The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : We let the pressure get the better of us

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 24, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cricket

We let the pressure get the better of us

A challenge keeps a team on its toes, writes Stephen Fleming

It was disappointing to lose to Bangalore Royal Challengers, more so because we well nigh converted victory into defeat, but I suppose we let pressure get the better of us, and once again fell victim to the ‘chasing a small target’ syndrome.

Let me make it clear, though, that we weren’t taking things easy because the target was small.

All that happened was that we took our foot off the gas and are therefore now in a position where we have to win our remaining league games in order to give ourselves a fool-proof chance of making it to the semifinals.

Good captaincy

To give credit where it is due, however, Bangalore bowled well and Rahul Dravid captained excellently.

Somewhat ironical, of course, that Bangalore played a perfect game when it no longer mattered, but perhaps the free-spirited way in which they performed contains a lesson for all of us.

The way we put ourselves under pressure by losing wickets and setting the target beyond our reach was indicative of a negative mindset that often leads to failure.

However, we still have two games to go — one against the top-ranked team and another against the bottom-ranked. And we have to win both, treating both teams as equal.

On paper, that’s easy to do, but as we have seen in this tournament, or any tournament that stretches for this length of time, motivation is often an elusive thing.

Chennai Super Kings began on a fantastic high, and then dipped as important players left, and then regained the heights, only to hit the depths again.

Throughout the season, we never reached a stage where we could be complacent about our chances, which means we have been kept on edge.

That is not necessarily a bad thing, because a challenge keeps a team on its toes, which is particularly important in the final stretch of a tournament.

High expectations

I joined the Indian Premier League with high expectations, but what I have experienced has exceeded my expectations.

The support and enthusiasm of the fans has been fantastic, and even the anxiety of fitting into a new team and the pressure to perform have been fun in their own way.

This first season has seen it all — entertainment, controversy, great cricket, and loads of glamour, so the organisers couldn’t have asked for more.

(Gameplan)

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport