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A bit over the top

As you may have guessed by all the posts I've done so far, I'm thrilled that India won the series. Overjoyed infact.

But now reality is sinking in. We do have a good young side and like I said in an earlier post on par with the Australian team.

But now I'm starting to think that maybe the media is going a bit over the top in praising the Indian team. They seem to actually believe that from now on India will never ever lose and the 2011 World Cup is as good as ours. And nothing is going to stand in the way of the Indian team.

Now there's nothing wrong with, I can understand the joy that India's won a series of such magnitude but I do think they need to not overreact and hold their horses and wait a while to see what happens next.

Statements like the one made by Inderjit Singh Bindra, the former BCCI chairman in the Sydney Morning Herald has made the galling claim that the Indians had acquired Australia's winning qualities and had beaten the world champions at their own game.

But what about all the times India lost to Australia in the Group stages and was in danger of getting knocked out. But suddenly they've won two matches in a row and they can do no wrong/ I agree that they palyed brilliantly and deserved the victory but I just think all the praise is going a little bit overboard.

The same people who are putting the Indian team on the pedestal will be the first ones to pull them down the next time they lose. Cricket is a religion here and people take it very very seriously. If they're capable of dancing in the streets and having pujas in temples on winning, they are just as much capable of throwing stones, making derogatory comments and burning effigies of players.

And if you don't believe me, recall the backlash after the debacle that was the 2007 World Cup.

I don't blame the media entirely. Its the people's responsibility too. To realise that at the end of the day it's just a game. Wins and losses are part and parcel of the game. And someday's nothing goes right. Even the best of teams have off days and the best example I can give you is France losing to Senegal in the first match of the 2002 World Cup.

It's fine to analyse the game. To say what went wrong and where. What needs to be fixed. Whether the team needs younger blood or more experience. Not to say that the team is losing because its focusing on advertising instead of practising.

I think that's just unfair.

Any sport not just cricket has a short shelf life. By the time your 35 it's most probably over for you. So what's wrong with making a little money on the side.

Maybe I'm just someone who views the world through rose tinted glasses but I seriously believe that those boys out there do everything they do for the love of cricket and that is their first priority. Why else would they dedicate their lives to it? And after all they're representing my country? Why shouldn't they reap some of the benefits?

Here's hoping for a smooth sailing ahead for the Indian team and may they always make us as proud as they just have.

And something I forgot to say in my previous posts, to Ricky Ponting- "In Your Face! "

Comments

Anonymous said…
You seem to be a big cricket fan :) I used to watch cricket when Jadeja played on the team as I had a massive crush on him.After the betting scandal,somehow I never had any interest in the game.
Gentle Whispers said…
@ homecooked : Yup I'm a big fan of cricket. And basketball and football and tennis and hockey and badminton.... I'm guessing you get the picture.

I live for sports basically. There was a period after the 2007 World Cup where I lost interest but the Twenty20 renewed my interest in cricket. So all's well now.
Mynie said…
Talking about the media, I saw something on TV that I can not fathom at all. It was Sahara Samay, if I'm not wrong. And I am NOT wrong. They just took the cake when it comes to blowing an event out of proportion!
Just take a wild guess of what they were covering on the day of the 'return of the heroes'. Guess, guess.
No, not interviewing their neighbours. No, not showing clips of their childhood. No, not even clips of their spouses blushing. When I say, they took the cake, they probably took it literally too!
Sahara Samay's team was in the kitchen of the Delhi Intercontinental Hotel. They were showing footage of the food that the 'Heroes' were going to be served. If you need a sample of the voice over, here it goes, "Yeh hai Daal Makhni Jo Hamare Vijayi Khiladi Khaayenge" (This is the Dal Makhni that our valiant, victorious players will eat.
Now, who gives a damn whether they are going to gobble down Chicken Tandoori or Prawn Koliwaada?
F**k Sahaara Samay!
Anonymous said…
Hey.....u are tagged :) Incase u want to take it up.

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