One Year of Chappell - Highs And Lows !

Pretty soon, Greg Chappell will complete a year at the helm of the Indian cricket team. When he goes home, to take a much-needed break from all this hype and hoopla, he will surely sit back and reflect over all the long days and short nights spent here. Somewhere along the way, he might just allow himself a wry smile. True, he hasn't transformed India into a champion side yet; but he has at least ingrained the ethos of a winner in some of the players. The tougher part, though, is going to begin now. All in all, it has been an exhilarating year, like the proverbial roller-coaster ride. He started off all excited, like a little kid waiting for the action to begin. Soon, he was hurtling at breakneck speed and, evidently, enjoying the attention and drama around Team India. Inevitably, the first dip soon arrived. Without warning or notice. India lost badly in the Tri-series final in Sri Lanka; worse, there were indications that he wasn't in total control of the team. He, however, treated it as a minor setback and fastened the seat belt for the rest of the ride.

India lost the Indian Oil Cup, Jul - Aug 2005 (SL, Ind, WI)

India lost the Videocon Triangular Series in Zimbabwe, Aug - Sep 2005 (Zim. Ind, NZ)

Just when things were improving in Zimbabwe, out of nowhere, came the next dip: this one was like a vertical fall, seemingly going all the way down with nothing to stop him. Chappell, however, hung on to dear life, with determination and courage.In the end, he emerged victorious. Sourav Ganguly first became a pawn at the altar of Board politics; then, he became its victim. Rahul Dravid took over the captaincy and a new chapter began in Indian cricket; the spectre of Ganguly, however, hovered menacingly over them all the while. Chappell (and Dravid) slowly introduced new tactics; he flirted with bold experiments in One-dayers, stressing on youth and looking for players with style, attitude and confidence. Not surprisingly, India's record has been impressive under his spell: 22 wins and 10 defeats.

Sri Lanka in India, Oct - Nov 2005 - Verdict 6-1 India
South Africa in India, Nov 2005 - Verdict 2-2 Honours Shared

India in Pakistan, Jan - Feb 2006 - Verdict 4-1 India

England in India, Mar - Apr 2006 - Verdict 5-1 India

India Vs Pakistan DLF Cup, Apr 2006 - Verdict 1-1 Honours Shared

He couldn't, however, extract similar results in Test matches. The absence of a reliable opening pair, lack of firepower in the pace department and the on-off form of key players hurt the team at crunch times. India collapsed in Karachi and Mumbai and need to find some answers quickly. At a personal level, Chappell infused discipline into the team, even shaking some of the seniors off their complacency. He underlined the importance of fitness among players and flexibility within the group; more importantly, he started treating Dravid as the captain of the ship and accepted his decisions. Even when he didn't agree with him.The only problem is that Chappell likes to talk. Hopefully, his one-year stint in the country and his little break will make him understand that India doesn't take too kindly to people who speak their mind. It's better to do things quietly here and win friends and matches; otherwise, he must be prepared for the backlash too.