Monday, January 07, 2008

A small loss to India – A great loss to the game


Australia won the second test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy ’07 at Sydney today.

Hearty Congratulations to Ponting and his boys. They achieved what the great Steve Waugh and his team had achieved a few years back – 16 Test Matches in a row! But this victory did not come without a cost. If Australia won, someone lost too.

Was it India? No Way!!! I insist that India DID NOT lose this match. This was a great loss to Cricket – The name and the spirit of the so called ‘Gentleman’s game’.

There was a time when Top Cricketers used to “Walk” out of the field in case they knew they were out, even if the umpires index finger rested at its place. Today, players feel proud to make a mockery of the game by announcing it to the media after a couple of days – “I knew I was out, but I was lucky enough not to be given.” LUCK??? Is this the game? Oh well, I thought it was a game of skill.

There was a time when the umpires asked the third umpire in case of an decision. Yesterday, Mr. Benson asked the captain on field. A simple question to Mr. Benson – Why did the captain appeal at all if it was a not-out? Sorry Sir, but this is something beyond my understanding.

I believe, There IS a human instinct to the game. But what kind of an instinct is calling 7 wrong decisions? ALL – against one of the teams?

Australia is probably a great sporting nation, but sorry mates, when it comes to the sporting spirit, you guys manage at the bottom of the list। You can call all incidents, right from Ian Chappell’s “underarm” ball in 1981 to date, are not “illegal”, but then, Cricket IS different from robbery, right?

With a great grief (Not because India lost, but because for Cricket who was ruthlessly raped and barbarically murdered),
Hamlet

2 comments:

Anshu said...

Many people say that we should be dignified, and continue with the tour, and not make comments about the umpiring and the other team's spirit. But the Indian team is the face of the nation. If they do not show agression, and DEMAND justice, things like this will keep happening to us, and in different spheres also!

Naimisha said...

Hi Hamlet,

I do not share your passion for cricket, but I like people with passions.

So, balls to the Aussies I say! They were never gentlemen then maybe.