Disaster at Sea

Marine experts have rushed to the scene.  Investigations are underway.  The luxury vessel hailed a year ago as the best in the world lies stricken - it is holed and listing badly. But the once proud ship looks fit only for scrap after she hit the rocks in Perth to go 3-0 down in the series.

Opinions are divided on the reasons for the tragedy.

Indian cricketers cling to the wreckage

Was there a catastrophic failure in the engine room as aging equipment failed to deal with pace and bounce?  This lead to water pouring into the middle order leaving survivors fighting for their lives.   Or was it a navigation error as high on the bridge the BCCI misread the charts?  Did they set the wrong course?  Instead of the safe waters they imagined around the ports of T20 and the IPL, there are jagged rocks lurking beneath the surface.    Panic seems likely to be averted only by panic.

During the tragedy, only crewman Virat Kohli seems successfully to have found the life boats which the rest of the crew failed to deploy effectively.  Senior sailors seemed at a loss to deal with the conditions, forgetting lessons they should have learned in the sea scouts. The life jackets of patience and playing straight seemed to be discarded.

Changes before the mast are likely as the vessel is patched up to go to sea again in Adelaide next week.  An emergency rudder is being rigged following the banning of MS Dhoni for slow steering rates.

Full fathom five thy Dhoni lies;

Of his shots are catches made;

Those are snicks that were his drives;

Nothing of him that does fade,

But doth suffer the match fee fine

As he swings again across the line.

Pundits hourly ring his knell:

Ding-dong,

 Laxman, Sachin, Dravid as well.