SACHIN-THE MAESTRO

[jagan]

SACHIN TENDULKAR'S eagerly awaited last tour of Australia is under way. Since the early 1990s numerous gifted players have emerged but three have stood apart as more brilliant and compelling than the rest. Already two of them have departed to that rest home for ageing and famous cricketers, the Indian Cricket League. No longer able to dazzle, they will enjoy a last taste of fame and fortune.

For some, Brian Lara was the greatest batsmen of the era. Certainly he was the most exhilarating to watch and at times the hardest to subdue. More so than any batsman since Viv Richards, he could strike any ball to the boundary. Whereas the Antiguan brutalised the ball, dismissing it from his regal and yet intimidating presence, the Trinidadian scintillated and sometimes persuaded.

But the two mighty batsmen had one thing in common: a mercurial spirit that was part of their greatness and also its limitation. Richards faded in the latter part of his contribution as demons entered his mind; Lara waxed and waned. Only as Lara approached the end of the road did he start to think about his legacy and then a better man appeared. Like Richards, he will be remembered for his dazzling spells and forgiven for his lengthy lapses. Lara's batting against the Australians in the Caribbean was arguably the greatest series of innings seen from any batsman for 50 years. It was not so much the size of his scores as their timing and variety.

Shane Warne was the finest bowler of his period. Only the most remarkable competitor could have changed the game as he did. Starting in an age of pace, he revived a moribund art. Part conman, part genius, he tantalised, teased and sometimes tormented batsmen. His bowling combined a sharp brain, a refusal to give up and unwavering nerve. He was supremely accurate, too.

Warne was flawed but he was also theatrical and entertaining. In his early years, a buzz went around the ground whenever he was about to bowl. Off the field, he could be a fool - albeit one able to sell tents to Eskimos. On it, he was a master plotter and planner. The game is immeasurably duller without him. Alas, he has not gone graciously into retirement, failing to display either generosity of spirit or reliable recall.

Only Tendulkar remains of this astonishing threesome. He played in Warne's first Test match, during which he took part in the flogging of a rotund tweaker no one expected to see again. Ever since he has carried an extraordinary weight of expectation and has worn it more lightly than any reasonable person could expect. But it goes further. Somehow he has a wife and children and has led an almost blameless life.

Tendulkar has been the greatest of these great players. Where Lara excited and Warne enthralled, he has provided a wider satisfaction. There has been a purity about his batting, a simplicity of construction, a correctness of execution, a sense of everything being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. At the crease, he has offered the glory of the completed cathedral. His straight drive and square cut are definitive versions of the game's two finest strokes.

But Tendulkar has not been a slave to technique. Although he has slowed as he has aged, the Indian has retained his vitality, his ambition, even his idealism. Perhaps it helped that perfection came easily to him. It was not a struggle to play straight or move his feet properly. Indeed, it was almost second nature.

He rose early and practised hard at Shivaji Park as a nipper and ever since has progressed with due humility. But the game was inside him, a voice seeking expression. From the start, he knew exactly how the strokes were supposed to be played. It has been a question of execution ever since. Accordingly, Tendulkar came to cricket not so much as a competitor but as an exponent. He has played the game and his opponent.

Indians suggest that Tendulkar does not shine on the big occasions - but they have misunderstood him. India yearns for glory. Tendulkar plays with his heart. That is his glory.

Now the last of the three treasures begins his final series Down Under, where his greatness was first announced. The audacity of his ton in Sydney and the courage he displayed on a fast track in Perth set him apart.

A decade later, his carefully constructed double century at the SCG provoked admiration.

Perhaps, though, his most commendable innings was produced between these contrasting expressions of youth and age. Overwhelmed in the first Test of the 1999-2000 series, played in Adelaide, Tendulkar came to the crease at the MCG with his team staggering at 3-31 chasing Australia's tally of 405. The Indian captain responded with a brave and blistering 116 that took his team to 238. He hooked Brett Lee fearlessly, drove Warne over the sightscreen, and with deft placements, quick running and thrilling strokeplay, managed to coax 69 runs from the last two wickets. It was batsmanship at its finest.

Watching the Indian champion bat has been the greatest pleasure the game has had to offer. In most respects, Warne and Lara have been his equal but they have not carried his burden or always played with his honour. Both acknowledge this fact by ranking him first almost equals.

May he leave as he began, batting superbly, albeit in the more measured style of the seasoned campaigner.

[lalistheonlysuperstar]

sachin great great great great

but if u want to see a thrilling match come to medical college ground tomorrow 9:30 am

calicut district league match no. 2 for JUVENILES CRICKET CLUB. ME THE ALL ROUNDER ALSO IN THE TEAM SINCE 1996-97 SEASON :D

FIRST KALI ETTU NILAYIL POTTI :D Athum oru thallipoli teaminodu. last 8 overs they had needed 80 runs but small straight ground given them lots of sixes and 4 crucial catches we droped so they won by 3 wickets. we could have easily won the match,. now we have to win next 4 matches to enter into semi final :D

enikku fever marathathu kondu nhan chilappol kalichillennu varum :D

[jagan]

sachin great great great great

but if u want to see a thrilling match come to medical college ground tomorrow 9:30 am

calicut district league match no. 2 for JUVENILES CRICKET CLUB. ME THE ALL ROUNDER ALSO IN THE TEAM SINCE 1996-87 SEASON :D

FIRST KALI ETTU NILAYIL POTTI :D Athum oru thallipoli teaminodu. last 8 overs they had needed 80 runs but small straight ground given them lots of sixes and 4 crucial catches we droped so they won by 3 wickets. we could have easily won the match,. now we have to win next 4 matches to enter into semi final :D

enikku fever marathathu kondu nhan chilappol kalichillennu varum :D

onnu marininnu nokku chilappol ningalillathathukondu jaychennuvarum :P

[lalistheonlysuperstar]

onnu marininnu nokku chilappol ningalillathathukondu jaychennuvarum :P

17 ballil 43 adicha oru match undu. ho alochikkumbol romajakunjukam :D

[jagan]

17 ballil 43 adicha oru match undu. ho alochikkumbol romajakunjukam :D

aara adichathu :P

[lalistheonlysuperstar]

aara adichathu :P

ninte ketyolu :D

nhanallathe pinnaru :D

[jagan]

ninte ketyolu :D

nhanallathe pinnaru :D

uvva adichathu aarketta ennokke njammalkariyam

[jagan]

ninte ketyolu :D

nhanallathe pinnaru :D

njan polum kandittillathe ente ketyolu

[lalistheonlysuperstar]

uvva adichathu aarketta ennokke njammalkariyam

enthonnadai

nhan 4 wicket eduthu ottakku teamine kara kayatti oru kali undu ho romajam :D

pinne farooq college teaminethire ottakkayyondoru six. ball roadil poyi veenu ho romanjam

[lalistheonlysuperstar]

njan polum kandittillathe ente ketyolu

avalippo vallavanteyum oppam mobilil sollunnundavum :D