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"No Bollywood script can beat the drama evoked by this 2015 World Cup Cricket Final. Who would have wondered that this one and a half month-long cricketing extravaganza would boil down to one ball? India needs six runs to win of the last ball and the only man who can do it, is on strike.
Here it goes...amidst a roaring audience, tense nerves, sweaty palms and an awaiting destiny, Mitchell Johnson comes to deliver the most important ball of his career. It's a short ball to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and he smashes it high in the air..."
This entire fictional commentary can be summed up in one word: STRESS. In a high-profile game, teams that get the better of stress, tend to emerge as winners. Read on to know how cricketers manage to perform under stress.
All About Attitude
When Australia set up a record target of 435 for the South Africans to chase in a 50-over game, few would have liked to be in the South African dressing room. However, amidst a hauntingly silent South African dressing room, Vice Captain Jacques Kallis walked up to his teammates to motivate them and mentioned that on a batting pitch like this, the Australians were 15 runs short. At the end of a thrilling run chase, the South Africans ended up winning what is termed as the greatest one-day cricket match ever, largely because of the never-say-die attitude.
Making Stress an Ally
If playing a match is like swimming, then playing in the nets is like shopping for swimming trunks.
While net sessions are an integral part of practicing, warm-up games and simulated conditions create real match-like situations demanding nothing but the best from cricketers. Often those who practice under stress end up performing under stress. Those flashy catches caught at the boundary line are a result of hundreds of similar catches caught while practicing.
It is not entirely possible to recreate the pressure associated with an international cricket match but regular practice sessions go a long way by helping cricketers overcome challenges in the 'real' match. These sessions condition the mind to analyze, act and react in match situations to get the better of the opposition.
Breaking Down Goals
When bigger targets are broken down into small goals, they do not seem that daunting. The invincible Australian Test side led by Steve Waugh used to break down a Test match into sessions. They used to set goals for each session and consequently formulate their strategy to achieve the target of winning the match.
Doing a 'Dravid'
Harsha Bhogle once quoted, "Is there a more calming sight in the world than Rahul Dravid taking guard?"
Maintaining one's composure is what helps cricketers look at the situation as it is. Stress and pressure often trick cricketers into either overestimating the gravity of the situation or underestimating the ability to perform in given conditions.
Fielding captains try to calm things down by deliberately slowing the game to take the momentum away from the on-song batting side. Keeping calm is a better way of maintaining or regaining composure and dealing with stress
Switching Off to Switch On
It is extremely difficult to find a photograph, where Sachin Tendulkar is not without his headphones while alighting from the team bus. Rock star, Brett Lee played his guitar after a day in the office. The brawny all-rounder, Shane Watson practices yoga and meditation whereas India's upcoming talent, Ajinkya Rahane watches batting videos of the holy trinity Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar to motivate himself. Cricketers de-stress in many ways as it helps them switch off, so they can switch on when it matters the most.
The countdown for the ultimate prize has begun. After four long years of wait, cricket fanatics eagerly look forward for a chance to watch their Gods battle in the Cricket World Cup 2015. Teams with steady nerves who handle stressful situations with ease would surely have the edge over others. Be there to witness great cricketing stories as they unfold amidst the mesmerizing locales of Australia and New Zealand.
