A Salute to India's Holy Trinity: Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman!

They say getting on top is no big deal, but dominating your position when everyone else is vying for it, is a bigger task. Team India's three musketeers have already been there, done that. They need not prove to the world what they're capable of. Those years of dedication and hard work are easily visible in their records. But, the world is cruel and it's people are worse. One slump of form and gone! All those drops of sweat that went into the making of a legend are washed away because of some mindless critics who do not think before they talk. What I really fail to understand is what evokes such criticism? Perhaps, we won't realize what he have until it's gone. With retirement rumours doing the rounds, every cricket fan in this country is scared, for what Indian cricket is going to lose will certainly be one of the biggest losses to the fraternity. And I, for one, don't know how cricket's gonna be like like without my favourite cricketer.

MS Dhoni's away record has been terrible, we all know what happened in England and the 3-0 drubbing against the Aussies so far has been nothing less than a recap of the disastrous England tour. But, my question goes out to all those who question Dhoni's captaincy and the team's performance - How many captains have succeeded in winning a Test series in Australia in the past? Why is it that apart from the captain, only the trio of Tendulkar-Dravid-Laxman are held responsible for everything that has gone wrong so far? Cricket is a team game, all the players are equally responsible for whatever they achieve or don't. Spare a thought for the seniors, they have been India's best batting bet in Tests for a long time now and even the sum total of their achievements cannot justify their significance in the team. Those are some really big, heavy shoes to fill. It's not going to be easy for the so-called "young guns" to step into them and repeat the feats of our great batsmen. I agree, every team goes through a transitional period, where the seniors step out with dignity and the young make their way in. But, to treat them like they have never really mattered is insulting. Steve Waugh retired graciously, he was an asset to the Australian team, Adam Gilchrist hung his boots to some tears among his fans, Shane Warne's popularity never really wiped away his presence from the dressing room. These are men of honour, they deserve more respect than anyone else and the Australian media did justice. The least we can do as fans, is stand by our heroes who have given us so much to remember all our lives. Retirement is inevitable, it has to come someday. What matters the most now is not what we lost, but what we were blessed with for so many years. It doesn't matter if they aren't delivering now, they have done it continuously in the past. Show me a man aged 39, standing tall at the crease, defending 9 out of 10 times and still scoring heavily with as much grace and patience; show me a saviour who has literally taken his team out of a pothole filled with troubles; and yes, show me someone who has given everything to the game, scored the most number of runs, faced an equal amount of criticism and still managed to keep that childlike smile on his face!

My message to the fans and critics is simple: It's easier said than done! If we can be so passionate about watching cricket and analyzing the game, it is really difficult to imagine the level of commitment and effort our cricketers put in delivering the same. We do not know what they go through when their time is not right. As it is often said, "Form is temporary, Class in permanent". And I consider myself extremely fortunate to have witnessed some real class in the Indian cricket team.

Thank you Sachin Tendulkar - for showing us how it feels like to be GOD and human at the same time; Rahul Dravid - for proving to the world that there can be a stronger WALL than the Great Wall of China; VVS Laxman - for being a lifesaver and an important cornerstone in the success of Indian Cricket over the years!

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