What can you say to the Tricolour Ocean ?

The Nagpur Stadium was renovated at a cost of 100 crores. There were 45 K crowd on Saturday. Some Indian fans have gone to the extent of purchasing tickets at more than 15 K rupees per ticket. They were expectant of an India victory. The tricolour ocean of 45,000. After the match, the fans were caught in a big traffic block on the 20 acre parking space. What can the Team India say to these fans ? Forgive us for our pathetic performance !

Cricket is Religion and it is an emotional disaster if the home team lose. All fans were celebrating when the ultimate over commenced, when SA needed 13 runs. All hell broke loose then from the Indian perspective. The first ball was edged for four and the next ball was lofted for six and the match was over !

What India should learn from this defeat

1. Do not change the batting order ( Pathan was sent in early and he perished in the Powerplay ).

2. The Powerplay is a trap. Dont use the 'hit out or get out' attitude.

3. India is weak in the last over.

4. Powerplay does not mean lofting each ball.

5. You should give chance to other players like Ashwin, Sreeshant and Raina.

6. Sreeshant is India's lucky charm. When he plays India win ( 2007 T20 WC final ) and when he is dropped India lose ( T20 WC of 09. In the match against BD he played and India won. In the other matches, he was dropped and India put in pathetic performances).

7. With weak bowling, even if you score 350, the opposition can overtake you. Raina can fill the role of the allrounder and if play him, you have four allrounders in Pathan, Yuvraj, Bajji and Raina ! India won the 1983 WC, because of her all round strength ( India had Kapil Dev, Madan Lal, Roger Binny, Kirti Azad, Amarnath as allrounders or bits and pieces men ).

Arun Lal has opined that the seventh batsman is not needed. But Pathan is an allrounder and his services as a bowler can be useful on turning tracks.

Ashwin and Raina should play in Chennai. It is their home ground in the IPL.

"From chokers to champions" said Gavaskar about the rise of South Africa. SA came back into the game, after India were off to a flying start, after India were 142/0. India perished in the Powerplay and from 267/1, India fell to the abysmal depths to 296 all out ! A pathetic display by the middle and lower orders !

The matches of yesterday were one sided and inconsequential. Both NZ and AUS confirmed their QF berths. No doubt the opposition played well, Kenya and Canada played well, scoring more than 260 runs, but then the principle " Might is Right" proved eventually. Unfortunately both Canada and Kenya are out the World Cup.

Ashish Bagai, the Canada skipper scored 84 and Hansra scored 70 not out. B McCullum scored a century and Clarke scored 93. These matches never stirred spectator or viewer interest !

Meanwhile, Jack Kallis has opined that it was team work that brought the bacon for SA. It was South African resilience which was the cause of the morale boosting victory. ( There are many, like Andre Botha, who feel that these two teams can be the finalists ). When India were 260/1, the TV commentators were speculating about a 400 run score ! When Sehwag left, the Indian challenge more or less ended ! The run rate was more than 8, when that aggressive maestro was there. Once he got out, India slowed considerably. Sachin tried a rash shot and that was finis for India !

Meanwhile one fan sarcastically remarked

India = Sachin + Sehwag + Nine Rolling Pins.

Two catches were dropped - by Yuvraj and Gambhir - and Indian catching was atrocious.