When numbers come to haunt a nation

Dhoni walks toward the MCG pavilion.

An excerpt from the poem ‘Some Like Poetry’ by Wislawa Szymborska reads:

“History counts its skeletons in round numbers.

A thousand and one remains a thousand,

As though the one had never existed:

An imaginary embryo, an empty cradle,

An ABC never read…”

The Polish poet’s verses are flummoxing but true. The nuptial knot of man and numbers was tied under coercion and man — with his inability to decimate tears and laughter to decimals — has turned the relationship toward constant disharmony.

In life, while numbers might forget a serial killing, stating the murderer was also killed; for human beings, the quantifying of emotions is a heartless betrayal.

On a lesser platform like cricket, while a man might discount the overall record of his favourite team by pointing out moments of bare-chested ebullience and enormity of victories in scatter; numbers refuse to make valid such human foibles.

At the time of my writing this column, India has lost a Test match again. Its fifth straight defeat on foreign shores. The last time, after a humiliating 4-0 whitewash in England when I pointed out the existence of the ailment, many refuted my argument. All the counter-arguments would end with marks of exclamation. “We are the World Champions, don’t forget!” But that was won in our own backyard, don’t forget.

After MSD took over in 2008, in the 17 matches played abroad, we have won 5, drawn 5 and lost 7. Further play with numbers reveal that out of the 5 wins, one each has come against Bangladesh, West Indies and New Zealand, and one was won against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.

It is true that India, post–Azhar era, has performed beyond reputation. We have won many trophies which we would have otherwise donated, converted possible draws to victory and losses to draws. Yet to be considered the best Test team (we were no.1 in ICC Test ranking before the drubbing in England) we haven’t done enough.

Under Dhoni we have won two major tournaments, the ICC World Cup in 2011 and T20 World Cup in 2007, but have failed to perform in semblance in the longer version of the game, away from home.

Those in know, know that Dhoni holds the record of four Test victories in his first four matches as captain, but seldom do we sit back to figure out that all of them were played in India.

Outside the cocoon of sub-continental pitches, Dhoni’s record as captain like all his predecessors has been dismal and skewed. After MSD took over in 2008, in the 17 matches played abroad, we have won 5, drawn 5 and lost 7. Further play with numbers reveal that out of the 5 wins, one each has come against Bangladesh, West Indies and New Zealand, and one was won against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. So, barring a victory in South Africa last year, there’s not much we have brought home.

The supporters of Dhoni might argue that the situation was no better before his ascend to the throne. If they do, they would be statistically correct. Since 2000, when Sourav Ganguly took over, India has appeared in 72 Test matches overseas, winning only 24 of them while they lost 26 and drew 22.

Abysmal, if statistically measured. But post the match-fixing fiasco we hardly gave a damn, and before that we hardly won many. We never associated Ganguly with stats. We could not have. If we close our eyes and try to sketch him in our imagination, the first image would be of Dada flailing his shirt from the Lord’s balcony after defeating England in the Natwest Series. Dada after the victory against Australia at home and Dada at the presentation ceremony after a series draw in Australia come second and third to me.

His role in Indian cricket was that of a sculptor, he was not to see through the exhibitions. When Kumble says, “Ganguly taught us to win abroad” he is not talking about series sweeping victories. But the self-respect and grit that the team derived from Ganguly was his contribution. Even a draw and a single victory meant a lot. He had sewn the frays to fabric, but the onus was on the next generation to build from the plinth.

Ironically, from the Ganguly-built Team India only Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and V.V.S Laxman are part of the ongoing series against Australia. While Kaif dissolved into oblivion, Yuvraj could never graduate to become a Test match player and Harbhajan’s career now appears in doldrums.

More disconcerting has been India’s batting which still seems to heavily depend on the remaining three of the fab four. In the Test matches played this season, the top three positions in the run-scorers table are occupied by Dravid, Laxman and Tendulkar. The resurgent ‘Wall’ tops the table with 1,145 runs overall and 826 runs on foreign pitches, Laxman follows with 773 runs in all and 475 abroad, and Tendulkar has accumulated 756 runs with 538 scored outside India.

The number six position in the Indian batting order has been up for grabs since Ganguly’s retirement. India has tried out Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh at different times. Raina became an amusing joke, Yuvraj has been ever-struggling and Kohli is yet to prove his worth in Test matches. At number seven, Dhoni who would have been expected to lead from front has produced 511 runs at an average of just over 26 this year which further goes down to 23 overseas.

Geoffrey Boycott’s comment, “My mom plays the rising ball better than Raina” was received with furore all over India. However blatant, it is a fact that even the new generation is prone to the same old problem of developing cold feet when faced with fast bowlers.

Our bowling without Zaheer Khan was laid naked in England. Ishant Sharma has been good but was found hungry for support. With Umesh Yadav’s seven wicket haul in this match, pace department surprisingly seems the most synchronised. The duo of Ashwin and Ojha has shown glimpses yet Jumbo’s boots are too big to fit into.

But this all I write because we have lost five on a trot. The numbers now look to have an upper-hand in the house of the couple. Yet such moments of epiphanies have come and gone. Following the usual routine, life will get back to normal. A drawn series here or a victory in the One-dayers will evaporate all these figures and transport us back to emotions’ embrace.

Debojit Dutta can be found doodling waywardly and pening absurdly on his blog Musings and Lyrics