In an exam I had written a month ago, the ‘None Of The Above’ option among the multiple choice questions seemed woefully out of place. It might seem out of place in quite some scenarios actually, given it is the safest (‘sanest’, some might remark) route to evading effort.
But that option might be the most appropriate one to mark in the scenario we find ourselves in this week. Like some accursed, recurring disease, we have been dusted out of a major ICC event—yet again. Painfully, we’ve boarded the South African Airways flight to Mumbai failing to inflict a scratch on our adversaries.
For atleast half a year now, India and South Africa have been the best cricket teams in the world, by quite some distinction. Packed with all the ingredients of a versatile side equipped to tackle the most hostile of situations, India and South Africa were ticked off the bill as the clear frontrunners in this clash of the only few cricketing nations which can put bat on ball—they were viewed with hope as the sides which would make this Champions Trophy an absolute jackpot and ‘revive the interest’ in ODI cricket (though I’ve always believed ODI cricket was never put to the gun). Like in life and sport, we cannot always get what we want (like Harman Baweja can’t be asked to act and Raj Thackeray cannot be told to think) and so South Africa had to encounter the exceedingly embarrassing situation of going down pathetically at home, with a full strength squad on hand.
Not very differently, hitherto numero uno Team India were dealt with a solid punch even before taking field, with Sehwag, Yuvraj and Zaheer Khan (arguably among the MVPs of the team) shot by physical injuries. The reason I say ‘physical injuries’ is because it was very evident that the team at large was a subject of mental injury all through the campaign (Kirsten’s advice might have helped after all. Why didn’t someone take it seriously?!). Everybody was most interested in whinging about the players on the bench, far from producing inspiring performances from the blokes on field. Incidentally, Australia and New Zealand found themselves in a similar situation. But there is a lesson for Dhoni and Co. to learn from the men down under. While the Ryders, Mills, Orams, Clarkes might have been out of competition owing to physical maladies, the Tim Paines, Cameron Whites, Callum Fergusons, Shane Bonds, Grant Elliots rose to the occasion and played responsible cricket while we, invariably turn to the Sachin Tendulkars and Rahul Dravids each time we are in soup, praying they’d bail us out.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, hoards of irate men and women lost no opportunity, on celluloid or otherwise, to deflate the team completely, stripping it of all its honour, scarcely giving the world the impression that they were fans of the best cricket team in the world. Expectedly livid experts cashed in on the chance to feature in the day’s headlines, some even going to the extent of calling for radical changes to the team. Some foolishly volatile minds (present in plenty) also bellowing for the exit of the ‘senior’ pros of the team. Right now, the Indian Cricket Team is the second best in the world, not for what the forefathers of the current team members accomplished. We’d be sparing the Adrenal Medulla, reminding ourselves that the situation we find ourselves in was brought about only by one bad match. It is indeed disturbing that the best team in the world over the last many months cannot make the semifinals of a world tournament, owing to one bad game. Giving Ishant Sharma the new ball and playing five bowlers against quality teams shall heal all the grave conundrums (as we’re making them seem) in our bowling repertoire. It’s time we injected some sense into whatever does the rounds in the media.
Sometimes, only sometimes, the sanest and safest option works best.
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