Thursday, December 25, 2008

Folklore - Dravid and KP

Cricket is strange indeed - one just doesn't seem to come to grips as to which myriad ways it can fascinate the fan in. Just when the pure and unadulterated expression of Sehwag in Chennai boasted to remain the single most inspiring feat and memory of a series which is played on the backdrop of the disappointment and horrors of Mumbai 26/11, Mohali has set its claim to atleast two such acts in just the first 3 days of the match. Even the most staunch supporters of Dravid had abandoned reason and thought pertaining to his form and were just starting to be non-commital on his future for none of them knew any answers. Only one man anyway could know what it was all about and perhaps still did not know the amends he needed to make. I can resonably claim that a century was not in the mind of Dravid himself when he walked after Sehwag was caught in the first day at Mohali. The demons that he would have had to fight everytime he dons the pads on while waiting for the first wicket to fall would have spared him early on Friday when he was able to get into the thick of the action as the first wicket fell early. But the ordeal had just begun and the reminiscences of previous such fights however hard he tried not to, would have been playing on his mind. A rather serious supporter like me could not watch it due to transmission problems, but honestly, I doubt if I would have been able to summon the emotional reserves it had of late started to call for to watch one inning of his. Such negativity, desperation and doubt had crept into the mind of an almost devoted fan. So what would have been going through his own mind is a matter of applying common sense. A glimpse of the above could be found in the unlikely heave which luckily landed safe in the midwicket region initially. Or was it “the omen” of all what was needed for the final reassurance of his finding his touch for no one had doubted his instinct even when the poor run continued. Well, it turned out so. And the final outcome was one which everyone embraced whole heartedly. There could be a difference only in the degree of aspiration and desperation with which people would be wanting this hundred to come true - even his worst critics - for as I understand everyone knew deep within that the charm in his game had still not vanished. And that belief was actually superimposed for his inning had the elements which we attribute to a Dravid masterpiece unlike the exhibitions in Perth and Chennai earlier this year. Its still some distance to go before we could safely rest the case of his bad form I agree, as it has all been only one inning - although a few fighting 50s recently and 800 runs in a calender year suddenly start to indicate towards just a case of an aberration rather than a career defining inflexion point. Such indeed is the fickleness of the observer of cricket. But the prospect of a New Zealand tour with the juiciest of wickets and stern conditions would just be the ideal stage for a full scale revival - remember the winters of 1999 when he came out of another rut to shun his detractors - the romantics would be quick to sniff a repeat of history. After all, one thing is for certain - Dravid starts to fill the mammoth frame devoted to him in the fan's/not-so-fan's mind only when the conditions start to make batsmanship more than just driving on the up. So we hope here that his career continues to flourish as long as his instinct is sharp as it has been in the past and not be mired by any noise between the ears - which is so much more difficult to handle for a immaculate and sensitive cricketer like him. Good luck Jammy.
             The other master feat of the match belongs to the flamboyance and panache of KP. There is an undercurrent of self assurance, originality and maverick which pervades his entire batsmanship - be it the stance, the initial movement or to find an example the incredible "swicth-hit" - I could finally find a case to apply the word incredible, now applied to rather credible feats. The inning today served well to highlight the indiscretion of the average Indian critic or the doubting mind after the string of recent failures he had had to sustain. Did we not hear MSD muttering ill constantly from behind the stumps of his predisposition to leg side play. It may appear as sleazy and average predetermination. But it has got to have something unfathomable to others for the sheer effectiveness of such play - and 4000 runs in 44 tests do indicate greatness - demand more respect.  He actully starts to look rather gauche if his methods suddenly stop to serve him in terms of numbers and the average mind exposed to the heavy dosage of orthodox batsmanship starts to make audatious claims and doubts regarding his much professed talent. But then the master of the art only can fathom the tricks he applies. And he must know/experience a few such inspirations for him to execute a stroke as extravagant and novel as what he made Harbhajan and company to suffer from. There is a degree to which Sachin gives in to experiment. All the improvisations starting from the reverse sweep, the paddle sweep, inside out hitting, upper cut et-al appear as the cases of application of authentic technical modifications coupled with confidence and mastery over one's game. But KP's manouever comes purely as his other propositions - a statement of authority and command. Such has been the entire story of the man - right from his "crossing the boundary" to his disregard for the match situation in an affirmative way today when he spirited to the crease. And this is what ressures and belittles the average doubter of his uncategorisable genius. Whether it is more of the batting genius or the approach which make him such a force to reckon with is a question only he may have the priviledge to answer to for others can only wonder in amazement, delight or scorn when he decides to hop on the crease when the spinner has still rotated only half his arm preparing for the switch hit. He comes apart indeed as a fresh zephyr from the west. But also an instrument of inspiration with which the folklore of cricket is so much possessed.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Indian sub(?)prime...

well, i have a thought to share...not mine in its entirety, had some inputs from some other writing, but sure added a few insights into the issue...it can be a rather long post if I get into explaining the finer aspects....but lets keep in view tht its already into the wee hrs of mrning as they say.....and I want to keep it concise (:P)....
LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM THE US SUBPRIME CRISIS...rather sleazy ain't it....this bold-case writing....thats a literay stunt either...at its most basic/fundamental level, the US subprime collapse is just a correction or "prevail-of-sanity"......the whole idea was loud and based on erroneous/extravagant assumptions which ought to come false....someone bet a bit too far on the salary he would draw to pay the EMIs for a long-long period..and that just dint happen......a major hike in salary after the initial 3 yrs. period did not comeby and to add insult to injury (blame my lack of English language phrases - ok..lets say..." to add excessive water to dough during extreme poverty/paupery"), the house prices also plummetted...and that meant an overall negative equity and no refinancing and similar stuff.....but why m I writing it all here when its common knowledge now.....just to say that - "such a strike is very much a possibility in the current Indian scenario either".....how..? well, those INR 75 lakh appartments ppl. are buying, I presume are based on EMIs mostly rather than any cash....and who knows when the US service jobs would dry, leaving the EMI payments into quandary....then the house rates (artificially ballooned now by the builders) would witness major slashes..no buyers for the flats if u wanna get rid if the EMIs then by paying-of the loans...or selling at much cheaper (rather corrected) prices......m not trying to profess anything or lessen the enthu. of someone whoz just bought one such flat....but then, its a possibility mann.....so rather spend within ur limits (or rather, dont bank on heavy EMIs).....

and its all just very haphazardly written I would agree......there is more sound logic behind the argument I propounded.......lekin baanki kabhi baad mein..abhi sote hain bhailog....

Saturday, February 9, 2008

In the twilight zone....

someone was delighted over the exploits of a fire fighter the last week...for all the skill and panache he possessed, Gautam Gambhir had had a stop-start career all through...an instantly successful debutant long back in 2000(domestic circuit), he has been in and out of the ranks of top class cricket and been fairly consistent and yet never looked certain to have his place confirmed.....he had played all his career in that mysterios "Twilight Zone".....

a twilight zone is typical of innate talent, natural confidence, expectations, impressive starts but still elusive of the destination where the talent belongs....this was exactly the case as happened to him among admittedly, many others...his game was compact and accomplished, strokeplay was flashy at requirement, stylish and elegant in full flow, his play of spin was controlled and assuring, particularly commendable given he is an opener, demeanour was calm and reassuring....yet!!!....it was no honeymoon period any of the time...part of this is ofcource due to tight slots up the order in the Indian batting order....but the T-20 WC has marked the change in script...he has been able to evolve from a contributor to a match winner...for the first time, the lady luck seems to have shone on him as he has demonstrated the consistency which had eluded him always.....and the commanding innings he played against the Lankans down under and under good measure of pressure should put an end to the debate as to whether he belonged to the top stage or not.....

the case has been one of coming back hard time and again....its not easy to be in the twilight zone for so long and still demonstrate the hunger and zest....its much easier to build if its been all hunky-dory....but shouldnt be so straightforward to tackle a twilight zone for so long and finally stamp the authority....

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Ashes - the ultimate "test" battle...

They say that the ships were ready to sail through the English Channel with the English team on board and herald the beginning of a new era in cricket with the first international contest to be played – between England and France – when the news of the “French Revolution” set stop on any such occurance. This may seem curious to the onlooker that the first international contest be played between nations other than England and Australia. And rightly so. Even when the fact is that the first international contest was not played between England and Australia – US and Canada share the honour – it is cricket between the two ancient rivals that made the game truly international and took it beyond English shores in real measure.
No one can accurately ascertain the era of the genesis of cricket or any of its postulated ancestors such as club ball. But fortunately, the accounts of cricket between Australia and England are candid and confirm. It is known that cricket was played as a leisure time pursuit amongst the British officials in India, SA, West Indies and Sri Lanka. It was likewise boosted by the patronage of the officials of the likes of Lord Harris and also the maharajas in India. In Australia however, due to the huge influx of the gold-rush gentry and of course the British convicts, cricket assumed popularity even more swiftly.
The first English team arrived in Australia in 1861 as part of a privately sponsored tournament. The fledgling Australian cricketers suffered royally at the hands of the English, although they played 18 Aussies against 11 Englishmen then. But the tour was a major success. However, it was only in March 1877 in Melbourne that Alfred Shaw bowled the first ball to Charles Bannerman of Australia in what can be termed as the first test match which Australia won, although it can be fairly adjudged that it was a near fluke. Fast forward to 1882 and the Oval test between the two sides and we would witness history in the making.
It was not that England had not been defeated by Australia earlier, but there was something teasing in the defeat on a damp Oval pitch that led the Sporting Times to publish its now legendary mock obituary. To start with, the English were favourites to win the contest. And they looked on course when the OZ were bundled out for just 63 runs in the first innings. Their second innings total of 122 as well did not augur well for an Australia win. But, “the demon” Spofforth proved to be the undoing of the English and took 14 wickets in the test. It was a genuine fickle-fortune cricket story which resulted in an Australian win and left the English with a sour taste. Many regard the match as the turning point in the cricketing Psyche of the people in England and Australia, in that the Australians were now deemed competent to defeat England. The events that ensued led to the genesis of the test cricket’s most fiercely contested rivalry- “the Ashes”, when the honourable Ivo Bligh brought back the small urn and the English pride.
And for most of the time, the legend has lived up to its name. It has been the backdrop for the run scoring feats of Hammond. It has witnessed the genius of Hobbs, the wizardry of Ranjitsinghji, the grace of Compton, the elegance of Trumper, the spite of Lillian-Thompson, the guile of Warne, the endurance of Arterton and the enterprise of a Waugh or Border. And it has witnessed the sublime Bradman. It is acknowledged that the leg theory or candidly the Bodyline phenomenon, was devised as a mechanism to counter the Bradman genius. After Bradman’s prolific run scoring in 1930, Jardine was keen to prevent any such occurance in the 1932 rubber when he initiated Larwood, Voce and company to terrify Bradman into submission. Many were injured , geniality was lost forever in cricket as CLR James assesses and Woodful, the Aussie skipper was quoted against the English captain through someone who leaked the altercation outside the dressing room. Some claim the guilty to be Bradman. This is also assumed to be an era when professionalism is said to creep into the game to the extent that the pure joy of playing the game seemed to give way to an aspiration to succeed at any cost. It is evident from an observation by CLR James. He makes his case based on the occasion of the hundredth ton of sir Don in first class cricket. The Don alludes to this particular innings when asked about the most satisfying innings, not technique wise maybe. The Don said that he felt incumbent upon him, to give to the crowd which had so cheered his achievement some reward after he had hit the run to complete the hundred. He went on to hit 71 runs in the subsequent 45 minutes. He added that he would have liked to bat likewise always had the circumstances allowed.
Thereafter, CLR James makes an enquiry into what those inhibiting circumstances were. It was the ruthlessness that crept into cricket which Ranjitsinhji, Shrewsburry or Hobbs were untouched by. Cricket was not just a pursuit for joy, enthusiasm and something meant to just entertain the audience with carefree exuberance. It was more of a war now. This sentiment and its true meaning can be ascertained in a more recent occurance. When Brian Lara was asked as to how he would like to be remembered as a cricketer, he answered – “as an entertainer of the crowds”. How much he would have been able to play just for the crowds is a different matter, but we get a glimpse of the aspiration of a player there.
Reverting to the main theme, and to cricket between the two nations, it is pretty easy to note that it has been rich in content and history. There have been players who have lived from “ashes” to “ashes”. Yet, it is appalling to see the current state of affairs as they stand. It has been easily a one sided affair for the last two decades and it is bad for cricket. So much so that it is threatening to loose its charm. Part of it can be ascribed to the dominant force that the current Australian unit have been. But, English cricket’s own inadequacy is no secret knowledge. There has been no one to fit into the shoes of a Gower or a Gooch frankly speaking. There has been no demonstration of the tenacity as was exhibited by a Botham in 1981 at Headingley or the terror that a Bob Willis inflicted on the Oz on the same occasion. The English cricket has just not found players to replace such masters – which they earlier had always been able to – while the Australians have always looked to improve ever since Border inspired them. Amid such cynicism however, there are the contests of the 2005 series where every match was worthy of an ashes gem. We thus hope that the contest would be revived in times to come and players would inject fresh vigour and enterprise into this mother of all sporting contests. And any such thing would be immensely gratifying for the cricket fan.

Monday, January 7, 2008

taare zameen pe..?

"chalo be landmark chalke koi book utha lo..."..this was my good frn kamra who had to furnish a bill in his company through purchase of books...k..i stood there in the favourite "sports" section in the bookstore...having read all those cricket stories, and a few other-sport bestsellers, what do I buy now...after taking a stroll through the floor and flirting with a few other sections - vis. finance, fiction and all, I trudged back to the sports section...I had to find something...and I bought the autobiography of Sir Jackie Stewart...for the uninitiated, this chap is a former Formula 1 champion from Scotland...alrite, shall try to make a read of it...
ever since i started to read his stories, he seemed to allude to some "complex" he had had for a long long time in his life....he spake the story thus...his son did not seem to be able to cope wid the academic pressure in his school....and all the details....after a suggestion from one of the child's teachers, he took his son to a doctor....and his son was diagonised with "dyslexia"....!!
but he tried to enquire about the possible causes for the condition and the doctor suggested it could be hereditary...well, none in our family have had the condition...or wait a minute...let me have a check up...voila, Mr Stewart himself was diagonised with the disease...and after completing full 41 years of his life....he was then reminiscent of the dancing letters/words, the unforgiving teachers of the school, the phobia he had had in his schooling years...and all this continued in his professional career as he made ample effort always to keep away from any embarassing situation as he was frequently requested for public speaking and other antics which may have required his reading or oratory skills or in tandem...
this was my first aquaintaince with the problem of Dyslexia...the motorist throughout the chapter spoke about a lack of awareness about the condition when a large portion of the European population was apparently affected by the disease in varying proportions...he writes as to how he tried to persuade the government officials to work in a proper direction whcih would be benefitial for dealing with the condition, all in vain though...in all this, I came to hear about the movie...going by the initial promos., I wondered if it had something to do with Dyslexia, but shed the idea thinkink it was the most obvious I could think as I was reading then about the problem...but as it is, the movie has actually dealt with the same issue...and how wonderfully has it dealt actually...for all the advancement and social(?)/medicinal/entertainment-industry/media superiority that the west enjoys, it was someone from amongst us who pioneered for the cause (or alleast I do not know of any western movie on the issue and neither does the author of that book)...this is where Aamir needs to be applauded for...I did not think as highly about him as people often suggested, but only prior to this episode...he actually demonstrated all th guts and courage that we can ask for in making almost a documentary...and of his directorial debut at that..its not that I belittle the entertainment value of cinema..its actually vital to have masala movies with a few good dhinchaik dance numbers where people can unwind..or a light hearted comedy to help relax and get our humor going...but I only wonder about the feeble or chicken heartedness of a few so called good directors who, inspite of being highly successfull seem incapable of growing out of their shells...(all that business of the johars, priyadarshans and bhansalis).......in this, Aamir has excelled as a true champion....