Dada — We will Miss you!

The Border Gavaskar trophy is over.. What a series.. For die hard cricket fans.. It was test cricket at its best. The Indo Oz rivalry was revived.. Aussies got a taste of their own medicine and lost by huge margins.. A fulfilling experience for a die hard Oz team hater !

Even before the series got underway.. Dada gave all his fans a shocker.. The words “Just one last thing lads.. ” became immortal in a matter of seconds.. When the news was out.. every single fan was choked with emotion.. And right through the series Dada made sure that he wasn’t going out because he had no more cricket left in him.. He bowed out in style!

With the series.. A few Indian cricketers came of age… some showed just why were they rated so highly.. MSD had an exceptional series.. Somehow after the Blore test itself i had a feeling it was time Kumble called it a day! And he rightly did so after the Delhi test.. Despite his illustrious career which endeared him to all of us, his end somehow came in a hurry! Most of us out here thought it was time he called it quits..

The entire series has its special moments and each member of the team made sure he enjoyed his 15 seconds of fame.. Be it Sachin for the most runs in Test Cricket.. or Rahul for his unbelievably buttery fingers.. But all said and done.. After the series is over.. One constant refrain on the fans’ lips is not Sachin’s century/ Ishanth’s wickets/ the series win and not even Kumble’s retirement.. Its Dada who is missed the most.

News channels had a field day with headlines like.. “The Eastern Son” .. “The Prince Signs off in style”.. “The last of the flamboyant bengalis” and the likes.. But print media wasn’t far either.. Here’s an article I found and believe me.. It totally choked me beyond expectations.. One more line and I’d have burst into tears..

Source

As the Airbus A320 took off, on the dot at 5.20pm on Tuesday, Sourav Ganguly gave Nagpur, the city which gave him such a rousing send-off, one last look.

Sitting on 1B, flanked by Dona and Sana, Sourav turned towards the window for a minute or so before closing his eyes.

Sourav remained that way for around 30 minutes, till Sana, who wasn’t able to open a cola can, woke him up. For the next hour, Sourav chatted with friends from the media, some of whom had been part of his 12-plus years’ journey as an iconic Test cricketer.

In between, there were requests from co-passengers (and the all-women cabin crew) for autographs. One gentleman, mumbling something, took as many as three.

It would’ve made the season for him.

Earlier, at Nagpur airport, there was mild commotion once word got around that Sourav had arrived to board his first flight as a former India cricketer. “Doesn’t sound odd… I am a former cricketer now,” Sourav said.

A very special one, though, going by what teammates wrote on a T-shirt when it was taken around by Dona during Monday’s dinner in his and Anil Kumble’s honour.

Sachin Tendulkar’s was the most emotional message, but pretty touching was the one from Rahul Dravid — “It was a great journey with you, buddy.”

Rahul and Sourav’s Test careers, it may be recalled, began in the same match (Lord’s, 1996).

Back to Nagpur airport…

Additional personnel had to be called to maintain order and, when Sourav was clearing the security check, the CISF’s H.S. Thakur shook hands. His smile suggested even a promotion probably wouldn’t have made him happier.

As for the relaxed Sourav, he tried to play a prank, wanting to pocket a friend’s BlackBerry from the x-ray tray. He ought to have been a shade quicker, for the owner pipped him by the proverbial whisker.

It wasn’t a guard of honour, like the one given by teammates on Monday morning, but the private carrier’s staff gathered on the tarmac and applauded Sourav as he got off the bus to board the aircraft.

He was moved.

Once inside, Sourav was greeted by first officer Gur Kamaljit Singh. “He’s been one of my favourites and I couldn’t have sat in the cockpit without wishing him. It’s sad that Sourav’s retired, but it’s a decision which has to be respected. Only he could’ve known when to leave,” Singh told The Telegraph.

The Airbus touched down in Calcutta on schedule (6.50pm) and Sourav was overheard saying “home is always home.”

Dona and Sana deplaned first and, when Sourav stepped on the tarmac, he was greeted by minister Asok Bhattacharya and elder brother Snehashish.

For security reasons, Sourav and family drove home from the tarmac. That dozens of security personnel and airline staff, who’d been keeping fingers crossed in the arrivals’ terminal, were disappointed, would be an understatement.

Footnote: Sourav will, within days, start his innings as a columnist. He’s been signed up by Sunil Gavaskar’s Professional Management Group for articles during the soon-to-begin ODIs and Tests against England.

Phew! .. I don’t remember seeing such articles for Kumble .. though there might have been some..

Though I’ve never acknowledged it, I’ve loved Ganguly in his “captain” days.. Adored his arrogance and flamboyance.. Admired his leadership and knack of identifying potential.. I can go on.. But his fall from grace was uncalled for.. [GC.. Drop Dead! ] When he landed in a situation where he had to speak for himself and went through all that humiliation I felt so bad that I wished he’d call it quits and dissolve into shadows.. But being the fighter that he is.. He bounced back and how! The world watched while he played his way into the team and hung up his boots when he was least expected to..

Way to go Dada.. The world will always remember your “shirt act ” at Lords and the way you bought the Indian team to the fore!

We will miss you!