Book conversations: The Dhoni Touch

I had said that Dhoni must be the avatar of Cricketing God after he tormented RCB throughout IPL 2018 - CSK's comeback year.  

This book by Bharat Sundaresan tells us exactly why he is that avatar.  

While the Dhoni biopic gave us details about his personal and cricketing journey, this book by Sundaresan is less about Dhoni's cricketing acumen and more about him, the person; his enigmatic personality, character and mental state.  In effect it is a nice case study of a very different kind of cricketer, one who has given us his own brand of cricket.  

However, Dhoni the person, remains elusive throughout the book since he never grants the author the coveted one-on-one interview.  Instead, what he grants is access to some of his close confidantes that he has allowed into his inner circle over the years; his bosom pals, army colleague, ad director and selector.  Just these, not even his family members.  So Sundaresan has the unenviable job of piecing together Dhoni's personality traits from third person accounts, so that a cohesive picture emerges, however incomplete it is due to the non-participation of the man himself.

Nevertheless, what emerges is no less fascinating.  We learn that Dhoni is a self-made man, who never really set out to be a cricketer, but excelled in it nonetheless.  He is supremely confident in his own abilities and decisions, which he makes with a full sense of personal responsibility.  

He keeps thing simple, in the sense that he only controls the controllables, and understands that not everything can be fully achievable.  This leaves him free from mental clutter that can cloud his decision making ability.  It also helps that Dhoni has an uncanny ability to observe everything and everybody that is in his peripheral vision.  Apparently, he can also accurately read situations, and people and their intentions.  In that respect, he is an able if unconventional leader of men - a quality that has made him - thus far - India's greatest captain in all formats of the game.  

I also gleaned from the book that Dhoni possesses an outgoing and active type of personality, in that he is very much a movement kind of person and is fascinated by motion: that of the body, or anything that moves the body.  This might explain his deep interest in football, the rigours and manoeuvres of the army, his lightning quick reflexes behind the stumps, and riding bikes: 'Do you know the feeling of riding at 225 miles an hour and the breeze hitting your chest?' as the man himself asks.  

Dhoni also enjoys taking risks, which explains his penchant for leaving the run-chase till the last over when he seals it off with a six over long-on - leaving us breathless and squirming in our seats.

This is not to say that Dhoni is extroverted in any way.  Indeed, he is known to be a very private person who is relaxed only with his inner circle of close friends and relatives, and absolutely abhors media interactions.  

This is what I have gathered from The Dhoni Touch: even though Dhoni's first love was football, it is hardly surprising that cricket ended up being his prime vocation.  Cricket, as we know is a complex, complicated, unpredictable and enigmatic sport, and so, it emerges from this book, is Dhoni's personality - cricket and Dhoni probably attracted each other.    

This is implicit in Sundaresan's summing up of the Dhoni personality towards the end of the book:

A man who was not born to be a cricketer but became one.

A man who was not born to be a captain but became one.

A man who was not born to be a legend but became one.

A man who was born to be an enigma and will always remain one.

Let's hope that this enigma will continue to don the India blues for a long time to come and give us many more breathless moments.  

Picture source: https://www.amazon.in/Dhoni-Touch-Unravelling-Enigma-Mahendra/dp/0143440063

IPL 2018: hits and misses

This year (2018), one expected a lot from IPL since there was a general rearrangement of teams following the big auction.  One would have thought that we would get to see a more balanced contest, instead of the same old teams dominating others. 

Guess what happened... the same old teams dominated others!  CSK and SRH continued in their merry way, in spite of the former coming back after the two-year hiatus, and the latter losing its Aussie captain due to the ball tampering row.  Even more familiar: RCB continued its woeful run in the IPL.

Here's a low down on this year's edition; the hits and misses; the good, bad and the ugly part of the annual cricketing event that fills our summer holidays, and that we have come to love so much.

That is, if you leave out the doubters and naysayers.  They are usually bothered by 'commercialization,' 'match-fixing,' 'loss of purity of cricket,' and what not, all conjured up and exaggerated to vilify India's sporting sensation.

I ask them these:  When was the last time an Indian sporting event garnered so much global attention?  When did foreign players ever show so much interest in an Indian sporting event, so much so that getting picked in the auction is a matter of pride and fortune for them?  When was the last time, a rattled global (read mostly English) cricketing community pour out so much vitriol towards an Indian cricketing phenomenon, a sure sign of their underlying insecurity and jealousy?  

That's right... NEVER!

So peeps, take the chill pill, sit back and enjoy the cricketing action.  As with every other sport, there are bound to be the bad apples that are up to no good, which of course does not mean that the other players, the game itself, or the fans, should pay the price.

Here are my observations from the 2018 contest, some good, some bad.

Good

• Even though the usual suspects dominated, the two best teams in this year's tournament - CSK and SRH - made it to the finals.  It was good that the other lesser teams did not sneak in due to some fortuitous twist in the tail.  My tweet:

• The very fact that the broadcasting rights were given to Star Sports was good.  Great escape for the viewers from the hideously incompetent presenters of Sony TV (bar one or two).  Star's Mayanti Langer is such a welcome relief!

• If going away from Sony means Sidhu would also not be a part of the team - he wasn't on Star this year - then all the better for it.  It's better he sticks to entertaining the political dynasty.

• Star came up with quite a few innovations this year: the dugout commentary, star commentators playing street cricket, etc.  Indeed, Star had lined up as many as 30 commentators throughout the tournament, most very good with their comments and opinions (especially my favourite, Harsha Bhogle).

• The addition of DRS is good in terms of reducing umpiring errors.  Perhaps IPL can innovate further by adding more technology to get decisions right, and to enhance the viewing experience. 

• The one-off women's IPL match.  Let there be a tournament just for the ladies!  Too bad, the people of Mumbai kept away from this game. 

Bad

• The cheerleaders: To me, IPL is all about good cricketing action.  I care very less about the celebrities or the non-cricketing entertainment.  Don't get me wrong - I've nothing against the girls themselves.  It is the concept that I am dead against.  Consider this: each time a player (a man) hits a six or takes a wicket, the women have to get up on the stage and dance in skimpy clothes.  Has nobody - especially the feminists - considered the sexism inherent in this cheerless act?

• Promotions: I am afraid, Star Sports has fallen prey to the familiar temptation of publicizing its other programs during the cricketing action.  So we had characters from the Star serials inflicting themselves on the hapless audience.  They got to sit in the front seat along with some Star Plus contest winners and gesticulate madly to garner attention.  On one occasion, 'Himanshu' from Khichdi was doing his trademark hand-over-head wave, and Bumble (David Lloyd) who was commentating, asked incredulously, 'What did I just see there?!'  These Star characters were part of the awards ceremony also, in keeping with the godawful Star Parivar Awards... ridiculous and redundant.  Star, please get rid of them!

• Star has also fallen prey to the age-old Doordarshan tactics of cutting to the action just as the ball is about to be delivered by the bowler.  It has to cash in during the ad-break, you see.  I tweeted about this, but to no avail:

• Consider this irritation: you are blissfully watching a game, you are trying to concentrate on the action and the commentary.  Suddenly, the resident stadium-DJ bursts out with something that sounds like, 'aaayyeeeeEEEEEEEEE!!!!,' to which the audience responds by shouting.  Then he continues to holler like a man on Ecstasy, raising the (already increased) decibels in the stadium.  It gives you a splitting headache!  I tweeted to Star Sports about this mid-match, and I would like to think that the DJ was muted out during that particular match:

But the shouting DJ returned in the later matches, and continued lunging it out in the rest of the tournament.  Please Star, in the future, stop this atrocity on the TV audience, at least!

• I still feel that there is a case for 5 overseas players in a team.  This way, more international players of quality will get a chance instead of warming the benches.  And, the Indian youngsters will have to compete harder to make it to the playing eleven, which can only be a good thing for the national team. 

• I also feel that there should be an earlier start to the second games of the day; say 7 p.m.  If the games start at 8, then the conclusion may be delayed by interruptions such as DRS reviews, checking the boundary/catch.  Many games this year went on till midnight.  I believe starting early was discussed before IPL began, but MI had objections to it, since the people of the city-that-never-sleeps can only watch the games late in the night.  But I say, one city does not make up the country.  We do have to get up the next day!

So there you have it... the highs and the lows.  You'll find more lows in the lists above because I want IPL to get better.  I hope that IPL goes from strength to strength, turning its harshest critics into fans and followers.

I want it to be the first to innovate, rather than catch up with what other leagues are doing.  So, pink balls, more technology, early starts, more overseas players, less non-cricket entertainment, women's league are all welcome... hell, even mixed men-women IPL, why not?!

Image source: https://www.essentiallysports.com/ipl-scams-history-t20-cricket/

The agony of being an RCB fan!

The pain... the suffering... the agony of being an RCB fan is beyond description.

Consider this: Glamorous big-ticket franchise - on paper.  Marquee players, with 2 best batsmen in the world - on paper.  Hype and hoopla, bold proclamations - on paper.  #eesalacupnamde and #playbold - on (e-)paper.  'Pirate' cheerleaders with the guy in the middle (!), trying to be funny with the slogans with godawful dance moves - on paper... okay, the last one is on stage. 

But NOTHING on the ground.  Zero results to show.  Not a single silverware in the cupboard since 11 years. 

No doubt, RCB have come close on a few occasions, but have not provided the finishing flourish.  If ever there was a team in the IPL that flatters to deceive its fans, it must be RCB.

Kevin Pietersen said during the beginning of this year's IPL (the 2018 edition) that 'the potential of this team is sky high'.  Sadly that potential has also remained only on paper. 

They may yet turn a corner this year, but it is highly unlikely (they have just lost the return match against CSK on 5th May 2018 as I write this).

Year after year, for the diehard RCB fan, it is a familiar story: more misses than hits, agony as the batsmen fall cheaply to innocuous bowlers, further misery as our bowlers get tonked as they are not disciplined enough to maintain a steady line and length, wides-galore down the leg-side, no-balls at inopportune moments, dropped catches...

Having said that, one also has to consider the luck of the team; the X-factor, or the mysterious element that is required to win a cricket tournament - especially considering the topsy-turvy nature of cricket - is eminently missing for RCB.

I have closely watched RCB's performance in this year's IPL, and what else but ill-luck could be the reason for these fiascos:

1. Out-of-form batsmen of other team regain their touch and suddenly start playing extraordinary shots (have you ever seen Sanju Samson play a better innings than the one against RCB?).

2. NONE of the changes in the RCB side - whether it is batting order, field placements, or bowling options - work out when it matters.  One loses count of the number of opening options RCB have tried in this edition of IPL (2018).  They are still searching for the ideal playing 11.

3. Retained players have been failures.  Sarfaraz Khan and Pavan Negi, who were retained have not delivered.

4. On the other hand, those that were let go - Shane Watson and Chris Gayle - are in the form of their lives and have notched up centuries for their respective franchises.

5. Some players have ended up being mere travellers with confusing roles.  Why was Washington Sundar picked?  He is said to be a good power-play bowler, but he has not bowled often at any stage of the innings, let alone power-play.  He is said to be a good batsman who can score briskly, but he has not been tried as a pinch-hitter opener.

6. Much was said about the improvement in the bowling department after the purchases in the big auction in April this year (2018).  But it continues to be a familiar sob story: bowlers getting thrashed in the death overs. 

7. RCB boasts of having the 2 best batsmen in the world.  Indeed, many non-Bengalureans are fans of RCB only because of Virat Kohli and A B deVilliers.  Sadly, even 2 koels do not a monsoon make.  It takes more than these 2 to win the matches.  If these 2 fall early (as it happened in today's match against CSK), you can pretty much forget about the rest of them stepping up.

One also has to ask what is it that the other teams are doing right that RCB aren't?  Granted, that the format is tough and 'it is not an easy tournament, man' as Ashwin put it after King's XI's loss against MI.  But still there is something that the others are doing better than what we are.  

Take Chennai Super Kings for example.  They are returning to the tournament after 2 years.  But they didn't have to 'rebuild'.  They just teed off where they left off, and started winning matches straight away.  Dhoni, who must be an avatar of Cricket God, has led them well, and whatever the man has touched has turned to gold - especially against RCB, whom he has simply tormented this year.  Kolkata Knight Riders, who had a poor run in the first few years, brought in changes in the team management and structure.  They turned around their fortunes and went on to win the cup twice.

Mumbai Indians are masters at nearly exiting the tournament and staging remarkable comebacks; they are well on their way to doing this again this year.  King's XI Punjab have changed their team considerably and built a balanced batting/bowling unit.  Even Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals have performed well at times.  Sun Risers Hyderabad have been good as gold in spite of the fact that they do not have David Warner.  They are sitting pretty at the top of the table.  In fact, as things stand now, it may be tempting to hold the finals between SRH and CSK, and be done with the whole damn thing!

In all this, the frustrated, agonized RCB fan may well tear his hair out and say, WHY NOT RCB???!!  Why are they not improving?  

In the absence of any other sane or rational explanation, one is left wondering if the fortunes of the main man at the helm of affairs of RCB - the inglorious position of its owner-in-exile - has anything to do with the fate of the team itself.

A cursory look at the RCB website suggests that United Spirits Limited are still the 'founding partners' of the franchise.  One has to question where this franchise is headed.  What is the fate of this franchise that promises so much, but delivers so little?  Who are the men behind the team; the think tank, the people who matter, the talent scouts, those who call the shots behind the scenes?  What are they doing, year after year, as the franchise flounders from one disastrous outing to another?  

Empty proclamations about 'play bold', go green initiatives, birthday dedications, harping about flash-in-the-pan performances, and even individual records of marquee players are not going to cut it.  

We need that elusive cup!

Yes, the fans are asking for changes.  They are getting impatient.  Heads may have to roll.  Radical changes may have to be made to the team management, ethos, team constitution.  

Dare I say it, the franchise probably needs rescuing from the owner/s.  Yes... play bold RCB!  Do something... soon.

In the meantime, diehard fans that we are, we shall hold on to the hope: mundinasala cup namde!

Image source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtX_jQlY6Pird-jEp70FJhn3clfJnvUR9_u8BpTui87GqdS-vI5dxPuUwaZe6sHTscgHeGnSb24plsCmc9DT3b-zw_ewJ1ddqgTrnc5Lp7aYtJvUMYwsOk4Yi19Pm6OGHnHDGukqWAzM/s1600/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-RCB-IPL-Team-Logo-Wallpaper.jpg

Champions Trophy 2017: Just saying...

Okay, this is not a case of sour grapes...just saying...

The eventual 'winners' of the Champions Trophy 2017 had a rat's chance in hell of winning it...

Now I do know that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties...

I know that any team on its day can turn the tables and cause an upset...

I also know the 'winners' are known to be a mercurial side, whose performance can yo-yo between 'also-turned-up' and 'champions'... 

Still...I can't help wondering...because they are capable of anything...

Consider these:

• The 'winners' who lost their opening game miserably against us, went on to win the remaining games against all odds.  Consider the opposition they beat en route to the finals: South Arica, Sri Lanka (who beat us comfortably), England (in the semifinals, and England were pre-tournament favourites to win in home conditions), and India (in the finals, virtually decimating us).
• The other favourites, India were going great guns...until the finals.  Apart from the match against Sri Lanka, they had one bad day, and it happened to be the finals.
• In the finals, why did India win the toss and take bowling first, when conventional logic seemed to favour batting first..?
• The Indian bowlers had had a great tournament up until the finals...they had troubled batsmen of all teams they played against and had given away very few wides, and hardly any no-balls.
• Bumrah had bowled only one inconsequential no-ball before the finals.  But in the finals...he bowled that dreadful no-ball which as we know cost us the match...
• How is it possible that all our extraordinary, gifted, in-form batting stalwarts failed to fire in the same match en masse?  Why did the top and middle order collapse like nine pins?  Were the conditions in the second innings so miserable for batting and bowling-friendly?  
• By the way the highest successful run-chase in the same venue is 322, which is not far away from the 'winners' total.  If there was any batting lineup in the world that could have chased successfully, it was ours. 

What happened then?  An off day?  Indian team once again flattering to deceive? 

The unlikely result, in spite of the more benign reasons, cannot put a lid on the can of worms...the conspiratorial possibilities...

Is it the familiar betting/spot-fixing monster again?  Unlikely, given the serious repercussions that would follow if caught - ask Sreesanth!  And it would be tough to get South Africa, Sri Lanka and England players to agree to the scheme.

Or could it be...dare I say it...threats?  Because the one thing that the 'winners' have in their arsenal is the power of gun and bombs.  They are, after all, the epicentre of world terrorism.  The best of terror universities are based there.  

Did they get their brothers in arms - many of whom have found a safe haven in Britain - to threaten the other teams into submission..?

Far fetched..?  Paranoid..?

Maybe...  But I wouldn't put it past them...

Did I say that they are capable of anything..?

Just saying now...

(Note: If not the ICC, at the very least the BCCI should thoroughly investigate the debacle...)







Image source: https://m.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2017/05/24/Pictures/icc-champions-trophy-tour-launch_92d9810e-4049-11e7-a718-97a052f84fc6.jpg

Green tops and partisan crowds

I am now convinced.

The Bangladeshis are trying desperately to see us lose a match.

The suspicions were raised when for the Under 20 World Cup final match, they provided a green top, seamer friendly wicket.  The team, which had steamrolled the opposition up until the finals, were dismissed for nothing by the Windies bowlers.

And now, in the Asia Cup, for India's very first match against themselves, a green top was provided, and their side was packed with seamers.  Several commentators noted the unusual nature of the wicket for this match.

The Bangladeshis were waiting for an encore, perhaps.  The crowd was ready to bay for blood, and bring the roof down when their side won.

Only this time, India prevailed against them.  One can only be amazed at the disappointment writ large on the multitude of faces.

If ever you wanted to see partisanship in action, watch the Bangladeshi crowd in a cricket match.  When Virat Kohli was out, the ground probably shook because of the tumultuous celebration of the crowd.  Later, when their side was losing, almost the entire stadium had emptied.  Only a minuscule Indian supporters' group was active.

A wicket lost by their opposition is greeted with thunderous applause, whereas a boundary or a sixer is met with deathly silence.

I know it is only a game.  But one can discern deeper issues at play here.

Being one of our 'friendly' neighbours, there are two issues at play here: jealousy and hatred.

Yes, I am sticking my neck out and naming the underlying issues that make them behave the way they do against us.


Update (05/03/16):
Now that both us and them are in the finals, expect another green top, and their side packed with seamers.  Just saw a post on FB: they are at it again; one of their bowlers holding Dhoni's severed head; anymore proof needed?

Update (07/03/16):
India win Asia Cup for the 6th time.  So who is holding whose head now?  Why do the Bangladeshi fans behave as though their side will win every game against every team?  This is the problem with ascribing so much of emotional investment and national pride with a game.  It would probably serve them better if they looked at other more important aspects, such as this.

Image sources:
http://www.oneindia.com/img/2016/02/13-1455357000-ishankishan-shimronhetmyer-u19wc-600.jpg
http://images.indianexpress.com/2016/02/asia-cup-2016-m.jpg

Tonsured wisdom

A Bangladeshi daily called Prothom Aloo - sorry, couldn't resist that one - has caricatured Indian cricketers by showing them with half-tonsured heads, while their bowler Mustafizur Rehman holds a barber's knife to indicate how well he bowled his off-cutters.

All this after he was coached by an Indian bowler, Ranadeb Bose.    

While all this can be dismissed as nothing more than an immature brat's brazen self-indulgence, it is also symptomatic, I reckon, of the deep-rooted hatred that the eastern neighbours possess towards us.    

This fact keeps re-asserting itself and surfaces time and again.  In the world cup game, another of their cricketers, Rubel had to be restrained by his teammates; otherwise he would have ended up assaulting Kohli, by the looks of it.  

In the same world cup, the entire population of Bangladesh, including the leader of the country, believed that they had been cheated of a win against India, and poured out their vitriol on message boards.  

Even in the recent series, Sudhir Chaudhary - the Indian fan who paints himself in the tri-colours and is seen in every match - was harassed by Bangladeshi fans as he exited the stadium.  

It is also highly mature, I think, of both the BCCI and the players themselves to have not taken up the issue with the daily.  There was a serious case for suing the paper here.  

No, we are not going to whine and stoop to their level with a tit for tat response.  Somebody said it right; the best way to answer is on the cricketing field.  

The scribes behind this distasteful idea as well as the people of Bangladesh should understand that this is only a game of cricket.  There are far more serious issues due to which they might have to consider shaving their own heads in shame.

Perhaps they can begin by taking back all the millions of illegal immigrants who have found to need to desert their country and seek refuge in India.

Maybe they can protect the rights of the Hindu minorities in their own country, many of whom have been ostracised and persecuted over the years.

Or how about ensuring freedom of speech by making sure none of the progressive bloggers are hacked to death openly on the streets?

So grow up, if you can, and get a life.



Image source: http://s.ndtvimg.com/images/content/2015/jun/806/mustafizur-bangladesh-barber-india.jpg

ICC World Cup 2015: boring cricket, but interesting sideshows

Despite what N Srinivasan had to say, it was a very boring world cup.  

More than 90% of the matches were one-sided.  The preliminary stages were dominated by minnow teams whose desperation to stage an upset is in itself very boring.  Happens in every edition of the world cup.

 

Chris Gayle scored a whirlwind century.  Yawn..!

Even the knock out stages were boring.  

The tragedy of South Africa losing in the semis.  Yeah, that sounds familiar.

India lost to Australia in semis.  Yeah, we know that one too....all too familiar for us!

And the result?  Less said the better.

It was same old Australia.  For the fifth time.  Ho hum...!  Like you didn't see that one coming.

Great for the Aussies, but very bad for the game of cricket... and the world cup.  

A new winner in the form of New Zealand would have somewhat salvaged the 50 over game's reputation.  

This world cup will perhaps be remembered for some other reasons...

While congratulations are in order for winning the cup, the Aussies' behaviour on the field puts them in contention for winning the sledging world cup as well.  Every member of the team sledges.  If you are that good a team, why not let your batting and bowling do the talking?  Why do you have to spew out venom, even at the New Zealanders who did nothing to provoke anybody throughout the tournament, and yet made it to the finals?  What is the point in Haddin apologising to the Kiwis after the tournament is over?  It is this sort of ugly behaviour that ensures that the Aussies remain the most disliked team in the world.

And there was Imran Tahir's celebrations.  He will need a bigger ground if he keeps running away each time he takes a wicket.

And what about Rubel's celebration...if you can call it that.  It was more like a boorish assault on Kohli - a clear case of an empty vessel making more noise.  For once, it would have been better had Kohli let loose his tongue and used his bat not to hit a ball, instead of walking away sedately.

Yes Riaz's bowling to Watson was very good.  But again, why all the verbal venom and close-to-his-face hand clapping when you were already making the ball talk so effectively? 

And not to forget, there was the curious case of the ICC officials conspiring to steal Bangladesh's foregone victory over India.  The people were angry.  The team was angry.  The ICC official from Bangladesh was angry.  And, get this... even the leader of the country said that India had conspired to deny Bangladesh their rightful victory.  A case of collective paranoid-persecutory delusional disorder.  

Please, during the next edition of the world cup, keep it crisp and short.  Let the minnows have a qualifying tournament.  Do not restrict the bowlers too much.  Use the technology available to get better decisions.  Let the pitch aid both pace and spin.  Do not count the sixes.  

Please ICC, also enact a few special laws...

• Australia should be presented the alternative world cup separately.  After that the other teams can participate for the main world cup.

• If they have to be allowed in to the main tournament, the Aussies should take the field with their mouths taped.

• Chris Gayle should bat right handed and blindfolded.

• The South Africans should have a reserve match if they lose the semi-final in the first attempt.

• The point or square leg fielder should trip Imran Tahir after he takes a wicket to stop him from reaching the pavilion.

• The umpires should be ready with shackles to restrain Rubel should he take a wicket.  

• The refreshments served to the crowd should be laced with anti-psychotics should Bangladesh take on India again.  

• And yes, the government should issue a disclaimer before every India match - that it is only a game; there is no need to cut off your tongue or jump from buildings should India lose the match. 

In the meantime, roll out the IPL!

Image sources:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d2/2015_Cricket_World_Cup_Logo.svg/1200px-2015_Cricket_World_Cup_Logo.svg.png

https://s.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rsHg00kFaBdmBDaM.CW.zA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD03MjA7aWw9cGxhbmU7cT03NTt3PTU4Mg--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/47192fcedb7107086f0f6a706700c5c1.jpg

http://s.ndtvimg.com/images/content/2015/mar/806/brad-haddin-vs-new-zealand-wcfinals.jpg

http://img.cricketcb.com/i/news/fw/600x500/stories/2015/mar/20/prv_8df7b_1426841905.jpg

http://ste.india.com/sites/default/files/2015/03/18/336521-imran-tahir-odi-celeb.jpg

Cricket, unstable minds and hatred

Okay we lost badly.  Perhaps we did not put up a fight in the semi-finals.  

But that does not mean that we riot, break TV sets or burn effigies.

It does not mean that we should cut our tongues, or jump from a building, as two cricket fanatics with unstable minds did after the loss.

Actually if anybody had suggested before the start of the world cup that India would be playing in the semis, we would have laughed uproariously.  

But they did make it to the big stage, and that in itself is a considerable achievement.

Leave aside our post-loss lamentations for a moment.  

Somebody else would be extremely happy about our exit from the world cup: the Bangladeshis.

Ever since the quarter-finals, they have been baying for our blood as they believe that we won the match by bribing ICC officials and umpires!

Everybody from the average fan, to the current ICC President (who happens to be a Bangladeshi), to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, sincerely believe that the officials were hand in glove with us in fixing decisions - all this in spite of several evidences to the contrary!

In the picture above, the Bangladeshi bowler would have probably assaulted Kohli had he not been restrained by his colleagues.

All these are symptomatic of the underlying hatred that they harbour towards India. 

This appears to be a feature of many smaller nations surrounding India - Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka being the others, apart from Bangladesh. 

Insurgency, illegal immigration, terrorism, border disputes and shooting fishermen, among other things, are the issues/tactics that these 'friendly' neighbours throw at us.

Is it because of our country's large size?  

Is it because of our economic progress?  

Is it because of our flourishing film industry, that people of these countries are so fond of following?

Is the reason for their hatred envy?  

Who knows?

Anyway, it is alright.  We still love them.  Peace and happiness to the people of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Coming back to the Men in Blue, they had a terrific run in the world cup, but came up against the familiar and seemingly insurmountable foe, Australia.  

If you leave out the last edition, we have never been able to break the Aussie jinx in world cup matches.

Probably it is to do with mindset - intense pressure gets to our players, and fear and lack of confidence set in.

How else can you explain winning 7 matches on the trot and then thoroughly under-performing against one team?   

So it is actually not surprising that they lost - Anushka or no Anushka.    

Yet, we still love our cricket team.  Better luck next time guys.  Think of what usually goes wrong with Australia, and work on improving it.

Now we can move on to IPL.  At least India can't lose in this tournament!  



Image sources:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d2/2015_Cricket_World_Cup_Logo.svg/1200px-2015_Cricket_World_Cup_Logo.svg.png
http://p.imgci.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/208900/208949.jpg
http://s.ndtvimg.com/images/content/2015/mar/806/dhoni-aus.jpg