"It is a gap in my resume I'd like to fill," wrote the legendary Australian captain Steve Waugh referring to his desire to be part of a series-winning Australian team in India. However he had to content with a mortifying end to his rather illustrious career after conceding draw to a visiting Indian side. Sachin Tendulakar, the man who played a pivotal role in denying the Aussie the dream of his life, is now gearing up for fulfilling one of his own; laying his hands on the coveted trophy, the world cup.
This world cup co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh will most probably be his last outing in the cricket's most prestigious tournament and his last chance to make amends in his resume. Though the marquee event has been a bag of mixed fortune for him and his team so far, things look a bit different this time around; he has a very strong and combative team around, and most importantly he is taking guard in his home turf.
The side which India is fielding for the quadrennial cricketing extravaganza is a mixture of experience and youth. The team looks balanced in terms of its batting and bowling prowess though fielding appears to be a chink in the armor. The Indian opening pair in Sachin and Shewag is a perfect blend of aggression and caution. While Shewag can come hard at the bowlers right from the onset of the match, Sachin can frustrate new ball bowlers and can punish them at will if necessary. The middle order may not be the best in the world but definitely the best in the subcontinental conditions. Same cam be said about the Indian new ball bowlers, with swing and variations they can test any batsman on any given day. The team has a world class spinner and a very useful lower order batsman in Harbhajan. The hard hitting Yousuf Patan will be the difference between India and most of the teams. The wily wicket keeper- captain Dhoni is an ambitious and a level headed captain. Though we have a strong team and the blessings of a billion fans, there are a few worries as well; at least four players cleared for the world cup squad are carrying niggles. The team also does not have a reserve wicket keeper.
Though down the Australian's are not quite out yet. They have a potent bowling and descent battling line up supported by a brilliant fielding unit. The Aussie are upbeat after their series win against England in the recently concluded home series. They are keen to wash away the disappointment of an ashes drubbing and win back the hearts of the kangaroo fans. The Proteas will be high on confidence after their win against India in hard fought series. The English comes with balanced side, though they might be bit low on confidence after their series loss against the Aussies. They can however take a lot of heart from their recent Ashes glories. Sri lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh are other three sides which most teams are wary of just because of the fact that the event is staged in the subcontinent. Going by their recent records, it is safe to assume that the tow test playing teams ,New Zealand and West indies may not advance beyond the quarter finals. The other participants in the competition are also teams capable of giving the best in the business a run for their money. Overall we have very intriguing battle on the cards.
Though cricket is a team game, flashes of individual brilliance have always illuminated it. The invincible Australian and West Indian sides were all riding on the luck of their great stars. And if one star who carried the Luck of his team along with his own better than anyone else, it is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He carried his team along with him, he mentored so many budding cricketers, changed the face of cricket in India and world over and gave us too much joy in watching him. When he is at the autumn of his career, a questions looms large: what his team mates will give him back? Knowing him well we know that nothing will give him greater joy than bringing the world cup home. Let us all hope Sachin will finally get what he wants.
