Second Fiddle

After almost a year of disappointing cricket, the Indian Team finally put up a performance worthy of the 'World Champions'. The media has gone gaga over Virat Kohli's brilliant innings. 'The next big star in the making' blah blah blah... In the middle of all the praise for Kohli, there were invaluable contribution that were forgotten. Sachin & Sehwag gave the team a blitzkrieg start, Gautam Gambhir pinched in with a 60+ score. His partnership with Virat Kohli set the match up for a win.

Its not the first time such supporting performances have gone unnoticed.

India Vs West Indies - The World Cup Final, 1983

Kris Srikanth made 38 runs, the highest score in a total of 1983. Still we remember only Mohinder Amarnath's man of the match performance.

Sri Lanka Vs Australia - The World Cup Final, 1996

The Sri Lankan team created history by winning the World Cup final by batting second. The match best remembered for Aravinda De Silva's magnificent hundred. Yet, there was Arjuna Ranatunga who was there with Aravinda, with an unbeaten 50.

India Vs England - Natwest Final, 2002

The match best remembered for Yuvraj Singh & Mohammed Kaif's match winning partnership and also Sourav Ganguly's shirtless act at Lord's balcony. The Indian Team was down at 146/5 when Yuvraj Singh and Kaif staged the comeback. The scorecard read - 146/5 in  24 overs (Ganguly - 60(43) , Sehwag - 45(49) ).

India Vs Sri Lanka - World Cup Final, 2011

Dhoni hits the winning runs. SIX!!! The man with the midas touch had done it. The rest is history. Forgotten in the history books was Gautam Gambhir's 97 runs.

There are instances like these in all sports and throughout life. Looking back there have also been people who have played an important role in life from the sidelines.

Is it a case of  'The second fiddle does not get its due.' ?

My Nose!!! I ran into a glass door

My anecdote may appear extremely silly or funny for those who read it,  but it was a painful few days for me.

A few years ago, I was part of a team that had traveled down to Bangalore for a cricket match. Our team were staying in the corporate guest house. Actually, guest house was more of a resort. Lush green lawn, European style rooms, garden, corporate lounge and a great restaurant. I was wowed at the luxury we were provided for just an intra-company match. I wished that I could make  my home like the guest house.

We had made it to the finals. It was the evening before the big match. I was in great spirits before the finals. The guest house made my evening even more beautiful. It was dinner time, someone yelled out my name from the restaurant. So much energy and excitement, I was sprinting towards the person.

The unexpected happened, I ran into an almost invisible glass door in the lobby. Nose First!!!! I had hurt my nose very badly. My eyes were filled with tears almost instantly due to the impact. I lost balance,  my head was spinning. For a few moments, didn't  realized what hit me. All I could feel was my nose was aching. For the first time, I felt bad for having a Big nose :) 

So much for a great guest house, there was a nearly invisible glass door(no handles, can u imagine?) right in the middle of the lobby. 

Adding insult to injury, my whole team was around me rolling in laughter looking at my plight. A few of them sympathized though. But the pain was totally mine to experience :( I still played the final next day.

I can see it as the  stupidity of the designers (to put a near spotless glass pane trap right in the middle of the lobby without any sort of marking) or my own carelessness not to see invisible obstacle in my way.

Ultimately I ended up hurting my nose. And the next few days were misery even to breathe :) 

Just thinking of the day I ran to the glass door, or seeing a Saint-Gobain Glass advertisements hurts my nose. 

In hindsight, I should've been more careful.

Damn!!  

(Nostalgic,  I written this post at the exact time I ran into the glass door - 10:30PM )