Vijender’s Pro Debut

As a die-hard boxing/MMA fan, I’m happy to see a big-ticket Indian boxer turn pro. India (and to a larger extent Cuba) remain the only countries where an Olympic medal is viewed as the definitive benchmark for success. While most other boxers also value their medals, they’re largely viewed as means to an end – with the end being a successful (and hopefully lucrative!) pro career.

For the uninitiated, boxing in the Olympics is a sport for ‘amateurs’. A boxer loses his amateur status the minute he accepts a paycheck for a fight. In other words, Vijender will no longer be eligible for the Rio Olympics. As you can imagine, this has generated its fair share of controversy, with some suggesting that he’s sold out his country’s Olympic dreams.

In my opinion, Vijender’s made the right move. His fighting style tends to favour slower, but heavier punches – an approach that will be far more successful in a professional fight. In the Olympics, fast, light punches tend to score more points even though they don’t necessarily deliver the same amount of damage. Vijender’s participated in two Olympics already – it’s time for him to focus on a version of the sport that will bring him more success, and a lot more money.

Back to the fight then. Vijender is being promoted the old-fashioned way – he’s been booked against a mediocre fighter who will make him look good. His opponent isn’t exactly championship material – Sonny Whiting has a day job as a scaffolder, and took this fight on two weeks’ notice. Expect Vijender to cruise to an easy decision victory, and possibly score a late TKO.

Mayweather-Pacquiao

Mayweather vs Pacquiao has finally arrived.

If you’re a non-boxing fan, this may not mean much to you. If you are, however, you’ve probably participated in a debate on who would win and vociferously defended your pick. It’s gotten to a stage where you’re classified as a particular ‘type’ depending on your choice. If you’ve picked Pacquiao, you’re the emotional sort who roots for the underdog. If you’ve picked Mayweather, you’re probably conservative and backing a known winner. Because in Floyd’s own words ’47 attempts have been made to solve the Mayweather puzzle, and they’ve all been futile’.

There’s no doubt that Mayweather-Pacquiao is the definitive super-fight of our generation. It’s being contested between the consensus #1 and #2 pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and is set to break all revenue records. With both fighters expected to earn over $100 million, the promoters have decided to call this bout the ‘Fight of the Century’. And for most boxing fans, that’s a problem.

What seems like an innocuous, unnecessarily grand name has actually generated significant debate. ‘Fight of the Century’ honours have usually been reserved for bouts that transcend the sport of boxing. Joe Louis’ knockout of Max Schmeling ended the reign of Nazi Germany’s most prominent poster boy. And Ali’s stance on the Vietnam War made Ali-Frazier the ultimate anti-war protest. So while May-Pac will generate an unprecedented amount of money, it doesn’t really have a political or cultural edge to it.

And yet, this fight does have an added significance. Battered by greedy promoters, archaic marketing and sub-par production, boxing has been on a decline for the better part of the new millennium. Younger audiences have switched to MMA, and the UFC has aggressively moved into newer markets. Boxing is increasingly viewed as yesterday’s sport, with its current champions unable to live up to the glory of their predecessors. To that end, a successful May-Pac fight will help showcase the sport to a new generation of fans. Will it be enough to revive boxing as a mainstream sport? Only time will tell.

As for the fight itself, it’s a study of contrasts. Mayweather is the villain in this match-up. Charged with domestic violence, he’s easy to hate and often has people rooting against him. His obnoxious, over-the-top lifestyle doesn’t help either. Indeed most people tune-in to watch Mayweather lose, or at least receive a beating. But while it’s easy to loathe Mayweather the human being, there’s no denying that Mayweather the boxer is an all-time great. A master of assessing risk and minimizing damage, ‘Money Mayweather’s style is boring, but brilliant.

His opponent, on the other hand is the most exciting fighter of his generation. Pacquiao is aggressive, often to a fault. While his style has resulted in highlight-reel knockouts, it’s also resulted in him being hit far more than he should. You may not see technical perfection in a Pacquiao fight, but you’ll be guaranteed a certain amount of entertainment. That, along with his nice-guy demeanour provides the good vs evil rhetoric that this fight needs.

Time to pick a winner then. Five years ago, I’d have picked Pacquiao – he was on a different level altogether. Two years ago, I’d have closed my eyes and picked Mayweather. Now, however, they’re both past their prime. I’ve never picked against Mayweather before, but it’s time to pick the good guy for a change. Pacquiao by split-decision.

When age is just a number

One of the most significant sporting events of the year will take place on November 8^th, and most people in India probably haven’t heard about it yet. A man just three months shy of his 50^th birthday will take on the most dangerous boxer of his generation for the unification of boxing’s light-heavyweight championship. Along the way, he’ll endeavour to answer an age-old question – Can skill and experience truly compensate for sheer power and speed? And just how far is the adage ‘Age is just a number’ true?

Bernard Hopkins is known as ‘The Alien’ – a testament to his otherworldly ability to remain a champion at the age of 49. Keep in mind this is boxing we’re talking about here – it isn’t golf, where even Tiger Woods struggles at the age of 38. It’s not chess, where Magnus Carlsen is proving that youth is best equipped to keep pace with an evolving sport. This is boxing – a sport where two men attempt to knock each other out, and Hopkins’ opponent – Sergey Kovalev has achieved a young Tyson-esque 90% KO rate.

The most intriguing aspect of this bout is that Hopkins doesn’t really need to take this fight. He’s already a first ballot Hall of Famer, so his legacy is secure. He’s made tens of millions of dollars, and has invested them well – so this isn’t yet another boxing bankruptcy story. And boxing’s current structure allows him to pick and choose his opponents, so he doesn’t really need to take on a Russian powerhouse nicknamed ‘The Krusher’. But he chooses to, because that’s just what champions are made of. He can’t help pick the toughest challenge out there, for no other reason than it is indeed the toughest challenge.

To reiterate – the man is about to turn 50. To provide some context here – he’s older than Mike Tyson, and Tyson was washed-up almost a decade and a half ago.

That said, boxing loyalists have always believed in the purity of ‘The sweet science’ – The belief that a combination of brains, skill and technique can overcome speed and power. Indeed, it is the cornerstone of most martial arts, most famously demonstrated by Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Royce Gracie running through a field of bigger, tougher opponents at the inaugural edition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, as awareness of jiu-jitsu grew, opponents figured Gracie out, and eventually, he too lost. Hopkins however, endures.

So will Hopkins pull off another miracle win? The general consensus is that this is a ‘pick ’em fight’ – too close to call. If Kovalev does indeed win, it’ll probably be via knock-out, and it won’t be pretty. Hopkins though, is favoured if the match goes beyond 10 rounds – where he’ll be expected to ‘out-box’ the Krusher. The winner is expected to face WBC champion Adnonis Stevenson, providing boxing with its first undisputed Light Heavyweight champion in decades.

What is certain however, is that a Hopkins win could be one of the most inspirational sporting stories of the decade. It’s no coincidence that boxing lends itself to some of the best sporting cinema out there – it features men that overcome impossible odds to achieve high-profile success, often literally shedding blood, sweat and tears in the process. Both Hopkins and Kovalev have had incredible rags-to-riches stories, and their experiences make great reading. Personally though, I’ll be rooting for Hopkins, come November 8^th.  Should be fascinating.

Twitter handle – https://twitter.com/chinmaybhogle

Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/chinmaybhogle2

In Defense of T20

Is it possible to be a fan of both Test cricket and T20 cricket? I certainly consider myself a fan of both formats, but this constant inference by a number of cricket journalists that it is impossible to like the ‘slam-bang’ version of cricket is frankly, quite irritating. I’ve read most of the arguments against T20 (and some of them are valid), but today’s Cricinfo blog from Kamran Abbasi “Let’s be honest about T20” manages to take the anti-T20 rhetoric to a new low.(Link attached) – http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/722229.html’

If you ignore the attack on Mohammad Hafeez, Abbasi’s primary objections to T20 cricket (and the IPL) are as follows.

 

“T20 cricket is the least challenging of cricket’s disciplines”.

The most popular argument against T20 is, unfortunately, the least effective. T20 may not require you to bat a whole day to save a test match, but holding this up as one of the format’s deficiencies is missing the point. T20 cricket requires a different set of skills (which are not necessarily inferior). Just different.

Still not convinced? A quick Statsguru search reveals that the best Test batsmen of the past two years have been Michael Clarke, Alistair Cook, Kumar Sangakkara, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Hashim Amla.

Notice anything? Most of them don’t make it to their country’s T20 teams. Amla and Sangakkara are far from being their country’s premier T20 batsmen. In fact, the only cricketer in that list who’s considered a top T20 batsman and Test batsman is AB de Villiers. And he’s the best batsman in the world. So I think its fair to give him some credit there.  

I hope this point isn’t misconstrued as an attack on Test cricket (I remain a fan). My point is that Test cricket and T20 cricket can co-exist, and the ability to hit an 8 ball 30 also requires a prodigious amount of skill. You don’t hear people arguing (and I realize that this might involve over-simplifying the issue) that a marathon runner is a more ‘pure’ athlete than Usain Bolt. It is recognized that while both disciplines involve running, one requires an explosive burst of speed, and the other requires tremendous amounts of stamina. They’re both regarded as world class athletes.

 

“I do object to the IPL on the basis that it deliberately or subconsciously refuses to consider players from certain nations. Pakistan invariably, and this time Sri Lanka too. This is unfair…….. a proper tamasha is better for being open to all entertainers, especially the badmashes from across the border.”

Extraordinary. Anyone who believes that Pakistani players are left out of the IPL for pure cricketing reasons is completely missing the point.  IPL franchises would love to have Junaid Khan on their team – they can’t have him for political reasons. And given the context in which that decision was made, you’d be hard-pressed to find many Indians who object.

 

“It isn’t an exacting test of skill. Its purpose is to make money for cricket boards, cricketers, and others.”

Er, what’s wrong with making money?

I’ve never understood this ‘Money is Evil’ mindset. It is a phenomenon that is exclusive to cricket – you don’t really get much of this in other professional sport. This is basic economics at work – you need funds to run a sport. If Test cricket isn’t profitable, market forces kick in, and an equilibrium is eventually arrived at. But there’s a larger point to make here – Has anyone ever thought about why T20 cricket makes money for both boards and cricketers?  

It’s because fans watch this format. They attract sponsors. They bring in ticket sales, they buy your merchandise, and they raise the value of the TV property as a result. It means that fans actually like T20 cricket. Horrifying, isn’t it?

The problem, if anyone chooses to admit it, is with cricket. We have chosen to follow a sport whose longest form can go on for up to 40 hours. No one has that kind of time anymore – so it is entirely natural for people to lose interest in Test cricket. What is regarded as ‘quick fix’ cricket, to me is a positive development – it shows that viewers continue to retain interest in the sport! Test cricket can still be kept alive with a more niche audience, so people like you and me can appreciate the subtleties involved in a Pujara double hundred.

So yes, let’s be honest about T20. It is compact, exciting, and by some distance the most popular cricketing format. Claiming that Test cricket is ‘better’, is appallingly elitist, and displays scant respect for the ultimate custodians of the game – the fans. Because TV ratings and ticket sales don’t lie – the fans have spoken, and their choice is clear. Let’s respect that. 

Predicting the IPL Auction (Part 2) – Mumbai Indians

Retained Players: Rohit Sharma (c),Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu

Right to match cards available – 1

Auction purse remaining – 210 million.

I must admit, I’m a little surprised by MI’s choice of retained players. Because this is how their team currently reads – Malinga (Apparently overweight and described by the Sri Lankan board as ‘unfit’), Pollard (Still recovering from a serious injury), Harbhajan (Dropped and on the wrong side of 30), Ambati Rayudu (not yet an established international player) and Rohit Sharma (Because my memory didn’t begin and end in 2013)

They’ve also chosen to not retain the second best keeper-batsman in India, Dinesh Karthik. Personally, I would pick Karthik ahead of both Harbhajan and Rayudu, but Mumbai Indians seem to think they can do without him. Perhaps they’re banking on using their right-to match card on him. I don’t see this happening though – Dinesh Karthik is a top batsman, keeper and a possible captaincy candidate. Expect one of the franchises to bet big on DK, and Mumbai not having the requisite funds left to match his bid.

They still have a core that can deliver, but MI are going to have to play without the luxury of having an extra batsman/bowling option in the team. Harbhajan is going to have to be a genuine number 7, and Pollard a bankable fifth bowler. It’s certainly possible, but this new look Mumbai Indians will not possess the aura that the previous team possessed.

Which brings us to their requirements. First up, they need an aggressive opening batsman. MI have always preferred this option, usually because they needed an aggressive opener to bat around Tendulkar. I also think that MI have never really forgotten the impact that Jayasuriya had in their first season. Given their auction behavior over the past couple of seasons, you can expect MI to bet big on a young, but established talent. Step forward Aaron Finch and Alex Hales, your bank accounts are about to have a couple of zeroes added to them!

That said, I would still prefer MI using their right-to match card on Dwayne Smith. He’s the kind of cricketer any T20 side would want – an aggressive opening batsman, good for a couple of overs, and a top fielder.  He’s also far more likely to go for a lower amount than Hales or Finch. With MI’s penchant for picking big name players, they’re going to have to maximize the 60 crore auction cap, and picking Smith over Finch means they have enough money left to buy a quality fast bowler.

Next up is a reliable middle order keeper/batsman. He doesn’t have to be spectacular – MI aren’t exactly short on firepower, but he’ll be needed to hold an end up. I actually think Wriddhiman Saha might be a good option here. MI need a keeper, and most of the other franchises are likely to prefer the big-hitting variety. He’s a solid keeper, under-rated batsman, and unlikely to attract the bid size of a DK or Parthiv Patel. He certainly has the numbers – First class average of 46, a List A average of 45.7 (Yes, 45.7!) and a T20 strike rate of 124.

Finally, I have never understood why Abhimanyu Mithun doesn’t get more opportunities to play for India. He’s just had another good season for Karnataka, (41 wickets @24.00) and given the current state of India’s seam attack, we could certainly do a lot worse. The Indian selectors may not necessarily rate him, but I hope the Mumbai Indians do. Mithun would be a useful addition to their squad.

A possible alternative is Rishi Dhawan. He’s had a dream Ranji season (49 wickets @20.3) and is a legitimate lower order batsman (435 runs @39.5). Mumbai might have to shell out a fair amount for him though – Being the No. 1 domestic bowler in a year where the Indian bowling attack has performed terribly could add a crore to his price tag. It’s worth noting though, that Dhawan was benched for most of MI’s 2013 campaign. My take? It doesn’t matter how shrewd Mumbai is in this auction – the days of MI fielding 9 superstars in the playing XI are definitely over.

Predicting the IPL Auction (Part 1) – Rajasthan Royals

It’s that time of the year again folks. The IPL auction is here.

I’m going to stick my neck out a bit here – This year’s IPL auction is most likely to be logical, free of surprises and generally filled with sensible picks. The reason behind this belief is simple – Six years of the IPL have given franchises enough time to learn about team dynamics, and enough data to differentiate between performance and hype. While some franchises will inevitably come down with “Seam bowler who can bat-itis (also known as Tyron Henderson’s retirement fund), we should have an auction that is largely devoid of shockers.

Over the next few days, I’m going to analyze each of the franchises before the IPL 7 auction. Each of them has gradually developed a distinct style of playing, and the player retentions reflect that to a fair degree. On that note, the first franchise to be dissected is…

 

Rajasthan Royals

Players retained: Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny

Right to match cards available – 1

Auction Purse – Rs. 225 million.

I’ve always had a soft corner for the Rajasthan Royals. I’ve called them everything from my “Number 2 team”, to the ‘Cricket lovers’ IPL franchise. People love them for their underdog status, and the fact that they consistently punch above their weight. I get the feeling that’s about to change though – This RR squad has all the makings of a solid, well-rounded IPL franchise.

For starters, RR seem to have their core sorted out. Their retained players fill 5 out of the top 7 batting slots, and this includes a keeper and 3 bowlers. So this makes picking players a lot easier, and frankly, quite straightforward.

My first pick for the Royals is one of the most under-rated IPL cricketers around – Rajat Bhatia. He’s a very ‘RR-type’ cricketer – experienced, multi-skilled, and good at playing on low-scoring, slow pitches. I doubt he’s going to come cheap though – like I said, 6 seasons of the IPL have given the franchises enough time to favour performance over potential.

A strike bowler and a spinner should be next on the Royals’ list. If you ask me, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Chris Morris are likely candidates, along with a host of young Aussie fast bowlers depending on their availability. They’re also likely to go for Tim Southee if he’s at a decent price, but I expect CSK to exercise their right-to match card on him. Good death bowlers are rare, and Southee has the experience to command a good price in the auction.

If you think about it, there are hardly any good Indian spinners in the IPL auction. The top ones (Ashwin, Jadeja and Harbhajan) have all been retained. That leaves an inconsistent Pragyan Ojha, an out-of form Amit Mishra, and a double world cup-winning IPL multi-millionaire.

Also known as Piyush Chawla.

Leaving aside Rahul Sharma (hasn’t played well for a while), Pravin Tambe (way too old for another couple of seasons) and Shadab Jakati, we have my pick for the Royals – Murali Kartik. A seasoned T20 veteran, and largely consistent, this could be the year Murali Kartik finally gets his due.

The big player pick though, is the captain. I’m betting on the Royals going all out for either Michael Clarke or George Bailey. They’re both typical Royals picks – experienced, proven leaders, who also happen to be extremely good middle order bats. Clarke probably has Shane Warne’s backing, but a dicey back means Bailey is the more likely pick.

My fantasy pick for the Royals though, is Kevin Pietersen. An angry, determined Pietersen looking to prove his captaincy credentials could be one of the most dangerous factors in the IPL. Clever retention means the Royals have the money to splurge on a big player – Will they take a chance with Pietersen? Stranger things have happened.

 

 

 

UFC 168 and the future of MMA

UFC 168 is here.

If you’re a non MMA fan, this probably doesn’t mean much to you. If you are,  however, you know that this is the most important event of the year – Not only is it quite possibly the biggest rematch in MMA history, but the implications of this event could shape the UFC’s strategy for the next couple of years.

If you’re new to the sport, here’s the background. Anderson Silva, the former UFC middleweight champion, future Hall of Famer and quite possibly the greatest fighter to have walked the planet, gets his rematch against Chris Weidman, the man who managed to slay the proverbial dragon (some say with a lucky shot), and who has the kind of rags-to riches tale that makes a great underdog story.

He also has the right skill set to defeat Silva. Generally regarded as the most talented striker in the world, Anderson Silva is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and a Muay Thai specialist. It essentially means that while he’s unbeatable on his feet, he can handle himself perfectly on the ground as well. It’s a combination that many thought was unbeatable, and the reason he was undefeated for almost seven years.

UFC 117 changed that though. Chael Sonnen proved that high-level wrestling can be the chink in Silva’s armor. While he ended up losing the fight (and the highly anticipated rematch), he’d set the template for an Anderson Silva fight – take him down, keep him down, and stay out of his striking range.

Which brings us to Chris Weidman. A talented wrestler with significant striking ability, Weidman was perceived by many as an improved version of Sonnen – in short, the ideal man to take down the Spider. The fight however, didn’t quite go according to expectations.

Silva taunted Weidman, clowned around in the Octagon, got too cocky and got hit with a left hook. Many felt that Silva had lost the fight just as much as Weidman had won it. Bottomline – We didn’t see if Weidman’s wrestling was good enough to beat Silva. I suspect that this might be the fight we see the second time around – I see Silva being a lot more cautious.

Finally, the implications of this fight. With Georges St-Pierre retired, and Cain Velasquez injured for a year, the UFC needs a new star. Jon Jones aside, I believe that new star could be Chris Weidman. If he wins this fight, expect the UFC marketing machine to get behind him in a big way. Though I don’t see it happening. My prediction? Silva – Third round TKO.

 

 

 

 

 

The Top 5 Caravan Profiles

I’ve always been a fan of long-form journalism. In fact, I’ll go ahead and be a bit of a snob – The fact that India’s tabloids vastly outsell their more ‘serious’ counterparts is a bit of a reflection on the general reading habits of our country.

One magazine that has managed to successfully buck the trend is The Caravan. The Caravan has always been good at profiles – they manage to accurately capture the subject’s personality, while offering enough anecdotes to keep the article interesting. Here then, are my top 5 Caravan profiles. Hope you like them!

 The Outlier – May 2012.

“The Jan Sangh sheltered and protected Swamy during the most dramatic segment of his life: his escape from arrest and his re-entry into India during the Emergency—a caper involving disguises, chutzpah and an intimate study of airline timetables”

I’ve always been fascinated by Subramanian Swamy. He’s the kind of personality that’s a bit of a mystery – intelligent, articulate, and yet occasionally stating views that don’t quite fit in with his intellectual stature. Samanth Subramanian profiles an enigma in Indian politics.

Link: http://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/outlier

 

The Age of Seth – December 2011

“Some people are famous for being famous. Suhel Seth is famous for knowing the famous”

Technically, this is a book review, not a profile. Mihir Sharma reviews Suhel Seth’s book “Get to the Top – The ten rules for social success”. It ends up becoming more of a mini biography of sorts, but makes for entertaining reading nevertheless.

http://caravanmagazine.in/books/age-seth

 

The Argumentative Indian – November 2012.

“A successful politician is one who:
makes the unconscionable
sound reasonable
and the reasonable
sound unconscionable”

Kapil Sibal’s rise in Indian politics has been anything but conventional. Praveen Donthi profiles one of the more fascinating personalities in Indian politics.

http://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/argumentative-indian

 

Supreme Being – December 2012.

 

“Undoubtedly, he has built a rich and mighty corporation; it is not at all as clear, though, that he has improved, or has even wanted to improve, Indian journalism. Instead, he has prized the quantitative over the qualitative “

 

While this issue is better known for the Times Now- Arnab Goswamy cover story, it is Samir Jain’s profile that makes my list. Like it or not, the Times of India influences our lives in more ways than we can imagine.

http://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/supreme-being

 

The Confidence Man – March 2011.

“It’s a curious kind of faith in a man—not in the integrity of his character, but in his ability to work the odds into his favour even after a fall from grace as steep, and arguably as deserved, as this one.  Nobody who knows Lalit Modi—least of all Modi himself—seems to truly believe that his divorce from Indian cricket is final”

The definitive Lalit Modi story. I won’t spoil it for you – just go ahead and read it. Samanth Subramanian profiles the most polarising individual in modern cricket.

http://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/confidence-man?page=0,1

 

The Best Rahul Dravid Articles

“Yeah, jeez, not a bad effort for a blocker, huh?”

Rohit Brijnath is probably the one writer associated the most with Rahul Dravid pieces. On the tenth anniversary of one of India’s greatest overseas wins, ‘The Art of Dravid’ gives us a unique look at Dravid’s marathon 233 at Adelaide.

Link: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/19/1071337158411.html

 

“As he said this, suddenly, his expression changed. The smiling, casual, relaxed demeanour that he had assumed till that point in the conversation was gone. At that moment, I realised I was in the presence of 10,000 Test runs, of umpteen thousands of deliveries faced, resisted, and scored off”

Samir Chopra manages to capture a side of Dravid that you often see during his batting, but that never manages to come out during his interviews. A grittier look at one of India’s grittiest batsmen.

Link: http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/620920.html

 

“Anyone can be brilliant when in form; it takes character to be oddly-brilliant when plumb out of touch. That takes fortitude”

Most of us tend to look down on batsmen who clearly look out of touch. To that end, Alex Massie manages to capture an oft overlooked aspect of batting – the ability to overcome adversity and bad form, and still lead your team to victory. Despite Rahul Dravid looking out of touch during India’s 2007 tour of Australia, he still managed to top score during India’s famous Perth win. A must-read for Test cricket fans.

Link: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/alex-massie/2012/03/farewell-rahul-dravid/

 

“One of Rahul’s great strengths is his ability – and he has had it all along – to accept reality. He believes you cannot complain about anything because there is no end to complaining. And he knows there is no end to improving either”

Vijeeta Dravid gives us a unique look at Rahul Dravid’s personality – the man behind 24000 international runs.

Link: http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/556979.html

 

“He would certainly have retired if he hadn’t had a good series, he said, but after doing so well, retiring would have been selfish. There was a series to be won in Australia”

Finally, Sambit Bal manages to capture the mindset of a true champion. The article contains a lot more than just this, but to me, the part that stands out is Dravid’s motivation for touring Australia. He could easily have exited on a high after the England tour, but as an in-form batsman, felt compelled to tour Australia one last time. A true champion.

Link: http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/556771.html