Freeze Frames

It's 5 in the evening and I feel sleepy. Not surprising when you've been up most of last night, watching battles royale at the US Open, which was preceeded by yet another Indian surrender on a cricket field in an ODI final.
Yep, being a couch potato when it comes to sports, has its drawbacks. But the more you watch, the more the memories you carry away with you. So here's where I sit back and recount my most recollected memories of sporting action. I don't consider these to be my favourite or most significant events in sports, by any means. Just images which stick to my mind, for whatever reason....freeze frames.


1. Hrishikesh Kanitkar hoicking a spinner away to the deep mid-wicket boundary amidst the smog and gloom of a Dhaka night.

The first time I saw a successful run chase of over 300, that too by an Indian team!


2. Cedric Pioline coming up with a brilliant on-the-run crosscourt forehand winner, leaving Sampras stranded at the net, Wimbledon final, 1997.

I guess this one sticks because it was completely unexpected, completely against the run of play, where Pistol Pete predictably dominated the entire match.


3. VVS Laxman in his whites at Adelaide, driving on the up through the covers, the red cherry scattering the pigeons on its way but keeping the Aussie fielders rooted to their spots.

One of those Very Very Special occasions when Lax elevated cricket from a mere game to an art form.


4. South Africa. Rahul Dravid at forward short-leg rams into the batsman Gary Kirsten to catch the ball which popped up after hitting the bat. The bowler Prasad appeals, Dravid and Kirsten are lying all tangled up on the pitch, but the latter is given out.

Blame this one on ESPN-Star. The number of times they kept showing this for years to come engraved it in my memory. And the incident was kinda funny too.


5. Jana Novotna crying on the Duchess' shoulder after losing to Steffi in the Wimbledon final.

It wasn't the crying as much as Novotna seeking out the Duchess' shoulder. At that moment, she was just disappointed all over and desperately needed a hug from somebody. Vulnerability...


6. Aravinda deSilva nicking a snorter to the keeper from Ajit Agarkar at Sharjah.

It was Agarkar's magic debut season and one reason why I feel more sad than angry or anything else, to see his inconsistency time and again.


7. Goran Ivanisevic with his Wimbledon Trophy...at last.

I can still feel the gooseflesh all over me.


8. West Indies. Brian Lara edges a ball through the Aussie slip cordon for a boundary with 8 odd runs required for a Test victory and Courteney Walsh at the other end.

The Caribbean genius playing his most magical Test innings in a magical match.


9. Gigi Fernandes changing shirts oncourt during a match at a grand Slam.

Darn! Where did this one come from?....


10. South Africa. Dravid lofts Allan Donald over his head for a 6, only to be treated to a verbal assault from the White Lightning.

At that time, I didn't know which surprised me more, Donald abusing Dravid or Dravid hitting a 6.


11. Australia. Donald again, unsettling Mark Waugh, getting him to walk onto his stumps, but which was controversially given not out.

White Lightning breathed fire in that spell. One of the best bowling efforts for insufficient rewards. Australia won the game.


Iam pretty sure the ongoing Ashes series will add a few memories, as will Sania Mirza. And I notice I haven't written on anything apart from cricket and tennis, which is not surprising.
What is interesting though, is that I don't have any special memories from the matches I've watched live at Chepauk or at the Gold Flake Open. Am I equating sporting events with TV programmes too much, I wonder?....hmmm.

But what I do know now is why I watch sport.
For the memories, nothing more, nothing less.