Happy New Year!

A few thoughts as we begin a New Year and end another overseas Cricket Tour (sure there is one more Test and some meaningless T20s and ODIs, but isn’t the Tour over for true Cricket lovers). Without trivialising the financial aspect of the markets and the impact they can have on one’s financial health, Indian Cricket and Markets are eerily similar.

For one, neither of them performs well when they are touted as the favourites. From about a year back, both of them were expected to dominate their respective domains. While the Indian markets were expected to be the best performing markets over the next 10 -15 years, Indian Cricket was expected to attain new heights post the World Cup win (even discounting the fact that the No.1 status in Test Cricket was more of a statistical illusion)

Both have floundered miserably. And not surprisingly, in both the cases, it is the administrators who are to be blamed with their misplaced priorities. The Indian Government was more focused on implementing populist measures and saving the skin of their corrupt ministers instead of focusing on the fiscal deficit, divestment, rupee depreciation and many more important issues. The BCCI on its part never took its eye off the IPL instead of focusing on Under-19 cricket, ‘A’ team tours etc.

Coincidentally, both Indian Cricket and Markets have performed the best when they are pushed to the wall. Indian Cricket delivered some of its best performances, especially overseas post the World Cup debacle of 2007. Indian Markets have delivered stellar returns post the 2008 crisis and the fear of an unstable government before the 2009 elections.

And therein lays the hope for both of them. Today, in both of them, we are not only pushed against the wall but pretty much into the wall. So, it’s once again time to turn around and start the fight back. I’m pretty much sure that the Markets will. Indian Cricket, am not so sure!