West Indies were a divided unit back in 2013 when they left the India tour halfway between controversies; it is another matter they still are reeling with issues that boggle the mind. What comes as a surprise that in the ongoing Gandhi-Mandela Series 2015 between India and South Africa, the tourists are mulling over the idea of leaving the tour midway, and the reasons among them are not only confined to the embarrassment that transpired in Cuttack during the second Twenty20 International (T20I) where the hosts were humiliated in a one-sided contest. SCORECARD: India vs South Africa 2nd T20I at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack
India were shot out for their second-lowest total in the second T20I at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack; South Africa prevailed without any hiccup. India’s failure in the match, where they collapsed like a pack of cards, did not go with cricket-deprived fans of the city as they hurled water bottles on the field, forcing organisers to shoo them out of the stadium. The match resumed after an unwanted and embarrassing delay, and South Africa won comfortably with six wickets left in hand. ALSO READ: India vs South Africa 2015, 2nd T20I at Cuttack highlights
It was expected that the Indian fans will embrace the return of international cricket in their backyard after more than a year, but the incident at Barabati indeed brought shame to the cricket-mad nation and her fans who claim to be among the best when it comes to supporting their side. According to reliable sources, the South African team — which already has been provided tight security — wasn’t pleased with the incident and is now contemplating over leaving the tour midway. ALSO READ: Barabati crowd shows how little Indian spectators have evolved since Eden Gardens, World Cup 1996
Interestingly, the list of the reasons is surging every passing hour, and the primary factor is not what happened at Cuttack.
First, the dispute in the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) forced The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to shift the warm-up T20 match to the Air Force Complex Ground in Palam. The game wasn’t moved out of Delhi because all bookings were done.
The match, won by India A, happened smoothly till the end, but everyone was shocked when what looked like a handful of cricket fans surged into a mob and invaded the field. The hundreds of fans sitting right next to the boundary ropes invaded the field as soon as the game was over. Luckily, no cricketer was hurt. It must be remembered that the big guns of South African all played in the match, and what happened could not be brushed under the carpet. Such scenes used to happen decades ago, but it was shocking to see that happening in India, in 2015.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the South Africans expected better fight from an ‘aggressive’ India that had been making giant strides so far. The tourists expected India to give them a tough fight, but the one-sided contests have set the tone in favour of the tourists, who are savouring the wins that they have registered so far on this tour. In the first T20I India racked up 199 but failed miserably due to a hapless bowling performance. In the second, the overconfidence of their batsmen was at display. They played reckless shots and not once it looked like they were actually serious about their business.
A reliable source said: “What happened in Delhi and Cuttack have forced us to revise security arrangements and see what best we can come up with. The support from the Indians has been excellent but the contests haven’t been as great as expected. We never thought India, with their IPL and stuff, will submit this meekly.” It can be fathomed that this source used some really strong words, and his anonymity is justified.
It is only ironical that the series, named after two greatest humans — Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela — to have blessed the earth, is going through such awkward phase. One can only hope that the Indian fans showcase good morale and the team puts up some fight after two dejecting displays.
By the time of filing this report, there was no fresh development in either of the camps. BCCI may want to revise the security measures, but what has happened has certainly brought shame to the country and its raucous cricket fans.
Please note this is a satirical article — a work of pure fiction
(Golu Sharma is among the millions of lardy Indians who wanted to become international cricketers, but their bulkiness came in the way. He’s now freelancing as a cricket journalist, but doesn’t like to be addressed as ‘citizen journalist’. Golu also dreams of flying a Sukhoi MKI 30 so loud and fast that it proves to the aircraft’s Russian makers that it’s their lousy technology behind the crashes)