Tendulkar's ton must rank among his finest

A boring Test series, marked by much mediocre cricket and lopsided results was at least enlivened by a well-contested final Test at the Eden Gardens even if the denouement was rather tame. But the fluctuating fortunes and sudden twists and turns made for a rather engrossing encounter particularly against the background of the disappointing events at Mumbai and Chennai. Going into the final day, any one of three results was possible and in the end, India salvaged their reputation by comfortably drawing a game in which West Indies had called the tune for most part.

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However, India can still take heart from events in the Kolkata Test. Much has been said about the Indian batting might but this has centered round running up massive totals on good wickets and when things are running in their favour. At the Eden Gardens, the Indians showed that their batting could be mighty handy even in a rearguard action. A first-innings deficit of 139 runs with almost two days left is enough to put immense and sustained pressure on a side. It is to the credit of the batsmen that they did not crumble, even after they were 87 for four. At this stage, defeat was a distinct possibility but a closing total of 471 for eight underlined the strength of the Indian batting.

The recovery was scripted by Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman and their 214-run partnership for the fifth wicket that brought back vivid memories of the Laxman-Dravid record stand against Australia in March last year on the same ground. Tendulkar's innings was really on a different plane altogether and even by his own lofty standards, the 176 will take its place among the finest of the 31 hundreds notched up by the maestro.

The manner in which he made the runs confirmed his stature as the world's leading batsman. Even in a crisis situation, it was never a typically rearguard action which is usually marked by dour, defensive batting. Judiciously mixing caution with aggression, he never gave the bowlers much of a chance. Soon after he came in, his steely eyes, grim determination and intense concentration were all there to see and he gave early indications of a long stay at the crease. He did not disappoint, staying at the crease for seven hours and negotiating 298 deliveries. But, as I said, it was not a totally defensive knock, indicative of his having stroked 26 fours.

The little master realised that making runs was almost as important as consuming time. Tactically it was a masterly knock. Yes, the Indians are well served in their omnipotent department by the likes of Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag, Bangar and Laxman but there is little doubt as to who is the dada of them all.

I have often wondered why Laxman has been inconsistent. The Hyderabadi stylist, a direct descendant of ML Jaisimha and Azharuddin, is a batsman who has class written all over him. Some of the shots he plays are all his own and beyond the reach of any other batsman. That being the case, I am unable to fathom why he does not play his full regalia of strokes, which are straight from the textbook and with greater freedom, now that he is certain of a place in the side.

Under the circumstances, he should not be lacking in confidence and one can only hope that his unbeaten 154 at Kolkata for which he batted almost nine hours, will mark the final turning point in his career. A true team man, he initially eschewed strokes, keen to give Tendulkar as much strike as possible before going full throttle himself after the dismissal of his partner. I refuse to believe that Laxman's current career average of 42 which is a pretty big leap following events in the past three years is reflective of his talent, class and skill. There is no earthly reason why it should not be in the 50-plus category. But having celebrated his 28th birthday during the Test, he has time on his hands and the thought that his best could still lie ahead is a good augury for Indian cricket.

On a pitch that remained true till the end, the Indian bowlers were up against it, though, Harbhajan Singh confirmed his rising stature by finishing with another five-wicket haul. Fittingly enough, he walked away with the man of the series award for his tally of 20 wickets. But if the series underscored his rise, it also signaled another step downward for Anil Kumble. There are now distinct signs that India's main strike bowler in the last decade is in the evening of his career.

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I was never happy with Javagal Srinath's decision to come back and his subsequent inclusion in the side. With just four wickets from 53 overs at an average of 31.75 in the series, he is quite clearly another bowler over the hill and it is time the selectors firmly installed Zaheer Khan as the spearhead of the attack while keeping their eyes open for new talent - and there are a few young pacemen around.

From the West Indian point of view, the foremost feeling must be one of relief that they avoided a clean sweep that was on the cards on the eve of the Test. But then there must also be a sense of regret that they could not capitalise on a winning position. Of the two weak departments, there were certainly more question marks over the bowling than the batting and this proved to their Achilles heel. Also, the decision to go in with four pace bowlers and no specialist spinner proved to be a tactical blunder. But then in the ultimate analysis, the tourists never really had a chance and a 2-0 result is a fair indication of the disparity between the two teams. However, the one-day matches that follow should be close-run affairs, particularly with Sachin Tendulkar out of the series.