Went to the residence of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Pawan Kalyan Garu and met him as well as his family. Enquired about Pawan Kalyan Garu’s well being and wished him good health.
@PawanKalyan
On this day, Brett Lee almost bent time before it bent him back.
Manuka Oval, Canberra, 28 January 2015. You stand at mid-off or perhaps you're watching from the stands or from your drawing room & you know that 8 runs from 6 balls against broken ribs & a 38 year old shoulder should not require miracles...
Most finals end right there. Even with Brett Lee holding the ball in his final professional game, it felt like a formality waiting to be signed. Michael Carberry made it look simpler with a scoop, a punch & a nudge that dragged the equation down to 1 run in 3 balls. Perth were smiling, dugout was relaxed & night was already preparing its ending...
But Lee never liked easy endings.
Nathan Coulter-Nile stepped out, looking for imagination & instead met raw pace. Stumps were exposed in a blink & Lee roared with a celebration that felt borrowed from his younger self. 1 run was still needed, but comfort had quietly left the building...
Lee slowed everything down for the next ball, changed his angle & went around the wicket to Sam Whiteman. Whiteman moved across, searching for room, but the ball followed him like it had memory. Off stump disappeared, bails flying into the night & disbelief spread across the Scorchers dugout. BBL Final was no longer routine & the past had started knocking loudly with that chainsaw celebration...
1 ball remained. 1 run still separated Perth from the trophy. Lee was on a hat-trick, in the last delivery of his entire career!
Field crept in from everywhere, closing gaps & closing breath. Yasir Arafat stood there knowing a single touch could end it, while Lee stood at the top of his mark knowing one miss could undo everything...
He took his time. He always did when it mattered.
Those legs had carried him through World Cups, broken bodies & endless spells at full tilt. He ran in one last time with the same violent rhythm, hips driving, arms pumping, muscle memory doing the thinking. He followed the batter, went full, went fast & trusted the moment completely...
Arafat swung, the ball went to midwicket & the throw came in clean and hard.
It reached Moises Henriques at the perfect height.
And then it fell out from his hands.
Lee dropped to his knees. It felt familiar like Edgbaston in 2005, when sport had reminded him of its cruelty. Around him, celebration & heartbreak collided in the same patch of grass...
But the ending still fit him. The miss did not erase what came before & it did not soften what he almost did.
Brett Lee signed off the only way he knew how.
By making the finish tremble.
He left as a force. Fast till the last step. Fierce till the last ball.
A beast, right till the end.
As you retire from Tests, I'm reminded of your thoughtful gesture 12 years ago, during my last Test. You offered to gift me a thread from your late father. It was something too personal for me to accept, but the gesture was heartwarming and has stayed with me ever since. While I may not have a thread to offer in return, please know that you carry my deepest admiration and very best wishes.
Your true legacy, Virat, lies in inspiring countless young cricketers to pick up the sport.
What an incredible Test career you have had! You have given Indian cricket so much more than just runs – you have given it a new generation of passionate fans and players.
Congratulations on a very special Test career.
"My eyes were full of water, I needed to take some time off in the dugout. I realised I need to enjoy this" :- MS DHONI
- And this remained his last post match presentation 🥹💛
Happy New Year from Sydney! What a night!
Bring on 2025 - it's going to be great.
[Image description: Fireworks explode above the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.]
#SydNYE#Sydney#NewYearsEve
He came, he rose with us, he played with fire… And he will ALWAYS always have a special place in our hearts 🥹🧡
Thank you for over a decade of Swing brilliance, King 👑
#TATAIPL#TATAIPLAuction#PlayWithFire