SUMMER OF 1985

 

I could only listen and read about the win of India in the 1983 Prudential World Cup.I was very young and it was my father who told endless times the story of the famous win to me and my younger siblings.

By the time the 1985 Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket took place in Australia, I started to play cricket. With no television, the print media and the radio were the only sources of information.

But there was a problem. The event was to be followed by 10^th class examinations that in many ways are life defining for most of us, even now. My mother would not let me have the radio near me and so while she was busy with her school or household chores, I would get the scores from my younger brothers.

The win made me take to cricket after the examinations.It is true that I could not make much of an impact on the cricket field as well on the result sheets of later examinations, but cricket has remained with me since that eventful day of 1985.

Months after the famous win in Australia the son of a successful businessman of my town started to make money by showing the video footage of the finals between India and Pakistan.It was not that difficult to ask for money from father much to the chagrin of my mother.

The win in 1983 was considered a fluke but the win in 1985 suddenly made India a team to reckon with in the future.It is this win that heralded many innovations. The carefree batting of Srikkanth at the top and the inclusion of two spinners in the team coupled with a large number of players who could bowl and also bat made the difference to the way one dayers have been played since. Also, let us not forget the fielding display put on by the Indians.

Two decades after the win in Australia, I could watch the recordings on the television and whenever I watch the same, I am taken back in time to the good old days.

In many ways, 1985 shall remain the most important year in my life. It was the year I stepped into the college minus the uniform and the opening prayer. It was also the year of the great victory for the Indian cricket team.

It was also the year when Boris Becker won the Wimbledon.

Let us all tip our hats to the winning team of 1985.

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WILL FEDERER WIN?

Since the trashing at Roland Garros at the hands of Nadal, Roger Federer has looked like an ordinary player. The loss at Wimbledon was not expected even by the most ardent followers of Nadal. Of course, one should not forget the loss of Federer to Novak Djokovic the first Slam of the year at Melbourne. With the scrappy showing so far in the year and the US Open, things are not looking rosy for the Swiss.The players who lost the match even before stepping onto the court until a year ago, are now confident of standing upto the fight.

In case Murray reaches the finals, Federer has a great chance to win at least one Slam this year. That would also enable him to win five consecutive championships.But if Nadal manages to put it past Murray and goes to the finals, the Spaniard becomes the favourite.

While Nadal has gone from strength to strength, Federer seems like a player who is just playing from his memory. Occasionally there are the familiar Federer streaks of pure brilliance, but mostly they are overshadowed by misses.

PEAKS BEING CONQUERED?

Sachin Tendulkar has been getting out in the 90s. He is unable to add to his tally of international hundreds. At the rate of the matches played by him and the 90 plus scores, there is little wonder that Sachin has the maximum. Fans and the commentators alike are anguished over the ‘failure’ of Sachin.

Roger Federer lost to Nalbandian and then to Gonzalez. In the season ending Master’s event at Shanghai where the top eight players compete, Federer lost to Gonzalez after taking the first set. His long time rival Andy Roddick was demolishing his opponents in the round robin event. Suddenly, there were some questions asked about Federer. Even if the Swiss master made it to the last four, there he had to go past his other great rival Nadal.

The failures of Sachin and the losses of Federer grabbed attention. There was a talk of the peaks being conquered.

Sachin has the maximum number of 90 plus scores in one dayers and he also owns the record for the largest number of tons. Any batsman would be proud to own the 90 plus scores and be called a good player. Similarly, there are very few players who can boast of a credible head-to-head record against Federer. Any player, who can match the accomplishments of Federer over the last two seasons in his entire career, would surely be considered as a good player. Such is the phenomenal record of the Swiss maestro.

In the fourth one dayer at Gwalior, Sachin looked at his best toying with the bowlers of Pakistan. Any doubts over the form of Federer were brushed off with disdain as was evident in the wins over Roddick and Nadal. As the clichéd saying goes “form is temporary, class is permanent”.

Sachin is in the final legs of a great career while Federer is someone who is till far away from the mid-life crisis of tennis professionals. There will always be moments when some opponent can score a point but there can no doubt over the greatness of these two players.

Mount Everest has been conquered many times since the day Hillary and Norgay set their foot on the tallest peak in the world. Flags of many nations have been planted at the top but Everest stands where it is. Sachin and Federer are setting the benchmarks for other players. Their achievements cannot be conquered while their records may be broken some day.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF FEDERER'S LOSSES

Roger Federer lost to David Nalbandian in the Madrid Masters. It was a rare event. Then Federer struggled to get past Michael Berrer in the first round at Basel.

Federer is expected to win all his matches. There are very few answers to the spectacular success of the Swiss, except may be on the red clay of the French Open. Now with these two losses, there are questions asked. Rightfully, the master fends them off as laughable.

The two losses just show that everyone including the truly great can have off days and there are times when the opponents can raise their game to great levels

GREAT TIMING

With the French Open coming up, things were not looking good for Roger Federer. The top ranked player lost to clay court specialists and questions were asked. The Spaniard, Raphael Nadal, was on the other hand, adding to his long winning streak on clay. Things could not get worse with Federer parting ways with his long time coach, Tony Roche. Suddenly, the prospect of a Grand slam appeared to be impossibility.

In the first set in the finals of the Hamburg Masters, it was Nadal all the way. Another clay court title was, it seemed, going his way. But from the second set, it was Federer who put up a superb display. The third set was won without dropping a game.

This augurs well for the French Open and fans are hoping for a Federer triumph. That would be a tough ask given the challenges posed by Nadal and others who favour the red clay of Paris.

The Grand slam chase is not over, at least for this season.