The darkest hour comes before the dawn

Was the year 2000 Indian cricket's annus horribilis? For the most part it was, but yet there was much that was salvaged from the debris of the match-fixing scandal. After many soul-wrenching moments, the promise of a bright and expectant dawn has been ushered in under the new dispensation of Saurav Ganguly & John Wright. Collaring Zimbabwe at home may not be an achievement to crow about but it showed that the pieces are gradually falling into place after the game was shaken up as never before.

The defining event of the year simply refused to get off the front pages. Disbelief turned into anger as the first rumblings initiated by the Delhi police grew into an earthquake of overwhelming proportions. A lot of muck was raked, a lot of charges traded, and the Board watched and wavered for months before summoning up the courage to meet the crisis aggressively. The punishments handed out may not have closed the lid on the affair - the prospect of a prolonged litigation through the courts looms ahead. But more than any effete Code of Conduct, the stigma attached to the crime will serve as a powerful deterrent to prospective offenders. It may still be possible to rehabilitate those disgraced but only if they publicly admit the extent of their involvement and their sincere regret. Till then they will remain shamed by the public and rightfully so.

One signal service effected by the scandal was the forcible removal of Kapil Dev as coach of the Indian team. While Kapil may have been blameless in that episode, he was culpable of being one of the most mediocre coaches in the ten years the job was in existence. The flogging in Australia followed by the first Test series defeat at home in 13 years against South Africa marked a painfully low ebb in the team's fortunes. It also marked the end of Sachin Tendulkar's second term as captain. Having taken on the mantle with utmost reluctance, he lasted barely five months in the saddle before putting an end to his own misery by resigning. For all his natural gifts, he was unable to inspire his men to escape from the depths of mediocrity.

Saurav Ganguly's taking over as captain marked the first change in approach. The first point in his favour was the assurance of a steady reign at the top - there were no other pretenders for the job, certainly not the self-effacing Rahul Dravid. Ganguly gives the impression of being slightly aloof from the boys but he offsets that defect by being passionately driven to winning. After the defeat against New Zealand in the final of the ICC KnockOut, he did not settle for taking consolation in India's wins over Australia and South Africa en route. "I believe there is no place for losers" was his catchphrase, a sentiment that a public fed up with losing found much to identify in.

There is a certain brashness about him - exemplified by the one match suspension against Zimbabwe - that appeals to the galleries just like the villain who breaks convention raises more cheer than any namby-pamby hero could. The Board's initiative to bring in John Wright, the other member of the Indian think-tank, as foreign coach came in for carping from a bunch of former players. They perceived the implied suggestion that there was no one qualified amongst them to do the job as an affront. It would be premature to judge Wright on one series but the amiable yet no-nonsense Kiwi has brought in a sense of purpose to every activity and the players seem to be comfortable across the rank and file. Watching the team going through their routines at the nets, it was clear that while the central theme was to have fun, the lively banter did not mask the deadly serious effort put into the exercise.

In just over a month and a half, the all-conquering Australians will be here for what promises to be a riveting contest. The Zimbabwe series showed that all the Indian guns look to be well-oiled and in excellent firing condition. There are a few areas where the Indians are short of ammunition starting from the top. The opening pair is still to establish itself, and could be exposed against an Australian pace attack radically more venomous than the one that came visiting three seasons ago. While the middle order is intimidating, the absence of an allrounder at No.6 - someone who could bowl 15 overs a day in Wright's words - adversely affects team balance. The lack of adequate support to Anil Kumble in the spin department is also worrisome. For all these perceived defects however, the nucleus of a team for the future is indubitably in place.

That owes in no small measure to the Board knuckling down and founding the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore in May. While the abundant supply of gifted youth was testified to by India's triumph in the Under-19 World Cup in January, there had been little effort in the direction of honing the raw talent into a formidable fighting-force. This was precisely the task the NCA took upon itself and the impact was unambiguously positive. Several young men infiltrated the Indian team beginning with the ICC Knockout, raising the energy level in the field and making for a more competitive unit. "Youth is such a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on the young", said Shaw. Das, Zaheer, Badani, Yuvraj, Sodhi, Sriram, Dahiya, Kaif... if their spirit can spread across the ranks, there could be much to warm Indian hearts in the New Year.