Milestones on a Marathon

When you watch sport, and witness a young team developing with every game, you get excited wondering what heights the team can scale. There is a sense of anticipation and spine tingling sensation as you wonder what they can achieve. You feel that they have the talent to make it to the finish line, but will they be able to? So many things can go wrong, incorrect decisions will be made and the wrong turn can be taken, where will that lead the team? When they are at the threshold, the threshold to greatness, will they misstep to be cast away into history and classified as merely good?

You never know, and that is exactly why you watch. That is the beauty of sport. Can Dhoni become all that he can, will Raina reach the levels of immortal left handers like Lara? Watching them bat, you wonder how they can be so good when they are so young?
And what about the veterans like Yuvraj and Kaif, will they ever achieve the consistency to maintain a 50+ average over 100 Test matches? Will Harbhajan be able to climb the Everest that is Kumble and perhaps scale 700 wickets? Will Irfan Pathan become the best swing bowler in the world? Will Sreesanth and Munaf blitz away the opposition?

The 2007 World Cup is merely the half way point of the marathon, the top of the ICC Test ranking is where the finish line lies. Right now, the Indian team is in the first quarter of the race, and is approaching the sixth mile. Dravid and Chappell will know that winning the one day series against the West Indies is a requirement and the main prize will be the Test series; which will be a significant step toward proving that the team has the stamina for the marathon.

Thus, we wait and watch each step and the few missteps along the way. Keep counting the milestones, Acropolis awaits.