August seems to be the month of battle for supremacy between India and England! India's year long sojourn at the top has ended and the better team of the day has claimed its rightful spot! Congratulations England. What is surprising at the turn of events is not the ruthless manner in which England went about claiming its rightful place, but the meek manner in which India conceded it, without a semblance of a fight.
The year 2011 started with so much of expectations and India did live upto it by playing a very high quality game of cricket. Despite the occasional hiccups and anxious moments, India performed with a conviction of "We can" and held aloft the coveted cup, much to the delight of the delirious millions of fans.
To expect the same thing to repeat every time is trifle overambitious. But, a true champion side not only climbs the pinnacle but also endeavor to sustain the supremacy by consistent performance drawn from the top drawer. A country of millions , giving up its daily chores and freeze before a TV screen- leaving aside the exam on the morrow, putting the client conference calls on hold due to that sudden "head ache" which afflicts only during the knockout stages of a championship, shouting from the roof & tree tops encouraging every shot and gasping at the false stroke and dropped chances" is a boon to any team and living up its expectations every time is a task by itself. At times, this support from the "millions " work the other way and become a pressure point as it is a double edged sword with a constant unrealistic expectation to win every time.
No doubt, I am also disappointed at what is happening in England for the past few weeks. It is a total shocker of performance from the famed side and the absence of a fight and occasional brilliance is hurting. I have also seen enough writing in the print and electronic media crucifying our team which was a hero only in April'11, to be called a zero, questioning their abilities, suspecting whether it was a fluke victory, lack of rest, personal interest over the team, the involvement of betting.... it hurts more.
Let us understand that our heroes are also humans susceptible to the vagaries and cricket is a game of such glorious uncertainties that any team could be humbled on any given day, without prior warning. The last three words " without prior warning" is the key to the success of the game and its popularity. Perhaps, that explains as to why a diehard fan is not willing to stir away from the screen even at the 45th over, when the team's cause is lost as per the 'pundits' of the game. This uncertainty has given wings to the players too who have started believing of scoring 36 runs in the last three overs, an idea germinated out of 20-20 that has spread its tentacles to other forms of the game too.
The point I would like to emphasize is , in our disappointment let us not forget the realities. But for the uncertainties and turnaround the game is capable of , the world would not have got a shocker champion in 1983. No doubt It was no fluke- it was the belief, the conviction the winner had, perhaps not so much visible to the outside world, but the team would have really known. Imagine the plight of Steve Waugh and his team in 2001, when India came from behind to thwart Waugh's bid to conquer the final frontier. It was Miandad's belief that usurped the championship off the last ball to the heart break of so many Indians. How many times India has managed defeat from winning situations and clinched victory from lost causes. Of late, the latter option seem to have been more- precisely the reason for the rising expectation of its fans. So, let us believe that the better of the team on the occasion took the cake. Let us not insinuate and castigate people who were our heroes only recently. Sachin, Shewag , Dravid , Laxman and the likes cannot become zeros overnight. Let us continue to live with them through this forgettable phase. Remember the 5-0 thrashing West Indies gave India immediately after their shock defeat and dropping the world cup ! It is the belief that matters and any game could be won, any peak could be scaled. In this endeavor, the support of the 'millions' is very essential and let us not desert them at this stage. The media claiming to be the mouth piece of this 'millions' also has a role to play here. Let us continue to enjoy the game and applaud whoever plays well, in this case England. History is replete with instances of India toppling the supremacy of the Crown and with the Independence Day around, let us not allow our morale to dip.
"RIP - World's No. 1 Test team"- screamed a newspaper headline today. Yes, let us allow them to rest for a while and come up with fresh energy and ideas, to wrest the crown !
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