We've lost the Pakistan Test series, but won the one-dayers. So is it time to declare that Indian cricket coach Greg Chappell is doing a good job? Given the teeth-grinding, knuckle-gnawing and arm-flailing that the Sourav Ganguly episode(s) unleashed on the nation, the silence is, perhaps, in itself an endorsement of sorts that Chappell has delivered the goods. Even die-hard anti-Chappell activists will acknowledge, albeit grudgingly, that the show put on by the younger members of the Indian squad in the clinched one-day matches against Pakistan have left little doubt about the coach's focus and attention.
In fact, the encomiums become a tad patronising when accompanied by statements about how well 'the guys from our small towns played'. Ple-ease! Can we shelve the Noble Savage thesis? Surely it is the merit of the selection process and the captain's and coach's work that the Indian team — backgrounds be damned — swung wins on the field. This is a team with passion, style and ambition, which is ready to have fun. Equally, Rahul Dravid's captaincy got a keener edge, made sharper by the welcome retreat of politicking from the dressing rooms and beyond.
Now there's a winning team in place and Chappell's experimentation et al have produced results. And it would be unfair to not say thanks to the coach. As for Ganguly....