Conspiracy theory – India vs Bangladesh

Right after we lost to the young Bangladeshi side in the Group B match of the world cup, I saw this post on DP linking to various people ranting and raving about the dismal performance of Team India. I watched this match and was as upset as the other ranters. But I had a theory. I did not want to voice my theory ahead of the other league matches so as not to jinx them, in a manner of speaking. But I cannot hold my tongue (or my fingers on my keyboard) any longer.

I have come to think of the World Cup as a commercial carnival. Let me give you a for-instance from a different world to tell you how I came to this point of view. Why do you think Sushmitha Sen and Aishwarya Rai and Lara Dutta and what-is-her-name Chopra get crowned in the beauty contests in consecutive years? Because the cosmetic industry realized that Indian women now had the buying power for their products and hence the time was ripe to tap this virgin market. And why did n’t the assorted ladies in subsequent years win the same beauty contests? Because the market was established by then and the industry turned its attention to other sectors. Do you think the above argument is reasonable (from a cynic's point of view that is)?

Now, in the same spirit, the main source of income to the cricket carnival that is the world cup are the billion avid cricket fans in India. So I cannot believe that they can afford to have India leave the tournament before the Super eights. Now, what is my conspiracy theory then? I want to claim that the match against Bangladesh we lost so that there is guaranteed viewer ship for the subsequent league matches featuring India. We would all have watched the opener anyway just because of the fact that it was the opener, but how many of us would have watched the Bermuda match on a week night/day, depending on the time zone you are in? And how many people ended up watching it, me (at the office, while pretending to work) and my dad (at night at home at the cost of being late to work the next day) included?

Well? Do you buy it?