2003 vs 2013: A comparison of India's batting line-ups

2003 – The year which many consider as India’s biggest step towards competing with the best in world cricket. A spirited team led by an inspired Sourav Ganguly put on a highly impressive show in South Africa, only to falter at the final hurdle. It has been a decade since that happened, and I find it very interesting to analyse how the Indian batting line-up has changed over this period.

Top three: Sachin Tendulkar + Virender Sehwag + Sourav Ganguly vs Shikhar Dhawan + Rohit Sharma + Virat Kohli

It is easy to find one word common to both the triplets – aggression. Be it in 2003 or 2013, the value of a strong start to an innings has only gained in significance.

The triplet in 2003 was one that stood the test of time, one that cemented its place in the Indian side until Sourav stood down. When Sehwag was on song, none could stop him. Sachin needs no explanation. Sourav provided a left-handed dimension – he could also be counted upon to deliver a classy innings when it mattered.

The current trio is yet to prove itself on a long-term. Barring Virat Kohli, a mainstay in the squad for the past few years, the other two have begun to click only recently. There is absolutely no doubt about the talent that they possess – it only remains to be seen how consistent they can be. If they can keep themselves fit and deal positively with slumps in form, the top three could pose a serious challenge to any bowling attack.

Yuvraj Singh (2003) vs Yuvraj Singh (2013)

From a promising youngster to a leader of the team – Yuvraj Singh has grown and matured and delivered when needed. His role in the team has changed a little though. In 2003, he was seen more as a lower middle order batsman and a finisher, while seniority and experience have pushed him higher up the order. There are two things that can be interpreted from this. Firstly, it shows Yuvraj’s personal improvement and his versatility. Secondly, it also shows how cricket requires more accelerated batting in the middle overs as compared to earlier.

Rahul Dravid + Dinesh Mongia + Mohammad Kaif vs Suresh Raina + MS Dhoni + Ravindra Jadeja

It can be said that Dravid’s role of consolidating the innings and rotating strike without losing wickets in the middle overs have been taken up by Virat, Yuvi and to some extent Raina in today’s team. Dinesh Mongia was more of a temporary solution to India’s requirement of an all-rounder, while Ravindra Jadeja looks to be a little more promising. It is the lower middle order that has witnessed the biggest change though in the form of the face of Indian cricket – Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kaif was a good finisher and gave several brilliant performances in crucial situations but he never quite made the kind of impact that Dhoni has made. Dhoni’s innumerable last-over victories have given such a boost to the Indian team’s chasing abilities that it bears striking resemblance to the effect Michael Bevan’s contributions had to the Australian lower middle order.

A consolidated look would suggest that the current team is more balanced, with players who can excel in all aspects. However, most of the current lot are youngsters and only time will tell how good their careers turn out. It would be foolish to state that this team is better than the one that played Australia in the 2003 World Cup final.