Yet another failure at yet another ICC event. It's beginning to sting...really, really badly. Not surprising. Honestly, as much as it pains me to say it, we didn't deserve to be in the Top 4. The team we're playing is an adhoc/raw one whose body language on the cricket pitch resembles that of a 2-hour old baby giraffe trying to stay upright long enough to allow its spindly legs to take their first step.
Yes, we were unlucky to lose 3 of our best players before the tournament, but at no point during our short stay in SA did we look like we were challenging our opponents in any way. OK, so we pushed a West Indies B-team to the brink today...but even in this match, when WI were at 85/5 we had way too many fielders on the edge of the circle, giving away easy singles to the 2 new batsmen at the crease. Our best bowlers seem to get an extra bounce in their stride, a few extra Kms on their deliveries and movement in the air only against the weakest sides in any tournie. Against the big guns, they ask for defensive field positions and their only goal during the matches seems to be not to muck up in an especially horrendous way (even that, evidently, they cannot pull off).
Mahi's luck has, officially, run out. His quirky field positions, constant bowler rotation, counter-intuitive batting line-ups just aren't doing the trick. Methinks it's time to return to fixing the basics - inspire your quickies to run in and hit the deck hard, push your medium pacers to bowl every delivery in the net at the stumps (reward the most consistent with sugar-free laddoos), lift the (currently abysmal) fielding standards (and adopt the drop-and-gimme-20 regiment every time someone effs up during fielding drills), and remind your batsmen that their job is to make runs at the crease and not lay eggs in the pavilion. Times are tough for Team India and everyone involved needs to put their hands up and accept responsibility for his/her/its role in this situation. From the players who have consistently (and with an annoying arrogance) messed things up; to the selectors for continuing to value the archaic notion of experience/seniority over talent/recent records; to the media who choose to focus on sensationalism and stupid soundbites instead of constructive advice that'll actually help the team; and of course We, The Fans.
As a manic "We, The Fans" member, I stand guilty as charged. We knew, even before a ball was bowled, that we're entering the tournament with a makeshift team with gaping holes in the top & middle order and a virtually toothless bowling attack. Why then did we go around expecting, nay, demanding to see our team in the finals? Why did we act as if the lack of communication between the players and erratic decision-making were symptoms of irresponsibility - why didn't we recognise them as symptoms of a team that has never played together in such high-pressure circumstances? It's our fault too, really. Our team is never able to just go out and "have a blast". They're always out there trying to prove naysayers wrong and/or trying to fulfill the fantasies of unrealistic optimists. The only person I know who has sprouted more white hairs than MSD since becoming a democratically-elected leader is Barack Obama. And both men, we know, are giving their all to make things work.
Having said that, we all recognise that times are tough for Team India. All we can do now is wait. Wait for the Midas touch to return to our beloved captain, wait for our injured and rehabilitating players to return with all their strength fully restored, and wait for our boys' wounds to heal and to see them burst onto the next cricket ground with the hunger for victory flashing in their eyes. We, The Fans, no matter what, will be behind the Men In Blue. Despite all our whining, cynicism and occasional bitterness, we live for Team India. No matter what, day or night, we'll be cheering on every elegant drive (Kartick pulled off a particularly beautiful one during today's game), every outswinger which catches the flashing edge of an opponent's bat and every breathtaking, airborne catch at Point. We will continue to paint our faces, fly the flags and bellow: COME ON INDIA!! Until the job is done :D
And, yes, pick for the tournament at this point is definitely Pakistan. Don't know if any of you managed to tune in to the Pakistan vs Australia match -- what a cracker!! Kudos to Pakistan for their ability to make Ricky "The World Hates You" Ponting gnaw on his stubby little Aussie fingers. As much as I dislike them (especially during Indo-Pak matches), one must admire Pakistan's ability to kick it up a notch during ICC events. Tremendous self-belief and zing in this 11. As we'd say in the EDM world - Pakistan FTW!! (Pakistan For The Win) (Well, either them or England. NZ and Australia can happily crawl back to the all-white, racist crapholes they call home.)
Highlight of the day:
MAHI'S FIRST ODI WICKET!
(duh)
...and how handsome he looked doing it too *sigh*
(Ajmal's beauty to Mitchell Johnson during the Pakistan vs Australia match was a close second, I must admit)
Mahi bowled? Are you serious? Times were that bad? Oh gawd...
ReplyDeleteFrom what I sense, it seems like India's gone back to 1999/2000 - they were pretty hapless back then...and then The Wall came into form and Sehwag was discovered...hmmm..oh and VVS