More Cow

Two personalities, two answers. Dravid on being asked about Ganguly's performance (link here):

“I think we tend to get too caught up in individuals in India,” he replied tersely. “We tend to attribute losses and wins to individuals rather than focussing on the team. We look at statistics, we discuss numbers and figures a lot in India, and we try to crucify individuals when we should be concentrating on the team. I am not going to be a party to that sitting in a press conference.”

On being asked about Tendulkar's form:

“He tried his very best, he worked very hard. But we look at ourselves as a team. All of us could have done better, and that includes everyone.”

Dravid is being a bit partial here. If nothing else the former captain too seemed to try quite hard - at least as hard as Tendulkar. So the captain could have found some good words for the former captain surely? Here is what cricinfo.com had to say about his knock:

Apart from Yuvraj Singh's century, the one bright spot for India was Sourav Ganguly's fluent form. He only scored 37, but his decisive footwork and fluent strokeplay suggested he would score many more. He had an in-control factor of 93%, and made only four mistakes in 56 deliveries. Unfortunately for him, the fourth one was a decisive error, and ensured that there'll continue to be a question-mark over his place in the side.

Ganguly did get some support. From Dravid's opposite number:

I’m a big supporter of Sourav... He was aggressive and he fought... I hope his innings holds him in good stead.

NDTV reporters seem to suffer from a similar ailment (I'm writing from memory here) :

"Tendulkar walked in and immediately stamped his class on the proceedings ... Ganguly came in and seemed to be in a positive frame of mind. Yuvraj's century went in vain and unfortunately this is the second time he has made a century with India going on to lose the match."

Positive frame of mind? The man batted fluently by all accounts! And why denigrate Yuvraj's century thus? It would be alright if the reporter was spreading the blame around evenly not so selectively.

And I couldn't believe Dravid said this:

India’s batsmen all have impressive averages, but fail to deliver in crunch situations. “That’s why, when you lose, you have to think of collective failure,” he emphasised. “The guys at the top of the order made good contributions in the Faisalabad and Lahore Tests, but we didn’t deliver the goods here.”

Good contributions in the Faisalabad and Lahore tests? On those tracks? I thought Dravid was supposed to have a good cricketing brain and to be a thinking man himself!

Yesterday must have brought back another unpleasant memory for the Indian coach.