Team India, SRT, VVS and nerves

Of course, it's the time to bask in the glory of a team whose rise to top from the lows of match-fixing in 1999-2000 and the WC fiasco in 2007 many of us have shared in the last decade. I have vicariously lived my life through Team India in this period. Yesterday's one wicket over Australia was no less.

The 98 runs Sachin scored in the first innings, all four fifties in the first innings were crucial for they took us close to the Australian first innings score, that too in very very good time. What do I make of SRT? He is a flawed genius of rather weak nerves in comparison to some of his underrated and overlooked contemporaries. The art of batsmanship is his forte. His committment to the national colours unquestionable, perhaps unparalleled even. At the end of fourth day I read a great many headlines which said something to the effect of India's fortunes being in SRT's hands. Everyone forgot about VVS who would have turned up to bat even if he were comatose. Sehwag too could be assailed with similar criticisms (lack of fourth innings contributions) in future unless he learns to calm his nerves in desperate situations. There was an observation in an article in Cricinfo (I read every single one!) which differentiated batting in normal situations with batting in situations like the one encountered yesterday. It's the latter that Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar will wish he can improve upon. I'd love to see him retire with no defeciencies.

As for now every time a batsman saves Team India from the hands of the undertaker and that batsman isn't SRT the barrage of criticisms will be drawn from holsters. Every contemporary genius has peoples' opinions polarized. Even Federer's greatness is open to question today. Such is life. SRT can just give his best and he will continue to. Before the end of 2010 I believe he has 7 tests.

Congratulations for we have retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy despite some nervous batting. I am overjoyed.