Flawed, but eternally charming

"To do easily what is difficult for others is the mark of talent. To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius.":- Henri Frederic Amiel

Genius can be at once highly endearing, and yet incomprehensible. I have often wondered what constitutes genius and what goes on to elevate geniuses beyond the reach of talented mortals. Geniuses can soar to insurmountable heights, and plummet to the lowest depths the next day. They are enigmatic and extraordinary, yet most ordinary at other times. They are capable of enthralling the masses and just as capable of leaving them distraught. Undoubtedly, the most alluring aspect of geniuses is not their gifted ability and skill but the fact that they are inherently flawed.

The clear difference between talent and genius is manifested best in sport. While there have been many exceptionally talented, level headed sportsmen who retained focus and kept their minds on the job, there have been very few sportsmen who can be classified as geniuses. Success inevitably follows dedication as in the case of the hard working and talented individual. But an air of predictability always shrouds their performances, rendering them less attractive than the utterly random show of geniuses. Life itself is chaotic and mysterious, with very little known about what might transpire next. Part of the romantic appeal of geniuses lies in the fact that their every action mimics life's vagaries. Their divine gifts are woven seamlessly around mortal weaknesses and together, they create an entertaining personality who cannot fail to charm. The myriad connections among various aspects of their lives are never clear and the line that aims to separate their professional and personal lives is inevitably blurred.





Geniuses evoke extreme views and polarise opinion like none other. While women, drugs and alcohol are man's major weaknesses, they are much more formidable obstacles in the lives of geniuses. George Best and Diego Maradona were gifted with the most sublime skills and unparalleled ability and could conjure up magic on a football field with seemingly no effort. Best's brilliant spell at Manchester United and Maradona's glittering career were interspersed with episodes of drug abuse, allegations of affairs and sporadic incidents of indiscipline and misbehaviour. While it can be argued that these greats should have been more responsible and focused and not let success get to their heads, their erratic moments can often be attributed to an intrinsic urge to regain their lost privacy and personal space. The infiltration of their personal lives causes them to break free and seek some solace. Shane Warne and Brian Lara are two other classic examples of geniuses who never really came to grips with the stardom and adulation they encountered at an early age. While Warne battled the media and his traumatic personal life, Lara's fights were often with himself. He was almost always a slave to his mind, but on the rare occasions when he did pull himself up to wrest control, there was no better batsmen in cricket. Peter Roebuck beautifully captures the essence of genius "Lara has soared near the sun, while Tendulkar has been content to bask in its glory". Genius can reach well beyond the talented, but cannot quite remain there for long.





Carl Jung said "Sometimes, indeed, there is such a discrepancy between the genius and his human qualities that one has to ask oneself whether a little less talent might not have been better." Geniuses can be admired and idolised, but should never be imitated. They may neither be the most likable nor the most approachable, but they never were meant to be. Their gifts and traits are unique; less talent and better qualities definitely makes them more mortal and less genius.

The battle with their personal lives and weaknesses often leaves geniuses jaded and off colour. They almost surely pull themselves back with renewed vigour and determination, but discover that traits such as focus, concentration and dedication which are so easy to summon for most men are often in short supply for geniuses. More than all the amazing achievements of these legends, it is the continuous struggle to regain control of their life, often a losing battle, that causes millions to admire these men. It is not the spectacular aspects of genius, but the mortal struggles symbolic of daily life that constitute their eternal charm.

Great ODI knocks in chases

Following Abdul Razzaq’s spectacular unbeaten 109 which helped Pakistan snatch an unlikely victory against South Africa in the second ODI, I decided to look back at eleven of the finest individual batting performances in ODI chases post 1990. Since 1990, the game has witnessed stunning assaults by Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya which have made a mockery of tricky targets, brilliant recoveries from hopeless situations orchestrated by Michael Bevan and the solo efforts of Sachin Tendulkar in defeats. Here’s my selection of eleven of the best knocks in chases.

1. Brian Lara- 153 v Pakistan, Champions trophy final, Sharjah 1993: Basit Ali had earlier smashed the West Indies bowling in a 79 ball 127 and helped Pakistan set a huge target of 285 in the final. Brian Lara though, had come into the series in a rich vein of form and looked solid right from the outset. He treated a quality bowling attack with disdain scoring 153 with 21 boundaries. His superbly paced knock enabled the West Indies to overhaul the Pakistan total with ease.

2. Michael Bevan – 78* v West Indies at Sydney 1996: Australia had comprehensively outplayed West Indies in the Tests and the earlier matches in the tri series. On this occasion though, West Indies who were defending just 173, reduced Australia to 38 for 6 with Curtly Ambrose and Ottis Gibson bowling superbly. The score soon became 74/7 when Ian Healy fell. Michael Bevan, in the company of Paul Reiffel took Australia to within 17 runs of victory before Reiffel fell. When Shane Warne was run out by Roger Harper in the final over, seven runs were required. It all came down to four required off one delivery. Bevan, calm as ever, swung Harper’s final ball straight down the ground for four to establish himself as one of the game’s best finishers.

3. Sachin Tendulkar- 143 v Australia Sharjah 1998: India, having started well in the tournament, faltered in the next two games and were fighting for a place in the final. Australia amassed 284 after a Michael Bevan century. India required 254 to qualify for the final against Australia ahead of New Zealand. Despite very little support, Sachin Tendulkar single handedly took on the Australian bowling and brought India close to the mark. But a sand storm passing the ground disrupted play and the target was altered to 237 in 46 overs. Tendulkar guided India past the score in the process scoring a superb century. He had his mind set not merely on qualifying, but on winning the match. Tendulkar proceeded to launch a stunning counter attack, but after he was dismissed for 143, India settled for a final berth. Two days later, on his birthday, Tendulkar scored a superb 134 to win the final.

4. Steve Waugh -120* v South Africa, Super Six match, Headlingley 1999 WC: Australia had started the 1999 World Cup disastrously losing to Pakistan and New Zealand. They had to win every game in order to make the semi finals, but were reeling at 48/3 facing a huge total of 271 in the final Super Six game against South Africa. Dropped by Herschelle Gibbs early in his innings, Steve Waugh proceeded to play one of the finest ODI knocks by a captain. He shared crucial partnerships with Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan and Tom Moody to take Australia past the finish line. The crucial win meant that Australia progressed to the final following a tie in the semi final between the same two teams.

5. Michael Bevan:102* v New Zealand, VB Series, Melbourne 2002: Australia had lost their first three matches against New Zealand and were in deep trouble in the final game chasing New Zealand’s 245. Michael Bevan walked in at 53 for 4 and the score soon became 82 for 6 when Ian Harvey was dismissed. Shane Warne and Brett Lee provided crucial support as Bevan continued to pick the gaps regularly. He scored just seven boundaries in his innings, but manoeuvred the chase superbly to lead Australia to a two wicket win. Bevan, in the company of Andy Bichel, repeated the heroics in the 2003 World Cup against England and New Zealand.

6. Sachin Tendulkar: 98 v Pakistan, Super Six match, World Cup 2003, Centurion: India had never lost to Pakistan in World Cup matches and the match up was a must win for Pakistan. Saeed Anwar’s composed century led Pakistan to 273, a very competitive total considering the quality bowling attack they possessed. Tendulkar, who confessed to have not being able to sleep for days leading up to the game, took first strike and produced a special performance. He took apart Shoaib Akthar in the second over of the game hitting him for 18 runs including a memorable upper cut for six over point. Tendulkar was eventually dismissed for 98 leaving India to get less than 100 runs in over 20 overs. Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh comfortably sealed the win which left Pakistan on the brink of elimination.

7. Adam Gilchrist: 122 v Sri Lanka, VB Series final, 2005-06: Sri Lanka pulled of a surprise by winning the first final of the VB Series. A remarkable recovery by Australia to post a massive match winning 368 after being 10 for 3 in the second final meant a third final was to be played. Chasing a competitive target of 267, Adam Gilchrist proceeded to destroy the Sri Lankan attack with a display of clean striking. He hit 13 fours and four sixes in his 122 off just 91 balls to lead Australia to victory in the VB series final. Gilchrist did it again to Sri Lanka a year later, when he cracked a brilliant 149 to win the World Cup final.

8. Herschelle Gibbs: 175 v Australia, Johannesburg, 2006: Australia had recovered from a 2-0 deficit to level the series at 2-2 before the final match at the Wanderers. A spectacular 164 from Ricky Ponting led Australia to a massive 434 which seemed well beyond reach after they lost Boeta Dippenaar early in the chase. However Graeme Smith made an aggressive 90 and set the tone for what was to follow. Herschelle Gibbs played a tremendous knock of 175 with 21 fours and seven sixes to lead South Africa’s improbable chase. Despite Gibbs’ dismissal with over 130 runs needed, the lower middle order contributed to take South Africa close. Mark Boucher, who made a vital 50, scored the winning runs off the penultimate ball from Brett Lee to seal an extraordinary win.

9. Sachin Tendulkar: 175 v Australia, Hyderabad, 2009: Tendulkar has made 12 centuries in ODI defeats, but none were better than his sublime 175 at Hyderabad. Faced with a huge total of 350, Tendulkar played with the same freedom and control that characterised his batting in the late 1990s. Wickets fell all around him, but his partnership with Suresh Raina took India to the doorstep of victory. With 19 runs required off 18 balls, Tendulkar fell caught at short fine leg, trying to play a lap sweep. His dismissal triggered an all too familiar Indian collapse with the last three wickets going down for 15 runs. Despite the best efforts of Tendulkar, India went on to lose the match by three runs.

10. Shahid Afridi: 109 v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2010: Shahid Afridi walked in with Pakistan in deep trouble at 32 for 4 chasing Sri Lanka’s 242. Not sacrificing his aggressive approach, Afridi played a lone hand scoring 109 off just 76 balls with eight fours and seven sixes. He received very little support throughout his knock and only Umar AKmal and Abdul Razzaq contributed meaningfully. When Afridi fell in the 41st over, only 38 runs with three wickets in hand. But the Pakistani lower order collapsed leaving Sri Lanka victorious by 16 runs.

11. Abdul Razzaq: 109 v South Africa, 2010: Colin Ingram’s maiden century lifted South Africa to a challenging 286. It appeared to be all over for Pakistan when Shahid Afridi fell in the 30th over with over 150 runs required. Abdul Razzaq had other ideas though as he smashed ten sixes during his 109 in the process scoring 59 of the last 61 runs to seal a scarcely believable win for Pakistan.

Memories I will carry...

Back to writing after a long hiatus..it's been very frustrating not being able to write over the last few months..not that work has been hectic, I assume it's just sheer laziness ...hopefully this is a start of a phase of some regular writing..
Growing up in the 1990s was incredible fun especially with all the sports doing the rounds..regularly subscribing to Sportstar and collecting all the posters while also getting my hands on Wisden and other magazines was the best part..The 1990s and early witnessed some of the greatest sporting achievements and the memories and details of the cricket, tennis and football matches I watched are still strongly ingrained in my mind..I have been working on an international cricket ratings system and in the course of this wonderful exercise, i have revisited scorecards and matches from the last 30-40 years...Recently I decided to dig up the attic at home to find all the old magazines and books I had collected and thought ill write a bit about all the treasured sporting moments, the memories of which I will carry to my end...and i sure hope reading these brings back fond memories to all u guys who enjoyed the best sports action through the 1990s..

1. WC 1992: Introduced to cricket and sports in general around 1990-91, the 1992 WC was the first major cricketing event which as a school going kid, I gobbled up happily..The India Pak game, Miandad's antics, the semi final goof up, Wasim Akram's special deliveries and most of all Jonty Rhodes flying to run Inzamam-ul-Haq out..

2. WI tour of Australia 1992-93: By this time, I was already quite a serious cricket watching kid..I vividly remember Brian Lara's 277, Warne's spell at the MCG and Curtly Ambrose wrecking havoc at the WACA (spell of 7/1). Best of all was the classic 1 run win at Adelaide, crestfallen Tim May and McDermott walk back after a superb fight back...

3. Ashes 1993: A one sided contest, made memorable by one man Shane Warne who delivered the 'ball of the century' to a puzzled Mike Gatting at Old Trafford..Gooch handling the ball for 133, Atherton run out 99, Peter Such on debut and the Texaco trophy with Robin Smith scoring 167 only to see the Aussies chasing the score with ease...

4. West Indies in India 1994: India won the first test, Jimmy Adams held them up in Nagpur and then finally in Mohali, Adams and Lara played superbly..Walsh's ball to injure Manoj prabhakar, huge win for WI...

5. Ambrose killing England at Trinidad- Curtly Ambrose loved England..this occasion he brought them down on their knees while defending a low score..first ball nailed Atherton, bowled Smith and Thorpe and his 6/24 bowled them out for 46 and the Hindu headline was Ambrose breaks England's back and heart!

6. Brian Lara's record breaking year: 1994- Lara's annus mirabilis- his 375 in Antigua watched it ball by ball, the pull off Chris Lewis to seal the record and being embraced by the legendary Sobers, the 501* against Durham in less than 2-3 weeks..lara had become my favourite player and still remains..

7.Aus conquer the Caribbean 1995- lara and Hooper leading a stunning fightback in the first test, steve waugh taking a controversial catch to dismiss lara, the low scoring classic in the 3rd test, Waugh's eyeball to eyeball with Ambrose, his magnificent 200 to go with Mark waugh's 126 setting up a superb series win...

8. The 1996 WC: The event that changed cricket in India, especially the television for sure...extraordinary coverage and previews..remember all the magazines, cut outs, posters and quizzes..memories include Tendulkar's classic at Bombay in a losing cause against Australia after Mark Waugh's superb 126, kenya's shock upset over WI at Pune, India Pakistan clash in bangalore mar 9 1996,cant ever forget Sohail and Prasad..Lara's 111 to send favourites SA out and the Waugh twins combining to deny NZ at Madras after Harris and Germon helped post a huge score..
Two very different semis..Calcutta witnessed rioting after India's inexplicable collapse, De Silva's superb cameo 66 off 47 balls and Sachin Tendulkar's 65 stood out in a match with a forgettable ending..The other semis saw Australia recover from 15/4 with Stuart law and Michael bevan helping them to 207 and WI made a hash of the chase after some poor decisions and bad shot making..eventually Richie Richardson was left high and dry after Walsh went for a silly hoick off Fleming and I cried all night...!..the finals was great too with de silva again proving his class...

9.India's capitulation at Barbados: Chasing 120, India were ambushed for 81 by Ambrose, Bishop and Rose..recall the beauty to Dravid by Rose, Lara catching tendulkar off Bishop and Ambrose bowling Azhar and ganguly...Laxman top scored with 19..wut a game!

10. Australia tour of South Africa 1997- Greg Blewett's 214 and Steve Waugh setting up a monster score in Jo'burg and Mark Waugh's sublime knock guiding Australia to a series win. Top quality test series..

11. Ashes 1997- England started off superbly bowling Australia out for 118 and winning comfortably but then Lord's happened with mcgrath's 8/38 and England escaping courtesy the weather but not for long. The Aussies were back and crushed England in the remaining tests..England's solace was in the fact that they won ODI series 3-0, with the new star Ben Hollioake slamming 63 off 48 (he died few yrs later in a car crash sadly)...

12. Tendulkar takes on Warne- madras 1998- Warne nailed tendulkar in the first innings caught in the slips..Australia had a lead but in the 2nd innings, tendulkar hit a superb 155 nullifying Warne's round the wicket tactics and had the wood on the leg spinning great for the next 2-3 years..
sharjah 1998- part 2 of tendulkar's dominance over Warne- exceptional 143 to take India to the final and then on Apr 24 (his bday), another masterly century (134) to lead India to a win single handedely in the coca cola cup.

13. Australia in WI 1999- Lara's team was humiliated in the first test following the 5-0 loss to SA and it was time to stand up.. 34/4 chasing 256 in the 2nd test..lara produced a supreme 213 and won the match, in the next chasing an almost impossible 308, he produced a masterclass 153* to seal an incredible win..and in the final test a rapid 100 off 84 but the aussies managed to even the series..one man had stood up against the World's best..the odi series ended 3-3 too.

14. World Cup 1999- Pakistan pipped Aus in a thriller in the group stages by 10 runs, Mcgrath bowled Lara with a beauty at Old trafford during his 5/14 to win the game, against India he got Tendulkar and Dravid in his first over ending the contest.. Aus looked to be in all sorts of trouble against SA at Headingley until Steve Waugh produced a stunning 120* to lead his team to the semis and in the semis against SA at Edgbaston, Shane Warne produced a stunning display of leg spin bowling, his ball to dismiss Gibbs reminiscent of the one to Gatting and in a nail biting encounter, Allan Donald was run out and the match ended in a tie throwing SA out..The final was one sided with Aus crushing Pak..

15. Pak tour of India and Asian test championship- In Jan Feb 1999, the three test matches at Chennai, Delhi and Calcutta were some of the best played..Tendulkar's brilliant yet tragic 136 in India's heartbreaking loss at Chennai, Anil Kumble's record 10/74 at Delhi and Shoaib Akthar's ultra quick deliveries to get rid of Dravid and Tendulkar at Eden Gardens, the crowd riot again..unpleasant end to a classic tour..

16. Pakistan and India tour Australia 1999-2000: Pakistan fought superbly in the 2nd test at hobart and at 126/5 it seemed curtains for Aus, but Adam Gilchrist in his 2nd test (81 in his 1st) made a stunning 149* off 163 balls and supported by langer (126), he helped chase down a massive 369 with ease...India were crushed in the three tests and only two fantastic innings by Tendulkar (116) and Laxman (167) stood out..agarkar's duck sequence and the controversial dismissal of tendulkar added to the drama..

might have missed many more...but ya..that's for a book not a blog...guess u guys can add to the list with many others (bevan last ball 4, atherton donald, hero cup, titan cup and many more )..look fwd to ur comments!

cheers

A regret that lingers on..

I happened to read Andre Agassi's autobiography 'OPEN' recently..Dramatic in parts, but extremely well written mostly. The most poignant aspect was the fact that he was never really in love with the game into which he was forced by his father..Both Steffi Graf and Agassi hated tennis but could not live without it..Reading this only made me realize how much one would have enjoyed playing a sport after truly loving it..Certain regrets are fleeting, but some linger on..The fact that I never really did try and learn to play a sport professionally and regularly has been something I just cant seem to get over. I have played enough street cricket, tennis ball cricket, football, table tennis and tennis too over the last few years...but I should have worked out a way to play them on a more serious basis..SPORT is SERIOUS..whoever said that its just entertainment and not meant to be taken seriously needs to think again..!

Now I try playing tennis, hit around with a coach, improve my game etc..but, it doesn't take me too far..If only I had done this while in school/college..the game would have been much better..I would have also been able to play a game which I so love to watch and talk about..Test cricket, my biggest love..How I wish I could have played the sport professionally..Academics as usual- the bane of life.came in the way..There was no way one could be expected to succeed if he chose the sports field..All that was required to succeed was cramming up some goddamn notes, give exams..come on guys..i just hope that sick attitude in India changes with this generation..Not for once did my parents ever tell me what to do or not to do..I myself take the blame for being indecisive..Watching kids play the game, come up well in it leaves me wondering if I've truly wasted the best years of life..Studies and exams were given too much importance when they really didn't deserve it and when I try to give importance to sport, there just seems to be no opportunity nor the time..


I would not like to force anybody into sport for it can only result in hatred within..But I would make as concerted an effort as possible to see that my kids enjoy sport, play one and learn it well right from their early years..I cannot stop regretting the fact that I, being such a huge sports fan, never learned/got a chance (read not allowed by stupid society) to play a game professionally, but if I can get my kid(s) in future to love sport and play it, it will definitely feel a lot better!..

A must read for cricket lovers- Review 'Bodyline Autopsy' by David Frith

Genius with a tactical masterstroke or villain who broke the spirit of the game?. Was leg theory acceptable or truly despicable?..These questions about Douglas Jardine and his extraordinary 'Bodyline' bowling form the crux of this superbly researched book..

Frith is an eminent historian and his sense of facts and trivia is brilliant and well in evidence throughout the book. The author has woven a superb tale around cricket's biggest controversy and the plot is presented with exceptional attention to detail.

Frith starts with talking about the significance of the series fifty years on and recollects views of one and all. He does adopt a fairly neutral stance with occasional references to how much he loathed Jardine and the tactics..He does however point that similar bowling has been on view in modern times as well referring to the intimidatory tactics of the West Indian pace barrage. The origins of 'leg theory' are brought to notice with mentions of early hostile bowling by Jack Gregory and even as early as in the 19th century...

It is however, unfair to say that this book is an attempt to describe only the series and analyse it. Frith has not only reconstructed the entire fateful tour chronologically, but also provides the reader with rare facts and information about the players, the team and the venues..

'Bodyline', as a tactic was devised to stop the run glut of the prodigy Don Bradman, and he remains the central figure in much of the discusssion..The detailed description and analysis of the tour, primarily the Test matches is a must read..Stan McCabe's surreal 187 against the hostile Harold Larwood and Bill Voce in the first Test when the Australians missed Bradman is given its due credit..Bradman's much awaited return in Melbourne and his famous first ball duck, which stunned the crowds..Frith packs in superb trivia and off field incidents such as when a man left his house in a huff on Bradman's dismissal only to spot some boys drowning and managing to rescue them..Bradman's top notch century in the second innings, with all the strokeplay which set up the win for the hosts is superbly described..

The third Test in Adelaide, which made everyone sit up and take notice of the 'Bodyline' bowling is given a great deal of focus..The injuries to Woodfull and Oldfield and the remorseless approach of Jardine are brought to light..The relations between the Australian board and the MCC deteriorated rapidly following this match and the series of messages exchanged are shown..Woodfull's 'famous quote' being leaked to the press and the accusations flying around even after half a century forms a major topic..

The last two Tests and the unsavoury incidents, though fewer than in Adelaide are brilliantly portrayed..The telegrams exchanged between the two boards are discussed..

The final part of the book deals with reactions and how the tactic and the man who propounded it- Douglas Jardine are viewed years on..With the passing away of Bradman, none of the players in the infamous series survive and the end of the book is a pleasant conclusion which focuses on how time changes people and their views (not all of them though)..

For the fantastic attention to detail, brilliant portrayal of the central characters especially Bradman, Jardine and Larwood, the facts and trivia..the superb description of the Test matches and life outside it and most of all the love for history sets this book apart and makes it a truly magnificent read-one which is a must own for any cricket lover and a fan os the game's rich history in particular..

The shining light..

I rarely seem to get time to sit and have a nice chat with my parents with this hectic schedule everyday..Today I made it a point I must try and spend some quality time with them..We started off with some random topic and digressed which is often the case..Mom told me how her memory seemed to be on the wane in recent times and she attributed this to lack of working with numbers and excessive use of the calculator..While we were thus pondering about short term memory and long term memory, mom mentioned the extraordinary ability of my granny (paternal granny) to recollect and remember the most obscure incidents from the past and her attention to the most minute of details. I have seen many people with an exceptional memory, even an elephantine memory, but cannot really think of anybody in the same breadth as my gran..It did not stop with her memory. She proved that lack of education was not a barrier for knowledge..I can vouch that almost every second fact I have known or learned in history, mythology, Sanskrit, Indian culture, Carnatic tradition and singers and so on and so forth can be attributed to her..

I was sitting in a Starbucks in California two years back when I got the worst possible news.I had known that she was ailing but could not make the trip to India to see her, talk to her and comfort her in those last days..it is a regret that will live with me for the rest of my life..She had had a premonition a week or two earlier and despite wanting to see me badly, she knew it would not be possible..she made sure she would do the next best thing though..Her voice that day on the phone was full of life..I could feel the underlying pain though..Her usual questions- did you eat?..how is job search?..hope all is well etc were followed by 15-20min on her favourite topics...The Vishnu Sahasranamam, the Mahabharata, the Gita itself and so on..I was possibly the only person around her to whom she could talk about what she loved the most..

She loved the fact that I had an affinity for Sanskrit and despite her not having any formal training in the language, her rendition of complex shlokas was impeccable to say the least..her knowledge of the scriptures, the mythology, the Puranas and many other cultural aspects was beyond belief..I was blessed for I was almost entirely raised by her and all this knowledge passed on to me..One might say that these topics lie in the domain of most people of that generation, but this would never do justice to her voracious appetite for knowledge..Be it ancient Indian history, the world war, the Indian freedom struggle, modern Indian events- she knew them all...I can vividly recall Operation Bluestar and the details of that fateful event, the various assassinations she told me about..For someone who had not even a high school education, she was fluent in at least 5-6 languages...her numerical ability was exceptional and I never once saw her use a calculator...

I wasn't present physically, but heard that people came from all over...nearly every relative and friend was present the week before she passed away..The enormous respect she commanded was visible..She taught me nearly all I know...my interest in Sanskrit-not limited to the Sahasrananam, shlokas, the Gita etc, Carnatic music- the names of the maestros- Semmangudi, Ariyakudi, Palghat Mani, MS and the other greats and their superb songs and Indian culture in general can be solely credited to her..believe it or not- she imparted most of the early cricket knowledge to me..Match scores and details I always got by virtue of a single phone call home..People still fail to fathom how she was able to grasp the nuances and details of the game and actually watch it to give me the score..

Quite simply, one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met in my life..Her grasp of myriad topics and in depth idea of each made her truly special..In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna asks Yudhishtira to meet and acquire all the knowledge from the omniscient Bhishma he can before the great Bhishma left the world..In a sense, I have been fortunate to have been able to at least gain a part of the encyclopaedic knowledge that my granny possessed..

Best in the shorter form..

More than 17000 runs, 46 hundreds and 93 half centuries, five scores of over 150 and innumerable man of the match awards. Surely wouldn't it be considered sacrilegious to even wonder if there can be a better batsman than Sachin Tendulkar? But cliched as it may sound, that numbers tell only half the story, it is true. When seen in the right context, i.e. when compared to the achievements of the legendary Vivian Richards, probably the only cricketer who merits the comparison with Tendulkar in one day cricket, the numbers might just tend to read rather differently.

The comparisons are made in a simple manner for most aspects. For example, if player A averages 100 and player B averages 110, B scores 1.1 points to A's 1 point. For all factors, the ratio of the parameter is taken to calculate the points. The sum of points for each factor is used to determine who has been the better player. Of course, these need not be the sole parameters to determine the best player. I would definitely look forward to useful comments and suggestions.

Games against the minnows (many in Tendulkar's time) and Zimbabwe for Richards have been eliminated from the analysis despite it being more probable for lower ranked teams to compete far better in an abbreviated format.

** accuracy to third decimal

1. The best way to judge a top class player is to see how much ahead of his peers he is in terms of his average and strike rate in ODI's. Tendulkar, in his time has averaged 43.80 and scores at 85.66 per hundred balls. This record is stupendous considering his longevity, but in an era where the batting has become a lot easier with more relaxed rules, field restrictions and flatter tracks, Tendulkar's average is 1.501 times better than the overall average runs per wicket during his time in international cricket (29.18). His strike rate is 1.093 times the average for the period of his career (78.33). The sum of these two important parameter ratios comes to 2.594.

In the period Richards played, the conditions were far tougher to score in and the rules were not as skewed in favour of batsmen as they are in present day limited overs cricket. on the flip side, the fielding was not as athletic as present day cricketers. Richards averaged 47.21 in an era when the overall average per wicket was 28.29 and his strike rate was an exceptional 90.14 when the overall scoring rate was just 72.33. The corresponding ratios for Richards come up to be 1.668 and 1.246. Overall, the sum is 2.914.

Marginally, this factor points to Richards being the more dominant batsman. He averaged higher despite an ultra aggressive game in a phase when the general scoring rate was far lower.


2. Top ODI players stand out by virtue of the number of half centuries and centuries that they score. In 407 innings, Tendulkar has 41 centuries and 87 fifties which comes up to 128 scores in the category of over 50. The number of 50 plus scores per innings comes up to 0.314. Richards scored fewer centuries, 11 in total but 45 half centuries. The number of 50 plus scores per innings comes to 0.337. Tendulkar and Richards are almost level but for a very small difference on this front.


3. Comparing the performances of Tendulkar and Richards at home, away and neutral venues throws up some very interesting results. Tendulkar averages 46.25 at home, 37.90 away and 47.21 in neutral venues. In the matches involving Tendulkar, India have averaged 36.33 at home, 29.39 away and 29.88 at neutral venues. The dominance of the batsman is calculated by summing the ratios of his average to the team average. The figure for Tendulkar is 4.142.
He has by far been India's greatest in all three scenarios. For Richards, though the figures read very different. His home, away and neutral averages are 36.59, 56.80 and 38.80 while the team performances in the same period are 40.89, 31.26 and 33.50. He was the best in away games, but his record in the West indies was below par. In this aspect, it can be said that Tendulkar handled the home pressure much better. Tendulkar's away performance though falls well short of Richards' figures but the performance on neutral grounds favours Tendulkar. The corresponding parameter for Richards is 3.870. Overall, Tendulkar has proven to be the better player in all conditions when the performance relative to the team they played in is considered. This also points to the fact that India had a much weaker batting line up for years when compared to the mighty Caribbean team.

4. As a captain, both the players did struggle to match their performances during the games when they did not have the burden of captaincy. Tendulkar's average of 37.90 during captaincy is much lower than his mark of 45.03 when not a captain. Richards averaged 38.81 and 56.80 during the phases of captaincy and when not a captain. When the ratios are calculated, Richards scores 2.313 while Sachin scores 2.000 (base score).

5. The clear indicator of how big a match winner a batsman is can be made from the difference between his averages in wins and defeats. Richards averages 57.44 in wins and 29.43 in losses which is a difference of 28.01 while Tendulkar's corresponding figure is 22.30 (55.72 in wins and 33.42 in defeats). Viv Richards probably was the greatest match winner in ODI history and this is reflected here. The score here is 1 (base score) for Tendulkar and 1.248 for Richards.

6. Batting first or chasing, both these batsmen have been superb. Tendulkar averages 44.85 and 42.72 while batting first and chasing respectively while Richards averages 48.82 and 45.36. The ratio calculation comes to 2.150 for Richards and 2 for Tendulkar.

7. The greatest measure of batsman's domination in ODI's is his performance in the World Cup and the next biggest tournament for years was the triangular series in Australia. Richards of course played in far more games down under than Tendulkar while the little master has figured in more World Cup matches. Richards averages 66.46 in 21 WC games and 46.60 in 65 ODI games in Australia. Tendulkar on the other hand averages 45.11 in 28 WC games and 37.39 in 35 games down under. The ratio calculations gives Richards a score of 2.686.
Though Tendulkar has had a huge impact in big tournaments, Richards rules the roost when it comes to performance in major games.


8. Viv Richards was widely recognised as the finest player in big games. He revelled in finals of most tournaments and rarely failed when it mattered. His average of 55.73 with one ton and nine fifties in 18 finals is quite astounding. Tendulkar's performance is awesome too with an average of 52.51 in 38 games with 5 hundreds and 10 fifties. In this case, the difference between the two is negligible.


9. In their favourite positions i.e. Richards at 3&4 and Tendulkar at 2, they average 50.68 and 50.29 respectively. Again, almost nothing to choose from.


10. Longevity factor- Sachin Tendulkar has played 442 games in about 20.5 years which is approximately 21 games a year while Richards played 187 games in about 17 years which is 11 a year. Tendulkar has endured a far heavier international workload and his ability to stay consistently at the top of his game is commendable. His score in this regard is 1.909 to Richards' 1.


11. Ultimately the man of the match awards depict the true match winning ability of a player and with ODI's being more of a batsman's game they are far more indicative.
Tendulkar has a scarcely believable 61 awards in 442 games while Richards incredibly is third in the all time list with 31 awards from just 187 games. His awards per innings is slightly better than Tendulkar and he scores 0.044 in this case.

When all the points are added, the resulting final score is

Viv Richards: 16.562

Sachin Tendulkar: 15.959

An incredibly interesting and close comparison sees Viv Richards pip Tendulkar to be the finest ODI batsman ever. Both are very nearly balanced in every regard and just a glance at the entire process shows how difficult it has been to pick the best. In the end, it might just point to the fact that Richards nicks it because he performed more often when it mattered and was also a little more fortunate than Tendulkar to be part of a more consistent and better team for most of his career.

Caribbean joy..

In most sports and perhaps more so in cricket, rarely does one encounter a statement regarding which there is consensus among a vast majority. Few people, if any, will object to me stating that the cricketers from the West Indies have been the greatest entertainers and that without them, the game would have been far poorer. Perhaps only Brazilian football with its glittering array of gifted players including Garrincha, the incomparable Pele, Zico and the phenomenal Ronaldo can aspire to try and compare with the extraordinary sequence of naturally gifted Caribbean entertainers.

As was the case in most colonized countries, the British introduced cricket to the Caribbean. The miserable treatment and racist discrimination prevalent then though was a major obstacle in overall development of the islands. The inhabitants of the West Indies struggled for decades and fought slavery, oppression and inhuman torture before being able to establish a unique identity of their own especially on the cricket front. The West Indies played their first test in 1928 and two exceptional players who were a cut above the rest were George Headley and Learie Constantine. While Constantine was a top class all rounder, Headley was a scintillating batsman, who not without reason, was nicknamed the 'Black Bradman'. His test average of 60.83 puts him third in the all time list behind Don Bradman and Graeme Pollock. It was still unfortunate that in those days, the locals were not allowed to lead a team.

The period after the Second World War brought to the forefront three legendary players in Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott. They were nicknamed the 'Three W's'. While Walcott was a tremendously powerful opening batsman, Weekes was a classical strokemaker. Worell went on to become the country's first black captain and led them with distinction throughout. Weekes scored five centuries in a row and nearly added a sixth on the tour of India in 1948. Walcott's best series was the otherwise disastrous home series in 1955 against Australia when he made over 800 runs with five centuries. Worrell led an exceptionally talented side which included the once in a lifetime all-rounder Garfield Sobers to Australia in 1960-61. This was a watershed moment in the history of West Indian cricket. Under Worrell, who encouraged them to always play attacking but fair cricket, the team performed brilliantly and the result was a classic and extremely close series which Australia won 2-1. This series also included the legendary tied test in Brisbane and has gone down in folklore as the greatest series ever.

Sobers took over the captaincy in the 1960's and despite the team's average performances, his brilliance left spectators gasping. He was and will always be the most naturally talented cricketer ever. He could excel in virtually every aspect of the game without ever seeming to strive too hard. Rohan Kanhai, the glorious Guyanese batsman capable of producing some audacious strokeplay was also part of the team during these years.

In the 1970's and 1980's Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards led the team to the top of world cricket. A virtual assembly line of fast bowlers, undoubtedly inspired by the heroics of Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith in the sixties, was at the heart of the Caribbean success over the two decades. Picture those years and the images of Andy Roberts, the athletic Michael Holding, Joel Garner and perhaps the best of all M Malcolm Marshall flash before the eyes..Viv Richards' swagger and destruction of the best bowling attacks is vivid in memory..In the 1990's, fast bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh along with the batting genius Brian Lara tried to restore the sagging fortunes of the West Indies..Brian Lara was without doubt, the single biggest reason for me to love the game and still is. In the times when West Indian cricket is in the doldrums and cricket itself in a phase of radical transformation with all the money coming in, it is rather pleasing to look back at those videos and read up about the amazing sequence of great entertainers from the Caribbean..Not a single player nor cricket lover can ever claim that he has not loved and relished Calypso moments..

Roll back the clock..

Abraham Lincoln's famous words "To test a man's character give him power" seem to make all the more sense today. Money has always been synonymous with power and the lure of excessive money has almost always meant abuse of power..The entire IPL financial fraud controversy is a classic case in point..Cricket in its infancy and early years in India was a passion straight from the heart and loved by one and all. The last two decades have seen such a spurt in investments in the game and reduced the actual focus on the nuances of the game itself. Nearly every aspect of the game has been commercialised and the money in the game is way beyond anyone's comprehension..The fraud and financial allegations often are only the beginning of the story. Much more emerges slowly and all this does is taint the already adulterated game..

The IPL, as an idea, was fantastic. The T-20 format was lucrative, attractive and promised to increase viewership all round. India was the best market simply because of the burgeoning market for cricket and the marriage of this idea with Bollywood and other entertainment meant that the end product would be an instant success..The auctions involving top players looked ugly at times, but once the cricket started, the world was hooked onto it..For the best part of three seasons, everything seemed perfect. All this suddenly looked different the moment two new franchises were formed. This in itself was not the problem. The humongous budget which ran into more than a thousand crores left even the cash rich cricket fraternity gasping. Soon, eyebrows were raised, names were brought up and things got downright dirty. Politicians, IPL heads, franchise owners were all entangled in the mother of all scams. Much as I hope cricket comes out of all this clean which it probably will considering the love the people have for the game which far surpasses the interest in commercialisation and the urge to rake in the moolah, I can't help but look back at those days when the sport was all about appreciating its finer aspects and money had not raised its ugly head..

All it takes to understand how and why cricket runs in our blood is to have a conversation with someone who watched the game through the 1950's through the 1980's. I have had the good fortune of being able to do so and also the interest to try and have these chats when I get the chance. The joy is evident in the eyes when these 'uncles' talk about watching Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy. Ladies loved the charming Pataudi and handsome Durrani. The stylish Viswanath defying the pace of Andy Roberts draws the biggest cheers. Appreciation is rife for the solid batting of Gavaskar and the phenomenal Kapil Dev's exploits. This period was characterized by abounding love for the game and very little regard for the money that came with it. Talk about Chepauk 1974 and you can see the gleam. The mention of the 1983 World Cup and 1985 world championship wins which incidentally was the first tournament to be aired on television in India is enough to get them to talk incessantly..Cricket in India changed post the 1983 World Cup triumph..TV coverage began in full flow and children in every street were playing cricket wherever they could...Enter the era of Tendulkar, Kumble, Dravid and ganguly and the game was bigger than ever..The World cup in 1996 changed the entire idea of cricket..Advertisements galore came in, sponsorships increased exponentially and soon the game was hardly distinguishable from entertainment..This was especially true in case of ODI cricket and even more so in Twenty20..India's win in the T-20 World Cup 2007 resulted in cricket embarking on an era in which I have found very little to appreciate..Everywhere one looks around, money seems to have enveloped the game. The great game with all its fantastic features, the statistics, the extraordinarily diverse players, the one on one contests and most of all the inherent charm seems to be sucked out as the game is abbreviated..

Cricket has been exceptionally flexible allowing for experimentation with the format and rules, yet this has been the biggest flaw as well as it has brought many evils, the biggest being the gargantuan flow of cash..I hope this lovely game is cleaned soon and am sure the best way forward is to roll the clock back...

Ode to Madras..

I know its now Chennai but have somehow always loved Madras and names linked to it..IIT Madras, Madras Medical College, Univ of Madras, Madras Cricket Club and so on. A typical Bangalorean usually protests at the very thought of having to spend a few days let alone a year plus in Madras..He finds it very orthodox, too very old fashioned and not to his taste..The people's attitude is not the nicest and having to learn Tamil to survive..these are among the top (BUT RATHER ILLOGICAL)complaints made by not just Bangaloreans but every other guy in India ..I must admit Madras was not my favourite city for years, but that was purely because the weather was too hot and as school going kids we often chose summer vacations to get to the city to meet relatives and blazing summers weren't exactly going to make someone feel great about the city..

I always have and will love so many aspects of this beautiful city..The hotbed of Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam - music academy, kalakshetra and what not..one of the very few cities that is striving to preserve Indian culture and tradition while pretty much most other parts of the country are rapidly getting westernized in thought and process..The crowd in general is very intelligent- top acads, excellent schools and colleges and even the sports lover is so very well informed..

I was worried though that I had to work in Madras for at least a year..Without pals it wasn't quite going to be easy I felt..But what a time I had over the last year..My room in Anna Nagar (a lovely area i must say) became a virtual hangout spot for all pals..party after party followed and the biggest of all was the amazing new years one which still makes me wonder how I wasn't thrown out on the streets the next day by the landlord..!

Getting to the superb British Council and picking up a few nice books, sipping away on some coffee at Amethyst while poring through the books..cuzn's visit from Singapore..drives to Besant nagar beach, Karthik's fantastic bachelors party just before his wedding in Triplicane when I visited the quite splendid Parthasarathy temple..walking in the Mylapore area by RK Mutt road and the Kapaleeswarar temple- where good old Madras come alive..

Tennis in Nungambakkam whenever possible, those crammed journeys in the share autos, haggling away with auto drivers, suburban train for a year..Now I wonder how I went through all this..I did at points feel life is crazy..but somehow the city did charm me..Deepak's visit was the icing on the cake..I toured Madras in those 20-30 days and also made 2-3 road trips to Bangalore..We didn't spare a single cafe, resto-bar and most certainly we didn't spare my house!..pretty much camped at his house and had some super food..

Despite all my complaints at various points about work and workplace, the lovely gesture shown in the end by everybody there makes me realize that there is more to life than judging people by what they know and don't know..it is vital to appreciate how people treat you..

Madras despite its sick and hot weather which floored Dean Jones and even Tendulkar recently has been a lovely city..I have adored the milling crowds at T nagar, Mylapore's buzz, the beautiful drive down theosophical society road, superb temples, the great culture, the lovely helpful people and so on...

I am back to Bangalore-my city, have loved every bit of it and its great to be back with family..but I do leave with a tinge of sadness that I wasn't quite able to do justice to all the great city of Madras offers..

Reality check..

ANACHRONISM- refers to a chronological misplacement of a person or events/customs. I have at many times felt that I am one. Last Saturday in Bangalore confirmed it for sure. My interest and love for all that is old and nice about the city, Indian culture and customs, music etc definitely got a rude jerk when I came face to face with the 'new and hip' Bangalore crowd. The city has been known as the pub capital and parties galore take place. Yet, somehow I feel blessed that I lived a lovely and simple life in the good old,uncorrupted and dare I say pristine garden city. The actions and events that brought joy those days were very simple. High school and early college days were still very simple. All that mattered was a movie on weekends with friends and the cricket/football. The very idea of pubs, bars and clubs was absent. Frankly I should say there were hardly any around then. Then came the IT boom which signified Bangalore's growth and tremendous prosperity. Lucrative jobs were in and real estate was burgeoning. But on the flip side, this also heralded the beginning of the end of the simplicity associated with the lovely city. Trees made way for high rises and apartments aplenty. The IT industry came to town and brought with it innumerable pubs and clubs which seemed to be the new idea of relaxation. I was at the heart of all this too through my engineering years. But I never once developed an affinity for all this.

I went to the US and got back after three years. The Bangalore I faced left me pretty shocked. Let alone the modernization which took out all the charm (read METRO and MG ROAD)..The pub culture and party scene just didn't seem to appeal to me..maybe I was just too stuck up, unwilling to budge, rather unable to adapt..The kids these days spoke stuff that we guys in college dreaded to..house parties were in vogue among school and college going guys and girls..Definitions of morality, ethics were modified and in general tradition and culture had taken a whole new paradigm shift..Finally all this made perfect sense last week..The party not just proved how inept I was at dancing, but clearly showed I didn't belong there..The in-your-face brash talk and approach left me astounded..I was witnessing episodes and people I hardly ever thought existed in Bangalore..People around me had changed and managed to adapt and even like this life..It is hard to battle change around you..but it does feel good now that I managed to live a life so uncomplicated yet thoroughly enjoyable in the lovely city of Bangalore. Those were surely the years when we had the space, simpler ways and biggest of all- the luxury of time to spend with dear ones..

Dream come true....

Following the heart is quintessential to realize ones ultimate dream..I just realized that. I have until recently been yet another of those nerdy guys walking the path already beaten to death..All through school, college and grad school, I did stuff and studied courses that were going to fetch me a lucrative and 'good' job..For a long time I didn't realize it wouldn't truly guarantee satisfaction and the lovely feeling of doing what I liked the most..It was not that I didn't know what I loved as is the case with many people. It was just that I was so caught up in the approach to the career path that is so heavily influenced and pressurized by society..

My two biggest passions have been cricket and numbers..marry them and a cricket stats freak is the result..I had always wanted to be doing this right from those high school years..I just didn't know how and when to take the plunge..There had to be some justice done after all to all those crazy cricket talks, stats discussions, poster quizzes and weird room decorations..CRICINFO, in due course, was a major hit among all cricket lovers and its huge repository of stats coupled with fascinating cricket articles and coverage made it the perfect place that I would want to work in..But yet again, it just didn't seem feasible as I was going through the motions at Engineering college and as I thought later, the journey abroad for grad studies would surely have put paid to my hopes of getting into my dream company...

The days flew by..job hunt and the other aspects of life in the US kept me away from the thoughts of the job at CRICINFO..I still didn't know how I could get in and what role I might fit in..The heart just knew and told me at various points that I had to try..As fate would have it, I got back to India and started working here..Few would think of it as a positive development in life..Nor did I initially. But soon, I realized that the loneliness gave me a lot of time to start working with cricket writing..A blog highly dominated by sports content especially cricket was started up and I religiously sat and wrote article after article..sent those across, followed up, discussed with the people who mattered. Time passed by and just when it seemed like there wasn't going to be anyway for things to work out, I got an email and a call to confirm that I had the chance to work with CRICINFO.. It definitely was a dream come true and I couldn't have been more glad..

The difficult part came now..Brain said - dude..go for the lucrative jobs man..You have a Masters degree..why you wasting it?..the heart as it had always done pointed only one way- towards the CRICKET..People were divided in their assessment..Ultimately I had to make the call..Financial considerations etc would definitely take a backseat at this moment..I had gotten a chance of a lifetime to work in the field and company I always wanted to be in and not many people get a chance to do what they really love in life..There was no way I was going to let go of such an opportunity..Thanks to all my pals and family who did provide much needed encouragement and offered the most useful advice at this critical juncture to enable me to follow my dream!..

Immortal knocks

Great test innings are rooted in memory for myriad and special reasons. There are umpteen factors that determine whether an innings can truly be termed great. Some of these include match context, quality of opposition, nature of the pitch and conditions, extraneous factors such as the scenario leading into the match and well most of all the quality of the innings itself. Innumerable performances have graced the world stage over the years but it makes a little more sense to try and enlist those starting 1970 as the years before were considerably different when it came to the cricket played and the approach in general..This exercise despite offering a great deal of pleasure and evoking a sense of nostalgia can also bring about heavy criticism for not considering certain performances and also regarding one better than the other. It should be understood that the task in itself is extremely arduous and while there is a specific reason for one knock being regarded better than another, the ratings do not in any way seek to belittle a particular player or performance.

10. At number ten in the list is Ricky Ponting's magnificent 156 against England at Old Trafford in 2005. The series went into the crucial third test tied at 1-1 and it was imperative to avoid defeat. With Glenn McGrath just back from injury and Jason Gillespie woefully out of form, the Australians were staring down the barrel. England exploited the conditions perfectly and when the Aussies were left to chase over 400 with more than a day to go, it looked like there would be only one result possible. Ponting had other ideas though. Batsmen came and went as he watched. Yet, in a remarkable display of concentration and focus, he produced an obdurate innings punctuated with glorious strokeplay on both sides of the wicket. He stood alone defying England for almost the entire of the final day. He departed with four overs to go gloving a ball on the leg side and disappointment was writ large on his face. The gritty Brett Lee and McGrath hung on stubbornly for a draw to make sure their captain's innings didn't go in waste. It certainly ranks among the finest innings ever played by a skipper in test cricket.

The scorecard of this game can be found here.



9. Mike Atherton did not quite drag people to the ground to watch him bat, but his defiance and dogged determination in face of adversity against top class fast bowling can never be forgotten. He did produce many such knocks but none better than the marathon 185* in over twelve hours against the great fast bowling pair of Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock in 1995 at Johannesburg. With stubborn resistance by Jack Russell at the other end, Atherton erected a monumental effort that must without doubt go down as one of the greatest rearguard knocks in history. Two years later he defied a barrage of short pitched bowling by Allan Donald to lead England to victory but the knock at the Wanderers was the special one.

The scorecard of this game can be found here.



8. England vs West Indies had ceased to be a contest right from 1976 when Michael Holding terrorized the English batsmen. Viv Richards had piled on the runs and England had been crushed 3-0. They had not won a single game till 1984 and when the series moved to the second test at Lords with West Indies leading 1-0, few gave England a chance. David Gower's team mustered 286 and with Ian Botham bowling brilliantly to pick up eight wickets, England surprisingly held a 41 run lead. They batted positively and reached 300/9 when their captain had the temerity to declare leaving West Indies with an extremely difficult 342 to get in about 72 overs. Little did they know what would hit them. Gordon Greenidge, who was dismissed for just 1 in the first innings was nursing an injured leg. He went on and smashed a quite superb 214* off 242 balls striking 29 fours and 2 sixes in the process. The only wicket the hapless English bowlers managed to get was that of Desmond Haynes through a run out. West Indies made light work of the huge target by knocking the runs off in just 66 overs and the audacious knock had stunned all of England. The bowlers including the first innings hero Ian Botham had been treated with disdain and this innings of Greenidge which set up the first 'blackwash' of England must surely go down as one of the finest and most aggressive in a chase.

The scorecard of this test at Lords is here.



7. India were hosting Pakistan in 1999 after a long gap of twelve years. In the first test at the M.A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, the venue of many a great contest, India bowled extremely well to keep the Pakistani batting lineup to just 238. Pakistan's excellent bowling attack though stunned India and the hosts just managed a very slender lead of 16 runs. The match was all set to be a cracker. Shahid Afridi, one of the many young talents from Pakistan scored a brilliant 141 and when Pakistan were comfortably placed at 275/4, it looked like it was curtains for India. In a display of panic and self destruction typically associated with Pakistan, they collapsed to be all all out for 286 leaving India with a competitive target of 271 to get. The Pakistani bowlers reduced India to 82/5 and India was staring down the barrel at this stage. Sachin Tendulkar who had been dismissed third ball for a duck in the first innings was joined by the wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia. Tendulkar despite suffering from a back strain produced a superlative innings single handedly taking India closer to victory. Mongia fell with fifty three required and when Tendulkar played his first false shot with the score on 254, there was just 17 runs to get with three wickets in hand. He had made a brilliant 136 and come up trumps against one of the finest bowling attacks in world cricket. Despite his gutsy effort, the Indian tail was bowled out in a trice to leave the Pakistan team victorious by 12 runs. Tendulkar was inconsolable and his quite sublime knock was in vain as were many others before that. But there is little doubt that this display by the little master ranks right up there in the pantheon of centuries scored over the years.

The scorecard of this classic encounter is here.



6. West Indies toured India in 1974 and the first test played at Bangalore marked the debut of two of its greatest batsmen in Vivian Richards and Gordon Greenidge. The Caribbeans had jumped to a 2-0 lead after thrashing India in the first two tests. In the absence of Sunil Gavaskar, India fought back by winning the next test at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta with Gundappa Viswanath scoring a hundred. In the vital fourth test played at Madras, India were rocked by a fierce spell of fast bowling by Andy Roberts. Amidst all the ruins, Viswanath made a superb unbeaten 97. On a genuinely quick track against top class fast bowling, this innings by Vishy oozes quality and the context places it among the finest knocks played by an Indian in test cricket.

The scorecard can be found here.



5. Sunil Gavaskar had long been the rock of the Indian batting lineup. Ever since his extraordinary debut series in 1971, he had amassed centuries against the finest attacks and in his final series at home in 1987, he was up against Imran Khan's Pakistan team. The final test of an otherwise dull series moved to Bangalore and on a minefield of a track, Pakistan were bundled out for 116. Maninder Singh picked up 7/27. India did not far much better either earning a slender lead of 29. The pitch was turning square and Pakistan put up a much better display in the second innings and set India a target of 221 which was going to be extremely difficult considering the nature of the pitch. In a quite stunning display of impeccable technique and remarkable concentration, Gavaskar who was playing his final test tackled the spinners with ease and is seemed like the great man was batting on a different surface. Ultimately when he was dismissed for 96, spectators who had witnessed the knock knew that India would miss a special batsman. India lost the game by a close margin of 17 runs but all the talk was about Sunil Gavaskar's champion knock.

The scorecard can be found here.



4. In over 16 years England had not won a single test let alone a series against the mighty West Indies. They had been humiliated home and away and when they finally won a test in 1990, they unluckily lost the series 2-1. The 1991 series in England was viewed as yet another hopeless mismatch. The powerful fast bowling attack of the West Indies included the legendary Malcolm Marshall, the dangerous Patrick Patterson, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. On a seaming track in Headingley in overcast conditions, England were bowled out for 198 but responded in fine style to dismiss the West Indies for 173 with Viv Richards scoring 73. In the second innings though, England were tottering against the pace attack when Graham Gooch orchestrated a remarkable fightback by scoring 154* out of a total of 252. He defied some of most aggressive bowling in extremely difficult conditions and set up a total which England went on to defend successfully. Considering the quality of the attack, the conditions and the history of past contests, this brilliant knock by Graham Gooch is rated right up the scale.

The scorecard from this Headingley game is here.



3. The 1981 Ashes saw an inauspicious start for England when they were defeated in the first test. Things only got worse when their captain Ian Botham resigned after bagging a pair in the second test at Lords. Mike Brearley took over in the third test at Headingley under extreme pressure. When England were asked to follow on after being bowled out for 174 in response to Australia's 401, the situation was very grim indeed. Ian Botham who made a quickfire half century in the first innings was soon in after Dennis Lillee and Terry Alderman wrecked England in the second innings too. At 135/7, with Graham Dilley joining Botham, there seemed to be no hope. Dilley initially started aggressively and this spurred Botham on and from then on,n what can only be described as out of the world, Ian Botham proceeded to flay the Aussie bowlers to all parts. His exceptional 149 n.o and his partnerships with Dilley and Old left Australia with a modest target of 130 to get. He picked up the first wicket and his efforts till that point had provided tremendous confidence to the bowlers especially Bob Willis who bowled remarkably to capture 8/43 and bowl Australia out for 111. England had won from a situation of no hope and this was only the beginning as they went onto win the Ashes with more scintillating displays from Ian Botham. Not for nothing is this known as 'Botham's Ashes' and not without reason is this innings one of the greatest of all time.

The scorecard of this great test match is here.



2. Steve Waugh's juggernaut arrived in India in 2001 for a three test series. Australia surprisingly had not triumphed in India in over 30 years and this led Waugh to label it as the 'last frontier'. They set about the task in a most amazing manner when they thrashed India in the first test at Mumbai by 10 wickets. In the second test at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta, in response to Australia's huge total of 445, India were bundled out cheaply for just 171 and when the follow on was enforced, defeat and humiliation loomed large. India were reduced to 115/3 when Tendulkar was dismissed. The captain Saurav Ganguly joined VVS Laxman who had been the sole bright spark in the first innings. They put on a century stand before Ganguly fell to the great Glenn McGrath for 48. Rahul Dravid, who had been out of form leading into this innings joined Laxman and what followed for the next day and a bit is history. The pair put on a mammoth 376 run stand and Laxman's strokeplay was sublime. In a chanceless display of batting worth going miles to see, he essayed some gorgeous shots off the fast bowlers and his inside out cover drive off Shane Warne taking the ball from outside leg stump stands out in memory. When he finally fell for an immortal 281, he had put India well on the way to victory and with Harbhajan Singh in supreme bowling form, India levelled the series and then went onto clinch a thriller in Chennai to dent Steve Waugh's hopes of conquering the final frontier. The match situation and the exceptional attack he was facing coupled with the sheer quality of the batting dwarfs most other knocks played in test history.

The scorecard of this magnificent test match can be found here.



1. West Indies hosted Steve Waugh's powerful Australian side in 1999. The West Indies team had been in state of decline for a long time and following the debacle in South Africa and innumerable contract and board problems, Brian Lara's position as captain was under grave threat leading into the series. The first test at Lara's hometown Port of Spain further added to the team's woes when they were bowled out for a paltry 51 and lost by a heavy margin of 312 runs. People called for Lara's head and if ever there was a performance needed to salvage personal and team pride, this was the moment. Lara responded as only champions can by scoring 213 in the next test at Jamaica and fine bowling helped level the series at 1-1. In the third test at Barbados, Australia despite being bowled out cheaply in the second innings had set the home side a very difficult target of 308. At 105/5, there seemed no way back. An incensed Lara, who had been angered by some comments from Glenn McGrath went on to play some brilliant shots caning the Australian bowlers. Jimmy Adams provided some valuable support but when McGrath removed Adams and then grabbed two more wickets, the West Indies were down in the dumps at 248/8. With 60 to get and only Ambrose and the rather inept Walsh to come, it seemed done and dusted. Ambrose fortuitously survived some fine fast bowling and kept Lara company. Lara meanwhile compiled a glorious hundred and when Ambrose attempted one dab too many and edged to Elliott at gully, the target was six away. Courtney Walsh strode to the middle and what followed was comical, thrilling and edge of the seat stuff as he managed to somehow keep out some brilliant deliveries which might have even taken out a top batsman. Lara was given a reprieve when Ian Healy put him down off Gillespie. He then proceeded to smash Gillespie through the covers to seal an improbable win. Barbados erupted in joy and delirious scenes were witnessed all over. The spectacular comeback from the depths of the first test can never be forgotten and Brian Lara's performance in the series where he scored 213, 153* and 100 to help the West Indies draw the contest after being trounced in the first test will undoubtedly rank as the finest innings played in adversity both on and off the field. The sheer class of Lara as he produced such a brilliant knock enduring some tremendous pressure ranks it the best of all.

The scorecard can be found here.



Perhaps the greatest innings played in modern times has to be the 254 by Garry Sobers at the MCG against Australia while playing for the World XI in 1971-72. Sadly this series was not accorded official status but nevertheless the quality of players on the field that day makes one understand the significance and brilliance of the knock. Dennis Lillee had been bowling superbly all through the series and had dismissed Sobers for a duck in the first innings. The Aussies gained a lead of 101 runs and when Sobers came into bat in the second innings, the world XI were in a difficult situation. He destroyed Lillee's bowling and his shots often rebounded back onto the playing field after hitting the hoardings. His glorious 254 stunned the Australians and led Don Bradman to remark that it was the finest display of batting he had ever seen down under. What made this knock by Sobers all the more amazing was that it was at the fag end of his career. Unofficial though the test was, this innings by the one and only Sobers has often been regarded by many players as the finest ever.

The scorecard can be found here.



While compiling this list, I encountered many difficulties. There have been so many classic performances and it is extremely hard to pick let alone provide a rating. Some other memorable ones that might figure in other top tens include Gavaskar's 221 at the Oval, Dean Jones 210 at Madras, Richards' century at Delhi in 1987-88, Steve Waugh's gutsy 200 at Jamaica in 1995, Sachin Tendulkar's 169 at Cape Town in 1996 and 155 at Madras, Adam Gilchrist's 149 at Hobart in 1999, Brian Lara's solo efforts against Sri Lanka in 2000-01, Dravid's masterpiece in 2002 at Leeds and many many more..


Summarizing the list

1. Brian Lara -153* vs Australia
2. VVS Laxman-281 vs Australia
3. Ian Botham- 149* vs Australia
4. Graham Gooch- 154* against WI
5. Sunil Gavaskar- 96 against Pakistan
6. Gundappa Viswanath-97 against WI
7. Sachin Tendulkar-136 against Pakistan
8. Gordon Greenidge-214* against England
9. Mike Atherton- 185* against SA
10.Ricky Ponting-156 against England

and the best of all Garry Sobers -254 for world XI against Australia.

Do provide your comments and mention the other knocks that I might have missed out during this attempt to rate the greatest innings played...

Live in vs Marriage...

Yesterday was one of those rare days when I switched channels to catch something totally not sport related. I was watching a debate show I catch once a while-NDTV's 'We the people'. The topic made me sit up and listen as it has been one I have argued on and discussed about many a time of late. There is little doubt that this generation in India has embraced most of the ideas of the west and adherence to Indian culture and tradition has taken a back seat..The concept of a LIVE IN relationship has become the most controversial and debated in Indian society..Arranged marriages were most common in urban India but over the years marriage after a period of courtship, more commonly referred to as love marriage has also become extremely popular and acceptable..

Indian society has almost throughout been a perfect example of hypocrisy..It has had its flaws but tries to portray that it doesn't. The Westernization of thought started a couple of decades back and though this may not necessarily be a bad idea in most circumstances, it is definitely proving to be harmful when it comes to certain very stable aspects of our society. At the outset, I would like to clarify that I belong to the old school of thought. Morality, marriage, a stable family and ethics matter a lot to me and this is almost surely reflected in my arguments. But nevertheless, I do also understand and accept that I do need to look at the other side of the coin..

People involved in the debate were diverse..Some were in live-in relationships, some happily married, some youngsters who were not sure if marriage was necessary and some who ultimately married after being in a live in. Their perspectives were extremely interesting to say the least even if finally inconclusive..My personal take on this front is that a live in relationship more often than not is an option many highly career oriented couples choose to take..The very fact that the exit door is far more accessible in this case than in case of a marriage where one has a great deal of responsibility towards his/her spouse, the family and society also in general..In Indian society especially, divorce is still taboo despite increased divorce rates. Live in relationships provide couples with all the benefits that marriage does provide. They can enjoy emotional and physical bonding without allowing it to get in the way of their careers. Often, in many marriages, it is seen that balancing the personal and professional life becomes too big a challenge. This is more so when kids come into the picture..

Marriages on the other hand, more so in India are solemnized by a sacred oath which in most cases is a binding factor..Fights and arguments in relationships are sorted out considering the long term benefits and advantages of a stable family..Societal norms play a huge role as well in traditional Indian families when it comes to decisions in marriages..Indians find it rather difficult to accept that premarital sex is rife and that live in relationships have become quite common..Ultimately, be it live in relationships or stable marriages, what matters the most is the commitment towards the partner..Personally, I believe that seeking a live in relationship to avoid the trials that might pop up post marriage and also trying to find an easy exit in times of difficulty is sheer escapism...Innumerable examples can be given when couples have braved the odds, struggled through difficult times and brought up their children in a congenial atmosphere paving the way for their success..

Indian culture has always been respected for some of the strong values that it inculcates and it is rather unfortunate that at a time when people all over the world including the West respect the Indian approach to marriage i.e. striving for a stable relationship, most Indians especially the present generation tend to disregard the importance of the same..The sense of security and confidence that a stable marriage brings especially for the kids when they grow up should never be underestimated..

Though there is no definitive conclusion that can be sought to this debate, it is imperative to know that one must respect the choice of an individual in this case. A live in relationship might be beneficial for sometime to get to know the partner and helps iron out differences while laying out a good platform for a successful long term relationship. Misusing this form of relationship so as to derive physical pleasure while being aware that one can always exit without a second thought is wrong..I definitely hope that couples realize that marriage is not just a social obligation. It is as much a source of strength for a family as it is for society in general. The importance of unwavering commitment in any relationship is unquestionable and if marriage is the better way to strengthen the same, then it is the way to go..

Cant wait for KICKOFF!

It can be stated with certainty that no sporting event on this planet can hope to match the aura and charm of the Football World Cup. Millions of fans in over a hundred nations wait with bated breath for the great tournament to begin..The sense of anticipation and tension is palpable..All this with good reason!..The world cup over the years has witnessed extraordinary crowds, brilliant players and great teams..The variety in style and footballing approach is unmissable..The open free flowing Brazilian style is in sharp contrast to the much more text book style of England and Germany. Holland's ability to enthrall and also disappoint in equal measure sets them apart. Argentina's fantastic footballing skills and of late the supreme athleticism of the the African nations has virtually guaranteed some high octane entertainment..

Top performances from players and teams over the years stand out in memory. Right from the supremely confident Ferenc Puskas who led Hungary in 1954, the precocious talent of Pele who appeared on the world stage in 1958, the unbelievably skilled Garrincha who played throughout with deformed feet, England's fairytale win in 1966 with the help of Geoff Hurst and Bobby Charlton not to mention Eusebio's remarkable football all through the tournament, Pele and Jairzinho gracing the 1970 edition, Holland, led by the classy Johann Cruyff, charming one and all in 1974 and 1978 yet finishing agonizingly short, the resilience of Germany in 1974 and the brilliance of Argentina in 1978..Dino Zoff's Italian champion side of 1982 which won despite the presence of the great Brazilian pairing of Zico and Socrates. 1986 was all about Diego Maradona. His extraordinary repertoire of skills proved too much for most teams and his goal against England remains embedded in memory...West Germany prevailed in 1990 and 1994 just means Roberto Baggio's penalty miss..Brazil played a truly superb tournament in 1998 courtesy their superstar Ronaldo but a mysterious illness kept him out of the finals and they were easily beaten by France with the genius Zinedine Zidane scoring twice..The Brazilians combined superbly and coached by the eccentric Scolari, they took the trophy for the fifth time. In the last edition i.e. 2006, Italy prevailed over France in a tense shootout which was made famous for all the wrong reasons with Zidane head-butting Materazzi and getting sent off at a crucial juncture..

As a tribute to this fascinating trophy, I felt I should just revisit the previous tournaments and take a walk over the years highlighting the major moments which for sure will stay registered in the memory of a football lover..

The first trophy was played in 1930 in Uruguay and the host prevailed in the finals..Italy won the 1934 and 1938 editions and the number of teams in the tournament was slowly increasing...The world war prevented the staging of the tournament in 1942 and 1946..In 1950, the World Cup was staged in Brazil..In front of a packed Maracana stadium rumoured to have accommodated close to two hundred thousand people, the hosts and favourites Brazil lost to Uruguay 1-2...This was deemed the final though it was actually one of the round robin games played..

The 1954 World cup was staged in Switzerland and Hungary were led by Ferenc Puskas, nicknamed the Galloping Major'. They trounced one and all and thrashed the eventual finalists West Germany 8-3 in a round robin game..But German resilience came to the fore in the final and they prevailed over Hungary 3-2... The 1958 finals in Sweden was dominated by the Samba boys from Brazil..Pele, who went on to become the finest footballer of all time made his debut at the age of 17..Just Fontaine of France scored a record 13 goals in the tournament which is still a record..Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 to take their first title..The 1962 tournament was all about the wondrously gifted Garrincha, known as the 'little bird'..Born with deformed feet after a polio attack, his runs on the right flank became legendary..He conjured up some sublime performances all through the World cup and Brazil won the title by beating Czechoslovakia 3-1..

Photos below: left- the legendary Ferenc Puskas and right- the dazzling Garrincha





One of the most popular editions of the great tournament was the 1966 one..It was held in England and people all over hoped that England would win its first trophy..There were superb matches none better than the game where minnows North Korea took a stunning lead of 3-0 against giants Portugal only to lose 5-3. Portugal's Eusebio was the standout performer..England and West Germany progressed to the finals played at the legendary Wembley stadium and at the end of normal time the teams were tied 2-2...A highly controversial goal was awarded to England in extra time when most believed that the ball had not crossed the line..The referee in a moment of indecision and madness awarded a goal and this decision is debated till today..Geoff Hurst added another goal and eventually ended up scoring a hat trick to help the captain Bobby Moore and the great coach Alf Ramsey lead the England team to its maiden triumph..

Photo: below- England win the World cup 1966



The 1970 world cup was held in Mexico and some of the more memorable moments included the stunning save that Gordon Banks produced to prevent a certain goal off a header by the great Pele..Brazil cruised to another triumph by thrashing Italy 4-1 in the finals and Pele was the toast of the footballing world..The 1974 edition was held in West Germany..Holland, known as the 'brilliant oranges' stunned the world with a superb display of attacking football..Their attractive style was due to their captain, the classy Johann Cruyff..Neeskens scored in the final against Germany even before the opponents had touched the ball..but the gritty Germans somehow clawed their way back and won 2-1..The Dutch supporters were devastated but the superb football endured in memory..The 1978 finals again saw Holland stumble at the final hurdle, this time against Argentina..It is universally accepted that the Dutch teams that ended up as the runner up in 1974 and 1978 were the best never to win the trophy..

Photos: left- Pele and Bobby Moore after Brazil beat England in 1970
right- the 'ballet dancer'- Johann Cruyff of Holland





Dino Zoff, at the age of forty, along with the great Paolo Rossi,led Italy to their third trophy in 1982 in Spain..Brazil had two legends in Zico and Socrates and were very much favoured to win the world cup..Italy though upstaged them in the semis and defeated West Germany to take the trophy after a long gap of 44 years (the last they won was in 1938)...

The 1986 world cup in Mexico was all about Diego Maradona, the diminutive Argentinian who enthralled one and all with his superb runs, exceptional control and brilliant judgment..The quarter finals saw Maradona rip apart England with some glorious football..Two goals in that game will never be forgotten as long as the game exists...The notorious 'Hand of God' goal when in the spur of the moment, Maradona punched the ball from near his head into the goal..It was blatant..Much to the chagrin of the Englishmen, their appeals went unheard and the goal stayed..The legend though erased this from memory by scoring what is regarded the finest goal ever...He took a couple of turns in his half and beat a host of English defenders before finally racing past the bemused Peter Shilton to slot home the goal of the century..Argentina went on to claim the trophy by defeating the Germans in the final at the Aztec stadium..The 'Mexican wave' gained popularity ever since this tournament..The 1990 tournament was held in Italy and the Germans won by defeating Argentina in a controversial and ill tempered final..'Toto' Schillaci of Italy scored the most goals..The biggest upset was when Cameroon beat Argentina with goals from the talented Roger Milla..

photo below: Maradona lifting the trophy, Mexico 1986



The 1994 tournament was held in the USA and record attendances were witnessed for most games..England failed to qualify for this edition and Brazil was on song throughout..Romario and Bebeto combined brilliantly..the trademark celebration of the Brazilians was the rocking of a cradle started by Bebeto to signify the birth of his child...Dunga lifted the trophy for Brazil after a dull final which was decided on penalties..Italy's great striker Roberto Baggio missed his shot and was in tears after that...The tragic killing of Andres Escobar, the Colombian who scored an own goal left a bad taste at the end of the tournament..

The 1998 edition in France saw both Brazil and France dominate throughout..David Beckham's sending off against Argentina after kicking out at David Simeone remains a highlight along with Michael Owen's remarkable first goal..The Dutch were unlucky to lose to Brazil in the semis while France edged the Croats..Croatia's Davor Suker scored the most goals in the tournament.. Ronaldo had been superb all through the tournament but just prior to the final collapsed and with this episode went Brazil's confidence..Zinedine Zidane scored twice off corners to make it 2-0 for France and then Emmanuel Petit scored a third to make it a comprehensive win for the French..

photos below: left- Romario and Bebeto- cradle celebration 1994
right- Zinedine Zidane in 1998





The 2002 edition was held in Japan and South Korea..State of the art grounds including the Sapporo dome and Yokohama provided a visual treat and the football was also high quality..Senegal upset holders France to create a huge shock..Turkey played superb football but finally lost to Brazil in the semis..In the quarter final, England opened the scoring through Michael Owen but then soon enough, they were buried by the dazzling skills of Ronalidinho..His super run and pass to Rivaldo set up the equalizer and the next goal was a stunning free kick when from over 35 yards he lifted the ball over the dumbstruck David Seaman.. Ronaldo and Rivaldo were in supreme touch and they combined wonderfully in the finals against Germany...In the semis against South Korea who earlier had created a huge shock when they downed Italy and Spain, Michael Ballack, Germany's talismanic striker had scored but was then forced to commit a professional foul to deny a Korean goal..He was sent off which meant he would miss the all important finals..The Germans tried their best to keep the Brazilians at bay especially through the efforts of their brilliant custodian Oliver Kahn...But Kahn's first fumble cost them a goal when Ronaldo pounced on the rebound and a superb dummy by Rivaldo led to the second goal which enabled Brazil to clinch the trophy for the fifth time...

photo below: Ronaldo in 2002



The 2006 edition in Germany was ordinary for most parts and the finals was contested between Italy who had mastered the art of defensive football..France had Zinedine Zidane and they knew he was the sole hope..The final was evenly contested until Zidane in a moment of madness charged and head butted Materazzi of Italy..The latter had been riling the legendary Zidane and the reaction though expected wasn't appropriate considering the occasion..Zidane was sent off and Italy won the final on penalties..The triumph was overshadowed by this unfortunate episode..

photo below: Zidane runs into Materazzi in the finals in 2006



The 2010 edition promises to be bigger than ever with the African nations aiming to provide a grandstand finish..Top class young stars such as Wayne Rooney of England, Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal will brighten up the tournament..Brazil and Argentina look good though it must be said Argentina were lucky to qualify..England look a rejuvenated side under Fabio Capello and would seek to end their drought..Holland and Spain are in excellent form and boast the service of some truly world class players..Spain have been tipped the favourite by many to lift the trophy..The Spanish along with the Dutch and English, remain one of the perennial underachievers in football...I am looking forward to a truly classic tournament and cant wait for kickoff..My guess/hope is that the semis will have Holland, England, Brazil, Argentina/Spain...After that its anybody's game!..I just cant wait for June 11th...

photos below: left - Lionel Messi
centre- Wayne Rooney
right- Cristiano Ronaldo