India Defeated: The Way Forward

India's Tour of England: Mid-Series Analysis

Dignity is of paramount importance. Men who fail to guard their dignity are worse than those who do not have any dignity at first place. Dhoni and  his Men suffered second humiliating defeat in a row at the hands of a rampaging English side, which seems to be getting better with every single match. Those 319 runs were not just mere numbers but a reminder to the Indian Team that it can not take its No. 1 test spot for granted. England outplayed India in all departments of the game by putting up a remarkable team effort. This humiliating loss has tarnished the very 'seat' of World's No.1 Test Team. More than loss, it was the manner in which we lost, will haunt us for a long time.

At the halfway stage, series is heavily dominated by England with a commanding 2-0 lead, which only needs to be maintained or bettered to occupy the No.1 test status. England are a very well balanced side with genuine fast bowlers and quality all-rounders, two category of gems that India lacks. India have lot to ponder upon. Lets find out what troubles India and what can be done to restore some of the lost pride in the next two tests:

• Touted as the mainstay of the team, India's batting has failed to deliver. Barring Dravid, no other batsman has shown the guts to stand before the English trio of Anderson, Bresnan and Broad. Abhinav Mukund seems to have been pushed into test arena, a bit too early. Laxman has not been able to convert starts into something significant. Sachin has looked patchy and uncertain. Raina and Yuvraj are unpredictable. MS Dhoni's horrible test record is only getting worse.
• The only quick remedy for batting woes seems to be Virender Sehwag. When Sehwag fires at top, the middle order usually responds with batting masterpieces. Without a good opening stand, India's middle order fails to deliver, most of the times.
• Injuries seem to have developed a special liking for Indians. Blame it on excessive cricket or overall poor fitness of Indian cricketers, but we surely missed Zaheer, Sehwag and Gambhir. But I believe, World's Best Test Team should have a lizard's tail. These 3 should have been missed. But they were made to look like indispensables!
• If Gambhir and Sehwag do come back for the next game, India should get its batting order in place. There is too much confusion in the middle. There is uncertainty and disorder in the Indian ranks.
• Harbhajan Singh should be dropped. No arguments. Period.
• MS Dhoni: Next time you win the toss, elect to bat first. By electing to field, you not only underplay what you consider as the greatest strength of your team but also end up playing 'catch up' game throughout the match. 

The morale of Indian team must be in the dire straits. It needs that one moment of celebration, inspiration and probably one-handed brilliance to resurrect its fortunes. It could, ideally, be any one or a combination of more than one, of the following events:

• Sachin scores his 100th 100 and you will suddenly see a changed Indian team. There would be a spring in the feets and reassurance in the dressing room.
• Sehwag gives India a flying start, scores blazing hundred on Day 1 of the next match. India end up with nearly 400 runs on first day with only a couple of wickets down!
• Sreesanth rips through English top order, bags a fiver for himself. And breaks into a jig.
• The captain cool silences all critics with a responsible hundred. His first on foreign soil.

This is not wishful thinking. Nor is this fanciful summer retreat. All of this has happened before. And there is no reason why it can not happen again (what if there are some 'firsts' in the list!). We have our hopes and prayers intact.


P.S- On what has been a very poor series for Indians so far, Two Captains of the team have Glittered Brightly. While MS Dhoni, the man in-charge of the operations right now, perhaps took the most intelligent decision of his career by recalling Bell Post-Tea, Sourav Ganguly, India's Original Captain Courageous, beautifully deflated Miachel Vaughan's cheap publicity campaign, both in and out of the studio. Till we have great captains like them, there is always bucket full of hopes.

Cup of Joy: An Alternate Reality

April 2, 2011 must be feeling like an over-milked cow. The day was anticipated, much before its eventual arrival, thanks to the media frenzy and those 'Kings of Cricket' sitting, high and handsome, in the studios. When the fateful day finally arrived, the world seemed to have come to a halt. India and Indians were singing, dancing and hugging each other, from Bhagalpur to Birmimgham. It was perhaps the most emotional moment for Modern India.

But is this triumph only about painted faces, hoarse voices and SMS rhetoric? Does a World Cup victory stand prominent only because it happened after 28 years? Mauling the Lankans, Taming the Aussies and overcoming the Pakistanis, is that all what we sought? Perhaps not.

• The World Cup victory confirms, once again, that cricket is the greatest binding force in this country. Two of its nearest rivals, politics and cinema, seem to be fading away in comparison. While politicos are getting neck-deep in dirt day by day, cinema seems to be developing and defining its own varied target audience. The universal appeal seems to have waned from films, barring a few like Dabangg. However, cricket seems to be nullifying the 'niche' phenomenon. I, myself, do not remember how may people hugged me and did a high-five at India Gate on that fateful night.
• This triumph comes as a relief for the common Indian man, who was reeling under a series of shocking scams, raging inflation and a certain degree of gloominess. This victory makes us believe that we have finally arrived, and are a force to reckon with. We have always been there and thereabout, talent sans finesse, roads sans destinations; this win is set to change all that. India has always craved for idols, those inspirational figures or role models, this world cup gifted us a squad of heroes.
• The proceedings at the world cup final also confirm the notion that life is never perfect. The only perfect thing in this world is the word 'perfect' itself. Sachin Tendulkar realized his dream of kissing that coveted trophy but could not notch-up that 100^th ton in the final. The cake was there to relish, but the cherry on the top was missing. MS Dhoni scored a brilliant 91 not out, Gambhir scored most vital 97 runs of his career, but their names would never feature in that list of century makers in a world cup final. Life gives us a lot of happiness, but attaches a small little moral at the end. We, as individuals, and Team India, as a cricketing side, have a lot to achieve in life. Sachin Tendulkar, perhaps, did the right thing by not retiring from ODIs.
• According to me, this historic victory carried a very significant message 'for the youth and from the youth'. The sight of a Virat Kohli handing over the 'stump' to Sachin and showering praises on him in the post match interview, was truly exceptional. Young Indians are non-conventional, like to freak out, break a few rules, but are sensitive and responsible when the situation demands. So, Yuvarj Singh is not only a part hopper, he also happens to be Man of the Tournament in the cricket world cup 2011. MS Dhoni not only can sport long locks, but can also shave off his hair to fulfill a religious vow. This is a tempting blend of modernity and tradition, and in this very blend, rests India's future recipe. 

• This world cup also proves that victory is the prerogative of a certain breed only. The victor must have control over his words, mannerisms and behavior. MS Dhoni fits this bill perfectly, while someone like a Shahid Afridi comes across as a complaining kid. His outburst against India, after arriving in Pakistan, was not at all outrageous. Rather it was extremely funny and makes me pity the atmosphere of fear and insecurity in Pakistan. It was a last ditch effort by the captain to retain his post, after being trounced by India in the semis.

A Dream Come True

TO BE CONTINUED

P.S.: The writer thinks that having evening tea in that 'cup' is a more fulfilling experience now.