Thoughts on two World Cup defeats … both to South Africa.

The defeat to South Africa in the cricket World cup was massively comprehensive (244 runs) the defeat in the Rugby World Cup (15-16) tragically narrow.

On the BBC commentary there was an excellent South African who questioned England’’s decision to bowl  given the extreme heat and humidity which sapped England in the field as The Proteans amassed 399 runs .

My mind went back to December 2016 , the one and only visit to Mumbai on the England test tour.

I never regarded India as the life changing spiritual experience but rather a country with an unacceptable caste system ,which still ll manifests itself today in Hindu nationalism, and Delhi – Belly.  I took to neither the smog nor the slums

I recall Ashwin bowling England out to win the test and a bedraggled Barmy Army plodding back along the sea shore from the Wankhede Stadium   Not that the wags in the lift in the Tridemt Hotel were bothered where the England team and I were billeted   In the lift they were looking forward to drinking minty cocktails by the pool with their losing partners    Bit of a holiday really  . I  am no admirer  of the IPL where Pakistani internationals are banned and Indian test players forbidden to play in different franchises. I imagine India will win the this World Cup on a stadium that Premier Natendra  Modi modestly names after himself.

During the week I received messages of extreme pessimism that England would be crushed by the Boks   It was not to be as England took the game to the Boks, more than matched them  and only fell behind for the first time in the closing minutes   Much has been made of England’s age but most of the Boks are over 30   I cannot see them beating the imperious All Blacks next Saturday   I hope not and think of Churchill’s description of Montgomery

‘ In victory insufferable.”