Someday, today will be nostalgia

The Border Gavaskar series between India and Australia are always marked by a series of verbal volleys, something the Aussies politely disguise as mental disintegration. Much of it has been quelled by Rahul Dravid’s Bradman oration. Mental disintegration worked when Australia had a battery of immortals to back their talk. The Indian Summer of 2001 reversed the tide, when an unassuming VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid rewrote Indian cricket history. For many years, an Indian win in Australia was always regarded a bonus, not something even a true fan would have denied. The 2003-2004 series, though partly overshadowed by Steve Waugh’s swansong, was the first well fought series played on Australian soil. It gave us the enduring image of Rahul Dravid pumping his fists in the air after winning the Adelaide test. After India conceded the trophy in 2005, the 2007-2008 series was labelled as a clash for the throne. Instead, what transpir...

It had to occur when I was asleep. The countless replays and reruns ever since cannot make up for that one moment of letting your guard down. When Anil Kumble ran through a hapless Pakistani line-up one February afternoon at the Feroz Shah Kotla, I woke up just in time for the last two wickets. During that passage of play, one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship also played itself out parallely. Javagal Srinath attempted what no other bowler ever had – giving it your heart and soul in a bid not to get a wicket. The rest they say is history. Many reams of paper have been deployed to describe this legend’s legacy, whose exploits are well entrenched in the annals of the game. For who can forget his perfect 10, his broken jaw that didn’t get in his way or how he helped India cross the finish line with his bat in an unforgettable ODI with his statemate Srinath at Bangalore. But to limit Anil Kumble to his achievements would be a great disservice to this man. For he is far more than ...