Time to end the childishness

Ranchi : After three matches, the India-Australia Test series is tied 1-1, testifying to Australia’s grit and preparedness and India’s power at home. In the third Test here, cricket was the winner as players from both sides displayed great skill and grit. Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha fought hard and secured India the lead; Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb saved the match for Australia with a defensive tour de force.
However, sadly, the focus had repeatedly turned to several incidents of childish behaviour by players from both teams. Even the cricket boards of the two nations threw barbs at each other after the ‘Cheatgate’ episode in Bengaluru. Wisely, BCCI and CA called a truce. However, the two teams are not backing out, going overboard with their on and off-field antics. The media is adding fuel to the fire, as are ugly fights on the social media.
Individual brilliance
The individual brilliance of the players has got overshadowed by unnecessary bravado, name-calling and over-the-top-celebrations. BCCI and CA did a great job by avoiding an escalation of hostilities over ‘Cheatgate’, calling on Virat Kohli and Steve Smith to lead by example. But, it seems, the message hasn’t got through to the teams.
Childishly provocative
Ranchi, despite the exhortation by BCCI and CA, saw some childishly provocative scenes. Kohli came out of the dressing room to the balcony and clapped after Australia’s failed DRS review against Cheteshwar Pujara. Glenn Maxwell mocked Kohli’s shoulder injury by clutching his own shoulder, a broad grin on his face, after saving a boundary. Josh Hazelwood and David Warner tried to engage Pujara and Saha in on-field ‘banter’. Kohli celebrated the dismissal of Warner by clutching his injured shoulder twice. Ishant Sharma, enraged by batsman Matt Renshaw pulling away before a delivery, threw the ball in anger towards wicketkeeper Saha. Kohli charged the Australians with disrespecting Indian physiotherapist Patrick Farhart, an accusation outrightly rejected by Smith.
Toxicity
This sort of rancour is setting up a bad example, and possibly leading to a horrible flare-up. “Friends in Australia tell me they are perturbed by the toxicity this series has generated. Cricket lovers in India saying so too,” Harsha Bhogle wrote on Twitter. He also blamed some media outlets for “promoting divisiveness and taking sides to spread ill-will”.
Some of the writing on this series has been very aggressive and malicious, adding fuel to the fire. Australian media has targeted Kohli through the series. In an extraordinary article, one Australian newspaper said Kohli was “a law unto himself” and his behaviour “the worst by an international captain since villainous Sri Lankan leader Arjuna Ranatunga”.
Today an Australian newspaper has compared Kohli to US President Donald Trump! “Virat Kohli has become the Donald Trump of world sport,” read the article. “Just like President Trump, Kohli decided to blame the media as a means of trying to hide the egg smeared right across his face.”
If journalists can get so impassioned over a game of cricket, how can the players be blamed?
On the eve of the Ranchi Test, Sunil Gavaskar said the Australian media was an extension of their team’s support staff. “We should not bother too much about the Australian media. They are an extension of their cricket team’s support staff. The focus should shift to cricket from off-the-field issues,” Gavaskar had said. He’s right, but the media plays a big role in influencing the online trolls and inflaming passions.
Kohli’s focus?
India have done well in the last two Tests despite the failures of Kohli — if he’d been focussed more on his batting, it’s possible his team would have been in the lead. He needs to channelise his aggression through his batting, let his bat do the talking. In this series, he has just 46 runs in five innings at an average of 9.2.
The hosts have shown that as a unit, they aren’t solely dependent on Kohli. Brilliant performances by KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Pujara, Saha, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have kept the Indian boat sailing. The visitors have shown they’re ready for everything, with their batsmen, fast bowlers and spinners rising to the occasion. It has been a thrilling series.
Today BCCI and CA announced that they are holding joint refresher courses for Indian coaches in Bengaluru. It would be a good idea for BCCI and CA to also collaborate to ensure their players are brilliant as well as dignified, not petty and puerile.