Horses for Courses

Cricket is such a fascinating game one which provides ample opportunities for an individual to pick and perform from either of three departments; namely Batting, Bowling and Fielding. The game has witnessed some special talents who have been able to play for long time with an exceptional skill in only a single department. Take for example, Jonathan Rhodes from South Africa who with his agile fielding was able to set the ground on fire. He would contribute to the teams cause by cutting down on the opposition runs even more than he would himself score with the bat. Then there was Courtney Walsh whose bowling can make the best amongst the very best batsmen dance even though his nightmares with the bat are well-known. The list of batters with exceptional batting ability is long. Yet there are few who would impress in more than one department and a very little among them who even did performed superbly in all three. Such a batch is badge with allrounders tag. It’s been the subject of debate for years as to what type of players is better, since most of the teams play the combination of all. To sum up, the playing conditions enable the team management to select a particular type which often is the key to success.

 

Similarly there are gymnasiums with heavy machinery that offers services of exquisite trainer for individuals who wish to develop their bodies with muscular curves. Otherwise there are old-fashioned ‘exercise-schools’ situated at every neck and corner offering light exercising tools for ones who want to stay fit. In spite of all a huge chuck of people simply ignore them. Here the choice of individual matters most.

 

There are professionals who are well equipped in a particular faculty although they would know the subject in and out. There are surgeons amongst Doctors who perform high skill job. The Chartered Accountants are found in numbers who are specialised in offering financial services. Some do audit, some are tax expert while some others restrict to filing Income Tax returns only. There are advocates who perform their practise in variety of fields. Civil, legal and criminal are few most commonly practised divisions. Many of the advocates are specialised in a single field only. Say for instance an advocate who has restricted his area of operations to civil cases and provides his services in matters of property registration, agreements and court matter thereof would be beneficial for one who seeks advice in such matters. If a patron visits an advocate providing services in other area, then only God can save him from taking such a leap as the advocate would net his fish anyway while their client is bound to face difficulties. A prospective client should be street-smart or else the world is waiting to squeeze blood out from his veins. As the case may be in Cricket, the best bait for our veteran customer is to investigate and choose his prospective service provider, wisely.

 

Always find your Horses, for courses.

Tame thy beast!

Whole of India, and it's numerous die-hard Cricket followers would stay awake and wish good luck to the national team that would take on mighty South Africa in their own backyard in the most anticipated test series of the season that begins on 18^th of this month. They call it ‘entering the Lion’s den’ here. And never has Indians survived the brutal assault of the beast and have always returned gruesomely injured if not killed.

 

Dhoni and his warriors have already lost battle in the one dayers; dreadfully to be honest and the wounds have puke blood ferociously. The entry of young blokes into the national team, and since being inexperienced, is expected to continue bleeding during the war of test matches. Africans have, and wisely choose, the tallest amongst the tall lethal fast bowlers that can fright the opposition camp even before the battle begins. Although their batting line-up remains circumspect to post huge scores, but they would rely on the fact that Indians have carried a rigid pace bowlers in their camp.

 

Clearly the strength of Indian team lies in their batting, which in the last decade or so has been the reason behind their overseas success. Dhoni with all his experienced mind and cunning utilisation of resources would like to turn table on the African’s through shrewd yet hostile ways. The equation of ‘Win the toss and bat first’ would come-in handy since their lies the strength of Indians.

 

Open with Vijay (as he is the only option) alongside Dhawan; Pujara next followed by Rahane and the burden of scoring huge numbers to be carried by the young shoulders of Kohli and Sharma assisted by Dhoni and Ashwin in that order. Zaheer, Ishant and Yadav must accept the responsibility to bowl out the shaky batting line up one which Africa posses.

 

The encounter between Zaheer-Smith and Steyn-Sharma appear to bring crowds inside the stadiums in the sport savvy country of South Africa, while we would cheer for team India seating far away here in India. 

 

Although it appears tough but I would put my money on India’s win!

Unwarranted Change

Back in 2004, when Irfan Pathan entered the International cricket arena, the entire Cricketing fraternity cheered as they saw in him a rebirth of ageing Wasim Akram. Irfan was deemed to be the incarnation of the master. He briefly lived to the expectations and performed exceptionally with the swinging ball as well as with the handy bat lower down. Irfan was India’s answer to world as a genuine fast bowler who would swing the cricket ball on will, left or right, with pace, during day or night, on hard or crunchy surfaces. One did felt that the next Kapil Dev, who can contribute to Indian cricket for years as an allrounder was unearthed.

The in-swinging yorker which uprooted Adam Gilchrist’s stumps in Irfan’s debut test played at Sydney has made a permanent place in the memory store of an ardent Indian cricket fan. Then came his magical first over hat-trick against Pakistan which demonstrated his control and command over the cricket ball. Meanwhile he gathered few important runs lower down and his crucial cameos did provide India some historic wins against better nations.

A lot changed for India during the regime of Coach Greg Chappell who believed in squeezing more out of every individual, sometimes more than he could offer. The ill-effects of Chappell’s theory deteriorated the Indian team and hung the cricketing careers of some exceptionally talented blokes in jeopardy. Ganguly resisted. He was shown the door soon. Dravid followed coach’s advice; reluctantly. Irfan’s performance took a toll as he was burdened with batting responsibility up in the batting order, a load which his shoulders could not sustain long enough. Step by step his performance with the ball began the troublesome march towards south. Soon it reached the tip and the name of Irfan Pathan, who was here to entertain Indian fans with his magical swinging deliveries that lured the batsmen to drive only to fall in his trap, vanished away.

A seed that was supposed to become a giant tree in years to come was destroyed by the infertility of the soil around. A change in action, a drop in pace, teachings from Wasim Akram and the TV serial entry which broke his Cricketing focus did not help him either. The injuries kept following that worsen the matter. The Cricketer who was destined to become Great; one who had the ability to become ‘The Best’; slowly and steadily was put to disturbing Rest.

Irfan Pathan lost his focus on the thing which he could do best, i.e. swing the leather ball at pace, and didn’t resist the outside forces that damaged his entire career. The Indian Cricket fan has sobbed during many restless nights while this all was happening.

Have we learned anything at the cost of an exceptional talent?

What can a Sardar do?

Apart from allowing us enjoy deep laughs those arising out of a silly remark and funny gesture here are few noteworthy things that a Sardar can do.

A young Sardar can chew his nails, looking upwards with the bent neck and wrinkles all over the forehead. He may appear tense but is cucumber cool inside.

Sardar can spin the cricket ball both ways with same action.

He can roll over again and again repeatedly in circular motion after getting Ricky Ponting out. He can get Ricky any time, any ball even if waked from a deep sleep.

A Sardar can whack a tight slap straight on face in a full stadium.

He can walk the ramp with open hairs and win the young hearts.

Well a Sardar can set a dance floor on fire too.

Only a Sardar can lift the richest women of the nation in air before the clicking cameras and be humbled about the entire episode.

This Sardar has a Hummer.

Only our Sardar can call an animal, an Animal, that to inside the animal kingdom.

Sardar is the only Indian to grab Hattrick in test and that too against the mighty Australian’s at the Eden Gardens.

Watch video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNBBfubigtg

Sardar can ball a huge wide down leg stump at crucial encounter and can be torn apart by Afridi in a test match all in one over. Yet, h’ll make the best of the batsmen appear fool with his exceptional guile.

Sardar can date a bollywood hottie.

Sardar can win test matches for India. Who’s the last bowler to do that? Kumble may be?

A Sardar can make crowd dance on his tunes during the match.

Moreover our Sardar can smash two back-to-back test hundreds (a feat unaccomplished by the best in business) and stamp his authority over the allrounder’s badge for India.

Above all our Sardar, Sardar Harbhajan Singh, from Jalandar, Punjab sprinkles life into whatever and wherever he does.

Congratulations and well done “Bhaaji”. Your test centuries have become an epitome of Indian cricket. We love you all. Go fetch the sky!!!