On the Write Line

At the end of the First Test between England and South Africa, it was quite evident, English cricket was showing signs of injuries- more mental than physical. Tiredness and fatigue had the better of a team that had reduced Australia to 96-6 in an ODI, just a few days ago.  England’s problem in those sunnier times was not taking wickets but which of the fast bowlers to leave out. Since then, the team has gone from an embarrassment of riches to bankrupt in confidence- in just few weeks.  Post-mortem throws up obvious reasons- poor selection, lack of tactics, under-performance, over confidence and so on. But there’s a fundamental problem that seems to plague modern day teams. It’s called ‘Too much cricket’. Many a great players have been vulnerable to it.  Today, players travel way too much. The most by any in the history of the game. Thanks to the gruelling international schedule, peppered with IPL and other T20 tournaments that keep popping ...

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. ...

‘It’s finally done’, that’s what the master batsman, Sachin Tendulkar must’ve thought after reaching this seemingly impossible milestone. It somewhat seems surreal- this magical figure. An unreal number. But what transpired between the 99 th  and the 100 th , we, as his ‘devotees’ know it, thanks to the media. The quest went on from being one that’s celebrated to being a petty pursuit. Talks of his retirement started making rounds in cricketing cliques. Whatever the case maybe, the sheer weight of this feat is too heavy for anyone to shoulder. The context for Tendulkar’s 100 th  hundred will always be remembered- today, tomorrow, forever. Just the way, we all remember man’s first landing on the moon. The numbers will be difficult to replicate, let alone surpass. This is our generation’s 99.94.  After deliberating over this feat, one thought Tendulkar’s career almost seemed destined to end in a Bradmanesque way- imperfect. In less than four months-...