THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- September 21, 2016- Topic 2
Milestones are curious things in
cricket. Round numbers — such as fifty, the century, ten-wicket hauls and
career runs in multiples of 1000 allow a measure of achievement in a sport.
They also offer a moment’s pause to reflect. As India prepares for its 500th
Test — a milestone 84 years in the making —
it seems apposite to assess its legacy in the game’s classical form. It is also
germane to consider the future, given the fear in some quarters that the
shorter versions will cannibalise Test cricket. There was certainly nothing in
the early years to suggest India would become the economic superpower it is
today. Although the great Wally Hammond said new-ball bowler Amar Singh “came
off the pitch like the crack of doom” in India’s first-ever Test, against
England at Lord’s in 1932, success proved elusive. While there were moments of
individual brilliance — Vijay Hazare’s twin hundreds against Ray Lindwall and
Keith Miller at Adelaide in 1948, perhaps the most memorable of them — it
wasn’t until 1952 that India won a Test.
M.A.K. Pataudi first pursued the idea of
a vibrant, united team in the 1960s, and bequeathed it to Ajit Wadekar. The
coming together of E.A.S. Prasanna, B.S. Chandrasekhar, Bishan Bedi, and S.
Venkataraghavan — spinners the cricket world remains in awe of — and the
arrival of the indomitable Sunil Gavaskar not long after, formed the nucleus of
the side that beat West Indies and England away in 1971. With the emergence of
Kapil Dev — a world-class, all-round match-winner — there was more for other
countries to be wary of. But it wasn’t until after the turn of the millennium
that India became consistently successful, home and away. The rivalry against
Australia, birthed in 2001 at Eden
Gardens, was transformative. In Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble,
V.V.S. Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan, India had a
Golden Generation. M.S. Dhoni was the first of a new era of players to break
through from smaller, less traditional cricket centres, and for a period India was
the world’s best team. That crown slipped subsequently, but matters have seldom
appeared as encouraging as they do now. At the helm are two men with an empathy
for bowlers: Virat Kohli’s declaration last year that bowlers were the bosses
in Test cricket was momentous for a culture obsessed with batsmen; and few know
more about bowling teams to victory than Kumble. As West Indies and Australia,
the only two nations to have put out truly dominant teams, have shown, a lot
falls into place when the bowlers are looked after. If the Board of Control for
Cricket in India continues being supportive — and it must be commended for
laying out a 13-Test home season — the foundation for the next 500 will be
suitably robust.
Vocabulary
Curious: strange; unusual.
Example: A curious sensation overwhelmed her
Synonyms: strange, odd, peculiar, funny, unusual, bizarre, weird, eccentric
Germane: relevant to a subject under consideration.
Example: That is not germane to our theme
Synonyms: relevant, pertinent, applicable, apposite, material, apropos, appropriate
Although: in spite of the fact that; even though.
Example: Although the sun was shining it wasn't that warm
Synonyms: in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, notwithstanding
(the fact) that
Elusive: difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
Example: Success will become ever more elusive
Synonyms: difficult to find, evasive, slippery, always on the
move
Pursued: follow (someone or something) in order to catch or attack them.
Example: The officer pursued the van
Synonyms:follow, chase, hunt, stalk, track, trail, shadow, hound, course, tail
Bequeathed: leave (a personal estate or one's body) to a person or other beneficiary by
a will.
Example: An identical sum was bequeathed by Margaret
Awe: a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
Example: They gazed in awe at the small mountain of diamonds
Synonyms: wonder, wonderment, admiration, reverence, respect
Indomitable: impossible to subdue or defeat.
Example: A woman of indomitable spirit
Synonyms: invincible, unconquerable, unbeatable, unassailable, invulnerable
Wary: feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
Example: Dogs that have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers
Synonyms: cautious, careful, circumspect, on one's guard, chary, alert
Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Example: Such a metaphor betrays a complete lack of understanding, of empathy with
Victorian culture
Commended: praise formally or officially.
Example: He was commended by the judge for his courageous actions
Synonyms: praise, compliment, congratulate, applaud, salute, honor
Robust: strong and healthy; vigorous.
Example: The Caplans are a robust, healthy lot
Synonyms: strong, vigorous, sturdy, tough, powerful, solid, muscular
