All bent out of shape

If you've followed Indian hockey, the Indian cricket team's recent upsets should come as no surprise.

Living in India, it is impossible to escape the views of its one billion cricket experts. And some of them stick. Never one to lose out on what Anu Malik calls "inspiration", Umpire's Post brings to you a compelling collage.

The group managing editor predicted before the match against Sri Lank that India, with all the money riding on it, would at least play the final. Thank god he was wrong. It is comforting to know that we are out of the tournament for the simple reason that the other teams played better cricket.

The editor of BS Motoring "" he perhaps feels close to the game because of the common factor of the drive "" said watching Australia's match against South Africa gave him the creeps. It was like watching a soccer World Cup game, whose quality of play looked beyond India's reach.

Actually, it is more like hockey all over again. After dominating the world for five decades, we faltered when the hockey turf changed. In cricket, we have not dominated like that (perhaps no other team has in any sport) and the 22-yard strip remains unchanged. Yet, we have been left behind as the game has moved to a new plane with a change in approach and rise in fielding standards.

The top teams' batting is relentless. Ours relents if the first wicket falls early. That is only to be expected from a line-up that has two out-of-form Sehwags (Virender and Robin), a dasher tamed into being the sheet anchor (Ganguly), an uncertain order, an uninspiring captain and a Master of Intrigue (Honours) as coach.

Against the West Indies, Australia compiled its sixth score above 300 in as many matches. Yet, its impressive bowling attack has conceded the top three run chases in ODI history and South Africa, chasing 377, were well ahead after 20 overs.

What turned that game was Shane Watson's low, flat throw from the boundary that hit the stumps, of which he could see just one, and found DeVillers short of his crease. Even Bangladesh's and Sri Lanka's fielding "" the different gene code argument does not work in their case "" was so much superior to ours.

The young and thin lift attendant in our building, after sulking for a day after following the loss to Sri Lanka, admitted in broken Hindi on the second that it was a relief. "At least, we have escaped the shameful thrashing that awaited us in the Super Eight," he said.

The best though came from a stockbroker friend in Patna. "Everyone is saying that Chappell's Vision 2007 has been an abysmal failure. Actually, it is an astounding success," he said. He believes that Chappell came to quell India which, under Ganguly and Wright, was presenting the most credible challenge to Australia.