As I write this piece, India has already qualified for the quarter-finals but the final Group B league match is yet to be decided. That match will decide whether India will finish 2nd or 3rd in the group. And whether we will face Australia or will we meet Sri Lanka in the quarters?
Going back to mid Feb and the run-up to the world-cup, India was touted as the run-away favourites by the media. Despite the fact the hosts had ever won the world-cup and also despite the fact that India had lost the one day series to South Africa from a winning position. Also, media found it convenient to forget Australia were the number one team in the ICC ODI rankings. So here we go silly media hype, pandering to the emotions of Indian public or may getting swayed by road-side gully cricket emotions. Or maybe Mindless Media is more apt because of the quasi alliteration.
A month down the line. It’s the demons that are out. [Methinks – thankfully, though. That reigns in a crescendo of expectation to saner levels]. But its demons! nonetheless. Which are out of place for their severity and relentlessness. The only think we read in newspapers these days [at least in TOI] is who thinks what about the team composition and who is putting pressure on the India Captain on the same.
I do think, the whole country was a bit surprised when Bhajji didn’t bowl the last over in the South African match. I concede I was a bit surprised when Zaheer was over-bowled one more in the Power Play [which unfortunately went for 17 runs]. But having it re-played every day in the newspapers is drab – to put it euphemistically.
The other crazy article I read was on the South Africa batting line-up. The collapse was a typical mix-up in the mind of the batters – they could figure out the difference between being fast and being in a hurry. We are seeing such a mental mix-up rarely these days, though it was a norm in the 90’s and early 2000’s. But the problem was not in Yusuf Pathan coming up. He has to bat over 40-50, that is his job and was an appropriate move. Just that he got mixed up mentally and so did the rest of the line-up. That was one good decision that back-fired because of the excitement in minds. The middle and lower order could not adjust to the opportunity to crack a few sixes and slumped like nine-pins. But if they did so be it. Lets forget it and go to the next match. With the hope that the Indian team is more mature these days and learns from their mistakes.
The message. Let Dhoni be entitled to this wrong side of the luck decisions. Especially, if such ill luck laden decisions are few and far in between. Also he might just be experimenting to assess all his options when the stakes of a mistake are lower in the league stage. But that’s no reason really to take out the daggers – worth reminding ourselves that Dhoni is the most successful captain because he has in the past taken contrarian decisions, which looked gems in hind-sight. So, so be it.
The crux of the Indian world cup problem is that we are one bowler short. Dhoni already has creases because of that. But let us not let the burden of bad performance because of that not be pushed to the captain’s shoulder. The day Praveen Kumar had to back out because of injury, Dhoni got a bit serious that his wily last over craftsman is gone. I could see the creases in the media comment then. Lets not insert further doubt into his mind. Let him enjoy his game.
The more we hem and haw, the more are the chances that he gets defensive and our chances to win the cup further recedes. Let the arm chair Indian experts have their right to choose the XI and the bowling changes. Just that I hope that doesn’t go to Dhoni through the mindless media and the silly selectors. The smart alec that he his, I strongly suspect he wouldn’t be reading the crap on newspapers or hearing the crappier expert comments on TV. So we as a nation are safe.
Bhubaneshwar
March 20, 2011
Going back to mid Feb and the run-up to the world-cup, India was touted as the run-away favourites by the media. Despite the fact the hosts had ever won the world-cup and also despite the fact that India had lost the one day series to South Africa from a winning position. Also, media found it convenient to forget Australia were the number one team in the ICC ODI rankings. So here we go silly media hype, pandering to the emotions of Indian public or may getting swayed by road-side gully cricket emotions. Or maybe Mindless Media is more apt because of the quasi alliteration.
A month down the line. It’s the demons that are out. [Methinks – thankfully, though. That reigns in a crescendo of expectation to saner levels]. But its demons! nonetheless. Which are out of place for their severity and relentlessness. The only think we read in newspapers these days [at least in TOI] is who thinks what about the team composition and who is putting pressure on the India Captain on the same.
I do think, the whole country was a bit surprised when Bhajji didn’t bowl the last over in the South African match. I concede I was a bit surprised when Zaheer was over-bowled one more in the Power Play [which unfortunately went for 17 runs]. But having it re-played every day in the newspapers is drab – to put it euphemistically.
The other crazy article I read was on the South Africa batting line-up. The collapse was a typical mix-up in the mind of the batters – they could figure out the difference between being fast and being in a hurry. We are seeing such a mental mix-up rarely these days, though it was a norm in the 90’s and early 2000’s. But the problem was not in Yusuf Pathan coming up. He has to bat over 40-50, that is his job and was an appropriate move. Just that he got mixed up mentally and so did the rest of the line-up. That was one good decision that back-fired because of the excitement in minds. The middle and lower order could not adjust to the opportunity to crack a few sixes and slumped like nine-pins. But if they did so be it. Lets forget it and go to the next match. With the hope that the Indian team is more mature these days and learns from their mistakes.
The message. Let Dhoni be entitled to this wrong side of the luck decisions. Especially, if such ill luck laden decisions are few and far in between. Also he might just be experimenting to assess all his options when the stakes of a mistake are lower in the league stage. But that’s no reason really to take out the daggers – worth reminding ourselves that Dhoni is the most successful captain because he has in the past taken contrarian decisions, which looked gems in hind-sight. So, so be it.
The crux of the Indian world cup problem is that we are one bowler short. Dhoni already has creases because of that. But let us not let the burden of bad performance because of that not be pushed to the captain’s shoulder. The day Praveen Kumar had to back out because of injury, Dhoni got a bit serious that his wily last over craftsman is gone. I could see the creases in the media comment then. Lets not insert further doubt into his mind. Let him enjoy his game.
The more we hem and haw, the more are the chances that he gets defensive and our chances to win the cup further recedes. Let the arm chair Indian experts have their right to choose the XI and the bowling changes. Just that I hope that doesn’t go to Dhoni through the mindless media and the silly selectors. The smart alec that he his, I strongly suspect he wouldn’t be reading the crap on newspapers or hearing the crappier expert comments on TV. So we as a nation are safe.
Bhubaneshwar
March 20, 2011
Lol - so aptly put! I was just putting across my point forcefully to Biju how Gambhir should not be in the QF lineup - how he unbalances the team. Armchair critics...
ReplyDeleteI for one feel (felt then too) that Nehra was not a bad choice - after all he has been pretty successful recently (including in T20s) in bowling that last over. Who knows how Bhajji would have fared?
I am again so glad I am not able to read the newspapers and watch the media circus in India now!