Month: December 2024

Dus Ka Dum (Ten of the Best)

The ten most memorable sporting moments from 2024

Pages from my 2024 Scrap Book

How fast has this year passed by? We were just in January the other day and in a flick, the year’s gone! I am quite an old school guy. I still make my own sports scrapbook- cutting pictures and putting them on a diary. As I was putting it up for 2024, quite a few of the best sporting moments of the year flashed by me.

So, these are my top ten sporting moments from 2024.

The year started with the West Indies cricket team visiting Australia. The Caribbeans have lost their mojo over the years. Gone is the aura of the 80’s- now they are better known as ‘Callypso Collapso’. So they were meant to be pushovers. But in GABBA- they created history by knocking over the Aussies. Defending a little over 200 in the fourth innings- Shamar Joseph would bowl unchanged for 10+ overs with a broken toe to take a 7-fer and script the biggest upset win of the year. Loved it!

Staying on cricket- the Indian cricket team has long been the most consistent team without winning the finals. In fact, lately,  they have become quite the chokers when it comes to the big moments- back-to-back WTC finals, ODI World Cup Final loss at home in front of 130,000 crowd- the list of heartaches is indeed long. So, when India finally managed to put it across the Proteas to win the T20 World Cup, it was the stuff of dreams. India played well throughout the event, but the final was the real deal. Kohli came good at last to give India a respectable total but with Klaasen going mad- all South Africa needed was a run a ball in the last five overs of the chase. Enter Boom Boom Bumrah- with impeccable line and length, he created the pressure. Hardik held his nerves to apply the choke further and when Surya took that crazy boundary line catch in the last over- India had finally won a World Cup after 13 long years!

While I love wearing the Blue, I have quite a soft corner for Purple too- not just because of Cadbury but because that’s the colour of my favourite IPL team- the ‘Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo’ became a big hit this year with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) being so dominant. Rollicking starts from Narine and Salt, playing fearless cricket, cameo endings from ‘Russell Muscle’, excellent all round bowling performance capped by dream starts by Starc in the two most important knock out games- KKR were relentless this year. The back-end staff- Gambhir, Pandit and company did a stellar job in motivating the team and building the aggressive mindset- so when Shreyas Iyer lifted the IPL trophy, it almost seemed like it was a foregone conclusion.

India has long been a story of lots of optimism before the Olympics begins but lots of disappointment after the event is over. This year was a mixed bag- we did not win any golds but got six medals in all. Manu Bhaker’s achievement of winning two bronze medals really stand out- shooting has been one of those fields where we over promise and under deliver every time, but for the ‘young gun’ to stand up when it really mattered was really something! She actually missed another medal as she was a close 4th in her third category. Well done Manu! India is proud of you.

The other Olympics achievement that was memorable was Djokovic finally completing the set. This year has been passing of the baton in tennis with the ‘Next Gen’ Alcaraz and Sinner winning all the slams- but what stood out for me was Djoker’s resolve and tenacity as he mastered Alcaraz on the Roland Garros clay- he sacrificed a lot of smaller events and even had a surgery just before the event- but then to make a comeback and win the Gold was epic! ‘Nole’, easily the GOAT (Greatest of all Time) of tennis!

Talking of tennis- it was a sad moment for all the fans as Nadal ended his illustrious career in ’24. Rafa’s tenacity and his prowess on clay makes him another serious contender for the GOAT- but that’s for another day! Blighted by injuries- it wasn’t the best way to call it a day with the Davis Cup swansong where he ended with a loss and Spain exited early. But what we will remember is the friendship and the rivalry with Federer, that amazing Australian open final with Djokovic which lasted 6 hours, fourteen French Open wins (yes, that’s not a typo), the quirks and the bandana. Thanks Rafa- for the memories!

Rafa is a big football fan and he would have been proud of what the Spanish national team achieved this year. Before the Euros started, there were other more favoured teams- England were singing loud ‘It’s Coming Home’, Germans as hosts were quietly confident, while France with Mbappe are always there or thereabouts. No one quite gave the young Spanish team much of a chance. But the power of youth has the power to transform. Nico Williams and the prodigee Lamine Yamal were outstanding with the stable Rodri holding fort at the centre- Spain kept going from one peak to another and finally putting to rest England’s ambitions through a late goal in the final.

Staying on football- the AFCON (African Cup of Nations) was held in ’24 and Ivory Coast’s win was quite a roller coaster. They were the hosts and the expectations were hence quite high. The land of Didier Drogba always does well in football. But the start was so bad that they actually fired their coach after the group phase. They struggled and stuttered in the knockouts also but somehow survived. So, when Sebastian Haller scored a late winning goal in the final against arch-rivals Nigeria- it was an unbelievable achievement. Made sweeter as Haller was actually making a swift comeback after recovering from cancer. What a story!

In the African context, one more 2024 highlight was the continued dominance of the Springboks (South Africa Rugby Team)- they are the reigning World Champions having defended the title in Paris last year, but they upped their level this year. The Springboks won the Rugby Championship this time after five years- this is an event where the best southern hemisphere teams participate- South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. Their biggest rivalry now is when the Springboks play the All Blacks. In fact, just to see the Haka before the match adds to the experience before any All-Blacks match. While SA won five of the six games, the match at Ellis Park vs NZ was easily the best. The All Blacks led for almost the for the entire duration of the match, and by 10 points going into the last quarter. But the Springboks always manage to make a late surge, and that they did again. Coming back from the dead against the biggest rivals to cap a memorable win!

The last one in the list is actually just from yesterday. A twelve-year old had a dream- to become the youngest world champion in chess. They say you should have a big ambition- if you do, then actions follow, and results after that! Fast forward six years, Gukesh actually made it happen- becoming the World Champion in chess beating Ding Liren in Singapore to become the latest and youngest ever to do so, and the first Indian after Vishwanathan Anand. To see him cry with joy after the win warmed the hearts of all Indians.

Cricket, Olympics, tennis, football, rugby, chess- quite a diverse list for me as I think of the top ten sporting moments of the year. What about you? What would you add to this list?

The ‘Wizard of Aus’

The charm of watching test cricket in Australia- a trip down memory lane.

With the Don, MCG Museum- from the archives.

There is a certain charm of watching test cricket in Australia. Mostly the end of the year when things slow down a bit, the lush green outfields, the best ever commentary over the years- you get to choose from Bill Lawry to Richie Benaud- there is a tinge of nostalgia that fills the heart. Waking up really early on Boxing Day to catch the first ball of the test at MCG with a hot cup of coffee has always been a ritual.

Australia is a tough place to go and win- it’s been a ‘final frontier’ for most test teams. The Aussies play incredibly hard and can be abrasive at times but love to give you company with a chilled beer after the game. The bounce at WACA, the intensity of MCG or the spinning conditions in SCG- it’s difficult to adapt and win.

All the more exciting then that India has quite become the ‘Wizard of Aus’ of late- winning the last two test tours Down Under. But it’s not always been like that… Here’s a trip down memory lane.

The year was 1981- India started the last match 0-1 down at MCG. The going got tough with Australia taking a 182 run first innings lead. That’s when India started a great comeback- Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan combined for a 165 run opening partnership in the second innings to bring India right back into the game. Sunny’s dismissal led to the now ‘infamous’ walkout when he was so frustrated with the umpire’s LBW decision that he instructed Chetan to come out with him as a sign of protest- luckily good sense prevailed and the match continued. India set Australia a target of 143 which should have been a walk in the park but a half-fit Kapil had other ideas- bowling on a tricky 5th day pitch, Kaps did the unthinkable- a 5fer to land India a 59 run win and tie the series.

Fast forward to 1991/92- Australia really steamrolled India that time- a 4-0 series win. But what I remember from that tour is the SCG test- the amazing partnership between Shastri and Sachin- a double ton for Shaz and 148 for ‘God’. They took the Aussie bowlers to the cleaners include a certain leg spinner who had figures of 45-7-150-1. Any guesses who that was? Well, the greatest ever spinner- Shane Warne. India almost won that test, Aussies only managing to draw with a stubborn Allan Border batting out the last session with the tail.

The series in 20023/04 started with a ‘captain’s innings’ from Ganguly in Gabba for a draw. Then Dravid and Agarkar helped us do the impossible- a test win at Adelaide after conceding 500+. Those were heady days, getting up really early to book the spot in the common room, bunking classes to watch the match in the hostel. ‘The Wall’ was stupendous- double century followed by an unbeaten 72 in the tense chase to give India a memorable win. The teams went in to the last test tied 1-1 and Sachin decided to shut down his offside play to get back his form- well, a double ton followed that set us up for the win. The ‘Very Very Special’- VVS Laxman was always there- to support Dravid in Adelaide or Sachin in Sydney. If not for Steve Bucknor’s dodgy umpiring calls (there were no DRS those days), we would have won that test and series. Steve Waugh made a decent contribution in his last test- the series win stayed elusive, but we were getting close.

The 2007-08 series was controversial- India lost the 2nd test in Sydney- dodgy umpiring decisions, Harbhajan banned for the so called racist remarks to Symonds- the India team were in a corner. So, when we went to the third test at WACA- no one gave us a chance. But under Kumble’s inspiring captaincy, we fought. We set Australia a 400+ target, but Ponting was still there- and till he was there, there was always a chance. That was when a tall lanky Ishant bowled possibly the best over of his life– troubling Ponting every ball and snaring his wicket at the end- caught at slips. It was unbelievable- India bossing Aussies through pacers. A 73 run win was the end result. Australia won the series 2-1, but India won hearts.

Next to 2014-15- India were tigers at home, but till then they hardly won away- especially when it came to SENA opposition (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). This is the time Kohli took over the captaincy. In the first test at Adelaide, India were set 364 on the last day- most teams would shut shop and play for the draw- not Kohli’s India. The ‘King’ went for it- India were 240/2 and with a couple of hours left, the win was suddenly possible. Lyon had other ideas and turned it around with a 7-fer, but Kohli’s 141 on a 5th day pitch was a master-class- signalling the start of the aggression and positive attitude that would get India many memorable test away wins in the future. Australia won the series 2-0.

The 2018-19 series was different- Australia were a tad weakened with the bans for Smith and Warner for Sandpaper Gate. Pujara camped whenever he went to bat and Pant brought fresh aggression in the lower order. India and Australia split tests in Adelaide and Perth but then India inched ahead in MCG with the win thanks to a certain Bumrah. So when the last test at SCG ended in a tame draw- India had conquered Down Under for the first time ever.

To the 2020/21 series- well it started with a 36 all out in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide. No one gave India a chance when they went to MCG under Rahane as captain and levelled the series. A tight match at SCG followed where Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari batted out of their skins to get a draw. To the last match at ‘GABBA’toir- Australia’s stronghold. India were ravaged by injuries went with a bowling attack of Siraj, Natarajan, Shardul, Saini, Sundar- a combined experienced of just over 10 test wickets. But the young India team had something else- belief! Set 328 to win on Day 5, most teams would have played for the draw- but with a super Gill and the even more super Pant, the Indians went for it. Almost a run a ball needed in the last 10 overs, and the Indians were playing scoops and reverse sweeps- such audacity! When Pant hit the winning runs, no one could believe it- a win against all odds.

The start of the 2024-25 series has not been bad either- no one gave India a chance after the debacle at home vs NewZealand. Also, when they folded for 150 in the first innings, the worst was expected. But with Bumrah the bowler (and captain also this time), the impossible is I’m possible! Indians folded Australia for a little over 100, and then thanks to Jaiswal and Kohli tons- turned it around for an easy win. Four more tests will follow and it’s exciting to see what the result will be- hoping that the ‘Team in Blue’ completes the Hat-trick.

The page has been dormant for a while- glad Bumrah’s spell at Perth stirred back the writer in me.

Kapil, Sachin, Dravid, Ishant, Kohli, Pant, Bumrah- so which one is your favourite moment from Down Under?