May 07, 2003 11:32 AM
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(Updated May 07, 2003 11:40 AM)
Indian cricket has long been served by very able cricketers and they have roped in some excellent performances over the years which obviously has been debated to great extent ever since. But there have been some really shabby ones by a few of them when they did not perform when it really mattered or they played only for themselves with spirit and the team taking a backseat. So lets get up and talk about them. I have not chosen any particular batsman but a bunch of really bad performances.
Sunil Gavaskar- I still remember seeing a replay of his innings in the first world cup and boy was that something. Back in those days one day cricket was 60 overs a side match and India were playing against England in the cup opener and what a torture it was. England made a total of 334 with DJ Amiss making 138 and everybody else also contributing handsomely. But when Indians batsmen descended to bat this chap called SUNIL MANOHAR GAVASKAR batted for the full length of 60 overs and made an awfully paltry figure of 36 not out. I mean can you imagine batting for so long and making the score which he eventually did. I could not bear it seeing the highlights, my sympathy to the poor souls who had to watch that live. May God bless them.
Manoj Prabhakar- I really hate Manoj Prabhakar for more reasons than one. He was an imposter and a player so short on character and absolutely devoid of plying spirit that this incident will not come as a surprise. India were paying west Indies an 1994 or 1995 I guess and both had already qualified for the finals, so this match was a formality. Well I guess this man took the phrase literally because India were chasing a modest target and could have won the match but for the reckless shots which were the norm with our team back then. So as it came down he was batting with 2 or 3 wickets left and he totally resigned the will to win and didnt even try but instead played for his century. Nobody acknowledged him when he got to his 100 eventually. But the mere sight was so frustrating and all of us were so angry. The team management also did not took this lightly and threw him out of the team for the rest of the series and that treatment was just what he deserved.
Ravi Shastri- Again it was the world cup and this time in 1992. India were playing Australia and were chasing a good enough target(well nothing was easy on those days) and as was common then that half the Indian team was in the pavillion without anyone realising. But RAVI SHASTRI who came in as an opener played very solidly and defensively, well almost literally. Nothing wrong with that and the team needed that concentration at the moment. But the only thing he did not do was to make runs. He made a paltry 25 facing as many as 75 balls. Had it not been for a timely 93 by Azhar, India would have lost the match by a bigger margin(India eventually lost by 1 run).
Rahul Dravid-Rahul Dravid has always been a very technical kinda player who sees to it that all chinks in his technique get ironed out, well too hot sometimes. He was not always the player he is now in one days. Back when he started he was a real pain sometimes and was dropped from the one day side and it was for good because he returned a completely reformed man. India were playing Australia in Colombo in the Aiwa cup and India needed to win this match to get through and Indian side then was without Sachin and a few other players. SO it was basically on other senior players to see us get by. But they all let us down and especially Rahul who cane in when India were 2 down for some 30 odd and really needed him to stay there and consolidate as the score was not too big but he came out and played the most reckless shot I have ever seen him play on the 2nd ball itself and in the process gave a simple catch to the wicketkeeper Gilchrist and India lost.
Sachin Tendulkar-Well very difficult to point out a bad innings from the master who I absolutely adore but then he too is human. India were a playing Australia(God India really has something with them) and it was in the super six round in the world cup 1999. India bowled very badly and as a result were set to chase a very big score. But we all were hopeful as long as Sachin was there. But out he came and was facing McGrath in the first over. He faced 4 balls without scoring and the tension kept mounting as ball flew past the edge of his bat on 4 consecutive occasions,a rare sight, perhaps that was the indication,and on the 5th ball he tried to square cut the ball and Australia rejoiced. The match was over for them and us for all that mattered. Such a bad shot was not done from a player of his caliber who is said to have read the ball in the bowlers hand itself.
Ah........pretty difficult task it was. But now that the Pandoras Box has been opened I am waiting for others to follow suit and pick their set of worms.
Comments and brickbats awaited.
