Riding a rollercoaster

Beyond the clouds one day, and a descent into hell the next. Such schizophrenic performances encapsulated Indian cricket in 2006. A year of several highs also brought with it crashing lows, and the all-too-familiar struggle for consistency. In the early part of the year, the one-day side was in sensational form, breaking the record for the most successful run chases (17) on the trot, even as the Test team offered up underwhelming displays in Pakistan and at home against England. By May though, roles had been reversed, with a trip to the Caribbean providing a hammering in the one-day series and Test-match dominance not accurately reflected by the 1-0 scoreline.

That trend was to continue right to the end, with the limited-overs outfit coming apart at the seams in a tri-series in Malaysia, at the Champions Trophy and in South Africa. That last assignment was truly the nadir - a 4-0 shellacking that will force a major rethink ahead of the World Cup in the Caribbean. Not surprisingly, the downturn in fortunes was inextricably linked to the failure of some key cogs in the one-day machine. Irfan Pathan, who had been in stellar allround form during the hot streak, started to resemble an imposter with the ball, and runs dried up for the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. At the top of the order, it was even worse, with Virender Sehwag having to look as far back as April 2005 for his last three-figure score.

After crushing defeats at Karachi and Mumbai - against an England side missing key personnel, and driven mostly by Andrew Flintoff's inspirational display - the Test team revived to finish the year strongly. Victory in the Caribbean, India's first in 35 years, was a sign that things were coming together, and a shock triumph at the Wanderers, the first on South African soil in four tours, breathed life into a series that was expected to be a cakewalk for the home side.

The Test arena also saw the comeback story of the year, with Sourav Ganguly contributing a gutsy half-century in the Wanderers triumph less than a year after being jettisoned following a Karachi defeat where he batted better than most of his compatriots. Having flirted with youthful exuberance and failed, India were back to the batting core that had served them for much of the millennium. The one unfamiliar face was Wasim Jaffer, who made a century on his return from exile in Nagpur before reeling off a polished double in the Caribbean.

On the bowling side of things, Anil Kumble toiled on as old warriors do, and India unearthed two pace-bowling gems in Munaf Patel and Sreesanth. Munaf picked up seven on debut in Mohali, winning the match with an inspired spell of quick reverse swing, while Sreesanth used conventional outswing and an immaculate seam position to devastate South Africa at the Wanderers.

Rahul Dravid led the way with the bat, scoring two centuries as makeshift opener in Pakistan, before scripting supreme innings of 68 and 81 that clinched victory on a dubious pitch at Sabina Park. While his one-day report card as captain went from B to D, the Test one improved to a B. The real examination will be in 2007, when tours of England and Australia will reveal just how many of the younger bunch have what it takes to survive in the shark-infested waters of international cricket.

It's hard to look beyond Munaf, but Sreesanth just edges it for his bowling in South Africa. After two Tests, he already had 16 wickets at 18, including a match-winning 5 for 40 in the first innings at the Wanderers. Capable of nudging the speedo beyond 140 km/h, he got beautiful shape on his outswingers. Aside from the wrist and seam position that had the experts purring, his eccentric antics, plaintive appeals and sledges - funny and not - also grabbed attention. By year-end in Durban, he was signing as many autographs as Sachin Tendulkar.

Fading star
Irfan Pathan's descent from hat-trick heaven in Karachi to Ranji Trophy purgatory by year-end is well-documented, but even that was eclipsed by Sachin Tendulkar's miserable 12 months. Having spent three months out with shoulder surgery in the middle of the year, he shone sporadically in one-day games but endured one of his worst runs as a Test player. In eight games, he managed a paltry 267 runs, and the lone half-century came in the year's final Test at Kingsmead. He finished the year with 0 in another botched run chase, and it was hard to see a reversal of fortune, with India's next Test assignments being in England and Australia.

High point
The 4-1 one-day triumph in Pakistan and Sabina Park were obvious candidates until Sreesanth sparked the most stunning of Test victories in Johannesburg. In nine previous Tests in South Africa, India had rarely had a whiff of success. At the Wanderers, they romped home by 123 runs.

Low point
To have a team down at 0 for 3, and 39 for 6, and then lose isn't just unfortunate, it borders on the unacceptable. To be fair, Kamran Akmal played a once-in-a-lifetime innings, but India then dug their own grave with listless batting. But even that 341-run debacle was trumped in Mumbai, where a dismal final-day collapse gave men like Shaun Udal their moment in the sun.

What does 2007 hold?
The World Cup remains an enduring obsession, and after the failures of the past few months, the team management will surely revert back to experienced hands in time for the Caribbean odyssey. A place in the semi-finals would be an acceptable return, anything beyond that an unexpected bonus that will trigger off frenzied celebrations. On the flip side, failure to progress beyond the Super Eights will keep the effigy makers and burners in thriving business.

After the one-day adventures are over, Test tours of England and Australia beckon. For a couple of the seniors, those will be the last steps on a long and fulfilling journey, and they'll be desperate not to stumble in search of that golden sunset. Whether that desperation alone will be good enough is a moot point.

Looking to the future, the bowling side of things appears to be taken care of, though a quality spinner - where have you gone, Piyush Chawla? - would be a welcome addition. On the batting front, there are no obvious replacements ready for fading stars, a sobering situation for a country that's always taken immense pride from the run-making feats of some of its legends.