Friday, November 13, 2015

Sehwag: The Legend and the Motivator

This blog post is part of the #madeofgreat contest organized by Indiblogger and Tata Motors. Check their page: http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/

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If you are a sports-loving teenager between mid nineties to early 2000s’ in India then there is great chance that you are dedicated follower of the game of cricket. I was no different. Borrowing one of the old advertisement slogans of the nineties, I can say, I used to ‘Eat Cricket, drink cricket, sleep cricket’ and was in love with game.
 I was lucky to watch some of the game’s greats in peak of their cricketing career during my growing up period. There were stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble, the cherished ‘fav five’ of Indian cricket! And then there were global superstars like Brian Lara, Glen Mcgrath,Adam Gilchrist, Wasim Akram, Allan Donald... just to name a few. They were great sportsmen, great characters and nice human beings on and off the fields. There are so many stories about these players, stories of hard work, determination and above all about their love of the game.
Among these hosts of cricketing legends the one player who stands out for me with his greatness is Virendra Sehwag. Generally a humble person, I always found him as a simple guy with great attitude. I believe that in life attitude is the key. You may not always have to be the best in your job to be successful if you have the right attitude. And this is true for every aspect of life like academics, performing arts or sports.
Sehwag or ‘Viru’ as he is lovingly called by his friends and fans has this simple approach in his game, especially when he is batting. ‘If there is a ball to be hit it should be hit’ this is his motto in life. This approach may not be successful all the time but when it works it can get you magical results.
And Viru has provided so many magical memories for us. I can list down his great innings starting from his debut test century in South Africa to his triple centuries in Multan and to his feat of starting all the group league matches of the 2011 World Cup with a boundary first ball. But this is not a list of his great performances with bat and ball. Neither am I going to bore you with statistical analysis of his runs and wickets. Because as I have said, sometimes how you have scored the runs is important than how many runs you have scored.
Rather I am going to emphasize the impact of a man who has inspired me to have a simple approach in life. Who has educated me not to think too much and enjoy whatever I am doing. I know that if I am sincere about my effort, do my homework right and if true to myself then success should not be far away in life. There are so many moments where I have seen Viru accomplish this in most difficult of situations and took India towards victory. All with a smiling tension free face against deadliest of bowling attacks from around the world.
With his retirement from international cricket last month it felt like another part of my adolescent years are gone. But the memories are there to cherish forever. His fierce cuts and pulls and above all the life lesson of being simple and effortless will remain with me forever.
For me Virendra Sehwag is truly #madeofgreat who is legend of the great game we all love. He has faced every difficult situation in the cricket field with simple but determined mindset while humming peppy Kishore Kumar song despite all the pressure of expectation from the people of a cricket crazy nation.

Virendra Sehwag was an exceptional cricketer and a true Hero. A youth icon in every sense! Thank you for the memories.
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P.S. What do you think of Tata Motor's association with Lionel Messi? Answer as comment and best comment might win you a prize of Amazon voucher worth 750/- rupees.

22 comments:

  1. Khub shundor and simple lekhata hoyeche and I ended up remembering my brief encounte with the game and the enjoyment I felt in those days ... Loved the last line

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  2. Good one Tapo. Made me nostalgic.

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  3. Thanks folks! Some memories will remain forever in our heart.

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  4. The story of a Legend in himself - that's how I will describe it in a short sentence. Very well written with words which enhance the simplicity yet greatness of the man.

    My answer: Tata is a name which any and every person can rely on for its honesty, commitment and perseverance. Lionel Messi is a legend who has carved his name in history books with total dedication to the game, simple living and improvisation which is seen with each game he plays. The association of Tata Motors and Lionel Messi as their Brand Ambassador will definitely give an edge to the Tata group over its competitors solely because the brand Ambassador also holds the same reputation of not letting his fans down ever, like Tata Motors who have given the best to the world over the decades. Its an exemplary association par excellence.

    You can choose my answer as the best if you feel I described it all well.. :)

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  5. Nicely penned, Tapabrata.
    It was endearing to recall so many inspirational achievements by Sehwag on the field and even otherwise.

    I would like to establish an analogy to this rock-strong merger through a stanza or two of verse:



    ‘What drives us from within is what makes us great’
    Belief in oneself, the zeal to put up a brave face,
    In the face of adversity, to stand strong against fate,
    That’s how life is – it’s an excellent goal to chase!

    To create a name for oneself, from the soil your feet dampen,
    To let critics enhance your effort, not let your spirits dampen,
    It’s the journey that counts, more than having scaled the peak,
    To persevere so that it’s your actions that have the loudest shriek!



    To sum up, I feel that this age-old adage rings true whenever I think of this beautiful alliance of an Indian Global Brand – Tata Motors and a Global Argentinian Sportsperson – Lionel Messi

    “Our Similarities bring us to a common ground; Our Differences allow us to be fascinated”

    That realization is truly #madeofgreat. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Poonam. Great words on the association!

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  6. Ah, Sehwag !!! Tapabrata, I have been watching cricket since 1987 and I tell you what Sehwag happens to be the one I count as a true match-winner for India. The nonchalance, the fearlessness, the uninhibited display of batting that Sehwag revelled in so successfully and so regularly is unmatched. Loved reading your post, Tapabrata.

    To answer the question on Tata Motors' association with Lionel Messi:

    Both Tata Motors and Lionel Messi inspire awe and respect by sheer force of their unparalleled performance which is combined with finesse and a touch of class.

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  7. Very interesting post about yet another legend of International cricket. Here we are talking about confluence of two legendary icons- Tata Motors and Lionel Messi. This association can only produce quality products. I am wondering what is going to hit the Indian roads in near future from the Tata stable!!

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  8. Great post.

    Legends always meet legends and so TATA Motors came in association with Lionel Messi. Both deliver their best in the best of their potential and manner and are always keen on working hard and improve with each performance. Both have proved their mettle in their own fields and are known for the best in their performance grounds. Splendid and amazing, both them of them and even a great pleasure to see their association!

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  9. Hi Tapabrata,
    Indeed a nicely written post. I wish you good luck for the contest
    Here is my answer
    The association of Tata Motors with Lionel Messi is that of two greats. Lionel Messi has been exceptionally talented who with his hard work, determination and sacrifices has got better and tougher in his chosen sport so is the Image, reputation and quality of TATA Motors that have transformed brilliant ideas into masterpieces of engineering and created a brand and products that we are so proud of as Indians. Lionel Messi has transformed his body and the mind body co-ordination into a masterpiece of precision and excellence it would not be wrong to say that Lionel Messi is the TATA Motors of sports where as TATA Motors is the Lionel Messi of vehicles both giants in their own spheres driven by the drive to excel and lead by example. So Lionel Messi is the best choice for becoming the brand Ambassador for TATA Motors
    aaloke19@gmail.com

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  10. Your post describes #madeofgreat so well that it has winner written all over it. Good luck for your entry.
    Here is my answer.
    Like minds think and act alike looking at the track record of TATA Motors it has stood the test of time and built a business that was built using bricks of hard work on a foundation of trust. Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the trademarks of brand TATA Motors. These same qualities are present in Lionel Messi who with his immense talent has made a mark for himself on the international football field .Facing all hardships he has worked hard toiling on the fields and in training sessions facing injuries and pressure to come out trumps and be a winner. Thus these two greats Lionel Messi and TATA Motors are made for each other .There association is a bond of two legends
    In case you pick me a winner my email id is : princess09hema@gmail.com
    Fingers crossed :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks.

      Great words on the association between Tata Motors and Lionel Messi.

      Delete
  11. Your post defines #madeofgreat to the hilt. Goodluck for the contest
    My answer is:
    Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the pillars of strength on which TATA have built a brand that has put India on the global map. It is a brand that has stood the test of time just like Lionel Messi who tackles opposition on the field with his skill,agility,strategy,brilliance and raw power to reach and score a goal so has been the track record of TATA motors who has become a brand leader and a global giant. These qualities make TATA Motors and Lionel Messi perfect partners who stand for the same set of values thus Lionel Messi is the perfect brand ambassador to represent TATA Motors.
    Hope my best to be a winner here; do contact me for the prize at mahima2014j@gmail.com
    fingers crossed

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your post defines #madeofgreat in an awesome manner.Very well written and interesting post indeed.
    My Answer
    Tata Motors is a brand that makes durable vehicles, with its MADE IN INDIA mark makes every Indian proud. It is a brand seen globally as Trusted, Reliable, Innovative and at the forefront of technology. In its journey since inception it has overcome all odds, competition, and adversities with grit and determination. These same qualities are associated with Lionel Messi who was very talented and hardworking from a very early age. With each game that he played he kept improving his skills and built a career to become one of the best player of professional football. There qualities make both TATA Motors and Lionel Messi giants who perfectly compliment each other and Lionel Messi the right and perfect Ambassador who stands for the same values that TATA Motors does.
    bhuwan198grover@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Bhuwan.

      Nice thoughts on the association.

      Delete

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