Adios Anil and Farewell Dada

Anil Kumble's century at The Oval and Sourav Ganguly's occasional spell of medium pace are not exactly things which come to mind as soon as we mention their names, but that's where their true greatness lies.
They've achieved so much in such a long career that one tends to forget may of their heroics. Few mention Anil Kumble's magical spell of 6-12 against the West Indies in the Hero Cup final; fewer remember Sourav's exceptional ODI batting and the masterclass of an opening pair that he and Sachin formed.

Sourav Ganguly should also be credited with having discovered the entire next generation of cricketers, be it Sehwag, Irfan, Zaheer, Dhoni or the Turbanator aka Bhajji.

Anil Kumble, what can one say about him. Yeah the news channels will harp on his 10 wickets in an innings, but the true cricket fan will also remember how Azhaar would turn to him match after match, when all other bowlers would get thrashed... Anil would mark his run up as early as in the 9th over of the game. What's more, he would get the break through. The quicker one, the batsman would try to cut it, he'd miss and an easy LBW for Anil. Also I won't ever forget that final match in B'lore when Anil and Srinath had an awesome partnership and tonked the ball in the final few overs to give India an unlikey victory. Their mothers were watching with glee after each boundary was hit.

I still remember the final IPL match of Kolkata Knightriders, they were in dire straits. My bro and I were watching and Sourav was still there; the required rate was a near impossible 20 something. Hardly any wickets in hand, and I just said "If Sourav is there till the last ball, there's no way he'll let his team lose"! No prizes for guessing what happened, he whacked the ball all over the park and won the game for his team.

That was just an IPL game, but such is the greatness of these players, as long as they are on the field, one can hope that no matter what we will win.

In time Rahul Dravid will also go, people won't expect to feel his abscence, but they will. Here's a man who at his prime could almost never be dismissed by the opposition [therefore the nick 'Wall']. Laxman, the master of wristwork. No one notices the number of matches that he has saved for us. And every Sachin fan dreads the day the great man decides to hang up his boots, which is why, people like me make it a point to watch every innings he plays.

So here's a final appeal to people who yell "Retirement" each time these greats have a bad inning, just shut up and enjoy the few performances left. The Big 3 aren't there anymore, neither is Anil Kumble! It's just Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar.

P.S. : All those retards who have ever said shit like "Sachin never scores a century when India needs it", just get some mental treatment! He scored a 100 against Aus in the final match of the Test series which India won and in ODI's he made a 100 in the final against Aus in Aus; so please zip it!


Adios Anil.

Farewell Dada!

Sourav Ganguly's Retirement and it's implications

DADA announced his retirement! If this is news to you, you obviously have been living in Siberia. It's sad that Sourav Ganguly was treated badly post the Sri Lanka series. For all those blaming him for that failure, here's a fact: Dhoni, the so called Superstar and Khel Ratna [rarely has an upstart been given a Khel Ratna like he has] refused to go to Sri Lanka for the Test series. No questions asked!

I respect and salute Sourav for giving Indian Cricket some spine! If Sachin held India's hopes on his shoulders for nearly 2 decades, it was Sourav's captaincy that made us so strong that even the mighty Aussies crumbled before us [remember 2001, just in case you forgot that due to News Channel Propaganda].

He is a master batsman, few realize he is the 2nd highest century maker in ODIs. Sourav Ganguly is India's greatest left handed batsman [Yuvraj, keep wishing]; he along with Sachin formed the greatest opening pair in cricketing history.

For those who think Indian cricket will be better off without the services of it's legends, well, you're in for a big surprise. Along with the undisputed difference in talent, there is also another major difference in the seniors and juniors.

It's something called honor. As soon as the last of the legends leave this team, we will no longer have players who play for the country at the risk of physical injury

I doub't whether the "juniors" would do what Kumble did that day. Who can forget Sachin's tragic century in 1999 against Pakistan in Chennai, which almost ended his career? 

The new generation is smart, they'd rather look after contracts. Kudos to Sourav for showing the board and the "juniors" that they need to introspect. 

Talent like Kumble, Ganguly, Dravid and Sachin will rarely present itself at the same time, if ever we can conjure such a bunch. Instead of savoring each moment of the last few years that these legends have left in international cricket, we have maniacs asking for their retirement.

People should remember that, a candle's flame is strongest just before it extinguishes. The end of the careers of the giants of Indian cricket shoudn;t be hastened by irresponsible men in positions in power. No I am not anti change. But forcing the process is not the answer. Meanwhile I will enjoy the last Test Series that dada will play in. Good luck to him.

Thanks for the memories Sourav :)

Forever The Bengal Tiger!