India's cricket tours down under..Going Down and Under..

My first memory of watching cricket in Australia is from 1985, colorful clothing, white ball, big grounds, beer drinking crowd with no fence, summer days in Sydney when it was chilling cold in North India, I always thought December was cold all over the world. Most matches had early morning start in India, watching most of the match sitting in quilt and before school at 5 AM, on black and white DD transmission was the first time I really enjoyed watching cricket. New camera angles and unique animations (the duck which was on screen every time batsman was out for 0) introduced a completely new cricket watching experience which was out of this world, definitely out of India (Pun intended).

The memory is sweet for the cricket as well, India won the B&H champions trophy, Srikanth made some attacking 50s and so did Azhar. Kapil won the match which was lost, Shastri was always there and I think most of India still remember his Audi. Since then I have always looked forward to watching cricket from Australia. Unfortunately, it was not to be, next series I watched when India toured in 1992, 7 years later , for 5 tests, tri series and world cup. The whole tour was disaster for the results, but for some fantastic batting from some one named Tendulkar, and for Australia, there was a fat, blonde spinner making debut named Shane Warne.. I some time still look for highlights of those matches on YouTube...

For some reasons, India didn't tour Australia for another 7 years, next tour was in 1999. Lot had happened till then, match fixing scandel, Ganguly and Dravid made debut for India, Kargil war and 2 world cups.. Sachin was captain again.. and India was to play Pakistan in tri-series as well..

This tour also India didn't do any better, Sachin still the best batsman, Ganguly made few runs, in tests and ODI, and India lost most matches, more painfully to Pakistan. Australia beat both India and Pakistan and won everything...They were getting to No.1 status...

I was working for TCS then and my first major onsite assignment was ... Sydney.. The first thing I was looking forward to was to visit SCG and MCG and play cricket in some of the lush cricket fields.. though I managed to watch few matches in SCG and visited MCG twice, India didn't tour there, though Australia toured India in between. I watched the 2001 epic series from the other side, in Australia.. and also watched the 2003 world cup in Australia.. India did reach the final but lost to Australia..very badly..

I moved back to India in Dec 2003 and India tour just started in Brisbane... I thought what a timing for me.. 4 years in Australia and India is touring after I left..

This 2003 tour was going to be different, there were signs.. India played brilliantly in 2003 WC, India won the last test series against Aus in 2001. In 2003, Warne was banned for Australia, not that India had any problems with him, Mcgrath was injured and India had many problems with him...and it was Steve waugh's farewell series..

Ganguly made 100 in Brisbane and no body imagined what's coming up next.. India's tour of 2003 is one of the classics.. one of the best performance of Indian team down under.. 2 double hundreds by Sachin and Dravid, 2 300 runs partnerships..and 2 100s for Laxman.. and India even scored 700 in an innings...but couldn't win the series...

Now India was scheduled to tour Australia every 4 years.. next tour was in 2007. Every body remembered how India played last time...Kumble was captain, Sehwag, Sachin, Laxman & Dravid were still there.. and some new faces from both sides.. This tour ended up being the biggest controversy since match fixing, the monkeygate.. the jury is still out there but I believe what sachin said, he didn't have to made up the story and it makes sense...

this fired up India, we won in Perth of all places...though we lost the series... Sehwag was back in team with big 100, there were 100s from Sachin and Laxman and as usual, Dravid helped too.. but the best part was first victory in Tri-series under MSD, Sachin finally scored ODI 100 as well in Australia, in finals... I was on my way to London on that day...I missed the live innings...

When 2011 year started, it was supposed to be cream of cricket season for India, India started 2011 as No. 1 ranked in Tests and No. 2 in ODIs, First there was World cup in India then overseas tours of England and Australia, 2 best places to play cricket and watch cricket, live as well as on TV. I was so looking forward to it..

it all started perfectly, India won the WC after 28 years, which was scripted for us to win, still, team has to go out there and win it...that was the highest point...and then things started to go bad..

there was IPL in 5 days time... who wants to eat M&Ms after eating 3 course meal which had the best dessert of final served... but it was planned earlier and it went on... midway through the IPL, some players started getting injured (Sehwag) and some dropped hints of dropping out of WI tour (Sachin, Dhoni).. it looked odd but not much attention was given..

finally the test matches started...

First symptoms were visible in WI, team of youngsters had to rely on Dravid to bail them out in tests, India won 1-0 against the club side WI team..it was shocking when they called of the chase of 90 odd runs in 15 overs in last test, with 6 wickets in hand.. Dhoni didn't even come to bat..

well, I thought, this was just warm up, England tour is main thing.. they had just won Ashes in Australia..looking very strong...India had won the series in Eng in 2007 and it was fresh in memory..

Tour started as nightmare...Sehwag was missing.. Zaheer broke down on first day, Harbhajan looked like a part timer and batting never clicked...Batting didn't click the whole tour and bowling looked so ordinary.. India didn't win a single match whole tour...and all were wondering about Sachin's 100th 100.. Dravid was the lone man standing from India...

Somehow the tour ended and every body thought by the tour of Australia , India will be back full strength and it will be back to normal.. meanwhile, couple of meaning less tours from Eng and WI were brushed aside with victories on dustbowls.. Sehwag helped himself to 200 in ODI. Sachin missed the ODIs after playing tests.. 100th 100 was still missing..

After learning from Eng series, this tour had 2 practice matches and Zaheer was fit.. all looked good for India... and finally , the toss was called at MCG..

India played well at MCG, in patches, they were in the match for first 3 days but lost it completely on 4th.. what a disappointment.. Batting still looked patchy, bowling was fantastic though.... I couldn't understand this captaincy from MSD, too defensive I think.. and so does Ganguly, who knows bit more about captaining India..

Australia was gaining momentum, their weak link was batting, top 3 were no names and middle had Ponting and Hussey.. facing knives and axes in their own country.. if only we can post 400 in SCG and take them under pressure.. obviously their new bowlers can not keep up this good bowling for 2 test matches..

but they did.. India batted first, as they wanted and every thing else was in reverse direction.. Bowling was even better, India couldn't make past 200 or past day 1, Australia batted as if they will never stop, 100s for Ponting and hussey and 329* for Clarke.. India bowled and fielded as if they can't even buy wicket with all the IPL money... mercifully Australia declared.. they also thought that they had enough.. and lets finish in 4 days and take rest...

and they did.. India was never going to save the match, but didn't go into 5th day.. only notable team achievement was scoring 400, which may have included some long handle shots into open spaces due to close in catchers.. Sachin went for 80..and Laxman 66, both of SCG old timers couldn't get 3 figures in their last innings...

2 more tests to go.. I half expect some revival in Perth and Adelaide.. Dhoni's captaincy has left lot to desire.. I think he should captain in ODI only, he is different player there...but then who can captain in Tests, and keep wickets.. I will be happy if we can draw remaining 2 matches and move to ODIs.. the stars are fading.. these are tired legs of Sachin, Dravid and Laxman..

I will still be up all night for next 2 matches as I have a feeling that this will be the last time i will see all big players play together in Australia.. results aside, I don't want to miss this... some thing to cherish for life..

watching cricket in Australia has given many sweet memories and more will come, but most of the sweet memories of last 15 years include Sachin , Dravid and Laxman, there is still some chance left for redemption.. next 2 weeks will be closing moments for greatest chapter of Indian cricket..in the best country to watch cricket.. I am not missing them...