Letter of the Day

Youthful Hope

Not many people expect India to lose in their own turf. Only exception was against the touring Australia last year, when some of the pundits expected the Aussies to win at long last. Unfortunately for Ozzies the Indian roses blossomed in bunches in Eden Garden.

From then to now, things haven't changed by leaps and bounds, but there certainly is a difference. A series lost and one drawn followed the Eden miracle. Indian lost series from winning positions, mainly due to over confidence.

There are glimpses of hope now, not because Sachin's responsibility is shared but due to the youthfulness in the team. The youth have injected a desire, thirst and more importantly 'perfect competition' among the players for places in the playing eleven. And now neither Kumble nor Srinath can take things for granted

A dashing Sachin-cloned opener (Sehwag) creates havoc and his perfect opposite Sanjay Bangarcompliments him to the hilt. India's gift for the decade is the greatness of Sachin. Even if his scores resemble the symbols of Audi or the Olympics, his greatness should never be doubted. Such cricketers are not often unearthed. He should soon start playing his natural game with his usual 'no fear' attitude.

With a dasher at top, a perfect all-rounder in the middle and youthful bowlers in bag, India can definitely start dreaming about winning the World Cup. Only position still open in the ODIs is the No.3 slot. In South Africa, Bangar should be considered for that position as he brings in additional bowling option. With Yuvraj and Kaif at No.6 and 7, India is a real contender for the World Cup.

If the youngsters keep themselves from being distracted by the lucrative endorsements or sponsorships, the side will definitely peak at the right time. Going by the history though, the World Cup is still a distant dream, but at least this time it would make the opponents lose sleep and rattle a bit.....all in all it is 'youthful hope'.

Ramkumar Krishnan