Still some lacunae to be filled

How good, then, is the current Indian team? One cannot, by any yardstick, call it a great team, for three main reasons - unimpressive showings abroad, an inconsistent bowling attack, and the lack of an all-rounder. It would certainly qualify as a great team in home conditions, and this has been proved beyond doubt by results. Only one series has been lost since 1987, and since then the overall record shows 28 wins and only 10 losses in 51 matches, including the two victories in the current contest against the West Indies. This also includes an unbelievable run of 10 straight victories in the period 1988-1994.

Almost all outstanding teams in the game's history have had one or two all-rounders. Keith Miller in the all-conquering Australian side of the late 40s and early 50s, Trevor Bailey in the virtually unbeatable England team of the 50s and Gary Sobers in the great West Indian team of the 60s are names that come immediately to mind.

If ratings were to be based on only results at home, India would be pushing Australia out of the top slot. But rankings are ­ rightly - based on home and away records, and that is why India figures somewhere in the middle, despite some improved performances of late such as winning a Test in the West Indies and sharing the series in England. The fact remains, however, that India has not won a series outside the subcontinent since 1986.

The mediocre bowling is also a hindrance to the Indian team's objective of climbing up the ratings ladder. Unfortunately there is little that can be done about it. The pace bowling will continue to revolve around the resurrected Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, while Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Sarandeep Singh will continue to man the spin department. The reserve strength of players like Tinu Yohannan, L Balaji, Murali Kartik and Amit Mishra does not inspire confidence. While it is true that Zaheer, Kumble and Harbhajan have done reasonably well abroad of late, the chief thrust of their striking power is still restricted to Indian conditions.

For some time now, the Indian team has also lacked a genuine allrounder. The last player to don that mantle was probably Manoj Prabhakar, and he last played a Test in 1995. Since then players like Sunil Joshi, Agarkar and Sanjay Bangar have all played utility roles without graduating to the more exalted all-rounder status. Sourav Ganguly has also chipped in with some valuable bowling spells, but one would hesitate even to call him a utility player. In desperation, captains have even turned to Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, but to be candid all that such tactics do is to expose the fact that India does not possess an all-rounder.

Almost all outstanding teams in the game's history have had one or two all-rounders. Keith Miller in the all-conquering Australian side of the late 40s and early 50s, Trevor Bailey in the virtually unbeatable England team of the 50s and Gary Sobers in the great West Indian team of the 60s are names that come immediately to mind.

Of course there have been a few exceptions to this rule. The rampaging West Indian side of the 80s did not have a genuine all-rounder, but the awesome strength of their batting and bowling covered up for this lacuna. For that matter, even the current Australian team, regarded as the finest in the game today, do not have a genuine all-rounder in their ranks, but again the very strong batting and bowling makes up for it.

The problem with the Indian team is that while the batting line-up is the kind that the bowler sees in his worst nightmares, it is not able to fully make up for the rather ordinary bowling and the lack of an effective all-rounder. On designer pitches at home, the bowling suddenly becomes formidable, and this, aligned with the powerful batting, has seen the Indians enjoy an enviable record in this country.

Indeed, the batting really is something else. I am inclined to believe that Indian batting has never had it so good. Never in the past, from the heady days of Vijay Merchant and Vijay Hazare in the 40s, through Polly Umrigar and Vijay Manjrekar in the 50s, MAK Pataudi and Chandu Borde in the 60s, Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath in the 70s, to Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohammad Azharuddin in the 80s has a line-up inspired such awe.

Never before has an Indian batting line-up possessed three players with career averages of 50-plus and four more with averages of 40- plus, as this Indian side had going into the second Test of the current series. Unfortunately even this embarrassment of riches ­ arguably the best batting in Test cricket today - cannot guarantee the Indian team finishing anywhere near the top of the rankings for reasons already stated, and this is a real pity. Till then, the side will hover between the good and the very good without being a great one.