Team India has remained a complete EMBARASSMENT in the ongoing tour down under. In a sense, they maintained their status quo from the tour of England. Worst part is nobody appears to take responsibility.
For being a passionate fan we wish to be answered faithfully for some of the questions.
Skipper Dhoni hardly appears a shadow of himself. He is neither the Captain nor the batsman we witnessed all along. What happened to him?
The senior pros lack the concentration and legs to last sessions. This is evident right from the Tour of West Indies in May 2011. Still, none of them want to vacate the scene and so youngsters are kept away from Test Cricket. Why this delay? When Dravid’s debut was delayed, fans held the hoarding “WHERE IS DRAVID?” during India Vs Pakistan Quarter finals match held at Bangalore (1996 World Cup). Rightfully Dravid made his debut in England in the same year. Is it not Dravid’s turn to reciprocate the same gesture for the generation to follow?
The Selectors lacked wisdom in team selection. Even a common fan knows that Irfan Pathan should be a straight pick for the Tour of Australia. It is heartening to see a youngster like Vinay Kumar totally appear a clown in the bowler friendly Perth Test. The bowler barely managed 120 Kilometers an hour and Wasim Akram rightfully made mockery of him in the commentary box. Why are the selectors so arrogant?
BCCI’s dictating the rules has turned a total annoyance. It is time to embrace the technology. Even if there are obvious issues with DRS, it is time to join hands with the World. When the World moves North, why go South?
If at all Laxman & Dravid wish a graceful exit, Australia is the place and occasion. Bowing out here will convey the message that they have taken responsibility of the debacle. Despite the 4-0 rout, fans will be sympathetic to the stalwarts with the added credit of packed stadium. If they delay anymore, they can as well prepare to raise their bat and show the emotional gesture to empty stands at home.
Dhoni is issued a test match ban for slow over rate. I wonder, what is the impact of slow over rate If India cannot last even 3 days in a Test Match? Probably the price, Dhoni had to pay for cheating the fans who bought the ticket for 4th and 5th days play.
BCCI’s financial muscle is built by the faithful following of the sport by millions of fans. But the fans anguish are ignored continuously. It is time the BCCI is given a rude awakening. I’m sure IPL 2012 will witness empty stands.
The 100th ton is gaining more importance than it deserves. It will come when it has to come until then it is important to focus on the cricket ahead. It is time media stop blowing the expectation beyond imagination.
If Dhoni wants to prolong his career it should be quitting T20’s and not Test Cricket. Dhoni might say he lack the technique to last the testing format. If that is the case then Chanderpaul should not be playing any cricket at all. It is the attitude that sets up a cricketer and not the technique. If Dhoni quits Tests, it means he sets wrong precedence for the generation to follow. Mr. Dhoni you have turned bigger than who you think you are. Your every move will impact life of many. So please keep that in mind, before you take a decision.
If at all Dhoni wants to take a break from Captaincy, it should go to right hands. At this time my choice would be Tendulkar (in both the formats) for he is the only person assured of a spot in the playing XI. Others in the team play the game without any burden, the results will be coming automatically.
To conclude, there is only one way to fix these woes. Shrink IPL tenure by one month. Let youngsters like Kohli, Raina, Sharma, Pujara, Yuvraj, Harbhajan play actively in English County. Curtail non-value added cricket like the recently played ODI series with England & West Indies. Limit the amount of cricket in the calendar with one home series, one or two abroad series, IPL and an ICC event (T20, World Cup, Champion’s Trophy).
Bottom Line: Chak De India… else F… De India.
Dinesh
Cricket Lover
Excellent thoughts DInesh. Superb article.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Prabhu.
ReplyDelete