Must put Indian cricket ahead of Indian greats

It's a phenomenon that befalls Indian cricket every 11-12 years — when the Test team's performance takes a nosedive.

- Sanjay Manjrekar

India lost 0-4 to England and 0-4 to Australia in 2011-12. Twelve years later, they have gone down to New Zealand 0-3 at home, and now, they have lost 1-3 to Australia. If not for the rains in Brisbane, the score line would have most likely read 1-4 after Australia had taken an almost 200-run lead on the first innings.

India are a sought-after cricket team that the world wants to eagerly host. They play a lot of matches in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, so it is fair to be judged to the highest standards. This "generational slump" is inevitable for all teams. It's what we know as the transition phase and among the best teams in the world, I believe it affects India the most.

The one foremost reason behind this is the icon culture we have in India and the hero worship of certain players. Be it 2011-12 or now, it's the same scenario that gets played out — iconic players featuring prominently doing the opposite of what they did their entire careers, thereby dragging the team down with their diminished performances.