The slender thread by which India’s chances had rested in this World Cup also snapped. It is now time for some serious introspection. The hype that surrounded the event before a ball was bowled suggested that India would come back with the cup. The truth was far below expectations.

Effigies will be burnt, houses will be stoned and players will need an extra cover of security when they land but this is not new to Indian cricket, nor to cricketers. The truth is expectations should be proportional to reality. The media has had its part to play in making the common cricket fan believe a World Cup win was a possibility. I also said so.

Even before the first rays of Caribbean sunshine hit the Indian players, the talking point was the super eight. A preliminary stage that had two tricky opponents was conveniently forgotten. In the Champions Trophy, all the men in blue were able to achieve was a hard fought win over England. So, on the big stage, the team has achieved one notable win in their last six games (forget Bermuda) and that is never going to be enough to satisfy a billion fans.

The lessons are yet to be learnt. Speculation is rife on who the next skipper and coach would be. Without mentioning names let all of us who follow the game understand one thing: The best available XI has to be picked and the best man to lead the side will have to be chosen from that lot, as otherwise the present selection committee will be repeating the same old mistakes.

The money that flows into the game in this part of the world is phenomenal. That alone cannot guarantee success in the field of play. In much the same way, the game lacks nothing in this country. Cricket has the money, the infrastructure and, more importantly, the first class structure (except sporting wickets) that can produce good cricketers. Sadly, there is something missing that one has to identify quickly. Indian cricket has a tough road to travel after this debacle. It will be some time before the advertisers start to get the confidence back on the game as a viable medium. The right path has to be taken from here and that has to do with players concentrating on the game.

Of course, the players have let the fans down. All the blame cannot be on the pressure that is created by the media and fans. Whereas players bask in glory whenever they win and enjoy every second of their demi god status, they should also be ready to face the flak when they fail. As a professional sportsman, one has to learn to live with the weight of expectations.

It is time the media present the game responsibly. Diehard followers should understand this team is not as good as it looks or is made out to be. There is scope for improvement as at least the basic belief that there is talent might be true.

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