Full Circle & Hope Against Hope

To say it has been disappointing would be an understatement. Hopes and dreams came crashing down at SCG. No longer would it be remember as the Sachin Cricket Ground, it will be SCG where Clarke and his Australian side choked India into submission.

As an ardent romantic, I got up early today, hoping that the impossible would be averted. Anyone with slight cricketing knowledge would have told u that India had less chances of saving this match than the odds of Tim Henman making a grand comeback and winning the Wimbledon in 2012.

As soon as I got up, suddenly I remembered having a familiar feeling; it was a long time ago, it has been more than ten years since. It was India’s tour of Australia in 1999-2000. I used to wake up with a familiar feeling hoping against hope that the impossible would be eluded, that a new legend would be written today. Alas! The day pretty much ended as it used to in those days. Misty eyes and a broken heart reflecting on what could have been.

Then it also stuck me - what about those years in between, why has this feeling of despair deserted me for this long!! There have been disappointments but not despairs.

A lot changed after that season of 1999-2000. India’s lone batting hero found some able partners. The group also found a leader who could march his troops and go for enemy’s jugular. The group got together and turned things around, slowly but gradually. They laid the foundations of what can easily be concluded that as the most successful period in India’s cricket history. Away wins in New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka, levelling series in Australia and South Africa. WC final in 2003 and a notch above all these the WC win in 2011. This group of man who wanted to play for pride and for honour (Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, Kumble, Yuvraj, Bhajji, Sehwag and Mahi and many others…..) gave us which we have long been deprived of before Belief. With that belief followed victories.

If some of us thought that we had the most talented team during that period, we would be lying to ourselves. We had our fair share of shortcomings, but that was the beauty of it, we fought it out. There were goals which were set out for and achieved. The WC’ 2011 win and holding the top spot in test rankings for close to 2 years. It saddens me when at times a few people label it as a fluke or a result of successful home run .I would strongly disagree. 2008-2011 was the period when this group reached its crescendo. It all started off with ODI series wins in Australia. We were the better team against the test series against South Africa last year. I don’t want to defend but the 2000’s were so much better than 1990s when the only solace was watching the lone warrior go down fighting against an opposition army.

Life has come a full circle for me it seems - After those wonder years, here again I was watching the lone warrior fighting. The blade of his sword might not be as venomous as it was in those days but the spirit remains. The trio of Sachin, Dravid and Laxman were the integral part of that group in 2000 which changed the way we play cricket away from home. The group which laid the foundations on which the castles of 2007-2011 were built. I know that those castles have been brought down and our defences and spirits broken. This tour to Australia, might well turn out to be trio’s last real battle. They win or they loose, I will always be thankful to what they had already given me. I just hope that for one last time - more for them than for me, that they pick themselves up. Against all odds, with their backs against the walls they script the most sensational revival. I don’t know if they are capable of that anymore, but they definitely deserve that last hurrah.

I know that a lot of history and hope was associated with SCG and all those hopes were bludgeoned by Clarke and company. I will still get up at 5am in the morning hoping against hope on 13^th of Jan for that toss at the WACA. After all, it was here that a certain 18 year old announced himself to the world with an innings of defiance. Life might have come a full circle for him as well!!