The wristy maharaja of the willow, Mohammed Azharuddin was a class act when it came to batting. A cricketer with the gift of run-scoring, he wowed fans and silenced critics the world over with his fine batting displays. Immensely capable as a leg-side player, his flick-off-the-pads was the stuff of cricketing dreams for an entire generation of fans. Later on, as the years rolled by, he worked upon his off-side batting techniques and his well-known weakness against the rising fast ball as well.
From announcing his arrival with a trifecta of centuries in as many matches to scoring a hundred on his final match where he bid adieu to the cricketing pitch – Mohammed Azharuddin had shown the world just how classy a batsman he had been. Later controversies notwithstanding, Azhar was truly among the finest captains to lead the country against the toughest of cricketing teams from around the world.
Known for his love for fine automobiles, he went on to own some of the most acclaimed cars available on sale in the country. Even when he made the move to politics some few years ago, he still held on to his cars, which ranged from luxury sedans to urban SUV’s such as the Honda CRV. When it was first introduced to Indian buyers, there had been nothing like it before in the market and it took everyone by storm. It quickly became the premium petrol SUV of choice, a crown that it has continued to wear to this day.
The Honda CRV was a drivers SUV and miles ahead of anything that the competition had to offer at that time. Priced above its peers, buyers loved the premium interiors of the car, the refined driving habits and the fact that it came with Honda’s unparalleled ownership experience. Till the CRV came on the scene, SUV’s were almost exclusively powered by diesel engines. Then Honda arrived and in typical fashion, showed the world that India too had a market for large, petrol powered vehicles, provided they had the right powertrain characteristics. In-fact, the CRV is proof that the right product which is quite unlike what the competition has to offer, can very well succeed if positioned right and is well-supported by the company.
Mohammed Azharuddin’s CRV too has been like his batting, sublime to drive, agile just like his stroke-play on the field and a sight to watch each time it moves on the road. A prime example of one great player partnering with another.
