SCG - Sachin's Cricket Ground!

This was one of the hoardings that were flagging during the match today. What a show!! 16000+ and still counting. Sheer brilliance of this genius and super concentration. Also let's not undermine the equally brilliant support from the other end of wicket - Rohit Sharma - which made Sachin to deliver when it was most needed.

What I liked most about his innings today is not his hundred but the fact that he made it sure (the win) in person. He remained unbeaten.

They say that he never reacts to the media speculations about his game and likes to give answers to his critics with his bat. But today (rather in recent times), he marked his point with his voice also (as clean and clear as his cover drive...). What he said in his interview was worth taking notice of and to remember.

"I play cricket because it is my passion, because I love to play this game. I do not play cricket to prove somebody wrong". Well said master.

This is time for all those people who have forgot one thing - "Form is temporary and Class is permanent". Are you listening Mr. Sanjay Manjrekar; where are you?.

India’s Lifted!

What a series it is turning out to be! After a long and frustrating past week, this series so far has certainly proved one of the bests I have watched in recent times. There are many memorable events in this series so far (be it batting, balling or fielding), but I think two of them are the best moments of Cricket I have experienced and are special to remember.

2^rd Test Match, Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia. Venue – SCG, Sydney.

India 411/7 SR Tendulkar 98* (157b 8x4 1x6)

108.3 Clark to Tendulkar, 2 runs, short, wide outside off stump, Tendulkar drives off the back foot through cover and knows that he's got there, there are no wild celebrations at first, then he takes off his helmet, raises his arms, acknowledges the cheers of the SCG and looks up at the skies for a long time, he's letting the moment sink in, the applause is stirring, it's his third hundred at the SCG and it's been special. (Ref: Cricinfo)

I was not only lucky to see this part of match but also to experience the emotions when he raised his both hands and head up to the sky. It literally brought tears into my eyes. Yes I mean it! After all, watching him missing that magic figure so many times in recent past and for having criticized the big man for getting out on those occasions, this ton means a lot to me; not only to me but to all cricket lovers on this planet, isn’t it?

3^rd Test Match, Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia. Venue – WACA, Perth.

End of over 35 (2 runs) - Australia 160/5

35.4 Kumble to Symonds, OUT, wicket No. 600 for Anil Kumble! He fires in a shorter, faster one just outside off stump, Symonds is hurried and cramped into his cut shot, gets a thick outside-edge into Dhoni's gloves, he fails to snap it up but Dravid is sharp at slip, moving to his right and holding the ball after it balloons up in the air, much to India's relief and Kumble's satisfaction! They appeal and appeal and finally Asad Rauf lifts the finger, and Kumble explodes in celebration.

A Symonds c Dravid b Kumble 66 (70b 7x4 1x6) SR: 94.28

A big wicket for India, and what a man to get it - take a bow, Kumble. Thats 600 Test wickets for him. And Dravid moves to third in the list of highest catchers, with 165. (Ref: Cricinfo)

He is another legend of the game of Cricket – Anil Kumble. A proud moment for every Indian to watch him gets into the league of 600+ Test wicket takers and the first Indian bowler to do so. It is also interesting that all three top wicket takers are slow (spin) bowlers. He has been a great fighter and competitor of the game; be it his ‘Perfect ten’ (video) or ‘playing with a fractured jaw’. Time and again, he has proved that he still (at the age of 37 years!) has lot of fire and venom left in him. What a commitment from him! Bravo Anil.

Time and again, a lot of criticism have been thrown at the Tripod and also there have been equal amount of support raised by the people.

I again iterate my view on this - that this 'Ghost' (undue criticism on Tripod's ability) created and pampered by media should be stopped and banned.

I put to your reference here another supportive statement published by another legendary Bapu Nadkarni in his article (Tendulkar's ODI exit not too far off) published in Times of India (TOI).

Thanks a ton to Bapu and TOI.

There is a Malayalee in every cornor of the World !!!

This was one of the yahoo messages I got in my message-box today morning (no offense to any of the Keralites/Malayalees).

"MISBAH THOUGHT HE WAS SENDING THE BALL TO A PLACE WHERE THERE WAS NO ONE. HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE IS A MALAYALEE IN EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD!!!"

This probably shows the amount of excitement that this T20 2007 World Cup win has generated among the Indians world-over. I was lucky enough to watch the second innings ball-to-ball and what a match it was!! Nail-biting, breath-taking.... No, none of these words are enough to explain those moments.

Enough has already been written and read about the match and its progress, so I won't repeat it here. This match is a great gift to watch and I (and everyone else) for sure won't be tired of watching it again and again.

The most important outcome of this series I think that we won it without our veterans - the Trio of Indian Cricket - Sachin, Saurabh and Dravid. People among the media are having different speculations (as bad as they can) on "how the Trio missed the chance of being the part of the winning team" or "India can now do without them" etc. etc.

The point here is not whether the Trio were part of the winning team or not (Media is just rubbish - as usual on Cricketing aspects - on even taking this aspect on the discussion table) but it is important to know that the young players have come forward and played the game with full enthusiasm and professionalism. There were certainly moments where match was turning (or almost turned) to Pakistan's way, but the best performer won in the last. I think it was just India's day on the field.

Coming back to the point of media speculation, it's not fare on their part (they don't even qualify to) to think about the future of Trio and how its going to be injustice to the current T20 team if the Trio is included in the Indian team for the forthcoming series(s). We should not forget that this Trio only had opted out of the T20 squad (for whatever reason) and paved the way for the young guns to fire. They have already performed (and still performing) good enough to be part of the Indian team. Their retirement from the International Cricket is near and so they will. Let them enjoy their part of game and retire with honor.

Media should stop the speculations going on. Because these speculations are certainly going to affect the morale of our young team. Media (and few past Indian players who share the table on TV News channel (Aaj Tak etc.) screen) has no right or qualification to discuss anything about it.

I congratulate the Indian team (and double congratulate the Trio) for their contribution to the winning of T20 World Cup for India.

Hip-Hip-Hurray...