Remember that towering six over long on, by MS Dhoni in the Wankhede around nine months back? Moment of the year. It’s not easy for anyone from my generation, to forget that moment and those that followed - the plain reaction on MSDs face, running back to grab the stumps, hugging Yuvraj at the other end, Gary Kirsten erupting in the Dressing Room, followed by others in tandem and then a wild rush on to the ground, the broad smile on Sachin’s face and the aggression in Bhajji’s body language. All that came after a long wait and after a lot of pain. Surrendering meekly after being close to the top in 1996, performing below average in 1999, being closer and stumbling at the final hurdle in 2003, shocking first round exit in 2007, we had seen it all.
The World Cup victory of 2011 came with a lot of efforts, from a lot of people. It was a classic case of team work, where every member of the team made significant contributions throughout the tournament to ensure we emerged as champions. Behind the screens as well, a lot went into it. From the coach to the support staff, from the families of the players to the players themselves, a lot of hard work, single minded dedication, unwavering focus and sacrifice. If you want to know the magnitude of it all, dig into the archives of Cricinfo and you’ll get loads of them. This team has shown that they have it in them, the character to win consistently, the hunger to achieve, and the passion to scale new heights.
Yes, we’ve lost 7 tests abroad, in a row. We’ve failed as a team. Our team hasn’t lived up to the expectations of this huge country, where a billion people come up with as many opinions. Yes, the batting has failed, when the bowling clicked. The bowling did not complement when the batsmen made hay. The leadership has been anything but inspiring, unlike in the past. And there is no doubt about it.
But hey! It’s alright! What’s so unforgivable about it? It’s not the end of the world. It might just be the opportunity, the missing piece, which could motivate them to come back hard. Remember 2007, when similar emotions flowed through the entire nation, following our early exit from the World Cup? Did we not win the T20 World Cup within 6 months? We did right? When we are ready to accept that positive change, we must also be ready to take defeat in our stride positively. The problem with us is that we take things to the heart and react way too spontaneously when it comes to cricket. The team wins, and they are honored like Gods. They lose and they should go to the gallows! Isn’t it a bit too extreme on the cricketers? After all, they are humans!
Yes, we may not have dominated the cricket world for as long as Australians did in the previous decade or the mighty West Indians did in the 70s and early 80s. But to me, it only means that things are not one sided. That the level of competition has improved. And in a way, it’s good for the game of cricket as a whole! A world of see-sawing and a world of ups and downs would only make the game even more exciting. Did anyone really enjoy Formula One when Michael Schumacher used to win races singlehandedly? The matter of interest only used to be who else finished on the podium. Or tennis, when say a Martina Navratilova or Pete Sampras won slam after slam after slam. Sportspeople like them glorified the sport, the game, because of which it has become so competitive and interesting these days.
Yes, a lot may be needed to be done about our cricket. A lot of mistakes might have happened and unless we learn from them and correct ourselves, things may not change soon. But, it’s just a game at the end of the day! Nothing has been lost other than the rankings. There is absolutely no need to lose respect for the team. As someone said, form is temporary, class is permanent. At this point, the team is down on morale, on motivation. And it is precisely at this time, that the team needs its fans to stand behind them even more. Give them that assurance that we will support them, come what may!
Yes, we may have fallen, and it might have been a really mighty fall. But it’s not about how hard you fall, it’s about how high you bounce back. And I firmly believe this team, to bounce back and do so strongly!
Because, this heart did not stop bleeding blue after 2nd April 2011. It still bleeds blue….
3 comments:
1. We have seen Indian teams losing in the 90's.
Difference now: It was not expected, hence it hurts more
Fact: India never lost 7 tests overseas in a row even with a team that was called 'tourists' in the 90's
2. The fightback in 2001 was a revolution. Recovery in 2007 was sensational.
Difference now: IPL runs every year for 2 months
Fact: BCCI is now a money minting machine, cricketers are its labourers
3. 2011 WC win was one of the biggest moments of all our lives
Difference now : Things get easily forgotten. Even a single WC match win was a memory in the 90's. Life is busier now than in the 90's !
Fact: IPL was played few days after the win, depriving us of reliving the moments longer !
4. We now see 3 generations of cricketers in front of us.
Difference now: There were only 2 generations of cricketers in the 90's. Old and the young.
Fact: The 90's generation needs to move on soon. The batch of 2000's isn't getting any younger, and the 2010's boys are wondering what's going on ? Yuvraj Singh is the prime example of one such sufferers
5. Major major thing to be done - clean up the mess in the BCCI
Difference now: Cricketers don't have any say in the governance of the body.Eg: Vilasrao Deshmukh won the MCA elections over Dilip Vengsarkar
Fact: You cannot remove the politics out of BCCI. Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble will tell you why !!
I don't think its right 2 invoke the memories of the WC triumph, to gloss over or get over the depression caused by watching our team plummet 2 7 successive test defeats overseas..
As we are all aware, the ODI or T20 format is very different from the test format..
Our players do well in the slam-bang format, all right. But when it comes 2 tests, which require an entirely different set of skills, we have been found wanting of late...We have been thoroughly outplayed by oppositions whom we under-rated before the start of the series...
Also, there is no use invoking the highpoints of the past. What matters is present form. I feel its time 2 phase out our so-called 'legends' and blood the youngsters...
We need 2 appoint a committee to look in to our defeats in England and Australia, which will pinpoint the reasons of the failure, and which will suggest, what needs 2 be done to effect a turnaround in our performance in tests..
The cricket set-up here needs a professional approach, with long term planning and vision..
The coach and captain needs 2 have a say in selection...Look at the way Andy Flower effected a turnaround in England's fortunes..That is because he had wide powers..We need 2 give the Indian coach wider powers as well..Lets try 2 learn from the way England and Australia learnt from their defeats and improved...
I don't remember seeing ANY TEAM "losing so freely" in Test Matches .. It looks like all the preparation is only happening on paper .. where are the kind of (so called) boring batsmen who used to draw test matches in the 90's ??.. and where is the dynamic team of today, who in their quest of "winning everything coming their way" has infact found a foolproof formula for failure ? .. Have they forgotten that test matches can be drawn ?? .. has too much of winning replaced the very reason why they are in the team; "to play cricket the way it should be played by a cricketer" ??? ..
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