Lost in Aussie Land
The Indian batsmen come across as totally clueless in dealing with the Aussie pacers in the ongoing Test series being played in Australia, writes Sunil Narula

A famous cricket coach once said that there are three kinds of players out there on the playing field: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who don’t know what’s happening. The Indian team playing the Test series in Australia at the moment is a team full of stalwarts but it will not be wide off the mark to put them into this third category of players on the field who don’t know what’s happening.

The wall too can crack: Rahul Dravid looks back to see that he has been bowled by Australian paceman James Pattinson on the fourth day of the first Test match between Australia and India at Melbourne

Even an Australian team in transition is making this Indian side look pretty ordinary. Yet, the Indian cricketers don’t want to accept facts. So we see stories in the media like coach Duncan Fletcher’s Australian jinx continues, the pitch in Sydney is different from what it used to be, Ishant Sharma has bowled well without a lot of luck and so on….In short, everybody and everything else is at fault but there is  nothing wrong with the players.

The reverse is actually true. It’s hardly surprising that India have never won a Test series in Australia. They have never won because they have refused to learn from their previous defeats. India lost the first Test of this series in Melbourne by 122 runs, and now if they lose the second one in Sydney as well (and that seems quite likely) it will be their sixth consecutive defeat on foreign soil. What we are seeing here in Australia is almost a repeat of what happened in England some months ago where India lost all four Tests by huge margins. Yet there were no lessons learnt.

Even now Indian cricket experts are waxing eloquent about how Sachin Tendulkar looked so good, while making 41, before he played on and got bowled. Sadly, in cricket there are no points for looking good while you are batting. It is the end result that counts. And the end result is that Australia is the team that is looking better prepared and the Indians are looking clueless.

More training needed: Zaheer Khan (left) and Ishant Sharma during a training session in Sydney Photo: AP/PTI

Virender Sehwag is still batting as if he were facing a mediocre West Indian attack, back in India where he savaged 219 in an ODI. He’s swinging his bat at everything with gay abandon as if he were playing a club game at the Roshanara Ground back in New Delhi. Sehwag still hasn’t woken up to the reality that he’s facing a genuinely quick bowler like James Pattinson on a bouncy Australian wicket.

Sehwag’s opening partner Gautam Gambhir failed miserably on the last tour to England and got all his friends in the media to write stories about how he saw stars when he fell on the ground while going for a catch and his head hit the turf with a thud. So, he couldn’t score runs after that. But now in Australia he must be seeing stars even without having to hit the ground going for a catch. In three innings so far, Gambhir has managed a mere 15 runs at an average of little over five runs.

In an advertisement on TV during the commercial breaks, Gambhir keeps harping, “Have I made it large?” Well, the Indian team have collectively made a LARGE dent into their demigod status and have clearly looked largely embarrassing on the field Down Under.

The IPL transformed young Virat Kohli into a hero back in India but now in the Tests in Australia he doesn’t seem to know what has hit him. And though VVS Laxman has a silky touch and supple wrists, but even these come with an expiry date. Rahul Dravid sure is ‘the Wall’ but even walls develop cracks.

More than the fault of the Indian cricketers, it is the fault of our system that turns these players into demigods and, in turn, these star players start blaming everything and everyone else for their failure.

The BCCI does not want to take hard decisions. What is the point of having the greatest batting line-up in the world (on paper) and then losing six straight Test matches on foreign soil? Why cannot the BCCI usher in a new era by bringing in young players and giving them a chance?

The BCCI does not want to plan. Since India have never won a Test series in Australia till now, it means a lot of preparation is needed to play on the bouncy pitches Down Under. Yet the Indian Cricket Board wants its team to keep playing an ODI series against an ordinary West Indian team on home pitches and go to Australia just a few days ahead of the Test series and then hope to win. The media does its bit by glorifying these demi-gods by saying this is the best chance to beat the Australians in their own backyard. By now we have seen what has become of that best chance.

MS Dhoni is the best captain in the world because India won the World Cup after 28 years and so on. Yes, but we refuse to see the difference between ODIs and Test match cricket. Dhoni is a shrewd one-day captain. But he is also a very ordinary Test captain.

The Indian stars should be less delusional and try to live in reality. Proper preparation is needed to perform on pitches in England and Australia. There is no harm in doing a plethora of commercials but more time is also needed to adapt to alien conditions while playing on pitches abroad.

Surely the team does not want to slide back into the times when the Indian team was known as ‘tigers at home but lambs abroad’. Right now there are surely playing like that.

Fitness mantra
Stay heart healthy this winter
Mridula Wattas

It is very often said that “Winters are bad for people with poor cardiovascular health”. However, with slight modifications in diet and lifestyle, one can enjoy this beautiful winter season.

One does not require additional calories in winters. As long as there is a source of heat and clothing to keep body temperatures normal, one does not burn extra calories to generate heat. So there is no justification for eating foods high in fat and sugars.You should stick to a balanced diet to ensure that your heart is the least strained.

Avoid simple sugars like candies, mithai, cakes etc as too much of sweets may lead to formation of bad cholesterol. You should opt for a piece of gur.

How to keep your ticker in shape:

Prefer complex carbohydrates like whole-grain cereals, mixed-grain atta, whole pulses and sprouted salads.

Fruits and vegetables, and foods like methi seeds and curry leaves should be consumed regularly as they are rich in soluble fibre.This would keep a check on the levels of LDL and triglycerides, which tend to clog the arteries. The ideal recommended fat intake is four teaspoons a day. Avoid transfats like vanaspati, margarines and foods containing these, cakes and pastries. Take (Monounsaturated fatty acid) MUFA-rich oils like olive oil, canola and mustard oil. Avoid too much use of (Polyunsaturated fatty acid) PUFA-rich oils like soyabean oils.

In winters, one should have fish at least twice a week because it contains the heart-protective Omega-3 fats. Other foods rich in Omega-3 fats are flaxseeds, nuts and leafy green vegetables. It is better to take a handful of nuts instead of some heavy snacks.

Take advantage of easily available seasonal fruits and vegetables. The delicious leafy green vegetables like palak, methi and sarson, are rich in the heart-protective nutrients like Vitamin A, folic acid, potassium, magnesium and antioxidants. One can add them in soups, salads or in missi roti for breakfast. The seasonal oranges, kinnows and amla are also good for the heart, as these are rich sources of Vitamin C and flavonoids. To top it all, these are low-calorie foods.

Decrease salt intake in winters. More than the table salt, it is the hidden salt, which one has to beware of. Avoid all salted, cured, tinned foods, pickles, bakery products. Use natural seasonings like mint, coriander, spices, lime juice, ginger and garlic etc to add flavour..

Since it is difficult to drink plain water during winters, you can have herbal teas, lemon teas, or even hot spicy soups to meet your body’s fluid requirements. Spices improve your blood circulation and keep you warm.

Make most of the daylight hours in winters. For those who have the luxury, make an effort to sit out in the sun for at least 30 minutes daily. For people who are at work, go out in the sun during lunch time. The elderly should go for their walks in the afternoon. The time spent in the mild sunlight of the winters helps the body make the much-needed Vitamin D. Apart from maintaining bone health, Vitamin D helps in keeping your heart healthy and it is anti-inflammatory, too.

Moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day is a must. You can break it up to 10- minute sessions thrice a day. Limited consumption of alcohol is allowed but it is difficult to maintain this limit of one drink a day for long. If you have a strong mind, go ahead!

Eat five to six small meals in a day. This way you will strain your heart the least. Breakfast should be the heaviest meal and dinner the lightest. The last meal should be two hours prior to sleep. Since most people stay indoors during winter evenings, an early dinner is highly recommended. Plan some after-dinner activity so that you do not just snuggle into an inviting quilt right after dinner.

Follow these recommendations and you will be full of energy and you will enjoy this beautiful season.

The writer is a dietitian at the PGI, Chandigarh