So long, Rahul

After days of mourning the end of an era, reading umpteen tributes, watching his videos on Youtube trying to fathom what has hit us, the feeling has slowly sunk in. I did not want to rush in to writing this tribute. It is easy to get carried away when you are emotional. So I waited for the feeling to sink in and then captured my thoughts on the champion cricketer, Rahul Dravid, in this piece.

Dravid’s retirement has made me think a lot. I have never given so much thought to a retirement. I did feel bad when Lara, Warne, Kumble left. But Rahul has left an indelible impression in the hearts of his fans. Sachin was God’s gift to the game; he was destined to be the most celebrated cricketer there ever was. He won over millions of fans worldwide in a short span of time but Rahul's connection with his fans is like a personal relationship one builds over time. It has been a process. He has methodically made his way into the hearts of his fans. This relationship has grown stronger with every innings of his. He may have been a quick favourite of the purists, of the previous generation fan (the Gavaskar, GR Vishwanath era), but he made viewers of my generation understand the importance of virtues like patience, grit and determination with every innings he played. As the young Indian fan grew up, he began to realize and appreciate what Dravid brings to the game. It is no surprise that today, people of all age groups are, in unison, saluting him. The reactions from fans worldwide on a popular cricket coverage site are testimony to the fact that Dravid has touched their lives at an emotional level. It seems he is finally getting the glory that was due him, albeit after retirement. When such a person departs from the game, it is indeed shattering for the stranded fans.

Dravid’s accomplishments as an all-round cricketer in the ODI and Test arena truly justify that he is one of the modern greats of cricket. For a player of his caliber and who has played for sixteen years, these astonishing statistics are expected (as Rahul himself suggests). So I don’t want to dwell too much into the statistics, for they spring up those unending “who is greater than whom” kind of debates. I just want to point out one very important number here though - Dravid has been involved in the most century partnerships (88) in Test cricket. This for me exemplifies his brand of game, his reassuring presence at the crease (as said by Anil Kumble). It shows that batsmen feel more secure with Dravid at the other end and hence play with more confidence. Cricket is a team game and partnerships are more important than individual heroics. That’s Rahul, the ultimate team man.

Such has been his impact that it has always been heart warming to just see him take guard at the fall of the first wicket, let alone start stroking the ball. He is regarded as the most technically sound batsman of his generation, the last of the classical batsmen. For me, he is the only batsman who has given life to the pictures painted in my mind by my father about the great batsmen of his generation - Dravid is the link that binds generations of batsmen and fans alike. That’s Rahul, the evergreen purist.

Rahul’s career coincided with another very similar player – Jacques Kallis. Rahul and Kallis symbolize the beauty of Test cricket in the purest of forms. Patience, hard work, temperament, elegance have become synonymous with their style of playing cricket. There is another reason I mention Kallis here. He serves as the best example to explain what Rahul means to the Indian team. It is sometimes easy to overlook your own strengths and worry about the opposition’s strengths. So, if you are an Indian and did not understand Rahul’s importance to the team, just imagine what Kallis’ wicket meant for India. That is what Rahul’s wicket meant (or perhaps more depending on the situation) for the opposition. While still on Kallis, would like to mention that it was bliss for the fans watching them together playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. Aesthetics was the name of their partnerships.

For years, Rahul and Sachin forged one of the greatest batting partnerships. Many images come to mind when I recall the hard fought battles they faced innumerable times to save/win a match for India. It was all a fan could ask for - Sachin and Dravid batting together. Though one could see every possible cricketing shot played with poetic beauty, a completely different picture will remain in my mind forever - the mid pitch silent conversations they had at the end of an over or during a break. They would stand staring at the pitch, deeply engrossed in thought, completely aware that they had to be equal to the challenge posed by the opposition once the next over began. It showed that they connected mentally. Each knew how important their partnership was for the team. That image (try to paint it in your mind), for me, symbolizes their worth for Indian cricket for the last sixteen years.

It is an emotional time for the fan when legends retire. But in the case of Dravid, it is all the more difficult for the feeling to sink in, for he scaled greater heights as a dignified cricketer. Anil Kumble called him an exceptional student of the game; I feel he has become a lesson of the game in himself. Every cricketer ought to learn how to carry forward the game in a humble, graceful and passionate manner from Rahul Dravid.

Thank you Rahul for upholding the Gentleman’s game in the best possible fashion. You have earned both love and respect of people around the world - a feat not too many cricketers have acheived. Will miss you and that elegant on-drive.

Getting ready for Thunder Down Under

It is here. The series that matters most to many Indian cricket fans. India in Australia is ‘mind blasting’ if I may borrow a line from a TV commercial, but as I see it, India in Australia is never going to be the same again. In all likeliness, this is the last tour Down Under for the triumvirate of Sachin, Rahul and VVS. Zaheer Khan may also not be around for the next time we tour Australia. So, this is the final chance for the celebrated Indian middle order and India’s pace spearhead to conquer the Aussies in their backyard. This is the final battle between these Indian greats and their Aussie counterparts (Ponting, Hussey, and Clarke) to put an end to the many tussles they have had over the last decade and go down in the history books as the ones who came out on top. As Rahul Dravid pointed out in his Bradman Oration, India have to prove that the whitewash loss in England this year was just an aberration. Australia on the other hand are in a rebuilding phase and this might just be India’s best chance to win in Australia.

There is something special about cricket in Australia. Why is it that most cricket pictures imprinted in my mind are of cricket played on this land? Is it the quality of the telecast, the wonderful commentary team of Australia, the heated arguments between Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Chappell with Harsha Bhogle playing the peace maker, the amazing crowd that turn up in huge numbers for Test matches? Perhaps, all these ingredients (and many more) make for a compelling viewing. One may have noticed that Australia has consistently witnessed high percentage of Test matches which have ended in a decisive result compared to the other nations. I don’t remember watching a dull game of Test match in Australia. There is always an exciting passage of play around the corner. One has to give credit to the aggressive brand of cricket Australia play and the result oriented pitches prepared by the groundsmen. The atmosphere created by the crowd, the buzz around the stadium add to the beauty of Test match cricket in the land down under.

Being in India, getting up at 5 in the cozy winter mornings, curled up in a warm blanket in the comfort of the living room and watching Test cricket is something I look forward to every year. These timings are perfect for me because I can watch upto one hour into the post lunch session before heading for work. And just as I make my peace with fewer hours of sleep, the WACA test breaks the rhythm (matches start at around 8am India time).

Back to the Agneepath series, of the last two tours of Australia, if India have to learn something, it is probably about their opening batsmen. The last time India toured Australia (2007-08), they did not have a settled opening pair and Rahul Dravid was made the sacrificial goat (as usual). On the previous tour (2003-04), however, Aakash Chopra and Sehwag performed extremely well occupying the crease and making life a little easy for the celebrated Indian middle order. More recently, Alistair Cook lead the way for the English and was instrumental in their Ashes victory. So, a lot depends on Sehwag and Gambhir this time around, to say the least.

Both the teams now have almost completely different bowling attacks from the ones which played on the last tour. Both India and Australia have young bowling attacks and this series presents a great opportunity for these bowlers to display their Test credentials.

A lot is at stake as far as individual milestones and careers go. Tendulkar’s 100^th century may happen anytime, Laxman’s romance with Australia may touch new heights, Dravid has hit a purple patch and would hope to continue with it, Ponting and Hussey would surely want to have significant impact on the outcome of the series.

Even as I sit back and relax, some of the memories flash in front of the eyes – Ishant’s spirited spell against Ponting, the acrimonious Sydney test, the usual suspects Sachin and Laxman scoring heavily, Dravid hitting the winning runs in Adelaide - I cant wait for the Boxing Day Test to start. Whatever be the result of the series, the Australian summer is here and nothing else matters.

Twenty years of Tendulkar

Rewind to 1989. India had toured Pakistan for a bilateral series where Sachin Tendulkar made his debut. After a one-day match had to be cancelled, an exhibition match was organized between India and Pakistan. Chasing a huge total in a 20 over game, Sachin had the license to break loose and announce himself at the international stage. He smashed the leg spinner, Mushtaq Ahmed (then a young newcomer into the Pakistan side) for a six. The spinner’s mentor Abdul Qadir came up to Sachin and said “Bachchon ko kya mar rahe ho.. humein maar ke dikhao”. Tendulkar seized the opportunity and clobbered him for four sixes in an over. It was an exhibition match nonetheless, but it is remembered to date. India had been blessed with an amazing talent who would go on to be christened “The God of Cricket”.Let us relive this magical batsman’s journey.

After making his debut at the age of sixteen in 1989, Sachin Tendulkar has now completed twenty glorious years in international cricket. Twenty years of purest batting exhibition and almost as many years of being the lone carrier of India’s hopes( particularly in Tests). Fans across the globe have watched him punish bowlers relentlessly, who can only bowl
tirelessly and wait for the genius to commit a mistake. Some bowlers who have committed the mistake of sledging him or trying to get the better of him have had to bear his wrath. Abdul
Qadir is still remembered for that and a certain Mr.Henry Olonga would agree no less. That he has countless and unmatchable records is no surprise, his immeasurable appetite for runs
and sustaining the passion for the game for so long continues to amaze critics and cricket lovers around the globe. The sheer sight of Sachin stepping out of the pavilion to bat makes people switch on to a different mode of life where they forget their worries, commitments and enjoy the treat this genius has in store for them. Surely, he is a part of every cricket lover’s life.

Ever since I started watching cricket, I have not witnessed a bigger personalityin the game than Sachin. Some of his crucial knocks seem to live with us through out our lives. The Chennai test of 1999 against Pakistan where Sachin looked like he was playing for his life battling back spasms would have made any follower ( be it a Pakistani) applaud this man’s greatness. That he did not take India past the finish line would have broken many hearts across the nation. But when Sachin plays, the whole nation is watching. He not only battles with the eleven men on the field, he carries the hopes of a billion people (and growing ..). His countless bashings of Australian bowling attacks are the most cherished ones by Indian fans. The twin centuries at Sharjah, taking Warne to the cleaners (a self confessed Warne admitting he had nightmares of Sachin smashing him to all the corners of the ground), his enthralling contests with McGrath ( perhaps the only bowler who could give Sachin some nervous moments) led to India- Australia encounters being called as Tendulkar vs Australia. And with so much being made of his contests with Australia, there always seemed to be peculiar ways in which he got out (or was adjudged) against them. And these decisions would create huge uproar among fans. One such incident which quickly crosses the mind is when Sachin was adjudjed leg before when a delivery from McGrath did not bounce as much as Sachin expected and hit him on the shoulder when he ducked under it. I remember emails being circulated with graphics trying to prove that the trajectory of the ball was such that there was no way it would take the wickets with it. Another incident which happened in the cricket crazy city of Kolkata showed what Sachin’s dismissal meant to people. India was playing against Pakistan in the Asian test championship in 1999. India was chasing a stiff target with Sachin at the crease. The ball is hit to the deep and the batsmen run across for an easy couple of runs. All of a sudden, a substitute fielder throws the ball from the deep. As his luck would have it, his throw finds the stumps and Sachin is found short after clashing with the bowler( Shoaib Akthar) at the crease. No sooner was he given out by the third umpire, mayhem occurred at the eden gardens with the crowd losing their cool over the controversial run-out. The great maestro came out to pacify the crowd and subsequently India lost. Strange things happen on the cricket field. Every player in his career gets out unluckily at times. But if its Sachin, it seems to be a whole different story altogether. The emotions of people get the better of their mind. Sure, he has given all of us immense joy and something to look forward to every time he steps on to the cricket field.

The 2003 World Cup saw Tendulkar score consistently through the matches and take India to the final. The match against Pakistan where he scored 98(75) was another masterpiece of his. His assault on Shoaib in the first over set the tone for India. Subsequently, India was in the finals with Australia. It seemed like Tendulkar’s claim on the World Cup was inevitable. I cant possibly imagine the pressure on him on the day ofthe finals. India was in the final of a World Cup after 20 years. Tendulkar in terrific form. India collectively as a unit had shown great character. This had to be the time, Tendulkar kissed the World Cup. On the day of the finals however, the inexperience of playing in such a huge match clearly showed on the Indian young bowlers and while they were being battered mercilessly, every Indian would have had hopes so long as India came onto bat. People expect miracles from Sachin. I think the difference between him and other greats is that you ‘expect’ him to create miracles but you only ‘hope’ for miracles from the other batsmen. That day was no different. Tendulkar dispatches McGrath in the first over in pursuit of 360. I remember watching the match and cheering madly when he hit the first four. A sudden rush of adrenaline occurs when you see him take on the Aussies. One suddenly feels a lot more patriotic. The whole nation was expecting another great innings from him. Sadly for them, it was not to be. His miscued shot popped up in the air and that was it. Suddenly, the world seemed to end. But, how much do you expect from him. He has given the nation immense pleasure time and again.



I remember watching a show aired on Doordarshan when he turned 25. A show called “Tendulkar at 25”. While his great innings were being celebrated, a painful thought crossed my mind. I was trying to imagine what would happen when he called it quits. How would a nation come to terms with the fact that they would no longer watch him play for India. How would anyone watch cricket in India. Though it was remotely far then, it is not as far now. But all good things come to an end and so will this genius’ international career. Probably, that’s why they say that nothing is permanent. Probably that’s the way of life. Finally, in a cheerful tone, I feel we all should acknowledge that we have been fortunate that he was born in the same era as us (or the other way round ) to witness one of the greatest cricketers in the history of the game. Here’s expecting a century of centuries and that elusive World Cup.
Leaving you with a quip by the inimitable Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tendulkar.
“1947 ke baad hindustaan mein ek hi cheez achcha hua hai.. Chotu idhar paida hua udhar nahi..”

India - Pakistan...

Well, this is the 'Big' match.. India vs Pakistan. The champions trophy so far has made for good viewing in it that it has been an even contest between the bat and the ball with the pitches offering help for both seamers and spinners. India play their first game today against arch rivals Pakistan. Needless to say, this is a crucial game for both the teams in such a short tournament. The last time they played in SA was in the 2003 World cup game which India won convincingly. Pakistan could boast of a bowling attack that included Wasim, Waqar, Akhtar. Now though, they dont have the 'stars' but Gul and Aamer are a good pair. With Asif likely to make the cut, they definitely have the better fast bowling attack. But again, Pakistan have always faltered at the big stage when it comes to matches with India. I feel its Pak's bowling vs India's batting line-up which will decide the match.
I feel the key palyers to watch out for will be Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for India. Pakistan definitely have the firepower in their bowling which could put more responsibilty on these two Indian batsmen. It ll be interesting to see if the youngsters like Raina, Pathan can cope with the bounce in SA. Another key player who could announce himself on the big stage tonight could be the youngster Umar Akmal. He has shown tremendous temperment in the recent matches against Lanka. He looks a great prospect for Pakistan and what better way to announce yourself than in an India-Pakistan encounter. Lets see what this match has got in store for us.

New look Harsha, Old SA worries

They are calling this tournament the 'test' of the ODI format. It was pleasing to see the crowd at the supersport park, Centurion for the first game of the CT. I strongly feel the 50 over format requires greater skill and determination than the bang bang version of the game. This is the format which exposes the weaknesses/shortcomings of a team or a player. I think the key is to be able to sustain your performance for longer durations. A perfect example is the NZ team which seems to do better as the format gets shorter. Lets see how this CT impacts the 'fate' of the ODI format. I hope better(cricketing and not entertainment) sense prevails.
Coming to the first match between the hosts and the Lankans, SA looked rusty yesterday. Perhaps coming after a long break from int'l cricket, they were left looking for answers to Dilshan's onslaught. But the more worrying question for them, i feel will be their problems with the spinners.
They had not had a look at Ajantha Mendis before this game and as if it was playing on their minds, Smith was foxed by the first delivery bowled by Mendis. Their hopeless record against Shane Warne has often been spoken in the media. Warne reminds me of his favourite bunny Daryll Cullinan and his poor fate. I remember, in a one-day series between the Aussies and the proteas, Cullinan invariably happened to come in at a time when Shane Warne was being brought into the attack. Poor Cullinan dint have any idea of Warne's magic. After falling to Warne continuously without scoring much, Hansie decided to send him as an opener in a game so that he gets settled by the time Warne comes in. It was a funny sight when Mark Taylor brought on Warne for the opening overs and Cullinan could only smile.
Yesterday though, Mendis was probably playing on their minds. The pair of Smith and Kallis was looking splendid in their array of shots. I always enjoy watching Kallis bat. He is such a treat to the eye. A batsman like him makes you want him to go on and on even if you are not supporting his team. That is how perhaps you win fans all over the world. But Kallis ( like Dravid) always seems to succumb to the pressure of scoring quickly. It is rare when he actually gets out to a good bowl or the bowler earns his wicket. Well, it was a good match to kick start the series but pity it had to be disrupted by rain. The Lankans won by the D/L method and made a strong case for a berth in the semis. SA will have to bounce back against the kiwis who are always a threat when it comes to multi-nation tournaments.
Meanwhile, have you noticed the new Harsha Bhogle, after his hair transplantation. Have a look.

Here we go..

Hi all.. so we are all set for the cricketing extravaganza in Champions trophy. I will use this space to bring out my feelings/remarks/comments about the game in general and the champions trophy in particular. This may make for a relaxed reading for those who come back home after a tiring day at the office [:)] We shall try to live the moments of the 2-week long journey the teams will go through. I will try to come up with interesting analysis of the matches. Let me just start with "my favourites" for the tournament.
Well, they are sure going to shed that tag (chokers [:)]) this time. The hosts South Africa are the ones who i feel will get this one in their bag (which rather seems too empty). They sure have the team to do it. One has to realise that they consistently make it to the semi-finals of the ICC tournaments, which is a great feat. Lets just see how it goes for the proteas and the rest of the teams. So, relax and enjoy the cricketing feast. Lets hope this is a great tournament. I will come up with more thoughts soon..
Cya