Azhar's recall a retrograde step
The recall of Md Azharuddin and Nayan Mongia to the Test was always on the cards following the disaster `Down Under'
S Jagadish
21-Feb-2000
The recall of Md Azharuddin and Nayan Mongia to the Test was
always on the cards following the disaster `Down Under'. However
Sachin Tendulkar's decision to step down after the Tests was totally
unexpected. Effectively the inclusion of Azharuddin in team has given
Indian cricket followers the impression that the reserves aren't good
enough. But is the impression correct?
Apart from the old guard of Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, Srinath,
Kumble and Prasad, the rest of the side in Australia had a total
experience of around 40 Tests. Effectively the squad's selection was
such that one or two test rookies were being thrust into a tough
tour which involved Tests against the best side in the world and a one-day
series along with the two World Cup finalists. To expect such a side
to come out of the tour unscathed was too much to ask for.
The selectors erred by not trying out the youngsters for a
longer duration prior to the Australian tour. India played a number
of one-day matches (at venues from Toronto to Singapore) after the
World Cup.
The new players who went to Australia would have been in the
selectors' lists for a while after the disappointing showing at the
World Cup. Players like Kumaran, Gandhi, Harbhajan and Bharadwaj were
hardly given enough opportunities before the Australian tour. It was
always going to be too much to expect them to perform at
international standards. So this inexperienced team went to Australia
and got beaten black and blue.
Predictably the calls went out for the reinstatement of Azharuddin,
Jadeja and Mongia in the side. Jadeja has never been a Test quality
player. Mongia's exclusion for the Australian series was a blunder of
the highest order. Which brings us to the Most Favoured Man of the
moment - Azharuddin. By recalling Azharuddin, the selectors have
shown that they do not have faith in the abilities of the younger
batsmen. Four of the five selectors have been international cricketers
and it perhaps wasn't as obvious to them as it is to me that it is
absolutely impossible to expect a world class performance from
someone who has played a Test or two, especially against a world beating
side like Australia.
Now that Azharuddin has been recalled for the first Test, it will be
interesting to see what the selectors will do if he fails. Will they
retain him for the second? If he fails, will he then be dropped like a
hot potato and never discussed again at selection committee meetings?
If he succeeds, will he retain his place in the side for a while or
will he retire having played his 100 Tests? Is Azhar retaining his
place in the side the best thing at the moment for Indian cricket?
For how much longer will the selectors shy away from taking decisions
which take Indian cricket forward?