The Only Way to Seal the Comeback

In cricket, the saying goes that you are only remembered by your last innings. By that perception, two men combined in complete contrast. While one has scored runs virtually without a break, the other has been searching and seeking his way back. The only way to show just how valuable their innings was – have the rest of the batting order fail!

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India lost their first wicket rather early on the first day of the second Test in Mohali. Since then England were led to believe that the runs would be flowing and their only respite would perhaps come by way of a declaration. Gautam Gambhir put on a heartening partnership with Rahul Dravid and the duo set about setting the record straight.

Not many would remember that Wasim Jaffer actually featured as India’s opener in the home series against South Africa. But the IPL came along and showcase that Gambhir was no longer the batsman who seemed less sure of himself than even the selectors. His prolific rein with the bat as well as the camaraderie he shared with his ONGC, Delhi, and India team mate and opener Virender Sehwag suggested that breaking up this duo would only be detrimental for India’s cause.

Their combination since has yielded runs, partnerships and match winning knocks that changed matches on their head, thwarted the opponent’s best chances, and made everything in the realm of the improbably possible. It did not matter when they were playing a Twenty20 game, one day internationals or even Tests.

As if only to further justify what a great year it has been for Gambhir, this innings of 179 runs on a pitch that “was doing a bit” in his own words has further emphasized the effect that confidence can have on a player.

On the other hand, Rahul Dravid had hit a rough patch and this was as arid as they come. His silence, as always, he held golden in his heart. Only determination shared his troubled face and posture. This was then redemption of sorts. For a man who has now patented the number three position, he still proved that cricket is a fickle game when one must keep proving himself as long as he dons the white flannels and wears the team’s badge and nation’s emblem.

He did it in style on a pitch that he himself felt that a batsman could never feel comfortable himself. His 139 runs were not only a relief for him but for India whose tall dreams were brought to their knees in the period between lunch and tea on the second day of the Test.

India lost nine wickets for 133, emphasizing even more greatly the merit of Dravid’s gritty knock and his partnership with Gambhir that was worth 314 runs. India struggled to string together a partnership after the wickets that fell post lunch. Once again Graeme Swann was surprised by own success picking up three wickets alongside Andrew Flintoff who appeared more buoyed by the happenings on day two than one. Monty Panesar fared marginally better than he did in Chennai only to be once again overshadowed by his more show stealing spinning partner, Swann.

When all talk on day one revolved around India putting up 600 plus runs and of Kevin Pietersen’s statements that India have “five, six, seven…” good batsmen, it was all over when play was called off. There was no such thing as fast runs, but there was still something to be said for the second wicket partnership that was only emphasized by the collapse from the rest of the Indian line up. England could say they made a comeback of sorts and they did by persisting in their efforts and coming back with a bit more resolve after two threatening innings in succession, one that gave India a memorable victory. India ended up with 453, monumental if the pitch is the way the batsmen say it is, but still looking a little bereft given India’s great expectations after incredible beginnings.

It could still prove to be enough. It is time to make their efforts worthwhile.