Eight New Zealand wickets are down, Vettori’s team is staring at a 2-0 series loss in Napier, and even as I write this, the dreaded rain has arrived. As the cricketing season comes to an end, Indian fans are getting to witness a memorable series win in NZ. The Indian team, without doubt has given its fans a lot to cheer about in this season. But even as the season concludes, fans of the game are already looking forward to the (Non-Resident) IPL bonanza to be unleashed in the huge green pastures that South African Grounds are.
This is an exciting time in sports, and along with the cricket season, the EPL also enters its final phase as the race to the title starts getting hotter. The top teams are forced with the task of balancing their players between the league and the demanding, tough terrain of Champions League Football.
Amidst all the hooplah on the field, the tracks are also waking up to the reality of the racing world. The lights have already gone out at Melbourne and Sepang (Malaysia) and we are through with two of the races of the F1 calendar. With Jenson Button surprising one and all with his rookie team, the season promises to be nothing less than topsy-turvy.
Economies around the world are hitting rock bottoms, terrorism is constantly on the rise and it is amidst these trying circumstances that India prepares to vote. It’s always good to surround yourself with a little love and hope and Sport, in my opinion provides both in abundance! A look then, at what you can look forward to in the next few months:-
Champions League Football:-
If EPL is ODI cricket, Champions League has to be the test match version of the game. It is here, that the men are separated from the boys. Arguably the most coveted of trophies in club football, the Champions League consists of top teams from every national league in the European Union (UEFA). The teams are divided in eight groups to begin with, with four teams each in a group. The top teams from each group qualify for what is known as the round-of-sixteen.
Teams then play each other over two grueling legs (one home game each) of 90 mins each, and the winner moves on to the next stage. The competition is now at its most enterprising stage, the quarter finals. There haven’t been any major upsets this season, which means we can look forward to mouth-watering clashes between the top sides. Manchester United, who have been handed over a relatively easy draw take on Porto. Arsenal visit the surprise Spanish quarter finalists Villareal, Chelsea take on perennial rivals Liverpool and hot favorites Barcelona play Bayern Munich in a cracker of a contest between two sides with completely different playing mentalities.
The quarter finals, lined up for April 7-8 and then the return legs at April 14-15 start a trifle late for Indian audiences (at 12:30 AM). This though, has never been a deterrent for football lovers in India and as it goes, the tournament has lived up to its reputation by providing some of the most unforgettable moments in club football!
Twenty-Twenty Cricket:-
Even before a single ball has been bowled, the IPL season-2 has managed to capture the people’s imagination. How long does it take for you to shift house? One day, at the most two maybe. What if you are shifting abroad? A fortnight, a month or more than that? In little more than two weeks time, the entire bandwagon of the Indian Premier League faces the unenviable task of transferring itself across the pacific to South Africa.
Lalit Modi was left with two options- either to take the game out of India, or to do away with it this season. Never was Modi going to let go of the golden-egg laying goose, and he has promptly picked up the gauntlet.
One of the major factors the IPL clicked last season was its region-based team format and the fan following each team derived from those particular crowds. This season, as the eight franchisees settle down in alien bases in SA, it is anybody’s guess that the fan following is not going to be the same.
Less following would mean fewer crowds in the stadiums which would in turn hit the franchisees in terms of ticket sales. Though TV audiences across the world would remain unaffected, it is not going to be the same fun watching players against the backdrop of half empty stadiums. Imagine watching Chelsea take on Man U somewhere in Nairobi. Even if I would still be in India, I would definitely enjoy more if the game is played at a packed Stamford Bridge.
In terms of positives, it gives an immense opportunity for the Indian youth to ply their trade overseas and prepare themselves for the challenges of international cricket. Though South African pitches aren’t as fast as Australian or English, they still would prove a good breeding ground.
The decision also promises to favor a few teams, one of them being Bangalore Royal Challengers. Four of their players including Mark Boucher and Dale Steyn are South Africans and add to that the newly appointed coach Ray Jennings (not to mention Captain Kevin Pietersen, a South African by birth) gives them the look of a ‘home’ side.
Like every other decision, taking the IPL to South Africa has its pros and cons. If the event happens to be well received in the country, it would give the IPL a huge fillip in terms of global acclaim. At the same time, as Peter Roebuck writes, once the game goes out of India it would be tough to convince foreign boards of the safety of India as a future venue. Whatever it be, cricket-mad that India is, come the 18th of April, and it would drown itself in another fun filled journey of over a month..!
Formula One Racing:-
A wholesome change in rules, couple of new drivers, a brand new team, a race wrecked completely by rain…! It’s all been happening and we are just in the second stop-over of the 2009 F1 season. It’s already looking like a season of upsets and Jenson Button, is leading the way with the new Brawn GP.
Nobody has been able to emerge as a clear favorite for more than two seasons after Schumacher’s (senior) retirement, and though Alonso, Raikkonnen and in recent times Hamilton threatened to dominate the field they have been successfully stopped. Having no potential favorite augurs well for motor-sport, with the fans getting used to surprise champions emerging every alternate weekend. Add to this a new rule which makes overtaking easier, and boy, you have a season on your hands!!
After the drama in Sepang, the race moves on to China and Bahrain in the coming weeks, before it embarks on a long Europe-wide tour till the season finally culminates at the Abu Dhabi circuit on the 1st of Nov. Brawn GP will face immense resistance from the likes of McLaren and Ferrari in the coming weeks and if they are to maintain their initial thrust, Button would have to lead from the front.
All said and done, Formula One has had its share of controversies in the last few seasons. Teams clashing with each other, drivers of the same team competing and blaming each other, massive changes in rules every year, ego issues between bosses and drivers have been a common sight and have done their bit in dampening the spirits of the fans. F1, by nature, is not a spectator friendly sport (unless you loved driving dad’s fiat at 150 kmph) and it definitely cannot afford the controversies and confusion around the game. The fans can only wish for a clean and transparent season with a lot of fun and possibly a lot of rain too, to make things interesting!! 5..4..3..2..1..and the lights go out!!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Sport in Times of Terror
As I was getting ready to leave for work on a bright and sunny Tuesday morning, a feisty Virender Sehwag was setting the tone for a big Indian score in the first ODI against NZ at Napier. I am fortunate enough to have a network of friends who keep providing real-time scoring updates which ensure that you don’t miss a single game irrespective of your level of proximity to the idiot box.
By the time I reached office, my inbox had four messages and to my horror, the topic of discussion had conveniently shifted from Napier to Lahore. The Lankan team bus on its way to the Gaddafi stadium was attacked by 12 armed terrorists near the plush Liberty Market area of Lahore. Terror had once again struck and the PCB’s attempt to revive International Cricket on Pakistani soil had met with a lethal blow.
Terror hasn’t been unknown to Sport but what was striking about this attack was that for the first time, cricketers were directly targeted, unless the previous instances where cricket has been on the fringes. It is only the second time after the infamous Munich saga of 1972 that sportsmen have been the target of a terror strike and unfortunately, it holds the potential to finish off cricket in Pakistan for a long time to come.
It all started with the ’96 World Cup, when the Aussies and the West Indians refused to play their games in Sri Lanka citing security reasons with the ongoing civil war, and in the process gifted SL 4 precious points. Then came the NZ tour of Pak in 2002, where Stephen Fleming’s young side was left shell-shocked when a bomb blast meters away from the Pearl Continental forced them to take the next available flight back home. Australia and West Indies who were slated to tour Pakistan next, played out the games in a neutral venue.
In more recent times, South Africa, taking a very defensive stance, backed out from their Sri Lanka tour halfway through in 2006. Then of course, we had our own version of the story, with the Englishmen returning home midway through the ODI series after the Mumbai terror strike late in ’08, thankfully to return back and play out the test series. The Indian govt. rightly, denied permission for the team to go ahead with the proposed Pakistan tour which was when Sri Lanka was invited and the ill-fated tour happened.
Hillary Clinton, along with the many others who commented on the attack, made a very pertinent comment when she said that "much of the planning" for terror strikes around the world was taking place in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Terror definitely has a nucleus and though it emanates from that nucleus, it ends up affecting a very larger circumference.
Its just the Asian sub-continent that we are talking about today, and thankfully events like the EPL, a darling of the European masses, has till now managed to stay unscathed. It’s just a matter of time though, and if the terror nucleus isn’t smashed, you don’t know who would be the next target.
Skipper Younis Khan, addressing the media a day after the strike, rightly said that with the end of Cricket in Pakistan, he fears that the youth might be encouraged to indulge in immoral activities. With only domestic cricket to look forward to, Pakistan’s future as a strong test side looks bleak.
Shifting focus homewards, the first challenge for the game would be to go ahead and stage the IPL as planned. With Chidambaram at the helm, security concerns should be well handled. The onus lies upon Lalit Modi and his team though, to prove that the IPL, in addition to being recession-proof, is also terror-proof!
By the time I reached office, my inbox had four messages and to my horror, the topic of discussion had conveniently shifted from Napier to Lahore. The Lankan team bus on its way to the Gaddafi stadium was attacked by 12 armed terrorists near the plush Liberty Market area of Lahore. Terror had once again struck and the PCB’s attempt to revive International Cricket on Pakistani soil had met with a lethal blow.
Terror hasn’t been unknown to Sport but what was striking about this attack was that for the first time, cricketers were directly targeted, unless the previous instances where cricket has been on the fringes. It is only the second time after the infamous Munich saga of 1972 that sportsmen have been the target of a terror strike and unfortunately, it holds the potential to finish off cricket in Pakistan for a long time to come.
It all started with the ’96 World Cup, when the Aussies and the West Indians refused to play their games in Sri Lanka citing security reasons with the ongoing civil war, and in the process gifted SL 4 precious points. Then came the NZ tour of Pak in 2002, where Stephen Fleming’s young side was left shell-shocked when a bomb blast meters away from the Pearl Continental forced them to take the next available flight back home. Australia and West Indies who were slated to tour Pakistan next, played out the games in a neutral venue.
In more recent times, South Africa, taking a very defensive stance, backed out from their Sri Lanka tour halfway through in 2006. Then of course, we had our own version of the story, with the Englishmen returning home midway through the ODI series after the Mumbai terror strike late in ’08, thankfully to return back and play out the test series. The Indian govt. rightly, denied permission for the team to go ahead with the proposed Pakistan tour which was when Sri Lanka was invited and the ill-fated tour happened.
Hillary Clinton, along with the many others who commented on the attack, made a very pertinent comment when she said that "much of the planning" for terror strikes around the world was taking place in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Terror definitely has a nucleus and though it emanates from that nucleus, it ends up affecting a very larger circumference.
Its just the Asian sub-continent that we are talking about today, and thankfully events like the EPL, a darling of the European masses, has till now managed to stay unscathed. It’s just a matter of time though, and if the terror nucleus isn’t smashed, you don’t know who would be the next target.
Skipper Younis Khan, addressing the media a day after the strike, rightly said that with the end of Cricket in Pakistan, he fears that the youth might be encouraged to indulge in immoral activities. With only domestic cricket to look forward to, Pakistan’s future as a strong test side looks bleak.
Shifting focus homewards, the first challenge for the game would be to go ahead and stage the IPL as planned. With Chidambaram at the helm, security concerns should be well handled. The onus lies upon Lalit Modi and his team though, to prove that the IPL, in addition to being recession-proof, is also terror-proof!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Beaten in the Mind…
One of the best ways of spending a Sunday is to laze around at home and catch up on some scintillating live sporting action. Lawn Tennis comes in a close third on my list after football and cricket and the top two seeds taking each other on in the final at Melbourne Park was enough invitation for four of us to gather at a friends place to witness the proceedings.
The last time I saw Roger Federer; a player I would back any day, take on Rafael Nadal was on the last day of my induction program with two fellow trainees who happened to be die-hard supporters of the Spaniard. The occasion was the Wimbledon final and the result was a match that pundits worldwide termed as arguably the best tennis match ever!
The support for Federer-Nadal was 3-1 amongst the four of us watching the game and all 3 of us not only wanted Federer to win and avenge the loss at Wimbledon, but also equal Pete Sampras’ long standing record of 14 career grand slams. Federer finally won his 13th with the US Open in 2008 after being twice denied by the same man, his nemesis.
All the ‘experts’ had predicted that a tired Rafa, coming on the back of a five hr marathon semi-final against compatriot Verdasco would be blown away in three sets by a fresh and raring Federer. Even Nadal himself, after his semi-final had acknowledged that Federer was the favorite for the title.
I was watching Roger after a very long time, but it was clear with the start of the match, that it wasn’t particularly one of his best days. Even Nadal was looking circumspect and both went on to break each other in the initial games making it look more like two rookies fighting it out. Nadal, the more aggressive and confident looking of the two took the first set before Federer made a slight adjustment in his game which denied Nadal time, to take the second and tie it at 1-1.
It was in the third set that Federer twice had the opportunity to break Nadal but spurned it, to finally lose the set in the tie-break. The tie-break was a clear sign that when it comes to Nadal, Roger Federer is a different man. His calmness under pressure seems to desert him and he makes nervous errors at crucial times. Display of emotion doesn’t come naturally to him but for anyone watching him in those crucial moments it is clear that a lot is going through his mind.
The fourth set finally gave a glimpse of the sublime tennis he is known for and he easily steered the match into the deciding final set, much to the joy of the three of us and to KG’s despair. In the decider, Nadal, who was ‘supposed’ to be tired, looked fresh and mobile as ever and broke Federer early on. Serving at 2-5 down in the final set, Roger committed a double fault and an error to hand Nadal two championship points. He then saved them promptly, only to delay the inevitable, and finally gifted the championship to his nemesis with another error. He was denied the elusive 14th third time consecutively by the same man.
Called upon at the presentation ceremony, he could muster just a few words, pointed at Nadal signaling it was his day before he said “God, its killing me” and went on to weep profusely. Undoubtedly, he was dearly waiting for the 14th and being denied must have hurt tremendously. But, it is being denied by the same man, and having absolutely no clue on how to overcome him is what must be a deeper wound.
Every Daryl Cullinan has a Shane Warne, every Anand a Kasparov. At times, a player manages to overcome his nemesis and wins the mind game, at other times he just hopelessly fails. It doesn’t matter if the game is on a clay court, a grass court or on a hard court. Nadal has beaten Federer in the mind and if the next game is played on ice for the matter, even my granny would be right in guessing who has the edge.
As a Roger Federer fan, I just hope his mind isn’t clouded by self-doubt, and as he himself advises youngsters, is able to enjoy his tennis while facing Nadal. No player is unbeatable, and in the recent times Federer, after an extended run at the top has been reminded that he is very much human, by Murray, Djocovic and Gilles Simon apart from Nadal.
A champion that he is, the onus now lies on him to solve the puzzle in his mind and ride back to winning ways.
The last time I saw Roger Federer; a player I would back any day, take on Rafael Nadal was on the last day of my induction program with two fellow trainees who happened to be die-hard supporters of the Spaniard. The occasion was the Wimbledon final and the result was a match that pundits worldwide termed as arguably the best tennis match ever!
The support for Federer-Nadal was 3-1 amongst the four of us watching the game and all 3 of us not only wanted Federer to win and avenge the loss at Wimbledon, but also equal Pete Sampras’ long standing record of 14 career grand slams. Federer finally won his 13th with the US Open in 2008 after being twice denied by the same man, his nemesis.
All the ‘experts’ had predicted that a tired Rafa, coming on the back of a five hr marathon semi-final against compatriot Verdasco would be blown away in three sets by a fresh and raring Federer. Even Nadal himself, after his semi-final had acknowledged that Federer was the favorite for the title.
I was watching Roger after a very long time, but it was clear with the start of the match, that it wasn’t particularly one of his best days. Even Nadal was looking circumspect and both went on to break each other in the initial games making it look more like two rookies fighting it out. Nadal, the more aggressive and confident looking of the two took the first set before Federer made a slight adjustment in his game which denied Nadal time, to take the second and tie it at 1-1.
It was in the third set that Federer twice had the opportunity to break Nadal but spurned it, to finally lose the set in the tie-break. The tie-break was a clear sign that when it comes to Nadal, Roger Federer is a different man. His calmness under pressure seems to desert him and he makes nervous errors at crucial times. Display of emotion doesn’t come naturally to him but for anyone watching him in those crucial moments it is clear that a lot is going through his mind.
The fourth set finally gave a glimpse of the sublime tennis he is known for and he easily steered the match into the deciding final set, much to the joy of the three of us and to KG’s despair. In the decider, Nadal, who was ‘supposed’ to be tired, looked fresh and mobile as ever and broke Federer early on. Serving at 2-5 down in the final set, Roger committed a double fault and an error to hand Nadal two championship points. He then saved them promptly, only to delay the inevitable, and finally gifted the championship to his nemesis with another error. He was denied the elusive 14th third time consecutively by the same man.
Called upon at the presentation ceremony, he could muster just a few words, pointed at Nadal signaling it was his day before he said “God, its killing me” and went on to weep profusely. Undoubtedly, he was dearly waiting for the 14th and being denied must have hurt tremendously. But, it is being denied by the same man, and having absolutely no clue on how to overcome him is what must be a deeper wound.
Every Daryl Cullinan has a Shane Warne, every Anand a Kasparov. At times, a player manages to overcome his nemesis and wins the mind game, at other times he just hopelessly fails. It doesn’t matter if the game is on a clay court, a grass court or on a hard court. Nadal has beaten Federer in the mind and if the next game is played on ice for the matter, even my granny would be right in guessing who has the edge.
As a Roger Federer fan, I just hope his mind isn’t clouded by self-doubt, and as he himself advises youngsters, is able to enjoy his tennis while facing Nadal. No player is unbeatable, and in the recent times Federer, after an extended run at the top has been reminded that he is very much human, by Murray, Djocovic and Gilles Simon apart from Nadal.
A champion that he is, the onus now lies on him to solve the puzzle in his mind and ride back to winning ways.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Of the Englishmen, the Taj and Cricket!
England arrived on the Indian shores in the first week of November to partake in what I very wrongly predicted would be a forgettable series coming after a legendary smashing of the Aussies. And make no mistake; the Englishmen (of which yours truly is an ardent supporter) made all the efforts to ensure that the series would be forgotten even before it got over. At Rajkot, a belligerent Yuvraj reminded them of what it takes to play India in India, at Indore they did start well before faltering; at Kanpur they were undone by Dhoni’s smart reading of the D/L and it just went on. Frankly, even a Tim Henman stood a better chance of winning at his game but certainly not this team. I remember watching Freddie Flintoff celebrate an Indian wicket early in one game with his shoulders drooping and absolutely no confidence in his demeanor whatsoever. That spoke a lot about this team. Without Flintoff, without Pietersen they are like a rudderless ship. And a rudderless ship was exactly what KP’s captaincy was like. I would leave the topic as to why and how I started liking England and KP to be discussed for some other time but for now, I would certainly like to concede defeat to all my friends and fellow Indian supporters, and would also make it clear that I do not have a clue as to how England are planning to survive over the 10 days of cricket to be played at Chennai and Mohali!!
Coming back to the story though, it was after the rain hit game at Cuttack that things took a different turn, cricket took a complete backstage and a different species of sportsmen decided that it was time to play their game in a playground called Mumbai. I remember the ‘Shiv-Sena’ once dug up the Ferozshah Kotla in their bid to avoid the Pakistanis play on Indian soil; I wonder why they dint do the same to Mumbai on the 26th. The players who had arrived in Mumbai went on a Sehwag-like rampage hitting the Mumbai Police for a few sixes and fours. The city was taken hostage for a whole of 72 hrs and nobody, I repeat; nobody spoke cricket. 72 hrs without talking cricket is a long time in India and you really need to hit us hard for us to do that. England immediately made their way through to Cuttack-Bangalore-London and to safety.
What followed was an almost week-long round of negotiations, security checks, assurances to the players by the ICC, the BCCI, and the ECB amidst other things. The media channels as usual went into all kinds of speculations saying they would never come, they would come but without Flintoff & Harmison (I really doubt if the tests would have even lasted for 3 days in that case!) etc. etc. Finally, a full-strength (if you can really use that word) England took the flight to Abu-Dhabi still unsure of whether they would land up in India.
And now it’s over to Chennai. The first test starts Thursday 11th Dec; 15 days after the ghastly attacks on Mumbai. Pietersen and his men definitely deserve to be given the credit for what is a very bold decision on their part to come and play. Especially when they could have very easily opted out of what seems to be another disaster on the cards.
I guess though, and I think most people would agree, that it’s not anymore about cricket on this tour. Its definitely not. I am just waiting to see the two teams do a lap across the Chidambaram stadium once the test match is over and for me, that is going to be the moment of the series, leave aside anything dramatic. We aren’t bothered about whether it is Sehwag or Flintoff who get the century, the century is either ways gonna be dedicated to a Karkare or an Unnikrishnan. Let’s hope that someday, the champions of terror are successfully dissuaded against it. Till then, lets go on with the game. Let’s get back to what is our LIFE.
Coming back to the story though, it was after the rain hit game at Cuttack that things took a different turn, cricket took a complete backstage and a different species of sportsmen decided that it was time to play their game in a playground called Mumbai. I remember the ‘Shiv-Sena’ once dug up the Ferozshah Kotla in their bid to avoid the Pakistanis play on Indian soil; I wonder why they dint do the same to Mumbai on the 26th. The players who had arrived in Mumbai went on a Sehwag-like rampage hitting the Mumbai Police for a few sixes and fours. The city was taken hostage for a whole of 72 hrs and nobody, I repeat; nobody spoke cricket. 72 hrs without talking cricket is a long time in India and you really need to hit us hard for us to do that. England immediately made their way through to Cuttack-Bangalore-London and to safety.
What followed was an almost week-long round of negotiations, security checks, assurances to the players by the ICC, the BCCI, and the ECB amidst other things. The media channels as usual went into all kinds of speculations saying they would never come, they would come but without Flintoff & Harmison (I really doubt if the tests would have even lasted for 3 days in that case!) etc. etc. Finally, a full-strength (if you can really use that word) England took the flight to Abu-Dhabi still unsure of whether they would land up in India.
And now it’s over to Chennai. The first test starts Thursday 11th Dec; 15 days after the ghastly attacks on Mumbai. Pietersen and his men definitely deserve to be given the credit for what is a very bold decision on their part to come and play. Especially when they could have very easily opted out of what seems to be another disaster on the cards.
I guess though, and I think most people would agree, that it’s not anymore about cricket on this tour. Its definitely not. I am just waiting to see the two teams do a lap across the Chidambaram stadium once the test match is over and for me, that is going to be the moment of the series, leave aside anything dramatic. We aren’t bothered about whether it is Sehwag or Flintoff who get the century, the century is either ways gonna be dedicated to a Karkare or an Unnikrishnan. Let’s hope that someday, the champions of terror are successfully dissuaded against it. Till then, lets go on with the game. Let’s get back to what is our LIFE.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Time for colored clothes!!
Hardly 72 hours have passed since India handed Ricky Ponting’s Aussies a crushing 2-0 defeat and sent them packing to Melbourne. The euphoria of this win coupled with the realization that we would never again see two of the pillars of Indian cricket of the last decade on the field, is yet to sink in for most Indians. It’s in such an atmosphere of mixed emotions that India embarks on an ODI tour of 7games against the visiting Englishmen.
What at first sight looks like just another series most likely to be forgotten amidst the euphoria of the epic victory preceding it, the India-England series actually has the potential of delivering a lot.
KP v/s MSD:
For starters, it’s a battle between two of the youngest skippers on view on the international scene. Dhoni, who will look to carry the momentum of the Aussie tour into this series brings a never-before seen uncomplicated approach to the game. Ganguly did say in his farewell speech that he saw a lot of himself in Dhoni and that augurs really well for India. MSD not only commands respect from the team but also the opponents worldwide. By opting out of the Lankan test tour and by giving his own farewells to both Sourav and Anil, he’s also made it clear that he lives life on his terms.
Kevin Pietersen on the other hand is a charismatic leader. Definitely a superior batsman as compared to the Indian captain, KP after taking over the reigns from Flintoff is yet to settle down in his role completely. One of his crucial tasks would be to instill that no-fear attitude he himself brings to the game, in the Englishmen. Looking at the recent and the not so recent past of English cricket, this task looks easier said than done. England under KP does promise to give us another Ashes series like the one in 2005, but for that to happen the team building should start now. Giving the Indians a run for their money in their homeland can be a superb morale for any team and that’s exactly what Pietersen would look for.
These two youngsters are in charge of equally young teams. While Dhoni leads a team with an average age of 23, KP’s England stand at an average age of 27. This makes it an even more crucial series with many players wanting to make a lasting impression and stand out in the larger scheme of things. It remains to be seen then if the Englishmen decide to take the game to their counterparts and make an otherwise ill-timed series watchable and memorable. It would also be interesting to see whether Freddie manages to keep his emotions and shirt in place, now that his shirt-swinging partner is no more on the scene!!
What at first sight looks like just another series most likely to be forgotten amidst the euphoria of the epic victory preceding it, the India-England series actually has the potential of delivering a lot.
KP v/s MSD:
For starters, it’s a battle between two of the youngest skippers on view on the international scene. Dhoni, who will look to carry the momentum of the Aussie tour into this series brings a never-before seen uncomplicated approach to the game. Ganguly did say in his farewell speech that he saw a lot of himself in Dhoni and that augurs really well for India. MSD not only commands respect from the team but also the opponents worldwide. By opting out of the Lankan test tour and by giving his own farewells to both Sourav and Anil, he’s also made it clear that he lives life on his terms.
Kevin Pietersen on the other hand is a charismatic leader. Definitely a superior batsman as compared to the Indian captain, KP after taking over the reigns from Flintoff is yet to settle down in his role completely. One of his crucial tasks would be to instill that no-fear attitude he himself brings to the game, in the Englishmen. Looking at the recent and the not so recent past of English cricket, this task looks easier said than done. England under KP does promise to give us another Ashes series like the one in 2005, but for that to happen the team building should start now. Giving the Indians a run for their money in their homeland can be a superb morale for any team and that’s exactly what Pietersen would look for.
These two youngsters are in charge of equally young teams. While Dhoni leads a team with an average age of 23, KP’s England stand at an average age of 27. This makes it an even more crucial series with many players wanting to make a lasting impression and stand out in the larger scheme of things. It remains to be seen then if the Englishmen decide to take the game to their counterparts and make an otherwise ill-timed series watchable and memorable. It would also be interesting to see whether Freddie manages to keep his emotions and shirt in place, now that his shirt-swinging partner is no more on the scene!!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Sourav- End of an era!
I don’t know when I started adoring Sourav Ganguly. I don’t even recall the first time I watched Ganguly the batsman or for that matter Ganguly the captain. My efforts to dig deeper into time only take me back to that wild shirt-swinging moment on the lords balcony and a childlike Sourav happily dancing bare-chested moments after Kaif and Yuvraj had given India an unforgettable Natwest series. It is probably one of those innumerable Ganguly moments that would stay with me and his countless fans for the years to come.
If we were to conduct a snap poll on what Indians thought about Ganguly I think we would get a 50:50 love-hate response. The often repeated and overused phrase ‘You might love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him’ fits the bill perfectly for Dada.
Sourav the captain announced himself on the scene just after the match-fixing saga and Azhar’s exit, probably one of the most trying periods Indian cricket ever went through. He not only pulled the lads together but also brought to the team an aggressive, no-fear attitude that was badly needed to sustain and perform in that time. It was his sheer luck that he got the services of a tactically brilliant yet extremely low-profile coach in John Wright. It must be remembered here that the Wright-Ganguly pair famously gave India some of her most spectacular victories on the cricket ground.
It is always fascinating to know what a coach thinks of his captain and Wrights latest book ‘Indian Summers’ has a lot to tell about Ganguly. While the coach says that he and Ganguly probably ended up spending as much time in the match referee’s cabin as no other captain-coach duo in the history of world cricket would have, he also says that it was the prince of Kolkata who gave the youngsters in the team a license to bite and snarl at the opposition, to set a maverick and defiant tone!
I cannot agree more with Wright here and probably this was why Sourav appealed so much to his fans, he brought to the Indian captains plate something which nobody before him could, an ability to look the opposition in the eye. I still remember watching the Indian bowlers (notably Srinath and Prasad) in the 90’s and the way their celebrations used to be subdued. I remember watching Sujith Somasundar (a one-ODI opener) take on Glenn McGrath in Australia and the fear in his eyes. Correct me if I am wrong, but I seldom saw the Indians intimidated by the opposition post 2000, post Sourav became the captain.
The only other guy who comes to my mind when I talk about being ‘fearless’ is the young Tendulkar, the Tendulkar who loved to come down all guns blazing especially on the Aussies. With all due respects to Sachin’s fans and even though he still remains the greatest Indian cricketer ever, that rustic madness was lost somewhere as he grew up. I wouldn’t want to compare the two greats, but I’ll just say that when you talk Tendulkar, you will think of the bat while when you talk Ganguly it will be the captain’s hat.
He never gave a stuff about convention, was never perturbed by what others thought of him, probably never gave a damn about being ‘nice’. Ganguly was always just plain Ganguly, for the good or the ill. Ohh yes, he did irritate many of us by being the ‘Maharajah’ on the field at times, but then he also managed to irritate Steve Waugh, didn’t he?
I guess the impending retirement is also a part of ‘being himself’. I guess he has taken enough from the board and his critics and finds it hard to continue. Maybe he agrees with Barrack Obama when the senator says ‘Change is what we need’. Whatever be the reason, its probably the right time to go. It gives the fans immense satisfaction to witness that their hero is ever relaxed and happy to be going. Just one last thing Sourav, hope we get to witness that offside cover drive one last time in Nagpur.
If we were to conduct a snap poll on what Indians thought about Ganguly I think we would get a 50:50 love-hate response. The often repeated and overused phrase ‘You might love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him’ fits the bill perfectly for Dada.
Sourav the captain announced himself on the scene just after the match-fixing saga and Azhar’s exit, probably one of the most trying periods Indian cricket ever went through. He not only pulled the lads together but also brought to the team an aggressive, no-fear attitude that was badly needed to sustain and perform in that time. It was his sheer luck that he got the services of a tactically brilliant yet extremely low-profile coach in John Wright. It must be remembered here that the Wright-Ganguly pair famously gave India some of her most spectacular victories on the cricket ground.
It is always fascinating to know what a coach thinks of his captain and Wrights latest book ‘Indian Summers’ has a lot to tell about Ganguly. While the coach says that he and Ganguly probably ended up spending as much time in the match referee’s cabin as no other captain-coach duo in the history of world cricket would have, he also says that it was the prince of Kolkata who gave the youngsters in the team a license to bite and snarl at the opposition, to set a maverick and defiant tone!
I cannot agree more with Wright here and probably this was why Sourav appealed so much to his fans, he brought to the Indian captains plate something which nobody before him could, an ability to look the opposition in the eye. I still remember watching the Indian bowlers (notably Srinath and Prasad) in the 90’s and the way their celebrations used to be subdued. I remember watching Sujith Somasundar (a one-ODI opener) take on Glenn McGrath in Australia and the fear in his eyes. Correct me if I am wrong, but I seldom saw the Indians intimidated by the opposition post 2000, post Sourav became the captain.
The only other guy who comes to my mind when I talk about being ‘fearless’ is the young Tendulkar, the Tendulkar who loved to come down all guns blazing especially on the Aussies. With all due respects to Sachin’s fans and even though he still remains the greatest Indian cricketer ever, that rustic madness was lost somewhere as he grew up. I wouldn’t want to compare the two greats, but I’ll just say that when you talk Tendulkar, you will think of the bat while when you talk Ganguly it will be the captain’s hat.
He never gave a stuff about convention, was never perturbed by what others thought of him, probably never gave a damn about being ‘nice’. Ganguly was always just plain Ganguly, for the good or the ill. Ohh yes, he did irritate many of us by being the ‘Maharajah’ on the field at times, but then he also managed to irritate Steve Waugh, didn’t he?
I guess the impending retirement is also a part of ‘being himself’. I guess he has taken enough from the board and his critics and finds it hard to continue. Maybe he agrees with Barrack Obama when the senator says ‘Change is what we need’. Whatever be the reason, its probably the right time to go. It gives the fans immense satisfaction to witness that their hero is ever relaxed and happy to be going. Just one last thing Sourav, hope we get to witness that offside cover drive one last time in Nagpur.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Of the Euro '08 and the Englishman's woes.....
The conclusion of the IPL(Indian Premier League) on the 1st of June with the Royals finally clinching the title in a fitting finale has put an end to a 45-day long fest which the world and the Indian fan in particular enjoyed to the maximum. It was wonderful to watch how the IPL had made its way into the daily routine of so many Indians that you couldnt help but wish it would go on for ever!
However less than a week after the conclusion of the IPL, here comes another sporting extravaganza in the EURO '08 Austria-Switzerland; reason enough for the Indian soccer fan to sit up and start cheering again (this time sans the cheer girls though [;-)] )! My memories of the Euro cup take me back to an evening in 2004 when 10 of us footballing freaks had gathered at Chippa's place and occupied every inch of the TV-room in anticipation of a close battle between England & France, two of the powerhouses of the tourney. There were four unfortunate English supporters amongst us (yours truly included) and six others either pro-France or anti-England. What we witnessed that night was one of the all time great games of the Euro Cup, what with England leading the scoreline till almost 80 minutes until the combined efforts of a magnificent Zidane and a horrendous Gerrard conspired to finish it off for England in the space of six minutes and hand France an unlikely 2-1 victory.
Inspite of this setback, we continued to support the Englishmen religiously and the team also gave us reason to cheer by entering the knock-out stages. There they met a rampaging Portugal side, and again after seemingly appearing in control till the halfway stage and after losing their only potential strike weapon in Wayne Rooney to an injury, gave away the equaliser in the closing minutes of the game. Extra-time ended with the score tied at 2-2 with Rui Costa and Lampard getting a goal each for their sides. Beckham then missed the first penalty for England, and though Rui Costa soon missed to tie the scores again, it was left to Ricardo who first saved Vassel's spot kick and then scored himself to send England crashing out on penalties for the fourth time in a major competition.
Little did I know, that I was to witness an agonizingly similar story as I watched England take on Portugal again, this time in the Q/F's of the 2006 World Cup, at the Miramar Beach in the company of my friend and ardent English fan Atul. The minority English supporters (the support to Portugal was huge, considering we were in Goa) saw as first Beckham limped out due to injury, then Rooney was red-carded for a stamp. England still managed to battle bravely and take the game to extra-time and eventually to the shootout, only to ruin all the hard work as Lampard, Gerrard and Carragher missed from the spot.
England they say, expects to lose on penalties. And the curse is now not only limited to the English team but is also fast inflicting its players with John Terry being the latest victim, with the fateful spotkick he took in Moscow set to haunt him for the rest of his life. It is because of all this that although England's failure to qualify for the Euro'08 saddens me, in a way I am grateful that it guarantees that there will be no heartbreak! That although it has left many a English fans disappointed, they must also realise that this tourney gives them a chance to sit back and view all the action neutrally and enjoy it to the fullest without bothering of whos gonna win! With that, its over to Austria-Switzerland!
However less than a week after the conclusion of the IPL, here comes another sporting extravaganza in the EURO '08 Austria-Switzerland; reason enough for the Indian soccer fan to sit up and start cheering again (this time sans the cheer girls though [;-)] )! My memories of the Euro cup take me back to an evening in 2004 when 10 of us footballing freaks had gathered at Chippa's place and occupied every inch of the TV-room in anticipation of a close battle between England & France, two of the powerhouses of the tourney. There were four unfortunate English supporters amongst us (yours truly included) and six others either pro-France or anti-England. What we witnessed that night was one of the all time great games of the Euro Cup, what with England leading the scoreline till almost 80 minutes until the combined efforts of a magnificent Zidane and a horrendous Gerrard conspired to finish it off for England in the space of six minutes and hand France an unlikely 2-1 victory.
Inspite of this setback, we continued to support the Englishmen religiously and the team also gave us reason to cheer by entering the knock-out stages. There they met a rampaging Portugal side, and again after seemingly appearing in control till the halfway stage and after losing their only potential strike weapon in Wayne Rooney to an injury, gave away the equaliser in the closing minutes of the game. Extra-time ended with the score tied at 2-2 with Rui Costa and Lampard getting a goal each for their sides. Beckham then missed the first penalty for England, and though Rui Costa soon missed to tie the scores again, it was left to Ricardo who first saved Vassel's spot kick and then scored himself to send England crashing out on penalties for the fourth time in a major competition.
Little did I know, that I was to witness an agonizingly similar story as I watched England take on Portugal again, this time in the Q/F's of the 2006 World Cup, at the Miramar Beach in the company of my friend and ardent English fan Atul. The minority English supporters (the support to Portugal was huge, considering we were in Goa) saw as first Beckham limped out due to injury, then Rooney was red-carded for a stamp. England still managed to battle bravely and take the game to extra-time and eventually to the shootout, only to ruin all the hard work as Lampard, Gerrard and Carragher missed from the spot.
England they say, expects to lose on penalties. And the curse is now not only limited to the English team but is also fast inflicting its players with John Terry being the latest victim, with the fateful spotkick he took in Moscow set to haunt him for the rest of his life. It is because of all this that although England's failure to qualify for the Euro'08 saddens me, in a way I am grateful that it guarantees that there will be no heartbreak! That although it has left many a English fans disappointed, they must also realise that this tourney gives them a chance to sit back and view all the action neutrally and enjoy it to the fullest without bothering of whos gonna win! With that, its over to Austria-Switzerland!
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