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England’s men pulled off a shock defeat against Australia in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy last September. It will take a similar upset for England’s women to achieve the same in the World Cup at Sedgar’s Park, Potchefstroom on Tuesday, as both sides bid for a place in the final, alongside either India or New Zealand. England are ranked second, but the undoubted favourites Australia are a class act: they have won the last 16 encounters between the two sides, and their current form is not to be sniffed at, either.Australia remain unbeaten after the group stage, where they won all of their completed matches at a canter. And when they met England on the opening day washout they bowled themselves into a commanding position, restricting England to 169 for 7. Their coach, Steven Jenkin, says there is no doubt the Australians can now pick up where they left off.”We are confident going into the match,” Jenkin said, “based on our form and preparation to date. England is one of the improved sides around at the moment, but we are keen to test them over the full course of a match and we haven’t had that opportunity in this tournament.”But Clare Connor, England’s captain, was in typically bullish mood: “Our minimum expectation was to reach the semi-finals,” she said, “and we know we’ll have to beat Australia at some stage to win this tournament. When we played them in the opening group match, we played some good cricket with very positive intent and, in particular, our openers played their new-ball bowlers exceptionally well.”The opening pair is likely to be Laura Newton and Charlotte Edwards – if fit: she is to undergo a fitness test on her thigh. Both will need to be on their mettle to combat the pace threat of Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Emma Liddell. But England’s own pace weapon, Lucy Pearson, may be missing, which would be a severe blow – like Edwards she, too, will face a late fitness test.England will also look to Claire Taylor – who is averaging 66 – to bolster the top order and Arran Brindle, with an average of 77, to boost their run-rate from No 5. They will need something special.Australia Women (probable)1 Belinda Clark (capt), 2 Lisa Keightley, 3 Karen Rolton, 4 Lisa Sthalekar, 5 Mel Jones, 6 Alex Blackwell, 7 Cathryn Fitzpatrick, 8 Julia Price (wk), 9 Julie Hayes, 10 Shelley Nitschke, 11 Emma Liddell.England Women (probable)1 Charlotte Edwards, 2 Laura Newton, 3 Claire Taylor, 4 Clare Connor (capt), 5 Arran Brindle, 6 Jenny Gunn, 7 Isa Guha, 8 Rosalie Birch, 9 Jane Smit (wk), 10 Lucy Pearson, 11 Clare Taylor.

Division One

Points Table

Kent’s title hopes took another dent at Lord’s as Middlesex extended their first innings to 550 for 9, a lead of 164, in the 65 overs that were bowled before storms brought an end to play at 3.30pm. It seems hard to see how Kent could force a result on the final day, and that could signal an end to their realistic challenge.

Division Two

Points TableYorkshire’s promotion bid was boosted on a stop-start day at Headingley as they bowled Worcestershire out for 211, leaving them a target of 203. Although they lost Matthew Wood and Joe Sayers early, Yorkshire closed on 89 for 2, needing another 114 for victory, with Anthony McGrath, whose superb 173 not out in the first innings put them in charge, unbeaten on 42.India’s Murali Kartik, summoned from Lancashire League cricket at Ramsbottom, had a dream debut for second-placed Lancashire, taking 5 for 93 as Essex were bowled out for 267 at Chelmsford. James Anderson showed the England selectors what they had missed with three early wickets – the third, which clipped the top of James Middlebrook’s off stump, resulted in Warren Hegg being taken to hospital with a fractured thumb. But Lancashire slid to 139 for 4 at the close.At Taunton, Northamptonshire took a firm grip, extending their first innings to 574 thanks to a hundred from David Sales (154) and useful contributions from Steven Crook (91), Damien Wright (71) and Johann Louw (64). Somerset reached 163 for 4, still 15 in arrears.Leicestershire gained the upper hand in the Midlands basement battle, grinding their way to 552 for 6 before reducing Derbyshire to 62 for 3 at the close. HD Ackerman was the star of the Leicestershire innings with a patient 125, while Dinesh Mongia chipped in with 71 and Paul Nixon an unbeaten 50. Derbyshire, however, are on course for their first winless Championship campaign since 1924.

Scorecard

Michael Bevan collected his second century in two Pura Cup matches but the quality of his contribution was reduced by a late Tasmania collapse against South Australia at Bellerive Oval. Bevan, who shared a 179-run partnership with the opener David Dawson, guided the Tigers through a difficult first session to the safety of 1 for 196.But after Bevan fell to Mark Cosgrove, the South Australia fast bowlers Shaun Tait and Paul Rofe took the new ball and five wickets for seven runs. Tait was again impressive with his pace and movement, while Rofe pounced to remove Dan Marsh and Sean Clingeleffer in two balls. Tait then added his fourth wicket as Tasmania limped to stumps.Marsh won the toss and by lunch Tasmania were 1 for 40 after losing Jamie Cox. Dawson crawled to 73 from 243 balls, but at the other end Bevan played a flashy innings to add to his hundred against Victoria last week.

Shabbir Ahmed’s hard work, Yasir Hameed’s determination and Abdul Razzaq’s big heart combined at a crucial time to give Pakistan the edge in this five-match one-day series. The trio turned in sterling performances to put Pakistan 2-1 up, leaving India under extra pressure in the fourth one-dayer at Lahore (which starts at 0900 GMT on Sunday).This series, like most modern limited-overs tournaments or series, has been underscored by the amount players have had to travel in a short span of time.Between March 11 and 24 – just 13 days – India will have played six matches in four cities. Now, though, it’s crunch time, and both teams settle down in Lahore for two day-night clashes.In the warm-up match here against Pakistan A, the Indians got a taste of what was in store. On a flat pitch, they piled on a massive 335, only to see it easily overhauled by some brash youngsters. This time around, though, they go to Lahore in a much better frame of mind. At Peshawar the bowlers got some much-needed respite from the monotonous thrashing of earlier matches.Zaheer Khan, who started the series as India’s spearhead but quickly became a liability, is rediscovering the rhythm that brought him so much success at home and away. Irfan Pathan showed he was not overawed by the big occasion. And Lakshmipathy Balaji, after beginning well and then fading a touch, rediscovered his line and length.What’s more, Balaji has contributed with the bat on the two occasions he has been called to do so. His 21 from 12 balls at Peshawar included a flicked six that landed in the press box, and prompted John Wright, the coach, to say he was “more than pleasantly surprised” by Balaji’s batting.Murali Kartik has not had the best time of it of late, and was replaced by Ramesh Powar, who is yet to take a backward step. Amit Bhandari’s arrival in Lahore gives the team an extra option they’re unlikely to exercise immediately.Most batsmen in the top order have runs under their belts. Sourav Ganguly has twice looked good for big scores and thrown it away. VVS Laxman is back in business, and was unlucky to be given out lbw at Rawalpindi. Mohammad Kaif is yet to show the form that makes him India’s preferred No. 7 batsman, but the team has adequate cover in Hemang Badani.Pakistan have it a touch easier than the Indians at this stage. Their bowlers are firing on all cylinders. Shoaib Akhtar has bowled far better than his figures indicate. Shabbir Ahmed’s return to the team, and wicket-taking form, has given Pakistan the luxury of bowling Mohammad Sami at first change. Sami is far more comfortable bowling with an older ball, and is lethal when he gets it right.Before the tour started, Pakistan’s major worry was their batting. So far, though, things have gone well in that department. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana, the captain and vice-captain, have shown the way, but the others have picked up the gauntlet magnificently. Hameed has provided the solidity up the order that allows Pakistan to unleash Shahid Afridi on hapless bowlers.In Peshawar, Razzaq showed that he still believed in himself enough to change the course of a match. Every time India threatened to crawl their way back into the match, Razzaq stamped on them.This series has provided three close finishes so far, and for it to remain alive to the end, India must win this fourth one-dayer. History does not favour the Indians – they have never won at Lahore – but, Ganguly insists he has no interest in reading about history. He is more concerned with rewriting it.Pakistan (probable): 1 Shahid Afridi, 2 Yasir Hameed, 3 Yousuf Youhana, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Younis Khan, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Moin Khan (wk), 8 Shoaib Malik, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Shabbir Ahmed.India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 VVS Laxman, 4 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 5 Rahul Dravid (wk), 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 Mohammad Kaif, 8 Ramesh Powar, 9 Irfan Pathan, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Lakshmipathy Balaji.

Andrew Flintoff insists that England’s cricketers care just as much about one-day cricket as they do about the forthcoming Ashes series, despite a run of feeble performances that has left them on the brink of elimination from the ICC Champions Trophy.England are adrift at the bottom of their group following heavy defeats against India and Australia, and they are in need of a miracle if they are to qualify for next week’s semi-finals. But Flintoff was adamant that the team would pick up their performances, especially with the World Cup looming next March.”I speak for myself and I know I speak for the team — we are just as interested in one-day cricket,” Flintoff told The Sun. “Some of the lads in this team haven’t played Test cricket so this is their England team and it’s massive.After the heady scenes in 2005, when England regained the Ashes after an 18-year hiatus, there is no doubt about which form of the game is the most popular among English supporters, and the hype ahead of the rematch Down Under has been all-embracing.”I think people have tried to make it a distraction because almost every question at Press conferences seems to be about The Ashes. But I’m equally excited at the chance of playing in another World Cup. Myself and Duncan Fletcher stress the importance of all one-day games and it’s unfortunate we haven’t fired in this tournament. But it’s nothing to do with not caring.”While the Test team has been riding high in recent years, with seven series wins out of ten and a world ranking of No. 2, the one-day side has been slipping ever onwards towards oblivion. Last week’s defeat against Australia was their 14th in 19 matches this year, and they have only Saturday’s showdown against West Indies to come.”I think the difference is the Test team has been successful for a while,” explained Flintoff. “There is a lot of experience in that side and, although we’ve had a few injuries, we’ve played together for a while and gained a lot of confidence. The one-day side is more inexperienced and we have some players who have played just a handful of games.Flintoff did single out a few plus points – the emergence of Mike Yardy and Jamie Dalrymple, Ian Bell’s batting and the bowling of Saj Mahmood and Jimmy Anderson. “But,” he added, “there’s no doubt we’ll have to play better.”

Northerns, Easterns and Gauteng maintained their fight for semi-final places in the Standard Bank Cup, registering away wins. Western Province, who are due toplay on Sunday, still the head the table while Griqualand West and Borderhave a remote chance of slipping in through the back door. For the rest, there will be no trophy in the cupboard.PointsTableNortherns 216 for 6 (du Plessis 67, Kemp 56) beat Border 195(Bruyns 46, Kemp 4-38) by 21 runs
ScorecardAfter a slow start by Northerns – they scored only 75 for 2 in the first 23overs – runs started to flow when Justin Kemp joined debutante Francois duPlessis at the crease. Kemp, in good form this season, scored a quick 56 off48 balls while du Plessis finished on 67 off 85. The recovery helpedNortherns to finish on 216 for 6.Mark Bruyns fought a lone battle against the Northerns bowlers but when heattempted to up the run-rate he was caught at the midwicket boundary for46. Tyron Henderson put up some late resistance with a hard-hit 52 not outbut it was all to no avail as Border were bowled out for 195. Kemp continuedhis form with the ball taking 4 for 38 in his nine overs. Boland 177 for 5 (Hendrikse 63, Deacon 3-35) beat FreeState 176 (van der Wath 53, Deacon 56*, Groeneveld 3-33) by 5 wickets
ScorecardFree State made a disastrous start in Paarl, with both openers being dismissed by the second over. Johannes van der Wath steadied the innings but three morewickets had them struggling at 72 for 5. Van der Wath chanced hisarm once too often to be bowled for 53 leaving it to Cliff Deacon, who scored56 not out, to bring some respectability to the Free State score. They were finally bowled out for 176 in 41.4 overs. Ryan Groeneveld ended up taking 3 for 50 whileMatthew Friedlander took his first wickets of the season for Boland.A score of 176 was never going to be enough as Boland paced themselves well, knocking the runs off in the final over with five wickets in hand. Erasmus Hendrikse’s career-best 63 was enough to win him the Man-of-the-Match award. Deacon continued his good work in the field as well, and had a hand in all the Boland wickets to fall: two run-outs and three wickets with the ball.Gauteng 231 for 8 (Bacher 81, van Jaarsveld 68, Botha 3-32) beatEastern Province 230 for 2 (Bradfield 109*, Jacobs 93*) by 2 wickets
ScorecardA record partnership between Carl Bradfield, the former captain, and Arno Jacobs, the current one, wasn’t enough to save Eastern Province from a two-wicket defeat against Gauteng. Bradfield and Jacobs put together 173 for the third wicket – the best for any wicket for Eastern Province – including 87 in the last ten overs to help their team to a solid total of 230.Helped by a 144-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Adam Bacher (81) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (68), and by some fielding errors by the opposition, Gauteng kept up with the asking rate and required seven off the final over. The first ball went forsix, but wickets off the next three deliveries, two of them run-outs, left Gauteng with one run from two balls. A misfield allowed them to steal that vital single to celebrate a win that was much closer than it should have been.Easterns 184 for 8 (Z de Bruyn 47, Veenstra 3-40, Tweedie 4-37)beat KwaZulu-Natal 120 (Reddy 3-10) by 64 runs
ScorecardZander de Bruyn was the star for Easterns, scoring 47 and taking two wickets, as KwaZulu-Natal were beaten by 64 runs in a low-scoring match. On a pitch which afforded plenty of seam movement, Natal never threatened to even get close to their target of 185. For Easterns, Brendon Reddy was the most successful bowler, returning career-best figures of 3 for 10 in seven overs.Earlier, Andrew Tweedie ripped through the heart of the Easterns middle order, taking 4 for 37 after Ross Veenstra had dismissed both openers. Veenstra ended with 3 for 40, to leave Easterns on 184 for 8 at the end of the 45 overs. Zander de Bruyn, scoring 47, the only batsmen to come to grips with the seam bowling of Natal.The defeat meant that Natal have no chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.North West 196 for 9 (Jacobs 43, Celliers 41, Gidley 3-27) beatGriqualand West 193 for 3 (Gidley 62, Mahimbyi 40, Moleon 4-42, vander Merwe 3-34) by 3 runs
ScorecardUseful contributions from Davey Jacobs (43) and Grant Celliers (41), plus somelusty blows from the diminutive Thando Bula helped North West post a score of196 for 9. Martyn Gidley’s offspinners gave him excellent returns of 3 for 27 in his nine overs.Gidley set the Griqua innings up well with his 62, and with Mandla Mashimbyi, who scored a career-best 40, put the team in sight of victory. The 76-run partnership came to an end when Werner Coetsee brilliantly caught Gidley at deep midwicket. A target of 11 runs off the last over proved too much, giving North West their first one-day win sinceDecember 2002. Eugene Moleon registered a career best 4 for 42 while Francois van der Merwe took 3 for 34.

At a time other cricket boards are announcing pay cuts and freezes, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed that it is awarding its players pay rises of up to 25%.The players will now earn around Rs50,000 (approx US$875) per month compared to Rs28,000 previously, while senior players like skipper Rashid Latif could pocket up to Rs200,000 as opposed to Rs158,000 previously.Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, chairman of the PCB, revealed that a proposal from Rashid Latif that all players should receive the same, regardless of seniority, was considered unjustified. The previous slab system would continue with senior players who have played more matches being paid more while the juniors would be compensated according to appearances in Tests and ODIs.Apart from the pay hike, another 25% bonus would be paid to all playersfollowing a win in a Test. Zia went on to say that the PCB wanted to give players their due rights rather than deprive them monetarily.In an earlier briefing on May 1, Rameez Raja, the chief executive of the PCB, had said: “We are very close to finalizing the central contracts that will be awarded to a select number of players. Minor modifications are to be made in the contracts before they are awarded.”

On what makes a good batsman
I suppose everybody has their own definition. There are those who prefer the Geoff Boycotts and the Sunny Gavaskars – batsmen with a great defence, who wear down bowlers. My definition is a bit different – to me it’s about domination and being able to assert yourself in a reasonably good time. This requires skill, obviously, and it requires precise footwork and the ability to simplify things. To me it’s not about an endless procession of letting balls go to see what the bounce is like, what the weather’s like and so on….Someone like Sachin [Tendulkar], he’s got enormous skill, he’s got a simple technique, he’s not complicated with his shot-making, and he’s got belief in his own ability. He has all the constituents of a good batsman….I think the ability to analyse your game and overcome your shortcomings is very important. You don’t always have to be brilliant, but if you have a deficiency, you have to develop the ability to not get out because of it. That requires practice, skill, dedication and all the other things that everybody who is at the very top of his field requires.

On the batsmen he considers ‘great’
Garry Sobers, Graeme Pollock, Viv Richards. And Sachin Tendulkar. I think Brian Lara has got the skill to be a great, but whether he has got the drive I am not sure. He is up and down. To me, someone like Sachin is more consistent and really wants it more. He’s a more complete package. In my lifetime nobody springs to mind apart from these names….When I think of Graeme, I think of timing and domination. The sheer domination of the man – not just the high volume of runs, but also the speed at which he got them – was incredible. He hit the gaps better than any player I have seen in my life, including Sachin. I mean, you might as well have had stones as fielders – hit the stone, you get nothing; miss the stone, you get four.I never saw bowlers containing Graeme. I remember he once got a 124 at the Wanderers in 1975-76 and even Dennis Lillee (playing for the International Wanderers) was being taken for six runs an over. Graeme didn’t look like he was taking a risk, but every over, relentlessly, he’d whack a four somewhere. They said he didn’t play the bouncer very well, and he probably didn’t, but he would find a way to get a four. If nothing, he had that little short-arm jab over midwicket….Garry was more a back-foot player. He was not quite as tall as Graeme, and he played the short ball much better than Graeme ever did. Garry was all flourish, and with that extravagant back-lift he used to just power the ball away. He’d back himself in all situations, in all conditions. He had this great ability to play the ball late, to be able to adjust if it spun or swung away from him. And he had great wrists. Graeme was much more of a through-the-line hitter; Garry was more flourish with the wrists. You could think of Graeme as a Matthew Hayden, but a much better timer. Sachin is also like Graeme in terms of those short-arm punches. Garry was more a Lara type….Viv was awesome; at times you just couldn’t bowl to him. During World Series Cricket (WSC) he was at his peak, and I was on the decline, getting towards my middle-30s, and he played some fantastic knocks against some of the world’s quickest bowlers….Viv used to swagger. He used to do it on purpose. It was all that body language on the field working for him. When I think of Viv Richards, I think of arrogance at the crease. That was his way of dominating the bowler. His confrontations with Lillee during WSC were fantastic. Both used to bristle with belief in their own ability. It was a great contest. Very fascinating.On modern cricket
…All you have to do on a lot of surfaces [these days] is hit through the line. I mean, on some of the pitches you have to be a blind man to miss the ball. You very rarely see the ball seaming; you very seldom see it swinging. The only time you see severe swing nowadays is reverse swing, though that could be because of the ball manufacturers.I really don’t mind seeing a low-scoring game once in a while – a 110- or 120-game – if there is quality bowling on view. I fear for the general status of bowlers. You’ve got half-a-dozen quality bowlers at the moment, but if you took them out of world cricket there wouldn’t be much left.What also worries me is the increased weightage to stats and figures nowadays. They don’t tell the full story. Adam Gilchrist, for example, doesn’t get the kudos as a batsman that some of the others do, and yet to me he has got an entertainment value and that’s what’s counts. How do you laud a chap like Gilchrist who encourages so many kids to play the game, so many people to be interested in the game, but his [one-day] average is only 34? On the other hand, you get somebody who’s bored the pants off the people, driven them away from grounds, little kids wouldn’t go near him and he’s averaging much higher….I don’t really know how players wield the heavy bats they use these days. And it makes you think about the slowness of the tracks. I just couldn’t think of anybody, even Viv, hooking Lillee and [Jeff] Thomson with a three-pound bat. I used a two-seven. I suppose someone like Sachin, since he is short and he holds it right near the bottom, has more ability to manipulate it. I’m sure Gilchrist couldn’t use a three-pounder with his grip, high on the handle. I think the trend started because of the wickets in the subcontinent, which are not quick enough; the batsman needs to generate the pace on the ball himself. It’s also because the guys train more nowadays and are stronger….You also don’t see too many horizontals [horizontal bat shots], which is a pity because it’s a very exciting part of the game.What’s in the latest issue of Wisden Asia CricketSubscribe to Wisden Asia Cricket

Central Districts have named their squad to take part in a preparation week at the New Zealand Cricket High Performance Centre at Lincoln University starting on Sunday. The side will play two two-day games, have a day off, and then two one-day games.The squad is: Jarrod Englefield, Bevan Griggs, Lance Hamilton, Brent Hefford, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Bradley Patton, Andrew Schwass, Glen Sulzberger (captain), Ewen Thompson, Greg Todd.Brendan Diamanti will help out in the two-day games while Patton will play in only the two-day games. Campbell Furlong and Regan West will play in the two one-day games. Mathew Sinclair will play in the two one-day games on his return from the Hong Kong sixes.Michael Mason, Jesse Ryder, Richard Sherlock and Ross Taylor will play for the Academy team.

“Who cares about the rest of the games. We have already won the real World Cup,” claimed one face-painted, blue-clad youth, obviously more fond of his drink than cricket, in the glare of the television cameras.At distant Marina Beach in Madras, meanwhile, fire-crackers were set off not because India has made it to the Super Sixes but because Pakistan had been beaten. “Fifty years ago Pakistan were separated from India, now India have separated Pakistan from the World Cup,” said a delirious youth, obviously oblivious to the facts as they really are.

Naturally, celebrations are in order. India won a spectacular game of cricket thanks to one of the best innings you’ll ever see. Bring out the bubbly, give in to your most base desires and yell your guts out. But please, please show some taste in the manner in which you do so.Reporters with their ears to the ground in South Africa, filed their dispatches before the start of the India-Pakistan clash. Win, or else… That was the mood in both camps. With political tensions simmering at unacceptably high levels the encounter took on more ramifications than a cricket match ever should.Sure, the atmosphere of these games is terrific with fans from both sides being among the most boisterous. There’s drum beating, flag waving, slogan chanting and even desperate praying. But then there is also the tear gas and lathi charges.At least one person was killed in police fire in Ahmedabad as tensions boiled over after India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan. The police have confirmed that 49 tear-gas shells were lobbed and three rounds fired in the communally sensitive areas of Shahpur, Rakhial and Gomtipur in Ahmedabad.In the city of Baroda, three cars and a restaurant were torched by mobs after the win and the police had to patrol the streets till the wee hours.Elsewhere, groups of youths took to terraces of buildings and pelted revelers with stones, causing more violence to break out.In bizarre incidents down South in Karnataka, one person in a dairy was killed as a boiler exploded. Anxious to watch the match, the worker apparently cranked up the heating to dangerously high levels in order to speed up production.In a Bangalore suburb, two people were killed and at least five injured as enthusiasts piloting an auto-rickshaw drove recklessly through the streets, crashing into a lorry.

In Kolkata, probably the most fanatic of all Indian cities, groups of youths burnt midnight bonfires on the streets and amazingly enough, raised the slogan “Ganguly should be immediately dropped from the team!” and “Ganguly Down! Down!” Sure, Ganguly got out for a first-ball duck, but then again he also led India to one of its most significant victories in recent times.If these are the reactions in India, one can only imagine the mood in Pakistan. And that’s a sobering thought.A quick look at the points table tells you that Pakistan, despite the defeat, are still very much capable of qualifying for the Super Sixes. This means that an India-Pakistan semi-final is very much on the cards. What happens then to these revelers if India loses in that game and gets knocked out of the World Cup? Will they burn more buses, break the windows of cricketers’ cars, like they did at the Dravid residence in Bangalore? Will they tar players’ houses, as they did to Mohammad Kaif’s home in Allahabad? Will they burn effigies of Sourav Ganguly?You can be sure they will. And that’s the tragedy of it all.Before the start of the India-Pakistan match, dubbed `the mother of all matches’, Indian vice-captain Dravid spoke to the press, assuring fans that the game was just another one: that the cricketers were all professionals and tried their best against every team, not just Pakistan. Soon after, the captain echoed these thoughts and for good measure the Pakistan camp too agreed.Not because this was necessarily the whole truth, but because this is only a game. And cricketers learn to accept victories with losses, bouquets with brickbats, and the more philosophical, joy with sorrow. It’s high time the average Indian fan did the same.