Project-2007 Doomed 2 be a failure??

I am a sports freak. Like any average Indian, Cricket was my first love. Started following it at the tender age of six, remembered all names, their hours of glory, all those sunshine and subsequent inconsolable rainy seasons when Indian team went into hiding. For me, a partisan Indian of course what warmed cockles of heart was that swagger in walk of whom else but sir Isaac Vivian Richards. A match against West Indies always was close to heart because casual looking gum munching Richards was there. Yeah cricket involved twenty two players but for me it was one man’s show, who else but Richards. “God let Richards score a ton and yet ensure Indians romp home” was my typical prayer.
Those days have gone and no degree of nostalgia can turn laden footed Windies of today back to those nimble footed Richard’s halcyon days.


So finally Windies are slated to stage the great cricket carnival in their backyard. So Barbados which produces more cricketers per square kilometer than any other nation may see best of em slugging it out together. A Ponting pull. A Laxman flick off hip , Lara kamikaze all packed together , wow what a recipe , windies would be having a whale of time.

Hmm now discuss our paper tigers. You blink they win you blink they lose “Indian Cricket team”. Indian cricket team reminds me of over hyped English soccer team, full of all those charismatic stars who just cant deliver. To me a Sachin is no better than Lampard who fizzles out when asked to take a penalty.

So do men in blue stand a chance? You never know they say cricket is a “game of glorious uncertainties”. Ah a hanky panky game to put in a straight forward manner.
Did they stand a chance after being shot out for nothing in last world cup against aussies but they made a comeback only to surrender to their tormentors in the finale.
And why not ??who expected Debonair Pathan Imran Khan to annex it for pakis in 1992 or portly Ranatunga to lift it in 1996, so why not our very own Dravid can do it this time around But however fickle the color of cricket may be it too follows certain laws, specially one day cricket is more of science today with every detail being taken into account . Every single move of a batsman dissected as never before you can get that chink in the armor n rhythm and line length of a bowler being frozen and unfrozen before you time and time again. Certainly cricket has been robbed of romanticism associated with it not long ago and more so it means imperial masters (we Indians) are at certain disadvantage in this mad game of payjama cricket. Indians are in doldrums with their best bet misfiring and bowlers being carted all around the park. SRT isn’t getting any younger, Sehwag is yet to know what has hit him, Yuvi is out with an injury, Kaif is good in field but still awakward when it comes to wielding a willow. Bowling department looks toothless, ready to be walloped by any hungry gladiator on that 22 yard of strip.

So where does it leave us , Chappell has not shown much to repose faith in him but then there are few options. I don’t expect much from my cricket team this time around. Call me cynic , yeah a cynic I am , I ll prefer to be called a level headed sensible guy who knows what the conditions will be and Indians will be facing the music . Chances are slim , it may be Sri Lankans, may be even Proteas , but ‘Men in Blue’ having a blast at Kingston/Bridgetown , well that looks a far fetched idea to me. I won’t mind 24 year old ear to ear toothy grin of Kapil being replaced by a serene smile of Mr Dravid, but would God be Indian , hmm wait and watch.