his temperament to hold the dressing room together.
But Kohli took to the task like a fish to water. He has a natural flair and clearly enjoys the spotlight. But he has been quick to understand that if he doesn’t get results, the lustre of his persona and captaincy would dim rapidly.
The desire to win, make things happen, is evident at all times even as he hones his strategic skills. Even in this short period, he has shown that he is his own man, eager to leave a lasting impact. A good index of that would be if India finish 2016 as the number 1 side in both Tests and ODIs.
