Guys have almost always detested commitment, rather been petrified of the other factors that come along..Of course, knowing a nice girl and spending quality time with her is an amazing feeling to every guy, but the very thought that he will end up losing his 'freedom' and will slowly but surely be distanced from his best buddies is unnerving to say the least..Being single has its charm too..No questions asked, very little responsibility, freedom to make your own decisions without numerous evaluations, the chance to act instinctively and most of all the ability to behave naturally..
Over the last couple of years, numerous pals of mine have made the transition from being single to serious commitment. We guys have often believed that this path is fraught with dangers and risks which we might rather not face..But the question is how long can one procrastinate..? Typically for most guys, the company of his close friends is vital during his teenage and adult years..It is in this company where he gets to be himself totally without any fear of evaluation or any kind of supervision..Generally, guys tend to behave rather differently in the presence of a girl, even more so when it is the female who matters..oodles of respect, unusual periods of calm and a very consensual approach tend to characterize the behavior of most guys in such situations..The very fact that guys tend to fear the girl's temper tantrums and know for a fact that any behavior bordering on the slightly undignified will result in serious repercussions tends to put them on guard..The moment this happens, the guy can hardly be himself..
A girl most times tends to be able to move away from her friends rather easily when she gets closer to her wedding..Soon, she almost completely isolates herself from her past friends and devotes time almost exclusively to her spouse..This attitude is something that must be appreciated but the problem starts when the girl expects the guy to do the same..Men have always wanted to have their friends around and this is very much evident when one has a look at the number of friends from school and college a guy keeps in touch with over the years...Guys tend to have long term friends while girls tend to move on in life and disassociate themselves from friends at different points in life..Guys tend to drift away and need their time with friends so that they can feel better and refreshed.. They do have the tendency to get bored rather soon and if they are forced to avoid their friends and instead stay home, it can only be detrimental in the long run..
It is also vital that the couple discuss these issues early enough.. Quite often the issue of friends and hanging out with them etc is ignored as it is deemed to be trivial..But it is far from trivial..The opposing nature of the views of guys and girls when it comes to this issue will definitely ensure that they are at loggerheads sooner rather than later if they do not talk about it and try coming to an amicable solution..As in most cases, prevention is better than cure...!
Girls are very much attention seeking and will continue to demand that the boy friend/husband spend more and more time with them and this leaves him with lesser and lesser time for his interests and hobbies..A typical example would be a guy who used to play tennis or another sport everyday..post marriage this is rather impossible in most circumstances unless the girl is very understanding..Playing brought a lot of joy and made the guy feel a lot more energized earlier but now being denied the chance to do so only makes him feel rather miserable..The same applies in the case of television and the type of entertainment that the guy always loved..typically sports..Sitting up at odd hours to catch the cricket and football is no more possible and for a passionate sports lover, the worst feeling is reading the news the next day and realizing that he has missed a classic game!..There are lots of girls who are interested in sports and other typical interests that guys tend to have..Yet this is a very small percentage especially in India..But the important fact is that girls must realize guys are not the kind who can give up all their interests as easily as girls can..
Its paramount that guys understand the way girls feel about marriage and commitment..Girls need unwavering love and any kind of distraction can be misconstrued as lack of love..Guys on the other hand need their freedom and value the company of their close friends and hate to give up their love for sports etc..If this seemingly 'trivial' issue can be discussed early and a meaningful solution is reached, it augurs well for the relationship throughout..The crux of this problem undoubtedly points to the most basic difference between the psychology of a man and a woman..Resolving it is not easy but not giving it the due importance will most certainly put the future of the relationship in jeopardy..
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What's gone missing this decade?
Monumental scores, placid tracks, Australian hegemony, a few classic contests, two of the greatest series of all time, innumerable controversies, the game changing T-20 format and the extraordinary success of the Indian Premier League come to ones mind the moment they think of this past decade in cricketing terms. It has witnessed many a great performance, exceptional batsmanship, umpiring fiascoes and most importantly the power of mammon. So one is justified in asking the question if this is simply the greatest decade in the game's history? The answer according to me is a definite NO.
A brief overview of the major events of the decade will surely help put things in perspective. The year 2001 saw Brian Lara's unparalleled domination of the great Muttiah Muralitharan in an otherwise uneven contest between Sri Lanka and West Indies. The same year also saw India meet the world champion Australian team in a classic test series at home. VVS Laxman's immortal 281 and Harbhajan Singh's heroics helped Ganguly's men to thwart Steve Waugh's attempt to conquer 'the last frontier'. The Aussies though continued their dominance of both formats by clinching the 2003 world cup and not losing another test series for years. In 2005, in one of the finest series played, England overcame the Aussie juggernaut in a glorious contest. Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff emerged as the stand out performers in a series unlikely to ever be forgotten. Australia, still smarting after this defeat trounced England 5-0 in the next Ashes tour to re-affirm their status as the best. The retirement of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in January 2007 brought to an end one of the greatest bowling partnerships ever in cricket history. Australia led by Ricky Ponting lifted the World Cup for the 3rd consecutive time thus dispelling all doubts about their downfall. An exodus of greats after the acrimonious test series against India in 2008 left the mighty Aussies with an onerous task of rebuilding an empire which had dominated like no other. The India series saw the flexing of India's financial muscle when they made sure that one of the most respected umpires Steve Bucknor was not going to officiate in the Perth test after he had a shocking game at Sydney. Despite numerous decisions going against India in that game, the BCCI's threat of forfeiture and its blatant use of financial clout left a bad taste.
The Australians were now a much more beatable outfit and India and South Africa managed to beat them in 2008 thus making the top position a three horse race. The latter half of 2007 saw the first Twenty-20 world cup held in South Africa. It was a raging success and milling crowds meant that the format was here to stay. Allen Stanford's brash display of wealth and the quite ludicrous amounts involved in the revolutionary Indian Premier League (IPL) which started in the year 2008 made sure that the T-20 version even if hated could not be ignored. The franchises spent millions to get the best players and the quality of cricket was definitely on par with the best. The number of games being played though increased exponentially over the next year and became a huge cause of concern for many a player and board. In 2009, the ICC decided to trial the Umpire decision review system (UDRS) to aid the umpires and help eliminate possibility of errors. So far, it has had mixed reviews. Not every player is convinced that it is able to improve the quality of umpiring. I for one feel that the system, which is still not perfect has in fact tended to dent the confidence of the umpires and is having a more detrimental effect so far at least.
Having watched the game earnestly for almost 20 years now and also by virtue of being a keen student of its history, I have definitely come to believe that this decade does not rank highly in terms of the sheer quality of cricket. There have been fewer draws, more positive play, records galore and many superb performers but the one thing that's steadily gone missing is the 'contest within the contest'. The role of bowlers has undoubtedly been paramount in test cricket. Their role has always become more and more defensive in the shorter versions of the game and they are almost a non entity when it comes to T-20's. Placid and lifeless tracks have rendered quality bowlers impotent and at once eliminated the greatest and most loved aspect of test cricket i.e. the prospect of watching a top quality fast bowler or spinner on a helpful track against the best batsman. If we look back at this decade, the few games that can be recalled instantly as classics have had great bowlers operating on conducive surfaces up against quality batsmen. This produces riveting cricket and keeps spectators glued.
Just a look back at the previous decades and a few statistics and drive home the point here. The 1960's had legends like Sobers and Kanhai going up against Davidson and Benaud, Lawry and Simpson facing Hall and Griffith. The 1970's had the legendary pairing of Lillee and Thomson bowling to the mighty Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge. The brilliant Sunil Gavaskar facing up to the top quality Caribbean pacemen, Ian Botham often fighting the Australians single handedly providing classic moments that are etched in memory ever since. The mention of the 1960-61 series, India v England 1971, the 'grovel' series of 1976, the centenary test in 1977, Botham's Ashes of 1981, the 'blackwashes' of 1984 and 1985 are enough for recollecting and replaying the amazing moments that have become part of folklore. Even the 1990's had the great Ambrose and Walsh going up against Steve Waugh, Mike Atherton doing battle and standing firm against the raw pace of Allan Donald, the metronomical Glenn McGrath pitting his wits against the genius of Brian Lara, the mouth watering Sachin Tendulkar vs Shane Warne contests and the sheer hoy of watching the supremely talents Pakistani legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Most of these greats had the ability to perform even when conditions were against them and on the occasions when the pitches were sportive, the contests were indeed ones to savour. The 1990's had just 3 batsmen scoring over 5000 runs and yet averaging over 50 while this decade has seen 13. The majority of top bowlers this decade average over 25 while the top bowlers of the last decade had averages in the low 20's. 400 plus scores in 50 overs, an insanely high number of 300 plus scores, 350 plus runs in a day in tests becoming a common occurrence, an extraordinarily high number of double hundreds by batsmen this decade and almost ever other stat shows that the scales have tilted heavily in favour of the bat.
Despite all the riches, the umpteen records and better rate of scoring, the very fact that the game's balance has tilted a lot in favour of the batsmen due to the sad state of pitches has reduced the quality of cricket. One can no longer sit up all night and watch with bated breath to see brilliant batsmen go up against the finest bowlers. It is more often an exercise in masochism nowadays for bowlers toiling away on most tracks and unless the situation is rectified soon enough, most cricket lovers will be left appreciating the game almost exclusively by virtue of the great memories that its glorious past has provided.
A brief overview of the major events of the decade will surely help put things in perspective. The year 2001 saw Brian Lara's unparalleled domination of the great Muttiah Muralitharan in an otherwise uneven contest between Sri Lanka and West Indies. The same year also saw India meet the world champion Australian team in a classic test series at home. VVS Laxman's immortal 281 and Harbhajan Singh's heroics helped Ganguly's men to thwart Steve Waugh's attempt to conquer 'the last frontier'. The Aussies though continued their dominance of both formats by clinching the 2003 world cup and not losing another test series for years. In 2005, in one of the finest series played, England overcame the Aussie juggernaut in a glorious contest. Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff emerged as the stand out performers in a series unlikely to ever be forgotten. Australia, still smarting after this defeat trounced England 5-0 in the next Ashes tour to re-affirm their status as the best. The retirement of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in January 2007 brought to an end one of the greatest bowling partnerships ever in cricket history. Australia led by Ricky Ponting lifted the World Cup for the 3rd consecutive time thus dispelling all doubts about their downfall. An exodus of greats after the acrimonious test series against India in 2008 left the mighty Aussies with an onerous task of rebuilding an empire which had dominated like no other. The India series saw the flexing of India's financial muscle when they made sure that one of the most respected umpires Steve Bucknor was not going to officiate in the Perth test after he had a shocking game at Sydney. Despite numerous decisions going against India in that game, the BCCI's threat of forfeiture and its blatant use of financial clout left a bad taste.
The Australians were now a much more beatable outfit and India and South Africa managed to beat them in 2008 thus making the top position a three horse race. The latter half of 2007 saw the first Twenty-20 world cup held in South Africa. It was a raging success and milling crowds meant that the format was here to stay. Allen Stanford's brash display of wealth and the quite ludicrous amounts involved in the revolutionary Indian Premier League (IPL) which started in the year 2008 made sure that the T-20 version even if hated could not be ignored. The franchises spent millions to get the best players and the quality of cricket was definitely on par with the best. The number of games being played though increased exponentially over the next year and became a huge cause of concern for many a player and board. In 2009, the ICC decided to trial the Umpire decision review system (UDRS) to aid the umpires and help eliminate possibility of errors. So far, it has had mixed reviews. Not every player is convinced that it is able to improve the quality of umpiring. I for one feel that the system, which is still not perfect has in fact tended to dent the confidence of the umpires and is having a more detrimental effect so far at least.
Having watched the game earnestly for almost 20 years now and also by virtue of being a keen student of its history, I have definitely come to believe that this decade does not rank highly in terms of the sheer quality of cricket. There have been fewer draws, more positive play, records galore and many superb performers but the one thing that's steadily gone missing is the 'contest within the contest'. The role of bowlers has undoubtedly been paramount in test cricket. Their role has always become more and more defensive in the shorter versions of the game and they are almost a non entity when it comes to T-20's. Placid and lifeless tracks have rendered quality bowlers impotent and at once eliminated the greatest and most loved aspect of test cricket i.e. the prospect of watching a top quality fast bowler or spinner on a helpful track against the best batsman. If we look back at this decade, the few games that can be recalled instantly as classics have had great bowlers operating on conducive surfaces up against quality batsmen. This produces riveting cricket and keeps spectators glued.
Just a look back at the previous decades and a few statistics and drive home the point here. The 1960's had legends like Sobers and Kanhai going up against Davidson and Benaud, Lawry and Simpson facing Hall and Griffith. The 1970's had the legendary pairing of Lillee and Thomson bowling to the mighty Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge. The brilliant Sunil Gavaskar facing up to the top quality Caribbean pacemen, Ian Botham often fighting the Australians single handedly providing classic moments that are etched in memory ever since. The mention of the 1960-61 series, India v England 1971, the 'grovel' series of 1976, the centenary test in 1977, Botham's Ashes of 1981, the 'blackwashes' of 1984 and 1985 are enough for recollecting and replaying the amazing moments that have become part of folklore. Even the 1990's had the great Ambrose and Walsh going up against Steve Waugh, Mike Atherton doing battle and standing firm against the raw pace of Allan Donald, the metronomical Glenn McGrath pitting his wits against the genius of Brian Lara, the mouth watering Sachin Tendulkar vs Shane Warne contests and the sheer hoy of watching the supremely talents Pakistani legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Most of these greats had the ability to perform even when conditions were against them and on the occasions when the pitches were sportive, the contests were indeed ones to savour. The 1990's had just 3 batsmen scoring over 5000 runs and yet averaging over 50 while this decade has seen 13. The majority of top bowlers this decade average over 25 while the top bowlers of the last decade had averages in the low 20's. 400 plus scores in 50 overs, an insanely high number of 300 plus scores, 350 plus runs in a day in tests becoming a common occurrence, an extraordinarily high number of double hundreds by batsmen this decade and almost ever other stat shows that the scales have tilted heavily in favour of the bat.
Despite all the riches, the umpteen records and better rate of scoring, the very fact that the game's balance has tilted a lot in favour of the batsmen due to the sad state of pitches has reduced the quality of cricket. One can no longer sit up all night and watch with bated breath to see brilliant batsmen go up against the finest bowlers. It is more often an exercise in masochism nowadays for bowlers toiling away on most tracks and unless the situation is rectified soon enough, most cricket lovers will be left appreciating the game almost exclusively by virtue of the great memories that its glorious past has provided.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
sports trivia--- part deux..
Hey people...pretty good response for the first part has prompted me to go for another set...this time I guess..things are gonna be a lot tougher than the first time...format stays the same!
gud luck pals..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Last man run out in tied test at the Gabba. (3,7)--cricket
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2. No 8th Wimbledon for Pete (6,5)----tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
3. Lost his toes...shucks!! (4,6)----cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
4. Nou Camp 1999- super sub (3,6,9)-----football
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5. Roland Garros 1990 champion (6,5)---tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
6. match winner on a 'Fusarium' infected track (5,9)---cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7. The bowler's 'holding' the batsman's 'willey' (5,8)---cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8. 1. Thierry Henry
2. Ian Wright
3. _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ (5,6)---football
9. Fergie was here before United (8)----football
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10. Accused of stealing socks in England??-- (6,5)---cricket
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
11. Goal before opposition touched the ball..but lost game (world cup)! (5,8) ---football
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12. The year of the lovers- Wimbledon--- (4)---tennis
_ _ _ _
hmm.. i guess its time for a cricket feast from now...since its my all time fav...!
all remaining ones are cricket q's
13. "He failed to get his 'leg over'." ----(8,5)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
14. Debut game ended up being final game for England thanks to macko (4,5)
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
15. 390 runs in a day..wow!! ---(5,4)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
16. Beneficiary of Walsh's magnanimity ---- (5,6)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
17. Famous partnership with Beefy, Leeds 1981 ---- (6,6)
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
18. 53 all out .. 6/16 (5,5)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
19. War pilot and later all rounder par excellence (5,6)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
19. 'Bearded Wonder' (4,8)
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
20. Fastest to 200 test wickets (7,8)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
21. Died of wounds as a POW (6,6) (dismissed Don most times)
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
back to other sports now
22. 5 goals in a WC game (5,7) ---football
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
23. lost life for own goal (6,7)---football
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
25. Runner up in Bruguera's second french win (5,10)
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
enjoy urselves guys..look fwd 2 ur comments!...
cheers
gud luck pals..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Last man run out in tied test at the Gabba. (3,7)--cricket
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2. No 8th Wimbledon for Pete (6,5)----tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
3. Lost his toes...shucks!! (4,6)----cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
4. Nou Camp 1999- super sub (3,6,9)-----football
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5. Roland Garros 1990 champion (6,5)---tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
6. match winner on a 'Fusarium' infected track (5,9)---cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7. The bowler's 'holding' the batsman's 'willey' (5,8)---cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8. 1. Thierry Henry
2. Ian Wright
3. _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ (5,6)---football
9. Fergie was here before United (8)----football
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10. Accused of stealing socks in England??-- (6,5)---cricket
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
11. Goal before opposition touched the ball..but lost game (world cup)! (5,8) ---football
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12. The year of the lovers- Wimbledon--- (4)---tennis
_ _ _ _
hmm.. i guess its time for a cricket feast from now...since its my all time fav...!
all remaining ones are cricket q's
13. "He failed to get his 'leg over'." ----(8,5)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
14. Debut game ended up being final game for England thanks to macko (4,5)
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
15. 390 runs in a day..wow!! ---(5,4)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
16. Beneficiary of Walsh's magnanimity ---- (5,6)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
17. Famous partnership with Beefy, Leeds 1981 ---- (6,6)
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
18. 53 all out .. 6/16 (5,5)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
19. War pilot and later all rounder par excellence (5,6)
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
19. 'Bearded Wonder' (4,8)
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
20. Fastest to 200 test wickets (7,8)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
21. Died of wounds as a POW (6,6) (dismissed Don most times)
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
back to other sports now
22. 5 goals in a WC game (5,7) ---football
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
23. lost life for own goal (6,7)---football
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
25. Runner up in Bruguera's second french win (5,10)
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
enjoy urselves guys..look fwd 2 ur comments!...
cheers
Monday, November 16, 2009
bon quizzing!
Well guys..as most of u who have read/been reading my blogs know by now..I am a HUGE sports freak and with it inevitably comes a love for stats and trivia..for all those cricket, tennis and football enthusiasts..here is a real fun game..fill in the blanks kinds basically..!..some questions are easy while some might really make people curse me..but there's no doubt you'll have loads of fun playing this..
the clues are framed more like how they are in a crossword..not too transparent but at the same time..they do give you the required info..will leave no room for ambiguity..so gud luck..
you guys can just send me the answers as comments..
and yeah..don google guys..its fairly easy 2 find out who has!
ok..here goes!
lemme start with a sample
Comaneci's perfect 10 (8)-----> question means where did Nadia Comaneci get her perfect 10 score in gymnastics?.. The answer (8 letters) is MONTREAL where the 1976 summer Olympic games took place and the great gymnast achieved her record breaking feat...
the real stuff begins now..
1. Boom Boom Boris busted in the lawns in 87 (5, 6)----->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
2. Just got 1 of 20. (4 ,4)------->cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
3. Galloping Major (6, 6)--------> Football
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
4. Elland Road (5, 6)--------->football
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
5. A wrong' un that prevented the unimaginable (4, 7)--------> cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
6. Stunned Graf in 94 wimbledon (4, 6)----------->tennis
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
7. Blistering 187 against Larwood and co --------> cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
8. Could not save the 'Hand of God'(5, 7)-------->football
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9. Blanked twice in french final (7, 7)------->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10. Wrong end of a slap (5, 6)-------->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
11. 2 Legends of Brazilian football never to win the world cup (4 and 8)------>football
_ _ _ _ & _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12. Dean Jones's 'favourite' umpire (5, 11)------>cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
13. "There are two teams out there..only one is playing cricket" (4, 8)--->cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
14. Little Bird (9)--->football
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
15. Fracture...who cares?.. 7/53.. (7, 8)---->cricket
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
16. April 30th 1993, Hamburg (7, 6) ----->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
17. Bishop Cottons Blore, 3 most important letters of cricket for initials..(5, 7)--cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
18. The greatest save ever...off a header from possibly the greatest striker ever (6, 5)----->football
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
19. Innings and 579 runs and all that.... (3, 6)--->cricket
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
20. Bangalore 1974, Oval 1976, Old Trafford 1984 (6, 8) ---->cricket
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
hope u guys enjoy yhis set of qeustions...look fwd 2 c ur comments and answers..
will b back with more...
cheers!
the clues are framed more like how they are in a crossword..not too transparent but at the same time..they do give you the required info..will leave no room for ambiguity..so gud luck..
you guys can just send me the answers as comments..
and yeah..don google guys..its fairly easy 2 find out who has!
ok..here goes!
lemme start with a sample
Comaneci's perfect 10 (8)-----> question means where did Nadia Comaneci get her perfect 10 score in gymnastics?.. The answer (8 letters) is MONTREAL where the 1976 summer Olympic games took place and the great gymnast achieved her record breaking feat...
the real stuff begins now..
1. Boom Boom Boris busted in the lawns in 87 (5, 6)----->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
2. Just got 1 of 20. (4 ,4)------->cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
3. Galloping Major (6, 6)--------> Football
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
4. Elland Road (5, 6)--------->football
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
5. A wrong' un that prevented the unimaginable (4, 7)--------> cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
6. Stunned Graf in 94 wimbledon (4, 6)----------->tennis
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
7. Blistering 187 against Larwood and co --------> cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
8. Could not save the 'Hand of God'(5, 7)-------->football
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9. Blanked twice in french final (7, 7)------->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10. Wrong end of a slap (5, 6)-------->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
11. 2 Legends of Brazilian football never to win the world cup (4 and 8)------>football
_ _ _ _ & _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12. Dean Jones's 'favourite' umpire (5, 11)------>cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
13. "There are two teams out there..only one is playing cricket" (4, 8)--->cricket
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
14. Little Bird (9)--->football
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
15. Fracture...who cares?.. 7/53.. (7, 8)---->cricket
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
16. April 30th 1993, Hamburg (7, 6) ----->tennis
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
17. Bishop Cottons Blore, 3 most important letters of cricket for initials..(5, 7)--cricket
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
18. The greatest save ever...off a header from possibly the greatest striker ever (6, 5)----->football
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
19. Innings and 579 runs and all that.... (3, 6)--->cricket
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
20. Bangalore 1974, Oval 1976, Old Trafford 1984 (6, 8) ---->cricket
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
hope u guys enjoy yhis set of qeustions...look fwd 2 c ur comments and answers..
will b back with more...
cheers!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
yeno maga....eshtu?.... FCD kano...saaku!!
For all those who are engineering literate (which is about 90 % of the people), the three letters FCD will ring a bell any day...for the remaining few who were not part of this bandwagon, it simple means 'First class with Distinction', the golden term all through the four crazy engineering years...It meant and proved a lot, or so we were made to believe at least...You needed it to guarantee a job and respect in the social circles (read families & friends) and a great career which I discovered well in hindsight to be sheer bullshit... I decided to take a look back at 2001-2005 after a rather hilarious phone conversation with a close pal Karthik who went through these four amazing years that were replete with fun, periods of study, play, bunking and a whole host of other unmentionables at the same time as I did....
May 2001 was when we got done with the 'dreaded' CET (common entrance test) which came about a onth after the boards..getting a good rank there was paramount for the same reasons as getting the FCD (read previous para)...Also, the rank made the difference between a free seat (9k per yr), a payment seat (44k) and a management seat, the cost of which I don't know!..I did manage to secure a fairly decent rank courtesy slogging my ass off for a year..I still missed the free seat in electronics and Communications (henceforth E&C) which was the in demand stream (god knows why!)..I decided that I would no study on a payment quota and took up computer science..considering how bad I am with all the coding stuff...i seriously doubt I would have ever passed that course...! A stroke of luck enabled me to switch to E&C when a few seats came up in an additional round and I then moved to the E&C dept..
We were part of a bunch that got last minute changes to our departments and were all huddled up in a new section I think 'N'..Ram, Vivek (who had been with me from early school days), Swami, Chengu, Chu and many more pals of mine were in this section though not all in E&C. The first year of engg was meant to be divided into two cycles..physics and chemistry cycle..with respective subjects...we started the 1st sem with the chem cycle...The hangover from 12th made me a little bit of a nerd..I did try to work hard on the subjects around but soon realized the futility rather the uselessness of the task...The internals were for 25 marks and played a big role in helping you boost your score if you mucked up the finals..The best two of 3 internals were averaged for the score...I did a fair job mostly in math and average in others...I never ever did try and copy despite seeing that happening all round.. that reflected on my internal scores which usually never crossed 175/200....Most subjects had amazing text books written by the best authors...Indian and foreign..But nobody could really use them to study for exams..for all they cared about in exams was whether you knew to write 2 pages on some topic and blabber some stuff there...we decided after some consultation with seniors that there is a different way to deal with this trouble..cheaper local books written specifically to pass exams...! we spared no efforts in securing these soon and also got ourselves all possible photo copied notes to abet our preparation which was usually restricted to the study hols...
The 1st and 2nd sem had chem and physics, mechanical engineering and workshop and the menace (for me at least)- engineering graphics...I was miserable at workshop and managed to break the models at least thrice and lo and behold the same model I was supposed 2 carve in the finals...with the help of some good luck and lack of attention on the part of the examiner..i managed to clear that lab..while in graphics, the prof clearly told me ..u just learn these 15 questions..ull get one of those...I didn't need much more advice...I went through them real well and squeezed past that subject too...!...76 and 78% (both above the 70% mark i.e.FCD!!)
we moved to the 2nd year into our respective departments..missed all pals in class for all the fun but it was time to get acquainted with a new bunch...the E&C class had its own queer mix...front row nerds and back benchers who made the class hell for most teachers...I did know a few people already and this helped me get along...
Studies have always been boring to me despite nobody ever believing this statement of mine..I really never cared to study except when it mattered...from that day onwards till the end of the engineering degree, I made it a habit to get screwed in the internals..I used 2 dump one topic and that would inevitably turn up in the test..I would admire/stare in disbelief at how copying was rampant everywhere...the stricter the measures, the students found novel ways of writing the internals..even writing it in the canteen and submitting it in class on time..don't ask me how that is done!!...Electronics was not easy..i don't think anything would have been for someone like me..I had long decided that I would just bother about the FCD...!
Godse-Bakshi, Yoganarasimhan, MV Rao and many more books helped us squeeze through!...signals and systems was one subject in the 3rd sem that I had no idea of till the final exam...somehow with some notes, I managed 85+ which made me realize how stupid the system was...I knew jack about the course but still had the marks to show...lol..
The fourth sem was a tad more interesting and probably had the one course all through engineering that I truly cared about studying well...digital logic by Morris Mano...i really loved the subject and learnt a lot...maybe i should have been that way more often..! notes galore kept us afloat..finally came the dreaded fifth semester that had DSP- digital signal processing..though popularly known as Definite supplementary paper!.., microprocessor 8085 and also microwave engineering. a crazy elective reliability engg. all 4 were 'dangerous' and along with the two tough labs..this made for a sure shot death trap...hated the classes and was almost always freaking out..the exams started and notes and small text books seemed the only way out..8085 paper was screwing to say the least..I realized then and there that there is only one way out i.e. write as much as I know though i actually knew nothing...I had perfected the art of blabbering some nonsense and taking up space and did that to great effect...people were in tears after the exam whereas I was quietly confident that I would surely clear the exam..There was a huge uproar the next day and students went to the prof's place and submitted a petition to the univ...all this had no effect except messing up the prep for the next big one microwave...the only exam in my life that I studied for on the last day and even up to the last minute and still never felt confident...I messed it up totally and somehow luckily passed..the reliability engg paper was the worst..we were told we should expect problems galore but instead got a truckload of theoretical questions...at the end we were relieved to get done..!...it was a pleasant surprise yet shocking to see 91 against my name in DSP where almost most others had 40's..but all i cared that sem was seeing the FCD at the end...the sixth sem went through without any major issues except for a fiasco of a project which we somehow managed to present.despite all the lingering doubts that the prof had about its authenticity and originality he decided to spare us much to our relief..!..we came to the next major hassle..the 7th sem...
everybody knew that 8th sem was all about the final project and practically nobody would be in college..so the 7th sem was rather difficult. We had VLSI design, power electronics and couple of other crazy courses which we somehow negotiated...The computer networks lab (CCN) was nothing related to what it was meant to be and passing that was a bit of a task..with all my time devoted to CAT preparation, I had absolutely no time to study that sem....summoning all my nerdy qualities and praying for divine intervention I prepared for the lab and amazing backup plans were made to pass that lab which thankfully weren't required..! another FCD and all that mattered now was the project..
We managed to get a project in BEL in the radar division with a great deal of difficulty.. I always maintain this...my friend Ilias gave the idea that we should get a project there...I (dad's influ) got the project somehow and guru did all the work!!...BEL was so close to my place that we had no effort whatsoever in getting there...We would go...walk around...look like working and eat lunch and get to play cricket soon enough...poor guru rode from about 15km ..did all the coding and completed the project...but when the prof came to see the project and also in the final presentation..the gift of gab helped me get credit, though not deserved!...we were done and dusted with engineering on Jun 4th 2005...end of a crazy period of 4 years which had seen everything...i mean absolutely everything..
now 4 years later, during a convo when I look back at those years..it seems hilarious..especially when some one regards the fact that B.E in a top college like M.S.R.I.T is an awesome achievement..It only makes me wonder if the degree is really worth all the accolades it gets...the 4 years of college hardly saw us work for a sum total of 6 months and we have the so called FCD throughout which is a hallmark of a great performance and consistency...the educational system and approach makes me think in retrospect if it was all worth it...but yeah give me all the fun and frolic of the 4 years any day..i don't mind going back once more..!!
May 2001 was when we got done with the 'dreaded' CET (common entrance test) which came about a onth after the boards..getting a good rank there was paramount for the same reasons as getting the FCD (read previous para)...Also, the rank made the difference between a free seat (9k per yr), a payment seat (44k) and a management seat, the cost of which I don't know!..I did manage to secure a fairly decent rank courtesy slogging my ass off for a year..I still missed the free seat in electronics and Communications (henceforth E&C) which was the in demand stream (god knows why!)..I decided that I would no study on a payment quota and took up computer science..considering how bad I am with all the coding stuff...i seriously doubt I would have ever passed that course...! A stroke of luck enabled me to switch to E&C when a few seats came up in an additional round and I then moved to the E&C dept..
We were part of a bunch that got last minute changes to our departments and were all huddled up in a new section I think 'N'..Ram, Vivek (who had been with me from early school days), Swami, Chengu, Chu and many more pals of mine were in this section though not all in E&C. The first year of engg was meant to be divided into two cycles..physics and chemistry cycle..with respective subjects...we started the 1st sem with the chem cycle...The hangover from 12th made me a little bit of a nerd..I did try to work hard on the subjects around but soon realized the futility rather the uselessness of the task...The internals were for 25 marks and played a big role in helping you boost your score if you mucked up the finals..The best two of 3 internals were averaged for the score...I did a fair job mostly in math and average in others...I never ever did try and copy despite seeing that happening all round.. that reflected on my internal scores which usually never crossed 175/200....Most subjects had amazing text books written by the best authors...Indian and foreign..But nobody could really use them to study for exams..for all they cared about in exams was whether you knew to write 2 pages on some topic and blabber some stuff there...we decided after some consultation with seniors that there is a different way to deal with this trouble..cheaper local books written specifically to pass exams...! we spared no efforts in securing these soon and also got ourselves all possible photo copied notes to abet our preparation which was usually restricted to the study hols...
The 1st and 2nd sem had chem and physics, mechanical engineering and workshop and the menace (for me at least)- engineering graphics...I was miserable at workshop and managed to break the models at least thrice and lo and behold the same model I was supposed 2 carve in the finals...with the help of some good luck and lack of attention on the part of the examiner..i managed to clear that lab..while in graphics, the prof clearly told me ..u just learn these 15 questions..ull get one of those...I didn't need much more advice...I went through them real well and squeezed past that subject too...!...76 and 78% (both above the 70% mark i.e.FCD!!)
we moved to the 2nd year into our respective departments..missed all pals in class for all the fun but it was time to get acquainted with a new bunch...the E&C class had its own queer mix...front row nerds and back benchers who made the class hell for most teachers...I did know a few people already and this helped me get along...
Studies have always been boring to me despite nobody ever believing this statement of mine..I really never cared to study except when it mattered...from that day onwards till the end of the engineering degree, I made it a habit to get screwed in the internals..I used 2 dump one topic and that would inevitably turn up in the test..I would admire/stare in disbelief at how copying was rampant everywhere...the stricter the measures, the students found novel ways of writing the internals..even writing it in the canteen and submitting it in class on time..don't ask me how that is done!!...Electronics was not easy..i don't think anything would have been for someone like me..I had long decided that I would just bother about the FCD...!
Godse-Bakshi, Yoganarasimhan, MV Rao and many more books helped us squeeze through!...signals and systems was one subject in the 3rd sem that I had no idea of till the final exam...somehow with some notes, I managed 85+ which made me realize how stupid the system was...I knew jack about the course but still had the marks to show...lol..
The fourth sem was a tad more interesting and probably had the one course all through engineering that I truly cared about studying well...digital logic by Morris Mano...i really loved the subject and learnt a lot...maybe i should have been that way more often..! notes galore kept us afloat..finally came the dreaded fifth semester that had DSP- digital signal processing..though popularly known as Definite supplementary paper!.., microprocessor 8085 and also microwave engineering. a crazy elective reliability engg. all 4 were 'dangerous' and along with the two tough labs..this made for a sure shot death trap...hated the classes and was almost always freaking out..the exams started and notes and small text books seemed the only way out..8085 paper was screwing to say the least..I realized then and there that there is only one way out i.e. write as much as I know though i actually knew nothing...I had perfected the art of blabbering some nonsense and taking up space and did that to great effect...people were in tears after the exam whereas I was quietly confident that I would surely clear the exam..There was a huge uproar the next day and students went to the prof's place and submitted a petition to the univ...all this had no effect except messing up the prep for the next big one microwave...the only exam in my life that I studied for on the last day and even up to the last minute and still never felt confident...I messed it up totally and somehow luckily passed..the reliability engg paper was the worst..we were told we should expect problems galore but instead got a truckload of theoretical questions...at the end we were relieved to get done..!...it was a pleasant surprise yet shocking to see 91 against my name in DSP where almost most others had 40's..but all i cared that sem was seeing the FCD at the end...the sixth sem went through without any major issues except for a fiasco of a project which we somehow managed to present.despite all the lingering doubts that the prof had about its authenticity and originality he decided to spare us much to our relief..!..we came to the next major hassle..the 7th sem...
everybody knew that 8th sem was all about the final project and practically nobody would be in college..so the 7th sem was rather difficult. We had VLSI design, power electronics and couple of other crazy courses which we somehow negotiated...The computer networks lab (CCN) was nothing related to what it was meant to be and passing that was a bit of a task..with all my time devoted to CAT preparation, I had absolutely no time to study that sem....summoning all my nerdy qualities and praying for divine intervention I prepared for the lab and amazing backup plans were made to pass that lab which thankfully weren't required..! another FCD and all that mattered now was the project..
We managed to get a project in BEL in the radar division with a great deal of difficulty.. I always maintain this...my friend Ilias gave the idea that we should get a project there...I (dad's influ) got the project somehow and guru did all the work!!...BEL was so close to my place that we had no effort whatsoever in getting there...We would go...walk around...look like working and eat lunch and get to play cricket soon enough...poor guru rode from about 15km ..did all the coding and completed the project...but when the prof came to see the project and also in the final presentation..the gift of gab helped me get credit, though not deserved!...we were done and dusted with engineering on Jun 4th 2005...end of a crazy period of 4 years which had seen everything...i mean absolutely everything..
now 4 years later, during a convo when I look back at those years..it seems hilarious..especially when some one regards the fact that B.E in a top college like M.S.R.I.T is an awesome achievement..It only makes me wonder if the degree is really worth all the accolades it gets...the 4 years of college hardly saw us work for a sum total of 6 months and we have the so called FCD throughout which is a hallmark of a great performance and consistency...the educational system and approach makes me think in retrospect if it was all worth it...but yeah give me all the fun and frolic of the 4 years any day..i don't mind going back once more..!!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Lovely memories....
There are a few moments in everybody's life that bring a smile on their faces whenever one tends to recall them.. In this hectic life with all its problems and pressures galore, I tend to recollect those great days I had in school, the cricket we played, the classes, the idiosyncrasies of various pals, the best and worst of moments ranging from the highly mentionable to the downright embarrassing!!..Life seems to have suddenly taken a decision to put me on a real fast train and get me so far that I can hardly even dream of getting back to those great times...but everything seems to have happened just yesterday..Those days of innocence without having to care about any responsibilities, the small joys of eating an ice cream or chaat at Gullu's, playing a day before the exam and getting shouted at for turning up late, bunking classes on the pretext of attending inter school fests, eagerly waiting for the holidays, cycling, unending cricket and other board games, innumerable quiet walks near the golf course on way back from school, those immature crushes and the little joys that came on being able to see the girl everyday let alone talk to her...I really wonder why this phase doesn't last forever!!
I spent much of those school days in a central area in Bangalore- P.G halli..its proximity to school, coupled with the fact that almost all my friends stayed around that place made it a dream house..A lovely house and a large one at that...it had a couple of terraces and I found ample room to end up playing a lot of cricket, albeit dangerously close to the terrace walls...I was in my 1st grade when I moved to this place and I remember it being Jan 18th 1990...my darling sis was born a few months later and I had my bext times then..The best part of staying in this place as i mentioned was that accessibility..the school was really close by and numerous pals stayed within a few streets of my place which made it awesome...
I remember badly damaging my nose in a freak incident in school when i ran into the basketball pole..It was about the time of the world cup 1992...and my friend Ram still remembers me with all the stitches watching the games especially the India Pak one and cheering away...Ram and Vivek were among my closest of pals and still are...both were with me ever since my playhome days and we had a terrific time..the families knew each other very well too and this made the job of actually sneaking away to the others place to play a lot easier...My daily routine involved getting back home at about 4 ..gobbling up some snacks and rushing off to play...be it cricket or any of the other games including hide and seek, board games etc..I also sued to frequent Anusha's (a classmate from kindergarten days) place where I had a number of other friends coming to play too...We used to have a terrific time and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience...
Vinayak was another close pal those days and we were almost inseparable...Most times I would end up being at his place...we used to play some weird cycling games along with the cricket...school and acads were never a issue as they bldnded seamlessly into this hectic life...:D...my mom used to be quite amazed as to how I ever managed to find time to play despite having exams round the corner....That was something that has lived with me and even to date play has been paramount and I have never cared less for the fact that there is an exam around...I used to have Sanskrit classes in school after hours and most times we would walk back home after the classes which was a lot of fun..Devdutt, Kaushik and others made up that gang and the great times we had will live forever...
I remember coming down with chicken pox in 1995 after the exams and not being able to play much during the holidays..it really hurt a lot that I was missing out on the fun...soon it was time for the 7th grade and I got the bad news that we were going to move out of the place to our own house...though this must usually be something that brings joy, I was stunned...never had I envisioned that we would move out of the place I considered heaven...be it school days, holidays or even festival days when dad and I used to visit as many temples as we could on the scooter,,ah long for those days..the simplicity and charm is nowhere present nowadays...I cried a lot and it took a long time for people around to convince me that I could still have a great time in the new place as well...finally I relented and we moved to the new place..
It was march 9th 1996, WC quarterfinal India vs Pakistan at Bangalore... we got to the new place and without any unloading etc got the cable guy to setup stuff and sat for the match...it was awesome...soon I had my exams...the problem began once I got done..I was not sure if i would have enough guys around to play like my old place..I was rather despondent..but much to my good fortune, I found some amazing pals around...Raghu (he moved in just 10 days after me), Navneet, Subhash etc were a few and we had a great time with loads of cricket and other games...Diwali was especially great as we used to burst crackers non stop from the early hours till late night....I simply started loving the place...I used to go to the same school though and was able to hang out with my best pals there as well..so in a way it was double the fun...The funniest thing at that time was Raghu and I going more than 10km to Pg Halli to get a hair cut at Macho men's beauty parlour...lol!!...I even remember Raghu, the god of all hitch hikers getting us a lift all the way to PG halli...Cricket, Hide and seek, chess etc made my day during the hols...soon in 1999, i was in my 10th...most people would have shut themselves up during these important days..not me!!..did manage to play play and play and still do decent on the exams...and after that had a whale of a time...Karthik and Kiran moved in to Vidaranyapura and these guys became and integral part of my life from then on...I can continue writing on and on...but will summarize the remaining moments that make me beam as I write...tenth hols and the PU years. bunking PU classes and getting away on Shamanth's bike...guru tuitions, early mornin classes much to our irritation (dr raj's abduction turned out to be the cause), times in the classes in college and tuitions....fun amidst all the studies...early mornin cricket...cleanin the ground..test match specials...football in evenings...brave goalkeeping and getting blasted at home...the awesome times with karthik all through PUC and college days...MSRIT days when we bunked and bunked anytime and everytime...project in BEL which was done for most parts at the cricket ground..lol..
Lots of people may say one has to move on and that there's no use of talking about the past..But to this date....recollecting these moments makes my day..when am down I just think back and smile...Karthik, Vivek and Raghu still are and will remain the pals with whom I can always fondly talk about those fascinating times and without a shadow of doubt those memories and details will live with me till I do....
I spent much of those school days in a central area in Bangalore- P.G halli..its proximity to school, coupled with the fact that almost all my friends stayed around that place made it a dream house..A lovely house and a large one at that...it had a couple of terraces and I found ample room to end up playing a lot of cricket, albeit dangerously close to the terrace walls...I was in my 1st grade when I moved to this place and I remember it being Jan 18th 1990...my darling sis was born a few months later and I had my bext times then..The best part of staying in this place as i mentioned was that accessibility..the school was really close by and numerous pals stayed within a few streets of my place which made it awesome...
I remember badly damaging my nose in a freak incident in school when i ran into the basketball pole..It was about the time of the world cup 1992...and my friend Ram still remembers me with all the stitches watching the games especially the India Pak one and cheering away...Ram and Vivek were among my closest of pals and still are...both were with me ever since my playhome days and we had a terrific time..the families knew each other very well too and this made the job of actually sneaking away to the others place to play a lot easier...My daily routine involved getting back home at about 4 ..gobbling up some snacks and rushing off to play...be it cricket or any of the other games including hide and seek, board games etc..I also sued to frequent Anusha's (a classmate from kindergarten days) place where I had a number of other friends coming to play too...We used to have a terrific time and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience...
Vinayak was another close pal those days and we were almost inseparable...Most times I would end up being at his place...we used to play some weird cycling games along with the cricket...school and acads were never a issue as they bldnded seamlessly into this hectic life...:D...my mom used to be quite amazed as to how I ever managed to find time to play despite having exams round the corner....That was something that has lived with me and even to date play has been paramount and I have never cared less for the fact that there is an exam around...I used to have Sanskrit classes in school after hours and most times we would walk back home after the classes which was a lot of fun..Devdutt, Kaushik and others made up that gang and the great times we had will live forever...
I remember coming down with chicken pox in 1995 after the exams and not being able to play much during the holidays..it really hurt a lot that I was missing out on the fun...soon it was time for the 7th grade and I got the bad news that we were going to move out of the place to our own house...though this must usually be something that brings joy, I was stunned...never had I envisioned that we would move out of the place I considered heaven...be it school days, holidays or even festival days when dad and I used to visit as many temples as we could on the scooter,,ah long for those days..the simplicity and charm is nowhere present nowadays...I cried a lot and it took a long time for people around to convince me that I could still have a great time in the new place as well...finally I relented and we moved to the new place..
It was march 9th 1996, WC quarterfinal India vs Pakistan at Bangalore... we got to the new place and without any unloading etc got the cable guy to setup stuff and sat for the match...it was awesome...soon I had my exams...the problem began once I got done..I was not sure if i would have enough guys around to play like my old place..I was rather despondent..but much to my good fortune, I found some amazing pals around...Raghu (he moved in just 10 days after me), Navneet, Subhash etc were a few and we had a great time with loads of cricket and other games...Diwali was especially great as we used to burst crackers non stop from the early hours till late night....I simply started loving the place...I used to go to the same school though and was able to hang out with my best pals there as well..so in a way it was double the fun...The funniest thing at that time was Raghu and I going more than 10km to Pg Halli to get a hair cut at Macho men's beauty parlour...lol!!...I even remember Raghu, the god of all hitch hikers getting us a lift all the way to PG halli...Cricket, Hide and seek, chess etc made my day during the hols...soon in 1999, i was in my 10th...most people would have shut themselves up during these important days..not me!!..did manage to play play and play and still do decent on the exams...and after that had a whale of a time...Karthik and Kiran moved in to Vidaranyapura and these guys became and integral part of my life from then on...I can continue writing on and on...but will summarize the remaining moments that make me beam as I write...tenth hols and the PU years. bunking PU classes and getting away on Shamanth's bike...guru tuitions, early mornin classes much to our irritation (dr raj's abduction turned out to be the cause), times in the classes in college and tuitions....fun amidst all the studies...early mornin cricket...cleanin the ground..test match specials...football in evenings...brave goalkeeping and getting blasted at home...the awesome times with karthik all through PUC and college days...MSRIT days when we bunked and bunked anytime and everytime...project in BEL which was done for most parts at the cricket ground..lol..
Lots of people may say one has to move on and that there's no use of talking about the past..But to this date....recollecting these moments makes my day..when am down I just think back and smile...Karthik, Vivek and Raghu still are and will remain the pals with whom I can always fondly talk about those fascinating times and without a shadow of doubt those memories and details will live with me till I do....
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Aussies never cease to amaze..!
You can hate their attitude on field, despise the sledging, grumble about their dominance and ruthlessness and complain about how boring and monotonous their triumphs have become. They may not have the classiest players going around nor the best of entertainers. But it is impossible not to be awe struck watching the Australians play. Their passion for the game and a win at all costs approach may not make them endearing to all viewers, but then how can you fault a team which can continue to not just compete, but stay at the top of the tree despite a mass exodus of exceptional players? The Aussie commitment and focus while playing any sport, more so in cricket is something that can undoubtedly serve as a role model for any team. The team has had its lows, its fair share of critics and unsavoury incidents have been part and parcel of its history. But nobody can ever claim with any degree of authority that he has seen the Aussies capitulate without a fight even once. Such is the competitive nature and spirit that embodies the men from down under.
Cricket, over the years has seen brilliant entertainers, graceful batsmen and top class bowlers. It has also been graced by many a great team each of them unique in their approach and style. The Australian approach for one has never changed. The tough as nails, never say die approach might have occasionally transgressed the boundary of fair play, but I quote the immortal John Arlott's words where he perfectly describes 'Australianism'- "Australianism" means single-minded determination to win - to win within the laws but, if necessary, to the last limit within them. It means where the 'impossible' is within the realm of what the human body can do, There are Australians who believe that they can do it - and who have succeeded often enough to make us wonder if anything is impossible to them. It means they have never lost a match - particularly a Test match - until the last run is scored or their last wicket down."
The first test at the Gabba against Frank Worell's West Indians in 1960 where Richie Benaud and Alan Davidson brought them brought from the brink to a near win only for the game to end in a dramatic tie, Kline and Mackay's remarkable 110 minute defiance of Hall and Sobers to save the series and in the very next game winning by two wickets are just few instances among many where the Aussie grit comes to the forefront. In the mid 1980's, the Australians went through their worst rut where at one stage they only had a single win in twenty tests. They had lost many great stars and the rebuilding phase was very tough. When Allan Border took over in 1986-87, few thought they had a chance at the World cup in 1987. Remarkably, the unheralded players including Steve Waugh, who was to later lead the world beating Aussie team of the late 90's and early 2000's managed to perform consistently and lifted the trophy. This was a shot in the arm for the Australians. They had the belief once more and Border went on to build a very good side and Mark Taylor inherited it and turned it into a champion side. The Aussies made it a common practice to win when it mattered most. In the world series finals in 1993-94, they had lost to the South Africans in majority of the group games and also the first final. But, magically they picked themselves up and won the last two finals to win the championship. Their test team created history by beating the West Indies in the Caribbean in 1995 to lift the Frank Worell trophy, then the unofficial world championship. Mark Taylor led the side with a not too common flair and panache and the result was some glorious attractive cricket. Terrific fielding became a norm for the Aussies and the world marvelled at their athleticism and skills. Steve Waugh who had been a vital part of the rebuilding phase inherited this team from Taylor and what followed left everyone stunned. He led the team on a record spree of 16 consecutive test wins but was to be denied a 17th courtesy the immortal 281 by VVS Laxman at the Eden Gardens in 2001. Waugh also led the Aussies to a World Cup victory in 1999 when thy looked down and out. He led from the front at Headingley caning the South African attack and scoring 120 invaluable runs to take the Aussies through to the super six stage. In the semi finals against arch rivals South Africa at Edgbaston, they played out of their skins and, in one of the greatest one day internationals played, they qualified for the finals despite the match being tied by virtue of beating South Africa earlier in the tournament. Ricky Ponting took over the leadership of the side and scaled even greater heights. In what was the only blemish in his initial years of captaincy, his side lost the Ashes in England in 2005 in what is probably the greatest series of modern times. The momentum in the series swung back and forth like a pendulum and lasting memories include the brave rearguard effort by Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz which nearly won the series, Shane Warne's remarkable bowling feats and Ricky Ponting's glorious 156 at Old Trafford to keep the rampaging England fast bowlers at bay.
After the heady years, Ponting lost many of the great stars who had made the team almost unbeatable. The legendary openers Hayden and Langer, the classy Damien Martyn, The irreplaceable Warne and McGrath and the greatest keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist were all gone in a matter of a year. It looked like the 1980's all over again as the Aussies struggled in the first couple of series against India and South Africa. But soon they had found their feet. The young guns had started relishing the responsibility and despite couple of setbacks like the loss of the Ashes in 2009, the Australians knew that the team was heading the right way. With a fairly inexperienced squad, Ricky Ponting led the team to victory in the ICC champions trophy in South Africa and even more astonishingly led his team to a triumph in the 7 match ODI series against India in India. The latter victory was ranked by Ponting as one of his best since it was achieved in the absence of 7-8 of his main players. Only the Australians could have withstood the remarkable onslaught by their perennial scourge Sachin Tendulkar who made a brilliant 175 and somehow still triumph in a humdinger at Hyderabad. The extraordinary comeback after being 1-2 down to win the series 4-2 showcased that the Aussies were indeed hard to beat and never to be treated lightly.
The pride of playing for Australia especially wearing the baggy green seems to spur each and every player to give his best at any and every point in the game and hope is never lost till the match is over. This attitude of the Australians to go with their passion for sports makes them a lethal and respected opponent any day. Hats off to them for making the great game highly entertaining and showing time and again that nothing is impossible!
Friday, November 6, 2009
The diminutive colossus!!
There is almost nothing left for the man to achieve in cricket. In cricketing parlance he is a GOD. He holds every possible record in tests and one day internationals. His longevity is unsurpassed, his humility astonishing and his technique sublime. He is revered by one and all. Above all, the man's consistency is just unfathomable. Sachin Tendulkar has been adored, admired and idolized by millions across the world. It wouldn't be wrong to say he's been India's greatest sports icon ever. Innumerable articles and books have been penned on this cricketing genius and yet it seems we can never do justice to his remarkable achievements. He has provided spectacular entertainment for over two decades now whilst shouldering the all too enormous burden of expectations of a cricket crazy country. His competitive spirit and passion haven't been diminished at any stage. The man has had his fair share of critics, most unfair but some wise all through his career. Taking the criticism in the right spirit and answering his detractors in the best way possible, Tendulkar has been and still is the pre-eminent batsman of this era.
I for one, even after having grown up watching literally every innings of the great man never thought of him as the best. I did have my reasons. Sachin seemed to perform almost every time but the heart longed for more. Failures were unacceptable. This was in part to do with my cricketing knowledge being at a rudimentary stage. Sachin's failures were almost always synonymous with Indian defeats. Many a heroic effort in tests and one dayers also did go in vain all through the 1990's. Just to cite a few, the 90 at Mumbai against the Australians in the 1996 world cup, his 137 and 65 against Sri Lanka in the same tournament in which he eventually was the highest run getter, his exceptional 169 at cape Town when he saved India from certain embarrassment, his immortal 136 at Chennai against the arch rivals Pakistan when he guided India to the door step of victory playing with a sore back only to see them falter at the last hurdle. In between the great man had won many a contest and set the cricketing world alight with his genius. His twin hundreds at Sharjah against Australia form a part of cricketing folklore. His brilliant counter attacking 155 at Chennai in 1998 when he dismantled the great Shane Warne is the stuff of legend. Sachin delivering meant India had a chance. If he was dismissed, there was no hope. This view was echoed all over India and he knew this. The pressure of delivering every single time could not have been borne by most people bar Tendulkar.
It was not until the 2000's when India developed a strong and reliable middle order that the burden on the master batsman's shoulders eased. VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh among others have made sure that they can perform in times of adversity against quality teams. Not that this made any difference to the fans though. They may have stopped turning off the television sets when Sachin was dismissed but his batting made for compulsive viewing. The pressure was and is still immense. The great man's passion for the game and towards his country can never be doubted. Anyone who did doubt it should have watched him get back to England after his father's demise and essay a glorious 140 against Kenya. His extraordinary performance at Centurion in the world cup 2003 when he took a rampaging Pakistani attack of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akthar to the cleaners is still fresh in memory. Tendulkar continued his remarkable consistency against the world champion Australian team in the test series in 2008 and also helped India triumph in the one day series following the tests. No man can claim to have performed as well against the best team of the era as Sachin has.
Of all his contemporaries, Brian Lara was possibly the greatest. His batting as in case of Tendulkar was sublime, his backlift thrilling and shot making surreal. Lara has always been a favourite of mine. The man played in a team in its doldrums and single handedly sustained them for a decade. He led a bunch of dispirited cricketers who had none of the passion that had taken the earlier Carribean teams to dizzy heights. He never had a successful stint as captain which made him slightly similar to Tendulkar who also never enjoyed a successful captaincy stint. The burden of performing consistently while also leading ordinary sides got to both stars. But that is where the similarity ended. Brian Lara was a slave to his mood. When he felt right, nobody could come close to him. His appetite for runs was unimaginable. He could produce solo performances defying all odds such as the 111 in the world cup 1996 against South Africa, his remarkable performances in the 1999 series against the all conquering Aussies and his monstrous 688 runs in a losing cause in the series against Sri Lanka in 2001. Add to all this his 375 and 400 and his 501 in first class cricket. In between though, Lara had many a lean patch. His mood was not the best many times. When his mind took a walk, he could be painful to watch. This was not and has not been the case with Sachin ever. With Lara you could get something out of the world or a pitiful display and were never sure which face you would encounter. Tendulkar is more stoic, the more reliable and also the more humble. He has always managed to keep his feet firmly on the ground despite all the heady success which is all the more remarkable.
Many have written Sachin off at different points of his career only for him to astound them repeatedly. His longevity in this era is something to behold and applaud. A huge number of players have broken down in a short span of time and their passion has diminished over the years. Tendulkar in the course of his majestic 175 against Australia at Hyderabad showed that none of the passion is missing. He played one of the finest one day knocks replete with all his great strokes and it is rather unfortunate that the great man had to end up on the losing side. When asked how he could continue playing this well and keep producing awesome performances after 20 years, he replied with all his characteristic grace and humility that the passion for the game and love for the country keeps him going. For a cricket lover, there have not been many better sights than watching this diminutive champion play. He has provided unending joy to the masses whilst distancing himself from all controversies. His clean image and impeccable behavior on the field is something to marvel at. A fitting swan song for the little master would be lifting the world cup in front of his home crowd. I sure pray this happens!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Why cricket needs the Calypso beats to sound again...
Football may be known as 'the beautiful game', basketball's pace can hardly be matched and the grace and fluidity that is seen in tennis is unrivalled. But the game of cricket is unique for its romantic appeal and aesthetic nature. It is perhaps the only game where one can love and enjoy many a facet such as the sheer artistry of great batsmen, the irresistible charm of watching the best fast bowlers whilst appreciating the skills of great spinners and gasp at the amazing skills of top fielders. The game allows for great interactions and its history is full of fascinating anecdotes involving many a legend. Few teams and individuals can claim to have even come close to wooing and charming many a viewer the world over like the Caribbean kings did for almost half a century. The game has in its 130 years seen glorious batsmen including the incomparable Don Bradman, the unmatched run accumulator Jack Hobbs, the languid and graceful David Gower, India's batsman nonpareil Sunil Gavaskar and the prodigy Sachin Tendulkar. Great bowlers such as Harold Larwood, Lindwall and Miller, Lillee and Thomson, Imran Khan, the blond genius Shane Warne among others have stamped their authority on the game. So one is definitely justified in asking what makes the Caribbean teams and players so unique in the annals of the sport?
The mass appeal of West Indian cricket goes way back in time and transcends the boundaries of sport. The oppression and torture the people had endured made people the world over respect them and appreciate their achievements. Cricket gave the people an ideal platform to unite and showcase their incredible natural talent and exceptional athletic ability. It was and perhaps still is the only sport which brings people from all the islands together.
The West Indians made their entry into cricket in the late 1920's and played England. The sense of pride and professionalism was yet to set in but the talent and skill was more than evident. The brilliant and prodigious batsman George Headley and the gifted all rounder Learie Constantine played key roles in the early years. By the late 1940's the West Indians had in their ranks three of the greatest players the game has ever seen- Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott or simply the 3 W's. Each of them was a brilliant batsman and hailed from the island of Barbados which went on to produce many more legends. The team was slowly beginning to produce exceptional talents and also consistent wins thus making them a true threat. Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith, the legendary fast bowling pair had arrived on the scene and their blinding pace terrorized batsmen the world over.
The late 1950's saw the rise of possibly the most gifted player the game has ever seen or will see. The once in a generation all rounder Garfield Sobers enthralled audiences with his breathtaking batting, brilliant bowling and his sublime fielding skills. He still is in everyone's mind, the finest all rounder ever. The year 1960 saw Frank Worrell lead his team to play Australia who were then the top team. This series came to be regarded the finest ever and Worrell, who was incidentally the first black captain went on to earn lavish praise and accolades from one and all for his fair play and spirit. He was single handedly responsible for uniting all the islands of the Carbbean, getting them to shed their domestic rivalries and stand as one. He had the great ability to mentor the finest and bring out their talents. He had truly paved the way for the next generation of Caribbean legends.
The 1970's and 1980's were probably the finest two decades for the team. Clive Lloyd took over the captaincy after the legendary Sobers and led the team on a very gruelling tour of Australia in 1975-76. The team was trounced 5-1, but the key aspect was that Lloyd had discovered that a barrage of fast bowling would be the way to dominate the game. He assembled an exceptional set of fast bowlers in Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and later the exceptional Malcolm Marshall. The unbelievable aspect was that there were scores of bowlers waiting in the wings without a chance to get in. The team dominated the game like none other and in Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd, it had three of the world's best players. In England in 1976, a daft racist remark by the English captain Tony Greig irked the West Indian fast bowlers and they unleashed a fearful attack on the batsmen. Despite this hostile approach they were only feared the world over but never disliked. They did the job on the field and never resorted to any invective and sledging. The batsmen were respected and unlike most cases, the dominance of the team was appreciated the world over. The geniality and sporting nature of the team was there for all to see. They lorded over the one day format as well crushing others en route to the first two world cup trophies.
Viv Richards, with his swagger and gum chewing calm was the greatest and most feared batsman of his era and became a hero worldwide. His dismantling of bowlers was a sight to behold. Michael Holding's bowling stood out for its hostility and pace masked by sublime motion and incredible smoothness. The Caribbeans had taken the world by storm and they were to most people the most liked and appreciated.
The late 1980's gave little evidence to suggest that the hegemony was coming to an end. The dominance had waned in the one day format but in tests, the team still ruled the world. In the mid 1990's, the dazzling Brian Lara of Trinidad& Tobago stamped his class by erasing record after record. His incredible eye and quicksilver footwork left audiences amazed and opponents stunned. But the team as a whole had very little else to show. Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh formed probably the finest fast bowling pair in the 1990's but reality began to stir. The team was trounced by every team around and the performances were quite pathetic. Brian Lara as only he can single handedly took on the all conquering Australians and saved the series in 1999 but the image was very clear now. The cricket system in the Caribbean was taking a beating and the world realized it. The Calypso beats and sound of drums which had so charmed people was not there any more and the dwindling audiences and lack of quality players showcased a grim future ahead.
The administration in the West Indies has become outright pathetic and frequent clashes and pay disputes have led to players striking and second string teams being sent for games. The influence of T-20 cricket has also created a division in the nation and Test cricket which made the team so much more attractive no longer seems to find a favor there. It is rather painful to watch such a proud cricketing nation which in its pinnacle ruled the world being reduced to such a pitiable state. The heart longs for a quick resolution to all the problems that plague the cricket in the West Indies and their renaissance in the game, but the mind probably knows that the best times are behind us now and it is almost impossible to expect the same again. The game is undoubtedly a lot poorer without the Calypso charm!
The mass appeal of West Indian cricket goes way back in time and transcends the boundaries of sport. The oppression and torture the people had endured made people the world over respect them and appreciate their achievements. Cricket gave the people an ideal platform to unite and showcase their incredible natural talent and exceptional athletic ability. It was and perhaps still is the only sport which brings people from all the islands together.
The West Indians made their entry into cricket in the late 1920's and played England. The sense of pride and professionalism was yet to set in but the talent and skill was more than evident. The brilliant and prodigious batsman George Headley and the gifted all rounder Learie Constantine played key roles in the early years. By the late 1940's the West Indians had in their ranks three of the greatest players the game has ever seen- Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott or simply the 3 W's. Each of them was a brilliant batsman and hailed from the island of Barbados which went on to produce many more legends. The team was slowly beginning to produce exceptional talents and also consistent wins thus making them a true threat. Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith, the legendary fast bowling pair had arrived on the scene and their blinding pace terrorized batsmen the world over.
The late 1950's saw the rise of possibly the most gifted player the game has ever seen or will see. The once in a generation all rounder Garfield Sobers enthralled audiences with his breathtaking batting, brilliant bowling and his sublime fielding skills. He still is in everyone's mind, the finest all rounder ever. The year 1960 saw Frank Worrell lead his team to play Australia who were then the top team. This series came to be regarded the finest ever and Worrell, who was incidentally the first black captain went on to earn lavish praise and accolades from one and all for his fair play and spirit. He was single handedly responsible for uniting all the islands of the Carbbean, getting them to shed their domestic rivalries and stand as one. He had the great ability to mentor the finest and bring out their talents. He had truly paved the way for the next generation of Caribbean legends.
The 1970's and 1980's were probably the finest two decades for the team. Clive Lloyd took over the captaincy after the legendary Sobers and led the team on a very gruelling tour of Australia in 1975-76. The team was trounced 5-1, but the key aspect was that Lloyd had discovered that a barrage of fast bowling would be the way to dominate the game. He assembled an exceptional set of fast bowlers in Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and later the exceptional Malcolm Marshall. The unbelievable aspect was that there were scores of bowlers waiting in the wings without a chance to get in. The team dominated the game like none other and in Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd, it had three of the world's best players. In England in 1976, a daft racist remark by the English captain Tony Greig irked the West Indian fast bowlers and they unleashed a fearful attack on the batsmen. Despite this hostile approach they were only feared the world over but never disliked. They did the job on the field and never resorted to any invective and sledging. The batsmen were respected and unlike most cases, the dominance of the team was appreciated the world over. The geniality and sporting nature of the team was there for all to see. They lorded over the one day format as well crushing others en route to the first two world cup trophies.
Viv Richards, with his swagger and gum chewing calm was the greatest and most feared batsman of his era and became a hero worldwide. His dismantling of bowlers was a sight to behold. Michael Holding's bowling stood out for its hostility and pace masked by sublime motion and incredible smoothness. The Caribbeans had taken the world by storm and they were to most people the most liked and appreciated.
The late 1980's gave little evidence to suggest that the hegemony was coming to an end. The dominance had waned in the one day format but in tests, the team still ruled the world. In the mid 1990's, the dazzling Brian Lara of Trinidad& Tobago stamped his class by erasing record after record. His incredible eye and quicksilver footwork left audiences amazed and opponents stunned. But the team as a whole had very little else to show. Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh formed probably the finest fast bowling pair in the 1990's but reality began to stir. The team was trounced by every team around and the performances were quite pathetic. Brian Lara as only he can single handedly took on the all conquering Australians and saved the series in 1999 but the image was very clear now. The cricket system in the Caribbean was taking a beating and the world realized it. The Calypso beats and sound of drums which had so charmed people was not there any more and the dwindling audiences and lack of quality players showcased a grim future ahead.
The administration in the West Indies has become outright pathetic and frequent clashes and pay disputes have led to players striking and second string teams being sent for games. The influence of T-20 cricket has also created a division in the nation and Test cricket which made the team so much more attractive no longer seems to find a favor there. It is rather painful to watch such a proud cricketing nation which in its pinnacle ruled the world being reduced to such a pitiable state. The heart longs for a quick resolution to all the problems that plague the cricket in the West Indies and their renaissance in the game, but the mind probably knows that the best times are behind us now and it is almost impossible to expect the same again. The game is undoubtedly a lot poorer without the Calypso charm!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The perennial debate...
Not many issues/topics can quite cause an opinion divide like the way the issue of love vs arranged marriage does especially in Indian society. The institution of marriage has witnessed myriad changes and has become an extremely expensive showcase event for most families. There is more fizz, more fun and the glitz and glamor is there for all too see. But at the heart of all marriages, tradition does hold sway and this is often the most touchy element..
Indian marriages for long have been a very family affair which is in sharp contrast to the way the western world thinks. The Indian weddings demonstrate at every step that the wedding is more s symbol of unifying families than just the two individuals themselves..This thought or belief is reflected right from the time the parents start thinking about the future of their son/daughter..Conservative thoughts and religious values play a major part in the life of bourgeois families in India..It is very important to pass ones views on such a topic without taking an extreme stand. I definitely tread a path which does not portray me as an iconoclast nor does it tend to reflect any kind of orthodox and dogmatic views..
Most individuals, yours truly included have been brought up with a healthy mix of traditional values and a modern outlook. But there are lots of cases when this is not so. Orthodoxy and blind beliefs tend to take control and decision making is the least progressive in these cases. 'Love marriage' is the common term used to refer to the case when two individuals meet, usually without the preliminary involvement of their parents, get to know each other well and realize that their wavelengths match. They decide after the period of courtship (duration is a very random variable) that it is time to communicate the information to their family. In contrast, 'arranged marriage' starts with the parents of the girl/boy contacting friends and extended family members to enquire about prospective partners for their children.. This usually involves exchange of horoscopes to make sure that all the stars are right before the decision is made on the match.
Its not just the definitions that differ. Both the ideas are fundamentally opposite and everything that follows is inevitably different. Indian society is rooted in tradition and this means adherence to the system of castes and sub castes. While not getting into the issue of theism and religion which have later led to the all pervading caste system, it is wise to observe that the reason why families place and emphasis on the caste has its roots in the original reason why the various castes originated i.e. they were formed based on the nature of work such as education/priestly, business, menial jobs etc..While all this may be too very archaic to most modern day people, it is not something that can be shunned totally. Though the gap has been considerably bridged between castes/classes, the level of education and knowledge to go with overall progress is still not very even in Indian society and this is certainly a factor that makes most families fastidious.
Love marriages may seem to be the best as they allow for two people to get to know each other for a considerable period before making a big decision of commitment. It also allows for one to confide, confess and sort out any issues that may have an effect later. A person in the course of a relationship goes through a lot of problems, deals with numerous arguments and is often faced with the all too obvious question if this was necessary in the first place. To come out of all this perfectly and lay the foundation for a successful marriage is very commendable yet an extremely challenging task..The biggest challenges faced include the whole idea of commitment which often seems a hasty decision when encountered with relationship problems, issues of caste/religion and financial status to go with other family issues that often end up being the reasons for failure of the relationship to culminate in marriage...
Arranged marriages deal with the latter issues beforehand because the families speak to numerous people and have a thorough evaluation before embarking on this journey and more often than not make the right decision.. These marriages tend to bring other problems to the forefront though which include not fully knowing the girl/boy before the wedding which means one is often in the dark when it comes to knowing about the past of his/her future partner. This is an especially difficult situation which is all the more magnified because of the nature of today's society..The modern society has made some of the more constructive and mature ways of approaching life seem passe. When this is the case, culture and tradition find it hard to even get a look in. For someone like me who believes in the right balance between tradition and modern ideas, this is something that is hard to compromise on..
There have been a few marriages of late..many involving close friends..It is fairly obvious that I will be under the guillotine in a year or two...This topic has been discussed among us friends for years without really coming to a proper decision as to which approach is better..If you ask me I would probably pick a case of a practical love marriage which would imbibe the best aspects of both systems...It would make sure I know the person fairly well and have a good idea about her interests, likes and dislikes, temperament and more importantly help build better trust before taking the plunge..Also when I say practical, I mean meeting a person whose values and beliefs conform to those that my family adheres to..I cannot be a heretic and not care about these...I do believe that the relationship between the families post marriage is very vital too and this should not be compromised for purely selfish reasons...I can expect brickbats from both sides when I say this but I stick my neck out and say that this is just about the perfect way to go..There may be a host of problems with what I suggest, the biggest question being- how is it possible to find the right girl i.e. the practical choice?..Well..I don't think its quite possible to answer that one with any degree of certainty..This opens the door for further discussion on the topic...As I said..the debate will continue to rage on..!!
Indian marriages for long have been a very family affair which is in sharp contrast to the way the western world thinks. The Indian weddings demonstrate at every step that the wedding is more s symbol of unifying families than just the two individuals themselves..This thought or belief is reflected right from the time the parents start thinking about the future of their son/daughter..Conservative thoughts and religious values play a major part in the life of bourgeois families in India..It is very important to pass ones views on such a topic without taking an extreme stand. I definitely tread a path which does not portray me as an iconoclast nor does it tend to reflect any kind of orthodox and dogmatic views..
Most individuals, yours truly included have been brought up with a healthy mix of traditional values and a modern outlook. But there are lots of cases when this is not so. Orthodoxy and blind beliefs tend to take control and decision making is the least progressive in these cases. 'Love marriage' is the common term used to refer to the case when two individuals meet, usually without the preliminary involvement of their parents, get to know each other well and realize that their wavelengths match. They decide after the period of courtship (duration is a very random variable) that it is time to communicate the information to their family. In contrast, 'arranged marriage' starts with the parents of the girl/boy contacting friends and extended family members to enquire about prospective partners for their children.. This usually involves exchange of horoscopes to make sure that all the stars are right before the decision is made on the match.
Its not just the definitions that differ. Both the ideas are fundamentally opposite and everything that follows is inevitably different. Indian society is rooted in tradition and this means adherence to the system of castes and sub castes. While not getting into the issue of theism and religion which have later led to the all pervading caste system, it is wise to observe that the reason why families place and emphasis on the caste has its roots in the original reason why the various castes originated i.e. they were formed based on the nature of work such as education/priestly, business, menial jobs etc..While all this may be too very archaic to most modern day people, it is not something that can be shunned totally. Though the gap has been considerably bridged between castes/classes, the level of education and knowledge to go with overall progress is still not very even in Indian society and this is certainly a factor that makes most families fastidious.
Love marriages may seem to be the best as they allow for two people to get to know each other for a considerable period before making a big decision of commitment. It also allows for one to confide, confess and sort out any issues that may have an effect later. A person in the course of a relationship goes through a lot of problems, deals with numerous arguments and is often faced with the all too obvious question if this was necessary in the first place. To come out of all this perfectly and lay the foundation for a successful marriage is very commendable yet an extremely challenging task..The biggest challenges faced include the whole idea of commitment which often seems a hasty decision when encountered with relationship problems, issues of caste/religion and financial status to go with other family issues that often end up being the reasons for failure of the relationship to culminate in marriage...
Arranged marriages deal with the latter issues beforehand because the families speak to numerous people and have a thorough evaluation before embarking on this journey and more often than not make the right decision.. These marriages tend to bring other problems to the forefront though which include not fully knowing the girl/boy before the wedding which means one is often in the dark when it comes to knowing about the past of his/her future partner. This is an especially difficult situation which is all the more magnified because of the nature of today's society..The modern society has made some of the more constructive and mature ways of approaching life seem passe. When this is the case, culture and tradition find it hard to even get a look in. For someone like me who believes in the right balance between tradition and modern ideas, this is something that is hard to compromise on..
There have been a few marriages of late..many involving close friends..It is fairly obvious that I will be under the guillotine in a year or two...This topic has been discussed among us friends for years without really coming to a proper decision as to which approach is better..If you ask me I would probably pick a case of a practical love marriage which would imbibe the best aspects of both systems...It would make sure I know the person fairly well and have a good idea about her interests, likes and dislikes, temperament and more importantly help build better trust before taking the plunge..Also when I say practical, I mean meeting a person whose values and beliefs conform to those that my family adheres to..I cannot be a heretic and not care about these...I do believe that the relationship between the families post marriage is very vital too and this should not be compromised for purely selfish reasons...I can expect brickbats from both sides when I say this but I stick my neck out and say that this is just about the perfect way to go..There may be a host of problems with what I suggest, the biggest question being- how is it possible to find the right girl i.e. the practical choice?..Well..I don't think its quite possible to answer that one with any degree of certainty..This opens the door for further discussion on the topic...As I said..the debate will continue to rage on..!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Hail the King!!
Not often would you see a team's morale taking a beating after getting a wicket of a top class batsman, but this is precisely what happened for over a decade when teams faced the West Indies. At the fall of the first wicket, which was either Gordon Greenidge or Desmond Haynes, in walked Issac Vivian Alexander Richards. His swagger and regal gait coupled with the air of nonchalance best expressed by chewing gum with no regard for the bowler or the match situation made most bowlers quake in their knees. In an era of exceptionally quick bowlers who had a penchant for knocking batsmen out, Viv Richards exuded an extraordinary confidence bordering on arrogance, when he walked out to face them. He never ever wore a helmet and his threatening message was made known to the bowlers well before he took guard.
Viv Richards was an exceptional batsman blessed with a fantastic eye. His ability to read the length far quicker than most others and his unbridled aggressive nature made him almost impossible to bowl to. He was also a very useful bowler and his feline reflexes made him one of the finest fielders in the game.
He made his debut at Bangalore in 1974 along with Gordon Greenidge. Whilst Greenidge had a great match making 93 and 107, Richards had a very forgettable debut contributing just 4 and 3. Soon, he was in his stride though cracking 192 at Delhi and announced himself. The following year, in the tour of Australia, he was at the receiving end of some hostile fast bowling by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. The tough as nails approach of the Aussies coupled with the barrage of sledging he faced unnerved the young Richards at first. But at the end of what was a disastrous tour overall for the West Indies as they lost 1-5, he was one of the few positives.
The 1975 World Cup Final saw Richards change the course of the game with his fantastic fielding as he was responsible for running out the Chappell brothers to help the West Indies win a close final. The year 1976 would turn out to be Viv Richards's 'annus mirabilis'. They travelled to England to take on Tony Greig's team.
Greig, the English captain had his roots in South Africa and had rather insensitively said before the tour that he would make the West Indies 'grovel'. The rather racist remark did not go down too well with the proud Richards and he took it upon himself to make England pay dearly for that. In one of the most amazing displays of batting, he amassed 829 runs in the series despite missing one test. Tony Greig crawled behind the West Indian team as his English side were vanquished at the Oval courtesy Richards's 291 and a breathtaking display of sustained hostile fast bowling by Michael Holding who took 14/147 on a docile track. Viv Richards had made two double hundreds and by the end of the calendar year he had 1710 runs, a record that stood for almost 3 decades.
Kerry Packer's rebel series flagged off in 1977 and almost all great stars of the game were a part of it including Richards. Once the television rights were settled, Richards was back to the main team and at the time of the World Cup in 1979, he was indisputably the greatest batsman in the game. In the final of the World Cup at Lords, the West Indies took on England. Richards, partnered by Collis King who made 86 off 66 balls launched an imperious attack on the hapless Englishmen stroking a glorious 138 n.o culminating his innings with two of the most audacious strokes seen when he moved across to the off stump and sent Mike Hendrick's deliveries over the square leg fence. This very display symbolized the man. His range of shots, the extraordinary belief and confidence, his arrogance and pride made him the most exciting cricketer by a distance.
The runs continued to flow from his blade as the West Indians under Clive Lloyd lorded over the cricket world. He seemed to reserve his best for the big games. His centuries in the world cup, the finals of the world series in Australia and not to mention the county championship finals where he along with Ian Botham and Joel Garner took lowly Somerset to great heights. India, in a remarkable heist stunned the West Indies at Lords in 1983 to lift the World Cup. Viv Richards looked to be making the day his own until Kapil Dev pouched a stunning catch to turn the game.
In the series following the World Cup, the West Indians thrashed India heavily in tests and ODI's making up for the World cup defeat and Richards scored heavily throughout. He was an integral part of Clive loyd's team in 1984 that effected the first 'blackwash' on England when they trounced them 5-0 in England. But Richards's best performance was saved for the one day series. At Old Trafford in Manchester, England had the West Indies in dire straits at 166/9 with only Michael Holding left with Richards. In surely what has to be the greatest innings ever played in a one day match, Richards took on the English bowlers and smashed them to all corners in his immortal 189*. A fairly good English attack of Botham, Willis, Foster and Pringle was treated like a club attack and some strokes left those watching stunned. His quite extraordinary flick off Botham from a ball on off stump which went over square leg between 2 fielders had the great all rounder stare in disbelief and his remarkable assault deflated the English team. A 106 run last wicket stand with Holding contributing just 12 runs had undoubtedly shown the world that when Richards was in full flow, there was hardly anything any bowler or captain could do to stem the onslaught.
Viv Richards naturally became Lloyd's heir when the legendary left hander decided to hang up his boots. He led the West Indies to another 'blackwash' of England in 1985, this time in the Caribbean. This series is best remembered for the fastest test century he made in 56 balls when he went berserk in Antigua. His mauling of the English attack left no one in doubt about the great man's genius. He continued to lead the team until 1991 without losing a single series. His batting did taper a little towards the end as his average came down from the high fifties to just over 50. But then Viv Richards was a man who never cared for records and personal milestones. Michal Holding famously said that if Richards was the kind who wanted to play for records, he would have held all of them. For all the stats minded he did finish with 8540 runs at over 50 with 24 hundreds in tests and 6721 runs in ODI's at an astounding average of 47 which ranks him among the greatest ever in both forms of the game.
Viv Richards in full flow was a treat for the eyes. His dashing approach and a regal presence unnerved the best of opponents. His swagger is legendary and his no holds barred riposte to fast bowling puts him right up there with the best. The King of the crease has no rivals when it comes to dominating attacks and any comparisons with Richards are useless as there has been and can only be one Viv Richards.
Viv Richards was an exceptional batsman blessed with a fantastic eye. His ability to read the length far quicker than most others and his unbridled aggressive nature made him almost impossible to bowl to. He was also a very useful bowler and his feline reflexes made him one of the finest fielders in the game.
He made his debut at Bangalore in 1974 along with Gordon Greenidge. Whilst Greenidge had a great match making 93 and 107, Richards had a very forgettable debut contributing just 4 and 3. Soon, he was in his stride though cracking 192 at Delhi and announced himself. The following year, in the tour of Australia, he was at the receiving end of some hostile fast bowling by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. The tough as nails approach of the Aussies coupled with the barrage of sledging he faced unnerved the young Richards at first. But at the end of what was a disastrous tour overall for the West Indies as they lost 1-5, he was one of the few positives.
The 1975 World Cup Final saw Richards change the course of the game with his fantastic fielding as he was responsible for running out the Chappell brothers to help the West Indies win a close final. The year 1976 would turn out to be Viv Richards's 'annus mirabilis'. They travelled to England to take on Tony Greig's team.
Greig, the English captain had his roots in South Africa and had rather insensitively said before the tour that he would make the West Indies 'grovel'. The rather racist remark did not go down too well with the proud Richards and he took it upon himself to make England pay dearly for that. In one of the most amazing displays of batting, he amassed 829 runs in the series despite missing one test. Tony Greig crawled behind the West Indian team as his English side were vanquished at the Oval courtesy Richards's 291 and a breathtaking display of sustained hostile fast bowling by Michael Holding who took 14/147 on a docile track. Viv Richards had made two double hundreds and by the end of the calendar year he had 1710 runs, a record that stood for almost 3 decades.
Kerry Packer's rebel series flagged off in 1977 and almost all great stars of the game were a part of it including Richards. Once the television rights were settled, Richards was back to the main team and at the time of the World Cup in 1979, he was indisputably the greatest batsman in the game. In the final of the World Cup at Lords, the West Indies took on England. Richards, partnered by Collis King who made 86 off 66 balls launched an imperious attack on the hapless Englishmen stroking a glorious 138 n.o culminating his innings with two of the most audacious strokes seen when he moved across to the off stump and sent Mike Hendrick's deliveries over the square leg fence. This very display symbolized the man. His range of shots, the extraordinary belief and confidence, his arrogance and pride made him the most exciting cricketer by a distance.
The runs continued to flow from his blade as the West Indians under Clive Lloyd lorded over the cricket world. He seemed to reserve his best for the big games. His centuries in the world cup, the finals of the world series in Australia and not to mention the county championship finals where he along with Ian Botham and Joel Garner took lowly Somerset to great heights. India, in a remarkable heist stunned the West Indies at Lords in 1983 to lift the World Cup. Viv Richards looked to be making the day his own until Kapil Dev pouched a stunning catch to turn the game.
In the series following the World Cup, the West Indians thrashed India heavily in tests and ODI's making up for the World cup defeat and Richards scored heavily throughout. He was an integral part of Clive loyd's team in 1984 that effected the first 'blackwash' on England when they trounced them 5-0 in England. But Richards's best performance was saved for the one day series. At Old Trafford in Manchester, England had the West Indies in dire straits at 166/9 with only Michael Holding left with Richards. In surely what has to be the greatest innings ever played in a one day match, Richards took on the English bowlers and smashed them to all corners in his immortal 189*. A fairly good English attack of Botham, Willis, Foster and Pringle was treated like a club attack and some strokes left those watching stunned. His quite extraordinary flick off Botham from a ball on off stump which went over square leg between 2 fielders had the great all rounder stare in disbelief and his remarkable assault deflated the English team. A 106 run last wicket stand with Holding contributing just 12 runs had undoubtedly shown the world that when Richards was in full flow, there was hardly anything any bowler or captain could do to stem the onslaught.
Viv Richards naturally became Lloyd's heir when the legendary left hander decided to hang up his boots. He led the West Indies to another 'blackwash' of England in 1985, this time in the Caribbean. This series is best remembered for the fastest test century he made in 56 balls when he went berserk in Antigua. His mauling of the English attack left no one in doubt about the great man's genius. He continued to lead the team until 1991 without losing a single series. His batting did taper a little towards the end as his average came down from the high fifties to just over 50. But then Viv Richards was a man who never cared for records and personal milestones. Michal Holding famously said that if Richards was the kind who wanted to play for records, he would have held all of them. For all the stats minded he did finish with 8540 runs at over 50 with 24 hundreds in tests and 6721 runs in ODI's at an astounding average of 47 which ranks him among the greatest ever in both forms of the game.
Viv Richards in full flow was a treat for the eyes. His dashing approach and a regal presence unnerved the best of opponents. His swagger is legendary and his no holds barred riposte to fast bowling puts him right up there with the best. The King of the crease has no rivals when it comes to dominating attacks and any comparisons with Richards are useless as there has been and can only be one Viv Richards.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tests need a fillip...
Is there an imminent danger being posed to the future of test cricket? Over the past year, cricket experts, commentators and the ICC have been stressing that the five day game is endangered and concrete steps need to be taken to prevent it from dying out. This is one of those rare issues where the views if the ICC and the experts have concurred and deserves to be discussed in some detail. The biggest factors contributing to the so called decline of tests include unequal and boring contests, dwindling audiences, lifeless tracks and the extraordinary rise of Twenty-20 cricket which has taken the cricketing world by storm.
In a recent article in Cricnfo, Sambit Bal stresses the need for the game to get a little more elitist and make it more captivating for the viewers by preventing grossly unequal and boring contests which often take away the charm of the game. Top flight test cricket seems to be restricted only to say 5 teams now with Pakistan, New Zealand and West Indies rebuilding and struggling through problems galore in selection and other criteria. Test cricket is a total contrast to other forms of the game and to most other sports as well. It is built on technique, patience, focus, sound strategy and further goes on to emphasize the necessity for a team to dominate consistently for long periods and not just a short span of overs which is the case in the slam bang version i.e. T-20. When there are contests between top teams and the weaker teams that are struggling to find their feet, undoubtedly, even the most hardcore cricket fan would struggle to sit through it.
Dwindling crowds for test matches the world over have created a huge concern for the administrators. Only Australia and England tend to regularly draw huge crowds for test matches whilst in most other countries including India, grounds are hardly filled even for major contests. This can be dealt with by staging the test matches in only the top cricket grounds of the country. Test matches in India staged at the Eden Gardens or in some of the bigger cities such as Bangalore and Chennai would be most likely to attract a good crowd whereas if the game is held in some of the lesser known centres, the audience is not a very cricket literate one and would surely choose to avoid a test match simply because they consider it a slow moving game and do not understand the nuances of the format. This is probably the first point that the administrators need to consider especially in India where there are umpteen grounds but only the ones in the bigger cities can truly attract a test cricket loving audience.
While ODI and T-20 cricket in particular has totally shifted the balance towards batsmen, test cricket albeit only just, still remains the format where there is a much closer contest between bat and ball. Lifeless and placid tracks worldwide coupled with rules loaded in favour of batsmen have shifted the balance in tests too. All through the 60's to the 90's, test cricket was enjoyed and contests were cherished because of the fact that tracks had some grass and bounce. Bowlers had the support they needed and this presented a much more even contest. Brilliant batsmen came up against the finest of bowlers on pitches that had a fair share of help for both parties and this resulted in some classic test cricket. The game revelled in its ability to produce mouth watering contests within contests, pitting great players against each other and the clashes made the matches all the more absorbing. With the tracks the world over getting all the more placid and dull, batsmen have a field day and the surfaces are turning into graveyards for the bowlers. A fine example of a good test match pitch can be the Australian grounds which offer a fair deal of assistance to both bat and ball throughout the five days and more often than not test matches held there produce results. The West Indian and sub continent pitches are quite the opposite with average scores of 500 being a normal occurrence. There is almost no hope of achieving a result on these tracks and no cricket lover would even like to catch these games on television let alone actually bothering to visit the stadium. Unless the pitches are well prepared to give the bowlers and the batsmen a fair advantage, there is no way contests can be made exciting enough for audiences the world over.
Perhaps the biggest threat for test cricket has come from the remarkable rise of T-20 cricket. This ultra short form of the game is fast and exciting to the modern viewer. Whilst it is true that it is extremely racy and has high skill levels, it does not allow for any focus on technique, concentration, strategy and lacks the sense of drama and theatre that are weaved into tests. The humongous money involved in T-20 has led many people to start feeling that players might opt for this simply due to the lure of mammon. While there is quite a possibility that many players might feel it is much better to make a fast buck by sticking to T-20, the vast majority still do believe that to truly be classified among the greats and to be recognized, it is paramount to perform in tests. Test cricket still does continue to explore all facets of a player's game and without doubt showcases his strengths and exposes his frailties the best of all formats of the game. There is definitely room for all three formats and the ICC, with good foresight, plan the future tours programme well to incorporate the right number of tests, odi's and T-20's.
There is surely a necessity for an official ICC test championship which allows for keener contests among the top 4-5 teams and brings out the best in them. This is in the pipeline and I sure hope something positive materializes soon enough. Test cricket has for years been a cricket lover's delight and has produced innumerable legends and fantastic contests all along. It is faced with its biggest challenge now and I am pretty sure, the strong foundation the game's oldest format is built on will stand it in good stead and help it tide through these turbulent times.
In a recent article in Cricnfo, Sambit Bal stresses the need for the game to get a little more elitist and make it more captivating for the viewers by preventing grossly unequal and boring contests which often take away the charm of the game. Top flight test cricket seems to be restricted only to say 5 teams now with Pakistan, New Zealand and West Indies rebuilding and struggling through problems galore in selection and other criteria. Test cricket is a total contrast to other forms of the game and to most other sports as well. It is built on technique, patience, focus, sound strategy and further goes on to emphasize the necessity for a team to dominate consistently for long periods and not just a short span of overs which is the case in the slam bang version i.e. T-20. When there are contests between top teams and the weaker teams that are struggling to find their feet, undoubtedly, even the most hardcore cricket fan would struggle to sit through it.
Dwindling crowds for test matches the world over have created a huge concern for the administrators. Only Australia and England tend to regularly draw huge crowds for test matches whilst in most other countries including India, grounds are hardly filled even for major contests. This can be dealt with by staging the test matches in only the top cricket grounds of the country. Test matches in India staged at the Eden Gardens or in some of the bigger cities such as Bangalore and Chennai would be most likely to attract a good crowd whereas if the game is held in some of the lesser known centres, the audience is not a very cricket literate one and would surely choose to avoid a test match simply because they consider it a slow moving game and do not understand the nuances of the format. This is probably the first point that the administrators need to consider especially in India where there are umpteen grounds but only the ones in the bigger cities can truly attract a test cricket loving audience.
While ODI and T-20 cricket in particular has totally shifted the balance towards batsmen, test cricket albeit only just, still remains the format where there is a much closer contest between bat and ball. Lifeless and placid tracks worldwide coupled with rules loaded in favour of batsmen have shifted the balance in tests too. All through the 60's to the 90's, test cricket was enjoyed and contests were cherished because of the fact that tracks had some grass and bounce. Bowlers had the support they needed and this presented a much more even contest. Brilliant batsmen came up against the finest of bowlers on pitches that had a fair share of help for both parties and this resulted in some classic test cricket. The game revelled in its ability to produce mouth watering contests within contests, pitting great players against each other and the clashes made the matches all the more absorbing. With the tracks the world over getting all the more placid and dull, batsmen have a field day and the surfaces are turning into graveyards for the bowlers. A fine example of a good test match pitch can be the Australian grounds which offer a fair deal of assistance to both bat and ball throughout the five days and more often than not test matches held there produce results. The West Indian and sub continent pitches are quite the opposite with average scores of 500 being a normal occurrence. There is almost no hope of achieving a result on these tracks and no cricket lover would even like to catch these games on television let alone actually bothering to visit the stadium. Unless the pitches are well prepared to give the bowlers and the batsmen a fair advantage, there is no way contests can be made exciting enough for audiences the world over.
Perhaps the biggest threat for test cricket has come from the remarkable rise of T-20 cricket. This ultra short form of the game is fast and exciting to the modern viewer. Whilst it is true that it is extremely racy and has high skill levels, it does not allow for any focus on technique, concentration, strategy and lacks the sense of drama and theatre that are weaved into tests. The humongous money involved in T-20 has led many people to start feeling that players might opt for this simply due to the lure of mammon. While there is quite a possibility that many players might feel it is much better to make a fast buck by sticking to T-20, the vast majority still do believe that to truly be classified among the greats and to be recognized, it is paramount to perform in tests. Test cricket still does continue to explore all facets of a player's game and without doubt showcases his strengths and exposes his frailties the best of all formats of the game. There is definitely room for all three formats and the ICC, with good foresight, plan the future tours programme well to incorporate the right number of tests, odi's and T-20's.
There is surely a necessity for an official ICC test championship which allows for keener contests among the top 4-5 teams and brings out the best in them. This is in the pipeline and I sure hope something positive materializes soon enough. Test cricket has for years been a cricket lover's delight and has produced innumerable legends and fantastic contests all along. It is faced with its biggest challenge now and I am pretty sure, the strong foundation the game's oldest format is built on will stand it in good stead and help it tide through these turbulent times.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
My ultimate Wishlist......
Most people must have watched the movie 'The Bucketlist' and must be wondering if this is yet another similar list..Well I do wish these things happen way before I kick the bucket..:D..Am a sports crazy guy as people who have read the blogs/known me would testify..so excuse me for the excessive number of sports related wishes in my list..!
There are quite a few things I would love to do, places I would love to visit and people I so wanna meet sometime..Here's a list..
1. Lords cricket ground in London--> Not for nothing is it known as the mecca of the game. The ground has a great history, some fantastic names and performances associated with it and almost always, the dream of every cricketer is to be able to have his name on the honours board at this great stage..
2. Wimbledon centre court--> for the sheer aura it has, the remarkable sense of theatre and classic contests and players that have graced it, nothing matches the hallowed grass of Wimbledon centre court. It would be one of my life's biggest moments if I can visit it and spend sometime there..
3. Melbourne cricket ground (MCG)--> The largest of all cricket grounds..Just facing the great stands itself can be unnerving for the finest of players..also its standing among the greatest sporting arenas in the game make it one of the places I would love to visit..
4. Old Trafford, Manchester--> Known as the 'theatre of dreams', this glorious football ground is home to the most famous team of all-- Manchester United and has left many an indelible mark in the mind of football lovers worldwide..Just to watch the Red Devils play with that massive crowd cheering will be the stuff of dreams..!
5. Eden Gardens-->India's greatest sporting venue..accommodates a massive 100000 most times and the unpredictable nature of the crowd to go with their unmatched love for the game make it a must visit place for the cricket lover..
6. Barbados- Kensington oval-- This is almost all but impossible now considering that West Indies cricket is at its nadir...IF only I could sit back in a time machine and travel a good 30 odd years and watch the mighty Calypso kings hunt down every other opponent, their fast bowlers making batsmen hop and Sobers and Richards lording over attacks the world over, wow!..that would just about make my life..!
7. People I would love to meet include Brian Lara (the biggest reason for me to start watching cricket), Shane Warne (met him though not exactly a proper meeting so to say) for the very fact that he is so larger than life.
Viv Richards just to check out that swagger and Garry Sobers to admire the astonishing natural gifts he possessed..
Roger Federer and Steffi Graf who have made tennis such a joy to watch..
8. Finally, the thing I would really love and give up anything for is to be able to go back in time to relive my school and college life with my amazing pals...Truly there has been nothing like those days and I guess practically all that can happen is meeting up with all my buddies sometime in the coming years to catch up on all the great times we shared...!
Pics: Left to Right--> High School, University of Kansas (Masters) and my college in Bangalore (M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology)..
There are quite a few things I would love to do, places I would love to visit and people I so wanna meet sometime..Here's a list..
1. Lords cricket ground in London--> Not for nothing is it known as the mecca of the game. The ground has a great history, some fantastic names and performances associated with it and almost always, the dream of every cricketer is to be able to have his name on the honours board at this great stage..
2. Wimbledon centre court--> for the sheer aura it has, the remarkable sense of theatre and classic contests and players that have graced it, nothing matches the hallowed grass of Wimbledon centre court. It would be one of my life's biggest moments if I can visit it and spend sometime there..
3. Melbourne cricket ground (MCG)--> The largest of all cricket grounds..Just facing the great stands itself can be unnerving for the finest of players..also its standing among the greatest sporting arenas in the game make it one of the places I would love to visit..
4. Old Trafford, Manchester--> Known as the 'theatre of dreams', this glorious football ground is home to the most famous team of all-- Manchester United and has left many an indelible mark in the mind of football lovers worldwide..Just to watch the Red Devils play with that massive crowd cheering will be the stuff of dreams..!
5. Eden Gardens-->India's greatest sporting venue..accommodates a massive 100000 most times and the unpredictable nature of the crowd to go with their unmatched love for the game make it a must visit place for the cricket lover..
6. Barbados- Kensington oval-- This is almost all but impossible now considering that West Indies cricket is at its nadir...IF only I could sit back in a time machine and travel a good 30 odd years and watch the mighty Calypso kings hunt down every other opponent, their fast bowlers making batsmen hop and Sobers and Richards lording over attacks the world over, wow!..that would just about make my life..!
7. People I would love to meet include Brian Lara (the biggest reason for me to start watching cricket), Shane Warne (met him though not exactly a proper meeting so to say) for the very fact that he is so larger than life.
Viv Richards just to check out that swagger and Garry Sobers to admire the astonishing natural gifts he possessed..
Roger Federer and Steffi Graf who have made tennis such a joy to watch..
8. Finally, the thing I would really love and give up anything for is to be able to go back in time to relive my school and college life with my amazing pals...Truly there has been nothing like those days and I guess practically all that can happen is meeting up with all my buddies sometime in the coming years to catch up on all the great times we shared...!
Pics: Left to Right--> High School, University of Kansas (Masters) and my college in Bangalore (M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology)..
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
In anticipation....
Another week coming to its end or rather the best part...the weekend!..as usual trying to work out what i can do different this time round to make it more interesting..am off 2 blore this time...mayb a movie, a lunch/dinner treat, get to a club with pals..(in case ur wonderin Wow..wuts up with this bugger...hold ur horses...i gotta do the driving back..lol)..i look fwd 2 these trips to blore coz thats abt the only thing that keeps me going...but yeah frm the next week on, ill hv my cuzn around in chennai and i shud hv a whale of a time...no more complaints and cribbing abt lack of pals and company..thr is a lot to check out in this city i guess and all i can say is im jus waitin big time for this weekend..
I am startin 2 feel a lot better mentally..reading sum gr8 books and slowly startin 2 feel at home..the daily irritating feel and monotony seems to be disappearing just a touch and I sure am getting a strong feel tht better things are in store in the coming few days..!
well..i dont think this blog made much sense but i sure hope that what am hoping for happens else it will be time for u people 2 struggle and read more crap about how life sucks! :D
I am startin 2 feel a lot better mentally..reading sum gr8 books and slowly startin 2 feel at home..the daily irritating feel and monotony seems to be disappearing just a touch and I sure am getting a strong feel tht better things are in store in the coming few days..!
well..i dont think this blog made much sense but i sure hope that what am hoping for happens else it will be time for u people 2 struggle and read more crap about how life sucks! :D
Friday, July 10, 2009
Time for some serious action...
The spate of rape cases in India over the last year is a matter of grave concern for everybody..Child rapes have increased exponentially and the perpetrators of this ghastly crime continue to walk away scot free almost every time due to the various loopholes in the judicial system...Only few cases manage to make it past the Police to the courts. In many cases they are held back by the victims and their families due to the fear of further oppression and embarrassment. If at all the cases do manage to get to the courts, the pitifully slow judicial system in India tends to procrastinate judgment so long that there is almost no use expecting anything meaningful to come out of the process...
It is often said that one needs to get to the grassroots level to diagnose the problem correctly..India is a vast democracy with an enormous population and the number of illiterate and uneducated in the country is huge..Uncouth and uncivilized youth roam the streets and morality is absolutely out of the window when it comes to these people..They have very little knowledge of or respect for human values and their attitude towards women is downright atrocious...The very fact that these immoral, lecherous individuals manage to get away time and again with such horrendous acts speaks volumes of the inability of the state to act right and on time..
Almost everyday we see numerous rape cases, accusations related to molestation , incidents of paedophilia and sexual assaults on tourists..All this does not really showcase the country in good light nor does it bode well for the future generation..Parents sweat and worry every minute till their girl gets back home and the fact that girls are unable to walk safely on the streets after evening really goes to show how grave the scene is..Add to this, the various loopholes in our judiciary system abet these criminals and have made them the scourge of the civilized society..
It really is high time the authorities implement a stricter form of punishment say capital punishment/life term or even the death penalty for rape..Agreed that it might sound rather harsh and death penalty is not a very acceptable form of punishment in most places..The people who do protest against capital punishments must also spare a thought for the traumatic experience of the victims and all the embarrassment that they are forced to endure during the course of the process that is supposed to provide 'justice'..There are a few nations that have very stringent laws for various crimes and death penalty definitely serves as a deterrent in those nations..I firmly believe that if and when it is enforced, the rule will surely be a major factor in helping reducing the incidences of the dastardly act that so far has been committed without an iota of fear of any grave consequences...
I sure hope the government decides to act sooner rather than later and takes certain concrete steps whilst formulating more stringent policies to control the menace that is affecting modern India..As Mahatma Gandhi said, the country can be truly envisioned as a developed one only when its women can safely walk the streets even at night without any fear..Let us strive to achieve the great man's dream!
It is often said that one needs to get to the grassroots level to diagnose the problem correctly..India is a vast democracy with an enormous population and the number of illiterate and uneducated in the country is huge..Uncouth and uncivilized youth roam the streets and morality is absolutely out of the window when it comes to these people..They have very little knowledge of or respect for human values and their attitude towards women is downright atrocious...The very fact that these immoral, lecherous individuals manage to get away time and again with such horrendous acts speaks volumes of the inability of the state to act right and on time..
Almost everyday we see numerous rape cases, accusations related to molestation , incidents of paedophilia and sexual assaults on tourists..All this does not really showcase the country in good light nor does it bode well for the future generation..Parents sweat and worry every minute till their girl gets back home and the fact that girls are unable to walk safely on the streets after evening really goes to show how grave the scene is..Add to this, the various loopholes in our judiciary system abet these criminals and have made them the scourge of the civilized society..
It really is high time the authorities implement a stricter form of punishment say capital punishment/life term or even the death penalty for rape..Agreed that it might sound rather harsh and death penalty is not a very acceptable form of punishment in most places..The people who do protest against capital punishments must also spare a thought for the traumatic experience of the victims and all the embarrassment that they are forced to endure during the course of the process that is supposed to provide 'justice'..There are a few nations that have very stringent laws for various crimes and death penalty definitely serves as a deterrent in those nations..I firmly believe that if and when it is enforced, the rule will surely be a major factor in helping reducing the incidences of the dastardly act that so far has been committed without an iota of fear of any grave consequences...
I sure hope the government decides to act sooner rather than later and takes certain concrete steps whilst formulating more stringent policies to control the menace that is affecting modern India..As Mahatma Gandhi said, the country can be truly envisioned as a developed one only when its women can safely walk the streets even at night without any fear..Let us strive to achieve the great man's dream!
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