Indian cricket busy with other games

Aussies started planning for this win in 2001, while Indians focussed on contracts and a struggle for power.

Updated on: Oct 30, 2004, 14:23:00 IST

PTI | By Pradeep Magazine, Nagpur

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Given the extreme passion cricket evokes in India, it would be tempting to condemn the entire Indian team and ask for the sacking of a majority of the players.

The Australians had always regarded India as the final frontier and were desperate to win a series on Indian soil, something they had not achieved in 35 years.

They did that on Friday in a ruthless manner, humiliating the Indians by 342 runs — one of India's biggest ever defeats.

But if one lets reason rule over passion, one thing should not be forgotten — this is the same bunch that earned the tag of the world's second-best team by performing wonderfully well at the World Cup and in Australia and Pakistan.

And also, it is not always easy to find replacements, especially when the priorities of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are so different from the Australians.

Australian captain Adam Gilchrist said after the game that they had started preparing for this tour right at the end of the 2001 series.

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Pradeep Magazine
Before I come to the point, a bit of a preamble is required. Even at the best of times, the relationship between those who perform and those who write and pass judgments on them is tenuous. And at the worst of times, it is tense and edgy. Over the years, both have generally learnt to live with each other and not cross the line between being downright rude and extra respectful, writes Pradeep Magazine.Read More

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