Chepauk 2008!
It would have been completely unfair if I didn’t post something on my blog today. After all the Tendulkar-bashing (3 blog posts out of 9 completely dedicated to why Sachin is not a match-winner) I have done in the past, it’s my duty to give credit to, as Kevin Pieterson said, “the best cricket script-writer ever!” . He always wrote great scripts, just with very very sad endings in the past but he chose Chepauk 2008 to completely turn it around!!
I have been forced the change my stance on Sachin, but for some reason I thought it was going to happen today. Like millions of other people, I SMSed a friend of mine the “will Sachin fire today question”, with the feeling that- he was not going to waste what Sehwag had done the previous day. He was determined to succeed, be it for whatever reason – the terrorist attacks in Mumbai or the memory of Chepauk 1999 or just to prove a point to critics like me (which btw amounts to exactly 1 person!)
Now, I am trying to figure out why he never did something like this in the past! He always did have the determination right? Ofcourse he did. Infact, you could see it on his face while doing his regular adjustments and taking a stance! So, it’s not the determination that was missing! But amongst all that determination, you also saw a tinge of fear. He was “over-determined” if you can call it that, and the fear of failure haunted him! But this time at that wonderful afternoon at Chepauk, you saw a calm and composed Sachin. He didn’t waste time from 90 to 100, he didn’t “adjust” the already correct stance, and he didn’t look over-determined. Infact- I could see a tinge of the calmness that Mahendra Singh Dhoni shows whether he’s winning or losing or handling interviews!
I am sure Sachin is a great learner, but in the past he didn’t have anyone to pick up the “Dhoni-trait” from. All other Indian captains from the past – never had the courage to accept defeat with the style with which Dhoni does. Ganguly had a tinge of it- but he was never someone people could learn from. But Dhoni is changing that. He’s forcing people like Sachin, Yuvraj, and Gambhir to learn from him. He stays calm under pressure, and he’s ensuring his team does too.
Let’s all hope we see more performances like this from Sachin and Team India, and the “Dhoni-trait” rubs off on everyone!
I have been forced the change my stance on Sachin, but for some reason I thought it was going to happen today. Like millions of other people, I SMSed a friend of mine the “will Sachin fire today question”, with the feeling that- he was not going to waste what Sehwag had done the previous day. He was determined to succeed, be it for whatever reason – the terrorist attacks in Mumbai or the memory of Chepauk 1999 or just to prove a point to critics like me (which btw amounts to exactly 1 person!)
Now, I am trying to figure out why he never did something like this in the past! He always did have the determination right? Ofcourse he did. Infact, you could see it on his face while doing his regular adjustments and taking a stance! So, it’s not the determination that was missing! But amongst all that determination, you also saw a tinge of fear. He was “over-determined” if you can call it that, and the fear of failure haunted him! But this time at that wonderful afternoon at Chepauk, you saw a calm and composed Sachin. He didn’t waste time from 90 to 100, he didn’t “adjust” the already correct stance, and he didn’t look over-determined. Infact- I could see a tinge of the calmness that Mahendra Singh Dhoni shows whether he’s winning or losing or handling interviews!
I am sure Sachin is a great learner, but in the past he didn’t have anyone to pick up the “Dhoni-trait” from. All other Indian captains from the past – never had the courage to accept defeat with the style with which Dhoni does. Ganguly had a tinge of it- but he was never someone people could learn from. But Dhoni is changing that. He’s forcing people like Sachin, Yuvraj, and Gambhir to learn from him. He stays calm under pressure, and he’s ensuring his team does too.
Let’s all hope we see more performances like this from Sachin and Team India, and the “Dhoni-trait” rubs off on everyone!
posted by Prem at
12/16/2008
5 Comments:
Kalakitte Prem. I agree that this was a great innings, but can one innings make a match-winner out of Sachin?
I never expected you to wilt under the weight of popular sentiment.
By
Rudra, at 1:33 AM
yeah yeah, I know- I should have tuppified him again and said sehwag and yuvraj won it for us !!
By
Prem, at 2:48 AM
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By
Prem, at 2:48 AM
Haha...to hear Prem turaround on Sachin...I still read our email interaction once in a while just for kicks...
I think you might be right about the lack of fear, but that is not just because he has learnt something from Dhoni, its because off late other members of the team have stepped up to the plate when it is needed of them and that is a calming thought that I believe relieves the pressure and also reduces rid of the fear... The Sydney test isn't that far behind when we couldn't bat through 2 session (bad decisions and cheating allegations not withstanding)...But intermittent success over the years along with Dhoni's captaincy is leading towards that...In the Chepauk of 1999, only Mongia scored more than 20, in this Chepauk, all top order batsmen contributed 25+. So, Sachin carried things over but everyone else contributed too...
By
Unknown, at 3:32 AM
Hmmmmmm...Interesting. But I wouldn't be myself if I don't disagree. Would I?
I think Nikhil makes a far more reasonable argument. Its the fact that other members of the team are making contributions thats making a difference. Dhoni is calm. Tendulkar is calm, but not because Dhoni is. They are both calm because India is really playing as a team.
By
Dreamer, at 3:18 PM
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