The Hindu : Sport : Brave captains are duly rewarded

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 17, 2006

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Sport

Brave captains are duly rewarded

Nothing is more important in sport than seizing the initiative, writes Peter Roebuck

Boldness is appreciated by the sporting gods. The captain who dares is generally favoured with improved results. His spirit inspires those following in his wake. Likewise, the leader who cowers in the shadows usually comes a cropper. His sense of impending doom infiltrates the minds of his men, freezes them into inactivity. At some point most captains make weak decisions and are punished. Survivors learn from their mistakes.

Nothing is more important in sport than seizing the initiative (except possibly keeping it). Two recent instances in Indian cricket spring to mind. Worried about Glenn McGrath and a few passing clouds, Sourav Ganguly chose to bowl first in the final of the 2003 World Cup. Pessimism bred fear. India was slaughtered. Contrastingly, the same gentleman was brave enough to take first strike on a green top in Headingley. His senior batsmen responded to this show of strength and India stormed to victory.

Courage and conviction

Other captains have displayed the same mixture of courage and conviction. Against all expectations, Mark Taylor once elected to bat on a damp pitch in Manchester. He had noticed the dustiness of the footmarks on old pitches and thought Shane Warne might have a role to play. Events proved him right. Rahul Dravid's willingness to open the innings was another example of a captain leading the way.

Now Brian Lara has taken more upon his own shoulders. Reasoning that they have spent long enough in the firing line, West Indian captains of recent vintage have been inclined to drift down the order.

Also older players feel they can influence an innings more easily once it is well underway. Playing for a weaker side, Lara has not slipped as far down as some predecessors, but he has stopped batting at the fall of the first wicket.

Correction. He had stopped batting at first wicket down. With his team in desperate trouble at St. Kitts, forced to follow on and still far behind, Lara decided that enough was enough. In his previous spells as captain he had been unable to impose himself upon his side or change the course of events.

Facing another failure, and the attendant humiliation, but encouraged by the performances of his youngsters — most of them fellow Trinidadians and one of them from his home village — Lara restored himself to his original position.

Moment to savour

No sooner had Chris Gayle nibbled indecisively at an outswinger (the Jamaican seems to have only first gear and fifth gear) than the fading champion began walking purposefully to the middle. Here was a moment to savour. Somehow the rest seemed to be inevitable. Sport has its own truths: Lara was bound to score a hundred and his team was bound to save the match.

Actually, the veteran was lucky to break his duck. His first runs came off an inside edge that sent the ball flashing past his stumps. Hereabouts Lara's footwork was abysmal. He was like a dancer who had forgotten his steps, an actor unable to recollect his lines.

Gradually remembrance returned and before long stylish drives were piercing the covers and whips off the pads were sending the ball speeding away. Lara has always been murderous against spin.

Eventually the hundred came, and the match was duly saved. India had reason to rue the loss of an entire day and to ponder upon its inability to take fourth innings wickets.

West Indies had reason to celebrate the contribution of an elder statesman who, in the nick of time, acknowledged that sporting captains must lead from the front, or perish in the attempt.

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