David Gower and Mark Waugh: Sultans of silk

Mark Waugh and David Gower were both known for their lazy indolence at the crease. They were, perhaps, the most elegant batsmen of their generation. Rajesh Ramaswamy, writing for cricketcountry.com, says that while both were supremely talented, critics will always fault them for failing to deliver when the chips were down.

What the TV cameras, the pundits and the media missed was that it took a hell of a lot of effort to look effortless, and that when someone scores over 8000 Test runs against some of the best bowling of all time, there has to be a lot of steel encased within the silk. And when we consider how the two scored those runs, and the vivid brush with which they painted their masterpieces, we can’t but help feel there was a soul-bond between them. Made of the purest silk!