Veni Vidi Vici…
November 3rd, 2008
Tall, dark and handsome….and to top it all..he had nice curly hair….he took wickets and often smashed sixes around the park..that’s my first memory of this handsome hunk of a guy …my first crush on a sportsman…I hadn’t even stepped into my teens and Ravi Shastri had swept me away 
but then as I grew a little older I found this suave, polished, pleasant man with an enchanting smile who blinked his eyes too often…his glasses made me drool and Ravi Shastri had to move away as Sourav Ganguly had taken his place.
but then as I grew a little older I found this suave, polished, pleasant man with an enchanting smile who blinked his eyes too often…his glasses made me drool and Ravi Shastri had to move away as Sourav Ganguly had taken his place. Within no time Sourav was replaced by another in my heart. I never realised how the transformation happened. As I think of it now many years down the line I realise that is how this gentleman has been. Very few of us realised how quietly he had sneaked in into the international arena without much pretense and he is still going strong. No wonder he is called ” The wall”. I truly believe its hard to move the wall.
Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid have been truly special for they made me take interest in the game, not just one dayers but test cricket too. Maybe they hold such importance as when they began thier journey I was beginning to grow up and it was easy to associate with them, these men surely were my superheroes.
Kumble has left and Dada has announced his retirement at the end of the series and soon enough each of these doyens will call it a day. All of them are as different as chalk and cheese. But each one of them has enthralled us individually and collectively with thier talent and acheivements. I will not talk about their statistics as they all have an extensive body of work behind them.
To me they will forever remain special, some memories resurface as of today…dada trying to spin his T-shirt in the Natwest Series in 2002 ( a match I was lucky to watch in Lords) Kumble with his bandaged jaw in Antigua spinning the pitch and his maiden century in Oval, he being the first Indian and second in International cricket to take all the ten wickets in one innings, his SLR camera capturing every glorious moment, Sachin with his disarming smile and humility made umpteen records, conquered millions of hearts, Dravid quietly enamoured us with his batting, wicket keeping and innumerable catches ( A few more and he is all set to break Waugh’s record) and the very very special Laxman who has beautified the game with his silky strokes and slip catches. These test cricketers have truly stood the test of time.
Watching them enter cricket, their meteoric rise, the controversies, the wins, the defeats and the glorious times they made the nation proud…We have all been a part of that journey….
Thank you famous five for the delightful memories and the blissful moments…you remind me of this saying by H W Longfellow ( Thank you Shivaja !! ),
“The heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept,
were toiling upward in the night.”
were toiling upward in the night.”
PS Those of you who would like to read some fitting tributes to Anil Kumble, there are some excellent renditions in cricinfo.com. Have a look. Cheers!!
