Sach fine moments...

Of course this is going to be Tendulkar.

I belong to that era where worshiping cricketers was deemed normal behaviour. Unlike most of my generation though, I chose Dravid as my God. But, I don't belong to the class of Dravid-worshipers who spend their free time discovering motives to hate Tendulkar. I love him. I adore him. As any sane cricket lover would.

I was part of the generation that switched off it's television sets when he got out. It's certainly something you could understand only if you've experienced it. The despair that crept in when he got out can't be explained in words.

Whether you liked him or not, he gave us innumerable memories. Here are a few 'Sach' moments that I will cherish all my life.

• I am sure you guessed this. Desert Storm, of course. 22nd April 1998. India have one win in the league matches. New Zealand, the 3rd team have one win. India had to better New Zealand's net run rate to qualify for the final against Australia. Australia batted first. Mark Waugh made a fine 80 and Bevan sank a few hearts with a century. One dashing opener, 2 days short of turning 25 (and already a senior player in the squad) did everything he could to heal all broken hearts. India needed 285 for a win and 254 to qualify for the final. A desert storm struck in between with Tendulkar in Godly form. He took a particular liking to Kasprowicz, who went missing for a long time after this tournament. The target was revised to 276 and 237 to qualify for the final. After playing a blinder, Tendulkar finished at 142 edging behind to Gilchrist off Fleming (he walked). The second highest score was 35. When he got out, India were 242-5, in the final, needing 34 of 18 to win, they made 8. He would make another century in the final and win the tournament for India, if it was Kasprowicz who suffered this game, it would be Warne in the next. For some reason, the century that helped India get to the final stays in memory more than the one that won the cup.

• Another moment I will hold, not because it was very significant, but because it was probably the first time a cricket match made me cry. India vs Sri Lanka in the 96 World Cup in Delhi. Tendulkar struck a wonderful 137 of 137 balls with support from Azhar. Jayasuriya made the total a small matter and Sri Lanka won with 8 balls to spare. Sanath Jayasuriya won the Man of the Match and it was an age when I did not completely understand the concept of MoM awards. I cried because Tendulkar did not get it.

• He made 50 of 52 in this game. India made 250. If twitter had been available back then, this day would have been the birthday of the #NehraisGod hashtag. But… the most lasting memory of this game was that one six Sachin Tendulkar hit off Andrew Caddick. Two days before the match, Caddick made the mistake of suggesting that his team was not really thinking of any one batsman, and that Sachin Tendulkar was “just another batsman”. Tendulkar duly obliged and gracefully launched Caddick into orbit. I doubt if even Lacuna, Inc. can erase this memory from my head.

• A contest you wouldn't have imagined likely. Tendulkar vs Olonga. With both teams in the final already, the last league game was just a formality. Both teams tested their reserves and Olonga shone. He picked the top 4 and was the talk of the cricket-watching fraternity. The final, where Olonga carried a huge burden of pressure, ended up giving away 50 runs in the 6 overs he bowled. India won by 10 wickets chasing down 196 in 30 overs. Tendulkar and Ganguly walked back with 124* (92) and 63*(90). It was brutal!
• Tendulkar vs Steyn. The best bowler in the business against the might of the best test team of the time. Centurion. Steyn was breathing fire. Nobody could face the heat. Sehwag went first, with a mis-timed drive to Smith. Few could stand the menacing Steyn and Tendulkar scored a century in which every run was hard earned. He was beaten by Steyn on many occasions. Pujara got a delivery from hell, Dhoni’s feet were cemented. Only Tendulkar could face him. The cricket was intense, and even an Indian fan couldn't help but admire the beauties that Steyn kept churning. And Tendulkar withstood all of it.

• This list is not going to be complete without that upper cut off Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup, is it? 9 runs of the 1^st over from Akram; Sehwag and Tendulkar steal a single off an Akhtar wide. I will copy this text from the cricinfo article on what followed, because it is beautiful and I don’t possess the skill to translate my excitement and love for it

Facing a handsome target, Tendulkar shed his pent-up anxiety with three strokes in Shoaib's opening over to jumpstart a classic innings. The first of them - reaching out (were he not so pumped up, he would have surely let it pass for a wide), at once cutting and tipping, very high over the square third-man boundary - would become an icon, for cricketing merit; its sheer thrill, and nationalist symbolism, a sort of belated rebuff to the Miandad six.

The second stroke was his lovely trademark - back in the crease and with swirling wrists diverting a reasonable delivery to square leg. But the third shot - the third shot.

A little trot across to off stump, block, down the ground to the on, four. No back-lift, no follow-through: none needed. I have never seen such a concisely expressed cricket stroke. He simply met the ball and the entire execution began there and finished there. And by now the crowd, the most vividly alive of the tournament, had gone quite wild. Visually it was like a cinematic special effect: everything moved in a blur - flags, roars, horns, waves, the ball, Shoaib - and amid it Sachin and his pure stroke appeared magically frozen.

• The mother of all heartbreaks! The 136 in Chennai. Battling a back pain, against Pakistan; in (probably) his favourite ground. A duck in the first innings followed by an immortal knock in the 2^nd. Put up a brilliant 136 run partnership with Mongia and got out with India needing 17 runs and 3 wickets in hand. India managed to lose by 12 runs. Sachin refused to come out and collect his Man of the Match award.
• Gwalior. 200. The 1st time. No one will ever look up to the skies anymore. I'll miss that too.

• Probably among his most fluid centuries was the one in Chennai against England immediately after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A 100 in a successful chase in the 4th innings, is indeed, special!
• The 116 in Melbourne was lovely to watch. Wickets falling around him like bowling pins. Only he stood a midst the storm. The team made 212. Australia won by 180 runs.
• And then, this.

• And finally...

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Thank you for everything! Thank your being part of a lovely generation of cricketers. Thank you for being part of a wonderful game. Thank you for leaving and making cricket 'just another game'.

 

Tennis and I

Sidvee wrote this beautiful piece titled Federer, Nadal and a fan's agony. I made a comment on it,a nd it turned out to be just as big as a blog post. Here is what I had written:

Tennis is pure joy. Being an Indian who blindly picks India in any team sport and an Indian in any individual sport to support; there was no such pressure to pick a fav in tennis. Or so I thought. Back when we were a joint family in the late 80s when my age had not even reached double figures; started watching tennis sitting between Dad and his younger brother. It was only Wimbledon back then. Dad was for Becker while Uncle was for Edberg. I picked Edberg cos the sound of “Sweden” seemed sweeter than “Germany”. Then came the time when I started understanding a bit of tennis. There were two blokes who the entire tennis watching world were divided upon: Pete and Andre; everyone spoke only about these two which didn’t impress me. There was one lad who wore a white shirt that had a bit of pink on it that I had my eyes on. This lad used to finish games at a blink of an eye. All the chair umpire announced was “15-0; 30-0; 40-0; Game Ivanisevic” I decided on him. The 92 Wimbledon final was my first taste of pain, this came even before feeling the pain of an Indian cricket team’s loss. That was the first time I watched a 5-setter without losing patience. Loads of heartbreaks followed. 94 Aus Open, 94 Wimbledon, 94 French Open (which lead to an all-Spaniard best friends final which I’ll never forget!), 96 USO, 97 Aus Open and for the last time 98 Wimbledon. That he beat Krajicek in the SF and took the fight to 5 sets against the grandmaster of Grass was heartening. I knew and felt the crown wasn’t far. 2001 was a dream. One guy from Switzerland with a ponytail was commanding and dominating the king of grass, I had him bookmarked for later viewing. There was one love story waiting to reach a peak. It happened, that late evening; I fell on my knees just as he fell face down. I had tears of joy for a sportsman winning a tournament. i don’t remember something of that sort ever happening to me before. And then, I re-visited the bookmark and a love story of sorts still continues. The grace, The RF, That white against the green grass, that playing between the legs that Goran used to do. The recent pains; the recent bouts of cluelessness against the arch nemesis, the emergence of a a triangle. Rivalries need to thrive. Nadal and Federer complement each other. They need each other to bring out that dormant dragon. As you rightly pointed out, every Federer fan needs Nadal, every Indian fan needs Pakistan, every Aussie fan needs the Kiwis.

The day I dreaded

March 9th, 2012. I was dreading this day ever since Dravid got out, bowled off Pattinson at MCG for 10 after a scratchy 68 in the 1st innings. It was a minor, a very small fear that crept in, but it has been long since I felt insecure about Dravid. The whole world saw what followed. He was cleaned up in every outing that followed except one. I don't bother to remember these statistics of Dravid. The days that followed Day 1 of SCG were the first when I really stopped following a cricket match intently. Especially, matches involving India. Surprisingly, matches that featured Rahul Dravid. I was getting a little fearful if I had started losing trust in my hero. I had subscribed to sms updates from cricinfo's twitter feed, they never failed to let me know how Dravid was getting alarmingly consistent at getting bowled out.
I can't imagine, for the life of me, how the 13-year old me started loving a man who spent most of his time at the crease ducking and and leaving and dead-batting ahead of the God of a cricket-crazed country. How did the sight of this taller figure offer me more composure than the Little Master? I will never know an answer to this mystery. Now, thousands would like to debate Dravid vs Tendulkar, but not me, I don't belong there. The day Tendulkar decides to retire; I will have a lot of fond memories to cherish, I will look on at the press conference, with a sad smile, maybe a happy tear or two will trickle down, thinking of those lustrous straight drives. He will not make me want to cry for him. But this man who has retired today, makes me want to cry. He makes me want to think he deserves the tears.
Now, its this thought; just this thought: what on earth is going to have me sit back relaxed when India are 2/1 or 14/1 or 60/1 or 148/1? The familiar figure that strolled out into the middle so impeccably with a grim determination on the face that was as assuring as a patronus chasing away the dementors is a scene that I can no longer see?
I gave up arguing with those who did not understand about his strike rates. I gave up the verbal tussles that broke out whenever anyone called the ducks and the leaves and the dead bats boring. What did they understand about the beauty of test cricket anyway? What did they know about surviving and patience and winning sessions? Winning the little battles that eventually lead to winning the war and conquering?
Why oh why do all good things have to come to an end
This has not really sunk in. This will sink in and sting when India are one down in a test match next time. He could have so easily allowed himself a farewell series. This is what he had to say about it though; "Just to keep playing for the sake of playing just one Test match, I didn't think was right" That, pretty much tells you everything that he is. Tells you why I have had no bigger obsession since 1996. Tells you why I simply cant revere anyone more in the years to come.
The Champ. The Rockstar. The Legend! Even though a Thank you won't ever suffice, I can't think of anything else to say. Thank you Jammy!!

39...

Rahul Dravid turned 39 today. He is a beleaguered batsman of a beleaguered unit. He was the first person to the nets today. About 15 minutes into his throw downs, with no other Indian players around the practice pitches, Dravid was approached by the media manager and asked to address a press conference.

What you see in italics above is an excerpt from today's cricinfo article written by Sid Monga. Just for the record, he happens to be my favourite author on cricinfo; just for the amount of poetry that goes into every Dravid article he writes.

Back in 1996, at the "Home of Cricket", two young gentlemen made their debut for India. One man batted at no.3 and made 131; another batted at no.7 and made 95. The two debutantes shared a partnership of 94 runs. My eldest cousin sister was getting married that day; the marriage hall had a TV in one of the rooms in the upper floors; something about him, kept me glued to the TV set. I was 12, cricket was just another sport back then; but still he made me watch; like the rest of the World; I paid no heed to the man at the other end!

And from that day on, whenever Rahul Dravid did something extraordinary; which was most of the time, the spotlight always shone on someone else. How and when Dada overtook Sachin as my favourite player; how and when Dravid overtook Dada as my favourite player, I will never know.

It was the '99 World Cup, when I challenged my Uncle without knowing what I was getting into; that Dravid would be the best performer. He commented saying Dravid was only good for eating Jam, that was the time when he featured in the Kissan Jam advertisements :). I am unsure if that comment triggered the affection, or the challenge, or the overwhelming joy that he fulfilled my challenge!

To this day; Rahul Dravid is the only cricketer for whom I have had an overwhelming affection. I had; and still have a passion for Dada; he is the best thing to have happened to Indian Cricket ever! Sachin; if you are born in India and if you like cricket and if you don't like him, you are insane. There are a lot who claim him to be selfish, useless, scores in lost causes only; yes, they are all insane!

Rahul Dravid, is a fighter. Each and every century he has scored can be used as a lesson for life. The fluency in some of those knocks; the support provided to a flourishing batsman; the struggle he undergoes in constructing some of those innings. There is a lesson to be learnt in every knock.

At 38; 2011 has been the best year for him. It all started with that dogged century he made in a winning cause at Jamaica. Then came a tour that the country will want to forget. I would have enjoyed the tour if I was ONLY a Dravid fan. Like him, I happen to love the team too, all his spectacular contributions were eclipsed. When usually his contributions are eclipsed by a bigger contribution from someone else, this time it was eclipsed by embarrassing losses.

Nonetheless; at 39; when someone has nothing left to prove to anyone, he still turns up first to practice, when he still wants to learn and correct his mistakes; how can anyone not like him!

Signing off with all the hope for one more special Dravid innings. For the sake of the team. For the sake of the fan. For the sake of the game...

India.. Down and Under?

Yes.

It’s over. Look at them on the field. Look at the body language. Look at the lack of confidence. Look at those field settings. Look at the captain. Does it remind you of something that happened in Jul-Sep  2011? It should.

I, personally am already waiting for the ‘no away test for two years’ season to begin. We can all happily watch the “young guns” being ‘glorified’ on the flat tracks at home! They will score close to 3000 runs in the next two years and go for an away test as heroes and return with nothing to show. Another spectacular home series will wipe the bitter memories away!

This is not the side that pounces and catches the opponent off guard. This is not the side that crouches before pouncing. That side had an enigmatic leader who never let shoulders droop. All you Ganguly haters, it’s there for you to see in plain sight. Look what the side was before him, look what it was when he was the skipper, and look what it is after him! Hate Ganguly, but respect him for what he has done! It’s not his fault we are not able to carry on after his time.

Whatever happens in this test match / series; day 1 of SCG will not be forgotten.

India.. Down and Under? Not Quite.. Not Yet.. (We Hope..)

First of all, apologies for the long and sucky title. Not that I always come up with some catchy and innovative titles; but today, definitely not.
What happened today at the MCG was quite stinging. So stinging to the point of getting me to blog about it!
Something like this was bound to happen at some point in the match and even though I was totally ready for it; I couldn’t really accept what I was seeing. Look at the scoreboard; Australia won by 122 runs. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO! That’s a huge margin; but wait, India were not THAT bad in this match. Which is where the problem for your average Indian cricket fan starts. If this had happened on the boxing day test of 1999; all our heads would have been high; “we gave them a fight” “we looked into their eye” “we fought our way”.
(Un)fortunately, an Australian tour in 2003 changed all that. A bunch of boys went under the captaincy of an enigmatic leader and silenced the cricketing world. A drawn series against the indomitable Aussies. This changed the average Indian fan’s expectations dynamically. It changed so much that a 1-2 loss in 2007-08 was a disappointment, but it was taken because of the SCG fiasco.
Why did the average Indian fan expect India to win in Australia after the series I want to forget about?
1. (s)he is crazy like that
2. India had some nice bowling talent coming into the frame with Zaheer Khan fast emerging as one of the best in the world.
3. Formidable batting unit
4. Inexperienced Aussie bowling
5. Waning Aussie batting
To be entirely honest, when Clarke won the toss and failed to put India in; I was sure this was either an Indian victory or a draw. I was sure this was the time to shed the “poor starters” tag. Lo and behold; we get a perfect test match for 3 days. No clear winner in sight. One team goes on top; the opponent then pulls the rug violently from under their feet and goes on top.. and this goes on… A great advertisement for test cricket for 3 beautiful days. And then the rug is pulled from under the feet of the average Indian cricket fan; what a fall! One session was all that was needed to let go of all the hard work; to give up all the fight. I will never understand them!
I am not going to go into the details of when happened what, where the match turned or anything of that sort. This is a rant; not a report.
In order to not sound entirely negative, there were a few positives to take in:
1. SRT was at his fluent best in both innings; augers well for the series.
2. Zaheer Khan in menacing form; looks a lot fitter.. Lean and mean if you want it to sound cool.
3. Ishanth Sharma: pacy and fluent.
4. Umesh Yadav: easily the find of the series; raw pace and good lines.
Negatives, apart from the usual I mean:
1. Rahul Dravid’s laboured 68 was not a good sight at all. Add to that a dropped sitter, you start fretting about the best ever hope you have.
2. Laxman needs to find his feet real quick, though he has never been good at the MCG; his away form is starting to creep in some concerns
3. Gambhir; may start feeling the heat if he does not contribute at SCG.
With talks of Harris making a comeback at SCG; it’s a big blow even before India travel to Sydney! There was so much hype about Shaun Tait before the 2008 Perth test; but he got hammered to all parts of the WACA; is this the same India though?
Despite the setback; the average Indian fan continues to hope. Because (s)he is crazy like that!

The Sachin Tendulkar of the Indian Bowling

It is no secret that the Indian bowling has never looked to threaten any batting line-up in the world at any point of time in their vivid history. Having said this, the Indian bowling ranks have consistently had one bowler who has distinctly stood out and performed brilliantly putting aside the fact that he can by no means depend on the rest of the bowling unit.

The latest on this long list of consistent and outstanding performers on this list is, I am sure you guessed it right; Zaheer Khan!

One is reminded of a rash 25 year old that ran in to bowl to a strong Australian batting line-up in a World Cup final. Zaheer Khan is now a very different bowler and person; he has indeed matured and come a very long way. The Zaheer of today has an excellent control, restraint and has the wonderful knack getting what he wants from the delivery he bowls.

The wide spectrum of frustrated Indian fans who have complained about the pathetic state of the Indian bowling contingent will be surprised to learn the fact that Zaheer Khan currently has the second leading wicket taker behind Shahid Afridi. This, amidst the pressure of having the most incompetent and non-cooperative bowling partners he has to share the ball with. One has to say, Zaheer has shouldered responsibility quite brilliantly.

This World Cup has seen Zaheer come to the rescue over and over again. The first over of most of his second spells with the old ball have been nothing short of phenomenal and have been largely responsible for turning the games in India’s favour.

There are loads of spectacular bowlers out there; Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, Lasith Malinga, Kemar Roach, James Anderson, Stuart Broad to name a few; but they all have an undue advantage over Zaheer Khan, they have other competent bowlers to share the burden of responsibility; but what has Zaheer Khan got? – Munaf Patel, Aashish Nehra, Santhakumaran Sreesanth! The only other player who Zaheer can rely on to an extent (as long as the ball is new and shiny) is Praveen Kumar who unfortunately is not playing in this World Cup.

This Zaheer Khan is a person who shoulders responsibility knowing fully well only he can deliver and fish his team out of troubled waters, which made him utter these words; maybe they just slipped, or it came out of pure frustration of lack of support after the match against West Indies: “As a bowling unit, I am doing well”.

This post comes with me fully knowing there maybe a chance some people may be reading this after Zaheer Khan takes a pasting against Australia; but I trust the Sachin Tendulkar of the Indian bowling to not do that!