SAD BUT TRUE
This Tuesday , was a rather momentous day for cricket fans in India.
Sourav Ganguly , or DADA as he is fondly called , was at a press conference in Bangalore , and was fielding obscure questions from journos as usual. Just when everyone thought the conference was over , DADA said " Just once last thing lads" , and dropped a rather devastating bomb , albeit a silent one. He announced the India-Australia series would be his last.
This tiny comment , shocked the entire country , and everything went silent. It was only sometime later in the evening that day, that I finally realized the gravity of the situation.
One of India's finest cricketers , had just decided to hang up his worn out boots , which had weathered many a storm , both in Cricket and in his personal life. Am yet to come to terms with this announcement , as a devotee of Indian Cricket.
The man , who will be remembered as India's finest and toughest captain , has been through a lot. Right from his glorious Test debut at the hallowed turf at Lords , more than a decade ago , his professional life has seen many ups and downs. The tag of "The Prince Of Kolkata" , was definitely a weight on his already burdened shoulders.
Bengal's favourite son , attracted huge crowds wherever he went. The Eden Gardens at Kolkata , went into a state of frenzy , everytime their local lad took the field. Every stadium in India , has witnessed the Ganguly magic. I personally have witnessed his divine batting style , at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) , in Chennai , many times , right from my
childhood days. Every shot of his , be it a defensive stroke , or a magnificent stride down the pitch to hit the ball for a glorious sixer , was applauded by passionate crowds , wherever he played.
His fans will be in a state of shock , after his decision to retire. We always knew it was around the corner , but still, this sent shock waves around the country. I had gone to the India v/s South Africa test match , at Chepauk recently to join the thousands of passionate fans in cheering the Indian Team ,as usual. But I had no clue this would be my last look at Dada ,from such close quarters.
We have seen many incidents , both on and off the cricket field , which might have upset him. But Dada is not one to be bogged down by controversies and mindless rumours. And as loyal fans , we are always behind him.
Dada ,not only did we stand in the queues at un-earthly hours , to get tickets for India's matches to watch you play , but we also stood by you , during bad times , like the Chappell incident.
Dada, your blazing comeback to international cricket after a rather long gap ,was one of the happiest moments , for any fan of Indian Cricket. It showed us what true determination was , it led us to believe that nothing is impossible , if you truly put your heart in it and give it your best shot.
Dada , we braved the elements , like early morning cold weather, rain, Chennai's blazing temperature and humidity , and mosquitoes , in the ticket queues , to watch you, up close. Every time we chanted your name when you were fielding in the deep, near our stand in the stadium, you waved back at us , with that beautiful smile of yours.
Dada, whenever you came out to bat , many like-minded Indians like us across the world , expected a lot. It is impossible to score in every match , but you showed us your class ,more often than not.
Dada, your bowling too , has given us immense satisfaction on many occasions. You had the uncanny knack of picking up wickets ,when least expected. I will never forget the 5 wickets you took against Pakistan in 1999 , for a paltry 16 runs.
Dada , whenever you took the field as captain of the team , we sat and watched the matches with the feeling that Indian Cricket was in safe hands.
Dada , not only are you a great cricketer and captain , but you will also be remembered as the man who nurtured young talent. Your belief in the youngsters like Pathan and Yuvraj when they were newbies, was criticized by few. But those so called "critics" , will hang their heads in shame , as the future of Indian Cricket , after stalwarts like you are gone , looks bright , thanks to you.
Dada , whenever there was some controversy about you , we fully supported you , as we knew that our Dada was a man of integrity. And you never let us down. Not once.
Dada , when the Chappell incident occurred, we were shocked . I was personally upset to see you in the Pepsi Advertisement , saying that you will always be behind the team , and cheer the Men In Blue. I was on top of the world , when you made your comeback , after such a dark phase , and showed us what true champions are made of.
Dada , whenever your integrity and attitude was in doubt , you let your famed willow do the talking. And silenced the "critics" , on many occasions.
Dada , when the team started off badly in the 2003 World cup in South Africa and people started writing you off , you did not take the criticism to heart. Instead , you led the team to the Finals of the event , and we are proud of you.
Dada , everytime you reached a half century or century and raised your bat, it raised our spirits, even though we might have had a bad day at School,College, or Office.
Dada , we were as dejected as you visibly were, when you did not score runs in your games. But we never lost faith in your ability. As the cliche goes, " Form is temporary , class is permanent".
Dada , we firmly believe that you truly are "The God of the Off-Side" . It is hard to come across flamboyant cricketers like you. And when you score on the off side of the field, it is definitely poetry in motion.
Dada whenever you came up on stage to receive a Winner's trophy , as Captain of the Team , our joy knew no bounds.
Dada , last ,but by no means the least , we will never forget the Natwest trophy Final at Lords . Your shirt waving incident , might have been shunned by "critics" , but we as fans ,lapped it up completely , as we were truly overjoyed when India managed to pull off the impossible , that memorable day.
That image will forever be remembered , reflecting your boldness and hard-as-steel spirit and attitude.
Dada , the India v/s Australia series is upon us . I am deeply disturbed at the thought of not being able to see you live , knowing that this would have been your last match in Chennai , cheering you at Chepauk , and screaming " DADA , DADA !!" , like I have done on numerous occasions.
I have every reason to feel dejected at your retirement ,as a fan. But... NO !!
This series should be treated as a celebration of an illustrious career. I will be following the series with utmost interest , and I will be delighted if you sign-off in remarkable style.
However , I assure you Dada , that if , GOD FORBID ( !! ) , you don't score , we as fans will not be let down. As I said , I look forward to the series as a glorious end to such a remarkable career.
I will give you a standing ovation , when you walk out of the pavilion , for the last time . And I am at a loss of words to predict and describe my feelings , when you leave the field for the last time.
Dada , I would like to tell you that we as fans of Indian cricket will forever be indebted to you , for your immense contribution to India's favourite sport. The joy you have given us , over the years , is priceless.
Dada , I wish you all the very best in life. The blessings of countless Indian Cricket fans , will forever be with you.
Everyone in India , from Chennai to Chandigarh , from Mumbai to Meerut , from Gandhinagar to Gangtok ,from Kochi to your dear Kolkata , will miss you .
Thank you Dada , for all the wonderful memories . God bless you.
The Royal Bengal Tiger ,might stop roaring after this series , but the roar will forever stay in the hearts of Indians across the world.
DADA , you rock !!!!!!
Cheers
A DIE-HARD INDIAN CRICKET FAN
Sourav Ganguly , or DADA as he is fondly called , was at a press conference in Bangalore , and was fielding obscure questions from journos as usual. Just when everyone thought the conference was over , DADA said " Just once last thing lads" , and dropped a rather devastating bomb , albeit a silent one. He announced the India-Australia series would be his last.
This tiny comment , shocked the entire country , and everything went silent. It was only sometime later in the evening that day, that I finally realized the gravity of the situation.
One of India's finest cricketers , had just decided to hang up his worn out boots , which had weathered many a storm , both in Cricket and in his personal life. Am yet to come to terms with this announcement , as a devotee of Indian Cricket.
The man , who will be remembered as India's finest and toughest captain , has been through a lot. Right from his glorious Test debut at the hallowed turf at Lords , more than a decade ago , his professional life has seen many ups and downs. The tag of "The Prince Of Kolkata" , was definitely a weight on his already burdened shoulders.
Bengal's favourite son , attracted huge crowds wherever he went. The Eden Gardens at Kolkata , went into a state of frenzy , everytime their local lad took the field. Every stadium in India , has witnessed the Ganguly magic. I personally have witnessed his divine batting style , at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) , in Chennai , many times , right from my
childhood days. Every shot of his , be it a defensive stroke , or a magnificent stride down the pitch to hit the ball for a glorious sixer , was applauded by passionate crowds , wherever he played.
His fans will be in a state of shock , after his decision to retire. We always knew it was around the corner , but still, this sent shock waves around the country. I had gone to the India v/s South Africa test match , at Chepauk recently to join the thousands of passionate fans in cheering the Indian Team ,as usual. But I had no clue this would be my last look at Dada ,from such close quarters.
We have seen many incidents , both on and off the cricket field , which might have upset him. But Dada is not one to be bogged down by controversies and mindless rumours. And as loyal fans , we are always behind him.
Dada ,not only did we stand in the queues at un-earthly hours , to get tickets for India's matches to watch you play , but we also stood by you , during bad times , like the Chappell incident.
Dada, your blazing comeback to international cricket after a rather long gap ,was one of the happiest moments , for any fan of Indian Cricket. It showed us what true determination was , it led us to believe that nothing is impossible , if you truly put your heart in it and give it your best shot.
Dada , we braved the elements , like early morning cold weather, rain, Chennai's blazing temperature and humidity , and mosquitoes , in the ticket queues , to watch you, up close. Every time we chanted your name when you were fielding in the deep, near our stand in the stadium, you waved back at us , with that beautiful smile of yours.
Dada, whenever you came out to bat , many like-minded Indians like us across the world , expected a lot. It is impossible to score in every match , but you showed us your class ,more often than not.
Dada, your bowling too , has given us immense satisfaction on many occasions. You had the uncanny knack of picking up wickets ,when least expected. I will never forget the 5 wickets you took against Pakistan in 1999 , for a paltry 16 runs.
Dada , whenever you took the field as captain of the team , we sat and watched the matches with the feeling that Indian Cricket was in safe hands.
Dada , not only are you a great cricketer and captain , but you will also be remembered as the man who nurtured young talent. Your belief in the youngsters like Pathan and Yuvraj when they were newbies, was criticized by few. But those so called "critics" , will hang their heads in shame , as the future of Indian Cricket , after stalwarts like you are gone , looks bright , thanks to you.
Dada , whenever there was some controversy about you , we fully supported you , as we knew that our Dada was a man of integrity. And you never let us down. Not once.
Dada , when the Chappell incident occurred, we were shocked . I was personally upset to see you in the Pepsi Advertisement , saying that you will always be behind the team , and cheer the Men In Blue. I was on top of the world , when you made your comeback , after such a dark phase , and showed us what true champions are made of.
Dada , whenever your integrity and attitude was in doubt , you let your famed willow do the talking. And silenced the "critics" , on many occasions.
Dada , when the team started off badly in the 2003 World cup in South Africa and people started writing you off , you did not take the criticism to heart. Instead , you led the team to the Finals of the event , and we are proud of you.
Dada , everytime you reached a half century or century and raised your bat, it raised our spirits, even though we might have had a bad day at School,College, or Office.
Dada , we were as dejected as you visibly were, when you did not score runs in your games. But we never lost faith in your ability. As the cliche goes, " Form is temporary , class is permanent".
Dada , we firmly believe that you truly are "The God of the Off-Side" . It is hard to come across flamboyant cricketers like you. And when you score on the off side of the field, it is definitely poetry in motion.
Dada whenever you came up on stage to receive a Winner's trophy , as Captain of the Team , our joy knew no bounds.
Dada , last ,but by no means the least , we will never forget the Natwest trophy Final at Lords . Your shirt waving incident , might have been shunned by "critics" , but we as fans ,lapped it up completely , as we were truly overjoyed when India managed to pull off the impossible , that memorable day.
That image will forever be remembered , reflecting your boldness and hard-as-steel spirit and attitude.
Dada , the India v/s Australia series is upon us . I am deeply disturbed at the thought of not being able to see you live , knowing that this would have been your last match in Chennai , cheering you at Chepauk , and screaming " DADA , DADA !!" , like I have done on numerous occasions.
I have every reason to feel dejected at your retirement ,as a fan. But... NO !!
This series should be treated as a celebration of an illustrious career. I will be following the series with utmost interest , and I will be delighted if you sign-off in remarkable style.
However , I assure you Dada , that if , GOD FORBID ( !! ) , you don't score , we as fans will not be let down. As I said , I look forward to the series as a glorious end to such a remarkable career.
I will give you a standing ovation , when you walk out of the pavilion , for the last time . And I am at a loss of words to predict and describe my feelings , when you leave the field for the last time.
Dada , I would like to tell you that we as fans of Indian cricket will forever be indebted to you , for your immense contribution to India's favourite sport. The joy you have given us , over the years , is priceless.
Dada , I wish you all the very best in life. The blessings of countless Indian Cricket fans , will forever be with you.
Everyone in India , from Chennai to Chandigarh , from Mumbai to Meerut , from Gandhinagar to Gangtok ,from Kochi to your dear Kolkata , will miss you .
Thank you Dada , for all the wonderful memories . God bless you.
The Royal Bengal Tiger ,might stop roaring after this series , but the roar will forever stay in the hearts of Indians across the world.
DADA , you rock !!!!!!
Cheers
A DIE-HARD INDIAN CRICKET FAN
3 Comments:
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Im one of dadas biggest fan tis post is very true but sad all tis had 2 come up suddenly ...
Wishing dada Best Of luck in th future...
Cheers
All the very best dada....
gr8 post bro..!!!1