Fab Five:A Tribute

Change is inevitable..a new chapter begins when an era ends.. but such theories are more easier when read on paper than experienced in flesh and blood.. at the instance of a change of guard,we always look back at the fond memories..once in a while,it is good to turn sentimental

I think the first time my grand father made me sit and watch proper cricket was the Chennai test match against England in 1993..Sachin Tendulkar was the first ever cricket personality I saw on tv, and till date remains the best ever

A tense match against South Africa..last over ..6 to win..and an unexpected bowling hero emerged.As cool as a cucumber,Sachin bowled the last ball to Mcmillian, to signal India’s victory with a famous jig with his elbow pointing downwards..a defining moment that inspired millions to pursue cricket passionately.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar’s phenomenal teenage success resulted in cricket academies mushrooming in every nook and corner of India.His achievements made parents send their kids without hesitance to pursue cricket as an active career.When I was playing Under 16 level cricket, he was the yardstick for strict measurement.After turning 16, you simply could not give excuses as the general quip form our coaches would be “C’mon, no excuses, Sachin was playing for India when he was 16″. Though it was not a wise comparison by any means, it emphasizes the fact that it sowed the seeds of genuine belief in many people.

A clean private life ensured that Sachin was the perfect role model for youngsters.The way he has carried the hopes of the nation can’t be put in words. Imagine being surrounded by 50 people staring at your monitor, as you type a document,scrutinizing every word of yours.. makes you break into a sweat ? or what if you were asked to sing your favorite bathroom song to a select audience? makes you nervous ? or if you were expected to make a flawless speech in a full house auditorium? is is getting tougher ? Imagine, walking out to perform in front of a jam packed stadium, with 20 cameras zooming in on your minute moves, knowing fully well, that a billion viewers on telly are expecting you to perform each and every time.. forget it,lets stop imagining

At around the same time when Sachin was making waves, a bespectacled engineer bowled India to its first famous Cup final victory that this generation came to witness.. the Hero Cup final-1993 signalled the arrival of India’s greatest match winner ever-Anil Kumble.

The batsman, even if he was a genius like Sachin, can only set things up.The easiest way to win a test match is take 20 wickets and score a solitary run more than your opposition.Till 2003,if it was a home test,it had to be Kumble.Post 2003, if it was an “away test”, it again had to be Kumble

Kumble warmed a million hearts, when he, batting along with Srinath engineered a remarkable victory against the Aussies in the Titan Cup.But perhaps the most courageous moment to have been witnessed on a cricket field was the sight of Kumble, bowling with a plaster to hold together his broken jaw,stepping onto the field, bowling 13 continuous overs for the sake of his country, picking up the wicket of Lara in the process.

His man management skills were put to severe test during that tense tour of Australia in 2007-08, and to his credit,he emerged unscathed.Even during his final appearance, he was at it again,running back 30 yards to pouch a catch with a broken palm.His calm and dignified exit summed up his cricketing career.

Lord’s 1996:A graceful left hander and a shy right hander announced their arrival. Saurav Ganguly perhaps would be the greatest Indian captain ever till date.A true revolutionary who turned Indian cricket right on its head.

When on song, Ganguly was a treat to watch.The mauling of Sri Lanka at Taunton,the famous innings in Dhaka where he lead India to victory, the back to the wall hundred in Brisbane which helped India salvage a draw and set the tempo for their exploits down under remain etched in memory.

His attitude of looking at the opposition straight into the eye and standing up to a challenge rubbed onto his team mates as well.The frozen image of a bare chested,shirt waving Ganguly mouthing the words “thanks gentlemen” ( of course he did not say that ,and we know what he said ) on Lord’s balcony shocked the elite;pleased the commoner.Move over designer ties:desi kurtas where here to stay. In a country where an orthodox upbringing would consider even the slightest of offensive words to be a sacrilege, Ganguly never hesitated in giving it back to the opposition,inspiring a new generation of Indian cricketers who greatly improved their vocabulary,thanks to this habit of engaging in conversation with the opponents.With all doors shut and the keys to them thrown into the Bay of Bengal,in typical Dada style,he made a remarkable comeback. Fittingly enough,he has now scripted his own final swan song.

1997:Standard Bank tri-series final:Allan Donald,the fastest bowler in his time steamed in to unleash a fullish delivery. A wiry batsman,with the logo “Wills” plastered on his bat,bent down,rested his right knee on the ground,thudded his front foot forward and smacked the ball over long on for a massive six.Allan was shocked but the basement for an immovable wall were laid.

Rahul Dravid,one of the most self less of all cricketers ever to have stepped on to the cricket field,established himself in the one day scene as well, with that innings.With due respect to Sachin,Rahul was India’s best ever overseas batsman from 1997-2005.From Wellington to WACA,Durban to Dhaka,Rawalpindi to Jamaica, Rahul has been in the forefront of every major Indian overseas triumph.When the team needed him to don the wicket keeping gloves for the sake of balance,he willingly obliged,even if it meant doing 300 sit ups a day

2001 Kolkata: Needless to say anothing more: VVS Lazman,the artist who could paint blindfolded, the tailor who could thread a needle with one hand tied to his back.He wielded the bat like a wand,thanks to his supple wrists.An entire nation faced mixed results in tenth board exams,thanks to his innings in Kolkata when viewers could not take their eyes off the idiot box

He has been the unsung hero of Indian cricket.Sadly, his absence from the one day team has contributed to him being not as marketable as some of the other cricketers of far lesser ability For television purposes, he did not need “after shower” to freshen him up,nor did he need a “boost” for his energy,or “brylcream” to create new hair trends,nor did he need a heroine hugging him after getting a wicket courtesy nice shampooed hair ,but the best thing he could do,and he could only do, is bat like a dream If Sachin could play a textbook shot to the most difficult of deliveries to contend with,Laxman could play the most unbelievable shot to a seemingly unplayable delivery.

Saurav and Anil have announced retirements and the others would follow soon.These are cricketers who have become a part of our daily routines and the topic of our lunch time conversations.The success of our day was measured by their success;We skipped meals and dinner, unable to bear the grief of seeing them lose;We bunked classes and flunked tests, burning the mid night oil to see them win They made us jump in joy,they made us weep in despair, they made us pray in hope and they made us celebrate in ecstasy.To think that we have perhaps seen the last moments of the fab five playing together for India leaves a lump in our throats.We will miss these heroes;cricket watching will never be the same

(PS: readers leaving their comments can also pick their personal favorite from the Fab five for interesting discussions )