<div class="section1"><div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="0" width="23.8%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><img src="/photo/1080163.cms" alt="/photo/1080163.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">John Wright: Courage under fire, dignity under duress.</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">After spending almost five roller-coaster years with the Indian team, you could pardon John Wright for believing in the power of karma.
<br /><br />It''s an open secret that when he took over as coach, he wanted Rahul Dravid as his captain; today, as he prepares for his last match, his favourite player is at the helm of the country''s second most important job. One good victory and his wish might well come true even though he won''t be around to enjoy it. <br /><br />There will surely be a few wet eyes, dry mouths and heavy hearts in the Indian dressing room as the battle rages at the Kotla. But the saddest man will be Wright himself if the team doesn''t fight back from this adversity and levels the series: he will go away thinking that the job has remained unfinished. <br /><br />As a seasoned pro, Wright understands that victory and defeat are part of the same game; what he can never accept, though, are timid displays and gutless defeats. A fourth successive defeat would be the worst parting gift from the team to its moody friend, philosopher and guide. <br /><br />Wright''s greatest contribution to Indian cricket is that he has transformed a bunch of boys into men; and a motley group of individuals into a tight, fighting unit. The team still crumbles under pressure but you don''t see fear or insecurity in its eyes anymore. He, of course, brought modern methods and a semblance of professionalism into our decaying cricket system; he also made the boys proud of their blue caps and got them to understand that wholehearted effort and total commitment were more important than anything else. He taught the players to show courage under fire, dignity under duress and pride at all times. <br /><br />Life as India coach, however, wasn''t always easy for the Kiwi, the outsider: there was opposition from former players; he was also blamed for all the defeats while the players enjoyed the rewards of victory. In fact, when Dalmiya took over as BCCI president, his first mission was to oust him and the other foreigners in the team. Luckily, the players stood by all of them. <br /><br />Wright, sadly, seems to have changed as a person in the last couple of years: when he came in, he had a big smile on his face. He was friendly, glad to share (though not buy) a few beers and was always willing to talk, especially off the record. But slowly, as he understood the country and the psyche of its people, the smile was replaced by a frown. <br /><br />Wright realised quickly that in India you don''t rule, you survive. So he went into a shell, stepping out of it reluctantly, and talking only when it was totally unavoidable. From the forefront, he slipped into the background, into the shadows, and was soon hailed as a good coach. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">Wright may not be a Boycott when it comes to technique; he may not have the charisma or stature of a Greg Chappell; he may not be a great motivator like Dav Whatmore either. But he had something far, far more important: a dream and the conviction to go after it. In the end, his liabilities proved to be a his biggest assets, and a blessing for the team. <br /><br />Indian cricket owes him a happy farewell.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">HIGHS</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">2-1 Test series win over Australia in 2000-01</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">NatWest Series win in 2002</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Series draw in England in 2002 after having lost the first Test</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Reaching the 2003 World Cup final</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">First Indian team not to lose a series in Australia (2003-04) since 1986-87</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">First Indian team to win Test & ODI series in Pakistan (2003-04)</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">LOWS</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Could not win series vs Zim in 2001 despite winning first Test</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">2-1 series loss to SL in 2001</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">2-1 series loss to WI in 2001-02 after having taken the lead</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Heavy losses in NZ in both Tests and ODIs</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Could not reverse trend on losing One-day finals (except Natwest</span>)<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">2-1 series loss to Australia in 2004-05 on home soil</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Could not win Test series vs Pak in 2004-05 despite taking lead</span></div> </div>
