Sarcasm bowls over Indian cricket team

Chennai, Apr 2 (UNI) The squad has returned home, crestfallen and the Cricket Board is to weigh the pros and cons later this week. But Team India's poor show in the ongoing 2007 World Cup in West Indies still continues to draw flak from the 'cricket loving man on the street' as well as serious cricket buffs, now in the form of humourous or witty criticism.

First effigies were burnt, the World Cup replicas were burnt, discussions revolved around serious analysis among many who play cricket in corporation play grounds and spacious apartment complexes, after watching a match live on the idiot box in the drawing room.

Rahul Dravid must be removed as captain, he is not aggressive like (deposed captain) but recalled as player - Saurav Ganguly used to be, Sachin is 'finished' as a batsman, he cannot win a match for India, Dinesh Karthik should have been played .... are some of the critical remarks still ringing the air! But the one's making one laugh, perhaps at the amusing logic, so to speak, are reaching many a mobile phone owners via the SMS, besides being narrated in person among friends.

Just sample two relating to India's loss first against minnows Bangladesh and later against Sri Lanka, both neighbours dear to us otherwise: Says the message Indira Gandhi(Former Prime Minister) is really to be blamed for India's unforeseen defeat against Bangladesh.

Why one may ask: because it was she who liberated Bangladesh! The funny reason being circulated for the defeat against the Lankans is even more witty, if you like it: Lord Hanuman must have set fire to entire (Sri) Lanka while giving demon Ravan a sampling of the punishment that was to be meted out to him for abducting Sita....

Surely, the ardent cricket fan is still seething at the disappointment his favourite Team India brought home for him, even as he expected it to come back with the Cup! Another SMS alludes that India winning another World Cup is just a dream. It goes...'India wins the World Cup by 43 runs. Sender...

Kapil Dev. Sent at 1700 hrs, 17 minutes 33 seconds. Date 25-06-1983.

Driving home the point, the SMS closes sarcastically.. 'Sorry for the delay. Network was busy.' The cricket fans are also venting their ire on individual players. SMSs have been doing the round 'renaming' master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who failed to fire in this World Cup vis-a-vis 'Sachin Duckdulkar'! UNI