‘It’s the strongest Rafa that I’ve ever seen. He was more dominant than the previous years.’  - Roger Federer on Rafael Nadal after the latter’s French Open victory in 2008.

I acknowledge myself as both a Federer and Nadal fan. But there was a time, not so long ago, when I used to love the former with as much as fervour as I used to deride the latter. The 2008 French Open final was right in the middle of those deriding moments. After all, who can forget their idol being clobbered on the tennis court in one of the most one-sided matches that could have ever been seen?

It was annihilation, pure and simple. Today, the word comes out as a compliment but back then, it was lashed out with frustration. For frustrating it was to see Federer being edged out slowly but steadily throughout the course of the match. From start to finish, Rafa was merciless, offering no alternatives for Federer to even try and get in back to the match. On that day, Rafa was invincible with a quality of play-making that surpassed his own aptitude on the surface, as seen in the previous years.

Nothing appeared to faze him; he was living in the moment and revelling in it with absolute glory. Before him, Federer appeared nearly weather-beaten with a demeanour that seemed to shrink with each passing moment. Rafa’s forehand, always the weapon of choice against Federer, took on even more lethality as the match proceeded. And Federer’s arsenal, always so fabled, suddenly seemed inadequate to deal with the onslaught that Rafa peppered him with.

Prior to the start of the match, expectations went soaring about the contest involving these two rivals. A rivalry, that began four years ago on this very surface and which completely altered the predicted trajectory of men’s tennis from there on. But these expectations came crashing down right after the first set, a set that saw Federer struggle to come up with a decent response to Rafa’s bombardment.

Quite the aggressor from the very start, Rafa began with the set with a break. And in no time after that, he was serving for it, winning it comfortably, 6-1. Right then, the match’s fate seemed to be sealed in Rafa’s favour. Federer’s drooping body-language didn’t help matters at all, as the second set began almost the same way as the first,  with a break of serve by the Spaniard, right in the first game. As Rafa raced to a 2-0 lead in the second set, it was then that Federer came up with some remnants of retaliation. A counter-break and consolidation ensured that the set was tied 2-2.

However, as flashing as that bit of retaliation was, it was blown away almost immediately, leaving Federer yet again grasping for straws. But hope of a fight-back still lingered. Maybe, just maybe, the crowd thought, Federer would do something different in the third considering that his loss in the second set was far more respectable than that in the first.

Giving due credit to Roger Federer, on any other day, he might have even turned the match around completely. But what he could have otherwise achieved would have invariably fallen short on that day. So much so that no other player, let alone Federer, could have come close to snatching victory from the Spaniard. It was as if Rafa’s victory was pre-destined. Not by any God or any other super-power, but by Rafa himself. That he would leave no stone unturned in his quest for his fourth French Open glory.

This is why, then, that the ending of the match seems befitting, even after all these years. Harsh and disappointing yes, but befitting the then 22-year-old’s determination. 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, the match scorecard read. A scorecard that set the course of the remainder of the 2008 tennis season. The 2008 French Open marked the start of new beginnings. The points’ gap between the top two seeds narrowed even more, making Federer suddenly vulnerable as the world no.1 after four years of undisputed rule. A month later, as Rafa went on to win the Wimbledon final in what would be regarded as one of the finest tennis matches to be ever played, the Spaniard had finally come full circle.

Where four years ago he had come unannounced and gone on to become an intimidation on clay, Rafa’s 2008 French Open victory was a proclamation in itself, as it was the perfect stage set for his future heroics.

Is that why then I started supporting Rafa? Thinking he was the rightful heir to tennis’ fiefdom? Not really. That came later and for a totally different reason. Where the world makes exaggerated statements and polite gestures, it’s Rafa who lends a new meaning to the word ‘courtesy.’ And it’s for this heartfelt courteousness that he always displays, in victory and in defeat, that I support him. And for the Federer fan in me, it’s this courteousness of Rafa that prompted him to say ‘Sorry Roger’ after the match that makes his victory memorable.

Spot-fixing: An illegal activity where, a part of the match, rather than the match itself is fixed so as to benefit the bookies. Difficult to detect, but equally shameful once brought to light. As seen in case of the three Rajasthan Royal players, one of whom was a part of the nation’s two World Cup squads.

Its illustrious name has become a subject of irony today, and is literally in tatters. It’s the wealthiest cricketing body in the world, so much so that even the official cricketing body quakes under the exercising power of its wealth. It attracts controversies, yet manages to evade big-time scrutiny by the sheer dint of its power-wielding. It takes decisions, as it vetoes ones that don’t appeal to its vested interests. All-in-all, the Board of Control for Cricket in India does many things – powerful, visible, and tangible – but is yet unable to rein in and control the tentacles of taint in its cricketing fixtures from spreading far and wide.

The sudden exposé of three cricketers in the wide web of spot-fixing has left everyone reeling. And none will be more worried about its ramifications than the BCCI. For a premier institution holding major clout over most other cricketing bodies and major cricketing decisions – the latter will need a lengthy elaboration all by itself – the findings couldn’t have been more humiliating. Why? Because the Board’s unique brain-child was supposed to present to the world, the best of Indian and world cricket and none of its seedy under-belly possibilities. And as big an objective transparency was for the BCCI, after the spot-fixing exposé, not many will take its word to stay true to the fulfilment of the said objective. Not the fans and definitely not the other cricketing boards, especially since foreign players have been unanimously cleared by the Indian police authorities from being involved in the spot-fixing scandal.

As the police authorities continue to gather and present the multi-faceted evidence about the larger prevalence of such nefarious activities in the sport, one can’t help but wonder about the actual control that the BCCI exercises so as to ensure that these activities are curtailed and eliminated before they can spread and mutate further.

These emerging thoughts aren’t accusing fingers pointing towards India’s wealthiest sporting body, but genuine concerns that every cricketing fan and viewer in India wants to be addressed. For it is a fan’s due right.

‘Responsibility’ is a big word. The dictionary describes it as the trait of being answerable to someone for something. The true extent of BCCI’s shouldering of responsibility towards the sport and towards the people involved – both actively and indirectly – will be tested amidst this whirlpool of discoveries. How the BCCI answers and takes charge about these revelations would then speak for its objective of remaining transparent.

Whether it steps up, taking charge as a regulatory authority should or whether it shrugs the matter off after only a surface inspection of the scandal without considering the depth of its penetration, would be instrumental factors in making or – in the worst case – breaking of the BCCI’s hold on international cricket. It would also be the determining factor in the restoration of the fans’ faith in not just the sport but also in the institution. Faith, that has been grossly shaken all over again, and would remain susceptible for the foreseeable future.

Banning the players as a punitive measure, or simply trying to pass on the buck by claiming unawareness about the spot-fixing mire isn’t an option for the BCCI any more. It needs to go beyond this on-the-face repair work, work that will redeem its authoritative stance. This is chance for the BCCI to go from a controlling, almost-dictatorial organisation to one, that effectually controls matters that need to be controlled.

Laura Robson’s victory over Venus Williams in the first round of the Rome Masters reinforced the fact that the re-emergence of British tennis amongst the bastions of European tennis is here to stay, and for good. And,though, Serena Williams dashed the youngster’s brilliant start in the second round, the loss only proved the vanquished’s valour as much as it hit home about the winner’s dominance.

There’s a lot about Laura Robson that evokes promise in her and makes her a well-deserved cynosure of the world’s eyes. Her manner of approach to the game, the subtle-yet-distinct confidence that she brings to the court and more than anything else her abilities, that have made her rivals not only take notice of her but also acknowledge the immensity of her talent. Child prodigy she may have been, but indeed Laura is one of those few who have managed to make a par transition from the junior playing circuits to carve her own niche amongst the highly profiled seniors.

Be it her exultation after her second round win over Petra Kvitova, in the Australian Open, after a long and prolonged struggle, or her poise after her loss to Sloane Stephens in the pre-quarter finals, Robson has beyond doubt the ability to stand tall irrespective of whether match outcomes go in her favour or against her. Her statement made after her win against Venus pretty much reflects this composure and attitude. “I just like it on big courts against these huge players because I just go out there with nothing to lose.” For a 19-year old to be so grounded and yet so profound is as rare a quality as it can get. It also speaks a lot about Robson’s maturity as it does about her outlook towards victory and loss.

It may not be fair to compare but there aren’t many who have been able to carry on with their game in the same vein after a loss, as they would after a win. It then indeed makes this British teenager, a recipient of the 2012 WTA Newcomer of the Year award, unique in many ways.

It is however this uniqueness of Robson that could end up being a pitfall. The mantle of expectations has surged with each victory that the British teen has achieved and sustained in the short time of her WTA journey. Her losses, on the other hand, are treated as stepping stones for the teenager for her future. Considering the number of shoulders hoisting Robson, it won’t be a surprise to see not many holding up in case of her inadvertent stumbling. It then wouldn’t take time for the Olympic doubles’ silver medallist, for her all uniqueness, to be cast aside like she was never there, in the first place.

Not that it would be a new thing. Player after player, has gone through this gamut; a vicious cycle that has only gotten more vicious and raucous over the passage of years. The overcoming of which, depends solely on the player himself, or in this case, herself.

Knowing Laura Robson, or rather knowing about Laura Robson, however gives a surety that she won’t fall prey to such momentary flowing of expectations that would only ebb at the earliest. It is then with a heartfelt compliment to the teen that one correlates her unflappability with that of the proverbial British ‘stiff upper lip.’

Serena Williams and runner-up Maria Sharapova pose with their trophies after the final of the Madrid Masters on May 12, 2013 in Madrid, Spain. (Getty Images)

As the world’s eyes turn towards Rome, the last pit-stop before the French Open, it’s Serena Williams who has emerged as the unequivocal favourite after her near-flawless game in the final against Maria Sharapova at the Madrid Masters.

Though at the start of the year it was Victoria Azarenka who laid strong claim to the WTA fortress by defending her 2012 Australian Open crown, the subtle change of performance domination from Azarenka towards Sharapova and Serena – simultaneous, at many times – has never been so obvious. Holders of the top two positions at the women’s singles rankings, they set the perfect stage for the Rome Masters amidst the plethora of other tennis prodigies and talents.

Top Half: First Quarter

Serena Williams’ name heralds this quarter. After winning her 50^th singles title at the Madrid Masters, it is Serena who will be expected to make it to the semi-finals in her section of the draw. Her road ahead however isn’t easy. With a potential second-round encounter drawn against elder sister Venus, who will take on British teen prodigy Laura Robson in her first round, Serena’s road ahead is paved with challenges bearing the names Dominika Cibulkova and Angelique Kerber.

German Kerber, seeded sixth and placed at the bottom of the quarter, will face either Yanina Wickmayer or Kirsten Flipkens in the second round. Her third round could however be a tricky match-up with Nadia Petrova, if the 11^thseeded Russian manages to get through her initial couple of rounds without being upset.

Prediction: Serena Williams vs. Angelique Kerber

Top Half: Second Quarter

The second quarter of the Rome Masters includes the likes of Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska and Chinese fifth seed Li Na. Other contenders include two-time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, former world no. 1s Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic.

Jankovic who will begin her campaign against Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova could face 10^th seeded Wozniacki in the second round with a potential third round encounter against Li Na. Radwanska, meanwhile will take on Russian Kuznetsova in the second round with a potential third round against 13^th seed Italian Roberta Vinci.

As straight forward as this quarter seems to be, it’s also one where upsets are most likely. Although Radwanska and Li Na are the top seeds in this quarter, players like Kuznetsova and Vinci could very well alter the expected results from them.

Prediction: Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Li Na

Bottom Half: Third Quarter

Victoria Azarenka’s quarter finds her potentially pitted against German Julia Goerges and former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic. Azarenka who had a miserable outing at Madrid, losing her opening match, will need to refocus so as to try and compensate for her unceremonious dumping at Madrid.

Azarenka’s potential quarter-final opponent Petra Kvitova meanwhile will need to battle against unpredictable German, Sabine Lisicki in the second round and ninth seeded Australian Sam Stosur in her third round. Stosur, whose career clay court appearances have been quite nondescript, will take on unseeded Chinese Taipei player Su-Wei Hsieh in her first round match with either Romanian Monica Niculescu or Chinese Peng Shuai to face against her in the second round.

Prediction: Sabine Lisicki vs. Victoria Azarenka

Bottom Half: Fourth Quarter

Maria Sharapova as the second seed is the biggest highlight of this quarter consisting of last year’s French Open finalist Sara Errani, seeded seventh and 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. The Russian, who is defending her French Open crown this year, is sure to come through all her initial rounds without much fanfare. Her possible third round match against American youngster Sloane Stephens however promises to be an interesting encounter, especially considering the favourable – and at times, even unfavourable – remarks that have been made by Stephens about her peers.

For Errani, a semi-finalist at the Madrid Masters, her section of the draw leaves her as the favourite to get into the quarter-finals to take on Maria Sharapova. Her quite-likely match against Russian Maria Kirilenko in the third round however promises to be an interesting pre-quarter-final.

Prediction: Sara Errani vs. Maria Sharapova

Possible road ahead in the tournament: In a repeat of the Miami and Madrid finals, the top-two seeds to come face-to-face against each other with Serena Williams routing Maria Sharapova for the third time.

As diffused their performance might be in this year’s IPL, each of the nine teams nonetheless shares quite a huge commonality of foreign players dominating their teams’ performance more than our indigenous caps. Be it batsmen or  bowlers, it has coincidently – and at times quite conveniently – occurred that certain teams have come to rely more on their overseas players than on the potential of the Indian talent. Though this is in no way partisanship towards the overseas’ players or bias towards the Indian cricketers, it definitely brings attention to the fact that maybe the teams could benefit from having more than four overseas players in their playing squad.

In the 2013 IPL season so far, it has been Michael Hussey and Chris Gayle who have dominated the run pile. So much so that the Orange Cap has changed hands after each passing match of their respective teams. Though the next three batsmen completing the quintet of top five batsmen are Indians, there is a difference of over 100 runs between the highest run-getter and the fifth placed batsman. Even Virat Kohli, who is currently placed third amongst the top-five batsman, trails the leader by 70 runs. A difference that, in all certainty, will continue considering that the teams to which these two top batsmen belong will indeed qualify for the play-offs. Or as in CSK’s case, has already done so. In terms of bowling statistics, there are four overseas bowlers out of the top-five bowlers in this year’s IPL.

Such statistical presentations however aren’t just a manifestation peculiar to this season. Right from the very start of the IPL, it’s been foreign players who have continued to present a stronghold amongst the top-five batsmen and bowlers. Taking stock of such statistical verifications, it thus doesn’t seem wrong at all to concur with Rahul Dravid’s point of view – to allow more than four foreign players to play in a team’s playing squad.

A transition toward this end from the prevailing set of IPL norms would in essence then have a two-pronged effect. First, to teams not being able to capitalise on the availability of their Indian players, such a move would allow them to make the most headway. As regards the potential deprivation to Indian players, player rotational policies could very well be implemented so as to provide substantial opportunities for Indian players to display their aptitude on the field. Secondly, such a policy would then not only help teams to select and narrow down the best available players, but also present a much tighter IPL playing field.

Teams like Pune and Kolkata, who have had innumerable problems with the Indian members of their playing team; this would give them sufficient incentive to change the tide in the coming years. Even though the latter has an IPL title under its belt, a majority of its Indian players – barring a choicest few – have consistently been under-performers. As regards the former, the entire Pune squad needs an immediate transformation. A process which would be greatly aided by such a transitioning decision favouring foreign players’ increase in the team.

Speaking of teams and their performances, the pressure to deliver on a consistent basis is the major deciding factor for players’ inclusion in a team’s playing squad. With owners closely monitoring and tracking their team’s each and every performance match-to-match, a possible increase in the inclusionary number of overseas cricketers would also reduce the onus on their shoulders regarding their choice of purchases to represent their squad. Thus it would enable them to receive dividends on their expensive investments, rather than continually face scepticisms and criticisms about their player purchasing choices.

After all the hype and hoopla the tournament garnered for its blue clay initiation last year, if anyone would have wondered about mellowing attention on account of the red dirt making a re-entry at Madrid, they would have been highly mistaken. The tournament has panned out quite differently from the expected script, which has only gone on to add a different slant of tantalisation to the 2013 Madrid Open outing.

The two penultimate matches leading to the tournament finals have thus become the rightful cynosure of the world’s eyes, bringing along with them an altogether different star-cast – some old, some new.

First Semi-final: Rafael Nadal v/s Pablo Andujar

If there’s one person who has been consistent on clay, it’s Rafa. The Spaniard came out trumps in his quarter-final against compatriot David Ferrer, following a stiff battle and a one-set deficit. The first person to win four singles titles this year, Rafa seems to be peaking at the right time. Even discounting his loss to Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo finals, just a few weeks ago, there can be no denying that Rafa looks perfectly at ease on the dirt. Against countryman Andujar, who has had a tremendous week following his wild-card inclusion into the tournament, it’s only natural that Rafa should start as the favourite to get into the finals. Especially in the wake of his absolute stamping of authority over Ferrer in the third set in their quarter-finals.

For Pablo Andujar, the setting couldn’t have been any better. The wild-card entrant has turned heads in his direction with a pretty solid display of tennis. Two back-to-back upsets of Marin Cilic and John Isner, followed by a quarter-final upset over 14^th-seed Kei Nishikori have ensured a definite ascension of the Spaniard’s ranking points in the coming week; irrespective of whether Andujar is able to continue with his winning momentum against Rafa or not.

Both Spaniards have met each other once before at the 2011 French Open second round, with Rafa convincingly winning that encounter in straight sets.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to defeat Pablo Andujar in straight sets.

Second Semi-final: Stanislas Wawrinka v/s Tomas Berdych

Both Wawrinka and Berdych have had to get past tough challengers to make it to the semi-finals at the 2013 Madrid Masters. Wawrinka, who recently won a clay court singles title at Portugal, will try and make it to his first Madrid Masters’ finals. The fact that the Swiss wasn’t able to convert match points in the second set tie-break would grate on him, even though he did well to close the match in his favour in the end. Against Berdych, Wawrinka would need to be careful and not to give any loose points that could tip the match into Berdych’s favour, who was dominant enough to come out in his semi-final against Murray in straight sets.

Looking to make his second consecutive finals’ appearance at the Madrid Masters, Berdych would want to try and take his quarter-final momentum forward. Though their head-to-head is split at five-matches apiece, it’s Berdych who holds the edge with a win in their last match. However, the last time these two guys met on clay, in the 2011 Rome Masters, it was Wawrinka who outlasted Berdych coming from a set behind.

Prediction: Tomas Berdych to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka in a tough three-setter.

As is usual, the IPL has brought about the expected spate of excellent form. It has also brought forth a torrent of under-performers along with these over-achievers. While some of the names in the former remain almost intact, as if carried forth from where the previous season left off; the latter has seen a few unexpected additions. Not value-additions though. For a few of the under-performers this time round at the IPL include some big names, names that have been otherwise synonymous with consistency and distinction.

And here’s how this list of the biggest under-performers pans out:

Virender Sehwag

Sehwag’s title of ‘Nawab’ seems a thing of the distant past even as the Delhi opener struggles to find his rhythm and balance on the pitches where he was once brutal and unassailable. He’s played seven matches for the Delhi Daredevils and barring a couple of knocks – including his blitzkrieg of the Mumbai Indians – Sehwag’s performances have mostly been blinks and misses. Delhi may have very well lifted themselves up from the bottom of the points table, but both the team and their erstwhile captain have a long way to go in IPL 6.

Abhishek Nayar

He’s regarded to be an all-rounder. His contribution for the Pune Warriors India however has become an almost all-round failure in IPL 6. In eight matches, Nayar has averaged just 11 runs with only two wickets to his claim at an economy rate of over seven runs per over. Pune Warriors India could very well do with contributions from Nayar, considering the manifold talents that led to his purchase by the team owners.

Murali Vijay

Vijay may have impressed everyone with his style and timing in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar series, but his performance in the IPL remains forgettable at best. In eight matches for the league leaders, Vijay has scored a mere 122 runs with just one fifty to his name. With CSK’s feet firmly entrenched in the play-offs, Murali Vijay would want to make the best of the rest of the 2013 IPL season, if only to regain his suddenly-lost form.

Yuvraj Singh

Comeback king or not, Yuvraj Singh’s performance in the sixth IPL season isn’t really making heads turn his way. With 156 runs scored at an average of just over 22 runs in eight matches, Yuvraj Singh’s dismal run is one of the many problems plaguing the Pune Warriors presently. While Pune’s fans will be still optimistic of Yuvraj’s turnaround, they would be expecting him to do it sooner rather than as an alleviating measure when it’s far too late.

Yusuf Pathan

The Kolkata Knight Riders aren’t exactly having the tournament of their life. Yusuf Pathan, who has played in all of Kolkata’s 11 matches, hasn’t really delivered on his capabilities. Though he top-scored for KKR in their match against the Rajasthan Royals, his performance can still be described – at best – as fluctuating. With a tall order required from the defending champions at this juncture, Pathan will need to address his fluctuating form so as to ensure that his team regains a respectable positioning at the points table, thereby helping them to avoid the absolute humiliation of finishing last, where they stood as champions the year before.

Some may pinpoint the absence of under-par bowlers in this compilation. But in my defence, the sixth season of the IPL has thus far been a batsman’s slugfest. And most of the victories have come with batsmen powering the teams to inviolable score-lines. Having said thus, it only felt right that sub-par batsmen, and not bowlers, were included in this categorisation.

India’s heroics at the 2003 World Cup may have been brutally abbreviated by a rampaging Australian attack in the final, but its journey to the final was peppered with highly-charged moments of ecstasy. Like the match between India and England, where one man stood out with his performance, a performance worth recollecting each and every time the player’s name is broached.

It is said statistics never lie. And bowling figures of 6-23 do more than state the truth. They emphasise it, emphasise the player’s credibility and thrust him into the sport’s limelight for eternity, as Ashish Nehra finds himself almost a decade after his match-winning performance at Durban against the Englishmen.

Batting first, India put up a modest total of 250 runs after Andrew Caddick almost ruined the Indian batsmen’s party by scalping four wickets in the final over. The English run-chase was dented early by Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath, as both wrecked havoc on the English openers and kept mounting the pressure, keeping a choke hold on the English batting throughout the 15-over field restriction. And the situation only got worse for the Englishmen once Nehra was brought into the attack. Where Nehra found the perfect line and length, the English response was nervy and hesitant and completely out-of-tune. Not a single English batsman was able to figure out what exactly Nehra was doing, especially not the ones who found their wickets being tumbled by the seamer.

As memorable as the fall of wickets were, Nehra’s celebratory dance after he picked each of his six wickets is equally unforgettable. My cousin called it the ‘helicopter celebration.’ I ought to know it well because we – me and my cousins, i.e. – kept on discussing and rewinding Nehra’s celebratory dance countless times over, even after the World Cup was over. For it meant a lot to a bunch of teenagers, who had braved familial opposition to stay up late at night, watch the match with annual exams scheduled the very next morning. And to tell the truth, we weren’t the only ones, as the next morning, the whole school spent talking about Nehra and his six-wicket haul than the exam scheduled for the day.

In one of the harshest twists of fate, Ashish Nehra has never had a chance to come even close to replicating his 2003 World Cup gallantry. In the years following his maiden World Cup campaign, injuries and fitness issues almost put him into an abyss, recovering from which has been excruciatingly slow and painstaking for the fast bowler. And though he’s made enough of a comeback to make an impact at times, the contemporary evolution of Ashish Nehra still remains a flimsy shadow of what his talent promised and how it was snatched away from him, even before he could capitalise on his initial success.

Even during the 2003 World Cup, in fact even during the Indo-England match, Nehra was in pain and far from being fully fit. As the then-captain Sourav Ganguly put it, it was perhaps this vulnerability that made Nehra come out tops that day. It was as though Nehra was delivering on a promise; made to himself. With utmost conviction and with no hint of insecurity whatsoever, Ashish Nehra brought in a new lease of life to the Indian expectations regarding the World Cup, exactly two decades, after they had won their first – in the most unexpected fashion – at Lord’s. There again,we were defending a target against the mighty West Indians that would have been gettable on any other day, except that it just wasn’t on that day.

                                – Rafael Nadal, before the start of the 2013 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters.

These words came to be prophetically true as Novak Djokovic bested Rafael Nadal at the finals of the 2013 Monte Carlo Masters. Many still can’t believe that Djokovic won and those that do, can’t seem to go beyond the fact that the match lasted just under the two-hour mark and was utterly dominated by Djokovic for the most part. It didn’t go out as planned, first an hour-long rain delay, then the absolute horror of watching Rafa fold and relinquish his eight-year long supremacy at the very place that made him to be the king.

Novak Djokovic with the winners trophy after his straight sets victory against Rafael Nadal in their final of the ATP Monte Carlo Masters on April 21, 2013. (Getty Images)

A score-line of 6-2, 7-6 says a lot. It speaks a lot about Nadal’s performance as it does speak for Nole’s. There’s the ecstasy of victory in it as there is the anguish of being the vanquished, after an unrelenting fightback. But more than all that, there’s the knowledge that nothing stays the same forever; as much as one would want it to remain so.

Maybe on a different day, against the same Novak Djokovic, Rafa could have won his ninth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters’ title. His sobriquet would have held even more reinforcement, the perfect icing to his comeback cake for the season. He would have secured – and defended – a much-valued 1000-points, not to forget his 23^rd Masters’ title – two more than nearest rival, Federer – and gone on to enjoy yet another year of uninterrupted success. Except that, that day wasn’t today and Rafa’s still without 23 Masters’ titles. In essence, he also won’t be able to boast about nine straight titles and will have to start all over again with regard to his consistency and supremacy at Monte Carlo. What has then changed for Rafael Nadal? Not much, if one were to be honest.

The world knows he’s not one for bragging or boasting. Even at the best of times, Rafa is the most unassuming guy on tour, prioritising the sport rather than his own self – at times even to the detriment of his health. Happy with his wins and just as happy for his rivals, in case they edge past him without holding any grudges or grievances. One loss at the Monte Carlo Masters doesn’t signify the end of Nadal’s excellence on clay as it doesn’t change his innate character.He still remains the ‘King of Clay’ with staggering statistics and percentage figures that could put any opponent on the back-foot. Rafa veritably remains the guy to beat on clay, one who never lets his opponent have his way easily; and in the greater sense of the game, shall undisputedly remain one of the greatest clay court players ever to grace the sport.

There however will be a paradigm shift in the years forth, with regard to the onus placed on Rafa right before the start of the clay season. There’ll be someone else, who will start as the proverbial favourite; a word that Rafa would be quite happy to mask from his ever-growing list of appreciative commemorations.

It’s the superlative in the name that stands out boldly – Chennai ‘Super’ Kings. To a newcomer, it’s reflective of arrogance and supreme over-confidence; a boast that there cannot be anyone who could match up to their abilities on the pitch. Even their shirt colours seem audacious: overly bright canary-yellow tones, in the midst of reddish and bluish hues. But reality is far from this on-the-surface assumption about consistently uniform, T20 kings.

The word ‘super’ is an interesting adjective when seen in context with the city and people of Chennai. A one-stop word to describe everything from awe to appreciation, from interest to confidence and from approval to acknowledgement; ‘super’ is the most hard-hitting word in a Chennaite’s vocabulary. To the rest of the country’s populace, it may seem as a quirk, but for Chennaites, the significance and implications of the term are huge and almost honorific. In case of the Chennai Super Kings, not only is the team’s name deeply resonant of the way the sport is perceived, but it’s also a mark of absolute respect that it commands from the people.

In an odd coincidence, the performance of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has always befitted their illustrious title. And contrary to all inverse proportionalities between expectations and convincingly answering them, CSK continues to remain the only squad to start each season of the IPL as a clear favourite and quite larger-than-life. And as much as one would want to believe – or delude – it’s not just the big names that make the team so tangibly looming, but quite a few smaller ones that have gone on to convincingly demonstrate their talents.

Does this, then, separate the Chennai Super Kings from the rest of the IPL contingents? In many ways, it does. Simply because where the other teams rely on a few big-wigs – either international or national – to guide them through, CSK’s reliance on the entire 11-member team adds value to their performance each and every time it comes to play. Not that it means that the Super Kings are invincible, but their differential approach has helped them sway many a matches in their favour; at times even from the brink of defeat.

It is then the consciousness of such a consistent, superlative achievement that gives the Chennai Super Kings the advantage and the edge at crucial times. Their attitude and self-belief in their potential is unshakeable and never has it so happened that the team has been flustered or its owners have been forced to ponder about any doldrums affecting, or threatening to affect, the side. Players have been bought as they have been sold and no matter the pluses and the minuses, the team has thrived. For even there, it’s about careful evaluation and selection rather than bidding with the principle of ‘the-more-the-merrier.’ Amongst all other praises heaped on the Super Kings, this trait of being an absolutely disciplined and regimented side is perhaps the most understated and possibly the biggest reason for the team’s extended reign of triumph. This remarkable quality, however, doesn’t just include the players but also overlaps the coaching and the managerial experts as well.

As prized as coaching experts are in the IPL, with owners scouting and investing in bigger coaching names for their respective teams, CSK has a comparatively lesser-known coaching figure. Stephen Fleming was one of New Zealand’s immensely talented cricketers during his cricketing heydays, a reliable fielder at the slips and a master tactician as a captain. After the first IPL season, when Fleming retired from the team’s active playing squad to take up the role of a manager-cum-coach, there were many who wondered about his accountability. Five years on and three titles later, Fleming has more than accounted for his abilities as a genuine cricketing coach, making the more well-versed experts appear as shadows of their own brilliance.

Speaking as a semi-follower of the IPL, rooting for a squad whose watch-word epitomes ‘Will do, Fight and Win’; the shrill whistle-cry of the Chennai Super Kings with their each passing victory grates and erodes at the heart. But then, objectivity forces introspection that since my favoured team doesn’t stand up to its war-cry as much as I want it to, maybe I shouldn’t complain about the innumerable whistles being blown around. After all, even the shrillness of the whistle is in a way, an eerily superlative sound.

As eagerly as it was awaited, the 2013 Monte Carlo Masters hasn’t disappointed or dampened the expectations at all. So far, there hasn’t been a match where there hasn’t been an exciting twist or turn; with even the most straight-forward ones springing an upset or two in their wake. And going by the trend displayed, it wouldn’t be surprising if the semi-finals brought a few curve-balls of their own.

Rafael Nadal’s claims that his picture-perfect run at the Monte Carlo Masters would indeed be halted at some point almost seemed like a prediction, especially after the Spaniard confessed about his unexpected tentativeness while serving at 4-4 in the final set. On the opposite side of the draw, world no. 1 and top-seed Novak Djokovic was broken early on in his quarter-final match against resurgent Finn, Jarkko Nieminen, though he bounced back in time to level the scores at 3-3 and went on to take the match in straight sets. Against Tsonga and Fognini respectively, both Rafa and Nole thus come in tried and tested, a completely different take from their past performances yet no less enlivening.

First Semi-final: Jo-Wilfred Tsonga versus Rafael Nadal

The Frenchman has done well to get this far into the Monte Carlo Masters. A couple of straight set victories against Nikolay Davydenko and Jurgen Melzer in his two opening rounds pitted him against Swiss Stan Wawrinka. And though Tsonga started the match in an unsure fashion, losing the opening set 2-6, he recovered well to turn the match in his favour. Against Nadal, Tsonga would be keen to start the match strong, taking on cues from where he was dominant in his previous matches at the Masters. If he is able to hold on to his service games and try and come to the net as he did in his match against Wawrinka, Rafa should be in for a tough fight.

On the other hand, Nadal’s impressive head-to-head would be a key factor for the Spaniard as would be his own resurgence against the Bulgarian in their quarter-final match. There aren’t any chinks in Nadal’s arsenal that could prevent him from getting into his ninth straight Monte Carlo finals making Rafael Nadal, the clear favourite between the two semi-finalists.

Match Forecast: Rafael Nadal def. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in Straight Sets

Second Semi-final: Novak Djokovic versus Fabio Fognini

Fabio Fognini has surprised everyone, first by ousting Czech Tomas Berdych and then by cleanly slicing through Richard Gasquet’s game. As far as impressiveness and making impressions go, the Italian has more than made his mark. His ranking is set to enter into the top-30 for the first time and even though an underdog going into the semi-finals, finds himself as the univocal ‘dark horse’ favourite to cause yet another upset.

Novak Djokovic, by contrast, has erased all doubts about his fitness and barring his two opening rounds against Mikhail Youzhny and Juan Monaco, had a comparatively sedate passage into the semi-finals. If Nole is able to attain and maintain to his rhythm right from the early moments of the match, Fognini would find it difficult to jar Nole’s momentum.

Match Forecast: Novak Djokovic def. Fabio Fognini in Three Sets

Things are not going too well for the Delhi Daredevils

Five matches played so far, five losses and no points on board. Such is the plight of the once-feared IPL team Delhi Daredevils. The team composition is in disarray as they struggle to find the right structural balance for their playing 11; their captain’s performance has dipped to new lows, while no other candidate seems to want to step up to the plate. When the batting works, the bowling falls apart; and when the bowlers come through, the batsmen let go of the reins completely, making the team look utterly chaotic and clueless.

Before the start of the IPL, though many pointed to the lack of a strong wingman for the Delhi squad after Kevin Pietersen’s unexpected injury and Jesse Ryder’s unprovoked assault leading to his absence, no one would have possibly foreseen the team in such a situation. But irrespective of Pietersen and Ryder’s absence, in all fairness, there’s not much lacking in the team.

As far the squad strength goes, Delhi has a good blend of both Indian and offshore players, even though not many of its Indian squad members are that well-known. However, it’s not these not-so-well-known players who have been under-performing, but the much fussed-about big-wigs who have been letting the team down, like in their away match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Daredevils seemed to have it all under their control till the very end only to lose the game in the super-over, failing to score 16 runs in six balls. And to consider it honestly, it wasn’t as if the Royal Challengers Bangalore were performing brilliantly. Of the 11 members in their team, in all of their six matches so far, it’s been Virat Kohli, and maybe Chris Gayle, who has been consistent propelling the team to four wins so far. Even against Delhi, it was Kohli who was instrumental in powering them forward before it all came apart after his wicket fell. Yet again in all these comparisons, where RCB do have a take-charge guy amongst them, Delhi Daredevils still seek that elusive rescuer.

Thus each match sees them try to pin their hopes on someone different. The squad composition has been re-jigged, players have been re-shuffled and yet the results are still the same. Even teams which don’t boast of such a star-studded ensemble are ranked above the Daredevils – a reason for definite embarrassment for the team and its support staff. Incidentally, till the last season when Delhi regularly made it to the top bracket in the points table, its glamour was substantially overshadowed by its performances; rivalled even. Yet, this year, as the Daredevils’ performance continues to disappoint, the question begs merit as to whether the team can regroup and emerge as resilient as they were before. Or whether the players’ mental roadblock, which seems to have hit them hard at the most inopportune time, would prove to be a costly detriment to the team and, as a result, to the investment funnelled into making it a competent and reliable squad.

Then again, the significance of these questions isn’t as much as the answers that can, and will, be provided by the players. With three matches into the IPL, Delhi could have probably hoped for a timely comeback; but with five matches done and dusted and their otherwise highly-regarded players contributing almost zilch, it’s probably high time the Daredevils started revaluing their options. They are not exactly without choices, but their manner of exercising these choices is definitely not bringing them value for their money. Getting back into the top quartet in the points table maybe a distant dream, but the Daredevils can still play for pride and redemption. Pride that’ll help them to hold on to their past achievements and redemption that’ll obliterate the fiasco of the first five opening matches – both as hosts and as visitors to other IPL hosting venues.

It’s a brimming contingent that’ll start the first Masters event of the clay court season. The defending champion seems to be all set, as does the world no. 1 whose injury woes threatened to momentarily derail him. Even with David Ferrer’s unexpected withdrawal from the event, Murray, Del Potro and Tsonga set the perfect stage to mark the run up to the French Open with a motley entourage as a complementary tour de force.

Top Half: First Quarter

Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro are the two big names in this quartet. And incidentally, this will be the first time that both will take part in an event after an injury scare. Though Djokovic saw Serbia safely through in their Davis Cup quarter-final against USA in spite of an ankle injury, the Monte Carlo Masters would be a perfect arena for him to gauge his movement on the dirt. If his ankle holds up as he believes it would, Nole then is most definitely the hands down favourite in this quarter.

Juan Martin Del Potro’s performances have been a mixed bag so far. Bagging his first title of the season at the ABN AMRO Open, Del Potro continued his spectacular run at Indian Wells. He put up a spirited performance first to dismiss Andy Murray in the quarter-finals, and then to dispatch Djokovic in the semis. In the finals, he led a spirited charge against Rafael Nadal, but fell short in the final set, allowing Rafa to win a record 22nd Masters’ title. He was however ousted quite abruptly at the Miami Masters and as his wrist injury threatened to flare up again, was forced to take a step back in the next couple of tournaments. If Del Potro manages to overcome Milos Raonic, Viktor Troicki and Alexandr Dolgopolov, then Novak Djokovic could have a tough battle on his hands.

Quarter-final Prediction: Novak Djokovic def. Juan Martin Del Potro in three sets

Top Half: Second Quarter

If the first quarter packed quite a few big hitting heavyweights, by comparison the second quarter of the top half has some real lightweights. But there is nothing lightweight about their abilities. Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet are the higher ranked seeds, expected to make the quarter-final line-up though Marin Cilic and Jerzy Janowicz could really alter the final outlook of the quarter-final twosome. Especially in case the Czech and the Frenchman, even so slightly, lift the pedal off their game.

Quarter-final Prediction: Tomas Berdych def. Richard Gasquet in three sets

Bottom Half: First Quarter

The defending champion finds his place in this quarter, in the 56-man draw of the Monte Carlo Masters as the third seed going into the tournament. And it’s probably for the first time that he finds himself with an outside looking chance at winning the Monte Carlo title, rather than an out-and-out favourite. Yet, no matter who wins the tournament ultimately, Rafael Nadal remains the favourite to top this quarter.

Janko Tipsarevic started the year quite strong, winning his first ATP Chennai Open title in January. Thereafter the Serb has struggled to find his rhythm, even though he still remains one of the toughest players on tour. His form still remains shaky and as such, is the most important factor that could univocally tilt the balance in favour of the Spaniard.

Quarter-final Prediction: Rafael Nadal def. Janko Tipsarevic in Straight Sets

Bottom-Half: Second Quarter

Andy Murray sets the pace for the game in this quarter that consists of, amongst others, players like Gael Monfils, Stanislas Wawrinka and Jo-Wilfred Tsonga. With a lead of 80 ranking points over Swiss Roger Federer, the Scot will be determined to add a few more valued ranking points to his tally. Though considering that either Gael Monfils or Stanislas Wawrinka would be his potential third round opponent, Andy Murray will have to showcase his best tennis, right from the get go. Any less and the Scot could find himself upset and his rankings in threat.

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga finds himself in a similar predicament as the other top-seed in the quarter. With a potential match-up against Nikolay Davydenko in the second round, the route to the quarter-finals only gets harder for the Frenchman with either Nicholas Almagro or Jurgen Melzer facing against him in the third round. If Tsonga comes out strong against each of these players, then Murray could indeed have a fight on his hands.

Quarter-final Prediction: Murray def. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in Straight Sets

While these matches do make for an exciting finish, the intensity never mellowing down but turning over to the other side at the most critical of junctures, it’s the plight of the losing opponent that’s hard to absorb. To have played a well synchronised game, only to lose it in the end, is never easy to forget. Yet many of these ‘chokers’, as they are referred to, have gone on to put their loss firmly behind them. Some even went on to win the tournament where they had to face such a demoralising outcome, a fitting retribution to their earlier angst. Here’s a recount of five such palpably tantalising matches:

5. Mary Jo Fernandez def. Gabriela Sabatini, 1993 French Open Quarter-final

Gabriela Sabatini, the Argentine golden girl, had somewhat of an infamous reputation; that of being a choker. Looking at her performance against American Mary Jo Fernandez in the 1993 French Open quarter-finals, one can garner why. Serving for the match at 6-1, 5-1, Sabatini surprisingly – or not so surprisingly – went on to lose the match 6-1, 5-7, 8-10 after three-and-a-half hours of gruelling effort on the part of the American.

Fernandez eventually went on to notch her first and only final appearance at the French Open, bowing down to Steffi Graf in yet another hard fought three setter.

4. Steffi Graf def. Martina Hingis, 1999 French Open Final

Hingis’ loss in this match has solely been credited to her arrogance. Though already up a set and a break in the second set, the Swiss world no. 1 displayed unnecessary and unwanted rudeness towards the match officials. Her melodrama irritated one and all, even the generally unruffled Graf, prompting an already Graf-biased crowd to screech even louder against the Swiss. As the match progressed, Hingis’ concentration started to waver, impacting her game. Graf stayed poised, collected her last French Open title and consquently her last Grand Slam title.

Hingis’ run at the French Open however ran out as she never managed to reach the finals at Roland Garros ever again.

3. Serena Williams def. Lindsay Davenport, 2005 Australian Open Final

When one plays against Serena Williams, there’s not a single moment where the opponent cannot expect the American to swing the match around to her advantage. Lindsay Davenport held it together quite well, taking the first set 6-2. But it when it came to crunch time in the second and the third set, she was unable to face Serena’s onslaught – as injured as Serena was – and surrendered the match with a disappointing score-line of 0-6 in the third set.

The key to Serena’s success was methodical deconstruction of Davenport’s game without allowing her to take advantage of her fitness vulnerabilities.

2. Serena Williams def. Kim Clijsters, 2003 Australian Open Semi-finals

There are exciting matches and there are nerve-wracking matches. This match indeed falls under the latter specification. Bidding to reach her first Australian Open finals, Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams were one set apiece with Clijsters leading with a break in the third set. Her movement visibly hindered because of a foot blister, Serena ended up trailing the Belgian in the set 1-5. But that’s when it all changed. Or rather, the American made it change. Kim Clijsters failed to convert two crucial match points on Serena’s serve, allowed the American to break twice and consequentially level the set at 5-games apiece. Two games later, Serena had done what would have otherwise been perceived as impossible.

The score-line read 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in Williams’ favour, who then concluded her spectacular run-up to the final by defeating sister Venus to win her fifth Grand Slam title and the first of her five Australian Open singles titles.

1. Steffi Graf def. Jana Novotna, 1993 Wimbledon Final

Regarded to be an all-time classic, the 1993 Wimbledon final was memorable for various reasons. But mostly, it was memorable for the way Graf found her way back into the match, to claim her fifth Wimbledon singles title. After losing the first set in the tie-break, Novotna secured a convincing 6-1 win in the second set and was comfortably leading 4-1 in the third set. And that’s when she lost her composure. Her serve seemingly let her down and she failed to win a single game thereafter, thus allowing Graf to wrap the match in the 10^th game.

Four years later, her maiden Grand Slam victory couldn’t have been any sweeter for Novotna as she finally etched her name in the Wimbledon silverware, defeating Frenchwoman Nathalie Tauziat in a comparatively sedate fashion, in her third finals’ appearance at Wimbledon.

Momentum and sports have a cosmic correlation. Any slight derailment to this all-engulfing force results in massive shifts in the immediate priorities, tampers with the set order of plans and mostly, causes performances to nosedive. And in cases where performances don’t take a nosedive, the lapse in momentum does lead to doubts being cast about a team or a player’s future.

It’s not about the cause though. Be it team sports or individualistic sports, the causes of loss in momentum rarely do matter. It’s the resultant effects of these lapses that are significant. But where in team sports, team members and substitutes can be expected to pick up a player’s slack, thus minimising the effect of the loss of momentum, the lack of substitution cover in individual sports makes it a dual-edged knife for players engaged in such individualised sporting fields. A rationale that ends up altering the perspective of the fans as well, on account of the paradigm shift in a sport’s level of competitiveness.

Rivals and rivalries bring out the best in any sportsperson. Rafa Nadal’s lasso-like potency provided a much needed contrast to Roger Federer’s single-handed domination, as did Novak Djokovic’s boisterousness divert the attention from the intenseness of the former two. Though Murray’s laconicism is yet to permeate fully, men’s tennis nonetheless remains a multi-dimensional facet, making it even more palatable to its connoisseurs. And in all fairness, while the fluctuating trait of women’s tennis does make the point somewhat moot, there’s however no dearth of rivals or rivalries that could render a viewer’s attention bland. Which is why, injuries as causation of jerks to a player’s momentum are completely unwelcome and hindering. Even more so, when a player – a rival – is cresting on a high; such, that it’s never seen before.

Hardcore fans may dispute this line of reasoning, but heart-of-hearts each one of us would – and rightfully should – disagree with our own assertions. A rival’s absence from the playing field, because of injuries, doesn’t really make things easier for the remaining crowd favourites. But it does stand to bring down the overall qualitative finesse considerably. And let’s face it, between a choice where favourites get easy crossovers and where their path gets blocked by a player of an equal – if not superior – standing, wouldn’t we want to see our favourite put to the test? As risky as it sounds, in case of a victory, it’ll come with the knowledge that our favourite was able to endure, outwit and outlast the rival. Be it three sets or be it five sets, at times tracking a longer-duration match is far more intriguing than following a straight set encounter which could get wrapped within minutes. Of course, there are matches where innumerable breaks and re-breaks make it impossible for the attention span to sustain, but most of the matches involving higher ranked seeds pass through this gauntlet.

Be it Serena Williams’ long absence from the game a couple of years ago, or Maria Sharapova’s unexpected shoulder injury halting her in her tracks way back in 2008; or the way Lleyton Hewitt’s career ended up as a pale shadow of what it otherwise could have been, or how tendinitis has tormented Rafa to the point of causing him to have second thoughts about his future in the sport, on more than one occasion. These are simply four names, but the actual list of players whose professional aptitude has been cut short by injuries is extensive and exhaustive.

The void left in the wake of these players’ forced abstinence still however remains. And any chance to see some of them at their best will stay confined to videos and match recaps forever. Maybe that’s why we ought to be glad for the here and the now, and the ones who make us revel in the moment. Like Rafa’s, who’s made yet another successful comeback and Nole, who still remains optimistic about taking on the tennis world by storm on clay, in spite of an unexpected mishap to his ankle. For even though a lot still remains unchanged in the sport, it’s their on-court rivalry that seems to be largely momentous right now.

The IPL is many things rolled into one. But it’s definitely not cricket. And that’s probably the most obvious feature that the annual tournament brings foremost to an avid cricketing fan’s mind – that the IPL is almost like a blip in the international cricketing radar. In the six years since the lofty-minded competition was launched, with a trophy as ostentatious as its opening ceremonies, the IPL has become a spoof of its self; driven by controversies and greedy, unscrupulous money-grubbers.

Amongst the innumerable reasons as to why the IPL sets a poor standard as a cricketing venture, it’s this last facet that stands out far more boldly than the rest. However flawed the concept might have proved to be, in the initial few years, the IPL did enough to promise the audiences about the sport’s adaptation as per contemporary needs and trends. The paradigm of eight teams or franchises gave an illusion that the Indian Premier League promoted cricket at large, in the simplest of manners. A few controversies that rose in the wake of the creation of two additional franchises saw the end of this original pipe-dream of eight elite teams. Not that the controversies ended there. In fact, more appeared and the creator of the tournament found himself being relegated and banished as if he were a mere tool rather than the actual mastermind. Of course, by this time, cricket too had started to degenerate from the tournament, although terms like ‘Super Sixes’ and ‘Fabulous Fours’ still found their place of honour with the over-enthusiastic hosts manning the television proceedings.

Where once match pre-shows were chaired by experts from the cricketing fraternity, these bubbly and excited hosts have reduced the drama of cricket to a quirky fashion show, leaving no room for cricket anywhere when set aside the gloss, glitz and glamour of the cheerleaders stepping it up before the studio’s cameras. Considering that the present generation of cricketing fans root for all of these hoopla and hype, there’s no doubt as to why Test cricket is failing to gather attention. Who would want to waste time watching five days of relative inactivity when in a mere span of four hours, there’s lot more action happening?

Speaking of action, the fact that the IPL is scheduled right before major international cricketing tournaments start affects the qualitative output of players in these other tournaments. And since a certain cricketing body believes in the concept of verbal gagging against IPL’s detractors, there’s not much room left to complain. As a sport which doesn’t really have an off-season unlike many other season-based sports, the scheduling of IPL in the two-month time-frame between April and May becomes a lethargic concern for players, who are already in the grasp of remnants of fatigue brought on by their previous cricketing commitments. These same players are expected to do well in all circumstances – before the IPL, during the IPL and post the IPL. If at all a player fails to meet the requisite, then he finds himself unceremoniously on the bench, axed either by the national-level selectors or by IPL owners wanting to evade investing in an under-par player. Which brings light to the million dollar question – which form of cricket takes precedence over the others?

In 2013 at least, it’ll be safe to say that the IPL won’t be holding much of a clout with the Ashes scheduled to begin in England, almost a month after the conclusion of the IPL. As it is, both English and Australian cricketers have had enough reasons to be wary about their performances after their tours to New Zealand and India respectively. Thus, the IPL and its after-effects will be monitored even more closely by the English and Australian cricket boards with regard to its implications on their fitness and their ability to do well in the five-match biennial series. For no matter how much the IPL may be important money-wise to players from these two countries, winning the Ashes contest is a laurel that both nations seek to possess. Alongside providing wholesome entertainment to not just English or Australian cricket fans, but to each and every cricket fan across the world deeply rooted in the conventionality and tradition of the sport.

Mumbai Indians batsman Kieron Pollard

The term ‘all-rounder’ is a well-known and well-understood concept in cricket. Generically, it means a cricketer who can bat, bowl and field – the last more of an implied requirement – with equal aplomb. In the past, cricketers with such all-round capabilities were a prized talent. A rarity even amongst the uber-talented, these all-rounders wore their exalted status like a badge of honour. Although in the present not much has changed with respect to the talent recognition and the lofty status quo of these cricketers, the conventional terminology has nonetheless undergone substantial transformation. And not without necessity.

The game’s evolution from the more extensive formats to the comparatively shorter versions has resulted in bringing forth a strange demand-supply equation concerning the all-rounders. Starting with the time allowed for a particular player to be called as an all-rounder or to even develop as one, the assessment of the reference itself lacks complete concreteness. Most of the current crop of all-rounders predominantly excel in one discipline – either with the bat or with the ball – and are largely mediocre in the rest. Though this mediocrity doesn’t alter the reputation of the players themselves, when the team is playing against stiffer opponents it also doesn’t make them impervious to the harshest of scrutiny. To try and prevent any such emerging negative backlashes from further damaging a cricketer’s appeal, many such ‘all-rounders’ are also prefixed with terms like ‘part-timers’ or ‘lower-order batsmen’; thus effectively limiting the expectations placed on these players, in the first place.

Innumerable cricketing names have rebounded not-so-pleasantly when placed with the mantle of being an all-rounder. Incidentally however, these names mostly fall under the ambit of Test cricket or ODIs while relatively thriving in the T20 department, as seen in the IPL for quite some years now where both national and international players – many who have been dropped because of lack of necessary form – find themselves in prominence and thereby, in greater demand money-wise. Even the ICC rankings give three different lists of players as all-rounders, trifurcated across the three different formats. This would thus essentially mean that a player’s credibility as an all-rounder is subject to each of the three formats of the game. And that a player who’s referred to as an all-rounder in one format may not be credited with the same honorary reference in the game’s other formats.

Considering that there’s such a big discrepancy in terms of the commonality of the term, it also then logically follows that many aspiring cricketers try to prove their worth not just in their area of initial interest or focus or specialisation, but also by trying their hand at what doesn’t come to them naturally. Barring the negativities of these inconclusive offshoots of cricketing developments, the advantage for these players does however come by way of the ever-increasing multitude of cricketing tournaments in a given year. Even the IPL, which for all the downsides that it has brought to the international cricketing front, in this context promises to be a curtain raiser for young hotshots waiting to explore the realm of being all-rounders.

This attention to the best amongst the lot also accounts for the sport and its various intermediaries retaining the right to choose or do with the player’s talent. Thus, though the available window of opportunity reduces per player to do well, at no point of time does there arise circumstances where the demand exceeds the supply of these all-rounders. In terms of the larger picture, this in turn also implies that a team’s selection would be subject to periodic changes, depending on who’s the most favoured pick amongst a given set of probabilities; thus throwing the whole team selection paradigm into constant disarray.

The latest controversy related to Sri Lankan players has hit IPL’s brand

The scene’s been replayed so many times over in the past. Wars and terror crimes have infiltrated the domain of sports, reducing it to a mockery of what it emphasises and broadcasts. Be it in the 1930s, where the Olympic Games were mired under the light of so-called racial superiority or during the 1970s, when a group of sportsmen were brutally killed by a terror outfit on account of their nationality, sports has unwittingly become the primary subject of dissent, not only before or during war-times but sometimes, even in the wake of warfare. Like the situation unfolding before the Indian cricket authorities, with respect to IPL matches and the Sri Lankan players.

Along with the obvious fact that the potential absence of Sri Lankan players would dent the franchise owners’ coffers with respect to their investment in each player, the ensuing controversy has also effectively halted the heady lead up to the tournament. Considering that the event has been mired in controversy ever since its initiation six years ago, this diversion of focus from the tournament to an event completely unrelated to the sport could not only jar the 2013 IPL season, but also pose bigger obstacles in the future trajectory of the hyped Indian Premier League.

Though the rules of the tournament dictate the inclusion of majority of Indian cricketers in any playing squad, the possible exclusion of Sri Lankan cricketers could very well bring out and emphasise the miscommunication between the various parties involved. As it so happens, looking at the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of Sri Lankan playing in the IPL this season, some Sri Lankan politicians have called for a retaliatory boycotting of the tournament by their players. If such an eventuality occurs, for those franchisees already impacted by player injuries, the full and thorough absence of the Lankan players would further weaken their squad strength. This potentiality would also jeopardise the chances of a franchise to do well in the IPL along with the wholesome entertainment factor that the event primarily focuses on.

Alternatively, even if franchise owners are ready to meet the initially stipulated requirements of not allowing the Sri Lankan players to play in Chennai, the location prohibition could prove to be an unwanted catalyst for any rebellion arising right during the course of the event. This is considering that the Lankan players don’t boycott the event in the first place, in accordance with their nation’s ex-cricketers’ sentiments.

With major international cricketing bodies coming together in their criticism of the BCCI with regard to its conduct, the IPL now stands at a tricky precipice. Though most international players express the keenest desire to play in the IPL considering the monetary returns it gets them, the availability of these players is also subject to the stance of their respective cricketing boards. If per chance, taking a cue from the BCCI vacillations on the issue of the Lankan players, any cricketing board cites the need to prioritise their forthcoming international cricketing commitments over the IPL, the road leading to the IPL could get even rockier.

Thus, while in terms of addressing the contention at hand, though it’s proving to be quite difficult for the BCCI to advocate or intervene presently, the IPL organisers do need to be careful about how they proceed with it vis-à-vis the tournament’s long-term structure. The constantly evolving paradigm of international cricket has made it necessary that tournaments like the IPL continue for the foreseeable future. However derailing they might be, to the efforts of the puritans to bring back the sport to its once glorified stature.

As far as pioneering ideas go, the IPL may have started out as an appealing vision brought forth to integrate entertainment with cricket. But its continuing run has been completely in contrast with what it set out to be, making it a very parody of its intended objectives and outlook.

With the stage being set for the semifinals and the way the tournament has unfolded till now, a couple more of these surprises won’t be ‘surprising’, though they’ll definitely add on to the 2013 Miami Masters’ overall USP.

Semi-Final One:

Tommy Haas versus David Ferrer

Tommy Haas of Germany acknowledges the crowd after defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 26, 2013 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Getty Images)

The 34-year-old German has been the talk of the tournament and more so, after his shock upset of the world no. 1, Novak Djokovic. He has been in sublime form throughout and has not really been tested much; except for his second-round match against Dutchman Igor Sisjling, his road to the semifinals has been pretty much smooth sailing.

Haas’ opponent on the other hand, has rebounded well from his unexpected upset in the second round at Indian Wells and has so far, made the most at the sun-kissed and rain-interspersed tournament. Just like Haas, David Ferrer too has had a pretty sedate run-up to the semifinals, though as the last Spaniard left in the fray, Ferrer would be gearing up to make his presence last till the very end.

A match-up between two completely contrasting playing styles, the Haas-Ferrer match is all about two ageing bedrocks of tennis. Where circumstances forced the former to take a backseat from the sport, his return marked his triumph over all his adversities. As regards the latter, he was and still remains a player to watch out for – the one who can spring a surprise, if the opponent is caught unawares.

Ferrer leads Haas in their head-to-head 2-0, but going by Haas’ recent form, one can definitely expect high quality action from both players.

Prediction: Tommy Haas defeats David Ferrer in three sets.

Semi-final Two:

Richard Gasquet versus Andy Murray

Andy Murray of Great Britain celebrates after winning a quarterfinal match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 28, 2013 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Getty Images)

Once predicted to be one of France’s brightest tennis stars, Richard Gasquet seemed to have lost his way ever so slightly in the past few years. But slowly yet painstakingly, Gasquet has managed to get back into the hallowed hallways of the sport. He’s not what he was before, but the years have only added a different kind of maturity to Gasquet’s game. Knocking off Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, Gasquet finds himself yet again within close reach of notching his first-ever Masters title. The only one standing in his way: in-form Andy Murray.

The Scot’s progress into the semifinals was an expected trajectory, and his straight-set victory over Croat Marin Cilic. Given the fact that Murray has a lot to lose – or a lot to gain, if seen optimistically – if he wins the title on Sunday, his return to the semifinals fold is beyond promising. A runner-up last year, Murray’s chances at Miami have so far only been restricted to being the finalist rather than the victor. As he takes on Richard Gasquet in the semis, Murray would be looking to wash away this small hiccup in his otherwise dazzling Masters resume.

As compared to the first semifinal, the second one (an evening session match) points towards a straight-forward outcome, unless  Gasquet comes up with enough defiance to bowl Murray over. On paper, Murray leads the Frenchman 4-3, though in the past few days, head-to-heads have been swept aside, as if nothing but mere conveniences.

Prediction: Andy Murray defeats Richard Gasquet in straight-sets.

Even though the Indian cricket team has answered its critics with its out-and-out supremacy against the Australians, certain grey areas still shroud the team’s potential, threatening to dismantle its shakily regained confidence. With no more games in India for the national team for the next one-and-a-half years, these grey areas thus become even more important. Factors that could either make or break the team, if not paid attention to at the earliest.

1. Complacency: This is the biggest con that could completely and single-handedly overhaul the Indian cricketing team’s pros in the immediate future, as it has many-a-time in the past. Unlike other cricketing teams who ensure that their successes aren’t chalked up to coincidences and take follow-up measures to continue the good work, the Indian cricket team normally doesn’t look at building on the factors of its success. More often than not, it also happens that the team gets carried away for longer time durations on its successful performances, instead of putting it behind them and focusing on what could and would come their way, in the days ahead. For Duncan Fletcher and his team captain, assessing their present strengths and sorting out the problems – however minor they were – that plagued them during the Border-Gavaskar series is an imperative must, way more than exulting on the former’s contract extension and the latter’s forceful response to criticisms thrown his way.

2. Team Composition: The composition of the Indian team still remains skewed. In the recently concluded series against Australia, India played three different openers in four Tests. Although the unexpected injury to Shikhar Dhawan in the third Test didn’t disturb India’s opening consistence, the jury still remains out on the resultant combination of Vijay and Pujara. Moving on, the rest of the squad composition also is a slightly distorted picture, with several candidates lined up to fill the empty places. If not given adequate attention, India’s chances against both South Africa and New Zealand could be substantially hampered.

3. Bowling Woes: Many may take this is as a direct contradiction to the Indian bowling department’s superiority against the Aussies. But the fact remains that barring Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma – to a certain extent – not all of the bowlers were as effective as the coach and selectors would have wanted them to be. And for those pledging on Jadeja’s effectiveness with the ball, taking wickets on foreign pitches is completely different from taking umpteen wickets on domestic tailor-made pitches, especially weighing the likes of batsmen like Amla, Smith and Kallis, to name a few.

4. Inexperience: For all the jubilation and excitement that the 4-0 whitewash has brought home, it has also – in some remote corner – hit out about the Indian team’s inexperience overseas. Though many members of the present Test team have played in difficult playing conditions abroad, many others like Vijay, Pujara, Jadeja and Dhawan have virtually no experience tackling the pitches abroad. Incidentally, these players also happen to be the stars of the Border-Gavaskar trophy, which makes the issue even more serious.

5. IPL Factor: Many would disagree about this being a cause of concern for the Indian team’s chances in the months ahead. But as seen in the previous years, the IPL has been a cause of major concern with respect to the drain on players’ mental and physical endurance. The two months of the commercial T20 set-up, followed by major ICC tournaments like the Champions League would mean that the Indian team have absolutely no time to regroup before the tour to South Africa and New Zealand starts. And even though the IPL has become a major revenue-getter for the BCCI and thus become an intrinsic part of the sport, the Indian cricket team needs to pay special focus to ensure that the IPL doesn’t give them a reason for burn-out.