A Story To Remember

“Look at the tears! They are crying out there. The South Africans are charging onto the ground. Gilchrist shakes hands with Boucher. Ntini is on a high. Ponting cannot believe this has happened to his team. The South Africans at the Bull Ring today have seen the greatest One-Day International ever played.”

The Scorecard At The Wanderers On The Conclusion Of The Fifth ODI Between South Africa And Australia On March 12, 2006.

June 17, 1999: South Africa need 9 runs from the final over to secure a place in their first ever World Cup final. Lance Klusener, the player of the tournament, butchers the first two balls to the boundary. A tie was not enough. South Africa had to win to progress into the final. Then came the brain-fade, a concept less prevalent and heard of compared to today. Allan Donald, wandering as if in the lawns of his home, backed up too far, only to find him and Klusener at the same end. No amount of white lightening helped him get back into the crease. If the 1992 semi-final was heart-breaking, this crushed their soul. The Proteas earned themselves the ‘chokers’ tag, something they have not managed to rid themselves off till date.

The Original ‘Brain Fade’: The Heart-Breaking Moment For South Africa At Edgbaston, 1999.

March 12, 2006: Nearly seven years after the trauma of Edgbaston, the Proteas took on the Aussies in an ODI series at home. The five-match series was tied at 2-2 with the decider to be played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. During these seven years, the South Africans did all they could to justify their ‘chokers’ tag. Whether it was the Champions Trophy clash against India in 2002 where they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, or a terrible calculation error that saw them being knocked out of the 2003 World Cup in front of their home crowd, the Proteas never lost, they ‘choked.’

Taking advantage of the flattest pitch on offer at the Bull Ring, Ricky Ponting dished out an action replay of his knock in the 2003 World Cup final against India at the same venue, smashing his way to 164. Contributions from Katich, Gilchrist and Hussey propelled the visitors to a gigantic 434.

The highest total ever chased thus far in ODIs was when Australia managed to chase 330 against the Proteas at Port Elizabeth in 2002. The Aussies always believed that they would win. For them, it was a matter of how soon and by how much? Boeta Dippenaar’s broken off-stump in the second over of the chase, accentuated that belief. Herschelle Gibbs, along with his skipper Greame Smith walloped their way to adding 187 runs in just under 21 overs before Smith fell to Michael Clarke, possibly Australia’s best left-arm spinner ever, for a 55-ball 90.

Gibbs, batting on 84 at the fall of Smith, scored his century, scored 150 and got to 161 before AB De Villiers fell with the score at 284. De Villiers’ contribution in the 94-run partnership: 14. Gibbs reached 175, displaying an array of strokes with no corner of the ground being spared. Debutant Mick Lewis was accorded special treatment, so much so that he never played an international game thereafter. A mistimed loft of the bowling of Symonds saw the end of Gibbs’ knock. It went down as one of the greatest innings in a run chase before Virat Kohli began doing it as a hobby. At 299 for 4, South Africa had the required rate under control but needed somebody to play through the 50-overs.

Played The Innings Of His Life: Herschelle Gibbs Hit A Stroke-Filled 175 Of Just 111 Balls.

Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp contributed a few but couldn’t convert their starts into big ones. At 358 for 6, South Africa needed 77 of the last seven overs. Australia knew that two good overs would put the game into their kitty. But the two overs were never to be found. Ponting kept persisting with the debutant Lewis who kept discovering new corners of the ground to be hit. At the end of his spell, his figures read 10-0-113-0, a dubious record he still carries on his back. Van der Wath fell for a precious 18-ball 35, the strike rate accounting for gold dust when his team needed 11 runs an over.

The crowd has sensed something special was in the offing. Every run scored was cheered with equal enthusiasm. Van der Wath was given a standing ovation as he left the field. Nobody at the ground sat for the final few minutes of this nail-biter.

“A roar goes up as Telemachus strides onto the ground. They weren’t exactly roaring when he was bowling. This place was as quiet as a mouse.”

While cameos kept coming from the other end, one man held the innings together like he did so often for his side – Mark Boucher. Ones were turned into twos while the odd boundary decorated the over. Telemachus showcased some muscle for his 12 before Mike Hussey dived for his life to cut his innings short.

 

South Africa needed nine off the last over in 1999. They needed seven here. Brett Lee stopped a rocket from Boucher off his own bowling to keep it down to a single. 6 needed off 5. Andrew Hall hoicks one over the infield and brought the gap down to 2 off 4. He attempted an encore only to hit it down the throat of Clarke at mid-on.

The ghosts of Edgbaston were sneaking through the door yet again. Makhaya Ntini sprinted onto the pitch, possibly cursing Hall for the terrible shot that he played. The noise was defeaning. The pulse was racing, Ntini’s the fastest. A Yorker from Lee would have been game over, but that was not to be. In what would have been the most important single of his life, Ntini guided one down to third man and sprinted faster than Usain Bolt. The scores were level. Boucher had played a Klusener-like knock. All he wanted was for Ntini to not do a Donald.

An attempted Yorker from Lee saw Boucher reprising Hall’s attempted hoick that led to his downfall. Only difference being that this came right off the middle of the bat and crashed into the advertising hoardings. The game was won. The ghosts of Edgbaston were exorcised. The team charged onto the field. The crowd was on its feet. The Aussies were dejected. The ‘chokers’ tag was shed for once and self-belief was born.

The Glory Shot: Mark Boucher Celebrates After Hitting The Winning Runs.

“Look at the tears! They are crying out there. The South Africans are charging onto the ground. Gilchrist shakes hands with Boucher. Ntini is on a high. Ponting cannot believe this has happened to his team. The South Africans at the Bull Ring today have seen the greatest One-Day International ever played.”

There could not have been a more apt summation of this game by the legendary Late Tony Greig. The underdog had won. Hope had won. March 12, 2006 will go down as the greatest day in the history of South African cricket until they win an ICC tournament. The greatest ODI ever played gave every cricket fan across the globe, a story to remember!

From the Cubicle – I: Staring at the Screen

We Indians love to stare. We stare at people who we think are ‘inappropriately dressed,’ our parents give us a death stare when we eat too much while visiting a relative and we love to stare at our computer screens while at work.

6 a.m.: Our office call time is 6 a.m. Yes, that is the time when hens wake up from their midnight siesta to alert the world that a new day awaits them with their daily dose of kucko-doo-koo. Before the milkman knocks at our doors, I am knocking at my office gates, pleading before an adamant watchman, who will not let me in since I am ten minutes early than the usual call time.

Walking into office, I meet my companion for the day – the computer screen. A nice 21-inch desktop that will keep me company for the next 10-12 hours. There is a flood of overnight mails to be read, agenda of the day to be decided, the first copy needs to be out within the next 20 minutes; all illusions of ‘taking your time’ to settle into your workspace go out of the window if you are surrounded by news – plenty of it.

The screen very kindly asks me for my login password which don’t remember being new to the organization. After 10 different permutations-combinations, I finally manage to crack the code. The screen had more patience than a spouse/partner of today’s generation. The day is on its way.

Noon: Having a cold is possibly the worst thing that can happen to you. You have no clue of what is happening around you with that constant feeling of laziness and above all, a blocked nose that flows faster than the Ganges! If I ever have to curse somebody, I know what I have to do.

To add fuel to the fire, the office has an AC that deprives you of all your cravings to visit Antarctica. While the folks around see you as a potential weapon of mass destruction with all the germs you possess due to your constant sneezing and coughing, the AC is in no mood to relent.

4 p.m.: Finally, it’s time to call it a day. While I am in the middle of closing the 15-odd windows that I have opened on my screen, boss sends an e-mail with a dozen stories that need to be updated as soon as possible. While the screen is delighted to have me before him for another hour, my eyes don’t quite share similar sentiments.

After spending an extra hour, I finally begin my journey home thinking that I have no more screen-staring to do. Calamity strikes just then as I realize its Monday and I haven’t written my weekly column! The love-affair with the screen is prolonged for another couple of hours, although within the confines of my abode that atleast allows me to be the master of my own will.

My Mother has the best taunt for all of us screen-staring people. “Mobile ne computer to tari bairi che!” (Mobile and the computer are your wives!) What she doesn’t realize is that she does the same when she is at work and now that she owns a smart-phone, YouTube videos are her lullaby to bed.

To each their own.

2nd Test, Day 1: A Topsy Turvy Day with the Visitors Edging Ahead

Pujara, Rahane play defiant knocks but fail to carry on as India end Day 1 at 239/7 at the Eden Gardens.

Cheteshwar Pujara was furious. He worked tirelessly for his 87 but played a rash shot and handed a catch to short-cover. He dragged himself off the field slower than Inzamam ul-Haq usually did. Just when the hosts were beginning to put their foot on the pedal, Pujara’s wicket broke the momentum and a flurry of wickets led to the scoreboard reading 239 for 7 before play was called off due to bad light.

At 46 for 3, Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane found themselves in a situation that Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman often found themselves – to bail the team out of trouble. Brushing strike-rates aside, they began to graft along, playing out some disciplined Kiwi bowling and putting away the odd loose ball. Only 79 runs were scored in the 31 overs bowled in the second session but India went to tea unscathed. Pujara’s wicket brought an end to their enterprising 141 run stand and got the hosts back into the game again.

The Troubleshooters: Rahane (L) and Pujara (R) got India out of a spot of bother, but failed to get to their centuries. 

In a surprise selection for India’s 250th test at home, the team management chose to give Shikhar Dhawan the nod ahead of an in-form Gautam Gambhir on a pitch that was likely to aid seamers during the first hour. Dhawan didn’t disappoint critics as he chopped one back onto his stumps scoring a solitary run. Murali Vijay (9) fell soon after, reducing India to 28 for 2.

Just as Virat Kohli admitted to having spoken to Pujara to work on his strike-rate, he forgot to tell himself of adapting to a test match scenario and not chasing balls outside the off-stump. After hitting Trent Boult for his trademark cover drive earlier in the over, the skipper attempted an encore only to have encountered some extra bounce and lob a sharp catch to the fielder at gully. He managed only 9, similar to the first innings in Kanpur.

Virat Kohli checks his bat after being dismissed on the first day of the second test against New Zealand at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Rohit Sharma was possibly playing at his favourite ground, but one scoring shot and a run-out cum injury scare later, he was caught at bat-pad off the bowling of a few kilos heavier Jeetan Patel who also trapped Ajinkya Rahane (77) with a quicker delivery that trapped him in front of the sticks.

A thing of note here was the discipline with which the New Zealand bowlers bowled. Apart from very few loose balls, they did not allow easy rotation of strike which was evident from the fact that India managed to hit 37 fours and a six out of their 239 runs. Matt Henry (3 for 35) was the star for the black caps as he accounted for Dhawan, Vijay and Ravichandran Ashwin later in the day. He was ably supported by the rest of the bowlers with Patel picking two along with Boult and Wagner who had a wicket apiece.

India would again rely on Ravindra Jadeja to provide the impetus tomorrow morning to get them to a fighting total. With the pitch posing question marks as to which way it will head, tomorrow will possibly be the best day to bat.

Day 4: New Zealand’s Dream to Save the Match Turned into ‘Ash’

After being set a near impossible 434 to win, Ashwin blows away the Kiwi top order becoming the fastest Indian to reach 200 test wickets.

Luke Ronchi has possibly looked the most comfortable against the Indian spinners after skipper Kane Williamson. He is now the only barrier before the Indians to draw first blood this series. After being set an improbable 434 to win the test, the visitors ended day four at 93 for 4 with Ravichandran Ashwin running through their top order becoming the fastest Indian to pick 200 test wickets.

The New Zealand chase got off to a worst possible start as Martin Guptill (0) continued his wretched form by playing an ugly slog of Ashwin only to hit it as far as Murali Vijay at silly point. The offie then went into action replay mode as he trapped Tom Latham (2) leg before in a similar fashion to the first innings. The Black Caps lost both their openers with just three runs on the board inside the first four overs. Kane Williamson (25) and Ross Taylor (17) set out on a repair mission before a ripping off-break from Ashwin accounted for the former who became his 200^th test victim.

With Ross Taylor now the only senior player left to guide the visitors to safer shores, one would have expected him to play the day out with responsibility. However, in a schoolboy like error, Taylor failed to ground his bat despite the crossing the crease resulting in a run-out to a direct hit by Umesh Yadav from deep mid-wicket.

Luke Ronchi (38 not out) began from where he left off in the first innings, tackling the spinners with relative ease. Giving him company is Mitchell Santner, who along with Ronchi defied the Indian bowlers for 25 overs in the first innings. The task only gets uphill for the pair as their lower order did not put up much resistance against the spinners in the first essay.

New Zealand’s Luke Ronchi, right, plays a shot on the third day of their cricket test match against India at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, India, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

Resuming the day at 159 for 1, New Zealand kept things tight in the first hour of play with the first boundary coming only off the seventh over. They were soon rewarded with the wicket of Murali Vijay (76) who missed out on a century for the second time in the match. Captain Virat Kohli (18) had an edgy stay at the crease as he struggled to dominate the spinners and eventually was caught on the square-leg boundary. Cheteshwar Pujara (78) too missed out a century after falling to Ish Sodhi.

Jadeja has had a fabulous test match. Vital runs in the first innings, five-wickets and now a half century in the second innings.

Ajinkya Rahane contributed 40 before the need to step on the pedal was answered by Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. The duo scored at almost five-runs an over to bring up a century. Jadeja continued his good form in the test following up his 42 and a five-for in the first innings with another quick half-century post which Kohli called both the batsmen back into the hut. Rohit Sharma, after throwing his wicket away in the first innings composed a well-measured 68 as well.

If not for Ronchi and Santner, it’s only a matter of time before India wrap-up the game before the caravan shifts to the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

 

Day 2: Rain Plays Spoilsport on an Engrossing Day

Williamson, Latham add on to India’s worries after the visitors restrict the hosts to 318.

The 42^nd over of the New Zealand innings was perhaps the most eventful over of the day. The ball began to bounce, turn, grip and everything devilish that you would associate with a deteriorating Indian pitch. One of the deliveries from Ravichandran Ashwin nearly bowled Tom Latham around his legs while another turned past his outside edge with dangerous bounce. That was the moment which signalled a shift in momentum towards the Indians. A couple of overs later, Umesh Yadav bowled a reverse swinging beauty but couldn’t find Kane Williamson’s edge. After that gripping thirty minutes of play, tea was taken. Rain decided to play his cameo and no further play was possible on what would possibly have been the session that decided the course of the match. New Zealand ended the day at 152 for 1, 166 runs adrift of India’s first innings score of 318.

Tom Latham made ample use of the sweep shot en-route to his unbeaten 56. PIC CREDITS: REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

Until that moment, both Williamson and Latham were in cruise control mode. Their tackling of both Ashwin and Jadeja was of the highest order. Only two maidens of a combined 31 overs bowled by the spin twins is testimony to that. Latham got a reprieve on 47 when KL Rahul caught him at forward short leg only to make contact with his helmet resulting in the third umpire ruling in favour of the batsman. They rotated strike, pounced on the odd bad ball to puncture an Indian attack that kept toiling away without any success. The duo put on their sixth century stand together in just their 24^th innings and has added 117 unbeaten runs so far.

Turning Point?: KL Rahul fumbles while taking the catch of Tom Latham which went in favour of the batsman as the ball came in contact with his grill.

Virat Kohli desperately missed a fifth bowling option which forced him to turn to Murali Vijay who bowled a solitary but eventful over of his off-spinners. One of his deliveries beat Latham’s outside edge while he played all around a juicy full toss only for the umpire to rule the leg-before appeal in favour of the batsman. Luck seemed to have deserted the hosts as Ravichandran Ashwin managed to hit Williamson on the helmet due to which the flapping rolled onto the stumps but the bails remained unmoved.

Earlier in the day, India managed to add another 27 runs to their overnight score of 291 before Neil Wagner had Umesh Yadav caught by BJ Watling behind the stumps. An under-confident Martin Guptill tried hitting the Indian bowlers around the park and got to 21 before an Umesh Yadav in-swinger trapped him in front of the sticks.

Just as every test match cliché goes, the first hour will be extremely critical tomorrow morning as the pitch has just begun to show signs of breaking up. Turn as well as reverse swing will keep the Indian bowlers interested and will be a test of character of the Kiwi batsmen to come.

Day 1: Lack of Application, Second New Ball Dent India’s March Forward

New Zealand would be pretty happy to restrict India to 291 for 9 but will have to bat out of their skins to wrest complete advantage from the hosts.

New Zealand players celebrate the wicket of Indian opener KL Rahul who made a 39-ball 32. 

An Indian batting collapse is not something that will amaze any fan or surprise them. It has been a common feature in the recent past. Lack of application from ‘natural stroke players’ made a mediocre Kiwi bowling attack look venomous during the first day of India’s 500th test at the Green Park in Kanpur. At stumps, with the score at 291 for 9, the hosts would feel they would end up 70-80 runs short of what they initially planned for.

They looked good for much more when Murali Vijay (65) and Cheteshwar Pujara (62) were feasting on some freebies from the three kiwi spinners. Call it over-indulgence or just the struggle to put together a playing eleven, the visitors accommodated all three spinners on a track that has only just begun to show its true colours in patches. At 154 for 1, things looked rosy before a ‘set for another daddy hundred’ Pujara lobbed one straight back to Mitchell Santner (3-77). The ball stopped and gripped the surface which could well be signs of things to come. It all went downhill thereafter and rather quickly.

Murali Vijay (65, in the background) and Cheteshwar Pujara (62) added 112 for the second wicket to lay the foundation which was not capitalized upon.

Virat Kohli (9) fell to his second favourite stroke, the pull, a shot that he could well have avoided to a bouncer from Neil Wagner (1-42). Murali Vijay edged a rank long hop from Ish Sodhi (1-50) to Luke Ronchi while Mark Craig (1-59), who possibly was the best among the three kiwi spinners, was rewarded for his hard work with the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane (18). From 154 for 1, India were reduced to 209 for 5. Rohit Sharma (35) looked to play well within himself and almost got through the day with a partnership of 52 with Ravichandran Ashwin (40), before a bout of overconfidence led him to loft a Santner delivery straight to mid-on, immediately after the second new ball was taken.

New Zealand’s wicket keeper BJ Watling, left and Martin Guptill appeals for the wicket of India’s batsman Rohit Sharma during their first cricket test in Kanpur, India, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

It took only three overs for Trent Boult, who was erratic with the first new ball, to run riot with the second nut as he knocked over Saha (0), Ashwin and Mohammad Shami (0) in quick succession to have the hosts nine down with three overs still to play. Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav threw their bats around to survive till the close of play.

Earlier in the day, KL Rahul began India’s 500^th test match with a flurry of boundaries, scoring 32 out of the 42 runs added for the opening wicket. The highlight of the innings was a visibly different Pujara, who carried on with his good form from the domestic circuit. With his dancing shoes on, he stepped out to every opportunity to negate the kiwi spinners. His 109-ball 62 was laced with eight hits to the fence; most of them were stepping out to the tweakers.

The kiwis would consider the day to belong to them, but they will have to content with the Indian spinners on a day which might just be the best day to bat in a this match. The Indians on the other hand, will look to add as many runs as they possibly can to add to the frustration of the visitors.

 

India Vs New Zealand 1st Test Preview: Can India Spin Away To Glory?

More than the players, all eyes will be on ‘when’ the pitch at Green Park begins to turn in India’s 500^th test.

India plays its landmark 500^th test starting tomorrow. The host, Green Park in Kanpur will be hosting its first test in almost seven years. Like every test match played in India in the recent past, the center of attraction quite obviously has been the pitch. Will it turn from the first day itself? Has the team asked for a rank turner? Will a rank turner result in the repeat of the horrors of 2012? All of these questions resulted in only one answer from the curator, “It’s a sporting wicket.”

As always, the focus will be on the pitch than the players. The pitch at Green Park, Kanpur is said to be a ‘Sporting Wicket.’

The ‘sporting wicket’ phrase has become the most commonly used metaphor for every pitch before the start of the test. However, these ‘sporting pitches’ have cleaned up games in three days or even less as it was evident during the series against South Africa earlier this year. If not for rain, a five-day test stretching into the fifth day has now become a distant memory.

For Virat Kohli and his band of boys, it’s all about making the right noises before the start of a long season. Coach Anil Kumble stressed on the fact that the team has not asked for a rank turner in Kanpur. To be fair, the struggle of most of the players against spin was evident in Sri Lanka as well as the South African series. Asking for a pitch like that may only backfire if not anything more as the visitors too, possess a decent line-up of spinners in Ish Sodhi, Mark Craig and Mitchell Santner.

India’s batting card looks pretty settled barring a couple of spots. KL Rahul should most likely get the nod to open the innings with Murli Vijay ahead of Shikhar Dhawan following his impressive show in the Caribbean. After an impressive show in the Duleep Trophy, Cheteshwar Pujara should be a no-brainer at one drop and one would expect similar ‘daddy hundreds’ from the Saurashtra lad who last scored a century in Colombo almost a year ago. Opting for five bowlers would mean Rohit Sharma will have to cool his heels on the sidelines. Another interesting thing to watch out for would be whether the team continues with their experiment of sending Ravichandran Ashwin at No.6.

With Ishant Sharma out due to illness, Mohammad Shami will be leading the bowling attack. The toss between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav should favour the former after his performance against the West Indies. The three spinners automatically make the cut should India continue with their five bowler theory.

Eyes will be on the spin troika who will look to continue with their exploits in the sub-continent. From (L-R): Jadeja, Ashwin and Mishra.

The Kiwis on the other hand have a lot to ponder over. The injury to Tim Southee before the tour has dented their bowling attack which will now be led by the left-arm quick Trent Boult. With Jimmy Neesham injured as well, the visitors have been deprived of an all-rounder. Martin Guptill has had a horror start to his sub-continent tour with scores of 15 and 0 in the practice game against Mumbai. The batting will mostly rely on skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor who have the experience of having played tests in India before.

Skipper Williamson (L) and Ross Taylor (R) will form the cornerstone of the kiwi batting.

The wicket-keeping option will be between Luke Ronchi and test regular BJ Watling, though the former has tilted the scales firmly in his favour after his century in the practice game. Eyes will also be on the three spinners in Sodhi, Craig and Santner and how they manage to exploit the dust-bowls across the country.

With 30 percent chance of rain forecast during the first and the fourth day, one can only hope for the clouds to stay away and not play spoilsport for what promises to be an intriguing and an action packed season ahead.

The Toughest Test for the Kohli-Kumble Combo

India plays 13 tests at home which will not only be a make or break season for many of its players, but will also decide India’s test team for the long-term.

The last time India played 13 tests in a single season was way back in 1979-80. The last time India hosted a five-test series was in 1986-87. This season marks the repeat of both. India will play 13 tests at home starting this Thursday over the next six months as well as host England for a five test series.

The Virat Kohli era in Indian cricket has got off to a good start. They won series’ in Sri Lanka and the Caribbean, though against potentially weaker sides, a win is always a win. Kohli presided over a 3-0 rout of a depleted proteas side which was the only series he has captained at home. The challenge only gets tougher from here as India will be hosting New Zealand, England and Australia over the course of this season. This may well turn out to be a make or break season for the team as well as for most of its players as it will ensure the composition of the test side over the long-term.

While Kohli has stressed on the ‘horses for courses’ formula, there will always be a selection dilemma in such an approach. Although questions have been raised over Shikhar Dhawan’s presence in the side owing to his patchy form, one cannot deny his ability to change the course of the game if he gets going. However, backing Dhawan too far would be unjust on someone like KL Rahul who has consistently grabbed whatever opportunities have been presented to him. To be fair, Rahul possesses a better technique as well as better form than Dhawan going into the series.

Sword over their heads? Dhawan (L) and Pujara (R) will fight for their place in the side.

Similar is the dilemma between the selection of ‘daddy-hundred’ getter Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma. Pujara’s ODI record is nothing much to write home about which is similar to Rohit’s performance in the five-day format. However, the Saurashtra lad has never been given a longer rope in coloured clothing that his Mumbai counterpart has been at the test level. Pujara’s performance in the recent Duleep Trophy should make this case a no-brainer atleast for the New Zealand series as to who gets to bat one drop.

The squad for the series clearly has Kohli’s stamp on it. The over dependence on spin has been reduced with four fast bowlers ready to exploit the reverse swing on offer. What the team needs to be careful about is to force for the preparations of rank turners, a ploy which backfired miserably against England in 2012-13.

The BCCI has ensured that the huge dose of cricket reaches every corner of the country. This is evident from the six new test venues in Dharamsala, Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Indore and Ranchi. With sticks on either side, the 22-yards get ready to begin a season that will separate the heroes from the stars and may well set our captain on the path of legend hood.

 

Who is Actually Disabled?

The success of our Paralympians in Rio has not only showcased our apathy for them but also exposed the glaring discrimination that they go through every single day.

2016 Rio Paralympics – Men’s High Jump – T42 Final – Olympic Stadium – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 09/09/2016. Mariyappan Thangavelu of India celebrates with his gold medal during the victory ceremony. REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff

The name Mariyappan Thangavelu would not ring alarm bells in any of our minds. He isn’t a flamboyant cricketer who has run-chases for dinner. He isn’t an actor from the south of India where actors generally acquire the status of a demi-god. He neither is a superstar whose bachelorhood is the subject of many gossip newspapers nor is he the highest tax payer of the country. But in stature, he has risen above every cricketer, superstar or the taxpayer of this country.

In the early hours of September 10, Mariyappan Thangavelu scripted history when he jumped to a gold medal in the T-42 High Jump category at the Paralympics in Rio. He, along with Varun Singh Bhati who won the bronze medal brought joy to a handful of Indians who were aware that the games were in progress. As the day progressed, the news spread and accolades started to pour in for the 21-year old, who’s right leg was crushed under the wheels of a state transport bus when he was five. But that is where it all ended. The Tamil Nadu government announced an award worth Rs 2 crore and he will also be entitled to a Rs 75 lakh reward from the sports ministry under their quota for the gold medal winners at Rio.

But how long will these rewards last? Thangavelu’s mother Saroja sells vegetables for a living. His application for a job is still lying among many such applications that usually gather dust at government offices. But the issue here is not about the rewards. The Paralympics are the best example of how the world has only come down to revenues, profits and TRPs.

The games have not received an official broadcaster in India. The lack of sponsors can be attributed as a reason. Sponsors wouldn’t be willing to spend a fortune on disabled athletes. It was twitter that made people like us know of who Thangavelu is.

The Paralympics are an ideal example of how every athlete has overcome adversity and every possible odd against them to get to where they are. Every athlete is a story in itself. Apart from Thangavelu, India also won silver at the games via Deepa Malik, paralysed waist-down, who won silver in the Woman’s short-put. Rewards aside, there has hardly been any media coverage for either of these stars. The media, who had thronged to PV Sindhu’s house when she took to court to play her badminton final, was suddenly missing when these heroes went on to win laurels for our country. This is not meant to take away any credit from Sindhu’s hard work, but the discrimination is simply appalling.

Another success story is that of the Javelin Thrower Devendra Jhajharia who perhaps is the only Indian to win two individual Olympic gold medals. His heroics in Athens in 2004 won him a passing mention and it is only now, 12 years later that the world has taken notice of this hero from Rajasthan who lost one of his hand when he was just eight. Setting a world record to win a gold medal is amazing, beating your own record to win another gold is beyond superlatives. Jhajharia has done both of these. Somewhere, somehow, the mentions are never as consistent as that of a Kohli or a Sindhu or a Leander Paes.

This brings me to the question, Who is the one with the disability? Is it us, who with their fully functional bodies are setting public property on fire over which state does a river water belong to and lynch people to death as they consume beef? Or are these heroes who with their ‘physical disability’ are ensuring that the tricolor flies high across the world whether or not it files high in its own country? The answer is obvious but as always, we would love living behind our cosy curtains of denial.

The success story of Thangavelu, Malik and Bhati is inspiring, humbling as well as a slap on the faces of all those who believe that picking up a gun only because the family is in distress is the solution to their troubles. While we bow our heads to them, let’s have them as a source to motivate ourselves and not think that our world has ended if we run out of our mobile data-pack.

Watch: Thangavelu’s gold medal winning jump.