Calcutta gets what it deserves

By John Cheeran
India were outclassed by South Africa in all aspects of the game in Eden Gardens.
Indian game plan did not succeed on many counts.
First, they were given an unusually green wicket by Cricket Association of Bengal as if Team India were not welcome there. This was done on purpose by Sourav Ganguly’s backers to give South Africa, packed with fast bowlers, an undue advantage over host nation, even before the game began.
Second, Rahul Dravid lost the toss there by getting adverse conditions throughout the match -- both during batting and bowling.
Third, Indian top order, including skipper Dravid, did not succeed in managing the first 12 overs of their innings. They lost cream of their batting; brought pressure on the lower order swingers and made Graeme Smith gloat on the field.
Fourth, Indian batsmen failed to bat the full 50 overs.
Fifth, the bowling conditions were against India. There was no movement for Indian pacers to exploit. Defending 188 was a lost cause with spinners Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik struggling to strike their rhythm in dewy atmosphere.
India should take defeats like these in their stride. Bowlers’ inability to take at least one rival wicket and batsmen’s failure to post a challenging total should not be blamed just on the pitch. A great team should not just bitch about context; they should get the text clean and precise. That must be Rahul Dravid’s pressing job now.
But if anyone thinks that Sourav Ganguly’s presence would have changed Team India’s fortune’s in the given match conditions, he must be living in paradise.
Untouched by the ground rules, I must add.