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Important lessons from New Zealand’s Rise against the Tide attitude
Cricket is awkward, irritating, and silly. It has languors, it can be baffling one minute, boring the next, and brilliantly compelling the third, and it does last an unreasonable amount of time, and demand an unfeasible amount of attention. This is why its rhythms are entirely unlike anything else in all of sport. There are a lot of similarities between the journey of a student who is preparing for CAT and cricket. Speaking of cricket the first thing that naturally comes to our mind now is the rise of the Black Caps in world cricket. In this article, we will try to see what are the important lessons that can be learned from their turnaround in world cricket.
1.The secret of getting ahead is getting started
New Zealand’s journey to Southampton where they would meet India for the Test championship finale had begun on that crisp summer evening in Cape Town in January 2013. Eight years ago, they had been shot out for 45 in 19.2 overs in a Test at Cape Town by Dale Steyn & Co after McCullum had gone against conventional wisdom and batted first. It was from this time they began their preparation. 2013 and beyond saw the streamlining of talent and flowering of the characters of the team.
Takeaway
If you’re planning to take CAT, the best time to start your preparation is today! If you start now you’ll get the time to learn the proofs of Geometry or try to solve a question from Logarithms in different ways. You won’t get any reward if you start late, so why wait? Be a bore, and start your CAT preparation today.
2. Lessons from Williamson’s captaincy
When McCullum gave way to the man of logic in Williamson, there were some in New Zealand who were unsure. Would it be a drastic change of character and leadership? Williamson captains the way he bats – logical, considered thought. The contrast in the leadership and playing styles between 2015 and 2019 World Cup campaigns was stunning, but not jarring. McCullum’s boisterous passion kicked in a much-needed adrenalin shot to the jaded system and Williamson’s considerate approach has been influential in sustainability.
Takeaway
When you’re aspiring to become a manager and planning to take CAT then every step you should take while preparing for CAT should be logical. If you take a 3-hour mock test you should also spend at least 3 hours analyzing it very well. If you solve a puzzle then you should spend a considerable of time going through the solution of the puzzle. If you read an article from Bharath’s curated reading list then you should go deep into that article and try to analyze it to its full potential.
3. The David v/s Goliath duel
New Zealand has a population of close to five million, the least among the top 12 ICC nations. Virat Kohli has a net worth of over $100 million, while Williamson earns a salary of around $236,000. Simply put, the gulf between the two countries and cricket economies is staggering. There will be a long queue of people lining up to say this win doesn’t count. New Zealand barely play away from home. The final is in conditions that suit them. Had Covid not hit, they may not have qualified. They got lucky. Things went their way etc. But the truth is if this championship felt lucky, flukey, or things went their way, then no team has ever deserved that more. They fought against better teams, professionals, and dynasties for generations, all while they were trying to survive as a cricket nation. They took 26 years to win a Test, and 39 to win a series. They had all the bad luck already.
Takeaway
If you’re someone who hasn’t graduated from a tier 1 college of our country or someone who has done her (or his) schooling from a vernacular medium and thinking that this test cannot be cracked by you I would like to draw your attention once again to New Zealand’s journey – from debacle to glory. This incident teaches us the importance of being persistent because persistence guarantees that results are inevitable. Whether you’ve graduated from a tier 1 college or a tier 3 college, it doesn’t matter once you’ve taken the plunge to crack CAT. You have to run and you have to put up a brave fight. If no one believes in you believe in yourself. Even if you don’t see the result right away Keep showing up until you do see the results. Even if you don’t say the results for a very, very long time… KEEP SHOWING UP! What if the results don’t come? Keep showing up! Do the drill! It doesn’t matter if you can’t see the top from where you are. Just know that if you keep climbing, If you keep learning how you can get to that next level you will soon be exactly where you need to be. Always remember you can, you will and you must. So keep going and success will follow.
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Stay safe, stay positive and best wishes for CAT.
Abhishek Mukherjee works at 2IIM, and is a keen writer.
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