1996, Lords Cricket ground, India on tour to England. Couldn't have been a better start for India. Three promising talents were discovered. Dravid, Kumble and Ganguly. Each left a mark on the selectors and the country and have been serving the national cricket team since. In and out of the teams, all three, regular cusses and cheering from the spectators, a separate cult in themselves and now each of them have been the captain of the national team, a sure shot reward of their performances and merit. Enter another player (Tendulkar, who else) and they form the bulk of the team.
Both in terms of experience and skills, they dominate any and all forms of the game. But then age is a spoil sport. We hate to admit but we got to admit that cricket like any other game, requires agility and endeavour. Experience and ability to take things cool does count and is necessary but is not the sole criteria which can take you through the entire series unbridled.
I am expecting, though not desirous, that a few of the older pals of the Indian team will call this their last tour down under. I think this could have been sensed earlier as well, when they did the same for the fast-and-furious-20-20. It was really a wise and a well-thought decision that these seniors opted out of the T-20 version. No doubt a big loss in terms of the talent but then another opportunity for the young blood to show their worth and also for the world to find that India is not just a big-trio or a powerful-four or whatever. India is a country where surviving another day is no less than a war and so those who come out of it are really those who deserve it. And the young blood did exactly that. They just simply won the World Cup. Nothing less, and nothing more left to achieve.
I have always being a critic of the way in which BCCI has operated, whether be in terms of the allegations of corruption or power-play in its elections or even the manner of their organization of the national level cricketing events, but it has done real good for India by finding talent from every nook and corner of the country to show his merit and skill and contribute for the country on a whole.
It would be a huge loss for the country, bared substitutable but then time waits for none. So instead of being unhappy of this tour being the last for some, I will take this opportunity of watching the game's best giving their best. Way to go seniors ...
Both in terms of experience and skills, they dominate any and all forms of the game. But then age is a spoil sport. We hate to admit but we got to admit that cricket like any other game, requires agility and endeavour. Experience and ability to take things cool does count and is necessary but is not the sole criteria which can take you through the entire series unbridled.
I am expecting, though not desirous, that a few of the older pals of the Indian team will call this their last tour down under. I think this could have been sensed earlier as well, when they did the same for the fast-and-furious-20-20. It was really a wise and a well-thought decision that these seniors opted out of the T-20 version. No doubt a big loss in terms of the talent but then another opportunity for the young blood to show their worth and also for the world to find that India is not just a big-trio or a powerful-four or whatever. India is a country where surviving another day is no less than a war and so those who come out of it are really those who deserve it. And the young blood did exactly that. They just simply won the World Cup. Nothing less, and nothing more left to achieve.
I have always being a critic of the way in which BCCI has operated, whether be in terms of the allegations of corruption or power-play in its elections or even the manner of their organization of the national level cricketing events, but it has done real good for India by finding talent from every nook and corner of the country to show his merit and skill and contribute for the country on a whole.
It would be a huge loss for the country, bared substitutable but then time waits for none. So instead of being unhappy of this tour being the last for some, I will take this opportunity of watching the game's best giving their best. Way to go seniors ...
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