Singur and the Men in Blue.

What do farmland holders of Singur in West Bengal and cricketers sporting our national colour have in common? Not much of a riddle-me-re; both lose their plots!

Let’s not get into Singur, where the pot has been stirred up enough and more. Let’s look at the Rajkot one-dayer which our men in blue contrived to lose after having been in a position to command all the shots that count.

Rahul Dravid read the conditions right when he put Sri Lanka in upon winning the toss. And the visitors were three down and then four down for very few runs.

Then came Sangakkara to haul his side out of major trouble looming ahead. His century is one of the best we have seen in recent times, and full marks to him for overcoming adversity first with tenacity, and then with bold aggression with partners at the other end seeing to it that he was not left stranded all alone in quick time.

India needed 258 to win the match and go one up in the series. Given that the ground is not as vast as the Eden Gardens, and that the outfield was fast, surely that was not an impossible task even after Robin Uthappa and Dravid had lost their wickets. Incomparable Tendulkar, in company with the returned to form and favour Saurav Ganguly, raised a partnership worth more than a hundred, and even after both departed, there were Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik occupying the crease with ease. India had six wickets in hand and the number of balls available was well in excess of the runs needed to win the tie.

Both the young men batted with energy and purpose, keeping the required run rate within control. But the weight of complacency that wickets were in hand seemed to cramp them of a sudden Both are fine stroke players not afraid to loft the ball over the fielders and into the stands chockful of eager spectators. But our men inexplicably content to keep away from risk, even when there came balls screaming to be smashed soaring high for a safe four or six. Meanwhile, balls were being defended, and the run rate climbed calling for desperate methods that were launched too late. And when the partnership of Dhoni and Karthik was broken, the match was truly lost for India.

What is the use of hugging the treasure of wickets in hand if they cannot be converted into winning runs, before the allotted overs run out?

The Indian team seems to be suffering from writer’s block – either not being able to devise a worthwhile plot, or unable to carry it to fruition! Some connection, may be, with Writers’ Building in Kolkatta?