M. S. Dhoni believes a ’keeper is well-suited to captain a side, as he watches every delivery closely. On the field, Dhoni appears a natural leader of men. By S. Dinakar.
At the end of the day, you ask yourself the tough questions. Are we, as a cricketing nation, fair on our players? Is it right, for a few hours of glory and headlines, to rubbish accomplished men?
These men are human beings first and cricketers next. Rahul Dravid often talks of the ‘Man in the Mirror.’
The other day, India skipper Anil Kumble spoke about a shocking lack of respect for the cricketing greats in the country. Indeed, there is a human angle to every cricketing story.
Cricketers don’t turn over-the-hill overnight. It was not too long ago that this Indian team was the toast in Australia for a spirit-lifting display high on skill and courage. Everyone contributed, the seniors, the younger bunch, and a great fightback was born.
One forgettable series in Sri Lanka where a mystery spinner casts a spell and everything is forgotten. Talk about frightfully short memories….
As the heady fragrance of a famous victory swirled in the air in Mohali, some of these ‘has beens’ are heroes again. Sachin Tendulkar conquers yet another cricketing peak in a team effort. Sourav Ganguly makes a gutsy hundred when India finds itself in a crisis situation.
In the first Test, Rahul Dravid and V. V. S. Laxman produce crucial innings; numbers do not always indicate the significance of the efforts.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a gracious man. He acknowledges Tendulkar’s display, which includes a sensational diving catch at short point, dwells on Ganguly’s batting in a packed post-match conference. “It’s a team effort,” he says.
It’s a memorable Test for the man they call Mahi. Dhoni is remarkably composed even as he leads with aggression, attacks the bowlers with his bludgeoning blade.
Chairman of the selection panel Krishnamachari Srikkanth talks about how ‘Dhoni keeps captaincy simple.’ It’s a high-pressure, physically-demanding job, keeping wickets and captaining the side.
Dhoni believes a ’keeper is well-suited to captain a side, as he watches every delivery closely. On the field, Dhoni appears a natural leader of men.
For his opposite number, Ricky Ponting, the Mohali Test is a nightmare in day light. He continues to be Ishant Sharma’s bunny, sees his team succumbing to the Indian aggression and intensity. The boot is on the other foot. The World Champion is feeling the heat.
Ponting’s sharp mind still seeks to drive wedges in the Indian team. “Who’s the captain of the Indian team, Kumble or Dhoni,” he asks. The Punter had targeted Kumble in his pre-match column.
Mind games or not the Aussies have been outplayed. These are not happy times for Ponting. His brief animated on-field discussion with pace spearhead Brett Lee poses uncomfortable questions to the skipper. The Punter plays the incident down to a minor lack of communication.
It’s an engrossing Test but the stands are virtually empty. It fills up briefly — on a comparative scale — on day one when Tendulkar approaches the landmark but soon there are huge, gaping empty spaces in the galleries.
Is Test cricket losing its eminence, at least in the northern parts of the country where shorter forms of the game appear to have a vice-like grip on in-stadia viewership?
The ICC CEO, Haroon Lorgat, is worried. But he soon announces ICC’s various ODI and Twenty20 events over the next three years. The irony of it all cannot be missed.
On the same subject, Punjab Cricket Association chairman I. S. Bindra is candid in his views. He feels the State Associations should do more to woo the fans back to the Test arena. The largely open stands at Mohali are not exactly welcoming to the spectators as a blazing sun beats down relentlessly.
It’s a pity that only a handful of spectators watch one of India’s finest performances in Tests. When queried about the poor spectator response, Tendulkar speaks about “Quality” and not “Quantity.”
The media is in full strength though. Every seat in the press box is occupied. The presspersons are looked after well too by the courteous PCA staff. For a change, the toilets are clean.
Among the spectators are a rather vibrant gathering of Australian supporters from down under. Some of the slogans on their outfits, whatever the intentions, are not quite in good taste.
Zaheer Khan’s send-off to Matthew Hayden after the Aussie opener’s dismissal on day four is not really a piece of good behaviour either. A “bad boy,” when he played the game, Chris Broad hands out justice. Fine or no fine, it is celebration time in the Indian camp. A win is a great balm and healer. The past is forgotten and it’s time for a new beginning.
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