By M.R. Narayan Swamy,

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Stung by the humiliating exit from the World Cup following a sound thrashing by Sri Lanka, cricket-crazy India was engulfed in gloom Saturday, with angry fans seeking the sacking of both the national team and its Australian coach Greg Chappell.

The fury against the players was largely vocal but unanimous all across the country where cricket is a virtual religion. But in some places, people took to the streets hurling abuses and burning effigies of players who were worshipped as national heroes until only a week ago.

From Mumbai, the home of many of India's top cricket stars, to national capital New Delhi, from the Kashmir Valley in the northern tip to Kerala in the south, and all the way from Gujarat to Assam, the reaction was the same: skipper Rahul Dravid and his much-fancied players had let India down, and very badly at that.

For the first time in India's cricketing history, police guards were posted outside the Mumbai house of Sachin Tendulkar fearing angry fans might turn even against one who has been compared to Don Bradman.

"We should disband this team," said K.V. Bhaskaran, an employee of a private company in New Delhi who sat through the night watching India go down meekly. "I feel ashamed. The whole lot should be kicked out. We need a fresh team."

"Indian players have intruded into our homes through advertisements. They must go back to the ground and work hand," said Ranchi resident Sumit Sen, reflecting a widely shared view that the cricketers seemed to be more keen to become quick millionaires by featuring on TV and print media advertisements.

The fact that the Indian team did not look even fighting fit while taking on Sri Lanka at Port of Spain Friday and that two of its supposedly batting stars - Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni - got out for ducks was something that upset almost everyone.

Dhoni's hometown Ranchi was tense Saturday, and the police quickly deployed guards at his house, fearing a repetition of the attack that followed the earlier and equally shameful defeat of India to Bangladesh.

Although there was no violence, hundreds of disappointed and bitter cricket lovers marched through Ranchi's streets shouting "Dhoni Murdabad!" "Team India Murdabad!" One hastily scribbled poster carried by the marchers read: "Cricket has been murdered!"

Similar protests took place in places such as Faridabad, near Delhi, and Jammu. Posters of players were defaced in Kolkata, and effigies were burnt in many places. In Bhopal, a huge crowd took out a "funeral procession" of Team India.

Even newspapers featuring players' photographs were torched.

After winning the toss, Dravid put Sri Lanka to bat. The islanders notched up 255 despite some good bowling. But the Indian batting simply collapsed, barring a few exceptions, bundled out for a paltry 185 in just 43.3 overs.

Across India, the millions who were glued to their televisions from Friday evening began to switch off their sets in disgust once it became clear that the team was set to lose - and exit from the World Cup too.

"All that this team is good at is appearing in television commercials and making money. We don't want them, we want a team that delivers," said Renni Thomas, a financial consultant in Mumbai. Unwilling to take chances, the authorities beefed up security outside the residences of Sachin Tendulkar and Ajit Agarkar.

"The team is a national disaster. They do not deserve to continue," Thomas said.

Said a senior executive with an advertising agency, also in Mumbai: "Over Rs.30 billion was riding on the Indian team, and they have done nothing but disappoint both fans and corporate houses. With India's exit, corporate India is going to take a severe beating."

Hemant Kale, a third year college student, vented his anger: "It was a simple batting track and Rahul and his boys could not even last the entire 50 overs. It was not only a disaster, but a big shame for the country."

The cricketing fraternity of Kolkata was downcast. The only player they were willing to forgive was local talent Sourav Ganguly, whose removal first from the team and then captaincy has never been forgiven by the city.

"It is a sad day for us, a sad day for Indian cricket," said West Bengal's upcoming cricketer Ranadeb Bose.

Dravid came under severe criticism. "He was never, ever meant to be a captain, and this was proved against Sri Lanka though he himself scored 60. His captaincy is weak," fumed Ramanuj, a teenager. "Chappell was the biggest mistake of Indian cricket and Dravid's weak captaincy completed the rest."

The mood in northern India was much more bitter. Without naming him, many demanded that Tendulkar should not be allowed to remain in the team any further after Friday's rout.

School cricket team coach Devinder Singh was scathing in Chandigarh. "I think the present team is fit only to play Bermuda, the Netherlands and Scotland. Let's us have a series with these teams, that too on Indian pitches," he said sarcastically.

"I am so disappointed with Dhoni!" said Raima Sharma in New Delhi. "Our players just don't have the killing spirit. Look at the body language of the Sri Lankan players. They simply refuse to give up."

Said Ramani Sharma, a young cricketer in Guwahati: "Some of the senior players should be shown the door along with Chappell. It is a shame not to have progressed beyond the league stage."

"Rahul Dravid is not a good leader and should be removed immediately, and Chappell should be asked to quit," said Dhaniram Hazarika, a veteran cricketer in the northeastern city.

"It was pathetic," said Indian cricket board vice president Shashank Manohar in Nagpur. He said players must not be selected any more on the basis of past glory. He said more and more promising youngsters should be selected and given international exposure for two years before including them in the national side.

Bhubaneswar-based lawyer Ramesh Sahani said: "It is time the players are changed. We need new faces."

(Contributions to this story came from F. Ahmed, Jaideep Sarin, Sharat Pradhan, Nityanand Shukla, Sujoy Dhar, Syed Zarir Hussain, Probir Pramanik, Anil Sharma, Azera Rehman, Sanu George, Shyam Pandharipande, Jatindra Dash.)