THE INFALLIBLE GOD AND THE UNBREAKABLE WALL

THE INFALLIBLE GOD AND THE UNBREAKABLE WALL

               2013 is perhaps the year which every ardent cricket fan detested thinking about for  the last two and a half decades but which inevitably arrived on the scene. Two torchbearers, two colossal giants of the cricketing fraternity decided to call it a day. One is the uncrackable and unbreachable wall and the other is the almighty incarnate. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are two names synonymous to the spirit, the class and the legacy of the gentlemen sport. Both these ingenious connoisseurs have given invaluable service not just  to the sport but the nation as well. One is the idol for those want to break conventions and the other is the embodiment of patience. At a time when the Indian cricket is marred by conspiracies, these two stalwarts will be missed on the field forever.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar arrived on the scene when the first little master of Indian Cricket Sunil Gavaskar had just retired. There were doubts in the minds of critics as to whether Sachin would be able to survive the fierce competition leave alone the question of his being able to cope up with the aura of Gavaskar. The so called experts ridiculed his usage of a heavy bat and forecasted that this little kid would not last long. But, the master proved everyone wrong as he massacred legendary bowlers like Abdul Qadir, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mutthaiyah Murlitharan, Brett Lee and the list goes on and on. Even the modern era speedsters and spinners like Dale Stayn and Saeed Ajmal have witnessed the carnage. His delightful straight drives, hooks, leg glances, cuts and cheeky shots are imbibed in the minds of his countless fans like their own names and identity. Even a Ghajini would not dare to omit them.  Lastly, as Ravi Shastri described him when he reached the first double hundred on Earth in an ODI, Sachin Tendulkar is indeed the 'superman' of world cricket.
When the God of patience was looking for a human abode on Earth he chose the gentlemen whom his ardent fans would confer the title of 'The Wall'. Rahul Dravid was not born to entertain but to contain. He was like Bheeshma Pitamaah for the team and would soak in the entire pressure so that  others could play freely. A selfless team man, he never took the credit of any victory and always shared the it with his fellows. Who can forget those sights when pacers used to charge into him with all their might and he would simply block the deliveries or let them fly by! The rock solid defence made him the the most dependable player in the team.  He became the first man to have scored a century against each of the test playing nations and was also the first non Australian cricketer to address at the Bradman Oration in 2011. If one ever looks at the greek god Atlas supporting the Earth on his shoulder, a direct and absolutely correct collation can be made about Dravid's role in Indian cricket.
Though both the legends are not going to be active on the field when Sachin plays his 200th test match  their behemoth shadow will be seen regularly in form of the new crops of Indian batters. The stance, the shots and the mannerism of every modern day cricketer has something or the other to do with these gentlemen. However, their retirement is at a time when corruption is rampant in cricket and big corporate honchos are eating away the morals and the ethics of young budding aspirants. It is time when both Sachin and Dravid take up the mantle of mentors and preach what is good for the cricket so that amidst the glamour and glaze the spirit remains alive. Both these legends cannot be replicated but their skills, integrity of character and their passion for the game can be.
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records - William Arthur Ward