I congradulate the author for making a grim fact about our cricketing weakness in light vein. We, as a nation, tend to forget that Cricket is just a game...victory and defeat is part of any game. We did play exceedingly well to overcome the Pak score in both the previous games (I assume we would have overtaken their score in the first game). So lets not read too much into our failings and failure. We do, as a nation, tend to get mixed up between performance and past reputation. For example a frequent refrain from ex cricketers was Ganguly has done so much for Indian he can't be treated like this. Well the sad fact is that one is only as good as the last performance. This is not only true of cricket, we keep talking about past glories and how cultured a civilization we are, completely ignoring the atrocites commited on women or the all pervasive dilution of values in public life. The sad truth is that cricket will only be a reflection of our society. We might win some games and think we are a great cricketing nation (and the consequent analogy to the nation at large) but deep down fundamentals in the society have to change for our cricketers to behave/perform at a different level
Sachin is innocent
by samkitty1122 on Feb 07, 2006 12:48 AM
I beleive everyone is blaming Tendulkar, Dravid and Greg. Out of these, Tendulkar is a gentleman. He always played for India. It is beleived that Tendulkar hardly played a match saving innings in test or didn't performed in a single match in last 20 ODI finals. But thats not upto him. He still tried hard. He also supported Ganguly, when everyone was starting ignoring him and always called him for team practice. Tendulkar is a man with golden heart and there is no doubt about that. Problem is with Dravid and this white Elephant(Chappell). From the time he came, India lost the direction and there is a rain of controversy. Although, Dravid has to take blame, because he acted like a puppet to Chappel. Nobody should blame anyone, but it was Ganguly who acted too smart that time and adviced Chappel as a coach to BCCI.. So who is oversmart duffer here?? We all know the answer.
You are right. But it ought to have happened. It is politicalised and like coach a like captain now. The coach as a strategy can teach underarm bowling only and the captain wearing a mask is busy protecting his captaincy.
Why are we talking about looking for fast bowlers and spinners today. With same lot we could defeat Pakistan in Pakistan last year.
RE:!
by Yogesh on Feb 07, 2006 10:13 AM
Plus asking guys to be trained by Bishen who has taken only 250 odd wickets... I wish people writing on cricket understand basic stuff such as objective of the bowler is NOT to turn the ball but to take wickets. Did this guy even find out the number of top order batsement Kaneria got out?
RE:Vultures are back again
by soumo on Feb 07, 2006 09:17 AM
This is what happens when Ganguly is left out of the team. Ofcourse vultures will come hunting cause there's no one to protect them. Had there been Ganguly then no vultures would dare come near them. Guess why. Cause we would have won all our matches.
RE:Reality
by Chaitanya on Feb 06, 2006 09:58 PM
You got it right man., this is a bullshit article. Rediff is not doing good to iteself by publishing such senseless articles. Why dont these so called experts understand one simple thing that cricket is just like any other game. Winning and losing are the part of the game. And mind it, no cricketer wants to lose the match.
Can't stop laughing at your cricketng acument.Everytime when India gets defeated , you popup with your column slandering one and all associated with Indian cricket.If you had your way, you would dump Kumle,Harbhajan,Sachin,and all other Indian bowlers in the Indian ocean .For one failure..mind you just one failure.At Lahore and Faisalabad , the Indian bowlers bowled the Pakis out.Even at Karachi the scores of both the teams were identical in the first innings.Only in the 2nd innings did the team falter.And for one failure you want Kuble to be dropped (when he's been winning matches for India on his own since ages, harbhajan to be dropped for his failure in the first two tests,and Sachin for his failure in Karachi).WOW!!!If only Indian cricket had consultants and strategists like you, after every defeat we will see an entirely new set of 11 players taking field.
Shame on you for writing such a shit piece.If you have got so much faith in the filth that runs through your mind, you better keep it with you monsieur.Its nincompoops like you who bring bad name for the game of cricket.If you have any sanity left,stop spitting bull-shit like the way you delivered.
RE:Do you really understand the game of cricket?
by amit on Feb 07, 2006 10:01 AM
"Tendulkar is the only sanity left in the country?".Nothing to take away from the great Maestro but you need to take a good grip over your own sanity if you sincerely meant what you just said.
Man you need a break from writing articles. I think you are back to square one again. Praising the team when its doing well and almost killing it when it has a bad day at office. My sincere advise to you is that it is you who is past your sell by date as an author. And for christs sake please stop critizing Tendulkar he is the last sanity left in the country shashank
I totally agree with you. Our coach has done an excellent job from the very beginning to break the unity amongst our players.With the help of our Board, he insulted our former captain at every stage and at every level.Since the politics has entered into our team, it would face the fate of our hockey.Everyone will agree that we should bring the new faces to the team not at the cost of seasoned players. You will see the present captain will also face the same music of Mr. Ganguly before the world cup.He feels that the Indian Captain's post is permanent with him.
This article hits the nail on the head. From losing the home series two years back, Pakistan has revived beautifully while India is going downhill gradually like its batsmen with fantastic records.
No point taking Harbhajan Singh on foreign tours. We are better off taking Romesh Powar. While media is going gung-ho about Pathan's batting skills, I fear he is going the way of Ravi Shastri & W V Raman, bowlers who evolved into good batsmen.
For the near future, India must be happy sponsoring all the big events in the world. Forget getting any of the silver ware which teams like Pakistan & England can aspire for.
