For me the best part of Holi is not the colours, but hitting my
‘targets’ with those water balloons. It is so much fun although I
exercise caution not to hit anyone driving, or kids. So my usual soft
targets are my neighbours, neighbourhood friends and acquaintances, my
cousins and even my father’s office staff. Here my hit percentage is
quite high. And when I am feeling like a gallant warrior, I even target
my wife and in-laws. Well, here my hit percentage is quite low. Could it
be pressure? Is it nervousness? Maybe both.
Cricketers may present a titanium exterior and play brilliant and
memorable innings in the finals of tournaments like the World Cup, but
sometimes the pressure to hit the bull’s eye can be enormous. And I can
feel what my former team-mates would be thinking as they go into today’s
game against Australia, which is lot more challenging than targeting
your in-laws with water balloons! A slip here would mean the end of the
tournament for us. Being a land that gave the world the Indian Premier
League, it will be disheartening to justify why our last World T20 title
win dates back to 2007.
I think both India and Australia haven’t presented their top game in the
tournament so far. There have been sporadic, individual shows from both
sides and not any muscular, professional all-round performance to
announce their presence in the tournament and warm the hearts of their
followers. This is where India should feel confident going into this
game. If ever there is a time to grab the Aussies in a marquee
tournament, it is now.
While Usman Khwaja is batting like a dream, Australia’s idea of pushing
David Warner in the middle-order advertises lack of sound thinking. I
mean, why will you keep one of the most destructive batsmen in world
cricket from using the field restrictions. Bowling wise, they are decent
but not threatening.
Going by what I saw in Nagpur and Kolkata, I think we could be in for
another spin track. Therefore, R. Ashwin and his fellow spinners become
crucial for India. So somewhere there is a micro-battle brewing between
the Indian spinners and the Aussie batsmen.
I am not a great believer in statistics, as they never truly reflect
one’s talent. But this one has got me thinking. In the league games so
far, Asian spinners have averaged nearly 29 runs per wicket when
compared to 10.48 by non-Asians. Even the economy rate conceded by the
‘home-grown’ is more at 7.43 compared to 5.57 by non-Asians. One part of
me says that maybe the likes of New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner or
Aussie Adam Zampa are a mystery to the world when compared to the
Jadejas and the Afridis. Further bad news is Asian seamers are averaging
41.58 to non-Asians’ 25.92.
With West Indies and New Zealand already in the semis and England
finally waking up to the life beyond Test cricket, are we looking at an
all non-Asian line-up? If this happens it will be a bit like Mr.
Bachchan’s epic Holi song from the movie ‘Silsila’, “Bela chameli ka saej sajaya....sovey gori ka yaar.....balam tarsey.....rang barse”. The context being India’s premature exit from the tournament will be a bit like a party sans the hosts. By the way, “Rang Barse” is by far my favourite Holi Song and “Balam Pichkaari” from ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ a distant second.
