All is not lost! An open letter to Indian cricket fans 

Dear billion cricket fans of India,

Our voice is heard! Our disappointment is understood. We are and will be the pillars of Indian cricket team. Our support can shape the mindset of the Indian team. But, with great power comes great responsibility. So are we doing enough to help our team? Moreover, are we doing more harm than good?

12th August 2018, Lord's Cricket Ground, Virat Kohli is lying on the ground. It's his sore back again. Indian fans all over the world hoping for a Kohli special in second Innings, our only hope to salvage something from the disastrous Test match that has the hurt the ego of a billion people.

Some of us blamed the conditions for the abysmal batting performance and hoped that things would be better in second innings but we had a much-needed reality check. To say the least, we were outplayed by the English side. First things first, we just haven't played like the number one Test side in the last couple of Tests.

We were battered by one of the best teams in the world just like they were, in our own backyard. We should be criticizing our team. They should be better prepared. They are playing for their nation's pride after all.

However, there is a thin line between constructive and destructive criticism and we might just be crossing that line. This morning I mischievously overheard my fellow colleagues. The thing about India is, here, everybody is a critic in their own right. One of them was of the view that Team India is a just a bunch of "Flat track bullies" and does not have what it takes to face world class bowlers.

One even went to the extent of saying we would be whitewashed in the series. I am sure all of you must have experienced this and who can miss the infamous memes of social media. Even some of you might argue that they were right. I am not going to prove you wrong as everybody is entitled to their own opinion. But, let's question ourselves first. How often has a foreign team won a Test series in India? If we judge a batsman by his overseas score, shouldn't we do the same for the so-called world class bowlers? Is James Anderson a sub-par bowler just because he averaged 53.50 during England's last tour of India? This is a prime example of hypocrisy being exemplified by the cricket fans.

Again, I am not defending my team's performance here. I am just saying they have done enough to earn our respect, and if there is anything they need the most now, it's our unconditional support.

We are currently the number one Test side in the world and we need to behave like one. Above all, we must believe in our team. Our captain has made an emotional appeal for us. "Sometimes we win and other times we learn. You never give up on us and we promise to never give up on you", said the Indian captain in his recent Facebook post.

Virat's appeal to Indian's fans to support them

On 18th of August, Trent Bridge would offer a stiff challenge to the Indian cricket team. It won't be easy. However, it would be even more difficult without our support. On the occasion of our 72nd Independence Day, I would like to request all of you to not turn your back on our team and what better time to win a Test in England than now. After all, "But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

Regards,

Name: Just another Cricket fan.