Tuesday, January 11, 2011

A Phenomenon Called ‘Dada’


Sourav ‘Dada’ Ganguly has done it and seen it all. Be it fall outs with coaches or team owners, annoying opposition captains or being suspended by match referees, Dada has done it all. Not to forget that the man has scored over ten thousand runs in one-day cricket and been one of India’s most successful captains. However, there’s something about Dada that makes him so different from his contemporaries.

A century on Debut at Lords - Sourav Ganguly couldn’t have asked for a better entry into Test cricket. Neither could he have asked for a better ODI record. Along with Sachin Tendulkar, he formed one of the most formidable and successful opening partnerships in ODI history. But still there’s something about Dada that makes him so different – his attitude.

While most people have a problem with his attitude, there are others (which includes me) who appreciate his – ‘I don’t give a damn!’ attitude. It is his attitude that really changed the way New India approached life. And by New India, I am not limiting myself to only the Indian cricket team. He rubbed off a bit of his ‘Dadagiri’ on us, followers of Indian cricket. He showed us that we are no less than anybody else and did not have to be intimidated by anyone. On the other hand, he led the way in intimidating the so called bullies. I would like to mention a few instances which would help to substantiate my point. Firstly, the way he made Steve Waugh wait for the toss in a crucial Test match. Steve Waugh himself has admitted that it really put him off, exactly what the mighty Australians tried to do unto their opponents under the name of ‘gamesmanship’. There was widespread criticism that Dada disrespected the sanctity of the toss. Dada did not bother, he just went about things the way he wanted to and was successful in unsettling the Aussies.

The second, and by far the more popular incident, is the ‘striptease’ act on the famous Lords balcony. For those of you who do not remember, on one of England’s tour to India in a crucial ODI match, Andrew Flintoff got the final wicket which sealed the victory for the English team and on his follow through he removed his jersey and waved it ‘soccer-style’. Dada, not one to forget things easily, did exactly the same thing when India pulled off a miraculous victory in the Natwest Final against the hosts. The only difference being that this was done in the Home of Cricket, where members are allowed to enter only in suits. Also the expletives that flew from his mouth would have guaranteed an ‘A’ rating from the Censor Board. Again the critics said it was disrespectful of him, but Dada couldn’t care less. He felt humiliated when Flintoff did it and there was no way he would be satisfied without giving it back.

He is a legend of the game, the figures prove it. Yet, he has not always, if not never, been treated like a legend. There is already a lot written about the fall out with Greg Chappell and I do not wish to document it further. He was unceremoniously sacked from the team but still made a comeback and bowed out of international cricket on his own terms.

It was disheartening to see that none of the ten IPL teams chose to pick Dada. It is certainly not because of his cricketing talent, as we saw a lot of Indian cricketers with much lesser pedigree being bid for. It probably is a result of his ‘larger than life persona’ and owners are afraid that he will dominate them. How Kolkota is going to react to this, one can only wait and see. Kolkota without Dada is like Sholay without Amitabh Bachan, and it must be clear in our memory how the Indian team was booed at the Eden Gardens when they took on South Africa without their ‘Prince’.

 I strongly feel that this is not the last we have heard of Dada, and I am forced to use the cliché – ‘Whether you love him or hate him, you just can’t ignore him!’

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Two of the Greatest No. 3's Going Down

We, cricket lovers of this era, are really fortunate to have been able to watch 2 of the greatest No. 3 batsmen of all time. Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting at their best would have probably walked in to any side of any era. They have guided India and Australia to many a famous victory. As individuals, the 2 of them are as different as they can get. Ponting portrays himself as a confident, outspoken and at times arrogant personality whereas Dravid is more the humble and soft spoken types. If Ponting is about flair, Dravid is about discipline. The only thing similar is their batting averages and, unfortunately the fact that they are going through a rather long lean patch.

Rahul Dravid has been my all time favourite ever since he made his debut at Lords in 1996. He has been a savior to the Indian team on numerous occasions.  There was a phase in Indian cricket, before the Sehwag- Gambhir era, when Team India did not have the same openers for more than ten matches. This meant that Dravid at No. 3 was in more often than not, when the ball was new and hard. This is what makes his achievements and runs all the more special. For a comaparison, Ricky Ponting always played with some great opening batsmen which would have definitely made it a little easier. There have been times when Dravid has had to open the batting and never once has he complained. He has relished these challenges which were epitomized when he got the mammoth 400 run opening stand with Sehwag on Pakistani soil. Most of India’s famous test victories have Rahul Dravid’s stamp on them.

Ricky Ponting took Australia from strength to more strength. It is really hard to imagine an Australian side without Ricky batting at No. 3. He had a different approach to that of Dravid’s, wherein Ponting would look to take on the bowling rather than grind them out. Not too long ago, Ponting was tipped to overtake Tendulkar in runs and centuries.

It is a pity now to see these two greats struggling to make runs. We are so used to seeing them score heavily on a consistent basis that even a couple of poor series makes us feel like its all over for them. It would be a disaster if they are dropped from their respective teams but one cannot completely rule it out. In Australia, we’ve seen that past records do not really matter and in India, we know that unless you are Sachin Tendulkar you must not expect fair treatment. This is why I feel that maybe both these legendary No. 3 batsmen should look to bat down the order, maybe 5 or even 6. They both have done it before at the start of their careers and may very well be successful. A bowling unit would be really pleased after capturing 4 wickets, but then, to turn around and see a Ponting or Dravid walk out at number 6 might just deflate them.

India tour Australia at the end of this year. A number of legends have retired at the SCG. Could we possibly see Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting bow out together at the SCG? Cricket will be a lot poorer then….