Simple explanations won't suffice, skipper

Psychiatrists have said time and time again that it is common for people suffering from extreme cases of vertigo to experience nightmares that follow a set pattern. The patient has visions of falling from great heights, a cliff perhaps, only to have his fall cushioned briefly before yet another slip sees the dreamer flying off a skyscraper... repeatedly, till the nightmare is nothing but one long free-fall. Eventually, heart beating seventeen to the dozen, victims wake up, bathed in sweat and frantic. Perhaps, that is how some members of the Indian team feel at the moment.

There's a set pattern to India's run of disappointing performances that have left fans livid, supporters distraught, experts frustrated and of course, the team very, very embarrassed. Former Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar, usually the first man to defend players when any issue arises, has been unusually vitriolic. "India's pathetic showing in their game against Australia has almost ruined their World Cup chances," Gavaskar wrote in a Sunday newspaper column. He adds, "lack of application was a reason for the batsmen falling like nine pins. It was obvious India had not learnt anything from the New Zealand tour."

This kind of criticism is hardly new to the Indian cricketers. Most of them anyway claim they do not read the papers and so should hardly be bothered. What will get under the skin, though, is the suggestion by many commentators that India's poor showing could be a result of the players showing more interest in their commercial contracts than playing cricket.

The amount of money current Indian cricketers make has irked fans no end. And naturally, when the performance of the team flags to an abject low like it has now, there is immense heartburn in a country of a billion problems where cricket is meant to be a release from the drudgery.

A case in point was when a group of young men decided to take matters into their own hands in Kolkata. Reports suggest that a group of men, tongues loosened by alcohol, marched in front of Sourav Ganguly's Behala residence and hurled invective at the Indian skipper. Amidst abuse there were several calls for Ganguly to quit the game. Before police could disperse the mini-mob they had garlanded posters of leading Indian cricketers with old or torn slippers and then set fire to the posters...

There was a time when one would brush this off as a typical overreaction from fans. At the moment, though, the Indian fans' patience has been tested to the extreme. As many columns as experts write, as many panel discussions as television pundits hold, we're yet to hear a single credible explanation for India's flatter-than-warm-beer showing.

Batsmen have walked out to the wicket, played one ugly slash and returned to the comfort of the pavilion. Ganguly looks more and more like a desperate man, attempting to hit his way out of trouble rather than tough it out in the middle. Rahul Dravid, generally in good nick, has been tentative out in the middle and not even a shadow of the real thing. Sachin Tendulkar, upon whose broad shoulders rest more responsibility than anyone else, has given glimpses of the sublime but fallen well short.

Collectively, the batting line-up, most often referred to as the best in the world, has failed to bat out 50 overs in the last ten one-dayers that they've played.

When there's such trouble brewing, you can be sure that the Chinese whispers can't be too far behind. Ganguly is unhappy that Tendulkar reclaimed his opening spot, say some. Others reckon that Virender Sehwag is disgruntled that he is demoted in the batting order even after making two hundreds in New Zealand. Some former cricketers believe that a lack of team spirit, a lack of accountability that stems from the administration itself and importantly a total lack of planning and application have compounded India's problems.

And yet, if you consider it, so much has gone India's way. The wicket they played against Australia on was a belter - easy paced with the ball coming onto the bat nicely. And one can't also blame poor planning by the Board, for the schedule was arranged so the team could go to South Africa well in advance and get accustomed to the conditions.

When speaking to reporters at the end of India's thrashing at the hands of Australia, Ganguly said, "I don't know what the reason is. If we keep on batting like this, obviously I don't have any answer. Somehow we have to put runs on the board."

Sorry, skipper. For all those people who stood behind the team - either the realistic and clear headed or the passionate and emotional - such an "explanation" simply does not cut ice. If things don't change, and fast, then the team will have to be happy with winning little more than opinion polls like the recent one that apparently saw 500 Durban women vote Ganguly, Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan among the XI sexiest cricketers in the game. Such polls might be fine. This type of cricket, however, certainly isn't.