The last of a dying breed

When did you last watch a good cricket match and said yourself, “What a match!”? Must seem ages, despite the flurry of T20 slogfests.

Thanks to the “Tallest man in world cricket”, as Gavaskar puts it, we all enjoyed a breathtaking innings, maybe of a lifetime.

The physical fitness and mental toughness of Sachin are admirable, if not adorable. What style, what composure, what character! What a man he is!

Critics might argue that he once again failed to take the team to the finishing line. But what are the other ten in the team doing? Perhaps they were mesmerized by the magical batting skills.

Whatever be the criticism, everybody ought to accept one thing. That Sachin is the best, perhaps the last of a dying breed called cricket genius. Until another genius is born, we’ll all have to be content with mediocrity, showmanship, and slogfests.