CWG was a great marketing platform for a variety of sports. People saw athletes in action, winning medals and in the process making the sport popular. With that a hope arises that youngsters will follow them and in the process make India reach out to the world. More than that, make the sport reach out to Indians, making it as popular as Cricket. The process may be on and the change happening but can they reach Cricket's level of popularity and more importantly sustain that popularity? Tough. Very tough. Yes, there are many variables like more exposure, more games, more facilities etc etc. But one thing that I believe has played a pivotal role in marketing cricket is the commentary!
The difference between the cricket's commentators and the ones of the other sports was evident in the recently concluded CWG coverage. In cricket, since childhood we have been fed on the nitty gritty of the game. It has been helped by Gavaskers, Shastris, Bhogles who know the intricacies of the game and articulate it very well.
Why do We know that if there is grass on the pitch, it will be good for the fast bowlers and if it is a dry pitch having cracks, spinners are going to rule the roost? Not because we know the science behind it. But because it was drilled into us again and again, match after match in the extensive pitch reports. Keys were pushed in the pitch, the cracks were shown clearly, the grass or absence of it was clearly pointed out along with the implications. The 8 odd hours was literally a cricket classroom if you had the patience to sit and watch the whole match. And I am sure there are plenty of atleast my generation who have sat there listening intensly for 100 overs and more.
The knowledge of all the nuances of the game makes it interesting. You get more involved because you understand. And when you understand, you can talk and debate. And when something gets people talking, then it is.. well, popular!!
An understanding of why the sports person is doing something in a certain way enhances the experience of watching the game. I saw sports like Boxing, Wrestling and couldn't understand when and why they were being awarded points. What are the strategies employed? We saw boxers leading comfortably but still going for aggression in the final round rather than saving energy in defense. What were the reasons?
One can learn from observations. Yes. But commentary enhances the observation. Whenever a team needs two runs in say 3 balls, all the fielders are brought closer to the batsman. We can know that by observation. But commentary adds a reason to it and supplements our understanding . For a youngster it is a terrific learning experience which they can simulate while playing on the ground.
There may be an argument that cricket is long and not very fast (like Hockey), giving plenty of time for a good commentary. It will be tougher in games like boxing, wrestling which last for 15 - 20 minutes. Yes, it may be difficult but the time can be utilized better. e.g. in Hockey, most of the time the commentary consists of who has the possession of the ball and to whom it is being passed. It is as if they are stuck in the radio mode describing the action in detail which is actually not required.
Organisations have Brand Ambassadors as well as Salesmen. A Shahrukh Khan will make you aware of a new Hyundai car in town but for actual selling, a Sales man is needed to tell you the features and benefits of the car and to overcome your doubts. In sports, we have the brand ambassadors in form of these medal winning and awe-inspiring athletes but what we lack is a Sales team in the form of commentators who need to do the actual connect, giving a good experience to the audience.
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Ulta Pulta
I think it has been in place for some time now but pray my poor observation skills, I observed it yesterday only.
In cricket matches, two ad spots which have perhaps the highest visibility are the ones just behind the starting point of a fast bowler's run up. Shoaib Akhtar used to start from those banners on the ground.
That batsman and the banner behind the bowler used to face the same direction. Once the bowler started the run
up and camera zoomed on the pitch, the advertisement went out of sight. Or in case of spinners, it hardly was visible. One could only see it behind the batsman but it was facing the other way.
Now, yesterday I observed the banner behind the batsman was facing the camera or in the same direction as batsman. So now when the camera zooms on the pitch, you can see the advertisement or in fact read the name of the advertiser as it ought to be read.
Does it make any difference?
On the face of it - may be not because generally it is a popular brand with a known logo or name. You know that it is Airtel or KFC even if you see the name reversed.
But may be at some psychological level, it makes an impact as legible words are in your face.
In any case, it makes sense to have the banner in the direction where it is going to get the maximum footage. No one had thought about it for many years. Now someone, somewhere has shown some creativity and challenged the status quo!
This one is from a game where when the spinner is bowling, the logo in the background is reverse, thus making less impact. Now-a-days it faces the camera. Thursday, February 25, 2010
The One
Yesterday it was the last nail in the coffin for all so called critics of Sachin. Strangely, these were the people who have not seen or experienced an iota of cricket in comparison to what the master has. After today, whenever a voice against Him will rise, only a scorecard or a shot square of the wicket to a widish delivery will be needed to be shown. And the sad part is that it will not be the umpteen other bat raises of the past.
Now His place has been permanently fixed as THE GOD. In fact, He quite literally is. Every so called religion, caste, region has its distinctions and beliefs. But one thing that remains undisputed is the common belief in Sachin - belief that he will never cheat, belief that he will try his best for the team and the country, belief that Hope is alive till He is there. Now compare that to what all is associated with God - the one that people normally pray to. That God will be always be fair, that whatever he does is the best for you and that Hope is there till the time you are under his wings. Any similarities??
They say that God created the world - the grossly flawed world that we know and live in. Sachin created another world where in people live in pure harmony till the time he is on the pitch. No egos are hurt when a guy in a Mercedes comes to a autowallah with a radio and asks "Kitne pe khel raha hai??". There are no class distinctions when outside a TV showroom you can see people with expensive clothes standing alongside street vendors looking at the screens - all with the same wish in their hearts. And a world where a whole nation can rise with one voice if something goes against the God. Where else can you find such a homogeneous world?
If world is destroyed today and the twitter, facebook and google servers are somehow saved, it will not be surprising if historians of the next phase of human evolution conclude that Sachin was a God who walked the earth - uniting people, making them rise over petty issues - even for a few hours and most importantly making them happy.
If the historians of tomorrow can conclude that, why not do that today??
We are a terribly fragmented nation. There is virtually no so called Unity in the diversity. There is that only one person - THE ONE who provides the constant factor - the unity. He does to India what no Other God can and will be able to do!
*Bow*
Now His place has been permanently fixed as THE GOD. In fact, He quite literally is. Every so called religion, caste, region has its distinctions and beliefs. But one thing that remains undisputed is the common belief in Sachin - belief that he will never cheat, belief that he will try his best for the team and the country, belief that Hope is alive till He is there. Now compare that to what all is associated with God - the one that people normally pray to. That God will be always be fair, that whatever he does is the best for you and that Hope is there till the time you are under his wings. Any similarities??
They say that God created the world - the grossly flawed world that we know and live in. Sachin created another world where in people live in pure harmony till the time he is on the pitch. No egos are hurt when a guy in a Mercedes comes to a autowallah with a radio and asks "Kitne pe khel raha hai??". There are no class distinctions when outside a TV showroom you can see people with expensive clothes standing alongside street vendors looking at the screens - all with the same wish in their hearts. And a world where a whole nation can rise with one voice if something goes against the God. Where else can you find such a homogeneous world?
If world is destroyed today and the twitter, facebook and google servers are somehow saved, it will not be surprising if historians of the next phase of human evolution conclude that Sachin was a God who walked the earth - uniting people, making them rise over petty issues - even for a few hours and most importantly making them happy.
If the historians of tomorrow can conclude that, why not do that today??
We are a terribly fragmented nation. There is virtually no so called Unity in the diversity. There is that only one person - THE ONE who provides the constant factor - the unity. He does to India what no Other God can and will be able to do!
*Bow*
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sachin !!!!
The other day someone asked me, “You call yourself a big Sachin fan, so tell me the exact number of runs he has scored till now”
“12000 something and 16000 something”
“Haa ! Sachin fan!”, came the sarcastic reply.
“OK. how many centuries and half centuries”
“well 40 something and 90 something”
“What the hell! How do you call yourself a Sachin fan dude”.
That got me thinking, introspecting.
I don’t remember how many 100’s and 50’s He has scored
But I know, it is way more than anyone else.
I don’t remember the runs he has scored
But I know that no one will be able to reach those numbers in my life time.
I don’t remember what shot he played to which bowler, on what ground against which opposition.
I simply know that the shot must have given me immense pleasure, thrill and excitement.
And I think that is all what Sachin is all about. For me, it’s not about the numbers it never was. He hardly raised his bat when he reached the 17000 mark recently but you could see the joy on his face, in his body language after he punched the ball through the off side for a boundary. And that is why me and probably numerous others watch Him.
When he comes dancing down the pitch, it is as if the seconds move slowly. As soon as you see that aggressive stance, then the legs moving, the heart beat literally stops. There is that deadly mix of fear and excitement - something that Michael Douglas would have felt in Basic Instinct. It never feels the same when other numerous other batsmen do the same.
There are plenty of shots like the cover drives, straight drives, sweeps and paddle sweeps, gentle nudges and the on drives – which are replayed time and again. But there are those some special ones which are at top of the mind – fixed permanently there. One being the upper cut off Shoaib Akhtar in World Cup 2003. There had been some boundaries hit before that, but may be that shot “opened the floodgates”. I remember, watching it at Lolly’s place where we friends had gathered to watch the match. Oh, we jumped off our seats – again the fear followed by ecstasy – all in a matter of seconds.
Then there was the ferocious pull off Andy Caddick against England. It went soaring past the boundary – not of the ground but of the stadium. I was sitting in at Bulls Eye, doing some DI problems for CAT, which was some 9 months away(Damn!! ). That shot “opened the floodgates” of sms’s, prompting me to calculate the percentage increase in sms before and after the shot. Of course, I literally ran back home after the class.
The next one is a six of Fleming at Sharjah. It was not a sweetly timed straight batted shot over the bowler’s head but was intended to hit hard. It went soaring over the long on.
All the three were seen on TV. There was one special one seen live. I was sitting just to the left of deep mid wicket at PCA, Mohali. It was a full pitched delivery and I saw the ball move in 2 directions. First, it moved perpendicular to my line of sight and then a few seconds later, moved back in exactly the opposite direction as if it had hit a wall – Action and reaction. I don’t know why, it was beautiful to watch.
There was a beauty even when He got out on 99. It was the beauty of sadness. I have never seen Fifty Thousand people at one place absolutely silent. It was amazing – the spell that He cast. It seemed like the shrieks of the Pakistan team was swallowed in that silence. Half the stadium had their hands on their heads, the other half on their faces, just showing the sad eyes.
This silence was also the sound of shattering of one of my dreams to watch Him raise his bat Live – in front of my own eyes and applaud Him. It is tough for such an occasion to appear where He raises His bat if He has not scored a century so technically numbers are involved here. But the dream is just to see his bat raised – possibly in His last match. I wonder what will that be like – the last match. May be all the flood lights will get automatically turned off and a light will appear from the skies directed in the center of the ground which will follow Him as he walks to the pavilion, one last time. Meanwhile the dream still remains.
“12000 something and 16000 something”
“Haa ! Sachin fan!”, came the sarcastic reply.
“OK. how many centuries and half centuries”
“well 40 something and 90 something”
“What the hell! How do you call yourself a Sachin fan dude”.
That got me thinking, introspecting.
I don’t remember how many 100’s and 50’s He has scored
But I know, it is way more than anyone else.
I don’t remember the runs he has scored
But I know that no one will be able to reach those numbers in my life time.
I don’t remember what shot he played to which bowler, on what ground against which opposition.
I simply know that the shot must have given me immense pleasure, thrill and excitement.
And I think that is all what Sachin is all about. For me, it’s not about the numbers it never was. He hardly raised his bat when he reached the 17000 mark recently but you could see the joy on his face, in his body language after he punched the ball through the off side for a boundary. And that is why me and probably numerous others watch Him.
When he comes dancing down the pitch, it is as if the seconds move slowly. As soon as you see that aggressive stance, then the legs moving, the heart beat literally stops. There is that deadly mix of fear and excitement - something that Michael Douglas would have felt in Basic Instinct. It never feels the same when other numerous other batsmen do the same.
There are plenty of shots like the cover drives, straight drives, sweeps and paddle sweeps, gentle nudges and the on drives – which are replayed time and again. But there are those some special ones which are at top of the mind – fixed permanently there. One being the upper cut off Shoaib Akhtar in World Cup 2003. There had been some boundaries hit before that, but may be that shot “opened the floodgates”. I remember, watching it at Lolly’s place where we friends had gathered to watch the match. Oh, we jumped off our seats – again the fear followed by ecstasy – all in a matter of seconds.
Then there was the ferocious pull off Andy Caddick against England. It went soaring past the boundary – not of the ground but of the stadium. I was sitting in at Bulls Eye, doing some DI problems for CAT, which was some 9 months away(Damn!! ). That shot “opened the floodgates” of sms’s, prompting me to calculate the percentage increase in sms before and after the shot. Of course, I literally ran back home after the class.
The next one is a six of Fleming at Sharjah. It was not a sweetly timed straight batted shot over the bowler’s head but was intended to hit hard. It went soaring over the long on.
All the three were seen on TV. There was one special one seen live. I was sitting just to the left of deep mid wicket at PCA, Mohali. It was a full pitched delivery and I saw the ball move in 2 directions. First, it moved perpendicular to my line of sight and then a few seconds later, moved back in exactly the opposite direction as if it had hit a wall – Action and reaction. I don’t know why, it was beautiful to watch.
There was a beauty even when He got out on 99. It was the beauty of sadness. I have never seen Fifty Thousand people at one place absolutely silent. It was amazing – the spell that He cast. It seemed like the shrieks of the Pakistan team was swallowed in that silence. Half the stadium had their hands on their heads, the other half on their faces, just showing the sad eyes.
This silence was also the sound of shattering of one of my dreams to watch Him raise his bat Live – in front of my own eyes and applaud Him. It is tough for such an occasion to appear where He raises His bat if He has not scored a century so technically numbers are involved here. But the dream is just to see his bat raised – possibly in His last match. I wonder what will that be like – the last match. May be all the flood lights will get automatically turned off and a light will appear from the skies directed in the center of the ground which will follow Him as he walks to the pavilion, one last time. Meanwhile the dream still remains.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
To Prove a Point
A quite often repeated statement is “Whenever Sachin hits a century, India loses”. It is frustrating to hear about the person with maximum centuries in the whole wide world, who has won numerous matches for India. But still as they say in share market – it’s all about sentiments. Some stupid media wala must have said somewhere on his Breaking News. And the trend caught on. As He lets his batting do the talking, let’s have the stats do the talking here.
The details have been taken from this database at cricinfo.
Focus here is only on the fact on how many times India wins/loses if Sachin makes a century. And bit of insights on why we lost those matches.
From records, we can see that out of 42 ODI centuries that Sachin has till date, only 11 times has India lost a match. 11 out of 42. That means approx 74% times India wins. Almost 7.5 out of 10 times India wins when Sachin hits a century. A probability of 0.74 which common sense says is quite High!!
Let’s have a look at the matches which India lost when Sachin made a century.
1. ODI match 2414, 14 Sep 2006 (vs WI)- WI won by D/L when they were given a target of mere 113 in 20 overs after india made 309!!!
2. Match 2324, 6 Feb 2006 (vs Pak): India made 328. Again poor performance by bowlers. Pak won by D/L. Can’t really blame Sachin. Can we??
3. Match 2238, 12 Apr 2005 (vs Pak) – India made 315.. Pak won on the last ball. Again how on earth can you blame a batsman for half the runs in a 300 plus total. To add to it, Sachin took a wicket and had 3rd best average among 7 bowlers used.
4. Match 2114, 16 Mar 2004(vs Pak) : Chasing a massive 330 to win. Sachin made 141. Rest of the team made 139. Next highest after 141 were extras – 37. He simply ran out of partners as India were all out for 317.
5. Match 1752, 5 Oct 2001 (vs SA): Again India batted 1st and made 280. Bowlers responsibility more than the batsman.
6. Match 1658, 8 Dec 2000 (vs Zim): Again with Sachin’s knock, India made283. Bowlers let down yet again as Zimbabwe won by 1 wicket and 1 ball to spare.
7. Match 1060, 20 Oct 2000(vs SL): Comprehensively beaten by SL. India made 224, Sachin again making 50% of the runs.
8. Match 1325, 22 Apr 1998(vs Aussies): Everyone remembers this match!! That awesome match in Sharjah. Sachin given out of a No Ball. Mr Duckworth and Mr. Lewis coming in again. Aussies made 284 in 50 overs and India were asked to make 276 in 46. Sachin playing out of his skin. Even after aussies had won the match, it felt like India had!! And everyone also knows what happened in the next match. Anyways, if you want you can blame Sachin here. 3 overs remained when he got out and the rest of the team made.. guess what ?? just 8 runs in those 3 overs.
9. Match 1106, 28 Aug 1996(vs SL): Comprehensively beaten, again by Sri Lanka. A big Century by Jayasuriya. A small point to be noted: only 1 Sri Lankan wicket fell. Guess who took it!!
10. Match 1091, 5 Apr 1996 (vs Pak): A disappointing 1st innings total again. Don’t know if only Sachin can be blamed here – 50% runs being scored by him.
11. Match 1070, 2 Mar 1996 (vs SL): Sri Lanka again. Decent total in 271. A massive 137 by the master blaster.
Cricket is a team game. Whenever India loses, it is everyone’s responsibility including Sachin. And when it wins, it is everyone’s victory. That is my view but for all others who believe India will lose whenever Sachin hits a century, I really hope this settles it for once and all!!
The details have been taken from this database at cricinfo.
Focus here is only on the fact on how many times India wins/loses if Sachin makes a century. And bit of insights on why we lost those matches.
From records, we can see that out of 42 ODI centuries that Sachin has till date, only 11 times has India lost a match. 11 out of 42. That means approx 74% times India wins. Almost 7.5 out of 10 times India wins when Sachin hits a century. A probability of 0.74 which common sense says is quite High!!
Let’s have a look at the matches which India lost when Sachin made a century.
1. ODI match 2414, 14 Sep 2006 (vs WI)- WI won by D/L when they were given a target of mere 113 in 20 overs after india made 309!!!
2. Match 2324, 6 Feb 2006 (vs Pak): India made 328. Again poor performance by bowlers. Pak won by D/L. Can’t really blame Sachin. Can we??
3. Match 2238, 12 Apr 2005 (vs Pak) – India made 315.. Pak won on the last ball. Again how on earth can you blame a batsman for half the runs in a 300 plus total. To add to it, Sachin took a wicket and had 3rd best average among 7 bowlers used.
4. Match 2114, 16 Mar 2004(vs Pak) : Chasing a massive 330 to win. Sachin made 141. Rest of the team made 139. Next highest after 141 were extras – 37. He simply ran out of partners as India were all out for 317.
5. Match 1752, 5 Oct 2001 (vs SA): Again India batted 1st and made 280. Bowlers responsibility more than the batsman.
6. Match 1658, 8 Dec 2000 (vs Zim): Again with Sachin’s knock, India made283. Bowlers let down yet again as Zimbabwe won by 1 wicket and 1 ball to spare.
7. Match 1060, 20 Oct 2000(vs SL): Comprehensively beaten by SL. India made 224, Sachin again making 50% of the runs.
8. Match 1325, 22 Apr 1998(vs Aussies): Everyone remembers this match!! That awesome match in Sharjah. Sachin given out of a No Ball. Mr Duckworth and Mr. Lewis coming in again. Aussies made 284 in 50 overs and India were asked to make 276 in 46. Sachin playing out of his skin. Even after aussies had won the match, it felt like India had!! And everyone also knows what happened in the next match. Anyways, if you want you can blame Sachin here. 3 overs remained when he got out and the rest of the team made.. guess what ?? just 8 runs in those 3 overs.
9. Match 1106, 28 Aug 1996(vs SL): Comprehensively beaten, again by Sri Lanka. A big Century by Jayasuriya. A small point to be noted: only 1 Sri Lankan wicket fell. Guess who took it!!
10. Match 1091, 5 Apr 1996 (vs Pak): A disappointing 1st innings total again. Don’t know if only Sachin can be blamed here – 50% runs being scored by him.
11. Match 1070, 2 Mar 1996 (vs SL): Sri Lanka again. Decent total in 271. A massive 137 by the master blaster.
Cricket is a team game. Whenever India loses, it is everyone’s responsibility including Sachin. And when it wins, it is everyone’s victory. That is my view but for all others who believe India will lose whenever Sachin hits a century, I really hope this settles it for once and all!!
Sunday, May 04, 2008
IPL: Random Thoughts
Some random thoughts on the current craze – which aimed and to an extent beat the saas-bahu stranglehold.
Royal Challengers
That name, of course comes from the popular liquor from the owner - UB stable. But consider the name – Challengers. The name itself suggests that they will be always be only challenging others – winning is.. well.. tough… Best luck for the future challenges to Rahul - One of the greatest batsmen India has ever produced. It’s a pity to see him struggling with his “test team” in 20-20..
Chennai Super Kings
Dons the colors of Australia – and not surprisingly is performing like Australia (though they are on the verge of their 1st defeat as I pen these words). I read somewhere that yellow – the shining bright color of Sun, is a color of the king who rules everyone. I won’t be surprised if the Chennai Super Kings turn out to be the Kings of IPL too.
Delhi Daredevils
Along with brightness, comes the darkness too. There is a constant struggle between both of them to win. Darkness – represented by the Devils of Delhi (the color of the dress is black too). This is the other strong contender in IPL.
Rajasthan Royals
Before IPL began, the Royalty seemed as it didn’t have teeth (read good players). But the royal people, especially in Rajasthan have the history of being warriors. And so it turned out for this team as well. One of the best performing teams having the potential to reach the semi finals.
Kings XI Punjab
If we have the royal families of Rajasthan, we have the Kings of Punjab too. Lion hearted – they definitely are. Seen them working at close quarters (watching a match from just above their pavilion), I can say that they give their fullest – see Brett lee. But again, I am not very sure of the captaincy of the Yuvraj Singh. On the field, I found Jayawardhane (Sri Lankan Captain) more active in getting the angles right, making sure field placement is right when there are left and right hand batsman on the crease etc. May be our wannabe captain is on his learning curve.
Mumbai Indians
The team which has my Favorite player as the captain – who unfortunately has not played a single game. Well, till now I am defending lack of performance by Mumbai among my friends circle with just 1 excuse – No Sachin. This is about to change with a tough tough match against Delhi on Sunday where Sachin makes his IPL debut. I really hopes he has all the answers to all questions which the Mumbai Indians have not been able to answer. It is the Guru vs Shishya (sehwag) on Sunday.
Kolkata Knight Riders
They are the mavericks. It comes out in many ways - their brand ambassador/owner, the colors of their dress – I really like the Golden Pads. Another unthinkable – having Saurav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting in 1 team – 2 people who have been one of the best captains of their sides and both of whom love to be at the helm of proceedings.
Deccan Chargers
One of the strongest team on paper – Gibbs, Afridi, Gilchrist – arguably the World’s 3 top dangerous hitters. But their charges have not been very effective. Again, hard not to notice the dull colored dresses – may be taking the vibrancy of some of the classy players. Ya, it is a very earthy color but who needs to be on earth in T20. We want high flying sixes sir.
Royal Challengers
That name, of course comes from the popular liquor from the owner - UB stable. But consider the name – Challengers. The name itself suggests that they will be always be only challenging others – winning is.. well.. tough… Best luck for the future challenges to Rahul - One of the greatest batsmen India has ever produced. It’s a pity to see him struggling with his “test team” in 20-20..
Chennai Super Kings
Dons the colors of Australia – and not surprisingly is performing like Australia (though they are on the verge of their 1st defeat as I pen these words). I read somewhere that yellow – the shining bright color of Sun, is a color of the king who rules everyone. I won’t be surprised if the Chennai Super Kings turn out to be the Kings of IPL too.
Delhi Daredevils
Along with brightness, comes the darkness too. There is a constant struggle between both of them to win. Darkness – represented by the Devils of Delhi (the color of the dress is black too). This is the other strong contender in IPL.
Rajasthan Royals
Before IPL began, the Royalty seemed as it didn’t have teeth (read good players). But the royal people, especially in Rajasthan have the history of being warriors. And so it turned out for this team as well. One of the best performing teams having the potential to reach the semi finals.
Kings XI Punjab
If we have the royal families of Rajasthan, we have the Kings of Punjab too. Lion hearted – they definitely are. Seen them working at close quarters (watching a match from just above their pavilion), I can say that they give their fullest – see Brett lee. But again, I am not very sure of the captaincy of the Yuvraj Singh. On the field, I found Jayawardhane (Sri Lankan Captain) more active in getting the angles right, making sure field placement is right when there are left and right hand batsman on the crease etc. May be our wannabe captain is on his learning curve.
Mumbai Indians
The team which has my Favorite player as the captain – who unfortunately has not played a single game. Well, till now I am defending lack of performance by Mumbai among my friends circle with just 1 excuse – No Sachin. This is about to change with a tough tough match against Delhi on Sunday where Sachin makes his IPL debut. I really hopes he has all the answers to all questions which the Mumbai Indians have not been able to answer. It is the Guru vs Shishya (sehwag) on Sunday.
Kolkata Knight Riders
They are the mavericks. It comes out in many ways - their brand ambassador/owner, the colors of their dress – I really like the Golden Pads. Another unthinkable – having Saurav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting in 1 team – 2 people who have been one of the best captains of their sides and both of whom love to be at the helm of proceedings.
Deccan Chargers
One of the strongest team on paper – Gibbs, Afridi, Gilchrist – arguably the World’s 3 top dangerous hitters. But their charges have not been very effective. Again, hard not to notice the dull colored dresses – may be taking the vibrancy of some of the classy players. Ya, it is a very earthy color but who needs to be on earth in T20. We want high flying sixes sir.
Friday, November 09, 2007
So Close, yet so far...
In one of my earlier blogs I had written how I wished to watch(at a stadium) Sachin make a century...Last time I went to PCA Stadium, Mcgrath had spoiled the party... Today, with a new hope, the trip was made again to the high voltage India vs Pakistan match...The proceedings were like a dream.. Sachin was in full flow..4's were being creamed at amazing regularity...And it was all around the wicket.. The ferocious pull...the silken drive...the powerful punch... the deadly cut..the delicate sweep...everything was there on the platter for you to relish.. Shoaib was butchered ( He has a damn long run up*).. The spinners were tossed around..and the fielders saw the ball flying over their heads...
Soon, for the first time in my life, I saw the God raise his bat after completing his 50... The run flow continued and so called 'jinxed' 90's had begun before the 25th over.. "Today is the day when ODI Batting records ought to be shattered", I thought..
Soon He was on 99.. People were going mad... Sachinnnn SAchinnn going everywhere... 30000 people clapping to the same jingle..everyone standing on their seats to watch 'The Moment'.... Then there was a hush...the only cheering was coming from the ground by 11 people dressed in greens..Everyone climbed down from the seats and sat down quietly.... The 90's jinx was not over...
* I tried counting the steps.. I could gather around 22.. they were surely more than that..
P.S:
I guess Cricket Stadium is one place where the national flag is insulted the most!!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Becoming Part of History..
So India has made up for the loss of World Cup early in this year with a great 20 - 20 World Cup victory... The match was awesome similar to the previous India - Pakistan tied match.
And we all go down in the history books as a rare species who have witnessed India win a World Cup.... though I am sure the number of people in this rare species will run into millions..
Well Done India...
(though I must say the last over by Joginder Sharma was pathetic.... the ball on which 10th wicket fell was a full toss and could have been easily tossed over the boundary had the batsman not tried to act extra smart.)
Anyways all's well that ends well!!!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Retiring at 25...
From the last 4 years it was Vision 2007..
There were 6 players with more than 10,000 runs in WC. 3 of them formed the backbone of Indian batting.
World’s 2 top spinners were part of the bowling line up.
There were no injuries/ doping/match fixing/killing of coaches/scandals.
There were hopes, dreams, wishes and support of a billion people.
Yet the Indian team returns after just 10 days of a near 50 day event.
23rd March, already a sad day in the history of India – Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were martyred And India Lost World Cup 2003 finals on this day – became sadder.
The highest scorer in world cup out on a duck in his last world cup match.
The explosive wicket keeper who has the country running after him – first ball duck.
The wily spinner who couldn’t get a wicket.
It was a sad, depressing ending to the campaign.
But I am sure soon, everything will be forgotten.. India will come back, take revenge from Bangladesh and everyone will be a hero again…
It will be for many many people… but not for me.. Cricket, for me got out when that ball went through Sachin’s defenses. It can never be the same again.
I don’t know when Sachin will retire from playing the game but I have retired from watching it. There would be no more cricbuzz in Office.. no more sitting for 8 hours to watch each and every ball.. no more fighting to get tickets to the stadium.
Something died inside me yesterday. It was craze, passion... something…
P.S: Some of the optimists might say that India can get into Super 8 if Bermuda beats Bangladesh. But think of it. Would it be worth watching even if this happens??
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Win Us the Cup
Here is a video - I made it.. with help of some photos I had and some from eclectic sources on net.
The background score is courtesy Mr A. R Rehman.
Enjoy the video and Pray for our cricket team!!
With all the hope in heart - All the Best India!!
The background score is courtesy Mr A. R Rehman.
Enjoy the video and Pray for our cricket team!!
With all the hope in heart - All the Best India!!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
The Home Ground..
It happened after more than 2 years.
We were back on the local turf - surrounded by walls who had heard countless 'howzatts'... marked by glass windows, some of whose predecessors had cracked under the pressure, the wooden chair got the best place to view the event. It stood where earlier a plastic chair used to stand - just behind the man with the bat- acting as the wood to be shattered.
The bat.. ahh.. The Bat, which has hit innumerable boundaries and sixes, has felt the sweat of countless hands across many grounds in the city. The poor thing was rotting away in some corner.. until its owner(me) got on to the chair and then on to his friend's (rompy’s) shoulders..and then on to the roof store...to retrieve it from its exile.
Batsman's view
It was then the game began once again.. the neighbors were awakened.. the walls were jumped to retrieve the ball..the ooohs and aaah’s came as the ball missed he wicket or the catches went down..
It was a case of home ground - literally. The rules are tough .. one tip one hand – out...shot hitting the walls directly - out... shots going over the wall - out..
Personally, it is by virtue of playing here - on the porch of my home... that has improved the quality of my defense...of playing with soft hands... of concentrating for long time and sticking to the wicket...of playing late.. etc etc..
so raman phaji.. now you know how I got the confidence of playing against your express bowling in our early morning sessions...
Bowler's view
so this weekend, it was back to the porch for the hard hitting lolly, who made most of his runs in fours....rompy, who chased the highest target and the usual me, who accumulated runs slowly and steadily without giving the opposition many chances of getting me out...(the combination of three of us can be deadly.. hahahaha)
The bodies playing there were those of the ones working in MNC's but the soul was that of normal college going guys..
only Lolly's LML and Rompyz CBZ were missing outside the gate....
An offer for the Indian team - come and practice here before the world cup..
I am sure it will do wonders..
Fielder's view of Bowler
Fielder's view of Batsman
We were back on the local turf - surrounded by walls who had heard countless 'howzatts'... marked by glass windows, some of whose predecessors had cracked under the pressure, the wooden chair got the best place to view the event. It stood where earlier a plastic chair used to stand - just behind the man with the bat- acting as the wood to be shattered.
The bat.. ahh.. The Bat, which has hit innumerable boundaries and sixes, has felt the sweat of countless hands across many grounds in the city. The poor thing was rotting away in some corner.. until its owner(me) got on to the chair and then on to his friend's (rompy’s) shoulders..and then on to the roof store...to retrieve it from its exile.
It was then the game began once again.. the neighbors were awakened.. the walls were jumped to retrieve the ball..the ooohs and aaah’s came as the ball missed he wicket or the catches went down..
It was a case of home ground - literally. The rules are tough .. one tip one hand – out...shot hitting the walls directly - out... shots going over the wall - out..
Personally, it is by virtue of playing here - on the porch of my home... that has improved the quality of my defense...of playing with soft hands... of concentrating for long time and sticking to the wicket...of playing late.. etc etc..
so raman phaji.. now you know how I got the confidence of playing against your express bowling in our early morning sessions...
so this weekend, it was back to the porch for the hard hitting lolly, who made most of his runs in fours....rompy, who chased the highest target and the usual me, who accumulated runs slowly and steadily without giving the opposition many chances of getting me out...(the combination of three of us can be deadly.. hahahaha)
The bodies playing there were those of the ones working in MNC's but the soul was that of normal college going guys..
only Lolly's LML and Rompyz CBZ were missing outside the gate....
An offer for the Indian team - come and practice here before the world cup..
I am sure it will do wonders..
Monday, October 30, 2006
India vs Australia - Live from PCA
It was touted as the biggest match of the tournament - India v Australia and that was happening just 15 km away from my home.
Logic said that it shouldn't be missed but the tickets were sold out within hours of the counter being open. It was a lucky stroke of luck just half hour before the match when Parul informed that she had 4 VIP passes and that we could take them. It was a hectic one hour then - of trying to reach the heavily guarded stadium.
One of my dreams is to watch(Live in a stadium) Sachin make a century. Today was the day when he could thrash Mcgrath on the way to his 100. It was a comfort to see Sachin and Sehwag batting in the stunningly beautiful greens as we found seats and made ourselves more comfortable.
The match - as I saw from there on:
- Sachin got out - to mcgrath. Some signs of what was to come.
- There seemed to be no gaps in the field while Australians were bowling.
Fielders amazingly came running from third man to covers to stop well hit shots. These things are not very evident on TV where the camera generally follows the ball. But seeing Australia Live on the field, I realized why they are such a great side.
Compared to that, Indians were Pathetic - to say the least - When the Aussies ran - it was in a perfect rythym. Their running was something machine like - similar for almost everyone in a certain kind of rhythmic pattern - even the 12th, 13th man - who came in drinks break.
I cried watching Powar (not in playing 11), Munaf Patel, Sehwag etc run. On TV they look fine but in real, I honestly felt there was a lot lot lot left to be done. - Commitment was a big Zero on the part of Indians except for some one like Raina and kaif. 2 incidents I distinctly remember:
a) Harbhajan Singh on widish long off. Ball hit to covers. Ball rolling away (at not a very fast pace) to the fence. And bhajji strolling away like in a park - no serious attempt to save the boundary. And had he been in the crowd at that point, he would have been killed. Because everyone knew in our stand (towards which the ball came)- that it was very much possible to save that four.
b) Ball goes between midwicket and mid on. Sehwag chases it from mid on.
Dinesh Mongia standing on deep mid wicket doesn't move an inch.
The concept of relay throw was omnipresent while Aussies were fielding. - Finally saw it in the real that how woefully pathan is out of form. He was a picture of a misery. Getting carted all around with disdain. No real zeal or enthusiasm or grit visible from his body language.
Add to it the poor fielding of Munaf Patel. He can be arguably called the poorest fielder around these days. And you don’t bring in Anil Kumble citing poor fielding and old blood. Whereas your new blood can neither run to chase balls, throws under arm from the boundary and can't hold the bat. - Finally, I felt ashamed to see the Indians so out of shape when compared to the Aussies. Each one of them was perfect - not an inch of flab seemed to be hanging from their bodies. Then you looked at Sehwags and Powars and you could see why India can't win. Others like dinesh mongia, sreesanth etc seem fit but each and every Aussie looked a class apart.
Based on what I saw yesterday, I am in no doubt that India will NOT win the World Cup. It simply CAN NOT.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Its Back
The fever is back - no no .. not dengue but the Cricket Fever.
The Champions Trophy or the Mini world cup starts tomorrow with a low key match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 15 kms away at PCA stadium.. And the runs will continue to flow long way till World Cup finals on 28th April at Barbados..
During the season - TV sales will rise, malls will be less crowded on week ends..offices will take a hit on efficiency while hits on cricinfo and cricbuzz grow exponentially..people will be crowded in front of Electronic shops...blogs will be flooded with cricket...everyone will be a cricket expert...some heroes will rise while some will go into oblivion...
The big cricket has also been made special by an explosive return of the God - Sachin Tendulkar...
And it will be foolish of people to yet again criticize him...He has proved what is he made of....Countless cricketers have come and gone.. they shine for a brief period and then fade away - never to return.. but god has been there 17 years..and still in the recent domestic matches in chennai, there were youngsters who retired hurt due to exhaustion while the master stroked on and on effortlessly...
May be this is going to be his last world cup so the sight me and millions of Indians would love to see and hope to see is a team in Blue overalls, a big Tricolour waving in the background with the a cup in the center throwing its shine on the moment...and God standing there with his usual childish smile - satisfied after having showered his blessings on the tournament..
Wishing Team India All the best!!!
The Champions Trophy or the Mini world cup starts tomorrow with a low key match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 15 kms away at PCA stadium.. And the runs will continue to flow long way till World Cup finals on 28th April at Barbados..
During the season - TV sales will rise, malls will be less crowded on week ends..offices will take a hit on efficiency while hits on cricinfo and cricbuzz grow exponentially..people will be crowded in front of Electronic shops...blogs will be flooded with cricket...everyone will be a cricket expert...some heroes will rise while some will go into oblivion...
The big cricket has also been made special by an explosive return of the God - Sachin Tendulkar...
And it will be foolish of people to yet again criticize him...He has proved what is he made of....Countless cricketers have come and gone.. they shine for a brief period and then fade away - never to return.. but god has been there 17 years..and still in the recent domestic matches in chennai, there were youngsters who retired hurt due to exhaustion while the master stroked on and on effortlessly...
May be this is going to be his last world cup so the sight me and millions of Indians would love to see and hope to see is a team in Blue overalls, a big Tricolour waving in the background with the a cup in the center throwing its shine on the moment...and God standing there with his usual childish smile - satisfied after having showered his blessings on the tournament..
Wishing Team India All the best!!!
Friday, August 04, 2006
20-20 or 50-50??
Too Slow… Meandering… Boring…. Action less…. Lacks Pace…. These were some of the comments which our ‘Unofficial’ National Game cricket got during and after the Soccer World Cup (American ‘Soccer’ sounds better than our ‘Football’.. Doesn’t it?)
In Soccer there is non stop action for 1 and a half hours – there is continuous dribbling maneuvering, attack (both on the goal and the players)… whereas in cricket it is a long drawn battle lasting 8 hours..
It’s difficult to get away those 8 hours of the busy lives and devote them purely to a cricket match. Not that people don’t do it. I myself have done it innumerous times but its tough – really.
So to make the game more interesting Cricket has been narrowed down further. It was done once earlier, when ODI was introduced in 1971 on an international level. And now with India approving to field its best team, the further narrowing has been almost complete. The new version is 20-20. The 20 over – 3 hour game is indeed a highly shortened and an exciting mode of entertainment. The basic demand of the game being to score maximum runs in the 20 overs with batsman dominating on a batsman friendly wicket and only 1 way to go – the boundary.
What will be the result of such a change?
From the spectator point of view it is Highly entertaining – flourish of Runs, lots of 4’s and 6’s and flamboyant, aggressive and arrogant batting will be on display specially from the players like Sehwag and Dhoni. Without a care in the world about losing their wicket, the red cherry is destined to be literally slaughtered. This would further invite much more audience.
But on the flip side, it has the potential to wreck havoc for One Day Internationals.
The ODI is fast becoming more into a 50-50 game. 300 runs becoming a norm, more than 400 runs scored by teams - it is very rarely we see Bowlers winning matches.
It is very necessary to score runs quickly. What I fear is that with this attitude becoming ubiquitous in world cricket, a time may come that they permanently reduce the 50 overs to 20 overs as the small game is bound to bring in more revenues, advertising and crowds. As the number of matches increase, ODI’s value will decrease.
The youngsters will be keen to become a batsman rather than a bowler. The motive will be to score runs – anyway you can rather than learning correct techniques of playing.
ODI checks temperament of a player. An ODI champ is the one who balances his skills with the character.
In a 50 over match, it happens a lot of times that one team lands up in dumps but still it has the opportunity to stand up amid that destruction. And when it does stand up, it raises a Hero along with it - the beauty being that the Hero is different each time. This game of rising, failing and again rising is what makes cricket UNPREDICTABLE. And it is due to this attribute that we love cricket. And it is this very attribute which I feel will be missing in a 20 – 20 match.
There would be no sudden changing of gears, or waiting for centuries with sopped breaths, or bowlers planning their wickets (4 overs/bowler in the match), no respect for the preciousness of your wicket, less specialized bowlers and less stress on fundamentals of cricket.
I am not at all against 20-20 version. But don’t let the spirit of a One Day International die.
Yes, it is difficult to sit and see the whole cricket match all those hours especially with offices to go to and colleges to attend to. But I have little doubt that when a cricket tournament starts (which is pretty soon) students will be crowded at the canteen TV, the IT offices’ internet networks will be jammed by thousand refreshes per second being happening on cricinfo/cricbuzz.com, the TV shops will have the ‘passing crowd’ crowded outside their windows and the whole nation will literally come to a halt if Sachin is on 99.
In Soccer there is non stop action for 1 and a half hours – there is continuous dribbling maneuvering, attack (both on the goal and the players)… whereas in cricket it is a long drawn battle lasting 8 hours..
It’s difficult to get away those 8 hours of the busy lives and devote them purely to a cricket match. Not that people don’t do it. I myself have done it innumerous times but its tough – really.
So to make the game more interesting Cricket has been narrowed down further. It was done once earlier, when ODI was introduced in 1971 on an international level. And now with India approving to field its best team, the further narrowing has been almost complete. The new version is 20-20. The 20 over – 3 hour game is indeed a highly shortened and an exciting mode of entertainment. The basic demand of the game being to score maximum runs in the 20 overs with batsman dominating on a batsman friendly wicket and only 1 way to go – the boundary.
What will be the result of such a change?
From the spectator point of view it is Highly entertaining – flourish of Runs, lots of 4’s and 6’s and flamboyant, aggressive and arrogant batting will be on display specially from the players like Sehwag and Dhoni. Without a care in the world about losing their wicket, the red cherry is destined to be literally slaughtered. This would further invite much more audience.
But on the flip side, it has the potential to wreck havoc for One Day Internationals.
The ODI is fast becoming more into a 50-50 game. 300 runs becoming a norm, more than 400 runs scored by teams - it is very rarely we see Bowlers winning matches.
It is very necessary to score runs quickly. What I fear is that with this attitude becoming ubiquitous in world cricket, a time may come that they permanently reduce the 50 overs to 20 overs as the small game is bound to bring in more revenues, advertising and crowds. As the number of matches increase, ODI’s value will decrease.
The youngsters will be keen to become a batsman rather than a bowler. The motive will be to score runs – anyway you can rather than learning correct techniques of playing.
ODI checks temperament of a player. An ODI champ is the one who balances his skills with the character.
In a 50 over match, it happens a lot of times that one team lands up in dumps but still it has the opportunity to stand up amid that destruction. And when it does stand up, it raises a Hero along with it - the beauty being that the Hero is different each time. This game of rising, failing and again rising is what makes cricket UNPREDICTABLE. And it is due to this attribute that we love cricket. And it is this very attribute which I feel will be missing in a 20 – 20 match.
There would be no sudden changing of gears, or waiting for centuries with sopped breaths, or bowlers planning their wickets (4 overs/bowler in the match), no respect for the preciousness of your wicket, less specialized bowlers and less stress on fundamentals of cricket.
I am not at all against 20-20 version. But don’t let the spirit of a One Day International die.
Yes, it is difficult to sit and see the whole cricket match all those hours especially with offices to go to and colleges to attend to. But I have little doubt that when a cricket tournament starts (which is pretty soon) students will be crowded at the canteen TV, the IT offices’ internet networks will be jammed by thousand refreshes per second being happening on cricinfo/cricbuzz.com, the TV shops will have the ‘passing crowd’ crowded outside their windows and the whole nation will literally come to a halt if Sachin is on 99.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Sachin vs Dravid
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and Rahul Sharath Dravid – The 2 legends of Cricket that India has produced.
Of lately, there has been words going around debating who among the two is the bette batsman. A third name is also usually added – that of Sunil Gavasker. He, no doubt was a great batsman but I would limit my views on the comparison of Sachin and Dravid as I have never seen Gavasker’s legendary batting except for some rare clips or match highlights.
So for me it is debating the greatness of Sachin – 14146 runs at an avg of 44.20 (ODI -353 innings ), 10469 runs at 55.39 (tests – 211 innings) and the Determination of Rahul – 9528 runs at 40.20 (ODI -271 innings) , 9049 runs at 58.75 (Tests – 176 innings).
Starting with stats.
In ODI’s Sachin has played around 70 matches more than Dravid. And scored around 5000 runs more. So if Dravid plays 70 more matches at his current avg of 40 – he would have 2800 runs more. Still around 2000 less than that of the master. Sachin wins that one.
Coming to Tests. Sachin has around 1000 runs more and he has played 35 innings more. If Dravid is brought to 211 innings at his enormous average of 58, he will have 1000 runs more than Sachin. So Dravid wins that.
The mumbaiker has an ODI avg of 44 and Test avg of 55 whereas the wall scores at 40 and 58 runs/match in ODI’s and Tests respectively. Hardly anything to choose the better of two.
So statistically we see that both are almost equivalent. The healthy averages and the enormous number of runs scored tells us that they are very good batsmen in both forms of cricket.
Now where is the difference now?
I think when Sachin scored the bulk of his runs, it was under a large pressure. He was considered the only one in the team and everyone used to rally around him most of the times. Usually, people used to switch off their TV’s when Sachin got out. So making that kind of contribution in the most entertaining manner that he has, in such pressure – that makes Tendulkar stand apart from any group of cricketers.
Rahul has had a good team around him but he is also no alien to pressure cooker situations. Coming one down in tests, he has been responsible for saving many a matches for India. Literally sticking to the pitch and grueling hard, frustrating the opposition with his unwavering concentration has been the style of Rahul Dravid.
Sachin, on the other hand, as we know is the Destroyer (Strike rate – 85.98). Ripping apart oppositions, marching down the wicket and hoisting bowlers over boundaries – he has been the entertainer – the crowd puller. He has that aura around him which pulls people to the stadiums- just to watch him play that cover drive on the up or the straight drive along the carpet or the pull shot that land outside the stadium.
Rahul (strike rate – 70.60) is honest to the cricket Batting Rule Book. If the definition of a cover drives says your foot should be 5 inches from where the ball pitches, then his foot will be exactly there – 5 inches from the ball. That kind of feat is really hard to achieve.
One result of these contrasting styles is that certain Tendulkar’s shots are etched in the mind permanently. E.g the pull off Andy Caddick, the jumping and hitting Shane Warne in the match at Sharjah, cutting Shoib Akhtar, in the air into the stands in last WC,
I guess I can go on and on.
But Rahul – there is no unique shot that comes to mind. All his shots are copy of each other. The drive would be same each time. As would be the pull, the cut etc.
Yes, you can say that it is more important to win matches than entertain crowds. But at the end what for we are playing cricket. For the crowd of course. Haven’t you seen matches where there has been no crowd. What does it look like. Though the players are trying hard but without the multicolored background in its place, it seems like they are just following a routine.
If I have to Pick a Dream Team – which one would I Pick?
I HAVE to pick both – one the flamboyant opener, the other a steady one Down.
If Sachin sticks, we are more or less sure to win the match. If we are in trouble, The Wall is there.
It is so hard to compare these two. The point is that each is a master in his own sense.
If you ask me, if I have a choice to become out of these two – whom wud I want to become?
My Answer would be Rahul Dravid.
He is the hardest batsman to get out. He has super patience, super cnocentartion, superb team player. He is Handsome too.
But the single most reason that stands out.
That is simply because I CAN’t become Sachin.
Why ?
Because Sachin is GOD!!!
Of lately, there has been words going around debating who among the two is the bette batsman. A third name is also usually added – that of Sunil Gavasker. He, no doubt was a great batsman but I would limit my views on the comparison of Sachin and Dravid as I have never seen Gavasker’s legendary batting except for some rare clips or match highlights.
So for me it is debating the greatness of Sachin – 14146 runs at an avg of 44.20 (ODI -353 innings ), 10469 runs at 55.39 (tests – 211 innings) and the Determination of Rahul – 9528 runs at 40.20 (ODI -271 innings) , 9049 runs at 58.75 (Tests – 176 innings).
Starting with stats.
In ODI’s Sachin has played around 70 matches more than Dravid. And scored around 5000 runs more. So if Dravid plays 70 more matches at his current avg of 40 – he would have 2800 runs more. Still around 2000 less than that of the master. Sachin wins that one.
Coming to Tests. Sachin has around 1000 runs more and he has played 35 innings more. If Dravid is brought to 211 innings at his enormous average of 58, he will have 1000 runs more than Sachin. So Dravid wins that.
The mumbaiker has an ODI avg of 44 and Test avg of 55 whereas the wall scores at 40 and 58 runs/match in ODI’s and Tests respectively. Hardly anything to choose the better of two.
So statistically we see that both are almost equivalent. The healthy averages and the enormous number of runs scored tells us that they are very good batsmen in both forms of cricket.
Now where is the difference now?
I think when Sachin scored the bulk of his runs, it was under a large pressure. He was considered the only one in the team and everyone used to rally around him most of the times. Usually, people used to switch off their TV’s when Sachin got out. So making that kind of contribution in the most entertaining manner that he has, in such pressure – that makes Tendulkar stand apart from any group of cricketers.
Rahul has had a good team around him but he is also no alien to pressure cooker situations. Coming one down in tests, he has been responsible for saving many a matches for India. Literally sticking to the pitch and grueling hard, frustrating the opposition with his unwavering concentration has been the style of Rahul Dravid.
Sachin, on the other hand, as we know is the Destroyer (Strike rate – 85.98). Ripping apart oppositions, marching down the wicket and hoisting bowlers over boundaries – he has been the entertainer – the crowd puller. He has that aura around him which pulls people to the stadiums- just to watch him play that cover drive on the up or the straight drive along the carpet or the pull shot that land outside the stadium.
Rahul (strike rate – 70.60) is honest to the cricket Batting Rule Book. If the definition of a cover drives says your foot should be 5 inches from where the ball pitches, then his foot will be exactly there – 5 inches from the ball. That kind of feat is really hard to achieve.
One result of these contrasting styles is that certain Tendulkar’s shots are etched in the mind permanently. E.g the pull off Andy Caddick, the jumping and hitting Shane Warne in the match at Sharjah, cutting Shoib Akhtar, in the air into the stands in last WC,
I guess I can go on and on.
But Rahul – there is no unique shot that comes to mind. All his shots are copy of each other. The drive would be same each time. As would be the pull, the cut etc.
Yes, you can say that it is more important to win matches than entertain crowds. But at the end what for we are playing cricket. For the crowd of course. Haven’t you seen matches where there has been no crowd. What does it look like. Though the players are trying hard but without the multicolored background in its place, it seems like they are just following a routine.
If I have to Pick a Dream Team – which one would I Pick?
I HAVE to pick both – one the flamboyant opener, the other a steady one Down.
If Sachin sticks, we are more or less sure to win the match. If we are in trouble, The Wall is there.
It is so hard to compare these two. The point is that each is a master in his own sense.
If you ask me, if I have a choice to become out of these two – whom wud I want to become?
My Answer would be Rahul Dravid.
He is the hardest batsman to get out. He has super patience, super cnocentartion, superb team player. He is Handsome too.
But the single most reason that stands out.
That is simply because I CAN’t become Sachin.
Why ?
Because Sachin is GOD!!!
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