"Khali waapas aana padega"

Do you know what is common to auto rickshaw drivers of our capital and the Indian sportsmen? 

If unaware, hail an auto and gear-up to listen to the driver spelling out his arbitrary fare even before you utter your destination. 

The meter is as good as a ceremonial gadget for the autos in Delhi. Questioned as to how come he could take one for a literal ride, his stern response is crude and rude. 

It is even stereo-typed among the clan of auto drivers: “Khali waapas aana padega”. Yes, this very term is the common factor to the auto drivers and the Indian cricket team.

 

As per their opinion, three-fourths of Delhi ought to be deserted with no habitation in the figures projected by the 2011 census report. 

If not, it could be that every other Delhiite owns a car and a scooter or the DTC supplemented by the ‘Gramin Seva’ mini buses offer the best of public transportation services! 

Hence, for the autowallahs ferrying a Delhiite would mean a ‘Khali waapas aana’ despite the destination being the hub of capital’s commercial centre, at the peak hours and even in the first week of a month. 

 

Yes, coming back to the poser of similarities, this very ‘Waapas khali aana...’ coupled with fanciful demands in cash happen to be the relative factor of autorickshaw drivers in Delhi and our sportsmen donning the national colours. 

As if a birthright, both these entities have mastered the art of exercising that motto. 

For instance, over the last couple of years, we have had certain players dictating their whimsical terms to play, similar to what the autowallahs blurt out to ply.

 

Another link between the auto rickshaws and Indian sports is the instant scapegoat for non-performance. 

While a supposed-to-be ‘Kaam nahi karta hai’ meter (mostly tampered) is an autowallah’s trump card, our so-called ‘sport stars’ have found an easy escape route by feigning injuries to eclipse their recurring losses. 

Autorickshaw drivers are allergic to labour in ferrying a passenger and earn a couple of rupees.

They would rather squander away hours together, hoping to find a fare in the same direction of their homes.

In similar fashion, while fielding our cricketers are peevish to attempt a catch unless the ball drops in their hands like a lollipop. 

Perhaps, the adage catches win matches is Greek to our present bunch of cricketers. 

The agility of Surti, Wadekar, Ekky, Venky, Abid Ali, Brijesh Patel, Yujvendra Singh, Madan Lal et al may be a myth to our players.  

 

Thus the news items ‘Indian hockey team out of reckoning’ or ‘Indian cricketers fail again’ are nothing new. Such defeats have been in tune with the catchword of auto drivers of Delhi.

 

With ‘hat-tricks’ of losses in international duels from Down Under to England and South Africa, Indian cricketers have ushered a new chapter in the talent of being the losers.