Time for India to start taking sports very seriously to leap ahead

German Chancellor Angela Merkel did have a sleepless night on Saturday. But it was not because she was stressing over whether she should meet PM Narendra Modi in Berlin or be there in Rio to watch Germany play against Argentina in the World Cup final.

For those who thought that Merkel would junk the opportunity of watching her country become the first European nation to lift the World Cup in Latin America, it's time they learnt successful economies, like successful people, play as hard as they work hard.

As far as the German work ethic goes, they take their sports very seriously. Indian mandarins in New Delhi and Berlin should see one silver lining in this muffed attempt to make Modi meet the leader of Europe's most successful economy in Germany instead of in Brazil, where he could have easily gone a couple of days earlier than scheduled: that Indian leaders and their retinue should understand the hard charms of soft power.

While Ms Merkel celebrates Germany becoming world football champions, Mr Modi should learn how to chill. It's still not too late. His BRICS summit schedule allows him to be at Lord's on Friday, the second day of the second England-India Test match.

It's the day after business gets over in Fortaleza. So his people should check whether David Cameron is available. And they should check right now.