The meaning of "unleash" in the context

Question

Hello,
I found this sentence in an article on Sachin Tendulkar, the indian cricketeer.

"He has blossomed into a legend, unleashing innings that are india's pride and envyof every other cricket playing nation"

Now my problem is whether "unleash" here means the same as in "unleash the dog" or "unleash the pent up emotion". If it it does mean so i would like to know how "innings" can be unleashed. Is it possible that innings can be unleashed? You can unleash a dog only if it has been on leash. You can unleash your emotion if you have been supressing it. But with innings...what was the matter with the innings so that one certainly flet the necessity of unleashing them. Were they[innings] feeling suffocated? What is the grammatical behaviour of the the word "unleashing" in the above sentence? Does it mean "Having unleashed"?

Ohhhh, this english language!

Please explain.

Thanks

Miriam · Accepted Answer

If you will accept an opinion from a non-native speaker... well, that is not a very "happy" attempt to write a metaphor. I cannot say it's wrong, but it doesn't make much sense to me. I don't like it.

Let's wait for the opinion of the experts on this matter of style.

Bubu prasant · Answer

Dear Miriam,

Thank you so much for saying that you also don't like it. I thought i couldn't like it because my english was not good enough.
But thanks. I feel so very relaxed to see that i have a friend in this context.
Thanks. And let's wait and see how an expert answers it.

Suzi · Answer

I'm a native speaker and I'd say it is just a clumsy expression, pretty typical of some of the sports writers we have around!

unleash may sugest the idea of setting free something wild - which the other team are powerless against, I guess!

Bubu prasant · Answer

Hi
I am so happy to hear that as a native speaker you too find it clumsy. You are right. I did find it in the context of sports only. But somehow the use of unleash in that context sounds so remote from its real meaning. Doesn't it?

Thanks

David · Answer

Let loose Let fly.The suggestion being that Cricket ***** are being batted with great force.
Typical sports jargon.

Samka · Answer

If "innings" is understood as something like a series of bat strokes, then it can work. But since it is often read as a discrete part of a cricket match, it doesn't fit particularly well.

The whole sentence doesn't read particularly well, in my opinion.

Guest · Answer

Thank you Samka
I was thinking to ask the same question to david.

Bubu prasant · Answer

Yes, that's exactly what I was going to say .

Thanks Samka

But is it possible to take the help of an english proffeser who is on line? I don't know how to do that. Can any one get the help of one for me? I would be obliged.

Thanks

The meaning of "unleash" in the context

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