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Monday, November 27, 2006
Politics, God and Indian cricket
In one part of the asylum politicians are getting all het up about the way the Indian cricket team is performing in South Africa.
In another sadhus are holding Yajnas to bribe God to come and help the Indian team.
One bunch of jokers seems to assume that the Indian players or their coach aren't trying hard enough, and need a kick up their backsides. The other bunch of jokers seems to think that a higher power can help the side get better results. Silly them all.
There is one simple reason why the Indian side is losing in South Africa: it isn't good enough. Indian batsmen have always struggled in fast, bouncy conditions, and the only two players who are technically equipped to bat consistently well on these pitches, against the quality of bowling that the South Africans possess, are Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Those two know it, and the pressure shows.
All the pep talk and divine help in the world is helpless against that fact. As it happens, I think we should fare better in the Test matches, where I hope VVS Laxman returns to the side, and Dravid isn't torn apart trying to balance the urgency of lifting the run-rate with the necessity of consolidating. And I also think we'll suffer less in the West Indies, where the pitches are slower and Sri-Lanka-like. We got creamed in New Zealand before the 2003 World Cup and nevertheless made the finals; so don't write them World Cup obits yet.
In another sadhus are holding Yajnas to bribe God to come and help the Indian team.
One bunch of jokers seems to assume that the Indian players or their coach aren't trying hard enough, and need a kick up their backsides. The other bunch of jokers seems to think that a higher power can help the side get better results. Silly them all.
There is one simple reason why the Indian side is losing in South Africa: it isn't good enough. Indian batsmen have always struggled in fast, bouncy conditions, and the only two players who are technically equipped to bat consistently well on these pitches, against the quality of bowling that the South Africans possess, are Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Those two know it, and the pressure shows.
All the pep talk and divine help in the world is helpless against that fact. As it happens, I think we should fare better in the Test matches, where I hope VVS Laxman returns to the side, and Dravid isn't torn apart trying to balance the urgency of lifting the run-rate with the necessity of consolidating. And I also think we'll suffer less in the West Indies, where the pitches are slower and Sri-Lanka-like. We got creamed in New Zealand before the 2003 World Cup and nevertheless made the finals; so don't write them World Cup obits yet.
