It has taken a long time, for us to catch up with Lewis, the 2008 World Champion. But, in our defence, it takes time, when the man in question, spends half his time, running from the police for jumping the red signal ( Kimi might sympathize) and the other half, for paying speeding tickets or fines for driving under the influence of alcohol. But the reigning world champion, has been graceful enough to give us sometime, while holidaying in St. Lucia, where the champion wasted no time in getting high.
Here are some excerpts from our conversation with Lewis " I nearly blew it again" Hamilton.
WaG: First of all congratulations on your championship, Lewis.
LH: Yeah thanks. I worked really hard, to lose it again, but then, these days money talks.
WaG: This is with reference to the dramatic last turn overtake of Timo Glock???
LH: Yes, it was a tough race. I worked very hard. I was driving aggressively and on the edge. But I somehow got beaten by a Minardi. But then, Mclaren worked out a behind my back deal with Toyota, the moment Vettel showed me his back. Mclaren agreed to fund the Toyota F1 racing team for the next 5 years. If Toyota are not happy with the progress, I can still have the championship stripped off, when they go public.
WaG: Interesting, the politics of F1. But you still had a great year. Can you explain the Vettel move in the last race from your point of view?
LH: Well, I raced hard, was driving flat out, but at the end of the day, the Minardi was too much for the Mclaren Mercedes to handle. It was a good move, but I thought he pushed me off the racing line a bit and that was not good.
WaG: Ofcourse. What made you interested in racing?
LH: The freedom to drive flat out. That is the biggest thing.
WaG interrupts: Like ramming into the car in front when the red light flashes brighter than ever.
LH: Hehe. Yeah, that was fun. But, ofcourse, that is something I can do on the racing track, and get away with it. Also, blocking cars, going off road and taking others with me, I own the road. However, shifting from the race track to the roads, has been a huge mental adjustment, as can be seen, from the number of tickets I had to pay on the road this season.
WaG: Yes, tough to be an F1 driver. How did you feel, when the idea about Wembley was mooted?
LH: Honestly, I was releived when the idea was called off. If you look through my F1 career, I have never been able to overtake someone without taking him off road, or myself off road. So I thought it would be something very risky for the public and the guy whom I was racing against.
He signs off by saying that he has been working hard this off season, to make out the difference between red and green, and for that, he suggests, they paint Mclaren red next year, and believes that is the only way he can keep the championship, how to keep his car on track without pushing the other one off, as he tries to overtake, or gets overtaken, and hopes for a less eventful 2k9.
Whatever you say about the guy, he won the championship after all, and deserves credit for that. But WaG, cant settle with that, and has to add this - the two best drivers were not even contending for the championship.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Uncomplicated Genius
It has been a long time since there has been any activity on this space allocated for random rumblings. But, I have been busy assembling a team and sending them across the world to meet up with the current F 1 Champion , Blew it Hamilton, and homegrown talent ( this was never promised, but this team is in a generous mood this time of the year), the Nawab of Najafgarh, Virender Sehwag holidaying in some god forsaken place, to top off his splendid year.
Excerpts from the really candid Viru conversation:
Wine and Gold: It's been a great year for you, Viru, out of the side, and the brilliant comeback into the team, you must be really satisfied.
Viru: Thanks, yes, it was a tough year before, but then I have always believed in my style of batting, if the ball is there to be hit, I will hit it. This year, luckily, I hit some.
WaG (not the brightest idea I think) : So what did you do, to get back into the form you displayed down under?
Viru: Nothing, if the ball is there to be hit, I just hit the ball. I have always believed in this and I saw no reason to change that.
WaG: Not even after the horrendous last year and a half?
Viru: I felt I was getting out when I was batting well. But in this game you either play or you dont, so I said, if the ball is there to be hit, I will hit it.
WaG: Enlightening, I can't help but notice, that you sit, right next to Gary, if your in the dressing room. What is the reason for that? Some superstition?
Viru: No, nothing like that. I just get frustrated in there, when a ball is there to be hit, and it is left alone. I am not taking any names, but the wall, for example. So i mouth obscenities in Hindi, which Gary really can't understand. That's all.
( and then he mutters - I broke a TV thanks to him, hitting a ball that was there to be hit, watching him bat)
( Looking for the Breaking News scroll!! Damn, where did it go??)
He rounds off advising youngsters playing cricket, to hit the ball if it is there to be hit, after all, you either bat, or you dont. ( Uncomplicated genius) Obviously, if you are still interested to know, there is no bowler, Sehwag fears, because, he has nothing to do with the bowler, as any bowler, has to bowl the ball, and any ball is there to be hit.( Oh yes, after admirable restraint the man said it)
But, the team would like to thank him, for giving his precious time while trying to find a ball that can be hit, and also, for the amazing exhibition of sheer audacity and exhilarating batsmanship, in a year where, he setup the march of this Indian team to the pinnacle.
Keep it up Viru, Pure Genius!
Excerpts from the really candid Viru conversation:
Wine and Gold: It's been a great year for you, Viru, out of the side, and the brilliant comeback into the team, you must be really satisfied.
Viru: Thanks, yes, it was a tough year before, but then I have always believed in my style of batting, if the ball is there to be hit, I will hit it. This year, luckily, I hit some.
WaG (not the brightest idea I think) : So what did you do, to get back into the form you displayed down under?
Viru: Nothing, if the ball is there to be hit, I just hit the ball. I have always believed in this and I saw no reason to change that.
WaG: Not even after the horrendous last year and a half?
Viru: I felt I was getting out when I was batting well. But in this game you either play or you dont, so I said, if the ball is there to be hit, I will hit it.
WaG: Enlightening, I can't help but notice, that you sit, right next to Gary, if your in the dressing room. What is the reason for that? Some superstition?
Viru: No, nothing like that. I just get frustrated in there, when a ball is there to be hit, and it is left alone. I am not taking any names, but the wall, for example. So i mouth obscenities in Hindi, which Gary really can't understand. That's all.
( and then he mutters - I broke a TV thanks to him, hitting a ball that was there to be hit, watching him bat)
( Looking for the Breaking News scroll!! Damn, where did it go??)
He rounds off advising youngsters playing cricket, to hit the ball if it is there to be hit, after all, you either bat, or you dont. ( Uncomplicated genius) Obviously, if you are still interested to know, there is no bowler, Sehwag fears, because, he has nothing to do with the bowler, as any bowler, has to bowl the ball, and any ball is there to be hit.( Oh yes, after admirable restraint the man said it)
But, the team would like to thank him, for giving his precious time while trying to find a ball that can be hit, and also, for the amazing exhibition of sheer audacity and exhilarating batsmanship, in a year where, he setup the march of this Indian team to the pinnacle.
Keep it up Viru, Pure Genius!
Monday, November 10, 2008
A happy ending to the "Fabulous" Era
P.S: By Indian cricket I am referring to the test circuit
The culmination of Australia tour of India has brought to an end a few long lasting eras' of modern cricket. For a start, the 2-0 result has officially(well not yet, if you want to follow the ICC rankings) put an end to Australia's authority on top of World Cricket. They have been challenged a few times the last decade, by India, almost every time they met, in the Ashes, but this series has showed the huge void left behind by Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist and the fishing adventures of Symonds.
But from an Indian fan perspective, especially, us who have grown watching them, it is finally the end of the Fabulous Era - The era of the Fabulous Four. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Saurav Chandidas Ganguly, Rahul Sharad Dravid, and VVS Laxman (never expanding a gult's name :)).
The longevity of them together itself is a testament to their greatness. As we all know, no community is as demanding as the Indian, and no community is as tough to win over as the Indian, no community is as hungry for the next big thing as Indian. The media, the fans, the politics all made sure in the past that the theatre of Indian Cricket has rarely had actors who played a part in each offering over as long a period as these four gentlemen have. That alone is enough testament to the greatness of this era.
An era so great, that I could not stop myself from coming out retirement, to use my office internet facilities (yeah, I'm still not fired) to celebrate a truely special part of Indian cricket history. One that will be etched in gold and framed, and will be placed right up there where it deserves, on the very top.
For a group as much as it has achieved, the forming of it was anything but trivial. As the Indian cricket fan had got used to by then, this group was plagued by inconsistency in the years before it donned its regal avatar. Inconsistency in direction, policies, selections, and when given the opportunity, the performances itself. It took four years, since the entry of the players in question, before the Fab Four took shape.
The contribution of the Fab Four to Indian Cricket cannot really be appreciated without looking at Indian Cricket through the 90's. The 90's brought to Indian Cricket, its first superstar, Sachin Tendulkar and with it great hope to a nation. And with great hope, unfortunately, came rather huge doses of disappointment. India had the best batsman in the world, it had Mohammad Azharrudin, a great captain, Javagal Srinath - one of the first "fast" bowlers of Indian Cricket, emergence of the next great spinner in Anil Kumble, and lots of bubbles, that would then soon burst, in Vinod Kambli, Jadeja, Manjrekar etc. An Indian fan will have fond memories of Sachin oozing exuberance, style, class, grace and genius in his innings in Sydney and Old Trafford. The amazing counter attack launched by Sachin and Azhar on a bouncy South African track, or the brilliant double century of Siddhu in West Indies, or many a fierce spells of Javagal Srinath and testing seam bowling of Venkatesh Prasad, but the overriding emotion of the decade had to be grief for the ever demanding Indian cricket fan, the sadness of Tendulkar's brilliance only resulting in a defeat by 200 runs, or the failure to chase 120. Most of you know what I am getting to by now. However great India were at home in the 90's, and initially, that was a big thing for young fans like me, even later - like the 98 Australian tour to India, the semi finals of 96 and other highlights of the decade, it eventually got to a point - the disappointment of the 99 World Cup, where the atrocious record abroad finally screamed out to even the most uninformed Indian (has to be a cricket fan). It finally made a fan wonder, if waking up at 4 to watch a test match in Australia was really worth it. The final blow was of course, the match fixing scandal.
From those depths, it needed something as special as these four to revive Indian cricket in the hearts and minds of the fan. From those depths, it needed something as special as these four to make the Indian fan wake up at 4 to catch even the pitch report of matches in Australia and stay up as late as 3 to see the post match analysis for matches in West Indies.
The heroics of VVS and Dravid at Kolkata in 2001, resulting in a dramatic series victory against the invincibles, the first test victory on the soil, in a long long time, of West Indies on the backs of Saurav and VVS, the Headingley assault led by Sachin and Ganguly, after the vigilance of, by now, "The Wall", Dravid's heroics in Adelaide, and finally series victories in Pakistan, West Indies and England and a test match victory in South Africa, the brilliant comeback in Perth, and Sri Lanka tour, and I am only scratching the surface. There were the occasional hiccups like the New Zealand tour in 03, but for the Indian fan brought up in the 90's, that is easy to digest. All this while maintaining their supremacy at home, only blemish being a series defeat to Australia in 04. (There were some drawn series). The 2000's for the first time in Indian cricket, made the Indian cricket fan, revel in the success of a group, and admire a group. That is the biggest compliment that can be put for these four, especially after Tendulkar became God somewhere in the 90's.
The Fab Four marked an era of Indian cricket, where its first serious push to the top of Test cricket was made. The start of the era was anything but a loud statement. But what we witnessed over the last eight or so years is batsmanship of the highest quality, and grit, fight and resolve never seen before in Indian cricket. And it is fitting that it has ended with a defining victory over the reigning test champions. Fitting that it has ended in taking India from being the forever middle of the pack team to the threshold of the best team in the world.
The Fabulous Four have cemented their place in Indian cricket history, and have become immortal in the minds of the Indian cricket fan.
The culmination of Australia tour of India has brought to an end a few long lasting eras' of modern cricket. For a start, the 2-0 result has officially(well not yet, if you want to follow the ICC rankings) put an end to Australia's authority on top of World Cricket. They have been challenged a few times the last decade, by India, almost every time they met, in the Ashes, but this series has showed the huge void left behind by Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist and the fishing adventures of Symonds.
But from an Indian fan perspective, especially, us who have grown watching them, it is finally the end of the Fabulous Era - The era of the Fabulous Four. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Saurav Chandidas Ganguly, Rahul Sharad Dravid, and VVS Laxman (never expanding a gult's name :)).
The longevity of them together itself is a testament to their greatness. As we all know, no community is as demanding as the Indian, and no community is as tough to win over as the Indian, no community is as hungry for the next big thing as Indian. The media, the fans, the politics all made sure in the past that the theatre of Indian Cricket has rarely had actors who played a part in each offering over as long a period as these four gentlemen have. That alone is enough testament to the greatness of this era.
An era so great, that I could not stop myself from coming out retirement, to use my office internet facilities (yeah, I'm still not fired) to celebrate a truely special part of Indian cricket history. One that will be etched in gold and framed, and will be placed right up there where it deserves, on the very top.
For a group as much as it has achieved, the forming of it was anything but trivial. As the Indian cricket fan had got used to by then, this group was plagued by inconsistency in the years before it donned its regal avatar. Inconsistency in direction, policies, selections, and when given the opportunity, the performances itself. It took four years, since the entry of the players in question, before the Fab Four took shape.
The contribution of the Fab Four to Indian Cricket cannot really be appreciated without looking at Indian Cricket through the 90's. The 90's brought to Indian Cricket, its first superstar, Sachin Tendulkar and with it great hope to a nation. And with great hope, unfortunately, came rather huge doses of disappointment. India had the best batsman in the world, it had Mohammad Azharrudin, a great captain, Javagal Srinath - one of the first "fast" bowlers of Indian Cricket, emergence of the next great spinner in Anil Kumble, and lots of bubbles, that would then soon burst, in Vinod Kambli, Jadeja, Manjrekar etc. An Indian fan will have fond memories of Sachin oozing exuberance, style, class, grace and genius in his innings in Sydney and Old Trafford. The amazing counter attack launched by Sachin and Azhar on a bouncy South African track, or the brilliant double century of Siddhu in West Indies, or many a fierce spells of Javagal Srinath and testing seam bowling of Venkatesh Prasad, but the overriding emotion of the decade had to be grief for the ever demanding Indian cricket fan, the sadness of Tendulkar's brilliance only resulting in a defeat by 200 runs, or the failure to chase 120. Most of you know what I am getting to by now. However great India were at home in the 90's, and initially, that was a big thing for young fans like me, even later - like the 98 Australian tour to India, the semi finals of 96 and other highlights of the decade, it eventually got to a point - the disappointment of the 99 World Cup, where the atrocious record abroad finally screamed out to even the most uninformed Indian (has to be a cricket fan). It finally made a fan wonder, if waking up at 4 to watch a test match in Australia was really worth it. The final blow was of course, the match fixing scandal.
From those depths, it needed something as special as these four to revive Indian cricket in the hearts and minds of the fan. From those depths, it needed something as special as these four to make the Indian fan wake up at 4 to catch even the pitch report of matches in Australia and stay up as late as 3 to see the post match analysis for matches in West Indies.
The heroics of VVS and Dravid at Kolkata in 2001, resulting in a dramatic series victory against the invincibles, the first test victory on the soil, in a long long time, of West Indies on the backs of Saurav and VVS, the Headingley assault led by Sachin and Ganguly, after the vigilance of, by now, "The Wall", Dravid's heroics in Adelaide, and finally series victories in Pakistan, West Indies and England and a test match victory in South Africa, the brilliant comeback in Perth, and Sri Lanka tour, and I am only scratching the surface. There were the occasional hiccups like the New Zealand tour in 03, but for the Indian fan brought up in the 90's, that is easy to digest. All this while maintaining their supremacy at home, only blemish being a series defeat to Australia in 04. (There were some drawn series). The 2000's for the first time in Indian cricket, made the Indian cricket fan, revel in the success of a group, and admire a group. That is the biggest compliment that can be put for these four, especially after Tendulkar became God somewhere in the 90's.
The Fab Four marked an era of Indian cricket, where its first serious push to the top of Test cricket was made. The start of the era was anything but a loud statement. But what we witnessed over the last eight or so years is batsmanship of the highest quality, and grit, fight and resolve never seen before in Indian cricket. And it is fitting that it has ended with a defining victory over the reigning test champions. Fitting that it has ended in taking India from being the forever middle of the pack team to the threshold of the best team in the world.
The Fabulous Four have cemented their place in Indian cricket history, and have become immortal in the minds of the Indian cricket fan.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Olympic Quotes
As the title suggests, great research has gone behind this post. I spent a lot of time going through the archives of all the games held since 1896 - the modern version of the games. I also consulted historians, translators, archaeologists - everyone I could to understand quotes of the ancient versions. After all this I put together a compilation of quotes, that I think are truly apart in terms of content. Here it is
1) "I could not run, I could not jump."
Anju B George, after failing to make even one legal jump in the 2008 Beijing Games.
Talk about a Government funded holiday and this tops it. Sorry to all other quotes that could not make the cut, but this is truly a class apart.
1) "I could not run, I could not jump."
Anju B George, after failing to make even one legal jump in the 2008 Beijing Games.
Talk about a Government funded holiday and this tops it. Sorry to all other quotes that could not make the cut, but this is truly a class apart.
Monday, August 4, 2008
License to continue
The second test of the on going test series between India and the Lankans brought to us, something we should be getting used to. An emphatic comeback from the veterans. Before I start off about what I want to write for now, a little bit of introduction to the group I'm talking about. Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh. Sachin, the prodigious kid expected to take the world by storm. Saurav, believed to have entered the team because of the "quota" system. Dravid, never expected to become into anything even remotely close to what he has, VVS - made one of the worst openers of the last decade, Viru - Casual strokeplay sometimes interpreted as careless, and Bhajji called for chucking in his debut season.
These men have formed the core of the greatest Test team India has ever produced. This team also produced fine leaders, one of them probably the best of all time. These men, over the course of their careers have achieved something that was unheard of by our fathers. Victory in South Africa, drawn series against Australia in their den, series victory against Windies and the Pommies, Pakistan, on the threshold of one in Lanka, this team has achieved a lot. Even as recently Azhar's time, this was a team that was notoriously poor in traveling. The transformation was gradual. Started off by winning the one off test against Bangladesh! But what has been witnessed since then is something truly noteworthy. No more is the Indian team a pushover overseas. In fact they are expected to win now. Oh and not just by the Indians(which was always there). This transformation has been made possible by and large by the quality of the batsmanship. Collectively, it has been way greater than anything ever witnessed in the past. Lots of reasons can be put forth for this change. After all, we did have decent teams even before. The quality of batsmen, self confidence instilled by arguably the greatest leader the game in this country has ever witnessed, and also I guess, the general rise of India on the world map. A lot of factors helped in this overturn.
But this article isn't really meant to be a celebration of this great collective talent. The present scenario in Indian cricket has changed too fast. The growing influence of the media has made public retention very low. The selectors seem infatuated by the youth. And some idiots who call themselves experts throw their opinion on air everyday of the year, and we gullible lot, by and large agree with what everyone has to say. The push for youngsters has never been greater. The demand for success from this group of veterans has never been higher. One defeat against the Lankans, brought about hue and cry never witnessed. Because, suddenly, we were expected to beat the mighty Lankans.
Over the past, each individual, with the exception of Sachin Tendulkar, has always had a head hunter. But now, for the first time ever, the team collectively must have felt the pressure to perform. The time left for these greats is short. Every win for them is just a license to continue playing for the country, to satisfy media hungry to create sensation, and to pacify the selectors who seem bought into the idea of youth. Tendulkar is the one untouchable of Indian cicket, so leaving him aside, every one else has their ass on the hot seat. Sehwag is on a comeback, Dravid never played an innings under more pressure than the second innings, Saurav made the greatest comeback ever, is suddenly under pressure again, VVS never felt secure about his place, and Kumble, has Dhoni ready to take over test captaincy. The team collectively, first time ever is feeling the heat. And it was great fun, to watch these champions fight it out as a group to win, to win license to die another day. They will end soon. And not all might end on their terms, but it sure will be great to watch them fight it out just to stretch their careers a little longer and fight the infatuation of youth that has possessed us all. Sad it might be, but it sure will be great to watch. Fight to win. Win to play another day!
These men have formed the core of the greatest Test team India has ever produced. This team also produced fine leaders, one of them probably the best of all time. These men, over the course of their careers have achieved something that was unheard of by our fathers. Victory in South Africa, drawn series against Australia in their den, series victory against Windies and the Pommies, Pakistan, on the threshold of one in Lanka, this team has achieved a lot. Even as recently Azhar's time, this was a team that was notoriously poor in traveling. The transformation was gradual. Started off by winning the one off test against Bangladesh! But what has been witnessed since then is something truly noteworthy. No more is the Indian team a pushover overseas. In fact they are expected to win now. Oh and not just by the Indians(which was always there). This transformation has been made possible by and large by the quality of the batsmanship. Collectively, it has been way greater than anything ever witnessed in the past. Lots of reasons can be put forth for this change. After all, we did have decent teams even before. The quality of batsmen, self confidence instilled by arguably the greatest leader the game in this country has ever witnessed, and also I guess, the general rise of India on the world map. A lot of factors helped in this overturn.
But this article isn't really meant to be a celebration of this great collective talent. The present scenario in Indian cricket has changed too fast. The growing influence of the media has made public retention very low. The selectors seem infatuated by the youth. And some idiots who call themselves experts throw their opinion on air everyday of the year, and we gullible lot, by and large agree with what everyone has to say. The push for youngsters has never been greater. The demand for success from this group of veterans has never been higher. One defeat against the Lankans, brought about hue and cry never witnessed. Because, suddenly, we were expected to beat the mighty Lankans.
Over the past, each individual, with the exception of Sachin Tendulkar, has always had a head hunter. But now, for the first time ever, the team collectively must have felt the pressure to perform. The time left for these greats is short. Every win for them is just a license to continue playing for the country, to satisfy media hungry to create sensation, and to pacify the selectors who seem bought into the idea of youth. Tendulkar is the one untouchable of Indian cicket, so leaving him aside, every one else has their ass on the hot seat. Sehwag is on a comeback, Dravid never played an innings under more pressure than the second innings, Saurav made the greatest comeback ever, is suddenly under pressure again, VVS never felt secure about his place, and Kumble, has Dhoni ready to take over test captaincy. The team collectively, first time ever is feeling the heat. And it was great fun, to watch these champions fight it out as a group to win, to win license to die another day. They will end soon. And not all might end on their terms, but it sure will be great to watch them fight it out just to stretch their careers a little longer and fight the infatuation of youth that has possessed us all. Sad it might be, but it sure will be great to watch. Fight to win. Win to play another day!
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Great Wall of India
Bored and without work! Fast Internet, occasionally functional air-conditioner, passable head phones - and a worthless blog to stare at. Then it dawns upon the creator of that worthless blog that the time is ripe for a new entry. Nothing changed since the last post folks. Still jobless, and yeah still the same facility to access internet. Scrolling through the blog, I realized, I did not post my views on one of the greatest cricketers of our generation, thought it would be useful in such times in the future, where I would have more to tinker with, and for the present would help me kill some time by advertising aggressively for my new blog entry. Aaah perfect! Change the track. Admire the internet speed for being able to listen to music. Blare out the volume to its fullest. And overdrive! A little peek from the manager will not deter this author from his mission.
Easily one of the most gifted batsmen to have ever donned the Indian cap, this tall elegant batsman from the great city of Hyderabad (sorry could not resist) , the Very Very Special Laxman, is probably one of the most under rated cricketer in the history of the game. So stupendous is his success against the greatest team ever assembled on the cricket field that his other efforts have been rather unjustly overlooked.
Damn! Break in the flow. Work assigned. Testing times for the creator of the blog that is there because there is space for it to exist. None the less, with unmatched determination, never before seen grit, yet complete poise, he will overcome all odds to write what he intended to, (think I did that already).
VVS Laxman is the greatest batsman to have ever played for India since 1995, yes, not Dravid, not Ganguly. He is an absolute artist and the ease with which he plays can only be matched by the genius of Sachin. The countless match winning knocks, match saving knocks he has played have by and large gone unnoticed, largely, I guess, because they haven't been as loud as the 281 in Kolkata. But 10 years later, when people sit down and look back, dont be surprised to see a bald Harsha with grey sidelocks say that he was the greatest matchwinner India ever had. Here is to the most greaceful batsman ever seen in our times, the singer, ready with a new song to the Lankan beats, Very Very Special Laxman!!
Easily one of the most gifted batsmen to have ever donned the Indian cap, this tall elegant batsman from the great city of Hyderabad (sorry could not resist) , the Very Very Special Laxman, is probably one of the most under rated cricketer in the history of the game. So stupendous is his success against the greatest team ever assembled on the cricket field that his other efforts have been rather unjustly overlooked.
Damn! Break in the flow. Work assigned. Testing times for the creator of the blog that is there because there is space for it to exist. None the less, with unmatched determination, never before seen grit, yet complete poise, he will overcome all odds to write what he intended to, (think I did that already).
VVS Laxman is the greatest batsman to have ever played for India since 1995, yes, not Dravid, not Ganguly. He is an absolute artist and the ease with which he plays can only be matched by the genius of Sachin. The countless match winning knocks, match saving knocks he has played have by and large gone unnoticed, largely, I guess, because they haven't been as loud as the 281 in Kolkata. But 10 years later, when people sit down and look back, dont be surprised to see a bald Harsha with grey sidelocks say that he was the greatest matchwinner India ever had. Here is to the most greaceful batsman ever seen in our times, the singer, ready with a new song to the Lankan beats, Very Very Special Laxman!!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tale of a Magician, a Machine and a Djoker
It has been a while since you have last heard from me. Lots has been happening in the world we care about, the world of sports, but nothing excited me more than the third grand slam of the year. The greens of Wimbledon. A truly amazing event.
The failure of the top seeds in the women' s draw, the magical run of the short Chinese, the re - emergence of the enigmatic Safin, the disaster of the American's in the men 's section, Djokovic stunner, and of course, arguably the greatest end to the Championships ever, the finals' of the singles event in both the men 's and women 's. Yeah, we tend to forget that the women 's final was one of the highest quality, ever offered on the last Saturday of any slam. Unfair maybe, but I will spend my energy, time, and my office's internet facility on the other final. The men 's final. Actually on second thoughts, I think I will give that a pass as well. A lot has been written about it, and anything I add here will only add to the cliche's that are already flooding the space. Instead I will re direct my energy, and yeah the office's internet facillity, to write on probably the most intense battle for the top seat in World Tennis.
The three characters being the magician, the machine and the djoker. Djoker is not a name to insult a special talent like Novak, but I guess, it describes him best. He likes to speak his mind, and have fun while out there on the court. Sure does not mind making statements, that would make him likeable among the press. This mad race between Federer and Nadal, and the new entrant, Djokovic is more intriguing because of the contrasting personalities, styles and the whole history. Nadal blocking Federer's claim to be the greatest player of all time, Federer well, stopped Nadal twice before eventually falling, in the way of Nadal's dream to be more than just the king of clay. And well Djokovic. The brat. Just to make things interesting. It has the most perfect setting. Federer and Nadal, who dont seem tired of singing praises of each other, and then there is Novak, who doesnt hesitate in saying something that might be politically incorrect. Federer who makes the game look so easy, Nadal who runs around like a rabbit (thank you Safin), and Djokovic - well he is fun to watch too.
And the emergence of each character was perfect too. Federer, the prodigious kid on the block, took lots of time to come to terms with his huge potential. Before it started raining Slam's in his house, and buffaloes in his backyard.
Nadal, the prodigious young talent, expected to take over the world of tennis, but was too young at 17 to do anything significant, with time, turned into the King of Clay, but faced agonising failure before eventually tasting the sweetness of succes in the grass he cared about.
And Djokovic, coming from a country invisible on the tennis map, again took time to come to terms with what he was capable of, tasted failure in his first grand slam final, yes in the hands of one of the other two character's, before putting his country in the tennis map of champions.
All three of them faced agonising failure before the mad success that has followed. Something never heard of before. Nadal and Federer faced each other in 6 slam finals, a record. Federer reached - I lost count - consecutive semi finals, and Djokovic, before the Wimbledon blemish, had 5 consecutive semi's or better finish to a slam. While Nadal merrily continued his streak on clay, and became much more of a threat on the faster courts, and finally displaced the King of Grass, to keep his thrown warm for a while.
Besides the contrasting styles on court and attitudes off court, there is one more reason that makes this mad race, a lot more interesting. It is how each one of them, stand in other's path to the finish. That is what truely separates this from anything ever seen in the past. Such isolation of greatness. Nadal in Federer's path of winning all the slam's and claim to be the greatest ever, if he can't already, Federer in Nadal's path to become the world No. 1, shocking that a player as good as Nadal was never the best player in the world(just shows what a great player the magician is himself), and Djokovic, the ambitious young man, who believes the world is out there for him to rule. And he has done a lot to make sure he meets his dream. He is the only man to beat Federer and Nadal in the same tournament, back to back that too. And that speaks loads of his ability.
It is this which makes the battle of these three so intriguing. Having achieved considerable success, none has found it enough to be content with. And they have each other to overcome in their quest for ultimate content in life. This greed for success, and strive for perfection, initial failure, some success, yet lack of contentment - this is what makes all of us identify with this mad race. The greatest script that could ever be written. The leads being ordinary humans with extra ordinary skills. Let the show continue. Enjoy it as long as it lasts. Dont ever try to answer the question who is the greatest. Because the day you answer that, the greatest rivalries ever witnessed on that rectangle would have ended!
Enjoy the show!!
The failure of the top seeds in the women' s draw, the magical run of the short Chinese, the re - emergence of the enigmatic Safin, the disaster of the American's in the men 's section, Djokovic stunner, and of course, arguably the greatest end to the Championships ever, the finals' of the singles event in both the men 's and women 's. Yeah, we tend to forget that the women 's final was one of the highest quality, ever offered on the last Saturday of any slam. Unfair maybe, but I will spend my energy, time, and my office's internet facility on the other final. The men 's final. Actually on second thoughts, I think I will give that a pass as well. A lot has been written about it, and anything I add here will only add to the cliche's that are already flooding the space. Instead I will re direct my energy, and yeah the office's internet facillity, to write on probably the most intense battle for the top seat in World Tennis.
The three characters being the magician, the machine and the djoker. Djoker is not a name to insult a special talent like Novak, but I guess, it describes him best. He likes to speak his mind, and have fun while out there on the court. Sure does not mind making statements, that would make him likeable among the press. This mad race between Federer and Nadal, and the new entrant, Djokovic is more intriguing because of the contrasting personalities, styles and the whole history. Nadal blocking Federer's claim to be the greatest player of all time, Federer well, stopped Nadal twice before eventually falling, in the way of Nadal's dream to be more than just the king of clay. And well Djokovic. The brat. Just to make things interesting. It has the most perfect setting. Federer and Nadal, who dont seem tired of singing praises of each other, and then there is Novak, who doesnt hesitate in saying something that might be politically incorrect. Federer who makes the game look so easy, Nadal who runs around like a rabbit (thank you Safin), and Djokovic - well he is fun to watch too.
And the emergence of each character was perfect too. Federer, the prodigious kid on the block, took lots of time to come to terms with his huge potential. Before it started raining Slam's in his house, and buffaloes in his backyard.
Nadal, the prodigious young talent, expected to take over the world of tennis, but was too young at 17 to do anything significant, with time, turned into the King of Clay, but faced agonising failure before eventually tasting the sweetness of succes in the grass he cared about.
And Djokovic, coming from a country invisible on the tennis map, again took time to come to terms with what he was capable of, tasted failure in his first grand slam final, yes in the hands of one of the other two character's, before putting his country in the tennis map of champions.
All three of them faced agonising failure before the mad success that has followed. Something never heard of before. Nadal and Federer faced each other in 6 slam finals, a record. Federer reached - I lost count - consecutive semi finals, and Djokovic, before the Wimbledon blemish, had 5 consecutive semi's or better finish to a slam. While Nadal merrily continued his streak on clay, and became much more of a threat on the faster courts, and finally displaced the King of Grass, to keep his thrown warm for a while.
Besides the contrasting styles on court and attitudes off court, there is one more reason that makes this mad race, a lot more interesting. It is how each one of them, stand in other's path to the finish. That is what truely separates this from anything ever seen in the past. Such isolation of greatness. Nadal in Federer's path of winning all the slam's and claim to be the greatest ever, if he can't already, Federer in Nadal's path to become the world No. 1, shocking that a player as good as Nadal was never the best player in the world(just shows what a great player the magician is himself), and Djokovic, the ambitious young man, who believes the world is out there for him to rule. And he has done a lot to make sure he meets his dream. He is the only man to beat Federer and Nadal in the same tournament, back to back that too. And that speaks loads of his ability.
It is this which makes the battle of these three so intriguing. Having achieved considerable success, none has found it enough to be content with. And they have each other to overcome in their quest for ultimate content in life. This greed for success, and strive for perfection, initial failure, some success, yet lack of contentment - this is what makes all of us identify with this mad race. The greatest script that could ever be written. The leads being ordinary humans with extra ordinary skills. Let the show continue. Enjoy it as long as it lasts. Dont ever try to answer the question who is the greatest. Because the day you answer that, the greatest rivalries ever witnessed on that rectangle would have ended!
Enjoy the show!!
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