Playing It My Way: My Autobiography
Page 28
4th Test. Mumbai. 3–5 November 2004
India 104 (R Dravid 31*, SR Tendulkar 5; JN Gillespie 4–29, NM Hauritz 3–16, MS Kasprowicz 2–11) and 205 (VVS Laxman 69, SR Tendulkar 55; MJ Clarke 6–9, GD McGrath 2–29)
Australia 203 (DR Martyn 55; A Kumble 5–90, M Kartik 4–44) and 93 (ML Hayden 24; H Singh 5–29, M Kartik 3–32)
India won by 13 runs
Australia won the series 2–1
South Africa in India 2004
1st Test. Kanpur. 20–24 November 2004
South Africa 510–9 dec (AJ Hall 163, Z de Bruyn 83, HH Dippenaar 48; A Kumble 6–131) and 169–4 (GC Smith 47; M Kartik 2–17, H Singh 2–39)
India 466 (V Sehwag 164, G Gambhir 96, SC Ganguly 57, R Dravid 54, SR Tendulkar 3; AJ Hall 3–93, M Ntini 3–135)
Match drawn
2nd Test. Kolkata. 28 November–2 December 2004
South Africa 305 (JH Kallis 121, JA Rudolph 61; Z Khan 3–64, IK Pathan 3–72) and 222 (GC Smith 71, JH Kallis 55; H Singh 7–87, A Kumble 3–82)
India 411 (V Sehwag 88, R Dravid 80, SR Tendulkar 20; M Ntini 4–112) and 120–2 (R Dravid 47*, SR Tendulkar 32)
India won by 8 wickets
India won the series 1–0
India in Bangladesh 2004
1st Test. Dhaka. 10–13 December 2004
Bangladesh 184 (M Ashraful 60*, M Rafique 47; IK Pathan 5–45) and 202 (MI Rana 69, N Iqbal 54; IK Pathan 6–51)
India 526 (SR Tendulkar 248*, SC Ganguly 71, G Gambhir 35, VVS Laxman 32)
India won by an innings and 140 runs
2nd Test. Chittagong. 17–20 December 2004
India 540 (R Dravid 160, G Gambhir 139, SC Ganguly 88, H Singh 47, SR Tendulkar 36; M Rafique 4–156, M Mortaza 3–60)
Bangladesh 333 (M Ashraful 158*, A Ahmed 43; A Kumble 4–55) and 124 (f/o) (T Jubair 31; IK Pathan 5–32, SR Tendulkar 1–27)
India won by an innings and 83 runs
India won the series 2–0
Pakistan in India 2005
1st Test. Mohali. 8–12 March 2005
Pakistan 312 (A Kamal 91, Inzamam-ul-Haq 57, T Umar 44; L Balaji 5–76) and 496–9 dec (K Akmal 109, Inzamam-ul-Haq 86, A Razzaq 71, Y Youhana 68; L Balaji 4–95, A Kumble 4–160)
India 516 (V Sehwag 173, SR Tendulkar 94, VVS Laxman 58, R Dravid 50; D Kaneria 6–150) and 85–1
Match drawn
2nd Test. Kolkata. 16–20 March 2005
India 407 (R Dravid 110, V Sehwag 81, SR Tendulkar 52; A Razzaq 3–62, S Afridi 3–80, D Kaneria 3–136) and 407–9 dec (R Dravid 135, KD Karthik 93, SR Tendulkar 52; A Razzaq 3–80, M Sami 3–82, D Kaneria 3–123)
Pakistan 393 (Y Khan 147, Y Youhana 104; A Kumble 3–98) and 226 (S Afridi 59, A Kamal 50; A Kumble 7–63)
India won by 195 runs
3rd Test. Bangalore. 24–28 March 2005
Pakistan 570 (Y Khan 267, Inzamam-ul-Haq 184; H Singh 6–152) and 261–2 dec (Y Khan 84*, Y Hameed 76, S Afridi 58; SR Tendulkar 1–62)
India 449 (V Sehwag 201, VVS Laxman 79*, SR Tendulkar 41; D Kaneria 5–127) and 214 (G Gambhir 52, SR Tendulkar 16; S Afridi 3–13, A Khan 2–21, D Kaneria 2–46)
Pakistan won by 168 runs
Series drawn 1–1
Sri Lanka in India 2005
1st Test. Chennai. 2–6 December 2005
India 167 (V Sehwag 36, SR Tendulkar 22; WPUJC Vaas 4–20, M Muralitharan 2–60)
Sri Lanka 168–4 (DPMD Jayawardene 71; A Kumble 3–41)
Match drawn
2nd Test. Delhi. 10–14 December 2005
India 290 (SR Tendulkar 109, VVS Laxman 69; M Muralitharan 7–100) and 375–6 dec (IK Pathan 93, Y Singh 77*, R Dravid 53, MS Dhoni 51*, SR Tendulkar 16)
Sri Lanka 230 (MS Atapattu 88, DPMD Jayawardene 60; A Kumble 6–72, IK Pathan 3–34) and 247 (MS Atapattu 67, DPMD Jayawardene 67; A Kumble 4–85, H. Singh 3–70)
India won by 188 runs
3rd Test. Ahmedabad. 18–22 December 2005
India 398 (VVS Laxman 104, IK Pathan 82, MS Dhoni 49, SR Tendulkar 23; SL Malinga 3–113, M Muralitharan 3–128) and 316–9 dec (Y Singh 75, AB Agarkar 48, SR Tendulkar 19; HMCM Bandara 3–84, M Muralitharan 3–90)
Sri Lanka 206 (TM Dilshan 65, KC Sangakkara 41; H Singh 7–62, A Kumble 2–87) and 249 (TM Dilshan 65, DPMD Jayawardene 57, WU Tharanga 47; A Kumble 5–89, H Singh 3–79)
India won by 259 runs
India won the series 2–0
India in Pakistan 2006
1st Test. Lahore. 13–17 January 2006
Pakistan 679–7 dec (Y Khan 199, M Yousuf 173, S Afridi 103, K Akmal 102*, S Malik 59; AB Agarkar 2–122)
India 410–1 (V Sehwag 254, R Dravid 128*; Naved-ul-Hasan 1–94)
Match drawn
2nd Test. Faisalabad. 21–25 January 2006
Pakistan 588 (S Afridi 156, Inzamam-ul-Haq 119, Y Khan 83, M Yousuf 65; Z Khan 3–135, A Kumble 3–150) and 490–8 dec (Y Khan 194, M Yousuf 126, K Akmal 78; Z Khan 4–61)
India 603 (MS Dhoni 148, R Dravid 103, VVS Laxman 90, IK Pathan 90, SR Tendulkar 14; D Kaneria 3–165) and 21–0
Match drawn
3rd Test. Karachi. 29 January–1 Feb 2006
Pakistan 245 (K Akmal 113, A Razzaq 45, S Akhtar 45; IK Pathan 5–61, RP Singh 3–66) and 599–7 dec (F Iqbal 139, M Yousuf 97, A Razzaq 90, Y Khan 77, S Afridi 60, I Farhat 57, S Butt 53; A Kumble 3–151)
India 238 (Y Singh 45, IK Pathan 40, SR Tendulkar 23; M Asif 4–78, A Razzaq 3–67) and 265 (Y Singh 122, SR Tendulkar 26; A Razzaq 4–88, M Asif 3–48)
Pakistan won by 341 runs
Pakistan won the series 1–0
England in India 2006
1st Test. Nagpur. 1–5 March 2006
England 393 (PD Collingwood 134*, AN Cook 60; S Sreesanth 4–95, IK Pathan 3–92) and 297–3 dec (AN Cook 104*, KP Pietersen 87, AJ Strauss 46; IK Pathan 2–48)
India 323 (M Kaif 91, W Jaffer 81, A Kumble 58, SR Tendulkar 16; MJ Hoggard 6–57) and 260–6 (W Jaffer 100, R Dravid 71, SR Tendulkar 28*; SJ Harmison 2–48, A Flintoff 2–79)
Match drawn
2nd Test. Mohali. 9–13 March 2006
England 300 (A Flintoff 70, KP Pietersen 64, GO Jones 52; A Kumble 5–76, MM Patel 3–72) and 181 (IR Bell 57, A Flintoff 51; MM Patel 4–25, A Kumble 4–70)
India 338 (R Dravid 95, IK Pathan 52, SR Tendulkar 4; A Flintoff 4–96) and 144–1 (V Sehwag 76*, R Dravid 42*; MJ Hoggard 1–24)
India won by 9 wickets
3rd Test. Mumbai. 18–22 March 2006
England 400 (AJ Strauss 128, OA Shah 88, A Flintoff 50; S Sreesanth 4–70, H Singh 3–89) and 191 (A Flintoff 50, OA Shah 38; A Kumble 4–49, H Singh 2–40)
India 279 (MS Dhoni 64, R Dravid 52, SR Tendulkar 1; JM Anderson 4–40, MJ Hoggard 2–54) and 100 (SR Tendulkar 34; SD Udal 4–14, A Flintoff 3–14, JM Anderson 2–39)
England won by 212 runs
Series drawn 1–1
17
‘ENDULKAR’
My primary goal now was to win the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. We had made the final four years earlier and had faltered at the very last hurdle. We were all desperate to go one better this time and expectations at home were very high.
We played well in our two practice matches against the Netherlands and the West Indies in Jamaica in early March. We scored 300 batting first against the Netherlands, for a decisive 182-run win, and in the next match our bowlers polished off the West Indies for 85, setting up a nine-wicket victory. We seemed to be getting into a good rhythm for our first group match against Bangladesh on 17 March, but at the same time there was no question of being complacent or taking them lightly. Bangladesh had beaten decent opposition before.
The match was tough for many reasons. When we batted, the pitch was damp and it was extremely difficult to play shots in the firs
t ten overs. Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s medium-fast bowler, was performing well and we had lost two early wickets when I went in to bat. I was batting at number four in this competition, as requested by the team management. I was perhaps a little surprised to bat in that position, because we had experimented with my batting position before, on the eve of the 2003 World Cup, only to agree that I could contribute most as an opener. But the team management’s theory was that the tracks in the West Indies would be slow and low and I would be able to manoeuvre the spinners in the middle of the innings. As it turned out, almost all the wickets had bounce and movement and the strategy backfired on us.
My plan was to see off the new ball before gradually picking up the scoring rate. Sourav and I successfully negotiated the early swing and, with the spinners on, I decided to play an inside-out shot over extra cover. Unfortunately the ball from left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak hit the inside edge of my bat, ricocheted into my pad and went on to hit the stumps. It was not the start to the World Cup I had hoped for.
Not much went right for us on the day. Although Sourav scored 66 while opening the batting, Rahul, the captain, made only 14 and then Dhoni got out for a duck trying to play a cut shot, caught at short third man. It was one of those days when things just didn’t click and we ended up with a below-par score of 191. In reply Tamim Iqbal, the left-handed opening batsman, gave Bangladesh a quick start and they managed to reach the target fairly easily in the end, with five wickets to spare.
Not all was lost after one defeat, however, and there was still time to pull things round. We knew we had to win the two remaining group matches and that the run rate might come into the equation. In our second match against Bermuda, we went out and played our shots and won by 257 runs. Thanks to our total of 413, the net run rate had been beefed up and we only had to beat Sri Lanka to progress to the next stage.
We started well against Sri Lanka on 23 March and kept their score to a manageable 254. There’s little doubt that we were capable of chasing down that total, but despite our best efforts things did not go to plan. I got an inside edge to a ball from fast bowler Dilhara Fernando; hearing the ball hitting the stumps in such a crucial match was devastating. When we were all out for 185 the dressing room was in shock and some of the players were in tears. Most were just completely silent. I found it very difficult to get over the disappointment. It was definitely one of the lowest points of my cricket career.
A difficult homecoming
After we returned to India, the media followed me back home and it hurt when I heard my own people doubting the commitment of the players. The media had every right to criticize us for failing, but to say we were not focused on the job was not fair. We had failed to fulfil the expectations of the fans, but that did not mean we should be labelled traitors. At times the reaction was surprisingly hostile and some of the players were worried about their safety.
Headlines like ‘Endulkar’ hurt deeply. After eighteen years in international cricket, it was tough to see things come to this and retirement crossed my mind. My family and friends like Sanjay Nayak did all they could to cheer me up and after a week I decided to do something about it. I started to do some running, to try to sweat the World Cup out of my head.
On top of all this our coach, Greg Chappell, was publicly questioning our commitment and instead of asking us to take fresh guard, was making matters worse. It seems to me that Greg Chappell must take a lot of responsibility for the mess. I don’t think I would be far off the mark if I said that most of us felt that Indian cricket was going nowhere under Chappell.
In my opinion, Indian cricket benefited significantly when the BCCI decided to end Chappell’s tenure in April 2007. Several of our senior players were relieved to see him go, which was hardly surprising because, for reasons hard to comprehend, he had not treated them particularly fairly. His attitude to Sourav, for example, was astonishing. Chappell is on record as saying that he may have got the job because of Sourav but that did not mean he was going to do favours to Sourav for the rest of his life. Frankly, Sourav is one of the best cricketers India has produced and he did not need favours from Chappell to be part of the team.
Chappell seemed intent on dropping all the older players and in the process damaged the harmony of the side. On one occasion, he asked VVS Laxman to consider opening the batting. Laxman politely turned him down, saying he had tried opening in the first half of his career because he was confused, but now he was settled in the middle order and Greg should consider him as a middle-order batsman. Greg’s response stunned us all. He told Laxman he should be careful, because making a comeback at the age of thirty-two might not be easy.
Unlike John Wright and Gary Kirsten, who coached India before and after Greg and made a priority of keeping the players happy, Greg was like a ringmaster who imposed his ideas on the players without showing any signs of being concerned about whether they felt comfortable or not. In fact, I later found out that Greg had spoken to the BCCI about the need to remove the senior players, no doubt hoping to refresh the team.
I also remember that every time India won, Greg could be seen leading the team to the hotel or into the team bus, but every time India lost he would thrust the players in front. In general John and Gary always preferred to stay in the background, but Greg liked to be prominent in the media.
Just months before the World Cup, Chappell had come to see me at home and, to my dismay, suggested that I should take over the captaincy from Rahul Dravid. Anjali, who was sitting with me, was equally shocked to hear him say that ‘together, we could control Indian cricket for years,’ and that he would help me in taking over the reins of the side. I was surprised to hear the coach not showing the slightest amount of respect for the captain, with cricket’s biggest tournament just months away. I rejected his proposition outright. He stayed for a couple of hours, trying to convince me, before finally leaving.
A few days after Greg had come to my house, I suggested to the BCCI that the best option would be to keep Greg back in India and not send him with the team to the World Cup. I also said that we as senior players could take control of the side and keep the team together. That’s not what happened, of course, and the 2007 campaign ended in disaster.
Greg has since written a lot of things about the Indian cricket team. Perhaps it is time to set matters straight. It came to light later that Greg was being filmed for a documentary, Guru Greg, during this period which went into a lot of detail about what was happening behind the scenes. It says a great deal about his tenure as coach that I and other players did not even know about this. Why were the players never asked if they felt comfortable with this? I wonder if he had permission from the BCCI to record his documentary. Wasn’t it a clear infringement of the players’ privacy?
While we may never get answers to these questions, suffice to say that Greg’s tenure as coach was the worst of my career. There is no doubt we failed as a collective in 2007, but his high-handed manner added to our disappointment and, in the immediate aftermath of defeat, had a harmful impact on Indian cricket.
Unwelcome opinions
The outrage in India after the 2007 World Cup was not helped by armchair experts who were sitting thousands of miles away but still passing judgement on Indian cricket and suggesting I should ‘have a good long look into the mirror’ and think about retiring. Such opinions, which were published in Indian newspapers, provoked fans across the country. I have never quite understood why Ian Chappell, who was merely reporting on the game, should have got a headline in the Indian press. Would any of our former players commenting on Ricky Ponting or Michael Clarke have had a headline in the Melbourne Age or the Sydney Morning Herald? Chappell would have done better to stick to Australian cricket.
I remember meeting Ian Chappell in Durban in 2010 during the Champions League Twenty20 and having a most interesting discussion with him. I bumped into him as I was coming out of a health club after a session in the gym with my phys
io, Nitin Patel, who was party to the entire exchange. Ian started the conversation by saying that now he knew the secret behind my scoring big runs. I reminded him that he was conveniently changing his stand, considering what he’d written about mirrors and retirement in 2007. I said to him that I had not done what he suggested back then because I was well aware of what I needed to do and how much cricket I had left in me.
I also said that critics like him change with the wind. When the going is good, they write positive things and when the going gets tough, they start making a lot of negative comments without ever trying to find out what actually is going through a player’s body or mind. He then asked me if I had changed the weight of my bat. I told him that I hadn’t changed a thing and was doing exactly what I had been doing for twenty long years. He was the one who had conveniently changed his opinion because I had been scoring heavily between 2008 and 2010.
Finally the conversation moved to Greg. I told Ian bluntly that Greg had not been popular and I would not want to share a dressing room with him again. Ian attempted to argue that Greg had always had a problem trying to understand failure and had had issues as captain of Australia. I said that that was not my concern and all that mattered to me was that he had failed to take Indian cricket forward. Ian was most surprised to hear all this. In fact, Nitin Patel told me soon after that I was the last person he had expected to lash out like this.
A welcome phone call
All in all, I was in a bad state after the 2007 World Cup. I was not enjoying my cricket at all and was thinking about retiring – until I received some encouraging words from Viv Richards. Out of the blue, he called me in India from the West Indies and we spoke for about forty-five minutes. He assured me that there was a lot of cricket left in me and insisted that I shouldn’t even think about stopping playing.