There are a lot of instances in life when one feels the urge to escape to someplace else in a bid to free the mind from the cacophony of thoughts that arise from constant exposure to the same surroundings every day.
At a time like that, people seek the company of nature because, after all, we are a part of it and things have a tendency to lean towards their roots.
The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is one such root. The inherent natural beauty of the region is as picturesque as it gets. It is a true paradise for the seekers of peace, a sanctuary for the lost to find themselves.
The very habit of the place is to exude elegance. There are lakes filled with the love of Sarus Cranes, wildlife that echoes with the roars of tigers and people that impact the community like Syed Mushtaq Ali.
While Rahul Dravid might be the more known and Mansoor Ali Khan the more royal, Syed Mushtaq Ali was a legend in his own right. Born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, his talents were initially spotted by another legendary figure, CK Nayudu.
At the age of 13, Nayudu took him under his wing and continued training him. The kid was special and he displayed just that in his career that spanned for almost two decades. In 1936, Mushtaq Ali made history by becoming the first ever Indian batsman to score a century outside India when he hit a ton for his team in Manchester, England.
This innings made him an eternal figure in the history of Indian cricket. While records are made to be broken, some records always stay untouchable and Mushtaq Ali’s century falls in that category as, obviously, no other player can become the first ever Indian to score a 100 outside the nation.
In the domestic circuit, Mushtaq Ali was a symbolic figure, a superstar in his own mould. The right-handed batsman wasn’t the conventional player as his aggressive nature on the pitch made him a nightmare for the bowlers that faced him.
Such was the proportion of his aggression that the Indian domestic T20 tournament is named after him. The Indian government also recognised him by awarding him the fourth highest civilian award in the country, the Padma Shri, in 1964.
The legendary cricketer died at the age of 90 in 2004, leaving behind a great legacy that perhaps will ever be forgotten. It was only poetic that the man who induced so much peace in the hearts of his fans died peacefully in his sleep.
Gone, but never forgotten.
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