KINGS OF THE WORLD........... A POSTCARD FROM THE WANKHEDE STADIUM, MUMBAI

Like a hurricane they came, steamrolling the opposition on their way

Critics and skeptics watched in dismay , as the Indians made the Lankans pay 

Not a foot wrong  last night, everything MS did  was so right

Victory was there for the taking, and now there was no more waiting

With a towering six  the cup was sealed, the nation roared and  the world kneeled. 

FROM ASHES TO LASHES............CAPTAIN EXTRAORDINAIRE , THEN AND NOW ON A POSTCARD

It's rather sad to see  the end of an era.....a great captain's invincible winning streak coming to a bitter end. Ricky has been there, has done it all and with aplomb.Though today it was a different story. Today at MCG, England scripted a new saga in one the greatest sporting rivalries of all times. Retaining  the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years is no mean achievement for Andrew Strauss and his men. They have taken the game to a new level. England was a better side by a huge margin and  the mighty Aussies of yesterday, well, mere shadow of their exceptional past.

Kudos to England, and to captain extraordinaire all I want to say is........................Nobody can remain at the top forever. Everything that goes up has to come down. And I guess it's time for you to have a serious talk with yourself Ricky. Nobody is questioning your commitment or the class. It's just a natural process I guess. The hunger as a captain seem to have gone. The flame is flickering and it's better that you put it off yourself and contribute to the cause of Aussie cricket from outside. There is still hell of a lot that you can do for this fabulous sport. 

So long Captain. Thank you so much for all the glorious cricketing moments and numerous classy centuries. What you have achieved wearing the baggy green, most can only dream about.


Yours truly,

An Ardent Fan

A THANK YOU NOTE TO THE COUNT OF CRICKETING WORLD..............POSTCARD FOR LORD TON-DULKAR

Since lot has been already said and written about the glorious 50 from the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and a small postcard can only carry as much, yours truly shall keep it short and simple.

Yes, the man is simply unstoppable, Yes, he is only competing against himself .Having already written his name on every record book, on almost every page of cricketing folklore, his voracious appetite for runs just doesn't seem to stop. In fact it  hasn't diminished  a wee bit, if you ask me.  The world is privileged to have seen him use his willow like a magic wand time and time again, ever since he made his debut as a teenager.  As I was telling somebody earlier in the afternoon, in the cricketing arena on one side you have Sachin and on the other you've got  rest of the pack.........who are always playing catch-up. But I am afraid  the hunt will not bear any fruits and all their efforts will go in vain. For there will never ever be another one like him for a long long time to come.

Thanks Sachin for 50 GLORIOUS GEMS..........every single one priceless.

BREAKING NEWS !!............IT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT 26/12/09 AT FEROZSHAH KOTLA

"We want to apologize to all the fans, the cricketing teams - India & Sri Lanka, for playing spoil sport. We shouldn't have done it on a cold winter night, especially on the pitch"

Well ! now that the tale about the night of passion of our four legged friends is out............Delhi Cricket Association can breathe easy and blame the Department of Animal husbandry for not doing enough to keep the loving couple under check.

HEY ! THE BUCK SHOULD NEVER STOP MATE.....PLAY THE BLAME GAME . Sad, isn't it?? But look around, it happens all the time.

And guess what ? Commonwealth Games are up next. You can expect anything............IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA.

TENDLYA !......THE NATIONAL TREASURE

Have you ever thought, what it takes to survive in today's demanding sports arena. Trust me even if you are a genius, it's a monumental task to keep the momentum going in the top flight in any sport for 20 years.

Sachin Tendulkar's exploits with the willow has already become part of cricketing folklore around the world. He had a rollicking start to his career and has never looked back. He has earned the respect of both, his admirers as well as his staunch critics, by his dogged determination and unending quest for big scores.

Sacred Observatory would like to congratulate the little master for making India Proud and providing us with umpteen joyous occasions over the last two decades.

THANKS SACHIN !............YOU ARE INDEED ONE OF THE GREATEST GENTLEMEN CRICKETER TO HAVE PLAYED THIS FABULOUS GAME. IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE AND HONOUR TO HAVE SEEN YOU BATTLE THE ODDS AND WIELD YOUR MAGIC , MATCH AFTER MATCH, YEAR AFTER YEAR.

FALLEN LORDS........BROKEN HEARTS !!

I agree, a purist has no business to comment or criticise the lackluster show of our very own Lords of T 20 at the mecca of cricket, the Lords, last night.

But the passion for the sport runs deep and flows unabated through these veins even after all these years. Can't just sit back and see the team in disarray. Once again, we have failed to rise to the occasion, and this time, due to the lack of application from its budding stars. It was appalling the way we went about chasing a modest total. I am not convinced about the mental approach of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina at the top. I was shocked to hear Rohit's comment in the previous match after getting out cheaply. " I should have scored, but that's the way I play, its OK " , what an irresponsible thing to say. Every player is important when it's time for deliverance. T 20 isn't just about going hammer and tongs, it's also about commitment and discipline.

I think the sooner our younger lot learns about this, the better it's going to be for their own good. Hope Rohit and Suresh are listening.

Ah! The Wanderers!!

Johannesburg slept late last night. And the reason, an absolute humdinger, the grand finale of IPL T 20 at the Wanderers Stadium, between Deccan Chargers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. A nail-biter that went right down to the wire. Wow ! what a match!!

It was such a close encounter till the end. Boy! It was crazy out there.The boyz from Hyderabad were absolutely fired -up when they bowled to defend a modest total. I love this guy, Andrew Symonds,a typical Aussie. He started the verbal assault right from the word go, sparring no one. I don't blame him, cricket nowadays has become a mind game. As a batsman you have to insulate yourself from all the non sense that's being thrown at you. You need to watch out for players like Symo who will try to derail your concentration by dragging you away from the game. Mental toughness is the key in crunch matches like this one.

Kudos! to Adam Gilchrist & mates for coming out trumps in this edition of IPL.

STAND N DELIVER.! ...GO FETCH!!

"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER"! that's how I want to describe , last nights killer assault by one of my all time favorite cricketer ADAM " THE BEAST" GILCHRIST. Team Delhi was sent on a leather hunt right from the word go. I haven't seen a more brutal knock than what was on display at Centurion yesterday, in a long time.

At times, I am amazed at the quality of some of these guys. I think they still have lot of cricket left in them. Adam is such a sweet timer of the ball. I can pay an arm and a leg to watch him wield that willow, anytime, anywhere.

THANKS GILLY FOR YET ANOTHER HISTORIC KNOCK. I don't think Deccan Chargers could have asked for a better Skip. YOU ARE SPECIAL!

IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC !! Forever Sultan Of Tweak

The Talisman has still got it. Those two vicious deliveries last night were good enough to prove that the blonde sultan hasn't lost any of his magical powers. Boy! didn't he foxed them stupid. Poor Virat Kholi and B Akhil simply couldn't read the ball. And as if the power demo wasn't enough, he flew like a bird to catch a cracking shot by Dravid to end his fabulous innings of 66.

Though Team Jaipur was humiliated in the end by the Royal Challengers from Bangalore in the second edition of IPL at South Africa, but Shane Warne the losing captain couldn't have asked for a better start to his personal form . One thing is for sure, the other teams will have to watch out for the legendary leggy in the coming games. Every time he has that ball in his hand.....IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC!!

A fine day among the Lords.......Lords of 83 !!

I want to thank my dearest buddy Sanju for an awesome day at Jaypee Greens Golf Club, Greater Noida. If not for him, I wouldn't have got this opportunity to get up-close with the dream cast , the legends of 1983 world cup winning team.

25 years on..........but still that sweet smell of success is so fresh. Age has caught up with the fabulous bunch but the spirits are still soaring. Cracking jokes, a little nudge here, a little nudge there, pulling each other, the camaraderie was so evident even after all these years............Wow !!

Credit goes to the incomparable organiser, The UB Group for getting the whole act together............for taking us back in time , to that day, when the whole nation went into a state of frenzy, marveling the herculean effort of these great cricketers.

Come 25th June the focus shifts to the Mecca of cricket, Lords. Where another set of celebration of the famous conquest awaits them.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS DAY..............A DAY AMONG THE LORDS!!

Much Ado About Nothing !!.....gimme the real thing, anyday

Much has been said and written about the mega success of IPL. Right from the start it was hailed as the best thing that has happened to the shorter version of the game. For a purist like me it's a disgrace, a mockery of the real thing. Ever thought how exciting an affair, a 10 over match can be. Yes! just 60 balls a side. Don't you dare call me crazy! I mean it. Imagine four's and sixers raining every over.

Cricket is a mind game. As much as it is about skill and application, it is also about character and mental toughness. For aficionados of the game, test cricket would always be special. This traditional, true form of cricket is like a game of chess. Every move counts. One wrong step can lead to catastrophic consequences.The battle lines are drawn from the moment the coin is tossed. The weather, the track, the ground, the stadium, the crowd, everything tells a story. Cricketing history is littered with great tales of rivalries, of one teams unbridled passion to succeed against all odds. Who doesn't remember the bitter rivalry between eternal foes Australia VS England, India VS Pakistan. Every confrontation a magnum opus.

Wow!! I love this game. I can go on and on, but the truth is 20 - 20, is just a fun thing and not the testing ground of the real character, it is not the abode of supermen.

P.S - Apologies to all the friends who've received small dents in their coffers as proud owners of various teams. Even though IPL ain't my cup of tea, mark my prophecy, the next edition is going to be a even bigger success.