Come home, Laxman!

There's this Telugu movie in which the lead complains about losing a day in the calendar. She lost it because she was on drugs. I didn't know what was sucking me into, but it looks like I've lost too many days in my calendar. I missed the world for about a month or so. I'm glad, I'm back. And though this post is a delayed celebration, I'm happy I woke up in the nick of the time.

If I tell you that the news of Hyderabad hosting a test match makes me ecstatic, you might raise your eyebrow or laugh at my stupidity. Even if you've been ardent cricket fan all your life, you might not understand my ecstasy. Especially if you're from those big metros like Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai or Bangalore. You wouldn't know what it is to be a metro and yet have occasional cricket matches happen in a multi-purpose stadium. You'd have no idea what it means for an ordinary cricket fan to have a cricket stadium. You'd have no idea how harsh it was on us, when IPL was taken away from Hyderabad because of agitations. You'd have no idea what its like dying to watch your heroes playing the highest form of cricket and yet can't even dream of it.

My ecstasy is two fold. One is that this city, which has been cricket loving all through and yet deprived of proper cricketing action, is getting its due, finally! This city will cheer, roar, celebrate and enjoy every single action involved when two Test teams are battling it out.

The other reason, and more important of the two, is Laxman! He made the Australian crowd to bow to him. He made Kolkata his home. He's shown a piece of wood can be a magic wand, too. In the days of slam bang cricket, he keeps showing what's called class. He'd be coming home. He'd be cheered for the first ever time, by his own people and the people would enjoy their fellow, perform at the level he's best at.

It would be pretentious to say that Laxman would be most sought out in Hyderabad's match. No! The God would take all the honours, as the ritual goes and no hint of doubt in it!

But Laxman needs this bit of it, for what he has given to Test cricket! Hyderabadi's aren't intelligent cricket lovers like Chennaites or sophisticated as the Bangaloreans. We don't go on to streets to fight for our heroes. We don't make fuss when Laxman is neglected or ill-treated. We can't make ourselves visible or heard like our counterparts from Bangalore or Kolkata keep demonstrating. Not that we're gauche. Not that we don't love. We've a unique way of doing it. When we love, we love! That's all! No further action gets kicked in. We're too laid back to tell how much we love. May be, not even that! We just don't see the need. The Australians might call us daft, but we're the way we're. 

The authentic Hyderabadi would get a typical Hyderabadi reception.. for the first time ever is *the* reason for my ecstasy.

God bless, Hyderabad!

Laxman is NOT unsung... Please...

The whole of media is going bonkers over the topic of Laxman being the unsung hero. For having not got the mass popularity, for not having those huge endorsements, for never having been part of the glamorous world, for having been doubted despite best performances. Indian media has this knack of bringing controversy from just about anything.

Laxman can't be appreciated in normal ways, you see. He's way too special to the ordinary to observe.

When you come across a breathtakingly beautiful lady, you'd show your admiration by not dropping your eyelids even for a moment. But what if you come across a woman with strong character and mettle.. how would you appreciate?

If you join your friends for a bollywood / hollywood music show, you can simply sway your hands, following your friends or the crowd. What if that show was about classical music - Indian or Western? How much of it could you enjoy, without having strong base in appreciating it, in first place?

It's so bloody easy to talk about a Hollywood blockbuster? How many of us, calling ourselves movie buffs, can actually comment on the classics that stood out time?

The Sophie Kenslies, the Stephenie Meyers RULE the literary world. But does that leave a Orhan Pamuk or Marquez too tough to comprehend? Are they unsung?

Not everything can be acknowledged by everyone. It's only in this country, which suffers from for-the-mass syndrome.. it's only here that majority counts, a little too much.

Laxman belongs to a rare species of true performers.. if he doesn't have mass appeal, it's alright. It doesn't even count. For he is, too special for the ordinary. To adore him, you gotta have that extra bit of specialty to appreciate beauty.. beauty in the purest of forms.. otherwise, he seems too ordinary.

He makes the Australian players and crowd respect him. What are you waiting for?

Stop the fuss! And bow to the man, who showed painting can be done on the canvas called cricket ground.