Labors of the walk

Its the umpire's decision everyone says. When you nick it, you stand your ground till the man in the coat shows the dreaded finger. Just another way of tempting fate when you know your time is up. Or to average out the lemons that have come your way in the course of having to go when the willow touched leather but you were declared having your leg before the wicket. As in a match, so over a career, most cricketers struggle to call it a day. Hanging onto one's exploits that keep playing on sports channels to fill telecast gaps and reminds them of past glories is more the rule than the exception. It rarely matters if there is a talent waiting in the wings to fill those boots and has checked all boxes that need be to take over. Emptying one's slot for someone else is as foreign to most as are the pitches where they graft out their years of dusk. Two of the most important batting positions in the Indian test line up have shown what imbecility it was to hanker at the retirement of the purported legends. Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli have gone on to show that stars always shine brighter than comet tails. It took two long years for an Indian number four to score a test century and the onus for the long wait squarely lies on some shoulders that should have stopped wobbling some time back. Gerontocracy is a word that was the highlight of Indian cricket till some sense prevailed. Instead of letting go at an opportune time and allowing the new guard plant their foot properly in home matches, the end came at the close of the home season leaving the green horns tackle pitches of the same color. Not that the replacements have run aground. They have just serenely taken on the job at hand and shown the world, how a walk well timed  can benefit everybody including the reputation of the walker. 

The first grand slam of the year in the Aussie open in upon us. The slam of the Asia Pacific is usually played in temperatures that are not high just because of the exponents' game. The big four on the men's side has been shrunk to the big three but it would take a courageous betting man to put his money on anything else than a final between the top two seeds. While Roger is no longer a favorite and would play with a larger racket head that should be more forgiving on his mishits, his presence always lends that grace to the proceedings. With three former greats in Lendl, Edberg and Becker making their way into the coaching staff of top guys, they should renew their erstwhile on court rivalry from the stands. Serena Williams would be an odds on favorite to get past Vica Azarenka to inch closer to the all time record. Would Novak make it four in a row. The chances are good but the man who stands in his way will make sure, it takes more than just sweat from the world number two to get there.