You are a very cool person. In the field, you smiled all the time. When you bat you look like a painter, you just flick your wrist with a bat in hand and it feels like you are drawing a soothing picture with your brush. A very nice, light colored picture. It does not include bright colors, it's not a picture full of darkness. More often than not it's like an uncomplicated painting of a flowing river or a beautiful scenery with mountains in the far end.
One ball, you flick an outside off stump delivery to mid wicket and in the next ball you lean on to the same delivery to drive through cover. You did that and then give a smile to the bowler and your partner. The way we connect toughness with Dravid, Passion with Ganguly, destruction with Sehwag and something grand with Sachin, for you I always connect calmness. You go very easily about your business and keep scoring runs or take most unbelievable catches standing/ diving in the slip cordon.
You love to play against the Aussies. You scored a breathtaking 167 in Sydney in a loosing cause during the 2000-01 tour. And then you have played your greatest innings against them in the return tour. 281 in the second innings in Eden gardens, then 148 in Adelaide Oval, and again 200 in Delhi. But in their last tour in 2010, you have played which perhaps the greatest fighting innings by an Indian cricketer. Those 73 runs, scored in just over three hours with severe back pain are part of Indian cricket's folklore. Last 92 runs of the chase was scored with number 10 and 11. What an effort!
And with 6 runs left you did the unthinkable! You got angry!!
Cricnfo describes,
One ball, you flick an outside off stump delivery to mid wicket and in the next ball you lean on to the same delivery to drive through cover. You did that and then give a smile to the bowler and your partner. The way we connect toughness with Dravid, Passion with Ganguly, destruction with Sehwag and something grand with Sachin, for you I always connect calmness. You go very easily about your business and keep scoring runs or take most unbelievable catches standing/ diving in the slip cordon.
You love to play against the Aussies. You scored a breathtaking 167 in Sydney in a loosing cause during the 2000-01 tour. And then you have played your greatest innings against them in the return tour. 281 in the second innings in Eden gardens, then 148 in Adelaide Oval, and again 200 in Delhi. But in their last tour in 2010, you have played which perhaps the greatest fighting innings by an Indian cricketer. Those 73 runs, scored in just over three hours with severe back pain are part of Indian cricket's folklore. Last 92 runs of the chase was scored with number 10 and 11. What an effort!
And with 6 runs left you did the unthinkable! You got angry!!
Cricnfo describes,
And then I realized, yes you are a human being too. You are tough, you are passionate and the way you wave your bat you could have been destructive too if Ojha would not be in the non striker end.
I am sorry I could not write more as I have to go to office early today. But it's because I want to take a couple of leaves in the week of 14th. In my last visit you have scored a century and frankly speaking I got addicted. So I will go again hoping to see Sachin and Dravid and VS but also, I hope you make a hat trick of centuries in Eden Gardens where your average stands till date at a Bradman like 94 plus.
Happy Birthday Champ!! Have a Special Day!!
He is, possibly, the last in a series of batsmen who mistake paintbrushes for bats. And simultaneously, win or save test matches.
ReplyDeleteMY FAVOURITE CRICKETER. And I've been watching cricket for 28 years now.