WORLD CUP TIME

It is with great eagerness I am leaving for England on June 3 to cover my first World Cup. I have been on cricket tours before -- longer as well as important ones. But this trip is certainly different in magnitude and importance from the previous ones.
People who have already covered a World Cup told me that the thrill of covering a World Cup can hardly be matched by anything else in my chosen field.
In any sport, World Cup is the ultimate arena to showcase your skill, and the experience of covering matches for the last few years, I hope, will come handy for me. By no means, I am viewing this as a 'make or break' situation, but as any other reporter I want to do well in the finest stage -- something I will certainly cherish when I bid adieu to journalism.
This World Cup is also very special because India will be entering the tournament as defending champions something they have not done since 1987. Hopefully, our guys will make the country proud.
So, it is time to pack my bags and do my last round preparations. I will see you all from Old Blighty, hopefully with some interesting stuff. Keep an eye!!!!

SELF DISCOVERY

The clock had ticked past eight when I stepped into the VFS centre in Infantry road to apply for my UK visa. Even at that early hour (at least for me) there was a sizeable crowd at the centre, and they were of all age groups, from different stratas of society and with different purposes.

But they all wore a common expression -- anxiety. There was this elderly gentleman who tried to strike a conversation with everyone around him, but never could manage to get that anxious look away from the clock on the far end of the wall. Perhaps, waiting for the receptionist to call out his name.

Then there was a couple, probably into their fifties, holding each others hand and glancing all around nervously like a pair of college lovers. All of a sudden the attention shifted to a hefty man who barged into the room, seemingly unaware of the next step and he made a short tour to all the counters in the room before settling next to me. His first question, "Did they called my number?" I couldn't suppress a rather loud chuckle, and the man, whom I am seeing for the first time in my life, gave me an annoyed look.

Amidst all these commotions, a smug thought nestled into my mind. "Hey you folks! There is no need to panic so much. Visa process will take at least a week despite all your frantic efforts. I know it guys.. after all I have been to England in 2007." But I did not have the courage to openly express my thoughts as Adam Sandler did in Wedding Planner.

Finally, my turn came after a nearly 4-hour wait. The agent received me with a huge smile, and after checking my documents he said all of a sudden, "Oh G Unnikrishnan from Deccan Herald?" I felt like the fifth Beatle at that moment for I expected his next comments to be "I have read you a lot and I like your writing.. blah blah..." Any journalist, I am sure, will feel like that and if somebody says differently he/she will be lying blatantly or just pretending to be worldy wise.

But his words interrupted the functioning of my cocky brain. "Since you are going to UK to cover the T20 WC could you please arrange a couple of tickets for my pals in UK?"

Mr G Unnikrishnan, welcome back to earth!

JUST LIKE OLDEN DAYS

I had my first tryst with top-flight tennis in 1985. I could not return to school after the mid-summer vacation since I was recovering from minor fracture on my hand and those few extra days at home helped me to develop an affection for tennis.

Though I did not realise the nuances of the game then, it was highly thrilling to watch players like Boris Becker (making his debut), Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg in action at the famous Centre Court.

Since then I made it a point to watch every Wimbledon, and the most exciting final -- till I watched the one between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in 2008 -- was the title clash between Andre Agassi and Goran Ivanisevic in 1992. Pete Sampras' seven finals were mostly one-sided, courtesy his brilliant grass court game, and I guess only Jim Courier had managed to stretch him in the 1993 final.

The '92 final was a heart-stopper. It was a contest between Agassi's prowess in returning and Ivanisevic's ability to fire aces at will. Finally, the American's all-round skills prevailed in a tense five-setter. Agassi, only man to win all four Grand Slams after Rod Laver, scripted some amazing wins and comebacks in the subsequent years, but I never imagined to see him again in action at the Centre Court after his retirement. That seemed a miracle even beyond Agassi.

But the last Sunday offered a double delight for me as in watching two great champions in action -- Agassi and Mrs Agassi (Steffi Graff) against Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters in an exhibition doubles match. There was some extra pound of flesh around Agassi's waist and his face a tad more chubby. Graff was every inch the same old West German 'wunder kind' -- epitome of feminine grace, though a bit rusty at times with racquet.

Agassi, however, straightaway hit the strides and started the proceedings with an ace down the centre reducing Clijsters to a mere spectator. The American spotted a sheepish grin immediately as if asking the Belgian to stand a few steps back. Then there was those trademark stretch-returns and backhand cross court winners, eliciting loud applause from a packed house as well as from his opponents.

Steffi had her own moments. The great German slapped Agassi on the shoulder after the latter accidentally drove a return to the midriff of Clijsters. Then there was a playful spank on her husband's back and numerous smooches in appreciation of some really remarkable shots. It was as if Henman-Clijsters duo were non-existent at the other end, and it was also a wonderful union of sports and love at the greatest stage of tennis.

A one set singles contest followed between Agassi and Henman, and time seemed to roll back at the Las Vegas man's court as he unfurled some super shots to subdue his English rival 6-4. For me, it was like travelling in a time machine.

DELHI DAYS

It was quite unexpected but heartening to see Santosh Permual's invitation in Facebook. I could not keep regular touch (due to a vareity of reasons) with him since 2002, the year I left Press Trust of India and New Delhi once and forever.
Peru was my office-mate and flat-mate along with Harish, and the years I spent with them will always be counted as one of the most joyous in my life. Peru, hoping to hit it big in economics department, was the most experienced scribe among us while I dreamt of making a name in sports journalism and Harish in the field of court and law.
It is quite unfortunate to say that none of us could exactly realise our dreams in PTI owing to multiple reasons. But the company of each other was enough for us to forget the professional frustrations, and every weekly off day used to begin invariably with Harish's question: Innengane (What to do today?).
The undertone of the question was when to start our drinking session usually accompanied with all the gossips of the week, little mud-slinging etc etc. Unfortunately, digtial cameras and mobile phones with camera were still out of our grasps as we could not capture any of those moments. But they still shine like crystal in my memory.
Here's one gem: Peru was on evening duty in office and suddenly he was seen frantically searching for Mr Panaji after attending the phone near him. Sunday crowd were perplexed by his query and finally Harish attended the phone only to see him rolling in laughter. Actually, it was a call from PTI's Panaji office, and our poor Peru thought 'Mr Panaji' was on the line. Later he told us over a drink that the lady at the other end said in Hindi, "Panaji hei idhar, reporting mein kaun hei?" Our Hindi-Bhooshan understood it as a call for Panaji since in Delhi office 'JI' was suffixed to seniors' name like Dharji, Pathakji etc.
Cut to present. It is a good feeling to be back in touch with a man of golden heart.

THE LITTLE BIG MAN

For Indians, Sachin Tendulkar is the Zeus of that common religion called cricket. A cricketing God residing in Mumbai, and delivers the lightnings of joy and pleasure to millions across the country with his stirring deeds with a willow. Tendulkar enjoys a much similar status around the globe as well.

That world-wide respect and adoration has not gained overnight. It has been build over the years through sheer hardwork and willingness to stretch himself that extra yard to attain perfection.

There is one man who had witnessed that growth from a child prodigy to a great batsman -- former Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath. I had the fortune to listen to 'Mysore Express' detailing the transformation of his one-time team-mate. He cited the example of Tendulakr's innings against Australia in Perth in 1992.

"That was our first tour to Australia and, and we were struggling on that tour. I always felt that one of the main reasons for our scratchy shows abroad is the time taken to adapt to the conditions. Situation was not different '92 also, but one young man was determined to make his mark and he did that in Perth.

"WACA at that time was one of the quickest pitches and Mike Whitney took seven wickets to rattle us. There was a huge crack on the wicket and the ball almost took the head off a couple of batsmen. But this 18-year was batting against Whitney, McDermott and Reiffel like a seasoned pro, scoring runs all over the park. His cut shots were a treat to watch on that day. Though we lost that Test, we were sure that Sachin will one day top the batsmen's chart."

The reminder of his battle with Tendulkar at nets brought a smile on Srinath's face. "Yes, I had some success against him at nets. You have to get him out mentally, and there is no point to wait to find technical flaws in his batting."

Then came the part we were expecting from the beginning -- Srinath's view of Tendulkar the captain. "As a captain he was very aggressive. It was tough to live up to his expectations some times. It had at times led to arguments between us -- of course a bowler has a different view point from a batsman -- but it was always on healthy grounds and for the betterment of the team. For ex. Sachin (a senior in the squad then) was furious after our loss to Zimbabwe in the 1999 World Cup in England, and the fact was that we also did not have the face to show him. I feel he became a lot more mature in his subsequent stints as India captain."

"In the same tournament, he scored a hundred just after the sad demise of his dad, he did that for the team. The two incidents showed his firm character, mental strength and the overall strong personality."

Srinath's 3 favourite Tendulkar moments: 1. Hundred in Perth against Australia in 1992.

2. Hundred in Johannesburg against South Africa in 1992.

3. Hundred against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999.

"There are a lot of memorable one-day hundreds as well, but these three knocks, I believe, illustrates Tendulkar's qualities as a batsman and human being."

It seemed that curtains came down on that evening pretty quickly, but the time spent was worth its weight in gold for it shed light on the remarkable personality of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Thanks Sri!

SIMPLY WARNE

Over the years Shane Warne has memerised fans with his wizardry on the field and amused them with his antics off it. But the first edition of IPL (2008) had offered glimpses of his ability to transform a bunch of relative unknowns into a bunch of world beaters while guiding Rajasthan Royals to title win.

If the three matches (including that rain-hit tie against Mumbai Indians) are of any indication we can see the Aussie great doing some more wonders in the IPL 2. Yesterday, he asked Yusuf Pathan to open the bowling against Kolkata Knight Riders, and it could have been an unmitigated disaster, considering Kolkata have Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum as their openers. But the move paid off as the elder Pathan managed to shackle both the big-hitters with a couple of tidy overs.

Then the leggie hurled the ball to Kamran Khan, Wild Thing (What else Warne will name a rookie!), to bowl the final over, and the young left-arm paceman responded taking the wicket of Sourav Ganguly, ensuring that there was a Super Over.

Then came Warne's another masterstroke. He tossed the ball again to Kamran to bowl the Super Over, and the task of bowling against Gayle and McCullum could have bogged down even the experienced. But Warne goaded his prodigy into bowling a good Super Over that culminated in Royal's win.

So what make Warne a successful leader? A one word answer could be difficult since it is a combination of factors. The Aussie is quite animated on the field, giving vent to his elation and frustration quite frequently. He has to tell a word to each one of his players (forget how much of his English with that Australian twang players can understand), and he is right behind them at every juncture of the match.

The presence of such a strong, supportive leader can instill oodles of confidence in players, especially in youngsters. Munaf Patel has even showed the daring to be a translator while Warne spoke to the youngsters in the side!!!

On a serious note, Warne's display of leadership skills are not limited to big words and press statements. But the leggie, first to reach 700 Test wickets, still spins a web around the batsmen. English batsmen might be praying to Lord Almighty (God in Heaven in this instance!) not to give Warne ideas about an Ashes come back, not even for a little fun.

So when your leader leads by example, there is no way others can take a backward step. Imagine, there was some news about Royals being forced to buy Warne in the 2008 auction, and he has already repaid them with no less than a title.

IPL 2 is still in its infancy, and it remains to be seen how the Royals will fare in this edition. But one thing is sure, Warne will definitely pull out some rabbits out of his hat, and will probably turn them into doves.

STARS NEVER FADE!

What a start! Two of the oldest players -- Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble -- in their ranks conjured a magical performance on a South African evening to give Royal Challengers Bangalore a thumping start to their campaign in the Indian Premier League 2.

For me, their victory over Rajasthan Royals and the display of these two modern day legends is an emphatic evidence of the value of experience even in T20, perceived to be meant for young legs.

In the first match of the IPL 2, it was Sachin Tendulkar's composed fifty played

a pivotal role in Mumbai Indians win over Chennai Super Kings. Even in defeat, it was Shane Warne for Royals and Matthew Hayden for CSK came up with some spirited performances. I know it is too early to make a prediction. But we might see experience stealthly moving ahead of exuberance in this tournament.

Glenn McGrath, Sanath Jayasuriya and Adam Gilchrist could still give youngsters a run for their money. Watch out!

One of the former cricketers shared that opinion with me. "The pitches in South Africa has bounce and movement and in such conditions you cannot ignore the experience of players like Dravid, Tendulkar and Kumble. These guys have performed in different parts of the world over the years. A commonsense approach and ability to adapt is a must any sports, even T20 is not different. These players have those ability in abundance, and I am sure they will play a huge part in this edition of IPL."

But when I interviewed RCB coach Ray Jennings a few months back, his initial days as the team's coach, the South African told me about the role of seniors. That time Ray seemed to be a bit sceptical about the ability of seniors to stand up to the rigours of this furiously paced game.

"My job is to make the seniors understand the significance of fielding, and prepare them for the T20 mindset. I want to be part of this team for a while, and get some good results. It's a challenge for me." So, both the parties -- Ray and the seniors -- have won on the first day.

I hope, they will continue to write more success stories in the coming days. It will not be a victory for RCB alone, but statement from a generation of players who will shine forever like the Pole Star.