The Common Man Speaks

This is no 90s team, this is Naya Hindustan…

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We will hear the phrase ‘historic win’ regularly for the next few days, at least till India plays the third test match in the series against Australia in 2021. Ajinkya Rahane and his men have displayed an example of determination in the Boxing Day [second] test. And this is not just because we beat Australia in Australia in a test match for just the eight time.

After being shockingly all-out for their lowest score ever of 36 runs in the second innings of the first test, India was down in the dumps [anther blow in 2020]. Plus, captain Virat Kohli, the star batsman who top-scored in the match, had to leave because of personal commitments.

To win the next match convincingly under such circumstances is nothing short of historic.

There were all kind of discussions going on before the start of this match on social media. People had assumed that India will lose the series 4-0. It was also said that even if India manages to draw one match, it will be quite an achievement. However, Rahane had other plans.

India-Australia Melbourne 2020
Photo source: Manoj Tiwary (@tiwarymanoj) on Twitter

He lead from the front with the bat, by scoring a match-winning century in the first innings, and showed excellent captaincy skills while India was on field in both the innings. His bowling changes and field placements showed that he only believed in going for the kill despite what happened in the first test. And his bowlers rose to the occasion.

The ghost of 36 all out is well past now!

But not all is hunky dory and perfect for team India. We shouldn’t forget the numerous catches Australia dropped in the first innings. Things might have been different if they had held onto each one of them. One also can’t overlook how the team struggles to get the opposition tail out, which was the case here too.

Having said that, the team spirit and character strength shown in this match is unlike the Indian team of the bygone days. After losing the first two ODIs and getting 36 all out in the first match, there were talks about team India being back to the ways of the 1990s. The nightmare of India being 66 all out against South Africa in 1996 had resurfaced. But the Melbourne win has proved otherwise.

This is no 90s team. This is Naya Hindustan [New India]…

Also read:

When Swami Vivekananda took 7 wickets against the British club

When Indian supporters were in no MOOD to see India win

Who’ll motivate India like Sachin-Azhar did in 1997 in S Africa?

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Exactly 24 years ago in the winter of 1996, I was horrified to see India getting all-out for just 66 at Durban against South Africa in the second innings of the Boxing Day test match. It was India’s first overseas tour that I followed and it couldn’t have been worse.

It was also the first time I saw any side getting all out well before reaching 100. As it happened with the Indian team, it shook me more. I was sure it can’t get worse than this and I won’t see a lower score than this from India in my lifetime.

But I was proved horribly wrong 24 years later by the current Indian side which was bowled out for just 36 against Australia at Adelaide in the first test; their lowest total ever! It still appears unreal.

Highlights of India’s second innings at Adelaide

As the only time I saw India get all-out under 100 [in a test match] was in 1996, my mind keeps going back to that Durban test and the rest of the series.

That team’s morale was down in the dumps after that match. The mental baggage of that game was carried forward in the second test at Cape Town that started in the new year on 2 January 1997.

South Africa batted first and put behind a mammoth total of 529 for 7 declared. India displayed déjà vu of the first test after being 58 for 5 at one stage. It seemed India was set to repeat what happened in Durban.

India 36 all out

But then came a partnership that brought a turnout not just on the scorecard but also in the Indian camp. From that score onwards, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharuddin started counter-attacking in ways that we didn’t see in test matches then.

The two experienced blokes started hammering every bowler of the opposition and built a huge partnership of 222 runs. Azhar scored 115 off just 100 balls with 19 fours and a six. Tendulkar, on the other hand, made 169 with 26 fours.

He was the last man to get out when Adam Bacher pulled off one of the most spectacular catches of all time at deep square leg. The batsman was visibly stunned and stood his ground for some time, unable to believe his eyes.

India eventually lost that match. However, that partnership between Tendulkar and Azhar brought about a psychological change in the side. It put across a message that we can bat freely and fearlessly even against South Africa in South Africa, which was tough in those days.

Sachin-Azhar partnership at Cape Town in 1997

The effect of this was seen in the third test at Johannesburg when the team looked much more determined. India batted first and posted a good score of 410, helped by Rahul Dravid’s impressive 148.

In reply, South Africa were all out for 321. After getting a healthy lead, India batted decently in the second innings and set South Africa a target of 356 runs. India looked like winning the match after reducing the Proteas to 228 for 8. Unfortunately, rain and bad light ensured that the match turned out to be a draw; a match India should have won.

Also see: When Javagal Srinath was on a hat-trick thrice against South Africa

The major difference between the Durban test and the recent first test against Australia is that in the former we were never in position to dominate. In fact, we were 100 all out in the first innings and that had almost sealed the match for South Africa.

However, despite India being in a dominating position on day two in the recent test, the current blow is a bigger one. Getting all out on a score as low as 36 can be detrimental to the morale of any team.

Twenty-four years ago, Sachin and Azhar removed that barrier for India.

Who will do that this time around?

Also read:

When Swami Vivekananda took 7 wickets against the British club

When Indian supporters were in no MOOD to see India win

Rape threats don’t go against Facebook’s ‘community standards’

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The major negative point of social media, as we all must have seen, is hateful comments. And these hate comments become the worst when they become rape threats to women. Like other social media platforms, such comments are seen regularly on Facebook.

Also like other platforms, Facebook gives you an option to report a comment that appears hateful, violent or derogatory. The social media platform has in place, what they call, ‘community standards.’ As per them, any comment violating these guidelines will be either removed or the person commenting will face termination of his or her account.

However, as horrific as it may sound, rape threats don’t go against the so-called community guidelines of Facebook. I realized this recently when I reported a comment where someone received a rape threat.

Recently, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across a picture of a Marathi film actress shared by a page promoting Marathi films. I could see the comments where people criticized her because they believed she was skimpily dressed.

Facebook logo

I didn’t think much about these comments as, unfortunately, I have got used to it. We are surrounded by people with sexist mind-sets; those whose blood boils when they see a woman wearing less clothes. But there was one comment, in Marathi, which shook me.

A man commenter under the picture – “Such people should be raped!” [See the comment below]

Rape threat

Now, this was very serious. I quickly reported the comment and waited for Facebook to get back to me.

I got a response the next day and, as weird as it may sound, they said in their response that the comment doesn’t go against their ‘community standards.’ Let that sink in. [See the image below]

Facebook response to rape threat
Facebook’s response

If a rape threat, which is the worst form of comment, doesn’t go against their so-called standards, what exactly does?

Also read: #JusticeForSSR has no place on news channels now: Who gained, who lost?

My case isn’t the only one, by the way. When I shared this on Facebook, quite a few people said they have experienced the same thing. A cursory Google search will also enlighten you about others having had the same experience, which you can read HERE.

Over the years, I have experienced Facebook doing nothing about toxic communal and sexist posts I reported. But this takes their lack of seriousness for women safety on their platform to another level.

When Swami Vivekananda took 7 WICKETS against the British club

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Born as Narendranath Datta, Swami Vivekananda is known as the monk who inculcated strength and determination in the youth of India through his powerful words and deeds. He was instrumental in spreading Indian spirituality and changing the image of India in the west, largely through his speech at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893.

Vivekananda received enlightenment from his beloved spiritual guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa and his wife Sri Sarada Devi. He is also credited to have started Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math after his guru. He came to known as Swami Vivekananda after becoming a monk.

But despite Vivekananda being a monk and a spiritual guru, he gave high importance to physical activities like sports. He himself was actively involved in sports right from his school days. Along with football, a popular sport in West Bengal, he also played cricket.

It is one of Vivekananda’s heroics in cricket that is highlighted in this article. Something not many would know and would come as an exciting surprise.

Kolkata’s world renowned stadium Eden Gardens was built in the 19th century and was one of the few epicentres of cricket in India back then. Among the many cricket enthusiasts who played cricket there also includes Swami Vivekananda, who was the young Narendranath Datta back then.

Swami Vivekananda

Author and former cricketer Raju Mukherji in his book Eden Gardens: Legend & Romance has written that Datta, in his 20s, played cricket at the stadium in the mid-1880s for Town Club, one of the earliest local clubs in Kolkata back then.

The Calcutta Cricket Club (CCC, which later went onto become Calcutta Cricket and Football Club) team was a formidable side back then. It largely contained British cricketers since it was formed by the British.

It was during a match against CCC that Datta took as many as 7 wickets in an innings.

Mukherjee has credited the April 2004 edition of the Bengali magazine Udbodhan for this startling piece of information.

Vivekananda has a large number of followers around the world. But this trivia is expected to amaze almost all of them as they wouldn’t be knowing it.

Also read: One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

There are also other unconfirmed reports stating that the CCC side was bowled out for just 20 runs because of Datta’s exploits and that the match took place 136 years ago. The reports also mention that it was coach Hema Chandra Ghosh’s words that encouraged the young Datta to give his best.

Vivekananda’s exploits on the field don’t come as a surprise though. He was an ambassador of sports even after he became a monk. One of his famous sayings goes like, “You will be nearer to God more through football than through the study of the Gita.”

What he meant was that merely following spirituality through reading is useless unless you give importance to physical fitness, which, in turn, helps in developing your mind. On various occasions, Swami Vivekananda has also spoken about treating your body as a temple.

Also read:

Only time Tendulkar was NOT selected in team India, neither injured nor rested

Forgotten spells: When Srinath was on a hattrick THRICE in one innings

The Hidden Hindu – Book Review

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The title of author Akshat Gupta’s novel The Hidden Hindu might make heads turn, thinking it might be on controversial lines. But that is far from the case. The book is a mystery thriller rooted in India’s mythology and history. It’s another addition to this genre that has become popular over the years.

The book revolves around an unusual investigation of the mysterious Aghori Sadhu. He is captured by India’s authorities and brought to the Ross Island in south India for interrogation. Dr Srinivasan heads the investigation along with Dr Shahista, Dr Batra and few other experts. The Aghori Sadhu introduced himself as Om Shastri.

But the investigating team is dumbfounded when he also claims to be various people from India’s mythology and history; right from the era of Ramayana and Mahabharata till the Indian freedom movement. The team rubbishes his claims of him being alive since thousands of years. So, who exactly is Om Shastri?

The biggest plus point of The Hidden Hindu is its fast pace. A large majority of the story takes place in a closed room, where a group of people are investigating, discussing and debating. This somewhere reminds you of 12 Angry Men (1957). The situation results in a book that can be completed in a jiffy.

The Hidden Hindu book

At some point of time, The Hidden Hindu features the story of lord Dhanwantari and the father of Indian surgery Sushruta. This comes across as an interesting episode since this part of Indian history is not explored in the many novels that have come out of this genre.

These plus points, however, aren’t enough to overshadow the negatives. The book lags behind in the important aspects of story and its narration. For a large number of the pages, nothing concrete happens in terms of plot development as the investigation just keeps going on. The aforementioned episode about Dhanwantari and Sushruta comes as a respite but it’s certainly not enough. 

Also read: Book Review – The Vault Of Vishnu

The reader is also not given proper insight into the investigating team. We are not told the back story of even the senior members of the team and the relation between them.

Furthermore, the writing lacks richness. Just being a fast-paced novel isn’t enough. The language should be impressive enough to even sail through the dry periods, which doesn’t happen here. The quality of the writing is felt the most in the ending portion, which is all over the place.  

Also read: Book Review – Bhoot Bhavish Bartaman

There are also few language errors that should have been taken care during the editing.

This is the first book in The Hidden Hindu trilogy. India’s former cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Dhoni are coming out with a web-series on the book. The makers need to carry out some drastic changes in the content in order to make the show interesting.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Author: Akshat Gupta

Publishers: Genee Publishing House

Pages: 185

Price: Rs 249

When Indian crowd was in no MOOD to see India win

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Interruptions during cricket matches or any sport can be irritating. It gets worse when such interruptions bring a premature end to a game. As far as cricket is concerned, the most common spoilsport has been rain.

But the worst stoppage the game of cricket has seen is angry crowd behavior.

The mention of such disruptions instantly brings to our mind the India-Sri Lanka 1996 World Cup semi-final. The violence carried out by the crowd in Kolkata forced the match officials to end the game abruptly and declare Sri Lanka as the winners [India was anyways about to lose the match].

In the same year in the India v/s Australia match in the Titan Cup, the crowd in Bangalore went berserk when Mohammad Azharuddin was wrongly given out LBW. They finally settled down only after Azhar himself went to that part of the stand to request them to not indulge in such behavior.

But the worst crowd behavior in India came in 2002. Although it was the most inexplicable reaction by the crowd, it hardly finds a place in public memory.

India was playing a 7-match ODI series against the touring West Indies and were two down after the first two matches. The third match was in Rajkot and India was eager to open their account in the series in order to have a chance of winning the tournament.  

Virendra Sehwag vs West Indies
Virender Sehwag (File photo)

West Indies batted first and scored 300 for 5, helped by Ramnaresh Sarwan’s 84, Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 74 and Chris Gayle’s 72. India came out all guns blazing in reply. Skipper Saurav Ganguly and Virendra Sehwag had a 196 run opening partnership in which the latter scored 110!

When Sehwag is in such form, people would drop everything to watch him bat, irrespective of which cricketing country you belong to. But for some truly weird reason, the crowd at Rajkot started indulging in violent behavior by throwing stones and other items on the field, threatening the safety of the West Indies players.

Also read: Forgotten spells – When Srinath was on a hattrick THRICE in one innings

The security personnel tried their best to cool things down. But they were not enough in the face of the unruly crowd, which ensured that the match was halted thrice because of their antics.

Such behavior is somewhat understandable [but not justified by any means] if India is losing the match, like it happened in the 1996 semi-final. But why would anyone even think of showing such behavior when the home team is going great guns and with someone like Sehwag in full flow?

Finally, the match officials had to prematurely stop the game and award the match to India through the Duckworth-Lewis method. India were at a comfortable position at 200 for 1 in 27.1 overs with Sehwag not out on 114 off just 82 balls and VVS Laxman yet to open his account.

Also read: One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

The decision turned out to be controversial. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) complained to the International Cricket Council (ICC) against the decision of the Match Refree Mike Procter to use the D/L method to decide the winner. As per WICB, the match should have ended in ‘no result’ since it wasn’t halted by any force of nature.

When the 1996 WC semi-final was prematurely stopped, Sri Lanka were declared winners by default and not through D/L method.

Whether it was right to declare India the winners is debatable. But there is certainly no doubt that the people who came to see the match in Rajkot were lucky that there was no social media then and hence, the news of their behavior didn’t spread far and wide.

Highlights of the match:

#JusticeForSSR now has NO place on news channels. Who gained, who lost?

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Roughly few months ago, some Indian news channels had promised to give justice to the deceased Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR). As per the official version, the actor died of suicide on 14 June at his residence in Mumbai.

But these channels, like plenty of What’s App forwards, started spreading the theory that he was murdered and if there’s anyone who can give justice to Rajput, it is them. Hence, there was non-stop coverage on his death with channels ready to interview just about anyone who can speak on SSR – from Karni Sena members to anybody claiming to be the late actor’s friend.

One channel claimed to have all the proofs to support their claim of murder even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who was handed over the case, still hasn’t come up with any such murder theory.  

This resulted in crores of viewers getting carried away by the hyper coverage. They kept sharing posts related to SSR almost every minute while appealing to the authorities to punish SSR’s supposed murderers in the strictest way.

All this while, the fake news circulation on What’s App and social media reached another low. Among the many fake messages, the one that takes the cake was that SSR’s ‘murder’ was seen live by some Hindi film stars in their homes. I recently met one highly educated person who considers this ‘news’ about SSR to be absolutely true. And there are many more like him.

Sushant Singh Rajput

The sub-plot of the murder theory was the drugs angle in which SSR’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty and few others were arrested. These arrests were celebrated as if India got another freedom.

However, over the last few weeks, the campaign for SSR’s death has just died down. The timing for this is most interesting. It strangely coincided with the Bihar elections, which were recently over. As the people of the state finished casting their vote, SSR’s case faded away from the TV screens.

It was also during the campaign for the Bihar elections that BJP came out with a pamphlet with SSR’s face on it. [See below and read more about it HERE]. A clear indication that his death was just a political tool for them.

SSR BJP

In this entire circus, it was the common public that was taken for a ride. Crores of people invested their time, energy and data while getting agitated online, considering themselves to be some sort of warriors. Only for it to boil down to nothing.

You indirectly helped these TV channels earn money, ratings and market their brand value. Today, the same channels have dropped the #JusticeForSSR issue like a hot potato. Just before publishing the report, a cursory check to these news channels showed that SSR’s death found no place on any of them.

Some news channels and political parties aren’t the only ones to gain from it. A YouTuber reportedly earned Rs 15 lakh from making fake videos related to SSR’s death. And his isn’t the only YouTube channel to gain from it. Again, it was the common public who made him earn a bomb.

Also, we didn’t realize when #JusticeForSSR slowly transformed into justice for a ‘news’ anchor, who was recently arrested. As soon as he was released on bail, his jubilant celebrations made it look like the last scene of a movie while the end credits are rolling – a contemporary way to say ‘The End!’  

Also read: ‘Anti-nepotism’ brigade has created a TOXIC atmosphere online

SSR’s death definitely won’t be the last issue out of which a tamasha was created. There will be many more in the future.

The question to be asked is whether we will take this as a lesson learnt or get carried away again in the future. Going by how heavily people got influenced this time, I personally don’t have much hopes.

Sorry babu…

Additional reading:

Expecting MIRACLES from CBI in Sushant case isn’t smart

Book Review: The Vault of Vishnu by Ashwin Sanghi

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After mixing contemporary issues with history and mythology in more than a handful of novels in his Bharata Series, author Ashwin Sanghi has become a master at that. He has continued the same with his latest offering The Vault Of Vishnu. And once again, the story he has told is way different than any of his previous books.

This time, the author has focused on the troubled political relationship between India and China. It starts off with a group of Indian soldiers mercilessly killed by the Chinese forces in Doklam. But what’s odd in the killings is that the Chinese forces appear like a mixture of humans and monkeys.

Paramjit Khurana aka Pam of the DRDO (Defence Research and Developmental Organization) is given the task to find more about the killings to help India’s defence personnel. She has a troubled past. Her father, who passionately served in the Indian defence forces, got killed under mysterious circumstances when she was a child.

Pam takes the help of the veteran intelligence officer Mark whose company works jointly with the DRDO. She had had a past with him, about which she is not proud.

Simultaneously, The Vault Of Vishnu also traces the centuries old journey of a Chinese Buddhist monk to India in search of something extremely valuable.

The Vault Of Vishnu is also about the ex-defence officer Dr Raja Rao, who is in his 90s, and his daughter Anu.

The Vault Of Vishnu

The synopsis might indicate that the book is a fast-paced action thriller but it’s not. Of course, it tells the story of India’s border issues with China. But it uses a nuanced storytelling method with attention to details.

However, this doesn’t mean that it’s not a page-turner. Sanghi, in his usual manner, has narrated an interesting tale in his usual gripping manner by giving proper space to every sub-plot. Those who are used to reading the author’s books will find the narrative extremely friendly.

Although the parallel story of the Chinese monk’s travel is way different than the present day tale about Pam, it doesn’t appear that way. This part also generates interest as you get absorbed in the monk’s journey. It is only in some parts in the pre-climax that it appears a bit stretched, especially the inclusion of too much of information about the monk’s travel.

Also read: Book Review: The Rozabal Line by Ashwin Sanghi

This part of the story gets you spellbound by Sanghi’s vast knowledge about history and mythology and his enormous research skills, which includes even the smallest of details.

The author’s rich language not only explains the tale in a simple manner but it also gets you hooked. This is also something Sanghi is used to doing.

Also read: Book Review: The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

A large part of your satisfaction with The Vault Of Vishnu comes with a major twist in the end that you didn’t see coming. Although it appears filmi, it still gives you a pleasant jolt.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review by: Keyur Seta

Publishers: Westlands Books

Pages: 313

Can we get BETTER Cricket highlights please?

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Cricket is like a religion in India. Along with watching matches involving their country, the Indian fans are also interested in following neutral matches. In fact, following other countries’ domestic matches is also an area of interest in India nowadays.

Over the last 20 years or so, the number of cricket series have increased manifolds. But at the same time, lives of not just working professionals but also of students have become more hectic. We have too many things to do in a single day. Hence, it’s not possible to dedicate a long duration of a day solely to watch a cricket match.

So, the only way we can keep himself or herself updated about every match around the world is by watching the highlights of those games. With the habit of watching videos on mobile phones spreading far and wide, it has become easy to watch highlights of the match you missed anytime and anywhere.

However, today many a times what we get in the name of highlights is disappointing to say the least. At a time when we have access to watch highlights as many times as we want, the worst we could expect is the people behind the highlights messing it up.

Somehow, the editors or channels showing us the highlights of a match believe that it should only contain wickets, fours and sixes. This thought process is the major problem with highlights today.

Highlights

If you feel highlights should only cover these three aspects, I am sorry to say you are not aware of the most important function of highlights. Which is to know when a particular game turned on its head or what the biggest turning point of the match was.

And many a times, these match-turning moments are dot balls, as far as the highlight of limited over matches is concerned. If you feel a match can tilt from one side to another only during fours, sixes and wickets, I am sorry to say you are wrong. In white ball cricket, dot balls, especially in the end, are as precious and game-turning as wickets.

For example, I remember watching the highlights of T20 match where a team needed 7 runs of 6 balls. But we were directly shown the last ball where it needed 5 off 1 ball. What happened in the previous few balls was the turning point of the match, which, astonishingly, doesn’t get featured in the highlights.

Just imagine, a person takes out time excitedly to watch the highlights of a close game only to realize that it doesn’t feature the most important part of the match!

I completely understand that highlights need to be crisp. But this is where the person responsible for the highlights should know what to retain and what not to. And if that person believes retaining replays of a crowd catch is more important than the dot balls that changed the match, it really won’t help.

Also read: Forgotten spells: When Srinath rattled South Africans singlehandedly

I personally feel it’s okay to skip one or two boundaries to show the biggest turning point of a match. It is understandable somehow in TV highlights where it’s necessary to complete the package in a stipulated time. But online highlights are not of any stipulated duration. So, adding just another 30-40 seconds that actually changed the match shouldn’t hurt.

Earlier in the year, the veteran cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle also pointed out in a Facebook post that today you won’t find the game-changing moments in the highlights [Unable to find the post. If someone is able to, do share].

Additional reading:

One of Wasim Akram’s greatest achievements is forgotten

Forgotten innings: Lance Klusener’s 99 v/s Sri Lanka

Srinath’s Titan Cup performance is proof that stats don’t show the real picture

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Javagal Srinath has been one of the best fast bowlers to have played for India. The pacer was always ready to give his all whenever the team needed, irrespective of the conditions and the format. He is the second highest wicket taker for India in one-day internationals (ODIs) with 315 wickets.

But the bowler had an unusually unbelievable record in the Titan Cup in 1996. For those who are too young, the Titan Cup was a triangular series played between India, South Africa and Australia in India. Surprisingly, Australia failed to win a single match in the entire series, where each team played each other thrice. So, India and South Africa reached the finals.

The proteas were in terrific form all through the league matches; winning all of them comfortably. However, SA somehow couldn’t chase India’s total of 220 in the final and lost the title to the hosts.

But something unusual about the Titan Cup popped up into my memory recently. It’s about Javagal Srinath’s performance with the ball. You would be stunned to know how many wickets he took in the entire tournament.

As strange as it may sound, the bowler could pick up only 1 wicket in the entire series in which India played a total of six matches, including the final. He played all six matches and opened the bowling in all of them.

Javagal Srinath

Generally, one would attribute bad performance for such a record. But that was not the case with Srinath. I remember the pacer bowling with dedication in every match of the series. In fact, this info about him picking just 1 wicket is hardly known because he never faced any criticism for it. Rightly so because he bowled well in the series.

In most of the matches, he bowled economically and didn’t make it easy for the batsmen. This helped bowlers from the other end pick up wickets. But instances of putting pressure never get a mention in scorecards.

The one wicket Javagal Srinath took was in India’s second last match against Australia in Mohali. It was an important one of Michael Slater, who was out leg before wicket. The match was an unofficial semi-final for both the teams.

Also read: Forgotten innings: Lance Klusener’s 99 w/s Sri Lanka in the final

We have heard a lot of cricket experts or commentators say that statistics don’t show you the real picture. Javagal Srinath’s performance in the Titan Cup is a shining example of it. There are days when even the greatest of spells don’t yield results. This is where it gives a feeling that luck also plays a role to some extent in the sport.

But despite this, it would be wrong to say that Javagal Srinath had a quiet tournament. He made up for it with the bat. He was the hero when India was struggling to chase a modest score of 215 against Australia in a league match and were 8 down. Srinath saw India home with some fine support from his Karnataka team-mate Anil Kumble.

Back then, it was an era of pinch-hitters and Srinath was India’s most favored one for that role. In the league match against South Africa at Rajkot, Srinath top scored with 53 runs [his highest score] after coming one down as a pinch-hitter. Not many would have expected him to be India’s highest scorer in any match.

While writing this, another major example of stats not being the ultimate truth comes to my mind. Rohit Sharma scored a mammoth 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014. Nine years earlier to that, Sachin Tendulkar scored 98 against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup.

The score of 264 is way more than 98. Yet, Tendulkar’s innings is held in much higher regards than Sharma’s.

I am sure there are many more such examples.

Additional reading:

One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

Forgotten spells: When Srinath rattled South African batting order singlehandedly