A view from the Gully (14 June 1999)

14 June 1999

A view from the Gully

Tawfiq Aziz Khan

Zimbabwe will be looking towards their stronger neighbour South Africa to carry them into the exclusive club of the last four and will ask for 'forgiveness' for their 'impertinence' in the group match encounter with Cronje's men.

New Zealand, coming from the brink, booked their seat at the last moment by virtue of an unexpected victory over India and a superior run rate over Zimbabwe. Only a defeat for Australia can take Zimbabwe through to the semifinal.

This cold English summer will be remembered by the Indians for a long time to come. An outfit that has been dubbed by all and sundry as one of the best teams in the frey had to bow out unsung even with formidable wins against Sri Lanka, England and finally Pakistan in the Super Six stage.

On Saturday Azhar and his 'boys' appeared completely distraught as they took the strike against New Zealand, generally not remembered for their consistency or brilliance.

Trent Bridge was cloudy and gloomy was the Indian faces. That a team, with such talent, clout, and perhaps the most adored and pampered of the dozen, would leave such a sad impression was beyond even any skeptic's wildest imagination. Out they went but not before putting a spanner in the works for Zimbabwe to whom they lost by only three runs in the first round. India's defeat to New Zealand had so many surprise elements. The mere fact that the full Indian batting machine could not take the score to around 300 against a pedestrian Kiwi attack, barring Geoff Allott, should be a matter of concern for the losing team. Sachin Tendulker's performance with the bat left a big question mark over his fitness. Were the English conditions, to which he was not new, to his dislike? Apart from the success against Kenya Tendulker had disappointed his admirers across the world. Gangully was painfully slow. It was left to Jadeja, Azhar and Robin Singh to score quickly with help from Dravid and take the score to respectability.

New Zealand seized the opportunity with both hands because this was their only chance to be in the semis. They made no fuss about their intentions and went about in a professional manner. The normally disciplined Indian bowlers bowled a generous dose of wides and nos, and by the time the rains intervened Mathew Horne and Roger Twose had taken their team to safety.

The Indians must be feeling hollow inside themselves. If all their preparations and attentions were focused only for their match against Pakistan, which they won handsomely and also as a better team on that particular day, they can sit back and smile for a consolation prize. But as far as the tournament goes, they will have to compose themselves and deeply go into retrospection and come up with genuine causes and their remedies for the future.

Tailpiece: For the advertiser the message is clear: Till the final, it's all dandruff and no clear. (No malice intended).

Source :: The Daily Star