The Jump from 1 2(to) 3 !!!

Sounds more like an oxymoron isn’t it?  These six syllables can actually make sense if one keeps in mind the shoddy performance of the Indian Cricket Team in the recently concluded Test Series in England. With a series win in both the ODIs and the Test matches in the “non-glamorous” Caribbean (in terms of TRP and revenue generated), the Indian team landed in England with the tag of world champions and a NUMERO UNO Test ranking. India being a cricket crazy nation, opinions have gone through the roof; some blame it on the players and some on the administration. To be precisely precise it has been a combined effect of both the actors. There has been a problem, a problem that has persisted through years, but we kept our heads buried in the sand and refused to acknowledge it. Moreover the success of the team in the World Cup and the emergence of the cash rich IPL has coaxed us to turn a deaf ear. The BCCI could have imagined that the number one tag, possibly a magic wand, is enough to claim the series in England, but sadly, it wasn’t to be. The tired and over confident Indians were up against a prepared England. Good teams do not tire, if they do, more often than not they end up as the losing side. Taking a look at the number of matches they play in a year, it is child’s play to conclude that it is easier for India to be on the top as compared to the other international teams. They also have all the money but if not administered well, there is no meaning to it. Preparation cannot happen overnight, it is a long drawn process, starting with identifying the right personnel and then taking it forward. You have to improve as a team with every match, if you are not, you become stagnant.

M.S.D. - bitter taste of his first series loss as captain

                             
Indians have always been admirers of skill and gave attitude a cold shoulder, not paying heed to the fact that it is the amalgamation that creates magic on the turf. It is actually the mentality of the subcontinent, Pakistan has produced some of the finest bowlers to have played the game, India is arguably the best batting side “on paper” in the world but both the teams are known to be highly inconsistent. Why cannot a sub continent team be tagged “The Invincibles”? It is because we are complacent; we do not care about the routine things that are an integral part of the game. Top teams like Australia and England were also infected with injuries, but they always had reserves. Imagine the plight of the Indian team had Zaheer pulled out during the World Cup. England’s Stuart Broad was immediately packed off home after a dismal performance in Sri Lanka to play for his county. The result is there for us to see.  It is time the BCCI put its head down and devise ways of utilising the monetary resources for better preparation back home. Creating a pool of reserve players in close co-ordination with N.C.A. should be the primary objective of the management. The demographics of the country give leverage to the administration to unearth talent and groom it for the future. Success speaks a lot more than failure but failure teaches you a lot more than success. India has the resources to bring about the change but it is not possible with the lousy attitude it carries. The cricket administration has some tough questions to answer in order to expedite India’s ascend and make their perch there, permanent.