Every child in india wants to grow up and be one of the two – actor or cricketer, me included!! But before you admire my foresight, let me admit that I always wanted to be a cricketer, never an actor! Which is also the subject of my blog today.

Both these professions are extremely high passion, ultra glam and puts the people concerned on a pedestal. The actors are a revered lot in India who are spoken about in every echelon of society be it the man in the remotest village of india or the master of the villa in South Mumbai. There are temples built for the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Rajnikanth, who enjoy godly status in every city of the world almost.

Similarly, cricketers enjoy the status of demi-Gods while they are playing and are deified after they retire, case in point being the legendary Sunil Gavaskar who commands respect even after so many years of retirement. But this is where the comparison ends. Cricketers have the unenviable task of carrying the pride of every Indian across the seven seas wherever cricket is played. They cannot afford to lose a single match be it a T-20, 50 over game or a Test match. They are hailed for every victory and slammed for every defeat.

So while a flop or two doesn’t finish a film star, a hero like Mahendar Singh Dhoni becomes the villain within a fortnight of a famous series win because his side folds up like a pack of cards in England. Cricket fans across the country are calling for his blood after just a couple of months of lifting the world cup, becoming the Number 1 test side and also captaining his team to IPL glory. The question is: Is the wrath of the country justified? I am going to stick my neck out and say, “YES!”

It is apparent from the way Dhoni and his side has performed that they were not battle ready or probably exhausted from the previous battles but this is in my mind is no excuse for a class act like the Indian team. They are looking pedestrian at best and even the decisions taken are far from intelligent. To quote Sunny Gavaskar, every time an Indian player goes in to bat, he must remember that he is carrying the Indian flag in his hand, not a bat. He is carrying the expectations of a billion Indians.

So to make excuses after a defeat is the worst balm he can put on the wound of an Indian fan. I admire people like Ganguly who call a spade a spade, be it on the field or in the commentary box. He shaped the Indian team of today and laid the foundation for it to become the worlds best side. Having said that, I strongly believe that Dhoni and his boys have the tenacity to hit back and hard. I thought that would happen in the 2nd test but they lost a game they had won on the first day but that’s the charm of test match cricket – a true test of talent, aptitude and character.

So let’s all pray that the team gets back to its winning ways and gives the Indian fan something to cheer about and I am sure they will win the 3rd test! Jai ho!