The Wall That Stood Tall – A tribute to Rahul Dravid

It was one of those days that have become all too common on this tour — intriguing, confounding, depressing all rolled in one. Before play began on the second morning of the friendly match against Northants came the news that Rahul Dravid had been reinstated in the one-day squad which play England after the Test. Why would a World Cup-winning team want to turn the clock back almost two years was the buzz in the morning. It goes without saying that Dravid’s inclusion is not bereft of good reason. On this tour yet, Dravid has looked the most secure batsman in the team. English conditions are also unlikely to allow flat track strikers to thrive, and a player who can hold the innings together is vital and who better than Dravid for that job. Today at Cardiff, Rahul Dravid will play his last one day international; one last time in blue jersey.

A man who first stepped into international cricket when unorthodoxy was at its peak with pinch-hitters scoring runs defying the standard shots of cricket; Dravid has been truly head and shoulders above everyone when it comes to technique and style. Every time India has been staring down the barrel, Dravid has stood out like a lotus in the muck or a solitaire among the brick bats. Undoubtedly, Dravid has been one of the main pillars of the Indian batting line up with his blend of right technique and stylish shots. April 3, 1996, India was up against Sri Lanka in Singapore and it was the second match of the ‘Singer cup’. With the opposition in driver’s seat and the scoreboard reading 58/2, Dravid made his way out to the middle with a willow in hand to try and manoeuvre the team’s ship out of choppy waters which years later was going to be bread and butter stuff for him. His debut innings wasn’t anything of note, falling to Muralitharan for a single digit score and it’s fair to say his first couple of years in ODI’s weren’t anything to write about. It was only after that epic partnership with Sourav Ganguly in the world cup match against Sri Lanka at Taunton that he made his mark in ODI arena.

Initially seen as a liability in the one-day arena, he retooled his game over the years to become an adept middle-order finisher. Yes, the swashbuckling strokes which are so synonymous with the shorter version of the game didn’t come to him naturally but he certainly had all the makings of a solid middle order batsman who could hold the innings together with utter ease. For a player whose affluent essay came out of perfection, temperament and technique, Rahul Dravid has been India’s go-to man in pressure situations and till date he has served the team’s cause with whole hearted devotion. He has been undoubtedly the best that India has ever produced–in terms of technique, skills, grit and above all dependability. The skills are as solid as they were 15 years ago, the style seems to have got better and better with each passing year but one thing never seems to change and that is his grit and concentration–Those have been rock solid as ever.

In a nation like ours which is so obsessed with the game of cricket, where cricketers are demi-gods and everyday a new controversy pops up, Dravid’s sheer down to earth nature and humble attitude has helped him stay away from controversies in-spite of so much media scrutiny. Rahul Dravid started off as a shaky batsman with an apt technique, then came a phase wherein he became the sheet anchor and others played around him scoring runs freely and now with the advent of t20, Dravid seems to have moulded himself into a new avatar–a player who now keeps pace with the innings, who not only smacks the bowlers out of the park (pretty unlike the real Dravid) but also possesses an attitude that would make him reach the skies. Dravid’s greatness however is not limited to the number of runs he scores on the field. We certainly need to let that number roll off our tongues a bit more often because it is a colossal figure. His greatness is a potpourri of character, hard work and a genuinely good heart. Talent and character join hands to make consummate greatness-Dravid is a glittering example of that. A deeper scrutiny of his character shows his commitment towards Indian cricket–A selfless soul who always has been a team-man and whose personal records have been overshadowed by team heroics.

When Dravid retires today, the country will lose the greatest no 3 batsman it ever had, fans will be robbed of the privilege of watching this artist at work, media will mourn that he never got his due but most importantly, his departure will take away with itself a bit of gentle-manliness that the game tries to still portray as its inseparable element. He is a legend no matter what critics say–He has been the man responsible for taking India to new heights of success. Pressure can make a batsman crumble or can make him doughty and more confident. Dravid has time and again shown us that he enjoys such challenges. Demanding situations have seen him rise to the occasion and perform even better. He is known as the WALL for reasons which are pretty much self-evident.

So for one last time, let us enjoy seeing those toes which rise sweetly in sync with the pace of the approaching ball, standing tall and majestic and in control before disdainfully whacking the ball through the backward point. Let us enjoy how he bats and bats and bats and saves the team from a moment of crisis. Let’s get awed by his mastery over something we will always run away from–STRUGGLE. He indeed is a true-blue hero.

Hats off Dravid!!

Avi for DieHard Cricket Fans
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Sourav Ganguly – Master of the Art of Riposte

As England toppled India to become the numero uno in test match cricket, one man saw all the mayhem unfold in front of his own eyes albeit from the other side of the boundary line this time. He was the man who was once responsible for making this team what it is today—A team full of match winners, a team worthy of beating the best in their own backyard. As a captain, he was pivotal in setting the foundation for India’s resurgence as a top cricket team and now as a commentator, the passion in his presentation is visible and his technical view points on game situations leaves you wanting for more. He must have felt immense pain while watching India lose to England but this time, there was little that he could do. Yes, I am talking about the ‘’Prince of Kolkata’’– Sourav Ganguly. Ever since his retirement, India has well and truly struggled to find a player to fill in that no 6 spot. His absence was felt in this tour to say the least. So, today let us try and relive those golden memories of the past via this tribute to my role-model; Sourav Ganguly.

22nd June 1996, India was playing at Mecca of world cricket—The Lord’s against the English and it was the third day of the second test match in the test series. The scenic beauty of the Lord’s with the cool London breeze blowing around was there to be admired but what was more pleasant to the eyes was the presence of a slim, young and handsome player in the middle who was making his debut in international test cricket. He was driving the English bowlers all around the park with his classy off drives and soon got his name etched in the history books by scoring a magnificent hundred on debut. This man who with his extraordinary cricketing talent took the entire cricketing fraternity by storm was none other than our very own Sourav Chandidas Ganguly aka Dada.

Some felt he couldn’t play the bouncers, others swore that he was GOD on off-side, some laughed at his lack of athleticism, others took pride in the way he led his band of men to glory. Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, no other Indian batsman till date has inspired such amazing devotion. Sourav’s ability to polarize opinions led to the making of one of the most entertaining dramas in international cricket–An era which well and truly belonged to the man who took Indian cricket to new heights. It goes without saying that he was India’s most successful test captain–A captain who forged a winning side from a bunch of players who always had the talent but no one to channelize it. Sourav not only instilled that missing killer instinct in them but also taught them the ‘ART OF WINNING’–An art which was missing in Indian cricket for long. Inspite of being a batsman who made stroke making look utterly easy, his career came to a standstill in the early 1990s after it was revived courtesy a scintillating hundred against England at Lord’s. It was a path-breaking moment in his career as that innings opened the doors of team India for Sourav Ganguly. And then came the turning point in his career–a moment which was going to change Indian cricket and Sourav’s life forever. In the year 2000, Mohammad Azharuddin, the former Indian captain and one of the world’s finest batsman was banned for life from the sports owing to match fixing allegations.This incident took the entire cricketing fraternity by storm and suddenly team India found itself in a jeopardy–With no Azhar around, who will lead the team?

The answer was -Sourav Ganguly. In 2000, when he took over as the skipper, he inherited Indian cricket in the midst of confusion and crisis that was triggered by the match fixing controversy. There was no clarity of thought, no game plan, no strategies. In a nutshell India was going nowhere. It was time to bring about a change but it was certainly going to be a herculean task from every stretch of imagination. Come 2001, and Sourav played the role of a shrewd tactician to perfection and stopped the winning juggernaut of the Aussies in the Eden test at Kolkata which has got imprinted in the minds of millions and millions of die hard cricket fans. It was indeed a historic victory and gifted back team India it’s long lost self-belief. Personally for Sourav, it was a huge moment in his cricketing career. Rest as they say is history–Team India under Ganguly’s leadership soared to new heights –The team started winning away matches as well. The victories against Australia and Pakistan in their own backyard stand apart. In 2002, the bare-chested Ganguly stunt on the Lord’s balcony was to become the defining moment of his captaincy. There was no place for decorum and norms. It did not matter it was the Lord’s –-the holiest of cricketing hollies. It was India’s first one-day tournament victory after having lost nine in a row, six of them under Ganguly. India also made it to the finals of 2003 cricket world cup under Ganguly’s captaincy but unfortunately faltered in the final frontier. After having spent close to 5 years at the helm, it seemed as if he had cemented his place in the hearts of his hardcore fans and in the team as a skipper–But the phase after 2005 turned out to be a nightmare for the southpaw. He was not only axed as the skipper but was also shown the doors from the team. But those who say that Sourav is the “KING OF COME-BACKS” don’t say it without any reason. He justified this tag as he capped a fairytale comeback with the South Africa series and went on to put on some superlative displays in England and then in the home series against Pakistan. But the end seemed to be imminent. And finally after the Kanpur test against Australia in 2008, Sourav called it quits.This brought the end to an amazing career which spanned for more than a decade and it won’t be an exaggeration if one claims that it was a fitting end to a legendary player’s career. Sourav Ganguly always had the supreme gift of timing and his exit from the game was truly an endorsement of his magical sense of timing.

There is no denial to the fact that throughout his career, he has toyed with his fate, tempting it to turn its back on him so that once again he could surprise us with a stunning come-back. Something in him always rebelled against the mundane and orthodox styles of cricket. He has enjoyed life at the zenith of success and has smelled the barren soil as well. He fought fire with fire and taught the same to his team. He well and truly is one of the leading architects of this world champion team India.To end with, Ganguly is a born fighter–a man who fought against all odds, who stood by his team when it needed him the most and a great batsman who served Indian cricket with distinction and left when Indian cricket was in a much better state than he found it.

SOURAV GANGULY – The man who taught us to look in the eye of the enemy and not blink!

The man who injected steel, the man who galvanised the team.

We miss you DADA!!!

Avi for DieHard Cricket Fans
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India’s World Cup win–The bigger picture!!

Mumbai- A city which never sleeps – A city which is all about noise -Noise of car honking, drift of vehicles and common man but this all came to absolute standstill on that historic night of 2nd April, 2011 when India locked horns with Sri Lanka in the finals of 2011 world cup at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. After a gruelling battle of close to 7 hours, the entire nation broke into a frenzy–India were crowned the World champions.

The dark skies of Mumbai exploded into a kaleidoscope of colourful fireworks–It was a night of drum beats and celebrations. The light of a billion ecstatic souls probably lit up India like sunlight on April 2, 2011. We had regained the world cup after an arduous wait of close to 28 years. History was made in the “City Of Dreams”.

The crowds had gone berserk. They desperately wanted to show the world what this victory meant to them. For the Indian media, it was an affirmation–an affirmation of India’s rising dominance in the field of sports and especially cricket. In our country there is no denial to the fact that the game of cricket is more an apologue than sport and is often a stage where people exhibit their patriotism and aspirations.

It is indeed hard for a common man to remain indifferent from the ever so increasing metaphors that the gentleman’s game has thrown up. But after this historic victory, a bigger question looms over India. Will this win adorn the nation’s image as a developing nation on the whole? Will the administrators of this country draw any inspiration from this win and try to take India to the pinnacles of success in every field?

It goes without saying that this victory has pumped a breath of fresh air in the lives of a billion people who were otherwise drowning in the deep waters of corruption, scams and heinous acts of terrorism. But the people need to realise that if cricket is a larger story of India as a nation, then it only speaks ambiguously. The question is :

Will this massive win be able to eradicate the other challenges that the nation confronts?
To be up and running as a developed nation, we need to have holistic growth and success in all arenas and not just cricket.
The WC win won’t quench the thirst of a hungry girl on the road side–For thousands of poor people residing in those endless streak of slums, this won’t give rise to a ray of new hope. This won’t pacify the hearts of a billion people residing in a nation which has every now and then been wounded by the abhorrent acts of terrorism and above all, this win won’t make India a super-power.

Then why are we going gaga over this win? What is its significance? Well, for a cricket watching audience which today hardly excludes a handful of Indians, this victory is just not the victory of team India-Its a victory of a nation–A nation which has succeeded in establishing its stranglehold in a field where it was long battling to survive. This win and euphoria thereafter, certainly has indicated something more, which our national leaders must not miss out on.

The celebrations and pride that the common man has experienced after the glorious WC campaign is a harbinger of the fact that, we as the common man of India want to see our nation dominate every field. We love seeing India’s progress at a lightening pace, we feel proud to be associated with a nation which brings us glory. The win has in true sense kick started a renaissance. This has sent across the message in a more assertive manner if not anything else. And yes, undoubtedly we have developed as a nation by leaps and bounds in the last decade. Yes, more millionaires in Mumbai than ever before, but the harder work — breaking caste discrimination, upgrading infrastructure, better health care for all — remains to be done. The roots of corruption need to be uprooted forever. It is hard but not impossible from any stretch of imagination. If Dhoni can reach super stardom after coming from Ranchi—India’s hinterland, if Sreesanth who hails from the economic backwaters of Kerala can startle the cricketing fraternity by portraying the image of “angry young man”, then why can’t a nation of billions fight it’s way to glory–Why can’t we wage a battle against all odds and win it emphatically just like team India?

If the presumptuous youth can guide India to the top of the world in cricket, it can also shoulder the responsibilities of bettering the image of India as a nation in the world map. If , we as cricket crazy nation interpret cricket’s WC victory metaphorically, then we need to be open to all interpretations. Those who rule the nation need to understand that a young country can’t wait for long to see its ambition fulfilled–So wake up and start working for a better future–a better India. At present, the bright days of glory have deserted team India but the dark nights of defeat have certainly thrown light on obscure flaws in the system. The quicker we identify and solve it, the better it will be for Indian cricket’s future. The same applies for India in all fields and not just cricket. The quicker we spot the loopholes and work on it, the better it will be for the future of our country.

Avi for DieHard Cricket Fans
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Hot Spot–It’s not so hot!!

Marathon effort ended on a sour note!!

It was the last ball of the 13th over of India’s second innings. Rahul Dravid was up against England spinner Graeme Swann. Dravid all day long had negotiated the turn and bounce from Graeme Swann quite brilliantly but finally faultered in the ultimate delivery of  his fourth over. The ball spun back from outside off stump, and passed very, very close to the bat before going onto pad and looping to Cook who palmed it with one hand and collected the catch. The catch was claimed in unison by the English players but on field umpire didn’t look too interested in that and hence it was ruled not out. The England skipper Andrew Strauss thought otherwise and asked for a referral. The dismissal was then referred to the third umpire Steve  Davies under the DRS referral system –Lo and Behold, Dravid was adjudged caught at short-leg of Swann and with it the third umpire set the ball rolling for another debate on the much anticipated Hot Spot and DRS system.

The debate then shifted to the social platform ”TWITTER” where cricket fans and experts had an opinion of their own. There are 3 ways to look at the issue:

1. The English media men and fans thought that there was a slight deflection from a certain angle and Steve Davies was right in ruling Dravid out. Fair enough.
2. The Indian contingent of fans and experts opined that there was no conclusive evidence for Steve Davies to rule Dravid out and hence he should have stayed with the on field call. Fair enough.
3. And amongst the neutral, many thought that the right decision was ultimately reached but in a wrong way. That is Fair Enough.

So, all in all one would say that either way it was a marginal call. But as someone who has been following the game for a decade now, it is perhaps my duty to bring forth my stand on this issue. So here is what I think about the dismissal:

Well my first reaction to that in real time was ”It is out”! But on observing the replays in slow motion, one got the feeling that the ball had just missed the edge of the bat. The commentators on air said the body language of Dravid immediately after the appeal was not that inspiring and was suggesting that he had nicked it. I did not  feel anything like that. He just went back so that he could withdraw himself from the frame ,thats it. If ever this meant that a batsman has edged a ball, then we would have come across many bizarre dismissals in the past. Anyways, when a decision has been referred to the third umpire, what a batsman’s body language suggests or what the bowler thinks does not really matter– The decision lies in the hands of third umpire and he is the guy who has to come out with a judgement. Now, the referral was made under DRS and so it was pretty clear that the TV umpire had 2 parameters to work with–First see whether it was a legal delivery or not which it was and secondly use the much anticipated ” Hot Spot” and decide if there was a nick. That is where all the problem lies– Dravid in the post match interview says he thought he nicked it, England think he nicked it but the most important technology on which DRS is based i.e ”Hot-Spot” said that there was no edge there. Must say that it was a brave decision by Davies. What he did there was he went right against the technology and sent across a message that ” See the hot spot is not right, there was a nick and i saw it”. So even if the technology says its not out, i say thats out. I really didn’t understand why he did that. His responsibility as the third umpire, once a particular decision has been made by the on-field umpires and has been challenged, is to survey all the evidence that is provided to him within the confines of the DRS. I repeat this again, this was a decision made by the on field umpire and challenged by the English team. As a match official, you need to go by whats at your disposal and if you are going to adjudge a dismissal based on your own parameters, then why have DRS in the first instance?

The ball actually deviated from its path quite a bit as it passed the willow and Davies thinks that there was a slight nick–so slight that even Hot Spot couldn’t pick it up. The ball  must have actually deviated because of the turn that the wicket was offering. It pitched and turned viciously but not for once from those slow-mo replays, snickos and the audio feed from the stump microphone, i felt that there was an inside nick and to be honest if Davies thinks that the ball actually deviated because there was a thin nick, then let me tell you that i have never really seen a ball deviate so much because of a faint edge.

In a nutshell, when an on field umpire’s decision is challenged via DRS, the third umpire needs to confirm whether the right judgement has been made using all the technology that is there at his disposal and if he wishes to overturn it then there has to be enough overwhelming evidence for that. The DRS was meant to eliminate howlers, and not rule on marginal calls. Where marginal calls are involved, the ground umpire’s decision should be taken as the final one.

I spot No Hot Spot!!!

How this decision affects the state of the match remains to be seen. With BCCI approving the usage of DRS in the home games, there will indeed be plenty to talk about the Hot Spot and it’s credibility on the Indian wickets where the ball turns and bounces. It will indeed be a litmus test for UDRS.

Avi for DieHard Cricket Fans
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Rahul Dravid–The quintessential team man!!

Jammy will bleed BLUE--One last time!!

Critics say when this man bats, it is  ”POETRY IN MOTION”. A man who first stepped into international cricket when unorthodoxy was at its peak with pinch-hitters scoring runs defying the standard shots of cricket–A man who epitomises test cricket and is truly head and shoulders above everyone when it comes to technique and style–Yes, i am talking about the GREAT WALL OF INDIA–RAHUL DRAVID. The skills are as solid as they were 15 years ago, the style seems to have got better and better with each passing year but one thing never seems to change and that is his grit and concentration–Those have been rock solid as ever. Rahul Dravid has been one of the main pillars of the Indian batting line up with his blend of right technique and stylish shots. Here is a tribute to one of the greatest servants of INDIAN cricket as he gears up to play his last ODI series; one last time in his blue jersey.

22nd June, 1996, INDIA was up against ENGLAND at Mecca of Cricket –The Lord’s. A young lad named Sourav Chandidas Ganguly was making a mark in international cricket with his well crafted century. Another batsman at the other end who was also making his debut was effortlessly churning runs with his exquisite strokes. Unfortunately , this slim, handsome lad missed out on a hundred and was dismissed for 95. But his classy innings and the grit to survive in the middle earned him a standing ovation from the crowd at Lord’s. This was perhaps one of the classiest innings they had witnessed in a long time–The man was Rahul Dravid.

For a player whose affluent essay came out of perfection, temperament and technique, Rahul dravid has been INDIA’s go-to man in pressure situations and till date he has served the team’s cause with whole hearted devotion. He has been undoubtedly the best that INDIA has ever produced–in terms of technique, skills, grit and above all dependability. There is always a relief that INDIA can’t  lose if Dravid is there in the middle. Dravid has earned this love and respect from his fans all over the world. People believe him because he has proved that he is worthy of it–Shouldering the hopes of billion fans is indeed a tedious task but for Dravid, its an honour.

In a cricket crazy nation like India, where cricketers are demi-gods, and everyday a new controversy pops up, Dravid’s sheer down to earth nature and humble attitude has helped him stay away from controversies in-spite of so much media scrutiny. Rahul Dravid started off as a shaky batsman with an apt technique, then came a phase wherein he became the sheet anchor and others played around him scoring runs freely and now with the advent of t20, Dravid seems to have moulded himself into a new avatar–a player who now keeps pace with the innings, who not only smacks the bowlers out of the park(pretty unlike the real dravid) but also possesses an attitude that would make him reach the skies. Dravid’s greatness however is not limited to the number of runshe scores on the field. It is a potpourri of character, hard work and a genuinely good heart. Talent and character join hands to make consummate greatness-Dravid is a glittering example of that. A deeper scrutiny of his character shows his commitment towards Indian cricket–A selfless soul who always has been a team-man and whose personal records have been overshadowed by team heroics. As legendary batsman Sunny Gavaskar righly said:

He is the iron man of Indian cricket whose strength of character shines through in every move he makes on the field.

When Dravid retires, the country will lose the greatest no 3 batsman it ever had, fans will be robbed of the privilege of watching this artist at work, media will mourn that he never got his due but most importantly, his departure will take away with itself a bit of gentle-manliness that the game tries to still portray as its inseparable element. He is a legend no matter what critics say–He has been the man responsible for taking INDIA to the numero uno status in test cricket and he will forver be the ICEMAN of team INDIA. But leave aside those talks of retirement for now, as the man seems to be enjoying the game and looks ready to decimate the opponents once again.

Till then, lets enjoy seeing those toes which rise sweetly in sync with the pace of the approaching ball,standing tall and majestic and in control before disdainfully whacking the ball through the backward point. Lets enjoy how he bats and bats and bats and saves the team from a moment of crisis.Lets get awed by his mastery over something we will always run away from–STRUGGLE. Long live the legend of Rahul Dravid.

Hats off Dravid !!!

Avi for DieHard Cricket Fans