In the '90s and, to an extent, during the 2000s, the common notion—when India toured the SENA countries—was that we were poor travellers because our batters struggled on fast-and-bouncy pitches while their bowlers consistently bounced us out of contention. Our medium-fast bowlers were not up to the mark in threatening the opposition batters and were further hamstrung by the insufficient number of runs to defend. Agarkar's 6-for at Adelaide was a standout performance, and young Irfan and Ishant shone brightly on their debut tours. But these performances were few and far between.
The 2002 tour of England was a turning point. In the unforgettable Headingley Test, the legendary trio of Dravid, Tendulkar, and Ganguly showed the world that India could be competitive on fast-and-bouncy wickets and dominate the opposition. That series, and the tour Down Under in 2003/04, went a long way in dispelling the notion that we are poor travellers. It made us believe we can win against SENA countries on their home turf, irrespective of the pitches they prepare for the visitors. Since then, we have won Test series in Australia (twice), England, and New Zealand. And we have won multiple Tests in South Africa. It's only a matter of time before we win a Test series against the Proteas on their home turf.
Unlike the '90s and the 2000s—when we had just a Srinath or a Zaheer—we now boast of world-class fast bowlers like Bumrah and Shami, who can single-handedly destroy an opposition on a given day. To a lesser extent, Ishant and Siraj have been successful too. After Sachin and Dravid's generation laid the foundation in the 2000s, the next generation of batters built on that success to continue Team India's competitiveness in hostile batting conditions. Today, our top-order is more adept at playing the hook and pull shots. They can comfortably counter the short stuff unleashed by the Aussies, the Proteas, the Black Caps, and the English bowlers.
Although India has always been dominant at home, the pitch became a central topic of discussion in the 2010s and 2020s due to the rank turners that awaited the visitors. Ashwin and Jadeja bamboozled the batters and usually skittled them out in a session or two. The ball started turning a mile from the first session on Day 1, and the batters had no answers to the questions posed by India's world-class spinners. The matches usually ended in two or three days, which gave the opposition an excuse to blame their shortcomings on the pitches.
After a decade of domination on rank turners, Indian spinners are no longer destroying the opposition like they used to. In the recently concluded Hyderabad Test, the English players out-batted us and outshined our esteemed spin trio.
Just like the early 2000s, there is a paradigm shift happening at the moment. The overseas teams are adeptly handling Indian spinners on turning tracks and producing young spinners like Hartley, who recently delivered a match-winning performance. Based on statistics, Indian batters have struggled when facing pitches that offer significant amounts of spin. Therefore, if the opposing teams have high-quality spin bowlers, they stand a good chance of not only being competitive but also succeeding in India, as was demonstrated in the Hyderabad Test.
It remains to be seen if the outcome of the Hyderabad Test will have the same positive impact on England's performance in overseas conditions as the Headingley Test had on India's. If India fails to address the challenges posed by the visitors, it could result in a situation where overseas teams become strong enough to win a Test series in India consistently.
Seventy-five years ago, we urged the British to Quit India. Now, seven decades since we attained absolute independence, it's essential to reflect on whether we've truly achieved freedom. Do we enjoy the liberty to express our views openly, especially on sensitive topics like religion, superstitions, and certain violent traditional practices, without the looming fear of arrest or worse, violence? Regrettably, the answer to that question seems painfully clear.
Women’s Safety
"The day a woman can walk freely at night, that day we can say that India has achieved independence."
~Mahatma Gandhi
Tragically, Gandhiji's dream remains distant. Shocking statistics reveal that a woman falls victim to rape in India every 20 minutes. Ensuring the safety of our women should be a top priority, yet not enough is being done by our governments and law enforcement agencies to protect them. From college girls to single mothers, women across all strata of society face harassment, molestation, rape, and even murder under the pretext of family honour. Moreover, incidents of acid attacks, human trafficking, domestic violence, and domestic rapes add to the grim reality.
Will we ever realise Gandhiji's dream of making India a safe haven for its women?
Attack on Rationalists
In recent years, particularly since the ascension of the new government in 2014, there has been a concerning surge in attacks on free speech in India. Those daring to challenge such practices have been systematically silenced.
In 2015, M.M. Kalburgi was fatally shot on his doorstep for his longstanding criticism of idol worship among Hindus. Similarly, rationalists like Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar met similar fates for questioning religious superstitions prevalent in India.
Secularism lies at the heart of India's greatness, differentiating it from its neighbours. However, these attacks pose a serious threat to India's secular fabric, marking a dangerous trend.
Cow-related Violence and Jallikattu
I have been a lifelong vegetarian and proud animal lover, yet I have never imposed my beliefs on others. Every law-abiding citizen should have the freedom to follow their dietary preferences without scrutiny. While cow vigilantes claim to protect cows and prevent their slaughter, the reality tells a different story. The alarming number of Muslims and Dalits targeted and killed under the guise of cow vigilantism speaks volumes. The 2015 Dadri mob lynching exemplifies this, where a Muslim man was lynched based on a mere rumour of storing beef.
Respecting each individual's religious, cultural, and traditional beliefs is vital. However, harming and exploiting animals in the name of tradition is unacceptable. We must advocate for the voiceless and refrain from exploiting them to perpetuate personal superstitions.
Censorship in India
Censorship, particularly in the realm of film and television, has taken a concerning turn in recent years. While the role of the Censor Board is to certify movies based on their content, the intrusion of religious and political biases by its leadership threatens freedom of expression. Numerous instances underscore this troubling trend.
Parting Thoughts
India can truly progress towards independence and prosperity if:
- Women are treated as equals and provided equal opportunities.
- Everyone enjoys the freedom to express their beliefs without fear of backlash.
- Personal choices regarding love, attire, and life partners are respected.
- Individuals are treated with kindness and dignity regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or caste.
Seventy-five years ago, we demanded the British to Quit India. Now, it's time to proclaim, "Intolerance, Quit India," and strive for a more inclusive and tolerant society.
2012 London Olympics - Official Logo (Clean) Image Courtesy: Google Images
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games is scheduled to take place in London, United Kingdom, from 27th July to 12th August, 2012. The Government of India has reportedly spent over Rs. 250 crores in preparation for the games, which also includes Rs. 20 crores on foreign coaches for various events, so says Wiki. Has the money which was supposed to be spent for the games has really been spent in the development, infrastructure and training facilities or has most of it gone down the drain? In other words, has most of the money which was supposed to be spent to develop and prepare our athletes to win medals at the Olympics, gone down a corrupt Official or a Politician’s dirty pockets? Whatever the case maybe, I have decided not to dwell much upon any controversies or corruption surrounding the games in this post. I will just concentrate on the athletes who will be our best medal hopes in the forthcoming games.
One good thing about this Olympics I have been hearing in the news is the number of Officials who will be accompanying the athletes to the games, the number of Government Sponsored Officials this time would be only 10 as compared to 166 in the Beijing Olympics. That is definitely a welcome change, now at least we can be assured that this Olympics will not end up being a paid holiday for Politicians and their relatives or anyone associated with the Sports Ministry in any way from the hard-earned tax payers money. The efforts of the IOA and the Sports Ministry are to be appreciated in this regard.
This will be India’s strongest and the largest Olympic Contingent comprising of 81 athletes in 13 different disciplines, there will be 54 Support Staff which includes Doctors, Physiotherapists and Coaches, 7 Contingent Officials, 12 Sports Federation Officials (one from each discipline in which India has qualified) and only 10 Govt. Sponsored Officials which comes to a total of 164 personnel.
As a kid watching the 1996 Atlanta Games, I used to feel very disappointed seeing the medals tally every morning in the newspapers. I used to get up eagerly to see India’s name in the medals tally but would only end up seeing the medals tally of US, China and other European nations grow. We did win a solitary Bronze Medal and Leander Paes became a National Hero. We managed to win a Bronze and a Silver Medal in subsequent Olympics but still the precious Gold Medal was missing from our kitty in an individual event. That void was finally fulfilled when three sporting heroes changed the face of Indian sporting history in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. By winning the gold in the 10 m Air Rifle event, Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win the individual Gold Medal at the Olympics. Vijender Singh became the first Indian Boxer to win a medal at the Olympics when he won a Bronze Medal in the 2008 Games. And Sushil Kumar won a Bronze Medal in the Men’s 66Kg Freestyle Wrestling Event; this was only the second time an Indian Wrestler has won a medal at the Olympics, first since K D Jadhav won the Bronze in the 1952 Helsinki Games.
The three Olympic heroes from the Beijing Games have made the cut in the London Games too, and we can definitely hope they would repeat or even better their performances (Vijender and Sushil can aim higher and go for gold) in this Olympics. Expectations are sky-high for India to win a record number of medals in this 30th Edition of the games. We can definitely hope to win medals in many disciplines including Archery, Shooting, Boxing, Badminton, Wrestling and even Tennis. Despite all the controversies and the ugly selection row, we can still hope for a medal in Tennis, both in Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Indian Hockey team would be making a comeback to the Olympics after missing the cut for the first time in history in the Beijing Games. Will the Hockey Team be able to leave a mark? Although the medal prospects for the Hockey Team is very slim, (well, its almost impossible) but if they spring a surprise or two and manage to get at least a bronze medal then it would be considered a great achievement.
Women’s Boxing will also make its debut at the London Games and who better than the five-time successive World Boxing Champion, Mary Kom, who will be the sole representative from India. She will be one of the brightest prospects to win a medal for us in this Olympics.
One of my most favorite athletes, the one with an infectious smile, Deepika Kumari representing the Women’s Archery Team in both Individual and Team Events will be a great medal prospect. She is currently the World No. 1 in Women’s Recurve Archery.
Saina Nehwal is again one of the most promising medal hopes for us in Badminton. Having won two back-to-back titles in the run up to the Olympics, she will be supremely confident and will be at her prime form and we can surely count on her to win an individual Gold Medal.
Compared to the previous editions of the Olympics, this edition will be our best bet to win lots of medals, the final medals tally may even touch double digits for the very first time.
"I leave with sadness but also with pride" Image Source: Rediff.Com
This will be extremely difficult for me to write, my mind is completely blank and I absolutely have no idea what to say. I feel numb and emotionless. I didn’t even cry when I heard him say those words, I didn’t believe it then and many hours later I still can't believe it. I am still in denial. It still hasn’t hit me yet; maybe I need a lot more time to finally accept the fact that I will no longer be seeing my Idol and my Inspiration from the past 16 years on a cricket pitch wearing the white jersey to represent India again. Yes, my Idol Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from International Cricket today. I feel devastated. Even though I was expecting it for sometime now, knowing Dravid for all these years I knew he wouldn’t just hang up his boots after just one bad series. I knew he will take his time and contemplate on his future and he will go out on his own terms before someone else asks him to. And he did just that. I don’t feel any emotion right now as I type this. I don’t know whether I am sad or confused, I just feel weird. My emotions have clouded me once again. Rahul Dravid does that to me all the time. But I shall try to recover and try to put some meaningful words to my thoughts on a precious day like today, instead of rambling something meaningless.
My first image of Dravid was in 1996 when I saw a photo of him in a newspaper. This was the day he made his Test debut against England and went on to score a memorable 95 in his debut Test. It was heartbreaking he didn’t get his 100 on debut but those 95 runs were enough for me to become a fan of Dravid. And I have idolized him ever since. I still remember the exact moment when Dravid scored his maiden Test and ODI centuries against South Africa and Pakistan respectively. I became nostalgic for a while remembering all the numerous fights I used to have in school with anyone who used to say a word against Dravid. In 1998, Dravid was dropped from the ODI team citing he was not suited to play the shorter format of the game. He was ridiculed and made fun of for his supposedly slow batting. He still had a strike rate in the higher 60’s at that time which was not that bad, so I had no idea what those fools were talking about. Most part of my High School life consisted of defending Dravid and his prowess in any format of the game. Sometimes those healthy discussions about whether Dravid should be a part of the ODI side or not used to turn violent and we almost used to end up giving physical blows to each other and most of whom were my closest friends back then. Our class consisted of 53 students in my 8th Standard and I was the only true blue Dravid fanatic. All the 52 others were Sachin fanatics of course. That year Sachin was having the best year of his career and Dravid was made to sit out of most ODI’s and played only Tests. I was clearly outnumbered but still fought hard quite literally to defend my Idol. The following year, Dravid made a stunning return to the ODI’s by scoring a century against New Zealand to earn back the place in the Indian ODI side and also went on to become the highest scorer in the 1999 World Cup, shutting each and every critics’ mouth over his prowess in the 50-Over format. And in my class, no one even dared to say a word against Dravid after that. All my friends even started calling me Rahul Dravid, the name kind of became a code word to call me out of an examination hall, in particular. I still remember back in 1999, my friends shouting from outside the exam hall in frustration, “Hey, Rahul Dravid come out man, how much longer are you gonna write?.” I also believed in the notion - “slow and steady wins the race”. Just like my Idol. Rahul, ever the team man always sacrificed his personal gains for his team. He kept wickets for 4 years so that we could include an extra batsman in the side. Just because he kept wickets and also played the role of a No.6 Batsman, it gave numerous chances to up and coming young Cricketers like Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif to cement their place in the Indian team. Also this move of Dravid keeping wickets was instrumental in India reaching the finals of the World Cup in 2003. When he was called to open the batting in some extremely tough batting conditions, Dravid has always put his hand up for the team and withered the storm. He has batted in each and every position conceivable. I was really upset when he was demoted down the order in that historic Kolkata Test in 2001 where Laxman was the No.3 batsman. Dravid came in at No.6 and joined Laxman with India following on and staring at a huge innings defeat. Well, I guess I need not mention what happened later as that glorious partnership between Dravid and Laxman has been and will always be etched in every Indian’s minds and hearts forever. In 2002, another outstanding innings came from Dravid in the Headingley Test against England. Dravid’s stunning 148 on a seamer’s deck was the benchmark for everything that followed, not just the result of that particular match, but also the fortunes of the Indian team’s performance overseas for many years that followed. It was also the first time the three stalwarts of the Indian team, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid scored centuries in a single innings. Maybe Dravid’s century was overshadowed by the centuries of the other two greats but if it wasn’t for Rahul's magnificent defiance in the initial stages of the innings on a bowler friendly track, it would have been almost impossible for the famed Indian middle order to showcase their mastery. Dravid was the reason we were able to win that match by an innings. He was aptly named the Man of the Match, deservedly so.
The man who never stopped trying Image Source: Rediff.Com.
I remember Dravid shedding a tear or two when he was speaking to Harsha Bhogle after another historic victory against Australia in Adelaide in 2003 where Dravid was once again in a stunning 300+ run partnership with Laxman. This victory gave India their first Test win on Australian soil in 23 years. That was the very first time I saw my Idol showcase any emotion on or off a cricket pitch, at least in front of the camera. It was a really precious moment which I can never forget, his voice choking a bit while expressing what that victory really meant to him and the team. I will also cherish all the arguments and discussions I used to have in many Cricket forums on Orkut and elsewhere. I know Sachin’s fans were still miffed about Dravid declaring that innings in Multan in 2004 when Sachin was batting on 194. Dravid was very clear as a captain that team’s victory is more important than a player's personal milestones, even if that player was Sachin Tendulkar. I have argued with many Sachin fanatics defending Dravid’s decision of declaring that innings although most of those arguments turned futile. Dravid again proved why he is the team man when he scored his career high score of 270 in Rawalpindi against Pakistan in 2004. More importantly, I remember the way he got out. India had already got enough runs on the board to declare the innings and bowl Pakistan out, twice. But Rahul Dravid, a self-less team man, realized his team needed some more quick runs, so he went after the Pakistani bowling attack and got bowled while attempting to play a reverse-sweep when he was on 270. He had a great chance of scoring a Triple Hundred which may have been once in a lifetime opportunity but Dravid, never played for personal milestones. His mammoth effort gave India their first ever Test series win in Pakistan. Critics say his Captaincy was a failure, maybe the statistics show that his captaincy stint from November 2005 until September 2007 was average. But in this very period we held the World Record of chasing to win most number of matches consecutively in ODI’s. A Test series win in West Indies and England and a Test match win in South Africa. Dravid was absolutely outstanding in the fourth and final Test in Jamaica against the West Indies in 2006. He scored 81 and 68 in the match on a really difficult pitch where no other Indian batsman even came close to scoring a half century. His dogged determination was instrumental in India winning that test match and with that, the series. A rare series win outside the sub-continent, first in 35 years against a major opposition. These wins kind of removed the tag Indians carried for a long time, ‘Poor Travelers’. The World Cup in 2007 was extra special for me because my Idol was in-fact the Captain. I wanted him to have the tag of a World Cup winner, that too as a Captain before he decided to hang up his boots, but those dreams came crashing down as India was shockingly knocked out in the group stage itself. The memories still haunt me. In 2008, when he was going through probably the most terrible phase in his Test career, I prayed each and every day hoping Rahul will be back on track soon and would definitely recover from this slump. Many skeptics were already gunning for this throat and asking for him to retire. But Dravid fought back that lean phase and made a stunning return to form. He remained consistent for the next four years until his retirement, today. Only blemish would be the South African tour of 2010-11 and the tour of Australia in 2011-12 where he performed way below his potential averaging less than 30. He even made a brief appearance in ODI’s in 2009 and 2011, finally announcing his retirement from the shorter formats of the game last year. The year 2011 will be remembered for Dravid’s remarkable return to form where he scored centuries against England and West Indies, five in all. Also went past 1,000 runs in a calendar year for the third time in his Test Career. Dravid scored three unforgettable centuries in England, two of them while opening the batting and facing some stunning and ruthless English bowling attack. Dravid was the only batsman to score a century for India in that series, aggregating 461 runs while no other Indian batsman went past 250 runs. I can never forget Dravid opening the innings in the Final Test at The Oval, he fought like a warrior as his team mates succumbed to the pressure again. Dravid kept on fighting and carried his bat all the way through. He became only the 7th Batsman in history to carry his bat through the innings and walk back in just after a few minutes to a follow-on. Just thinking about this moment, gives me goose bumps. Thank you, Rahul Dravid for being what you are, a thorough Gentleman, a Role Model, an Icon and most importantly, a great human being. I will miss your batting, your amazing catches in the slips, the way you dab the ball gently and run to the non-striker’s end for a quick single with your bat being held only by your right hand and not both hands. I will miss seeing you running behind the ball to stop a boundary; I will miss the look of determination in your eyes while you are chasing that ball. The way you examine the pitch before the start of a match, I love your love for such details. Your shy yet candid press interviews which shows your intellectual ability. The way you mention “obviously” before or in the middle of almost every sentence to clear your thought process. I will miss those days when I used to go to school in the morning on a match day, you had already walked into bat, I come back from school and you are still batting; which used to make my day. I will miss when someone tells me, the score is 28 for no loss and I gasp and say, “Ahhh, wish it was 28 for one”, so that I can watch you bat. Nothing in the world gives me more happiness and satisfaction than watching you bat which I will miss the most. I can sit and watch you bat all day long, I can watch you build an innings, one ball at a time, brick by brick in a pain-staking manner in the only way you can, which would give me immense pleasure and happiness. I will miss you Dravid, Thanks for all the wonderful memories. I will cherish them for a lifetime. You did leave the game better than you found it. Your Greatest Fan, Akshay Kumar G
Rahul Dravid on
Wednesday, Dec 14 became the first Indian to deliver a speech at Sir Donald
Bradman Oration in Canberra.
You can watch the whole speech here:
Well, my thoughts on my
Idol's awe-inspiring speech at the 2011 Sir Donald Bradman Oration might have come a
day or two late. That's only because I was left completely speechless by
Rahul's amazing oratory skills, his dignity, his modesty, his integrity, his
humility, his pride, his knowledge about the game and its history, his
wittiness, his meticulously chosen words, his thoughtful and considered
observations... well just about everything. It was an absolutely brilliant
speech, one of the most compelling and insightful speeches I have ever listened
to by a sportsman. It took me almost a day to recover from that awesomeness, so
I finally started to jot down my thoughts about that speech.
Humbled as Dravid was
for being the first foreigner to deliver the Sir Donald Bradman Oration speech at The
War Memorial in Canberra held every year to celebrate the life and career of
the greatest Cricketer to have ever played the game, Sir Donald Bradman.
He started off by
talking about the bond between India and Australia which goes beyond Cricket
pitches. Much before Indians and Australians were competitors on the pitch,
they were comrades off it, who fought wars together. Dravid also took some time
to remember the unknown soldiers from both countries who laid down their lives
in the war.
Next, Dravid spoke about
how the great Don who never having played a single Test match in India still is
the most venerated Cricketer. Later he went on to share some anecdotes and fun stories about Bradman, some of it were very witty and had the audience in
splits.
Bradman passed away on
Feb 25, 2001 just two days before the historic Test series between India and
Australia were to begin. Dravid thought Bradman would have loved to watch that
series which is now considered as one of the greatest ever in the history of
Cricket.
Dravid continued to talk
about the India-Australia rivalry over the past decade which Australia
dominated. He said India was the only team to stand up to the Aussie domination
and the quality of Cricket played between two sides has been uplifting and
exhilarating and also sometimes controversial. And hence whenever the two sides
meet the anticipation and expectation is immense. And so in the coming two
months of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, players on both sides will want to
deliver their best.
“If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” Image Courtesy: Google Images
Now let’s glance upon some of the issues that Dravid
touched upon:
“At the moment, to
much of the outside world, Indian cricket represents only two things - money
and power.”
“India has played 227 ODI's at home; the October
five-match series against England was the first time that the grounds have not
been full for an ODI featuring the Indian team.”
Rahul also touched on
many other relevant issues concerning the game of Cricket including dwindling
of crowds in International Cricket, which in his words has reached an
"alarming" state in the past few years. The reason for it being flaws
in scheduling of Cricket matches, unnecessary ODI's being played which don't
have any context. Or maybe it was spectator-fatigue. Whatever the reason maybe,
he said the fans have sent a clear message and it’s high time something needs
to be done to rectify it. He also explained how empty stands do not make for
good television viewing, which in turn will affect the television ratings. And
the fall in ratings will make the advertisers eventually looking elsewhere. He
said it’s really important to give the average Cricket fan what he deserves;
disrespecting them is like disrespecting the game itself.
“If you have nothing
to hide, you have nothing to fear.”
Next he spoke about
another important aspect of the game which is bringing the game down,
corruption. In-spite of strong anti-corruption measures, the internet and other
modern technologies will always be a step ahead of any anti-corruption
regulation. So, Dravid suggested that the onus should be on the players
themselves to be willing to be monitored and regulated closely even if it means
giving up a little bit of freedom of movement and privacy. He also suggested
players not to say no to dope tests and also undergoing lie-detector tests as
an option to tackle corruption. It would certainly help the innocent come
clean.
“Charting out a clear
road map for all the three formats is a challenge.”
Dravid next touched upon
another important aspect of the game that is balancing all the three formats of
the game. He explained how a series containing 2 Tests, 7 ODI’s and a few
Twenty20’s thrown in will only hinder the true development of the player and also
throw the scheduling completely off gear.
“No one ever fell in
love with Test cricket because they wanted to be a businessman. Not everything
of value comes at a price.”
He stressed Test Cricket
is the gold standard and the bests of the game know this is the format their
greatness as a Cricketer will be judged by. And so, Test Cricket needs to be
protected. He suggested a few measures in this regard:
1) Day-Night Tests
2) Test Championship
3)Taking the game to smaller cities or playing
in grounds which have smaller capacity
4) Or maybe reviving some old Cricket venues
He also called for
cutting down on the number of ODI’s played which don’t have much context,
rather he suggested the focus should be on the main ICC Tournaments like the
World Cup and the Champions Trophy. This would ensure that all 50-over matches
would build up for those tournaments and will also cut down on the number of
ODI’s played. The matches which will be played will also have a context.
For Twenty20’s Dravid said it has its best place as a
contest between domestic teams or clubs. A view shared by many dignitaries in
the crowd including the Cricket Australia Chairmen, past and present.
Before concluding,
Dravid said, it was still possible to feel the same rush of excitement that
accompanied his first boundary, first catch, or first victory. He said
every Cricketer should cherish it and hang on to it.
After enthralling the audience for over 40 minutes with a wide range of topics like issues of money,
attendances, formats and corruption, everyone rose to applaud a brilliant and insightful speech on the spirit of Cricket by a Legend whose oratory skills are
as classy and masterful as his batting itself.
Yes, finally that day is upon us, the day each and every Cricket fan was waiting for, a day that brings out a kind of emotion and passion in every Indian and Pakistani fan that just cannot be expressed in words. It is the day when India takes on Pakistan in a World Cup semi-final. I can’t even begin to express the magnitude of this epic encounter. Any India-Pakistan encounter in any sport is a treat to watch but when they take on each other in a Cricket match and that too in a World Cup, we can’t term it as just another game or just another Cricket match. It is beyond everything else.
Passion will run high
Today, time will literally stand still in both the countries, each and everyone whether they’re a Cricket fan or not, young or old, men or women will be glued to their television sets, radios, checking scores on their cell phones, watching the live stream on the internet, standing in front of TV showrooms or any which way possible just to check the score of the match. Well, you might think this is a pretty normal sight especially in both the countries as we do the above mentioned things even when a normal Cricket match is going on. But let me remind you this is not just any match, this is India vs. Pakistan for the very first time in the semi-final stage of a World Cup. I don’t need to explain the magnitude of this match for an Indian or a Pakistani but it is very important for us to understand what this match means to people of both countries without politicizing it. Our respected politicians are doing a great job in politicizing this match by inviting the Pakistan PM to watch the match. Yes, it will make me happy if Cricket matches between the two countries bring both the countries together and improve our relations but still in my opinion, this match being politicized in this way takes away some charm out of the game. I honestly feel that diplomatic ties between the two countries should be dealt separately and not just when a Cricket match or series is going on, that too a match of this magnitude.
An Ajay Jadeja special in Bangalore
Well let’s take a trip back to memory lane. India has never lost to Pakistan out of the 4 matches we’ve played so far in World Cups and more than a billion people will be hoping that record will be maintained today no matter what. The first Indo-Pak match that I remember in a World Cup was when these two teams met in Quarter-Finals in 1996, (I was too young to remember the match in 1992, but really happy we won) and it was a memorable match indeed, I remember that match like it happened yesterday. It was a very special match for me personally because that match happened in Bangalore but unfortunately couldn’t watch it live in the stadium. No one will ever forget that unforgettable dual between Venkatesh Prasad and Aamer Sohail, with the former coming on top after being hit for a boundary and the batsman taunting him and pointing where the next ball is going to end up. But Prasad came back brilliantly and Aamer Sohail was out bowled the very next ball. It gives me goosebumps whenever I see videos of this encounter on You Tube. And also a swashbuckling 45 of 25 balls by Ajay Jadeja which took us to a match-winning score of 287. We managed to beat them pretty comfortably in the end, thanks to Karnataka boys Kumble and Prasad working their magic taking 3 wickets each.
A Brilliant innings by Rahul Dravid comes to an end.
In the 1999 edition we squared off against each other at Old Trafford in a relatively low scoring game. My Idol Rahul Dravid top scored with a classy but brilliant 61. We made 227 and bowled them out for 180. Again Karnataka boys worked their magic with Kumble, Prasad and Srinath sharing all the 10 Pakistani wickets between each other. Prasad came up with a match-winning bowling performance with a 5-wicket haul.
Sachin on his way to a
breathtaking 98 of 75
balls
But my favorite match would have to be in the 2003 edition at Centurion Park. Probably one of my favorite matches of all time. Pakistan batted first and made a competitive score of 273, with Saeed Anwar scoring a magnificent century. But what followed later was absolute magic. Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest cricketer ever was destined to live that day. It was one of his finest innings ever, if not the finest. A breathtaking, flawless display of batsman-ship showcased by the Little Master, it was something out of this world. He was a different Sachin that day, it was like he was possessed and absolutely determined to win the match for his country. In those days he was accused of becoming an accumulator of runs rather than being the aggressive and flamboyant self he used to be during the nineties. But the great man proved all his critics wrong again with a match-winning innings. It was an absolute privilege to have watched Sachin bat that day as it’s always been since the past 22 years. Even Sachin himself considers that innings as one of his best. Who can ever forget that upper cut for a six to Shoaib Akhtar, it was scintillating. He single-handedly destroyed the Pakistani bowling attack and the match was sealed for India in the 28th over itself when he got out for an absolutely stunning 98. Sad that he couldn’t get his 100 which he absolutely deserved but it was an honor and a privilege to have watched him bat that day. He has played many brilliant innings in his long and illustrious career but in my book this innings would be ranked on top of all other innings without a shadow of a doubt. In the end my Idol Rahul Dravid with Yuvraj Singh finished the match with ease in what was only a formality after the Sachin Special.
Greif-stricken faces says it all
Well, less said about the 2007 WC the better as both India and Pakistan shockingly crashed out in the initial stage of the tournament itself depriving all the Cricket fanatics of another Indo-Pak classic. It's even more painful for me to describe the feelings of that disastrous campaign as my Idol Rahul Dravid was infact the Captain and I really hoped he would finally be part of a World Cup winning team and that too as a Captain, in what turned out to be his last ever World Cup, but heartbreakingly it was not to be. The memories still hurt me.
This time we Bleed Blue
Now, coming to today’s match the stakes are much higher. The winner will earn a place in the Finals of the World Cup; will face the formidable Sri Lankans in the final who probably possess the best bowling line up of all teams participating in the tournament. This will be the very first time India and Pakistan face each other in the Semis of the WC. Both teams have been in sublime form. It may very well come down to India’s batting versus Pakistan’s bowling. Pakistan ended the mighty Australia’s 34-match unbeaten streak in World Cups in the group stage to top their respective group. And India beat Australia in the Quarter Finals and knocked the World Champions out of the WC. So both teams have played some exceptional Cricket so far and will be high on confidence. Only time will tell who will win this high-voltage encounter in Mohali which promises to be an absolute classic.
Will Sachin get his 100th Century?
A Special Note: I wish and pray that Sachin gets his 100th International Century in this particular match especially considering the occasion and the opponents. It is a historic match indeed but it will be even more special if Sachin gets his century and India wins the match. More than a billion hearts will be praying for the same I’m sure.
C’mon INDIA De Ghumake. This time we Bleed Blue! PS: All images in this post are sourced from the internet.
