Saturday, March 13, 2010

"Full Toss" ... Learn from the Ageless Spirit ... By ... Vijay

Learn from the Ageless Spirit

1992 World Cup – Is it a bird, is it a machine ? No, it is Jhonty Rhodes taking off faster than a plane from any Indian Airport, crash-landing into the stumps to catch a still-young and reasonably sprightly Inzamam inches short. Of course if it had been 10 years later, Jhonty could have strolled at the struggled pace of a full-term pregnant woman and still beaten Inzamam.

Such electricity on the field, besides solving Kolkata’s load-shedding for a summer, could be the defining and ever-lasting moment of a spirited contest. Not the outrageously spectacular shots from a marauding bat, or the nefarious stump-seeking missile also called the yorker.

An inspired moment of singular fielding brilliance can lift an entire team. It jolts the entire fielding unit into heightened state of alertness and anticipation, ready to pounce on a half-chance like a avaricious Wall Street broker on a potential blue-chip. Such efforts on the field transforms bowlers into beasts of controlled aggression, resolute and disciplined.

Cut to the modern era where fielding is as big a weapon as the ridiculous aggression of a Sehwag’s batting or the metronomic accuracy of a Umar Gul’s bowling. The current Indian fielding has more holes than a week’s supply of donuts at a Gluttons International Conference. It is ironical as the team is replete with some young superstars who despite the hype have scored more on endorsements than cricket fields.

The young Greed Creed is playing more matches of all varieties everyday driven by the covetous sponsors and mega corporations insatiable demand for more cricket – Yeh Dil Maange More ? Indeed.This endless treadmill of brutal matches is placing an unprecedented demand on young bodies suddenly thrust into incessant cricket whose only introduction to the rigors of the game is a series of Ranji matches in an idyllic setting.

Niggles and injuries are inevitable due to such relentless madness. Fitness and understanding of the limitations of one’s body is paramount to withstand such prolonged exertion. Quality of fielding is the first casualty of an unfit cricketer who doesn’t want to let go easy money by sitting out and trying to get back in shape. The cricketer will still try to be as competent as possible in his primary skill of batting or bowling with his constrained physical ability. Fielding however, will ruthlessly expose his limitations of movement. Dropped catches, missed run outs and misfields will rack up faster than their bank accounts.

As it is a young Indian cricketer is dive-shy when it comes to throwing themselves at the ball. The classic excuse ? Growing up, they play their cricket on bumpy, dusty grounds devoid of grass. What about soccer goalkeepers in India? Do they not learn to dive at the very same grounds ?

Go back to the 1st ODI between South Africa and India at Jaipur (Feb 21st, 2010). South Africa was on the verge of chasing the Indian score of 298 from an improbable position. Last over. The ball is heaved towads the square leg boundary. It seems destined to be a boundary, chased frenetically by the oldest legs on the field. The 36 year old fielder threw himself with a desperate dive cutting the ball off just inches from the boundary saving a valuable run. That solitary run saved turned out to be the match winning one. Jhonty would have been proud of that.

The matchless cricketer would go on to a world double century in the next ODI.

Can the young India cricketers imbibe his attitude and approach to the game ?

It was not that double hundred which helped them win the series. The match was already over as a contest when he reached his 200. It was that superhuman dive that clinched.

And of course, growing up, Sachin had played his cricket in the bumpy, dusty fields of Azad Maidan and Shivaji Park.

1 comment:

  1. sounds like US sports have corrupted India's.
    Ron O'L.

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