An article from cricketnext.com

(http://cricketnext.com/news1/next/krishna/krishna004.htm/)

Aniruddha

Mumbai

 

 

 

Well done India, Tough luck Lara. All in the midst of this prideful triumphant I might sound a little too much like a spoiled sport. For all you flying on high on the sense of relief having seen the abysses of one-day series, it may not be preferable to read further.

 

Just to summarize, an outing of 45 days, a bunch of experiments, followed by a humiliating loss. Then comes the realization, filling the gaps by reinstating the experience, unreasonable tantrums, and unexplained outlines. All putting together first win in 35 years, first major series win in 2 decades, and first win after 1971 and Anil Kumble is 35 years old. However, we did it again. Right from the moment the luckiest captain of India won yet an other important toss, which at that moment sounded more soothing than hearing that Wayne Rooney and Beckham collectively warming the benches, somewhere away from the action.

 

Let me recall an extremely wispy and shadowy reminiscence, which I was mush obliged to capture from an ubiquitous media coverage quite some time ago, Sunil gavaskar was celestially motivating the boys as his voice resembling an irradiate emerging slowly and invariantly through window of wisdom saying "guys, you gottto win this time, if you can not win this time, you can never win again". Not sure how many have seen this, but, I believe this has made an impeccable impact on the way the series was carried on. You may not need a degree in statistics, perhaps, to decode this. 15 best bets grappling up with the phoxinuses of the world cricket at the moment, who were comprehensively bereaved at all walks of the game. And foretelling becomes much easier and glamorous than rapid fire round of 'Coffee with Karan'.

 

All this is fine, what seriously perplexed me was what made this victory special and followed by the overly tawdry jubilance going around. Being affiliated with a bunch of statistics like first victory after 35 years, first victory after 1971 first major series win away from the sub-continent after 20 years, one wicket away at Antigua, 3 wickets away St Lucia, his 100 has made difference, his 200 has done all the trick and this and that……

 

Is that so?? Is this a major achievement?? A great series win?? A flamboyant performance ever?? A fantastic display of cricket?? Excellency personified?? And all we have in our team are heroes??

 

Those all says, why not!! Your option is still open. For rest, I would say, "it is an unpardonable disparity virtuoso". Ask me why???

 

Do all remember the clean sweep in Zimbabwe about an year ago? A series that has unearthed the nastiest episodes ever in any professional environ. A series in which a couple of forgotten men of Indian cricket have tried their last bit of luck to make an impact. A victory that has been overshadowed by the discombobulating aftermaths. A fugitive rejoice that was assassinated by inexorable statistics egressed as it was up against perceptibly forsaken underdogs at no-8 of the world cricket. And those who got themselves fabricated to the most southernmost parts of the ranking tables for more than a decade. Yes, agreed, the win deserves nothing not even a momentary recapitulation at this delirious hour, at least.

 

One year has passed since, and now we have cleverer think tank ever. A most formidable leader who not only 'performs' but also 'wins tosses' and 'LBW appeals', when needed. A more aggressive coach, who experiments more than Albert Einstein. A more conducive environment where anything against it, can be handsomely made as a history. An infrangible supply chain that starts right from Baroda and leads to Australia and takes a U turn from Australia and finishes right in front of the gate of Indian Cricket team. Most magnificent strategies those can encompass 'remarkable underarm' to 'over the wicket'. And exceptionally lucrative yearly contacts those can at least help them not hang-on for the sake of finances tomorrow, if the need be.

 

But what kinda gravelling me unfathomably is why at all this ballyhoo has boiled down only to a wacky 49 run victory against a team that is scrambling pathetically for the survival of the game in it's own country. A team, which is unceremoniously beaten up by almost all tidy cricket-playing nations of late. A side, which is so precariously bankrupted as it cannot provide full-time contacts to their own team members. A team, which is ruthlessly ruled out of any home advantage to be given. A team that is cowering miserably at petty number 7 in ICC cricket rankings. A team, which is just one rank ahead of the most depleted Zimbabweans, whom, we, of course, gives a damn of the dead at any given point of time. I repeat, Just ONE RANK AHEAD of Zimbabweans, crushing whom, credits nothing.

 

And finally, here we are. The experiments, so called suave leadership, tons of remunerations, merciless selection policies, utterly exaggerated 'scheme of things', diligently built brand identities, retrospectively composed media statements and intriguingly auditioned team compositions have finally earned us a goofy 49 runs victory, for which we should be very grateful and obliged and gotto be loyal to the captain and rest of the team for at least a couple of series' to come. These simple statistics, elementary analysis helps us understand that all this extremely apocalyptic when compared what they achieved without all this brouhaha. Period.

 

And of course, there are more to be added to this befuddlement? No one knows a reason why the windies selection squad has ignored Lara's pleas to select one genuine fast bowler? Why the home advantage was completely ignored at the crucial parts of the series? Why did they drop Dave Mahammod and made them handicapped of one genuine spinner in the team?? Why there were 5 LBWs in the Windies second innings?? Why Pedro Collins was given a chance almost after one year of no international appearance?? Why Fidel Edwards was completely forced out of series, when it was just a minute hamstring strain?? Why at all the vitriolic Antics of young Sreeshanth were continued to be ignored???

 

And there are few more surprises. Remember blaming the lack of experience when team was consistently outplayed. Observe this, half of the team members deployed in the game for India on any given day were with more than 100 ODIs and 50 tests experience individually. On the contrary, half of the West Indian team members capped on any given day have not even played as many matches as equal to the age of youngest Indian lad capped in the same match.

 

May be a good time for us to recollect the famous quote of Navajot Sidhu "Statistics are like bikinis… what they reveal is suggestive, what they hide is essential". While, our heroes are very busy signing new ads, building new brands and making new friends, numbers will do the talking here.

 

And finally, here is a much-deserved "short cut to fame", just win the first game and the last game of a month and a half series. You are made as a celebrity by fire.

And all we have in our team are heroes!!!