Not the End of an Era

The Fed-Express has finally come to a halt in the Centre Court of London.

In what was arguably the best and clearly the longest battle between the two masters of the game we were all feted to a sparkling display of the most glorious tennis.


Rafael Nadal is the latest name to be etched on that golden Wimbledon Trophy and isn't he a deserving winner! Not that Roger Federer didn't fight back after two sets down. He came within a width of a whisker to winning it for the sixth straight time. But the nerveless perseverance of Rafael 'The Gladiator' Nadal stretched over close to 5 hours ultimately yielded fruit. Even the staunchest of fans from both sides would agree that both should have shared the trophy at the podium. So flawless was the script, so breathtaking every single moment of play, so terrific the duel, so awesome the effect of it all.


Many would speculate this to mark 'The End of an Era'. I believe Roger has more to give. Much more to give. Yes, there was an air of hurt and disappointment at the presentation speech. But it also came with an air of unexpressed grit and determination. If the man says, " I will be back next year" I reckon he really means 'it'. I will be mighty surprised if he doesn't finish his career a few notches above Pete Sampras's tally of 14 Grand Slams.


But then, let's not forget to celebrate the raw class, the seamless play, the lightness of foot of another great. That of Rafael Nadal. It takes a lot to get the majority to root for you in the Centre Court. Three back to back Wimbledon finals and one crowning victory. Nadal has now cemented his place in the pantheon of all time greats of the game. That the entire tennis following fraternity will from now on wait for a 'Clash of the Titans' between him and Federer on the grass-court ( or hard-court) speaks volumes of the powers of the Spaniard. It is born out of the assumption that the French Open is his for the taking for the foreseeable future. And that's exactly how Nadal is claiming Roger's territory. Fast and Relentless.

Let we be teated to more such duel. And let the better of the 'Two Bests' win. Amen.

A Reply to Remember

As the presentation ceremony metamorphosed from the effects of a somber farewell to fevered celebrations three remarks by three different men clung to the back of my mind to be later analyzed in this very post.

"Magic ride", "Outplayed" and "My team".


The first was the way Adam Gilchrist, arguably the finest wicket-keeper batsman of all times, decided to describe his cricketing career. There were no visible signs of emotion fluttering across his face as he bid the final goodbye to his millions of fans and followers around the world unlike the previous time when a choked voice betrayed his softer shades. Though composed and speaking in a matter-of-fact voice there was every bit the sincerity that had marked every minute of his stay on the field all these years. The very words, "magic ride", he chose for the occasion showed the innate humility ingrained in this great sportsman even though he leaves a Himalayan task for his successors to match up to. One of the better examples of a great sports person acknowledging that 'the Game is always bigger than the gamesman'.
The second was how Ricky Ponting decided to put the Indian victory in the tri-series finals. Looking every bit the disappointed leader of a team robbed off its tag of Invincibility his statement was precise at the least and honest at the most. In his words there was a sense of acceptance of the Great Australian Juggernaut feeling the pangs of mortality all of a sudden. That he acknowledged how his team was thoroughly ''outplayed'' in the finals was an attestation to that realization. The very fact that the victory elicited such a comment of resignation from the Australian Captain was also a fitting rejoinder to the viral outbreak of allegations that were made against the Indian players Down Under. Harbhajan could have all the Bhangra he needed to give vent to his sense of hurt and vindication. This was indeed his time.
The knowledge that his scalps included both Symonds and Hayden in such momentous and memorable a victory could only raise the tempo of the revelries, a reminder of divine justice being handed out. The justice seemed to have been furthered with reports that Symonds might be penalized for assaulting a streaker on-field. But, though the score looks settled the Australians would come back strong at Team-India the next time, desperate to salvage soiled pride and reinstate lost honor. Heres wishing them an unhappy comeback and a unsafe recovery.
The third remark was the one that stuck with me for a while and prodded my otherwise inactive brain to put its analysis-lobes into an ill-timed over-drive. The words used by the Indian Captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "My Team". Some might say it was a way of expressing the essence of 'the sense of belonging' running through the team at the moment which on the podium found the services of the young captain's lips to manifest itself. To me, it gave off a naked arrogance which could mean one of the two things. One, this pompousness born as an immediate consequence of The Great Victory was here to stay in Indian cricket as an antidote to ages of abject surrenders to the brow-beating of superior teams on and off the field. Two, the apparently innocuous statement had in its garb the peremptory import of an imminent siege. The seige of the Youth-Brigade. Dhoni has proved himself as an able leader with a cucumber composure under pressure situations over the last couple of series. The T-20 World-Cup win and now the Tri-series victory would affirm to his credentials as a resourceful captain in full command of his charges. His insistence on dropping senior players for this series has been vindicated by this imperious victory. But, let's not forget it was none other than SachinTendulkar, the old war-horse of numerous battles, that indefatigable genius of the craft of batting on whose consummate skills the finals were tilted in our favour. Dhoni can very well have his 'say' in getting the team he wants. The young turks hold dazzling promise but one cannot deny the necessity of mentors in shaping them for the future. Its heartening to see Indian aggressiveness getting the better of strong oppositions but I hope the recoil of such shoot-outs are not felt back home.



photos: rediff.com

Return of a Hero

More than eleven years ago in the middle of an English summer a gritty youngster took the field at Lord’s when the chips were down for his country. Batting with sublime poise at the grandest of stages that the game of cricket can offer to both players and spectators alike he scored a chanceless century braided with rare class. A repeat performance in the next test under conditions considered hostile to batsmen bred on docile dust-bowls in the sub-continent and the message was loud and clear. The message was,

“I have arrived.”

The very arrogance of that arrival never waned in a career which saw eleven eventful summers and is still to go some distance before coming to a natural halt, a graceful goodbye.

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly brought to Indian cricket a raw ruthlessness and an inspirational zeal hitherto unknown in these circles and galvanized a team into a formidable fighting unit. A captain known to possess an uncanny knack of spotting talent and nurturing them to the road to success, half of the present Indian team owes him his timely patronage and support. From Zaheer Khan to Harbhajan Singh, from Yuvraj Singh to Irfan Pathan every one was hand-picked during his regime. Not only did his tenure at the helm of affairs promote the blooding of ‘today’s stars’ it also lent a nonpartisan character to the much maligned ‘regional lobby’-culture which plagued Indian cricket from its inception. “Perform or Perish” was his mantra and in no time we were dreaming of new heroes emerging on the firmament of cricketing glory. The most successful captain of India, he was ousted amidst drama in the most preposterously unceremonious manner as a fallout of a bitter battle with the then-coach Greg Chappel.

We do not know to honor our heroes and it is not a tradition, here in India, to give ceremonial farewells to fatigued crusaders of past laurels. As a people inured to a system where power is preserved like private property and only parted with at death we did not even bother to issue an apology that was required of us in the wake of such crass injustice. Politics of the filthiest parochial order was unleashed and 'a leader' was made to wait on the sidelines for what seemed like an eternity to the lovers of the game.

But, time had its say. Tables turned in a manner only known to wheels in animated motion and Sourav was re-inducted into the team. What looked like an ‘impossibility’ going by the vituperative comments issued by cricketing microbes hanging onto power (like Kiran More, the then chief-of-selection-committee) were proven wrong and a rightful path to resurrection was paved for a Fallen Hero. What ensued is there for everyone to see. The cricketing field has turned to be a happy-hunting-ground for the indefatigable ‘Dada’ as he continues relishing the exploits of a ‘deep purple patch’ walking into the twilight of his long illustrious career.

Sourav Ganguly has regained his seat of eminence in cricketing discussions and this time not due to uncalled for controversies but, because of the murderous feats of his tireless willow.

Taking the field for his 100^th Test match he has today become only the seventh Indian ever to attain this honor. And what better place than the MCG on the day of the Boxing-day test match.

I wish him luck in his imperious march to more conquests on the cricket field.

Photos: Rediff.com

Stepping Down Sans Style

The rigor of captaining the Indian cricket team has had its latest victim.

Rahul ‘The Wall’ Dravid has declined to lead the side in any version of the game and this coming from a man who is known for his dogged resolve in the face of every possible kind of adversity on the field poses some piercing questions before the avid follower of the game. Speculation mills are working overtime in digging into the real reason behind such a decision, especially after the team won its last test series in England and came back from a position where they were facing a humiliating score-line to make it a fighting 3-4 at the end of the one-day series. Any other person in his place would have taken this feat with glee and walked away with a swagger characteristic of pride and sense of achievement. But not Rahul Dravid.

Being an astute student of the game and arguably one of the most dependable batsmen to have ever graced the cricket field he has seen the writing on the wall before any of us could. Though his batting average in any version of the game, before or during captaincy, remains any batsman’s envy and any bowler’s bane yet, judging by his own high standards he has more than once faltered in the past one year. With only one century against Bangladesh in 2006 it has been a prolonged lean patch for this efficient run-machine. The last few series have been no exception in this script of moderate misery. Stepping down from the hot-seat would give him space and solitude to concentrate on his game and contribute significantly to the score-cards in coming matches. One should take that as a welcome relief than an imminent calamity.

Also, rumors of rival power centers within the team are doing the rounds and our own regionalism is being exploited by newspapers taking names. ‘Tendulkar-camp’ and ‘Ganguly-camp’ are buzzwords in various front-page articles hinting at internal tussle precipitating Dravid’s decision. Intricate conspiracies hatched within the team are being suspected and considering the inconspicuous ways in which the BCCI is managed one wonders if there really is a bigger picture lurking beyond visibility. The ‘million dollar’ question now in front of a billion odd cricket lovers is:

Who will don the captain’s hat now?

Who will take up THE “thankless” job?

Who will risk being the next victim of obsessive media vigilance and constant public attention?

Who will agree to take the bitter brickbats(regularly) and the benign bouquets( occasionally i.e ) and still garner the motivation to lead the team in the next match, knowing fully that his every move is being memorized with an eager zeal for future impeachment and overthrow ?

The names of Sachin, Sourav, Dhoni and Yuvraj are ripe in circulation for the post.

1. Sachin would jeopardize his recent rich vein of form by acceding to the post and its associated worries. History tells us that when at helm his batting looks down the barrel, the team looks in the same direction.

2. Sourav is a viable option. But, then Sharad Pawar would be made to eat humble pie in public by his (re-)appointment and though public memory is short journalists will surely not let bygones be bygones in this case.

3. Dhoni is unsuited for Test cricket and going by his habitual relapse into long periods of struggle with the willow an immediate elevation might receive flak in coming days. Also with a team teeming with seniors, the odds will always weigh him down both on and off the field.

4. Yuvraj has the temperament to lead a one-day side (and the 20-20 team too) with relative ease. But, another man donning the hat in the Test team will be a novelty of sorts in India. Is the BCCI game for such an adventure?

Though judging by the recent trend of (mis-) adventures undertaken by the BCCI (the appointment of Greg Chappel) it might as well take the challenge of renovating its ideas and installing a good, thinking head at the helm, even for that case two different persons captaining two different teams. While doing the necessary on the 18th we only hope that logic reigns supreme in the minds of the part-time administrators of a sport that’s a full-time obsession in this country.