2009: The year that was
If 2008 was the cornerstone that ushered in changes to the dynamics of world of cricket as we knew it then, 2009 was the year that saw the various elements interweave into the game’s fabric seamlessly.
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Just when it seemed that the Proteas had finally cut Australia to size, the tables were turned spectacularly on the former during the return series in South Africa a month later when Australia won the series 2-1 to cling on to the number one ranking in Tests.Elsewhere, at the same time, India took their own nascent steps towards the Numero Uno status in Tests with a rare series victory in New Zealand. …and then came, the IPL-II. Amidst concerns over the feasibility of holding the high profile event in India parallel to the general elections in the country, within a blink of eye, IPL’s Chairman Lalit Modi transplanted the entire 2-month long extravaganza (April-May) to South Africa even as the world looked on in astonishment at the ease with which the logistics were put in place in less than 3 weeks! The IPL itself was a long drawn out affair and after several twists and turns, 2008 wooden spooners Bangalore Royal Challengers and Hyderabad’s Deccan Chargers faced-off each other in the finals. Adam Gilchrist emulated his compatriot, Shane Warne’s feat, when he led Deccan Chargers to victory in a thrilling final. The event was well received in South Africa, though it did receive its share of flak for indulging excessively in marketing gimmicks. Like the first edition, the second version too brought new stars to the fore like Abhishek Nayyar, Manish Pandey and Shadab Jakati, while it also provided platform for former discards like RP Singh and Ashish Nehra to stake claim for spots in the national team. While Delhi Daredevils, with their consistency, were one of the talking points, the capitulation of Kolkata Knight Riders made the Shah Rukh Khan owned outfit the laughing stock. IPL was followed by the Twenty20 World Cup where Shahid Afridi, like a man possessed, imploded spectacularly and his all-round performances paved way for a fantastic Pakistan victory in June. Starting tamely with defeats to England and Sri Lanka early on in the tourney, they overcame South Africa in the semi-finals and then, Sri Lanka in the grand finale to cap an amazing run of form. The world celebrated as new talents like Umran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Aamer showed promise of bringing back the glorious days for Pakistan cricket. July saw a paradigm shift in Test arena as Australia slipped in the Ashes, and consequently from the top spot as Ricky Ponting suffered the ignominy of becoming the first ever Australian captain since Billy Murdoch to face back to back series defeats in England. England’s 2-1 win was built largely around their captain Andrew Strauss’ massive contributions with the bat, while all the members chipped in at crucial junctures to seal victory for the gritty hosts.Andrew Flintoff, meanwhile, announced his retirement from Test cricket after the Ashes, preferring to focus solely on the shorter formats. He also became the first cricketer in modern era to become a freelancer when he rejected ECB’s contract. The normal services resumed as England were hammered black and blue in the one-dayers that followed the Ashes. In the Caribbean, Bangladesh recorded a historic series victory over the hosts who were forced to field a second string side after several top players opted out of the series following a prolonged pay-dispute with the West Indies board. Bangladesh exploited the weakness in the opposition ranks to win the Tests (2-0) as well as the one-dayers (3-0) as questions started to be raised on weather West Indies should be allowed to participate at all. The ICC Champions trophy in October was billed as the apex body’s effort to salvage one-dayers from the Twenty20 glut and to some extent, the purpose was served. With most teams on equal footing and no clear favorites on the horizon, the tournament in South Africa was eagerly anticipated. It got off to a flying start as Sri Lankans upset hosts South Africa in the opener. The group stages saw a formidable India and South Africa bow out as Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and England made it through to the semi-finals.Finals were a Trans Tasmanian affair in which the Aussies prevailed over the spirited Kiwis to clinch the Champions Trophy for the second time in a row. More success was in store for Australia when the New South Wales Blues won the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 in India. As the pundits had started to write-off Australia, the national team further proved their critics wrong with a credible 4-2 series victory in India in November. What made the win more special was that against the odds, victory had come despite the fact that the Aussies were missing almost half of their regulars due to injuries. In December, India toppled South Africa from the crest to become the number one ranked Test team for the first time, ever since the inception of the ranking system, with a 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka. Pakistan, meanwhile, played out a 1-1 drawn Test series with New Zealand. The rubber was a ‘home series’ for Pakistan played on New Zealand soil.