Why The Era Of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid Was Best For A Cricket Fan?
Dec 2, 2016 at 5:23 PM
I still vividly remember it was around four in the morning and my alarm bell started to ring. A sleepy-eyed 13-year-old woke up and went straight to switch on his television set, much to the surprise of his mother, who had tried to wake him up early in the morning umpteenth numbers of time but to no avail. But probably, she knew the reason behind it and did not react. Well, all my sleep and lethargy disappeared in no time when I saw Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman destroying Australia’s pace attack in Sydney during the historic 2003-04 series. Sourav Ganguly’s men once again gave the millions of Indians another reason to feel proud with a heroic display against the all-conquering Australian team.
The likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble started a new chapter in Indian cricket which made the millions across the country live and breath cricket. In a land of many religions and cultures, nothing united the Indians like those players. The players every heart with their unflappable and never say die attitude. The maverick Ganguly led his team to numerous wins that have become a part of the cricketing folklores. A bare-chested Ganguly waving his shirt from the lofty heights of the Lord’s balcony is still fresh in every cricket fan’s mind. His men taught their countrymen to become fearless by their brave attitude on the pitch. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, the golden generation of Indian cricket came to an end. One by one, all stalwarts bid adieu to the game and left a large void behind them.
While there is no denying the fact that the players who replaced those legendary cricketers have taken the Indian cricket to unprecedented heights, the emotional connect between the new players and the fans has taken a slight beating. Although, I am not very sure about others, I have my fair and share of doubts whether I will be able to wake up at four in the morning to watch the current crop of players in action.
At first, I thought watching too much cricket might be a reason for my current situation but now I am very much sure that overdose is not a reason. With my faith in the game already shaken, it took another tumbling with the arrival of the Indian Premier League, which has commercialised the game.
For a guy who saw Laxman and Dravid batting over 100 overs to help India snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat against the mighty Aussies at Eden Gardens, it was very painful to see the batsmen flourishing by slogging the bowlers.
For a guy who saw Sachin Tendulkar toiling hard against world-class bowlers to score a century, it is very painful to see the modern batsmen scoring tons every now and then with the modern bats and the rules in their favour.
For a guy who saw the team winning Test matches in Leeds, Adelaide and Nottingham, it was very painful to see the team getting whitewashed in England and Australia.
For a guy who saw Anil Kumble bowling with a broken jaw for the sake of the country, it is very painful to see today’s players preferring money over country.
For a guy who saw Andy Flower playing over 500 balls to save a Test in India, it is very painful to see the deteriorating quality of the game.
Now coming to the general mass, I think it would be safe to say that they are also not enjoying the game too much right now. A vacant seat in a cricket stadium was a rarity during the times of Tendulkar and Dravid but now the sorry state of the stadiums tells a different story altogether. The somber sight of rows and rows of empty seats is a stark reality that the fans are finding it tough to get connected with the players of this generation.