The end of an era

i watched cricket more as a form of art than as a sport..the master craftsmen, the artistes at work with lavish straight drives and elegant wristy leg glances and divine square cuts..all master pieces, priceless works of art...

with questions on the "fab four", and Sourav Ganguly's last test in the offing, my heart is heavy as the realisation dawned on me that this is the last that we cricket lovers shall see of these gems of strokes, the last of their makers too..

the twenty20 form has heralded the new dawn of brute force, of big shots and with the last of the best on the verge of bidding adieu it could be the end of cricket as we know it..

rest in peace, cricket.

long live cricket.

Farewell Jumbo..

A bolt from the blue.

Anil Kumble retires. Jumbo bids farewell to international cricket. A great cricketer- arguably the best. More than that, a Great Man.

A deluge of memories flooded the cricket lover's mind on this sombre moment..The ten wickets at the same ground where he bowled his last, many a match winning performance around the world when all but this man gave up..

But at the top of the list still remains his 1 wicket..

The wicket of Brian Lara in the West Indies...There the match was poised at a critical juncture and the rest of the Indian bowlers ineffective as ever, with Kumble retired hurt due to a broken jaw, courtesy Mervin Dillon, when the fans and connoisseurs noticed this large-hearted man at the sidelines of the field getting his jaw literally tied up from the physio Andrew Leipus..

And then he came on and bowled the over of his life.. my jaw ached when i saw his move..my heart in pain for his suffering...but my heart rejoicing for his courage..

Long live his courage...bye bye jumbo...