Charge of the Young Brigade

A lot has been written on the future of the Famous Five of Indian Cricket, with the print, television and online media debating furiously on the future of Saurav Ganguli, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and Test Captain Anil Kumble. Saurav has already set the ball rolling by announcing his decision to retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing series with Australia. What spurred this post was the performance of the Indian team in the ongoing test match (Oct 15-19). Anil Kumble was forced to sit out and so MS Dhoni took over the reigns and Amit Mishra got to make his Test debut. And to say that both have excelled (especially Mishra, bagging five scalps in his very first match!) would be an understatement. At the end of the fourth day's play, the test is poised for an exciting finish (I read a few reports which said 'Australia heading for defeat', but I'm sure that the Indians would have to earn this win). The enthusiam of the younger lot of cricketers is definitely a huge bonus. Yes, you do need experience at the highest level. But fresh blood, and fresh legs, and most of all a fresh outlook tends to make up for some of that. A friend remarked today that Kumble had better step aside voluntarily, or else the day he'd have to accept a CRS (Compulsory Retirement Scheme) might not be far. And it couldn't have been truer. While the aging war-horses have brought glory to Indian Cricket, they must not be a stumbling block in the careers of those who would bring it glory in the months and years to come. And so, it's only fair that the Mishras, the Chawlas, and the Rohit Sharmas and Badrinaths get their chance at the highest level. It would be unfair to have them wait in the wings just so that the Famous Five can bow out on their own terms. Barring the case of Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble, the other three have perhaps passed the stage of bowing out when people ask "Why?" rather than "Why not?!" Probably they should look back at the start of their own careers, to look at how excruciating the wait was to break into the team, to don the Indian colours. Finally, it would be nice to see them go out on their terms, rather than be shown the door... Change is the only thing that is constant, they say... It now remains to be seen who takes up the baton from Saurav...