THE RIGHT STUFF

Hey folks,

i have decided to make a combined sports blog with my roomies.  This blog will be suspended till further notice. But my articles can be found, along with those of the other writers at notjustcricket.wordpress.com

I caught an auto and was in Chepauk in 3 minutes, and Badrinath was on the crease. The non-striker M.Vijay, a compact bastman was playing in his second match. Badri hit 2 consecutive sixes of offie Md. Faiq, both strokes etched with effortlessness, and there was an attractive extra cover drive of R.V.Ch.Prasad. But just after the drinks break, Badri edged one to keeper M.S.K.Prasad of the other Prasad, and began a quick walk to the pavillion. But not before impressing this writer, who managed to catch just 4 overs of the match, and who did not feel like watching the reminder of the day after Badri’s departure, a heart ache confusing his priorities. Badrinath scored 69 of 139 balls, with 5 fours and 2 sixes. I have a habit of sensing something, and I sense that he will be in the Indian team soon. Why else would I spend 40 bucks to travel to the ground and back, despite the fact that the ground is a 10 minute walk from college. I was excited to get a chance to watch someone, whose record I have been following for the last few months. It was bad luck that he got out no sooner that I got to watch him, but it was a good experience for me. I don’t do things all of a sudden, and this was a welcome break.

The test squad to tour South Africa has been announced and not surprisingly, Tamil Nadu skipper S.Badrinath does not find his name on the team roster. This is because I am not yet convinced that the selectors are ready to take the bold steps necessary to get the right mix of players for a better future. There was a need for another opener and Gambhir was an automatic choice. It was a toss up between Badri and the embattled Sourav Ganguly, but when you compare each others performances in the domestic circuit, Badri is ahead.With a recent Ranji average of almost 80, and having performed in his last match on a dodgy Kotla pitch, his ability has been showcased consistently. He now has to go back to the MAC stadium in Chepauk to face neighbouring Andhra Pradesh from December 1 t0 4. I will try and catch a glimpse of his repertoire of strokes, which he has striven to increase. I hope he gets his turn and selection politics do not ruin a possible regular in the Indian team. He will pile on the runs.

I have read some of his interviews, and a sense of confidence about his abilities was prevalent. The 26 year old is in the prime of his form, but he has to carry on.

This site is for that ever perservering sportsperson. It will profile those who I think will make it in sport, with a focus on India. I have always wanted to be a sportsperson, but a genetic muscular disorder crushed those vaguely formed dreams. While I contemplate my fate, this is my ode to those lucky few, who while on the field can participate in this metaphor of life.The Mercury 7 were the original NASA astronouts and the but I hope the ones I profile do not have to endure the fate of Chuck Yeager, who was not selected as he did not have a college degree despite being the best. He is still a hero if he did not make it. The Right Stuff is a reference to *TomWolfe’s book of the same name, and a movie adapted from it, which recounts the enormous risks that test pilots were taking, and their belief that the selectivity of reaching the ranks of a test pilot (and thus possessing “the right stuff”) gave.

*wikipedia.com