Ganguly vs Dravid ?

It’s a natural state of progression, in this country with it’s only non-controvertial religion, cricket. After a bombastic captain we have a more staid one. A tooth for tooth, blood for blood series is currently on and India has been hammered for a day and half or more. That four centuries have come off it is only a happenstance. But the picture that stands out on the 2nd day at Gaddafi Stadium is of a ‘lazy’ and the ‘worst fielder', who after stopping another definite boundary minutes before, has just taken an outstanding catch to dismiss one tailender when the opposition is 600 plus going at more than 6 an over over the best part of the day. Initially misjudged, like it can happen with anyone, and then to recover with tottering steps backwards and come up with this one one-handed, falling backwards, was out of the ordinary, like many things happening in Indian cricket these days. His team mates rejoicing and running towards him in unadulterated joy (and not the smirk that we saw minutes after) Can’t call it ‘experimentation’, can we ?
Within half an hour of that we see the new captain coming out to bat with the ‘309’ man as his opening partner which is another revelation, despite what the cameras had to say yesterday. By jove, it looks like India is playing against India. But did it anytime seem in those 13 overs that this is a new look opening pair ? Why did it take Dravid so long to realize that he is the best man to partner Sehwag in the heat of a battle ? Why does it take a situation of bailing out his old friend turned strange bed-fellow to take up the cudgels where no one befits it better than him ?
But cricket is a strange game. Tomorrow we might be made to feel small within half an hour but if Indian cricket survives this one (the next 3 days) then happy days are here again, despite what the so called pundits might have to say.
As we are seeing life in miniature, friends have turned foes or less because of the incessant media spotlight on them or ‘him’. The ‘management’ hasn’t helped matters by speaking out of turn. Still the fire burns on as the main protagonists have made a statement and another little man is yet to make it, sitting in the pavilion credited to have given ‘him’ the clean chit.
We can’t wait for tomorrow to come.