Birthdays and cricketers - A few interesting connections

2nd June is the day when cricket’s most successful twin brothers were born.

2^nd June must be one of the most historical dates in cricketing history. It was the day when two great cricketers were born.

One is believed to be the man who carried the baton from an emerging Australian side and turned them into an invincible one. I will remember Steve Waugh as a badass cricketer whose bowling suffocated India’s chase of 271 in 1987 world cup where we lost by one bloody run! That was the first time I saw him play cricket. I will remember Steve Waugh as a batsman who stood between India and victory in Sydney-2004. That was the last time I saw him play cricket.

The other cricketer, his twin brother Mark, was one of the best fielders I have seen. In this age when even the simplest of catches are not completed without fielders making them look extraordinary, Mark Waugh was a no-fuss man. He didn’t move to field, he floated. To add to this, his batting was poetry.

2^nd June is the day when cricket’s most successful twin brothers were born.

I am a bit of a believer in horoscope. I also believe in numerology. In addition to this, I also believe that tarot card readers can tell that you are going to get bitter-gourd in dinner if you had a tiff with your wife in the morning. Stars do play a part in you getting relief every morning in toilets and there are unseen forces in this world which make you unknowingly dig your nose while you are standing in front of your eye candy who you fancy. There exists a force which is responsible for every action, inaction, interaction and transaction that happens in this world. Like men’s gaping eyes whenever they get even glimpse of a female’s you-know-what, this force remains uncontrollable.

So I decided to check some dates. The first name that comes to any Indian cricket fan’s mind is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He was born on 24^th April 1973. One of my relatives and a very close friend shares his birthday with Sachin. Like Sachin, he is doing wonderfully well in his profession and I pray from the bottom of my heart that he keeps doing it.

Best guess about Shakespeare’s date of birth is 23^rd of April. Not surprising that these two legends were born around the same time. Who knows, their time of birth might have been separated by a few hours or even a few minutes.

Shakespeare died on 23^rd of April too. It is said that he was sick for almost a month before he died. Conventional wisdom says that his mind may not have been at his best because his sick health, as it normally does, would surely have decreased its immense capabilities. Just before 23^rd of April, his literary genius mind must have come down to a level way below normal and close to the levels of masala writers we see these days. Chetan Bhagat was born on 22^nd of April.

Till the end of IPL season 4, MSD was considered to be the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket after the debacle of WC2007. His courage was applauded all over the country for not surrendering to Poonam Pandey’s threat of going nude in the event of India’s victory in WC11. Yes, it does need courage. Imagine your effort of winning the world cup being awarded by making you see a naked Poonam Pandey. What if she actually turns out to be a he? It would have been like the definition of an unfortunate man’s life – Life is a punishment for once coming first among millions. MSD braved the fear and sealed it with a Six.

Jokes apart, MSD remains India’s second best captain I have seen in my 23 years of cricket viewing. The best captain was born a day after MSD. Yes. MSD’s and Dada’s birthdays are juxtaposed to each other – 7^th and 8^th July respectively. See, planetary motions prove that on those days, our planet gets rays from other planets which help in cultivating leadership skills. If I was Sybill Trelawney or Rameej Raza, I would have predicted that India’s next captain would be the one who was born on 6^th of July.

6^th December remains one of those days which changed modern India forever. For the benefit of those who may not be aware, please check it on internet. Nope. I am not talking about what happened in 1992. I am talking about what happened in 1988. Yes, our beloved, only second Indian cricketer to be knighted by people of India, normally known as Sir RJ although now people are pushing it to Lord RJ, Ravindra Jadeja was born on 6^th December 1988. Sir RJ is a legend. Few even believe that he wasn’t born but was dropped directly on this planet from God’s own closet. Only if he was born a decade ago, he would have been the first Indian cricketer to be knighted by the people of India. Interestingly, the first ever Indian cricketer to be knighted by the people of India, the living legend who is still living up his name, Sir Ajit Agarkar was born 2 days before Sir Jadeja’s birthday i.e. 4^th of December 1977. The best part about Sir Ajit is that he hasn’t changed since last 14 years – still bowls at good pace, still bowls at least one boundary ball per over and still starts a new over with a wide. And whenever he is hit, which happens very frequently, he still gives that look to all of us – This is not my fault. This is cheating. I didn’t know that batsman was supposed to use the piece of wood for hitting the ball. Did I ever use it in Australia?

'Sir' Ajit Agarkar – the living legend

As they say, class is permanent.

So all you ladies and gentlemen looking to start a family, looking to bring a new life to this planet and hoping your newborn will turn out to be a multifaceted, multi-talented super hero without wearing his undergarments over his/her pants, I have given you a key to surest success. Alter your plans, reserve your energy, keep building your stamina and improve your health. The opportune moment has passed. Wait for the period between mid-February and mid-April 2013, provided Mayans are proved to be wrong. Chances are high that you will be blessed with a son like Sir RJ or Sir Ajit.

Till then, please join me in wishing the best pair of twin brothers to have ever played cricket – a very happy birthday gentlemen. Thanks a lot for making the game richer.

Standard Disclaimer: Pun intended. No offence meant to anyone. Ajit Agarkar is one of the best pacers India has produced.