The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Three-man pace pack in progress
THE SCRIPT of the match has flown in an expected monotone narrative-indian batsmen dominating, West Indies bowlers struggling, Indian bowlers imposing, the West Indies batsmen caving in. Apart from the milestones achieved and the records that tumbled, the match has been monotonously one-sided, especially from a neutral's perspective.
There has bee some terrific individual and collective performances from India's perspective, like Virat Kohli's maiden double hundred, Ashwin's double of a century and a five-for, and the concerted ruthlessness of India's fast bowlers.
Now into the fourth day, it was time the contest threw something dramatic. Perhaps a pantomime villain moment or a feisty outburst between players, just to enliven what has been a blandly undramatic narrative thus far. West Indies batsmen demonstrating some grit and fight must have made for dramatic viewing. But their second innings effort was just as spineless as their first. For a while, the showed some requisite stomach for gritting it out, like when Rajendra Chandika and Marlon Samuels survived the early storm and stitched an alliance of 67 runs. Even then, they were not batting as if their life hung on it, like you'd say if Shivnarine Chanderpaul was around. The batted with an inevitability of an implosion lurking in the background. And we know it just needs a slight snap for them to cave in.
In any case, survival was a tall task for them. Apart from Kraigg Brathwaite and the inexperienced Rajendra Chandrika, there weren't any batsman who even remotely knew the art of survival, and that too against a well-rounded bowling unit, drilling in relentless pressure from both ends. If they were to make a jailbreak, it invariably depended on one of their strokemakers playing an outrageously freakish innings, something of the Dinesh Chandimal in Galle sort. For that they required a ridiculous amount of luck as well.
That was near impossible with the fast bowlers in such burning mood, and Ravichandran Ashwin at his guileful best. The offie was perhaps a little error-prone in the morning session, bowling short and letting the pressure off the batsman. He was torn into by Samuels, their most competent player of spin as well. But post lunch, assisted by the breeze, Ashwin got considerable drift into the right-hander, and he made the best use of it. Once Ashwin scamped Samuels-wonderfully entrapped by following up a couple of ripping off-breaks with the one that didn't as much - it was a matter of time before they folded in. Ashwin in such kind of wicked mood was irresistible.
In the meantime, there at last was one odd infusion of drama as well. Mohammad Shami, as usual, produced a ball that had Marlon Samuels's name written on it. The ball, pitched further up than he normally had in this match, snaked back and grazed his glove. The deft deflection, or rather a feather, was enough for the ball to die down to Wriddhimann Saha, who had to now not only sling to his left but also ensure that he grasped it on the full.
Shami, Saha, the slip cordon and even Ishant Sharma, prowling the mid-on, instinctively went up in chorus, convinced he had cleanly clasped it. Ian Gould was less convinced. He sought the third umpire's intervention. Upon countless reviews, the third umpire was even less convinced. Samuels was accorded the slim benefit of the doubt. Samuels, on whom rested the outlandish Caribbean hopes of forcing a draw, was to live another life. He ambled back from the non-striker's end to brace for the next ball.
But more drama was just about to unfold. Kohli couldn't stomach what he thought was unfair and unjust. He felt he and the team were wronged and agitatedly walked up to the umpires with such a resentful expression that you felt he would lose his cool any time. He began on an argumentative mood, and the umpires seemed to explain to him the inconclusiveness of the replays and gestured him to calm him down. But it hardly soothed Kohli, who was still very furious, grimacing and swivelling his head both ways in dismay.
The skipper's mood had a rub-on effect on the entire team. Suddenly, their intensity wavered, there was overall lapse in focus and Shami completed the over with two most routine full balls he had bowled in the entire match. The umpires called for drinks break soon after and Anil Kumble rushed down to meet his skipper on the boundary ropes and must have possibly sermoned him to move on, though it seemed he too felt was certain it was caught cleanly. Kohli restlessly listened, often nodding his head, but still unconvinced.
The rain-break, which was extended to the lunch interval, wouldn't have been better timed. It gave them time to calm their nerves and return with a clearer, more positive mindset. Immediately after the players clambered up the stairs, the television cameras showed Kohli intently watching the replays on the laptop. He was yet unconvinced. He must have felt he and his team were wronged. But then, third umpires generally rule the decision in the batsman's favour, if they have even the remotest degree of doubt. Here they had.
There was as similar instance on Saturday, when Shane Dowrich's outside edge was snapped up by Ajinkya Rahane at slips, off Ravichandran Ashwin in the 72nd over. Again, the replays triggered conflicting views, and the third umpire, justifiably ruled it in the batsman's favour. That's the unwritten rule of the thumb. Crunching a hapless net bowler down the ground, in the National Cricket Academy Camp during India’s preparatory camp in Bangalore a fortnight ago, Umesh Yadav stood frozen in his follow-through. Mohammad Shami, retracing his run up on the adjacent nets, couldn’t resist a playful jibe. “Lagta hain ki Sachin paaji nets mein hain!” Ishant Sharma, who was fastening his chest guard, burst into peels of laughter, before bantering on in his throaty voice, “Haan haan meine dekha, dekho kya straight drive tha.” Umesh just kept beaming that simpleton smile of his, before he lunged forward to defend, only to see the ball narrowly escape the outside edge of his bat. Shami and Ishant had no better reason to resume their bantering. In the end, when Umesh wound up his adventures with the willow, Shami yelped, “Isko standing ovation de do yaar.” The echo of their laughter could have been even heard at the neighbouring MG Road.
After perhaps 10 minutes, the laughter died down and the three pacers, having fully dismantled their batting paraphernalia, were huddled in a seemingly serious discussion, queued up next to Anil Kumble, waiting for their turn to bowl. As has been the norm under Kumble, they’d bowl to one batsman at a time, in no assigned order. Ishant first. When Umesh is bristling in, you can see Shami and Umesh keenly observing him, and whoever is not bowling the next ball will walk up to him and convey some message. Umesh would nod his head in assent. The sequence is played out all over again, only that the names and roles keep changing.
The three might be from different parts of the country, from diverse backgrounds, speaking different dialects and thinking differently, but knitted by the singular fact that all three are plying the same trade for their country. But there seems to be unfeigned twain of genuine companionship and an appreciation of each other's craft, though at some point in time in the past they were competitors and in future could again be competitors jostling for India stripes. This togetherness, which is the unshakeable pillar of most celebrated bowling firms, promises exciting times ahead for Indian first bowling.
There is also a genuine joy in each other’s success and a sincere urge to help each other out in strife, rather than obsessed with the self. You can seen Umesh running frantically from the fine-leg to celebrate Shami’s wicket. Or Ishant having a quick word with Umesh or Shami. It was this manifestly evident affinity that helped India seize the initiative on the third day. “We always give that kind of confidence to each other. We are always pushing [each other]. Whenever things are a little difficult, we need to push our friend or team-mate a little bit up, and lift them. “For example, if Shami is bowling very well but not getting wickets, my job is to go and tell him, ‘Shami bhai you’re bowling very well, keep going’,” Umesh reflected.
This is, in essence, what fast bowlers call pack mentality. In Australia early last year, they had shown glimpses of it, like on the fourth day in Brisbane and on the first day in Melbourne, but without tangible results to show. But against the West Indies, here on the third day, on a pitch that scarcely collaborated to their plans, they bowled with sustained pace, aggression and hostility, kicking, screaming and pushing each other on. You could sense a wicket coming of every ball. Of course, Shami and Umesh gathered a lion’s share of the spoils. In fact, Ishant took none, but his spells were are intense and incisive, and contributive to the success of Shami and Umesh. “We realise that if it’s not my day, then it’s somebody else’s,” Umesh said.
Collectively, seldom has Indian fast bowlers bowled so well in recent memory, with every bowler not only playing their assigned role to the T, but also exceeding their expectation and displaying rare discipline throughout the day. This was applicable especially for Shami and Umesh, who in the past had a tendency to go off the boil impromptu. Suddenly, in the middle of a probing spell, they tended to switch off and lose their rhythm and direction. This was most telling in Australia, and resultantly India stuttered in critical phases of the series. They build the intensity, and then inexplicably took the lid off it. When they had to exercise patience, they merely balked. In Antigua, they ensured they don't repeat the same mistakes
What makes them even more dangerous is their diversity. They differ in their art of deception—ishant has a wicked inswinger; Shami has a stinging outswinger; Umesh had rapid pace. Ishant solicits discomfiting bounce, Shami is versed in reverse swing; Umesh can fling in yorkers at will; Ishant consistently bowls back of length, Shami generally bowls full; Umesh hits the deck hard. Ishant seems always pre-occupied; Shami is perpetually cheerful; Umesh is warm and pleasant. This contrast makes them all the more a versatile pack.
At their best, great attacks feed from one another with styles and thought patterns that complement. The opposition are given no respite, the captain able to call on each and every one on demand in the knowledge that no one is to be hidden away. He will have at his disposal a great balance and a greater variety.
If they can manage to stay together for a while, evolve and pull in the same direction and stay injury-free, India’s pace bowling requirements will be solved for the foreseeable future.