Freischaltung » fatal accident. Hes been at the racetrack nearly every

West Indies go into their Test series against India with fans expecting more of what transpired in their recent series versus Australia and Sri Lanka.The last time West Indies defeated India in Test cricket was in 2002, when under the coaching and captaincy leadership of Guyanese duo Roger Harper and Carl Hooper, they clinched a surprising 2-1 win that remains possibly their most significant series win this millennium.The story of this unexpected triumph dates back to the beginning of 2001. While West Indies decline was well underway, there was some cause for cheer that season when Hooper returned to international cricket after a premature retirement in 1999. India meanwhile were busy pulling off their remarkable 2-1 home series Test victory versus Steve Waughs mighty Australians.Though far from perfect, West Indies produced many encouraging performances under Hooper and Harper between the 2001 home series against South Africa and the 2003 World Cup, and were the most stable a West Indies team had been as a group since 1995 - the current T20 side under Darren Sammy excepted.In those early days of Sourav Gangulys captaincy, India had still not shed their reputation of being lions at home and pussycats abroad, underlined by them losing a Test away in Zimbabwe after that Australia series win. Still, with the players they had at their disposal, India seemed to have all the bases covered to clinch their first series victory in the Caribbean since 1971.For West Indies coach Harper, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Pedro Collins, that India series was the highlight of their playing and coaching careers, given West Indies less than stellar record before it and after. Although we won the 2004 Champions Trophy, beating India that year Id have to rank as the most memorable series Ive played in for the West Indies, Sarwan said.West Indies wasnt winning a lot, so to win at home versus such a strong Indian team was out of this world, and it meant a lot to the people of the Caribbean, Harper said. It was certainly a coaching highlight. It really helped to give our young team at the time some confidence that we could be competitive against top opposition.Javagal Srinath led Indias fast bowling attack on the tour. My memory of that wonderful series, although we lost, was the way Mervyn Dillon and Collins bowled and surprised us, he said. Then, well, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Hooper were a real pain to bowl to - they showed tremendous patience.During the first Test, in Guyana, India got an early glimpse of the Hooper and Chanderpaul show. If batting was a beauty contest, Hooper would be Miss World, it has been said in the Caribbean, and his double-hundred in Georgetown was his most clinical Test innings since he made 178 not out against Pakistan in Antigua in 1993. The way he dominated Anil Kumble was akin to Tendulkar humbling Shane Warne in India 1998.Carl Hooper put a lifetime of underachievement finally and firmly behind him yesterday, appropriately on the ground he has always called home, Tony Cozier wrote at the time. He went on to refer to it as belated vindication for the thousands of Hoopers celebrating fellow Guyanese in the stands and his host of loyal fans throughout the Caribbean who have always been adamant that it was only a matter of time, but for whom time was running short.For Chanderpaul the series was the turning point of his career. It was then that he began to own the nickname Tiger. Before it, he had scored just two Test hundreds and 23 half-centuries from 51 Tests, at the average of 38.60. By the end of the series, he had scored three more centuries, and he averaged 57.63 over the next 13 years and 113 Tests.Before the rain came to end the first Test, Rahul Dravid, batting at No. 5, produced a typical rearguard. Rahul played many great innings for India, especially overseas, said Srinath. You could say that was a bit of forgotten masterclass from him because we were under pressure before the rain came, when Sachin got out, to first avoid the follow-on and get close to West Indies total.Winning the second Test, in Trinidad, was very significant for India, as it was the first time they had won outside the subcontinent since defeating England at Leeds 16 years previously.Test victories outside Asia was something many of us had not experienced in our careers and wanted to get right, Srinath said. We started very well, winning in Trinidad in our attempts to rectify this on that tour, but unfortunately we couldnt maintain that level in the final three Tests. Harper noted he was encouraged by what he saw from his team, especially the bowlers, in the opening two Tests and was looking forward to the final three, two of which were in Barbados and Jamaica, the bounciest wickets of the series.It was in Bridgetown that India blew a famous chance of a win in 1997. Outside of that 1997 Test, in four of the five Tests played in Barbados from 1996 to 2001, West Indies bowled first and made major inroads in the first hour. India were shot out for 102.Sachin Tendulkar, who had scored his 29th Test hundred in the Trinidad win to equal Donald Bradman, could not negotiate Collins.I was very nervous, playing what was just my second Test in front of my home crowd, recalled Collins. Everyone in Barbados was hyped about seeing Tendulkar and I remember him getting a standing ovation coming out to bat.I remember I was going to my mark thinking I was bowling to the best batsman in the word, trying to stay relaxed. And the first ball I bowled at him, he edged, and that released all the pressure on me, so much that I felt the Test was over.Led by Dillon, who for perhaps the only time in his career bowled as a true leader of the attack, West Indies four-man pace attack (journeymen Cameron Cuffy and Adam Sanford completed the line-up) in the final three Tests pulled off a reasonable imitation of the great Caribbean quartets of the 70s and 80s.One of things we worked on with Dillon was cutting down on his no-balls, Harper said. He always had the ability to bowl wicket-taking balls, and everything simply was perfect for him that series.The imitation of the hostility of the West Indies attacks of yore was underlined in the high-scoring drawn Antigua Test, where Kumble had his jaw broken by Dillon but heroically decided to battle the pain and bowl.The bravery Anil showed that day didnt totally surprise me or the team, because it was the kind of attitude that defined his career, Srinath said. Its a cliché that is often said: fight until the last drop of blood. And he epitomised that by bowling in that situation. Any sportsman watching that incident would have been inspired by it.Harper thought the long hours India spent on the field in Antigua played a key part in West Indies winning in Jamaica. After they spent all that time in the field, when they put us in and didnt get any early wickets at Sabina, the memories of those long hours began to tell on them as Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds got us off to that positive start.With our batting, we felt once we had scored runs, we were going to be competitive, since India were still vulnerable away from home, Sarwan said. No doubt the way Hooper and Shiv batted was the major factor in us winning that series.While Srinath only played three more Tests after that series, he believes learning from the mistakes made on that 2002 tour helped India become better tourists. Ganguly as captain and all the other great players in the team made a conscious effort to do better away from home, and much of our away performances over the next decade after that West Indies series was testament to the effort they put in. Indeed, India produced their best string of away Test performances in their history in the decade after, which eventually saw them being ranked No. 1 in Tests at one point. Alex Delvecchio Jersey . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Tyler Bertuzzi Red Wings Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/trevor-daley-jersey/ . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. 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It said he will miss at least the next two races. It reminded that Gordon owns five Brickyard wins and six Pocono victories, both records. Team owner Rick Hendrick called Gordon a team player.As I read it, I felt as if Id just swallowed a bowling ball.Please dont misunderstand. I love Jeff Gordon. I never wanted him to retire in the first place. During the 2015 season finale weekend at Homestead I twice begged him on live television to reconsider.I reminded him of his earlier statements that we should never use the r-word. Both times he just laughed at me. Sorry, buddy, he said, reaching out to grab my shoulder, Youre too late. Whats done is done.Now its undone. And with apologies to Han Solo, I have a bad feeling about this.Why? Because that farewell at Homestead was so perfect. He contended for a championship until his last lap of his last race, battling back to finish sixth in the Axalta/Jeffs Final Ride Chevy.His postrace news conference was beautiful and emotional. The way he left the racetrack with his family, headed out into the night and to a massive farewell party on South Beach, was even better.Why? Because these comebacks never work out well. Like, never.Dont get me wrong, if anyone can reverse that trend and win two races and blow peoples minds, its Jeff Gordon. He spent more than two decades rewriting the way racers have gone about their business. But hhistory says that at best these returns from mothballs end up producing so-so stats.ddddddddddddGordon is a big boy. He can handle that. Theres certainly nothing he can do on the track to damage his Hall of Fame credentials. No one remembers Michael Jordan playing for the Wizards or even Bill Elliott driving that one-off Wal-Mart car.However, thats not the potential damage Im worried about.I am well aware that this isnt Neil Bonnett or Larry Pearson or even 63-year-old Mario Andretti deciding to run Indy 500 hot laps (and ending up flipping six times). This isnt someone who has been gone for years or is still recovering from a near-fatal accident. Hes been at the racetrack nearly every weekend this season, in the broadcast booth and perpetually walking the garage.But its no secret that a not-small percentage of the reasoning behind Gordons walkaway last November was that he wanted to wrap up his driving career while he could still actually walk away.In two weeks he will turn 45 years old, but has the back of a man twice his age. It goes through stretches where it hurts so badly he cant pick up his kids or he has to ask for assistance getting up off the ground after camping out with his son.He has long admitted worrying that he was just one big hit from creating a situation that couldnt be fixed with strength training, stretching or meds.Indianapolis and Pocono are places that like to hand out very big hits.They also like to hand out very big trophies. Should Gordon win one of those -- and he could -- it would be just another chapter in his unparalleled motorsports legacy. It would make headlines around the world. It would pump happiness into an increasingly frustrating situation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., his team and his fans.It would be a tremendous feel-good story.I just wish I felt better about it. ' ' '