Resurrection and Redemption: Circle turns full in many ways for Pakistan

There are always times when one feels to be lucky to witness turnarounds. For these are moments when you would keep pinching yourselves in future for having missed some of the defining moments of human endevaour. Watching the World T20 final at Lord's on Sunday was one such feeling. As Afridi ran for the winning single off the leg bye, the mind wandered back to the past. As a child, those were the days of my 'initiation' into the game. As a primary school student, cricket then was defined by personalities. I only knew and followed one man, Sachin Tendulkar(even after years of maturity and growing up, I still have him as my favourite cricketer, ever watching his entry to the crease with the rawness of a six year old). The year was 1992 and I had not followed much cricket anyway then to have, kept track of India's progress-that was only dismal, except for their win against Pakistan and a narrow one run loss against Pakistan. On the day of the big final, I watched for the first time in a black and white television set in my school Games Room, the scintallating batting of the great man, Imran Khan and his protege, Inzamam (I used to then wonder how the school got a TV set in the first place!!). As a child, I was still unaware of the nuances of game as well as the timezones-as to how floodlights came to be used when the daylight was still out there outside!! After the completion of the Pakistan innings, the school was given half-day leave (still wondering why!!) and I was back home. There, I watched a left-arm fast bowler named Wasim Akram, destroying the English run chase and remember my mother tellling that Imran was spearheading this campaign for the memory of his mother. I even believed the team was ditto following the captain's personal efforts. Thus, as the light green coloured uniforms danced after that catch by Rameez, I suddenly felt that Pakistan was everything in world cricket. For many Indians, it was the 1983 win by the Kapil's Devils, that changed the way the game was followed in this country. However, those moments were only watched by me years later. Therefore, my cricket affinity and passion was only rooted after that performance in Sydney that January night by Imran and his hand-picked boys. Their passion and determination contained within it something unique, enough to propel a child to keep his own interest and passion in the game forever in life.

"Life turns Full Circle", that's how we describe turn-arounds. But in Lord's that Sunday, the turning of the wheel was not in one, but in many ways.But before getting to that, something on the final itself. It was bold statement; one may also call it a kind of 'catharsis'. More than the fact that both Sri Lanka and Pakistan were the best bowling sides in the final, thereby driving away the conventional notions of dominance of batsmen in the shortest format of the game, both the teams also had lots of excess baggage in the form of emotions within themselves. Of course, there was the trauma of the Lahore terror attack, through which the Lankans had gone through, and that was also something that sealed Pakistan's fate for hosting international cricket at home in near future. Sangakkara was having his first duty as full time skipper of Sri Lanka, taking over the reins from Jayawardene, and in fact, the Lankans were playing their first international tournament, after that traumatizing day in Lahore. Both the teams had come through civil strife in their countries. A civil war that was raging in the North and East had tormented Sri Lanka in ethnic terms for more than three decades now had just ended. Similary Pakistan had always been in spate, through instability, terrorism and lack of vibrant democracy. The latest offensive of the Pakistani Army in the Swat Valley also carried greater burdens in the minds of the players. Cricket is a great healer, a kind of balm that may soothe the wounds, even though it may not permanently rub off the marks, as remarked by Sachin Tendulkar after the Mumbai terror attacks. However, if even the game is able to provide some respite to the struggling masses, then atleast some part of the job is said to be done. This is what precisely happened on Sunday. Kumar Sangakkara and Younis Khan, leading their teams, were also sending a strong statement defining the strength, courage and mental preparedness of both the nations along with the entire cricketing world, cutting across boundaries. Statements that can never be written off, adding to the grit and glory of these 'demigods', who are also humans at the end of the day.

Now, to get back to the turning of the wheel. A few days, before the final, zapping through television channels, got me the opportunity to watch the highlights of the 1999 World Cup final-again at Lord's. On that day, Pakistan which looked the most dominant team of the entire season under the astute leadership of Wasim Akram won the toss against the Australians, who had kept their nerve in the semi-finals at Edgbaston, to defy Lance Klusner and South Africans. The mercurial captaincy of Steve Waugh also was visible in the forefront then. Despite winning the toss and choosing to bat, the mighty Pakistanis' who never looked like losing, were brought to earth by the guile and tweak of Shane Warne-who was the man of the match for his 4 wickets-and was ably supported by the rest of the pack. Bundled out for a mere 139 on that day, the Australians won their second World Cup by eight wickets and have ever since never let off their stranglehold on the world cricket's most premier trophy. Thus, watching the win of Younis and his team at Lord's was the first full turn of circle of life of Pkistan cricket. Perhaps, the Mecca of Cricket always has something in it for underdogs, for the big matches. India in 1983, Australia in 1999 and now Pakistan in another World Cup final.

Only two members of that 1999 World Cup side survived in the final match on Sunday-Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq. Afridi-whose age never seemed to grow and whose image as a 'dasher' slowly waning away from his lacklustre performances-and Razzaq-whose departure of the rebel ICL also depried them of a genuine all-rounder down the order. Along with his medium-pace and power hitting, Razzaq was instrumental in giving depth to the Pakistani team in that World Cup. He was also a difficult bowler to get away, bowling wicket to wicket, on a steady line and length. Afridi who took the cricket world by storm after the 'boom-boom' knock of hundred off 37 balls at Nairobi, slowly looked fading away. His on-and- off performances also did not do him any world of good. In fact, Afridi's performances also mirrored that of the Pakistan team as a whole. Inconsistency was something that always plagued them. Despite his usual poor form in the initial stages in this World Cup, he peaked at the right time, that in turn also led to his team's rise in fate. Although his batting was crumbling, he held his fort in his bowling, getting in those sharp leg-spin deliveries with precision. His two wickets off his miserly overs in the semi-final against favourites Soituh Africa best exemplifies this fact. His fielding standards also rose significantly. Perhaps, the best was that catch which took in the match against New Zealand, with the ball seeming to get away from him. Thus, both his bowling and his fielding complimented his batting. His promotion up the order replacing Younis Khan was also a boost. His rotation of the strike, preferring to take the singles in the final, was well combined with those 'boom-boom' hits. For once, his inconsistencies were forgotten. Similarly, the injury to Yasir Arafat and his timely replacement with Razzaq also swung Pakistan's fate. Combining with the lanky left-arm fast bowler Mohammed Aamir making his debut in international cricket, Razzaq used his experience with the ball in the form of his medium-pace to good effect. His sharp and disciplined bowling pepped up the Pakistani attack, right from the match against the Black Caps to the final. In fact, Pakistan bowled well to a plan in the final. Both Aamir and Razzaq combined well, in pushing short-pitched stuff to the Lankans, that led to the fall of in-form Dilshan. The new ball combination of Aamir and Razaaq made Umar Gul, retract as the first change bowler. He still finished as the tournament's top wicket taker with 13 prized scalps. The three crucial wickets by Razzaq had almost sealed the final in Pakistan's favour. Thus, the stand out performances of Afridi and Razzaq formed second full turn of circle for Pakistan.

Another fact was the T20 World Cup itself. The shortest form the game, that gripped the imagination of the game's lovers the world over, perhaps displayed its best in the first edition. That inaugural championship win by Dhoni and his boys, changed the way T20 was viewed in India. In fact, that brought cricket, hefty contracts, millionaire ownerships, and corporate sponsorships, marking a transformation of the image of the game itself. But just spare a thought for Pakistan. Again pooh-poohed by the bookmakers and experts, they made it to the final defying all odds. They almost clinched that trophy too that evening in Johannesburg, if not for the untimely decision of Misbah to select the wrong ball to scoop to fine-leg. That climatic evening in 2007 seemed a different proposition altogether in 2009. Misbah was in the Dug-Out padded up, when victory arrived. He may well exorcised his ghosts by this performance that had the stamp of authority. This was definitely the third full turn in the circle.

Ever since that epic final in 1992, Pakistan cricket has been perpetually in turbulence. Match-Fixing scandals, infighting, indiscipline, lacklustre performances, poor team selections, wrong training methods, revolving door policies, administrative goof-ups, mass exodus to rebel league and the unfortunate death of a master strategist, Bob Woolmer who was their coach. These factors that cloaked Pakistan cricket was also perilious for the team as a whole in displaying its best. Inconsistency and uncertainty have always dogged cricket in the country. The 'revolving door' selection policy in Pakistan only meant that there was no stability in the team. The many 'blink and miss' players for the team, only deepend the crisis. Indiscipline was also a serious concern. Shoaib Akhtar's tantrums and inconsistent performances along with his frequent break-downs are now part of cricket folklore in Pakistan. Missing drug tests, doping scandals and possessing contraband stuff - the off-field incidents have also blighted Pakistan heavily. This World Cup win, cascaded all the perils and took Pakistan to the pedestal of glory, mirroring efforts of Imran and his boys seventeen years before. Can anything be better than this fourth full turn of the circle?

To come to the recent past, international cricket has disappeared without any time-frame from Pakistan. The players and the fans have been starved off quality cricket in the country. Getting rusty in such situations is a common factor; luckily that did not happen as both Younis and Intikhab Alam filled in their roles as the captain and coach, very well. Terrorism had also severed Pakistani cricketers off their contracts in IPL-2. Many franchisee teams missed the services of the Pakistani cricketers in their ranks, who had actively taken part in the first edition. This deprivation and almost complete non-visibility of Pakistan from the international cricket scene, made people to write off the team. However, only when their backs are against the wall and odds are stacked heavily against them, Pakistan's true test of character and strength is brought forth. The 1992 World Cup was also similar, with them losing most of their matches until the rained-off tie against England. After that there was no looking back, as they went on from strength to strength. Similarly, this time, they lost both their warm-up games and even lost to England in their opening group match, making Younis Khan to remark that T20 was mainly played for the 'fun factor', sparking off criticism. Though they beat Holland to enter the Super Eights, they again lost to the Lankans. However, again the team came back winning. This hallmark of Pakistan overwhelming adversity with ease without doubt for me is the fifth turn in the circle. Perhaps this is the precise reason why being witnesses to 'turn-arounds' is a cathartic experience. The indomitable human spirit shows itself up displaying the true colours, in terms of essence, character and the self-belief.

Pakistan cricket's moment of reckoning is well and truly here. The wheel has rotated to its full. The fans across the country in Pakistan and all true followers of the game including yours truly are happy that the team has soared to new heights. One can only hope the ever-prevalent dangers that stalk and lurk side by side, proving to be the achilles' heal for Pakistan, are heavily guarded against. One also thinks emphatically that Pakistani cricket would turn new leaves in the coming days. The solidity of team strength, positiveness in the frame of mind of the players and passionate aggression-all traditional features of the game in Pakistan need to stay well and true. Of that long list of ever impressive legendary cricketers, from Kardar, to Fazal Mahmood, to the run machine in the form of Zaheer Abbas, the aggressive Miandad, the astute Pathan in Imran Khan, to the giant Inzamam, to the duo who hunt in pairs Wasim and Waqar.................the list is endless. For all those cricketers who have given everlasting memories to the countless fans, Pakistan as a team needs to get back that indomitable spirit. For there are many a six year old child out there, who want to be 'initiated' into the game, with the right spirit and attitude.

India's exit from T20 World Cup: A Post-Mortem

As Team India marked its exit from the T20 World Cup, there have been wide-scale dissections and digging up in formulating a post-mortem of the campaign. The media is spearheading in the role as the sole sentinel of Indian cricket. Therefore, it is important to analyze the Indian campaign in right perspective and take some sense, beyond the frenzy unleashed by the media that is baying for blood by calling for Dhoni's head. Any loss is heart-breaking, and that too going out unable to defend the crown is all the more depressing. So, the analysis has to take the disappointment of the fans also into consideration.

Let us begin with the negatives first. It is agreed that Dhoni and the team management faltered in the crucial game against England. But before stating that emphatically, it is also important to understand that it was only a continuation of the loss a couple of nights before at the same ground against the Windies. Some former players argue that Dhoni faltered in choosing his option at the toss and the decision to put England in was an error in judgement. In fact, they say this mistake at the beginning set in motion things which spiralled down at the end of the match. However, I would beg to differ. In their first game at Super Eights, India had batted against the Windies. But the result was there for every one to see. T20 is an unpredictable format, and teams batting first are generally never sure of the ideal target to be set. While more than 150-160 is very important, that's not a sure-shot target giving any rise in the comfort levels. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the bowlers to defend totals. But this also comes with the rider that putting low totals on the board, do no help to the bowlers. If one sees the day when India played the West Indies, Sri Lanka also played against Pakistan. The Lankans defended a total of around 150 by applying the pressure and taking wickets, while the Indians failed in their efforts to do so. So, Dhoni may have well thought that chasing was a better option, with a strong batting going down to number eight. Indeed, the target against England was also perfectly gettable. Sending Jadeja up the order is another point of contention in such a crucial match. In fact, many have argued even against his selection in the first place, replacing in-form Pragyan Ojha. However, again I would like to contend this. Ravindra Jadeja, an all-rounder with handy left-arm spin is a good pick in a format like T20. The role of spinners in T20 is getting greater prominence in stopping the flow of runs as well as to break crucial partnerships. Jadeja also proved this with his two wickets of Bopara and Pieterson at a time when the duo was looking ominous. However, the argument that Irfan Pathan could have filled that role equally with ease, is without any doubt true. But his leaking of runs has been a perennial concern now, even though with the bat, he is very effective.

However, on him being sent up the order, I feel the team management faltered. By keeping three of the best batsmen-Yuvraj, Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan-towards the near-end certainly pushed matters to the brink. The relative inexperience of Jadeja caught up with him and his failure to rotate the strike cost the Indians hard. With an ever-increasing required rate, there was little for the Indians to do than to rue the decision. Even the pressure was visible on Jadeja's face, as he tried valiantly for the big hits, but ended up consuming lots of dot balls in the process. In T20, such 'consumption' only proves too costly. This also did not favour Yuvraj, who was the ideal person for such situations. Hence, with not enough time to get a feel of the prevalent situation, the game became a quick sand for the Men in Blue. The dismissal of Yuvraj to a good stumping of Foster really hit the nail on India's prospects. Even Dhoni and Yusuf could not save the match at this point. But it was the failure of the Indians to deal with the short-pitched stuff in two consecutive matches that rankles the most. Both the Windies and the Englishmen peppered the Indians with short of length balls along with slow and high bouncers to rattle the Indians. The dismissal of Rohit Sharma, India's makeshift opener in the place of Sehwag, in both matches proves this point beyond doubt. The opposition sorted India out, with their best weakness, proving to be their Achilles' Heel. Even Suresh Raina, who loves to pull and hook, threw his wickets away to Sidebottom.

Dhoni's batting and keeping have also come under the scanner. His inability to get the big hits is an area of concern no doubt. So, is a slight dip in his keeping skills, wherein against the Windies, he made mess of a run-out chance against Dwayne Bravo. But it is not Dhoni alone who has faltered. The overall bowling of the Indians also lacked aggression and penetration. Ishant's problems in the shortest version of the game were again visible. Zaheer never looked 100% fit, which may be due to the fact the shoulder injury may not have been fully healed. R.P. Singh and Praveen Kumar never got enough chances. Perhaps another negative of Dhoni in this tournament that I feel is the fact that he did not allow his frontline bowlers to finish their quota of overs. R.P.Singh bowled one over less against England; but I also feel that it R.P.Singh was a pale shadow of himself in the IPL last month, for the Deccan Chargers. While Harbhajan and Ojha bolwed well, the bowlers on the whole gave away needless runs with wayward and indisciplined bowling. Also, the bowling in the death also remains an area of concern for India. In pressure situations, giving away crucial runs tells alltogether a different story. The batting also did not live up to the expectations of the 'Super Unit' tag. That killer punch and authority was not visible. The overall fielding of the Indians also dipped, with shoddy work on the field, thereby leaking many runs.

However, the post-mortem also has to negate certain wrong theories and faulty formulations. One of them is the fact that the IPL had a drastic effect on Indians, causing them mental fatigue and thus, tiring them out. Long hours of endless cricket with constant travelling also are pointed out as factors. Even coach Kirsten feels the same way. Some players also carried injuries from IPL into the tournament. However, blaming IPL for this disappointing show is going overboard. To substantiate my point, let me point out that apart from India-whose entire squad featured in IPL's 2nd Season-South Africa had most members in IPL. Almost their entire squad represented one franchisee or the other. However, they were never hit by fatigue and are playing some wonderful cricket. All the players have mentioned IPL as having been the best platform for practice for the World T20. Modern cricket is all about professionalism and adapting to situations in the best possible manner. I agree with Dhoni that using IPL as an excuse can never be justified. It is the individual choice of players to choose their options in either playing for or keeping themselves away from tourneys like IPL. To carry this further, take a look at the Australians, many of whom kept away from IPL this season. People like Ponting, Mike Hussey and Mitchell Johnson. Has 'ample rest' done them any good?? on the contrary, the 'rest' only 'rusted' them as they made an ignominious exit from the first round itself. unlike Indians who made their way out after Round Two. I also feel the loss of a dangerous batsman like Sehwag from the tournament due to injury also dented India's chances. A batsman at the top of the order to tear apart the opposition bowling attack, who could accelerate the team totals, Sehwag's presence would have pressurized teams right from the start. Rohit Sharma despite his best efforts, could not fit into Sehwag's shoes. Neither could Gambhir take on the mantle from Sehwag. His grind with the bat was more like the 50 over version.

Calling for Dhoni's head for this crucial loss, is again above rationality and going over-board. It is the same Dhoni who was the poster boy of the media, over the past few seasons. Winning the inaugural T20 World Cup, the series in Australia, the home series against the Aussies, Pakistan and England, taming the Lankans twice in their den and also winning in New Zealand for the first time after many years are all under the astute leadership of Dhoni. Leading the team effectively and ably supported by them, Dhoni has augmented a further leap started by Ganguly. The combination with Kirsten has also served the team well. The media, whose rumour mills were abound with theories of rift between him and his Sehwag were also set at rest by him, with the show of unity at press conference. Not fearing to call spade a spade, Dhoni may have also got the ire of the media. But the fact that Sehwag was seriously carrying an injury also proved the point that the captain was indeed right.

The time is seeking a rational analysis of this loss. Perhaps the pressure of being the 'Defending Champions' also got to India. The time now is to put behind this loss and take lessons from it. There is a need to iron out flaws too. Instead of the frenzy being unleashed, it would do a lot of good to the Indian cricket, if the cricketers are allowed to get back refreshed and more aggressive.

Watching a Magician

So what do you do on a muggy Sunday evening, with the sun still out and dusk still some time away; when the afternoon heat decides to lengthen its presence making your room dreary and roasted like a furnace. May be one you try to stick to the bed and wait for the night to descend, or you wish to remain in a tub full water added with ice blocks.........or even try to go for a bit of walk to the nearby woods, trying to take in some cool, fresh air. Away from home, Hostel Life can be at times torturous, especially during Summer. Killing boredom also forms an important cog in his life. People have their own 'Comfort Zones'-as I call them-to immerse themselves in. But I decided to do something different. Carrying a bottle of cold drink, I venture into the TV room to watch the Wizard in action; to see his waltz and touch, thereby being mesmerized with that aura.........watching Roger Federer play on any day is not only pleasing, but also it brings a sense of sereneness and calm to those watching him. There is a surreal magic in his style of play, and the way he carries himself on court; Federer looks all pervasive. His armoury is quite full, with his serve, returns, amazing drop shots and of course his special-also the only rightful claimant-the brilliant backhand cross court volley makes one yearn for more and more of them. Like Mozart composing those magical notes, like Michelangelo chiselling and working away his works of art, Roger Federer moves on all over the court with grit and perseverance.

This Sunday was something special, as the stage was something that had always overwhelmed him; a championship that had continued to elude him, despite his best efforts. At Roland Garros, he had reached the finals on the last two occasions, only to fall to his nemesis-Nadal. Three years before, he had fallen at the penultimate hurdle, again vanquished by the Spaniard. Like an albatross on his neck, Federer was constantly reminded that he was yet to conquer the French clay. However, this year was different-his nemesis had been ousted in the fourth round by a Swede-Robin Soderling, who had set up a summit clash with him. Ever since Nadal made his exit from the tournament, all eyes were poised on Federer, as many believed this was his best chance to break the jinx and go on to conquer the Musketeer's Cup. From then on, his Quarter-Final and Semi-Final gained more attraction. He got past Monfils-the local boy-and deposed the Argentine, Del Porto in a five-setter. Approaching the final, Federer was holding his nerves, despite the pressure of expectations building upon him.

Due to various reasons, which are mighty long to elaborate here, I was not able to follow Federer's march other than through the web and the papers. I couldn't watch him in "live action". As he took each step towards the summit clash, I strongly hoped that he makes it this time. However, this Sunday nothing could hold me from watching my champion. Unlike his other matches in his route to the final this time, ever since Nadal was ousted, this seemed different. He had lost the two opening sets in the fourth round against Tommy Haas, before climbing his way up with authority. Again, in the semi-final against Del Porto, he trailed before coming up trumps. However, today Federer was more a work man like, getting down to business immediately, accelerating to win the first set 6-1. However, it was in the second set, where both the players' services remained unbroken. As both held their serve, the set moved to the tie-break. However, with amazing speed and class, Federer raced through to win 7-1. It was a day when those rivetting drop shots were rarely in action. It was mostly from the baseline, that both Federer and Soderling played their shots. Roger's classic back-hand volleys were on vision. However, there were many unforced errors by the champion, sometimes over-exerting himself. 

But it was third set that gripped the match. Federer broke Soderling's serve for the first time after the 1st set and went on to hold his serve to lead two games to nil. But again, Soderling worked his way up and didn't let Federer break his service. However, Roger also held his serve. But the two point gap never closed. Soderling was and serving 3-5 to stay in the match, hopes grew that Federer would break him. But that did not happen. It was also the day, when Federer was also powering his aces in deep and with precision. In fact, he won the fifth game in the third set, with at least 3 aces. The rallies were brilliant as both of them pushed themselves to create most accurate angles, to work their points away. Waiting for the top-spin of the ball, both Federer and Soderling sought to push each other to the corners of the baselines. As I mentioned, Federer's back-hand cross court volleys were fast,aided by the pace from the clay surface. However, it was the final game where Federer was serving for the championship that proved the most interesting. In his excitement and zeal, Federer tried a little too much. There was a point when he fired in his horizontal smash with full vigour, only to see it go over the baseline. This earned Soderling a break point at that crucial moment. However, with his composure regained, Federer controlled the things better, and with a powerful serve, came back strongly to induce a deuce, leading to advantage for him. Then finally as he served and returned, with Soderling's return finding its way onto the lower net, Federer sunk on his knees.........he had overcome all odds and the clay at Centre Court in Roland Garros was rightfully his. I stood and applauded for a long time-that had passed from my each applause during his winning games. Sadly, not much people were around me to witness this glorious scene.

As Federer kissed the Musketeer's Cup handed over to him by another legend Agassi-the person before him to win a Career Grand Slam-that image was frozen in time. I have to admit that I enrolled into the fan list of Federer only late and hence, have not watched his arrival statement-defeating champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round Wimbledon. Neither had I watched his epic final last year at the green grass of the Centre Court against Nadal as he missed by a whisker the chance to overtake Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles even though he equalled the legend. Nor did I watch him being overcome by emotions at the Rod Laver arena in Melbourne at the season-opening Australian Open when Nadal-his victor again-put an arm over him. But what I have watched mainly are two Wimbledon finals-without doubt his favourite arena-in 2004 and 2005. Both times he had overwhelmed Andy Roddick. Seeded One and Two on both these years, Federer and Roddick displayed an exciting show of tennis. Especially in 2004, Roddick threw everything he had at Roger-later described him humourously as "throwing kitchen sink at him" and Roger fittingly retrning the compliment-but still could not vanquish him. Perhaps, Roger reserves his best for Wimbledon, but his other grand slam wins are no less wonderful.

With his conquering of the Roland Garros, Emperor Federer had won his first French Open, equalled Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles-but no French Open in it-and the sixth person-after Don Budge, Fred Perry, Andre Agassi, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson-to win a Career Grand Slam that is all the Four Major Championships in Tennis. Where does he go from here? His hunger, his passion and his yearning are all intact. Roger Federer still has miles to go and the debates on "whether he is the best ever??" will also continue.

I continued my applause as Federer cried with the playing of the Swiss anthem and even later when he gave his thanks giving. Watching history created before one's eye is no trivial thing; it is a gift that one preserves and carries along as one their best ever possessions. This was my 'Comfort Zone'........I had been a silent part of this just now. I would cherish this image forever. And on one such muggy Sunday evening, I would live to tell my grandchildren that I had watched Roger Federer move from sublime to make history at Roland Garros. 

IPL-2: Some Lessons to Ponder

As the second season of the Indian Premier League draws to a close, it is time to sit back and savour the happenings of the last 36 days. As two of the bottom placed teams-Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers-clash to be the champions of this season, one can take a deeper look at all the matches and draws some conclusions as lessons or talking points, in cricketing terms. After watching this season, yours truly has these points to make:

# "If it can happen, it will, come what may"-thats the message of this season!! If Lalit Modi has the will, irrespective of whether the country is seeking the mandate of the people to form its next government, the show will go on!! The sceptics and purists can debate endlessly whether Indian Premier League can truly be 'Indian' if the show happens in South Africa; but the matter of fact is that IPL-2 has happened.

# This season of IPL was primarily aimed at the global television audiences, especially given the fact that the timings remain unchanged for the Indian viewers. They watched the games at the timings of last season, i.e 4 pm and 8 pm, even if that meant that the players had to sweat it out , according to SA timings of 12.30 and 4.30 pm respectively.

# Now to come to the actual show, Cricket is a game where the primacy is for the players, and not necessarily for their "Star Owners'. The franchisees which had superstars as owners, lost out in the big race. While Kolkata Knight Riders learnt it the hard way this year-taking on the mantle from the Deccan Chargers last season to finish last-Kings XI Punjab was also heartbroken as they were edged out at a crucial phase. Even the reigning champions, the Rajasthan Royals who acquired a new owner from this season, were beaten out of the semi-final race.

# Turn-arounds are always possible, for that is nature of cricket or for that matter, any sport. Only that you need astute leadership, tactical acumen and the desire to turn adversity into challenges. This cannot be more clearly explained than to point out the two finalists this season-the Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers, who were down in the dumps last year. Under the combination of Anil Kumble-Ray Jennings (though Kevin Pieterson was the captain, it was after his departure for national duty that Challengers started their remarkable turn-around) and Adam Gilchrist-Darren Lehmann, both the teams with shifted gears and turned out to be giant-killers in the semis, outclassing Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils, the top two teams in the league table.

# "Expensive Signings are not their money's worth in true terms"-that is another statement in this season!!Both Kevin Pieterson and Andrew Flintoff failed miserably to justify their high price tags, in whatever limited opportunity that was available. So was the case of Jesse Ryder. Once again, this season of IPL like last year has proved that utility players who are moulded into the format fit the bill. However, there were exceptions like Lasith Malinga, Jean-Paul Duminy(who in his first season of IPL scored 5 half-centuries for the Mumbai Indians), and AB DeVilliers.

# Once again, unlike the big foreign signings, its the unknown Indian domestic players who have shone themselves. One such example is Manish Pandey for the Challengers-the first Indian to score a century in IPL. Also there were T.Suman, Naman Ojha, Shadab Jakati (who marked a turn around for Chennai from their suprising rut of losses with two consecutive four wicket hauls against Daredevils and Chargers) and of course the big guns like Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina and Irfan Pathan.

# It is not always a batsman's game, as its is being largely visualized. No matter how many runs you score, it is not worthwhile if it can't be defended. The Chennai Super Kings understood it the hardway in their outing against the Knight Riders, the punching bag of this season. After scoring almost 190 in that game, the Super Kings could not just defend that score. One of the best batting sides in the IPL, the loss of Super Kings proves that bowlers still win the day, even as odds are favourably loaded for the batsmen. However, there are again exceptions, like in the case of CSK itsell, who defended their motely score of 129 against the Kings XI in their last league match. In fact, on the whole, the shift to South Africa has also lent some balance between bat and ball. The swing and seam movement both on and off the track-with the descent of winter in the country-has also helped the bowlers to keep a check on the batsmen from cutting loose. This is unlike the first season of IPL in India last year, when teams posted huge totals on board playing on wickets which could only be described as "batting paradise". In fact, this year, only one total of over 200 has been posted by any team(Rajasthan Royals' 211 against Kings Xi Punjab in Durban).

# "Form is Temporary, Class is Permanent", and "Never write off Cricketers even if they have retired-Two other statements justified this year. The biggest examples??-Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.Post-retirement, their hunger for runs and passion for the game remain as fresh as ever.What is it with these Aussies and that too, with those who have retired.Last year, Shane Warne-who never captained his country during his international career, leading to many people getting vocal and sympathetic about him being the 'best person to have missed captaincy'-turned the Royals, one of the underrated teams at the start, into a champion unit; Gilchrist, this year has led the Deccan Chargers into the summit clash with greater vigour and motivation; and Hayden being the proud owner of the Orange Cap for scoring close to 580 runs, a marked departure from last December when people from all quarters were calling for his head, leading to his retirement. One needs to only take a look at their marauding form this season. The image of the tall, well built Hayden walking down the track to take on the bowlers, inspires continues to inspire awe among his numeorus fans, inclduing yours truly. Watching his innings of 89 the other night at Centurion against Kings XI taking on Sreesanth and co just makes me cling more to his batsmanship. It was said that Chennai could chase any imposing target, because among their superior batting line-up, Hayden stood rock-solid as the anchor. Gilchrist's innings in the semis against the Daredevils was blitzkreig that blew the latter away. Wish they continued playing at all levels, even today. Andrew Hilditch and his team of Aussie selectors listening??

# Ambidextrous players have shone brightly in batting and bowling. Take the case of Hayden and R.P.Singh, the proud owners of the Orange and Purple caps this season. Also Gilchrist, Raina, Jean-Paul Duminy, Jakati and Nehra(whose performance left many still wondering how he lost his spot in the national side). Also, Left-handers on the whole have made waves. Just look at the case of Yuvraj Singh, who shined more with the ball than with the bat this year, getting two hat-tricks. Again, Pragyan Ojha with his flight, and subtle variations was one of the key pillars in instrumenting the rise of the Chargers this year.

# Over-dependence on few players have also cost teams highly. One best case scenario here is that of the Mumbai Indians. The failure of Sachin and Sanath at the top of the order exposed their batting order, leaving them heavily reliant on Duminy to steer their ship. Same was the case with the Royals, as the failure of the Graeme Smith, made the shoulders of Yusuf Pathan heavily burdened. The top-heavy approach has also damaged the team prospects along with that of things revolving around one or two players.

# Packing the team with all-rounders also doesn't guarantee total success. The biggest illustration for that is the Super Kings. Except for a few games, their batting was like this in permanence for this season-Hayden, Parthiv, Raina, Dhoni, Badrinath, Morkel, Oram, Tyagi, Jakati, Balaji and Muralitharan. Sometimes, Murali Vijay, Bailey, Flintoff, R.Ashwin, Manpreet Gony and Thushara got the chances. The lack of a genuine pace bowler hurt their chances badly. Even while having Makhaya Ntini within their ranks, the fact that team combination heavily favouring all-rounders could be changed only seldomly needs a serious re-look. For it is the bowlers, who have a bigger role than the batsmen as i pointed out earlier. Hence, I feel that this mindset of "all-rounders being win all and end all" needs to be re-loaded.

# Carrying on from the last point, some remained just bench-warmers this entire season. Never able to fit into the team combination, they remained as "senior advisers". Perhaps, the bill fits here best on the Daredevils. Three of their players-the veteran Glenn McGrath(still having the fuel in tank for many a battle), Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah remained in the dug-out rather than being on the field.Similar was the case of Ntini, who definitely would have had his hands itching to have a go at the opposition batsmen. McGrath never understood his role well and was even prompted to state that he may not play in the next season of IPL, only to retract later.

# One more simple fact-teams who look unbeatable on paper, are not the same as they seem to be. Delhi Devils-with Sehwag, Gambhir, AB Devilliers, Dilshan, Warner, Vettori, Nannes, Maharoof, Amit Mishra, Sangwan, Nehra, Karthik-and McGrath, Collingwood and Owais Shah may have topped the league standings, but were beaten superbly by the Chargers. So was the case of Super Kings-touted by many as the sure-shot winner this year.

# Old school theories still do the trick. "Disciplined Line and Length bowling" with subtle variations squeeze batting teams and choke them for runs. Numerous matches this year reflect this. One match in memory this year was the re-match of the Super Kings and Royals at Kimberly. Restricting the Royals to a gettable total, the Super Kings also had their screws tigthened, until a cool and determined knock by Badrinath, in the company of a composed Hayden. Yet another match afresh in the mind, was the semi-final of the Super Kings with the Royal Challengers, where Anil Kumble tightened the leash whenever the Super Kings tried to explode, thereby squeezing them for runs.

# This was also a season, where the fielding standards dipped to new lows, by all teams. While the ground-fielding could still be managed, it was the catching that left a lot more to be desired. The Chennai Super Kings again were the culprits in the department more than anyone else, and they also paid the price for having 'butter fingers' on many occasions. While they tried to mask their 'drops' under the garb of big runs on the board, their captain Dhoni minced no words in showing the disappointment. Many of the catches were 'dollies' that had to be taken at this level. Whatever be the reason-even if it had something to do with the weather as pointed out by Gilchrist after the semi-final against Delhi-losing the basics is equal to committing harakiri. Remember Steve Waugh to Gibbs in 1999 World Cup??

# Strategic Time-Outs may have its pros and cons, but I feel they have worked. Teams threatening to run off with the match through hurricane innings of the batsmen have been grounded after the 7 1/2 minutes mid-innings break. One feels this is a case of getting two birds with one stone-raking in extra moolah from ad revenue and on cricketing terms, unsettle the opposition with fresh strategies.

# Maverick laptops and bizzare tactics-strategies do not pay dividends,as was the case with Kolkata Knight Riders. John Buchanan's "Multiple Captain" theory bit the dust and removal of Ganguly from the helm, along with ovwerweight support staff left many wounds afresh and untendered. The 'Fake IPL Player' controversy further opened new cans of worms for the team, as was booting out of Akash Chopra and Sanjay Bangar in middle of the tournament. Similarly, the pushing out of Mohammed Kaif also needs a strong re-visit.

# IPL is here to stay and the more sooner, the cricketing world comes to grip with this reality, the better. Wth ongoing efforts to replicate this model elsewhere in the cricketing and non-cricketing world, it is high time the game's governing body seriously discusses and seals a pending demand from last year-To Have a Permanent Window in the Future Tours and Programmes Calendar for the IPL. With increasing number of players wanting to associate themselves with the even-whether it be for financial or cricketing reasons-it is no more a 'Paid Holiday' as pointed out by Dale Steyn last year. Also, with the ICL also releasing players, many more are expected to join the bandwagon from the next season. However, attempts to have the overdose of the spirit, like suggestions of having two IPLs a year(one in India and other in a potential market catchment area like USA) would only mean 'killing the golden goose'. Also, the primacy of classical first-class cricket has to be established. Statements are emerging from some quarters regarding 'doomsday' for Test cricket; Some players-who reach join the team for the test match just 48 hours before its start and who are angry for dragging them away from IPL-feel "not too sorry or unhappy ath the demise of test cricket" have got it all wrong. The excitement of a five day test match in white flannels, where game happens in sessions, where the skills and perseverance of players are put under scanner, can never be replaced by the razzmattazz of the T20 revolution

# And finally a lesson on personal note-determination and decisions like "will never miss any match, come what may" are also bound to change. They undergo change, due to various circumstances. However, efforts to stick to that original determination 'continue' in numerous forms.

General Elections 2009-Battlefronts in Kerala

Cricket can wait.............Yours truly has set his eyes, ears and heart on the 15th General Elections in this country. Till May 16th, which the day of Counting of the votes, it is going to be hectic days ahead. The people of India have to give a mandate rejecting politics of hate, anti-people neo-liberal economic policies that creates massive inequality and unemployment, against imperialist kowtowing, for ensuring people's livelihood, security, social justice and all-round development. It has to be a mandate for CHANGE; a change towards a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative. One becomes a bit parochial as yours truly would like to put forth the candidates of LDF and UDF in each of the 20 constituencies in my native state of Kerala, which goes to polls in the I phase on April 16th.

Kasargod  -  P.Karunakaran (CPM-LDF) v/s Shahida Kamaal (Congress-UDF)

Kannur  -  K.K.Ragesh (CPM-LDF) v/s K.Sudhakaran (Congress-UDF)

Vadagara  -  P.Sathidevi (CPM-LDF) v/s still to be announced

Kozhikkode  -  Mohammed Riyas (CPM-LDF) v/s M.K Raghavan (Congress-UDF)

Wayanad  -  Rahmatullah (CPI-LDF) v/s M.I.Shaahnawaz (Congress-UDF)

Ponnani  -  Hussain Randathani (Independent-LDF) vs. E.T.Muhammed Bashir (IUML-UDF)

Malappuram  -  T.K.Hamsa (CPM-LDF) vs. E.Ahamed (IUML-UDF)

Palakkad  -  M.B.Rajesh (CPM-LDF) vs. Satheeshan Pacheni (Congress-UDF)

Alathur  -  P.K.Biju (CPM-LDF) vs. N.K.Sudhir (Congress-UDF)

Thrissur  -  C.N.Jayadevan (CPI-LDF) vs. P.C.Chacko (Congress-UDF)

Chalakkudi  -  U.P.Joesph (CPM-LDF) vs. K.P.Dhanapalan (Congress-UDF)

Ernakulam  -  Sindhu Joy (CPM-LDF) vs. K.V. Thomas (Congress-UDF)

Idukki  -  Francis George (KCJ-LDF) vs. P.T.Thomas (Congress-UDF)

Kottayam  -  Suresh Kurup (CPM-LDF) vs. Jose K.Mani (KCM-UDF)

Pathanamthitta  -  K.Ananthagopan (CPM-LDF) vs. Anto Anthony (Congress-UDF)

Maverlikkara  -  R.S.Anil (CPI-LDF) vs. Kodikkunnil Suresh (Congress-UDF)

Alappuzha  -  K.S.Manoj (CPM-LDF) vs. K.C.Venugopal (Congress-UDF)

Kollam  -  P.Rajendran (CPM-LDF) vs. Pithambarakurup (Congress-UDF)

Attingal  -  A.Sampath (CPM-LDF) vs. G.Balachandran (Congress-UDF)

Thiruvananthapuram  -  Ramachandran Nair (CPI-LDF) vs. Shashi Tharoor (Congress-UDF)

This would be the main contestants in the state. The Drumbeats have been sounded.......all eyes and ears are set on the battlefront!!

As Hayden Walks Away.........

There are some images which never fade away, even in the torrential flow of time. Such images that are gripping seem to transcend time barriers and move along bringing in a surreal experience. The game of cricket has always left many such powerful images in me, and one such image is that of the giant frame of that Queenslander called Matthew Hayden. Gripped with the willow and dominating the bowling, Hayden just synchronized his game with utmost perfection. The gripping image of Hayden that remains etched in my mind is his imposing figure during the pulsating and rivetting series against India in 2001; that time, when Steve Waugh dreamt to conquer the 'final frontier'-that unfortunately did not work out. The Aussie were then on a roll, emerging as the world beaters, crushing all teams that came their way. But if a post-mortem of the series is carried out even today-irrespective of that mammoth innings of Laxman at Kolkata- on individual terms, I would term it as between the batting prowess of Hayden and bowling magic of Harbhajan. That 'once-in-a-generation' series saw my admiration grow for him with the passage of every test match. As Hayden walked away into the sunset of his glittering career with a lump in his throat last week, that gigantic image in my mind also fluttering in the wind.

As I tried to engross myself in the process of studying and finishing my final year Higher Secondary exams, to earn a place for my graduation, the Indo-Australian series provided the excuse to remain glued to the television. Thus, I tried to gulp down every bit of news and trivia in the build up to this series. Hence, when the curtains were eventually lifted for the landmark series, the pulls between the television and books rankled. However, I never once missed a ball of that series; in the end, I could fully immerse myself in the world of study and preparations, after Harbhajan effectively sliced the ball towards deep point and ran a double with Sameer Dighe to clinch the Gavaskar-Border trophy. Hayden had announced his arrival with authority in the first test at the Wankhede, as he partnered Adam Gilchrist in re-building the falling Aussie innings. Both scored centuries as Australia batted India out of the test match. Complemented by a strong bowling attack with likes of McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne, the Aussies were home extending their record of consecutive test wins to 16. He carried on his exploits into the historic second test at the Eden Gardens by scoring fifties in both innings, when the Aussie juggernaut was finally stopped by a resilient Laxman and incisive Harbhajan. Even when the mighty Aussie batting line-up crumbled before a target of 384 set by the hosts on the final day, Hayden stood among the ruins with a fighting 67 before being trapped in the front by Sachin's leg spin.

But my best picture of Hayden is the 203 he scored in the concluding test of the series at the Chepauk in Chennai. Scored in the height of the blistering Indian summer amidst the hot and humid conditions that is prominent feature of this city, this double hundred ranks high for Hayden. It came at a time, whereby he continued his aggressive batting, despite the constant fall of wickets at the other end. After winning the toss for the third consecutive time, Steve Waugh sent his team to bat. Hayden, though initially deterred by the fall of two wickets, tried to stabilize things, with Mark Waugh. Slowly, the domination of batting also started. While Harbhajan was having a merry time with the ball scything through the Aussie tall order, Hayden kept one end up. Even though he lost Mark Waugh who perished on the score of 70 after mistiming a leg spinner from Bahatule to Badani at mid-off, Hayden upped the momentum. If it was not for Steve Waugh's hand that stopped a Harbhajan delivery that didn't spin-the captain was given out for handling the ball-the Aussies could have posed a much more higher score, riding on Hayden's knock. Coming from 320 balls and spending 474 minutes at the crease scoring 15 boundaries and 5 sixes, the Queenslander had led the team from the front. The tail did not wag for the Aussies, leading to their quick collapse before Harbhajan's antics. But what was more majestic about the innings of Hayden was the magic that lay within it. Those big arms bringing the willow down to meet the ball with passion made contests more intense. His authority was clamped down with force; toying with spinners through the employment of the powerful Sweep Shot was a feast to the eyes. His accurate head position,with the eyes coming straight to meet the ball was always a sight that turned new leaves for other batsmen around the world to play spin in the sub-continent tracks. Especially, for those batsmen who lack the magical wrists of the sub-continent, the sweep was a useful weapon. Hayden retained the command over the spinners and India, became one of his favourites preys. His test match statistics against India speak a magnificent tale-he scored 1888 runs from 18 tests at an average of 59 including 6 hundreds. As an Opener, he was involved in more than 20 hundred run partnerships with Langer. No doubt then that his captain, Ponting during his farewell media conference, called him "the greatest test opening batsman ever". Scoring over five hundred runs in that epic series, my analysis of the post-mortem became further accurate, as the two main protagonists of the series, Hayden and Harbhajan shared the Man of the Series award. Even though the final frontier could not be conquered then, Hayden had left his signature before he left the Indian shores after the series. He remained in the loop though later, as the Aussies achieved that dream under the able leadership of Gilchrist in 2004 at Nagpur. But as they say all good things must come to an end. The tracks in India-his favourite hunting ground-viewed his downfall in 2008. Replacing Harbhajan and his bag of tricks, was the exponential pace bowling of Zaheer and Ishant Sharma. The 'reverse swing' became more and more difficult to comprehend. Thus, Hayden's failures and the drying up of runs from his willow carried on in the home series against the Proteas; their den being conquered, the Aussies lost a home series after 16 years.

The super imposing image of Hayden once again flows into the mind from the WACA in 2003 when he went on to claim the world record for the highest individual score of 380, from Lara-which the prince from Trinidad reclaimed with a majestic 400 against the English at Antigua a few years later.In that test in Perth, he stamped his domination slogging the minnows all over the park. He ate his way into the bowling taking the ball to the cleaners. he scored his mammoth triple hundred scored after spending 622 minutes and facing 437 balls that was graced with 37 boundaries and 11 hits over the fence. Writing his name into the record books, Hayden's class was further strengthened through the knock.

As Hayden leaves, another image that may also disappear is his initial stance at the crease. As he walked in to take strike, he used to squat on the pitch with the bat prodding down. This was termed as his 'private talk with the pitch', a belief or practice for him. One would also miss his arrogance filled 'walk to hit the fast bowlers over the top'. Players with bigger frame and built like Hayden cannot miss the eye so easily. The images in the mind cannot be blurred that easily. Perhaps, it is only fitting that Hayden remains part of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, for his 'home away from home' without doubt would be the Chepauk arena. The cool sea breeze flowing from the close by Marina beach, continues to weave innumerable images of that valiant double hundred scored right in the middle of the hot and humid summer in Chennai.

As an Era Ends..................

On 30th December, 2008 a mighty 'empire' fell at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. As Hashim Amla and Neil McKenzie scored those winning runs to take South Africa to glory in becoming the first team in 16 years to trounce Australia at home, they had definitely struck at the foundations of an age-old structure, which many of us were 'led' to believe, wouldn't crash for time immemorial. When an Empire falls, there is a deafening noise; noise of a mighty fall that resounds for many ages. It may well be a hyperbole, but end of dominance always brings in the picture of the crumbled edifice. Australia, the once mighty and fearful force in world cricket is crumbling. Their ship has been wrecked more than once in the recent past. However, as the champions are quickly being unseated from their exalted positions, there is surprisingly no noise being heard of this mighty fall.

Sports have always been an extension of human endeavour, wherein the predicaments and aspirations have their own importance. Cricket is no different. The human emotions and physical exertions are well reflected in the playing arena. "Playing Cricket Differently"--that's what the world was reminded of Australia. That difference was between the victor and vanquished; the essential being to be a mile ahead of the rest of the caravan. "The Aussies used to maraude and trample"........those were the words used to describe every Australian victory. After the fall of the Windies' pace in the early 1990s, the Australians came to take their crown. A team built under the astute leadership of Allan Border, it was further nurtured by Mark Taylor. However, it was the mercurial thinking and commanding ability of the 'Iceman' Steven Rodger Waugh, that moulded Australia, into the fearsome unit. He made 'Australia' the force we know in world cricket. I belong to a generation whose prime age in adolescence passed watching Steve Waugh wear the tattered Baggy Green and lead his men to crush all opponents, thus adding new feathers to his crown-even though the 'Final Frontier' still remained unrealized!! This legacy was then taken over by Ponting with pride and moved on. For years, I believed Australia can never be 'defeated' consistently!! There may be an odd failure here and there, but that massive structure would have no cracks.

For people like me, Australia was always a fascination.........a dream that was being realized!! Their team in the history was also called the "Invincibles" in the 1920s; a team that included the legendary Sir Don Bradman. It was a belief that the team could never be made to bite dust.... that they could never lose. May be it was because they always found a champion on any given day to perform for them. The Cricketing world learnt many things from the Aussies-techniques, coloured clothing, white balls, floodlights and night games (from the Packer revolution). They kept on winning.......some stupendous performances, some truly magical. It was practically difficult to imagine any other team winning continuously without long breaks. One needn't had to watch the TV continuously to watch their progress; every morning a prophecy was made that they 'will' win and this turned true every evening.......Only the margin of victory was asked and the rest was understood. Patriotic fervours and biases were raising their heads only if the opposing team was India. But even then, the Aussies used to continue rolling their juggernaut. They won in different lands......on the soggy surfaces in Sri Lanka, in the greenish tops in New Zealand and South Africa, places favouring swing and seam in England, those 'Dead as a Dodo' wickets in the Carribean and even conquered the Final Frontier!! Their pace attack was lethal and armed with precision....McGrath, Gillespie, Lee, and Kasprowicz; they had true magician in those 'fingers' of Warne....along with the solid batting of the Waugh twins, Ponting, Clarke, Hayden, Langer, Slater.....the wizard in Gilchrist who not only rewrote the skills of keeping, but also effected the 'slam bang' in batting at the top order.........then they had the allrounders in Symonds, Bevan and Watson.....all these was stocked with accuracy and clinical precision in fielding. The Aussies were a complete unit in all ways; their team management was also a lesson for other teams to emulate....Simpson, Marsh and Buchanan were not only impressive, but also armed with the expertise. Their man-management skills were tactful and deceptive....Their dominance in the field showed in their verbal volleys too. Intimidating the batsmen, bad mouthing them and playing the 'Mind Games' to dismantle the opposition in all possible ways. They won every trophy on which their hands were laid....be it the World Cup thrice, the Champions Trophy and innumerable test matches.

So, when the historic turn-around started in 2001 under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly's Team India from that once-in-a-generation Test match at Eden Gardens, the sight was astounding....Reflecting upon the 'inability' to fully crush the opposition, Ponting said that their win in the Caribbean in 2008 to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy was the beginning of a period when the team had to switch back the usual method of 'Grinding' to win. This essentially meant that the days of test matches getting over within 3-4 days had virtually ended. The usual image of Australia only batting once to score more than 400 and then bowling teams out twice was not the visual that people could watch again with increasing frequency. But that 'grinding' is also coming to a halt; India in 2008 showed that in Perth in January and then again in the four remarkable tests in September-October 2008. The Proteas completed the formalities and showed the signs of shift in the balance of power.

Various reasons are being attributed to the decline of the Aussie aura. The retirements of senior blokes like Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist in quick succession along with Martyn, and Langer seemed to have left behind a big void that was never easy to fill. Plus dogged by arrogance and injuries, the seniors also were not firing when needed. Those magical times-when in need, hands would have 'lifted' automatically taking the onus on themselves-is a thing of the past. Captain Ponting is firing; but that is not causing any major breakthroughs. As they say, the captain is only as best as his team. The captaincy is also becoming a heavy burden for Ponting...tactics and plans are failing. There have been times when the team really lacked an alternative plan, if the original failed. Suddenly the giant scoring skills of Hayden and the pace of Lee seemed to have deserted them. Compounding all this is the fact that their second line is not that great. As Ponting himself says, it would be difficult to imagine that the youngsters like Johnson, Siddle, Hauritz, Kreiza, White, Bollinger, Hilfenhaus, McGain and others to perfect the role of the former senior pros. The rebuilding of the team that had to start earlier, well in time has been in fact 'well delayed'. Persisting with an unfiring old guard also do not help matters. It is in fact appalling that the Aussie playing XI for any test match that would have been announced a day earlier in the past, is no more a sureity. There are conflicts on the role of the spinner. The Australian team has played with four different spinners in the last 8 test matches they have played. This 'revolving door' policy, once which was the bane for Pakistan, is now turning its hood on Australia. To complicate matters further, there are even murmurs of breaking down of communication between players at times. This was amply seen between Ponting and Lee, during the second test against India at Mohali. Later, the Vice-Captain Michael Clarke expressed his inability and asked the media to turn their questions towards Ponting on the question of not asking Symonds to bowl against the Proteas in the Boxing day test in Melbourne. There are also notions that young blood is not given the right opportunities, which could also be said to mean a lack of will to invest in them. Thus, neglecting their potential and stick to 'experience' as the only factor.

The crown is slipping with each passing day and the contours of the game are being redrawn...game watchers are even stating that the rivalry between India and Australia that had been gripping the enthusiasts is now shifting in favour of the same between the Indians and the South Africans. That they say, is the series to be watched out. The descent has begun. A childhood illusion is also breaking.....that 'wins' are not always guaranteed; Defeats are also not just a rare possibility. Consistency in defeats are also not in the surreal world, but in real world. The collapse of empires and dominant regimes may not be loud and bombastic, but they certainly leave behind rubble. Gathering those rubbles to rebuild the splendid castles and citadels with stronger concrete is also a sight to be watched amidst this collapse. The child in me may have passed over to become the more mature adult in understanding the human aspect of Sport, whereby we realize that the men and women involved in this endeavour are also prone to wear and tear; that they are not 'Invincibles'. But somewhere at the bottom of the heart, one still longs for the report in the next day's sports pages that 'only the winning margin matters', for the 'rest' would always be................

Post Script: It is not often that one gets to write some additional lines, when the victors have vanquished the adversaries. However, the overhead piece was written some days before the New Year test at Sydney. Suddenly, you find the 'dead' rising. When pushed to the corner, the Aussies came up with a spirited show and manage to win the test match with minutes to go before stumps on the final day. The win was guided by a resilient hundred by Michael Clarke( scoring 138 off 250 balls and a fighting 64 by Mitchell Johnson). Peter Siddle joined in the efforts by taking 5/59 in the first innings of the Proteas and finishing the match with figures of 8/113. Aiding the home side was a crumbling SCG track, with enough cracks to make the South African chase in the 4th innings difficult. But the hero of the test match was definitely visiting captain Graeme Smith, who came out to bat as No.11 to try and save the test from the Aussie jaws. Already suffering a muscle tear-that ruled him out of contention in the later part of the tour comprising the LOIs and T20 games-he broke his little finger after a delivery from Mitchell Johnson reared up from a crack in the pitch. Despite having his hand in cast, Smith fought bravely to do the impossible: save the match for his team. His bravery reminds one of the bandaged Anil Kumble coming out to bowl in the Caribbean in the 4th test at Antigua, in spite of a broken jaw by a Mervin Dillon delivery earlier. This however is forgotten in the given list of brave acts on the field. However, the win for the Aussies doesn't camouflage their impending problems, which continue to linger. Hayden failed again, Ponting shined only in the 2nd innings with a fifty. This win has come on the backs of the youngsters......Clarke, Johnson, Siddle, McDonald, Haurtiz and Bollinger. The win does show that 'the castles and citadels can be rebuilt'........; the future for Australia rests on these young faces. Though the Aussies maintain their lead as No.1 Test side, the gap has been reduced. With the return series coming up in South Africa in four weeks, the crown on the Aussie heads is slowly slipping away.