The Week That Was

Well things seem to have settled now that the Indian Team is back from the ardous tour of Australia. There is an old saying that we keep on hearing from players, coaches and Captains in particular and that is there is more to learn from defeat than win. While I would say we learnt a lot of things when we won the latest and the last edition of CB series. Whilst it would not be wrong to say that the instigating point was the Sydney test (Please don't consider the symonds-bhajji incident) in particular with all those appeals going in favor of the host side. That changed the whole perspective of the team from what i believe and i guest most of the cricket watching public would say.
Now lets get back to the last week, some of the interesting things that i noticed in the past week apart from the amazing success was some of the statements and fact that most of the were made out of sheer frustration(due to lack of success abroad by India) and to gather limelight. So here they were:
1. India shone brightest when it mattered the most: Well my pick to that would be ok i agree to some extent on that but on what basis can someone conclude that- just let me tell all those who said that. we made 194 in 1st match in brisbane, fair our batting struggled but so did aussies also and once they were some 40 odd for 3. Didn't this showed we were fighting. Come next match against the aussies we won after some struggle in the middle stage of the innings but so did australia as they found it hard to score on a slow pitch.
Next was match in Adelaide against the aussies and we got them out for 203 if i am correct, sure we lost by 50 runs but then again the pitch was bad also, i agree our batsman struggled but our bowlers were very good. So how can we say that the team was fairing badly. Next up was sydney and a high score was chased right down to the wire, we were always against the target but my point was that it was much much better than the previous sides who would have caved in meekly and might have thrown the towel instead of taking it to the opposition. My point is that right thru the tour apart fromt the first match and one off T-20 game we have competed well with them. Some may say that the Aussie team was a bit off color but keep in mind to beat them in their home turf really takes something special. To say again did last year's CB series win by England didn't made people jump and take notice of them, the simple reason their 5-0 drubbing in the Ashes before that.
2. Sachin is a liability: Well to speak that before they should first look at themselves in the mirror and say to them have they achieved even 1/8th of this guy in the game. Have they been able to deliver the same amount of runs in the pressure as he has. Ok still some say that he has not played match winning knocks under pressure, playing big innings in major run chases and blah blah, to all this again my answer would be can they again stand up and look at themselves in the mirror and ask whether they have played such innings. If they would have performed even 1/4th of what he has done then it's fine else my answer would be, JSTHU(Just Shut The Hell UP). He has showed what he is and where he belongs(No. 1 in the world)
3. Sledging: Well my take on that would be please stop this kidding and be a bit mature towards it. Fair enough Symmonds would have heard big monkey through his ears and hayden understand much better but to react in such a way by Harbhajan when instigated by them makes him no saint. If you translate to what he said to them (in Hindi/Punjabi) in English he is as much sinner as they are. Try to say these things to someone in retaliation to a loacl match Bhajji, I dare you would do something like that. So guys lets get on with the game.
Phewww boy that took some writing and effort.
My only request to the team is please celebrate when their is occassion but again try to be consistent. Self-belief is the name of the game apart from ability.