The era of the Ugly Indian

Playing fire with fire, the Indian team is lighting fires of its own.

In cricket discussions around the world, Australia invariably crops up: the Australian system, the Australian bench strength, the Australian work ethic and, last but not least, the Ugly Australian. That last bit is quickly becoming India's privilege too.

When Sri Lanka toured Australia, spinner Muthiah Muralitharan said his team would be competitive, but civil. He promised tough cricket, but without adopting India's methods. "(We want) to play decent cricket and not (approach it) like the Indians," he said. Fast bowler Chaminda Vaas said the side would not be openly confrontational. "We are not Indians."

All the reports of Murali's statements, to provide the context, said something to this effect: India unsuccessfully tried to unsettle the Australians during their one-day series by verbally harassing batsmen, with paceman S Sreesanth the chief offender.

Indian bloggers reacted vehemently to the comments. Sri Lanka, they said, could not play like India because the team did not have the wherewithal to. Before this tour, only two of Sri Lanka's current batsmen had scored centuries in Australia. On India's last tour, the entire batting order except Akash Chopra did.

Point taken, but the bigger point was missed. The conduct of the Indian team and its fans is coming under increasingly sharp focus, and not only by Sri Lanka. Invariably, when Dhoni and Kumble were appointed captain, the interviewers, many of them Indian journalists, asked how they would deal with Sreesanth. That seems a trifle exaggerated, but only a trifle.

In trying to play fire with fire "" as put very succinctly by Robin Uthappa before the one-day series with Australia "" the Indians seem to be lighting a few fires of their own. The entire thing around Andrew Symonds, one of the native Australian aborigines, was extremely unfortunate. Fans heckle and also use monikers like Aloo (potato), but it is another thing to make fun of someone's ethnicity by likening him to a monkey.

Sourav Ganguly, despite his schoolboy looks, is a tough nut. He made a mean captain, and Umpire's Post uses the term as an expression of admiration. He oozed passion and a won't-take-shit-from-nobody approach that was enormously refreshing. His bare chest on the Lords' balcony "" although it did not quite rival Hulk Hogan's "" raised a few eyebrows but many more smiles. Somewhere down the line, the Sourav attitude has become contaminated.

To be sure, we have had our own share of ugly incidents. Stands have been set on fire, and matches have been disrupted. One India-Pakistan match had to be concluded in front of empty Eden Garden stands. But these could be hidden under the excuse of emotions running high and passion for the game. Sadly, that may no longer be possible.