MS Dhoni: The Man We Now Know

You don't often see a biopic made on the life of a cricketer who's still active in his career. So a Bollywood movie on the life of MS Dhoni was always going to be special. And why not! After all, Dhoni is one of the most celebrated cricketers in India's cricketing history and his achievements as captain of the Indian cricket team are unmatched. As someone who has admired the man’s cricketing acumen, I was looking forward to this film with much anticipation. I went in as a fan of MS Dhoni the cricketer, but came out as a fan of MS Dhoni the human being.

It is impossible for a filmmaker to sum up the life of a 35-year old cricketer in just 3 hours. But to the director's credit, we can tell he's done his best and given us an honest portrayal of the man we all admire. As for the film, the best part about the entire storyline was the fact that it prominently depicted the journey of an aspiring young cricketer, and not the hullabaloo and fanfare that comes along with it. As fans and armchair critics, it is easy for us to put down a particular cricketer when he's had a bad day at the office. But we often fail to acknowledge the sacrifices he has to make even to get to that stage. All this makes for an interesting behind-the-scenes reel, which has been brilliantly portrayed by the makers of this film. Those who've watched the movie know that there are certain creative liberties taken as far as Dhoni's personal life is concerned. But the cricketing aspects have come out cleanly without being tampered with. Sushant Singh Rajput has done a fabulous job of playing the on screen Dhoni. There are moments in the film when you actually start seeing the real Dhoni in him.

For cricket and especially Dhoni fans, this movie is a revelation of the other side of the man behind India's World Cup wins. It tells us why Dhoni had to take certain tough calls in his career and what made him so successful, who were the people who shaped his childhood and many other things that Dhoni himself wouldn't otherwise speak openly about. The film is also a gentle reminder of the fact that sheer hard work and determination can take you to the greatest heights of success, and it is not always necessary to have godfathers. It also taught us an important life lesson - you don't need a lot of friends to succeed in life. Few quality friends who can selflessly go the distance just to see you succeed are the ones you hold onto.

Phillip Hughes: Gone Too Soon

One moment, he was pressing for a spot in the Australian Test team. The very next, he was battling the toughest opponent called life. Unfortunately, he lost both battles. Phillip Joel Hughes, all of 25, was struck by a deadly bouncer from New South Wales bowler Sean Abbott in a Sheffield Shield game on November 25, never to return playing his beloved sport ever again. Who would have thought? The heart sinks. The tears start to flow...

The morning of November 27 was a shocker for cricket lovers across the world as news of Hughes' demise spread like fire, resulting in utter disbelief and a total loss of words. A young, hardworking and talented batsman was on the verge of making a much deserved Test comeback, with his family watching him from the stands. Little did they know this was all for nothing in the end. How could something so tragic happen to someone whose life revolved only around playing cricket? Was it the bowler's fault? Was it because of the helmet? Did god have his own plans? Or was it just a freak accident that capitulated into death? We may or may not get all the answers. What we most certainly now know, is that life is short, life is cruel and life is undoubtedly unpredictable!

How do we believe this has happened for real? Hughes' passing away has left a void so huge that cricket will never be the same again for its players, the fans and everyone who loves the sport in their own way. We turn to sport to get away from our worries and struggles of life, but now that sport itself has presented us with a tragedy that is difficult to comprehend, how do we deal with this loss? The next time any bowler steams in to bowl, what would be his underlying thoughts? Spare a thought for young Abbott. The 22-year old lad will probably carry the burden on his shoulders for the rest of his life. It is important now, to make sure we do not lose another cricketer in Abbott. Cricket is poorer without Hughes, the charming southpaw who probably had dreams of his own but not enough time to fulfill them. A long and potentially fruitful career cut short by a brutal delivery, such is the danger our favourite sport carries. Cricket meant everything to him, and the way he left us has numbed our minds. Will the scars heal? Does time really heal all our wounds and teach us to cope with a loss so deep?

This is indeed a bad day for cricket, maybe the worst. The cricketing family has lost one of its most dedicated members and the extent of the loss cannot be put into words by any means. It is shocking, it is tragic and it is sudden. When good people like Hughes go, you just ask one question to the one who took him away - WHY?


RIP Phillip Hughes - 63* in his final innings.

In our hearts and in our souls,
In our prayers and in our memories,
You will be cherished,
You will be remembered.

Make no Blunder, Down Under!

With less than a week to go for the India-Australia series, the heat is already being turned on! Even if Star Cricket wouldn't have come up with their ad campaigns in the meanwhile, we'd still believe that an India-Australia series is always intense, courtesy some memorable contests in the past. But the fact that some of Aussie faces have featured in those ads is something that I cannot digest. Especially after being beaten by New Zealand in the 2nd Test at Hobart, almost everyone knows who will be facing the heat.

As far as India is concerned, 4 Tests, 2 T20Is and an ODI tri-series will mean a considerable amount of time away from home and hence, they would like to make every minute count. Dhoni's army will be eager to wipe off the drubbing they last received early this year, when the team toured England and failed to win a single game. However, the year 2007 brings back memories of a determined Team India that beat Australia for the first time in 5 years in their own den. Led by Anil Kumble, the Indian side was humiliated in the infamous Sydney Test, but later lifted themselves to go ahead and defeat the Aussies at Perth. Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan emerged as stars in the dressing room and returned as heroes. And of course, the dependent batting trio (Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman) continued to shine for their country. A lot has changed for both sides since then; Australia are no longer the No.1 Test team in the world, senior players have retired and the younger lot has not yet proved themselves. The Indians on the other hand, are coming off a World Cup win to begin with, followed by a terrible defeat at the hands of England, thereby losing their top rank in Tests and eventually finishing with thumping victories over the West Indies. Therefore, this series will be a huge opportunity for both teams as Australia would be keen to live up to their reputation, whereas India would be hell bent on winning their inaugural series down under.

The home side may have the psychological advantage over the visitors, but they clearly have more reasons to worry. Former captain Ricky Ponting has been out of form since a long time now, and the axe is most likely to fall on him. A fairly new captain in the form of Michael Clarke will be put to test and only time can tell if he comes out successful. Their coach, Micky Arthur is also relatively new to the job and this will affect the team's performance in a way. The team's bowling attack looks weaker than before, especially after the retirement of Brett Lee, who was once dreaded. Patrick Cummins was a new find waiting to be explored on home soil, but now with him being ruled out along with their spearhead Mitchell Johnson, I wonder if the Aussies can even manage a decent bowling line-up. Plus, the inclusion of Shane Watson remains a mystery. The list of their problems is endless... However, pride is at stake for the hosts as they look to re-establish their dominance in world cricket by proving themselves once again.

Back to Mera Bharat Mahan: India have "never" won a Test series in Australia. That alone explains why this series is more important than any of the previous ones. MS Dhoni will be looking forward to do something that his predecessors have failed to do in years. This time around, Dhoni would be eager to change the trend. Well of course, we all know how much Dhoni loves to win, whether its an IPL or a World Cup. It seems like he knows no other way. Winning is the only goal of his life and it is this very intent that inspires his teammates every time they go out to play. In the past four years, India have unearthed numerous talents and many of them are now awaiting their turn in this much anticipated series. The batting line-up looks perfect! Virender Sehwag is on fire, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are at their best when it comes to Australia, Sachin Tendulkar looks desperate (positively) for his 100th 100 and there is no better opponent to achieve that milestone. The No.6 spot is up for grabs and whoever makes the cut, will be slightly better than the ones who don't. Virat Kohli has been in terrific form this year and so has Rohit Sharma, who had a wonderful run against the Windies at home and away. Either way, it is a strong set of batsmen ready to face the challenge. Zaheer Khan, should he be fully fit and play the whole series, is our most beloved asset in the bowling department. Ishant may be struggling, but a fresh and young Umesh Yadav will want to capitalize on this big occasion with some good pace up his arsenal. The spin duo of Ashwin and Ojha have already proved their mettle at home, and are now awaiting their turn. Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun will have to pull up their socks, if they're called in.

Sadly for me, Irfan Pathan was not included in this Test team. Talk about adding salt to the wounds, Star Cricket kept showing the Perth Test where Pathan was swinging the ball and I couldn't help but stare in disbelief. No cricketer is guaranteed a permanent spot in the team, you slip once and you're out. Probably, Harbhajan Singh will be the best person to realize this at the moment. It was extremely disheartening to see Pathan being left out, especially with the experience that he carries. But all said and done, it is now time for some "Thunder, Down Under!". The Indians stand their best chance to win this time, and there cannot be a better farewell for our legends who will be stepping into the Kangaroo land for the last time in their career!


CHAK DE! INDIA

The other side of being a Sachin Tendulkar fan!

Being a Tendulkar fan is not easy; if you thought it was, think twice. 90% of the cricket crazy population in India believe that there is no bigger God than Sachin, the rest 10% do not rate him very high. For them, Sachin Tendulkar is someone to whom things came rather easily, but very few know how much struggle and hard work went into it. And these are the same critics who will raise a finger at you every time Sachin fails to deliver, as if it was your own fault. All these years, I had never publicly announced my liking for him, in fact, my childhood hero had always been Rahul Dravid - from the day I understood what Cricket was. I watched him more than I watched anyone else. Tendulkar was an unknown phenomenon for me. But as I grew up, I could hear only one name. A name that stopped time in India, brought nations together, rejoiced and cried at the same time. To witness all this was strange enough, but it got stranger when I saw my dad taking leaves from his work just to watch India play some other team. I could hear him saying, "Today, Sachin will score a century." At first, I thought he was lying. But he wasn't. Sachin would perform almost all the time, and my dad would be the first one to light firecrackers outside our house whenever he reached a landmark. It was amazing to see the confidence my dad had in him. This was enough motivation for me to find out more about the man himself. I don't know whether it was my dad's influence or what, but I started following this God-like cricketer and very soon, transformed myself into a devotee who was mesmerized by the way he played his cricket. Little did I realize then, that the road ahead was filled with challenges.

Everybody rejoices when Sachin plays, but to accept defeat and face criticism is a tough task. Thanks to the social media, I was suddenly exposed to a whole new world, where I came across people who rubbished everything this man has achieved in his life. It was then that I knew such people existed. Today, every time he goes out to bat, every fan in this country also accompanies him. The day he missed his 100th ton at Wankhede, my heart stopped for a second and so did everyone else's. And it was no surprise that I saw my Facebook wall flooded with anti-Sachin posts. Everybody spoke about how he missed his century after reaching the 90's for the 17th time in his career, but did anyone notice where he would be standing today, had he got all of them? The fact that he has 99 international hundreds to his name does speak a lot about him. It makes me laugh when people argue with no basis, only because they want to prove their point. Okay, he wasn't a great captain as we all know but having said that, how can you dismiss the credentials of someone like him who has given the sport all that he could and continues to do so? Another argument that always frustrates me is that, people think just because he debuted at a tender age of 16, he has scored so many runs and tons. So? How many cricketers have actually converted every opportunity presented to them into something meaningful? Sachin did, but that was no cakewalk. The road to glory was long enough and filled with hardships. I think some people are just not aware of the reality, or maybe they believe in the saying, "Ignorance is bliss". They do not want to belong to the majority and want to differ in their opinions. Sure they can, but not at the cost of refuting others. It is completely alright if SRT is not your God, and Rahul Dravid is. After all, everyone has the right of making their own choice. But what irritates me the most is the comparison that is often made between Sachin and other cricketers. A classic example was when a friend of mine said to me, "Hey, you know what, "MY" Dhoni has won India the World Cup, what has "YOUR" Sachin done?" And this was via Facebook. Now no matter how much I argued, I knew this person was hell bent on making me realize that Dhoni is, indeed, a better captain. I did not deny it either. But just how fair is it to compare a stalwart of the game with someone who is only beginning to learn the tricks of the trade? Captaincy is an aspect that can definitely be compared, but the comparison becomes pointless when it is done on an overall basis. I had to finally block him, for I could no longer bear his nuisance and his stupid, illogical comments. Similarly, when Sehwag broke his record of a double century, was it appropriate to assume that he is the greatest cricketer today? Only because he holds a world record? I would say no. Sehwag is a class apart, he only knows to hit the cricket ball. It did hurt me when Sachin's valuable effort of a 200* was so easily ridiculed. To score a 200-something in any form of the game is challenging, and these two men have done it with great courage, in their own style. Why can't we give them the credit they deserve and stop comparing?

Sometimes, I wish I had remained a Dravid fan, at least I'd be quietly proud of him and his heroics on the back stage, overshadowed by the greatness of Tendulkar. Sometimes, I wish I had never watched Cricket and instead, chosen to follow Football or some other sport. At least, I wouldn't carry the burden of defending him despite his great achievements. But my love for Cricket and Tendulkar has brought me far, too far to think about stepping back. So what if people talk about Sachin? Just like he continues to make India proud, we, his devoted fans will always be by his side, still waiting patiently for his 100th hundred - because we know, it will come when GOD wishes!