A champion, always!

Some years ago, I participated in a cricket quiz and came third among a host of participants. While the top two were awarded with costly cricket kits, the third prize was a book on Sachin Tendulkar, written by Lokesh Thani, one of his close aides. I still believe, and I rejoice even today, that I was the luckiest among the lot, for I came third. Had this not been the case, I would have missed some of the intrigue nuances in the life of probably the most successful cricketer ever born on this planet. When today, I come across many articles published in various newspapers on Sachin’s retirement, and that includes the one from someone as eminent as Sunil M Gavaskar, I am reminded of the various lines of the book because that takes me through the pain that the Little Master had undergone to be what he is today. The last few months have been newsy for stories on and off the ground. If V V S Laxman ‘forced retirement’ created ripples for wrong reasons, same could be said for the Mr Dependable. Even traditionally, we have never feted our champions with memorable farewell. I had heard of stories on how Indian cricket legends - Kapil Dev and Gavaskar – were treated during their final days on cricket field. As a simple cricket follower with basic understanding of the game, I do not want the same to happen with Sachin Tendulkar for everyone’s ‘emotional connect’ with ‘The Don’ of Indian cricket. If at 10, he was the best in Sharda Ashram School, at 40, his records take him to the topmost ladder in international cricket. The crests and troughs are integral part in the career of any sportsman and it is also true that Sachin had seemed patchy against England and Australia this year, but that does not mean that he has to answer every single time to his critics when he dons the pad. For hundredth hundred, the hullabaloo created by the media surely created some amount of pressure on him, and the thrust of this R-word seems writ large on his face now. Everyone knows that the Master is in the last years of his game and he would be history in another one year or so, but even then the noise on his retirement is too loud. With Indian cricket relying on the strong shoulders of talented young players like Kohli and Badrinath, it’s time for Sachin to enjoy his game without the additional ‘burden’ that he had carried in his 23 years of international cricket. And, should we not give him his dues for his service to nation. Yes, he deserves that even if he does not perform ‘according to his merit’ in the next few tests.

Over and over, again!

Three months from now, amidst ‘musical montage’ of the Indian Premier League, the Australian tour would be another ‘forgettable series’.
A Murli Vijay or a Paul Valthaty would come and hit a ton in the 120-ball format and the likes would give us reasons to cheer.
And, in that high-decibel chaos, we would forget what Rahul Dravid said in his ‘Bradman Oration’ real cricket — Test match.
That compels me to put forward a serious question: Are we nurturing a bunch of cricketers who practice lofted shots in nets or we help them stick to cricket basics and let them play a ball according to its merit?
I remember an interview of an IPL centurion, who emphatically stressed on hitting ‘big shots’ in nets during his preparations of IPL matches.
Though, he was successful in a particular IPL edition, but with that India lost a player, who has good enough merit to be a Test opener.
Now, why this question? Take an example of the ongoing India-Australia test match at the SCG.
When the Day 1 came to an end, there was a divided opinion. Optimists believed that India would take couple of quick wickets early on Day 2, and pacers would then restrict Kangaroos to a score not more than 250, conceding a lead of just 50 odd runs.
A section also had faith that SCG would turn to an Eden Garden and some very, very special innings might either level the series or turn it in India’s favour.
On Day 2, the outcome of the test cricket became evident, probably from the very first ball. India were lucky on just one ball out of 540 deliveries they bowled. The scorecard resembled of many occasions of 2007 series. Ponting dismissed by Ishant. The difference was, by then, the Australian right-hander had done his job and not only that he along with Hussey made Indians look ‘awry’.
Two records were noteworthy. Ponting scoring a ton after two years and Clarke hitting his maiden double-century. The big Australian trio of Ponting, Clarke and Hussey were said to be out of form before the series began, but experience played its part and they are now the team saviors.
India, on the other hand, had been preparing well. Says a statement of Dravid from his Bradman Oration, “We have come here more experienced, better prepared.” But, Dravid himself had, after a great 2011, tough times dealing with seaming deliveries.
Except Sachin Tendulkar, who despite of so much hullabaloo over his century’s century producing the best possible bat-ball sound, no Indian batsman looked comfortable.
If Australian selectors were bold enough to pick Ponting over inexperience, despite the noise, their Indian counterpart went a step ahead and dropped Harbhajan, who had been consistent with his off-spin against Australian.
Another point, whether the Virat Kohli or the Rohit Sharma, whom we call Indian cricket’s future, are also loosing their batting charm in the media din.
Can we not have a fast wicket at the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy, where players will practice ‘chin music’? Or, will it be the same story over and over, again?
Many foreign tours will come and we will have the same mixed feeling of optimism-pessimism. Heart would like to see India on the winning side, while the brain would say we are incapable of that.