What a really entertaining sight and powerful message it was.
There was India's twelfth man, Harbhajan Singh, gleefully charging across the WACA outfield, holding aloft the Indian Tricolour.
As it streamed out it became an intrepid unmistakable metaphor signifying that justice had been done. If ever there was a defining, defiant message that trampled the contretemps of the Sydney Test in the Australian dirt, this was it.
Bhajji didn't play in Perth as a matter of selection policy. And for those of who watched the four days of what was another enthralling Test, this flag carrying act was an intellectual statement overriding moments of charged adrenalin the victory created.
It was almost as though reading through a compelling script for the latest Daniel Day-Lewis film. There was the memory of unknown lanky New Delhi teenager Ishant Sharma, who two years ago wasn't even considered good enough to earn selection to the Indian Youth World Cup side, working over Ricky Ponting in such a way that it revived memories of the 2005 Ashes Test series.
Yet the irony of the victory and the Anil Kumble leadership story has been well camouflaged by those selectors who years ago opposed John Wright when he offered his views on Indian captaincy. It was at a meeting handled by selection convenor Kiran More who slapped down Wright's pragmatic approach.
Kiwis are not into the sort of sycophant politics that run Asian sport. Good Kiwis are inclined to be upfront and give forthright opinions that often tread on the toes of the selection/administrative mafia that wheel and deal their way through one muddled hidebound miscalculation after another.
A practical man, Wright in good forthright vernacular, when asked, gave an opinion that Kumble was the ideal candidate at captain. It horrified More and his selection troupe. Their view was that India couldn't be captained by a bowler who wouldn't have the support of the senior players.
Wright realised, he later admitted, how much the selectors had seriously lost touch with the team and the modern game. They weren't prepared to listen to reason, or think beyond their zonal agendas. It was a crazy set up. No wonder he became annoyed at their obtuse thinking.
Sure Sourav Ganguly was a good leader: astute, aggressive and had the habit of getting up the nose of the opposition, especially the Australians. That was enough for More and the others with their short-sighted plan.
Anyway, came the argument, Kumble was no longer part of Indian limited overs planning; India didn't need a split leadership policy. It was all wrong: a divisive formula; look at England, Australia, and South Africa. They had adopted a sensible approach: one captain for both forms of the game.
Why (by 2003) Kumble's ODI career was already living on borrowed time. He had played only three games in the World Cup in South Africa. The short form of the game had become too fast for the humble Karnataka spinner. This being the case, so the selection argument ran, he was fortunate to still be part of the squad to be considered for Tests. This was despite his value as a bowler and deep-thinking strategist.
It was known that when Sachin Tendulkar led India, the first man he would turn to for advice was Kumble; the same for Dada.
Wright's views was that if India were to move forward as a Test side, and blend as a squad, Kumble was the one man who could forge success on his hardened anvil of experience. He was someone who gave a lot of thought to what went on, on and off the field.
When he arrived in India in late 2000, the haphazard way the BCCI ran affairs was not the only concern that bothered Wright. More worrying was the general lack of fitness and fielding abilities.
Concern as well as how fast bowlers, despite the MRF Academy run by Dennis Lillee, didn't really understand the need that late in a day's play, when the new ball was due, they would be needed to bowl a few overs to take a wicket. Already the academy meant India was developing a system where fast bowlers would dominate and spinners play a different, but still attacking role. The emphasis was obvious: fitness meant sharper minds and improved skill levels.
Kumble was quick to understand the value of this philosophy and others bought into it as well. The Karnataka bowler knew, too, how the game changes from tour to tour, season to season.
He had spent time in England and had come to appreciate the intense level at which it has to be played to reach the level Wright felt was right if India were to become a strong side to challenge others.
He didn't get all he wanted, but what he did do was leave a legacy and John Buchanan, quick to spot the thinkers in any side, asked Wright why wasn't Kumble India's captain. The answer lay with the Indian selectors and the policy that infuriated the Kiwi.
Whether any of this behind the scenes verbal fracas reached Dilip Vengsarkar's ears is unknown. As the man who replaced More as the West Zone representative, he will feel some justification at the choice of Indian Test captain. When Rahul Dravid no longer wanted the job he didn't really want in the first place, Kumble was the obvious choice.
Why obvious, is the first question that is going to be asked? Unfortunately Wright's not around to answer such questions.
But he wanted Kumble at the helm post CWC03 to develop the long-term strategy. The pity is that now the rugged, raw-boned Kiwi is smiling in far off New Zealand as it all happens the way he wanted all along.
There was India's twelfth man, Harbhajan Singh, gleefully charging across the WACA outfield, holding aloft the Indian Tricolour.
As it streamed out it became an intrepid unmistakable metaphor signifying that justice had been done. If ever there was a defining, defiant message that trampled the contretemps of the Sydney Test in the Australian dirt, this was it.
Bhajji didn't play in Perth as a matter of selection policy. And for those of who watched the four days of what was another enthralling Test, this flag carrying act was an intellectual statement overriding moments of charged adrenalin the victory created.
It was almost as though reading through a compelling script for the latest Daniel Day-Lewis film. There was the memory of unknown lanky New Delhi teenager Ishant Sharma, who two years ago wasn't even considered good enough to earn selection to the Indian Youth World Cup side, working over Ricky Ponting in such a way that it revived memories of the 2005 Ashes Test series.
Yet the irony of the victory and the Anil Kumble leadership story has been well camouflaged by those selectors who years ago opposed John Wright when he offered his views on Indian captaincy. It was at a meeting handled by selection convenor Kiran More who slapped down Wright's pragmatic approach.
Kiwis are not into the sort of sycophant politics that run Asian sport. Good Kiwis are inclined to be upfront and give forthright opinions that often tread on the toes of the selection/administrative mafia that wheel and deal their way through one muddled hidebound miscalculation after another.
A practical man, Wright in good forthright vernacular, when asked, gave an opinion that Kumble was the ideal candidate at captain. It horrified More and his selection troupe. Their view was that India couldn't be captained by a bowler who wouldn't have the support of the senior players.
Wright realised, he later admitted, how much the selectors had seriously lost touch with the team and the modern game. They weren't prepared to listen to reason, or think beyond their zonal agendas. It was a crazy set up. No wonder he became annoyed at their obtuse thinking.
Sure Sourav Ganguly was a good leader: astute, aggressive and had the habit of getting up the nose of the opposition, especially the Australians. That was enough for More and the others with their short-sighted plan.
Anyway, came the argument, Kumble was no longer part of Indian limited overs planning; India didn't need a split leadership policy. It was all wrong: a divisive formula; look at England, Australia, and South Africa. They had adopted a sensible approach: one captain for both forms of the game.
Why (by 2003) Kumble's ODI career was already living on borrowed time. He had played only three games in the World Cup in South Africa. The short form of the game had become too fast for the humble Karnataka spinner. This being the case, so the selection argument ran, he was fortunate to still be part of the squad to be considered for Tests. This was despite his value as a bowler and deep-thinking strategist.
It was known that when Sachin Tendulkar led India, the first man he would turn to for advice was Kumble; the same for Dada.
Wright's views was that if India were to move forward as a Test side, and blend as a squad, Kumble was the one man who could forge success on his hardened anvil of experience. He was someone who gave a lot of thought to what went on, on and off the field.
When he arrived in India in late 2000, the haphazard way the BCCI ran affairs was not the only concern that bothered Wright. More worrying was the general lack of fitness and fielding abilities.
Concern as well as how fast bowlers, despite the MRF Academy run by Dennis Lillee, didn't really understand the need that late in a day's play, when the new ball was due, they would be needed to bowl a few overs to take a wicket. Already the academy meant India was developing a system where fast bowlers would dominate and spinners play a different, but still attacking role. The emphasis was obvious: fitness meant sharper minds and improved skill levels.
Kumble was quick to understand the value of this philosophy and others bought into it as well. The Karnataka bowler knew, too, how the game changes from tour to tour, season to season.
He had spent time in England and had come to appreciate the intense level at which it has to be played to reach the level Wright felt was right if India were to become a strong side to challenge others.
He didn't get all he wanted, but what he did do was leave a legacy and John Buchanan, quick to spot the thinkers in any side, asked Wright why wasn't Kumble India's captain. The answer lay with the Indian selectors and the policy that infuriated the Kiwi.
Whether any of this behind the scenes verbal fracas reached Dilip Vengsarkar's ears is unknown. As the man who replaced More as the West Zone representative, he will feel some justification at the choice of Indian Test captain. When Rahul Dravid no longer wanted the job he didn't really want in the first place, Kumble was the obvious choice.
Why obvious, is the first question that is going to be asked? Unfortunately Wright's not around to answer such questions.
But he wanted Kumble at the helm post CWC03 to develop the long-term strategy. The pity is that now the rugged, raw-boned Kiwi is smiling in far off New Zealand as it all happens the way he wanted all along.
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