Sunday’s ODI at Christchurch saw the Indian players put up a huge total of 392 runs, their second highest ever in international cricket (they have made more runs only against Bermuda). This was also the highest ODI score by any side in New Zealand. The Indian players also set a record with the number of sixes they hit in that innings; 18. These and other records in international cricket were made and broken by the rampaging Indians in Christchurch that day. So is Tendulkar right in saying that this is best Indian batting lineup ever as he was reported having said in the cricket news?

If you look at it from Sachin’s point of view, it certainly is: it is obvious that he does not feel the pressure the way that he did before, to perform. Earlier the team was too heavily dependent on him and Sachin probably now plays with a lighter heart. ‘‘This is easily the best batting lineup that I have been part of in my career. There are five-six batsmen here who can clear the ropes at will. If we have four or five good overs, we end up scoring 50-plus runs. There are so many explosive batters behind that there is absolutely no fear of chasing any target either,’’ said Sachin.

Whether this is the best batting line up or not, many batsmen seem to have blossomed under this captain’s leadership: under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, individual averages and strike rates have gone up. Consider the fact that Sehwag’s ODI average has gone up from 31.61 to 45.50. Yuvraj, who averaged 36.23 before Dhoni, is now doing 42.19, with 4 tons and 10 half centuries. Suresh Raina’s average has gone up dramatically from 26.60 to almost 47! Gambhir’s has gone up from 32 to 41.68.  And Yusuf Pathan is another whose fire power comes alive lower down the batting order!

The good cheer and camaraderie in the dressing room is another factor that would be bolstering Sachin’s view.  ‘The mental aspects are there, but now everybody is in form and the bench strength is awesome. There are people waiting in the wings and there is pressure on everybody to perform. That’s the bottom-line. If suddenly three of four top batsmen are out of form, Sachin might feel differently,’’ said one Indian cricketer. Former captain Ganguly however feels that the best ever line up was in 2003, ‘‘this batting lineup is consistent, but they’re not the greatest. That was in 2003,’’ he said.

Well beauty may well be in the eye of the beholder in this case and whether this batting lineup is the best is a moot point that is at present witnessing some awesome cricket!

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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