SEHWAG - THE PHENOMENON

Virender Sehwag - Nawab of Najafgarh - flamboyant, charismatic, happy-go-lucky, these are the adjectives that can be used to describe him as a person! But how would you describe his batting - ruthless, high-octane-edge-of-the-seat thrill, nerve wracking tension for every moment he stays at the crease! That then is the man who always keeps you glued to the television irrespective of a Test match, ODI, or a T20.

First we have to understand the method behind the madness of it all, There is no subtlety involved here, only slam-bang, No half measures, only ruthelessness, While he may not have the technical solidity of a Dravid, the flair and grace of a Laxman, the lazy elegance of a Ganguly, the stroke making wonders of a Tendulkar, Sehwag, more than makes it up with his tremendous hand-eye coordination. The sheer nonchalance with which he decimates the opposition attacks is a sight to behold. Since his transition to the opening slot, he has performed incredibly well against all opposition.

When he first started his international career there were comparisons made with Tendulkar. To be fair the comparisons didn’t seem out of place, since both were of the same height, had the same build, both were wonderful stroke makers capable of tearing any opposition apart on their day. Sehwag too said that he idolized the little master and had modeled his game after Sachin. In fact, when we watch the two bat in tandem it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the two. But any comparisons with Sachin would be unfair to the Nawab of Najafgarh for he has consciously tried to create his own brand of attacking batsmanship and also carved a niche for himself in the process.

To study Sehwag’s batting is not easy, He may not be a purist’s delight, does not play in the ‘V’. He has his own array of shots that leaves bowlers praying for help. But he is mighty effective, has long powers of concentration, converts those hundreds into really big knocks (all of his last Test hundreds have all been 150 plus scores). He is a player who doesn’t hesitate to dominate from the word go, which invariably takes the pressure of the Fab Four. Also his favorite shot is the murderous upper cut over third-man (remember the first ball six of Waqar Younis in the 2003 World cup?). Ironically this shot has got him out quite a few times in one day cricket where he has fallen to the trap once too often for his liking. but this shot does fetch him a lot of runs in the vacant third man region in Test cricket.

Also the sheer nonchalance that he exudes at the crease, He once cheekily said to a reporter “main sirf ball ko dekh tha hoon aur martha hoon” when quizzed about the aura of the bowler he was facing. Another facet of his is the ability to wear the shine of the new ball & score quickly as well which makes him a potent opening batsman of his generation.

Ever since the legendary Sunil Gavaskar left the scene there has been a huge vacuum in that slot. Many have come and gone but none have been like Sehwag, who, like a whiff of fresh air just butchered his way to the top. It would be fair to say that right now. He is the premier opening batsmen in Test cricket along with Matty Hayden and Graeme Smith.

The way he tears apart the bowling is a rare spectacle, the rasping cuts, the scorching drives, the cheeky paddles, the mighty slog sweeps all dot his arsenal. He also knows how to control an innings beautifully (proof being his 2nd innings at Adelaide 2008) which sets it up for the bowlers to win matches. At a time when fitness is the new mantra we see a cheerful bald Sehwag, who also has a slight paunch excelling in his field in spite of not working out as religiously as his peers do, which also reflects in his happy state of mind, who is always armed with a smile on his face, doesn’t get flustered or fazed & most importantly his mind is clutter free.

To be able to take risks is one thing but to do it consistently and to pull it off & that too in the nineties is the indication of a genius in the making. While many would be happy taking the easier route to their landmarks (most often they get out in the process). Here, we have a man hitting sixes at will to reach the landmark in style. While his penchant for risk taking might have cost him his wicket on a couple of occasions like the instance when he got out for 195 against the Aussies at the MCG, he believes in the adage either “You live by the sword or die by it”. Also he does invoke a sense of awe and fear in the minds of the bowlers when they run-up to bowl to him.

In fact, his career has not been a bed of roses all the way. There have been some blips like when he was dropped from the team after the Bangladesh series. Also critics point out that he performs only in the first innings of a test match, a fact substantiated by their claims which points to his average which dips remarkably from 67 in the first to 25 in the second. Also 13 of his 15 Test hundreds have come in the first essay which suggests he is a player who excels only when the conditions are good, which exactly is not the case always like the match saving innings he played in the second innings of the recent Adelaide Test against the Aussies. That innings showed how much he has matured from the swash buckler to the savior. It also showed that he can quickly adapt to the situation and change his game when his team needed the most.

It would be only fair to say that he is in the prime of his career and hopefully he can translate some of his Test match form to the shorter versions of the game as well which many think are his strong points. We all have been privileged to see his performances and hope he continues to light up the millions of Indians with his dazzling batting for the rest of his career. Until then savior and enjoy every moment of his batting which leaves many speechless and the opposition bowlers dumb!

PRINCE IN PERIL

Here we go again! The eternal comeback man (if we include Jimmy Amarnath also to this list) of Indian cricket Saurav Chandidas Ganguly or as Geoffrey Boycott fondly calls him our very own Prince of Kolkatta, has been dropped for the umpteenth time in his long career. But, this time is there a way back for the much loved, heavily criticized, and at times even despised character of Indian cricket?

First let’s get into the facts, since his sensational comeback in 2006 Dada has been one of the most consistent performers in the test arena, with an average which is only inferior to the Nawab of Najafgarh, who has played 4 tests less than him. And when we compare his record over the past 12 months with the remaining three -Laxman, Dravid, Tendulkar - then he easily stands head and shoulders above them.

So considering these things, and also the fact that he had just one bad series versus the Lankans when for all purposes our famed Fab Five (excluding Sehwag) came a cropper to the wiles and guiles of a certain Ajantha Mendis, who remarkably even outshone his more famous team mate Murali in his debut series. Was it fair on the part of the selectors to drop him for the upcoming Irani trophy match that is considered as the lung opener of the season?

Why is Ganguly always singled out for harsh punishment? Maybe it is because he doesnt care a damn for anyone or is it that the selectors were too afraid to drop a Tendulkar or a Dravid because of their connections with well known personalities like a Sharad Pawar or a certain Anil Kumble respectively. If we consider just statistics alone for the past 12 months then Dravid's head should have been the one on the chopping block first.

And also continuing with Dravid, technically speaking, he doesn’t look like the wall of India that we have known him to be. He has repeatedly shown a penchant for being dismissed either LBW or bowled. But he has Anil Kumble strongly backing his case and also no sane selector will have the guts to drop Tendulkar, so that leaves only Ganguly and Laxman. And if we compare the record of Laxman and Ganguly versus Australia then in all fairness Laxman should get the nod, but, the point here is does Sourav deserve another chance?

Time and again Sourav has risen from the ashes like a true phoenix, just when every cricket writer worth his salt prepares his obituary he has rewritten the odds and come up trumps. No other cricketer in India evokes the kind of emotions he does in a cricket lover - maybe because he speaks his mind, is not daunted by the opposition. He took Indian cricket to another level from the goody gentlemen to the all conquering aggressive world beaters. He rescued the team in a particularly difficult position from the sordid match fixing saga that threatened to bury the game, and above all is the most successful Indian captain of all time.

This article is not about eulogizing a particular individual (though I am a little passionate about Ganguly), it is for the double standards that the selectors show also how politics plays such a crucial role in team selection these days. I hope as many millions of Indians would that the much beloved Dada once again makes a grand comeback and proved the cynics wrong, until then let’s wait and watch for the action to unfold.

INDIA GLORIOUS

Well, what a day it was for Indian cricket at the WACA! They achieved the impossible. Honestly I didn’t think, like so many Indians, that they stood a chance at one of the quickest wickets in the world. After all the turmoil they had to go through for the last 2 weeks, it seems this team has what they call the Killer Instinct. They gave a real shock to the mighty Aussies who might have quietly planned on how to celebrate their 17th win at their bastion instead they were brought crashing down to earth for the second time after 2001.

First, let’s look back at the circumstances in which this victory came about. The Indians were furious that a certain Andrew Symonds had branded Harbhajan Singh a racist, the acrimonious Sydney Test where the umpiring was so one-sided that it would even put our own Gulli Cricket to shame, and also the prospect of a humiliating whitewash very much on the cards considering the next test was at the WACA, where no one, not even my granny, would have given the Indians any chance of a draw let alone a win. Then this should surely rank as one of India’s greatest Test wins of all time.

What is even more amazing is the fact that we were playing Sehwag and Pathan for the first time on the tour and also we out thought and out bowled the famed Aussie think tank and bowling respectively. There was lot of pre-match hype on how a certain Shaun Tait would blow the Indians away off their feet. Instead, he became a royal cropper whereas our own Pathan with his gentle swing bowling managed to hoodwink the Aussie batting order. Also, one should not forget the efforts of both Dravid and Tendulkar in the first essay and also Laxman in the second. Without these three innings, India would have been staring down the barrel again, It was these three who beautifully set it up for the bowlers to do the rest and they duly obliged.

One should also congratulate the veteran statesman of Indian cricket, Anil Kumble. He not only had the onerous task of keeping his team together but also to motivate them to rise to the occasion and deliver the goods and how well he managed both! Truly he had great part in this momentous and landmark victory which brought the Aussies off their perch for the second time after 2001. I think we should all salute this gallant leader and hope he continues to shine in his new avatar though he has only a couple of seasons left in him.

This victory should now act as the catalyst for even greater things from our beloved team with their main focus now on squaring the series in Adelaide. This has been a victory that is to be cherished and treasured. One hopes this is not a one-off and just the start of a long list of glorious achievements hopefully starting with the next one in Adelaide. Can’t wait for that one to start!