Why Should Death Be A Good News?

Media-persons, including this writer, have the habit of prioritizing news stories/reports on the basis of how many people have died or are adversely affected, which is actually necessary to structure a news bulletin, always a tough job doing justice to the stories, selecting them and giving the prominence a story deserves. When a reporter comes in to the newsroom stating that an accident or any kind of such tragic happenings has occurred in which 2-4 people have died the news editor would just grimace it away and most often would ask it to be included in the scroll. If the fatalities are around 10 it normally gets into the bulletin as an important story, and when the toll is more than 15/20 then it becomes a headline news story. Well, this is unfortunate indeed; but in a hyperactive newsroom it becomes unavoidable. However, such stories are never taken as a good news story.

 

Deaths are always unfortunate whatever be the number, because for the person who succumbs in an accident or is killed it signals the end of the world for him/her. Yes, death is a very normal and inevitable part of human existence as we live with deaths all around us till our turns which always seem to be unreal and elusive. But dying unnecessary or avoidable deaths always hurt the most. If there is an outbreak of a disease or an endemic or a pandemic people die in varying numbers; but the question remains as to why at all should they die. Why such deaths are not preventable in the age of the most advanced modern medical science and amenities?

 

What has suddenly prompted me to write these words? Well, in a very well-known private news channel in India I had the misfortune to watch and hear the anchor reporting a few deaths as a ‘good news’! The anchor was narrating the Omicron-led COVID-19 pandemic spread story in Mumbai that more than 20,000 new cases were reported in the city in the last 24 hours which is the highest ever of all the three waves, and then said ‘but the good news is that there are only 4 deaths in the same period’. Sure, the anchor said this while making a comparison with the disastrous second wave. But, terming the fewer deaths as a ‘good news’ is extremely unfortunate. Recently, in the same channel, one sensitive doctor echoed my thoughts by saying that if the country is fully prepared to face the third wave why at all people should die, whatever be the number.  

 

Death can never be a cause for celebration even if one of your deadliest enemies dies suddenly. Some perverted and sadistic souls may rejoice within themselves, but it just can never be made official before the general public. During the pandemic years it has, most unfortunately, become a habit with the governments or authorities boasting of reducing the fatality figures and thus bringing the virus under control. I must emphasize again that even though only one person dies unnecessarily it is the end of the world for him/her and for his/her family.

 

Of course, it is also true that most ignorant or careless people do rush to their deaths by throwing all precautions and norms out of the window. Governments or authorities can only issue the rules and regulations, they cannot force all citizens to follow them. Finally, it is the duty of the citizens to take care of themselves and their kin, particularly the elderly people in their families. In India people of all religious faiths believe that their heavenly protectors would always protect them and, in that spirit, they throng to the temples or any places of worship in large numbers to offer their prayers and get the blessings, even if it amounts to blatant violations of the norms. All the true saints and preachers have said since times immemorial that Gods or your protectors live within you and all around you, and you can seek the blessings from the confines of your heart, it is not at all necessary to rush to the places of worship, stumbling, stampeding over each other. 

India Vs South Africa 2nd Test: Virat-Less India Totter In Johannesburg!

 

It came as shocker just before the start of the 2^nd Test between India and South Africa at the Wanderers in Johannesburg that India captain Viral Kohli was not playing due to back pain and that KL Rahul would lead India as the stand-in test captain for the first time. Rahul won the toss and confirmed the news about Virat and that Hanuma Vihari was the replacement. Only a day back head coach Rahul Dravid lauded Virat’s performances ‘despite the noise’ and that the team would keep up the intensity to win. Something was just not right simply due to the reason as to why should a leading team lose its intensity, considering the fact that India had never lost at this venue before and registered two of the three victories over the Proteas so far here. Whatever be the actual reasons for whatever is happening in the dressing rooms it is bad news for Indian cricket. Out-of-form Pujara gets another chance and Vihari gets a berth in place of the captain himself. India elected to bat and what followed was a near collapse by the Indian batsmen.

 

India were off to a relatively good start thanks to Mayank Agarwal getting 26 runs in 37 balls before falling to a charged-up Marco Jansen caught behind; except him most other batsmen of the top order got into a shell and only KL Rahul stood guard getting his half-century in 133 balls. On the bouncy Wanderers pitch Duanne Olivier who was finally fit and coming back into the team replacing Mulder struck two vital blows—first he captured Pujara’s wicket and the next ball sent back Rahane for a first-ball duck—was on a hat-trick streak. The out-of-form Pujara who had a special responsibility in the absence of Kohli struggled pitifully for his 3 runs in 33 balls. Rahane who seemed to be coming back to form in the Centurion Test also failed. It was thanks to a rearguard action by R Ashwin (46 valuable runs) and vice-captain Bumrah (14 not out) that India could cross the 200-run mark. Jansen went on to capture 4 wickets while Olivier and Rabada got three each. India were all out for just 202 runs.

 

The way the Indian pacers have been performing in recent times the reply by South Africa was therefor far from easy. They lost Aiden Markram early on to Mohammed Shami at the team score of 14. Skipper Dean Elgar and Keegan Peterson saw the team through the day with unbeaten 11 and 14 runs respectively with the team score at 35/1 at stumps on day-1 in 18 overs. Tomorrow is going to be a crucial day for both teams. If South Africa go past 300 runs India would be in lot of trouble and if India can contain the Proteas around 250 runs the match would be set up perfectly for an absorbing finish. India’s failing middle order has continued to torment the team and if they entertain any chance of winning this match both the top and middle order must fire. They just cannot go on depending on the bowlers to boost the batting effort almost every time.

India Vs South Africa ODI Series: Rohit To Be Missed, Selection Of Shikhar Good Decision!

 

On the very first assignment as the regular One-Day International (ODI) captain for the India’s South Africa Tour-2021-22 and in the aftermath of the Virat split-captaincy controversy Rohit Sharma was finally ruled out of the full tour. This comes as a huge setback for Team India who has been doing well to take a 1-0 lead in the Test Series with the 3-match ODI Series to start from 19^th January 2022. Rohit had been suffering from a hamstring injury and was earlier ruled out for the Test Series which led to a lot of speculation about test captain Virat not playing the ODIs under the leadership of Rohit. As we wrote about Virat Kohli deciding to play the ODIs in his pre-tour press conference where he dropped a bombshell involving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly and it was not made clear till now who was probably lying with Ganguly saying the matter would to be sorted out as and when appropriate and the latter going down with COVID infection subsequently. The Chief Selector Chetan Sarma had given a response that the white-ball captaincy decision was that of the Selectors’ and that the BCCI was quite shocked when Virat declared his decision to give up the T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup.

 

Now, it is clear that neither Virat nor Rohit is going to play under each other’s leadership for whatever reasons be and the Test vice-captain KL Rahul is the automatic choice as the stand-in captain for the ODI Series. Although the services of Rohit Sharma will be missed sorely by India the return of Shikhar Dhawan is a positive development and a good decision by the selectors. He has been a successful opener for India in the shorter format for the past several years and his injury in the 2019 World Cup cost India dearly. Yet, he has been continually sidetracked by the selectors in the recent tournaments even after his good performances in the IPLs while several rookies like Rituraj Gaikwad, Venkatesh Iyer, Ishan Kishan and Prasidh Krishna have been included in the India squad based on their IPL performances. Anyway, the opening pair of in-form KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan is expected to deliver the goods, and else the two openers, Gaikwad and Ishan, are available as possible options. The full squad is as below with Jasprit Bumrah appointed Rahul’s deputy.

India ODI Squad: KL Rahul (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rituraj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (opener cum wk), Y Chahal, R Ashwin, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj. 

 

The comebacks of R Ashwin, Washington Sundar and Yazuvendra Chahal are sure to make more bowling options available for India. While Mohammed Shami has been rested Ravidra Jadeja and Axar Patel are yet to be declared fit. Hardik Pandya and Rahul Chahar have not been selected.

 

Meanwhile, Quinton de-Kock had done a Dhoni by retiring from Test cricket suddenly in the middle of a crucial Test Series when his team is trailing and needs his services as an experienced wicketkeeper cum batsman the most. He is only 29 and has a long career ahead of him while Dhoni was around 34 when he dramatically retired in 2014 in the middle of an away Test series against Australia. Quinton’s decision has shocked all cricketers in South Africa and elsewhere. It was reported that he was granted paternity leave by the South Africa cricket board, but his decision to announce retirement from test cricket was totally unexpected. He has, of course, made himself available for the white-ball formats. His likely replacements, namely Kyle Verreynne and Ryan Rickelton, have very little experience in test cricket. The services of the injured strike pacer Nortje are also in doubt. It seems both teams have suffered setbacks and how the ODI Series goes is to be only to be seen later this month.