Legendary Lessons

The Golden age of Indian Cricket is nearing its end. With Rahul Dravid too gone into retirement, just two men of the pack remain in Laxman and Tendulkar. And time is not long, before we see the presence of them too for one last time in the cricket field. The “Fab Five” as they are better known as includes five Legends of All Time Cricket. 

Tendulkar was first to make his appearance and may be the last to leave. His legacy has been greatest in cricket apart from Sir Don. He practically holds almost every batting record apart a few in both forms of the game. Following him Kumble established himself and left after 18 years as the third highest wicket taker. Ganguly and Dravid came together. While Ganguly scripted one a new era in his captaincy and ended up as a batsman respected, Dravid has quit as the second best behind Tendulkar and arguments will continue on his merit as the Best No 3 in cricket after Sir Don. Laxman has been the man to bail out the side from pressure and he has time and again proved his weight.

Each of them has been the Legends in their own right. Collectively they have made India from a Home Bully to No 1 test side and have sowed the seeds that culminated in second World Cup glory after 28 years. Personally every one of the five has been perfect role models for the budding aspirants not just in Cricket but in general life too. Their behaviour, conduct, dedication is a big topic for discussion. This article reflects on the ‘Lessons’ each of them give to the youngsters in any field. There is individual perspective and a collective account.

Sachin Tendulkar

·        Work focussed on the target: Since his tender ages, Sachin was highly focussed in achieving his target of being a great batsman and he has ended up being the greatest. His focus on cricket is a lesson for everyone.

·        Hardwork is the mother of good Luck: He might have been a gifted player but 33,000 international runs are the result of thousands of hours he has spent in the nets.

·        Hone your skills according to the need: When Australia was to tour India, Tendulkar practised playing legspinner on the rough outside leg stump to face Warne. Here one sees the willingness to work based on the need of the hour.

·        Pick your strength and wait for your turn: Recent big knocks of Master in ODIs teaches this lesson perfectly. He played out the main bowlers and targeted the weak links of the attack. The phasing of the innings (Ex: 200 Vs SA, 163 Vs NZ) shows us how to work safely towards the target.

·        Maintain decorum in Life: No other cricketer had been under public scrutiny as much as Tendulkar. Yet he has managed to maintain his decorum and dignity in public and personal life.

·        Place values on the Ethics: Sachin’s strong moral values and discipline are a lesson for everyone on how to stick to your values and keep the morals intact. If a man as popular as him can do it, why can’t we?

·        Action speaks louder than words: Time and again the opponents have invited him for verbal duels. But everytime he answered with his game. He has let the bat do the talking.

·        Maintain child like enthusiasm in your work: A mere look into his face shows the joy he attains on scoring every run. If one can emulate such happiness in day to day life, no wonder the results can take him big.

·        Keep your head still; never get head weight: An anecdote by an unknown blogger called Fake IPL player during 2009 IPL show caused how the person felt overawed by the attention he got. He had mentioned that Tendulkar despite all the following has maintained his grounds simple.

·        Have more than one solution for every problem: That Tendulkar has more than one shot for everyball is a lesson on working more than one solution for every problem.

·        Avoid unnecessary words: Sachin has always avoided using the controversial words and that is a big lesson for everyone of us.

Anil Kumble

·        Fight against the odds: At the start of his career not many considered him to be a spinner given the pace he imparts and lack of spin, yet Kumble ended up as the third best spinner ever in cricket.

·        Never give up; not even when you’re down and out: The very sight of Kumble bowling with the bandaged jaw at Antigua drives home the point.

·        Remain dedicated to your work: The dedication that Kumble displayed through his career is a very good example for anyone in any walks of life.

·        Stand by your beliefs: The conduct of Kumble as the skipper of the side during Sydneygate incident teaches us the need to stick to the beliefs.

·        Remain a fighter till the last breath: His fighting spirit is unmatched and needs to be emulated.

·        Leadership qualities: His willingness to serve the game after retirement as administrator is a lesson on developing leadership qualities.

Saurav Ganguly

·        Back your products till the end: The present generation of Indian players like Sehwag, Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Nehra owe their development to Ganguly’s mentoring.

·        Fight the odds: Despite a debatable technique he achieved so much with his batting. Fighting the odds is a lesson for us.

·        Maintain the pride: The pride Dada had in his side led to the development of a strong team that could win abroad.

·        Make a comeback after being dropped: Not many can make a comeback of his standards after being dumped from the side. Single minded determination to succeed is a lesson.

·        Never get overawed by the situation: No other skipper would have dared to make Steve Waugh wait for the toss than Ganguly. Had he been overawed by the strength of the opponents, the renaissance of Indian cricket would have happened.

·        Get to the skin of the opponents: If you’re to succeed, the best way is to get to the skin of the opposition. It is something Ganguly excelled at.

·        Maintain unity in the team: The unity of Team India despite the presence of big players owes a lot to Ganguly. Unfortunately the same is seemed to have gone now.

·        Quit on high: It is always better to quit with “Why?” rather than “When?” He is a fine example.

Rahul Dravid

·        Work your way to the glory: He may not be as gifted as Tendulkar but sheer hard work took him to the legendary status.

·        Maintain the dignity: Despite numerous occasions of extreme pressure, he remained dignified and hence is respected worldwide.

·        Stop not till the goal is reached: He is one man who could resist temptations and remain focussed on his job always. Else such a record could not have been achieved.

·        Always be ready to adjust for the team: Team work owes a big chapter on his willingness to don the openers or keepers role whenever the side needed.

·        Respect and earn respect: He is saluted for the respected the opponents and it was reciprocated.

·        Set an example for others: His work ethic is believed to be a lesson for any youngsters not just in Cricket.

 V.V.S.Laxman

·        Save your best for the crisis: Most of his sensational knocks have come at a time when no one else can bail the team.

·        Work your way into the system: He did not have a pleasant initiation into the side as other four, yet he managed to establish himself with his hard work.

·        Grab your opportunities: The destiny knocks only a few times. Had he not made a fighting ton at Sydney in 2000, he may not have had such an illustrious career.’

·        Accept the reality and keep working: Inspite of his continued exclusion from ODI side, he accepted the reality and fate and worked his way to test ladder.

Fab Five

Discipline, Dedication, Decorum, Honesty is all the virtues each of the five displayed during their long careers.

Forget the ego and forge friendship: Had there been a clash of egos between the five, Indian team would not have developed. It is a gift that all the five played together as friends.

Many sides had many a legend playing together. But this Indian side will probably be the most uncontroversial pack among them. If the game is so popular in India, it owes a lot to these Role Models. These were just a few of their unique characteristics. Still a lot more of their actions are a lessons for us in every walk of life. Let’s thank them for all they had given us. Hail the Greats!! Salutes O ‘ye MASTERS!!

Injury Management - Need of the Hour

“Injuries are part of the game, but sometimes we can avoid them by just practicing proper techniques " : Troy Vincent

What is the major problem faced by Team India? One may point out to the lack of genuine fast bowler, lack of an allrounder, lack of match winning bowler to support Zaheer Khan and so on. But in the few years that coincided with the team’s golden period, one problem has been persistent. Loss of players to Injury has been a chronic feature in the side preventing the team to miss several first choice players in key matches. One series where India played almost at its full strength after a long while was the World Cup 2011 and no wonder it brought us the glory.

Injuries have been a part and parcel of sports career since eternity. With Cricket being a sport requiring high precision and balance, a slight change from normal can lead to the disruption of the equilibrium of the musculoskeletal system leading to an injury. Hamstring injury, lower back injury, side strain, shoulder joint injury and ankle injury were identified as the most common injuries occurring to cricketers in a study conducted under the auspices of Cricket Australia.

Indian team has been suffering to lot due to the injuries. In the recent years, everyone of India’s first choice XI over the period of three years – Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Yuvraj, Rohith, Pujara, Harbhajan, Praveen, Sreesanth, Ishanth, Aaron, R.P.Singh, Nehra, Munaf, Pathan have missed matches due to injuries and lack of fitness. Zaheer Khan, India’s only dependable bowler has missed more matches than he has played in the past 3 years. Here Dhoni is laudable for maintaining better fitness despite playing most of the matches along with T20 leagues and being a captain and wicket keeper in almost all.

The recent tour of England was a case point when almost every first choice player was nursing some injury or other or had been back to fitness just in time. No wonder India was downplayed right royally. The upcoming series against Australia too is looking gloomy due to the unfit bowling attack. Neither is the hosts spared as they too have a long list of top choice players out due to injuries.

The reasons for the surplus injuries to the players stems from various mismanagements. India has been playing a lot of cricket since the 1996 World Cup but the injuries have been too malignant in the recent 3 years or so. In an already crowded calendar, IPL and CLT20 matches are taking a toll on the player’s fitness. The inability of the board to stop the injured players from IPL, Franchises ignoring the near future of the Indian side and lure of the money on offer are all the reasons. 

Another aspect of this cramped schedule is the lack of time for a player to nurse a small niggle or a twist conservatively. With matches being played every third day (in case of Limited Overs Cricket), ignoring such small abnormalities can lead to aggravation of the injury process in the affected part leading to a bigger worry in near future. These are some aspects that the people drawing schedule can weed off rather than blaming the players.

Next important aspect is a lack of clear planning and management procedure by the BCCI. Until recently they were taking the player’s words regarding fitness. Any player can tend to overrule the aftermath effects occurring due to playing with half fitness. With the competition for places being high among the fringe and young players, they will not be ready to miss the opportunity to play for the national side. 

Comparatively the previous generation played lesser cricket and had a better fitness than the present one. Gone are those days when fast bowlers played all the matches for the side. This is not the problem just in India but is an epidemic across the Cricket world. The coaching manual is still to upgrade itself to the present demands. The players are not attaching as much importance to the athletic ability and stamina these days and it is a fact that cannot be denied. The fast bowlers come into reckoning before they attain complete maturity of the body and the system sets itself to equilibrium. Henceforth they have been the most affected sect in Cricket due to injuries.

In India, the bowlers coming from smaller centres are not exposed to the knowledge of maintain perfect balance during their delivery stride and tend to overwork their bodies in an incorrect manner leading to injuries. This problem has to be corrected at grass root level. When one tries to correct the bowling action to fit in with the equilibrium of the body after reaching the zonal or national stage, it results either in the loss of effectiveness of the bowling or aggravating an already overworked body. The addition of a fitness knowledge assessment is a must in coaching programmes. Every Indian bowler has started with decent pace before dropping down due to injury. 

Another funny aspect is the coaching system that has taken newer dimension like a game of football during practice. While it can aid in developing the athlete in a player, we have instances of a whole series being lost (Ashes circa 2005) due to the freaky injury picked by a key player (Mcgrath in 2005). This makes us wonder the need for such coaching methods. Also the importance players attach for developing strong muscles is to be inculcated in the budding youngsters. A strong muscle and bone can help them hone their skill and allow them to perform to their potential.

The management of injuries by BCCI has been found wanting by and at large. The NCA does have a system of rehabilitation but the results are not there to see. A player returning from one injury soon gets another and the coordination between the coaches at NCA and players’ coach is lacking in a big way. The awareness programme for the local coaches is need of the hour and such clinics must incorpate strong points on the development of proper fitness among the grooming bowlers and batsmen. With the finances that BCCI has at its disposal, such an initiative is not beyond reach.

The lack of sports surgeons and physicians in the country is also one reason. The importance that the budding doctors attach for sports medicine is no way comparable to the interest in cardio vascular surgery or nephrology or even ophthalmology is due to the lack of opportunities provided. This can be corrected by the Cricket associations along with other sports bodies if they have a mind to. The current standard of treatment protocol with respect to sports management in India is much naive to the one in countries like England or South Africa. 

It is high time the authorities take a notice on the gravity of situation and act in accordance with the long term betterment of the side. Else the number of talents we will lose to injury will keep growing exponentially to the matches that are played in the country.  Let us hope the ones in power take drastic step to ward off the nexus. Else like a malignant cell, this issue can brag the team in a big way just like a Cancer.

Record breaker aged just 33 years, after one the most terrific slaughters, at the summit sum up the importance of fitness management quite brilliantly!

“I'm an old man and my back and glutes are tight”: Virender Sehwag

Perfect Role Model

The fans of the craziest Cricketing nation and the hub of cricketing world namely India have been blessed with immense cricketing talents who have traversed the grounds and maidans of the world with pride and passion. Two of the greatest batsman of the present generation bat back to back in the batting lineup. Probably the first time in Cricket, the top two run scorers in tests bat together. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid have been great ambassadors of the game for long. Their on and off field behaviour and conduct is a lesson for any youngster wanting to pursue the game.

This article is the Role Models for any aspiring batsmen who want to make big in the game. However am stressing more on why Dravid is better role model than Tendulkar. Before going into the crux of the article, about me, I’ m one of those Sachin fanatics found all around the Indian map. He has been the reason for mine becoming an ardent Cricket fan. I consider him to be “God of Cricket” and greatest to play the game. But still Dravid to me is the best role model for any aspiring talent and this article elucidates the reason for the same.

Nothing much needs to be said on Tendulkar’s career since it has been cricket’s most dissected one. With the fan following he has, he can be rightly said as the most followed cricketer in the world. Every time he enters the field, the fans expect a century and this hype has increased leaps and bounds in the recent times for the impeding hundredth hundred. He has been blessed with talent as a prodigy. Not without reason did Gavaskar, Vengsarkar and other stalwarts came to watch the teenager play for Mumbai in his bare 15 years of age. CCI even relaxed its rules to allow the youngster to represent them. Raj Singh Dungarpur, the then Chairman of Selectors said that his father was hugely impressed by the kid that he even went to the extent of speaking about the kid to his son. As a 16 year old he was on plane to Pakistan and returned with laurels for the bravery and solidarity he showed for his age. In the following summer, he made a match saving century at Manchester and in the summer of 1991-92 at Down Under, Sachin made two of the best knocks he has ever made stunning the Australian nation. 

He has consistently proved his potential by reaching heights that was beyond the batsmen at one stage. 15000 runs, 51 centuries in Tests, 18000 runs and 48 centuries including a double are not everyone’s cup of tea. That he made these runs under the improbable public expectations makes him a miracle to happen to Indian cricket. The record he has in his Curriculum Vitae is just amazing. Off the field, he has been a man of few words and impeccable behaviour. “ The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team-mate or reporter ... As Matthew Parris wondered of Barack Obama in these pages recently, is he human? ” – The comment that former England captain Artherton made on the Master sums it all. He has been a saint at the summit for long. At the time of his debut itself, he was destined for greatness and he needs to be acclaimed for fulfilling the expectations. But one must not forget the hard work he puts to hone the skills that came naturally and converting them into result.

Dravid on the other hand, has been a subtle cricketer who worked his way into the system. Though no less talented, he has worked hard, playing the leagues and toiling in the Ranji and domestic scene before he got his due. He got his place in the side based on the performance over a period of 4 years in the domestic season. He utilized his chances making a perfect 95 on debut at Lord’s. Soon his ability and technique made him the right man to hold the critical No 3 spot for India and he soon became Sachin’s best companion in the wicket. He was initially felt to be unsuited for ODIs but he has worked his way into the system making 10000 runs in the format too. He has been the talisman of the side in most difficult conditions when all the other batsmen have been tested. He right now stands behind his mate and buddy in the run chart with 13000 runs in tests. 

But Dravid has been shielded by Tendulkar in terms of the public eye and expectations. He has continued his job of grinding runs while the limelight has been bestowed on the man who bats next to him. The two have made India develop from home bullies to the crown of the test summit with other stalwarts. They have been the enchanting examples for the aspiring youth. Their work ethic, hard work they put in, their ability to handle the hot seat with distinction, their solid technique, their behaviour to the fraternity, their way of conducting themselves have all made them stand out among the Legends of the game.

However Tendulkar is a case of rarity. Not every kid makes his debut at 16. In this age of competitive cricket the chances are still less. He was seen as a future India player even before he made his First Class debut. The following he had among the big names of cricket, by the time he made his debut is something that will happen seldom for the youngsters. The public eye has been over him for two decades and surely not many of the aspiring youngsters will get such a scrutiny. His batting technique has evolved in the years but nevertheless he had some of the amazing strokes even at 15 years of age. Alas it is the age of 16 that most of youngsters decide upon their career. The support he got from his parents is not something every Tom, Dick and Harry will get. In every aspect, he has been blessed and blessing for India. But such a blessing is not likely to happen again in near future. Despite all this he has worked really hard in the nets to sustain the God’s gift he had as a prodigy. All in all, He has been special from day one.

Dravid on the other hand, started it all as any youngster holding the bat with dream of playing in the Blues. He worked his way, built his flair and technique by grinding out hours in the nets. He did not have a grand opening as his mate Sachin, yet he fought his way into the side with sheer performance. His route of toiling in domestic scene before an Indian cap is what most of the aspirants are likely to take. The limelight is not likely to be on the youngsters until they make it really big as was the case with Dravid. He was not a gifted ODI player but still he worked hard to a place in the ODI charts with 10000 runs. Such a path is what most of the batsmen in making are likely to take. He did not have the lauding of the big names before he proved himself in the arena and that is likely to happen in every batsman’s career. His method of making big of the common skills is what everyone needs to follow unless he is gifted. He is a commoner who made it big.

Hence it can be said even though Tendulkar can be a perfect role model, most of the aspirants will not be as gifted as he is. It is a Dravid like persona that works through the system is the way for any young batsmen. We may not get another Tendulkar in near future but certainly the next Dravid can be made by following the great man’s footsteps. It is high time the fans and aspirants realize this truth. While we savour a man called Tendulkar, let us follow the man Dravid as most of us are not gifted in nature as the Mumbai Master but can become special like the Bengalooru Boy by perseverance. Hail the Heroes.