The Devastator

He doesnt have much foot work,he doesnt follow copy book shots,neither he has patience nor he controls his shots,his name is Virender Sehwag, the first Indian to score two triple centuries in the history of test cricket.Had Sehwag put a control to his shots,he would never have reached this milestone.He creates his laws and bats accordingly,no matter who the opposition is,no matter what form of game you are playing,he only knows one thing the best-the devastation of the opposition.

His innings was a treat to eyes, an innings of power packed shots,elegance and some shots that only Sehwag can play.He just underlined the fact that he is an inevitable player in the team and moreover he is in a mission to redefine this form of cricket.Test cricket is no longer all about sitting and defending.Its more about aggression that Sehwag is displaying in the field with his bat.He might or might not score a 400 tomorrow ,but what is worth more is his unchanged attitude thats redefining test cricket from just a boredom of five days to power packed five days.Well done Sehwag, let records pave your way to glory.

Gilly :We miss you

I am not an Australian cricket fan and moreover I am a hardcore Indian cricket fan and as every fan would wish,even I too would have loved Gillchrist go out for a duck,but this time ,may be for the first time I felt that he should make some big runs because thats the sort of respect that I have for one of the greatest sportsmen of our era.It doesnt matter if you are an Indian or an Australian,but missing of a master blaster of his class and calibre and a superb wicket keeper is really a sad thing.He was a man of great character on and off the field and his utmost sporstman spirit has always given him great respect and dignity.The testimony of his great character is he has never stayed on the crease once he knew he had knicked the ball and he never waited for the umpire's decision.

Just two days back,I had listened to his interview with Harsha Bhogle and it was nice to see how simple a man he was.The testimony for his greatness was when he received a standing applause from the audience as well as Indian team when he walked into the crease and also during his long walk back to the pavillion.That shows the respect the other players all over the world has for him.Australian team would miss more a kind hearted cricketer than a master blaster superb wicket keeper.

Thank you Gilly for what you have been to the cricket world and the entertainment that you have provided with and I still dont hesitate to cherish those moments when you had thrashed centuries against India taking your team to victory because your determination and skills has always fascinated people around the globe even in India.Every true fan of cricket would always respect you for what you were on and off the field and your brilliance,determination and dignity are beyond borders.Hats off Gilly and wish you happy future off the field.

When professionalism cross borders

If anyone has seen today's test match (cricket),infact the last day's play between India and Australia,even if you are not an Indian,you would sit and wonder,whats really going on,especially the way Dravid and Ganguly were given out.I really dont wonder on Australia's appeal for a catch(Dravid's case),but I would like to know,what was the umpire doing there when it was clear that he was not out,Bucknor already notorious for irresponsible decisions in the same test match should have atleast referred to the third umpire if he was unsure rather than giving out a bizzard decision that turned the face of the game.Already the game had its first twist when Symonds was given notout on 30 when replays showed he was out.

Now coming to the spirit the Australian team put on,I really feel sorry for them for being a professional side,they shouldnt have appealed for Ganguly's catch when it was clear atleast to MIchael Clarke that he never caught the ball as it should be taken for a catch.What really surprised me was the umpire asking Ricky Ponting if it was out.I would like to know if Ricky Ponting was the fourth umpire to answer that he just said it was out.This doesnt show the professionalism,but the ruthlesness infact the level to which a team can degrade to gain victory.May be he wanted to keep his winning streak,but such results with the help of improper tactics is not going to fetch them anything other than disgrace.Even an Australian fan who is a true fan of cricket wouldnt be happy at the spirit Australia showed at the ground.

Now this is something that really teaches us a lesson.One has to be professional in whatever we do,but there are some ethics that we ought to follow,atleast a bit of morality ought to be there.Record books might show that Australia registered their victory,but I really congratulate the team spirit shown by Indian team to continue playing even though the whole atmosphere seemed biased.Today it was India's morale victory where we showed we wont throw off our self respect and dignity to win just a test match.When someone talks about Australian professionalism next time,lets proudly say "WE DO HAVE SOME MORAL ETHICS ATLEAST ".This test match would be not known for another victory,but the resilience that our team has put up against the attack on moral ethics and true spirit of the game.