A genius in making

Sometimes you anoint greatness on someone too easily; I would take that luxury today. I would only say that I am not doing it easily but rather wisely. Watching South Africa chase the second-highest score in fourth-innings of a Test Match ever was exhilaration in itself. But my joy was amplified, watching some real talent on show.

While De Villiers was brilliant in his batting, aping his dynamic fielding in the match, JP Duminy was the stand-out performer for me. He has been long heralded as the next big thing from South Africa, and when given a chance today, replacing the injured Ashwell Prince, he did show his mettle. I had seen him bat in a few one-dayers. He had looked a decent player, but now he looks a complete one. I presage that he will become an all-time great ( SA ) batsman. This is too much to say, as the word genius gets bandied around every now and then on every Tom, Dick and Harry. But there were a few shots zooming out of his willow, which reminded me of Brian Lara’s. His perfect defense, calculated aggression and biggest of all, mental fortitude were on full exhibit today. He may not overhaul Kallis, but at least can trump Smith, Gibbs and other distinguished South African batsmen.

I remember Harsha Bhogle often saying that when he had watched Mahela Jayawardena score a century at Adelaide against England in a one-dayer in 1999, he had earmarked him as the candidate to join the Lara-Sachin bandwagon. Mahela has certainly lived something up to it, especially in the last few years, but he hasn’t reached that bar. Right now, Ponting has transcended that, and Pietersen and Sehwag look all set to reach that, or may be set a different standard altogether, a something new to be emulated in future. I don’t know how Duminy will move from here, but if he keeps performing like this, he can surely meet the destiny promulgated by me. I hope I don’t have to eat my words ten years later. But for now, he is on.

The perfectly arranged world

Cricket world would not have seen better groupings ever before. This has got much to do with the dwindling status of Australia as the numero uno. But the falling levels of some erstwhile good playing nations too have made this adjustment more natural.

The first group consists of Australia, India and South Africa. While Australia continue to be at the top, it is open to much debate how long they will be able to hold on to that. South Africa are their closest challengers, and the impending series between them are going to be riveting. India has already drawn blood from Australia, and will take its own course to join this fight. India battles with England and Pakistan, if the series against them are given a go-ahead, in near future and with New Zealand later on. While it is not going to be easy, India should be able to best them, if they play to their potential. This will make the scramble between these three nations for the top position even more interesting. Watch out for some thrilling action by the triumvirate!

The second group again has three nations with immense potential, but having fallen from their best. England has always been a very good Test unit, and despite the constant lampooning hurled at them, they have been a consistent force. I expect them to be very good against West Indies and Sri Lanka. Pakistan is Pakistan. That’s the best way to describe this eccentric but mercurial team. Short of match practice, it is going to be very dangerous. It lacks the bowling aura of yore, but it has enough unpredictability to keep it afloat. Every team would have given an arm off for Mendis, and Sri Lanka are so fortunate to get him on top of Murali. This makes their bowling attack menacing, on suitable tracks, invincible. Their batting looks bereft of good newcomers, and that can bring them down a bit. The battle between these three nations is going to be fought with their strengths to overcome their weak points. Again I expect a tight scuffle here.

West Indies and New Zealand complete the third pool. New Zealand expectedly finished second best against Australia, despite giving the hosts a run for their money in the first Test. Their bowling is and has always been very effective, but their batting is so fragile as to be broken by a sneeze. West Indies had a great rake-off from the Standford’s game, and were very good in the series against Pakistan, until they decided not to win any of those three one-dayers. They still have a very fast, even though erratic, attacking unit and some tested batsmen in Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Gayle. I expect the game between New Zealand and West Indies to be full of flaws but deservingly competitive.

At the bottom of the rug lie Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Bangladesh should be disappointed with their lack of improvement since their admission into Test bracket. They have some good batsmen in Ashraful, Ahmed, Nafees etc but they have failed more often than succeeded. Further the erosion of some players by ICL is not going to help them. But it can also lend a refreshing touch, as can be seen in the rise of Shakib ul Hasan. Zimbabwe’s plight is more home-grown than by anything else. Going so smoothly and successfully, they fell off the track due to their government’s false pretensions about Blacks. They still have a competitive team, and I guess if nothing more sinister happens in their ranks, they can rise again to deservedly reclaim the Test status.

The above concocted groups don’t include the non-test playing nations, which themselves can be thought of being in a fifth group, because of their limited appeal. But these four paper-partitioned groups are very much justified, and the expected intra-fight between them is something to look forward to in the coming months.

Congratulation, you legend !

Only one line should suffice - "Our lives would have been much different without you" Keep on this journey towards immortality.

An innings of belief

The Indo-Aussie clash is almost here now, and cricket aficionados are already drooling over the prospect of another humdinger. I have been witness to some of the best of the best duels between the two. But really the clash would not have got the term ‘rivalry’, had it not been for that innings played in Edens on that day.

I distinctly remember that Test Match. How India had started poorly on Day 1 after the Gilchrisht-blitzkrieged Test in Mumbai, how Harbhajan had struck a hat-trick to bring them back, only to be denied by a Steve Waugh fighting century. India had then responded poorly, with VVS only holding the guard in 1st innings. When he stepped out to bat in 2nd innings, I was just thinking, can India pull it off? I always think some improbables whenever India is in absolute shambles. And I know that those are improbables not for nothing. So, what VVS did on that day was not magical, it was magic itself. He kept on playing shots, trickling the deficit down and finally, amounting a great lead too. Rahul and Harbhajan put supporting and final touches too, but it was this innings which metamorphosed a long-slumbered nation.

Really before that, India had been mediocre in cricket in terms of results. It was that innings which instilled belief that winning courts the warriors only. No wonder, India went on to win the series too. Later, India under Ganguly's leadership went on to achieve much more than ever in the past. It is really apt to remember the innings today when Ganguly has announced his retirement. All the accolades due to him, he too would concur that his captaincy was born on that day only when a cricketing surgeon was performing his acts with a nonesuch finesse and flair.

Why Tendulkar is the best?

I read an interesting article today:-
Tendulkar and Richards swap places as best ODI batsmen
More interesting were the comments underneath the article

Please don't do it

Tell me, why don’t you want to go to Pakistan? Is it because you think you will be killed? Yes, I think you will say. Come on, mates. Get out of your living zones, and see the world. You walk on a playing field, but many live on a mine-field. No, no, I am not saying you too take the cudgel and fight the world. But I am just asking/imploring you to show some respect to the lives that fight it out every day.

You were born somewhere which luckily doesn’t face these problems very often. But just think, if you weren’t born there? OK, you are lucky. You aren’t crusaders either. But think seriously, do you actually help the world by not going there? In fact, do you help yourselves by not going there? There may not be anybody who wants to kill you now, but next time, there may be disgruntled souls wanting to bomb you off. Not everybody is strong, just as you are not.

Why don't you realize, that this whole nonsense of terrorism and counter-terrorism which you want to aid is the genesis of itself? There is no solution for it, save cutting off this very genesis of discrimination, hate, suspicion, fear, prejudice etc. See, I didn’t say that you are whites. Blacks, browns, pinks, yellows –all colours if they exist- are equally short-sighted.

So, as cricketers, please don’t exhibit this antipathy. You play cricket which is a wonderful game. It is wonderful for us, the spectators too. It energizes you, but it enlivens us. And what better to give lives to many dormant and distorted souls if you think they really are there? You will never feel better than that.

I will envy you then. Frankly speaking, I am not that strong either. And if confronted with a similar situation, I too will follow the same course as you. But as I say often-“That doesn’t make it right, and in fact, highlights more that only a few strong can follow the right”, the above will come to guide me too hopefully.

Best? My foot ...

Being a passionate supporter of Indian Cricket Team, I don’t feel good when it doesn’t play to its potential. Watching them play in the Asia Cup was as dejecting and dismaying as reliving a spoilt child story. I call it dejecting because this team, despite being the best that India has produced for many many years, fails to win on a consistent basis. And it is dismaying, because if it is the standard of the best, I fear for the day when it will not be the best.

After the much-publicized high of Australian tour, Indian team seems to have struck the old note of mediocrity among the feigned aura. It failed to win the Test series against South Africa at home. The series leveling win in the 3^rd Test at the dusty pitch in Kanpur was hailed as a feat extraordinaire. But Graeme Smith put it in perspective after that, “We would have been disappointed if we had drawn the series at our home.” But this introspection was lost in the frenzy of IPL.

Post IPL showbiz, the team embarked on back-to-back one-day tournaments where it had a grand opportunity to decrease its loss ratio against its old-time nemesis, Pakistan. But it still managed to lose to them, more so in the tournament final at Dhaka in Kitply Cup. How could it? Against a team like Pakistan- a replica of the team of India of late 1990s. As if it was not enough, it lost again to them once in Asia Cup. The final was a Mendis show, which I grudgingly enjoyed, but the team had lost the match when it allowed SL to score 270. Same old story- below-par bowlers, sloppy fielding, occasion-lacking batsmen; and the same grieving spectators and followers.

I had decided not to vent my spleen in any way, after watching the debacle in Asia Cup final. Instead I had wanted to throw encomiums on Ajantha Mendis, who is indeed a breath of fresh air. But as another series against SL arrives, my simmering thoughts need to be outpoured. I want a clean performance from the team- Mendis or no Mendis. But what I can do if it again loses. Probably join the club of hacks who shamelessly conclude, “It is the fault of Indian Selectors who decided to select a coach for India. See yourself- the curse has struck. No win after Gary.”