Do We Deserve to be the No 1 “TEST” team????

Well, As of now. We quite simply don’t. Take it with a pinch of salt. But it is so true. Yes we have more than 30000 Test runs in our middle order. We have a spinner with more than 400 Test scalps…and a pace trio capable of troubling any batting lineup..and to top it all..A World Conquering Captain..Indeed, All the qualities of a top team. But then why not ??? To answer this rather complicated question let’s look at the current contender to the top slot….the England Team and its scheme of things.


While our Indian Superstars jumped directly into the IPL mayhem after a hectic n gruelling World Cup..(they didn’t even get the opportunity to bask in the glory of their amazing triumph),the English players opted to stay out of the IPL and give their bodies the much needed Recovery period.Something which the Indian players wish for by skipping International Commitments.The Indian team badly missed its famed Viru-Gauti opening partnership.Yes Injuries are part and parcel of any Sportsman's Career..But it is important to remember here that Sehwag opted to have the surgery on his shoulder (which by the way was long overdue) only when his IPL team had been knocked completely out of contention.Gambhir on the other hand skipped the Windies tour to overcome an injury suffered during the IPL and looked awfully short of Match practice.As was the case with the pace spearhead Zaheer …It seems quite amazing how none of them cared to rest for even a single IPL match.


Poor Starters..A tag that has long been attached to the Indian team..But how long can a team be the numero uno of world cricket if it continues to hand the initial advantage to its opponents just like that, over and over again. Again we need to look at how the England Team prepared when it toured Australia for the Ashes series last year. They landed there a good month before the first test and went on to play 3 practice games and got themselves Battle ready before going to war. No wonder, They did not just win the Ashes. They hammered the Aussies.. 3-1..Something this Indian side is very improbable to achieve with just a leisurely 3 day warm up game.


But it would be completely unfair just to blame the players for their decisions(wrong as they may appear) The scheduling of the Indian team’s tours is something the BCCI takes care of (or rather does not care for)The Sehwags and the Gambhirs are auctioned for millions before the IPL and naturally they feel a moral obligation not to leave their franchisee in the lurch even if it means risking their International Careers. And not only the BCCI. Do we, the Indian viewers, deserve a side that is No 1???Don’t remember the last time we had a full house in any test match featuring India at home. And again, The English public pours in large numbers to pack the stadiums, even if it turns out to be a frustrating rain delayed day. The News Channels hire experts from Foreign Countries to analyse each IPL game 5 times a day, but for the test matches, well the good old Indian Ranji players would do.


Coming back to the Indian Team. Yes, it has been outplayed so far in the series and probably would be outplayed in the remainder of the matches too(which I so dearly hope is not the case..but that’s just an optimist Cricket crazy Indian),what it should look at is something our Captain Cool so often talks about…his often repeated ”It’s not about the result, it’s about the process” The Team needs to get its act together and its got to do it quickly. No more hiding the injuries(resulting in break downs on the first morning of a match) No more hiding behind the Poor Starters Tag..And most of all..It has to get its priorities right. Are we happy of being the ODI Champions and possessing a cash rich Cricket league that further strengthens our control on World Cricket. Do we just want to bask in the glory of once being the World Champions or do we believe that we can go on to become the Great team that once Australia were in the era of McGrath and Warne. Well, we have got the perfect team to be so but do we have the attitude or for that matter the passion to be the best “TEST” side???

The Indian Irony

To do Injustice is a Sin – but to Tolerate Injustice is a Bigger Sin..once said the father of a nation..But evidently he was a preacher of non-violence..didn't care to wreck the kids with a stick and consequently they did not learn the lesson..


Injustice..what injustice..we all get our share of rights..hell we now even have what is popularly known as the RTI...but the fact is that we have gotten so used to tolerating injustice that we are oblivious to even acknowledging it leave alone standing up to it.




My friend was leaving for a tour to Mumbai on the 15th..Shaken by the news of the recent blasts,I called him to check if his trip was still on...Though terming it glad would be inappropriate but he was much relieved that the blasts took place before his trip..and why not..Going by the Schedule,Mumbai is now safe for a month atleast..




The recent Mumbai blasts once again highlighted the shadow of terror we all seem to be destined to live under..and indeed we are now quite accustomed to it..like it is a fitting part of our national routine..The Home Minister managed some time to clarify that it was not an intelligence failure..It's just that everyone in the ministry was too busy finding ways to clear off their Tihar bound mates..Infact our projected future PM was busy promoting his party's agenda by rallying around a UP village claiming to be fighting for the rights of the poor farmers while all he did was play blame games like every other member of his team...




Mumbai's very own Kasab celebrated his 2nd anniversary..wonder if he managed to get himself a cake too..kalmadi can have tea with the jailor why deny kasab a nice birthday...Nobody is guilty until proven says the Indian law..well he got the gift he wanted...More lives..more blood..
The media is doing an extensive coverage of the blasts which means no more prime time interviews for the Rakhi Sawant wannabees...the Lokpal bill seems like a talk of the last century..but the sad part is that like everything else these blasts coverage will just be left as a gimmick to grab more eyeballs and raise TRPs...and if by any means India manage to beat England in the first test at Lords the blasts coverage will also take a backseat and join the long list of irrelevant issues....




If America can do it,why can't we curb terrorists off our land...the question that forces every Indian to scratch his hair out..well for starters it's not easy to catch them with such safe havens for them in our neighborhood...and when we do get a hold of them,we adopt them like our lost children...spend crores of the common man's hard earned money so that they can celebrate the rest of their lives in a safe and secure environment...why not use the tax paying common man's money for his own safety first...oh sorry we do infact...the defense budget gets the biggest chunk of our annual budget...but unfortunately only on papers...they have also got to find money for the Rajas and the kalmadis from somewhere dont they....and Accountability is something no one in the government understands the meaning of...Our very dear PM seems to be in hibernate mode throughout the year..I think he saves his public appearances for the campaign drives of the next elections...wonder how does his dentist manage to get him to open his mouth....