The Wall !

He's been the invincible wall that tirelessly tested the opposition.  His stylish strokeplay has been a joy to watch!  His stoic patience has been his trademark.  His humility & wisdom only grew with him.  He's personified sportsmanship and class!  Beyond cricket, he's a thinker, a philosopher.  A capricorn to the core, statistics & records underplay the complete essence of this gentleman. 

We are surely going to miss this stylish batsman as he bids adieu to international test cricket.  There are players who come and go, and there are those whose names are etched in gold in history books.  Rahul Dravid is a name that will never be forgotten, because he gave us more than just the strokes, more than just the centuries, more than just the victories.  The sportsmanship, putting the team above self attitude, the never-say-die approach, the grit, the never ending perseverence, the dignity, the wisdom, the discipline - there is so much more than the bat and ball that he brought with him, and gave to his game - if at all there is a tag like "The Buddha in Sports" - I would confer that on Rahul Dravid.

Some words of wisdom from this great player will prove this -
"We must never forget that what we do as professionals is easily carried over into the amateur game, in every way - batting, bowling, fielding, appealing, celebration, dissent, argument."

"I know it is utterly fanciful to expect professional cricketers to play the game like amateurs; but the trick I believe is taking the spirit of the amateur - of discovery, of learning, of pure joy, of playing by the rules - into our profession."

""the respect in your dressing room and that of your opponents is what matters"

As RD quits Test Cricket, there is no doubt that he has earned respect & admiration from one and all!
Well Done!  You are a legend!

Wimbledon 2009!

Ever since college, I've loved watching lawn tennis. I've been a Pete Sampras fan; then Martina Hingis caught my imagination. Roger Federer has been the player I've enjoyed watching ever since he's come on the lawn tennis scene!


Therefore the Wimbledon 2009 final match Andy Roddick - Roger Federer where Roger made history with 15 Grand Slam titles was something of a special match I was waiting to watch! And it turned out to be every bit more exciting than I ever thought. So many beautiful rallies in that match and equally as many aces from both players. What a lovely demonstration of power play and elegant strokes! It was truly a feast for the eyes - what with the dives, forehands, backhands, half volleys, unreturnable serves and some fabulous returns too. What atheticism, stamina and focus. What an epic match it was; going into the 5th set, with Roger not having broken Andy's serve even once in the whole match and both his sets being won in tie-breaks! Going into the 5th set, Vijay Amritraj and his fellow commentator repeatedly reminded the viewers that the 5th set has no tie break and that Roger has not yet broken Andy all through the match. Andy Roddick played fantastic tennis and Roger's magical genius came through at points when it mattered most. It was also funny how Roger's challenges were almost always wrong and till the end, nobody could say who is going to win!


It will remain one of the most memorable matches - not only because it was historic; but because of the top quality tennis, energy, and sportsman spirit that was demonstrated by both players. Andy Roddick earned a place in the hearts of millions when he clapped for Roger after the marathon match and said to Pete " Sorry I tried to hold him off"; and then Roger said "it could have gone on for a few more hours I think"! Yes, both players had played their best tennis.


The match was truly a celebration of sport; a marvellous showpiece for everyone to watch just as if scripted for the historic occasion! Many moments of this match will remain etched in my memory for a very long time to come! Well done Roger, Very well done Andy!

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60vwesLP4bE
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/blogs/2009-07-04/200907041246726005796.html

Cricket Magic!

The inaugural Twenty 20 world cup final is a day ago, but the magic of this shortened version is here to stay! The unpredictability it has on offer, the way just a few balls can make a difference between winning and losing and the excitement all this brings to the viewer, makes it an extremely interesting and nerve-wracking game to watch!

It is amazing how the 5 day version of cricket is also as captivating as this, but due to a different set of reasons altogether. The strategizing and planning is what takes the cake there. It is so intriguing to watch captains and teams plan and play the mind-game between the bat and ball for 5 full days and end up quite often with no result!

In Twenty 20, there is hardly any scope to plan long term - It is only as good as the last few balls have turned out. If the last 4 balls have had a boundary or two, the game is suddenly in favor of the batting side whilst a few dot balls can mean pressure is on the batting side! The onus is most on surprising the opposition with quick intutive mindset, than relying on logical and methodical planning!

THe 50 over version of the game, is interestingly a mix of both. It provides for teams to strategize to some extent but at the same time, it has opportunity for rapid play to tilt the balance heavily in the favor of one team.

It is amazing how all 3 different flavours of the same game can captivate followers of the game equally and provide a great deal of entertainment to the players and viewers alike! The more one improvises the game, the more one discovers that the game has so much more to offer!
Truly, it is the game of cricket that is the true winner all the way!!! Long live the magic of this great game!