Tendulkar's batting - a form of genius

Sachin Tendulkar completed the most extraordinary feat yesterday in scoring a double-hundred in the second game of the ongoing one-day international series against South Africa. More than a decade has gone by since Saeed Anwar scored a magnificent 194 against India at Madras, a knock which I had the great privilege of watching, yet although Charles Coventry playing for Zimbabwe matched that achievement against Bangladesh last year, no cricketer has surpassed the mark laid down by the elegant Pakistani. Although teams have scored and chased more than 400, as an individual milestone, the 200 run-mark, although conceivable seemed insurmountable, until Tendulkar attained it yesterday in a display of imperious batsmanship.

Tendulkar’s knock contained everything that one can hope to see in a one-day international innings – a rollicking start, drives hit on the up with supreme technical excellence, front foot flicks of rare precision, an array of improvised modern-day strokes, masterful consolidation in the middle overs, a sudden surge of runs approaching the ‘death overs’ and even a nervy stint in the 190s, for a change. The nature of the wicket and the size of the ground at Gwalior, certainly played its part in making the mark attainable, but the extent of Tendulkar’s gargantuan effort cannot be underestimated.

Any tribute to Tendulkar, often stresses on the sheer weight of his records, which although incomparable at the moment, may not be entirely incapable of being bettered. Even if some day surpassed, his records will certainly stand testimony to his greatness, but statistics will always remain only a part of the story. Tendulkar’s batting has to be seen to be believed. Endowed with impeccable balance, a technique of pristine excellence, a sense of exquisite timing and more than anything else an insatiable appetite for success, his batting is a true joy to behold. There have been batsmen of prettier elegance, of superior grit, of greater power, but Tendulkar outshines all, for reasons that cannot be explained, if not viewed. Oscar Wilde once famously said that “beauty is a form of genius - is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation.” Maybe, Sachin Tendulkar's batting, much like ‘beauty’ is a form of genius.

Milan succumb to Rooney's brilliance

On Tuesday night, Manchester United overcame both glaring inadequacies on their own part and a patchily classy performance from AC Milan to secure a definite advantage in their Round of 16 Champions League tie. The fact that both teams were beset by ill-judged manoeuvres all over the pitch and the fact that they were both capable of producing intermittent moments of brilliance, meant that the game made interesting viewing. In the end, it was a virtuoso performance from Wayne Rooney in the second half, which tipped the tie convincingly in favour of Manchester United who will return to Old Trafford, knowing that Milan will at the very least have to score two goals to progress to the next round.

In what enhanced an already flustered opening to the game, United’s carelessness at the back coupled with Ronalidinho’s willingness to take on the volley, when lesser players would have been prone to needless deliberation, saw AC Milan take the lead as early as in the third minute. Evra’s miscued clearance from a David Beckham free kick, fell kindly for Ronaldinho, whose volley seemed to be covered by Van der Sar, but a deflection off Carrick, meant that the ball found its way into the far corner. If they weren’t already rattled by the intimidating San Siro atmosphere, the goal certainly put United completely off their track giving rise to a period of stunning dominance from Milan. The Italians dominated possession in typically refined fashion and could have easily scored two or three more, if not for their profligacy in front of goal. Ronaldinho, in particular, spurred by his strike was in dazzling form and treated his compatriot Rafael to as torrid as time as the young right back would have experienced in his short career thus far.

Although comprehensively outclassed in the first period, United were able to go into the break, level on goals, courtesy an embarrassingly fortuitous finish from Paul Scholes, who sought to volley a Darren Fletcher cross with his right foot, only for the ball to strike his standing foot and trickle wide of Dida into the Milan goal. Even as the players were celebrating the equaliser, Sir Alex Ferguson tore into Jonny Evans who had been shockingly dreadful up until that point. Much of United’s initial sloppiness though, may have well been Ferguson’s own doing as he lined his team up in a strangely asymmetrical manner. Fletcher, Carrick and Scholes formed a midfield three to match Milan’s central midfield, but with Park Ji Sung starting ahead of the trio, Fletcher was forced into performing the role of a left winger as well as essay the task of a conventional central midfielder. Fletcher though showed every bit of his consummate professionalism as he went about the task with supreme verve and even managed to create two of United’s three goals.

Pursuant to what must have surely been a heated half time talk, the second period saw a resurgent Manchester United take the game to Milan, in a manner more befitting of the English champions. Antonio Valencia who was sent in place of Nani with the specific mandate of attacking Milan’s thirty eight year old left back Giuseppe Favalli, did that and more, when he beat Favalli on the outside and crossed into the far post, for Rooney to finish impressively with his head. Buoyed by their lead, United exuded greater confidence in their passing and movement and may have been forgiven for thinking that they had settled the tie entirely in their favour, when Rooney completed his brace after some neat interplay with Fletcher. Having expertly controlled and held up a long ball from the back, Rooney immaculately laid the ball back to Fletcher, whose delightful chipped ball back into the path of Rooney, was headed into the back of the net with newfound aplomb.

Having gone up 3-1, one would have expected Man United to show adequate nous and retain possession in a more assured manner, but the Reds were guilty of being incautiously adventurous as they allowed Milan to claw one back. Clarence Seedorf, who came on for Beckham, conjured a moment of sublime magic to finish past Van Der Sar with an elegant back heel after a smart cutback from Ronaldinho. In the end though, in spite of having huffed and puffed for large periods, United must be satisfied for having not only beaten Milan at the San Siro, but also for having scored three away goals, which makes Milan’s task in the second leg exceedingly difficult, if not utterly impossible.

A Reminder of Cricket's Allure

Lately, I have been spending time watching odd cricket games, the scores of which, I may have at best, glanced at in the past, but regardless, it reminded me of why I am so beguiled by the game, which I have joyfully grown up watching. Among the myriad pleasures that cricket offers, watching an innings of elegant and authoritative batsmanship stands desperately close to the perch, if not on it. The game between Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the first round of the Subbhai Pillai Trophy may not have been the most enticing of contests, but it contained an innings of captivating beauty from K.B. Arun Karthik.

With Tamil Nadu, chasing a mere 190 for victory, Karthik walked in to bat after the early loss of opener S. Aniruddha. Having taken his time to settle down, Karthik unleashed a storm of scintillating strokes on either side of the wicket. Assured with the movement of his feet, Karthik drove with consummate and delightful ease through the offside and any delivery erring on the shorter side was dispatched over midwicket with dismissive simplicity.

The size of the target may have had much to do with Karthik’s approach to the innings, but in spite of an efficient spell from Sreesanth, Karthik was supremely poised and in complete control of his bearings throughout his ebullient knock. Left arm spinner P. Prashanth, was treated with particular disdain, as he was hammered in a single over for a six over midwicket and for a brace of boundaries through the same area. Unable to find gaps through conventional means against part time off spinner Rohan Prem, Karthik remained composed and resorted to the scoop behind the wicket keeper, every time the shot was on.

Of all the pretty strokes that he played, a back foot cover drive off Sreesanth to bring up his half century stood out for its immaculate placement and exquisite timing. Having reached his fifty off just forty deliveries, Karthik showcased tremendous temperament in consolidating his innings with the effortlessness of an established professional. Just, when it seemed that the scantiness of the target, may cause Karthik to miss out on a deserved ton, he launched a huge six over long on and followed it up with a sumptuous drive over extra-cover to reach the three figure mark.

Possibly, my eulogies are a touch excessive for an innings played against an almost amateurish Kerala team, but the pleasures that Karthik’s knock invoked in me cannot be ignored. It may not have been an innings of atypical grace or extraordinary authority played against the best of opponents, but it was certainly littered with strokes that were as gorgeous as they were effective. I am not sure what future Karthik has in store for himself in the game, but his century certainly proved a reminder of cricket’s truly alluring charm.

Capello rules on England's captaincy

The decision to remove John Terry from his post as captain of England’s football team may not have required much deliberation, but the manner in which the decision was arrived at, reemphasises Capello’s managerial judgment and authority. Terry’s position had become utterly untenable, not merely because of his latest moral transgression, but due to a series of imprudent actions. As easy as the decision may have been, Capello must be lauded for acting as swiftly as he did and for exerting his control in typically imposing fashion. The value of a captain in international football has been slightly overstated and it would have been a dreadful misjudgement to retain Terry as the skipper, purely for his supposed on-field leadership qualities. The captain of England’s football team is more a face of the team than a leader of men as some may have you believe and Capello’s choice of ridding Terry of the armband comes as no surprise.

Equally unsurprising is Capello’s decision to hand the mantle to Rio Ferdinand, who has matured tremendously, both as a player and as a person since the indiscretions he famously manifested when he missed a drugs test in 2003. Ferdinand who was often criticised in the past for his failure to make most of his precocious talent has improved both the physical and mental aspects of his game and is no longer blighted by the lapses in concentration that disrupted the early phases of his career. Besides ironing out deficiencies in his game, Ferdinand has developed as a fine role-model, particularly through the stellar work that he has performed in relation to anti-racism campaigns. Although Gary Neville has been the club captain for Manchester United over the course of their three successive championships, the influence of Ferdinand, both on and off the field cannot be underemphasised. The only concern is the injuries that have bothered him over the course of the present season, but Capello probably believes that the worst of his troubles are now behind him and that he should be amply fit to lead England out in the World Cup finals.

"He is the king, he is the master"

In displaying the most unique combination of brutality and elegance, Roger Federer dismissed both Britain’s and Andy Murray’s Australian Open hopes by lifting his 16^th grand slam title. The score in many ways is deceptive as Murray was anything, but ordinary. Federer, though at times lifted his game to dizzying heights of brilliance, heights which, perhaps have never been reached by any other player in the history of the game. After having broken Murray early in the opening set, Federer suffered a temporary stutter with Murray breaking back, but with the Scot serving at 3-4, Federer wrestled the initiative back by producing a brand of ruthlessly imperious tennis that we have now almost come to expect from him. He followed a glorious backhand down the line with a sumptuously hammered forehand winner to give himself the edge in the first set, which he consolidated in typically authoritative fashion in the following game to take the set, 6-3. Federer tends to up his game in the biggest of stages and the first set in particular was testament to this outstanding talent that he possesses.

Having zipped ahead, Federer was never going to let go of the initiative and the second set exemplified some of his remarkable qualities that sets him apart from the rest. Serving with venomous efficiency and by producing stupendous angles on his ground strokes, he infused a sense of urgency to his game, which left Murray, literally gasping for breath. I have always felt that Murray uses the geometry of a tennis court to better effect than any other player, but on this day, Federer was quite simply matchless. Murray came into the match with a definite strategic plan of playing more towards Federer’s backhand, but with Federer in such sublime form, Murray’s tactics were rendered insignificant.

The third set finally saw Murray exhibit some of the form that he had produced en route to the final, only to be thwarted both by his own inadequacies in finishing of the big points and the sheer brilliance of Federer. Murray broke Federer’s serve and raced to a 5-2 lead, but the Swiss maestro fought back splendidly and took the set to a tie-break, which he won 13 points to 11, but not before Murray had spurned several wonderful opportunities. An inevitably pessimistic response is sure to follow Murray’s loss, but there were moments in the game, when Murray showed us exactly why he is so highly regarded. He would do well not to be overly disheartened by the loss, as it was more a case of Federer’s genius than his own frailties, which tipped the game convincingly in Federer’s favour. I am sure the world will witness Murray picking up a few grand slam triumphs as he certainly has the game to do it, but as for this final, it merely reconfirms the fact that Federer is perhaps the greatest of all time.

On Clarke, Vieira and the Title Race

There are few better sights in world cricket at the moment than watching Michael Clarke in full flow. The last couple of years have seen Clarke fulfil some of his remarkable potential by combining enterprising stroke play with superb temperament. Without losing any of the exuberance that he possessed as a young cricketer and without curbing any of his natural instincts, Clarke has added tonnes of steel to his batting and has matured into one of the finest batsmen in the world. His century against Pakistan at the Bellerive Oval contained a beautiful blend of pleasing drives and sumptuous cuts and in the process exhibited a form of refined elegance which is rarely seen in today’s T-20 crazy days.

Watchful at the beginning of his innings, Clarke slowly unleashed the full range of his strokes and together with a resurgent Ponting, Pakistan’s attack was put to the sword in typically ruthless fashion. Clarke was particularly splendid against Danish Kaneria, using his nimble feet to dazzling effect, never for one moment allowing the leg spinner to settle into any form of rhythm. In many ways, this innings of Clarke’s, exemplifies his journey as a cricketer, which has seen a brash young talent transformed into one of Australia’s most trusted and responsible batsmen. By adding method to his flair, Clarke has developed into a batsman of supreme international repute and the years to come could see Clarke realise the full value of his outstanding potential and take his place amongst the pantheon of cricketing greats.

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Patrick Vieira’s signing is viewed by many as a gamble, but it’s a gamble worth taking in my opinion. Manchester City are in desperate need of leadership and someone like Vieira is just the kind of commanding presence that City requires to take them up the ladder. Vieira may be past his prime and may be incapable of donning the ‘box to box’ role that he once performed with marvellous vigour for Arsenal, but he still brings with him an abundance of experience and undoubted nous, which are qualities that City are certainly lacking at the moment.

Vieira’s physical prowess often overshadows his composure on the ball and his metronomic passing ability, which are attributes that put him together with Roy Keane at the summit of the best midfielders that the Premier League has witnessed. At the moment, with Carlos Tevez in exceptional form, all looks merry for City, but when the going gets tough, having someone like Vieira in the line-up is likely to do more good than harm. I believe the signing represents a win-win situation for the club, considering that they have only temporarily loaned Vieira and therefore possess the option of releasing him at the end of the season if his performances fail to match up to Mancini’s lofty expectations.

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The title race this season has probably been the most open ever in Premier League history, but its more a product of the increasing mediocrity amongst the bigger clubs than a case of any drastic improvement from the others. Of course the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have shown a definite advancement, but the performance of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have unquestionably dropped. Liverpool’s plight has been well documented and there is little left to be said about the scale of their tremendous decline. With Gerrard, Torres and Benayoun picking up new injuries and with scant funds available for any significant purchases, there may well be no light at the end of the tunnel for Liverpool. Chelsea may be top of the league and may have showcased reasonable consistency, but the evidence of their form over December and the loss of Drogba and Essien to the African Cup of Nations, would suggest that Chelsea’s best form is probably past them and that they are far from the potent force that many believed they are at the start of the season. Manchester United have done little to alleviate the loss of Ronaldo and strangely seem to be incapable of any creative invention on the field. To go with the terrible injury crisis at the back, Ferguson seems to be stuck in some sort of new found conservatism, which has seen the United attack looking woefully blunt and incapable of unlocking even the most pedestrian of defences.

Arsenal are perhaps the only club amongst the so-called big four who have moved up a notch this season and the signing of Thomas Vermaelen, represents a rare success for Wenger as far as signing central defenders is concerned. The likes of Alexandre Song, Aaron Ramsey and Bacari Sagna have all been quietly impressive and with the belief and emphasis that is laid on attacking play, Arsenal have not only been the best side to watch this season, but have also been the strongest. The Gunners haven’t lost any of their fluidity in attack and have solidified significantly at the back, but there is far too much football left this season, to state with any level of confidence that they are best placed to lift the title. The coming months of football are sure to make fascinating viewing, but I only hope there is an improvement in the quality of football to go with the astonishingly open title race.

Thierry ain't no Saint and more

Henry the Cheat

I have seen the incident involving Thierry Henry against the Republic of Ireland last night a few times and the more I see it, the more deliberate an act it looks. It’s quite unbelievable that Henry did what he did, for he has an otherwise untarnished reputation to go with his remarkable footballing qualities. Together with his fellow countryman, Eric Cantona, Henry will undoubtedly go down as the leading player of the Premier League era, but this blatant act of cheating, is sure to send Henry’s reputation down a few notches amongst the fans of the British game.

Joe Cole: Sole English Genius

England have now lost to France, Brazil and Spain under Fabio Capello and in spite of their superb qualifying campaign, doubts persist about England’s ability to rub shoulders against the heavyweights of world football. England’s troubles arise primarily out of a lack of creative influence in the middle of the park, the presence of somebody who can bring a game alive with a bit of magic. Rooney tends to drop into the hole and tries to act as the creative force, but often the movement in front of him is far too unimaginative for his vision to come to the fore. With Lampard and Gerrard tending to rely more on their physical prowess, Capello will have to turn to Joe Cole to provide England with the inventiveness and guile that could be so vital in taking them to the next level. If Cole is fit, Capello has to find some way to fit him in, as he remains the sole English player who is capable of turning a game on its head purely with his ingenious skill and ability.

Ancelotti: Tactically Outstanding

Now that Russia have failed to qualify for the finals of the World Cup, Guus Hiddink is sure to be hot in demand for some of the top managerial posts around Europe. But Chelsea, with whom he had a golden stint last season, will be more than content having Carlo Ancelotti at the helm. Hiddink was astoundingly brilliant during his time at Stamford Bridge, but Ancelotti with his rich European experience and with Chelsea’s transfer ban lifted, albeit temporarily, is likely to have a far more sustained impact. The Italian has brought all his tactical nous with him from Milan and in instilling a diamond in midfield, has ensured that Chelsea play in a set-up that best suits the players at their disposal. With Joe Cole and Deco alternating at the apex of the diamond and Ballack and Lampard acting as the shuttling players and the immense Michael Essien at the base, barring Barcelona, Chelsea inarguably have the strongest midfield in Europe. The system does have its weaknesses though, which were admirably exposed by Manchester United last weekend who were extremely unlucky to come away with nothing from Stamford Bridge. But by and large Chelsea have been in impressive form throughout the season and the fact that Hiddink is not required at Stamford Bridge speaks volumes about the job that Ancelotti has done so far this season.