Childish

Gautam Gambhir may not get to play in the next Test match against Australia despite his sterling double century at Ferozeshah Kotla. He faces a one-Test ban, pending an appeal, for elbowing Australian cricketer Shane Watson during his innings at Kotla. Sure, Watson provoked Gambhir verbally, but that’s no justification for anyone to respond physically. Even sledging, however unsporting that may be, has a way about it.

Aussies, who invented the thing, do it artfully: muttering expletives under their breath and out of earshot from the umpire. Our players, however, play into their hands and invite censure. Not surprisingly, Indians top the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) list of players who have faced disciplinary action. So, when they are called the bad boys of cricket, as an Australian newspaper recently wrote, the mud sticks.

Rather than search for a racist motive in ICC’s actions, it is time for us to introspect. Some of our young cricketers are impish and respond in kind when dared. Often, this becomes unnecessary bravado that goes against all norms of public behaviour. Repartee is almost an art form and it is important to cultivate it. It is more effective than any public display of anger. Remember how effective Anil Kumble was when he said only one team played cricket in its true spirit after the ruckus during the Sydney Test?

Kumble’s dignified response put the Test match in a context and shifted the spotlight to the Australian team. Sure enough, a resurgent India defeated Australia convincingly in the next match. The younger players should, perhaps, take lessons in on-field conduct from Kumble and seniors like Sachin Tendulkar and V V S Laxman.

Unfortunately, Kumbles are not so common in India’s public sphere. Many of our public personalities prefer to be loquacious and take pride in being abrasive. They seem incapable of restrained and nuanced response. Their behaviour seems to rub on to the public as well. Or, do these leaders merely reflect dominant social attitudes? One politician in Mumbai whips up ethnic hatred and his cadre beats up innocent people.

The response is equally menacing; crowds set trains on fire in Bihar. In Guwahati, crowds angry about the heinous act of terrorists attack public property and stone fire engines. We as a people seem unable to control ourselves in the face of a crisis.

For a country that aspires to be a global power, our public conduct leaves a lot to be desired. Our collective sense of victimhood has a lot to do with our colonial past, but we ought to have outgrown it. As an emerging power, India must look ahead and act with quiet confidence. We ought to be proud of our success — not gloat over it — and introspect on failures. Leaders keep their cool in times of adversity.