Cricketing Nostalgia!

T20 cricket continues to hold fort on the world stage. Its glitz and glamour continue to dazzle our eyes although the performance of our boys brings tears to them. The ICC will gear up to conduct the World Cup of its 50-over sibling in 2011. That means, barring brief interludes of some serious test cricket, our senses will continue to be oppressed by slam-bang versions of the supposedly gentleman's game.

I can't help looking down memory lane nostalgically at a bygone era when as a school kid I caught some glimpses of cricketing legends in black and white on Doordarshan. Oh, how I long to relive some of that action. I yearn to watch Gavaskar's exquisite straight drive off the front foot past the bowler. I yearn to watch on screen the lazy elegance of David Gower stroking the ball through the covers, or the stodgy defence of Allan Border. Oh how I long to watch the vicious hook shot played by Gordon Greenidge and the superb cover drive by his equally gifted opening partner, Desmond Haynes. I still remember, vividly, the disdainful lofted drive over long on by Viv Richards and the precise sweep shot by Clive Lloyd. I remember how much I enjoyed Javed Miandad's antics on the field, especially his cheeky singles.

As for the bowlers, I really miss the scorching pace of Marshall, the incredible accuracy of Hadlee, Kapil's amazing swinging yorkers and Imran's deadly in-dippers. I miss the swing and cut of the wily Botham and Holding's sheer variety. I long to see Garner's bounce even on dead tracks and Willis' wicket-taking outswingers. I miss watching Lillie and Thompson hunt as a pair giving batsmen absolutely no respite. I miss it all. I miss it all...