I have a dream

[Dhondy]

Like millions of fellow Indian cricket fans, I too have a dream. You all know what that dream is. Can you tell me if it will ever come true? Will I ever see a day when Indian batsmen face up to hostile, short pitched bowling on bouncy tracks away from home, and put up such an exhibition of skill and guts, that onlookers shake their head in wonder and look at each other, struck for words? Will I live to see a time, when swaggering to the wicket at 20 for 2, an Indian batsman will hit the first ball, timed at 150 mph, straight past the bowler, where it hits the billboards at the speed of a meteorite from space? And the next one...the next one...the next one? Will he carry on, like nothing exists around him, but himself and the bowlers, that his life had no purpose but to hit that cricket ball faster, harder, and cleaner? And the day when India will flaunt its own foursome of fiery fast bowlers, each striving to outdo the other in accuracy and anger, who strike terror into the hearts of the opposition batsmen like Lillee did, like Marshall did, like Imran did? Or will my eyes ever behold a sight of the BCCI creating lightning fast pitches in India, without fear of defeat and failure, comfortable in the knowledge that our batsmen and bowlers will thrive on such a surface far more than the opposition? Will I ever witness a posse of Indian fielders patrolling the boundaries like hungry leopards, sliding after shots hit like greased lightning, and plucking them out with effortless ease, born of hours and hours of Jonty like practice? Oh, will the day ever dawn, when sceptics like Barry Richards will cry tears of grief, and break their pens trying to write bitter, humiliating words about our team, but fail miserably? And then rise in salute, with the rest of the world, and join the cresecendo of applause, of envy, of admiration, for a band of fearless cricketers? I will hear that roar from afar, dear God, even if it is from my deathbed, and smile, knowing that at last I've lived my dream. For a very short period in 2003-4, we, the nation, had that glorious vision within our reach, but then it was gone, like a sliver of ice in the desert. Never to be seen again?

[Sooda]

Re: I have a dream >>Will I ever see a day when Indian batsmen face up to hostile, short pitched bowling on bouncy tracks away from home, and put up such an exhibition of skill and guts, that onlookers shake their head in wonder and look at each other, struck for words? Yep. Ganguly in Aus. >>Will I live to see a time, when swaggering to the wicket at 20 for 2, an Indian batsman will hit the first ball, timed at 150 mph, straight past the bowler, where it hits the billboards at the speed of a meteorite from space? ha. never man >>Or will my eyes ever behold a sight of the BCCI creating lightning fast pitches in India, without fear of defeat and failure, comfortable in the knowledge that our batsmen and bowlers will thrive on such a surface far more than the opposition? We DONT thrive on fast pitches...but the BCCI would do well to make some Mohali-esque grounds across the lands so the Rohit Sharmas and the Pujaras can play the bouncing/moving ball >>And the day when India will flaunt its own foursome of fiery fast bowlers, each striving to outdo the other in accuracy and anger, who strike terror into the hearts of the opposition batsmen like Lillee did, like Marshall did, like Imran did? *sigh*

[Sooda]

Re: I have a dream On a side note- very well written. :wtg:

[yoda]

Re: I have a dream 1. SRT, Gangs, Sehwag 2. No and not a good strategy anyways 3. No 4. Over time yes. 5. We already do, on and off. KKD dived today even to the appreciation of SAF commentrators (which doesn't happen often). 6. Critics will always be. And they are good for the sport especially when they spit out the truth. 7. 1983

[Guest BossBhai]

Re: I have a dream -- Removed on request of the user --

[Sooda]

Re: I have a dream Not to mention Gavaskar vs WIndies a few times. And what were you doing when Hazare made those centuries vs Lindwall Miller?? eh? eh? eh??? Call yourself a fan

[Inside_edge]

Re: I have a dream I used to dream McGrath washing Tendu's feet and drinking that water. Now if wishes were horses beggars would ride. BTW cool post Dhondy, as usual.

[Bumper]

Re: I have a dream Great post. Unfortunately all our current crop of cricketers can help us live these dreams only in patches. Am not sure how many cricketers actually fit these traits, perhaps, Richards & the Windies bowlers of the 80s.

[gator]

Re: I have a dream dhonds, it was almost an ode to the Windies cricketers of the 80's.... richards, 4 fast bowlers, terrific fielders... even a huge guy like Garner was a brilliant fielder in gully..... i would give up on all those batting dreams, if we had 4 fast bowler who consistently bowl over 145 and wih hostile attitude..... oh fack...

[Predator_05]

Re: I have a dream

Will I ever see a day when Indian batsmen face up to hostile' date=' short pitched bowling on bouncy tracks away from home, and put up such an exhibition of skill and guts, that onlookers shake their head in wonder and look at each other, struck for words?[/quote'] Mohinder Amarnath had his face bloodied after being hit in the hit by a Michael Holding short ball in the Bridgetown Test of '83. He got himself stitched up, and walked straight back onto the field. On the first ball Holding, smelling blood - launched a vicious bouncer, a missile directed at his injured head. Jimmy could have ducked, swayed, held his bat above his head and closed his eyes awaiting his supposedly inevitable fate. However, he chose the hard way. He shuffled across and ferociously hooked that ball for four. To this day, Holding considers him to be the gutsiest batsman he has ever confronted.

Will I live to see a time, when swaggering to the wicket at 20 for 2, an Indian batsman will hit the first ball, timed at 150 mph, straight past the bowler, where it hits the billboards at the speed of a meteorite from space?

Did you watch the Faisalabad Test last winter ? India, in pursuit of a mammoth Pakistani total had just lost two quick wickets and were tottering at 258/4. Dhoni walks in, effortlessly pulls a 153 kmph short delivery from Shoaib Akhtar for 6. The ball whistles through the air, landing up in the stands. Akhtar shaken up by the shock, loses control over himself and bowls a beamer at him. Dhoni stares back and carries on where he left off...hitting a stunning 148.

And the next one...the next one...the next one? Will he carry on, like nothing exists around him, but himself and the bowlers, that his life had no purpose but to hit that cricket ball faster, harder, and cleaner?

I suppose you never watched Azharuddin's 115 at Cape Town. The innings in which he hit boundary after boundary, and even had such incredible audacity to loft a fiery Alan Donald straight over his head for 4. An innings which made Mike Haysman exclaim; "Never have i seen Test cricket being played like this !".

And the day when India will flaunt its own foursome of fiery fast bowlers

Probably never. That is a cricketing utopia. and only the West Indians sides have ever witnessed such a phenomenon. No other country has ever produced a fearsome 4 prong. Don't be so hard on the Indian team, Dhondy. They have had plenty of fine moments.

[Guest BossBhai]

Re: I have a dream -- Removed on request of the user --

[Rajiv]

Re: I have a dream The best part abnout the Dhoni innings was that he said he will reply to those boncers before the game That's another feature of that innings, as we say " Bolke Thoka "

[King Tendulkar]

Re: I have a dream Great piece. Massivley disagree on the batsman against pace and bounce dream though SRT, Dravid and Laxman have fulfilled that dream of yours

[Sooda]

Re: I have a dream >>I suppose you never watched Azharuddin's 115 at Cape Town. The innings in which he hit boundary after boundary, and even had such incredible audacity to loft a fiery Alan Donald straight over his head for 4. An innings which made Mike Haysman exclaim; "Never have i seen Test cricket being played like this !". I was thinking about that mself. That partnership between Azhar and SRT was joyful. Azhar got run out as well...they were doing the SAFs over till then.