'We gave them back'

There are many things we liked about India beating Australia and bringing the cup home. Dhoni's captaincy, his innovation in teams composition as well as bowling changes, Sachin's masterly stroke, the rise of Ishant, Praveen and Robin, Harbajan surviving the assaults of both the team as well as media... there are many.

But the one which is most said both by the media and by the players are that 'we gave them back in their coin' (who said this of late..... wasn't it Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, referring to Nandigram violence?).

That Australian team is arrogant; that they wage their tongue and play well at equal ease; try to intimidate other teams and even umpires… all are well known. Was their arrogance made them great, or the greatness made them arrogant? West Indies team in the 80’s been never arrogant either in their greatness or while becoming one. Well, that must be a different era.

While it satiates our instincts, the danger of picking the thorn with another thorn, to take an eye for eye is that you can become the same in future, what you oppose now. If unchecked at this stage and if the media does not restrain from glorifying the verbal duals and the non-cricketing ‘revenge’ that we took on Australians, India could, in future what Australians are now.

Projection of a macho team, who shows more boxing gestures in the ground than gestures of joy, is good for a media, always looking for ‘action’ and ‘news’. And it suits the never ending advertising world. A Harbajan, Yuvraj or Sreeshant would surely be the favorites than a Praveen or Rohit.

Falling into such a trap could only make the team a bunch of ‘fearsome’ guys, which would be known more for the gestures, slangs and fines than the cricketing skills. BCCI and media have an important role to play here.

With a mature and composed captain in place, hope he will bring some sense to the seemingly unruly gang.