The Revenge Series

What do you do if you are in the big league, flying high and then suddenly have a waking-up moment?

You do what the West Indies did to India in 1983. West Indies, up until the ’83 World Cup, was the pre-eminent cricket side. Dashing batters, Fearful fast bowlers, winning home and away everywhere in Calypso style. They had not yet lost that decade. India, the minnows by a distance, had hardly anything to show except some sporadic wins at home. But in the ’83 world cup, the world turned upside down. India beat the WI twice, including the storied final win.

The tigers were wounded. Not a word was uttered. Not a single excuse was given. Same year, the West Indies came back to India and beat India 3-0 in tests and whitewashed the one-dayers 5-0 (India’s worst defeats to date at home). More than the losses, it was the manner in which India lost. They were ripped apart by the pace, and half their side was gone before 40-50 runs on board. Cloud unrest was rampant. Touted as the “Revenge series”, it lived up to its billing.

You do what the Australians did in Ashes in 2005-07. The Ashes in England in 2005 was David vs Goliath. Aussies were all-conquering and had literally smashed every team record in sight, much like the West Indies of ‘83. England had not won the Ashes for 18 years. But the tables turned in 2005, with heroics from Pietersen, Trescothick and Flintoff. England edged out the Aussies 2-1.

There were reasons, but none were given. In 2006, the English came to Australia, this time with Flintoff at the helm. And boy, were they beaten! A 5-0 whitewash, the first in Ashes after 85 years. The Aussies won 2 by over 200 runs, 1 by an innings, 1 by 10 wickets – and the only other by 6 wickets, even when England declared beyond 550 in the 1st innings. Touted as the most anticipated Ashes ever, it lived up to its billing.

We, at OfBusiness, given our standards, had a muted start to FY23, almost a flat QoQ. There were reasons, some macro, micro. But none are important. What matters is how we come back and crush it all on return. In the revenge series, i.e., the balance year left.

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