An Emperor’s Essay

December 7, 2006 at 12:19 pm 4 comments

Harsha Bhogle on Sachin Tendulkar’s painstaking knock in the final ODI against South Africa:

The emperor was bereft of his robes and was walking the streets like a common man; playing and missing, getting hit on the pads, carrying a bat without a middle when once it only had that; unable to play shots with his eyes open that he otherwise would have with his eyes shut.

But he didn’t throw it away, didn’t attempt the tempting but fatal upper cut to third man. Instead he dug in and tried to get behind the line. He was like a writer with writer’s block, where three metaphors would have presented themselves he was looking into the thesaurus for words. But he still wrote his essay. There was a message there for younger, flashier players who, unable to complete even a limerick exited with just a “There was a young man from India” on their sheet.

Brilliant. Read the complete article here.

Entry filed under: Extras.

Poetic Justice End Game

4 Comments Add your own

1. Gaurav | December 8, 2006 at 3:34 pm

All players go through bad phases. In Tendulkar’s case people are not accustomed to this phenomena. Now, Law of averages is just proving that He is also mortal. He can also falter. hence,he will also rise. One should be happy that belief in God has just got stronger, that probably even tendulkar’s wish cannot override a bigger decree.

But, the Will reigns supreme. In the end God will have to agree. He has got some competition !!
2. Tim | December 11, 2006 at 12:06 am

Great blog mate, you fancy exchaing links with http://www.third-umpire.blogspot.com ?

I have already added your link.
3. Gaurav | December 19, 2006 at 1:14 am

So, what do you have to say about India’s first win in S Africa.
So many lucks have been reversed in one match !!

Dravid, Chappell, ganguly, Sreeshanth, Zaheer !!
Amazingly eventful match.
4. Abhinav | December 28, 2006 at 12:11 am

Only Tendulkar, or maybe Dravid can do such a thing in the Indian Cricket team, to fight it out.
In the Words of the great Rocky Bilabao (Sylvester Stalone), “It ain’t over till its over.”