Whose domination is more forceful, the Oz cricket team or Rafael Nadal on the brick-red clay tennis court? When I saw that SMS on my cell today, it had me thinking.
I know the comparison between two different sport makes no sense. And here, it is a team versus an individual. Yet, if simply winning has to be the point of analysis, I would say Nadal’s success – 20th career title – has been amazing.
What has made the Spaniard, still a month short of his 21st birthday invincible is his approach. To be winning the 72nd match on clay without getting beaten is a barrier which perhaps can never be broken. Heck, the same goes for the Oz team, winning three World Cups on the trot. But I am not going to get bogged down by cricket. I think we, in India, have been fed on an overdose of it in the last few months.
I have met Nadal a few times and what touched me most is his simplicity.
Superstars can be a bit kinky if they want but Rafa, as he is popularly known, comes across a mere mortal when you meet him face to face. I still remember, last February in Rotterdam, he was supposed to be the star face on view. A foot injury saw him pull out, though he did make it a point to come and address the media and express his apologies for pulling out.
This January, when everyone was guessing what was the figure which Nadal got as appearance money to come for the Chennai Open, the left-hander was not one bit bothered. He was in the zone even at the start of the season, though being bumped out by Xavier Malisse before the final was a bit hard for Chennai fans to digest.
As the season shifted from hard to clay and even numero uno Roger Federer was losing to a player almost forgotten – Guillermo Canas – Nadal was reminding us repeatedly of his clay touch.
For sheer endurance, winning matches on clay is not easy. There is no doubt the surface places less demanding on the body compared to hard courts. But for a man who has perfected the art of winning without much fuss, the new milestone is something which will remain untouched for years to come – at least on clay.
The real challenge – the French Open – is round the corner. But I guess even as we discuss the Oz invincibility in ODIs and the World Cup, you could be sure, Nadal has his sights set on raising the bar.
If you win seven matches on the trot, it results in a Grand Slam title win.
So 72 matches unbeaten on clay is mind boggling for everyone other than Nadal.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Please stand up and salute Gilchrist
It was very irritating having waited over two hours for the rain to stop at Bridgetown on Saturday. And when play finally began in the World Cup final, I started wishing the rain had never stopped, all because of one man answering to the name of Adam Gilchrist.
I have watched every single World Cup final from 1983 on television but have seen nothing like what it was yesterday when Gilchrist was at the crease. The final was reduced to 38 overs-a-side and I knew a tall score was on the cards with the Oz batting first.
But what people in the stadium and millions on TV saw was such a brutal assault, even if the Lankans were allowed to use 12 bowlers, it would not have mattered. The 1999 final is still fresh in memory when Ricky Ponting came up with that ton. Fans also remember the centuries hammered by Clive Lloyd (1975), Viv Richards (1979), Aravinda de Silva (1996).
But if you are going to ask me which one will be remembered for a very long time, it has to be Gilchrist’s pulverising 149. Come on, this guy had almost forgotten what it was to get the bat to the ball in this tournament. And when he exploded, it was simply unstoppable. Was it vengeance which saw Gilchrist scare us, like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator?
Gilchrist had his own answers: Support from the mates and coach for coming up with such a huge knock. Yet, only a Lankan miracle could have won them the match.
In a virtual no-contest where Gilchrist’s batting was such an audacious exhibition of uninhibited strokeplay, almost nothing could have halted him. Knocks like these reflect an inner hunger and drive which only Oz mates can conjure.
Yet what surprised me was his style. Gilchrist does play from the book early on. But against the Lankan attack, which was supposed to have huge variety, he had scant respect for the copybook and threw his bat like a bludgeon. Had he been the hammer throw ring last night, he would have perhaps set a record there as well.
And by the time he was through with his 149 and came out of the trance, he had made sure we fans remember this World Cup just for his final batting assault. I am ready to say, whatever Matthew Hayden had done before in this World Cup is not what is going to be remembered. For the Lankan bowlers, it will take time for them to get over this trauma.
They certainly will need some counselling after being treated like club class bowlers in some scrappy small town cricket league!
I have watched every single World Cup final from 1983 on television but have seen nothing like what it was yesterday when Gilchrist was at the crease. The final was reduced to 38 overs-a-side and I knew a tall score was on the cards with the Oz batting first.
But what people in the stadium and millions on TV saw was such a brutal assault, even if the Lankans were allowed to use 12 bowlers, it would not have mattered. The 1999 final is still fresh in memory when Ricky Ponting came up with that ton. Fans also remember the centuries hammered by Clive Lloyd (1975), Viv Richards (1979), Aravinda de Silva (1996).
But if you are going to ask me which one will be remembered for a very long time, it has to be Gilchrist’s pulverising 149. Come on, this guy had almost forgotten what it was to get the bat to the ball in this tournament. And when he exploded, it was simply unstoppable. Was it vengeance which saw Gilchrist scare us, like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator?
Gilchrist had his own answers: Support from the mates and coach for coming up with such a huge knock. Yet, only a Lankan miracle could have won them the match.
In a virtual no-contest where Gilchrist’s batting was such an audacious exhibition of uninhibited strokeplay, almost nothing could have halted him. Knocks like these reflect an inner hunger and drive which only Oz mates can conjure.
Yet what surprised me was his style. Gilchrist does play from the book early on. But against the Lankan attack, which was supposed to have huge variety, he had scant respect for the copybook and threw his bat like a bludgeon. Had he been the hammer throw ring last night, he would have perhaps set a record there as well.
And by the time he was through with his 149 and came out of the trance, he had made sure we fans remember this World Cup just for his final batting assault. I am ready to say, whatever Matthew Hayden had done before in this World Cup is not what is going to be remembered. For the Lankan bowlers, it will take time for them to get over this trauma.
They certainly will need some counselling after being treated like club class bowlers in some scrappy small town cricket league!
Friday, April 27, 2007
I want to toast Lanka
Twenty five hours from now, all those who were sane enough not to have travelled to the Caribbean will be glued to their TV sets watching Oz go for a hat-trick of World Cups. And attempting to stop them will be the brave men from strife-torn Sri Lanka, where almost everything will come to a standstill on Saturday.
Word has it that from the Lankan beach-bums to those in jungles who usually play with guns and grenades will have a common wish: To stop the Oz from winning. I don’t know if that eventually is going to happen. For a country with a population of close to 20 million where almost 70 per cent of the population follow Buddhism, it will require monk-like serenity and not aggro to match the Oz.
Murali, who I reckon is going to be the biggest factor if Lanka are thinking of a win, has already spoken of how he wants to do it for his strife-torn country. Murali was part of the 1996 team, when they won the World Cup in Lahore. Eleven years later, when Lanka have again made it to the final in an event where the format and the duration of the event has been painfully long, I reckon Murali realises how important this moment is.
Let us not forget, the Oz are not fond of the Lankans. There is no Ashes-type hatred or trans-Tasman rivalry but just one Murali has harassed and harangued them so often, I am dying to see the off-spinner come on and bowl.
One thing is certain, in a World Cup where Matthew Hayden has stood like the Rock of Gibraltar and bullied almost every single bowler he has faced, the Murali factor will come into play. He is going to get just 10 overs to bowl, but the man has so much guile, cunning and variety, he can change the whole contest.
The Oz will look for the rapid-fire start and then build such a huge total, the rival batsmen could get buried under it. But hey, what if the curator prepares a wicket where there will be some assistance for the bowlers, this could turn out to be one hell of a final.
I know, as I write this, I can see Hayden rehearsing his backlift and follow-through and Ponting smashing bowlers at the nets after an early breakfast. In India, it will be time for beer when the contest begins at 7pm, IST on Saturday.
Maybe by 3am Sunday, we can uncork the champagne. If I do stay awake till then, I hope to sip the bubbly for Mahela and his men.
Please bring the World Cup back to the sub-continent…
Word has it that from the Lankan beach-bums to those in jungles who usually play with guns and grenades will have a common wish: To stop the Oz from winning. I don’t know if that eventually is going to happen. For a country with a population of close to 20 million where almost 70 per cent of the population follow Buddhism, it will require monk-like serenity and not aggro to match the Oz.
Murali, who I reckon is going to be the biggest factor if Lanka are thinking of a win, has already spoken of how he wants to do it for his strife-torn country. Murali was part of the 1996 team, when they won the World Cup in Lahore. Eleven years later, when Lanka have again made it to the final in an event where the format and the duration of the event has been painfully long, I reckon Murali realises how important this moment is.
Let us not forget, the Oz are not fond of the Lankans. There is no Ashes-type hatred or trans-Tasman rivalry but just one Murali has harassed and harangued them so often, I am dying to see the off-spinner come on and bowl.
One thing is certain, in a World Cup where Matthew Hayden has stood like the Rock of Gibraltar and bullied almost every single bowler he has faced, the Murali factor will come into play. He is going to get just 10 overs to bowl, but the man has so much guile, cunning and variety, he can change the whole contest.
The Oz will look for the rapid-fire start and then build such a huge total, the rival batsmen could get buried under it. But hey, what if the curator prepares a wicket where there will be some assistance for the bowlers, this could turn out to be one hell of a final.
I know, as I write this, I can see Hayden rehearsing his backlift and follow-through and Ponting smashing bowlers at the nets after an early breakfast. In India, it will be time for beer when the contest begins at 7pm, IST on Saturday.
Maybe by 3am Sunday, we can uncork the champagne. If I do stay awake till then, I hope to sip the bubbly for Mahela and his men.
Please bring the World Cup back to the sub-continent…
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Ponting's sacrificial offering
Before any auspicious event, it is a common practice to make some kind of a sacrificial offering to appease the Forces Above.
On Wednesday, as I watched the second semi-final, I got this strong feeling the Oz offering was not a lamb or a goat, but the South African cricket team! Victory scripts of Australia lifting the cricket World Cup for the third time have already being written even before they meet Sri Lanka.
So has Ricky Ponting done the appeasing act so that the Lankans don’t create any problems in the final. I really do not think so, but I will come to it later. First things first, all along, it was thought, the Australia-SA match would be the contest of the tournament. But the way Glenn McGrath struck with the new ball, it became almost a no-contest then and there.
I don’t know where McGrath got the nickname Pigeon from. But if anyone was saying SA left the field with bird droppings on their faces, it was caused by this bird. At 37, McGrath is playing his last World Cup and one-day international tournament. And he has already done so much damage in a Cup which will be remembered for reasons other than cricket, I would like to vote him MVP: Most Valuable Player.
So what of McGrath’s last ODI against the Lankan tigers on Saturday. For someone who has bowled so aggressively in the World Cup, it is certain he will have so many tricks up his sleeve, the Lankans will have to do much more than just perform.
Having said that, I wish the bubble would burst. When Brett Lee was ruled out of the World Cup at the last minute, I had my doubts how far the Oz would go. But as has become a rule, the Oz never have a problem finding the right replacements. Players emerge like products from as assemble line!
But I do think when one compares SA with Lanka as a whole team, the Lankans have more flair. I have always felt SA are robotic and choke on the big stage. They did it again and I think things won’t change much even if I happen to blogging till the 2011 World Cup to be held in the sub-continent again.
One thing is certain: skipper Mahela Jayawardende or the rest of the Lankan batsmen will; not attempt to slog straighaway when you have Pigeon doing everything with that white ball. Whether he bowls with the new ball or first change, is too early to say, but if the Oz get to bat first, it could be a great contest.
I have marveled at the Lankan attack. So if they are going to bowl first, it will be a gripping contest, notwithstanding the bulldozer called Matthew Hayden. And why do people seem to forget Murali is waiting to unleash all the vicious stuff all over again.
There are still two days to go for the final. Ponting may have already offered the sacrifice on Wednesday, but Saturday promises to be different.
Do you agree with me?
On Wednesday, as I watched the second semi-final, I got this strong feeling the Oz offering was not a lamb or a goat, but the South African cricket team! Victory scripts of Australia lifting the cricket World Cup for the third time have already being written even before they meet Sri Lanka.
So has Ricky Ponting done the appeasing act so that the Lankans don’t create any problems in the final. I really do not think so, but I will come to it later. First things first, all along, it was thought, the Australia-SA match would be the contest of the tournament. But the way Glenn McGrath struck with the new ball, it became almost a no-contest then and there.
I don’t know where McGrath got the nickname Pigeon from. But if anyone was saying SA left the field with bird droppings on their faces, it was caused by this bird. At 37, McGrath is playing his last World Cup and one-day international tournament. And he has already done so much damage in a Cup which will be remembered for reasons other than cricket, I would like to vote him MVP: Most Valuable Player.
So what of McGrath’s last ODI against the Lankan tigers on Saturday. For someone who has bowled so aggressively in the World Cup, it is certain he will have so many tricks up his sleeve, the Lankans will have to do much more than just perform.
Having said that, I wish the bubble would burst. When Brett Lee was ruled out of the World Cup at the last minute, I had my doubts how far the Oz would go. But as has become a rule, the Oz never have a problem finding the right replacements. Players emerge like products from as assemble line!
But I do think when one compares SA with Lanka as a whole team, the Lankans have more flair. I have always felt SA are robotic and choke on the big stage. They did it again and I think things won’t change much even if I happen to blogging till the 2011 World Cup to be held in the sub-continent again.
One thing is certain: skipper Mahela Jayawardende or the rest of the Lankan batsmen will; not attempt to slog straighaway when you have Pigeon doing everything with that white ball. Whether he bowls with the new ball or first change, is too early to say, but if the Oz get to bat first, it could be a great contest.
I have marveled at the Lankan attack. So if they are going to bowl first, it will be a gripping contest, notwithstanding the bulldozer called Matthew Hayden. And why do people seem to forget Murali is waiting to unleash all the vicious stuff all over again.
There are still two days to go for the final. Ponting may have already offered the sacrifice on Wednesday, but Saturday promises to be different.
Do you agree with me?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Flames extinguished!
Goodbye Stephen Fleming. The flamboyant Kiwi wasted little time last night in announcing his decision to step down as skipper of the ODI squad after being mauled by the Lankan Tigers.
I had written two days back, it would be tough for the Black Caps to bounce back after the thrashing they got from the Oz in their last Super8 tie. Looking back, it is easy to blame Fleming for having ‘rested’ key bowlers against their trans-Tasman rivals.
If one compares what Lanka did against Australia – resting trump card Murali and a few more bowlers – it is clear they knew there was no pointing in exposing them to marauder Matty.
It would be unfair and biased to judge Fleming’s captaincy on what happened in the World Cup semi-finals. Certainly, he did appear flummoxed when rival skipper Mahela anchored the innings beautifully in the last 10 overs to post such a huge total.
Shane did not turn out to be a ‘Bond” and almost every bowler was being given the stick with wickets in hand. Yet, when the Kiwis began the chase, it finished in almost no time.
We have heard of the famous cliche: Playing a captain’s knock. Mahela did it but Fleming could not thereby rendering the chase as futile. From day one in this tournament, the variety in the Lankan bowling has been the talking point.
So what kind of a plan could Fleming have conjured chasing a mountain of a total? I think had Scott Styris been around, it could have made some difference. But once he also exited, Fleming must have decided this was enough and he no longer was going to continue as ODI skipper!
Having led in 217 ODIs, he had a 98-106 win-loss record. But the point is, for someone who has been around so long, is the Kiwi cricket board going to let him be in the squad purely as a batsman. I don’t think so, since at 34, he is not growing younger.
Fleming has a huge (female) fan following. If he is going to be forced out from ODIs, be sure it is going to break many hearts. It is a long journey back home from the West Indies. The world of cricket surely will remember him as an astute captain. So what if he never could break the WC semi-final jinx.
I had written two days back, it would be tough for the Black Caps to bounce back after the thrashing they got from the Oz in their last Super8 tie. Looking back, it is easy to blame Fleming for having ‘rested’ key bowlers against their trans-Tasman rivals.
If one compares what Lanka did against Australia – resting trump card Murali and a few more bowlers – it is clear they knew there was no pointing in exposing them to marauder Matty.
It would be unfair and biased to judge Fleming’s captaincy on what happened in the World Cup semi-finals. Certainly, he did appear flummoxed when rival skipper Mahela anchored the innings beautifully in the last 10 overs to post such a huge total.
Shane did not turn out to be a ‘Bond” and almost every bowler was being given the stick with wickets in hand. Yet, when the Kiwis began the chase, it finished in almost no time.
We have heard of the famous cliche: Playing a captain’s knock. Mahela did it but Fleming could not thereby rendering the chase as futile. From day one in this tournament, the variety in the Lankan bowling has been the talking point.
So what kind of a plan could Fleming have conjured chasing a mountain of a total? I think had Scott Styris been around, it could have made some difference. But once he also exited, Fleming must have decided this was enough and he no longer was going to continue as ODI skipper!
Having led in 217 ODIs, he had a 98-106 win-loss record. But the point is, for someone who has been around so long, is the Kiwi cricket board going to let him be in the squad purely as a batsman. I don’t think so, since at 34, he is not growing younger.
Fleming has a huge (female) fan following. If he is going to be forced out from ODIs, be sure it is going to break many hearts. It is a long journey back home from the West Indies. The world of cricket surely will remember him as an astute captain. So what if he never could break the WC semi-final jinx.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Bob's journey back home....
What kind of a feeling is it when an immediate relative is killed and you cannot get to see the body for over five weeks? Ask Gill Woolmer, she will provide you with all the answers.
As the coroner in Jamaica ordered Bob Woolnmer’s body be flown to South Africa on Monday, it was not just relief for the family but every human who respected the famous coach.
I remember, in 1995, when the Ferozabad train tragedy took place, a well-known athletics coach – PV Ravanan from the Sports Authority of India -- got killed in it. Young track and field trainees in that ill-fated compartment were also killed. For Ravanan’s family and close friends, the next three days were one of sheer trauma.
Ferozabad is not far from New Delhi, but it took almost three days for the body to come to the Capital and then be cremated. The rain and unhygienic conditions in Ferozabad were not the best to preserve bodies. But as one got the last glimpse of Ravanan, one was badly shaken seeing a lively man pass away in such tragic circumstances.
I am trying to imagine which of the two deaths was worse. In the Indian coach’s case, the reasons for death were clear, just that he was snatched away when he had many more years to give to Indian sport.
Battling the loss of a dear is not easy, so in Woolmer’s case if wife Gill has spent 37 days waiting for the body, she must have lost all energy. To be killed in an alien land is one thing, but for the relatives not getting to see the body for such a long period is torture which is felt every minute It is not as if this a wait where the patient is battling for life in an ICU.
In a case like this, Gill and her children knew Bob will not come back. But would they have ever imagined even in the most bizarre dream that Bob’s body would not come back for such a long time.
I cannot think of any such instance in sport, where an athlete or coach passed away and his family had to be put through such an indescribable ordeal. Memorial services have been held for Bob Woolmer the world over and the World Cup is almost coming to an end.
But for Gill and her children, this is a beginning even after the end. Ask them, and they will be able to tell you about it…
As the coroner in Jamaica ordered Bob Woolnmer’s body be flown to South Africa on Monday, it was not just relief for the family but every human who respected the famous coach.
I remember, in 1995, when the Ferozabad train tragedy took place, a well-known athletics coach – PV Ravanan from the Sports Authority of India -- got killed in it. Young track and field trainees in that ill-fated compartment were also killed. For Ravanan’s family and close friends, the next three days were one of sheer trauma.
Ferozabad is not far from New Delhi, but it took almost three days for the body to come to the Capital and then be cremated. The rain and unhygienic conditions in Ferozabad were not the best to preserve bodies. But as one got the last glimpse of Ravanan, one was badly shaken seeing a lively man pass away in such tragic circumstances.
I am trying to imagine which of the two deaths was worse. In the Indian coach’s case, the reasons for death were clear, just that he was snatched away when he had many more years to give to Indian sport.
Battling the loss of a dear is not easy, so in Woolmer’s case if wife Gill has spent 37 days waiting for the body, she must have lost all energy. To be killed in an alien land is one thing, but for the relatives not getting to see the body for such a long period is torture which is felt every minute It is not as if this a wait where the patient is battling for life in an ICU.
In a case like this, Gill and her children knew Bob will not come back. But would they have ever imagined even in the most bizarre dream that Bob’s body would not come back for such a long time.
I cannot think of any such instance in sport, where an athlete or coach passed away and his family had to be put through such an indescribable ordeal. Memorial services have been held for Bob Woolmer the world over and the World Cup is almost coming to an end.
But for Gill and her children, this is a beginning even after the end. Ask them, and they will be able to tell you about it…
Monday, April 23, 2007
Lankans, go for it
As a kid, when I grew up hearing the name of Sabina Park, it had to do with the famous blood-bath in 1976. Those were the days when one got to hear of results in West Indies through the good old short wave freuqency on the radio station. And for those not allowed to stay up that late, it was through the newspapers the next day.
With Gundappa Vishwanath, Anshuman Gaekwad and Brijesh Patel back in the pavilion after Clive Lloyd unleashed the ferocious quartet of Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel, Bernard Julien and Vanburn Holder, this Test was funny where Bedi declared the second innings at 97 for five. Perhaps, parfuum ball got into vogue from here.
As Sabina Park gets ready to host the 2007 World Cup semi-final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Tuesday, it is hard not to think of how important the venue is. Times have changed. Most of the wickets in West Indies are not that quick any more and if Sabina Park happens to be quick and bouncy, we are in for a veritable feast.
Shane Bond will be back and ready to let fly the missiles and thunderbolts, just that the man standing in the line of fire – Sanath Jayasuirya has seen it all. I know I am making this blog appear almost like a preview, but when you are into the semi-final stage, it is hard not to get caught in these kind of nitty gritties. That reminds me, I must make a mention of Jaya’s grit as well. For a man who has come back from retirement, this Cup has been simply amazing.
And the kind of support he has got from skipper Jayawardene and Sangakkara is proof this Lankan side, not given much of a chance when the Cup commenced, has blossomed. Bond’s pace is fearful but if you go through bowling stats, it is not as if he has torn the rival line-up.
Talk of the Lankan bowling, the variety is simply mind-boggling. The pace of Vaas and Lasith Malinga, two bowlers with very different styles and not to forget Dilhara Fernando, can make any batting line-up squirm. And there is the wily trump card: Muralitharan.
Sorry, if I am already sounding like a Lankan fan, but for a team which now carries the hopes of the sub-continent, they are a dynamic side. Jaya can be cunning with his slow spin as well, so if the Black Caps have to bounce back, they better do it quick and fast .
In Stephen Fleming, the Kiwis have a captain whose leadership skills are matchless. But the point is, for a side which got blown away by the Aussies in their last Super8 match, they need to come out firing early.
How much Sabina Park aids fast bowlers is something which could well chart the course of this contest. I have never taken odds seriously, whether it has been offered by Ladbrokes or William Hill. Yes, I would stick my neck out and say the Lankans have the edge.
Do you agree?
With Gundappa Vishwanath, Anshuman Gaekwad and Brijesh Patel back in the pavilion after Clive Lloyd unleashed the ferocious quartet of Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel, Bernard Julien and Vanburn Holder, this Test was funny where Bedi declared the second innings at 97 for five. Perhaps, parfuum ball got into vogue from here.
As Sabina Park gets ready to host the 2007 World Cup semi-final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Tuesday, it is hard not to think of how important the venue is. Times have changed. Most of the wickets in West Indies are not that quick any more and if Sabina Park happens to be quick and bouncy, we are in for a veritable feast.
Shane Bond will be back and ready to let fly the missiles and thunderbolts, just that the man standing in the line of fire – Sanath Jayasuirya has seen it all. I know I am making this blog appear almost like a preview, but when you are into the semi-final stage, it is hard not to get caught in these kind of nitty gritties. That reminds me, I must make a mention of Jaya’s grit as well. For a man who has come back from retirement, this Cup has been simply amazing.
And the kind of support he has got from skipper Jayawardene and Sangakkara is proof this Lankan side, not given much of a chance when the Cup commenced, has blossomed. Bond’s pace is fearful but if you go through bowling stats, it is not as if he has torn the rival line-up.
Talk of the Lankan bowling, the variety is simply mind-boggling. The pace of Vaas and Lasith Malinga, two bowlers with very different styles and not to forget Dilhara Fernando, can make any batting line-up squirm. And there is the wily trump card: Muralitharan.
Sorry, if I am already sounding like a Lankan fan, but for a team which now carries the hopes of the sub-continent, they are a dynamic side. Jaya can be cunning with his slow spin as well, so if the Black Caps have to bounce back, they better do it quick and fast .
In Stephen Fleming, the Kiwis have a captain whose leadership skills are matchless. But the point is, for a side which got blown away by the Aussies in their last Super8 match, they need to come out firing early.
How much Sabina Park aids fast bowlers is something which could well chart the course of this contest. I have never taken odds seriously, whether it has been offered by Ladbrokes or William Hill. Yes, I would stick my neck out and say the Lankans have the edge.
Do you agree?
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Highs and lows of Indian tennis!
The last few weeks in Indian tennis have been topsy-turvy. If it was the Davis Cup away tie against Kazakhstan in Almaty, Leander Paes and his boys had to labour hard for a 3-2 win which keeps them in the Asia-Oceania zone for 2008 as well.
My point is, for all the talk of having promising juniors and an “international circuit” at home, we still don’t have a singles player who can win us matches even at the regional level. So when Leander – he is going to be 34 in June – stepped out for the live fifth rubber, it was again the same old story. He did win it in four sets, but the point is, is Indian men’s tennis so bankrupt?
Each generation has seen star players emerge and other than the Krishnan era, when Jaidip Mukerjea and Premjit Lal were ready to play at any time, we have never really had a big pool to choose from. Be it the Amritraj era or later Ramesh Krishnan and Leander Paes, India have struggled to have four good players where three can play singles on any given day.
Leander is into his 17th year in Cup play, and one shudders to think what will happen once he walks away into sunset. Rohan Bopanna, Karan Rastogi, Divij Sharan and Vivek Shokeen should in fact feel hurt they are not able to deliver the goods.
In sharp contrast, there seems a profusion of talent in the distaff side. Injured Sania Mirza could not go to Christchurch for the Asia-Oceania Fed Cup Zone I ties, but the likes of debutant Sunitha Rao, Shikha Uberoi and company made sure India are in group one next year as well.
Minus Sania the star, it is a reasonable achievement and proof that the women are more professional when they step on court today. One could well argue Sunitha and Shikha honed their skills in the US. The same goes for Prakash Amritraj, whose love with injuries has almost destroyed his career. And Karan, too, spends a lot of time in the US at NBTA.
So I see no reason why these young men should not walk up to Sania, Shikha and Sunitha for some lessons in motivation. There is no ego in this at all, it’s just going to do their own tennis and passionate Indian tennis lovers good.
Is anybody listening please?
My point is, for all the talk of having promising juniors and an “international circuit” at home, we still don’t have a singles player who can win us matches even at the regional level. So when Leander – he is going to be 34 in June – stepped out for the live fifth rubber, it was again the same old story. He did win it in four sets, but the point is, is Indian men’s tennis so bankrupt?
Each generation has seen star players emerge and other than the Krishnan era, when Jaidip Mukerjea and Premjit Lal were ready to play at any time, we have never really had a big pool to choose from. Be it the Amritraj era or later Ramesh Krishnan and Leander Paes, India have struggled to have four good players where three can play singles on any given day.
Leander is into his 17th year in Cup play, and one shudders to think what will happen once he walks away into sunset. Rohan Bopanna, Karan Rastogi, Divij Sharan and Vivek Shokeen should in fact feel hurt they are not able to deliver the goods.
In sharp contrast, there seems a profusion of talent in the distaff side. Injured Sania Mirza could not go to Christchurch for the Asia-Oceania Fed Cup Zone I ties, but the likes of debutant Sunitha Rao, Shikha Uberoi and company made sure India are in group one next year as well.
Minus Sania the star, it is a reasonable achievement and proof that the women are more professional when they step on court today. One could well argue Sunitha and Shikha honed their skills in the US. The same goes for Prakash Amritraj, whose love with injuries has almost destroyed his career. And Karan, too, spends a lot of time in the US at NBTA.
So I see no reason why these young men should not walk up to Sania, Shikha and Sunitha for some lessons in motivation. There is no ego in this at all, it’s just going to do their own tennis and passionate Indian tennis lovers good.
Is anybody listening please?
Saturday, April 21, 2007
This ain't cricket
When I created this blog two days back, I did not imagine I would find time to be scribbling almost every day. Well, I never took a hat-trick when I played small club cricket two decades back, so let me feel happy about at least this hat-trick -- three days of blogging in a row.
Last night, no it was early morning, it was tough to stay up and watch the great trans-Tasman rivalry become almost a farce in the World Cup. I know I cannot complain about this, because a sports scribe gets paid to watch sport. I know a lot of people fancy this job, but let me tell you, if I had to write a match report of what I saw, I would have torn my hair hair!
I have been watching Matthew Hayden and his bulldozer-style batting does seem as if it has been created just to torment bowlers even when they try and sleep. Yes, Matty is a left-hander but if you will ask me if he has grace, I would say NO. He is a bully with the bat and I will go back to my club days when older boys would smack the kids to all parts of the mohallah. We had to fetch the ball from bushes and even drains. Just that on Friday, the Black Caps had West Indian fans doing that job!
Having said that, I still feel this match was a huge let-down because the trans-Tasman rivalry got diluted even before start of play when Jacob Oram and Shane Bond were left out of the line-up. Rotation policy? Resting? Or why risk injury in an inconsequential match?
I have not been able to speak to Stephen Fleming but I guess he knew what he was doing just like Mahela Jayawardene the other day. Columns have already been written about whether the Black Caps will be pulled up the way the Lankans were for doing this act! The point is, there are no rules from the ICC on what should be the team selection. And it was on the same Friday we had the BCCI selectors tell the world Sourav and Sachin were being rested.
Anwyay, I will not go into that know, but I do feel the way the Black Caps got beaten black and blue, they will be tending to bruised egos and much more in coming days. Fleming the master captain will want the world to believe he did nothing wrong.
I agree with that, but why does the paying public have to be treated to such farcical stuff. My only complain is if you have to do something like this, you might as well give a walkover and say: "My boys want to sleep the whole day today!"
Maybe, by the 2011 World Cup, fans will have a right to claim refunds for watching (mis)matches like these. Mate, this ain't cricket!
Last night, no it was early morning, it was tough to stay up and watch the great trans-Tasman rivalry become almost a farce in the World Cup. I know I cannot complain about this, because a sports scribe gets paid to watch sport. I know a lot of people fancy this job, but let me tell you, if I had to write a match report of what I saw, I would have torn my hair hair!
I have been watching Matthew Hayden and his bulldozer-style batting does seem as if it has been created just to torment bowlers even when they try and sleep. Yes, Matty is a left-hander but if you will ask me if he has grace, I would say NO. He is a bully with the bat and I will go back to my club days when older boys would smack the kids to all parts of the mohallah. We had to fetch the ball from bushes and even drains. Just that on Friday, the Black Caps had West Indian fans doing that job!
Having said that, I still feel this match was a huge let-down because the trans-Tasman rivalry got diluted even before start of play when Jacob Oram and Shane Bond were left out of the line-up. Rotation policy? Resting? Or why risk injury in an inconsequential match?
I have not been able to speak to Stephen Fleming but I guess he knew what he was doing just like Mahela Jayawardene the other day. Columns have already been written about whether the Black Caps will be pulled up the way the Lankans were for doing this act! The point is, there are no rules from the ICC on what should be the team selection. And it was on the same Friday we had the BCCI selectors tell the world Sourav and Sachin were being rested.
Anwyay, I will not go into that know, but I do feel the way the Black Caps got beaten black and blue, they will be tending to bruised egos and much more in coming days. Fleming the master captain will want the world to believe he did nothing wrong.
I agree with that, but why does the paying public have to be treated to such farcical stuff. My only complain is if you have to do something like this, you might as well give a walkover and say: "My boys want to sleep the whole day today!"
Maybe, by the 2011 World Cup, fans will have a right to claim refunds for watching (mis)matches like these. Mate, this ain't cricket!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Goodbye Lara
Cricket fans are a demanding and unpredictable lot, especially if they happen to be from the sub-continent.
In recent weeks, other than the Sri Lankan fans, it has been almost a period of mourning for the Indians and Pakistanis. And that is not just because of the tragic way Bob Woolmer passed away, but also the way India and Pakistan had to fly back home early from the West Indies without making it to the Super8 stage.
Amidst all this gloom, I would still love to watch Saturday’s match between West Indies and England just for one man: Brian Lara. The West Indies skipper, as expected, announced he will not be playing any more cricket after the last Super 8 tie.
So instead of worrying about what the two teams do in the middle, I would much rather just watch Lara. Is he going to be on song, or is it going to be a sad and tearful adieu. Of what I have seen this man do on the field – with or without the bat – it is certain he will try and go out on a high even though there is nothing at stake.
Lara attracted attention, aroused interest and instilled desire in the hearts of millions of fans around the globe. Even if your own team had been playing West Indies, few minded when Lara was in the middle and giving batting a whole new meaning and dimension.
In any sport, left-handers are the most attractive to watch. Yet, Lara was very, very special. Without wanting to sound clichéd, almost anything Lara did had that stamp of class. And for hapless bowlers who got carted to various parts of the park in the cricket field, Lara’s goodbye will mean a fresh pair of lungs for them. When they come and bowl again to West Indies – be it in ODIs, or Tests – they know the marauder will not be there.
Was he really a marauder No, I think, Lara was more like the artist at work, because even when he was decimating the attacks, he did not look brutal in the physical sense. 11,953 Test runs in 131 matches at an average of 52.88 and 10,387 runs in 298 ODIs, Lara did not really have to retire.
He could well have continued for another three years in Tests and gone on to score a few more thousand runs. But then, Lara is not just another cricketer, he knows he is the champion and would like to be remembered that way than a batsman who was trying to hang on just because of the moolah.
Talk of retirement, each one has his or her own way of doing it. Pete Sampras almost had done it to perfection when he won his last US Open title, Michael Schumacher – God on Earth behind the wheels of the F-1 car -- knew he had to go rather than being pushed out by Ferrari
And then we have the desi versions like Dhanraj Pillay who know their days are over but still want to cling on to even that micro-millimetre chance of again playing for India.
As for Lara, he must have made up his mind without spending sleepless nights. To think of retirement must have been as easy as planning how to convert the 300 into a 400 in that famous Test. Please don’t ask me details of the fours and sixes he scored then.
I want to remember Lara as just Lara. The more intricate detailing can be done by the cricket writers…..
In recent weeks, other than the Sri Lankan fans, it has been almost a period of mourning for the Indians and Pakistanis. And that is not just because of the tragic way Bob Woolmer passed away, but also the way India and Pakistan had to fly back home early from the West Indies without making it to the Super8 stage.
Amidst all this gloom, I would still love to watch Saturday’s match between West Indies and England just for one man: Brian Lara. The West Indies skipper, as expected, announced he will not be playing any more cricket after the last Super 8 tie.
So instead of worrying about what the two teams do in the middle, I would much rather just watch Lara. Is he going to be on song, or is it going to be a sad and tearful adieu. Of what I have seen this man do on the field – with or without the bat – it is certain he will try and go out on a high even though there is nothing at stake.
Lara attracted attention, aroused interest and instilled desire in the hearts of millions of fans around the globe. Even if your own team had been playing West Indies, few minded when Lara was in the middle and giving batting a whole new meaning and dimension.
In any sport, left-handers are the most attractive to watch. Yet, Lara was very, very special. Without wanting to sound clichéd, almost anything Lara did had that stamp of class. And for hapless bowlers who got carted to various parts of the park in the cricket field, Lara’s goodbye will mean a fresh pair of lungs for them. When they come and bowl again to West Indies – be it in ODIs, or Tests – they know the marauder will not be there.
Was he really a marauder No, I think, Lara was more like the artist at work, because even when he was decimating the attacks, he did not look brutal in the physical sense. 11,953 Test runs in 131 matches at an average of 52.88 and 10,387 runs in 298 ODIs, Lara did not really have to retire.
He could well have continued for another three years in Tests and gone on to score a few more thousand runs. But then, Lara is not just another cricketer, he knows he is the champion and would like to be remembered that way than a batsman who was trying to hang on just because of the moolah.
Talk of retirement, each one has his or her own way of doing it. Pete Sampras almost had done it to perfection when he won his last US Open title, Michael Schumacher – God on Earth behind the wheels of the F-1 car -- knew he had to go rather than being pushed out by Ferrari
And then we have the desi versions like Dhanraj Pillay who know their days are over but still want to cling on to even that micro-millimetre chance of again playing for India.
As for Lara, he must have made up his mind without spending sleepless nights. To think of retirement must have been as easy as planning how to convert the 300 into a 400 in that famous Test. Please don’t ask me details of the fours and sixes he scored then.
I want to remember Lara as just Lara. The more intricate detailing can be done by the cricket writers…..
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Asian Games 2014 bid
I was in Class 12, when the Asian Games were held in New Delhi in 1982.
The Games inauguration by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is still fresh in my mind. Reaching the Nehru Stadium from my residence in West Kidwai Nagar -- better known now as the colony next to Dilli Haat -- was easy. At that time, DTC had come out with daily pass schemes.
Twenty five years later, to be precise on April 17, 2007, when news came from Kuwait the New Delhi had lost the bid I was a bit sad. But in a few minutes I realised the wisemen who had spoken bombastically about New Delhi's chances had somewhere messed up in their vote calculations big time.
Again, in less than an hour -- I have access to wires all the time at work -- IOA bosses had started the blame game. This time, it was none other than Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar who was the villain of the piece!
Well, I have met Mr Aiyar a few times, and he did come across as someone not very happy India should be spending (or wasting?) such huge sums of money on holding the mega events. And he makes it clear he is still not in fsvour of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Let me tell you, I am not a fan of Mr Aiyar, but I think even within the Government framework, there are a lot of people who are happy India has lost the bid.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games are not far away. I still remember, as a school boy when I saw the roads being redone and flyovers coming up for the 1982 Asiad, the skyline had begun to change. The development was fantastic and the Games went on well.
But in 2007, when New Delhi wanted to bid for the 2014 Games, a gamut of factors changed. Today, winning the Asiad bid is not as easy as our sports heads think it is. Pompous speeches and presentation are just one part of the story.
Incheon -- I found it on the map courtesy google --- looks a small place. But the way the Koreans got their act together was amazing. More money was just one factor, but they had also made sure their neighbours were going to suppoprt them, with China making its stand clear.
So as the New Delhi bid bandwagon returns, it would make sense if they do a honest post-mortem of why they lost the bid. An embarrassment in the world stage for sure.
Hopefully now, the IOA bosses will next not try to tell we sports lovers India is now going to bid for the Olympics!!
And even if they do, take it with a big pinch of salt.
The Games inauguration by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is still fresh in my mind. Reaching the Nehru Stadium from my residence in West Kidwai Nagar -- better known now as the colony next to Dilli Haat -- was easy. At that time, DTC had come out with daily pass schemes.
Twenty five years later, to be precise on April 17, 2007, when news came from Kuwait the New Delhi had lost the bid I was a bit sad. But in a few minutes I realised the wisemen who had spoken bombastically about New Delhi's chances had somewhere messed up in their vote calculations big time.
Again, in less than an hour -- I have access to wires all the time at work -- IOA bosses had started the blame game. This time, it was none other than Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar who was the villain of the piece!
Well, I have met Mr Aiyar a few times, and he did come across as someone not very happy India should be spending (or wasting?) such huge sums of money on holding the mega events. And he makes it clear he is still not in fsvour of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Let me tell you, I am not a fan of Mr Aiyar, but I think even within the Government framework, there are a lot of people who are happy India has lost the bid.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games are not far away. I still remember, as a school boy when I saw the roads being redone and flyovers coming up for the 1982 Asiad, the skyline had begun to change. The development was fantastic and the Games went on well.
But in 2007, when New Delhi wanted to bid for the 2014 Games, a gamut of factors changed. Today, winning the Asiad bid is not as easy as our sports heads think it is. Pompous speeches and presentation are just one part of the story.
Incheon -- I found it on the map courtesy google --- looks a small place. But the way the Koreans got their act together was amazing. More money was just one factor, but they had also made sure their neighbours were going to suppoprt them, with China making its stand clear.
So as the New Delhi bid bandwagon returns, it would make sense if they do a honest post-mortem of why they lost the bid. An embarrassment in the world stage for sure.
Hopefully now, the IOA bosses will next not try to tell we sports lovers India is now going to bid for the Olympics!!
And even if they do, take it with a big pinch of salt.
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