Jhakas | Sanjay Jha
As India were once again, in familiar fashion, collapsing like a brittle pack of cards, their celebrated coach Greg Chappell was busily immersed reading a book.
Perhaps after giving himself an A+ rating in his self-appraisal to TV channels and media pals who love his "process(ing) skills", he was cockily chilling in self-congratulations. Continue reading below
Clearly, the pitiable display on the pitch by the Men in Blue at Durban against South Africa did not disturb him.
Sachin Tendulkar, after a brief entertaining stay at the wicket, had just had the not-so-pleasing experience of seeing his stumps shattered by the lanky, continuously cantankerous Andre Nel, in effect, confirming the final nail in India’s branded coffin.
It was another cowardly display, lacking in competitive streak, an obsessive urge to transform form, and woefully short on self-confidence. The result, a miserly 91 runs, summed up India’s tragic misfortunes.
In retrospect, maybe another thunder shower washout would have perhaps been less excruciating.
I believe this South African team‘s batting prowess is getting increasingly suspect, and their real strength lies in their pace bowlers who are remarkably disciplined and capable of intelligent variations.
So if India have to triumph against lopsided odds, the so-called famed Indian batting line-up needs to deliver a-la FedEx.
But look at what coach Greg Chappell and the incompetent, short-sighted selectors have in their "chosen ones" and you will know why India’s Herculean task gets only more formidable.
Wasim Jaffer, who should have been enjoying Bombay’s early flush of November winter sniffs, looked as uncomfortable as Mallika Sherawat in a sari, and was perhaps delighted to keep off the bouncy terrain.
Tendulkar showed an aggressive mind-set and sharp adaptation skills, but surprisingly perished when MS Dhoni had just swaggered in.
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Maybe Sachin should spend sometime watching Brian Lara's majestic 216 to know what it means to be the team’s mainstay.
Mohammad Kaif confirmed my worst fears; he honestly believes he is there in the team for his splendid fielding alone.
Years of mindless shuffling of batting position and uncertainty over his future role have sharply eroded his natural game.
Rahul Dravid, for a change looked enormously flustered, and struggling to establish dominance, even as he and Sachin put up an elementary resistance. Poor Suresh Raina, who should have been captaining India B School team (but who is a convenient pawn along-with Dinesh Mongia to keep Chappell's "hated" list out) looked as clueless as George Bush answering a general knowledge quiz.
I could see the South Africans looked equally shocked at our pathetic show. MS Dhoni is discovering that beyond charisma and style, what he needs is consistency and endurance.
Earlier, it was happy homecoming for Zaheer Khan, although the rest of the Indian bowlers were clearly going through some aimless motions.
Munaf Patel looked a pale-shadow of the fearsome bowler he once threatened to unleash on hapless opposition, and Harbhajan Singh was clearly unaccustomed to these foreign shores after a long sub-continental party.
Jacques Kallis scored an unhurried hundred, not realising that his 119 runs would have been sufficient for Chappell's squad of blundering superstars.
As Indian cricket fans switched off their midnight rendezvous on TV sets with one more dismal Indian defeat, it is about time Greg Chappell looked up from that book he was reading as his pupils caved in like eleven pins in front of his nose.
Because the writing is not on the pages, it is on the wall.
