The 'Specialist' All-rounder! (11th Mar, 2012)

While most ‘Quotable quotes’ that I’ve come across seem temporarily appealing, yet best left to adorn the books or the websites where they are found, there’s one that’s actually befitting to be put up in bold letters on my ‘Wall’ –

 “There’s no end to what you can achieve, if you don’t mind who gets the credit for it”!

And the man who’s brought this quote to life, and lived it not just in fleeting moments or passing phases, but every minute of his cricketing and personal existence that we’ve had the privilege to follow – Rahul Sharad Dravid!

The first and last steps of his journey in international cricket are indeed symbolic of his illustrious career and the man himself. He began with a bang but was apparently overshadowed by an equally illustrious peer, despite being a pivotal cog himself. And when he decided he was done, he unassumingly walked away, sans any fanfare, and resisting the temptation for what would have been a thoroughly deserved grand farewell.

And he was done, not because of the pain that the immediate past caused him, but for the long term gain he saw in letting the next generation establish themselves, given that India now play predominantly at home.  Even his worst critics, and the negligent or opportunistic cases of ‘short term memory loss’, would admit, that amongst all the people who one would have expected to bounce back from the disaster that Australia was, Dravid would top the list by a distance. That’s what he’s always done, that’s how he’s had to play his cricket, and he’s probably seen and heard much worse than this. For someone who’s found opportunities to evolve even where none seemed to exist, this was probably a relatively easier task. Yet, in another one of his innumerable selfless acts, he pulled the trigger. That he could selflessly look at the larger picture from a position where it’s easy, in fact almost a given, to be surrounded by a haze and in complete oblivion to all that’s around, is a testimony to what Dravid the person stood for.

He also stood for everything we learn as or like to teach kids, but over time shun as being too idealistic for the ‘real’ world. For what sports is and should be about, and that it’s possible to succeed while being honest, respectful, considerate and even appreciative, yet fiercely aggressive and competitive in spirit, all at the same time.
More importantly, he made us feel that he was one of us. Not necessarily someone who was ordained to play cricket, but one of us who, through sheer hard work and persistence, nurtured a talent and reached dizzying heights, yet making it seem realistic.

Had he not been a cricketer, or even a sportsman for that matter, he could just as well have been a spiritual guru – practicing and preaching non-attachment to results and to external attractions, concerning oneself only with the effort, turning inward to seek direction and motivation from deep within, being deeply concerned about all those around, and yet not influenced by them. But it’s our good fortune that he chose this religion to propagate the doctrine.

In all these years of religious following and emotional attachment with the sport, I didn’t shed tears when our team crumbled to one painful defeat after another, nor did I jump with joy at any of our enthralling wins. But hearing that I’ve seen the last of him in Indian colours left more than just a lump in the throat and a moist eye. Yes, he’s had that kind of an effect. Maybe simply because he’s epitomized what sport, and life, is meant to be – win or lose, but make sure you try - and try he surely did! We’ll continue to win and lose cricket games, but the sheer effort that he put in will never be visible again. He cared for us – you, me and millions of such unknown faces - and we could see it in his eyes.

As someone who considers the sport to be far greater than the individual, Dravid himself may not like to hear or believe that cricket will never be the same without him. But for those of us, who’ve grown up watching, admiring and learning from this institution of a man, cricket and sport at least as we have known it, will definitely not be the same.
And no, he didn’t bat like his life depended on it. He fought and he fought and he fought, like a brave warrior, as if battling to save your life and mine!

A salute to my favourite soldier - a great cricketer, a true sportsman, and above all, an exemplary human being!

HuJI, IM are lying...I am responsible!

Amongst the many distinct memories of my childhood, is that of a doubles match in one of my first badminton tournaments. Down match-point, my partner and I had a line-call to make, for a shot by our opponents that was clearly inside. But we called out. It saved us the game and we won the next one too, to win the match.

I soon found myself questioning that action (and many more such down the line) and how it deprived the opponents a deserved victory.

My response: Cold and indifferent. It’s alright, I said, the opponents did not even realise. Moreover, everyone does it; it’s a part of the game.

I wrote innumerable exams in school, most of which seemed insignificant to me. I wondered what the fuss was all about, and why did some of the others sweat over them so much. But when I gave the boards, the entrances, the ones that for whatever reason mattered to me, I promptly sought help from any friend or stranger willing to offer it in that exam hall.

What about those who refused to let their results reflect somebody else’s hard work?

My response: Too bad for them. They too had the choice, can’t help it if they chose not to. Tomorrow, I will get admission based on not whether I copied, but the marks I got.

I started driving a car. Observed all the rules, did not cut lanes, and didn’t jump the signal. But I slowly realised and convinced myself that at 12 in the night, with just a handful of cars around, there’s no point waiting for the signal to turn green. 12 soon became 11, then 10, then 9. Now I see no point in waiting unless there’s a cop around.

Why am I happy to find my way through even when others patiently wait for their turn, why am I eager to jump the signal, or get on to the wrong side of the road, all this at the cost of discomforting others?

My response: I need to ensure I get out of here first. The rest can take care of themselves.

I progressed to B-school, the grooming ground for aspiring corporate heads and entrepreneurs. I spent 2 years learning all the right things about management, leadership, business. Yet, when push came to shove, I did not think twice before ensuring that the CVs of some of my own colleagues did not reach the intended companies during the placements.

How could I be so indifferent to my fellow students, for some of whom a job is equivalent to a matter of life and death?

My response: It’s the name of the game. If I stopped by to make sure all of us get in, I’d be the first one to be left out!

I worked in large MNCs, known for their values and ethics, but spent as much effort in ensuring that I get credit for what I’ve not done, as in not letting someone else get theirs. I joined government service, to be able to contribute to the larger public good, but paid through my nose to get a posting of my choice. I paid huge donations to become a doctor, only to recover it from my helpless patients, to demand that they make the payment before I go ahead with the operation. I became a lawyer to help provide justice to the needy and innocent, but ended up conniving with the other lawyers and judges to prolong the case as much as possible, in order to milk clients while doing so. I built buildings so as to be able to provide housing to my fellow-beings, and was so eager to help them that I sold the same house to more than one party. I thought I would help protect the people and the city by donning the police uniform, but I chose instead to thrive on the helplessness and despondency of those very people, and used my uniform to instil fear, not amongst culprits, but amongst the ordinary citizens who dread having to deal with me.

Did I not for once think of all those innocent, helpless, less-privileged, less-fortunate people in all these instances, while I was busy building and protecting my own ivory towers, where I thought I was in isolation of those that I’m surrounded by and dependant on?

My response: I have but this one chance to make the most of what I have. I have not taken responsibility for the well-being of the whole world, and if someone else has to suffer because of my indifference, so be it.

Today, I am a politician, an MLA, a minister, having come through all these years of this very upbringing and background. But suddenly, I’m expected to turn it around, to be a different person, and change the rules of the game. Only because according to someone else, I should draw a line to how insensitive and indifferent I can be? If only it was so easy. I’ve always been used to pushing the envelope and shifting the goal posts to suit myself. And I continue to do so here, a place where I’m in a position of unparalleled power and unthinkably higher stakes. My response today is still the same, as it has been throughout these years. Only the stakes and the definition of what is acceptable have changed.

I could change too, but that would be a classic case of too little too late. There are the concerned ones amongst me, but too few of them to be able to make a substantial difference.

And yes, HuJI and IM are lying! They are taking responsibility for a situation, only exploitation of which is their doing, creation almost entirely mine. I agree that I am responsible, for the mess we see around, for the innumerable we see suffering.

But I also believe, that if I have to change, if I have to learn to be considerate to those around, if I have to realise that there’s only so far I can go by focusing all my attention on myself while ignoring even basic rights and needs of others who I willingly or unwillingly influence by my deeds – I have to learn these when I’m playing that first match, writing that first exam, driving my first car, working in my first job. It can’t happen when I’m sitting here in the twilight of my career, trying to fire-fight the situation that I’ve contributed towards creating – created not because I intentionally wanted to, but because that’s the only way I’ve always known!

How far is too far? - 14th July, 2011

Along with the usual & rightful politician bashing, we'd do well with some introspection too. What we are witnessing is, in a sense, a manifestation of what we, in our individual capacities & in our own different ways, are sowing - 'Look after your own self, let the world take care of itself'.
And in a scenario where each one of us draws their own lines, & has their own yardstick, who decides how far is too far?!!

The day after - 3rd Apr 2011

To those who've wondered for all these years, why we follow every possible match (one dayers, Tests, T20, Ranji too), every ball, all the highlights, the repeat telecasts, the analysis -
What each of us felt last night is just cumulative of all that this sport, our team and one player, over the years, have given us the chance to experience in different measures, from time to time! :)

It probably doesn't matter! :) - 1st Apr 2011

22 years - Of bringing an entire nation together each time he's walked on to the park; Of filling them with hope & pride, disappointment & ecstasy; Of being the lone warrior surrounded by ordinary fellow-men for a large part of the journey; Of working through it all to a stage where 14 others (superstars in their own right) have buckled down with a never-seen-before focus, intensity and discipline, almost as if obliged and owing it to their very own childhood hero.

A victory tomorrow would definitely be the icing on the cake & a small but fitting gift for his indescribable yet unassuming contribution. However, irrespective of the result and long after the dust has settled, and the hype & hysteria have died down, this more than anything else would still hold true - That the journey has indeed been worth a lot lot more than this destination!

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The Silver Lining

9 months…almost 9 months since I first decided that I’ve had enough of my current job, my job profile, this city and everything else that comes along with it, I still find myself in the very same environment, with the same feeling of having had enough, wanting to get out as quickly as I can. With just one slight difference.

All I saw then, and in the subsequent 7 odd months, was the fact that I was no longer doing the work I saw myself doing long-term, nor was I in the city or the company I wanted to be in. There was no point in staying back any longer, and each passing day was just another day wasted.
Now, with 9 months having passed since, there are a few realizations that have dawned. The surprising difficulty in moving out and finding a suitable job did raise self doubts about one’s ability & past choices made and brought to fore the uncertainties that life has to offer. However, rather fortunately, when it could just have all tipped over to reaching a stage of disillusionment, shaken self-confidence, pointless existence and many more such uncomfortable and lowly feelings, did a small light shine in the most unexpected of ways.

A twisted ankle, a torn ligament, inability to walk for 2 weeks followed by non-sporting action for at least 2 months – could have been just the final nail in the coffin of an already downward spiral of self-belief and purpose.
However, surprisingly and thankfully, that feeling lasted no more than a few hours. And it was a few hours, only because I forced myself to feel that I was terribly unlucky, that this latest occurrence was just further proof of my continued bad luck, and not because I really felt so.

Somewhere deep inside, there was a sense of calm. While everyone around seemed upset and anxious about me being out of action, I – who should really have been the one with those anxieties – didn’t find it all that bad, not even the prospect of the injury being a life long one. It suddenly seemed like it was not such a big deal, it could happen with anyone, and the one single thought that’s underlined my belief ever since – there must be some good in it. The proverbial silver lining in the cloud. The belief that had diminished with each passing day in those 7 months, seemed to have miraculously resurfaced, without even giving a proof of its existence, and in fact at a time when I might have questioned it even more.

I bided my time till I became mobile, but the moment I did, there was another realization – and an equally important one – that dawned. That it was alright to take solace in the fact that there must be some good in everything that happens, but for that good to surface and have a bearing on one’s life, the effort has to be put in even while going through one’s current ordeal. It isn’t enough to just be waiting for the time to pass, one has to work towards making it pass. And as you do that, you start to enjoy the current phase too. You discover things that you might not have otherwise, you do things that you didn’t think you were capable of doing. And the contentment of making the most of one’s time, to the best of one’s ability and opportunity, is unparalleled.

And so it was with me. Starting with the slow and painful process of physiotherapy, the long distance till the doctor’s clinic felt a stone’s throw away. The twice a day routine of the same 6 exercises to strengthen the ankle was an event that I eagerly looked forward to. While excited about the prospect of getting back to fitness, I also exercised restraint and went slower than the doctor’s advice, going more by what the body seemed to be telling me.
The day the ankle was load-bearing, I hit the gym. Usually, I’d have waited till the ankle had healed – using that as an excuse that I anyways would not be able to do any leg exercises. Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to start off with the upper body, and others like sit ups, while at the same time continuing with the physio for the ankle. Slowly but surely, the ankle got better and I could jog, and subsequently do the court exercises.

Today, a few days after I’ve started playing and doing slow stroke practice, I see the number of positives that I’ve discovered in the whole process. From trying to just get the ankle into shape, to regaining some fitness, to actually trying to be match fit, I may never have made this effort had it not been for the injury. I’d have been content playing for pleasure, and let myself believe that I didn’t really have the time to try and do anything more. But today, I do realize that it’s up to me to find that time, to not only remain healthy and fit, and play reasonably competitively, but also to take a shot at a couple of unfulfilled dreams. At the same time, it helps me get along my professional life, and dispel all notions about lack of self-confidence or career choices, for this may not be possible in the new job that I take up. I sign off with the hope, rather belief, that the next time I write about my progress, I’d have moved one step closer to those dreams, and may have even discovered more goals and another purpose along the way.

STRANGER

Walking along
life's road one day
You reach a cross-road
and find your way

Out of the blue
not having noticed
There comes a stranger
and offers a lift

You think for a while
but don't really know
Is he headed towards
where you want to go

Your thinking clouded
you hear a faint voice
It's your heart whispering
'don't even think twice'

So knowing fully well
you'll be getting off soon
You still take the jump
and land on the moon

The journey's amazing
till date your best
You thank your heart
can't have no regrets

But just when you were
getting wet and all drenched
Time moved on
lest you forget

That the shower has passed
and it's that time again
Yet another crossroad
confusion and pain

The stranger will continue
his journey won't end
But for you it's different
ahead's a dead end

You've got to turn away
and continue further
Find another stranger
Or be one to another

But whatever the case
it couldn't be more true
Life wouldn't be half as amazing
had it been only you!