Team India Crashes Out ...

So, Team India has once again failed to deliver when it was expected to outperform the rest of the world. That is the reason I am really skeptical whenever we are termed as "favorites" before the start of any series. It is one thing going into a series as underdogs and coming out with flying colors and it is a completely different ball-game when you are termed as "favorites" and you come out victorious at the end of the day.

Expectations, media-hype lead to over-confidence and complacency which result in disasters. This is what happened this time too. With the huge success of IPL, which actually gave Team India many of its stars, Team India looked almost unbeatable on paper. Its batting line-up looked good enough to chase down any total ! But, alas it was not to be so on the ground !

As any ardent Team India fan, I, too have done my analysis into why Team India succumbed. I could broadly classify them into 3 categories :-

1. Exhaustion from IPL - As pointed out by the coach himself. T20 may be only a 40 over game but its intensity and fast-pace can cause more wear and tear than a 5-day test match. I personally feel IPL should be shortened - maybe split the 8 teams into two groups etc. But honey its all about money as far as the BCCI is concerned !! Shortening the tournament would cut down the moolah.
2. Media - Its high time Indian media grew up and behaved more responsibly . Some of the news channels, esp. the Hindi ones, cross all possible limits of sensationalism. I think they are worse than the politicians of this country when it comes to pledging allegiance. They inflated the egos of both the players and the fans before the start and now after the loss they will leave no stone unturned when it comes to leg-pulling and taking pot-shots at the players. They also ended up creating the whole Dhoni-Sehwag controversy which I am sure led to a lapse in concentration. Watch the genius reporters and analysts tear down the team in the coming days !! It will be fun :-). I recommend one and all to watch Aaj Tak - the ultimate guide.
   
3. M.S. Dhoni - To many , and definitely me I think Dhoni was one of the best things that had happened to Indian cricket post the great Sachin Tendulkar. Dhoni entered the international scene with a bang. For Team India which had been yearning for a wicketkeeper-batsman for decades, Dhoni was a blessing in disguise. His aggressive batting had added a killer instinct to the side. And then came his captaincy for which he won Cups, laurels, awards and rave reviews from one and all. However, this time Dhoni looked out of sorts. In my opinion he made many blunders - which was obvious to anyone who has been the following the team for a while. They are - Bowling first, Not giving RP Singh the last over, Giving Ishant 4 overs as against RP and Zaheer who got 3 each, Sending Jadeja ahead of Yuvraj, Dhoni's own defensive style-of-batting.

Let us hope and pray that Team India will learn from there mistakes and prove to their fans that this loss was just a one-off case and that they really are the best side in the world.