Friday, April 2, 2010

'Hope Springs Eternal'

Yes I am High ! But its not chemically induced rather its the wonder of 'hope'. Hope which has ended for me a phase of doubts, about anything and everything, about me and you, about this world and the next. Where did this hope come from ? What inspired me is the mesmerizing act of an individual defying all odds, telling us yes you can.

As the Architect from Matrix said "Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness". Though I wonder what we'll we do without it ? Even the thought seems frightening.

Enough of beating behind the bush... I am here to talk about Saurav Ganguly AKA Dada.

Refused to be a silent spectator in 1991, kicked out. Came back 5 years later with back to back centuries at the mecca of cricket. Establishing himself as the one-day opener. Then came the day when he was crowned with captain's hat. And what did he do ? Well he turned the meaning of leadership on its head. He made what Indian cricket team is today. He's the architect, he's the devil the world couldn't stand and the more he defied them the more support he got and the more powerful he became and the more angry they got.

Then came the downfall like it does for all great kings. The luck ran out, friends turned foe and even the precious 'timing' gave up on him. He had to leave again, many arrogant souls believed that its forever. But he had different plans, He came back and weathered the storm in Africa, where no one else had a clue he showed them light. He once again demonstrated sheer strength of determination which has inspired millions. Finally the legend retired from international cricket with his head high after an invaluable contribution to his country.

Came IPL, again so many controversies, its like they won't ever leave him alone. Bad form was seen as a sin. Everyone waiting for that one tiny mistake and questioning over a decade long of greatness whenever they got a tiny window of opportunity.

Then it was the time for the return of the king. He took all responsibility, he lead from the front. His elegant shots were all back and he demonstrated why he's called the prince of Bengal, the Bengal Tiger and why is he one of the most successful Indian openers ever. He patted his chest signaling his team that he's going to see them through today and he did just that. If there's someone who never gives up then it has to be the greatest Indian Captain of all times AKA Dada.

8 comments:

  1. now that dada is retired.. the breed of left arm spinners can breathe again.. ;)

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  2. Not in IPL though ! For Ojha it was like facing the dragon he was told no longer exists ! ;-)

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  3. The article is a good read for KKR/ "Dada" fans but unfortunately, does little to change the opinion of his critics. The article once again takes the reader through a painfully long and stretched chronology starting from 1991. It's a classic description of Mr. Ganguly as the single greatest thing that ever happened to Indian/ World cricket. Somehow Ganguly fans fail to recover from the "heritage" and the jubilation after one successful innings is rather laughable. No wonder he plays well once and his fans pounce on the opportunity. Understandable, these opportunities haven't been very frequent.

    His captaincy has never been under question, but his batting has been a question mark in the recent past and this innings means little in the context of his batting. 1/8 successful innings is hardly the performance of an "icon player". He has lacked class, consistency and form for over 7 matches...for someone who has played over a decade of Int'l cricket, doing well once over 8 matches is highly likely, even based on the laws of probability...The patting on the chest probably indicates minor muscle pull/ fatigue, not having spent that much time on the field in ages..


    Having said that, well played Mr. Ganguly and yes, maybe there's hope after all.. As for the batting, it will take a little more than one innings to change the opinion.

    Cheers!

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  4. Thanks for the opinion Vibhor :)
    I'm just glad that you at least conceded that he played well because It seemed that you might just miss it ;)

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  5. See, as someone who appreciates good cricket, I was bound to give him credit for it..
    It's not a question of "conceding" anything here...We're not his enemies..He played well, but it doesn't mean much.

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  6. Yeah? You did forget the previous 50 in the tournament while calling it the 1st performance in 8 matches. I won't even count the numerous 30s because they weren't very convincing I believe.

    Anyway lets hope for some more exciting cricket in the coming days.

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  7. love him or hate him... you can NEVER ignore him...

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