MUMBAI: In a team sport, winning can be very contagious. It acts like chicken soup for the feverish soul. A warm hug on a cold day. An IV of dopamine hooked to the veins. An oxytocin to build and develop relationships. A rising tide that lifts all boats.
This is the tidal wave that's sweeping the Indian team currently. The positive energy is hard to miss. The competition for winning the fielding medal has become appointment streaming. Days before the World Cup began, the one question was how would they treat pressure and the weight of expectations? Were they going to be consumed by it? Or were they going to embrace it?
After 25 days since their first World Cup-based training session, six matches and one short break post the New Zealand match at Dharamsala, one thing is clear. They are enjoying the ride. They have embraced the joy of playing at home rather than allowing pressure to eat them.
India's Virat Kohli celebrate after winning the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 match against England on Sunday | PTIIn psychology, there is something called the challenge mindset and the threat mindset. The former is healthier while the latter can have debilitating consequences.
Divya Jain, head of Psychological Services at Fortis healthcare, explains. "For a lot of people, playing at home can be a great energiser," Jain, who advises Indian Olympians among other athletes, tells this daily. "There's a lot of energy and if you are able to channelise that in the right way, it can boost confidence. But that same energy can also lead to overthinking... It's good if you adopt a challenge mindset and not a threat mindset. If you are able to adopt a challenge mindset, then you can play even better."
One infamous example of how a threat mindset can wreck a team was offered by Brazil during the 2014 World Cup. After their win on penalties against Chile in the Round of 16 game in front of their fans, they wept, a collective outpouring of emotion. "It's as if the snake is killing itself with its own poison," was how Estado de S. Paulo, a Brazil daily, put it. A few nights later, they were obliterated 7-1 in the semifinals.
Irrespective of what will happen with this campaign going forward (random factors like luck notwithstanding), this side has played with joy and has spread joy wherever they have played. Chennai. New Delhi. Ahmedabad. Pune. Dharamsala. North. West. South. They have embraced the challenge of lifting the mood music. Ergo, they have been even better than the sum of their parts. It's funny because you normally wouldn't associate this phrase with one of the two favourites coming into the tournament. But that doesn't mean it can't be true.
They haven't had a settled XI (all 15 have featured in at least one game while only eight of the contingent have been ever present) thanks to injuries or illnesses but that hasn't altered the rhythm of the side (in contrast to an outfit like Australia who lost a string of games after Travis Head's injury). Pakistan's bowling group has come unstuck after Naseem Shah's untimely withdrawal following an injury.
Some of that is down to what they have done behind the scenes. While 'team sports can be very positive for mental health because there is already camaraderie and support,' according to Jain, Rohit & Co. have gone in with a clear and structured plan of what they will do and when. "When there is an event going on for a long time, it's important to a) know how you are going to be spending that time and b) able to structure it as much as possible," Jain explains.
This is what happened post New Zealand game. The tranquil locale of Himachal Pradesh was the ideal getaway spot to shut down for a day. The support staff went on a trek. Virat Kohli was off to an Ashram. There was even a ramp walk at the hotel. "Once you come here, the views are breathtaking," coach Rahul Dravid had said in a video posted on bcci.tv after that climb to Triund. "Unfortunately can't bring the boys up here, it would be too risky on the stones (laughs)."
There's of course the much talked about fielding medal. It's an award given by the fielding coach, T Dilip, to the best fielder on the day. After picking up really good catches, the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer have celebrated with imaginary medals on the field of play. After some ordinary fielding displays, Dilip instituted that for the World Cup and it's already resulted in some highlight-reel-worthy catches.
Here's Jain as to why these things matter. "When you are in a team, the idea is to encourage and just push each other to actually be the best," she explains. "It's healthy competition, it's all about making sure that every role is given the same importance. Not just bowling or batting. Every person, every role so if you are able to reward things that's not been rewarded as much as in the past, that's also a real motivator."
KL Rahul, who won this 'award' for a second time on Sunday, was intimate with it before the England game. "Everyone is in a very happy state of mind," he had said. "We know that whenever we cross the boundary line, there will be pressure. But the best thing we can do is outside of the field, still, try and enjoy ourselves and try to be as calm as possible.
"... the fielding medal videos that you are watching, it is fun for us also. Whatever happens, there is a lot of fun, there is a lot of banter. So, it is a good way to connect as a group as well."
Most modern football coaches have stopped using the term substitutes. Instead, they have begun using the term finishers. There's something like that happening with this Indian side. They have a squad of 15 to pick from and all of them are seen as equals. It's all to do with the language. "If you are able to use more positive language, it can have an impact on the confidence of a person," Jain expanded.
Shami has played in only two games but you can see the positivity in his outlook. "If your team is performing, your boys are moving in a rhythm, then I don't think you should feel guilty (about) sitting outside," he had said after his man-of-the-match fifer against the Black Caps. "Because you are also a part of the team and a part of the World Cup. I think everyone should enjoy each other’s success. By being positive and enjoying it, I feel you will get more results.
"I always think to myself, '(if) I am not here today, I will be here tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow'. And when your time comes, you contribute to the team."
In several other campaigns, players who weren't part of the theoretical 'first XI', have found it hard to be part of the 'team'. Not this iteration. This mentality was echoed by Mohammed Siraj as well.
"Everyone is enjoying each other's success. It's like we are brothers... the performance can be up or down, but we are taking each other along," he had said in the mixed zone in Dharamsala. "If somebody’s day hasn’t gone well, we are giving them confidence. That’s the good thing about the dressing room. That is why we are getting continued success.
"When we are at the hotel, we have lunch together. We sit at the pool, do our recovery, listen to songs, enjoy, and have fun with each other. That is the bonding we have... the World Cup comes after four years. This is not a bilateral series... So, everyone wants to win this and having this environment is very important."
Because of their favourites tag, this team will be judged by what happens in the knockouts. But they have given themselves every chance of creating a memory that will outlast this generation and inspire future generations. Even otherwise, watching this team is like being caught in a warm, fuzzy spell. That's all you can ask for.
