Side lines

Oh Bangalore!

NADEEM A. KHAN

It's been one of those seasons for the Indian fans. You could take inventory of the things they had to cheer about on the fingers of one hand and once you live life in their shoes, you'll probably understand the vehemence on Monday, October 21.
In this part of the world where expectations are high and teams have to really watch what they do, the Indian cricket side, with its substandard fare had been asking for it. It might be one thing or it might be another, but as the Karnatakans limbered stiffly into the Chinnaswamy stadium, a little voice whispered to me, that somehow at some not distant date the nation's cricketers were slated to get it in the gizzard. Bangalore was unequivocal about what it hoped from the boys.

The preceding days had been especially bleak--for the city and the team. Heavy rain threatened to split the points while their third consecutive OD defeat last week made the Indian horizon seem darker. Thus far, it had been a typically uneven time for the fans, who nodded in approval as their callow squad socked the Aussies (in the Delhi test) and sighed when the gang threw one down the hatch to the South Africans. The patrons have not minced words and let it on that they would like a more consistent show.
The Australians, who had rowed ashore with high ambitions, have found the natives and the environment to be a handful. Feroz Shah Kotla aside, they had a run in with the vicious Springboks and emerged out of that one with an even more misaligned reputation. South Africa has now extended its merry run to 22:2 and its inscription on the Cup is but a formality. Who they rope in for a sparring partner will be decided over the next week and that place has been highly sought out by Sachin's and Mark's men. Both sides have now taken to emulating each other: Sachin handed the scorers a sheet with seven batters on it and Mark did the same. The Aussies benched Ricky Ponting for Slater and Damien Fleming was ushered in for Reiffel whose sore hamstring had him in wraps. Tendulkar was more conservative, sticking to the tried and untrue Sujit Somasunder.

Australia Innings:

Taylor picked off the right side of the coin and Sachin's face fell when assured he'll have to bat second. The India captain, by now, is on par with his crew's deep seated neurosis about lining enemy targets--especially under artificial lighting.

Prasad and Srinath had the Aussie skipper grinding gears and the innings sputtered when Mark Waugh, who swapped slots with Slater, made a hash of a slower one from Prasad and Tendulkar was delirious. Michael Slater found the two paced nature of the pitch to be cryptic and compensated by pasting the ball with more than necessary fury. After sucking up a bit of precious strike, he threw in the towel.
That was the last of the free stuff for the Indians; pushing this way and pulling that Steve Waugh and Taylor made decent progress. Sachin transposed bowlers seamlessly and when half the overs went by, the crowd made its presence felt. The participants, they had begun to feel, weren't cognizant of the fact that some had paid a princely sum to see more explicit material. Ganguly nabbed Steve at the boundary and ended an incredibly serene coalition of 92 runs. The Karnatakans, always ripe for the speedy business, embraced Bevan with warmth. And thus began another fruitful, if quite boring merger. Boundaries were rare and every man Sachin foisted the ball to, was very pleased with the Aussie reticence. Taylor pulled in a maiden ton and when he top edged one in Azharuddin's coordinates, a unanimous cheer did the rounds. Michael's knock, though invaluable, had grown a little long in the tooth as had the spell of his counterpart. Sachin went for runs at a fair clip and after lapping up Taylor, Azhar walked up to his chum and pointed to the scoreboard. 48 runs had come off six from the little guy and Mohammed, with an indulgent shake of the head, patted his over-enthusiastic leader on the back and looped in Srinath.
The system then crashed for the Aussies and they added eighteen runs in the final seven overs. 215 wasn't a poor score and most teams would have fairly wheezed to get up there, but the efficiency that surrounds their efforts made the latest Australian innings look ordinary.

India Innings:

The panegyrics, in recent times, haven't been heavy for Sachin Tendulkar. The excitement and anticipation that encompassed his promotion to the top had been diffused by each incoming defeat--Toronto, in the opinions of many, as being the most unacceptable. Going into this one, he had lost four out of nine games and, worse, his touch at the crease. Then came word that they lead only Zimbabwe in the newest rankings and life became tough for the maestro. Not one to take it in the pants for longer than necessary, he came out billowing. Unfortunately, Somasunder couldn't be convinced to fall in with the skipper's strain of thought and for the second time in as many sojourns, young S. took it on the chin. Sujit's endeavor wasn't nearly as blackhearted as Jadeja's in Toronto, but the 7 off 32 left a hole in India's budget. Rahul Dravid's display of pad rather than bat to Fleming had the bowler reeling off a pointed query and Tendulkar rolled the eyes. He had hoped to stimulate Dravid and India to great heights of accomplishment.

Mohammed Azharuddin has become something of a man of crisis for the team. If he doesn't fish his mates out of one, he'll leave them in the vicinity of one, although, if you go by what the Banglorians believe, this latest failure was specious. Bringing his malleable wrists down on one from Gillespie, he jumped at the babble of excited Aussie voices and the sight of a raised finger. From my point of vantage, several thousand miles away, it appeared, that at some point, a bit of bat was involved. Nevertheless, he had no business playing a flaky stroke so early on. More impolitic than the shot was Mohammed's grouchy protest and since he is widely acknowledged to be a "walker" the proletariat took up the batter's cause with zeal. Three quick wickets for 42 and a mounting deficit had the inhabitants of the Garden City bubbling with grief. As Azhar withdrew into the pavilion's folds, the tamasha began. The motive wasn't too difficult to divine:If their over paid bunch cannot put the game away, the population felt it could alter proceedings.

There were a few dashed good arms in the stands today and they launched a variety of interesting objects, some man made, others organic--I think I saw something that resembled an immense watermelon--impressive considering the late hour. Security personnel were swiftly outnumbered and match referee John Reid knocked on Azhar's door; he hastened out and took the turbulent sections off boil. The former skipper succinctly indicated that although thoughtful, their brand of moral support, far from causing the game to be abandoned, was being detrimental to the home team. Reading between the lines, the brood understood their efforts were in, resettled and took in some more Indian casualties as the innings continued. It was the calm before the storm. Jadeja, southbound and eyes closed, smashed into McGrath to be run out. The batter stood ground and claimed he was hindered in his task. Umpire Ranawat gave him the finger and the Banglorians were at it again. Now they were convinced about a conspiracy to stagger them and the Chinnaswamy turf resumed its new role of land-fill.

Local lads Javagal, and Anil exerted their charm and that bit of PR worked. A few minutes later, with the wind seemingly out of India's challenge, the two tripped out again, this time to bring the game home. Srinath's pulverizing, in particular, was quite extraordinary and for a few heady moments there surfaced a pair of all-rounders this side's been craving for.

The Australians should feel filched. Any game that is disrupted in such a brainless manner should go to the alien side. John Reid, among the more reactionary game referees, had a precedent to go by: Clive Lloyd tipped the semis of the World Cup to 'Lanka when the Bengalis went mad.

With a refined 88, Sachin was back among runs and although his side hopped to victory it was a shame the cricket crowds of India had so little faith in the game's possibilities.

Passing Shots

Bangalore's stinker ranks right up there with the seditions at Calcutta and Nagpur.

The Nagpur test (circa Dec.1994) against the Windies, a year before the country was to stage the 'Cup Competitions, was a timely, though eventually overlooked insight into the steamier side of the locals. Match referee Subba Row, in the aftermath of the melee, that had Courtney Walsh tugging his men off twice in one session, dropped a pointer that the policy makers could have grabbed with both hands: ``You really can`t play international matches under these circumstances,`` Row said. ``I wouldn`t blame anyone for going off the field.....``

India was one up for the series and in a splendid standing in said test, with Sidhu at a ton and Sachin turning in a pretty 81 when the dolts in the stands went absolutely ballistic. Sir Gary, behind the mike when matters took a bizarre twist, was stoned. ``One cannot understand this, particularly when India are batting, and batting so well,`` Gary said.
Windies tour manager David Holford was less reserved. ``This is the worst tour I have had in my five years of association with the West Indies team,`` he later said as his players watched the grisly scene of nine students being slayed--"over educational policies"-- right outside their lodgings.

When Eden Gardens unleashed its views in March, it was amply evident that India, with its medley of political and social quagmires, cannot vouch for the welfare of touring sides. If Calcutta depicted the average Indian cricket supporter as being demented, then on Monday, Bangalore, India's so-called Silicon Valley, confirmed that the disease is contagious. Consequently, all claims of the country's game hosting qualifications have been suitably punctuated by John Reid who made notes for the ICC.

There are no easy answers for the governing body, which has a reputation of tormenting itself before coming out with working solutions. It now has to give serious thought to banning these cities from future competitions.

But before the ICC sets the gavel in motion, national boards have to assume their share of the responsibility. After Nagpur, there was no compulsion for the Windies to partake in the World Cup; they should have should have away from the competition. If Indian officials have no control over the crowds, why imperil the top players to situations they can do without?

Astonishingly, the Bangalore disruption has drawn little criticism. Local papers have opted to focus on the victory, and the major headlines tout Srinath's and Kumble's neck saving exploits. Two years ago, when halfway through the excursion, Walsh threatened to hoist his boys out of the deal if the Nagpur imbroglio repeated. Eerily enough, Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, concurred with other "experts" that Walsh was being over-reactive, underlining the Indians' indifference to such episodes. Very little will change these entrenched attitudes and Cronje and Taylor should give some thought to ceasing their participation in the Titan Competition with a, "Thanks, but we would best be parting ways now." Two distinguished international teams pulling out should, for starters, pinch the right nerves.

India is a fiercely proud nation whose people hate to see their team come second best. But until some prove they are capable of assessing a game of cricket on its merit, let's not host such tournaments and invite embarrassment.