Team India at Australia was toiling hard at the nets to see a better outcome, to maintain their heads high, after the morale booster series against the Caribbean’s back home. But at the nets unlikely of Sachin, he was a bit of out of moods on Thursday. Probably his hundredth hundred on the mind or to push his efforts to perfection, was seemed to be perturbing him. He was seen giving instructions to Umesh Yadav, to bowl straight. And later he was also instructing Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha for running into bowl one after another without a breather. It could be regular for the onlookers but for people, who have watched him closely, through his career, know the difference that something could be running on his minds.

Well at the other end the out-of-favor Indian off-spinner Harbhajjan Singh who was not in the team for the series, felt the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was  just a match away from regaining form and one should not attribute his failure to be forever lost form. He said Ponting will definitely make up like the Indian stalwart Rahul Dravid. He further emphatically said Ponting must be left at his discretion to retire considering the immense contributions he had done to Australian Cricket.

The above two news bites are totally different pieces that have been brought to the enrichment of the readers. But if one closely observes, the similarities are visible. Like every time Sachin goes to bat we start praying that he should slam a ton. Even pre Sachin batting-media reports would be sheer anticipations and criticism about the big game.  Secondly about Ponting, his recent miserable form has been much ridiculed by the local press and former cricketers. But any batsman in his stature would feel like to retire only in success and not amidst failures because both would go down the history. So at the last phase of one’s career he would like to retire when things remain as sweet memories and not as sour events.

So getting back to our original point about the similarities between these events, the media, the critics and the cricket fans must stop putting pressure on the legends and watch them in action. I am sure the day when Sachin and Ponting go out to bat with no criticism or anticipation by the critics, at the back of their minds, they are bound to create history and get laurels for their teams.

WIshesh wishes both the teams `All the very best’ and ` may the best win.’ For more updates on the series watch this space regularly. (AarKay)