Jhakas | Sanjay Jha
One thing is apparent (I am sure by now all avid regular followers of cricket have guessed as well) that just by being an ex-cricketer, or possessing rapid-speaking skills coupled with bland humor and writing pretentious columns, or traveling 24x7x365 days with the cricket team and being branded as the wise men in the TV commentators’ box does not make them any more blessed with either cricketing intelligence , insightful analysis or dispassionate , neutral observers of the game, above petty politics and puerile dressing room intrigue. Sad indeed!
The biggest farce on small screen exhibition of 2006 (it could have competed with the Great Laughter Challenge Show) was when the wise men were discussing the Indian team selection for the Test matches after the humiliating 4-0 whitewash in ODIs. This particular TV commentator mentioned a shopping-list of several “serious prospects “ (short of including PM Manmohan Singh it had everyone) but excluded, with rehearsed studious perfection the name of that social pariah of Indian cricket till not so long ago, Sourav Ganguly. His other colleagues maintained a diplomatically, noncommittal impenetrable silence throughout the lame discussion. Right now, I am sure he is far too stuffed eating humble apple-pie crust with vanilla ice cream , for sure. And despite Ganguly’s exceptional performance (acknowledged even by Guru Godzilla) in his newspaper column wherein he reviews the just concluded series, two names are conspicuous by their peculiar absence altogether; you guessed it, Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan. Continue reading below
Then a cricketer whom we have all idolized fervently as kids as our desi Super-Spiderman makes a preposterous statement exhorting Sachin Tendulkar to smash records and keep occupying the one-day crease till 2011 World Cup. It had me foxed, flummoxed and fuming. Yours truly has been the only Indian media person who has been stating explicitly that Tendulkar should probably retire from ODI cricket permanently after the World Cup, just as the prudent Brian Lara has publicly proclaimed to do so. The man has already achieved incredible success, made commercial bonanza in his blue suit, and enthralled and entertained us all over the years. But it is time to say, enough. Now he should concentrate on Test cricket, focusing on arresting his dilapidating body and diminishing erstwhile genius with his heavy bat, while strengthening India’s middle-order backbone. Or else, Tendulkar will be in the history books faster than he would like.
And all this talk about Rahul Dravid being replaced by Sourav Ganguly as captain, is utter balderdash and totally inane(some TV channels have clearly gone berserk with juvenile, provocative public opinion polls ), and a product of insidious minds. I completely disagree with this illogical thinking and standard reactionary measures that are recommended by all and sundry every time we experience a precipitous collapse.
In my opinion, Sourav Ganguly, should never have been axed in the ruthless and almost callously crass manner in which he was, and then to add bucketful of nasty insult to seething injuries, repeatedly dumped from the team, often for abstruse, atrocious and inexplicable reasons. But once Rahul Dravid was appointed as skipper till the World Cup 2007, it would be highly unprofessional, extremely ad-hoc, and almost asinine to replace him. In fact, such a drastic and unnecessary step will create further political rifts in the team and destroy their overall cohesiveness. Sure, Dravid has under-performed against his usual consistent yardsticks and some of his decisions as captain were certainly questionable, but isn’t India’s tallest wall human after all?
I think the most remarkable memory of the entire series for me personally was the partnership between Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly in that precarious moment when India were 6 for 2 in the second innings at Cape Town . Dravid was getting increasingly agitated and visibly restless, as India almost committed hara-kiri by having a batsman “ timed-out”, and the situation was getting astronomically embarrassing. Out trooped Ganguly, and overcoming quickly the mental distractions and disquiet, concentrated hard after a shifty beginning, settling to play a crucial 46 run knock in a defiant partnership of 84 runs with his skipper, rejuvenating hopes of an Indian fight-back . Their partnership was the silver lining for India and possessed character, courage and charisma. Above all, they had chemistry. It seemed like old times. Solid, supreme and stylish.
Indian cricket needs both Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. In the coming days, as every cricket journalist (and some immature web sites which had written Ganguly’s farewell obituary a year ago, if you please) writes their recipe for resurrecting Indian cricket , I recommend that both Ganguly and Dravid watch their crucial partnership together. Again and again. They will both rue the missed opportunities of the past, unwarranted animosity and distrust, uncalled for feelings of bitterness and foul-play ; but isn’t the World Cup still two and a half months away?
Believe me, the Indian team has the talent, skills, wherewithal and capability to win. What they need to do is to hang-in together, override personal insecurities, huddle up in moments of crisis, and stand for one another man-to-man. No silly personal agendas, no regional camps, no one-upmanship. They should be able to tell it as it is, and at the same time assuage hurt sentiments. Sure, the team comes first and it should, but individuals are human. And those in the public light, are inevitably hugely sensitive. If Dravid can get this intangible part right (it is difficult but not an insurmountable challenge), create a true human connect, openness, and bonding among the selected bunch of Indian players , I am still willing to bet big time on the Men in Blue.
As for the wise old men in that glass-box, the TV is not called an idiot box for nothing.
