Sourav must put mind over matter

I don’t know what steps Sourav Ganguly is taking to save his skin and national pride but if I were him I’d lock myself up in my room, ignore the hangman standing outside, sit in the lotus position and breathe deeply to calm myself.

Then I’d put on my favourite uplifting musical score and practice positive visualisation for hours. I would visualise myself playing stroke after stroke of brilliant off-drives that would leave the Lankan fielders open mouthed with wonder. I would ‘see’ myself putting my arms around my bowlers and asking them nicely to not bowl short and wide and they would understand the request at once. I would round it off by picturing myself receiving the man of the match award for great leadership, a fine century and impeccable behaviour that for once had the referee smiling.

This is not new age hogwash. This, I believe, is the only recourse left to Ganguly, a man surrounded by dangling nooses and just one mile to go before he’s put to sleep.

No amount of coaching will help if the mind has stopped believing in the power of the self. Top sports psychologist Pete Cohen works with athletes like Sally Gunnell, Roger Black and Steve Backley and says that each of these athletes use visualisation to enhance their performance or overcome fears and mental blocks. For example, Gunnell prepares by thinking about every detail of the race, rehearses her techniques and pictures herself winning the Gold.

All of which the beleaguered Indian captain needs to dwell on who, sadly, seems to have collected enough fears to script a horror film and enough blocks to build a house. As if his own failures were not enough he has to handle a team consisting largely of young and inexperienced players ready to throw in the towel at the slightest hint of panic in the ranks. To help matters along to a grand, dismal finale, the media is going overboard in quoting any and everyone who advocates an off-with-his-head panacea without waiting for the series to be over.

Under such circumstances what is a man to do but somehow find the strength to continue believing he will hold the Gold and fob off the executioners? The smile of quiet confidence must be displayed on his face and made to rub off on the others, even if he has to transfer it with force on a recalcitrant like Hemang Badani who sports a frown of intense doom be it on the field or on the balcony watching the openers get off to a good start. Players like him make the dourest Englishman look sweet.

Sourav Ganguly has no choice but to live with all the disabilities he is hampered with. What he and his team would do well to understand is that the disabilities are mostly mental and not physical. The injuries to Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman are minor ones compared to the ones the team has suffered in the mind as fallout. Each and every player in this team has at one time or another done something to merit selection to the highest level, therefore the exclusion of any player should not rob them of their own skills.

Hopefully, Ganguly will walk out tomorrow with long, positive strides that will not falter as the day wears on. For if they do, there is one man next to him who looks ready to take his place -- and this man would make even Pete Cohen nod with approval.