The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Just a few good wins: India’s unremarkable 499-Test journey
INDIAN CRICKET can be split into a few distinct phases. Cricket in pre-independent India was a shot against colonialism with CK Nayudu as its poster boy of nationalist pride. The early decades in Independent India was about coping with the umbilical cord of partition, captured by the draw-first mentality which led to a slew of boring draws with the new neighbour. Not many expected (regular) triumphs abroad.
The 70's saw an attempt to grow out of post-colonial hangover, led by Tiger Pataudi who tried to show that you didn't have to be timid against the white men. The late 70's and 80's was the first real shot of Indian individualism starring a world-class Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, but the 80's was invested with draws. The Tendulkar decade of 90's was shadowed by matchfixing and an alarming dependency on one man, and a popular tilt to the ODIS. The 2000's saw a genuine post-colonial attitude of confidence led by Sourav Ganguly though there weren't consistent series wins abroad. The present decade is led by ballsy generation, full of attitude but it remains to be seen whether they become conquering travellers or only produce scattered Test wins here and there.
The numbers might not convey the entire story but they reveal several ego-bruising episodes. For a country that played its first Test in 1932, Indian cricket team's results has been meagre and mediocre. India has 129 Test wins, a win percentage of just 25.85; only New Zealand has a poorer record among major Test playing nations. It has been a plodding progress of sorts.
One doesn't have to even reach out for the records of top Test nations like Australia or South Africa as even the neighbours make for a brutal comparison.
Pakistan are just one win short of India's 129 Test wins but they have played 100 Tests fewer. Even Lanka's win percentage is better — they have played half the Tests India have but are just 50 wins short of India's wins.
Drawn Test matches would have been a pleasing result for a new country but India have continued to pile up yawns — drawing a staggering 42.48 per cent of their Tests.
In contrast, Australia has won a imposing 47.20 per cent win record. Teams set out on tours to win series but India's sunny moments abroad have largely been an odd Test win here and there. They have stitched up 28 Test wins outside subcontinent in 196 Tests.
India haven't been good enough to consistently win Test series abroad. It's in that regard the 2000's seemingly stands out with India winning 8 of 21 series played, but even here, a break down of victories show just one series win against England, under Rahul Dravid's captaincy, that could be really rated as a top win.
They won three against Bangladesh, and one each against a declining West Indies and an average New Zealand team.
India have largely been reduced to solo performances from a few individuals. Kapil Dev rose to become highest wicket taker in the world, Gavaskar was the first to score 30 hundreds and tally 10,000 runs, Tendulkar strode out to 14,000 but the Indian team has failed to consistently perform as a unit. And to think that the start was so good — CK Nayudu's blasting 153 in less than two hours against Arthur Gilligan's side in 1926 at Bombay Gymkhana, a knock that was instrumental in India gaining respect, paving way for Test recognition. However, the subsequent decades has been a blur of mediocre team performances, punctuated by solo sparkles.
Pakistan are just one win short of India's 129 Test wins but they have played 100 Tests fewer. Even Lanka's win percentage is better — they have played half the Tests India have but are just 50 wins short of India's wins.