Time to reset expectations, take an unemotional look at Indian cricket

Chasing 440-odd at The Oval was always improbable. Yet, there was widespread blind belief that King Kohli would magically get us across the line.

The laws of cricket state that the umpire will decide certain decisions once the fielders appeal. Post Oval, fans, followers and experts are screaming in appeal seeking urgent answers.

In overseas matches there is a sameness about India -- same players, same batting, similar results. (AFP)

Test cricket first. In overseas matches there is a sameness about India -- same players, same batting, similar results. At home, on wickets manufactured for spinners, Australia are comfortably thrashed in two days with Axar, Jadeja and Ashwin completely unplayable.

There are various reasons why India lost the World Test Championship final, but the most striking comment came on a random WhatsApp forward. It said you can’t expect to win Wimbledon by practicing throughout the year at Roland Garros.

Harbhajan has questioned the wisdom of this lopsided strategy. Gambhir, not one to hold back, has slammed the tendency to highlight individual performances and create superheroes while diminishing the contribution of the team.

On Day 5 at the Oval, with 280 to get and Virat in, there was hope. Walking through the Alec Stewart gate to our seats, when I asked Anil Kumble what he thought, his response was it is gettable. Not surprising because losing was never an option for him.

The Oval disappointment raises other disturbing questions. Most prominent among them: how come India, the IPL powerhouse, hasn’t won an ICC T20 tournament since IPL started in 2008? Top cricket gurus/top players (Sangakkara/Du Plessis, De Villiers, Pietersen) rave about IPL strengthening Indian cricket, but this is not reflected in the results.

While uncomfortable questions are being raised, some answers too are emerging. Ravi Shastri feels India needs to be more professional, more ruthless. If players need time to prepare better, other commitments, including IPL, have to take a back seat. This is the way to go but in a practical world it is not likely to happen because IPL is the number one priority for everyone. An easier fix would be to change the team, get fresh players and inject new energy into the system. This too might not work because we extend a long rope to our players. Partly hoping that they would turn things around, partly because we are tolerant and shy of taking tough calls.

An easier solution would be to reset our expectations and take a pragmatic, unemotional look at Indian cricket. The notion that cricket is India’s religion must be abandoned; this is charming myth and romantic rubbish. We all love cricket, but we also love other things, including even trashy Bollywood films that entertain us. Cricket, especially IPL where every third ball is hit to the boundary, is just one more popular source of entertainment. This should be consumed and celebrated as such. Why add another layer to cricket, giving it a lofty, uplifting, noble character?

Fact is, India loves cricketers, respects players more than the game. Gambhir is right when he speaks of fans creating a fake image of its superstars and granting them special status. We, collectively, raise players to a level much beyond their ability, then pray that they produce extraordinary feats and deliver victories.

This year’s IPL played out as a grand national homage to Dhoni with fans showering unprecedented love and affection in what was seen as his farewell season. A similar wave of devotion engulfs Virat, with chants of ‘Kohli, Kohli’ filling stadiums each time he steps on to the ground.

Chasing 440-odd at The Oval in the last innings was always improbable, such things do not happen in cricket. Yet, there was widespread blind belief that chase master King Kohli would magically get us across the line. Each time he defended the ball an admiring roar went up, and when he fell, the silence was deafening. This was followed by a barrage of criticism, some cricket related for searching for a ball too far away; others unfair and angry, going beyond cricket.

As India compete in ICC tournaments they will, hopefully, win some and lose some, because that is part of the game. But the artificial bubble in which they exist must be replaced by a better understanding of ground reality. India’s commercial conquest of cricket is complete but India as cricket’s global superpower is very much a work in progress.