RaviSez

How wonderful it would be if we could write scripts for cricket matches! Not that people haven't tried and weren't successful in the late ninties, I am not going to dwell on the match-fixing of earlier times. But here's a scenario I made up and works best for the current situation at the beginning of the last day of the third test between India and Pakistan: the revenge to Gavaskar's last test. Wasn't it almost the same then? India chasing a target( the pitch was terrible then); Gavaskar plays one of the greatest innings of his life; India comes close to the target; Gavaskar gets out a little short of his thirty-fifth century; Pakistan wins the series; millions of India hearts(including mine) break.
Now here's a scenario for today: ninteen years after that match, it's almost the same situation; India is chasing, Tendulkar is the only good batsmen left; it's the nintieth over, India is short of the target by four runs; Tendulkar is four short of his century which will be his thirty-fifth. He hits the boundary; India wins the series.
But if you want this to be a Kafka-esque classic, Tendulkar gets out, India loses and Pakistan squares the series. Pick the ending based on whatever side you are on. Oh, if only sport worked like literature. Well, we already had that in Cheannai in 99 -- so I am rooting for an India win. Although I know I will sorely be disappointed.