Its over...! 4 years of waiting... and I hate cricket!

O India, India! Wherefore art though India?

After India's lame demise from the 2003 World cup, I decided to follow the general trend amongst fellow fans, and resort to another sport to get over the depression. About 2 years ago though, the hype started to kick in, and it was all Team India Go!

A pic from many moons ago. We'll probably not see anything like this in a long time, so consider Photoshopping this into colour

One can almost liken the situation to a tumultuous adolescence relationship. At first, its all systems go with the bond looking as strong as ever. Both sides aim to please each other through their actions (read: buying expensive tickets to watch Indian games, or skipping Calculus classes to watch the game on the big screen), with each of side working relatively hard to make it work.

Things are very touch and go at this stage, with both sides just hoping the other doesn't do anything wrong to break the fragile ice. Then, on that important occasion, the other side slips (read: 2003 WC final). The other side almost willingly messes up, and the bond breaks. The one side decides enough is enough, the heartbreaks were too much, things weren't working out, blah blah (catch the latest episode of Passions for more excuses)...

After a bit of away time, the heartbroken lass decides to give the casanova another go. Surely the same mistake cannot be repeated twice..? And it even looks like the other side has done something to mend its ways - like new friends (selectors and management), new qualities (players). Perhaps, things would change for the better... Maybe things might work out after all..?

Yeah right! The relationship was rekindled but unfortunately the after effects of the last breakup came back to haunt them. The other side started messing around again (India in SA, 2003), and when crunch time came, the true form came out. All is lost... The lass decides, enough is enough, and its time to move on. At least until the next World Cup.



Support the Aussies... they never disappoint

Thats my new outlook on life. Why would anyone want to seek disappointment? Surely, its the most feasible approach to take? I mean, the sports teams from this country never fail to please. Good at everything they do - be it cricket, hockey, swimming, rugby. Even the socceroos are doing well. Is there anything they're NOT good at? Hmmm... still thinking about that one...


Anyway, the final was a real thriller with the Sri Lankans showing a real competitive spirit clearly lacking in all the other teams in the tournament. If it wasn't for the wonder machine called Adam Gilchrist, perhaps the game would have turned out differently. It is my strong opinion that every international team's coach must have a checklist of all Aussie players that don't perform in a match - these players should be the ones who should be targeted on the next game, as they are the most likely to outperform the rest.


Its almost as if the Aussie management is hoping for a player to slump, so they could bounce back with venom in the next game. The Aussie 'keeper's batting will definitely be remembered as one of the greatest run routs in recent times. Any other game, and he would have probably crossed the 200 run barrier.



The Lankans showed some great fighting class, and looked really good at various stages of the game, but lady luck was working the morning shift, and had decided to call it a day by the second innings. The farce at the end at the closing ceremony is best not to be spoken about.


So now, 2 months later, things are the way it used to be. Where Aussie cricket ruled the world, where other players are just humans, where every action has an equal reaction. And where gravity brings us back to the real world...