‘If you cannot beat them, join them’

Let down by Team India, fans cheer for Proteas

Darpan Singh. Motera

(April)
After Sehwag’s heroics at Chennai where he put SA bowlers to sword, bludgeoning his way to a record 319, cricket buffs were expecting another good show if not a complete run feast. After having won the toss and elected to bat first, Team India would not have thought the much-vaunted line-up would be skittled in just 20 overs on a pitch which was not spiteful at all and they would have to bowl to SA openers before lunch.
And the crumbling of Indian batsmen was so swift that they appeared too shocked to react. Rajesh Patel, a college student, who had the Indian tricolour painted on his face before he left his house for the venue, looked disappointed. He said, “This team is consistently inconsistent. How can someone explain this dismal performance of a line-up which has been often touted as one of the best in the world? It was soft dismissal for most of the batsmen, barring Rahul Dravid, as the ball was not doing much. It marred my day.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Rani Parekh, an IT professional, said, “I left my home when the Indian innings had just started. On reaching the venue, I saw S Sreesanth batting. It was a rude shock. They could have put up a lot better performance, had there been even the slightest of application on their part. All the preparations to cheer and support Team India went in vain, it’s really frustrating.”
Some spectators said there was no point in braving such a hostile weather and spending money if we had to see the team being sent packing even before lunch. A couple, which had come all the way from Jaipur to watch the match, said, “Though we follow Indian cricket religiously, it’s difficult to recall a batting performance which can be termed poorer than this.”
However, some of them did find a way to make the most of the money and time they spent at Motera, cheering for SA bowlers who looked in astonishing hurry to bundle out the Indian innings. Raju Das, who was leading such a group, said, “Our motto is: if you cannot beat them, join them. Even otherwise, one must appreciate good cricket.” They booed Indian bowlers and applauded Proteas as and when they hit boundaries and stole quick singles. Having said that, we all know that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty. With four days’ play still left, one can only hope that the gloom does not last for long!

A promise not kept

While returning to the dressing room after having bowled a couple of overs in the SA first innings, all players, barring S Sreesanth, looked crestfallen. When a scribe told him it was poor show as hardly any batsmen fell to a peach of a delivery, the maverick pacer nodded and went on to promise that he would make up for bad performance and take a five-wicket haul. He, however, failed to keep his promise, at least on Day One, but did look dejected when Ganguly grassed a chance at short leg off Sreesanth when Smith was on just 2, only to break into a jig before the crowds in his own inimitable style later on. .

Some batting practice this

Even as Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn scythed through the batting order and India slumped to their second-lowest total on home soil, mood in the dressing room was that of gloom. However, two batsmen, who were not part of the playing eleven, were seen sweating it out in the nets getting some batting practice. A few local bowlers braved the extremely hot and humid conditions, bowling to comeback man Kaif and southpaw Yuvraj Singh. Earlier, it was expected that one of them would replace ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar but local lad Irfan Pathan managed to make it to the final eleven. As a spectator remarked, “The duo seemed to be giving vent to their frustration, hitting cracking shots in the nets.”