Each time a debutant manages to last one over and sneaks in a boundary or two or a new bowler beats the opposition No. 10's bat, panegyrics abound. The new messiah has arrived to rescue Indian cricket. Oh joy!
Look, we don't wish to be overly cynical, but can we help it? Here's our list of 11 players who burnt out even before they started a fire. And, yes, each of them was touted as the panacea to our cricketing ills.
I. Wasim Jaffer: The Bombay hype machine made him into the opener India awaited. He'd face the McGraths, Akhtars and Donalds and make them cry uncle. And what was the result? Desultory outings against the Springboks in home soil and hello wastebasket.
2. Dewang Gandhi: Even a transplanted Gujju can be eulogised by the Bongs. Proof enough in Gandhi's brief sojourn at the crease. In keeping with his name, he did the ball no violence. In Australia, he started his own Quit Batting movement that led straight back to the pavilion. Forget about seeking the new Gavaskar, even a Chetan Chauhan would do.
3. Rohan Gavaskar: On that last point about seeking a new Gavaskar, forget this one's surname, despite media pundits and their plaudits. What we got instead was a left-handed middle order journeyman who befuddled all armchair geneticists.
4. Hrishikesh Kanitkar: Came blazing on to the scene against the Aussies in India. Managed a 50, a few wickets and, most importantly, a couple of ad contracts. That was before it became apparent that his blend of bland all-round play would make Robin Singh seem a Garfield Sobers.
5. Vijay Bhardwaj: A man-of-the-series in Nairobi and Kapil Dev described him as an offie who could prove an inning-wrecker Down Under. And he went down under and further under despite the Kannadiga cabal and magazine puff jobs.
6. Amay Khurasia: A 50 on one-day debut. A decent enough batsman on his day. But has the stamina of a 90-year-old under anaesthesia. Was in the Indian World Cup squad. Or was he? It's so difficult to remember.
7. MSK Prasad: Nayan Mongia's replacement. Shone briefly before displaying his iron gloves. Was KOed during the Australia tour. Batted up and down the order but mostly out. Was summarily dismissed. After the Mongia fiasco, Prasad was replaced by one Sameer Dighe who even made Prasad look competent.
8. Laxmi Rattan Shukla: Howrah's answer to Kapil Dev. Played a couple of one-dayers before the selectors decided they'd had enough. Enjoys the dubious distinction of having become a has-been even before he turned 20.
9. Harbhajan Singh: Finally, a match-winning spinner (Kumble is a match-winner but describing him as a spinner is a stretch). Couldn't even exploited doctored Indian pitches and was dumped.
10. David Johnson: Who? Roger Binny's Anglo protégé. Touted as the fastest bowler in the country, now finds it difficult to get into the Karnataka side.
11. Robin Singh: No, not the 37-year-old West Indian transplant, but the burly opening bowler who went to New Zealand and then nowhere. Followed in the glorious footsteps of other Delhi quickies whose international cricket careers were as delightful as the city's pollution.

Note: All right, all right. Despite all this gloom, we can all hope for a change. Right? For the better, not, as has been the case, for the worse. So, good luck to Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan and hope they defy history and our whimsical selectors.

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