Azhar: Down but not out at 37

When Hyderabad walks off the field after a tiring day's play at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium at Mohali on Tuesday, their captain will go home to a quiet celebration. No, Md Azharuddin is not celebrating regaining either the Indian captaincy or even a place in the side. However, on his 37th birthday, he will celebrate the fact that he has not yet been written off.

During the World Cup, scribes were calling for Azhar's sacking as the Indian team turned in one disappointing performance after another. Soon after, he was not only removed as captain, but was also dropped from the team altogether. This brought Sachin Tendulkar back at the helm. What it also did usher in was a new era - the era of Kapil Dev as coach. It is no secret that there is no love lost between Kapil and Azhar. However, it was surprising that this has led to Azhar's total exclusion from Indian cricket. While Kapil reluctantly admits that he is "not against the inclusion of Azhar or any other individual," he is also quick to add that "It was important for the selectors and the team management to agree on team selection." While the inclusion or otherwise of Azharuddin can be debated at length and no reasonable conclusion reached, most people would agree on certain things.

The first would be the shocking fielding display the Indians put up in Australia. Without exception, catches were floored in the early overs of Test matches. This proved expensive as all the Australian top order batsmen made big scores at some point or the other. The running between the wickets was another shocker as batsmen forgot even the basics, on occasion not grounding the bat, on others panicking and running helter skelter.

Going back to the series against New Zealand, all these inadequacies were present, and more. What was most baffling was the field placement. At specialised positions like the slips, sundry characters stood with hands in pockets and grassed catches that any other slip fielder - Mark Waugh, Brian Lara or Graeme Hick would have pouched nine times out of ten. When Azharuddin was the captain, this kind of musical chairs never happened. Add to this, the fact that Azhar's right hand man and India's No 1 stumper Nayan Mongia has also found himself in the wilderness and you have the perfect recipe for mediocrity in the field. As Mongia's replacements, both MSK Prasad and Sameer Dighe have proven themselves well below international standards.

It is not excessive to connect the various events in Indian cricket with the people in charge. All in all, despite the reverses suffered, Indian cricket was healthier with Azhar at the helm.