The Great 'Wall' of India

'People like Gundappa Viswanath and Sudhakar Rao continued to play even after retirement. I have played with them (in his initial years) and it was a huge thrill for me to play against them.'

This quote, from the one and only Rahul Dravid, made me marvel at the character of the Wall, once again.

A few months ago, Dravid retired from international cricket.
A few weeks ago, Dravid turned up for his domestic club - yes, even after his retirement from international cricket, and scored a century.

The takeaway news here, is obviously not his century, but the fact that he felt committed enough, to voluntarily give something back to the game.

Yes, to the game that he has loved and lived pretty much all his life, till date.
To the game that's made him what he is, today.

Yet, how often do you see successful stalwarts, who have walked out of the spotlight, come back selflessly, to lend a helping hand for others?
To be a source of inspiration not just through their achievements, but also by their conduct?

There are only some who go on to become stars from amongst the also-rans and the mere mortals.
Even lesser than them are those who become superstars.
And then, there are the select few(er) from among the already few superstars, who become role models.
As I have written earlier too, Rahul Sharad Dravid is one who belongs to that elusive, last category.

So this post will not dwell too much on the talent (which is too evident to negate through the numbers he's stacked up since 1996).
This post is about acknowledging and lauding what a super-successful sports star is doing, to leave the game richer.
All of us know that if ever there is one word that defines him most appropriately, it is selfless. A team-man to the core, RD has done his bit for the team on numerous occasions on the field.
What is worth noticing, is that he his still keen to play, share his experiences and knowledge on the both off and on the field. Even now, after he has retired and need not play, he still turns up for his club in a domestic tournament.
He is still keen to sweat (as profusely as he always has), just so that he can give something back to the game - the same thrill, the same joy, the same lessons - that he learnt, while watching his idols and being starry-eyed and just plain happy about playing, thanks to their presence.

Once again, in the latest news that I read about him, Dravid has, characteristically, also tried to give his two cents in ensuring that the future of Indian cricket is not only in the right hands, but also with the right mind and temperament.

I don't care even if this sounds like a paean to Dravid but with gestures such as these, I like him all the more:
For not simply putting his feet up after an illustrious career and dismissing the new generation with contempt.

• For being a role model thanks to his impeccable and exemplary conduct.
  
• For caring enough for the new generation to teach, guide, and mentor them, with his readiness and voluntary, selfless presence on the field with them.
  
• For being a wise counsel to the next crop of cricketers to also place the value of toil, patience, and perseverance (Test cricket) over and above a world offering dollops of easy cash, glamor, and a laid-out lifestyle.
  
• For teaching that cricket is great(er) even if every ball is not a Citi Moment of Success or a DLF Maximum. For exemplifying that a ball left well can also be a moment of quiet victory for a batsman in a battle of attrition against the bowler.
  
• Most importantly, for stressing on and inspiring the new crop with the fact that playing in whites for your country at a fraction of the T20 amount, can still give the ultimate joy, pride, and satisfaction.

No praise is too high for this true champion.

I started this post with a Dravid quote, so it might be only appropriate to end with another one, that sums up what this ever-sensible character has to share for budding cricketers:

'What I'll like to tell young kids is that the greatest satisfaction you are going to get is by playing Test cricket and playing in some of these great stadiums of the world. That will give you the greatest personal satisfaction, so don't sell yourself short. Try and achieve. It is possible. It can be done.'

Putting the I in ETHICS

If you are reading this, chances are you have a bit of spare time - in which case, I would strongly recommend you to read this.
Consider this recommendation to be a precursor to this post.

Apart from being a truly well-deserved eulogy to the best prime minister we have ever had, this article also traces the origins of today's omnipresent corruption in our system and collective psyche.

In today's world where blatant flouting of political propriety is the norm, can we ever expect to see any politician worth his salt (let alone a high-ranking minister) even considering plying by public transport? Oh, that, after (and because) he has voluntarily relinquished his position as a minister!
Yeah yeah, dream on!

True, we are not living in that era anymore, but what stops us from being better people than what we are?
Yes, none of us might (heck, can) ever attain such a towering moral rectitude as that of the great man, but why can we not try being at least true to ourselves?

I hope we never lose sight of the fact that even Shastri ji could have had his temptations.
Even he could have died rich, bequeathing a legacy of unforeseen wealth for his progeny.

However, we tend to worship only the glitzy, blighted by the chamak-damak, saluting only those who can bamboozle us with their 'numbers', dazzle us with their razzmatazz, making legends out of those who've 'made it large'.
In comes an Ambani then, while we forget the industriousness of a Tata.

Perhaps it is an unfathomable travesty, that understatedness goes unrewarded. The most genuine and morally 'rich' are often silent people. However, unfortunately, today's parlance has found the synonym of silence and understatement to only mean weakness and meekness.

Therefore, it is my humble attempt (in writing now, through this post!) that atleast I, shall put the I in ETHICS.

Strive I shall continue to do, for success and for everything I want to be...
But I don't need 'em if they come by losing the very principles which have shaped me.
What's the point of reading or writing a thousand words of eulogy....
if I do not actually imbibe the teachings of my hero - Shri Lal Bahadur ji?!

Amen to the effort and good luck to me! (and anyone else who'd like to follow suit)!!

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!