How much would the current emerging cricketers make up for the departing legends who served the country with such passion, excellence, dedication, commitment (short of any no of adjectives here) that our Heros Sourav Dada and Kumble accomplished in their international arena. Despite the victories of Indian cricket team, the fact that we are going to miss our beloved cricketers dada and jumbo hurts. I have grown up watching them play and always tried to mimic their signature shots while practicing, if not in the matches. Don’t know how it is going to be when Sachin hangs up his boots :( which I think is not too far given the frequent recurrences of injuries to his body! The events of the last few weeks are freaking me out. Anil and Sourav are gone and the other three may not be far behind. I assume there is a large group of cricket fans in their mid-to-late 20s, like me, who are grappling with the implications. This transition is messing with our minds. I remember the early days hmmm I Think the 1996 world cup which Lanka won, when TV sets were new in my place and We skipped a class or two, took long breaks between special classes while preparing for board exams of 7th class in the evening, to watch matches in the house beside our school wall. I remember Shantan and I literally weeping when India lost the match in the Semis ( The Desilva factor which came Between India and Victory! ).Sachin Tendulkar spoilt us. He commanded that we sit in front of the television sets. He ensured we got late with homework, he took care of our lunch-break discussions. He was not all that much older than us, and some of us naive schoolboys thought we would achieve similar feats when we were 16. We got to 16 and continued to struggle with homework. Then came Kumble and the two undertook a teenager-pampering mission not seen in India before. Sachin walked on water, Jumbo parted seas. Our mothers were happy that we had nice heroes - One down-to-earth prodigy and the other studious brilliant bespectacled engineer. They were honest, industrious sportsmen, embodying the middle class. We were such spoil brats that we pined for openers and fast bowlers. We cursed the side for not winning abroad.We thought India would win only if Sachin scores, and it was so many a time, we chided them when they did not perform. Such greed. Economists would probably have predicted the bursting of the bubble. We had a deluge instead. One fine day at Lord's we got a glimpse of two new saviors: Delicate Timing and Immaculate Technique. Suddenly my group of eight friends was split into two camps. You were either with Ganguly or Dravid. In that period we even took Kumble and Tendulkar for granted. It was adolescent indulgence taken to the extreme. When we played cricket on the streets, we had a number of choices. Left-handers were thrilled, defensive batsmen were happy, extravagant stroke-makers were delighted, the short boys didn't need to feel left out anymore, spectacles became cool, and freaky bowling actions were no more laughed at. Now, after close to 20 years, my generation needs to brace itself for this exodus. Some of my friends, crazy as this sounds, have been talking of needing to reevaluate their own careers. Others are realizing they need to recalibrate their childhood definitions of cricket. "Part of me just died," said a college friend who was the kind of extreme cricket buff who memorized scorecards. "No Dada, no Jumbo. I'm positive I'll stop watching after Sachin and Rahul retire." These players were not only outstanding cricketers but also great statesmen. However hard they competed, they were always exceptional role models. "Our childhood is ending," said a friend from school, and in some way he was probably spot on. Tendulkar's retirement may mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but for a generation of 25- to 30-year-olds it will mark the end of the first part of their lives. Switching on the television the day after will be a serious challenge. All this Bragging about cricket would seem senseless to some one who do not know how people in India have cricket attached to their hearts ( John and dave its for you !) (bechaaraa US friends,chood doo !) .It’s time to say goodbye to the best bowler India has ever had. Anil Kumble was not born a spinner. But it’s his never say die attitude that has resulted in most Indian test victories. If Sachin is God, Kumble is my favorite cricketer. I am greatly inspired by his determination to bowl until the match is over; most give up when opposition is heading to victory. This has been an era of remarkable spinners topped by Warne and Muralitharan but Kumble isn’t far away from them. Hope the young Indian bowling guns follow in his footsteps. Goodbye Jumbo! A special mention to Saurav Chandidas Ganguly, aka Dada! He must be the most controversial Indian cricketer ever but also he is arguably the most successful captain we’ve ever had. He may be blamed for losing his position in the team on his row with former coach Greg Chappell. But one cannot simply ignore a batsman who has over 7k runs in tests and over 11k runs in one-dayers. I will never forget the sixes he would hit straight down the ground off the spinners. Half of my heart is broken and I can't imagine the day when the rest of them call it a day specially Sachin ! Yes! Cricket is a religion here and I feel like loosing my religion. Two legends depart, more to follow?
Every one has been talking of the resilience of the Mumbaikars and the way they have bounced back after the Ghastly attack of the terrorists on Mumbai which cost us some of our brave police men and soldiers.The goons were on the killing spree and were the cause of ghastly incidences of rampage at three places in Mumbai, The Taj, The Oberoi and the Nariman house.Every terrorist knew he is going to be killed and the chances of his survival are negligible in this encounter.Think from a different frame of reference, that of the Fidaeen's, one can imagine what has prompted them at such early age to turn as suicide attackers. It is most probably either inspired by the preachings of the anti social elements against the society claiming as fight against the discrimination of Muslims ( tenets of LeT, which is thought of as the main Kin pin organization behind the attack ) or lured and trapped for money to over come the grim situations of their families. Either way they were wrong to have committed such a ghastly crime which had taken more than 180 lives. I, same as Mr Tata the chairman of The Taj also opine, that the attack could not have been avoided in its final stage. But It could have been avoided if spotted earlier by the intelligence agencies. The prima faci cause which was thought of, was pretty conspicuous, the loopholes in the security at the coast line through which the militants infiltrated. There is lack of coordination between the security guards and the patrolling men. In one of the TV shows I was shocked to see that there were no patrolling guards at all in many of the places along the coast line and how easy it was to smuggle goods or even RDX through international waters.This, I think made the passage of these terrorists in to the country easier. Today the papers are full of pictures of people attending to their duties and papers lauding the way in which they sprang back to their routines.I am not amazed by this coz, I think they had to attend to their routines and had no choice.The failure on part of the politicians and the home ministry department is clearly visible to every one. One can find the answers if they question themselves, Why only India and not USA or England ! ( 9/11 was the last terror attack in the US) its a complete failure in every department This can't be denied, only thing that can be done now is to work to our potentials in avoiding any further losses, stop being called as brazen people and ensure the implementation of stringent rules that our constitution has laid for the safety of us, after all, we want to live in safe India.
