What's common between Ganguly's men and Real Madrid?

Let me start with a confession: I am not someone who likes to stay up the night to watch 22 men chase a checkered ball if it's not the World Cup; I'd rather catch a film on HBO, listen to good old rock 'n' roll or simply read a nice, fat book. Somehow, I managed to catch a couple of Real Madrid games over the last fortnight and, surprise surprise, couldn't stop myself from seeing traces of the Indian cricket team there too.To begin with, they also boast of players with effervescent reputations, awesome personalities and sizzling star value; yet, just like our own Blues Men, they too fall short of expectations, shattering many dreams on their way to self-inflicted destruction. Ironically, every match is preceded by lot of hope and hype even in Spain; the fans arrive to cheer them, thinking that the new match will usher in that promised new dawn. That they will get to see the magic, the sublime skill and the superior touch that seem to be bubbling just beneath the veneer of the team. But they invariably fall flat. A minor lapse in the midfield, a major gaffe in the defence and, suddenly, they are all ashamed to look into each other's eyes again. Experts will list out the tactical errors, harp on the lop-sided composition of the team and tear apart the match to prove their point. Yet one simple fact of sporting life cannot be denied: you cannot win with a string of talented but disparate players who live in their own galaxies. Only strong, unified teams in which everybody shares the same goal, the same pride and a few meals together manage to attain greater glory. As images of the Indian cricketers flashed through the mind, it wasn't difficult, really, to juxtapose the players and see a common thread. Tendulkar is clearly our Ronaldo: at one time, he too was the best in the world. He could demolish any attack, with one burst of speed or one swift turn. In recent times, however, both are struggling for their magic and the aura seems to be slowly fading away. Ganguly may not be as debonair or fashion-conscious as Beckham. But he went for an image makeover recently and is surely looking more chic and polished now. On the field, if Beckham could bend it like nobody else, Sourav's off-drives were equally smooth and delightful. Both have apparent weaknesses (and we are not talking about the fairer kind here) but very loyal fan bases too. Interestingly, if Beckham was banned for deliberately committing a foul recently, Sourav was almost banned for not so deliberately wasting time. Dravid has to be the Figo of our hearts. He is solid and extremely hard-working. He also comes up with his best performances, whenever the team needs them most. He is calm, composed and almost zealous in his pursuits and can also surprise everybody with a flash of brilliance. Laxman is not too far behind Zidane as far as divine talent goes. His flicks and subtle touches are pure magic and he too loves the big stage, or the toughest opponents (Aussies) to showcase his class. Sehwag has the muscle and heart to be a Roberto Carlos. He too is like a real bull, powering his way ahead and attacking even though the need is for caution. He makes too many irritating mistakes but invariably delivers a special knock just when everybody has given up. The similarities in the teams are almost endless. But guess who our own butter-fingered Casillas is? Well, even if he is not in the team right now, it has to be Parthiv Patel. Really.