BY DANAE

As day one of the classic Boxing Day test opened with Australia electing to bat, one thing was clear to all – Indian fielding hadn’t got any better with the Christmas break. The early going had to its fair share of misfields and dropped catches, and there wasn’t much hard running happening in the outfield. Commentators on ABC Grandstand were calling their fielding lazy before morning tea had been rolled out.

But let’s call a spade a spade now, India has a long-standing reputation for patchy and, at times, disappointing fielding. So why the lacklustre efforts?

This is going to be a bit of a leap here – but I ask you to jump with me. I’ve long had an interest in the cultural and political factors that hide behind our favourite international sports (don’t get me started on the Frenchman’s obsession with the New Zealand rugby team, the All Black’s famous ‘haka’…there is some weird neo colonial shit going down there). Cricket, being the English gentleman’s sport that it is, provides a wealth of opportunity.

India is a deeply class-based society, thick with privilege and corruption for some; poverty and disadvantage for others. This is not unique in the cricketing world, but we don’t often think about how this affects the game. (*)

Back in 2008, you might remember, Andrew Stevenson wrote an article in the Sydney Morning Herald somewhat implying that India’s strict caste-based society was impacting its ability to play good cricket. You can well imagine the shit that hit the fan after the article ran in the middle of the summer season as Indians players and sports administrators moved quickly to hose it down.

Anyway, in the article, Stevenson quoted a famous Dalit cricketer (Dalit being the formally known as the ‘untouchables’ in India, lowest of castes), Siriyavan Anand who said:

“Why do their fielders not chase the ball to the boundary? Why do Indian batsmen rarely run for singles, apparently preferring to hit the ball to the fence or amble through for two runs in no obvious haste? Having too many Brahmans [elite class] means that you play the game a little too softly…”

While this quote is a bit too much – India does run between the wickets for singles! – there might be a little drop of truth also. Might Indians be shit fielders for historical and cultural reasons? I guess it’s possible.

Years ago, a kindly, old Indian taxi driver told me that if his country was ever able to put aside its class-based differences, the cricket team it could field would never be defeated. It would dominate the sport forever more – and I believed him.

*

No matter the opponent, the Boxing Day test is a joy, pleasure and an icon of the sport – and a classic moment in our own Australian culture. I spent the day stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the Hume Highway, with the sweet tones of ABC Grandstand to keep me company.

In between ridiculing India for the poor fielding, a real highlight was certainly when Drew Morphett read out a text message from two listeners – “Darren and Dazza” – who claimed to be watching the cricket from their mother’s Sherpa hut on the border of India and Pakistan.

Well, I call bullshit on Darren and Dazza, but the joke was on Morphett for considering their message legit. The jerk should have read out my message instead.

Note: (*) I’m not saying Australia ain’t the same either.