Caribbean Cruise

It is ironical that I am attempting to write about the glorious history of West Indian cricket when it is at its nadir. The sad state of affairs is palpable and the administrators and players are guilty of doing nothing to alleviate the situation. But then it is also apt, as it reminds one and all about their extraordinary contribution to world cricket. No other team has managed to produce as many naturally gifted batsmen, outstanding fast bowlers and brilliant all-round fieldsmen like the West Indies have. While selecting the all time XI of the West Indies, people are in a complete quandary considering there are at least 25-30 top players to pick from. Richie Benaud, the doyen of commentators, himself calls them 'The True Entertainers' of cricket and I cannot help but agree. I have grown up watching and reading about the fantastic exploits of West Indian legends and this work is the smallest tribute I can pay to a team cherished by every cricket lover.

West Indian cricket has seen many highs and lows, exceptional captains and dominant players. It can be divided into different periods detailed below.

1. The Headley years

Cricket was given to almost every country by England during the course of its imperialistic conquests. West Indies made their entry into international cricket in 1928. The islands of the West Indies did not have a fair representation in those early years though. Majority of the players in the team were whites and very few locals were preferred. Learie Constantine was an outstanding all-rounder who played in his country's first Test match. The tour of England under Karl Nunes turned out to be a disaster though, as the team went down by an innings in all three matches. But in 1929-30, when England toured the West Indies, a new batting star was born. George Headley of Jamaica plundered the England attack and scored 703 runs in four Tests including four centuries as West Indies won their first ever Test at Georgetown.

After a couple of disappointing series, West Indies won their first ever series against England in 1934-35. A loss in a low scoring first Test was followed by an outstanding performance by Headley, who by then was known as the 'Black Bradman'. He scored 485 runs including a superb 270 in the final Test at Kingston where England were beaten by an innings. Headley's record before the World War was simply outstanding. He scored almost 26% of the team runs during the period and averaged more than 66. He finished his career after the war with 10 centuries in 40 innings, a rate second only to Bradman's. He also averaged 71 at number three which remains one of the best for that position.



Centre:George Headley, the first great WI batsman

2. Era of the 3 W's

England toured the Caribbean in 1947-48. George Headley led the West Indies in the first Test at Barbados becoming the first black captain to do so. But he was immediately replaced in the next match by Gerry Gomez. Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott and Everton Weekes made their debuts in this series. Known as the 3 W's, all three were born in Bridgetown and soon became the batting heavyweights of the team. West Indies went on to win the series 2-0 and on the next tour of India, Everton Weekes set a record for the most consecutive centuries when he scored five hundreds in five innings and was run out for 90 in the sixth. West Indies dominated the 1950 series against England winning 3-1 with Worrell leading the scoring. He aggregated 539 runs at nearly 90 with a top score of 261 at Nottingham.

Australia won the series down under in 1951-52 by a comprehensive margin of 4-1 but the series was a lot closer than that. The Aussies won the first Test by three wickets and the fourth by just one wicket. Despite the excellent individual performances, West Indies were not able to establish dominance. This was in part, due to the absence of a local captain. The 1955 Australian tour of West Indies saw the home team losing heavily with the Aussie batsmen feasting on some weak bowling. Clyde Walcott though was in superb batting form scoring 827 runs with five centuries in the series, including a century in both innings on two different occasions in the same series.





Left:The three greats from Barbados: Worrell, Walcott and Weekes
Right: Meckiff is run out by Joe Solomon's direct hit as the Brisbane Test is tied


3. Rise of the greatest all-rounder- Sobers

The England tour of 1954 witnessed the debut of the 17 year old Garfield Sobers, who played in the lower middle order and bowled occasionally. He had not scored a single century despite getting numerous starts. On the disastrous England tour of 1957, when West Indies lost 3-0, Sobers was one of the few quality performers. Finally, in 1958 against Pakistan at Kingston, Sobers announced himself with a spectacular 365*, in the process surpassing Len Hutton's 20 year record. Conrad Hunte scored 260 and the West Indies amassed 790/3 beating Pakistan by an innings. This series was followed by a victory over India and a defeat to Pakistan and England. The next series was against Australia down under and was expected to be a no contest considering Australia were easily the best team.

4. Worrell's era

Frank Worrell became the first black captain of the West Indies and encouraged his team to play attacking cricket. He united all the islands and there was enormous respect for his leadership. Richie Benaud was the opposing captain and in the first Test at Brisbane, the West Indies were in trouble early losing three quick wickets. In the passage of play that ensued, Sobers and Worrell unleashed a scintillating array of strokes, with Sobers in particular dominating the Australian bowling. He scored a stunning 132 as West Indies made 453. Norman O'Neill made 181 as Australia secured a 52 run lead. Alan Davidson who had scored a half century earlier bowled superbly to keep the West Indies down to 284, with Worrell top scoring. Australia were expected to get the runs easily, but Wesley Hall's aggressive fast bowling left them in tatters at 92/6. Benaud and Davidson fought back and took Australia to 228 when Davidson was run out by Joe Solomon. When Hall started the last over of the match, all results were possible. Benaud was caught behind with five required putting West Indies on top. Then the drama started. Hall spilled an easy catch two balls later and when Wally Grout was run out going for the third run, the scores were level. Kline pushed the ball to square leg and set off for what would have been the winning run, but Solomon swooped and effected a stunning direct hit. The match had ended in a tie, the first ever in Test history and had set the precedent for a glorious summer. Australia and West Indies won the next two matches comfortably and when the fourth Test started in Adelaide, the series was level 1-1 with two to play. West Indies dominated the match, but Australia's last pair of Kline and Mackay frustrated them for almost two hours to draw the game. Australia won a tight contest at the MCG by two wickets to take the series 2-1. At the end of a fascinating series, Frank Worrell and his team were given a parade through Melbourne and the Australia-WI contest ever since is known as the frank Worrell trophy. Worrell's team comfortably defeated England and Australia over the next two years and Garry Sobers took over the captaincy in 1966 for the England tour of West Indies.

5. Sobers as captain and the decline

Sobers took over the captaincy from Worrell in 1966 and reestablished West Indian supremacy in his first two series as captain. In the ultimate all-round performance, he scored over 700 runs, picked up 20 wickets and held 10 catches against England in the 3-1 victory. The team though had lost much of its sheen and the bowling had gone rather weak. In what turned out to be a premature decision, he declared both innings of the Trinidad Test in 1967-68 setting England 215 to win which they managed to do with few balls to spare. He was vilified extensively for this blunder and despite his best efforts to win the next Test, England drew and won the series 1-0. Sobers did not win a single series after this. After the 1-0 loss to India in 1971, Rohan Kanhai took over the reins. A loss against Australia at home was followed by a 2-0 win in England with Sobers stroking a fantastic 150 at Lord's. Sobers announced his retirement in 1973 and the captaincy was taken over by Clive Lloyd for the tour of India. Lloyd's reign was the start of what would go onto become an unprecedented period of dominance over the next two decades.





Left:The greatest captain and motivator- Frank Worrell
Right:All rounder nonpareil-Garry Sobers


6.Pace is the key

The first Test at Bangalore on the 1974-75 tour of India witnessed the debuts of two players who would go on to become the most outstanding batsmen over the next fifteen years. Vivian Richards and Gordon Greenidge had contrasting debuts; while Richards made just 4 and 3, Greenidge scored 93 and 107. West Indies went on to win a close series 3-2. Lloyd's success continued in the first World Cup in 1975 when they won all their matches enroute to the title. They were lucky to win against Pakistan when they were down 166/8 and 203/9 chasing 267, but Andy Roberts and Deryck Murray put on 64 runs for the last wicket to clinch the win. In the final, Clive Lloyd smashed a brilliant 102, his century coming off just 82 balls to lead West Indies to a 17 run win. Australia's chase was thwarted by Richards who ran three batsmen out including the Chappell brothers. The tour of Australia in 1975-76 taught the West Indies some harsh truths about the game. The Aussies were the best side by a distance and in Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, they had the best new ball pairing in the world. Max Walker and Gary Gilmour provided superb support and the tough cricket they played clearly hurt the West Indies. Roy Fredericks smashed the Aussie bowling around in his 169 in the 2nd Test at Perth, but the West Indies were routed 5-1. The only man to emerge with his head held high was Viv Richards, who after being promoted to open the innings made 98, 101 and 50 in the last two Tests. India toured the Caribbean later and squared the series by chasing down a then record 406. The West Indian spinners proved to be totally ineffective and Lloyd realized that the only way to batter teams into submission was to assemble an array of top fast bowlers. In Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft, he had a terrifying set of fast bowlers who changed the way Test cricket would be played over the next decade.


7.The summer of 1976

>;Tony Greig's remark that he would make the West Indies 'grovel' turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes. The term had a racist connotation to it and nobody was angered more than Viv Richards, who took it upon himself to inflict all the suffering on the England bowlers that summer. Richards was in exceptional form scoring 829 runs in 4 Tests and might have gone on to touch 1000 runs had he not missed the second Test. In the Old Trafford Test, Brian Close and John Eldrich were subjected to a barrage of bouncers by the West Indian quicks. In the final Test at the batsman friendly Oval, Michael Holding produced a masterclass. After Richards' 291 had led WI to 687, England had managed 445 thanks mainly to Dennis Amiss who made 203. Holding produced a blistering spell of fast bowling picking up 8 wickets including the prized scalp of Tony Greig. Six more wickets in the second innings brought him match figures of 14/149, an amazing performance on a flat track. England were thrashed 3-0 and this began a period of unprecedented West Indian dominance over England. Richards went on to make 1710 runs in the calendar year, which remained a record for 30 years.







Top:Whispering death Michael Holding who destroyed England at the Oval with 14/149
Centre:Gundappa Viswanath's glorious 97 at Chepauk is one of the finest knocks played against WI
Right:The WI pace quartet- Roberts,Holding, Croft and Garner

8. Packer and beyond

Most players around the world had issues with their pay and when Kerry Packer of Channel 9 started World Series Cricket after discussions with Tony Greig and Ian Chappell, most West Indian players joined the fold. After two seasons of SuperTests and one-day games among the rebel teams, the boards accepted the demands and the players were back in the main team. During that period, a depleted West Indies lost
a Test in India. Lloyd's team embarked on a tour of New Zealand which turned out to be one of the most ill-tempered. In the first Test at Dunedin, the WI bowlers were incensed after a blatant caught behind decision was turned down. New Zealand squeezed a one wicket win and held on to win the acrimonious series 1-0. The series is sadly remembered for Michael Holding kicking the stumps down and Colin Croft barging into umpire Fred Goodall.


9.Lloyd's reign

Lloyd's powerful West Indian team drew 1-1 against Australia after a classic Kim Hughes century at the MCG enabled the Aussies to win a close game. India were beaten easily in the home series with Richards smashing an exceptional 61 off 36 balls to chase down 173 in 26 overs at Kingston. The WI went to England confident of lifting the trophy for the third consecutive time. An early setback against India was quickly forgotten as they went about their business clinically thrashing Australia by 101 runs, with Winston Davis picking up 7/51. India had a superb tournament and reached the final on June 25th at Lord's. It was a classic mismatch and despite India having tastes success against WI at Berbice earlier and in the World Cup, the Caribbeans were expected to cruise to victory. David Frith was so confident of India being humbled that he famously stated that he would "eat his words" if India won. When India were bundled out for just 183, everything seemed to be too easy for the champions. But when Greenidge forgot about the Lord's slope and was bowled by an innocuous Balwinder Sandhu delivery, the Indians were hopeful. Richards quickly proceeded to change the game with some terrific shots. He had seven fours in his 33 and looked like he would end the game within the next twenty overs. Then came the moment of truth! Richards played a pull off the hapless Madan Lal andjust when the ball seemed headed for safety, India's captain Kapil Dev ran more than twenty yards to pluck the catch. The tide had turned. India's medium pacers squeezed the WI batsmen and eventually won a shock victory by 43 runs. The WI were stunned and Lloyd was resolved to establish that India's victory was only an aberration.

In the series that followed in India, the WI definitely sought revenge for the defeat in the final at Lord's. India failed to win a single Test and were ruthlessly hunted down by the pace bowlers, Malcolm Marshall in particular. He picked up 33 wickets in the series with his best spell coming in Kanpur. On a flat and lifeless track, Marshall destroyed the Indian batting with a spell of 4 for 9 in eight overs and accounted for Sunil Gavaskar. At the peak of his bowling prowess, Marshall dominated Gavaskar dismissing him seven times below 20 runs. Gavaskar scored a scintillating century at Delhi and unbeaten 236 in Chennai coming in at No.4. Richards' famously remarked to Gavaskar, who came in at 0/2 "No matter when you come in, the score will be zero." India were thrashed 7-0 in the ODI series, the highlight being Richards' superb 149 off 99 balls at Jamshedpur. The result was truly a reflection of the greatness of the WI team and how far ahead of the pack they were.







Top:Infamous series in NZ- Holding kicks out following an umpiring howler
Centre:Lloyd introduces his team to the Queen
Right:Malcolm Marshall, the greatest fast bowler from the Caribbean


10.The blackwashes

WI secured an emphatic 3-0 win against Australia at home, not losing a single second innings wicket in three victories. WI then travelled to England, who they had dominated in recent series. But what transpired in the next five games was truly extraordinary. After an innings defeat at Edgbaston, England fought back at Lord's picking up a 41 run lead courtesy an 8 wicket haul by Ian Botham. David Gower declared at 300/9 setting WI an enormous task of chasing 342 in 75 overs. Gordon Greenidge however was in a belligerent mood and made a mockery of the target scoring 214 off 242 balls as WI chased the target down for the loss of just one wicket (a run-out)in just 66 overs. The WI comfortably won the next Test at Leeds after Marshall ripped through England with 7/53 despite a fracture in his left hand. A 5-0 thrashing was sealed at the Oval few days later and WI were firmly sitting on top of the tree.

WI also won the ODI series 2-1. The first ODI at Old Trafford witnessed a stupendous 189* by Viv Richards, which is by far the greatest ODI innings ever played. WI were reeling at 166/9 when Richards, on 95, was joined by Michael Holding. The last wicket stand was worth 106 with Richards contributing 94 of those runs. He cut loose on the England attack and hammered Willis, Pringle, Foster and Botham to all parts of the ground. Old Trafford had witnessed some of the cleanest striking of the cricket ball ever and his 189 out of a team 272 is still the highest contribution to a team's completed innings (total greater than 100 and overs greater than 25).

Lloyd retired at the end of the away series against Australia which WI won 3-1. Marshall was again the pick of the bowlers and was at his peak with 11 five wicket hauls in 14 matches. Richards took over the captaincy and led WI to a comfortable 2-0 win over New Zealand at home. The home series against England was another mauling for England. They were swamped 5-0 again with Richards scoring the fastest Test century at Antigua in a 240 run win.

11. The Richards' era

Viv Richards led WI with distinction after Lloyd's retirement, not losing a single series as captain. The only team that consistently challenged WI was Imran Khan's Pakistan who drew three series in the 1980s. WI were bowled out for 53 in Faislabad with Abdul Qadir taking 6/16, but bounced back to win by an innings in the next game bowling out Pakistan for 131 and 77. In the home series that followed, WI lost the first Test at Guyana by nine wickets mainly due to Imran Khan's 11 wickets and Javed Miandad's century. The next Test was a tight affair and Pakistan held on for a draw with one wicket in hand. WI squeezed home by two wickets in the final Test to square the series 1-1. WI had a disappointing World Cup, not making the semi finals for the first time. Courtney Walsh's act of sportsmanship when he refused to run out Saleem Jaffar, who had backed up too far, resulted in defeat for WI and elimination from the WC. But his terrific gesture was commended by one and all. WI thrashed England 4-0 in the 1988 series, with Marshall ripping the England batting apart at Old Trafford with a haul of 7/22. Richards's side, despite losing most of the stars, dominated cricket for the next two years and he retired after another home series win against Allan Border's Australia.







Top:Terrific on one leg-Greenidge's 214 at Lord's set up a 5-0 rout
Centre:Richards' 189* at Old Trafford- the finest ODI knock ever
Right:The king and Botham- best of pals

12.The beginning of the end of domination

Richie Richardson took over the captaincy after Viv Richards and led WI to series wins against Pakistan and Australia. The series against Australia witnessed the closest win in Test history when WI pipped the Aussies by one run in Adelaide. Ambrose, with a spectacular spell of 7/1 destroyed the Australians at Perth in the next Test to win the series 2-1. The series also unearthed the genius of Brian Lara, who made a superb 277 at the SCG. He followed this effort up in the next year by scoring 375 against England at Antigua and a 501* for Warwickshire against Durham. Mark Taylor's team visited the Caribbean in 1995 to try and win the Frank Worrell trophy, which they had not won for the last 20 years. Australia won the first Test comfortably, but were thrashed in a low scoring third Test. In the final Test, the Waugh twins shared a stunning partnership to put the match beyond the West Indies. The Australians had won the series 2-1; the first time WI had lost a series for 15 years. This turned out to be the beginning of the end of the dominance of the West Indies.

13.The sharp fall

After a 2-2 series draw in England in 1995, West Indies travelled down under to try and regain the Frank Worrell trophy. They were outplayed in the first and second Tests and despite fighting back to win the third Test at the MCG, they lost the fourth to lose the series. A century by Lara and some fine bowling enabled them to gain a consolation win in the final Test.

A disappointing World Cup campaign began with defeats against India and Sri Lanka (WI refused to travel to Colombo). More humiliation followed as they were bowled out for 93 against Kenya at Pune. They managed to qualify for the quarterfinal after defeating Australia in Jaipur. Few gave them a chance against South Africa in their QF clash in Karachi. SA had won all their five group matches with ease and were the favourites to lift the trophy. What followed though was sheer brilliance. Brian Lara produced a masterpiece, scoring 111 off 94 balls which took West Indies to 264. Excellent bowling kept the Proteas down to 245 and the World Cup has witnessed a huge upset. In the semi-final in Mohali, the West Indies started superbly reducing Australia to 15/4. Michael Bevan, the man for a crisis, who had singlehandedly won an ODI in Sydney earlier in the same year against WI, combined with Stuart Law and put Australia back on track. However, the total of 207 seemed inadequate when Lara and Chanderpaul were going great guns. Lara fell to a superb off-cutter from Steve Waugh and this opened the sluice gates. Warne returned to wreak havoc in the middle order. Umpiring decisions went against the West Indies and in the panic that ensued, Richie Richardson fought a lone battle. Curtly Ambrose's run out and a mindless hoick by Courtney Walsh put an end to the campaign and Richardson resigned as captain after the exit.

Walsh took over the captaincy but there was no way he could stem the rot. WI lost 3-0 in Pakistan and he was forced to retire. Lara's start at the top began horribly as the team went down 5-0 in South Africa. In February 1999, Australia made a trip to the Caribbean under Steve Waugh. In the first Test in Trinidad, Wi were bowled out for 51 and there were numerous calls for Lara's axing. Under extreme pressure from all sides and with absolutely no support, Lara produced a string of exhilarating performances that is surely the stuff of legend. He started with a stunning 213 at Jamaica, enabling WI to recover from 34/4 and secure a 10 wicket win. In the next Test in Barbados, his glorious 153*, remembered best for his partnership with the tail, helped WI to triumph by one wicket in a thriller. He followed this up with a violent century in the fourth Test, but Autralia held on to square the series 2-2. In the not so memorable 90s, this show of individual brilliance stood out.

However, the cracks were only widening as the WI were thrashed 3-1 in England. This series marked the end of Curtly Ambrose's career and with his departure, WI had lost a fantastic match winner. His absence was felt in Australia as the spineless attack was hammered all round. Jimmy Adams resigned from captaincy soon after a 5-0 rout and Carl Hooper took over for the tour of Sri Lanka in November 2001.





Right:Don't cuss me man..Ambrose flares up against Steve Waugh and is hauled back by Richie Richardson
Left:Lara's finest moment- the surreal 153* to snatch a win in Barbados, 1999


14.The prince's second coming

Brian Lara very well knew that the fortunes of his team rested squarely on his batting performances. He produced what is arguably the greatest series batting display by a batsman from a losing side. His 688 runs in just three Tests in which he ran up scores of 178, 221 and 130 were not enough to prevent a 3-0 whitewash. He had amassed more than 42% of the team runs and his superb command over the magnificent Muttiah Muralitharan was a joy to behold.

In every series that followed, WI plummeted to new depths. A 4-0 loss in England was followed by another home series defeat against England. In the final Test, Lara scored a record 400*, surpassing Matthew Hayden's 380 to restore some pride. A shock win in the ICC Champions trophy was the only bright point in an otherwise horrible phase. Amidst series defeats in South Africa and Australia, Lara played some glorious knocks. His 226 in Adelaide took him past Allan Border's Test aggregate. He made a splendid double-century in Multan, taking Danish Kaneria for 26 runs off one over.

Lara retired from all forms of cricket after a disappointing World Cup loss to England. With his retirement, WI had lost their last great batsman who was the only one capable of standing up to the world's best bowling attacks. Lara's second coming yielded 21 centuries at an average over 60 and he definitely looked good enough to carry on for two more years. His greatest regret though, will always lie in the fact that his best phase coincided with time WI cricket was in its doldrums.





Right:Lara after his superb 202 in South Africa
Left:The prince essays a scorching drive

Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan have provided resistance on occasions and youngsters like Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo and Kemar Roach have shown promise. But it will take a while (I hope!) for WI cricket to emerge from these dark times and thrill one and all.

There has never been a sports team so universally loved and admired, yet feared and respected. Headley's batting exploits, the outstanding and inspiring leadership of Frank Worrell, the great performances of Walcott and Weekes, Sobers' extraordinary feats, the stunning standards set by the teams led by Lloyd and Richards, the assembly line of fast bowlers and finally the genius of Brian Lara. These memories will undoubtedly last till my dying day and will serve me in good stead when I sit down to narrate the fantastic achievements of the greats from the Caribbean islands to my children.


Ok guys..here's a small set of questions for all you WI cricket fans at the end..have fun!

1. Name the bowler who split Wally Hammond's chin in a terrifying spell in 1933.
2. What is the record run tally by a West Indian batsman in a WI-India series?
3. Who hit Nari Contractor on his head resulting in a life-threatening injury?
4. Who were the two batsmen recalled from retirement by England to face up to Michael Holding and Andy Roberts in 1976?
5. Who was the captain of New Zealand when they beat WI by one wicket in a controversial Test in 1979-80 (it was to be 15 years before WI lost another series)
6. Two batsmen were seriously injured my Malcolm Marshall on the 1984 tour of England
batsman 1 (temple) and batsman 2(shoulder). Who were the players?
7. Who scored a spectacular 154* against WI at Leeds in 1991 to enable England win a close contest?
8. What were Curtly Ambrose's figures when he bowled England out for 46 at Port of Spain in 1993-94?
9. How many sixes has Brian Lara hit in Tests?
10. WI hold the record for not losing a single Test in Barbados for 59 years (1935-1994). Who was the man of the match in the Test they lost in 1994?

Flawed, but eternally charming

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

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

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





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





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

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

Great ODI knocks in chases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Memories I will carry...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

cheers

A regret that lingers on..

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The shining light..

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

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

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

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

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