Talk of the walk

In the fourth Test of the recent series between Australia and West Indies, Steve Waugh tongue-lashed Brian Lara for not `walking' after getting a nick. — Pic. V. V. KRISHNAN-

THE Glenn-Ramnaresh spit-spat came later. Its genesis was in super sledger Steve Waugh asking Brian Lara in a not so sweet whisper (during that nasty 4th Test at Antigua) as to why he hadn't `walked' when it was his teleset practice to do so.

THE Glenn-Ramnaresh spit-spat came later. Its genesis was in super sledger Steve Waugh asking Brian Lara in a not so sweet whisper (during that nasty 4th Test at Antigua) as to why he hadn't `walked' when it was his teleset practice to do so. Brian didn't relish one bit Steve so saying his two bit. But hindsight view things through the third eye of your mindset — and you sense `Iceberg' Steve yet again to be making his Herschelle World Cup dropping point in the `nick' of Lara time. Over now to the Windies' 2nd Bridgetown ODI vs Sri Lanka. Lara here had yet to shoo away that Packer Duck. When we viewed Brian to be out caught behind (for zero). Yet we saw Brian Lara stay placidly put as the Windies captain. `Cozier' of feeling from that zero hour, Lara just blazed away to 116 in the Windies' remarkably futile ODI total of 312 for 4.

I pinpoint that Lara largesse of 116 to the Windies cause as this 2nd Bridgetown ODI vs Sri Lanka had witnessed Brian yet again failing to walk. Unmoved by the taunt Steve had hurled, only days earlier, about `walking the plank' being Brian's practised principle. At this neo-Lara rate, shouldn't Ten now be having second thoughts about walking in the second innings? Taking his cue from the acute-astute Ahmedavadis? I mean Sachin walking while 26 (caught by `keeper Foster off off-spinner Dawson) when the umpire was not inclined to rule Ten out in the December 2001 India-England Ahmedabad Test. Fresher Dawson's Cheshire cat grin Sach — said it all on the little screen. But then Steve never was one to grin and bear it. He tongue-lashed Lara on the spot.

Full marks to Brian Lara for the phenomenal comeback he's staged in five-day and one-day cricket alike. So much so the time is ripe for Sachin to have to `do a Lara' as India tour Australia from December 2003. Yet there is no Lara call for Sachin now to walk, is there? Maybe only by standing firm Down Under, even when he's got a Lara-like nick, could Sachin hope to impress Barry Richards. A Barry rooted in Australia, watching Ten with eyes that once probed, to instant doom, the best bowlers in the world.

While "To walk or not to walk" might be Sachin's Lara dilemma, we certainly enjoyed seeing Rahul `Walk The Talk' with Shekhar Gupta during the 24 x 7 Saturday night of June 14. The night was still young, did that condone Rahul repeating "at the end of the day" at least 10 times? Also Rahul, when your vocals are as easy on the ear, as the dimples of Vijeta are easy on the eye, can't you talk a little less fast? You had delivered at the right speed, Rahul, when doubling as an espnstar commentator during the 1999 World Cup. But, while Bangalore going along with the articulate Shekhar now, your talk was sensed to be, Rahul, that much faster than your walk.

I know `Walk The Talk' is still an evolving programme, yet I wish Shekhar had not interrupted Rahul when our Dravidoer was still saying something about Laxman's Eden Test 281 itself helping him fashion that 180 at the other end of the stick Warney never would forget. Who but Laxman himself should materialise (just an hour later the same day) on STAR via `Harsha Online'! Laxman's speech here was as leisured as his Test batting is today. In fact, this Laxman interface should have been an object lesson to Rahul on the pace at which Drav should be speaking to be able to have the measure of the Nagpur orange rounded Vijeta, in a curtain lecture, still some years away!

You know, Rahul, you should have dealt a little more humanely with Meera Vasudevan as you beheld her Om Cricketaya Namah! heartbreak turn into such an audible sigh. In desperation, Meera not so soft landed in the `hunky' dory arms of Milind Soman. In quest of the sexpot of gold had Meera dashed down to Big Bad Bombay. Only for that cad Milind mindlessly to deglamorise our Om Cricketaya Namah! nymph as his flat leading lady in Rules: Pyar Ka Superhit Formula. Pray, what is Milind's not Somanly alibi for so `plain' an insult to the femme-fatale form of Ayyangaroller coaster Meera Vasudevan? Says Milind in mock Meera defence: "I could have got the best of good-looking models in the country for this my own movie production. But I had a real tough time, screen testing nearly 70 gorgeous girls to figure out who was Miss `Plain Jane' of them all! Ultimately I zeroed in on Meera, who had to play this ordinary looking lady having a massive crush on me."

What a way to treat our TVisibly oomphy Meera! Surely it was not to play Milind's Plain Jane, Meera, that you drew away, in a huff, from Rahulovey-dovey Dravid? Yet don't lose heart, Meera, see how `Toy Boy Next Door' Laxman comes over as still single and eligible on TV. Any tender takers, VVS, now that Rahul has left the wicket gate open for you not necessarily to keep your right foot firmly anchored where it always was in the crease? You do sound so telly savvy, VVS, yet we'll choke if you again say: "He told that"! We from the South never could overlook such a faux pas even on the ground that we once had Navjot, from up North, asking you, VVS, to "cope up" with fast bowling. "He told that I have to cope up!" is not what we Wisden expect your bat to sound, Laxy.