The Puller of Mumbai

Who is the best puller of the cricket ball in Mumbai? Without a doubt, it’s Ricky Ponting. His pulls are breathtaking and they come to him as naturally as sleep comes to some of us. His drive through the covers is no less picturesque than a rain-trodden July evening at Bandstand. And every time a ball is bowled to him, his unique back-lift exudes a natural hunger for runs. Ricky Ponting is a very, very special player, and he is in Mumbai right now.

Ponting’s talent was evident in the flings that he had at the crease in the ‘96 World Cup as a 21 year old. And although a star-studded Australian line up of the day would not allow this flaring young man to steal the limelight away, the scrutinous cricket fan had immediately seen something special in the boy. Ponting has come a long way from there, going on to become one of the legends of the modern game.

His career has been a spectacular mountain. His batting is a spotless star. His captaincy has been a notorious yet famous child. And with supreme reputation, he has come to a city that has given the world some of its finest batsmen. How does Mumbai treat its new captain? He is a legend all right, but it’s still a tricky question. Especially when he is someone who, although briefly and statistically, came close to Mumbai’s cricketing god and at one point openly went around the world as the primary rival of Indian cricket. Another lingering question is the tough choice between his showmanship and utility. Does Ponting actually fit into the current scheme of things or is it only his legend that has earned him the new role? There has been much debate about this. And some matches into the season, most of his critics have been proven right. He hasn’t done much with the bat. Yes, whatever he has scored has looked graceful but IPL and T20 are not those arty-type blokes. They lack aesthetic sense. They crave for power, they want big hits and sixes. They want something mind-staggering happening at every moment. And a 38 year old may not be able to deliver that.

Ponting’s glorified opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar has not lived up to the hype either. And that’s been another area of concern for him. Does he walk out to bat with the intention of outscoring Sachin Tendulkar? Is he quietly competing with his new partner who is also his oldest rival? Well, honestly, I don’t think so. He is too experienced a cricketer to think like that. But at the same time I don’t doubt the fact that all this must have poked him time and again as he set out on his little walk across cricket in Mumbai.

Mumbai accepts everyone. It always does. That’s what makes it the great, ruined city that it is. Ponting is a cricketing legend and there is no doubt that Mumbai has already accepted him wholeheartedly. Now the challenges are for him to take up. The fans are for him to earn. And the point is for him to prove.

As far as I am concerned, Ricky Ponting has always been one of my favourite players to watch from the times when he was an almost nobody. And my love for Mumbai is sometimes jealous of my love for cricket which makes the unwitting Mumbaikar in Ponting all the more interesting. Mumbai will undoubtedly fascinate him for one reason or the other. I can confidently say that about my city. On one moment, it might blatantly remind him, just by making him glance at his new opening partner, why he could never be the best batsman in the world. On the next, an indulgent stare into Marine Drive might help him forget all of that and teach him to accept life as it comes.