Indian cricketers turn to devotional songs

‘Bhajans’ of popular singers such as Lata Mangeshkar, Hari Om Sharan and Anup Jalota are much in vogue among cricketers ho are finding this as an useful exercise to deal ith the stress of media and opponents on the field.

This trend, hich started after losing the Test in Sydney last month, has gained ider acceptance among cricketers since they have ithstood the test of last fe eeks remarkably ell.

Cricketers are being offered a ide range of relaxation CDs hich range from devotional to patriotic songs and even holy chants or Vedanta shlokas, sung by ell-kno n singers.

Once they have selected the song of their choice, they have been told by experts to sit cross-legged on the floor and then concentrate on the middle of a chart hich has several rounded layers in various colours.

Cricketers are being asked to concentrate on the centre of the chart to the best of their ability and as they do so, the song of their choice is played in the background.

Apparently, this is not mandatory for the entire team but as the exercise has proved beneficial over the last fe eeks, many in the Indian team are prone to explore this option to help them deal ith the stress of the present tour.

Despite the stoicism hich the team has displayed on the present tour, the stress at times has been over helming.

The Harbhajan Singh issue is a case in point here nerves ere frayed and polarisation of vie points as complete.

Cricket Boards got involved as ell as the ICC and at one stage the threat of a pull-out from the tour as very real.

Along ith the pressure of maintaining a stance of stoicism in public, the cricketers ere also required to keep their attention going on cricket hich as not the easiest thing to do.

The trick to hear devotional songs and improve concentration through the chart apparently then proved more than useful.

Harbhajan, the man at the centre of the storm, never avered from doing his daily prayers every morning, and the image of his favourite ‘guru’ as ell as daily recitation from Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book, as a source of great inspiration and spiritual calm for the feisty Sikh.

Most of the younger lot of the one-day team, hailing mostly from the interiors of India, are able to relate instantly to the devotional songs as they have gro n up inculcating such values from their childhood.

As Indian one-day teams profile gre from no-hopers to one of grudging respect after the first t o games of the tri-series, the trick of devotional songs appears to have done it’s part.

India, ho ere routed for 74 in the T enty20 game in Melbourne last eek, held their o n against Australia and Sri Lanka in the first t o games hich ere ashed out.

India had Australia on the ropes at 51 for 3 after scoring 194 in their 45 overs in the opening game of the series. T o days later, they hammered 267 for 4 after being in doldrums at one stage. In both the games, India alked a ay ith the feeling that they could have on those matches.