Saturday, December 24, 2011

The cricket is back!

Its Christmas day. Whats more its the eve of the Boxing day (well almost) and India is in Oz. That means the Boxing day test is on the cards. How I remember the summer of 2007-08, actually the winter (look I am already transmuted to Australia) and the 26th Dec. test. If my memory serves me right, Matty Hayden was in his pomp and got no less than a century in the opening day. It was a memorable series in various ways. I remember it all. Dravid's struggles, bad luck (remember that ct Gilly bl Symmo dismissal?) and eventual 93 to win the match in Perth. Brett Lee's last successful test series (guess he won the man of the series honour). Sachin's uppercuts, Ponting vs Ishant, Sehwag's harmless and friendly swearing in the course and many more like Gilchrist's farewell.
Thats the beauty of a well played Test series. It turns intoan epic deeply etched in your memory and providing benign and enjoyable reminiscences of cricketing and sometimes human endeavour. And India-Australia down under is just that material. It maybe because they have been the team to beat (not anymore) all through these years of our cricket viewing or for a myriad other reasons, but the point is that we need to savor these memories. After all, in a life equated to an illusion by the sage, these moments of unadulterated joy look the least malignant! And rather uplifting.

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