So after a couple of good games, we again lost badly today to Australia!
A dear friend asked me some time back as to why I had not written about Indian Cricket. When I thought about it, even I realized that like most Indians, I have been following the game for as long as I can remember. So what makes it difficult to write about the game and our team? The biggest reason which I could think was the unpredictability with which they perform, they can make the biggest experts of the game eat their words with every performance of their. If Mr. Gavaskar says something good about them, in the very next 2 games they can ensure he might have to hide his write up below his pillow or delete his blog. If Mr. Shastri says something bad about them, it is likely that they may perform so outstandingly in next outings that the general public will try and get an apology from the gentleman for bashing the God’s!
If we closely observe our boys in blue in the last decade or so, it would be imperative that we would realize that there have been positive strides in terms of performance & passion to win. The energy levels and commitment was there even with earlier teams, but with newer formats and shorter versions gaining more significance, the team has moved well in last decade and half to adapt to the need of the hour. For getting to be the top team in formats of the game, one needs an able team and also have the commitment, intent & passion to play to the top of their caliber. We did see the veterans like Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid & Sehwag being ably supported by the youth brigade of Yuvraj, Rohit, Virat, Pathan led by Dhoni. Results have been clearly visible & indicative. Winning world cup after 28 long years was certainly not the fluke but an amalgamation of good work being done over a period of time. Though they have always been in a comfort zone when they are at home, the performances have always been better when they play in sub-continent as compared to those abroad.
Irrespective of the good and bad we have seen, this team has travelled, and raised the bar. With Ganguly retiring few years back & Dravid & Laxman being in line; it is an important phase in the game for country. The hope is transition would be smooth & one which would carry the game to the next level from where the veterans have taken it. The future would be bright when able Sharma’s, Kohli’s & Pathan’s step up in the shoes to deliver the goods. But one thing which has been consistent in the entire journey till date has been their inconsistency in performance. They change track faster than the weather in the mountains. & with their performance, even the public mood & emotions keeps changing for our team. The pendulum swings in tandem. We are an emotional bunch of people, we tend to make our cricketers God when they win. But as soon as they lose, we tend to burn their effigies & demand their sacking. If the current test series against Australia made every critic go ballistic against the team, the public wanted to sack almost everyone in the team! Then suddenly a couple of wins in one day suddenly made us think that even if we are having trouble in Test matches abroad, we are still one of the best one day units. The supporters started praising the team, its captain. But as things started going well, we have a collapse as in today’s match against Australia. So every good win is followed by a debacle, not allowing you to make up your mind if they are good or bad, if you love them or hate them! They have made it a habit to surprise us, the BCCI, the commentators & it would be not be unfair to say they even Surprise themselves!! & yes, one of the other certain traits which has come out in this series yet again is “The last over syndrome” (Remember http://rochakvig.blogspot.in/2010/09/last-over-syndrome.html ). Dhoni was fortunate to get one win in the last over and the other one went in for a tie. But then it is a part of our blood!
So one can safely say that times have changed, the formats might have changed, and even the team members have changed. But if something has not changed over decades, it is the unpredictability of our team. Cricket is more than just a game in this country of Billion plus. It is entertainment, it is staple food for media, it is a religion, it is a part of our daily lives. & then why just blame the men in blue? Just like our otherwise inconsistent lives, politicians, film-stars, the general public; even cricket is not an exception. If there is one thing we all collectively believe and maintain is our ability to be “Consistent in being Inconsistent”!!
