Putting The Torch Out With A Single Tear

Do the Indian curators regularly inject their pitches with Rohypnol? Because that might help to explain how often they seem to produce these utterly lifeless tracks, in which one man alone can rape and pillage and score 250 runs in a day. That is not to take anything from Sehwag's effort, which I'm sure was everything people have been saying it was, and more.

Sehwag has always seemed to me to be the one modern batsman both capable and worthy of snatching Brian Lara's record. Not every great player has that combination of attributes. Some definitely seem capable (e.g. Jayawardene, Dravid, Gayle) but, as much as I love them, I couldn't envision them as ultimate record holders. It just wouldn't feel right. Others (e.g. Tendulkar, Sangakkara, Gilchrist) are more than worthy of holding the honour, due to their personas and status in the game, but for varying reasons the task seems beyond their capabilities.

Lara always made sense as the guy to be in the record books... his talent was obvious, immediate, and blindingly brilliant. He was an athletic freak, possessed with gifts few of us can even fathom, not to mention a killer instinct and determination. Matthew Hayden, on the other hand, was a stodgy bully with great conditioning and an endless supply of stamina, but little else. That's not who you want standing the zenith of recorded Test batsmanship, is it? (Especially when his high score came against an emaciated third-rate bowling attack like Zimbabwe's.)

I have to admit, though, I was a little disappointed to see Sehwag looking a lot fitter, tighter, and sans stomach paunch as he scored his masterclass yesterday. I know that improving his fitness is bound to help his game -- and I bet it was contributing factor in his recent comeback -- but I can't help but feel a tinge of regret that he couldn't manage to do it through talent alone. After the retirements of Inzamam, Warne, Lehmann, etc., it seemed that Sehwag would be the sole carrier of the Arjuna Ranatunga Memorial "Lazy, Unfit, Overweight Player Excelling Solely Due To His Natural Abilities" torch that has burned brightly throughout cricket's history. But then Viru went out and got a gym membership and, alas, it was not to be. Although I guess triple-centuries at a run-a-ball are a decent compromise, right?





[On a different note... you have noooooo idea how glad I am to see Graeme Smith's South Africa take over England's mantle as the "Team Most Likely To See Opposing Batsmen Score Record Innings Against Them." I'm giddy. First it was Chris Gayle's 317, then Sangakkara's 287 and Jayawardene's 374, now Sehwag's 319... can we expect something magic from, say, Dhoni and Tendulkar in the next couple of Tests?]

Comments

[Brentmeister General]

Great post D.S. this brings me back to the classic quote from a certain channel 9 commentator I.Healy directed at ranatunga after juna had asked for a runner, in which Healy said "you don't get a runner for being an overweight unfit cunt!".
Although some would see this as a quick witted comeback from the keeper, i see it as proof of a way to get under the aussies skin, by outsmarting them with talent alone and no fitness necessary. this is another thing that will be sorely missed with the overemphasis on fitness in cricket these days.
not only is that disappointing, but what about the thought of sehwag with a fitness first membership!?!?! sends shivers down my corporate gym corrupted spine.