Milestones in sports
The future's bright
Yuki Bhambri is the future of Indian tennis. On January 31, the former world boys No. 1 won the junior title at the Australian Open, becoming the first Indian to win a singles title at the championship. He graduated from juniors to the senior circuit this year, jumping over 800 ranking spots to 337. He's just 17. And while he appears frail compared to the big-boned and powerful Russians and Hispanics, he could well be the singles champions India have long looked forward to.
Double the fun
India had a very productive year in tennis. Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won them the Australian Open mixed doubles. Leander Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy then won the French Open men's doubles. The pair followed that up with the US Open title, beating Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in an emotionally charged pride-at-stake final. Paes is 36, and Bhupathi 35, but given their passion for doubles, you could mark them down for a few more titles in 2010.
The underdog bites
Adam Gilchrist's Deccan Chargers turned the Indian Premier League upside down in the second edition. As the action shifted to South Africa, the bottom-scraping side from Hyderabad powered into the final against Anil Kumble's Royal Challengers, another side that had staged an against-all-odds recovery. Chargers prevailed by six runs in the May 24 final.
Pakistan win World Twenty20
A country torn apart by terror, Pakistan found a reason to smile during the ICC World Twenty20. Under Younus Khan's refreshing hands-on leadership, the mercurial team recovered from a poor start and found form just at the right time. In the semis, they choked favourites South Africa. In the June 21 final at Lord's, they decimated Sri Lanka, thanks to the seasoned Shahid Afridi's all-round exploits. It was a poignant moment in the country's history.
The Great Wall of Saina
Her talent was never in doubt. What Saina Nehwal needed to stamp her authority was a big win. The moment arrived on June 21, when she beat world No. 3 Wang Lin to win the Indonesian Open - India's first Super Series title. The feisty Hyderabadi shuttler is ranked No. 8 at the moment. With another productive year, she could be within sniffing distance of No. 1. The Chinese had better watch out.
Pal the wall
Some may discredit the Indian football team by saying they play against low-ranked opponents. But Bhaichung Bhutia's men had to punch above their weight to retain the Nehru Cup 2009. Syria, their opponents in the final, were ranked 64 places above India. The final remained goal-less for 114 minutes. Then, Renedy Singh put India in front. Syria equalised seconds before the whistle. In the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Subrata Pal eyeballed the powerful Syrian strikers, standing before them like an inpenetrable wall. His saves won India their second straight Nehru Cup title.
India become No. 1 in ODIs and Tests
There are multiple views on the effectiveness of the Indian cricket team. But even their staunchest critics would agree that MS Dhoni's boys have played some great cricket in recent times. This would be the year that the team became No. 1 in ODIs and Tests, both for the first time. In September during the Champions Trophy, India were No. 1 briefly, before being quickly pushed down to No. 2 by Australia. But they would finish 2009 as the No. 1 Test side after thumping the higher-ranked Sri Lanka 2-0.
Sachin T's 20
The perennial man-child Sachin Tendulkar completed an incredible 20 years in international cricket on November 15. He promptly followed up that amazing feat with his 17000th run in one-day internationals during a goose bump-inducing knock of 175 against Australia. Days later, he completed 30,000 runs in international cricket. Where would he stop? We can only guess.
The Nawab of Nazafgarh
It's getting harder to find adjectives to describe Virender Sehwag. Genius? Freak? God-man? Madman? On December 3, the India opener plundered Sri Lanka for a mind-boggling 284 runs in a day, while we searched for words to describe his audacity. The next day, he fell short of being the first man ever to score three Test match triple hundreds. But here's some consolation: he's the only man since Don Bradman to cross 290 thrice in Tests. Some feat.