Line & Length
R Mohan
Triangular contest big challenge for Asians
February 03, 2008
All the intrigue surrounding Bhajjigate has been left behind in Adelaide. The cricket is set to resume without the albatross of racism charges hanging round the neck of any player. The ODI cricket ahead, with the Commonwealth Bank Series beginning on Sunday at the Gabba in Brisbane, can be so taxing that any distraction can only detract from the performances of the teams.
History suggests that the world series, the pretentious title under which the tri-series Down Under has always been known since the days of Packer, is a tough one to win. The record book reveals India has never won a match in the tri-series finals, after having qualified to play in them in 1986, 1992, and 2003, on each occasion meeting Australia.
The reason why no sub continental team has won the tri-series is the schedule is punishing with each team having to play 10 qualifying games towards a best-of-three finals. This is a most severe test of stamina and combined all-round resources. Usually, Asian teams do not last the course and are known to be flat by the time they get to the finals.
Switch to the year 1986 when India edged out New Zealand to qualify for the finals for the first time. During the qualifiers, there was a day match in Adelaide when India could not find XI men fit enough and willing to take the field. Many had been so exhausted by the Tests and ODI series cricket on tour that Kapil Dev had to exert his authority to command some of his most loyal men to get on to the field.
The home team Australia has the advantage of picking players from a larger pool who do not have to acclimate to the local conditions. Tourists can fly in replacements for injured players but the newcomers will struggle to settle to the higher bounce of Australian pitches.
The qualifying programme is such a team is invariably flying to the next destination the morning after a taxing day-night game and would probably be playing the very next day at another city. Flight times may be shortish, but the run to and from airports can make cricketers feel what it must be like to play in the NBA.
The programme is as tight for the home team, although visitors have always suspected that Australia avoided playing in the back-to-back weekend double headers that are killing while one of the visiting teams was certain to be pencilled in for a long working weekend.
Fans on the sub continent may do well to tone down their expectations with regard to the tri-series Down Under. Having said that, the fans will probably remember that India won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia and so will never believe their team cannot go on to win the cup.
The nearest India came to winning a final was in 1992 but went down by six runs to Australia, the home side that has invariably won the world series, particularly when an Asian team has been in the finals.
The World Series will continue to be a very big challenge for Asian teams.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
History suggests that the world series, the pretentious title under which the tri-series Down Under has always been known since the days of Packer, is a tough one to win. The record book reveals India has never won a match in the tri-series finals, after having qualified to play in them in 1986, 1992, and 2003, on each occasion meeting Australia.
The reason why no sub continental team has won the tri-series is the schedule is punishing with each team having to play 10 qualifying games towards a best-of-three finals. This is a most severe test of stamina and combined all-round resources. Usually, Asian teams do not last the course and are known to be flat by the time they get to the finals.
Switch to the year 1986 when India edged out New Zealand to qualify for the finals for the first time. During the qualifiers, there was a day match in Adelaide when India could not find XI men fit enough and willing to take the field. Many had been so exhausted by the Tests and ODI series cricket on tour that Kapil Dev had to exert his authority to command some of his most loyal men to get on to the field.
The home team Australia has the advantage of picking players from a larger pool who do not have to acclimate to the local conditions. Tourists can fly in replacements for injured players but the newcomers will struggle to settle to the higher bounce of Australian pitches.
The qualifying programme is such a team is invariably flying to the next destination the morning after a taxing day-night game and would probably be playing the very next day at another city. Flight times may be shortish, but the run to and from airports can make cricketers feel what it must be like to play in the NBA.
The programme is as tight for the home team, although visitors have always suspected that Australia avoided playing in the back-to-back weekend double headers that are killing while one of the visiting teams was certain to be pencilled in for a long working weekend.
Fans on the sub continent may do well to tone down their expectations with regard to the tri-series Down Under. Having said that, the fans will probably remember that India won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia and so will never believe their team cannot go on to win the cup.
The nearest India came to winning a final was in 1992 but went down by six runs to Australia, the home side that has invariably won the world series, particularly when an Asian team has been in the finals.
The World Series will continue to be a very big challenge for Asian teams.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
