A LARK IN THE PARK


As the First Test unfolded between England and South Africa, one got a feeling; the hosts were in for a long leather chase. Thanks to Amla and Kallis; their display of batsmanship was in its purest form. While we take nothing away from Kallis, it was his partner in crime, Hashim Amla, who stole the show.

This brings us to the most elementary question of all: If form is fleeting and class permanent; what then is greatness?

Greatness, as one would imagine, is akin to class. It is the ability to rise above the pack. To make an extraordinary task seem pedestrian. It can be more instructively rationalised as the capacity to bend and shape events by will, to dictate history rather than be dictated to by it. In this case, it was Hashim Amla, who defied the hosts in their own den. Watching him cut, pull and drive en route 311 was like watching unadulterated batting. He went about his business like a thorough professional. Public emotion is not his thing. He celebrates with the same enthusiasm as his team-mates, if not with the same gusto. Humble and thoughtful; he has done well enough to earn the respect in the dressing room. This inning was a testimony of the sheer determination and inner strength this man has in him. His footwork is a paragon of economy- mainly back in defence and forward in attack. 

The biggest secret to Amla’s batting is his sublime use of the wrists.  Post Azharuddin, it’s really difficult to remember a batsman as wristy as Amla. While VVS Laxman comes close, Mohammad Yousuf is closer. Certainly, the later had a similar presence and a sense of calm when at the crease. At The Oval, Amla took guard on the off stump, and smoothly played through the off side, and occasionally, through the on. Sheer poetry in motion. 

This 300 showed us most of Amla; though the rest is reserved for family and friends. This knock was a cause for celebration and his achievements mirror the richness of the land he comes from. 

Greatness, then, isn’t just about the numbers in the score sheet. It’s also about the journey to achieve a milestone.  

Mr. Amla, take a bow. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE FLIGHT OF THE KIWIS

This edition of the T20 World Cup has sprung a few surprises right from the start. Most notable being the resurgence of New Zealand as a strong contender to clinch the coveted title. Three wins out of three, as I pen this column; and going strong. New Zealand has always been the dark horse in most world cups, in both the formats. Jog back your memory to 1992 world cup, when this tiny island nation was on a roll. They beat their archrivals Australia in the opener, and followed up with wins against the other top teams. Thus, surprising even their harshest of critics, making them believe, that they could make one day cricket’s most prestigious title as their own. Until a young talent by the name Inzamam Ul-Haq suddenly brought that New Zealand’s team juggernaut to a grinding halt. Post the 1992 edition, New Zealand have toppled big names in world cups, but have never ended up lifting the trophy. The closest they came was during the 2015 world cup, when they lost the ...
Read more

GOD SAVE INDIA

World Champions. That was the tag the Indian team carried along with it when it boarded the flight to England for a four match Test series against the hosts. Everything was picture-perfect. Except for a few minor hiccups  (read injuries) . Having performed well in the Caribbean, the rum-soaked spirits were soaring high. And back home, the expectations were thick enough to be able to cut with a knife.  But as the series against England unfolded, there was drama and disappointment. Who thought, this was the very side that had lifted the World Cup, three months ago? A billion hearts sunk, as the hosts trampled the visitors at Lords and Nottingham. Writers started scurrying around to write obituaries, cricketing pundits started dissecting the Indian team’s performance with wisdom’s knife. Who could have thought the Indian team would give such an abysmal display in all the three departments- batting, bowling and fielding?  The ome...
Read more

A TALE OF TWO COACHES

As South Africa’s players celebrated and posed for the shutterbugs after their victory against England, one man definitely was missing from this revelry. The man who, without any recrimination, can be penciled in as the architect of this win. The man whom Indian cricket owes a lot to, too. Gary Kirsten, India’s erstwhile coach and the current coach of Team South Africa.  Kirsten played a pivotal role in India’s World Cup triumph last year. Since his departure, things haven’t really gone well for India. Not that we are pointing fingers here or hinting at names.  One usually gets a false impression of the man; unassuming and almost detached, as he stood proudly watching the celebrations at Lords. But beneath lies a shrewd and clever student of the game. Someone who has the knack of uplifting the game of even seasoned players, let alone fledglings.  Case in point, Jacques Kallis.  One of the finest all-rounders of the game, Kallis was show...
Read more