The Swan Song

Just for once, cross your hearts and answer the below :

• Who is it that brought in aggressiveness to Indian cricket
• Who is it that every time the media wrote him off, bounced back with a bang (even his nemesis has praised his guts http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/blog/stevewaugh/15/15stevewaugh )
• Who is it that had the guts to yell at his team members “I alone cannot bat for you, ball for you. We have played like utter rubbish … and we do not deserve a change in the semis. If this is the way you youngsters play, I can only have pity on you as the Indian selectors are watching”
• Who is it that had the guts to leave his strike bowler (bought at a whooping 950K $) out of the team to give the young teenager (Jaydev N) a fair chance
• Which Indian captain has always rooted for the young blood
• Which Indian southpaw has been so elegant on the left side of the wicket ? Yes, we have plenty of left handers of brute force.. But so elegant a one, no WAY.

Yesterday was his last match in IPL, probably of his career in 1st Class Cricket. If not a standing ovation, then at least he deserves a lament that we will never ever get to see his straight drives, the 'late' late cuts, the creamy flicks off his pads, the aggression, the 'stare downs'.

Dada, we will miss having you around. You are the best.

Always were.