"Every Indian cricketer realizes that the Indian cricket fan is best understood by remembering the sentiments of the majority, not the actions of a minority" – Rahul Dravid
When the world around me was just all praise for the stalwarts of the sport just a month back, has turned wild again. Why does this happen in India? Why this often? It is a real dismay to say the least.
Why is it always blamed upon the likes of Dravid & Laxman when things go wrong? Why is this country failing to understand an even more distressing situation that has risen to the foil in the last 5 years. The situation is that, given the opportunities & the exposure that Yuvraj & Raina got while Ganguly’s & Gary Kirsten’s regime, they have not given any other option to the selectors but to stick with the same trio for longer to even their own surprise.
To this Indian Cricketing fraternity “Please stop accusing Laxman & Dravid, but give them an opportunity to leave on a high”. It’s a plea from a cricketing purist who has loved the game and enjoyed the work ethics of these diplomats.
I will always reiterate the fact that the blame of failure by the younger generation to accept responsibility cannot be inundated mercilessly upon these giants of Indian cricket. Can you people even think of a Yuvraj or a Raina surviving in this hostile & ever exposing “Test cricket”, to be replacing Dravids & Laxmans? Stop ridiculing the masters of the game.
I have played this game now for more than a decade to understand one simple thing that drives its excellence. “If you ever try to complicate it, the game will compel you to fail & 9 out of 10 times it will succeed in achieving it”. Listening to the baseless commentary on star Cricket over the past 3 weeks, it was extremely disturbing to hear them say “Laxman should change his technique to cope with the conditions”. You just don’t & can’t wake up one fine morning & change your batting technique. Just because it does not work for a while does not mean it’s faltered. The young generation around the world today just love to complicate the game & are more intent in bringing the “Dilscoops & the Switch hits” to their repertoire but do not have a hint to play the seaming, raising deliveries.
TEST CRICKET IS ONLY FOR THE ONES WHO HAVE LEARNED THIS GAME THE RIGHT WAY & HAVE A GOOD SOUND MENTAL ABILITY TO HANDLE PRESSURE. NOT FOR THE FRAGILE IDIOTS WHO FLATTER TO DECEIVE US.
When Symonds was exposed to test cricket by Ponting, the cricketing world made fun of the decision. Symonds proved to be as successful as the administrators felt he would be, only because he adjusted his mental aspect of the game to get accustomed to winning “test matches” for Australia. If only the Indian youngsters give “test cricket” it’s due respect & work hard to master it, will they succeed. Otherwise, I won’t be surprised if Dravid & Laxman are asked to come out of their retirement even at their 50’s.
Yuvraj is any day a better talent than Symonds by all senses of the word. I would like to quote something my friend & a sensible cricketing fan Mr.Ranganathan had to say about Dravid -- “Just an example for his commitment during england tour last year the day before his last odi it was an optional practice session for the team, guess what- he was the only person who turned up for practice:) this is what I call as commitment..a true champ always stick to the basics to achieve success...no doubt he is a legend”. Virat looks promising for he has the technique & basics to being a good test cricketer, if only he can keep working on it and be committed to it.
The whole world is dead against M.S.Dhoni all of a sudden, but I have always kept him at the same plate as “Steve Waugh” because of the passion, the mental toughness he possesses. Steve never could handle good short-pitched bowling, but hardly got out to such deliveries. Hansie did not know how to play the turning ball, but knew how to manage it. As much as he looked to be vulnerable against Shane Warne, he hit him to all corners of the ground in Australia & did it consistently over a period of 8 years in Test cricket. MSD is someone, whom I hold as high as a Hansie & a Steve. He is a tough guy, not any shit to be written badly about as he has been over the past month or so.
While I have always felt that the likes of Dravid, Laxman & Sachin should have been relieved of their responsibilities one by one during the past 2 years, my mind has always been reminded of a threat asking me “but who will replace them?. I am afraid the answer has always been “NO One”.
Before commenting or bullying any further about VVS & Rahul, understand the fact that the youngsters have clearly failed to take responsibility & relieve them off their duties. This takes me back to a favourite topic of a cricketing purist “IPL & T20 & BBL” will swallow test cricket slowly but surely. ICC has been a completely incompetent organisation who have failed to administer the difference between a “Tradition & a Fad” (Test cricket & T20 respectively) with any sense.
