After Dale Steyn, it's Hashim Amla who called off to his international career

Childhood is coming to an end slowly. First AB and now Hash-Dale.

I haven't seen Glenn McGrath in his prime so I can't compare but in his prime Dale Steyn was a killer. Undoubtedly he was the best fast bowler I've seen in my life as a cricket fanatic. Test cricket is a game of high demands and both these gentleman's had their things to fill the demand. I've never seen any other batsman in the world who doesn't have "front-foot" properly. But Amla still managed to be remembered as one of the best artists with the bat.

Steyn was among those rarest of the rare quality who were able to swing the ball both sides of the wicket with blistering pace (145 kmph+/-). Extra aura Steyn added to him by his ability to perform with excellence in any condition. One proof for it was his 51-7 at Nagpur! Dale was one of the those who were loved by the rival fans in spite of being an animated aggressive character. His fist pump after every dismissal, his muttering towards the batsman whenever the ball missed and edge or went for four after getting an edge -all these animated, dramatic scenes were absolute entertainment.

Hashim Amla is someone who tried to follow Sir Bradman's theory of "The much you'll play the ground shots, your chance of getting out will get less." Those who mocks Amla for being a back-foot dependent player, don't know that the man with 99.94 test match average with the bat was also a back-foot dependent player. Amla was never a flamboyant character. The height of limelight AB, Faf even young Miller or others got, he never got such. But who cares, he didn't. He is the attestor of that kind of batsmen for whom saving the team and taking the flock ahead in the most deadly situations was much more important than to be flamboyant.

The departure of these two at a time when test cricket was added with newly flavour with the start of the World Test Championship, will be rendering the format. Test cricket and it's fans, more than Dale and Hashim, will miss these two Protea legends.

In the end, I wish a very Happy retirement to both of you!

©Soham

Against all the odds the only aquarius stood between England and victory in the first day of Ashes

Another one man heroic at the Edgbaston. Steven Smith has shown how big names transform into the bigger ones! Played his first test after the ban and his duty has resumed. The divide between the teams out there. When any other Aussie bat wasn't able to show the character to bat on a bowler friendly track in a test match, he was resolute.

He was seen uncomfortable in the beginning, but that's very natural in English conditions. But he didn't hectic, played near the body, played with soft hands and didn't try to push the ball away from the body. Which helped him to build his innings with less problems. He never made anyone feel that he was out of test cricket for 500 odd days. When all established batsmen were seen helpless, he fought solely by taking the tail enders with him. Hats off to Peter Siddle for his 44. Aussie bats should learn something from him.

Again in Edgbaston, again same opposition, same circumstances and another one man show after 1 year and a day of Virat Kohli's 149 in last summer. But Steve's fight was more difficult. The English spectators were booing him constantly, wore the mask of his crying face, raised sand papers and against all these odds, Steven emerged. Emerged as the old Aussie poster boy or talisman whatever you wanna say, he was before getting banned. The dragoman of a sinking Aussie batting. Scored his 9th Ashes hundred, 4th in English soil and 24th of his career.

His batting technique isn't the most eye catching one. That's why he didn't get the chances to be a top order batsman in his early days. In an elite cricketing nation like Australia, a poor batting technique is never acceptable. Steve Waugh was an exception, but you know exception can never be a rule. Thankfully, these rejections weren't able to demolish Steve's enthusiasm for batting. His childhood coach has set the net specially for him where he kept practicing batting on the other hand he got his chance in age-wise teams of Australia as a leg spinner. But his worship of batting was getting nurtured in everyone's stealthily. From then whenever he got the chance of batting, he utilised every bit of it. That's why people wonders how an average leg spinner became one of the best 5 bats of current times! He was always a batsman but in everyone's stealthily. When he got the chance he bloomed.

Thankfully, his childhood coach helped him in his batting! That's why we're witnessing his flare spreading over the world. We're witnessing his enigma, idiosyncrasies and thirst for runs, which hasn't been dimmed in last 500 days, rather which get higher for this break.

This innings will give Australia the motivation to fight for the rest of the series. More importantly it'll give Steve another level of satisfaction. Pain, insult, suffering and out of them now this! Top knock. Which can be proved as a match winning one, if Australia can bowl to their highest limit and bundle England out as fast as they can.

©Soham

The Slovakian hero who belongs to Naples.

Today's date belongs to one of the most underrated prodigies of our time. After beginning his club career with Slovan Bratislava in 2004, He moved to Italian club Brescia later that year. In 2007, he was purchased by newly promoted Serie A club SSC Napoli. 

I'll spend the next several paragraphs telling you all about Hamsik’s career statistics, numbers which of course, speak for themselves; 10 years, 452 games, 113 goals (15 headers, 65 right foot, 33 left foot), and 97 assists. It's quite possibly the best €5.5m De Laurentiis has ever spent in his tenure as Napoli president. 

He was that solely dragoman in that Naples based club, where he was admired for years of his professionalism off the field and leadership on it. A player, a man who was called as "Moi Capitano" by the Napoli fans with love and pride. He was very much Naples adopted son, unlike Insigne. Hamsik has gone out of his way to embrace the culture of his adopted home from day one, and it’s inarguable that his feelings toward the city come from the fact he completed his journey from a boy into a man in Naples. 

Many pundits, column writers and rival fans have questioned his decision to remain in Naples during years which were nowhere near as it can be called "enjoyable." And that's the hallmark measurement of that particular player. Times got tough, results didn't go to Napoli's plan, big players came and went on, but he remained as the sole and solid stagnation. Whilst many players kiss the badge, beat their chest, quote club mottos, and pander to fans before sulking off; he remained steadfastly loyal, a word which is becoming rare to rarer in nowadays. 

At the end of the day, for some players, simply pulling on that jersey every week is enough and is something that no amount of money or winners medals can match. 

Francisco Totti once said, "Winning one league title at Roma to me is worth winning 10 at Juventus or Real Madrid." 

It's the mentality only those with true loyalty to their clubs, nurtures in themselves. As he was one of them. You can see how Napoli has become synonymous with his name. In these last ten years, Napoli means him and he means Napoli. The elation whenever he scored, the dedication in his work rate, the emotion when things didn't go to plan and the pride as he puffs his chest out leading his team onto the Naples Stadium week in and week out -all these things made him the fan favourite of the club, sometimes even higher than Diego Armando Maradona! 

Through all these, I think you've guessed his name. Yes, it is Marek, Marek Hamšík! The Slovakian cult hero who belongs to Naples. 

Not only the Napoli fans, but every football fans would love to see you a few more years in European football. But destiny was something else. So, stay fit, happy and healthy. All the Napoli fans still chant your name, 

"Sempre il Nostro Capitano. Marek Hamšík!"

©Soham

India won against West Indies in their 6th World Cup group match with sheer brilliance

Again it's another clinical performance by India. After Rohit got out by a controversial decision, Rahul and Virat took charge of the Indian batting. A bit slow but steady partnership was building between them. But just when Rahul was looking for another 50 under his belt he got trapped by Windies captain Jason Holder. Fall just 2 short of his 50, Rahul departed. But it may cause headache in the knockouts for India. As an opener when you are well set then you should look for something big, if not hundred then minimum 80 odd is what the team expects from you. Hope Rahul and team management will take a look at it. After Rahul's departure captain Kohli looked more determined. He kept continuing. But Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav, both disappointed again. One thing to say in Shankar's favour that the delivery got him was too good for any batsman. But it's must be a big concern for the thinktank. The middle order has been exposed by the Afghans and Caribbeans. They showed and pointed out that if you can get India's top three early then you can run a bulldozer over India's middle order. It's not a very positive sign for the world's no. 1 ODI side.

Virat kept continuing after Shankar and Jadhav failed. MS Dhoni came to join him. When it was looking that Virat is might getting his 42nd ODI ton, a poor shot to the catching mid wicket's hands made him fall well short of his hundred. Hardik came and started blowing his willow while Dhoni was standing still to play a second fiddle to Hardik and make sure that he can keep continuing till the very end. After Hardik's departure Dhoni took the responsibility on his shoulders and by guarding tail ender Kuldeep he smashed 16 runs in the last over and took India's total to a competitive 268. After seeing Dhoni's responsible knock of 56*(61) on a slow track like that with uneven bounce, his critics will use tapes to keep their mouth shut.

What to say about this Indian bowling line up! They are mesmerising the world every day. It was a bit scary that Bhuvi got injured, but the way Shami took his role, is just a treat to watch. And that man, Bumrah, is economical as always. The wrist spin duo Kuldeep-Chahal again as clinical as always. And lastly Hardik, not with the bat but also as the 5th bowler he is becoming more and more reliable to the captain that the captain doesn't need to hesitate to give him full 10 overs. But MS had one of the worst days of his career behind the wickets, in spite of taking a stunner to get Brathwaite out.

Virat Kohli's captaincy will get letter marks again. Kept pressing the Windies batsmen with attacking field, used the angles of the field to set the fielders very well. Rotation of bowlers is absolutely super hit. He is growing better and better as a captain every single day.

Just two concerns to look at,
1. Rahul should take his starts to at least 80 odd
2. Middle order should take more responsibility, the top 3 will not make it every day, they will have a off day as well and if that comes in the semis or in final then it can be horrible. Hope team management is well aware of it and will find out the best possible solution very soon.

And a personal record book of Indian skipper:
1. Only 3rd captain to score 4 back to back world cup 50s (after Grame Smith and Aaron Finch)

2. 1st captain to win his team's first 5 world cup games

3. The only unbeaten captain in CWC19 till date

4. Fastest to score 20,000 international runs by taking just 417 innings!

This is the iconic picture of Indian cricket. Hope this duo will keep shining and Team India will lift the trophy at Lord's on 14th of July!

#CWC19 #IndvWI #ViratKohli #MSDhoni

©Soham

A preview on the new signing of Real Madrid, Ferland Mendy.

Real Madrid have recently completed the signing of French sensation Ferland Mendy, a 24-year-old left-back from Lyon.

He had to come through a long and hard way to be presented at the Estadio Santiágo Bernabéu.

Born in Meulan-en-Yvelines, France, Mendy is of Senegalese descent. The town was with a population of just 4,000, in the north-east of Paris and he started his footballing journey there, playing as a striker.

It's clear that the full-back had joy and passion for football, but a serious hip injury when he was 14 left him in a wheelchair for six months and told that he might never play football again! While he also had to overcome a setback aged 11 with the death of his father.

Also difficult for the youngster was his passage through the PSG academy, the club where he started playing at left-back and where learned to play with both feet but the club he left to join Mantois in the fourth division.

That eventually led to a move to Le Havre, a club known for producing young talent.

From there, after being named the best full-back in Ligue 2 he went to Lyon in 2017 for a fee of five million euros, incredible considering he has just been sold for 48m euros, plus a potential 5m euros in add-ons.

He has improved even further at Lyon and has even been called up by France, this despite never featuring for any of the other French youth categories.

Now he is a Real Madrid player, despite some interest from Barca as well. He is a supreme talent who is still needed to be polished and we all know, Zinedine Zidane is a master at it.

©Soham

A little tribute to Leo Messi on his birthday.

If I've to throw my own opinion about him, I'm always gonna say that he's one of those greatest poets or artists whatever you say, in the game of Football. Sorry, those few cliche clips can't make any sense what he used to produce on the fields where even the opponents had to applaud him.

Still we judge him and question his ability just because his inefficiency to put the final nail on the coffin.

But we know this Knight of football. His swords are his left foot and a ball. His unpredictable yet monotonous moves and ticking like a well oiled watch are absolute fascinations! He has shown that a warrior can be an artist as well. Sometimes it feels like, he is really from another planet.

Complete footballer? Greatest ever?
I don't want to go in any further debate about it. Personally I feel, he just flirts with the statisticians, his fellow fans and haters (like me), depicting there is more to the game by portraying it in it's art form.

Leo Messi is the one, I scare most from any rival clan. Today, on the special eve, which is of his 32nd birthday, he has to go out for toughest of the battles, where he has to flourish to the brightest! He has to keep his nation in the competition tonight by winning today.

All the best to the only ray of hope of Argentina, the Messiah of Argentina!

And a very happy birthday to you, little magician, Leo Messi! The day belongs to you, Legacy. Keep on running! Keep on shinning! And most importantly, go and win it tonight just for yourself!
                           
 - From one of your haters, who admires you.

©Soham

Happy Birthday, Leo.