The image boost of Indian cricket

If Indian cricket was a listed company its last quarter results would be nothing short of spectacular. Huge spike in profit, massive image boost, shareholders jumping with joy. The England series produced 25 days of top quality, compelling cricket. Box Office stuff, better entertainment than perhaps anything Bollywood can provide – gripping, uplifting, skilful. India captain Shubman Gill. (AP)

So, what are the takeaways from the series?

From a cricket perspective, 2-2 was a victory because India started on the back foot and were not rated high. Pundits warned this was 90-overs-a-day red-ball cricket, a challenge for players after two months of IPL. Batters had to make mental adjustments when wearing whites instead of coloured clothing – dial in patience and delete intent. Also, technical adjustment was needed to handle English conditions. Players were required to respect the ball, pitch, cricket itself. The question that was repeatedly asked was can players reset their game?

These pre-England concerns were valid as this was a team that was missing everyone, a family suddenly without its trusted elders. No Rohit-Kohli. No Ashwin-Shami. Which meant inexperienced openers, untested new ball bowlers, fresh Nos.3 and 4. Adding to overall uncertainty, another question mark: Shubman Gill, the new Test captain.

Post England, the team is settled, sorted and stable. Young players have aced the test of Test cricket, India have found a confident captain and a team that can soak in pressure and find a way out of tough situations.

More than on-field gains, it’s significant that the needle has shifted for Indian cricket in many ways. It’s like rebranding a product, giving it a new look and an attractive identity that is more appealing to fans, the principal stakeholders.

After the exodus of seniors, Indian cricket has discovered new heroes, a new set of superstars. Virat and Rohit replaced, pushed into history, the current affairs baton handed to Gill, Rahul, Rishabh, Jaiswal and Sundar. Clearly, the team has moved on and nobody, at no time, felt the absence of yesterday’s top guns.

In the hypothetical Indian cricket’s corporate world, if players were put through a performance appraisal, Gill and his boys would merit a BE (Beyond Expectation) rating and rewarded with a fat bonus.

Besides change of personnel, with a new leadership group coming in, the team now has a new culture, a different operating system, and the dressing room appears free and liberated. Young players are not burdened by excessive respect for seniority, not intimidated or inhibited by the presence of various heavyweight ‘bhaiyas’.

Bumrah, Jadeja and Rahul are members of the senior citizen club but the youngsters, like smart students, know they can solve their problems on their own, without running around asking for help. This is the team of Gill, who himself is too young to be called Shubman bhaiya.

After England, the greatest change is that the rebranded India team has gained respect. Winning abroad and making runs overseas separates the good from the ordinary and India have earned that respect, gained a certain aura. Each time they walk out to play in the future, opponents will know they have a battle on their hands.

One noticeable aspect of the team in England was its composure. Before the Lord’s game, Rishabh Pant fronted a press conference and explained India’s position on frequent ball changes in clear terms. After Lord’s, Gill was supremely polite but firm on the Crawley-Duckett matter. Made his point in a measured way, with calm dignity, without a trace of anger. KL Rahul is an absolute star as Indian cricket’s articulate, suave senior statesman.

The Indian team’s reputation upgrade is great but real change depends on consistent success. Teams have to win regularly and players have to perform at their peak level and continue to create magic. It’s too much to ask Gill to score four hundreds from five games, or expect Siraj to repeat what he did at the Oval. Still, the bar has been raised and new standards set.

But that’s in the distance. Cricket is a large entertainment platform with a rich variety of products to keep one engaged. New programmes are ‘dropped’ to hold our attention and cricket lovers are blessed they can catch the best live action just by flicking channels. No Test cricket for now, but Duleep Trophy is around the corner.

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