tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33473632475097198302024-03-13T09:39:06.689-07:00gullycricketblogSome Cricket Points to cover, and some glorious moments in Cricket.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-54231340834780016732022-12-24T03:35:00.007-08:002022-12-25T20:02:01.844-08:00Playing a Straight Bat - Traditional Batting c Modern Batting b T-20 Live?<p> <span style="text-align: justify;">There has always been a riveting talk of
traditional batting being blighted by Modern batting. Some whisper the emphatic
No, while many bellow the affirmative Yes, or perceptually, it could go the
other way. The ongoing craftsmanship vs showmanship game seems to stutter into a
draw. But that showmanship of T20 has ignited different avatars of modern
batting. And there is also the obvious swap of modern batting for traditional
batting in the longer formats of the game.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As an anodyne, the mind connects Viv to T-20
cricket live. You can hold Viv Richards as the archetype of T-20 batting. But
that’s the story of a craftsman come crowd-pleaser soaked in traditional
batting delight. Viv Richards was ace high on traditional bating display. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Talking of the infectious modern batting, the
flip the script moment on the cricket field awaits. White flanneled colts on
the cricket field are a pleasing sight. The roving eyes detect the Cardusian
field setup - two slips, a gully, a point, a cover, a mid-off, a mid-on, a
backward short-leg and a long-leg uttered in Bill Lawry tones.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And then the wrenchingly honest demonstration sticks
in the craw. It takes all of two minutes to go from delight to disappointment. Eyes
travel along the parabolic path of the ball, and yes, the white-flannelled colt
sends the ball to the orbit. Defying the traditional batting logic,
straight-back lift mechanics, feet to the line of the ball theory, shoulder and
elbow led stroke making manual, the batsman at the crease gives you a taste of
white-flannels juxtaposed with the demonic power-aided unconventional modern
batting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was a sort of gushes of joy tinged with blushes
of remorse situation. That a T20 star cloaked in the game’s traditional attire parading modern batting is benumbing. Then finally came the bitter pill to
swallow the oxymoronic reality in cricket. Lads of this generation have twigged
what it takes to play for the art and what it takes to play for the gallery.
And they have unabashedly tickled our fancy on the traditional Test match turf
or your County cricket. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And then the eye of the eagle fell on a batsman
in a County match. It was at that same County cricket that bread-and-buttered
the Gorgeous Graveney, Fiery Fred to the copy-bookish Boycott. Nass, Butch and
Athers came together for a commentary team to hook us all with revelations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Dissection by Masters<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">They weren’t dissecting a toad in a lab nor
they were students. The Masters were on to a spot-on moment when a batsman
erred on the side of modern batting. Blimey, they were caught off guard. They were
wrong-footed by the batsman who was starting on the off-stump. And why the
switch from leg-and-middle to off stump guard?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The slice and dice of that off-stump guard
opened up a school of reflections. The batting reel rolled on and those masters
picked that play behind the ball. As Nasser Hussain, Atherton, and Butcher plumb
the depths, they pick-out the blemish in quick time. As the batsman plays
behind the ball with the bat swing across the line of the ball, Mike Atherton’s
words of caution rings in the ears. Play beside the ball, not behind the ball.
When you play behind the ball, says Ath, your bat comes across the line of the
ball.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Then came Butcher robbing our attention with
his technical eloquence. And what hit Butcher was that batsman’s eyeline. The
batsman’s eyeline was way beyond the off stump even before the ball was
delivered. The batsman was by then a dead duck to that in-swinging delivery. The
batsman had slighted the traditional batting echelon. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were modern colts chancing the off-stump guard
to let go off balls outside their eyeline?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Butch’s finding is this. Batsman starting on
the off stump is going against the fundamentals, to start with, and gifting the
bowler with a huge margin of line to bowl at. There aren’t just three stumps to
bowl at, for the bowler, there is the additional corridor around the off stump
to bowl at that off-stump mounted batsman. Warming up for the verdict, Butch
says the off-stump guard provokes to play across and you heard it right, miss
out on stroke making opportunities on the off side. What used to be a square
cut or a square drive played to a ball outside the off-stump is just an easy
leave or at best a defensive stroke for that off-stump rocker. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And as Atherton laments on ‘The Very Orthodox
becoming the exception than the rule’, fangs of modern batting are catching up
with the modern colts. That’s how they rested their case. Modern batting
promises more hues and colors and an expanding canvas of T20 live cricket
action.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Play straight or Perish – A misnomer?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This yarn radiates sweet memories. There was
this coach observing boys playing in a net session. As he walked to the nets,
he parroted the golden words from the coaching manual all the time. The coach
admonished his students erring in technique with those ‘Play in the V’,
‘straight back lift’ and ‘pick the line and length’ warnings. Sometimes golden
words are repeated to drive home the point. And then you get drilled into
playing with a straight bat, or perish early on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There is a reason. The coach drills in the
traditional batting techniques into the Colts to nurture skills needed to
wither the complex variants of the game – grassy wicket, new ball, turning
deck, swing and seam, cracks in the tracks and much more.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Blame it on fast and free lifestyle, out of the
box thinking, modern batting has muddled the traditional batting forte. Indubitably,
modern batting has more to do with the ‘changed batting techniques’ to suit the
times and taste. Traditional batting, if I may say so, puts emphasis on
resilient defence techniques to survive and thrive in any Test match condition,
and to build an innings from thereon. Modern batting is all about expressing
yourself in your devil-may-care T20 cricket illuminative batting avatar.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What’s playing yourself in, in one form, is a
perishable quality in another.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">An Inch for the Pinch?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Test cricket is not all of a ball and chain.
From witnessing the copybook Boycott and Gavaskar, Test cricket has also
showcased swashbuckling, explosive batsmen. And the gear-change of constructing
an innings to destructing the opponents had seeped into Test cricket long back.
Salim Durani would hit the ball into the stands at the crowd’s roar and request.
Kris Srikkanth came down on the Aussie bowlers like a hurricane in Sydney. Ask
Bob Holland for a start.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But a gambler is altogether a different stock
from a Bohemian. The T-20 Bohemian despises the Test match conventionality for
he has to score at his free will. Mind you, he has no time left. The T-20
Bohemian has sparked the modern batting style and thrust the novelty-painted
out-of-the-ordinary batting into limelight like the T-20 live star playing the behind-the-body
shot or your upper cut. Glen Maxell would vouch for its potential. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This Bohemian has only had his peep into the Test
match arena. Just the peep, so far. Remember Rishabh Pant’s eleventh-hour
squat-come-sleep sweep to ease the Indian nerves during that Brisbane
cliffhanger. Test cricket with T20 cricket live action and modern batting can’t
get better. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">When instinct took over, Sachin played that
upper cut in a Test Match. He was putting the demons of Nitini & Co’s persistent
bouncers to rest. Remember Sachin was taught to value his wicket, grounded in
solid traditional batting techniques. If you are bounced hard, days past displayed
the get on top-of-the-ball approach. Modern batting inspires you to get under
the ball and play your upper cut.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Not All is Lost<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">No flip out for now, for the flip-the-script
T20 live game that starred India and Pakistan world-cup encounter sent the
traditionalists on raptures. King K played a sublime innings soaked in
traditional batting techniques to seal a win. To say he was staring at a
take-a-wild-heave-at-every-ball situation is an understatement. The 22-yards
and a catch situation did bring out a special moment. Indeed, King K was not
going to desert the orthodoxies of the batting art while pelting, hoicking,
plastering, hoisting deliveries for the maximum. It was as adrenaline-pumping
display as it was classical. The traditional shades of a T-20 live game keep the
hopes alive while Tolkien’s quote puts a ring of truth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">All that is gold does
not glitter;<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Not all who wander are
lost.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The old that is strong
does not wither.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Deep roots are not
reached by the frost.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Deep Root – Batting ABCs and Patronage <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Deep roots had patrons, and they still do. If
V-game is the apotheosis of traditional batting, then this Little Master stood
as the epitome. Cometh the first hour of a Test match, this Little Master would
gift it to the bowlers, and rightly so. The straight drives and the on-drives
in the V would be a delight to watch. Then he would play on the tired legs of
the bowlers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Little Master would run hard for the
singles. A push into the gaps, and he would morph into a Jackrabbit. Not
without reasons. Running those singles warmed up his legs and then his balletic
footwork would take over. Traditional batting techniques at its heights.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">‘Beautiful, what control’ uttered Bob Simpson.
Not for nothing did Bob glorify Vishy’s batting. Bumped and bounced on the
rising tracks of Australia, GRV’s backfoot-defence stood the test of Thommo’s
short-pitched deliveries. Vishy could drop the ball at his feet. That was in
stark contrast to the Englishmen’s batting display; they were snapped up by the
short-legs and the backward short-legs earlier when Thommo was toiling at his
frightening bouncer barrage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Vishy, 1981, and the Melbourne Test make up for
a heady batting concoction. That delightful 114 from Vishy’s blade takes you to
the batting paradise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lean trot to that
magnificent 114 also had an interesting story. It was Sir Gary Sobers’ sing-song
about ‘playing in the V’ at the start of an innings. And Vishy stuck to those
golden words. When Lillee and Pascoe were breathing fire, GRV went back to the
roots. The initial hour was a revelation of fine-grained, classical V-game that
put all the demons to rest. Vishy even restrained from playing his fancied
square-of-the-wicket play, early on. Gary opened the olden but the golden gate
for this little stroke master.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There are yarns stirring vivid memories of
traditional batting. Pre-lunch session and an opening batsman stranded on mere
six runs. The Sixer Sidhu of the later years was a dodger of stroke play in his
formative years. Fish, swish, and the push, and then the dash to steal an
occasional single was what Sidhu was up to on that morning of the Chepauk Test
match. The debutant, with all his flaws of stingy foot movement was pinning his
faith on the traditional batting techniques. He survived.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And you can find patrons among the big hitters.
Kapil Dev was a head-steady hitter of the ball, and his swivel to play his
famous pull stroke put a ring of traditional batting essence to his
showmanship. Eye-in-the-line of-the ball, economic foot movement and his
trademark on-the-rise cover drives did reek of traditional batting. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Verdict<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The traditional baton has found safe hands. So
far so good. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cue in the Boost ad campaign, and what you can
appreciate is the passing of traditional baton from Sunny Gavaskar to Dravid to
Kohli, or from </span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span color="windowtext" style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">your Boycott to Atherton to Root.
The Root is intact. </span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">F</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span color="windowtext" style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">or</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> all</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span color="windowtext" style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> the polluted pollens of T-20 live </span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">cricket floating in </span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span color="windowtext" style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">the air, </span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">it still can turn out that T</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span color="windowtext" style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">-20 live modern batting</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> just</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span color="windowtext" style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> taints
an apple here and there and not the whole barrel.</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">On the contrary, T-20
cricket live is gloried by pure stroke-making, apart from the sparkling display
of slogs, whips and heaves. SKY is the limit, to take in orthodox batting
manual and expand your repertoire. SKY is a shining example, your Suryakumar
Yadav, does justice to traditional batting even on the T-20 cricket field.</span></span><span class="MsoIntenseEmphasis"><span color="windowtext" style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-90570965927885980052020-09-20T03:50:00.000-07:002020-09-20T03:50:06.332-07:00Lax, 281 Syntax Road, Footwork Avenue, Best-ever Innings, Test Cricket<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Every cricket-obsessed
Indian is mighty proud of this address, take it to be their own. Like the 221-B,
Baker street that drove English men crazy. Unlike the Baker street address that
was home to a fictional yet a popular star, 281 Syntax Road, Footwork Avenue is
home to one of the most popular Indian cricket stars’ unbelievable performance
that bordered on the fictional.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An
unfulfilled drive to genuflect at the altar of Lax, 281 Syntax Road, Footwork
Avenue, Best-ever Innings, Test Cricket and how it came to fruition?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Please,
there is a reason. A pleasant surprise shall we say, when my kid brother huffed
and puffed, retailed the ball-to-ball commentary, or I presumed it to be, of
his meeting with Lax, Very Very Special Cricketer as the world calls him. It
was brilliant and moving. The least it did was to inspire me to celebrate this
281 Syntax Road, Footwork Avenue.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Obviously,
my recounting of the 281 and the Laxman affair will in no way come closer to
the brilliance of scribes who have captured this story brilliantly that they
have become unputdownable reads down the years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This address
also carries many convictions – 281 is a number that haunts Steve and
Australians, Indians don’t knuckle under pressure and there’s a plucky Indian
character to make the seemingly impossible possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nineteen
years on, Lax seems to radiate astonishing brilliance and that’s what my kid
brother found out when he poured his heart out on everything cricket. And yes,
he did go down the ‘road’ and the ‘avenue’ leading to that mesmerizing 281.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Down the Syntax Road<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Aussies
were, up to that moment, breaking Indian batting to pieces. Fade in on Lax as
he walks in. An irrational rise in belief of an Indian revival and an
Australian mental disintegration. Just the blank mind to start with, as Lax
would put it later.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In writing,
you vary the syntax to stress a point. In batting, varied syntax will point to
the stress you are in. It did when Lax and company were staring at an Indian
defeat. This was a ball by ball, session after session and a day after day
syntax woven to bat in duress. Mind you, stress and batsmen are usual
bedfellows in this sort of precarious condition. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mind was his
oyster then. An understatement to say that the dogged defiance stemmed from an
oyster-like defence. And the pearl of 281 was given to us when Lax built that defence
forte against distractions. In writing you should kill all the darlings and in
batting you just have to kill distractions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And when he
sussed out that becoming syntax for posterity showcased over two full days of
stroke-filled sessions, he had found his way to the pearl. At the crease, you
could sense the switch – The Monk to the Man and then the Man to Monk again -
And it looked like a pendulum swinging back and forth from the meditative to
the palliative. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Session after
session, bowlers came charging at him. Put the lens on the Monk - A slow
delivery from Kasprowicz curving in, and Lax spots it early on and plays a
gentle on drive, gentle enough to caress the ball to the boundary. Nobody
moved. A rewind of that belligerent on drive. Lax settles at the crease, and
the bowler chugs in. The cue to switch on the Monk in him – intense focus on
the red cherry. And no cricketing nymphs could upset the Monk in him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Switch off.
Simmer down and a brief respite for the Monk shall we say – You could see the
man in him tug at the pads, do a bit of gardening and take a
carefree-like-a-lark look at the stands – No laxity in conserving the mental
energy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
chameleon-like switch from Monk to a Man came naturally to him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lunch came
and went. And at the opposition camp, Steve was making the switch from one
bowler to another. Some were strutting their short-pitched stuff. Some relied
on the art of nagging line and length bowling. Lax was also put into the lulling
flight-and-turn test. Lax was not giving into this intimidation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The finish
line was far, far off. Would Lax capitulate?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the
stroke of lunch and tea, gentlemen went in. Play resumed and Gillespie was
gusting up to 85 mph. Lax’ reply came in boundaries. The Monk in him rose to
the occasion. Three handsome shots on the off side – a graceful off drive, toes
up for a square drive and a glide past gully. Thanks a ton for that Ton Lax,
uttered millions on that day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">End of a
full day of mesmerizing batting from the Hyderabad icon. The second day unfolded.
Spectators still wore that pounding heart, wavering mind and bated breath. Lax
didn’t. The same resolve and an intensified Monk to Man switch. Warne or
McGrath, Waugh or Kasprowicz, it didn’t disturb him. He was busy taking the
Aussies to the cleaners.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You couldn’t
take your eyes of that square cut played off the back foot. Mark drops it shot
and Lax pounces on it. Hayden then rolled over his arms. Ponting swaggered into
his military- medium run-up. Slater was trying hard for that good-length delivery.
Never mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Monk in him was ready
for whatever the ball could do to disturb his penance at the crease. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A lovely
back-foot punch to the square point fence elevated Lax as India’s top scorer in
an innings. And for all the lovely cuts, pulls, drives, and the glides that his
mind conspired, his feet heeded his head. Buoyant, brilliant and ballistic in
some sense, was our Lax up till his tired mind failed him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Driving through the Footwork avenue<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A short back
lift will give him away. You can swot up his cricketing wisdom and come good
over any searching examination on the cricket field. His pen produced master
strokes of cricketing nous as did his bat on the cricketing field. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes, he once
wrote a treatise on the mind-footwork connection in batting. This Crowe also
crowed over Don’s and Sachin’s prowess in mastering mindfulness moments. Now to
the nub – VVS’ footwork the other day took us down the Crowe memory lane when
he celebrated Don and Sachin as the masters of this mind-footwork exploits.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The crux of
that 281 battle was turning out to be Lax’ footwork vs Warne’s guile.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Look what
his balletic footwork led to. Velvety on drive for one. Warne tosses one up in
the air, and Lax dances down the wicket to sweet-time it to the long on
boundary. And Warne is not your run-of-the-mill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You can only
gaze at such footwork-led stroke play. This time, Warne fights the ball on the
leg stump line. The feet come jumping out to the pitch of ball to execute that
inside out cover drive – head still, eyes on the ball, a lovely swing of the
bat sends the ball racing to the extra cover boundary. An exquisite extra
cover-drive off a leg spinner is a very difficult shot to execute. Lax’
footwork must have made it look simple for all the youngsters watching the game.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A
disclaimer, do it at your own peril if you are not the footwork-fuelled,
dance-down-to-the-spinner batsman. Yes, you can bring all your cricketing
strokes to life, forget it, you can’t when you don’t get your footwork right.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Warne was
going to try a different tack. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He isn’t
your quitter. It was not the natural invite to step out and drive – it was
tossed up alright, but it was going to be dropped short. Warne must have
contemplated to extract more turn, beguile Lax in the air as well. Our man was
sharp as a tack – If there was an instinctive plant of the foot forward,
reading the ball in the air, Lax checked his footwork and punched the ball off
the backfoot to the cover boundary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When Chaudvin
ka Chand is on air, the evergreen Mohamad Rafi whispers wisdom on style, throw,
pitch, and voice control and what not you should imbibe as an enthusiast. Tune
into 281, you can follow Lax’ footprints to discover finer footwork tenets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">McGrath
steams in and delivers his thunder – a short-pitched stuff. Lax’ back foot
moves across followed by the lovely roll of the wrists to send the ball to the
mid-wicket fence. What will catch your eye is the ‘swivelling’ of his backfoot
to complete the stroke, a finer footwork element to play the pull shot to
perfection. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Digress for
a moment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Swivel, and
I am reminded of my coach parroting about swivel. In this case, to a group of
off break bowlers like me. Then we read the off-spinning bible, EAS Prasanna.
You couldn’t take your eyes of that swivel of the front foot, and then the
magic of flight and spin - a delight to watch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Back again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lax and stroke
play beckoned us. Lax’ scintillating footwork enthralled us that historic day.
And Lax’ footwork was too good to put Aussies on the back foot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Best Ever</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When Kenny
Rogers crooned the line, ‘And I heard him say’, in the touching ‘Coward of the
County’, it was riveting as it was convincing for us to lap up the final say of
a son to his dead father. I did. And I did hear many people say – The Best Ever,
Lax’– And they did set me up to accept the inevitable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Turning the
match on its head. Those who had the ringside seat, watched, or tuned into BBC
Test Match Special that day will vouch for one thing - Botham’s 1981 at
Headingly was a gallant match winning innings. And then Lara’s 153 snatching
victory from Australia was akin to a bed of roses being laid over a land of
thorns.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Gary Sobers’
254 for the World-XI against Australia was more of a commando-style revival.
Don termed it the best innings he had ever seen. Botham’s was breezy. Lara’s
was classical, and of course, Gary’s was ballistic. For all that, Lax played a
gem characterized by the Monk-aided, balletic footwork fuelled innings that
made the impossible possible. A notch higher, I thought, to have played the
best ever. Don’t drop a drop of ‘delusion’ into this and try to muddle my
unshakable belief.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-60577942287881838612017-08-20T08:17:00.000-07:002017-08-20T09:20:08.873-07:00Chennai, You did the Game Proud<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Out
of the blue floated the name Chetan; presumably it was a mom calling out her
son’s name. That really stopped me in my
tracks. This mom’s yelling of Chetan sent me into a state of phobic horror – a
name that easily brings a swarm of butterflies fluttering in my stomach, and to
most of the Indian fans who watched Chetan Sharma cringe at that defining
moment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
is all etched up in memory. The day of reckoning had arrived -The day when
India and Pakistan put up an almighty contest on the cricket field. It was at
Sharjah this time. The match was taking
us youngsters to the edge of the precipice; then the steep fall into the pits
happened all of a sudden. We, the starry eyed youngsters, had this delusion of India
being on course to the summit, all along. How wrong we were, for the final over
from Chetan Sharma proved to be a slap on all our faces.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
What
a match it turned out to be and what a champion Miandad was to pull the last
ball victory. We could hear our heart beat every time Chetan Sharma ran in to
bowl the last six deliveries. The final delivery was a lollipop. The next thing
we knew was the ball sailing over the mid-wicket fence. Miandad is not someone
who refuses to make victory his own when it is handed to him on a platter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
An
emotional storm was brewing amidst us youngsters. The Indian loss, let alone
the last ball Pakistan victory, had left us shaken and disappointed. We raved
and ranted. It was not easy for us youngsters to come to terms with the result.
Tongues were running away with expletives, in all languages. Anger in full clip, we dissected all that had
happened on the field, finally yielding to that one solid truth. Pakistan had
outclassed the Indian side. A bundle of
nerves had been outfoxed by the nerves of steel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
An
India-Pakistan match is not your ordinary cricket staple. It is a humdinger of
a match; it is the test of your nerve. A victory for every Pakistani and Indian
is a bee in the bonnet. Believe me; bats don’t get transmogrified into swords or
the balls into bombs for that matter. There is something more hostile and
excruciating than that. In a Churchillian turn of phrase, victory at all costs,
victory even when odds are stacked up against the team, victory even when
defeat is staring at the face of a team would be closer to the point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Never
ever blame it on the Indian or the Pakistani fans. Patriotism is in excelsis, so they flaunt it.
They have got their heroes pinned to their hearts, so there is no way that
their heroes can let them down. They look at this contest as an acid test for
their country's supremacy, and hence a defeat becomes irreparable,
inadmissible, unacceptable and unpalatable. The high-octane fans cannot take 'Defeat'
for a result. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Tongues
swirling praises on the heroes in the morning would pour scorn by the same
evening. Understandably, the charred dreams make the fans turn hostile towards
their own heroes. Then what we know as sports moves into geo-political sphere.
The political timber then stokes the fire of hatred and anger further. This is
a match where heroes can be doomed to zeroes, mortals can turn immortals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
So
much for the India-Pakistan encounter that it came back to haunt us. Champions
Trophy 2017 it was. Join the rumble of
voices at the office canteens, college campuses and the bus stops to read the
pre-match sentiment. Think-alike Harsha Bhogle and Ravi Shastri are out there
as vociferous supporters of the Indian cause. They feel that an Indian win is
inevitable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
turned out to be so, and a one-horse race at that. Indian openers put on a
solid partnership, followed by the sizzling stroke play of Rohit and Kohli. When
Yuvraj arrived at the crease, he looked like the phoenix rising from his old
self. He was doing everything right. His
eyes picked the ball as they would a football, his hands and feet were orchestrating
a ballet of strokes, and the swing of the bat was near-perfect to stage that
sweet cameo. His cameo strengthened the Indian cause. Then when we looked up at
the scoreboard, it showed 319 at the end of the Indian innings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
That
needed the Pakistani brilliance to eclipse the target, a tall ask nevertheless.
So it proved as they floundered right from the start and with Duckworth-Lewis
called into play; they were miles away from their target. The batting spine was
so brittle that it broke their cause and of course their fans’ hearts. India had scripted a convincing win over its
arch rival. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Then
came the Richard moment for the Indian fans - Cliff it was and not the Viv that
comes to mind immediately when you are talking cricket. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i>Congratulations, And jubilations, I want the
world to know I'm happy as can be.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Jubilation
didn’t stop there. It took an ugly turn to wound the Pakistan fans. There were
these creative trolls lampooning Pakistan cricketers, not in the best spirit
and interest of the game. The trolls were mere signs that the contest had
drifted away from the sporting arena.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Unforgiving
the whole of Pakistan was. When the venting came, it took forms never seen
before. There was this video going viral – A man rises from his seat in high
dudgeon, inside four walls, lifts an object and smashes the TV screen. So much
for the anger bottled up in him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When
we thought it was done and dusted for the nonce, we were utterly wrong. India rendezvoused with Pakistan again at
Lords. The final episode of the Champion’s trophy was coming to an exciting end.
For Pakistan, the journey from
Birmingham to Lords must have been a soul-searching one. When they landed at
Lords, their batting lit up the ground, bowling struck terror into the hearts
of Indian players and fans alike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
batting star for Pakistan, Fakhar Zaman, the unorthodox southpaw batted with
murderous intent, toyed with the morale of the bowlers. Left foot planted on the ground, right foot
in the air, arms swinging wildly to swat the ball like a mosquito – Fakhar’s
portfolio that day had many of this kind. Everything clicked for him and that
day just belonged to him. Our own conjuror, Ashwin, had been massacred,
conjured up for a run feast. There was
no stopping the Pakistani juggernaut.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
India
stared at a total of 338. Gargantuan chase it was going to be. On paper the
batting looked rock solid, but seeing Amir breathe fire with the cricket ball,
Indian batsmen gave in. Amir was seeking redemption at Lords. This was the very
ground where he had been charged for match-fixing some years back. His eyes
told it all. He would blow-off the steam in him. That he did with surgical
precision - His anger, frustration and disappointment channeled into that fiery
spell. Three Indian batsmen fell like pins. Indian hopes hit a new low. This
time around, the Indian batting spine looked so weak and the surrender so
meek. Pakistan had turned the tables on
India, lifting the Champion’s Trophy for the first time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
voice of the cricketing fraternity pledging support to the Indian team seemed so low
and lost in the din of the angry mobs. Untamed passions ran riot. Some cried
their heart out, some smashed television sets, some set Indian cricketers
posters on fire. Some even hurled abuses at players. The loss was turning out
to be too personal for fans. The antics had left a lot to be desired.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
old exposition– Winning and losing are part of the game – was torn apart. Is ‘bad
blood’ the only thing we get out of an India Pakistan match?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Rules
apart, let us raise the voice of the exception – For any Chennaite will laugh
it off, for he knows that he simply adores sublime cricket, adores any artist
who can give them a taste of undiluted cricket. The Chepauk lore has it that
any batsman from any part of the world will be cheered to the rafters when the
batsman gets to the 25-run mark.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
For
another, a Chennaite will talk your ears off if he gets the chance to guide you
through that sanctified test match staged at his very own MAC stadium. That
happened in the year 1999 and the test match went on set a positive precedent. Chennai and that distinguished test match ring
a bell, for many. The test match also had all the makings of a thrilling
Pakistan India encounter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
match just had toil and tears for India. Until the last day of the match, the
crowd did not know what was in the offing. The Chennai crowd had tucked into
some brilliant batting, mesmerizing bowling and some memorable cricketing
moments before they came back for the one last day. But the cream of the
cricketing action was reserved for the final day. There was no guess work involved,
for it was the little Master who stood there as the beacon of hope for all
those who thronged the stadium on the final day. India was chasing 271 to win
the game.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
No
matter what the situation is, when the little Master makes up his mind it
invariably goes that way. On the final day, Sachin came out with that resolute
gait – clear indication of his wanting to bat and bat until the final runs were
scored. So he stood there tall among the ruins; showing incredible sangfroid
when other batsmen succumbed to the tense situation. Sachin stood between
Pakistan and victory until that back spasm caught up with him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You
could get a taste of all his imperishable offerings. The artistic jab of the
back foot to send the ball to the cover fence, then that sublime cover drive
followed by the paddle sweep and the Chennai crowd went crazy. The exquisite square cut, the majestic pull shot,
the delicate leg glance and then that one-and-only impeccable straight drive
gave the crowd their money’s worth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
An
innings of caution and aggression was about to come to an end. A moment of
misjudgment, or was it the nagging back pain that pushed Sachin to go after
that Saqlain delivery. That was to bring
about a tragic end to an otherwise heroic innings. When Saqlain foxed Sachin, India went a step
closer to the inevitable. The other batsmen were bundled out in no time. Somewhere the voice of the Pakistan
commentator Iftikhar Ahmed boomed those popular lines. So, the writing is on
the wall…and Pakistan has…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Shell-shocked
is the word closer to the emotions of the spectators at the Chepauk stadium, after
that Indian defeat. Not an iota of imagination had led them to this result. As
the crowd was rising from stupor, the Pakistan team was getting ready to go on
a victory lap. The best scene was yet to come. Then that unforgettable event
happened. Every individual in the crowd stood up and applauded the Pakistan
team. That was a sight to behold.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Their
pronounced act asserting the supremacy of sports – supremacy over individuals,
regions and countries – was what that made Chennai the lodestar of sporting
gesture. They came, saw brilliant test cricket and conquered the hearts of millions
with that unabashed, unbiased cheering for the team that won, even when it was
not their own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i>Hail
thee Chennai…you have done the game proud…</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-54073205685614359872017-07-01T04:37:00.000-07:002017-07-02T17:34:18.612-07:00A Little Bird Told Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
sound of clickety-clack in no way overpowered the urge to take a peep into the
gorgeous M.A. Chidambaram stadium. As the train whistled past the stadium, the
glimpse of the sanctum-sanctorum with the lush green outfield and the 22 yard
strip was just the sight the tired eyes were yearning for. My spirits soared at
the mere sight, but did not peak as it should have for the moment of truth was
far away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
wait at the stadium for this moment of truth is a nerve-racking ordeal. Minutes,
perhaps seconds, would mean a whole day at the stadium waiting for the action
to begin. The excitement begins only when two men walk into the field, signaling
the start of play. The limelight they hog, for minutes, virtually falls on the
men in white as they make the entry. Their tribe counts more sticks thrown at
them than the carrots that come as a pittance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Judgmental
errors, lack of control, misuse of authority, intoned bias have been the curse
for some men of this tribe who have paid a heavy price. Not so for one man who
escaped the eye of stormy decisions, a man who became as popular as any star
batsman or bowler of his time. He simply glorified his tribe. It was a little
bird who told me this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Perhaps
the white cap he wore gave him away. Perhaps that he was the early bird for a
match, eagle-eyed to take decisions spot on gave him away. Perhaps tell-tale
stories of passion, love of the game, compassion, empathy, dignity, and esteem had
earned him this Iconic status.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Cricket
had become his vehicle to do and express what he wanted - Be fair and square in
life, treat everybody with respect. It isn’t mere hyperbole to say that this
bird and cricket were inseparable like fish and water. This Bird is now lodged
in an unconquerable perch, all his deeds coming together to put him at that
coveted point of honor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
His
quirks and quiddities were his byname. They wouldn’t go unnoticed as would his
signature of signaling the maximum runs. A decision here, hearty chat with a
player there and then his very own fatherly talk to make an enfant terrible
shed that tag on the field. And what
faith did players all around the world invest on him; you will have to see it
to believe it, so said a little bird.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
crucial semi-final of the 1987 world cup was reaching a pivotal moment. The
charismatic Imran and the Industrious Javed were scripting a solid partnership
to revive the hopes of the Pakistanis. The border of uncertainty hadn’t yet
been crossed, when Border took the ball to dislodge the partnership. As it
were, it was a tossed up delivery that could tempt any in this trade. Imran was
no exception as he launched into a wild ball chase. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
next thing we knew was the Australians were screaming in unison. The flow of
adrenaline was too much to handle. Up went the finger of the umpire. Imran,
caught behind, stood there at the wicket for a second or two, faint disbelief
written over his face. Perhaps the ball did not find the edge of the bat. Then
he took that weary walk back. It was the little Bird who had ruled Imran out.
Like so many other cricketers who held the Bird in high esteem, who believed in
his verdict, Imran dispelled the doubt in his mind to take the walk back. A
little bird had to raise his finger to tell me all this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Out
there in the middle, testing times were brimful for the bird, not to mention
the wild characters that took the field and taxed his tribe. But, taming wild
characters on the field came naturally to this Bird. The 1970s proved to be a
time when teams around the world came to rely on their pace batteries. And so
it was for Pakistan at the Oval, a happy hunting ground for them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
As
the battle between bat and ball grew fiercer, Sarfraz Nawaz was pitting his
wits against the tall and lanky Tony Grieg. Where Sarfraz is, mischief is not
even a stone throw away. The cunning
pace man, who to a generation of cricket lovers watching Test match cricket in
the 1970s and 80s, could well be the first practitioner to orchestrate what is
now staggeringly referred to as the Reverse swing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
At
Oval, a dirty trick had brewed up in his mind. That would erupt only into a
confrontation, if measures were not taken to nip it then and there. In wobbles
the medium pacer to the crease and bowls a beamer. My boy and you should have
seen Tony Grieg turning red with rage. Greg, smart that he is, manages to keep
his head safe but not his temper from flaring. Tony's rage to threaten the
perpetrator was overwhelming; his bat was about to turn into a bludgeon. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
While
the storm was brewing, somebody had to step in to make sure that the storm
brewed only in a teacup. In stepped the Little Bird chirping ''Tea gentlemen'',
creating a wall between the two to diffuse the bomb that otherwise would have
exploded. Taking control of the situation, a little told me, and that
spur-of-the-moment thinking saved the face of the game.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Beyond
his call of duty, the observant bird watched and weighed the protagonists of
play. A classic pace bowler had him stumped with his run up. There was no
whoosh, buzz, whiz, or the Wham. No onomatopoeic sounds could catch or sum up
his run up to the wicket. He just glided to the wicket and delivered those
death knells – who better than Boycott can vouch for this. Stealth and secrecy
were the trademark of this bowler from Jamaica.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You
knew that he was about to begin his long run to the wicket, yet you wouldn't be
sure if he was coming. The whispering run up to the wicket was only a cloak to
the spell of death he delivered. A little bird had told the world that he was
the one and only Whispering Death in motion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
His
cricketing pilgrimage had taken flight as a batsman, he then representing
Yorkshire and Leicestershire. What was to follow was the trading of white &
white for the Black and white. Getting into the Black and white would one day
set him apart as the epitome of umpiring the cricket world has never seen
before. That also meant that he had the ringside seat to witness glorious
cricketing moments.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Richards
had come to be the cynosure of this bird's eye. Barry the barnstormer,
showstopper it was. He was playing for Hampshire then. You could watch his
cover drive all day long. The pull shot also cast a spell on you. Front or back
foot play, off or leg side, spin or pace, sublime strokes flowed from his bat.
The ringside seat gave the little bird the chance to lap it all up in delight. The
kittenish buoyancy would ooze out when words of praise came gushing out of his
mouth. Barry was the best, so tells a little bird to me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
How’zat
claims Pringle when the ball hits the pad of the marauder Gordon - Pringle was
on the verge of a hat-trick. Not out says the Bird. That was one of the many LBW appeals turned
down by this bird. Nor was the Bird going to budge since Pringle was his
country man. Well, LBW sounded more like the Love before Wedding than the Leg
before Wicket to him – That was to be fathomed from the way he fell in love
with the game from the time of his backyard cricket before tying the knot to
cricket.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
bird’s well-known deeds on the field did well to justify his magnetic presence
– naturally that bond of admiration and love was forthcoming from a generation
of boys and men. It was not mere mortals that expressed their fandom for the
bird, for there was also a budding star smitten by the bird’s accomplishments.<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It
was at Sharjah that the boy wonder met the Bird for the first time. The
adulation bottled up in him was about to erupt into words of admiration. For
one thing, the boy wonder craved for the bird’s opinion about his batting. Bird
had no hesitation in crowning him the future star, no inkling of doubt that the
boy would put his name in the record book. And so he did by notching up 51 test
hundreds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Hick
plays and misses, Hick plays again but misses. The bowler was nettled. The
bowler was none other than the burly, foul-mouthed Merv Hughes. As foul words
were pouring in excess with each passing delivery, it was time the Bird in the
middle intervened. Like the Master guiding his pupil to travel the right path,
Bird made Merv the ‘good boy’ he was supposed to be on the field with that
masterly chat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
final appearance was special for the bird. But something else gave the feeling
that he was very special, treasured by the cricketing world. As he stepped into
the ground to make the one last appearance, there was this Corridor of Honor awaiting
his arrival - English players on one side and the Indians on the other.
Atherton had taken the pains to bring the two teams together to orchestrate the
Bird’s final symphony. And then in play, Bird ruling Atherton out turned to be
an irony of it all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The love of cricket still lingers and the Bird, Harold
Dickie Bird, serves cricket in whatever way he can. Still he remains in his
nest, as happy as a lark with many a feather embellishing his cap. As I am
about to take the bails off, it is time to unwind how a bottled drink manufacturer
rode their luck on this Bird’s specialty – Passing Judgment that was.
Everything was official about it. A Daniel come to judgment had lived true to
his role on the cricket field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-34360893932380849632017-05-07T09:24:00.001-07:002017-05-07T09:51:40.949-07:00Camaraderie to Come Dearie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
thwacking of the ball echoed across the parking lot. As one soaked in the aura
of Lords grounds, some energetic boys plying their trade of cricket were
setting up a drama of intense action. There was this little-Dhoni at the
batting crease packing all the punches into his shot making. That he had to
knock off 8 runs in the last over meant the boy had to carry an old head upon
his young shoulders. Cricket and pressure-cooker situations walk
hand in hand these days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The thunderbolt
from a lanky kid took our little-Dhoni by surprise. The extra bounce did him
in. The ball took the faint edge of the blade and the keeper did his thankless
job. Little-Dhoni didn't budge, stood his ground and dismissed the idea of the
faintest nick. He had made up his mind to win at all cost. That was serious
sport indeed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
George
Orwell's primer on sports came up as the apposite match for this situation.
Serious sport and fair play can never meet, said Orwell, and went as far as to
say that serious sport is more of a war without shooting. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
parking-lot cricket scenario apart, a jarring incident on the cricket field has
set tongues wagging. Smith sending SOS signals to the dressing room, not to be mapped
to any of the cricketing rule, was the cause of this firestorm of emotions. Virat
never turned to Bletchley Park experts to decipher Smith's code. He knew what
Smith was up to. Then it snowballed into a verbal assault of sorts. Unsporting
behaviors on the sporting stage have poisoned the cricketing arena, left behind
a trail of bad influence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
genie had come out of the bottle long back. The bodyline series, Javed Miandad-Denis
Lillee tussle and many other unsavory events have been the blot on the sine qua
non of this gentlemanly game. All said it
would demean the game were it for us to believe that cricket and unsporting
behaviors came together as strange bedfellows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
talk of cricket is not just about recriminations, for only a nitwit would be
championing this cause. The game lover, instead, waxes rhapsodic about great
sporting moments, benevolent happenings that have glorified the sport. Those that followed cricket in the 1980s will
bring to mind how the exalted GRV recalled Taylor in the India-England test
match at Mumbai.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
There
is a kernel of valuable lessons from memorable cricketing moments, exemplars of
noble cricket. The game has ennobled ideals of sportsmanship in these emissaries,
who stood out as paragons of cricketing virtues. For these emissaries, cricket
was not about fame, name, awards and money. Every conceivable showering was
dwarfed by the love of the game, camaraderie and friendship. These happened to
be the locus of truth guiding them to glorify sports, set standards as real
sportsmen. Like the two peas spilling out of the same pod, two names sprang out
instantaneously from my mind - Keith Ross Miller and Denis Compton.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
Hollywood-hero looks catapulted both of them in to ladies’ men. Both men had
unerring ability to sweep women off their feet. Denis swept the ball better
than Keith did. They oozed charm and charisma on and off the field. The lure
for football was also a common thread connecting the two. Denis pipped his
counterpart at the goal post when it came to the tag of a football star. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Keith
delivered his thunderbolts in a short run to the wicket. With the bat in hand,
he could demoralize opponents. There were many a stroke-filled innings that
were a treat to watch. He drove the ball with power and his cavalier attitude
would show up in his batting. Keith was absolutely brilliant in pouching
catches at the slip cordon, like the eagle swooping up its prey. The sad part
was the great all-rounder staged all his theatrics before the time the author
knew well to differentiate one end of a bat from another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Keith
had found his friend for life in India. That was where Denis Compton met Keith
Miller for the first time. Friendship blossomed to the extent that Keith named
one of his sons after his close friend, Denis Compton. Denis, the brylcreamed
boy, was a revelation as a batsman. Naturally endowed with batting talent,
Denis stroked the ball with grace. The lovely cover-drives and the graceful
on-drives stood out, letting aside the creative sweep shots that became his
trademark. The bat in hand also meant that his fertile and infinite imagination
would flash through his blade like the pen stirring the imaginations of a poet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
Miller-Compton bond was also known for the about-face they did off the field. The
cricket ground set alight intense competition when Miller would loosen his bag
of tricks to get the prize scalp of Compton. He would never hesitate to bounce
Compton out. That did not mean he was baying for Compton’s blood. That was just
another trick to undo the batsman at the crease. Nevertheless, Keith
appreciated Denis’ batting prowess as did Compton on Miller’s stagecraft.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Crompton
was never nervy nor was he ready to give in to the Miller tactics. Compton
would be Compton, cutting, pulling, driving and playing another innings of
character. At the crease, he would do
all he could to make sure Miller didn’t get the better of him, rather he rose
up to the occasion every time Miller came thundering to bowl. Miller, on his
part, would be eyeing for Compton’s weak spot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Then
the about-face happened when they were out of the stadium. The contest on the
field was turned off when they got out of it. Off the cricket field, they would be
exchanging race tips or finding their way to tots of whisky. For them, the game
was to be played, enjoyed. The two
remained close even after their playing days until death of one of these
comrades dealt a severe blow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Keith
and Denis perhaps have left us a cricketing lesson. For the bond has been a veritable
truth set in stone - that cricket is more of a duel between bat and ball and not
a petty war of words nor a battle of characters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Just
as one English cricketer found a friend for life in an Australian, another
English all-rounder later developed a special bond with a West Indian. The pair
stood synonymous with the ideals of giving opponents their due. Ian Botham and
Viv Richards had hit it off right from the word go, sharing rooms during their
Somerset playing days. The eccentric of the two belted bowlers at will as he
would outfox batsmen with his wily swinging deliveries, not to mention the blinders
he held on to, which for many others had seemingly been unreasonable to even call
it a hard chance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
other was a Master Blaster. With the Slazenger in hand, swagger to the wicket
and the mesmerizing power to dominate bowlers, Viv created his own brand of
cricket that was a hard act to follow. The gum-chewing calypso king would leave
the bowlers quaking in their boots, at his mere sight, for the bowlers were at
his mercy most of the times. Even with a discerning eye, one wouldn’t be making
any progress to pick the best shot he played, if it had come to that – was it
the off drive or the hook shot? Not sure one would go on and ask, was it the
short-arm pull or the lofted drives and on and on?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
His
batting was the symphony of shot making, for even the aggression bore the
harmonious combination of charm, grace and style. Here was a Hitler at the
crease, Hitler in the way he was single-minded in destroying and demoralizing
the opponent bowling. His entry into millions of hearts, including the author,
was just not something out of the ordinary. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
overwhelming love for the nation ran in their blood, leading to some
unforgettable, fiercely fought battles on the field. The rivalry on the field would vanish as they
stepped out of the field. Out of it,
they would look like comrades in arms. The switch would be near-perfect.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
‘Smokes’
as Botham called Viv, would smash a Botham delivery right over his head. Then there
was this nonchalant flick of the wrists to send the ball over the mid-wicket
fence, mind you a stroke played to a ball pitched on the off stump. It would
seem cruel watching a man torment his friend on the field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Botham
was undaunted as ever. That Viv would treat ordinary bowling with disdain was
never a deterrent to Ian, for he would try and try until he came up with a
beauty to surprise the Master Blaster. There were times when Viv fumbled in his
crease to a Botham delivery or fell prey to the extra swing that Botham extracted.
It was just the healthy competition between the two that entertained many a
cricket lover.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Incensed Ian also refused to play for Somerset when news
broke out that his pals, Viv and Joel were not given a Somerset berth. While the act has a negative connotation, the
act was rooted in the noble cause of standing up as a friend in need, and Ian
was a friend indeed to Viv. The bond was intact even after the two stopped
playing active cricket. Ian dashing off to Antigua to celebrate Viv’s 60<sup>th</sup>
birthday and Viv joining the revelry resulting from Ian’s knighthood were instances
of the bond growing tighter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cricket has worn the label of ‘gentleman’s game with pride,
not without reasons. The game has groomed ambassadors promulgating the true
spirit of the game; be it their brand of play, conduct on and off the field or
their approach and behavior. The likes of Keith Ross Miller and Compton have passed
the baton on to men like Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis, to name a few.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There have been chummy pals like Sachin and Warne who take
cricket beyond the boundary. Let not the gentlemanly tag fall off from the
game, let camaraderie and friendship flourish to prove that cricket is a
boundary-less game.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-19825952446966613712017-03-26T01:05:00.000-07:002017-08-08T02:34:12.906-07:00Paradise Lost<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
soliloquy from the lips of one my dear and near one was a clear signal of a
disturbed mind. So disturbed was he that the words 'That I am meek and gentle
with these butchers' uttered in a Shakespearean drama seemed to resonate with
his dilemma. There was palpable tension in the air; his calm demeanor had been
ruffled and it looked as if he was going to let slip the dogs of war to avenge
some atrocity committed in the name of a game – That he was sitting in front of
the television gave me the cue. He personified the anger of Antony of the
Julius Caesar fame.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If
Antony's anger had found shape in one of my dear and near ones, his words had
found shape through a novel - The Dogs of War. Forsyth's mercenaries had stolen
the thunder in the eponymous film giving a peep into their occupational
tradecraft. It was out and out a mercenary affair.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If
we presume that all mercenaries are hired, recruited by contractors, we would
only be clutching at the wrong end of the stick. In reality, not all those
soldiers of fortune hurl bombs for a cause, fire away with their machine guns.
There are some who are sold and bought in auctions. These are mercenaries who
hurl balls at you at 140 kph. There are mercenaries who fire sixes with their bats.
That's the new breed of mercenaries hitting the headlines now and again. This
jolt to their iconic status is the result of the tectonic shift in the
war-waging zone – Cricket field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
These
mercenaries score big grosses in the twenty-twenty stomping ground called IPL.
That’s the only bright spot in an otherwise painful and excessively extravagant
drama. The grotty promoters of this cricket-is-only-entertainment episode let
their incendiary idea loose for a start – Bring Knights of the Hammer to connect
the Knights of Cricket and the franchisees.
Preposterous is the word that I am searching for as would the
satire-king Wodehouse for the right word on many occasions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
newscaster who was chirping about the auction episode had done his part to send
the dear one on a rage-trip. The hammer had been brought down for 2017. The scribes
and the reporters screamed in unison - Hammer prices soaring as high as the sky
in the IPL auction 2017. What stuck in the craw was how the big-money deals were
turning out to be the music to ears, as if the deals were doing the game a
great favor. What filled the ear drums were terms like ‘bought for £1.7
million’, ‘bought for 3 crores’ and ‘Expensive buy’. For a moment, the dear one
was left aghast thinking he had tuned into a Sotheby’s auction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This
certainly was not a momentous occasion for me to join the IPL choir and sing
from their hymn street -- A dastardly deed from the house of IPL demeaning and
degrading the stars of the cricketing world had left me cringing in despair. The
livewire to mere livestock-like treatment was disheartening. Livestock auction
markets would have exhibited better empathy, but our toffee-nosed administrators
and BCCI rulers remained glued to bovine stupidity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
captivating account, if at all it was one, was about men being treated like
caged cattle. It was a case of how pandering could besmirch the game; how monstrous
miscarriage of justice could be delivered without batting an eyelid - The stars
who were lionized were ionized to mere inanimate things - diabolical treachery
in my opinion. No amount of apologies can appease the ruffled souls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
These
are parlous times when pointing fingers at such cranky behavior will make you
look like a member of the lunatic fringe. That in any way doesn’t stop the
volcanic emotions erupting at the thought of doormat treatment being meted out
to cricketers, the step motherly treatment to the sons of cricket. If utopian
cricket is what you see in cricket as utopian, the very snobbish act in the
name of cricket is one that is far from being utopian, in my eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This
disquieting trend calls for immediate remedy. Bucketful of cash for the filthy
treatment heaped on players can never be the anodyne that you think it is. We
just can't resort to a band-aid on bullet-hole measures. That wouldn't do any
good to repair the tarnished images of the poster boys of cricket.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Let’s
wind the cricket clock back to the times of Neville Cardus. Let’s fill our ears
with his cricketing wisdom to resuscitate the sagging spirits. For all that, what
still remains relevant even at this hour of disgrace is the love for the game
epitomized by Cardus from the lines he etched out - “The laws of cricket tell
of the English love of compromise between a particular freedom and a general
orderliness, or legality.” Had Cardus still lived to let his pen to do the
talking, had he come to know of the compromise made today, his thesarus' worth
of expletives would have scorched our souls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
English
love of compromise, my foot cried the IPL predators that made the English
compromise look like a teeny-weeny in front of a monster parading as a
father-figure. The temperature in the cricketing fraternity, as I can see it,
isn’t rising, it does within people who repulse the thought of players being
reduced to inanimate objects. The muted indifference of cricket stars doesn’t
augur well for the game, or for the image they have been carrying for so long. Has
the cricket community thrown the word ‘dignity’ out of the window?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Saner
actions and not auctions can bring a semblance of dignity. This hour demands a
system that treats cricketers as human beings, if not restoring them on the
pedestal they deserve. When helmets stormed
the cricketing arena to protect batsmen, can’t there be a way to protect the
players’ dignity?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
There
could be. What pops out of my mind are words like ‘Package’ ‘Offer’ and ‘Team
Selection’ that can restore the human touch. What doesn’t strike me is the
alternate to this satanic auction. So what?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When
devious minds thought of colored clothing for the white flannels, floodlights
for sunlight, circles within circles in the cricket ground, the rise of a saner
thought is not far away. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Sport
in one form can inspire sport in another. This can’t be farther from the truth when
this dicey situation begs a remedial measure. European soccer clubs seem to
hold the answers for this IPL cul-de-sac. Soccer clubs contract individual
players like how organizations hire employees. When the contract ends, the
player is free to be hired by other clubs. Only when there is will, will there
be a way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
English poet Milton scripted the Fall of Man in his epic poem. IPL has glorified
the Fall of the Cricketer. There was just the forbidden fruit to orchestrate
the downfall of Adam and Eve. There are so many bad apples tarnishing the many
Eden Gardens of cricket. It was the Satan entering the Garden of Eden to spew
the evil influence; it is the satanic auction that has poisoned the very nature
of the game and the men associated with the game.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i>Cricket’s
paradise is lost.</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-18064959702585378922017-02-26T06:56:00.000-08:002017-02-26T22:13:12.011-08:00High and Handsome, An Immortal Sixer-shooter did that in style<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Baird would have found this a most gratifying moment. The
very toy that he had built was telecasting an absolute cracker of a contest between
bat and ball. The one-day match between India and England was cresting to a
sensational finish, keeping the audience on the edge of the seats. Being a Scottish man himself, Baird would have
liked England to be the victor than the vanquished in a match that held
promises of a close finish. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a run riot. There was sumptuous meal for the batsmen
from this batsman’s paradise. It proved right with England posting their
highest ever score in India. The seesaw battle for win saw the game swinging in
England’s favor, though a distant Indian win was spotted in the horizon. The
last lap of the match had begun and it was a solitary run that separated India
from victory. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Patrolling the crease was a sly fox in Ashwin ready to lay
its trap, this time with the bat. Standing like a gladiator with the bat
resting on his shoulder and eyes betraying the I-know-how-to get-those-runs
looks, Ashwin did the final honors. The heave to script an Indian victory was
just enough to send the ball high and handsome over the ropes, send my pulse
soaring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was nary a chant of Six Six Six punctuating the din or
so I thought. There was also the easy way to wriggle out of this situation; tap
the ball into the gap and run hard for the single. Ashwin defied all logic,
decided to go the aerial route. The sudden rush of adrenaline, desire to stamp
his authority must have got the better of Ashwin. Then the heave sent the ball hurtling into
space. The six-for-something Ashwin had turned into a Sixer-shooter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sixer-shooters are a special breed, born to entertain. They
get their due with red carpet reception, to begin with. Then the charming
presence at the crease takes over. Just like the tiger waiting to pounce on its
prey, these are men hovering around the wicket with a penchant and flair for
striking the red cherry, fearless nature and the chutzpah to torment bowlers.
Big hitting is second nature to them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then orchestration of fireworks would be near perfect. The
eyes would give the cue for their hands to make a parabolic swing, feet to
dance down the wicket and send the ball to another planet. The elegant power
and the timing were more than one could ask for. Eyes watching the game would
gorge on the fireworks they lit, ears on the music of the reverberating sound
of their bats timing the ball. The thirst would go unquenched, yet. They make
greedy, addicted spectators swell in numbers, so easily. There was something
similar. It was like craving for another of Goran Ivanisevic’s ace, it was akin
to the football fan’s desire of watching Zico’s scissor kick for one more time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not all sixes that come crashing from the bat are created
equal or the situation provoking the big one for that matter. Beyond doubt, pyrotechnics
from sixer-shooters leaves you excited, entertained and energetic. It leaves
you thirsting for more – you become the child bent on having one more
chocolate. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A wine connoisseur loves the wine that has aged. A cricket enthusiast
loves to reminisce, regale and relive heroic cricket moments of the past. Sixer-shooter
exploits don’t fall out of this regaling radar nor do they fail to evoke
enthusiasm. None has been more exhilarating than the exploits of a great Indian
all-rounder in the English summer of 1990.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lords, Mecca of cricket, a packed house to start with, and
the Englishmen milking the Indian bowling only intensified the charged aura.
This was no smokescreen to hide the six-hitting drama that was to be staged by
a passionate cricketer. An electrifying demonstration that turned the tables on
England would go down as one of the best cricketing moments in the annals of
cricket. That is mere understatement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
India’s nonpareil all-rounder Kapil Dev was about to be let
loose in the devil’s playground – the devil of a follow-on coming so close to wreck
havoc on the Indian side. Our man was the only vestige of hope in a situation
that was hopeless and lifeless. For at the fall of the ninth Indian wicket, in
walked the colt of a Hirwani to give England the delight and India the creeps.
This happened in a test match that witnessed ‘Some More Runs’ flow off Gooch’s
bat. Gooch was only to be conquered at his pit stop at the third Nelson, thanks
to the generous Kiran More for dropping a lollipop. The inimitable Shepp would
have had a field day at the sight of the third Nelson – third big occasion for
him to stage his dance or was he there staging one?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mind is a sieve. It leaves out what’s unwarranted and
takes in what’s the most needed. At this very hour, any remaining speck of
doubt that remained in Kapil’s mind had vaporized as he took the leisurely walk
to square leg. The bowler, an off-spinner was himself a lure, and the fielders
dotting the boundary were his accomplices. The trap, if it had been, was well
set. Nothing could undermine him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there was Hemmings at the bowler's end, no hemming and
hawing at the batsman's end. Kapil's mind was made up. The gravity of the
situation was not lost on him. He would
get into his attacking zone and do it himself. That, after all, seemed sane in a
situation that was precarious. Kapil then got to his work. The four-ball drama
was about to begin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ball spills out of Hemmings’ hand and Kapil steps out,
just a couple of steps down the wicket mind you. Then comes the lovely swing of
the bat to send the ball sailing over the long on fence; head still all along
and eyes following the ball in its flight. The flair, style and grace, nothing
was amiss. That was the first one of the four towering sixes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second six was hit wider and well into the stands. It
was the same two-step dance and the same graceful swing of the bat to hoist the
ball over long on. Now Hemmings seemed to have woken up from his reverie. A
flatter delivery, he thought, would keep Kapil in check. How utterly wrong he
was for Kapil was not deterred, to say the least. The onslaught would continue.
All Kapil had to do this time was to keep his feet in front and in line with
the delivery, launch into his stroke and hoist it straight to come up with the
third successive six. He did that with ease. The smile sitting on the
Englishmen’s face vanished. Another big blow by this fella, and they knew it
would save the face for India. There was only one ball left in that Hemmings’
over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That last delivery was to be bowled. Hemmings bit his
captain’s ear or it was the other way around. It looked as if a secret had been
shared to turn the ball in Hemmings’ hand into a magic wand. That was not to
be. When he came into bowl, Hemmings held the ball a bit; delivered it late in
the same loop. Kapil was not to be tricked. He planted his left foot in front
to meet the line of ball, waited perhaps for a second and swatted the ball over
long on for the fourth and the final six.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Four sixes on the trot and the deed had been done. Kapil
just pumped his fist in the air and flashed a smile. His celebrations were
limited to that. No dancing, shouting and nothing that could mar the game. The
100-watts smile was the smile of a champion - A pity that the leading dental
brands did not have the gumption to ride on this champion smile to make
products fly off the retailer shelves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This six-hitting chapter is not a tale of bestial, brutal, or
barbaric big hitting. It so happened to come from the blade of an immortal sixer-shooter.
That was charming, graceful and a spectacle that would last a lifetime. Kapil
had proved that sixer-shooting is also about elegance and timing as it is about
power.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-18337257782774677952017-01-15T06:13:00.000-08:002017-01-23T05:49:11.513-08:00A paint brush, a guitar, And a cricket bat is also an artiste’s weapon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
These are not the hiss-and-crackle days of the past. Yet, radio seems to be my prized possession and this radio still excites me as it had done during the past to give us boys the ticket to BBC. How thrilled we were to listen to doyens like John Arlott then, his sing song narrative evoking untamed cricket emotions. Now, radio fits in with my scheme of things to tune into old melodies.<br />
<br />
This song that had a fragrant start has held me captive on several occasions. The honey-drenched voice of the male singer kept me glued to the radio set with the inspirational orchestration doing its bit to make it an aural treat. The string master had unleashed another of his gem, with his signature intact with the strumming of guitar in a song that was otherwise divinely classical. To prove a point, there was also this counterpoint bringing guitar and flute into play.<br />
<br />
It dawned on me that the magical touch to the song soaked in classical tune was infused by the strumming of the guitar. Come to think of it, this composer is an artiste who has made the most of guitar in most of his compositions, a composer who I grew up listening to and a composer who had us youngsters tune-charmed into submission. The pied piper fashion to cast his spell on us would come closer to the point. The King, he had it in his name too, had after all left the mark of his signature. That was and is the true hallmark of an artiste.<br />
<br />
The signature had left the indelible message. Western classical could go hand in hand with the Indian classical music to unleash an eternal beauty. All the while, unwavering as it was, the needle in my mind moved to capture another object of my interest - The cricket willow - prompting me to bat for the batsmen who had left their signature behind for us cricket lovers to cherish the art of batting.<br />
<br />
If guitar had so uncannily been used, the willow was not far behind to carry imperishable signatures of greats who have graced this game.<br />
<br />
The thought of willow and the signature had so many artistes jostling for space in my mind. But none so close to establishing the unassailable lead like our Kulla. Short he might have been in stature, but quite tall in his deeds. His very own brethren had christened him Kulla with affection, the artiste from our neighboring state. In his heydays, the talismanic batsman held sway over cricket lovers around the globe.<br />
<br />
It would be pointless to resist watching him bat, watching him play that magical square cut. Anything pitched short away from the off stump; he would be on to the ball in a flash, cut the ball square off the wicket, his feline movement backwards not eluding notice. The pose and poise were immaculate. I, among the many, consider that brilliant square cut as the signature of this artiste.<br />
<br />
I have known many who have found their way through the milling queue to enter the MAC stadium just to watch him play that stroke. Talk of MAC stadium, D stand is not far behind. In the 70s and 80s, the stand would house spectators who knew the game like the back of their hands - spectators who just didn’t sit there counting runs or wicket, but went so far as to dissect everything on the cricket field. They would even predict the next delivery from Vasudevan, son of the soil, an arm ball perhaps, so to speak.<br />
<br />
Kulla did not leave his followers disappointed. Most, if not all of his innings, were peppered with his signature shot. We as spectators would be praying - God let Kulla get on with his favorite stroke one more time. A quick 20 or 30 he would score, unleashing his signature nevertheless in his short stay at the crease. The square cut would be the brightest spot in Kulla cameo. That didn’t mean that Kulla’s armory was short stuffed. His repertoire of strokes could rejoice the game lover who carried high hopes of witnessing a grand spectacle of batting. The joy of watching Kulla play that square cut is inexpressible and I have been through that experience many a time.<br />
<br />
For us boys playing cricket under sweltering sun, anyone who tried to play the cut shot became an object of derision. There was nothing against the boy, nor was it an occasion for the innate critic to leave a mark, but that our minds were so full of Kulla playing that stroke. That was drilled into our minds. To us all, it was the one and only Kulla who could play that stroke so elegantly. Our minds simply refused to see someone make an attempt at that. The positive ring to this obsession was that we worshipped Kulla and his masterly square cut. There was nothing more, nothing less.<br />
<br />
The joy of hearing Kulla cut the ball to the ropes on radio was overwhelmed by the visual treat provided by Doordarshan. Thanks to Doordarshan that was probably our beacon of hope for watching cricket matches without being there at the venue, at that point in time. Had it not been for this channel, we would have been denied of good cricketing moments. The moments were even more special when India locked horns with its neighbor. This time Doordarshan did not feel sorry for any interruption. There was this mild-mannered, bespectacled man taking his time to walk to the wicket. Not for nothing was this batsman labeled the Asian Bradman.<br />
<br />
What was special about this batsman was that he had all the time in the world to change tact in playing strokes. He would go forward, change his mind at the last moment, get on to his back foot and play a punching cover drive. And when I allude to his back foot stroke play, there’s no mistaking about the late cut executed in the classical mould. That would be his signature to capture a knot of youngsters watching live Test match cricket on Doordarshan.<br />
<br />
Try summoning adjectives, elegant, stylish, deft, gifted, and a host of others, only to fall short of eulogizing this artiste displaying finesse in stroke play. Any youngster watching him bat could muster how to move his back foot to a ball pitched short, transfer the balance to the right foot, bring the bat late but early enough to execute that exquisite late cut. The bowlers who suffered the most in this case were left arm spinners, or so I presume.<br />
<br />
Then the battle of emotions took over. On the one side, the heart would pray for the dismissal of this batsman. On the other, there would be the sudden rise of adrenaline to witness the much-awaited late cut from the artiste. Nationalistic fervor would fight head on with artistic fervor. In the end, love for the art of batting would eclipse the love for the nation.<br />
<br />
As our eyes feasted and ears cocked to brilliant batting episodes, in came the English side to battle it out with the Indians. There was one man in this side who had left us all craving for his stroke play. BBC had given us a glimpse of what this southpaw could do. Sheer elegant, effortless stroke play was his forte.
This batsman with a cavalier attitude lived true to what Oscar Wilde had to say - "I can resist anything, except temptation."<br />
<br />
To this boy-wonder turned England captain, the feeling of leather hitting the sweet spot of the blade was but a clear sign of irresistible temptation. Having timed a lovely cover drive, the southpaw wouldn’t restrain himself from chasing the next delivery pitched wide off the stumps. This brought ill-luck to us as the artiste would begin his weary walk to the pavilion, another of his stroke-filled innings coming to an abrupt end.<br />
<br />
That said, the cavalier left his signature, an exquisite cover drive for us to lap it up with delight. Until the last moment, you wouldn’t know if he was ready for it. Come he would, with economy of moment, to time the ball to perfection and send the ball racing to the cover boundary. He would make it look easy and graceful. Whether it is a myth or illusion, I fall into the school of thought that the southpaws are innately elegant than their counterparts. This southpaw has proved me right, time and time again. As a boy, I held on to the opinion that this artiste was graceful even while he got out!<br />
<br />
Though lambasted by one and all, the fluffy-haired batsman would never drop that nonchalant attitude and continue to play another of those exquisite strokes, fail sometime. The cavalier and his cover drive, Kulla and his square cut, Asian Bradman and his late cut; they are inseparable - The signature from their willows leave a lasting impression on art lovers like me.<br />
<br />
A leisurely walk along a city street occasioned me to watch a group of youngsters enjoying their game of cricket. I stood rooted to my spot praying for one thing to happen. In my heart of hearts, I wanted someone out there to play that mesmerizing stroke, the square cut. This way, I would open my treasure trove of memories to relive the momentous occasions when the evergreen artiste played those sensational square cuts. By the way, I have thrown the word ‘derision’ out of my dictionary.
</div>
Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-68218660333666270062011-08-25T06:40:00.000-07:002013-01-07T06:55:53.196-08:00Can Indian cricket turn the tides?Finding a long-lost friend is like finding a lost treasure, and as I was basking in the glory of finding such a treasure that shared the bench-strength of our inimitable Santhome School X1 that conquered all the trophies that possibly could have been lifted, in came the black and bleak India – England test series. The shambolic performance of the Indians had already left many a fan high and dry. This long-lost friend was himself a fantastic all-rounder, who could bowl those stinging leg-cutters with such panache that batsmen had to be told that one of their bails was missing. He could pelt the ball around, and could even graft his way to play the anchor role with the bat, as he did wield his willow to good purpose. His tigerish prowls on the outfields had even yielded better results for me as when I had to roll-over my arms to deliver those second-class off breaks.<br />
<br />
Such was his potentials, though he failed to make it big on the Indian cricketing scene.<br />
<br />
Our email conversations had immediately swerved its way to cricket, and I was quick to query him as to the reasons behind the Indian debacle. Expecting a one-liner, I sat back and waited for his reply. Love for the game continues to rule this friend, as he came out with some idyllic measures that could prevent the Indian team from stooping to such low levels and register such lackluster performances. The Indian cricket team, at present, has incurred the wrath of millions, who were keen to see the team ride the crest of the winning streak furthermore. But my friend was pretty sure that Indian cricket will never take the West Indian way!<br />
<br />
What were the measures that he suggested?<br />
<br />
1. Time that Indian team played three practice matches before the start of a test series on a foreign soil, with the matches turning out to be a three-day affair, primarily to get used to the conditions before taking the big litmus test.<br />
<br />
2. Possibly, have a third opener in the playing X1 who could be playing at number 6 to get the better of the twenty overs of the second new ball. This would come in handy at places like S. Africa, England and Australia.<br />
<br />
3. Prepare wickets in India like the ones that were laid in the late 70’s at Chennai, which did help the bowlers to bowl at the ribs of the batsmen. With most of the Indian batsmen susceptible to the short-pitched stuff, this could be the right way to come out of this jinx.<br />
<br />
4. Breed a genuine all-rounder, who could prop up the middle-order and could be handy with the ball too, as in the case of Amit Mishra who outclassed the master, Sachin, during his stay at the crease at Oval. May be a Ravi Shastri in the making, as per my friend.<br />
<br />
5. Spin bowling, which has been the backbone of our bowling attack for a long time has taken a severe beating, with no quality spinners available on the horizon. Romp in the services of Warne or Kumble at NCA as spin consultants to nurture and groom top quality spinners. This is sure to strengthen the cause for the five-bowlers-strategy for tests.<br />
<br />
6. Have separate teams for test, one-day and the twenty-twenty matches.<br />
<br />
My friend did miss out on other factors that bung a spanner into the works of the Indian team at England. Quality rest eluded the Indian cricketers, where they were hopping from one place to another to meet their schedules. The players were literally going through their motions rather than enjoying their stint at the ground. There was no third opener for this series, and the team didn't sound cohesive to bring out a spirited performance. M.S. Dhoni, for the first time, was out of his wits, and came a cropper in the end.<br />
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I could not fall in line with my friend’s thought concerning the all-rounder who could spin the opponents out of a match and who could pile up runs at a brisk pace, for, at this point in time, we need someone in the caliber of Kaps, who could mesmerize the opponents with his swing bowling, and who could bat the opponents out of a match!Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-72656974103127189372011-05-29T02:05:00.000-07:002011-05-29T07:12:49.050-07:00Chennai Super Kings Crowned AgainThe rafter-packed Chidambaram stadium had witnessed another Super Kings’ victory, and this time, the boisterous crowd had known the outcome even before Vijay and Hussey took their long walk to the wicket. A mauling on the part of the home team had put the hopes of a Challengers victory beyond the most lunatic assumptions, as M. Vijay and M. Hussey tucked in to the Challengers bowling with such relish. The IPL 2011 final came up with a blistering start, but, faded into one of the softest endings that this truncated version has ever witnessed.<br />
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After the parching heat that drove many sundown-slurping enthusiasts to invigorate and resuscitate themselves with a chilled beer or a wispy cocktail, the hot summer evening at Chennai was gathering momentum for the coveted IPL-IV finals, and two neighbors were set to lock horns to bring home the bacon. Both the teams were captained by leaders who remain cool even when the tides turn against them, and both the leaders have the uncanny ability to inspire their team mates with some swashbuckling performances.<br />
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So it turned out to be a one-horse race, with the Chennai Super Kings galloping to stay ahead of opponent all through the race, where the Chennai openers did well to bat the Bangalore warriors out of this final. The 159-run stand between Hussey and Vijay drove the nail into the Challengers’ coffin, with Dhoni chipping in with a useful 21, as his brutal batting power produced reverberations that even chilled the uproarious crowd. Dhoni might just not be a hot favorite for someone who loves sublime batting skills, but is rather a cricketer turned poster-boy, who is a clear favorite among those who worship winners. A winner he is, Dhoni, did exceedingly well to reinforce his winning potentials with yet another resounding victory at the Chepauk stadium. <br />
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Chris Gayle, with no grandeur of a gale this time, fell a prey to the wily Ashwin, who tricked the southpaw into the edging the ball to Dhoni’s gloves. The little fire that was burning in the Royal Challengers’ dressing room was doused, without any trace of a flicker, when Gayle took his weary walk back to the pavilion. Virhat Kohli, who was the remaining hope, if at all the Royal Challengers had any trace of hopes, was out of sorts, as he perished without any sign of the bull dog spirit. <br />
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Ashwin with a fine spell that earned him three wickets sealed the fate of the Royal Challengers, and with the prize wicket of Gayle, the Chennai Super Kings could see the writing on the wall lucidly, and so it did with much fanfare and delight. The other team members of the Royal Challengers left the scene without putting up a brave front. The two Chennai boys had scripted a heartwarming and a match-winning performance, which warmed the cockles of many a heart at the Chepauk stadium. With back to back titles in the IPL contest, Chennai Super Kings has become the pride of this town, and more so when three of its prolific run-getters, M. Vijay, Abinav Mukund and S. Badrinath, have booked a berth to be a part of the squad that leaves for the West Indies to play a Test and a One-day series.<br />
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For some period, it looked as if cricket had unleashed its fury after all, with the string of twenty-twenty matches testing the patience of even the most adoring of cricket fans. Not for nothing, the notion of revving up cricket with the glistening IPL format hasn’t found the favor of traditionalists. A much needed and awaited respite from the mundane cricket life is there for the taking, as the Indian cricketers look forward to their next fixture, a test and a one-day series against the West Indies in the Caribbean. A test series in the West Indies, and are there any takers?Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-54810172094576307842011-01-07T18:30:00.000-08:002011-01-07T18:30:06.196-08:00Ashes 2010 - They came they saw they conqueredUnlike Julius Caesar and his men, who saw the ships consumed by the raging fire while they set foot on the shores of Britain, Strauss and his men saw the plight of the degrading Australian cricket when they set foot on the Australian soil, as they made use of the degrading scenario to inflict further damages, and with it squander the hopes of an early Australian resurrection. The Australians are no more the pantheons of this trade, as they unceremoniously enter into the league of also-rans, with their pride annihilated beyond repair. With England retaining the Ashes, made possible by a convincing 3-1 victory, the Australian cricket is panic-stricken, with redemption unforeseeable in the near future.<br />
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For now, the battered and bruised Australian side has no answer to the future, and there is no sign of crafty bowlers on the horizon. The frail batting line-up adds more to their cup of woes. For long, the Australian administrators have been busy soaking up in the glorious moments, and have failed to spot, groom and nurture future talent, as complacency has really brought about the downfall of Australian cricket. This scene reminds us of the dark days when Packer cricket dented the potentials of Australian cricket, and when Alan Border was struggling to come to terms with the rebuilding process after Kim Hughes had left the cricketing scene unceremoniously.<br />
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England, on the other hand has been busy with the rebuilding process for the past two years, and has been adopting the horses for courses policy, where the players were picked to don a specific role assigned to them. The English pace battery did well to practice earnestly with the Kookaburra balls before the Ashes series, and whether old or new, they made the ball talk in the air. Reverse swing had surged ahead to be used as the potential tool behind this English success, and Jimmy Anderson, with 24 scalps has donned the role of the chief destructor to perfection. He was getting better and better with his reverse swing all through the series. The other pace bowlers were equally good with the art of reverse swing, and the words of wisdom from the bowling coach Saker, an Australian, did really well to set the tone up for a clinical Australian destruction.<br />
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The spine strength of the batting line-up has witnessed a remarkable improvement through the chiropractic efforts of Andy Flower. The resilient, redoubtable Andy Flower has been the chief architect behind this Australian drubbing. He deserves this share of acclaim, as do the fielding and the bowling coaches who stand alongside Flower, and who have expended unrestrained efforts to build the bench strength of this England team.<br />
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All in all, the swaggering pride of the Australian side has been jolted, as the Australian side will now find it difficult to deal with the lurking demons of the defeat. The English side came, saw and conquered the weakling.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-66839754872186276272010-12-03T19:14:00.000-08:002010-12-03T19:30:39.286-08:00Are we hearing the prelude to Ponting’s swan song?Hailed as one of the rarities of modern day cricket, Ricky Ponting, the present day Australian captain is swimming against the tide to regain his lost glory and the match at Adelaide could well be a prelude to his swan song. Used to hogging the limelight at the slightest of opportunities, Ponting is now on a slippery slope that could bring an unceremonious end to his career. The Australian selectors mean business, and with one of the experienced bowlers left to ponder on his performance in the dressing room, the selectors have sent a loud and clear message for the non-performing heroes.<br />
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The path to Australian captaincy wasn’t strewn with roses, though Ponting had been predicted as a future Australian captain when Steve Waugh was busy marshalling his troops to reassert the Australian supremacy. From a bar-hopping and a brawl-inviting cricketer, Ponting had to fight his way out to cut down his hedonistic pursuits to stay in the race for the Australian captaincy.<br />
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With the first ball dismissal at Adelaide, Ponting is not certainly at his best, and with the burdening captaincy adding salt to the wound, Ponting might just be on the verge of a collapse, unwarranted of a cricketer of his standards. The Australians, in general, find it hard to swallow the success of the opponents and Ponting was no exception to this rule as he had his finger pointed at the Brisbane wicket for a shoddy bowling performance in the second innings of the Brisbane test when Cook cooked the Australian bowlers to offer a delectable feast to the many English fans the world over.<br />
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With England sitting pretty at the Adelaide, and with Cook on 48 and Trott on 47, on their way to agonize the Australians again, Ponting has a herculean task ahead. Is Adelaide Test the last straw for Ponting? <br />
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Australians are tough and they battle it out to the last, and let’s hope that Ponting is equally tough to weather the storms and emerge victorious from this pathetic position.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-43133651827541717312010-11-30T18:42:00.000-08:002010-11-30T18:42:29.783-08:00IPL 2011 auction – What is in store?The IPL 4 version is about to witness some surprises in the auctioning arena, as speculations fly thick and fast from various quarters, inflaming the twenty-twenty fans to look for concurrent details pertaining to the IPL 20l11 competition. Harbajhan Singh, with the new avatar as a batting hero, is the top star with a high price tag attached to his head, as various teams including the Mumbal Indians vie with each other to lure this cricketer for the upcoming IPL 2011 competitions.<br />
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Yuvraj Singh, another of the heroes to attract millions of fans through this truncated version also has managed to remain in the top bracket with the Pune Warriors keen to induct the services of this blue-eyed boy of fanatics who have fallen prey to the truncated versions. In a turn of events, things have gone sour for the former Indian captain Saurav Ganguly, as the former star has lost its icon status, and talks of weeding out the services of this southpaw is doing the rounds now. An inspiring captain who had a good share in the Indian resurgence is now left in the lurch, with past glories doing little to add value to this wonderful player. <br />
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Batting supremo Sachin Tendulkar and the hard-hitting Dhoni maintain their price tags, as they are also likely to remain with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings for the IPL 2011 competition. Yusuf Pathan, another merciless belter of the cricket ball is finding a place alongside Raina and Zaheer Khan to share the second bracketed price structure of 1.30 crores pertaining to the IPL price tags.<br />
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The Bengaluru stars, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble have also lost their sheen in this IPL 2011 auction as they have been thrown back in to the auction pool. With the IPL auctions igniting the passion of the fans, adrenaline-pumping games of the IPL 2011 is expected to drive the twenty-twenty fans crazy, who just love the reverberating sound of the bat on the ball.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-6988942832612696792010-11-27T01:17:00.000-08:002012-01-01T07:51:40.840-08:00Ashes 2010 – Australia back in the saddleGabba witnessed some sparkling fireworks from the blades of Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin, as their partnership that blossomed to add 307 not only broke records, but also did well to deliver fiercesome blows to the English side, which had squandered away all the hold it had on the Australian side at the end of the second day’s play at Gabba. The upshot, England now has to battle it out to save itself from blushes, as Strauss and Cook survived some anxious moments before the close of play on the third day of this Gabba test, the first in the Ashes 2010 encounter.<br />
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Anderson flooring a catch, Broad turning crimson, as a welter of emotions ran amuck at the Gabba cricket ground, with Hussey and Bradin finding momentum to plaster the English bowling to all parts of the ground. Hussey was keen to prove a point to the cricketing world and Haddin played perfect second fiddle to Hussey, as the brilliant union of these two baggy greens plundered the resolve of the English attack. England now has to come out with an extraordinary performance to ensure a draw, and with it keep the Ashes 2010 hopes alive. Australia is back in the saddle with a massive lead of 221, as Ponting would be waiting to unleash the Australian fury to pave way for the English debacle.<br />
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The day belonged to the southpaw, Hussey, who with precise footwork and positive stroke play delighted the Gabba crowd, as he never shrunk from taking the minutest of opportunities to steal a single, which is the hallmark of an Australian batsman. Take the single, rotate the strike, sow seeds of doubts and disbelief in the minds of bowlers, as it worked well like a Swiss clock, and the English bowlers hadn’t a clue to unsettle the Australian batsmen, though costly lapses rubbed in insult to the already existing injury. England toiled hard for 59 overs to get the first breakthrough of the day, and Finn turned out to be the unexpected hero for England at the end of the Australian first innings of this first test related to Ashes 2010 series. England still needs 202 runs to make Australia bat again, and the fourth day’s play at Gabba has an interesting battle on the cards.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-81229060189220420382010-11-24T17:42:00.000-08:002010-11-24T17:49:32.740-08:00Ashes 2010 - Can the English team hold their nerves?There are two anxious teams trying to outwit the other at Gabba. Yes, the Ashes 2010 has got under way as England has lost the wicket of Andrew Strauss for naught. Not the type of start that the Englishmen would have expected, as the Australians now have come out with a clear game plan to scuttle an English dominance on the cricket field. Earlier it was Mitchell Johnson who came out with his plan to unsettle Strauss and Kevin Petersen to raise quite a few eyebrows. Australians rely more on Mitchell Johnson to deliver at Brisbane, and the war of nerves has just begun at the Gabba.<br /><br />Ashes for long has remained a battle that has been fought fiercely, and Ashes 2010 is no different from the others. Englishmen with the upper hand are trying to create history by winning the Ashes 2010 series at the Australian soil after the 1986 series win at Australia, and Australia on the other hand have not been in the best of form, with the bowling really being inept and bumbling. With Ponting’s head on the block, Australians too feel the effect of frayed nerves as they are battling it out to prove their supremacy over a much confident English side.<br /><br />It was the year 1986 which last witnessed an English victory over the Australians in Australia, when the match at Gabba had unveiled some sterling performances from the Englishmen. Mike Gatting led from the front, as the England team had a very decent side that had some stalwarts in the form of Gower, Botham and Allan Lamb. Ian Botham set the tone up for an emphatic win at Gabba in 1986, as his belligerent knock of 136 and five-for-41 haul helped England win the Ashes series in 1986.<br /><br />England rates it chances high in this Ashes 2010 encounter, as the team is well set, and the bowling attack is as good as the Australian bowling attack, if not better, and Swann, who has been blossoming into an effective bowler certainly has to unleash all his tricks if England are to remain as strong contenders and clinch the Ashes 2010 series in the bargain. With Australians trying to get over the wounded-dog image, England begins another grueling Ashes series as favorites, as they have great opportunity to get off the ground at Brisbane and then to put the pressure on Australians in the remaining matches. This muddled Australian side is surely not going to lie in wait for the unceremonious defeat at the hands of their arch rivals, as they would be planning to get some steam up though their underdog image doesn’t work in their favor.<br /><br />At the end of the 19th over, England were 61 for 2 with Cook and Petersen holding the forte at Gabba. Can Petersen get over his lean patch and come with a triumphant knock? That would really set the tone up for the Englishmen.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-88666347862559243322010-11-23T17:32:00.000-08:002010-11-23T17:34:42.781-08:00Ishant Sharma stands tall amid the New Zealand ruinsNew Zealand was thrashed by the World toppers, the Indian side, as India registered an innings and 198 runs victory over the beleaguered New Zealand side. Ishant Sharma has finally struck gold with his bowling form, and his spell that fetched him 4-23 is sure to bolster the confidence of this lanky pace man right before a grueling South African series that lay ahead of the Indian team.<br /><br />From the time when Ishant started troubling Ponting till the present test series against New Zealand, Ishant has come a long way, though he has been struggling with his rhythm for quite some time. A timely haul of 4 wickets just before the high-pitched battle against the South Africans is a good sign for the Indians to take cue from the wonderful performance, and to put up a spirited show on the hard and bouncy tracks of South Africa. Ishant, with this spirited performance has also proved that he is no nine day wonder, and the pace man would do good to acquire words of wisdom form a work house who had performed exceedingly well on Indian wickets, as Kapil Devil will surely know the tricks to perform well on Indian tracks.<br /><br />Kapil Devil, as he was at times referred to, wore his heart on his sleeves, as he had never let the flat Indian tracks to get the better of him. Even on docile Indian wickets, Kapil produced magical spells, which until then were usually produced by Indian spinners and he had given a whole new dimension to fast bowling on Indian wickets. A nation that was deprived of pace bowlers suddenly found a young man from Haryana bursting into the scene with pace and aggression, and since then, has become a prime reason to pave way for several promising fast bowlers in this country, an inspiring model well worth the mention.<br /><br />Ishant has the pace and bounce, and his height surely works to his advantage. A fine and free flowing action, with a prelude in the form of a smooth run up to the wicket, and with a good follow through to back him up to the hilt, Ishant has the potentials to trouble even the most accomplished of batsmen. Ishant has finally got his rhythm back, and must be raring to go and hit the deck at the South African wickets. It would be worth the wait to witness this young man’s performance on South African wickets.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-43002403898562070032010-11-22T16:54:00.000-08:002011-02-06T06:38:40.559-08:00Rahul is to New Zealand as what Laxman is to AustraliaSome batsmen devour the bowling attacks of a particular nation as the bowling never tires them out. They simply tuck into the bowling attacks and relish playing memorable innings that stand the test of time. One such an innings was the vintage display of 191 from Rahul Dravid against New Zealand at Nagpur. Notching up his 31st Test Hundred, Rahul Dravid has helped his side to an unassailable position, with an Indian victory not very far on the horizon.<br />
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Rahul Dravid has had 6 centuries so far against the New Zealand side, as he is one of the batsmen who seem to be a thorn in the flesh of the New Zealand bowling. The Australians might feel the same with the case of the classy and elegant V.V.S Laxman, who never fails to torment the Australian bowlers with his classic stroke play. Rahul Dravid is to New Zealand as what Laxman is to Australia. The Australian and New Zealand bowlers still aren’t able to get to grips with these two, and the batsmen have only let them into sleepless nights and demonic dreams.<br />
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Termed the ‘Wall’ Rahul Dravid has come a long way in test cricket, as he has had to ride the rough with the smooth with some diligence. But his immaculate technique has helped him conquer testing times during his career and his team spirit had driven him even to don the thankless job of a wicket keeper at times, which elucidates the spotless character of this man. India is riding piggyback on his wonderful century, as India is well placed to take the lead in the series.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-36491219268620790492010-11-22T06:57:00.000-08:002010-11-22T07:00:27.725-08:00Ashes 2010 – Has the hunter become the hunted?The Ashes 2010 is just about to begin with much fanfare, as a battered and bruised Australian side will be competing to conquer the lost glory, which has been eluding the side for quite some time. Australians had enjoyed a roller coaster ride with such relish, as they set records in a hurry beating Tom, Dick and Harry that came their way mercilessly. But now, they are just past masters as they face an uphill task of capturing the imaginations of the cricketing public at large. Has the hunter become the hunted? Has Ricky Ponting lost the verve and tenacity to handle his team? Has the Australian team lost the Ashes in their minds? Lot of pummeling queries haunts the Australian team and the team certainly is in disarray.<br /><br />England on the other hand has never seemed optimistic before the Ashes tour as they approach the Brisbane Test brimming with confidence, and the players are as fit as ten fiddles and are firing on all cylinders. Though the England team lacks match winners in the likes of Ian Botham, the present team has gelled well as they have been playing as a cohesive unit to register more success than ever. Andrew Strauss is right there at the helm, learning from his mistakes, and gaining in confidence with each passing day. England surely has got its target fixed for the Ashes victory, and as per Beefy Botham, England are well placed to win the Ashes without much efforts.<br /><br />England certainly would be looking to turn a leaf from the 1981 Headingley Test which witnessed one of the sensational test innings of all-time from Beefy, who turned the tides by scoring a sparkling hundred to bring England back into the game, and with it offer England a chance to beat the mighty Australians. From a seemingly unassailable position, Australians were made to lick their wounds at the end of the Headingley Test when they were defeated comprehensively. Not many would know as to how Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh were lured into placing 15 Pounds with the bookmakers and predicting an England win as the outcome, and in the end, walked away with 7500 pounds as when England beat Australia in the Headingley test. Speculations apart, Botham’s 149 and Bob Willis’ 8 for 43 did the tricks for England.<br /><br />Turning our thoughts back on Ponting, one wonders if Ponting would lead his country to the third Ashes defeat, which certainly would bring down his reputation as a captain. With McGrath and Warne, Ponting was sailing smoothly, but with an inexperienced and an ineffective bowling attack, Ponting has now got to conjure up tricks to outwit the Englishmen. With the Australians having their backs to the wall and with the Englishmen raring to go and taste the Ashes win at the Australian soil after a long time, a great contest is on the cards.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-62423266061683761852010-11-19T05:31:00.000-08:002010-11-19T05:44:18.042-08:00Have you heard of the whispering death?Kemar Roach, the new West Indian pace bowler, sharing the honors of wrecking havoc on the Sri Lankan team triggers hopes of West Indian cricket revival, or is it a far-fetched dream? West Indies were once, the knightly rulers of the game, game-wise and otherwise. They were extraordinary mortals who played the game with such flamboyance, and they were never short of the sportive spirit that eludes cricketers of many other nations. But on the field, they were a ruthless force trying to decimate the opponents at all times, with all the tricks in the bag, and the gallant pace force that served the West Indian team was a cohesive unit that was skilled in planning and executing the downfall of even the skilled of batsmen with clockwork precision. Have you ever heard of the whispering death?<br /><br />To most of the followers, this name might sound alien, but to sprint back down my memory lane, I still can recollect the wonderful run-up to the wicket, cutting through the breeze silently, and the pitch-perfect action to deliver those stinging leg cutters, which was the specialty of this man from Jamaica. Dickie Bird, a paragon of umpiring morals and ethics, couldn’t resist the temptation in calling Michael Holding as the ‘Whispering Death’ owing to his silent and gentle glide to reach the wicket and deliver those lethal deliveries, and no doubts, he also had another name tagged to his credentials, as that says, ‘Rolls Royce of fast bowling’ owing to the smooth and wonderful action that any pace bowler would dream to possess.<br /><br />Many talk about the ball bowled by Shane Warne to dismiss Gatting as the ball of the century, but if the argument is still alive and kicking, I beg to differ from this opinion framed by many. I think there is another person who would agree with me on this front wholeheartedly, who happens to be none other than the productive England opener, Geoff Boycott, who was let into a nerve-wrecking over in the 1981 test at Barbados. Boycott was at his wits end to negotiate the first five deliveries from this lanky pacer, and the sixth delivery was one of the best bowled in test cricket, and Boycott was beaten neck and crop as the off-stump went cartwheeling to take a 20-yard tumble, and Boycott still hasn’t found the reason behind that dismal show.<br /><br />If my memory serves me right, it was in the series against India in 1983 that Holding bowled another gem of a delivery to dismiss the industrious Ravi Shastri. Though Shastri can’t be called the most illustrious of batsmen to have ignited a spark of interest among the fanatics, he played well within his limits scoring most of his runs off his pads, and the delivery that got Shastri on a dry Indian afternoon at one of the dead Indian pitches was one of the best leg-cutters delivered by a bowler. Shastri was baffled, when the wicketkeeper had reported about the missing bails, as he, as well as many of the spectators were of the opinion that the ball which had pitched way outside the leg stump was going to travel further away, and instead, the delivery came in and kissed the leg stumps to send Shastri on a long walk back to reach the pavilion. Let’s rejoice in the art of pace bowling by digging out such splendid performances from the bowling greats of the past. Holding, is still holding on to that coveted group of pace bowlers, who were merciless in their operations.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-87151240217052941712010-11-16T03:44:00.000-08:002010-11-16T03:47:51.570-08:00Is it the death knell of cricket?A Pakistan cricketer running for his life to seek asylum at London was the hot cricketing news that took the cricketing world by storm, as the broadsheets were filled to the gunwales with this sensational news a few weeks before. Whether or not the piece did the trick to increase the circulation of broadsheets is not the point I would like to ponder on, as there’s more at stake, and the game of cricket has been left in the lurch. Nothing short of a miracle can save cricket from the clutches of demoniac influences that has left the game in shambles. The game of cricket is touching new heights, for all the wrong reasons, and in the name of resurrection, the game wears a begrimed face, looking sullen, trying to get out of the gloomy future that looms large over the horizon, as the game has already lost its sheen and respectability. A pathetic end waits round the corner, and the wailing has begun.<br /><br />Close on the heels of the Pakistan cricketer who took to his heels after receiving death threats was an Indian off-spinner’s praiseworthy performance, though not with ball, as he came up with stubborn back-to-back hundreds to reinforce his batting potentials. Though a laudatory message is in the offing, the critical side of the performance has also got to be viewed and weighed with concern. Has the bowling attacks all over the world lost the sting? Are they mere league-cricket bowling attacks that stand up and watch a bowling compatriot score runs at his desire? <br /><br />At best, Harbhajan, who vies for the top spot for the best belter of the cricket ball, can be considered a pinch-hitting darling of the crowd. Now, Harbhajan seems to be inching his way to join the batting elites with this performance, for it is only the performance that matters, these days. The art of cricket is no more a concern, and there’s no nurturing of art, as results at all costs and at any cost seems to be the norm that rules this game. Ironically, bowlers no longer play the second fiddle to the lead; we are witnessing the reversal of fortunes that might not warm the cockles of many hearts in the bargain. <br /><br />Though not a look-alike to be called as one of the two peas in a pod, Harbhajan’s predecessor in the spin department, Bishen Singh Bedi, hit the headlines quite often, as the Indian Express, a popular broadsheet of the bygone era had an off-the-rack headline to bring Bedi’s performance to light, which ran something as ‘Bedi Bags Five Wickets’, which was a common phenomenon for bowlers of the erstwhile era, who did their trick with the ball most of the times. Bedi was not too good, if not good with the bat, but the artistic fervor of this craftsman was too good to be sidelined, as was the case with the off-spinning greats, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivasaraghavan Venkatragahvan. <br /><br />These master craftsmen were habituated to unleash their magic with the ball. Erapalli Prasanna, with his loop and arc, with the pivotal turn of the foot at the crease, with the flight that beguiled many an accomplished bat, was blessed with immense talent, as his chief trait remained to be the off-spinning exactitude, and Venkat, who bowled his off-breaks with varying pace and length, and who relied more on the bite off the wicket had more aces up his sleeve, and both were top notch exponents of this art. Sadly, Harbhajan, one of the very few off-spinners in the country who deserves a mention, hasn’t blossomed as a craftsman, and rather has been hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons. <br /><br />Long gone are the days, when I had watched the silky-smooth cover drives of Zaheer Abbas with mute acceptance, and there had been times when I was stunned to watch the charismatic Gower execute his short-arm pulls with such panache, that still refuses to leave the remotest recesses of my brains. There is no Viv anymore, and the Viv of his days was known to cut even the strongest of bowling attacks that comprised of Lillee, Thompson, Pascoe, Alderman and co to ribbons, and there is no Botham of course to turn the tides even when stark results were staring at the English team. <br /><br />The cream of the crop encompassed more greats, who certainly had the flair and elegance to get bracketed among the top luminaries that this game cherished. There was the on-driving legend Greg Chappell, the fire-power quartet who formed the pace battery of the West Indian side, Roberts, Garner, Holding and Crofts, not to mention Marshall, who joined the fray at a later date, as there was also the man known as Barry, who unfortunately was left out of this arena owing to his country’s slipshod political practices, but had a name carved for himself in the annals of the game, and who is now enjoying his stint at the commentary box. Such talent eludes the cricketing scene, with the very rare breed of Sachin Tendulkar holding the forte for the nonce.<br /><br />What has become of cricket? The star-fangled nights with near about strip dancing performances at the backdrop of the cricket field, that certainly sows seeds of doubt in the minds of spectators as to their preferences, cricket teams bought and managed by the tinsel town heroes as well as heroines, who, to the best of my knowledge cannot be blamed for their lack of cricketing prowess, but still stand at the helm of cricketing affairs, and twenty-twenty versions with stadiums packed liked sardines to witness pinch hitting, right from the umpire’s call of ‘play’ done to get the game initiated, bowlers who overtly throw their hats into the batsmen’s rings, and all other astonishing events that have converted this game to resemble a comic opera. A traditionalist will certainly be not averse to the thought of paying a visit to Baker’s street, in an effort to disturb the deep and eternal slumbers of Sherlock Holmes, who might have thought twice to investigate the reasons behind the avalanche of cricketing blunders that have already wormed its way to besmirch the game.<br /><br />What do we fathom? Well, it will not be a long run when one can witness the Sharuhks and the Amitabhs wielding their willows to bring Kolkatta Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians out from a spot of bother in a twenty-twenty game. If it isn’t tainted as a cruel thought, there will come a time when ‘Pretty’ Zinta is forced to share the new ball with Irfan Pathan to clip the wings of the Chennai batsmen. Thoughts abound as one tries to get to grips with the present situation. This marks the nadir of cricket, as the game is wallowing in its own self-pity, to get released from the fetters of the commercially-maniacal organizers who have again used this game for wrong reasons. Cricket in no more the game as it was then known for, and the death rattle and the roar is neither too far away.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-55786583345916565982010-05-29T08:22:00.001-07:002010-06-13T18:18:13.676-07:00Cricket World Cup 2011With the cricket world cup 2011 round the corner, cricket enthusiasts will be looking forward to witness a cricket world cup that enthralls one and all, as the exhilarating contest between bat and ball is expected to touch a new high and the event is sure to bring in lot of unforgettable memories that get etched in the far corners of the brain of the cricket enthusiasts who cherish such moments.<br /><br />It is time for the Asian block to stage the Cricket World Cup 2011, as India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh share the honor of staging this luminescent event, and it is also saddening to note that Pakistan has been stripped of its co-host status owing to security situations that seem to pose threats on various fronts, and the terrorist attacks that rocked Lahore during the tour of Sri Lanka to Pakistan in the year 2009 has further weakened Pakistan’s position to turn the scale against its favor.<br /><br />In the Cricket World Cup 2011, there are 14 teams participating instead of 16, and the first round pertaining to Cricket World Cup 2011 happens to be the round robin stage as that was witnessed in the world cup staged in South Africa, which took place in 2003. The semi final venues of the Cricket World Cup 2011 happen to be the PCA Stadium found in Mohali and R. Premadasa stadium found in Colombo, and the much awaited Cricket World Cup 2011 final will be staged at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.<br /><br />With lot of speculation flying thick and fast, it is time to close in on the heels of all the teams that are expected to vie with one another in this Cricket World Cup 2011, as well as provide us with an enriching display of bat and ball.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-63826768500598469262010-04-13T18:45:00.000-07:002010-04-13T18:47:01.988-07:00Raina reigns supreme; Chennai Super Kings demolish Kolkata Knight RidersSuresh Raina wielded his bat with such might that his glittery knock not only dented the chances of Kolkata Knight Riders getting into the semi-finals of the IPL 2010 Championship but also helped Chennai stay the course to book a semi-final berth in the IPL 2010 Championship. Chennai Super Kings with the victory over Kolkata Knight Riders has allayed the doubts that have sprung up in the minds of many as to its potentials to stay as strong contenders to lift the IPL 2010 Championship.<br /><br />The CSK bowlers bowled exceedingly well to reduce the KKR’s total to 139 for 8 in the allotted 20 overs, and when the chase got underway, CSK looked set to reach the target with ease, which it did by consuming only 13.3 overs, with just the fall of Mathew Hayden’s wicket. Murli Vijay and Suresh Raina were in top form, as they strangled the hopes of KKR reaching the semi-finals of the IPL 2010 Championship. The stormy Suresh Raina was in a hurry as he scored 78 from 39 balls and Murli Vijay continued with his top form by notching up 50 from 40 balls to lay a solid platform for a convincing victory.<br /><br />Chennai Super Kings, with the win, have ascended to the second spot in the points table of the IPL 2010 Championship and look set to challenge the other strong contenders vying for the IPL 2010 Championship. KKR, meanwhile, with the dismal performance have ended up their trot to reach the coveted semi-final stage in the IPL 2010 Championship, though they have two more matches in the preliminary stage of the IPL 2010 Championship.<br /><br />Chennai Super Kings will now have to fire on all cylinders to outwit the opponents and to claim the IPL 2010 Championship, which entirely depends on the batsmen to come good in all the other matches in the IPL 2010.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-84277262952727161822010-04-13T09:10:00.001-07:002010-04-13T09:12:21.059-07:00Mumbai Indians continue with their winning streakApril, 13 2010<br /><br />Mumbai Indians continue with their great form as they have registered yet another convincing victory over the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL 2010 Championship, played at Mumbai today.<br /><br />Mumbai Indians threw the gauntlet when they finished their innings at 183/4, scored in the 20 overs, with Keiron Pollard coming good with an unbeaten 45 struck only in 13 balls, which included 5 sixes and 2 fours. Sachin Tendulkar (30), Ambati Rayudu (24) and Saurabh Tiwary (38) were the other useful contributors for Mumbai Indians.<br /><br />Delhi Daredevils gave a fitting reply until the 6th over, after which, they started to lose wickets at regular intervals to end up scoring 144/7 in the allotted 20 overs in the IPL 2010 tourney played today. Mumbai Indians with 9 wins from the 12 IPL 2010 matches tops the list, while the Delhi Daredevils remain at the third position in the points table related to the IPL 2010 championship.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-46466743938263208652010-04-12T09:24:00.000-07:002010-04-12T09:27:15.129-07:00Do or Die for Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super KingsApril 12, 2010<br /><br />The game between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders to be held on Tuesday is sure to become one of the captivating twenty 20 matches in the IPL 2010 Championship. Both Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings have 10 points to their credit after having played 11 matches in the IPL 2010 Championship.<br /><br />Though a win for both the teams could brighten their chances of booking the semi-final berth, it certainly isn’t a guarantee that the team that wins this IPL 2010 match on Tuesday is going to become a sure semi-final participant. The previous encounter between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings played earlier resulted in a victory scored by the Chennai Super Kings. <br /><br />Both Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well as Saurav Ganguly faces a tall order, as they will have to win this game to keep their hopes alive for a semi-final berth. The match at Chennai is sure to throw some thrilling moments, as the IPL 2010 is coming to a dramatic close.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3347363247509719830.post-47138953958261058882010-04-11T18:12:00.000-07:002010-04-11T18:14:28.489-07:00Mumbai Indians book their semi-final berth in the IPL 2010 Championship; Sachin Tendulkar sizzlesThe little master let loose of yet another ace up his sleeve to guide Mumbai Indians to a convincing victory against the Rajasthan Royals and with it a semi-final berth in the IPL 2010 championship. Leading from the front, Sachin Tendulkar, with a brisk unbeaten 89 off 59 balls, which included 2 sixes and 10 fours, set the winning rhythm for the Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians, batting first, scored 174 for 5, with Jean-Paul Duminy and Keiron Pollard chipping in with 31 and 25 respectively to put the team on the path to victory. For the Rajasthan Royals, Shane Watson claimed 3 wickets to be the most successful bowler.<br /><br />Rajasthan Royals were out of sorts in their chase to reach the target, as wickets fell at regular intervals, and finally Rajasthan Royals succumbed to score just 137/8 in the allotted 20 overs, having made to grind for the runs most of the time by some wonderful bowling display on the part of Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians now become the first participant to march ahead and register a semi-final berth in the IPL 2010.<br /><br />Mumbai Indians has reigned supreme so far in the IPL 2010 championship and has clearly emerged the topper in the IPL 2010 points table with 16 points collected from the 11 matches played so far in this IPL 2010 championship. The batting genius Sachin Tendulkar who has proved that he has got the guile and energy to meet the vagaries of twenty 20 games was declared the ‘Man of the Match’, and also is the leading run scorer so far in the IPL 2010 championship, as he now has 512 runs to his credit from 11 IPL 2010 matches. Also, this happens to be a momentous occasion for the Mumbai Indians as they have entered the semi-finals for the first time in the IPL championship.Vasanthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258915128970930195noreply@blogger.com0