Kaif and Dravid batted like twins

‘‘McCullum’s dropped the World Cup,’’ said Kris Srikanth, as the New Zealand wicket-keeper floored a simple catch off Rahul Dravid. Although Srikanth’s tone suggested glee, his heart was really bleeding for the keeper. ‘‘It’s not fair,’’ Srikanth said gleefully, One little mistake, which anyone can make, and suddenly everyone is saying ‘McCullum dropped the World Cup.’’
After the tenth repetition, even Sanjay Manjrekar whose job is to be Job, couldn’t take it any longer.‘‘So you think,’’ he said wearily to Srikanth, ‘‘if McCullum had taken the catch, New Zealand would have won the World Cup?’’ Nothing, of course, fazes Srikanth. As he did when he was a batsman, he might play and miss, play and miss, but his bat never stops swishing. ‘‘One needs to understand,’’ he said, ‘‘that Test cricket is Test cricket and One Day cricket is One Day cricket.’’ In the meantime, Virender Sehwag confused about which form of cricket he was playing, took a Srikanth like swish without moving his feet and saw the ball all the way into Scott Styris’ hands.
Enter Ganguly. Enter Srikanth’s sage advice. ‘‘As a captain not in good form, Saurav Ganguly should realise he should play well.’’ As it happens, Saurav didn’t realise this, thought a Bond yorker was a short ball and so heard the death rattle behind him. Whether it’s wisdom like Srikanth’s, or Venkatesh Prasad’s hopeless quest for words or Charu Sharma’s enthusiasm or Mandira Bedi’s decolletage, India is on a roll. With Sachin Tendulkar out to a blinder, and three down for 21, the ghosts of the NZ tour were stirring again. The Gods, who must all be Indian, wouldn’t let them. Stephen Fleming’s brain panicked and McMillan’s mouth moved faster than deliveries. When you think about it, respect comes easily to Dravid and Kaif.
They seem like well-brought up young men, both devoid of theatrics or the vulgar posturing of Afridi, Shoab Akhtar or McMillan. They bang the bat down hard on the popping crease, set their jaw firmly and look the bowler squarely in the eye. In a mood like that, they are like twin brothers. And like twin brothers, they are impossible to part. If they are twins, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra are now the team’s new triplets, or at least worthy brothers-in-arms. Want to bet India will win the Cup?