Thunder, Down Under
It is often said cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties — very much true if one is to look at Team India’s stunning win at Brisbane’s Gabba. After getting all out for 36 to lose a Test, to finally bouncing back after chasing 300-plus runs to script a golden victory in the final Test — and clinch the series against the most formidable opposition — is an outstanding performance. Indeed, the young brigade in Team India, without the veterans, has proved beyond any stretch of the imagination that Indians can rise to the occasion.
S. Seshadri,
Chennai
While we float in vicarious ecstasy, we ought to ponder too. As opposed to the administration of sports through bureaucratic set-ups such as the district, regional and national bodies, where influence-peddling seeps in, the IPL has emerged as the fountainhead that scouts talent and assigns a market value to each. These boys then strive with their inner mettle to seek higher podiums. Thus do we get to see spectacles as at the Gabba the other day. That said, the dated ethos in our ponderous sports associations is not going to change in a hurry.
R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai
I believe that every Indian cricket fan has been left elated after witnessing this victory. This series became the stage for several reliable young players. The scintillating performances of Mohammed Siraj, T. Natarajan, Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari and Washington Sundar indicate that they are going to be the players with promise. One cannot forget the exceptional performance of Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara. The way the team fought back from the second match has been phenomenal.
Mejari Mallikarjuna,
Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh
The victory was achieved in the most astonishing manner, battling against all odds — COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, injuries and the unavailability of the top players. It was 100% team effort. The calm and dignified role Ajinkya Rahane played as the captain is commendable.
Varanasi Gopalakrishnan,
Chennai
Dr. V. Shanta
There was a time in the 1970s, the 1980s and even the early 1990s when many Indian films were wrongly portraying cancer as a killer disease — Andhar Bahar in Hindi and Vazhvey Maayam, Nenjil Or Aalayam in Tamil for instance. There were many more ‘cancer-plot’ movies. Dr. V. Shanta was instrumental in correcting this stigma in Indian films through her interviews on television and the vernacular press. If at all any Indian film now conveys the message that cancer is curable if diagnosed in the early stages, it is due to her persistent efforts. I would like to recall the refrain in her many interviews — ‘cancer is curable.’
A.V. Narayanan,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
