Post-mortem

Harish Chandramouli

It is hard to know where to begin. Despite winning a Test in farcical circumstances at Bulawayo, the ineluctable fact remains that this Indian team was outplayed just about over the entire series by a depleted Zimbabwean outfit that was further handicapped by injuries to its members as time wore on.

It is all very well to rejoice over India finally winning a Test match outside the subcontinent, but the question one ought to really ask oneself is, given the relative strength of the opposition on this occasion, is a 1-1 result really something to be proud of ?

After beating the world champs on sporting wickets - no less - it was hardly too much to expect this side to return with a series win under their belt against a far less exalted cricketing nation.

That India could not do so once again, and that the same old men made the same old mistakes, only serves to remind one just how fragile we are away from the confines of our own shores.

If Tendulkar is indeed Bradman reincarnate, why could he not get a big ton at Harare when it mattered the most, and in doing so, put Zimbabwe away once and for all?

If Srinath is such a 'potent spearhead', why was he lacklustre for the most part, and found wanting in the end in more ways than one?

If the likes of Laxman and Ganguly are indeed talented players, why is it they repeatedly keep coming a cropper when on tour?

If John Wright is allegedly such a 'forward thinking individual', how could he allow Zaheer Khan to be omitted for the final Test over Ajit Agarkar?

Questions, questions, and more questions.

But instead of browbeating ourselves in any manner over all these issues and then others, perhaps the easier and more sensible thing to do, is simply acknowledge the obvious - we were just not good enough.

Not good enough to beat a side comprising nothing more than an honest bunch of triers for the most part.

Not good enough to beat a depleted outfit that wasn't even properly paid, and represented a nation torn by internal strife.

And not good enough to even take advantage of a 1-0 freebie, to finally register a series win outside the subcontinent.

For those of us hoping for a convincing series victory in Harare, followed by a creditable showing in South Africa later this year, this is indeed a bitter pill to swallow.

It appears, contrary to what one might have hoped for, the Indian team hasn't actually learnt anything at all. 7 wickets for 37 runs to an unknown like Blignaut, when a half-decent performance from the middle and lower order would have wrapped up the series once and for all.

Pollock, Ngam and Ntini must be licking their lips already, at the thought of having to bowl to this bunch on the faster surfaces of South Africa later in the year.

Nonetheless, having said that, that is then, and this is now.

In sport, you win some, and you lose some. And, as long as victory is achieved in a fair and above-the-board manner, I for one have no problem at all in saluting the opposition.

So full credit to Streak and the Zimbabweans for putting up such a mature and exceedingly manful display.

Even if they had deliberately wanted to show up our players for the over-paid and over-trumped individuals that the latter are, they could not have done a better job.

In reality, the win at Harare was not just a victory for Zimbabwe, but indeed one for the entire Southern African continent. And as a proud member of the Botswanese race, I for one thus have no qualms in taking vicarious pleasure from it.

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