thousand cuts

Federer Vs Nadal: Beauty Against The Beast

Nadal and Federer, Federer and Nadal, can we mention one without naming the other?

Once upon a time, there was Roger Federer and the many dwarves. Then arrived Rafael Nadal like a light bulb whose incandescence just shone brighter and brighter. But not so much to eclipse a dwindling Federer but enough to illumine and bathe the ATP  tennis courts – each taking turns at being  sunbeam and  moonbeam.

We have all heard talk about how graceful Federer is on the tennis court, how he is balletic , fluid of motion and a purist’s delight.

We have also lauded Rafa for his continually improving game, noted how his serve has become much more faster and accurate, and exclaimed how he keeps adding facets to his game.

But if you and I were to single out one defining characteristic of these two outstanding protagonists of the modern game, what would it be?

Quote of the day:
In great affairs men show themselves as they wish to be seen; in small things they show themselves as they are. – Nicholas Chamfort

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Very, Very Special Laxman does an encore

On Laxman

Cometh the hour, cometh the man!

How trite it sounds, how repetitive , how boring.

But there is nothing trite about VVS Laxman,nothing monotonous and his sublime touch has cricket fans transfixed and spellbound.

He has always seemed the bridesmaid,never the bride.

Even though he has that very,very special 281 and that blinding, blistering 167, both against the Aussies, one at Kolkata, the other at Sydney in 2000 when he opened the innings at the outset of his career.The 167 denotes a period when the selectors persisted and insisted that he take up the opener’s role.

This at a time when although the Indian team had a multitude of contenders to the middle order , finding a regular opener to see off the new ball was an exercise in futility. Laxman, however, put his foot down and signaled his intention to stake a place in the middle or not play at all. For a lesser light it would have meant a premature eclipse to a budding career, but neither Laxman nor his claim to greatness could be denied, would be denied.

The 2001 home series against the Aussies cemented his place in the pantheon of cricketing greats. Laxman will always be identified by that defining, unbelievable, edifying knock against an Aussie side that seemed nigh invincible.

Steve Waugh’s kangaroos were made to bleed from a thousand cuts by a cavalier Laxman; the Eden loss also ended the Australian team’s run of sixteen victories on the trot. Interestingly, Australia’s world record of sixteen consecutive victories , was ended by India twice over. There really is something about an Aussie-India series; it brings out the best and sometimes the worst in both sides. A rivalry to match and perhaps surpass the Ashes.

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