Caribbean Campaign a Washout!

West Indies appears to be ominous for Indian cricket. The blemished Indian World Cup record in the Caribbean seems to have had a sad repetition in the blitz form of the game as well. A forgettable outing this, the Men in Blue are basking in the limelight for some reason or the other. For some people, they are the butt of ridicule, for others an easy scapegoat for criticism, for some the source of heartfelt disappointment.

From being sloppy on field to lacking tactics with the timber, the Indian team came up with outrageously substandard performances. The solitary match in which the team performed to their potential, was the first match against minnows Afghanistan. Had they lost that match, it would have been better for them to take exile in Afghanistan itself!

This disastrous exit from the WC has brought MSD straight into the radar of the fuming fans and former cricketers. To make matters worse, the media seems to have picked up on one teeny weenie little phase that escaped from his mouth. He has been quoted holding the IPL post match parties for player burn out. This statement cooked up a storm in the entire country, with people from all walks of life taking time out to stop and comment.

First things first, had the IPL been responsible for the burn out, it would have also been applicable to the foreign players who were a part of the much hyped league. Instead, a lot of the players carried their great form into the WC. KP, for sure, is one such player. Secondly, knowing full well that the WC is round the corner, the players should have objected to attending such parties. Here again, one needs to take notice of the fact that attending such parties is not mandatory for the players. It is a matter of personal jurisdiction.

Therefore, before making such unwarranted comments, MSD should have promptly thought about the ripples it would create. But, having said that, he did not hold the IPL parties entirely responsible for the debacle. What could have been let off as a passing comment, was perhaps blown out of proportion.

The WC was a tragedy of errors. The selection was bizarre. Picking the one match wonder M. Vijay ahead of the king of sixes, Robin Uthappa was a shocker. Apart from that, the Umesh Yadav visa episode was a farce. Despite having made the cut, the poor lad, playing for Delhi Daredevils could not join the team. He could not have done anything much for the team though. The team was ousted from the event, even before he would have reached.

The individual performances are not even worth discussing, the only saving grace being Suresh Raina, who seems to have blossomed at the right time. The short balls were an effective weapon that each of the teams tried against the struggling Indians. Fielding was disastrous. Jadeja, in all probability will need to whip up a miracle to get back to the good books of the selectors. His batting was callous, his deliveries were whacked for boundaries and his fielding was dismal, with the dropped catch of Gayle proving to be very expensive. That drooped sitter, probably changed the entire course of the game, and also, played a huge role in sad turn of events for the Indians.

To add insult to injury, some team players seem to have been involved in a pub brawl. With the Indians being shown the door, there’s not much left to speculate. Hope that this poor show is not repeated in the contests to come.