India - England Test Series

The England Cricket Team arrived in Chennai last night to play 2 test matches that were scheduled as part of their tour. The team had canceled the last 2 ODIs and returned to England following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

I hope people recognize the bravado displayed by the English team in returning to India despite all the hoopla being made of the security situation. To people in India, this may not seem like a heroic thing - after all we live in this country without 1/100th of the security offered to them. Put yourself in Kevin Petersen's shoes, you will start to see the gravity of the decision.

• You are touring a country that has long been a terror target weeks after the biggest attack in its history.
• Citizens from UK were actively sought by the terrorists.
  
• You are indirectly responsible for the safety of all of your teammates.
• There is a remote threat of war with a neighboring country. Tensions are high.
  
• There is no penalty for opting out of the tour - BCCI made this concession.

Considering all this, it is definitely inviting to opt out but I salute the English team for continuing the tour and help in healing a country where cricket is a religion. I hope the spectators in India realize this. The England team deserves standing ovations and cheers wherever they go.

Hugh Morris, Managing Director of English cricket team said it best: "Every now and again sportsmen and women have the chance to do something beyond their performances on the field. For very tragic reasons, the England team have that opportunity, they have made a very brave, a very courageous decision and one which will be really respected right across the world."

Sachin - Random Observations

Unless you have been living under a rock, you must now be aware of Tendulkar's amazing feat. He has set the record for Most Runs in Test Matches. I am not much of a cricket fan, but I dont think it is necessary for you to be one to appreciate that moment. I have seen the news reports and replays on tv and observed:

• Tendulkar started playing in 1989 and 19 years later, he stands alone on top of his game. It is an amazing feat that speaks volumes about his talent as well as endurance.
• Considering India's pathetic showing at the Olympics, it's nice to see someone holding their own on the international stage.
• It was fantastic to watch the whole Aussie team come up to congratulate him. He is the most respected cricketer of modern times.
• Tendulkar is 5'4", a little guy, yet one of the best players in the sport
• He spent the tea interval on 13 not out, just one run away from Lara's record. But after the 20-minute break he hit his first ball for three down to third man and saluted the crowd before the Australian fielders went to shake his hand.
• He has been in the spotlight for 2 decades now but there is not a single negative incident that can scar his gentlemanly image. In the age of 24 hour news and sports channels, it is an achievement that showcases his character.

Winning despite losing

Today, my team is a winner despite scoring less than our opponent in a game of cricket. For it is not winning that makes you a winner, it is refusing to fail.

I sit here - completely exhausted, running a temperature, without the energy to move even an inch, with a bloody nose, with mud in my hair and on my body, with an aching head and next to a pile of clothes that are totally soaked in sweat. Yet, I am in the best spirits - knowing that I have left everything I had on the field, knowing that there is not one thing that I could have done more to alter the outcome, knowing that we were resilient to the last moment and most of all, knowing that ten of my teammates are in the same state that I am in.

I am proud of the way my team has rallied, of the camaraderie we share and that the thought of losing did not cross our mind even when we were up against a near impossible target.

Now it is time to move on. We have a match tomorrow and I have to do everything in my power to be 100% for it. Not playing is not an option.