The "silly points"

Away from the printed record books and statistics, we were second best.

The rain prevented a certain English victory in the first test.
Records will show we won the test series 1-0.
But in our hearts we all know it was 1-1.

We lost the one-dayers 3-4.
Yes we had done well to reach 3-3 from 1-3,
but in the final match, we were hopelessly outplayed.

Let us not blame the umpires.
In the finals, Mr Dar only got Tendulkar’s dismissal wrong,
that too was a very close call and many others would have given the same.

This series has proved
the damage done to our team by
the More-Chappell-Dravid combination.

Eradicate “comfort zones” they did,
along with it eradicated their confidence.
The fear of failure overrode their natural game.

Tendulkar is the example what it had done to the players.
It took a long while for him to feel secured to play his normal game.

Dravid had kept Ganguly out of the team
saying “we have other options”. That was utter rubbish.
The Tendulkar-Ganguly opening partnership was and still is our only option.

Team India was damaged beyond repair with experiments;
to accomodate, Rahul Dravid in the team and keep Ganguly out.
Pathan was taught to be a pinch hitter; he forgot he was in to bowl.
Tendulkar was forced to play “for the team” in a position he was wasted.
Ganguly was sent to domestic cricket to find his form while the supposedly
“best cricket coach” trained our players to fire AK-47s and play kho-kho.

Without Dravid we may have returned with a convincing 2-0 test victory,
and also have won the one-dayers but for his many dubious decisions.
Since captain he has failed with the bat, the attribute that gets him in.
Let us not forget his score of “0″ in the series decider,
the snickometer showed the umpire got it right.

Let us at least have fairness in the team,
for whatever reasons Ganguly was dropped, they now all apply to Dravid.
And he has proved he is no more a captain, than I am a chinman.
When the team was winning, he was showered with applause,
it is only fair that he accepts blame when the team loses.
Like Ganguly did.

He should accept his shortcomings and step down,
for the sake of the team, I mean, Mr Dravid.

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