The Times of India echoed on its front page: “Kingdoms fall. Empires crumble. Regimes collapse,” highlighting India’s loss of its title as the world’s best Test team this past Sunday.
“But who could have predicted that India’s dominance would conclude in such a rapid, frail, and humiliating fashion?”
Who could, indeed? Not likely the government, which rewarded the richest cricketers on the globe with cash and land after they secured their first World Cup win in 28 years.
Nor the Indian media, which has relentlessly emphasized the country’s No. 1 ranking since it reclaimed the top position 20 months ago in Mumbai.
And not even senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, who opted to take a break after the Indian Premier League rather than prepare for the England series by touring the West Indies.
Indeed, even Tendulkar faces the disillusionment of a nation that feels deeply betrayed.
“This marks a significant failure in his career, and I’ve never witnessed him struggle like this,” remarked Vinod Kambli, a childhood companion and former Test teammate, to the Press Trust of India.
“Terms such as ‘humiliation’ and ‘whitewash’ hardly encapsulate the tragedy,” observed India Today beneath a headline that listed 10 reasons for India’s defeat.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India appears to be intimidated by a cadre of players they hesitate to drop or even confront about their fitness.
Anil Kumble offered some of the most critical assessments, pointing out “the almost childlike belief that because things have been going well, they will continue to do so and that sheer momentum will carry India across the finish line.”
Kumble also critiqued the players directly.
“There’s something very Indian about the lack of fitness… too few players are willing to put in the hard work and make the sacrifices necessary to maintain peak performance in critical series.”
In the midst of introspection, there was ample commendation for India’s adversary. The Telegraph, based in Kolkata, concluded its report with, “Well done England.”
Buford Balony remarks: If any other cricket-playing nation had over a billion citizens, they would be unbeatable. This just illustrates how good the Indians truly are at cricket… or at sports in general… CRAP.
