India is the best

For once, I had to have a sarcastic title for a post. Though I am a proud Indian, I and millions of other Indians were let down by the performance of the Indian cricket team yesterday at Dambulla. India played against Sri Lanka, in the Day night encounter and lost by 4 wickets. Now, 4 wickets seems pretty convincing when you consider Sri Lanka won with 12 balls to spare.

Well, this was not so when Sri Lanka were struggling at 95/6 in under 25 overs. And then, India as India always is, lost it by giving an unbeaten 126 run partnership to Upul Chandana and Mahela Jayawardene. Incidentally, thisn is the 2nd highest partnership in Cricket ODI history for the 7th wicket. India were close, but not close enough.

The point is not about how/why we lost. It is about how often this kind of a thing happens ? Jayawardene's 94* was his highest score in 4 years !!!!! And to think that he rocked the cricket world with a 240 odd against India in 1999, in Sri Lanka does merit him. But, that 240 was not before India dropped him 4-5 times !!! And if I am not wrong, that was Ashish Nehra's debut series as well !! India has a superb cricketing history when it comes to promoting OTHER countries' cricket talent ..


This was proved, when the Windies toured India in 1994 and Jimmy Adams, padded up to the Indian spinners so much, that he was later on called Padams. But after that series, this hither-to-unknown batsman became the best batsman as per the cricket world rankings then. Then there was Chanderpaul, who it seemed, was waiting to play against India to launch his batting career with his maiden ton against India. He went on to score 3 hundreds in the 2002 series where India toured the Windies !! And who can forget India losing to the West Indies in a Singapore triangular in 1999, launching another superstar Ricardo Powell, who came in with the West Indies struggling at around 120/6 or so and belted the Indian bowling all over, during his innings of 124

And the list seems endless. Even Russel Arnold from Sri Lanka showed his mettle first on the International cricketing scene against the Indians, when, yet again, he won a match for Sri Lanka, when it seemed hopeless for them.I can remember only of these many players. Jimmy Adams struggled a hulluva lot and retired after unsuccessfully leading his team. Ricardo Powell is a struggling cricketer these days. Come to think of it, Chris Cairns had a liking for the Indians and hammered our bowlers in 2 of his one day centuries , because of which he got much noticed.

This is not to take away the merit due for these players. But it does seem strange, that it is India, whom most players prefer to really shine against,on the Cricketing world. It almost seems India feed them and they are only too happy to accept ! Losing matches from winning positions, Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory .. I thought those days are long over for Indian cricket with a strong willed coach and captain. But, no .. those memories have come to haunt again.Sandy Gordon may sit around to give psycho-logical tips, but he can't be with the team forever. India gets complacent and screws up easy matches. Greg has a lot of work to do, else, more players from opposing teams will say - India is the best !!

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