The Opium Peddler

Someone famously paraphrased - Cricket is the opium of Indian masses. Indeed it has been, at least in the myriad cricketing images I carry within a heart which houses more than a suffering bias towards hockey, the national sport. And it is to this opium that rich oblations have been paid by various legends of the sport in their own great and humble fashions. Some like Manjarekar and Aamre performed with the finesse of an artist and perished before one could say - this one has a promising career. While others like Abey Kuruvilla, Balaji, Chetan Chauhan et al gave that glimpse of hope Indian cricket has been in eternal wait for, but ran out of steam or were sidelined before the masses could make them part of the regular opium.

In those times when all was well with our team, after having won the world series in Australia post the world cup success, we were in an all too benevolent mood to help others with their records against us; that a strange and unsettling trend began to delve in every tricoloured cricketing kit. Our record which had been on an ascendant as tourists began to fade with rapidity unknown since days of PT Usha and the habit to choke under pressure was taken up with a regularity seen only in the then automatic HMT watches. It is in these trying times that the most unfortunate sportsman of the century made his debut and went on to become the pillar around which the coming Indian teams started playing ring-a-ring-a-roses. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar had not only to put up with opposition from other ranks but also from within is own team, what with half the batsmen always hell bent upon committing suicide or something close to that in every alternate match, oblivious of the venue. Volumes can be written and a Shakespearean tragedy documented on the miserable state of Ms Tendulkar and Sons, what made the situation worse was the fact that the poor lad was blamed for Indian debacles and he was expected to do everything right not only in his game but apparently for everyone else as well. The century knocks against Australia in Sharjah stand testimony to the brilliance and endurance of the little master. And the team's collapse on the freshly laid Eden Garden pitch in the 1996 Semi Final against Sri Lanka is a complete example of the frequent Russian Roulette played around Tendulkar.

But all that was to change with the entry of a haughty, arrogant, undisciplined, egotistic and lethargic bloke who toured England due to political reasons. Saurav Chandidas Ganguly announced his arrival with a flair that was to become his keep for the rest of his illustrious and entertaining career. A very unlucky Rahul Dravid, from under whose nose Dada stole limelight, stood and watched the master of offside unleash an incomparable century on debut at Lords. He went on to do greater things than that, but the idea was simple - I am here to outperform, the bloody opponents and if need be the bloody team ! Seldom does any sportsman ride a sinusoidal love-hate wave as Saurav did till today for various reasons including cricket. In an uncharacteristically humble fashion he claims - We all decided to do something about the non performance overseas. And he took a lot many such decisions, at times in collusion with his illustrious team mates and at others in confines of the unique cricketing brain. Be it, promoting youngsters in the team or bowling himself in Sahara Cup against Pakistan, be it making Steve Cool Waugh wait for 5 minutes before every toss or arriving 5 minutes early in jumpers on being reprimanded - Saurav did it the way he wanted to. The life and times of Saurav Ganguly deserve a great canvass and the best artist, yet I write because I have a reason -

Never before has anyone in public life been so aggressive and fought so hard for a cause so dear, never before did someone enthuse team spirit of such degree which could ignite an entire nation, never before did I see our arch rivals being taken to cleaners with a professionalism, teams of the yore were incapable of, never did I feel tremors of a nationwide debate on an individual's inclusion/exclusion from a sports team!, never did one see firangs being paid in their own currency in their own land in a fashion our timid upbringings disprove of, never did I see a man play his sport and politics with such ease that it became difficult to ascertain what was his primary vocation, and never before did the departure of someone on TV, who but plays a sport and captained a silly team of a nonsensical sport moisten my eyes.

Men may come and men may go, they may bring glory to this country and may rise above odds to fight another day, but so far Mr. Ganguly you deserve a place no other public figure in recent times can hope of getting close to.......What the heck, the opium you peddled had an intoxication like none other