The day India Crumbled!

I was not exactly in the best of moods yesterday. It was a bad day for the Indian sports. Saina Nehwal lost her match in her bid to win the All England Championship and the Indian Cricket team lost miserably to the Proteas. What was irritating and disappointing was the manner in which we lost after the GOD of cricket hit another masterly and exquisite ton (his 99th) and together with Sehwag steered the score to 128 for none in just 15 overs. The fact that the team crumbled in the last ten crucial overs to score just 29 speaks volumes about the skills of the much touted and so called strong batting line up. In a population of c 1 bn (the final census figures are yet to be published but I am sure we must have bet China on that count at least), I wonder if there is anyone to replace Sachin once he retires from the cricketing field (I shudder to think about that day). My son, argues that I am cynical and that the team tried its best. Whilst I mulled over his argument, I realised what irritated me about the loss is the attitude of the team vis-a-vis the Master. The focus that Sachin played is displayed every time he comes to play. Over the past twenty years, he is given all that he has to the country and we are proud of him. The rest of the team (barring a few - I have a soft corner for Dhoni and Sehwag) seemed to play to the gallery rather than the country. I was irritated that the team did not respect the efforts put in by Sachin to take the score higher. Our inability to last the full fifty overs (and this is the second time in this World cup so far) shows that we have no great hunger to fight. Yes, I acknowledge that playing in front of crowd of tens of thousands is no easy feat, but then the team has been chosen to represent the country after playing so many matches and is expected to handle pressure. Our bowlers have been ineffective to bowl out the opposition. If they continue to play like this, we do not deserve to be in the last four let alone win the world cup. Let the best team win!.