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Did Dravid have an inkling of our defeat?
Did Dravid have an inkling about the disaster awaiting India in the Caribbean? It seems so, if you go by what he stated to media persons just before emplaning for the West Indies. It would not be fair to assess the performance of a team purely on the basis of one tournament, even if it is the world cup, he had said. After all, the senior players had proved themselves for more than a decade, and played with pride for the country. In hindsight, he might have said it to cover his base, as a soothing balm for future wounds. Perhaps it was intended to ease the pressure on his team. But sadly it did not work that way and proved to be prophetic.
Returning to Bangalore on early Thursday morning to an eerily quiet welcome - no autograph hunters, no fans, no officials, no garlands, no welcome ceremony, no motorcades - Bangalore's very own heroes, Dravid, Kumble and Robin Uthappa sneaked into the city from the airport, mercifully without any untoward incident. Only the players' family members were present to receive them at the airport.
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Dravid's face - shattered beyond words as if he were in mourning - said it all, while Kumble hid his disappointment behind his spectacles, and Uthappa looked completely lost. While the trio had no soundbytes for the media, Robin Uthappa's father, Venu Uthappa observed that he was shocked by the treatment meted out to the players by the media. Are we criminals to be treated like this, he asked bitterly.
Kumble bids adieu: The world cup may have been a huge let down, but Anil Kumble, who has single handedly won matches for India on many occasions in the past has decided to bid adieu to ODIs on Friday.
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