Well,
I am an Indian and this article might come as a surprise to many Indian cricketing fans, but I am a die-hard
cricketing fan too. Lots of people are always ready with their advice when they
don’t even understand how to look at a game or how to weigh an opponent. For
those who are following cricket since childhood and understand it from their
heart will know the difference between winning against top tier team and lower
tier team. It takes courage to become champions but it takes character to
remain there at the top when there are so many worthy opponents eyeing towards
that gold.
Winning at home is another thing, but to become a world beater, a team needs to understand its team, resources and requirements. Mind games were always a vital of an interesting match apart from team performances. It takes courage to sledge someone and then coming on top with your performance too. It is the character that backs you up when rest of the world says – ‘Not possible”.
In
that definition if any team stands tall today, then it has to be Australia.
Many Indian fans think that they (Australia) don’t have character or attitude
or sportsman spirit, but what they have takes a giant leap from being a winner
to becoming a world beater. We have to understand this concept before pointing
our fingers towards others. Whether it was a brawl between Symonds-Bhajji or
Kohli-Jhonson, the team that had a last laugh was Australia. They can sledge
you, but they can’t take your cricket bat away from you. With Aussies, on the
other corner the opponent can’t lose concentration until the last ball is
bowled, this is called the fear of the opponent and character.
NZ VS Aus group match was the perfect example of that spirit. Mind you, many experts have said that the current Australian team lacks that killer instinct as compared to their predecessors. Talking about predecessors, being an Indian I can never forget those 2003 world cup matches where India lost to the only Australian team twice. After a meager total of 151, what Australian bowlers produced with the bowl was something exceptional. Losing that game by just 1 wicket, in NZ, was the biggest statement of this World Cup. That match showed that character of a team because defending 151 is not an easy task, I mean really not easy.
India was on the roll then and now, but during that 2003 world Cup, India defeated Sri Lanka, Pakistan ( with Wasim, Qaqar and Sohaib Akthar), England, New Zealand and all minnows too. In 2003 also I was a fan of Adam Gilchrist and I still remember that final knock of 57 in 48 balls after that Ricky Ponting took the game away with his 140 off 138 balls. In this world cup India only defeated South Africa that too after posting a score above 300 which means no fighting game and no test of nerves. The only time when they have had that test they lost to Australia. Sledging was not the problem when Shikhar, Virat and Raina threw their wicket away in this current world cup semi finals. If you are thinking why I am comparing the two matches, that is because both were out of India (South Africa and Australia).
So
my only concern is why we always stop somewhere in between. Why can’t we
produce players or back them up or pick them up to rise above? What is
professionalism in sports? Loosing matches and then blaming others for their
attitude?
Well, I really don’t know who needs to change their attitude towards the game, team selection or reactions towards the game of cricket, but one thing that I know is that great teams know how to fight hard irrespective of the situations. Even South Africa gave a hell of a fight in their first Semi-Final bout. Rain was against them, dew was against them, even at times their fielding was against them, they had problem of 5th bowler, yet they took the game till last over even after a miraculous innings by the destroyer ‘Mc cullum”. Every one bound to have an off day, but not applying yourself and playing according to the situation will never attract the destiny. Throwing wickets is different from getting out at impeccable deliveries.
So being an Indian fan, I pray and hope that India will try to pick the right players (being a professional team) based on performances and not based on other emotions. I want to see that killer instinct back. I want India to live in the field. Sure Dhoni has that cunning mind, but then blaming too much our own players is again wrong. If they are hiding something inside, then that has to come out so that India can become world beaters and can stay there for few years. Being an Indian fan, I would love to see that happening sooner than later.
And for the Aussies, I have only one word ‘Killers’. Winners always had attitude problems, I guess, because they think differently from others, this was said for Dhoni also during the 2011 world cup. But doing that same thing 5 times take something different. It is up to us whether we take it as an offense or an inspiration to raise our game of cricket. But for me Aussies are still made up of something else. I salute their fighting spirit and aggression on the cricket ground and would love to see team India there soon.
