Hail the King!!

Not often would you see a team's morale taking a beating after getting a wicket of a top class batsman, but this is precisely what happened for over a decade when teams faced the West Indies. At the fall of the first wicket, which was either Gordon Greenidge or Desmond Haynes, in walked Issac Vivian Alexander Richards. His swagger and regal gait coupled with the air of nonchalance best expressed by chewing gum with no regard for the bowler or the match situation made most bowlers quake in their knees. In an era of exceptionally quick bowlers who had a penchant for knocking batsmen out, Viv Richards exuded an extraordinary confidence bordering on arrogance, when he walked out to face them. He never ever wore a helmet and his threatening message was made known to the bowlers well before he took guard.

Viv Richards was an exceptional batsman blessed with a fantastic eye. His ability to read the length far quicker than most others and his unbridled aggressive nature made him almost impossible to bowl to. He was also a very useful bowler and his feline reflexes made him one of the finest fielders in the game.

He made his debut at Bangalore in 1974 along with Gordon Greenidge. Whilst Greenidge had a great match making 93 and 107, Richards had a very forgettable debut contributing just 4 and 3. Soon, he was in his stride though cracking 192 at Delhi and announced himself. The following year, in the tour of Australia, he was at the receiving end of some hostile fast bowling by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. The tough as nails approach of the Aussies coupled with the barrage of sledging he faced unnerved the young Richards at first. But at the end of what was a disastrous tour overall for the West Indies as they lost 1-5, he was one of the few positives.

The 1975 World Cup Final saw Richards change the course of the game with his fantastic fielding as he was responsible for running out the Chappell brothers to help the West Indies win a close final. The year 1976 would turn out to be Viv Richards's 'annus mirabilis'. They travelled to England to take on Tony Greig's team.
Greig, the English captain had his roots in South Africa and had rather insensitively said before the tour that he would make the West Indies 'grovel'. The rather racist remark did not go down too well with the proud Richards and he took it upon himself to make England pay dearly for that. In one of the most amazing displays of batting, he amassed 829 runs in the series despite missing one test. Tony Greig crawled behind the West Indian team as his English side were vanquished at the Oval courtesy Richards's 291 and a breathtaking display of sustained hostile fast bowling by Michael Holding who took 14/147 on a docile track. Viv Richards had made two double hundreds and by the end of the calendar year he had 1710 runs, a record that stood for almost 3 decades.





Kerry Packer's rebel series flagged off in 1977 and almost all great stars of the game were a part of it including Richards. Once the television rights were settled, Richards was back to the main team and at the time of the World Cup in 1979, he was indisputably the greatest batsman in the game. In the final of the World Cup at Lords, the West Indies took on England. Richards, partnered by Collis King who made 86 off 66 balls launched an imperious attack on the hapless Englishmen stroking a glorious 138 n.o culminating his innings with two of the most audacious strokes seen when he moved across to the off stump and sent Mike Hendrick's deliveries over the square leg fence. This very display symbolized the man. His range of shots, the extraordinary belief and confidence, his arrogance and pride made him the most exciting cricketer by a distance.

The runs continued to flow from his blade as the West Indians under Clive Lloyd lorded over the cricket world. He seemed to reserve his best for the big games. His centuries in the world cup, the finals of the world series in Australia and not to mention the county championship finals where he along with Ian Botham and Joel Garner took lowly Somerset to great heights. India, in a remarkable heist stunned the West Indies at Lords in 1983 to lift the World Cup. Viv Richards looked to be making the day his own until Kapil Dev pouched a stunning catch to turn the game.

In the series following the World Cup, the West Indians thrashed India heavily in tests and ODI's making up for the World cup defeat and Richards scored heavily throughout. He was an integral part of Clive loyd's team in 1984 that effected the first 'blackwash' on England when they trounced them 5-0 in England. But Richards's best performance was saved for the one day series. At Old Trafford in Manchester, England had the West Indies in dire straits at 166/9 with only Michael Holding left with Richards. In surely what has to be the greatest innings ever played in a one day match, Richards took on the English bowlers and smashed them to all corners in his immortal 189*. A fairly good English attack of Botham, Willis, Foster and Pringle was treated like a club attack and some strokes left those watching stunned. His quite extraordinary flick off Botham from a ball on off stump which went over square leg between 2 fielders had the great all rounder stare in disbelief and his remarkable assault deflated the English team. A 106 run last wicket stand with Holding contributing just 12 runs had undoubtedly shown the world that when Richards was in full flow, there was hardly anything any bowler or captain could do to stem the onslaught.



Viv Richards naturally became Lloyd's heir when the legendary left hander decided to hang up his boots. He led the West Indies to another 'blackwash' of England in 1985, this time in the Caribbean. This series is best remembered for the fastest test century he made in 56 balls when he went berserk in Antigua. His mauling of the English attack left no one in doubt about the great man's genius. He continued to lead the team until 1991 without losing a single series. His batting did taper a little towards the end as his average came down from the high fifties to just over 50. But then Viv Richards was a man who never cared for records and personal milestones. Michal Holding famously said that if Richards was the kind who wanted to play for records, he would have held all of them. For all the stats minded he did finish with 8540 runs at over 50 with 24 hundreds in tests and 6721 runs in ODI's at an astounding average of 47 which ranks him among the greatest ever in both forms of the game.

Viv Richards in full flow was a treat for the eyes. His dashing approach and a regal presence unnerved the best of opponents. His swagger is legendary and his no holds barred riposte to fast bowling puts him right up there with the best. The King of the crease has no rivals when it comes to dominating attacks and any comparisons with Richards are useless as there has been and can only be one Viv Richards.

Tests need a fillip...

Is there an imminent danger being posed to the future of test cricket? Over the past year, cricket experts, commentators and the ICC have been stressing that the five day game is endangered and concrete steps need to be taken to prevent it from dying out. This is one of those rare issues where the views if the ICC and the experts have concurred and deserves to be discussed in some detail. The biggest factors contributing to the so called decline of tests include unequal and boring contests, dwindling audiences, lifeless tracks and the extraordinary rise of Twenty-20 cricket which has taken the cricketing world by storm.

In a recent article in Cricnfo, Sambit Bal stresses the need for the game to get a little more elitist and make it more captivating for the viewers by preventing grossly unequal and boring contests which often take away the charm of the game. Top flight test cricket seems to be restricted only to say 5 teams now with Pakistan, New Zealand and West Indies rebuilding and struggling through problems galore in selection and other criteria. Test cricket is a total contrast to other forms of the game and to most other sports as well. It is built on technique, patience, focus, sound strategy and further goes on to emphasize the necessity for a team to dominate consistently for long periods and not just a short span of overs which is the case in the slam bang version i.e. T-20. When there are contests between top teams and the weaker teams that are struggling to find their feet, undoubtedly, even the most hardcore cricket fan would struggle to sit through it.

Dwindling crowds for test matches the world over have created a huge concern for the administrators. Only Australia and England tend to regularly draw huge crowds for test matches whilst in most other countries including India, grounds are hardly filled even for major contests. This can be dealt with by staging the test matches in only the top cricket grounds of the country. Test matches in India staged at the Eden Gardens or in some of the bigger cities such as Bangalore and Chennai would be most likely to attract a good crowd whereas if the game is held in some of the lesser known centres, the audience is not a very cricket literate one and would surely choose to avoid a test match simply because they consider it a slow moving game and do not understand the nuances of the format. This is probably the first point that the administrators need to consider especially in India where there are umpteen grounds but only the ones in the bigger cities can truly attract a test cricket loving audience.

While ODI and T-20 cricket in particular has totally shifted the balance towards batsmen, test cricket albeit only just, still remains the format where there is a much closer contest between bat and ball. Lifeless and placid tracks worldwide coupled with rules loaded in favour of batsmen have shifted the balance in tests too. All through the 60's to the 90's, test cricket was enjoyed and contests were cherished because of the fact that tracks had some grass and bounce. Bowlers had the support they needed and this presented a much more even contest. Brilliant batsmen came up against the finest of bowlers on pitches that had a fair share of help for both parties and this resulted in some classic test cricket. The game revelled in its ability to produce mouth watering contests within contests, pitting great players against each other and the clashes made the matches all the more absorbing. With the tracks the world over getting all the more placid and dull, batsmen have a field day and the surfaces are turning into graveyards for the bowlers. A fine example of a good test match pitch can be the Australian grounds which offer a fair deal of assistance to both bat and ball throughout the five days and more often than not test matches held there produce results. The West Indian and sub continent pitches are quite the opposite with average scores of 500 being a normal occurrence. There is almost no hope of achieving a result on these tracks and no cricket lover would even like to catch these games on television let alone actually bothering to visit the stadium. Unless the pitches are well prepared to give the bowlers and the batsmen a fair advantage, there is no way contests can be made exciting enough for audiences the world over.

Perhaps the biggest threat for test cricket has come from the remarkable rise of T-20 cricket. This ultra short form of the game is fast and exciting to the modern viewer. Whilst it is true that it is extremely racy and has high skill levels, it does not allow for any focus on technique, concentration, strategy and lacks the sense of drama and theatre that are weaved into tests. The humongous money involved in T-20 has led many people to start feeling that players might opt for this simply due to the lure of mammon. While there is quite a possibility that many players might feel it is much better to make a fast buck by sticking to T-20, the vast majority still do believe that to truly be classified among the greats and to be recognized, it is paramount to perform in tests. Test cricket still does continue to explore all facets of a player's game and without doubt showcases his strengths and exposes his frailties the best of all formats of the game. There is definitely room for all three formats and the ICC, with good foresight, plan the future tours programme well to incorporate the right number of tests, odi's and T-20's.

There is surely a necessity for an official ICC test championship which allows for keener contests among the top 4-5 teams and brings out the best in them. This is in the pipeline and I sure hope something positive materializes soon enough. Test cricket has for years been a cricket lover's delight and has produced innumerable legends and fantastic contests all along. It is faced with its biggest challenge now and I am pretty sure, the strong foundation the game's oldest format is built on will stand it in good stead and help it tide through these turbulent times.

My ultimate Wishlist......

Most people must have watched the movie 'The Bucketlist' and must be wondering if this is yet another similar list..Well I do wish these things happen way before I kick the bucket..:D..Am a sports crazy guy as people who have read the blogs/known me would testify..so excuse me for the excessive number of sports related wishes in my list..!
There are quite a few things I would love to do, places I would love to visit and people I so wanna meet sometime..Here's a list..

1. Lords cricket ground in London--> Not for nothing is it known as the mecca of the game. The ground has a great history, some fantastic names and performances associated with it and almost always, the dream of every cricketer is to be able to have his name on the honours board at this great stage..



2. Wimbledon centre court--> for the sheer aura it has, the remarkable sense of theatre and classic contests and players that have graced it, nothing matches the hallowed grass of Wimbledon centre court. It would be one of my life's biggest moments if I can visit it and spend sometime there..



3. Melbourne cricket ground (MCG)--> The largest of all cricket grounds..Just facing the great stands itself can be unnerving for the finest of players..also its standing among the greatest sporting arenas in the game make it one of the places I would love to visit..



4. Old Trafford, Manchester--> Known as the 'theatre of dreams', this glorious football ground is home to the most famous team of all-- Manchester United and has left many an indelible mark in the mind of football lovers worldwide..Just to watch the Red Devils play with that massive crowd cheering will be the stuff of dreams..!



5. Eden Gardens-->India's greatest sporting venue..accommodates a massive 100000 most times and the unpredictable nature of the crowd to go with their unmatched love for the game make it a must visit place for the cricket lover..



6. Barbados- Kensington oval-- This is almost all but impossible now considering that West Indies cricket is at its nadir...IF only I could sit back in a time machine and travel a good 30 odd years and watch the mighty Calypso kings hunt down every other opponent, their fast bowlers making batsmen hop and Sobers and Richards lording over attacks the world over, wow!..that would just about make my life..!



7. People I would love to meet include Brian Lara (the biggest reason for me to start watching cricket), Shane Warne (met him though not exactly a proper meeting so to say) for the very fact that he is so larger than life.





Viv Richards just to check out that swagger and Garry Sobers to admire the astonishing natural gifts he possessed..











Roger Federer and Steffi Graf who have made tennis such a joy to watch..

8. Finally, the thing I would really love and give up anything for is to be able to go back in time to relive my school and college life with my amazing pals...Truly there has been nothing like those days and I guess practically all that can happen is meeting up with all my buddies sometime in the coming years to catch up on all the great times we shared...!







Pics: Left to Right--> High School, University of Kansas (Masters) and my college in Bangalore (M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology)..

In anticipation....

Another week coming to its end or rather the best part...the weekend!..as usual trying to work out what i can do different this time round to make it more interesting..am off 2 blore this time...mayb a movie, a lunch/dinner treat, get to a club with pals..(in case ur wonderin Wow..wuts up with this bugger...hold ur horses...i gotta do the driving back..lol)..i look fwd 2 these trips to blore coz thats abt the only thing that keeps me going...but yeah frm the next week on, ill hv my cuzn around in chennai and i shud hv a whale of a time...no more complaints and cribbing abt lack of pals and company..thr is a lot to check out in this city i guess and all i can say is im jus waitin big time for this weekend..

I am startin 2 feel a lot better mentally..reading sum gr8 books and slowly startin 2 feel at home..the daily irritating feel and monotony seems to be disappearing just a touch and I sure am getting a strong feel tht better things are in store in the coming few days..!

well..i dont think this blog made much sense but i sure hope that what am hoping for happens else it will be time for u people 2 struggle and read more crap about how life sucks! :D

Time for some serious action...

The spate of rape cases in India over the last year is a matter of grave concern for everybody..Child rapes have increased exponentially and the perpetrators of this ghastly crime continue to walk away scot free almost every time due to the various loopholes in the judicial system...Only few cases manage to make it past the Police to the courts. In many cases they are held back by the victims and their families due to the fear of further oppression and embarrassment. If at all the cases do manage to get to the courts, the pitifully slow judicial system in India tends to procrastinate judgment so long that there is almost no use expecting anything meaningful to come out of the process...

It is often said that one needs to get to the grassroots level to diagnose the problem correctly..India is a vast democracy with an enormous population and the number of illiterate and uneducated in the country is huge..Uncouth and uncivilized youth roam the streets and morality is absolutely out of the window when it comes to these people..They have very little knowledge of or respect for human values and their attitude towards women is downright atrocious...The very fact that these immoral, lecherous individuals manage to get away time and again with such horrendous acts speaks volumes of the inability of the state to act right and on time..

Almost everyday we see numerous rape cases, accusations related to molestation , incidents of paedophilia and sexual assaults on tourists..All this does not really showcase the country in good light nor does it bode well for the future generation..Parents sweat and worry every minute till their girl gets back home and the fact that girls are unable to walk safely on the streets after evening really goes to show how grave the scene is..Add to this, the various loopholes in our judiciary system abet these criminals and have made them the scourge of the civilized society..

It really is high time the authorities implement a stricter form of punishment say capital punishment/life term or even the death penalty for rape..Agreed that it might sound rather harsh and death penalty is not a very acceptable form of punishment in most places..The people who do protest against capital punishments must also spare a thought for the traumatic experience of the victims and all the embarrassment that they are forced to endure during the course of the process that is supposed to provide 'justice'..There are a few nations that have very stringent laws for various crimes and death penalty definitely serves as a deterrent in those nations..I firmly believe that if and when it is enforced, the rule will surely be a major factor in helping reducing the incidences of the dastardly act that so far has been committed without an iota of fear of any grave consequences...

I sure hope the government decides to act sooner rather than later and takes certain concrete steps whilst formulating more stringent policies to control the menace that is affecting modern India..As Mahatma Gandhi said, the country can be truly envisioned as a developed one only when its women can safely walk the streets even at night without any fear..Let us strive to achieve the great man's dream!

Ecstasy and Despair...

Life can be very cruel is an oft-repeated statement. Yesterday, on the hallowed grass of Wimbledon, watching one man leap in joy and another sink in despair, this seemed to make all the more sense. Sport in general has been known to make heroes and villains in an instant and make or break a man's resolve. There are occasions though when you really feel that there is such a thin line between the ecstasy of triumph and the despair that comes with defeat. Having watched the classic contest between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick yesterday, one could not help but admit that the tennis Gods had been rather unkind at least this one time.



When the two players walked onto centre court of the greatest tennis stage in the world, they climbed down the staircase, the wall above it bearing Rudyard Kipling's immortal line from his poem 'If'--> "For if you can meet triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.". Was it really possible to be that way? We were just about to find out. Andy Roddick had contested two previous Wimbledon finals in 2004 and 2005 and on both occasions had come up short against the very same opponent. His record was an unimpressive 0-7 in Grand Slams and Federer led 18-2 overall which made facing him a very daunting prospect indeed. The American though was a more complete player since his horror run last year and was hugely inspired by his excellent coach Larry Stefanki. Vijay Amritraj said it perfectly that Centre court had the ability to either demoralize or inspire a player and the latter is what it did to the gritty American.

In the semi finals, Andy Roddick had crushed the hopes of a nation when he vanquished Andy Murray. He had mixed up his game beautifully, combining excellent baseline play with brilliant volleying at the net and had come up trumps against the Scot. His main weapon, the serve was holding up remarkably and with him having a first serve percentage in the 70's, it was always going to be difficult to play him. Roger Federer though had not had any problems on any front till then and he had faced Roddick's serve before and treated it with total disdain. This match seemed headed only one way.

The great Swiss's inexorable march to tennis immortality had very few hurdles. One of the big ones was eliminated even before the tournament started with Rafael Nadal, the man who had dethroned Federer from his lofty perch last year in an epic battle withdrawing due to tendinitis in his knee. Roger Federer had also won the only slam that was missing in his collection by trouncing Robin Soderling at Roland Garros. All through the two weeks of Wimbledon, it seemed like Federer lifting the trophy would be a mere formality.

When the battle commenced on centre court, the early signs were that it was Federer who was nervous. He was making a few uncharacteristic errors while Andy Roddick was playing some terrific tennis whilst making some tremendous passing shots. At 5-6, Federer's serve wilted and the American capitalized on a couple of lapses winning the first set 7-5. This was only the second set conceded by Federer in the entire tournament and the crowd realized they were in for a contest. A host of big names including tennis legends Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras (whose record of 14 grand slams was in danger of being eclipsed, Hollywood stars Woody Allen, Russell Crowe, the former American diplomat Henry Kissinger, the great Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and the Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson watched this big game and this had perhaps made Federer a little nervous.

The second set went with serve as was expected. Roddick's serve stood the test and was turning out to be a potent force. In the tie break he forced a couple of loose shots and at 6-2, he had 4 set points to take a 2-0 lead against the Swiss. In these moments of adversity do true champions stand out as was demonstrated by Federer. Riding on a single misjudgment by Roddick when he put a volley out, Federer served his way back and after a couple of rallies, a wide backhand by Roddick had given Federer the set and a new lease of life. The American knew that he had squandered a golden opportunity.

The third set once again went to a tie break and despite a couple of nervous moments, Federer calmly closed out the break 7-5. He had taken a two set to one lead and it seemed like curtains for the fighting American. The Roddick of few years back would have folded by then but not the new rejuvenated and fitter version. He served even better than before wriggling his way out of trouble and got a crucial break of serve with a great backhand pass forcing Federer to net the volley. He held his nerve and served out the fourth set 6-3.

The fifth set got underway and by now it was not just a test of skill but also the will power and mental strength. No tie breaks were possible and people knew it was all about the one moment of brilliance or madness that would decided this extraordinary contest. The games went on and on and in one game at 15-40 late in the set, Federer stared at defeat. He brought out two of his finest serves and then closed out that game yet again showing the stuff champions are made of. Roddick continued to torment Federer with his serve and overall game and he started his serve with the score reading 14-15. The set had by itself gone over 90 minutes, easily the longest set in Wimbledon history. Federer started off with a good return forcing Roddick to net the ball. A bad error from the American made it 0-30 and now the pressure was right on him. Three great serves made it 40-30 and then Federer pulled it back to deuce. Another error from Roddick brought Federer to match point and in the most unfortunate way for the classic to end, a Roddick mishit sailed out giving Roger Federer his 15th Grand Slam and sixth Wimbledon title taking him past the legendary Pete Sampras. Roddick was crushed and Federer was ecstatic. Everybody felt that Roddick had played the better game and deserved the trophy every bit as the champion did. As is usually the case, champions revel in crises and Federer did when it mattered the most. In the second set tie break and the final game which turned out to be the only game he conquered the Roddick serve, he raised his pkay and won the pivotal moments on which the fate of the match hung. It was a cruel way to end for the American star who had given it everything he had and more. He could never have played a better game of tennis and yet he lost.

Ever gracious in defeat and never one to lose his sense of humour, Roddick won more fans than ever before. Roger Federer had triumphed on the day and created history and the joy was all his, but in this historic moment in the game, Andy Roddick had done himself proud with his remarkable fighting qualities and brilliant display of tennis not to mention his impeccable sporting quality that made him so endearing to the tennis lover.

My top reads...

I have always loved to read a wide variety of books and hate dwelling on a particular genre such as fiction..My interest lies in sports, history, medicine, mythology and of course fiction and classics...Of late I have found a lot of time as I stay alone and books seem to be the best way of passing time..Here is a set of books that I have read over the last year or so and found them particularly good..Hope you guys read them too and lemme know how you feel..

1. India after Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha

I am in the process of reading it and this is one of the few books that I decided to buy without a second thought. Truly an impeccable account of modern Indian history full of fascinating information, great descriptions of the personalities who have shaped our history and overall very delightfully written. I would highly recommend this brilliant work by a man who is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable and erudite scholars to grace our country...

2. Indira- The biography of Indira Gandhi by Katherine Frank

A fantastic book. Indira Gandhi has for long been a name that is associated with intrigue, controversy, amazement and what not. This work really does help one get to understand the great lady and know more about her political career and personal life. Very well researched and written.

3. Head on-The autobiography of Ian Botham

Ian Botham's autobiography. What could be more interesting for a die hard cricket fan? Botham's achievements and genius together with his antics on and off field including the numerous controversies and allegations make for a riveting read..a book I would definitely suggest for anyone who loves cricket..

4. The Mahabharata: English translation of the original ..

Its a work that never ceases to amaze me. I must have read at least 5-6 different versions by various authors but there's almost always something new I learn. This is a set of pdf docs that I found here. A truly comprehensive treatment of the immortal epic and a must have for anyone who is into Indian mythology.

5. Test Cricket Lists

Thanks to a couple of great pals, I managed to get this book shipped from UK to the US and then brought to India..A must have and read for people into cricket stats.. contains virtually every stat and record that can be associated with the great game..A remarkable compendium of information and a book i will truly treasure...

6. Test match special (TMS)

A superb book mainly focusing on the legendary members of the Test match Special commentary team including John Arlott, Brian Johnston, Christopher Martin Jenkins and their exploits in the commentary box. The gaffes, laughs, highs and lows and their favorite matches and cricketers are recalled making this a quite glorious book..

7. The Kingfisher Football Encyclopaedia

Awesome photos, brilliant player profiles, match info and simulated sketches of great goals along with extraordinary trivia makes this one a highly entertaining read..


8. AIDS and HIV in perspective

A very well written guide which teaches all you need to know about the scourge of humanity. The virus itself, its actions and the way it acts is quite superbly explained. The book can be used by beginners and casual readers too without being overawed by medical terminology. The AIDS vaccine development and future of research is elucidated well too making it one of the better books I've read in this field..