There is a fine line between 'discipline' on field and 'discipline' off the field as well.
Well discipline off the field should be one's bearing, presentability, interaction with the Press and other dignitaries in a foreign land. Off field disciplne also should be the single minded focus to get the job on hand DONE! This also involves your practise sessions and the attitude towards fitness, food, drink also the lure of adulation/fan following; women are known to lure promising world class talent for an evening of debauchary but in the long run it affects your performance on the field. All of this including minor gaffs like letting your guard down in a public place could constitute towards discipline.
On-field discipline would be your attitude towards the game in general, also maybe specific to a particular game. If Bangladesh or Bermuda are so called 'minnows' and considered weak, it does not mean one should have the attitude of the match being much lower than the domestic 'Kanga' league series played in Mumbai. It is not the question of experimenting with 'my newly developed cut-drive shot' which will bring the team a boundary in whatever kind of field placement. Remember the person opposite you is a bowler first and a human being next. Cricket is just the game of placing he ball on the right spot be it batting or bowling. The bowler, however unheralded he/she is, has to just pitch it on the right spot and watch the batsman commit 'hara-kiri' trying to play his 'newly developed Kanga league inward-out hook' shot!!! This is not the moment to practise; that you do in the nets, playing a slew of local bowlers where losing your wicket doesnt count, thats where your new strokes are practised and perfected.
In a full fleged international match, the bowler has some credentials for him to represent his country. You cannot treat him as a 'no-hoper' and think that your neighbouring 8 class kid was a better bowler. You have to STILL watch the ball and play it on its merit! Because, when 2 or 3 wickets fall in quick succession, even the most innocuous attack suddenly looks like a great white shark in icy blue waters where the hope of being rescued seems virtually impossible.
The mental strength, a la South Africa to bounce back after being dealt two quick blows in the early part of the innings may not be the strength of the Indian team. They need EVERYONE to play well and specially the openers to give them a quick start; Indians once given a dream start can keep up the momentum and then scoring and making the opposition look plain ordinary is a piece of cake! The key is the good start; so not really sure if Viru is the right man for the job in his current form. He seems to be in a hurry to walk back to the dressing room just as soon as the bowler releases the ball, so all the bowler has to do is bowl straight to him and Viru is out!
Sachin still is stuttering with form and suddenly his batting looks pretty ordinary. A 50 from him should be more than one can expect at this stage of his career. Dhoni and Yuvi have to be more predictable. It is really strange that I cant think of saying anything to Dada. He is the only one in prime form, underlining the glorious uncertainties of this beautiful game!
Discipline on field is also about your strokes you choose to play at a particular stage of the match. If it is a gift for the bowler, then your discipline (on-field) has dipped and this deserves a punishment. I propose a system where 2 acts of indiscipline (on-field or off) by any member calls for an automatic suspension for a period the punishing body decides depending on the offense......
This will add to our performance.....Discipline, discipline, this will bring more predictability to performance...
