Virat’s team has dwarfed players of Himalayan reputations. But are they even better than The Originals of this millennium? Like it or not, Virat and his team have matched the golden generation of Indian cricket
It’s a ludicrous comparison, so as to say. How else can a movie like Befikre, tutoring a bit of French all along and titillating in abundance with kisses and casual sex scenes, be touted and appreciated as modern-day version of cinematic classic DDLJ. It wouldn’t bother Yash Raj productions if Befikre doesn’t even sustain 1009 shows in Maratha Mandir like its illustrious ‘forefather’ did for as many weeks in a stretch, but the Ranveer starrer has still given them a cool 50 crores nett profit --- in this day and age of notebandi. And that’s massive.
Likewise, just wondering if a befikre Virat Kohli and his team --- on a hot unbeaten 18-Test streak that has dwarfed players of Himalayan reputations --- sashaying the same I-give-a-damn kinda carefree attitude, sporting facial hair with panache and punching every opponent on their face --- be hailed as the golden generation? Just like The Originals of this millennium; or are they even better than their predecessors?
The purists would just paw at this thought --- dole out the statistics, argue on the magnitude, point out the effectiveness and crank open the quality debate. But like it or not, Virat and his team are the best in the business now, and they aren’t No.1 without a reason.
Golden generation did have an Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, but how often has this dream pair been No.1 and No.2 in ICC Test rankings. Well, Ashwin and Jadeja are right up in the stats that matter, and it’s just the second time since 1974. This Virat vs Sachin debate is a thing of the past now, and gradually it’s widely accepted that this potential like-for-like replacement for Tendulkar has indeed replaced the Master --- and done a wee bit better so far. Virat, for that matter isn’t just about Tendulkar. Virat is also about Captain Ganguly, and he’s living and loving this 2-in-1 role.
This team has a dependable in Cheteshwar Pujara like Rahul Dravid, now even a triple-centurion in Karun Nair like Sehwag; and except for that little bulk in the belly there isn’t too much to relate their personalities. Well there’s Ajinkya Rahane, who keeps coming up with special knocks like VVS while Saha can match Dhoni’s blindfold runout and his down-the-order rescue acts, if not for the brand value of Captain Cool.
Since when did we have fast bowlers; not one, two but three in Ishant, Umesh and Shami who can clock 140+ on regular basis. Zaheer and Nehra did long time back, Srinath did even earlier but none with such consummate ease as the trio have done. They have reversed the ball, and reversed the trend of faster bowlers bending backs and breaking wickets in the sub-continent.
It’s interesting that Virat’s team has still so much on offer even after Golden Generation characters have been spoken about. There’s the unflappable Murali Vijay, the latest wonder-kid KL Rahul, who surprisingly hits hundreds in a definite pattern across formats and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, not as pacy but has the ability to swing the match India’s way on his own. Cruelly, there’s no mention yet about Rohit Sharma, a remodeled version of Yuvraj Singh – one who loves the blue but gets the blues playing in white. And then, there’s Shikhar Dhawan. Undisputedly inconsistent but undisputedly joy with the bat.
Perhaps the best quality of Virat’s team viz-a-viz Ganguly’s golden generation is their ability to cover-up on each other’s weakness and lean patches, and to stitch together a purple patch of wins with even contributions from everyone. Each of Virat’s team members are match-winners in their own right but they have redefined the team in this sport. The golden generation definitely gave us magic moments, memorable knocks but Virat’s team is giving us Test match and series wins. Savour it. Acknowledge it.
It’s that time of the year when you hanker upon holiday destinations just like Virat and his team mates. The choice will always be to book a famed five-star hotel. But what happens when you suddenly discover a cozy cottage with lavish five-star service…ponder over it. I would take it hands down, just like I am enjoying this golden generation of Indian cricket.