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..
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
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...
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...
Saturday, April 10, 2010
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..
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..
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
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..
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..
Monday, April 5, 2010
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!..
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!..
Monday, March 29, 2010
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...
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...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
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..
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..
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