Saturday, March 26, 2005

Dear Sourav ...

I have been (still am ?) one of your greatest fans/supporters. I have always backed you when others have pounced upon the earliest opportunity to bash you. A large section of ignorant masses and vengeant experts want you out. I believe that despite not having had a big score your fairly consistent performances of the last year still earn you a place in the side given your past record.

I take pains to point out to friends that this is the only bad series you have had with the bat for a fair while now. I was terribly disappointed with your captaincy against Australia but again respecting your past record, I still supported you as captain.

I concede you were out of you elements in Mohali and made a painful effort to score but were just unable. Then you played an atrocious shot at Kolkata and I passed it off as "one of those things". I was even willing to forgive you for that rather pathetic short innings when India were in some trouble; even giving you the benefit of the doubt : that since you threw your wicket away, it gave a chance for Dinesh and Rahul to put up a great partnership.

After today's dismisal however, I feel that patience is running out. Today was the time when you should have shunned your urge to loft Danish Kaneria; the urge to recapture the glory of old; those skills that you have so clearly lost. Today you needed to stay there to make sure India did now waste another great Sehwag performance. I am saddened by your shot today. There is no Rahul around to cover up for your shoddy performance. You'd better hope that VVS and the tail pull us put of this one; otherwise you might find yourself sharing a series that we should have won after 2 Tests. If that happens I hope you will feel pretty angry at yourself. The critics will get even sharper. The selectors will lose even more sweat, And I ? I will probably still have faith in you. But the patience is being lost with every passing innings.

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