Knives were being sharpened for the last one week, they are are out now. And so they should be.
I singularly blame the defeat to lack of "demonstrated" passion & intensity. What we see today is arrogance. Epitome of arrogance - Yuvraj Singh (Dada's prodigy).. Yuvraj plays a blistering inninngs, but does not show emotions. Runs himself out, watches India lose. Does not show any emotion either...Dhoni walks in with a swagger, and walks back the same way, don't know why. Sehwag rises from the ashes but can only rise as much to face the reporters and hit back..Ganguly makes runs against a depleted Lanka attack at home, bursts on the TV sets, mock sarcasm written all over his face...Plays in the world cup like a caged ....m.o.u.s.e not a tiger...That fear has a trickle down effect..Everybody plays with fear written over and digs the grave deeper...Not done with Ganguly yet, think his agenda was to make a 50 every match he played- irrespective it being the cause of the loss...I wish he settled scores with Chappell and Dravid outside the stadium , not at the expense of the Indian fan. ...Sachin, hah Sachin...."Sten Gun" was what we learnt Gavaskar called him when he started...He sure fired some bullets in his career ...mmmm.. lets see... 1992 Test Series in England, 1996 WC India-Aus Match at Bombay which we lost....Subsequent India -Aus Test series which India won in 1998 and 2001...and of course those two one day matches in Sharjah in 1998...More "recently" it was the 90 something in Centurian game vs. Pak in 2003 WC....Is that enough for him to be called the Best of the Best...Its appropriate the he gracefully exits, he deserves a graceful exit...Harbhajan.... Body language - Boy! I would have slit his throat. Agarkar, flatters to deceive, great burst of bowling followed by a pitiable effort with bat- as always...Rest..well they did their job. Zaheer the stand out guy. Intense, committed in his second innings.
Dravid. Equanimous. Vocal proponent of clinical approach. Can you mould the mercurial sub-continental psyche to a stable, clinical mindset ? Perhaps not. Need to inspire your team through emotion, passion, communication....I dare say , like Ganguly. ..Do it Dravid, talk tough , act tough. Probably the only honest cricketer, we'll soon lose him to piercing media questions.
I'll be keen to know if Tendulkar and Ganguly -more importantly, the latter, come out and take moral responsibility like Dravid . ....I fear Ganguly won't, and perhaps the Indian audience should then read between his "lies"....
Brace yourself for a 3-4 year uncertain period. These guys after all had class, or so we perceived and hence hoped for miracles now & then...The bench strength doesn't. Brace yourself for the oocasional great innings by Yuvraj (supremely talented), nothing else fits in the realms of imagination.
I almost feel our series against Bangla should not be broadcasted, no hype should be created...Coz some of the above will seek to redeem themselves (superficially though) and we would again comment on how they have regained their aura.
And one final word on the Indian fan. You are disgusting. Burning effigies is feeding media space, dethrone cricketers from their mantles, not burn effigies. I can even take irrational analysis of the defeat by completely uninitiated experts, not the news of people protests....Its such a sham, such a set-up by Channels....However, am afraid such reports will increase as the day wears on. Last seen, Patna is leading with mock cremations happening in front of the TV camera.
This isn't just a sport. This is a religion. Am I fan or a fanatic ? I am both, but if I become irrational, our Champions would laugh me off and continue to be arrogant.
