“Answer to the future, Lie in the past"

Why again, we are looking back into the history when Men in blue is the best in the business. Really best! Not at all from my point of view. There are two ways to rule either it is dominance with fear that includes aura, intensity and Never-say-die-attitude or on the other side there is dominance after winning consecutive matches back to back where the best team presence or even the player presence hardly matters to anyone. In the present era of cricket, all the teams look very much equal to each other there is hardly a difference among anyone where all the best batsman are at the same level of skills and bowlers are at complete receiving end.

Is it cricket going on really or it is corporate business like the T-20 tournaments. But again why we are questioning, let us go back into the history and think of best in the business teams how they had looked and their impact in world cricket to get the answer of this uncertain question. I haven't watched the great West Indies team of the 70s or 80s that had begun the era of surreal cricket which is still talked about in the modern era of cricket. This team had everything from fearless batting powerhouses to exceptional speed merchants whose presence on the field put the opposition at the backfoot. It was difficult to survive against such team under any circumstances even many of greats of that era believed this was not just the team, they were the army with plan to conquered the world cricket and established their existence who all came from island where resources to play serious cricket back then were very not same like the other cricket other nations.

Australia, South Africa and England were the best teams of that era but there was no single player from the best team whose presence made the difference against the army with plan. Like Hitler who had conquered the world with the way he wanted to and there was no one who was there to stop him. Even in cricket with the start of Caribbean era, everyone in the West Indies will be going to rule cricket for decades and centuries. But it was not the same as when the player came out as a trendsetter in the form of Sir Sunil Gavaskar who took the cricket of 70s or 80s to a completely different level and the arrival of Sir Sunil Gavaskar with tornado brought another aspect into cricket.

“I have bowled at many great batsmen but my prize wicket will remain as that of Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest openers. If anyone is keen to learn proper batting technique, then one should watch Gavaskar who batted without a helmet and was always right on top,” The King of Swing.

The words from another great has defined the impact and aura of Sir Sunil Gavaskar in cricket over other teams. Not just Sir Sunil Gavaskar has scored runs but also took his team to surreal heights in his career. Cricket was changed completely with the arrival of tornado Sir Sunil Gavaskar. There was the aura and intensity of this trendsetter who when came out to bat has brought the tension of fear into the opposition camp. the 70s to late 90s era of cricket witnessed many great cricketers but trendsetter was only Sir Sunil Gavaskar among others in the league.

With the retirement of Sir Sunil Gavaskar, the next big thing in the world cricket was Sachin Tendulkar and many other great players like Brian Lara, Steve Waugh, Martin Crowe, Saeed Anwar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting who has debuted after the retirement of Gavaskar. All having the different style of playing of cricket and ability to win matches and score runs for their team under any circumstances. There was fear and impact too of these players but cricket was very much the same like it was.

Like the arrival of Sir Sunil Gavaskar has begun the era of surreal cricket which was followed for more than decade by the players. But it was the same anymore after the debut of Virender Sehwag who took cricket to a completely different level with his brand of cricket. There are players who score runs and win matches then are players with aura and impact of fear to change the way cricket – Virender Sehwag comes into that category. That fearless cricket in the first hour of the match no matter what was definitely the new thing into cricket with the arrival of Virender Sehwag.

"No one can maximise the first 10 overs better than Sehwag" - Rahul Dravid.

Again it’s very clear about the impact of Virender Sehwag whose has changed the way of playing cricket either it is test cricket or ODI cricket. Even the team of Ricky Ponting had the fear of him who knew Sehwag could took the game away from opposition in just few overs. Virender Sehwag all did in that era when there was more deadly bowling pairs. Since the retirement of Virender Sehwag, it is all the same cricket going on started by the former greats. Will we going to witness another trendsetter like Sir Sunil Gavaskar or Virender Sehwag who can change of cricket with his abilities.

“No matter how good and experienced you are, Sehwag can kill your attitude.” : Brett Lee