Sincerest apologies to fans of Team India, but there is finally a dent in the trend. For, the tables have turned this World Cup. While Pakistan is still having a ball at its surprising yet much-needed burst of excellence, their next-door neighbours are busy doing mind-boggling calculations over who would lose to whom to allow their team a chance forward. A strange, strange world, indeed! As if Pakistan’s 10-wicket thrashing in the opening fixture had not been humbling enough, they found themselves at the shorter end of the stick again. What should have been a hard-fought match between two superstars pegged as favourites turned into a round of silly charades. Quite disappointingly, India was only able to take two Kiwis out as it kneeled in front of New Zealand. A modest improvement from its encounter against its archrival that had left the Blue Men craving for a single wicket! But certainly, something not expected from the titans who had changed the face of cricket in 2007 when a team of all young men had taken the crown of a new World Cup in a new format. The batting order was just as dismissing. Call it the pressure of performing well or the defeat against Greenshirts hanging heavy in the air, Indian wickets tumbled like a waterfall against the spin of the Black Caps. The fact that New Zealand conceded them a single boundary in 71 balls is a testament to the bizarre state of affairs. If VVS Laxman was bewildered by the “(questionable) shot selection,” Virender Sehwag said the inevitable truth out loud, “New Zealand has virtually ensured we won’t make it to the next stage.” Meanwhile, superstars of the cricketing world asked Indians to pull their socks up. Shoaib Akhtar is bucking them up on Instagram while Mohammad Amir’s cheeky exchange with Harbhajan Singh is causing a ruckus on Twitter. With shaky body language, shoddy footwork and questionable run rate, India could not be more desperate for a hail-Mary-pass. Amid calls for Virat’s head (who is expected to call it a day), the team has now become an easy target for online trolls. Virat, who became a local favourite after he gracefully congratulated the Pakistani team on the historic big win, could not be more different from his nation. The only Muslim name on the Indian lineup–Muhammad Shami–had to endure the lewdest of attacks. If directing senseless hatred in the direction of a so-called traitor seemed like a cathartic recourse for a large majority that treats any clash with Pakistan like a war, who would they accuse now of advancing New Zealand’s interests? *