Well Done, MSD!!

As the one and only Ramesh Srivats put it so wittily, if there was one thing MSD could not achieve, it was this:

It all started with a blistering knock against Pakistan, when an international star was born.

The world stood up and took notice of a batsman who could bludgeon the ball most cleanly as well as brutally.
Using his bat like a scimitar, he made the wicketkeeper-batsman slot his very own, after that innings.

Over to 2007.
Legends like Sachin, Dravid, and Ganguly had decided to skip the T20 tamasha, albeit it being the (first) World Cup of this format.
MS got anointed as the new captain in the format, and as they say, the rest is history.

The young team, led ably by its new leader, won the World Cup, and MS as captain was here to stay.

We often criticize (correctly) his inability to force the pace in Tests, the tendency to be passive, letting the game drift, and a general inertia in his Test-match leadership.
I have never quite fathomed how he could not translate his One-Day style of captaincy, filled with innovative, out-of-the-box thinking, into Tests.
Perhaps if we had better bowlers, he might have been more authoritative.
Perhaps he always knew we could do only so much with our limited bowling arsenal (hence being defensive too soon).

Who is to know, and it is anyway, a futile exercise judging the what if's and what-could-have-beens.

What is important and unforgettable, is the fact that he has achieved and delivered so much for Team India, across all formats, in all these years.
We might accuse him of being laidback in Tests, of being reactive as a captain, but we cannot ever question his composure (perhaps his silence on issues such as corruption, N Srinivasan, and suchlike) but never his intent and calmness both on and off the field.

Undoubtedly, he set a glorious example as a leader with all his achievements.

Sample this: here is a man who led India to:

• World No. 1 in Tests
• World Champions in One Dayers 
• World Champions in T20
• Winner of Champions Trophy
• Beating Australia in Australia in their Triangular ODI Tournaments

Add to that, his victories in IPL, Champions League, and his cool-as-cucumber approach in all situations.

In any case, win or lose, the best part about MS was that he never lost sense of the moment and never let any success or failure seem larger than life, letting the moment pass by as one of the many moments in life.

By the way, to get a glimpse of the man's persona, do read the very knowledgeable and very readable Gaurav Kalra - MSD from a distance.

You could never make out from his face, whether MS has won or lost the match.
A sincere hat-tip to your equanimity and sanity amidst any and every chaos around you, MSD!!

Well done, and well played!!!

Now that you have handed over the format that was most excruciating and tiring for you, hope to see you play with even more freedom and authority in limited overs cricket, across all formats!

Salute for a glittering career in Test cricket and for retiring with grace, and on your own terms!!

63 Not Out - FOREVER

Dear Philip Hughes,

I have no words to share.
The scoreboard says you "Retired Hurt".

Well, it has been nothing short of horrible to see that you had to retire so completely.
And the hurt part has been palpable to anyone and everyone who has heard this news.
Tragic.

Sad.
Very, very heartbreaking to see such an end, for any cricket lover.

Bless you, and may your soul bat on, in peace, happily.
On behalf of all the cricket lovers (and for that matter, anyone who does not want to see an untimely, unnatural end for anyone) - you shall be missed, so so sorry, and God bless.

Coming Soon!: Playing It Sachin's Way

It's been almost a year now, since we last saw (and saw for the last time) the Master Blaster don the Indian cricketing gear.


As they say, once a fan, always a fan.
Almost a year has elapsed, and yet, the memories still (and will) remain.

True, the game is (rightly) bigger than anyone, and moves on, unraveling new heroes, reaching unchartered territories.

However, there is always that something extra special about the favorite players we watched in awe, the ones we grew up idolizing, that we keep yearning to see them in action always.
It could be through archived footage or avid discussions about their best performances with friends and like-minded enthusiasts.

It's always fun to be around, when your hero(es) come back in the news, with you being a willing audience, ready to lap up any but of information about them :)

A similar activity is going to take place very soon.
Sachin Tendulkar, my hero, is coming up with his autobiography - Playing It My Way - and today marks the first teaser of his book.

Here's wishing Sachin the very best on his upcoming book, and hoping it turns out to be as fun, as insightful, and as entertaining as his cricketing accomplishments.
All the best, hero - see you soon!!
Would love to read every word of the hitherto unheard-of trivia and interesting tidbits from the man himself.

Can't wait!!
Sachchiin, Sachchiin!!! :)

Hamara leader AISA ho!!

Pre-script: I am not a blind supporter of Narendra Damodardas Modi. Nor am I a critic of anyone else. I am just writing this to share my objective thoughts on the choices we have from among our leaders today.

A while ago, I had posted about the sort of leader a country needs.

Right or wrong, there are quite a few people who believe Narendra Modi is not the right guy at the job.
But the fact is, that never in the last 30 years, has any leader managed to command an absolute majority, on the basis of his charisma and ability alone.
Make no mistake.
We have been in an era of coalitions all along in the last 3 decades.

The thumping results in the General Elections of 2014 was not an electoral victory not really a vote for the BJP.
This emphatic and absolutely unambiguous verdict was for Modi Sarkar. It was a decisive and comprehensive mandate for the one man who was the focus of the entire election and indeed, the entire nation.

There are some who believe that Arvind Kejriwal is a better person, a beacon of honesty and transparency.
Well, he could well be all of that and more.

But who or what made him come to power (when he had promised otherwise) and even after he had done so, what stopped him from continuing in Delhi when he had the government and the chance to govern and deliver?
This is not to say that he is a bad guy.

But there are many blind supporters who of his, who find fault with every right thing too.
Who turn a blind eye to even the right things that anyone does.

Ofcourse, this applies both ways:
A Modi supporter who criticizes or Kejriwal or his partymen for any good work that they would have done or ignores any constructive point from them, is equally wrong and just as guilty as the AAP supporters who criticize or ignore even the qualities or good points that Modi has brought to the fore.

Even before he had arrived, the very fact that no other visiting dignitary has ever commanded such a reception, never has anyone else generated such a buzz and never has the public clamored to hear a politician speak, in itself speaks volumes about his charisma and fervor.

You might agree or disagree when it comes to ideology, but credit where due - the way the man spoke, the eloquence and the passion, the alacrity and clarity of doing the small things right - the purposefulness, the earnestness and the zeal to make a difference, along with the ability and willingness to involve and invoke active participation from everyone - all this, is what makes Modi, Modi.

Did your heart not swell with pride as he spoke without reading out from a prepared script, as he spoke about India and Indians from a position of strength?
It wasn't that he was saying just for effect. It wasn't as if he was overlooking the negatives and ills that beset the country.

However, what was strikingly different and positive about him was the genuine confidence and pragmatic optimism he generated that all of these problems could be solved and overcome.

It was his astute identification and clarity of thought about India's strengths and USPs that showed we can win over any and every problem.

He might be right or wrong - you can say he is good or bad - but no one can ever deny that this is how a leader ought to be.

This is how a leader must think and behave.

Jee haan, hamara leader AISA ho!!