Life on rent

Sir — From leaking roofs to rising mortgage costs — owning a home is cumbersome. This has made renting — it divests one of the issues regarding maintenance, repair bills and property taxes — a more viable alternative. However, a recent study has highlighted that living in rented accommodation can speed up the biological ageing process. In fact, researchers have found that ageing as a result of renting — attributed to structural impediments like mould and cold as well as financial instability — is more than that resulting from unemployment and smoking. Haggling for the rent amount is a tedious task. Can one then argue that since landlords are taking away years from tenants’ lives, they can compromise on the rent amount as well?

Drishti Srivastava, Delhi

Heartbroken

Sir — It was a heartbreaking moment for all Indians as the host nation lost the International Cricket Council Men’s World Cup final to Australia (“WOE, NO! KANGARULE!!”, Nov 20). The Australians proved, once again, that they are the best in this game. Their captain, Pat Cummins, decided to field first after winning the toss. The bowlers utilised this opportunity to restrict India’s run-making to a mere 240.

Travis Head deserves special mention for dominating Indian bowlers with his calculative yet aggressive batting. Further, his stunning catch to dismiss the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, who looked menacing from the start, broke India’s confidence. Cummins’ men displayed grit and mental strength by rising to the occasion. This is commendable.

Iftekhar Ahmed, Calcutta

Sir — The sight of the sulking faces and the drooping heads of the Indian supporters who gathered at the Narendra Modi Stadium after India lost the cricket World Cup final was upsetting (“Minus a Plan B, Rohit’s men fumble and tumble over”, Nov 20). Who would have imagined that a team which performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament would bite the dust in the final?

India’s innings looked promising at the beginning as Rohit Sharma decimated Australia’s bowling attack, smashing 47 runs off 31 balls. But after his dismissal, India’s batting approach resembled that of a Test match. Further, India’s lack of intent as the match progressed was disappointing. However, this should not be a cause for criticising the Indian team that displayed some flawless cricket in the run-up to the final.

Noopur Baruah, Tezpur

Sir — The Men in Blue achieved success in 10 consecutive matches of the World Cup. Their failure in the final match was thus disheartening (“Didn’t bat well enough: Rohit”, Nov 20). The defeat can be attributed to inconsistency and poor fielding. Batting stalwarts such as Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli lacked lustre. Similarly, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and other the bowlers could not stall the Australian runmakers. India’s defeat became foreseeable once they lost the toss and were sent to bat first.

A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati

Sir — India had a dream run at the World Cup until the final clash with Australia. The Aussies choked the Indian batsmen with their impeccable fielding. Moreover, young players like Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav crumbled under the pressure of the finals. But they cannot be blamed for it given their inexperience.

S. Kamat, Alto Santa Cruz, Goa

Sir — Team India should not have included junior cricketers such as Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav in the Playing XI in the World Cup final. They were too inexperienced to handle the gravity and the pressure of a match involving such high stakes.

Fakhrul Alam, Calcutta

Sir — Australia must be congratulated for scripting a memorable victory against India in the World Cup final (“THE WINVINCIBLES”, Nov 20). Cricket is a game of uncertainties. In spite of the two teams being evenly matched, it was clearly Australia’s day on Sunday. The Kangaroos put up a formidable performance in all three sectors — batting, bowling and fielding — to rein in Rohit Sharma’s men.

Despite the loss of three early wickets, the chase of the mere 240 runs set by India looked rather easy for the Men in Yellow. Further, Travis Head’s brilliant 137-run knock
cemented his team’s victory.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — Pat Cummins deserves praise for taking the crucial decision to bowl first after winning the toss (“Rerun of 2003, but Cummins calls it right”, Nov 20). Australia correctly assessed the condition of the pitch and used it to their advantage. For the Indian side, the exclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin weakened India’s bowling attack. The inclusion of Suryakumar Yadav, who has been performing poorly, was a wrong decision. On the other hand, Australia’s fielding was perfect. The wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli turned the tide in the favour of the Aussies.

Auish Srikanth, Chennai

Sir — Australia’s comeback in the final matches of the World Cup despite languishing in the bottom half of the points table in the early stages of the tournament was extraordinary. The Aussies’ gentle behaviour in the presence of the home crowd was an example of professionalism. This is in stark contrast to past games where the Aussies were criticised for their rude behaviour on the field. Pat Cummins should be credited not only for his shrewd leadership but also for bringing about such a moral transformation within the team.

Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta

Sir — If India had won the World Cup, the Bharatiya Janata Party would have
certainly credited the victory to the prime minister, Narendra Modi. Modi has not found time to address some of the burning issues — the crisis in Manipur and the tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand are a few examples — which deserve his immediate attention. His presence at the final was irresponsible.

M. Zakir Hussain, Kazipet, Telangana