Hey Mahi Bhai,
I never really was a fan of you and I doubt if I will ever be. I am pretty much an old school cricket maniac who lives to watch those mentally soothing drives, making the ball touch every little blade of grass on its way to the boundary. You play your cricket exactly opposite to what I like to watch. For me, it’s either my way (textbook cricket) or the highway. While, MSD lives in a world where textbooks do not exist, there’s only one highway or shall I say, a helicopter service called, “The Mahi way!”
The Mahi way works exceptionally well in limited overs cricket and I’ll be doomed if I didn’t accept that you are the best finisher in the game right now. As a leader in the shorter version if not the best, you are one of the best that I have seen. I have my disagreements and disregards about a few decisions here and there but I have always been a cynic and like a billion people out there, even my opinions are irrelevant. To conclude about my liking regarding your style of cricket, I’ll start admiring the way you play your game when Rahul Dravid personally tells me that Mahi way is the perfect way to play the game of cricket.
On Monday afternoon, I was on the edge of my seat, paranoid about a batting collapse, while you were out there, saving a test match for us. An hour after the test match was drawn, I got the news that MSD retired from test cricket with immediate effect. Even though, I dislike watching you in test cricket, I was stunned for a brief period of time. That decision was totally out of the blue, then again, you made a living by jumping off the cliffs, people should be used to it by now.
It took a while for me to realize what happened and once I was back to my senses, I was more relieved than sad. I will hardly miss having you as a batsman in the test team and even if you’re the most successful Indian test captain of all time, you ain’t the best! So, I won’t miss MSD the test player. But, that one decision changed my entire perspective about you.
You never played for personal glory or personal records. All you cared about was the teams’ achievement and always did what you felt was right for the team. Then may it be playing Vijay consistently even when he was underperforming or backing Ishant, you did what you felt was right. Though you failed miserably in tests overseas, we didn’t have a choice, until, Virat Kohli stood up to the Aussies in his first test as captain. The entire world appreciated his performance and Virat didn’t stop there, he continued to give them a tough time single-handedly. You knew that you have found a successor. You knew your time was up.
And unlike, everybody else, you didn’t drag yourself to wait for another test match for passing the baton, you didn’t announce you’ll retire, you didn’t fancied a well-deserved farewell, you didn’t gave a chance to someone to carry yourself on their shoulder, but, after carrying the burden of some awful test defeats and disgraceful bowling performances, you walked into the sunset of 2014 like Gandalf-the Grey went down fighting with the demon and told Frodo to complete the quest without him. Hopefully, Virat destroys the evil ring of losses in the final test and revitalises the faith that we can win overseas.
We Indians are so fond of controversies that we refuse to accept that this was a selfless decision and that you were the bigger man in not continuing as a wk/batsman when you were just 10 test matches away from playing a 100 test matches for India. We don’t see that because we celebrate records instead of appreciating goodwill. And much like everyone, even I will have a hunch that something might have went sour in the dressing room. But, before that thought takes over my mind, I’ll like you to know that at this very moment, you’re the most respected cricketer on my list. From a small town to being an inspiration, if not your batting, MSD the man, have won my heart. And it will be a serious life lesson for me that, when it comes to the nation, gratitude and selflessness above all.
Gandalf-the grey is gone but pretty soon, Gandalf-the white should return and take his boy wonder -Frodo- on another quest to defend the World Cup. And hopefully Frodo will do all that it takes to give Gandalf his one last hurray!
All the best, MSD!
Thank you.
