Psychiatrists have said time and time again that it is common for people
suffering from extreme cases of vertigo to experience nightmares that
follow a set pattern
Anand Vasu16-Feb-2003Psychiatrists have said time and time again that it is common for people
suffering from extreme cases of vertigo to experience nightmares that
follow a set pattern. The patient has visions of falling from great
heights, a cliff perhaps, only to have his fall cushioned briefly before
yet another slip sees the dreamer flying off a skyscraper… repeatedly, till
the nightmare is nothing but one long free-fall. Eventually, heart beating
seventeen to the dozen, victims wake up, bathed in sweat and frantic.
Perhaps, that is how some members of the Indian team feel at the moment.There’s a set pattern to India’s run of disappointing performances that
have left fans livid, supporters distraught, experts frustrated and of
course, the team very, very embarrassed. Former Indian legend Sunil
Gavaskar, usually the first man to defend players when any issue arises,
has been unusually vitriolic. “India’s pathetic showing in their game
against Australia has almost ruined their World Cup chances,” Gavaskar
wrote in a Sunday newspaper column. He adds, “lack of application was a
reason for the batsmen falling like nine pins. It was obvious India had not
learnt anything from the New Zealand tour.”This kind of criticism is hardly new to the Indian cricketers. Most of them
anyway claim they do not read the papers and so should hardly be bothered.
What will get under the skin, though, is the suggestion by many
commentators that India’s poor showing could be a result of the players
showing more interest in their commercial contracts than playing cricket.The amount of money current Indian cricketers make has irked fans no end.
And naturally, when the performance of the team flags to an abject low like
it has now, there is immense heartburn in a country of a billion problems
where cricket is meant to be a release from the drudgery.A case in point was when a group of young men decided to take matters into
their own hands in Kolkata. Reports suggest that a group of men, tongues
loosened by alcohol, marched in front of Sourav Ganguly’s Behala residence
and hurled invective at the Indian skipper. Amidst abuse there were several
calls for Ganguly to quit the game. Before police could disperse the
mini-mob they had garlanded posters of leading Indian cricketers with old
or torn slippers and then set fire to the posters…There was a time when one would brush this off as a typical overreaction
from fans. At the moment, though, the Indian fans’ patience has been tested
to the extreme. As many columns as experts write, as many panel discussions
as television pundits hold, we’re yet to hear a single credible explanation
for India’s flatter-than-warm-beer showing.Batsmen have walked out to the wicket, played one ugly slash and returned
to the comfort of the pavilion. Ganguly looks more and more like a
desperate man, attempting to hit his way out of trouble rather than tough
it out in the middle. Rahul Dravid, generally in good nick, has been
tentative out in the middle and not even a shadow of the real thing. Sachin
Tendulkar, upon whose broad shoulders rest more responsibility than anyone
else, has given glimpses of the sublime but
fallen well short.Collectively, the batting line-up, most often referred to as the best in
the world, has failed to bat out 50 overs in the last ten one-dayers that
they’ve played.When there’s such trouble brewing, you can be sure that the Chinese whispers
can’t be too far behind. Ganguly is unhappy that Tendulkar reclaimed his
opening spot, say some. Others reckon that Virender Sehwag is disgruntled
that he is demoted in the batting order even after making two hundreds in
New Zealand. Some former cricketers believe that a lack of team spirit, a
lack of accountability that stems from the administration itself and
importantly a total lack of planning and application have compounded India’s problems.And yet, if you consider it, so much has gone India’s way. The wicket they
played against Australia on was a belter – easy paced with the ball coming
onto the bat nicely. And one can’t also blame poor planning by the Board,
for the schedule was arranged so the team could go to South Africa well in
advance and get accustomed to the conditions.When speaking to reporters at the end of India’s thrashing at the hands of
Australia, Ganguly said, “I don’t know what the reason is. If we keep on
batting like this, obviously I don’t have any answer. Somehow we have to
put runs on the board.”Sorry, skipper. For all those people who stood behind the team – either the
realistic and clear headed or the passionate and emotional – such an
“explanation” simply does not cut ice. If things don’t change, and fast, then the team will have to be happy with winning little more than opinion polls like the recent one that apparently saw 500 Durban women vote Ganguly, Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan among the XI sexiest cricketers in the game. Such polls might be fine. This type of cricket, however, certainly isn’t.
