Is this a World Cup Final? Is it a much awaited Ashes? Is it a India Pakistan Final? One can ask as many questions to demean the importance of this IPL final. The stage is set for two titans to play around 4 hours of nerve breaking cricket and decide who is better amongst them.
Well, on one hand, we have an excellent young cricketer who is finding his way to glory by taking one small step at a time. However, the pace of taking those steps has been exceptional and quite stark to the conventional approach.
Where as on the other, we have a great great grandmaster of the sport. A true ambassador of the sport, the genius little master whose talent has awestruck almost every barring a few publicity mongers who crave to get a miniscule bit of the fame by criticizing this demi-god of Indian cricket.
This final is nothing close to the tension built up by the media before a world cup final or a much awaited India-Pakistan final in a not-so-important tournament.
However, this match means much more to Sachin fans as they have awaited their hero to lead from the front and achieve the glory. His soft-spoken nature has often been highlighted as the bad to have quality in a captain and has been seen as the major reason for his failure as a captain.
Whereas Dhoni has enjoyed the well deserved tag of Captain Cool and when required he has proved his stature as a captain and as a player. He has been the hard task master and has displayed all the traits of a perfect captain.
This year's IPL has been a turn around for Sachin, both as a player as well as a captain. He has adapted to the shorter version of the game and has shown that talent is the pre-requisite to succeed in any format. However, his effort to redeem himself as a player doesn't surprise anyone to a large extent. This was inevitable and was bound to happen. A player of his caliber will figure out the key to success at some point of time, be it Test, ODIs or T20.
The surprising part is, Sachin's role as a captain has been the sole reason for Mumbai Indians stron show. All the hurdles have been overcome with a thumping performance and the authority enjoyed by this team is a rare thing to see in shorter format of the game. With all, due respect to Dhoni, this year's Cup deserves to go to Mumbai Indian's cabinet. In the future, I would like IPL to follow English Premier League's pattern where a consistent showing over the entire season is the criteria to win the league rather than an odd over or a out-of world performance from a single player seals the fate.
Wish you luck Sachin! Go Get It
Friday 23 April 2010
Sunday 7 March 2010
At last GOD smiled
It was a beautiful morning, birds were in no hurry as they were engaged in fine tuning their vocal chords, flowers petals were still in love with the dew that moonlit night had presented them. The complexities of life had yet not unfolded their tentacles to grip the common man. It looks like they may have to wait a little longer today or may be skip off the whole day as well.
There is no way the common man is going to get bogged down today, he is not even seeking shelter in the beautiful arms of nature today. So, what exactly the common man is up to?
Well, he is worried about rain. Oh yes, he must be farmer and you know, how those dhoti clad villagers look towards sky in search of dark clouds. I have seen it in some movie. Just when, I was marvelling at my intelligence, I came to know that this was not a typical common man who is worried about either rain or train. In fact today, he is not even doing his favorite time pass i.e. criticizing the politicians by standing at the pan shop.
Today, his worry has a sense of urgency, his little ego has a big aspiration today. There is a cricket match in his little town and to top it all, GOD himself has come down to bless his devotees. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar has once again filled the hearts of a million people with pride just by visiting their town.
Who care if he scores a duck, we just to see a glimpse of him. We just want to breathe the same air which he breathes. Some people say, he has an extra metal shield inside his bat, some say he went up to some sadhu who has given him an elixir, some have doubts whether he drinks the same water and eats the same bread which others eat. Innocent people and their Innocent minds.
Some of them love cricket, some of them hate cricket, some of them belive that an elephant is actually a GOD, some of them believe in 786, some of them believe that all these idols are fake. However, they all believe that a little man walks on this planet and this little man is closest to what GOD would look like. His curls and his pug nose have become a well known feature in a common man's life. He started as a kid then he established himself on the field and with time, he has got a place in every Indian's heart.
So, today was the day of fulfilling their long held ambition of seeing their GOD. Some went there as they were failed in their exams, some went there because they were scolded by their boss, some went there to cry and show that this world has been so unfair to them and they all had something in their heart which they failed to prove to the world. However, when they see this little man fulfilling all the possible dreams with just a willow in his hands, they feel delighted, they feel as if they have got a voice and their dreams have been fulfilled.
Such high hope do not work to one's advantage and forms the basis of failure. Try to imagine a child in the corner of a room, he is cute, he is innocent, he doesn't know what competition is all about. However, his father throws all the books at him and gives him a glare that can freeze his blood. He looks towards his mother but of no help. You would say, this is so unfair, give the child some sunshine, give him some rain, give him a few chances so that he can play again. Haaa, so generous of you, your devilish mind has been doing the same to Sachin for past 20 years. The only difference being, he came on top of almost all such hurdles and when he faltered, we never gave him a helping hand, we burnt his effigies, we shout slogans against him.
So, on 24th Feb, 2010, he just went about what he has been doing all these years, it's just that he just surpassed his previous landmarks and satisfied the ego of the little common man. The common man felt elated, he sung laurels and he went to the top of the alpines to declare that Sachin is the greatest.
Well, now GOD has every reason to smile, he has been greatest all these years but even GOD needs approval from mortals to prove his worth.
Whatever may be the case, I am happy as I am just another common man and my sweet little town has witnessed a battle of human expectations against their most loved hero. This 200 is not just a figure or another cricketing milestone. This will be remembered as a hallmark of human excellence.
There is no way the common man is going to get bogged down today, he is not even seeking shelter in the beautiful arms of nature today. So, what exactly the common man is up to?
Well, he is worried about rain. Oh yes, he must be farmer and you know, how those dhoti clad villagers look towards sky in search of dark clouds. I have seen it in some movie. Just when, I was marvelling at my intelligence, I came to know that this was not a typical common man who is worried about either rain or train. In fact today, he is not even doing his favorite time pass i.e. criticizing the politicians by standing at the pan shop.
Today, his worry has a sense of urgency, his little ego has a big aspiration today. There is a cricket match in his little town and to top it all, GOD himself has come down to bless his devotees. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar has once again filled the hearts of a million people with pride just by visiting their town.
Who care if he scores a duck, we just to see a glimpse of him. We just want to breathe the same air which he breathes. Some people say, he has an extra metal shield inside his bat, some say he went up to some sadhu who has given him an elixir, some have doubts whether he drinks the same water and eats the same bread which others eat. Innocent people and their Innocent minds.
Some of them love cricket, some of them hate cricket, some of them belive that an elephant is actually a GOD, some of them believe in 786, some of them believe that all these idols are fake. However, they all believe that a little man walks on this planet and this little man is closest to what GOD would look like. His curls and his pug nose have become a well known feature in a common man's life. He started as a kid then he established himself on the field and with time, he has got a place in every Indian's heart.
So, today was the day of fulfilling their long held ambition of seeing their GOD. Some went there as they were failed in their exams, some went there because they were scolded by their boss, some went there to cry and show that this world has been so unfair to them and they all had something in their heart which they failed to prove to the world. However, when they see this little man fulfilling all the possible dreams with just a willow in his hands, they feel delighted, they feel as if they have got a voice and their dreams have been fulfilled.
Such high hope do not work to one's advantage and forms the basis of failure. Try to imagine a child in the corner of a room, he is cute, he is innocent, he doesn't know what competition is all about. However, his father throws all the books at him and gives him a glare that can freeze his blood. He looks towards his mother but of no help. You would say, this is so unfair, give the child some sunshine, give him some rain, give him a few chances so that he can play again. Haaa, so generous of you, your devilish mind has been doing the same to Sachin for past 20 years. The only difference being, he came on top of almost all such hurdles and when he faltered, we never gave him a helping hand, we burnt his effigies, we shout slogans against him.
So, on 24th Feb, 2010, he just went about what he has been doing all these years, it's just that he just surpassed his previous landmarks and satisfied the ego of the little common man. The common man felt elated, he sung laurels and he went to the top of the alpines to declare that Sachin is the greatest.
Well, now GOD has every reason to smile, he has been greatest all these years but even GOD needs approval from mortals to prove his worth.
Whatever may be the case, I am happy as I am just another common man and my sweet little town has witnessed a battle of human expectations against their most loved hero. This 200 is not just a figure or another cricketing milestone. This will be remembered as a hallmark of human excellence.
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