In the cosmic lottery of human existence, the distribution of nature’s bounties is so uneven that one is compelled to wonder whether life was ever meant to be fair. It transcends the boundaries of everyday life, manifesting itself in countless ways — from the accident of being born into privilege to the possession of extraordinary gifts in different fields of professional life, including the sporting arena.When you watch Lionel Messi glide across a football field, the ball seemingly strung to his feet, navigating crowded spaces that appear to open before him as if by magic, you know you are witnessing something that transcends mere training. Years of practice undoubtedly shaped the athlete, but they do not fully explain the phenomenon.As the move unfolds, Messi appears to see possibilities invisible to everyone else. And when he applies the final touch to a symphony-like sequence and kicks the ball into the net, you are left with the unmistakable feeling that you are watching a rare gift at work: an intuitive grasp of space, time and creativity that lies beyond the reach of hard work alone.Watching a genius unravel intricate patterns with effortless grace, accomplishing what countless others can only aspire to despite years of toil, one is inevitably led to an unsettling question: is life really fair?An exceptional gift, almost a blessing from the heavens, among many other things, is the ability to retain perfect balance while the body is in motion. It is a universal truth that runs through almost every sport. A Messi or a Maradona, sprinting with the ball seemingly glued to their feet, keeps the body’s centre of gravity intact despite tackles, nudges and desperate physical challenges. Their rhythm is rarely broken, because they never quite lose balance. They literally conjure space that, a moment earlier, appeared blocked to them.Watch Roger Federer chase a ball that seems racing away from him. His long strides are rhythmic, his body perfectly aligned, every movement flowing into the next with weightless symmetry. As he reaches the ball, stretches for a backhand and unleashes a sweeping stroke, his shoulders rotating in a perfect arc, you wonder whether he is entirely human. It is not merely the difficulty of the shot that astonishes. It is the ease with which he executes it, maintaining perfect posture, balance and harmony even under immense physical stress.Among the many enduring images of a sporting genius in action is that of Tiger Woods striking a golf ball. His skill lies not merely in landing the ball at the perfect spot or covering the exact distance required. It lies in his ability to keep his head perfectly still even as the rest of his body coils and uncoils in preparation of a pendulum-like swing that reveals the almost rubber-like elasticity of the human body. Through all the twists, turns and violent transfer of weight, his balance never deserts him. Nothing sways out of rhythm, nothing falls out of alignment. It is a body in motion, yet one with a centre of gravity that remains almost uncannily still.Cricket offers a unique challenge. A stationary batsman has to strike a moving ball hurled at him at varying degrees of speed, spin and swing on different lines and lengths. His success depends on the precise timing of every body movement, the stillness of head even as his arms unfurl into a stroke or defence, and the perfect balance of his body at the precise moment of contact with the ball. Those who can do this time and again with effortless precision and impeccable timing are, so to say, the chosen few.The poise of Sachin Tendulkar in full flow, driving with masterful ease, or the nonchalant yet menacing presence of Viv Richards at the batting crease, chewing gum as he struck the ball with majestic authority that has rarely been replicated, are the lasting images of geniuses at their peak. That is why even as opponents feared them and longed to dismiss them quickly, they could not help but acknowledge the aura of greatness that illuminated their sport.In this planetary interplay of luck, chance, hard work, training, guidance, intuition and the millions of unknowables that shape a life of success or failure, the genius stands in splendid isolation. What has earned him gifts that countless others long for but never possess? Like life itself, the world of sports has its own hierarchy that resists explanation.Unlike the toiling masses, either bitter or resigned to the hardened, unresponsive line destiny has drawn for them, players of accomplishment acknowledge the presence of a genius with a gracious surrender to his superiority. I once witnessed this relationship of admiration bordering on hero worship when Richards came to Punjab with the West Indies team to play a tour game against the North Zone.It was at a dinner hosted for the visiting West Indies team in Amritsar in 1983. Richards regally sat on a chair, while a few stars of the North Zone team sat around him on the floor. Like awestruck fans, they wanted to savour every moment in the company of a batsman they believed embodied the highest expression of skill that seemed to transcend even perfection. They were like starry-eyed children paying obeisance to a genius beyond their reach. They had graciously accepted the reality of the unequal distribution of talent in the sporting world, not with resentment but as a miracle to admire and celebrate.— The writer is the author of ‘Not Quite Cricket’ and ‘Not Just Cricket’