Latest News Papers | News Papers Online | Journal News Paper | Technology News Paper

Translate

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Make a choice: 100 tons or 100 wins



There have been two ‘100’ instances over the last few days and while one remains in ‘waiting list’ mode, the other came like a hurricane and left an impact only after it hit. Ricky Ponting’s quiet achievement of 100 Test wins has given a major cricketing lesson for all of us.

When Ricky Ponting became the first player ever to reach a very very special landmark of 100 Test wins, it came as a shock more than a surprise. Guess it was largely due to the lack of build-up to that spectacular moment. It again reiterates the fact that although cricket is a team game where wins matter the most, we in India have been a bit guilty of attaching far too much significance to individual feats regardless of outcome of matches.

One month before India even landed on the English soil for a summer of 4 Tests and 5 ODIs, there was unparalled attention given to Sachin Tendulkar's 100th ton-in-waiting. That build-up hit feverish zone a day before the first test at Lord's. There were too many coincidences happening on the day of Lord's Test.

It was the 2000th Test match overall, 100th Test between India and England, Sachin Tendulkar was on 99 hundreds and India was playing with the tag of newly crowned World Champions in ODI cricket. There was simply too much hype, which also led to the constant fear of 'what if' scenario. And what followed after five days at Lord's was no less than a case of anti-climax. Neither did Sachin get his 100th century nor did India put up a winning effort.

That build-up didn't end there. Even as India was battered 3-0 and was playing to save the ignominious whitewash, attention somehow managed to revolve back to the 100th century for the Little Master when he was battling hard at The Oval. When Sachin eventually got out for 91, news producers and editors were left a worried lot. Should the focus be on Sachin missing his 100th ton by 9 runs or should it be on the ignominious whitewash.


Sachin missed a golden opportunity by not touring WI


Let someone deny that the 100th ton was not a distraction not just for Sachin but also for the Indian team. Soon after the Test series, the attention shifted to the shorter version and when Sachin missed out the Chester-le-Street ODI, we again started worrying about his 100th century. In fact, most of us have spent considerable amount of time over the last couple of months on the Sachin feat.

The big question now is why do we give so much importance to an individual feat? The bigger question is did Sachin miss out on a golden opportunity to finish off his 100th century quietly in the West Indies and call it a day while on a high?

As soon as India wrapped up the World Cup in style, there wasn't much left to complete the Sachin CV. He had been a part of the ODI that won the World Cup. He had been a part of the Test revolution led by Ganguly and given momentum by Anil Kumble that transformed India from being 'Tigers at home' to 'Tigers abroad too'. Sachin was a part of the India team that won for the first time ever at venues like Perth and Durban. Now, these are top class achievements a cricketer can only dream of. Sachin has lived that dream. With regards to individual feats, he became the first man on planet to score a double hundred in limited overs cricket. He also has 99 centuries overall, which is humongous.

If there was anything that Sachin didn't achieve to the fullest, it was leading from the front when it comes to winning or saving matches at crunch times. A little comparison between Sachin and Ricky Ponting would throw more light on this aspect:

Ricky PontingCriteriaSachin Tendulkar
153Matches played181
12411Runs aggregate14965
53.26Average56.25
39Centuries51
153/100Test matches played/won181/61
367/267ODI matches played/won453/230


What matters is 'value'

Ponting has played 28 Test matches lesser than Sachin but has won on 39 more occasions. Similar or worse is the gap in ODI format. Ponting has played nearly a hundred matches less than Sachin but has won on more occasions.

Agreed it is extremely unfair to do this comparison since Ponting was involved largely during the golden era that started with Mark Taylor, continued through Steve Waugh and ended with Ponting himself. Sachin didn't have that kind of a privilege but can we at all forget that he too was involved in a couple of competitive cricketing eras for India. First, during the Ganguly period when India started to win on foreign soil more often than ever before and then in the Anil Kumble era when the team did enough to justify the number one ranking that would follow.

Even in shorter version, Sachin was a part of the team that reached the final of 2003 world cup and the squad that lifted the trophy this year. Ponting, on the other hand figured prominently in the 3 back-to-back title wins for Australia starting 1999.

The fact that the first seven names in the list of most Test wins all feature the Aussies just about highlights the 'value' aspect of a player. It also shows the value of having a solid cricketing system.

Players with most Test wins

PlayerCountryNo. Of Test wins
Ricky PontingAustralia100
Shane WarneAustralia92
Steve WaughAustralia86
Glenn McGrathAustralia84
Adam GilchristAustralia73
Mark WaughAustralia71
Mathew HaydenAustralia71
Sachin TendulkarIndia61

The plain truth is that India still doesn't have one. The recently-concluded India-England Test series showed why we are dangerously entering the quota system in Indian cricket. Australia, on the other hand has moved on after the Ashes disaster to use the period that followed to go for major restructuring. That exercise seems to be paying dividends now. The team that defeated Sri Lanka at Galle showed why a cricketing system can never be defeated no matter what. Ponting and his 100 Test wins is just a result of a great cricketing system that attaches huge value to Test wins and not individual feats.

Make a choice: 100 tons or 100 wins


Time to learn from Taylor and Ponting


Mark Taylor could have comfortably surpassed the Don Bradman's record of 334 not out at Peshawar on a dead track and could have surged towards Brian Lara's world record of 375. Instead, he stunned everyone when he declared overnight. He later said he felt like a dwarf in front of Sir Don Bradman to be breaking his record. More significantly, he wanted to be a team man and decided to bury the individual feat.

Coming back to the debate of 100 wins or 100 tons, time has come for us to look at things with a larger perspective. If India is to get back to number one ranking in Test cricket and stay there for long periods, we should stop looking at individual achievements and rather focus on the bigger things. Feats will automatically come, like it now came for Ponting.

Did you ever know that Ponting was to register his 100th Test win till Australia actually won at Galle? The answer to this I am sure will be similar to the 'audience poll' we often see on KBC. So, shall we make the choice right now? 100 tons or 100 wins?

News from - http://sports.in.msn.com/cricket/ind-eng/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5393375&page=0

No comments: