India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

India are the World Champions of Cricket!!!

Well, it still hasn’t sunk in, and therefore the twice-repetition. Just when nobody expected them to win, Indians have finally emerged as the well-deserved suitors of this new, lively, nubile 20-only bride of cricket, and the honeymoon has just begun.

What a match? If ever, there was a match that swung more than the swingers of Irfan Pathan, it was this one. I almost had two heart attacks before the Indians romped home and picked up the trophy. But I think enough has been written, said, read & heard about the match, and whatever I may say now would only be old wine in a new bottle, and so I shall spare you the misery. What I will dwell upon are other aspects of India’s victory & what it augurs for Indian cricket.

First things first: this young Indian team has proved to everyone that they have absolutely no fear. The big stage fright does not weaken their nerves; in fact, it motivates them to higher levels. And playing & winning against Pakistan is just a small hurdle that can be cleared easily. Reputations do not matter; great play does – that is what epitomizes the team belief & is reflected in their spirit on the field. South Africa & Australia have already learnt their lesson the hard way – by being chucked out of the tournament just when they thought they were close to winning it. The message from the team clearly is, “Bring ‘em on and then some more!”

While Dhoni & his men have shown that they mean business, and are ready to rule the world, we must remember that this is T20. A traditional 50-overs a side one-day match is a completely different ball game, and they would do well not to get too carried away, and to be mentally & physically prepared for that as well. The taste of success can be very heady causing hangovers that take forever to get out of, and the team needs to be ready for the next challenge pretty soon. As regards tests, I think the team would be very different and would include the trinity of Sachin, Sourav & Rahul, but it would still be nice to have the boys who have performed be a part of the new-look India that has no past baggage to carry.

Coming to the trinity, I was fairly surprised to notice that none of them went to South Africa to cheer the team for the finals! After all, this was a world cup final, made even more interesting & important by the fact that it was against our arch-rivals, Pakistan. So, what were our seniors doing here sitting inside their homes watching the match on television? Why did they miss being a part of history – win or lose, it was going to be a historic moment for India? Why did they not cheer for the team from the stands? Did they rue the fact that they thought that T20 was frivolous and chose not to participate? Or were they jealous of this young team that has performed miracles without any of the top 3 being in the team, and could make them redundant in the small form of the game? I know that such thoughts should not colour my imagination, but what to do – my imagination is quite colourful!

Finally, I must admit that the slug-fest was quite entertaining. That India won the championship was an icing on the cake. And I am forced to take back my earlier opinion on bowlers being marauded in this crazy & cacophonic carnival of cricket. When it mattered the most, the bowlers did stand up to be counted and proved that when a batsman is hell-bent upon trying to hit every ball for a six, it is a good bowler, who practices his skill well, who can make a difference.

Well done India, and keep it up!

ICC Twenty20 World Cup - spare a thought for the bowlers

The ICC Twenty20 World Cup began yesterday in South Africa amid grand fanfare. A new form of cricket that is meant to provide wholesome entertainment to spectators – does it sound like Bournvita (wholesome nourishment for kids)? Who cares – so long as it tastes good!

So, what are the ingredients of this bottleful of wholesome entertainment? A bagful of pinch-hitters – javelin chuckers who can hurl anything beyond 80 yards most welcome; an army of fast legs, safe hands and good arms – Asafa Powell (the new world record creator at 9.74 seconds – he already held it – for the 100m sprint), brick-passers who work in building construction & discus throwers take notice; an orgy of masochistic bowlers who love being hit out of the park – dads teaching their little ones to bat, please stand up and take a bow; all added together, mixed well & bottled into well-packed teams consisting of an ocean’s eleven that wants to be the world’s most famous recipe for success in this colourful menu of picture-perfect grounds, cheering & jeering crowds, and cheerleaders who go berserk with their pelvic movements every time a four or a six is hit (surely, Michael Jackson’s career could see a new lease of life). That is what conjures up this alluring meal that is being dished out to cricket lovers across the globe. And the sweet dish – well, when the actual match seems better than highlights, who needs a sweet dish?

I will not reflect upon the inaugural match between South Africa & West Indies yesterday, but for mentioning the fact that Chris Gayle became the first cricketer to hit a century in this form of the game, at a scoring average of 200%+. I am sure that this is only the beginning, and we will see many more in times to come. When a team scores more than 200 runs in 20 overs and still loses (as is what happened to West Indies yesterday), you know it is time to bid a farewell to bowlers. Surely, this species is on the verge of extinction, and the poachers are the world’s cricket governing body and spectators who bring in the moolah.

When people love to see a bowler being taken to the cleaners by a batsman and cheer every four & six, you know that this format is about the skill of tactful & hard hitting batsmen who send the fielders for a leather hunt (both inside & outside the stadium). When somebody like Shaun Pollock goes for over 50 runs in 4 overs, you seriously wonder why should he be willing to torment himself at this age and after such glorious achievements! An economy rate of 8.00 runs per over seems like dream bowling in a match of this sort. So, why will good bowlers play this game – this will only result in them slowly deciding not to participate in such matches. And make it the sole domain of batsmen who can hit big, batsmen who can-also-bowl and all-rounders only. McGrath would be glad that he retired in good time.

As I watched the run riot at the New Wanderers yesterday, I wanted to spare a moment of pity for the bowlers. And I started thinking about how we can improve this game and make it good for the bowlers too, and ensure that we don’t lose out on seeing them on the field (and not in commentary boxes) in this format. I have come up with 2 basic suggestions that could go a long way in improving things as they exist. I am not talking about fielding rule changes or batting affecting bowling, but about changing some rules regarding bowling only that should see great bowlers still wanting to participate.

Suggestion 1: Like a free hit given to the batsman after every no ball, the bowler should be given a free hit after every wicket. This should mean that the batsman cannot score in any which way on that ball apart from a 4 or a 6. This will make it more lively from both the bowler’s and the batsman’s perspective. The batsmen would try to hit out and could get out. Or, he would try to defend, giving some respite to the bowlers and helping his economy figures. Also, on this free hit ball, the batsman can be declared out for failing to connect with the ball – watch the fireworks if this happens!

Suggestion 2: This one is more radical, and I believe also more potent. Every time a wicket falls, the over should automatically come to an end, and the next over should start. This will ensure that batsmen are more cautious for the first 3 balls and take risks on the last 3 balls of the over, giving a fair chance to the bowler to experiment in the first 3 balls and take wickets.

Not that I have a say in world cricket policy matters, but as a spectator & a lover of this glorious sport, I want to see good bowlers also, and would not refrain from raising my voice against those who want to kill the fine art of bowling. Howzzat!

The State of Indian Sports - are we ready to play a fair game?

As I reflect upon the state of Indian Sports, I would like to base my thoughts on two recent, independent happenings that are surely going to impact sports.

India won the Nehru Gold Cup in Football for the first time yesterday beating Syria 1-0. If I were asked if India would win it, my instant response would have been, “Are you kidding?” But the inevitable happened. If you happened to watch the match (I watched the recording in the night), you would have been left wondering, “Is it really India playing?” The pace of the match was just amazing – I have seen many FIFA World Cup matches, and I must admit I was equally impressed. Then, there was game-play, which I thought was just too wonderful. India regularly had possession of the ball, and it was continually attacking. In fact, we penetrated the goal twice, but the first time Bhaichung Bhutia was clearly off-side and the goal was denied. Syrians, on the other hand, were excellent but unnerved. They played great football, but Indian defence was flawless, and our goal-keeper saved two of the most amazing attempts that I ever saw. Resultantly, Syrians went ballistic and resorted to violent tactics, getting a red card in the process, eventually helping India’s cause. But that is not the reason why India won – they won because they believed in themselves and played like hungry tigers.

The second instance is the formation of the Indian Cricket League. A rebel league, promoted by Subhash Chandra of Zee, that has the BCCI worried like nobody’s business. Worried they should be, because of what an Australian media moghul by the name of Kerry Packer did almost 3½ decades ago when his Channel 9 was denied telecast rights. He gave birth to limited overs cricket, which was played in the night (due to stadia not being made available to him in day-time) and was called pyjama cricket. The fact that this had to be duly recognized pretty soon by the world’s cricket governing body due to its growing popularity, and eventually the cricket world cup was formulated on the same format, tells us that public mood can change things. That BCCI was forced to raise the pay-check for players and tournaments 7-times over to match the ICL payouts shows that they are scared. It also shows that the world’s richest board has huge a purse from huge earnings whose strings it was not opening till now.

Clearly, things are changing for the better. But what is unbecoming in this rivalry is the fact that BCCI has refused to let players contracted by ICL to represent the country. Why should that happen, I ask? After all, shouldn’t the best players represent the country, irrespective of which governing body they are associated with? I think this will happen sooner than later. If Sachin, Dravid, Sourav, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Munaf, Zaheer (and if Kapil Dev was still in his prime) join ICL – will the BCCI send somebody else to the various tournaments organized by ICC? Would (or should) the sports-loving citizens of India tolerate a second-rung team being sent that is sure to lose, only for the sake of commercial & one-upmanship reasons?

There are various instances (like the Nehru Gold Cup victory), which are moments of glory for India, that for selfish reasons remained ‘moments’ and never became the platform for the big leap ahead. Such is the ill-growth of the weed of nepotism in India (that exists not just in sports but in various other fields in India) that we are never able to take off our blinkers to look beyond our brethren as people who should represent the country.

However, if you watched Priyaranjan Das Munshi (our Information & Broadcasting Minister, who incidentally is also the President of the All India Football Federation for almost 2 decades) dance with gay abandon on the borderline immediately after the final whistle was blown yesterday, you would have said national pride (or at least the love of sports) still rules the hearts of our politicians. I must also add that Mr. Munshi has taken the initiative to announce the creation of First Pro National Football League, which will go active from 30th September, 2007. One small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind – that is the impact this is likely to have on Indian Football. Certainly, some people are trying to move the sport in the right direction, but a lot still needs to be done.

If I were the president of BCCI, with all my coffers filled to the brim, I would have immediately announced the formation of a fund for football (and hockey & other sports where the teams need support to practice & perform). After all, any true sportsman would not restrict himself to helping people playing his sport only. The managing authorities of one sport need to be subservient to other sports that need guidance, attention & financial support. And this has to happen for the growth of sport and sportsmen in our nation. But we’re a long way away from there. In fact, we’re busy in our turf wars over the same sport. If we have to become a mega-power (and I do not see why we can’t – even China went through an equally bad sporting phase some 2 decades ago, which forced the government to ban themselves from participating internationally in any sport till they produced good talent; and look at what they’ve emerged as due to their focused approach), we have to become like parents who bring up their daughters so lovingly, only to give them away in marriage. That is a thought that our politicians do not seem to understand yet, but things will surely change sooner than later.

We have to become passionate about grooming players who play for our country as a team, leaving behind the dirty politics of regionalism & biased commercial deals in sports that dog this nation. I think the 1½ months that our Football Team (brought together from various states) spent together under Bob Houghton, our Zimbabwean coach, helped in getting them mentally prepared as a team for the big league and go out with an attitude & hunger to win. The same needs to happen in cricket, and the two boards should work together for the sake of Indian glory, rather than for business alone. But unless our politicians & businessmen are driven out of the sport, or play for the country first, this will not happen. We, the people, are the only ones who can make that happen; and I am sure the day is not far off.

Wah Taj!

I remember that when I was a 9-10 year-old in school, we were once asked to draw any one thing that symbolizes India. Some students drew the Indian flag; some etched out the Ashoka Lions; some settled for the map of the country; some sketched peacocks & tigers (our national bird and animal, respectively); while some more artistic ones tried their hand at a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. I, on the other hand, sketched a simple-to-draw building – Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal has always captured my imagination as not just something that is the pride of India, but as something that the world should be proud of. Therefore, it was no surprise for me that the Taj Mahal finally made it to the New 7 Wonders of the World this weekend. Rather, it comes as a greatly satisfying feeling to me to see this architectural marvel find its rightful respect worldwide. If anybody in the world thought that the Taj Mahal needed a vote to become a part of the Magnificent Seven, the only thing I can say to that person is, “well, you need a vote to prove that you exist”.

I do not wish to even get into the historic and cultural background of building the Taj. The sheer magical impact that its mere mention has on lovers is emphatic enough to place it right at the top of any list that is created to honour such monuments. And while such comparisons can tend to be odious, there is nothing more obnoxious than comparing anything else to the Taj. How can anyone commit such an act of blasphemy?

Anybody who has seen the Taj, up close and personal, would more than vouch for this. Who can not be mesmerized by the sheer beauty of this memorial of love? And who, in his/her right senses, would ever put any other place in the world ahead of this as a wonder?

So, for over 1 billion Indians who swear by the beauty of the Taj, this is proof that we’re not alone in this world. But did we need it in the first place? To my heart, we did not. To my mind, we probably did. For this will give just the right boost to tourism into India, and open the floodgates for millions of global visitors queuing up to get their Visas stamped to India to catch a glimpse of this wonder. And that, to me, will not be just Taj’s victory, but India’s victory.

As far as I am concerned, there are 2 kinds of people who exist in this world – those who have seen the Taj, and those who long to see it. Period.

The cup of joy is elusive

India lost to the minnows Bangladesh in their first match. Well, I was disappointed but not distressed. After all, in 1983, India were the minnows who beat the world champions and brought the trophy home. Why did we cheer them then? Because it was us who were victorious, and David had beaten Goliath. But now, when the tables are turned on us (by the way, we're not even the world champions for a good two decades), the entire nation goes into deep depression. And then we go out and burn effigies and destroy houses of the same cricketers who we had made deities.

By the way, this has not happened just because we've been beaten by Bangladesh; the same thing happened in the last world cup when we were beaten by Australia. We've completed the journey of being beaten from A to B; Canada must be smacking its lips right now, and I don't even want to think how long Zimbabwe would have to wait. The journey, it seems, has just begun, and our nation's patience is already running low.

Somebody edify me - why do we behave like manic morons everytime our nation loses in the world cup? And why do we suddenly have equally moronic memory lapses, when the team performs well in the next encounter, and we go back to singing their praises. I guess that in India, cricket has truly become a religion that thrives on the high hopes of its devotees. When the hopes of a billion people are dashed to the ground in an unexpectedly unbelievable fashion, the volcano erupts. And when their hopes are given the wings of victory, they feel blessed by divinity itself.

That is exactly what happened when India beat Bermuda (Omigosh - their name also starts with B; thank God Bangladesh beat them to beating us first) by over 250 runs in their second match. Records tumbled in the match, and it had to be nothing less to appease the wrath of the believers in the Gods. 413 - a record total by any side in a world cup match. 257 - a record margin of victory in all ODIs till date. 18 - the highest number of sixes hit by a side in an inning (though, here India equalled Australia's record). So, the hopes are alive again, and one can again hear the feverish chants of the chaste.

But the task is not complete, and we will not be able to rest even if we defeat Sri Lanka on the 23rd of March. The most anticipated - and most likely to be watched by every single Indian (this would have not drawn even a single viewer or an advertiser till India lost to Bangladesh) - match in group B has suddenly become Bangladesh vs. Bermuda on the 25th. What a twist in the tale! However, I don't think any advertiser is going to touch them till the 24th; because if India loses to Sri Lanka, nobody will watch it. But, if India does keep its hopes alive by winning, the 24th is going to see blood on the dance-floor as every advertiser worth his last penny rushes to buy ad-space. I don't think we'll ever be witness to such an anti-climax in marketing ever, ever again. But such is the joy of cricket.

The cuppa that will cheer India seems nowhere in sight at the moment, and it would need a giant effort if we are to bring it home. The one billion Indians at home are praying hard. Now, it is time for the 11 Indians on the field to play hard.

Aussies' Asinine Arrogance - isn't this bringing disrespect to the game?

Punter and Martin have, to use a cricketing phrase, swung their bats a bit too wildly this time. But will they be given out or even warned, I doubt - given that the umpires (the Australian Board, Cricket Australia, who are going to investigate this incident) are very vocal supporters of all Australians and all their unsporting acts, specially when such acts are against the subcontinental teams - Darrell Hair is a prime example.

I saw the footage over television yesterday. Of how Ricky Ponting "beckoned" Sharad Pawar to hand over the Champions Trophy to him. And how, immediately thereafter, Damien Martin virtually shoved Pawar off the dias, so that the Aussies may be photographed with the trophy. Very rude behaviour and an ugly incident, to say the least, irrespective of whether it was Sharad Pawar or a completely unknown, insignificant person. Though, if one has to go purely by his stature as the BCCI Chief, Central Minister of the Government of India, and a leading, very senior & well-respected politician of the world's largest democracy, and the reverence that he should command for his sheer age, the Aussies have shown great disrespect not just to him, but to all Indians.

Pawar, in his maganimity, has dismissed this as an unnecessary debate, and as an incident which is not noteworthy given the youth of the Australian team and their excitement at winning the trophy for the first time. He has dismissed this as a unintentional mistake, at the most. I am no fan of Pawar's or his ideologies, but I am not willing to let this pass by as an accident. I do feel that these twin acts, even if unintentional, were definitely uncalled for, and extremely disgraceful.

Aussies cannot be pardoned for being so arrogant due to the excitement of winning the trophy. They are, after all, world champions in cricket, have won too many tournaments to count, and are the first team to hold both the World Cup and the Champions Trophy at the same time. This is definitely not their first win, where they can be excused for behaving like kids, though I have yet to see any kids who behave like this on a dias.

As ambassadors of not just the gentleman's game, but of their country, the Aussies should have behaved the way a champion should - gracefully. Obviously, that is a word that they have never come across in their life. It is a norm, if not a basic courtesy, to give respect to the host, specially when the guest has been treated so very nicely while visiting another country. And it is even more necessary when you are in public view of not just the stadium audience, but the entire world watching you over television, to behave in a manner befitting you. But let me give Ponting & Martin the benefit of doubt; maybe they did behave in a manner befitting them perfectly - rogues will be rogues, as they say.

Irrespective of their upbringing and their ethos, I would like to know from Punter, Martin and Cricket Australia how they would feel if the same treatment were meted out by the Indian Team to Hon. John Winston Howard, the Chief Patron of Cricket Australia, and incidentally also their Prime Minister. But which Indian Cricketer will ever give them tit for tat? Maybe, we do have a business case for Sourav Ganguly's presence in the Indian Team.

Saddam's finished, but is it time to rejoice yet?

To be hanged till death. A very dramatic sentence, indeed. Specially for a head of state. But it was coming, wasn't it?

So, Saddam Hussein is finally done in. Any surprises there - none I guess. After Bush had decided that he had to bring the Indisciplined Arab to his knees for defying America, this was bound to happen sooner or later.

When Bush went to the Congress to convince them that the war against Iraq was necessary, he talked about Saddam working day and night at developing Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). And that America would be under constant threat from the despot, should it not take immediate action to curb the same. The annihilation of the Butcher of Baghdad became the most pressing thought for the mighty President of the USA. Even more important than finding Osama bin Laden, who is singularly responsible for causing more bloodshed & panic in America in a single day than both the World Wars put together.

Why was it so important, one may wonder, to go after Saddam. Because Bush, along with his best ally Musharraf, has been so very unable to even figure out whether OBL is dead or alive (wasn't that the phrase that Bush used before he began carpet-bombing Afghanistan to get the man), forget locate him and bring him to justice. With public confidence in him plummeting by the day, Bush needed a saving grace, and so Saddam became the fall guy.

The fact remains that despite whatever atrocities that Saddam would have done against so many Iraqi denizens, he was nowhere close to developing WMDs. The only WMDs that the American soldiers could locate and destroy in Iraq were the common Women & Men, and the Descendants of Saddam. And they went on a systematic demolition drive of the same, till they finally found the man himself, holed up in an underground bunker, and began his retribution.

So, one despot is done in. So much better for the world, and I can probably eat my dinner more peacefully today. But what about the Big Brother attitude of America in imparting justice? They may go on claiming that the trial and judgment was a fair one, meted out by Iraqi Courts with absolutely no consideration to America's stake in the entire state of affair. But is it really so, or is it most certainly "Justice of the Victor", which for centuries bygone means awarding death penalty to the vanquished? I personally don't think this is a good precedent, and goes on to make the world a better place.

Yes, if Saddam is at fault for mistreating his citizens, he should be punished. But the whole agenda for the war by America was destruction of WMDs. So, what gives US the moral high ground to persecute him in the first place for other sins? And why do US soldiers continue to show complete disrespect for prisoners of war and the common Iraqi citizens? Wouldn't that be a sore wound that the Iraqis will have for years to come, despite having being rid of Saddam? And will they respect America for what it has done for them, or will they and the Arab & the Islamic world become even more suspicious and spiteful of America? I have no answers now, but I do believe that with this deed, America has only ended up alienating the foes, and it does need to do a lot to bring the world together.

Daughters are God's gifts

Today, 14th August 2006, has heralded a new chapter in my life. My wife and I have been blessed with a baby girl. Already the proud parents of a 6-year old boy, this new bundle of joy is an absolute delight, and she completes our family.

What is the difference between being a son's father and a daughter's father? Not much, I must admit. Except that a son is so very exciting, and a daughter is so very precious. Her first lazy glance at my face, as she sleepily opened her eyes for the first time, was enough to swell my heart with joy and pride.

My wife Anshu, who has suffered through very high blood pressure for the past two weeks that really scared us, finally gave birth to our daughter at the Holy Spirit Hospital, Mumbai at 8:59 a.m. About an hour and a half later, the little one was brought to the room - to be with her family. Anshu took some time coming, and was still reeling under the strain and pain of a C-section delivery till late evening. But hey, nobody's complaining; she's given birth to an angel, and a nice and healthy one at that - she weighed 3.63 kilos at birth, which is pretty decent.

If you want to see unblemished joy, you should see the delight on my son's face on becoming the big brother of a superb sister. Guess even he realizes - daughters are God's gifts!

Mumbai Bomb Blasts...The City Refuses To Die

Terrorist… what does it take to become one? Is it the cause (like fight for one’s land – right or wrong is debatable) that one believes in? Is it the religious fanaticism (irrespective of it being Islamic, Sikh or Hindu) that pushes one beyond all lines of control? Or, is it the urge to scare the wits out of your enemies and make them cower & bend down in front of your supreme, naked power (as some countries of the world are used to demonstrating)? I guess it can be either, but mostly is a mix of all three, apart from many other things added to make a heady cocktail of anger, passion, spite, etc. that turns a man into a monster.

The cause for a land may be just – as was at the time that Bhagat Singh & his fellow-freedom-fighters decided to bomb the assembly in 1930s. That they did not intend to kill is another story – they intended to scare the British and bring public notice to their cause through newspapers writing about this act. Not much different from what the Lashkar-e-Taiba is busy doing today, except that Bhagat Singh’s fight was against another nation occupying ours by force, and this cannot be termed terrorism. Same is not the case with Kashmir, even though the terrorists may draw parallels here. The debate, though, will continue forever, as one man’s murderer is another man’s martyr.

The cause for religion may also be just – should a particular religion be at risk, as the Jews were during World War II. But does Islam really have to fear? They are, after all, now the largest religion in the world. And do Hindu fanatics have to retort every time like devils whenever a Godhra happens – is our religion at risk in India? With 80% of India’s 100 crore+ population being Hindus, not yet, I may say. Christianity appears tolerant today, but the world knows how their missionaries spread their religion by the sword for centuries. No; religion can never be the right excuse to kill millions.

The cause for crushing an enemy may also be just – but should it be left to armies to fight it out or should innocent civilians be subjected to whims of nations? And is the bombing of citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, howsoever noble it may have been to end the WW II, an act of war or an act of terror? Are Israel and Palestine right in what they are doing to each other’s denizens for decades? And is Pakistan right in being a sponsor of terror across our border? No, it is not – as no nation can ever be. Simple rule – even if your neighbour beats you black or blue, and then also grabs your house, you just cannot kill his wife or brothers or children to get it back, can you?

Terrorism, in all forms, is nothing but the wild expression of frustrated feelings of a set of humans (can we still call them that, or is ‘creatures’ a more appropriate word), who have their own agenda that is completely different from the world. And the only way they can make themselves heard or noticed, and remain powerful & dreaded (though they would like to call it ‘respected’), is by making a song and dance of it every time they can. The song of suffering and the dance of death.

This brings me to Mumbai, which was once again hit by terrorists yesterday. 7 blasts – inside of half an hour – in the railway network that carries teeming millions – at peak hour traffic – designed to deliver maximum impact – and to bring the city down to its knees – worked like clockwork. To my memory, only 9/11 NY, and 12/03/93 Mumbai were more horrific. The sheer panic that I saw on the faces of people yesterday was more horrifying than whatever I have ever witnessed.

What I saw was people running for their lives like I have never seen before. Office-going ladies crying like lost schoolgirls on the roadside, men in their 30s and 40s looking zombie-scared and clinging onto whatever transport they could get a hold of, old men & women pleading with everyone who would care to listen to help them reach their homes – the memories of the so many terrified faces I saw while trying to get back home yesterday will haunt me for a long time to come.

What I also saw were a lot of good Samaritans trying everything they could to help out – they were very, very few, but they were there – handing out water, biscuits, stopping private vehicles and requesting them to take some passengers with them. The city had suffered a great blow, but the city is resilient and was trying to stay alive & kicking. Today, at least for now, it has got back to its feet. And while the impact of yesterday’s terrorist attack on it is huge and loss of life suffered incomparable, the normal citizen on the road is ready to show the terrorists that they have largely been unsuccessful in trying to disrupt life. Makes me say, “Salaam Mumbai!”.

Zidane's header costs France the World Cup

Italy has won the FIFA World Cup 2006. But that is not the big news for me.

What is intriguing me, and I am sure the rest of the world, is what in the world was Zinedine doing when he head-butted Materazzi. Surely, he knew the cameras, the line refrees (if not the pitch refree), and billions across the globe would see what he did. Why did he have to resort to such a shameful thing in his swansong match?

Was it the last hurrah he was seeking, and the frustration of seeing the game entering extra time, which could go against his side? Or, was it some provocation hurled at him which finally snapped something inside him? Whatever be the reason, the act is unpardonable. Not that he has not done this before – he’s been actively involved in similar incidents twice in crucial matches.

In 1998, the only year when France has won the world cup, Zidane fouled the Saudi Arabian captain by plodding on his foot in the first round. Of course, Zizou claimed it was accidental but the refree thought otherwise, and he was red-carded. The cameras proved the refree was correct. It later also did emerge that the Saudi captain had verbally provoked Zidane (who is of Algerian ancestry) with racist remarks into the act. Maybe the same happened yesterday too. But that does not condone his sin.

Another time, Zidane was sent off in a Champions League match in 2000. Zidane aimed a headbutt at an opposing team member after both players collided & fell over in the 29th minute. He was given marching orders immediately, and his depleted side lost the match. History does repeat itself!

Clearly, Zidane does not learn from his mistakes and continues to be ruled by his own beliefs (right or wrong), irrespective of consequences to himself or his team – resulting in a hero becoming a villain of the first order. This kind of attitude appears in all people who think they are the greatest, can do no wrong, and above the law. Incidentally, it is also the same wild streak that is seen in master-criminals, who are basically geniuses gone wrong for the presence of one mischievous gene in them.

It’s not that Zidane is the only sportsman to face slurs on the field. Cricketers are known for sledging and can be pretty nasty in terms of their racist, religious, sexual and national attacks on opposing players. Notwithstanding this, and post a few verbal attacks hurled back, the game continues more or less peacefully – despite the fact that both the batsmen and the fielders have more ammunition with them (in the form of bats, balls and wickets) in one match, than the entire soccer world cup put together.

One would have liked to see Zidane lift up the cup, or to even see him going gracefully into retirement as the captain of the team that were runners-up in soccer’s biggest arena. The soccer-crazy world would have loved to have that as the fondest memory of this cup. However, that was not to be – all for the senseless temper of one second that killed a lifetime of good work. Zizou’s headbutt and his shameful exit, for me, will be the lasting memory of this world cup.

Football… the final frontier is here!

Tomorrow, the world is going to witness the FIFA World Cup 2006 final clash between 2 nations that are totally opposite of each other in how they have fared historically in the World Cup.

Italy, on one hand, have reached the finals 5 times (second only to Brazil’s 7 & Germany’s 7) – this is their 6th appearance. They have won it thrice – in 1934 against Czechoslovakia by 2-1, 1938 against Hungary by 4-2, & 1982 against Germany by 3-1. The 2 times they have lost it has been to Brazil on both occasions – in 1970 by 4-1 and in 1994 by 3-2. Incidentally, all of their 3 wins came in Europe – Italy, France & Spain respectively – and they were against European teams. And both their losses came in the Americas – in Mexico & USA – against an American team.

France, on the other hand, has managed to reach the finals only once – in 1998 – which they won beating Brazil 3-0. That the tournament was in France and they were playing in front of home crowd would have given some wings to their ambitions, and the victory margin is a clear indicator of how motivated they would have been to beat a team like Brazil, who were the defending champions. Can the French win again and maintain a 100% record of reaching the finals and winning, one needs to wait & see.

A thing to notice is that amongst 18 World Cup finals (including the current year) featuring 2 sides each, there are a maximum possible 36 teams that could have played the finals. Amongst Italy, Brazil & Germany, they now have 20 appearances – more than 50%!!! Now, that does place Italy in the premium league, doesn’t it? Records clearly suggest that Italy is much more likely to take home the trophy as compared to France.

Nonetheless, the French are not going to be pushovers; the way they kept Brazil at bay in the quarter-finals tells you a thing or two about their current form. Also, Zidane has not returned from his retirement just for nothing. Though at 34, he is pretty old to play football, his legs have appeared to be the freshest in the tournament so far. Also, very few can dispute the fact that he is probably the best footballer of his generation in the world. And he is an inspiring leader, to say the least – his team’s commitment to him demonstrates this in no uncertain terms. They would die (and kill) to give him the best farewell a footballer can get – the world cup.

However, the beautiful game is very unpredictable – specially in this season. Who would have thought that none from Brazil, Argentina, England & Netherlands would reach the final 4 stage? Who would have thought that so many games would go to extra time and penalties? Who would have thought that not a single match would witness a hat-trick (this has never happened before)? And it is the very unpredictability of the game that makes it so beautiful.

So, who will win? Don’t we all love underdogs and would love to see France win? But don’t we also want to see the more deserving side, Italy, emerge glorious? I will not hazard a guess on the outcome of the final. Because, while I love my pizzas, I also cherish my wine.

Indians finally beat Windies to taste success abroad

The first non-Indian cricketers to sing the Kingfisher Beer song “Ula la la la, vey o” (I hope this is correct – I have no intention of getting Vaughan try to correct me) were the West Indians. In fact, Kingfisher was the official sponsor of the West Indian cricket team almost half a decade back, and this Indian sponsorship gave some decent funding to the impoverished game that every man, woman and child loves in the Caribbean. Today, I am sure, almost everybody in the West Indies would be despising all things Indian, notwithstanding the fact that 4 of their playing 11 in the last test (Ganga, Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Ramdin) are of Indian origin. In fact, together they scored almost 2/3rd of the total runs scored by West Indies in either innings (67/103 in the first and 142/219 in the second); yet could not save their team from the blushes.

India, on the other hand, have finally shaken off the ghost of not being able to win a series outside the sub-continent (I don’t think winning the series against a totally depleted and demoralized Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe last September should count as being able to win outside). The last time when India actually won a series of consequence outside was when Kapil’s Devils demolished England 2-0 in 1986. Who would have thought that it would take a good 20-years to repeat the feat? However, if you just go a little back in history, you would realize that India had taken 15 long years to register their 1986 series win abroad – the last time it happened before that was in 1971 in England again. Though, then the Indian team was fresh with having beaten the mighty, mighty West Indians in their backyard just a few months ago.

The question that arises is that “Is India capable of continuing to win abroad?” On paper, very much so. When you win despite not playing Irfan, and with Sehwag, Kaif and Yuvraj being in terribly low form, it tells you that things are auguring well. We did play the series pretty well and should have won at least 2 if not 3 of the tests, had the rain gods not intervened to favour West Indies. However, one must not miss the fine point that the Indians got pretty “Indian” wickets in West Indies, and their task was made that much easier. They cannot expect the same every time and elsewhere. Also, the very fact that England went home from India with their chests held high a few months ago, despite not having their top league players in the team, tells you a thing or so about the Indian state of affairs in tests.

Victories tend to make you heady, specially when they come after such a long gap and such toil. It is time indeed to be drunk in the joys of reaching a long-cherished goal; yet one must not forget that the journey has just begun. We cannot be complacent from here onwards. Dravid and his team would be well advised not to let this go to their heads, and should ideally see this as almost a gift given the nature of the pitch given to them. Yes, the series is won, but because the opponent inflicted self-injury.

While record books will show that we are victors, the team should not assume the same and think of themselves as good as Kapil’s Devils; not yet at least – maybe in the future, they will prove themselves to be even better. Dravid has infused a sense of responsibility & pride in this team by leading from the front with his own knocks in the past few months, and by his demeanour on & off the field. He must surely be feeling happy today. However, he would also be the first one to realize how close they have come to winning and then squandered it – in ODIs specially – due to lack of killer instinct. His work is not over; it has just begun.

I, despite sounding very boorish & critical in this monologue, am one proud Indian today. But I can’t get myself to sing, “And I’ve, had the time of my life…”.

Isn’t history continuous?

“Isn’t history continuous? Incidents don’t happen in a vacuum, but cause ripples spreading out, interacting with other ripples, changing their courses and, in turn, themselves being changed, and changing the course of anything coming in their contact. Nothing can escape their impact.”

This is a thought that I had written almost 15 years ago, when I was in my final year at college. Today, I reflect upon the same.

The context, when this was originally written, was to write to a girl whom I wished to befriend. The idea behind the thought was to tell her that when two souls come in close contact with each other, it is a foregone conclusion that they will interact (negatively or positively is immaterial), and be influenced by each other. And even if they choose to go separate ways, history tends to bring people together once again. The continuum of history is such that things don’t just happen by design or choice, but empirically, we know that many incidents happen unknowingly and unwittingly. You must be wondering, what am I trying to insinuate? Let me elaborate.

When I made a decision to move to Mumbai (from Delhi) in January last year, neither my best friend, Varun, nor I had an idea that he would make a similar move within the same calendar. But then this happened; though this could not be sheer chance, a lot of it was by design on Varun’s part – he actively began looking at offers from Mumbai (which he may have been rejecting till my move), and finally we both are again together. But that is not the point of my writing this.

A very surprising circumstance happened this month, which makes me write this essay. A school-time friend, Reena Puri (nee Singla), moved to Mumbai. In the last 18 years, we would not have met or talked on more than 3-4 occasions (not much by any stretch of imagination). And for the last 6 years, she was based in Dubai. It would be pretty safe to say that we had lost touch forever, with no hope or effort of meeting again.

Never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that we would all (Reena, Varun & I) be living in the same city (which is different from our original abode) 18 years from last we were colleagues. What’s more, she looked at various homes at Lokhandwala, Kalina, Santa Cruz, and finalized deals at each of these places that didn’t go through at the very last moment, finally to take up residence barely 3 kms. from my place. And that’s not the end of it all – her kids have got admission to the same school (Podar CBSE) as my son, and take the same school bus everyday! Now, doesn’t that sound like a rerun of our own lives?

All this made me suddenly remember the almost-forgotten lines that I had written long ago. And the thought came blinding back to me – isn’t history continuous?

Kings or Gangsters

A random thought just drifted into my mind… something that I’ve been toying for almost two decades, and have debated till kingdom come with many people… never losing the debate, by the way. I write on that today – “Kings or Gangsters”.

“Blue blood in their veins… that’s what royalty is made of.”

Really? Then, in my opinion, the colour of blood running inside the biggest gangsters in the world must also be myriad shades of blue!

Surprised? Let me take you down history lane to explain this rather bizarre thought.

What made Kings? Where did they come from originally? And when I say originally, I mean how did the very first king come about thousands of years ago? What would make people follow them blindly, and be ready to kill for them and to be killed for them? What wins such loyalty?

There are only two things in this world that bring such devotion. One, is the love of family and the very dearest of friends, who will do anything for someone they love so much. Two, is the position of power that binds people together – they may love each other or loathe each other, but the power of being in control and of gaining hugely by such an alliance – is what earns such allegiance.

It is my hunch that the first kings came about the same time civilization was coming into existence. The very necessity of the people to fulfill their basic needs – food, shelter, protection from wild animals – made them form groups. These groups needed a leader – like all groups – who could envision the dangers they faced, come up with solutions for the same, and guide them in times of need. This task would have invariably been entrusted to the wisest (or the most cunning) and the bravest (or the toughest) person in the group. The cleverest person became the holy man (who could talk to God and foresee everything), and the cruelest man became the king (the most powerful protector & provider). Together, they formed rules for the group to follow and bade them to obey them by fear of the Almighty or by power of the muscle.

Soon, these groups had a need to go farther than where they were born, to seek out new places for food and shelter. In doing so, they came into contact with other groups, who were pretty obviously hostile to theirs. Conflict of territory arose (much like it arises in wild beasts), and they had to fight and kill each other. If the leader was killed in the battle, the next most powerful living man would take the mantle. If the leader survived, he would be eulogized by the surviving few. These leaders were the rulers of the entire land now. And as they grew their territories and their population, they became bigger and slowly formed their kingdoms and became kings. To keep the large flock together, these kings needed a common belief (or fear), and an instant solution came in the form of spreading the word of God. I am not an atheist, this merely is an attempt to understand how man first learnt about his Creator and how he came to fear His wrath so much. One can clearly see why so much affinity existed between the King and the High Priest of yester-years. I think this is the only plausible explanation, and you can correct me if you have a different thought on the same.

So, the first kings were nothing but largely feared gangsters. Their sons automatically inherited their legacy, and may or may not have been as cruel. But they were also driven to expand (or protect) their territories, and so they stepped out of their comfort zones. You may call them bravehearts; I prefer to call them ganglords. What, for example, made millions of people leave their homes in Macedonia and trek all the way to India to win lands for Alexander the Great? And why did Alexander need to win over the world by killing so many people – I am sure the right religious teachings would not have permitted him to do so; and he was not threatened by anybody & fighting in defence. It was the lust of demonstrating himself as the most powerful man in the world (propelled by wrong religious backing) that drove him and his troops so far.

Isn’t this the very thing that we see around us today? How different are the kings from present day gangsters or terrorists, who follow the same route to riches? And how different are they from the heads of various nations (the present day kings) that wish to subjugate other states by sheer demonstration of their wild, merciless power?

This seat is reserved... and not for you

Reservations in education & jobs. Haven’t we all heard of this a decade and a half ago, and protested against the same vehemently? And isn’t this the very same issue that cost Rajiv Gandhi & the Congress the election in 1989? So, why is the Congress going ahead with this now? To understand this, one has to dwell into the past.

If memory serves me right, when Rajiv Gandhi was presented with the option of implementing the Mandal Commission report while still in office, his stance was that this would lead to dividing the country on the lines of caste, and he was totally opposed to the idea. He felt that after 40+ years of independence, India needed to look ahead and start becoming a power to contend with in the world. And this would not happen if we allowed undeserving candidates protection in securing education & jobs at the cost of bright youngsters who were more worthy of leading India into the 21st century. Truly, he did not understand the politics of the land (being a service class person himself till 1984, when he was suddenly forced to enter the political arena), and paid dearly by leading Congress to a historical poll rout. While the politics of Mandal & Kamandal led to the mass erosion of the Congress base of working classes and the underprivileged, Rajiv still refused to agree to reservations and did not use them in the polls of 1991 too. Sadly, the one man in politics who refused to play the communal card was assassinated, and since then the small regional parties (SP, BSP, JDU, et al), have continued to rule the roost by pandering to the emotions of the teeming masses who want a government job, but don’t want to work for the nation’s progress.

Coming back to the question, why is the Congress playing the same card that Rajiv opposed? And specially so given the fact that his wife, Sonia, is the supreme leader of not just the party, but the government itself, albeit without carrying any portfolio. My guess is as good as yours, and I feel that the Congress has realized that while in Rome (no pun intended with it being Italy’s capital), do as the Romans do.

I have been a supporter of most of Congress’ policies since BJP distanced itself from me post their mute-spectatorial support of Mandal, and moreso their stance on Swadeshi in ‘90s (though they are the ones who truly opened the economy after coming to power), but today I feel betrayed. Ignoring Rajiv’s vision, the Congress today is trying to implement the reservations not for the downtrodden but for its own good, demoralizing the bright youth of today, who are competing with global corporations and creating a name for India. Irony is, that it is only the doctors (and those too who already are admitted into their courses with a secure future), who are taking on the might of the government, with very little support from the engineering & the management students.

So, again, why does the Congress feel the need to do so? With it slowly but surely losing its mass base in UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan & Gujarat, which constitute almost half (if not more) of the Parliamentary seats, and with regional parties & BJP playing having with caste & religion, it does seem to have no option. It still calls itself a secular party and so cannot say things like we are committed to the development of the oppressed poor classes ala SP or BSP or JDU. That would make sure that the educated urbane would move away from them. Howsoever small in numbers they may be in the electoral battle, they constitute the enlightened few in this country, who are opinion makers. And every party that calls itself a national party needs them. The RJD or CPI/CPM in my mind are still regional players who find fervour in select states only, and hence they continue to play the game of masses versus classes. And they would love to distance themselves from the Congress the day they could cobble up a majority minus the BJP. Jayalalitha and Mamta Bannerjee, amongst many others, are known to change quickly like the ocean’s tides, and they would happily ally with anyone who would bring them to power. Which is why the Congress is forced to build a strong base for itself in the masses who vote. I, for one, am dead against it, and can only hope and pray that good sense prevails on everyone and it is the country’s progress which is considered ahead of every other consideration. For, a fast-growing nation creates opportunities, jobs, wealth and recognition for many, many more than a nation that likes to appease everyone and fail to please anyone.

India - 16 going on 17... but unable to reach 18

Okay! Records are meant to be broken. And also, a record is a milestone that has a certain limit at that point of time – though this limit can be extended to whatever limits by the record breaker. However, the limit does exist and it is never infinite.

Who would have thought a decade and a half ago that the 100-meter dash can be run in under 10 seconds? Carl Lewis certainly did not, but he did it nonetheless. And today, we have sprinters who are clocking 9.77 seconds (almost 2.5% under the so-thought limit). Or, who would have thought that 434 runs could be scored in 50-overs in cricket? Australia did it notwithstanding it being a superlative effort. Only to realize a mere 4 hours later, that South Africa were also more than up to the task.

That brings me to my current context. Would you have ever imagined that India would equal the world record of 16 back-to-back successful run chases (yes, chases!!!)? That too against teams like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England? And then break the record with a 17th consecutive win against West Indies, to create the new world record.

Indians traditionally were always poor chasers, and this new-found confidence in chasing is because of the fresh enthusiasm seen all around the team in the form of newcomers who carry no past baggage of losses while chasing a total. They are the go-getters and they are ready for the kill. Not to forget the captain, who more than lives up to his nickname “The Wall”, who is ever-willing to take on a challenge and come out victorious. This is the same guy who cricketing pundits said had no place in one-dayers because of his traditional and woefully slow batting. Who would have thought that the same genius would today be just 500-odd runs away from the magical 10K runs figure in one day cricket? And who would have thought he would be leading the team (let alone be just a part of it) with most successful chases in history? After all, he started playing in the era where India almost always lost while chasing? And he was blamed manyatime for the same due to his slow batting. But here we are, with a new world record. And this man is leading from the front like no one else before. And the team is rising to new heights with every fresh outing.

This brings me to the second point that I want to discuss today. Why did India lose their 18th chase? And that too when the target was extremely achievable – 199 to get in 50 overs is not stiff by any standards – South Africa got more than double of that, and that too against the world’s no. 1 team. So, why did India’s record run come to an end? Well, there are no simple answers here. I saw the match, and have only one thing to say – Brian Lara marshalled his limited bowling resources extremely well. The wicket did not have much for the bowlers, and against Indian line-up, the bowlers wouldn’t have been much worth. But Lara ensured that he was giving the ball to the right bowlers at the right time, who created sufficient pressure by good line & length and forced the Indians to throw their wickets. That is precisely what happened in my view.

One man – Yuvraj – played a brilliant knock in my view, till the very last ball that he got out on. Having taken the team to that level (India needed 11 off the last over, mind you, with only 1 wicket to spare) where they needed just 2 runs off the last 3 deliveries, he should have got it. Bravo, who was bowling the last over, was having one of the worst days of his life till that very last ball. But the excruciating circumstances took their toll on Yuvraj, and just one reckless fling of the bat threw it all away.

Well, that’s history now, and West India has derailed the Indian bandwagon. But there should be no remorse. Like I said, there is no record that is limitless. And Indians have genuinely created a huge record that is going to be difficult to surpass. However, no record can survive eternity – so it is bound to broken. In my view, currently there are 3 teams that are up to it – Australia, South Africa and India itself. So, let’s see if it can be bettered; and let’s see who gets it!

Is a deer's life dearer than a human's?

Many Indians want to go hunting someday, like the erstwhile Maharajahs & the English rulers of Hindustan. Killing big game, after all, has long been deemed as one of the most macho things to do. So, Salman was not being very different when he gallantly went out to the jungle. And the villagers who caught him in the act, I am quite certain, would have many boastful “shikaar” stories to tell about their ancestors and themselves; and probably a trophy or two hidden away, if not displayed in a pride of position place in their homes. So, was Salman wrong, or was he simply in the wrong place at the wrong time?

My take on this is simple. One, he had no business hunting & killing a protected wild animal. Two, he was foolish enough to actually be caught in the act. And three, he was naiive & arrogant enough to assume that this issue will die a natural death, without bothering him. The wildlife lobby is fairly strong the world over, and no human (unless you are Veerappan or a heavy-weight politician) can get away once caught. So, Salman is paying for his sin of arrogance, more than anything else.

That also brings up two points in the issue. Point no. 1: Why do snake-charmers, bear handlers, etc. go scot-free after giving so much pain to these protected animals and eventually killing every single animal they handle with absolute cruelty? What is the SPCA or the WWF or the Judiciary doing to them? Have you ever heard of an arrest (forget conviction) in such a case? Point no. 2: Once the crime is proven, is the punishment being meted out justifiable? I mean when a snake kills a human, do we find & kill the snake? Of even when a stray dog bites a kid on the street (who contacts rabies & eventually dies), is the dog brought to justice? So the questions facing us are, is human crime greater than animal crime? And is animal life more precious than human life? Maneka Gandhi, I am sure, would have us believe so. But for some reason, I fail to see the logic every single time.

Also, in a country when a person murders a human being in full view of a hundred renowned, well respected people (Jessica Lal case), he goes without punishment. And when a man kills a deer which is seen (or is it assumed to be seen) by less than a dozen illiterate, unknown villagers, he is given 5 years!!!

I have no love for Salman – I’m not his fan. But I have love for all my human brethren, and can’t see such gross injustice being done in the name of law. Salman is being punished because the courts are assuming that he is a proclaimed offender (beating co-stars, running over people sleeping on pavements in his vehicle, et al don’t go down too well with the judges). And if any of you remembers the “17 oranges” story that we read in class 10th, an example has to be made to the masses that this will not be tolerated. And who better than a celebrity to be sacrificed at the alter – giving out a clear message that nobody is above the law. Sadly, the same is not true when it comes to Manu Sharma, who is given the benefit of doubt, because eye witnesses have back-tracked due to threats to their lives, which the court is well aware of. Perhaps, Salman should not have been arrogant in assuming that because he is a star nobody would touch him; he should have demonstrated his star power & money-muscle to the villagers to ensure that they claim that no deer was ever killed in the first place, forget Salman killing one.

May the deer’s soul rest in peace. I am sure Jessica’s won’t after this kind of injustice.

Aussies feel Bangla heat

Bangladesh, yes Bangladesh, have taken a 158-run lead against Australia in the ensuing test match. And had Gilchrist not played the innings of his lifetime to score 144 runs in a team total of 269 in reply to Bangladesh’s 427, Australia would have been forced to follow-on (though if I were Bangladesh captain, I would play my second inning without enforcing follow-on, and make Australia play the fourth inning on a deteriorating pitch).

And to top that, Bangladesh scored 355 runs on the first day itself in 88 overs at an average of over 4, against a bowling attacking comprising Lee, Gillespie and none other than Shane Warne! And then Australia really struggled to come close to that total at a batting average of under 3. Five batsmen failed to reach double figures against a pretty-mediocre bowling attack. Not a pretty situation for Australia after having recently lost an ODI to the minnows. Where is the world’s greatest cricket team going? And where is the world’s worst cricket team going???

That also brings me to Shane Warne, the world’s most successful bowler ever, and still going strong. Time & again one has been reading articles from various Australians and Shane himself of how most of Murali’s wickets have come against weak teams including many of them against Bangladesh, and how Shane’s tally is not increasing at the same rate because of Australia not playing against such teams. Shane bowled 20 overs going wicketless against the same Bangladeshi’s in the first inning. Not to say that the wicket had nothing for the spinners. His other spinner team-mate Stuart MacGill took 8 of the 10 to fall in the first. Even in the second inning, thus far, Shane has not been able to scalp a single stump, from the 5 fallen so far, and he has again bowled 20% of the overs (8 out of 40 bowled so far) like the first inning. I don’t know whether it is Shane’s bad luck or MacGill’s good luck!!! The only non-suprising element here has been that Warne has never been successful against the Asian cricketers, and Bangladesh seem to be no different from India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka for him. Now at least, somebody should tell him to shut up about Murali. Not that I am a big supporter of the Sri Lankan, but then I’m not a great supporter of Shane either.

At stumps today, Bangladesh lead with 288 runs with 5 wickets to spare. Unless they score another 100-odd to reach close to 400, I don’t think Australia should find it really, really difficult to beat them. But considering the first inning, even 288 should give the Bangladeshi’s an easy win. But where the match seems headed, one will come to know only tomorrow – on the way Bangladesh bat and on the way Australia bat thereafter.

Should be an interesting match to witness. More from the academic perspective than from the cricketing perspective. And more interesting would be seeing how Australia salvage their image hereafter.

A God is disgraced...

It is extremely sad to see a God being disgraced. That is what happened at Wankhede this Sunday. And while I outrightly condemn the incident, in more ways than one, Sachin had it coming to him sooner than later. The fact that this happened in his hometown is in fact much better than it happening elsewhere in the country, specially Kolkata – had it happened there, then the entire Maharashtra would have risen in a whiplash effect to fight for their son, who has given so much to this country to cheer about. Also, it is indeed gratifying that it happened in India rather than elsewhere, or the shame & the fury of the nation to protect the prodigy would have been immense. Yet, it is a poor sight to see an idol being immersed.

Sachin, the man, the maestro, the messiah of cricket, is finally reduced to being a normal human being. Why, I ask, is he not able to perform to normal levels (forget supernatural)? And why, I ask, is he treated any differently from our erstwhile captain and still is kept in the team? Just because he is worshipped like God? Yes, I am sure you will say – after all, he “IS” God. But this God is not answering the prayers of his worshippers, and is slowly but surely turning them into atheists. Why does nobody have the courage to say that Sachin is not in his prime now, and needs to go gracefully – more at a time when people ask, “Why Sachin”, than “Why not Sachin”? A dangerous territory to tread into, but I guess somebody needs to speak fearlessly. And so, I ask this question.

Why does Greg not say the same thing that he said for Ganguly – being a part of the team is important for Sachin’s image & his finances? Is it true – as an advertising & marketing professional, let me say, it is indeed true. With his current form, he is unlikely to get any new endorsements, and once he goes away, the only ones hankering for him are likely to be the insurance/retirement fund companies. Yes, the magic of Sachin is fading and the advertising industry is quick to realize this – as I am sure Sachin has also starting figuring out. Though, he has, by all means, already made his mega-millions and may not have any need for more moolah. But who does not want to be idol-worshipped? And that’s where the human nature starts showing in Sachin.

When any player gets selected to play for his country, his first thought is to make a huge impact and win matches for his nation. All his energies go towards that. Records are just milestones that happen in course of play, and should not influence performance or selection beyond a level. However, the day performance starts dipping, the player realizes he has to improve or exit. Why should Sachin (who even I hold in the highest esteem) continue to play for the team, if he is genuinely not able to deliver? Shouldn’t he step aside and make way to others who are willing and able to play for the best interests of the team? Having played more tests for India than any other player, having scored more centuries than any other man in the world, I think Sachin has already a lot of records at his feet, and it is time for him to say goodbye. Two records will elude him in doing this – the maximum runs scored in tests (that is currently with Lara) and the maximum tests played for any country (which Steve Waugh holds). But in trying to reach for them, will he be doing his Godly-image any good?

The Lions get the Kangaroos in an unbelievable chase

The word impossible, as Napoleon Bonaparte said, is found in the dictionary of fools. And South Africa more than proved this Sunday that if anybody considered them fools, the thinker was living in fool’s paradise.

Wow! What a match? Though I missed all the live action as I did not remember that this match was on. It was only my best friend Varun’s ecstatic phone call after the match got over, that informed me that I had missed the mother of all battles in one-day cricket. If only the call had come after the first inning got over!

What can be said about such a contest? Unbelievable… in my opinion, only that word is apt. The final frontier has been breached (I can’t even imagine that this would be repeated at least in our lifetime) and history has been truly written this Sunday… and in very bold letters.

And that too when the world and his mother believed that Australia were on the way to win the series; South Africa did not have it in them to win any final contests.

Chokers! South Africans? Yes, yes.

Lion-hearted winners! Australians? Yes, yes.

No sir, I tell you not. The True Lions are the ones who reside in Africa, and despite the greatest leap they had taken barely four hours ago, finally the Aussies were reduced to being just kangaroos who must be hopping around in pain.

When India were chasing around 160 runs in 20 overs in the last ODI in Pakistan, nearly everybody believed that it was a mammoth task, and an average of 8 could not be sustained for so long. India did it nonetheless. But who would have thought that South Africa would chase almost 9 runs for 50 overs straight? And that too against Australia! I’m sure that you didn’t. I’m even more certain that none of the gamblers did, and everybody would have put his money on the Aussies after they notched up 434. And the bookies must now be laughing all the way to the bank.

C’mon Aussie, c’mon. What happened? Left speechless? Let me tell you what to say – my favourite phrase of Indian commentators – cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties! Though the one certainty that shall always be there is about the uncertain nature of cricket itself. I eat my words of last week, and happily so.

The one big winner of this match was South Africa. But mark my words – Australia lost the match, but they can definitely not be labeled losers. Not after you create a world record, howsoever short-lived. And as far as I am concerned, the biggest winner of this contest was the game of cricket.

Varun, I am sure, will recall the tales of this match to his grandchildren very, very fondly. I can almost hear him speak non-stop & as excitedly as ever.

Reminds me of a song that I heard a decade ago… I love this Game! I really love this Game!