After Dada...Who Next???

As I write this post after the conclusion of the first test between the Indians and Australians, I can very well claim that my comments in my earlier on the post (Indo-Aussie tour) stood justified. It did not produce a result and both the teams did not exhibit aggression, barring a short while when Dhoni was captaining. The test could have had a result had either Hayden or Viru fired with the bat. I just hope that either of them fire and the Mohali test produces a result.

Now to back to the topic…Dada has announced his retirement from all forms of the game just before the Aussie tour. A batting slot in the national team is up for grabs and there are many young players such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kolhi vying for that spot in the test team. The next question is who will fill the shoes for this legendary Southpaw, who has scored more than 15,000 runs in both forms of the game. This question has to be answered in two parts. First, finding a replacement for Ganguly in the test team is not going to tough because he was never a good test match player. He was placed lower down the order and never faced the new ball, something important for any good test cricketer. He was one that entertainer of the game who played free-flowing strokes and his style of cricket suited the shorter version of the game. Replacing him in the ODI team would have been difficult if he had retired some three-four years back when he was in his prime form. Now that he is not an effective ODI player and not the permanent part of the team, it will be easier to replace him from the side. There are again a bunch of players vying for his spot in the national side. I don’t mean to say he does not have any cricket left in him. He does have few years left in him, which may let him play for some more years in the Ranji and the IPL. He will still be playing the IPL not because he plays good cricket, but because he is a great crowd-puller, after all he is the “Prince of Kolkata”.

The next question in every ones mind is who will be the next casualty. Who will be the next form the “Fab Five” (Kumble included) to retire (or kicked out)???


There is no way Sachin will be kicked out of the side for the fan following he enjoys in India and abroad. He is well past his prime and the selector might have better replacements for him, but no way are they dropping him. The next player in the Fab Five is Dravid, the “wall” which has started to crack. Another legendary player, who has more that 20,000 runs to his credit in both forms of the game. He is one of the finest players that game has seen in the last decade, having performed in all parts of the world. He is already out of the ODI side and is expected to play in the test side for at least the next one year. Unlike Ganguly, he has never been in any controversies and has been one of those very few who played this “gentlemen’s game”, the way it is supposed to be.
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Next in line is “Jumbo”, Anil Kumble. He is a player who not only commands respect from his own countrymen but also his opponents. He is the oldest player in the side and most successful Indian bowler. He is know for the on-field aggression and still deceives batsmen of spin(not with spin).

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And the last of the Fab Five is Very Very Slow(VVS) Laxman. Anyone who has tracked Indian cricket wonders why this man from Hyderabad is included in this list of fabulous men. Only reason (that I can think of) for his inclusion in this list is his classic performances against Australia. This guys cricketing career coincided with the decade where the Aussies excelled in all forms of cricket. This chap was able to perform “down under”, that to against the best bowlers of all time such as McGrath, Shane Warne and Brett Lee. His 281 in Kolkata will always remain a classic innings that to under tremendous pressure. Only thing going in his favour is his record against Aussies. And now that the next Aussie tour is after some time, selector will find is very easy to axe him from the team. He might not find favour with the selector and might well be the next casualty after Dada.

By mid-2009, in all probability the entire Fab Five would have retired. One is shocked by the very thought of an Indian line-up without these five players. These five players have been the foundation of any great outing Indians have had in the last decade. It would be very difficult for an individual to replace them. One needs to understand that a new Indian side will no more be a side with few great individuals but a side with players who complement each others effort. Something one could see in the Indian side which won the World T20 championships and also the way Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural season of IPL.

It will be exciting times ahead for the India cricket, where the side would no more look like a star studded unit like “Real Madrid” but a very cohesive unit like “Chelsea”.