Category: Best Ever

I still get goose bumps. Did it actually happen? I pinch and double pinch myself to check. Yes- it is indeed for real. We did it. Battling, battered and bruised. But tall and proud, last men standing!

So, here’s a tribute to the ‘Few Good Men’- the unlikely set of heroes who gave us our biggest ever test series win vs Australia, against all odds.

Shubman Gill– walked in for his test debut after the 36 all out debacle. Looked calm and composed, as if he has been doing this for ages. The sweet sound off the bat every time Gill pulled and cut was like symphony. That twenty run over from Starc in the second session on the last day of the Gabba test really started giving us Indian fans hope that we can do it. Finished with a 50+ batting average in his first test series.

Rishabh Pant– you love him or hate him, but you sure cannot ignore him. ‘The chatterbox’ and the ‘official babysitter’ of the team- 4^th innings giant already at 23. What do you do when a ball hits the crack, spins at right angles and the keeper misses a stumping chance? Well, you dance down the pitch and hit the next ball for a six over long on, against the turn. Well that is Pant for you- unorthodox and fearless. That winning shot to the long off boundary will forever be part of the show-reel!

Cheteshwar Pujara– the new Wall! An unlikely hero in the IPL era. Old school, slow yet assured. And what a fighter! Took eleven blows to the body on the last day. It seems there was one big crack in the pitch and Cummins especially was hitting that with unerring accuracy time and again. So, Pujara decided to let the ball hit him rather than playing for uncertain and uneven bounce. He preferred to become ‘Rocky’ rather than risk his wicket. He scored 500+ runs last time we won the series Down Under and repeated the heroics with a lesser tally but marathon stays in the crease.

Mohammed Siraj– lost his father when he was quarantining in Australia early in the series but decided to stay on for the team’s sake. Was racially abused by fans but decided the ball to do the talking. Became the unlikely leader of the bowling pack in the Gabba test with the spate of injuries. Took a 5-fer in the second innings to break the Aussie batting. Was India’s highest wicket taker in the series. After landing back in India, he went straight to the graveyard to pay last rights to his departed father. What a man!

T Natarajan– truly a Bollywood rags to riches story. Coming from an extremely needy background, he was discovered by the talent scouts and flowered in the IPL. A white ball specialist, Nattu was retained to give the batsmen some net practice as a left arm fast bowler like Mitchell Starc. Became a father midway in the series but decided that India was a priority, so stayed back Down Under. Got an unlikely opportunity to debut in the Gabba test and did very well. ‘Net to Nattu’ was an amazing journey. He is the first Indian to debut across all three formats in a series.

Washington Sundar– again a so called ‘net bowler’ who got his big chance in the last test. Was retained to simulate Lyon and ensure Ashwin gets rest between matches. Bowled exceedingly well in the last test and the ‘no look’ six was one of the moments of the match. Full swag!

Shardul Thakur– got injured in his debut test in Windies two years back and had to drop out after a couple of overs. So, in a way, Gabba was a semi- debut for him too. His partnership with Washi in the first innings actually kept India in the hunt. Took seven wickets too for a truly memorable all-round performance.

And a few who set it up but did not play the last test-

Hanuma Vihari– failed a few times. Was criticized by one and all and was about to be axed. Came to bat in Sydney with the match on the line. Had a Grade 2 hamstring tear and was in unbearable pain. But batted for almost four hours and made the most steely 23 not out (in 161 balls!) to keep India level in the series going into the final test.

Ravichandran Ashwin– a giant at home, but often criticized for his away performances especially in SEAN (South Africa, England, Australia, Newzealand). Gave us the upper hand by taming Steve Smith in the first two tests and stuck it out with Hanuma to draw the SCG test when he could hardly stand due to a back injury. Gave it right back to Paine and won the verbal duel as well as the on-field one.

Ravindra Jadeja– His sword celebration after reaching a milestone gives hope to us always. Whether with the bat, bowl or the field, Jaddu always contributes. His biggest contribution though was padding up on the 5^th day in SCG with a broken thumb- showing resilience and courage. As Hanuma and Ashwin battled for the draw, seeing an injured Jadeja in the dressing room ready to come in next, gave them assurance and confidence to hold on in the middle.

Jasprit Bumrah– the best all format fast bowler of this generation. Leading a young pack through the first three tests as one after another senior dropped out (Ishant Sharma before the series, Mohammed Shami in the first and Umesh Yadav in the second test), Bumrah kept going. Now has the best test bowling average of 21 for all visiting teams in Australia in this century!

Lastly, Ajinkya Rahane– he took over the reins after the ‘36 debacle’ with the best batsman and captain back at home. He led with composure and class. When the Aussies talked, he stared back. Led the comeback with the century at MCG. When he looked good for much more, he was run out due to an error in judgement by his partner. He calmly walked up to him, egged him to go on and left without a show of frustration. Great example of leadership in crisis!

Also Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli– often criticized for their ‘in your face’ and haughty attitudes, but you need to admire the aggression. In a way, the seeds of the Gabba win now were sown in Adelaide 2014. We went for a 300+ last day target then also, and lost. But the seeds of positivity were sown. Life turned a full cycle at Gabba. Shaz’s speech to the team after the Gabba win was a good reflection of how we won in adversity.

And behind the scenes, Rahul Dravid– the silent mentor. Churning out the next generation for India. Working tirelessly with youngsters, shaping their technique and more importantly their attitude. You saw the bench strength of India and you couldn’t but doff your hat to the ‘Wall’.

There are many bigger reasons for this super success.

IPL has given a big opportunity to young players and make them truly believe that they can do it, no matter what!

Calm and composed leadership which converted crisis into an opportunity.

The strength of the bench- India B played like India A+. Anyone wearing the India shirt is capable to perform and win.

The need to take a step back to step forward (Pujara) and also the need to be prepared to lose some to win some (Adelaide 2014 to Gabba 2021).

Honestly, the only time India looked like winning the series was in the last hour of the last test. It was that sort of a series! All in all, I still cannot believe it. So, maybe playing the last day highlight show-reel in loop will do the trick. Savour this and enjoy- for moments like this happen once in a generation.

The test season has finally started. Among the overload of ODI and T20 cricket we see these days, test cricket still has its own old-world charm. It’s like the smell of the morning newspaper that a swipe of the IPad can never give you.  An intense battle with the red ball on the first morning of a test on a lively pitch; A battle for survival on a fifth day turner, test cricket challenges different dimensions of a cricketer. As I reminisce, I remember great tests and great players. I start dreaming…. So if I can assemble my best test eleven, who would I pick? The options are many and the choices hard to make, but here’s my take. I have restricted this list only to players I have seen with my own eyes. So sorry to Bradman and Sobers!

My first pick as an opener is someone who is as safe as a lock. Someone who can play out the first hour to pave the way for my star studded middle order to then make merry. Sunil Gavaskar– the best player for challenging conditions. Who can forget that 96 in Bangalore vs Pakistan on a proverbial dustbowl? ‘Sunny’ was the highest centurion during his time and the breaker of many a milestone. He would also bring in that typical swagger (in his walk) and that ‘khadoos’ Mumbai attitude. He can double up as my first slip fielder.

I will pair up ‘Sunny Bhai’ with Virender Sehwag– what a great ‘Fire & Ice’ combination that will be! ‘Viru’ was the biggest entertainer and match-winner during his time. He would set up matches for India through those explosive starts, thus giving the bowlers enough time to take 20 wickets. Who can forget that unimaginable 284 runs in little over two sessions vs Lanka at Brabourne? The thrill of watching ‘Viru’ hit a six to get to a hundred (or a double or triple hundred) was pure bliss!

My no.3 is the charismatic Brian Charles Lara. Lara is the record holder with a 400 in tests and a 500 in first class cricket. The magician with the exaggerated back-lift- my favourite Lara innings is that 153* for that famous one wicket win vs the Aussies at Bridgetown. He will also bring a great balance in a top order otherwise full of right handed batsmen.

Next will be Lara’s biggest rival, Sachin Tendulkar. A half century of test hundreds and a total basket of hundred international tons, Sachin simply is the best batsman of our generation. He gave hope to us in India when there was none and for many he was no less than ‘God’. For long, taking his wicket would mean winning a match vs India- like the Chennai Test vs Pakistan where he single handedly brought us close but the team crumbled when he fell so near the finishing line. Sachin had amazing longevity and he ruled for 25 years against a wide array of opposition.

At no.5 I pick ‘Mr.Dependable’ all-rounder Jacques Kallis, perhaps the most under-rated cricketer of our times. Kallis has 13k+ plus runs at an average of 55. Add to that his 290 odd wickets and amazing slip fielding, and you get a modern day Colossus. He is the cricketer with the maximum number of ‘Man of the Match’ awards in test cricket with 23. The next best is at 19! A solid batsman and a great first change bowling option, Kallis will add great balance to my team.

Next will be my captain- Steve Waugh. Steve has the highest number of test runs for a no.6 batsman- someone who could resurrect the innings and also accelerate with the tail with equal ease. He had immense mental toughness and will be my safety net for a team full of super stars. You need a strong personality to lead a team of greats- who better than Waugh- he led one of the best ever Aussie teams.

The keeper and no.7 is Adam Gilchrist– one of my favourite cricketers and someone with a great sportsman spirit. ‘Gilly’, apart from being a great wicket keeper, came at no.7 and changed the course of a match with his attacking batting. He would take on the bowling- be it pace or spin, and a run a ball century would be par for course.

The first bowler on my list will be the maverick Shane Warne. He had the best variety and watching him bowl was a treat. Who can forget the ‘ball of the century’ to dismiss Gatting? Shane could spin the ball a mile even on cement. He would also double up as my vice-captain- who can forget his amazing leadership for Rajasthan Royals in IPL1- he was the best captain Australia never had.

At No.9, I pick Wasim Akram– the magician who could make the ball talk. That easy run up and that snap of the shoulder. If you survived Wasim with the new ball, he would come back with the old ball and the reverse swing to set the cat among the pigeons. He was especially deadly with the yorkers versus the tail-enders. Akram was also a handy bat, with a highest score of 257* in test cricket!

Partnering Wasim with the new ball will be Curtley Ambrose. That long run up, the ball coming from an awkward height and then the thoughtful stare- Ambrose terrorized batsmen in the 90’s. His spell of 1 for 7 vs Australia is one of the best spells of fast bowling I can remember. Ambrose and Wasim sharing the new ball will make it a mouth-watering prospect.

Complementing Warne as the second spinner will be the wizard- Muttiah Muralitharan– the man at the top of the summit with 800 wickets. Murali could literally hit a coin on top of the off stump with his nagging accuracy. Imagine watching him bamboozle the opposition in the second innings along with Warne- a dream spinning duo for my team.

My twelfth man is the evergreen Imran Khan. A great leader and one of the best all-rounders ever, Imran can replace Murali if the pitch is spicy and warrants a pace heavy attack. He can also beef up the lower middle order with the extra runs he brings to the table.

So that’s my pick-a team of stalwarts. I have tried to pick the best man at every position. For eg: Viv Richards was a serious contender but he will make it too many Nos.3/4 in the team- so went for a No.6 specialist in Steve Waugh. By the way, Viv will be the first name on the sheet if it was an ODI team, but that’s for another day!

The team has great balance with the ‘chalk and cheese’ combination as openers, two lefties in the top seven, a good mix of attacking batsmen and those who can defend well. In bowling you have a leftie/ rightie opening pace combination complemented by the best ever leg spinner and a wizard off-spinner, with Kallis as the ideal all-rounder. Three batsmen can also back up as part time bowlers. Give us any surface, any venue, and I think this team will rule. I call them my Ocean’s Eleven*.

So what do you think?

*Names which were considered but narrowly missed out are Hayden, Richards, Botham and McGrath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cricket is more than a sport in India. It is like a religion. There is nothing bigger than the Indo-Pak rivalry. We play less these days owing to the troubled political climate. So when there is a face-off, not once, but twice, within a fortnight, it is like winning a jackpot two times over. As I go through my memory flip book, I see that my growing up years have been punctuated with unforgettable Indo-Pak matches.

My first live match at Eden Gardens was as a seven year old. I remember how India dominated almost the entire match but with almost 80 runs to win in eight overs, quite safe in the pre T20 era, a certain Saleem Malik went crazy. A small matter of 72 in 36 balls to silence the one lakh motley crowd. It was an even matchup in the mid 80’s till Javed Miandad broke Indian hearts with that last ball six off Chetan Sharma. It didn’t just win the Greens the match but gave them a strong psychological advantage over the next decade or so. There would be many Indo Pak matches on Fridays in Sharjah and the general rule was that Pakistan invariably won.

We toured Pakistan in ‘89- the highlight was a washed out ODI match. Very few remember the result but what still lingers in memory are the four sixes that a certain 16 year old hit against the wily fox Abdul Qadir in one over- what a grand entry it was by the ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar. The Sharjah debacle would continue. Those were the days of home umpires, and very often, they played as the 12^th and 13^th team members- none more so than the Sharjah Wills Trophy ’91 final when Aaqib Javed would take a 7/37 including a hat-trick of LBW’s- the third dismissal where the umpire gave the batsman out even before the bowler had appealed.

The ‘92 World Cup was the crowning glory for the evergreen Imran Khan as he led Pakistan to the most unlikely World Cup win. But what I remember more is India winning the most important match-up- when the Indian bowlers tightened the screws and Kiran More got under Javed Miandad’s skin so much that he practiced some spot jumps.

Then the subcontinent ’96 World Cup and the quarter final clash at Bangalore. There was a 10^th Physics Board Exam in two days but priorities where clear- cricket always won! The Pakistan team had the most fearsome death bowling but a rookie Ajay Jadeja would take a particular liking for Waqar Younis with a savage assault. India would finish on a high but Pakistan would start on the fifth gear too. That’s when Aamir Sohail would get carried away and sledge the bowler. Venky Prasad would make a fitting reply by uprooting the off stump next ball and then give back a few pleasantries, with some interest.

The late 90’s saw the peaking of the rivalry. We even went to a skating and curling club to play cricket- Toronto. Windy and cold, quite like the UK weather, this would be a series to remember for Sourav ‘Dada’ Ganguly as he bagged four consecutive ‘Man of the Match’ awards. This was also when Inzamam ul Haq had a brain-fade and attacked a fan in the stands, unable to take the consistent ‘Aloo Aloo’ taunts. I fondly remember celebrating the 4 am series win with a few crackers and not so fondly remember the scolding I got from my dad for waking everyone up at that God forsaken hour!

The flip book whizzes by- there is that Ijaz Ahmed butchery- a 139 not out in 84 balls at Lahore in a 217 chase. The Rajesh Chauhan six in the last over, and a Hrishikesh Kanitkar four with one ball left to give us the Independence Cup in Bangladesh.

The college years were punctuated with the tragedy that was the Chennai test. Sachin with a questionable back would play a lone hand in a 271 chase with a heroic 136 but would misread a Saqlain ‘doosra’ with the target in view- from 17 runs needed with four wickets in hand, India would go on to lose by 12 runs. Lot of people skipped dinner that day in college. We would however take sweet revenge when Kumble did a Laker with 10/74 at the Kotla. There was also the emergence of the express Shoaib Akhtar in that phase where he would knock off Dravid and Sachin with sheer pace in back to back deliveries. I remember the controversial run out of Sachin in the second innings and how the match was played out to an empty Eden Gardens stadium on the last day when the police kept the crowd away fearing some violence.

How can one forget the ‘03 World Cup clash at the Centurion? Those were the MBA days. The lucky corner in the hostel common room had been booked from days in advance. Classes were bunked to cheer for Team India. Saeed Anwar- the scourge of India- he of the 194 fame, the one who could turn a test from 26/6 with a masterful 188, would go on to hit a century as Pakistan posted 273. Against a fearsome bowling attack, that seemed plenty. Or was it? Sachin was at his murderous best- that upper cut six of Shoaib Akhtar was one for the ages- 98 in 75 balls to set it up for Yuvi and Dravid to finish off a comfortable win. Oh! How we celebrated that victory in style.

Then there would be that ’04 series in Pakistan- when a certain Virender Sehwag– with scant respect for milestones, would reach his triple hundred with a huge six. In the ’06 series, Irfan Pathan would take a first over hat-trick for the only time in test cricket but Pakistan would still go on to win the match.

And then the 2007 T20 World Cup- India would beat Pakistan in a ‘bowl-out’ in the first group match after scores were tied. We would meet in the final again. I still remember how it was raining cats and dogs that day in Kolkata. The match went right down to the wire. The experienced Misbah ul Haq versus a greenhorn Joginder Sharma with 13 needed in the last over. Misbah would almost single handedly win it for Pakistan till the ill-fated scoop would be pouched by Sreesanth, resulting in an India win by a thin margin of five runs. After the disaster that was the ODI World Cup, it was a historic triumph inspired by ‘Captain Cool’ MSD. This would give birth to T20 cricket and IPL which has since transformed cricket.

India had the upper hand in most clashes now. The 2011 World Cup Semifinal at Mohali would be another pivotal clash- Sachin was like a cat with nine lives that day- going on to score a chancy 85 that took us to 260. Our bowlers tightened the screws after that and choked the Pakis as we got a comfortable win. Onwards to Wankhede, where India would go on to win a second World Cup vs. Lanka.

The last few years also signaled the coming of age for young India- Virat Kohli, the ‘master of the chase’ took a particular liking to the Pakistan bowling line up. The most memorable of his knocks was a scarcely believable 183 in a 330 chase in the 2010 Asia Cup. There was also a superb unbeaten half century against a wily Mohammad Amir on a green Eden Gardens top in the 2016 T20 World Cup. In between would be a rare Pakistan win in the ’14 Asia Cup when Afridi squatted a six off Ashwin in the last over with the last pair batting. To match a last over Bhajji six to win one for India at the death.

So it is India vs Pakistan in a final after ages. Statistics indicate that the footfalls in the temples and the mosques will go up. While the crackers will come out on one side of the border, a few television sets will be broken across the LOC. And some corporate will tap this opportunity with another ‘Mauka Mauka’ campaign. May the Blues and Greens play each other more often! May the best team win on Sunday!

It’s 8 pm. The IPL daily soap opera is about to start- it’s become a ritual now. It started as the pyjama version of cricket no one cared for. But the India 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, master -minded by MS Dhoni, changed it all. The world is governed by the rich and IPL is where the money is. IPL has transformed the way cricket is played and enjoyed.

As I switched on the TV channel, I saw the ‘ten years of IPL’ TV jingle. Just seems the other day, but yes, 10 years have passed by. I start reminiscing and thinking about the ten moments which best describe the IPL journey. So here you go…

The first one was the very first match of Season 1. Bangalore vs Kolkata at the Chinnaswamy. Jammy and Dada went for the toss that day but what everyone remembers is the brutal hitting of a certain Knight Rider which stunned the world- Brendon McCullum. Savour the statistics- Baz scored 158 not out. You would have been happy with that score in an ODI- well, he got it all in a 20 over match. He scored more than 70% of KKR’s score and alone beat RCB by 76 runs! 13 sixes and ten fours set the ball rolling and SRK couldn’t stop dancing!

The other memorable moment from IPL-1 was the motley crowd from Rajasthan Royal coming together under the magician- Shane Warne. Rajasthan were the pure underdogs- least favoured and not tipped to even reach the semi-finals. But Warne was the ‘Pied Piper‘ who helped them scale Mount Everest- making beasts out of seemingly average players like Shane Watson (the MVP), Sohail Tanvir (the Highest Wicket Taker), Yusuf Pathan (the Brutal Hitter). Each player had a specific role in the RR team and they performed to the brief and how! One hurdle after another they crossed, and finally won with a last ball win vs CSK in the finals.

The next one is from IPL 3 in 2010. CSK were the most consistent teams led by ‘Captain Cool‘– Dhoni. They finished runners up in the first season and were a semifinalist in Season 2. They were struggling to reach the semifinals in Season 3 and had a do-or-die match vs Kings XI in the picturesque Dharamsala ground. It boiled down to MSD facing up to Irfan Pathan with CSK needing 16 runs in the last over to win. What followed was 4,2,6,6. The last six was out of the world- the ball kept rising as it left the stadium- sealing the legend of MSD the finisher. MSD punched himself like a cornered boxer as CSK completed a famous win. CSK would go on to win that year and the year after.

IPL is always thought of as a batsman’s game but there are a few star bowlers who have made a big difference. None bigger than Lasith Malinga– ‘Slinga’ with his side arm slingy action, has been a constant source of delight for Mumbai Indian supporters. His yorkers are impossible to score of in the slog overs and the disguised slower ones well camouflaged in between the toe crushers. None more so than in Season 4, when Delhi Daredevils did not know what hit them- Malinga was on song that day and finished with 5/13- Mumbai winning with lots to spare.

The next one is from Season 5. My team KKR had performed abysmally in the first few seasons and re-done the entire set up with Gambhir at the helm. No one gave them a chance when two time winners CSK got to 190 in the final at their home ground at the Chepauk. What followed in the chase was shock and awe. Manvinder Bisla, a journey-man in the company of the ‘Mr. Reliable‘ Kallis, started scoring at ten an over to keep up with the asking run rate. Bisla kept taking risks and hitting in the air and would go on to score an invaluable 89. With the last over starting, KKR still needed 11 and it was anybody’s game. But Manoj Tiwary hit the two most important fours he will ever hit as KKR did it. It was a famous win, when the Kings were reined in at their home ground and the ‘City of Joy’ celebrated unabashedly.

IPL is all about brutal hitting and there is no one better than the ‘Universe Boss’– Chris Gayle. After having mediocre seasons with KKR, and initially going unsold in the auctions, Gayle moved to RCB in Season 4. What a buy this was for Vijay Mallya! Gayle has been the face of RCB and IPL and has regaled us all with his murderous batting. None more so than in Season 6 vs Pune. Even the ‘Boss’ went on over-drive that day. A hundred in 30 balls, highest ever individual score of 175* and a small matter of 17 sixes- Gayle took the world by storm.

IPL is also about nail biting finishes- most matches go right down to the wire. None better than a close one in Season 6- CSK played RCB and Jadeja needed two to win facing up to RP Singh. Amma Chennai prayed and hoped! As RP roared in, Jaddu swung hard- it took an almighty edge and went all the way to third-man for a catch. Kohli roared and RCB had won by a run. Or, did they? In a Lagaan type sequence of events, no one realized that RP had overstepped and the umpire had signaled a no ball. So, Sir Jadeja had got out of the last ball but still managed to win the match for his team- talk of nail biting finishes and comedy!

The next one is another Purple moment- the Knight Riders had turned around from strugglers in the first three seasons to a top team under Gambhir. In Season 7, they banked on the mystery spinner Sunil Narine to bamboozle all and sundry. The final vs Kings XI started with KKR as strong favourites. But Kings XI had a plan of their own. Led by Wriddhiman Saha’s 115, Kings set KKR a humongous 200 as a target. Not much of a chance for KKR. But ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man‘. Manish Pandey was the knight who stepped up- a masterful 94 with sixes at the right moments took us to the doorsteps of victory, and when Piyush Chawla hit the winning runs, Kolkata went wild again.

IPL is also about superb fielding- gone are the days where poor fielders are hidden. Close finishes mean that every run is crucial. And there has been an advent of super-human catches. Chris Lynn has set IPL 10 alive with great pinch hitting but what gave him identity was the out-of-the-world catch he took off ABD in Bangalore when RCB was knocking on victory’s door. ABD heaved when a six would have won it. Lynn at deep square leg slipped, and everyone thought that it would be a six. But he kept his eyes on the ball and jumped up to take a memorable catch, at the same time keeping his balance to ensure that he didn’t go out of the boundary ropes. A nail biting win through a wondrous catch- that’s IPL.

IPL is also such a fast game that consistency is impossible. You score some, you get out at times- as you try to up the pace. Right? Not everyone, Kohli in Season 9, was at a different level. After a poor start by RCB, Kohli upped his game to a different stratosphere- four centuries, almost 1000 runs and an average close to 100- Don Kohli bettered the ‘Law of Averages’. Sad that he couldn’t put the finishing touch as RCB faltered in the finals, losing to Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rip roaring batting, inspirational captaincy, nail biting finishes, super human catches, toe crushing yorkers and memorable finals- the IPL has seen it all. But what it has done even better is to unite India for two months of the year and becoming India’s most enjoyable soap opera.

No wonder it’s our favourite fruit (after mango) in the summer season.

Ye dus saal aapke naam!

It’s 3:15 am… Neymar has just chipped a long ball to Sergio Roberto and his deft touch has just capped the biggest comeback of the generation at the Nou Camp. Five goals needed when the match started, three needed after the 87^th minute, and the Catalans still win. Impossible is nothing! So as I listen to one of my favourite Floyd songs, the topic for my first blog takes shape- the glorious world of comebacks. Those moments we always remember like “Where was I when……?”

So, which do you consider the most glorious comeback in sports history?

There have been a few off late….My friends in the US tell me that it’s the NFL finals this year when Brady master minded a win for the Patriots from a 25 point deficit. And RF devotees claim that No 18 takes the cherry- when Fedex triumphed coming back from an injury lay-off when no one gave him a chance for #18 at Melbourne.

The Red Devils (Oh how I hate them!) tell me it’s Fergie’s army in the ’99 Champions League final when two super-subs scripted history vs Bayern. But their arch rivals (the Kops) remind them that 0-3 is more difficult to start from and they point to the amazing turnaround vs Milan at #Istanbul2005.

There were a few from another generation too… Kapil single handedly winning India the match from 17/5 vs Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells- to stopping Viv and his team’s swagger when no one gave them a chance after scoring 183 in the ’83 final. The ‘Black Panther’ Eusebio- rallying the Portuguese from 0-3 down with four goals, to finally triumph over the upstart North Koreans in the 1966 World Cup. The dogged Germans in 1954- losing 3-8 to the Golden Team from Hungary in the groups and trailing 0-2 in the finals before overcoming Puskas & co. with the well-known German grit. And then there was the peerless Ali outpunching Foreman against all odds in the famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in Kinshasa.

But my mind goes back to one balmy morning in March 2001. It’s the start of the 4^th day’s play at Eden Gardens vs the all-conquering Aussies- they are on a 16 match winning run. The current Indians are struggling to sew up the series vs Smith & co. The Aussie team in 2001 had 11 Smith’s- and better. They were ‘Team invincible’- India being considered the final frontier for the ‘Alexanderesque’ Steveda. Gilchrist had not drawn, let aside lost a match since making his test debut. This promised to be another jog in the park.

India still trail by 20 runs with just six wickets remaining. Plans have already been made for a Park Street lunch with friends assuming that it will be an early finish. But we start fighting. The new ball is blunted. Scores level! And then Laxman starts flicking Warne against the spin to mid-wicket. Steve Waugh is getting flustered. Lead crosses 50,….75. He brings on Ponting’s part time medium pace before lunch to see if he benefit from the batsmen’s overconfidence. There’s a close LBW shout- pin drop silence among the crowd and then a huge sigh of relief. We reach lunch around 100 runs ahead. Meanwhile, the superstitious Bong crowd is at their best- they don’t let anyone leave their seats as staying put will mean Lax and Dravid also staying!

Lax starts the second session with a ‘silk smooth’ boundary and the belief is growing. Laxman has replaced Azhar as the God of Eden- not just with his wristy flicks and cover drives but also thanks to his demonic record at the Mecca of cricket. And Jammy plays along- the two create sweet symphony as they go on and on. Aussies are playing with 11, but India batting with one lakh and two players in the middle and the crowd egg the batsmen on. Every break is greeted by a four of the first ball of the new session. Laxman is doing a Mozart- you don’t know what’s happening and very soon the Aussies also start appreciating his strokes. And Dravid, gritty as always, plays the perfect second fiddle. Lead mounts 150, 200. It’s all a blur now. And nothing can separate the two. Not even cramps, dehydration. Lax and Dravid go on, and on, and end the day unbeaten, with India 315 ahead. Who would have thought at the start of the day? The Park Street lunch has to wait… And we go on to complete the most famous comeback wins with seven wickets in the last session on Day 5.

It happened 16 years back, but seems like just the other day. At the Garden of Eden, cheering on Dada’s Army, to the best comeback win of all times. So all you nouveau sports lovers- you saw a few good sporting comebacks. But nay, this is nothing compared to that balmy day in 2001.

So the impossible becomes ‘I’m possible’. And Floyd’s ‘Coming Back to Life’ draws to a close too… Hang on for the next song in the playlist.

Cheers!