Scramble for the light

So after a month, I'm finally back home - mostly because of all the unrest that's going on here related to the war and unrest in Sri Lanka. I feel a strange kind of disconnect and even guilt, though, as the only Sri Lanka-related news I'm interested in catching up on is the progress of the national cricket team playing (yet another, yet another) ODI series there, and not on the lives lost, the mistrust and the unholy mess that is the decades-old conflict that is supposed to (so they say, with fiery, graphic forwards and demonstrations) involve me by proxy, as a Tamilian. I'm not even sure why I feel this, since neither the ODI series nor the war is anything I can do something about, so what I choose to follow is entirely my own, no baggage involved.

... Anyway.

The first ODI played - Dambulla, day match and I fretted briefly remembering the last two matches that were played there between the two sides, but finally I had nothing to worry about. It wasn't all that easy to bat on, but the Evergreen and Always Rocking Jayasuriya blasted a century anyway - and India won anyway. Rather comfortably, actually - aided by good, steady batting from everybody, intelligent bowling and captaincy, and lapses of concentration and incompetence from the Lankans. Plus, the last two times the two faced off in Dambulla? Ajantha Mendis still held his magical sway over the Indian batsmen that had them trooping off to the dressing room one after the other as if in a spell, while Zaheer Khan was experiencing an amazingly rich vein of form - probably the best he'll ever have in his career. Result? Not once did either team cross 150 in the four innings. This time around, however, not only did the pitch behave different, Mendis and Zaks were both out of their Magical Zones and it was back to the usual stuff needed to win ODIs. And this Indian team goes about that business with the precision and efficiency that reminds one of a machine. Strange that watching a machine could make you so excited - but I am, I love what this Indian team promises, I am so looking forward to seeing their ambition blossom into fruition.

Also I was impressed by how quickly the Indian team got themselves back on track, seemingly picking up from where they left against England, despite the long lay-off from international cricket. Traces of rustiness was present, but nothing glaringly obvious or match-costing.

But really, the best thing about that ODI? Ajantha Mendis's bowling figures: 10-0-47-0.

That's right, people. No wickets. Oh, have I been waiting for the day. Sure, the kid's allowed a temporary slump, as new as he is to international cricket, and the Indians have come a long, long way since the Asia Cup Final 6 for 13 nightmare days - had to have, just had to - but I would often point out, almost bitterly, that come hell or high weather, win or loss, jaffas or crappy bowling, Mendis always gets a wicket. Always. Now, though? The Mendis is not Elusive. He is still Spendid (due courtesy to Damith of flyslip for the term), with potential to become Splendider, but he has to work harder for his wickets now. No more a flick of the middle finger and the batsman scurries off to the pavilion. This be Good, but for there was nothing more that annoyed me than the willing way the Indian batsmen capitulated to his so-called 'mystery bowling' last time they faced him, especially in the Test series. Guts, innovation, confidence, positivity - and suddenly Mendis is blinking.

Then the focus shifted to the second ODI in Premadasa, and it's a day-nighter. Again, fret-inducing memories of playing daynighters in Sri Lanka from last time around, and how the ball seems to do strange things under lights, but again, the effect this time wasn't as drastic as the last time around. India won the toss, batted first (predictably enough) and after a superb start, suffered a few brain-fades in between, coupled with some excellent Powerplay bowling by Maharoof, and ended up 256/9, which while on its own was an excellent total to defend in the Premadasa, was at least 30-35 runs short of where the Indians should've been considering their start, all the batsmen who got out after settling, and the sheer superiority of their batting lineup, with no offence to the Sri Lankan lineup. We started our defence well enough, too, ripping quickly through the SL top-order, but then lost focus in some of the Powerplay overs, allowed Kandamby of The Few International Matches and Jayawardene Of the Bad Form to climb on top of our nerves (in their own paint-drying-on-a-wall way) and set up things for a last-ditch attempt to overhaul the Indian total, which ultimately failed, as Ishant bowled magnificently at the death, choked the Lankans, run-outs abounded, and the Indians emerged victorious by 15 runs, while Ishi deservedly captured the MoM award for his four-fer.

"India clinch thriller" the headlines announced. "Survive Kandamby scare." And then: "Dhoni admits to losing his cool" as if that was an incredible thing. Dude's human, people.

What interested me was Dhoni's response to his team's performance in the ODI. Any other captain would've primarily just been pleased, especially considering that Kandamby was threatening to take the game away from the Indians at one point, but Dhoni instead chose to focus on the areas that had put them in the spot of bother in the first place. He's not just satisfied with winning - he wants to win well. With 100% commitment from each and every player. He admitted that there was no clear planning about bowling in the Powerplays, and the confusion caused Dhoni to lose his cool briefly, and Expose his Wrath. This attitude seems to have rubbed off on his teammates as well, with Ishant Sharma admitting that it was not one of his better performances even while collecting the Man of the Match award. Personally? I think it's a great attitude to have, and Dhoni's constant warnings against complacency have great arguments backing them. Sure, the Indians hadn't played an ODI before this for 2 months, it's easy to dismiss the lapses, even Dhoni's expressiveness as traces of rustiness, but they aren't hiding behind excuses. Not anymore. It's about identifying problems, and rectifying them immediately. It's about striving toward perfection, a scramble for a light they probably will never reach, but will kick up a lot of glorious dust doing so (and damn if I'm not hot on the metaphors today).

This is one of the many reasons I adore MSD.

I make no bones of the fact that I fangirl Dhoni more than anybody else in the world, but my adoration of the man goes beyond his good-looks, cricket, style, money and all that good stuff. He's a polar opposite to me, and therefore everything I strive to be: focussed, uncomplicated, accepting responsibilities as they come, hard-working, humble and open. Proving that if you are focussed enough on what you do, you will be successful. He had never clamoured for captaincy, never expressed a desire to do so, and had never captained a team in his life before. And yet, when the ultimate responsibility is thrust on him out of the blue - the job they call second-most difficult to that of the Prime Minister's - he took to it without complaint or gloat, all dedication and focus. A neat segregation of duties. On-field: cricket. Off-field: No cricket, all the good stuff, ads, movies, bonding. No mixing of the two, no distraction. It's just about everything I want to be, put into a neat nutshell: I was so unsure whether I was fit to take the profession I'm studying for, so unsure of the responsibilities and of my responses to various situations, but hey, if Dhoni's focus and self-belief can take him through, why can't mine? Focus, one game after the other. Focus, one study topic after the other. I can make it through.

So MSD's more than awesome fangirl-material. He is Inspiration. More than Tendukar, or the Middle Order. More than Amitabh Bachchan, or Abhinav Bindra, or Shah Rukh Khan, or any of the other usual suspects.

... Um. Yeah. But I'm feeling melancholy and emotional, and this had to be told.

So. MSD and co.? Keep perfecting yourselves. Keep up the scrambling. Keep making us proud(er).

Whatever happens next ODI (which I have a sneaking feeling SL will win. >.>).

Addendum: I'm not going to say A WORD about South Africa whupping the Aussies 4-1 in the ODI series. Nope. Except: Hee! *glee* \o/

And New Zealand? Geez, how difficult can you make a chase after your bowlers did all the good work?

Shoaib Malik, you poor thing. I used to like you once. And I don't like Younis Khan becoming captain. He was offered the job after Inzi's retirement, but acted so precious and refused the job. Right now, if I had the power? I'd say "Eff you all" and appointed Misbah as the captain, Salman Butt his deputy. And not just because they happen to be the only two good-looking men in the Pakistani team (honestly, I swear!). Aside from the occasional brain-fades after working his team into a winning position, Misbah looks like a sensible, well-liked person, not prone to dramatic gestures or parroting the same-old same-old flabby cliches (yes, Shoaib Malik, I'm looking at YOU).

... Oof.