Cricket has been my passion since childhood. It didnt bother whether India was playing or not ..if it was cricket I had to watch it. This was the foremost reason, I never had cable in my house till I completed 12th. Though I hardly remember when I saw the first match, I would safely assume I started watching cricket on TV from 1989. Honestly,way back then leave aside the cricket word ,I did not know anything about cricket. Like why wld people chase the cricket balls.When India were playing Australia and the bulky David Boon would hit the Indian bowlers to every corner of the ground , I would wonder why were Indians made to run to boundaries every other ball like they had got some punishment. I was really thrilled when Pakistan won the World Cup 92 as it had come back to Asia after 83(when india had won it under Kapil Dev). I believe I became a supreme follower of cricket from 1992 onwards.
Thinking about Indian players or legends as u may call them, Dravid and Kumble always rank top in my list. When you talk of favourites there are a few Md Azhar, Tendulkar,Rick Ponting and Mathew Hayden
As I have already stated ,for me Dravid and Kumble have always been a class apart. Speaking about Kumble , how can one forget his daredevil act against WI when he came out to bowl even with a broken jaw and took the prized wicket of magnificent Lara. He, truly was Commitment personified
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| Dravid celebrating his century in Lord's.. |
Coming to Dravid who is my favourite cricketer which now lately been replaced by Dhoni(Mahi). He always has been the cornerstone of the Indian Cricket team. Right from making his debut against England wayback in the summers of 1997 till even recently when Indians were thrashed down and square on English soil , Dravid has stamped his authority and declared that he indeed is a legend. He was unfortunate enough to be born in an era where cricket fans were far too obessed with the Master Blaster. Having said that , this doesnt take away his contribution to Indian Cricket. When you search the records , you will find more often than not Dravid has performed exceptionally well overseas, a record which even Tendulkar cant boost off. His tenacity,dedication,concentration and hardwork has truly earned him the enviable tag of "Mr Dependable" Or "The Wall" for he is rock solid in defence . A complete batsman with almost every shot that one could find in the cricket manual. Whenever he comes upon the crease, he brings a certain sense of calmness. Owing to his solid technique, he is comfortable against a swinging ball or the spinning one.A complete gentlemen, who would rarely show his emotions. I feel it was really a sad day for indian cricket when he gave up the captaincy in all forms of the game. It will still be a puzzle for what made him make such a big decision. Even more appalling was to drop him from the ODI squad owing to fitness issues as Dhoni and selectors wanted a young team. For I never have seen a cricketer more fitter than Dravid. A true team man who even donned the role of a wicketkeeper batsman when the team required him to do so.
Dravid truly has been one of the greatest batsmen that India has ever produced.
Will now move to Mahi(Dhoni) ....continued
Can relate to your sentiments about Dravid. In my school days, I wanted Dravid to succeed. Used to get sad seeing he wasn't getting the kind of recognition he deserved. It was always a big wish of mine, that he retires on a high note. The only thing I appreciated about the recent 4-0 England debacle was that people realized the importance of Dravid.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the world of Blogging. Keep up, would wait and read more from you in future. :-)