Rae of Hope

It was nice of Allan Rae, the West Indies opener of yesteryears, to have likened Sachin's batting to that of a famous compatriot of his; George Headley, known as 'Black Bradman'. Though this sentiment might have stemmed more from his nostalgic memories of a test career which began and ended in India in the '50s, the timing was of significance, coming as it did on the eve of the fixture with New Zealand, though we were already out of the world cup reckoning. Despite the tension free match, we succumbed again to the satisfaction of having accomplished the 'mission' of enabling the Kiwis to secure the semi-final berth in the world cup bus.

When the team returned as a whole or in bits and pieces, though there may not have been many to receive them, they were happy that they were not rough-necked. That is precisely what Arjuna Ranatunga and his men feared in the aftermath of their debacle and hence safe passage (a terminology which is of topical importance, thanks to Kargil and George Fernandes) was arranged when they returned to Colombo. This is what happened in Pakistan, when they lost in the inconsequential match to India at Old Trafford. TV sets in thousands were broken; a warning of what was in store for Wasim and his men, should they come home minus the cup.

George Headley
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