Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Oh! no..not again

One has to really pity the team which won the tournament two editions back in South Africa only to not only fail to make it in the remaining two editions but also return without a single victory in the forthcoming editions of the same. And that is team India for you. This is the second time in succession that team India has had to return back home without even a single victory in the super eights of a T20 world cup. India is the only team to have enjoyed this which is even more interesting. Throwing the expectations apart, one can have a bet that no cricket fan might ever have his bet favoring India.

Atleast as far as a T20 world cup is concerned, the bet would be favoring any other team but India. India is the only team to have won a world cup and on the other hand fail to come out with a victory in the next editions of the same. Recalling team India's fate in the previous edition of the world T20, India won their two games in the first stage against Ireland and Bangladesh only to lose the plot in the super eights in the games against South Africa, England and West Indies. If not for South Africa, no other team stood a chance to beat India but, the results had different plans whatsoever.

And this time, needless to be said, India had no reasons to lose against Sri Lanka and West Indies. Both Sri Lanka and West Indies teams were of no match to the Indians only to be proven wrong after their last match in the super eights against Sri Lanka. The moment Sri Lanka crossed 143, India failed a chance to move further in the tournament but, then there was some hope that India would come out with a victory in its hand which was once again proved wrong. And, the match coming till the ultimate delivery made it all the more interesting and exciting.

India failed to become another Pakistan when it lost the match against Sri Lanka unlike Pakistan who won the same against the Proteas day before yesterday. Had India made it to the semi finals, there could have been a repeat of the 1987 world cup wherein the semi finals happened to be Australia vs Pakistan on one side with England taking on India on the other. The loss against Australia can be accepted but not the ones against Sri Lanka and West Indies. It was the series of wrong decisions that saw Pakistan losing their match against New Zealand. But, that could be forgotten when they made it to the semis of a world T20 for the 3rd consecutive time. And what about India?

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