Raising the game

India’s recent series win over England was special for many reasons: Bouncing back from a crushing defeat in the first Test, Axar Patel enjoying a debut series of his wildest dreams, and the team successfully qualifying for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC). Above all, India was able to vanquish the visitors minus some of its key players in home conditions. While their absence will most probably be just a footnote when the eulogy of this spectacular triumph is written, an Indian team, in any other era, would have most likely struggled without the quality of Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami and K L Rahul, who were all absent through injury. Not to mention Jasprit Bumrah, India’s pace spearhead who played just the two games against England.

Naturally then, Head Coach Ravi Shastri earlier this week spoke glowingly about the side’s bench strength, even saying that India has the luxury of fielding two different XIs. While that may be a slight exaggeration, there is little doubt that India has an unrivalled talent pool in world cricket. Across formats, each position has multiple contenders. Take, for instance, the opening slot in Tests: Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were preferred against England, but the selectors can also call upon the likes of Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw. Similarly, the fast-bowling department boasts of formidable options such as Bumrah, Shami, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur. For a country that was once reliant on a handful of match winners, that makes for staggering depth.

One of the reasons why India finds itself in a position of such great comfort is the significant contribution of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Being the wealthiest cricket administrative body in the world obviously helps, but the BCCI merits credit for investing in infrastructure, coaching, player salaries and age-group cricket. Spanking new facilities — like the stadium in Ahmedabad — are testament to that. Additionally, the National Cricket Academy, now under the aegis of Rahul Dravid, has helped in nurturing young players, ensuring an endless supply of talent to the national team. But perhaps the biggest differentiator has been the Indian Premier League (IPL). For all its financial shenanigans of the past, there is no denying that the IPL has improved Indian cricket immensely. Not only has the tournament emerged as a way for lesser-known players to show their quality but it has also granted them the chance to play alongside some of the top international stars around. Had it not been for the IPL, such exposure would have been impossible to find.

This has allowed India to produce different players for different conditions, ones who can step up in times of need. In the series win in Australia, for example, non-regulars such as Siraj, Thakur and Washington Sundar, all made valuable contributions during crucial moments. Excelling in the heat of the battle may well be a consequence of playing in the IPL — young players now are introduced to high-pressure environments much before they make it to international cricket. The wealth of talent available will no doubt pose a headache for Virat Kohli when India take on New Zealand in the WTC final in June. But it’s a wonderful problem to have — one that confirms India’s status as the most dominant Test side of its time.