Blogs Cricket Controversies and stupid Indian media
March 10th, 2008 by KrisLast night, I was watching Cricket Controversies on NDTV. The host Sonali has always been my favorite sports anchor and Jadeja is probably the only guy in media who is levelheaded and gives out sensible comments as far as cricket in India is concerned. But last night, I was in for a surprise.
Dean Jones was called upon as the special guest and he was in for a surprise too. There were lots of arguments about the sledging, the controversies, and all that jazz. But the one that got my goat was Sonali’s argument that India is the number one team in the world.
Excuse me? Did I hear it right? The number one team in the world? What about Australia? And the funniest part was, she backed up her claim with what could be considered the stupidest argument ever. She said - In boxing, whenever a boxer knocks out the defending champion, he is considered the number one. Why not in cricket?
Oh poor Sonali. She seemed to have missed out a very important point about boxing. In boxing, the champion, the number one boxer, always defends his world title in a match. So, the match is actually for the world title. So, if the other guy beats the champion, he becomes number one automatically.
Now, contrast this with the tri-series. Was the series played for the number one spot? In other words, were the Australians defending their World Cup? Not by a long way. Then how the hell do these people in media think that we are the number one team in the world?
Indians, for a long, long time, have been suffering from something called ‘Problem in Perception Syndrome’. We get over excited about our victories and losses. Australians have won 16 test matches in a row, they have won three world cups consecutively, and even won the champions trophy at our very own backyard. And hell, they even won the one day series right here in India a few months back, right? How the hell can you simply rubbish all these achievements and say that “we’ve beaten you in a one-day series, so we are number one?”
Please note, I’m not rubbishing India’s victory. I’m not saying that it’s not a great win. All I’m saying is, we still have to prove a lot of things in international cricket. Let’s keep this momentum going. Let’s beat Australia a few more times. Let’s beat all other teams a few more times. Let’s lift the world cup. Then, we can proclaim that we are the number one. Remember - Australians didn’t become number one overnight. They did it continuously, consistently for 15 long years. Let’s take a leaf out of their book and start doing it. If we do, there is no need for us to state that we are number one. People all over the world will know that we are number one and pay the respect that we deserve.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Kris, I agree with you all the way. I am a “total” India Cricket fan and most likely highly biased as well. But even I do not for any moment think that India is the #1 team in the world. Though I do believe that young talent wise India is in an excellent shape and have all the ingredients to become a champion team, but they are not there yet. Just winning one series albeit in Australia does not give Indians a title of world champions (#1 in that regards).
Comparing the ranking on a player level, it took Sachin a year of pretty consistent ODI record with a lot of scores in the 90s and making sure that they are in the winning cause (though that aspect I find a bit unfair) before he got the #1 ODI Batsman ranking. Having gotten that, he will have to perform at that level to keep that going otherwise someone else will overtake him.
So if India would like to be called the #1 team in the world then they will need to beat most teams consistently, because as they say it “One can fool someone all the time, everyone sometime but not everyone all the time”. So unless India figures out the way to “fool/defeat” every team all the time it can not be called or be the #1.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Prashant - Thanks for the comment. Whilst I don’t have a problem in praising the Indian team, I sincerely think it will put them under enormous pressure if the media begins to project them as the number one team. These morons should leave Team India alone and let them concentrate on their game.
One aspect I want the Indian team to learn from the Aussies is the quest for perfection. I still remember vividly - after beating the Srilankans comprehensively in the test series, Ricky Ponting demanded better performance from his team. In such a situation, I’m sure no Indian captain would have said those words. He would have been all smiles and full of praise for the team. But Ponting, at that time, praised his teammates but at the same time mentioned that they made quite a few mistakes in the series and it should not be repeated and the team was capable of giving a much better performance.
The quest for perfection makes you a better player, a better team man, and makes your team the best. The time is ripe now. Australia is not in the best of forms. Our team has got just about the right combination to topple any team given they perform out of their skin. So, buck up India. Strive for better performances, just like you did in Australia.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Very interesting article Kris and it was a joy to read it in your words
I agree that the media and politics are the main cause of tensions and pressures for our players. It is a sport after all and our players love playing and winning it, the media and even the fans to a large extent make it bigger than what it is (whether win or loss.) We have seen it so many times that the media make a fool of themselves by saying and doing silly things.
We would all love for India to be #1 now and although have high hopes on them, we have to wait and let them do their thing and become the numero 1 team! How much ever anyone likes, it is not easy to achieve feats like that and only consistent victories can get us and keep us there, so here wishing *GOOD LUCK* to the Indian team for the coveted #1 spot!
March 11th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Ajanta - Thanks for the kind words. I really think Indians can be number one. The only thing they need to watch out for is complacency. How many times have we seen Indian bowlers ripping apart the opponents and get to a score of 50/5? Yet, the teams have managed to resurrect their innings and end up making 250+. This is the major problem with our guys. We hardly go for the kill. But thankfully, with Dhoni, this attitude has changed. We finally have a captain who performs and demands better performances from his team. And for god’s sake, he is not politically correct and doesn’t pull his punches, which I think is the right way to lead the team.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Indians can be nos one??, The qs that is on every red blooded cricket fan from India’s mind. When the media says its time to take up that spot. The Aussie era is over, the crown is slipping Punter, the young Indian side is brilliant!!. Lets not forget the aussies have made it a habit of coming back all guns blazing, the tour in W.I is going to be a real test for all the aussies will they handle the pressure is say yes. But all that aside, when we talk of India becoming nos 1 in what 3 months which Australia held on for 12-13 yrs the story is different. I must say the team must be called the justice league from here on in. Filled wit superman, spiderman, batman all that jazz. This is now pressure time for the team, but arrogant as the India team is which they have proven before by the way, Big Qs,, What if they loose??, I dont think they have even thought of that yet. Do they really think that the S.A are pussovers. They have played in Bangladesh they know what an Indian pitch is going to be like.
March 18th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Anshu, you make a couple of good points and a couple of bad points. Nevertheless, if you read my article, I never said that Indian team is the number one. In fact, it’s far from that spot. But all I said was, we have the talent to become number one. That is, if we played to our potential and took every game seriously.
And for goodness sake, it’s not ‘pussover’, it’s pushover. Small spelling mistake. But that sounds horribly gross.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:42 am
I guess the greatest challenge for India and Australia will come when Australia visit India later this year. I guess the team which wins that series will surely be the world champion (unofficial of course!) and the team to beat. If India beats them, then it will be India who will be on top, and if Australia win, then they will continue to be the greatest!
March 26th, 2008 at 11:56 am
The W.I had their golden era in the 70s and 80s with deadly fast bowlers who players were so scared of facing that they would shiver in their pants along with fearless batsmen like Sir Viv. Richards . Aussies started their golden era since Mark Taylor took over captaincy he really turned things around he had the ability to change the course of the match anytime he dis this for 5 yrs. Steve Waugh well he was in a league of his own his side was even compared to the invincibles of the the Donald Bradman aussie side. He had a ruthless approach towards the game sometimes it was his undoing for eg when he forced India to follow on V.V.S laxman scored a brilliant double century the track crumpled on the last day and the aussies failed against the spin attack of India,,, but 95% of the times it worked wonderfully well
even finishing games of in 3 days. Ricky had a more balanced approach where he would play out all 5 days if it were needed to assure a victory in the bag,,,and was always succesfull at this however this led to his players getting tired a lot eg Lee,Hussey,S.Clarke. If India is to reach on top they need to overcome all these obstacles only then can this be achieved and for this extreme commitment is needed walking on the ramp side by side Bipasha Basu and spending excess time in doing tv ads will not to the trick
March 26th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
In my mind the Indian team can be considered as a team which will give you most spectacular wins as well losses. There was a time when it only gave spectacular losses, but now it also surprises you every now and then with those wins.
It is far far from being #1 though.
March 27th, 2008 at 1:58 am
@anshu.. you really are quite cynical of this Indian side!
SA is currently the world number 1 ODI side.. and it did not have to do anything that you have listed.. they are a bunch of chokers who have not won any major tournament featuring more than 2 teams, and they are still the world number 1.
I am not talking about this Indian team being the greatest of all.. I am just talking about getting the world number 1 ranking… which isnt that difficult after all… since a team like SA has achieved it already!
If choking in big games can make you number one, then walking the ramp can too! 
just kidding….
no one can easily reach, in a matter of a year or two, the heights that Steve Waugh’s team reached… that will take ages for an Indian team .. if at all it happens! And I do not think it will ever happen…
March 27th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I confess i am a bit biased but i have my reasons. B.T.W i know S.A is nos 1 in O.D.I but know this being ranked nos 1 one is different than actually BEING nos 1 . Remember this they got there by defeating a side which can be hardly be called a proper cricketing nation plus Australia cancelled out on Pak tour but thats a topic for a whole diff time. I dont know how they did it so fast or how the icc rankings work but i am 99% sure that after Aus tour of W.I things will be back as they were