And then some more..

I have often been intrigued by what separates the chaff from the grain, the good from the best, the men from the boys.
As Dhoni's CSK makes it four finals out of five (irrespective of the result, this record is, in itself, one to behold), I began to think again - what is it that makes such leaders, such teams (or to extend this analogy further, what makes successful leaders, people) feel motivated enough to do an en core?
After all, they have already tasted the highs of success, smelt the aroma of a win, and run the victory lap.
What now?
How does one propel oneself to feel the same intensity, to rise and do it all over again, and again, and again?

The answer, as I have found (till now), lies in just 4 words. These are words that not only help successful people replicate their success, but are also pivotal in creating success for the very first time too.
And so, gentle ladies and men, I give you the 4 magical words: And Then Some More.

I read that in a Shiv Khera book some time ago, and it dawned on me, that it's precisely a genuine and resolute faith in this mantra that keeps people going.
Most of us are wary of failure...what will happen if I lose/fail to do something?
There is an apprehension in every new task/challenge we take...what if - something goes wrong? what if - I do not execute everything properly? what if - I end up being the subject of ridicule?

Winners, unlike most, think otherwise. As they say, courage is not the absence of fear. It is the conquest of fear. We all feel nervous and apprehensive at times. However, what separates one from another, a winner from anyone else, is the attitude - 'And then some more'.

Yes, I will do whatever is required of me (average-to-good, normal role), and then some more (make it large!)
Yes, I will win my first championship, and then some more!
Yes, I will make my first million, and then some more :-)

As I said, I am not too concerned by what CSK manages to do in the IPL final - the lesson to imbibe has already been delivered: Let us not rest content with whatever we achieve.

Let us keep raising the bar. After all, that's why a Bill Gates, an Amitabh Bachchan, an Ambani, a Tendulkar - turns up at work everyday when any of them could pretty much waltz through life, along with their proverbial next seven generations, without caring a damn about earnings.

But then, that's why they are there in the first place - because they know why or how they could even get there.
'And then some more' is all that we need to do - for all the good things/habits, that is. It's 'And Then No More' for all negative, avoidable ones).
Think about it..and then some more!

Now, THAT'S What I Call - A Performance!!

Oh yeah, I know the IPL is alive and kicking in its fifth edition, and the slam-bang version has expectedly been hogging pretty much all the headlines as far as cricketing news is concerned.

But, somewhere far away, a yesteryear cricketing giant and a recently-usurped Goliath locked horns on the former's home soil, in that ultimate test of cricket - Test Cricket.

What has made me write about this match in particular, is the way it transformed, thanks to a very aggressive, and an extremely positive approach adopted by the eventually winning Aussie skipper, Michael Clarke.

One look at the scorecard, and you can see how the tables were turned for West Indies, who dominated for the better part of three days in the match.
Apart from reasserting the reason why Test cricket is regarded as the true test of both perseverance and performance, it also showcased the captaincy of Michael Clarke at its best.
This really deserves to be applauded in today's world of T20-dominated cricket and reactive/insipid captaincy seen on most occasions.

Consider this:
Responding to WI's First Innings total of 449, the Australians were in all sorts of bother at 285/8. That was at end of Day 3.
After staging a remarkable fightback, the team managed to cross 400 and were 406/9 just before Tea on Day 4. 101 out of 100 captains would carry on batting and ensure that the till-now dominant West Indies (who were still not trailing, as per the scoreboard), did not go on to win the match.
Most captains would prefer to bat out till that last wicket, and hope to come as close as possible to (if not in excess of) 449.

Which is where, Clarke showed a lot of gumption and despite trailing by 43 runs, still declared the innings at 406/9, with about 5 overs to go before Tea on Day 4.
Such positive captaincy infused life in the match and a hitherto missing cricketing mojo in the Aussie bowlers, who managed to prise out the Caribbean batsmen very cheaply in their second essay.
Bundling out West Indies for 148, and led by the pugnacious Watson and the ever-reliable Michael Hussey, the Aussies won a very memorable match indeed.
 
Thanks to the antics and belligerent attitude, coupled with the sledge-fest they naturally display in every outing, I don't say this very often for an Australian: but since they rightly deserve to be lauded for this one, credit must go where it is due: Well done Australia, well done Michael Clarke - that, is indeed what I call, a performance!

The Good Guy Who Finished First

As anyone who has read even a few posts on this blog might guess, cricket has been my passion ever since childhood. As I dabbled into the sport, I remember my first heroes (or superheroes, considering the stature they commanded and the persona they exuded) were Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar.
And then, ofcourse, as any Indian/cricket-loving fan would testify, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar happened to us.

Apart from these living legends too, the Indian cricket fan got many more heroes and sporting icons. However, I cannot recall any who come as gentlemanly yet competitive, and as proven-superhero-material yet still so understated and unassuming, as Rahul Sharad Dravid.

All other 'legends' and 'superheroes' of Indian cricket have somehow always had a larger-than-life aura about them. A Kapil or Gavaskar were the original holy cows, while a Sachin has always had a universal and timeless appeal to him.

However, as Harsha Bhogle points out so succinctly in his tribute, it is Dravid who has taught us to place grit, determination, and selfless effort over and above everything else, for the sake of the team.

From keeping wickets only for the sake of a better team composition, or opening the innings in the toughest of terrains, Dravid did it all.
With elan, and without complaints.
With genuine care for the team, and without any show-shaa, hoo-haa about his 'sacrifices'.
Time and time again.

Without even the slightest effort or desire to seek or share glory for some of the most epic efforts he has produced. And mind you, there are some truly sublime specials in his 16-year career.

People often mistake dignified, understated conduct for meekness or lack of aggression. However, as even the most competitive cricketers of his time have vouched, there was always a steely, unyielding resolve behind the boyish looks within that helmet.

As with most of his gentlemanly efforts, he has done a good job of knowing when to 'leave'. As he calls curtains on his glorious career, we can only stand up and doff our hat to a true champion.
Thankyou Rahul, for all the memories.

Thankyou for teaching and proving to us that selflessness is still alive in this competitive, come-look-at-me world, and for persevering with it even when it did not seem to be the 'in' thing to do.

Most importantly, thankyou for showing and proving to us that even the most competitive and 'aggressive' guys can be impeccable enough in their conduct to be shown to the next generation(s) as role models.

Thankyou Rahul, for teaching and proving to us that good guys can also finish first.
Fare thee well!

Well done and Thankyou, Pakistan!!

I don't know if it I am too jingoistic about it, but for as long as I can recall, if ever anything has given me close to the same pleasure (and at times, even more) as an Indian win, it has always been about seeing a Pakistani and/or Australian team lose.

Which is why, I never knew I would write an article with such a heading, as I do for this one's, today.
As it turns out, this is exactly how events of the cricketing world and emotions within me, have panned out.
So here I am - happily sharing how good it felt to see the Pakistan cricket team take the mickey out of a completely outplayed English outfit.

Never knew I would enjoy watching a Pakistani huddle one day!
Image: courtesy Cricinfo

As anyone who has followed the world of Test cricket in the recent past would testify, we have seen the #1 Test team in the world being pummeled into submission on foreign soil, twice within a span of 6 months.

India began their England tour of July-August 2011 as the numero uno team in Test cricket, after having also attained a high of a World Cup triumph earlier in the year.

As we all know by now, by the time that England tour ended, we were not only stripped of our #1 Test status, but were simply stomped upon, in the absence of even a semblance of fight from us.

Ofcourse, it's another matter that this current Australian tour has proved to be equally disastrous for our Test team and its superstars.

At least we had been #1 in Test for about a couple of years - since December 2009.

No Monopoly
By all means, this Paki win shows India's already depleted ranking is now under even more threat, but I am still happy. Why?

Because it means that an England, Australia or South Africa would not think they have a monopoly over the world rankings and would have to earn it by proving themselves everywhere, just like India, Pakistan need to.

Respect Asian Conditions Too
I had written earlier, about why England would be considered a truly worthy #1 team only after seeing their results on Asian tracks and conditions. As it stands, after just one tour of such conditions, the much-vaunted England team stands exposed, without any excuses to offer.

Well done, Strauss
I must also credit Andrew Strauss for the way he has made an honest and dispassionate prelim-assess of how things stand and the tasks on his plate.

Sample this: ""We can't ignore this result and just say it's an aberration," Strauss said. "That would not help us. This was an eye-opener and a wake-up call and with two more tours on the subcontinent coming up, things won't get easier. We have to be up for this challenge."

It is this approach, straightforwardness, vision and clarity that all those who run any form of cricket in general, (and particularly, Indian cricket) must also emulate.

Field Wide Open for Top-Draw Competitive Cricket
Another reason why I have been happy about the Pakistani win is because it makes for a very open and interesting contest for the top position in Indian cricket.
5 teams - England, India, Pakistan, Australia, and South Africa are within 10 points of each other, vying for the 2011-12 #1 rank by the end of March.

Ofcourse, India would not reach that position, for they do not play their next Test till September 2012. However, the very fact that with all these countries are so close, not to forget a resurgent New Zealand (who recently beat Australia in Australia) and the perennial dark horses - Sri Lanka, Test contests definitely seem to have ample room to make for some engrossing and competitive cricket among so many countries.

I believe it's never good for the game if only one team dominates (oh, I would very conveniently make an exception to this statement in case of an Indian dominance!). So with Pakistan winning, it's nice to see so many teams basically on an even keel, and never beating their chests off after winning only on home soil.

Let the games and foreign wins begin...
May the most competitive tourist win!!