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
Sunday, November 22, 2009
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!!
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