I’ve been winning many of my bets in recent times with friends when it’s about India’s FIRST cricket game in a series, with the following conditions:
1. It’s not a game against the minnows (Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Afghanistan, etc) – it’s against one of the top 5 teams
2. The Indian team should have had a ‘holiday’ or break before the game
3. The 1st game is a different type – i.e. switch from Test to T20 or ODI
4. Especially if it’s not played in India
5. The bet is for a glass of milk.
In all the cases where these conditions have been met, I have bet that India will lose the game. And in the last year won ALL the bets I took!
There were some games in 2008-09, when I would have actually lost, that no one was willing to place a bet!
First let me explain the 5th condition: Being a teetotaler I had to make sure that if I lost, I could have the loser’s drink. But more importantly J I liked to look at fully grown men (and women) drink a hot glass of milk, like a baby – made it more daunting for them than you can imagine!!
Recently, I asked a well known Cricket Commentator on twitter as to why India lost its 1st games so “consistently”. Analytical as he is, he said he would be surprised, if it were true and asked me to help find the facts, which I did – here, as I too am baffled by this track record: especially in the last year or so.
So off I went to CrickInfo – that awesome portal for all things Cricket! After about 1 ½ hours of work, here is what I found. The charts speak for themselves:
The ASTOUNDING fact is, under the conditions I have mentioned above ( 1 – 4), India hasn’t won even ONE 1st game in a series!!!! That’s the last chart 2009-2010 which has ZERO wins!
Can anyone please share what may be the CAUSE of this? No practice games? Acclimatization? Sheer laziness? Why????
If Obama can get the Nobel Peace Prize, cant I atleast get nominated for a Maths prize? LOL J
Have Fun!!
J Srinivasan
@jsvasan
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. – Marcel Proust
