The ‘Why’ of Sports

Reading the line 'For if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same' from Rudyard Kipling's beautiful poem 'IF', I can't help but feel that it signifies the very essence of sport. Being a sports fanatic, I have asked myself on many occasions the questions - why sports and what makes them special? I can talk for hours about sports without experiencing an iota of boredom but can't bring myself to do any useful task for even an hour. I am unable to remember the day and date in the present week but am able to recall obscure numbers from a forgotten match played in the previous century. I cannot bring myself to spend money on a good phone but am more than eager to buy sports DVDs and decorate my home with posters of sports stars. My family and most friends have given up on me after noticing my tendency to correlate every second occurrence in life with a sports event. So, I thought it's about time I try and demystify this fascination for sport.

The biggest reason why people love sports and worship sports stars is because sport is the most natural extension of a man's physical abilities. We evolved to use our limbs to run, trained our senses and movement to hunt prey and protect ourselves from predators. Man developed weapons to aid him in these tasks and success in hunting often used to bring him the greatest satisfaction. After thousands of years, men still run and compete in athletics, throw the javelin, duck a cricket ball, hit the angles in tennis and score a goal in football. If these are not natural extensions of his physical abilities, what are they?

Any other career requires the use of computers, the need to study and more often than not, multiple academic qualifications. These careers can be lucrative but are hardly endearing. They may entice briefly but lack the ability to sustain interest. Technology is increasingly used in sports but essentially, it is still the natural movements and reflexes that define and shape an athlete's performance. It's all fine saying that sports are loved because they are extensions of a man's natural capabilities but then is that all sports have to offer?

The answer is a big no. Sports events are arenas where the best and worst aspects of a man's behaviour tend to manifest themselves. Sports stars can be exceedingly gracious on occasions and exhibit a terrific spirit on the field. Why else would phrases such as 'sporting behaviour and sportsmanship' be used and highly regarded? To be a winner and yet not forget the vanquished is something that sets the best of stars apart. Think back to Andrew Flintoff moving away from his celebrating team mates and crouching by Brett Lee to console the latter. Or cast your mind back to Rafael Nadal, who so gracefully hugged a teary-eyed Roger Federer after the Australian Open final in 2009. These moments matter. These scenes are rooted in your memory and confirm the beauty and charm of sport.

Sports foster a competitive spirit like no other. The best players boast a never-say-die attitude and an iron will to succeed despite all the odds stacked against them. They manage to find motivation when all seems lost and keep the flame burning. How else can one explain Brian Lara's extraordinary match-winning innings against an all-conquering Australia even though there was hardly any hope? Manchester United's remarkable last-minute heroics against Bayern Munich only reaffirm that the best never give up. Whenever I have been in the doldrums, I have gathered my spirits by thinking back to these wonderful acts of defiance. Sports have changed me as a person. I have appreciated the value of team work and persevered till I realise success but more importantly, I have learned to be a graceful loser. Sports stars may be rich and pampered in this day and age but this does not take away the fact that they struggled in the past and sacrificed many comforts to reach the top. The history of various sports is rife with tales of legends who came from the bottom strata of society and worked their way to fame and immortality. Numerous stars may have failed to live with the adulation and stardom and instead been lured by mammon. This is no slur on sport but is a prime example of man's vulnerabilities.

Don Bradman may have scored a hundred virtually every time he batted and seemed invincible but his final duck brought a sense of poignancy and humanness with it. Perfection is boring but not so man’s vulnerability and fallibility. They make sports special. They bring in a sense of randomness which characterises our lives. Life finds its greatest analogy in sport. The highs, the lows, the victories, the defeats, the praises, the criticism…

One does not need to look further than sports to understand mankind's diversity. The genes and environment combine seamlessly to bring out varied characteristics among players. Sample traits as diverse as Maradona's sheer genius interspersed with moments of madness, the flair of the Caribbean masters, Garrincha's out-of-the-world ability to enthrall despite being afflicted with polio, Sachin Tendulkar's poise and grace and many more. Sports provide the viewer with opportunities to identify his heroes, idolise them and yet learn from their mistakes. Sports thrill the senses, calm the tensed mind and importantly leave an indelible mark in the memory. Evolution has made man love anything remotely connected with sports and relate with sporting achievements as if they were his own.

CLR James, in his classic book 'Beyond a Boundary' says 'What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?' This is more than a valid point. No sport can be truly appreciated and understood without knowledge of the diverse characters involved, the history of the sport and the circumstances surrounding an achievement. West Indian cricket can never quite be enjoyed unless one learns about the effect racial politics had on people. The urge for the Caribbean natives to break free and hit back is captured quite superbly in Stevan Riley's Fire in Babylon. Brazilian football for all its simplicity and sorcery can never be relished if one does not appreciate the nature of the people in the country. History matters a great deal. Wimbledon would never have been what it is if not for its glorious past. Lord's, Old Trafford, MCG are not like any other arena. They are symbols that have defined what we are. Sports provide a different perspective, stimulate thoughts and foster an interest in various fields. Most people would laugh at Harold Pinter's suggestion that Test cricket (sports) is better than sex. But then, I wonder if there is some truth concealed there. While the latter provides a heavenly but fleeting high, sports leave infinite memories that are more than likely to last a lifetime. Rather inevitably, after having begun with the question 'Why sports?’, I have reached a stage when I wonder 'Why life without sports?'

Destroyer nonpareil

I had never really imagined I would sit down to write a blog on AIDS. But then, on World AIDS day, I think back and feel that there has never been such a scourge in mankind's long history. There have been hundreds of infectious diseases that have tormented, killed and plagued humans for years, but none that has been able to withstand every attempt made to suppress it. Be it the great plague, TB, smallpox or polio, scientists have inevitably been able to discover drugs and vaccines to deal with, and in some cases, eradicate the disease. AIDS, however, has been a completely different monster. It was first discovered about thirty years back after a number of cases of a rare form of pneumonia were diagnosed in male patients. All of them seemed to be affected by a immune-suppressor virus and also exhibited a homosexual lifestyle. Soon, incidences of Kaposi Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, were also found in multiple patients. Then, the disease was thought to be one that solely affected homosexuals and syringe-sharing drug abusers. This, however, turned out to be just the beginning. Hundreds of cases started sprouting up in Africa and Asia where the lifestyle was very different from the high-risk groups in America and Europe. Authorities quickly realised that heterosexuals were just as likely to be affected by this disease. The discovery of this fact completely changed the way the threat was perceived.

The HIV in short for Human immuno-deficiency virus was in many ways similar to a strain of virus found to be causing an immuno disorder in monkeys (SIV). IT was suspected to have resulted from some kind of mutation in the SIV. HIV, a retrovirus, synthesises its DNA from RNA using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. It is spread mainly through sexual/blood contact via unprotected sex, sharing syringes and to a lesser extent blood transfusion. The virus, after getting into the body, strikes by eliminating immune cells (T-lymphocytes). Although the immune system counters the virus by producing enough antibodies in the beginning, it soon loses the battle as the virus replicates and takes control. Once the immune system is bypassed, the rest of the body is highly susceptible to multiple infections. Although the virus is extremely dangerous and life-threatening once it enters the host, it is one of the least effective when it comes to transmission. The HIV virus can hardly survive for even a few hours outside the human body and cannot be transmitted by physical contact, through the air or by mosquitoes. Considering how destructive the virus can be, it's weak transmissibility is perhaps nature's biggest lifeline.

People who suspect infection undergo either the ELISA (enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay) or the Western Blot Test to detect the virus' presence. These are the two most popular and reliable tests available for the detection of infection. HIV, though, is an extremely difficult pathogen to deal with. It continuously mutates and tends to become drug resistant. Anti-viral drugs therefore, are incapable of providing a cure. However, a lethal combination of powerful anti-viral drugs known as HAART (Highly advanced anti retro-viral therapy) is used to treat HIV-infected patients. By using a combination of drugs, the virus' ability to become resistant is quelled. Infected individuals are thus able to add years to their lives but this treatment comes at an exorbitant cost which very few can afford. Recent studies have found that humans carrying the CCR5 mutation (deletion of a portion on the CCR5 gene) are resistant to HIV infection. This mutation is at the heart of genetic therapy (vaccine and drug research) in many AIDS research centres in the USA and Europe.

While the long struggle for a cure or a vaccine is underway, it is imperative to understand that the best possible approach to fighting this killer disease is by education. Negligence and ignorance are the biggest hurdles. People must be educated on the importance of safe sex and the avoidance of risky practices (drug abuse, promiscuous behaviour). Also, people should learn to care for HIV-infected patients and treat them with respect. They are often ostracised by society for no fault of theirs. It is time for us to learn, educate and advise people to understand the grave consequences of the disease and guide the youngsters so that the spread of the disease can be controlled greatly. In the meanwhile, the extraordinary efforts of scientists all over the world can be directed at finding a highly-elusive cure or vaccine. Man has, after all, successfully survived hundreds of calamities over the centuries. Hope springs eternal.....

One of a kind..

All of us were taught the value of good friends and friendship during our school days. I am no exception. I listened to the saying 'A friend in need is a friend indeed' more than a hundred times till it seemed to become a cliche. A few years later, I watched Sholay, enjoyed 'Yeh Dosti' and felt there was something special about the friendship between Jai and Veeru. I read the Mahabharata dozens of times and admired the great relationship shared by Duryodhana and Karna. Furthermore, I learned and appreciated innumerable beautifully-constructed Sanskrit verses that glorified good company. But then, I wasn't quite at that stage in life where I would be able to understand and feel true friendship. Perhaps, I wasn't quite in strife to meet the 'friend in need'. I never quite knew the reason anyway. Life moved on and I was never short of a good pals. Be it near home or in school and college, I was always fortunate to know and interact with an exceptional group. When I was about to fly to the US in December 2005, my dad's advice about friends and friendship kept ringing in my ears. I continue to be inspired by his ability to maintain an extraordinarily wide circle of friends and I left India that day aiming to do the same.

I was alone, bored, homesick and frankly irritated with the whole experience of being in the US. All this well before even a month passing by after getting there. Few fellow-students were in the US in January. The vast majority had left for their vacation to India. The terrible cold and snow compounded by my inability to cook and failure to acclimatise to the new place left me wishing I should board the next flight home. It was on one such evening (perhaps Jan 20th 2006), when I looking fairly despondent, stepped into D-13, an apartment that was to change my life. I sat on the sofa with a bemused look as I was introduced to a long-haired guy who seemed to be the one everybody was talking to. I could not quite fathom why he was the object of attention. I soon realised he was just back from India (a rare event for many, but a biannual one for him). He had news to share about his trips, meetings and most of all about a girl he met. We started arguing about something I can't quite recall. It must have been a Bangalore-Chennai debate given its ability to recur with an almost unreal frequency over the years. It did not matter who won or lost the argument. I felt there was something about this guy that made my time and stay worthwhile. Nearly five years after that day, as I sit and write about it, I cannot help but feel fortunate to have met and known Deepak who is more popularly referred to as JD (pun intended).

We hit it off instantly. I had never had problems making friends anywhere but got the feeling this was something special. I started living in I-9 (his apartment) where we cooked, watched sports, debated over a plethora of topics, discussed girls, relationships and everything under the sun. I first realised how much he meant to me when I called him and cried about a major problem I was facing in the first semester. Here I was crying and seeking motivation from someone whom I had just recently met. I clearly had not made a mistake. He guided me through that tough phase with the best possible advice and encouragement. By then, he was continuously thinking about his summer visit to India. The trip by itself was nothing new for him, but this time, he was going to meet the girl he had fallen for head over heels. I remember sitting with him and poring through her email about a trip (a very long email indeed). We joked about the ability of girls to write pages without sparing a thought for the reader. I responded to the mail with Shakespeare's immortal line 'Brevity is the soul of wit'. I can't quite recall what I got in return but am fairly sure it wasn't an affirmative nod. Deepak had never quite managed to get through the Himalayan task of completing a book till then. He was blessed with a remarkable memory of dates and numbers though and it was no surprise then that he remembered the page number of an interesting portion of the only book he had dared to start reading (Kane and Abel) :). He wasn't quite going to get away easily with his girl though and was asked to complete the Godfather in 2-3 days. He read the book religiously while skipping cricket and quoted Vito Corleone on more than one occasion. Although I laughed at his predicament, I appreciated his resolve and willingness to compromise.

In the course of the next 1.5 years, we bonded like never before. I was present throughout to listen to the issues he faced in his relationship. It was a mighty struggle but he endured all the problems as only he could. It was as if nothing could perturb him. We would lie for hours on a sleeping bag in D-13 and talk. There were days when we realised we had spoken all the time till sunrise. And on more than one occasion I would continue to talk blissfully unaware that he had dozed off. He was by my side when the job hunt and interviews were not going right. When I decided to move to California in December 2007 to land a job, he saw me off at the Greyhound bus station in Lawrence. At that point, I felt a tinge of sadness because I wasn't quite sure when I would see him. It wasn't going to be too long though! He was in California in less than a month with a full-time job. We moved into a friend's place temporarily and later, to 2622 Ohlone Drive, a town house in San Jose which I can never forget.

I have often wondered how my best and worst times could have coincided. It was the case in 2008. The recession was a reality and jobs were at a premium. I tried hard but struggled to land interview calls and even when I did perform well, visa problems put paid to my chances. My grandmother's loss was a very difficult one to deal with and on that fateful day in May, as i sat in Starbucks not knowing how to react at the news of her demise, guess who was by my side? Deepak made me tide through a phase where I was considering giving up. He was at once my greatest motivator and harshest critic. He doubled up as my confidant and jester. Without him, I could not have imagined surviving 2008. I worked extremely hard to complete my Masters and there was no better person to encourage me than JD. Life was at its doldrums and he remained the rock I used throughout for support. When I had to leave the US, I felt a pain like no other. It was impossible to stay away. I came to the US in tears in 2005 and was leaving the same way. I had a fantastic friend network during my stay but my biggest gain was Deepak's acquaintance. The numerous tennis matches, the arguments, the escapades on our road trips, the humourous exchanges and most of all the confidence and motivation he had provided at various stages flashed before me as i boarded the flight back to Bangalore. Little did I know that his influence on my life had just begun.

Growing up idolising the legendary Karna, I had always wondered if there could ever be another like him. I can stick my neck out to say that Deepak comes closest. Never one to shy away from helping someone in distress, be it monetarily or through his words, Deepak made me understand the value of giving. He shunned materialistic thoughts and his ideals rubbed off on me. I had heard many episodes about how he went out of his way to help his friends and I wasn't surprised. He did the same for me and continues to help me to this date. My hand instinctively dials his number or points to his email whenever I need any favour. I have never felt the need to think twice because I know it's Deepak. My troubled times in the US led me to accrue humongous debts. If it were not for his timely help in the last few years, I would have drowned in that very sea of debts and credit loans. Even in the one year I lived in Madras, I can only recall the month I spent with him during his visit. Not a single day was boring and every minute was eventful. He was also the force behind my decision to follow my passion. He radiated positive energy always and every ounce of the confidence I have can be attributed to him.

Deepak has been everything I can ask for. He has encouraged, chided, advised, goaded and more importantly has driven me to succeed. He has been my shining light and I have only wondered how I haven't known him longer. He is THE PARADIGM when it comes to describing a great friend. I have been immensely lucky to have had him in my life and will be indebted to him always. Nithya, you are tremendously lucky yourself to have found such a jewel. I cannot help but feel that it is impossible to do justice to his great nature and qualities in one piece. But I will certainly sleep well filled with the thought that I have given him a small gift in return for all the positives I have gained (and am gaining) during my association with him. He now stands on the cusp of achieving something special. His marriage may seem a normal event to many, but I for one, have witnessed his patience and steadfastness through the trials and tribulations of the last five years. The culmination of the marriage represents a victory for me too as I would have seen my greatest pal win his toughest battle. Certainly, no one can be happier than I am!

PS: dei Deepak, you might not like me writing all this. But live with it!

Historically....

Hey guys

Back with another crossword.. this time on another of my favourite topics- History.. it's mostly based on Modern Indian and World history (mostly 20th century stuff and the World War 2).. so good luck and happy solving!

Across
4. Party founded by Rajagopalachari to oppose policies of Congress ----------- (9)
Swatantra 5. Supreme Commander of Allies during the D-day landings------------- (10)
Eisenhower 8. Area of Czechoslovakia permitted for annexation under the Munich pact-------- (11)
Sudetenland 12. One of India's youngest revolutionaries to be hanged- at just 18 years------------ (8, 4)
Khudiram Bose 14. Handed Indira Gandhi shock defeat in Rae Bareli in 1977 elections------------ (3, 6)
Raj Narain 15. This proposal immediately preceded the Quit India movement------------ (6)
Cripps 17. Involved in the 'Kakori Conspiracy'--------- (6)
Bismil 20. German chancellor succeeded by Hitler--------- (10)
Hindenburg 22. Hitler's mistress whom he married just before committing suicide in his bunker------------- (3, 5)
Eva Braun 23. CBS journalist and war correspondent who covered World War 2----------- (7, 6)
William Shirer 24. Author of the outstanding award-winning two-part biography of Adolf Hitler titled ''Hubris' and 'Nemesis'------------- (3, 7)
Ian Kershaw

Down
1. Governor General during the partition of Bengal------------- (6)
Curzon 2. India's defence minister under Nehru famous for lapse during Indo-China war----- (7, 5)
Krishna Menon 3. Led French forces against Germany in Nazi-occupied France in World War 2-------- (2, 6)
de Gaulle 4. British police officer shot by mistake by Bhagat Singh and Rajguru---------- (7)
Saunders 6. Israeli PM during the Munch Olympic massacre----------- (5, 4)
Golda Meir 7. Commanded Operation Bluestar in 1984----------------- (2, 4)
KS Brar 9. Town over which Pan American flight was bombed in 1988--------------- (9)
Lockerbie 10. Hanged at TIhar Jail after assassinating Indira Gandhi--------------- (7, 5)
Satwant SIngh 11. Port city in Norway where the Germans first landed during their 'blitzkreig' campaign-------------- (9)
Trondheim 13. 'The Desert Fox" - agreed to commit suicide after being found involved in campaign to eliminate Hitler-------------- (5, 6)
Erwin Rommel 16. Communist faction founded by Lenin------------- (9)
Bolshevik 18. Encryption machine used by Nazi Germany in World War 2
------------- (6) Enigma 19. Japanese invasion of China also known as the 'Rape of ?'------------- (7)
Nanking 21. Scene of World War two's greatest evacuation--------------- (7)
Dunkirk

All two-word answers have a space between the two names
have fun !

The bane of mammon

Curse me if you like. Or call me naive. I stick to my guns that money (material wealth) is the bane of existence. At least an indulgence or excessive importance given to the accumulation of money most definitely is. I have, for years now, noticed how Indian society in particular seems to judge people only by the amount of wealth he/she possesses and care very little for any other personality traits. First question when some random person meets you or your family member at some gathering: What's your son doing? where does he work? Depending on the answer, the next question follows. If the answer is A, B or C (software firms) as is most likely the case considering how stereotypical we Indians are on an average (no offense again), then the reply will be highly 'encouraging'. "Excellent madam, he will get an excellent pay and promotion soon. Will be an ideal candidate once it comes to the bride search blah blah blah". In the highly unlikely event of the parent mentioning a non IT job, the happiness vanishes and is followed by statements that question the choice of job or worse still, sneers in other groups about what a grave mistake the boy has made in not doing what pays well, or as i prefer to see it as (what everybody does anyway).

Nowhere is the love of money, the material wealth and greed for more of the same manifested than in Indian marriages. What is purely meant to be a logical extension of mutual love and admiration of a couple is far from that. The entire process of marriage is now a money-laundering business, and while deploring it is not my intention anyway, I would hardly be getting my point across if I do not expose the scum that lies beneath the well-refined exterior.

There may have been Sanskrit sayings that spoke in glowing terms about knowledge as being the purest of all pursuits ("swadeshe poojyate raja, vidhwan sarvatra poojyate or "vidya dadati vinayam" etc). While I still concur and will continue to do so, the relevance of all this seems to be lost in a society which is increasingly filled with hypocrites. For them though, wealth suddenly becomes important when it comes to marriage scenarios. In other times, they try to don the garb of individuals who denounced wealth and speak eloquently about how important morals are and how trivial money is. Where did the very same morals go when it is time for the marriage of their sons and daughters? This hypocrisy breeds contempt and jealousy but very little love. Why can't a person meet a prospective partner, spend time, get to know his/her nature, appreciate the finer aspects of the character that are products of both the genes and nurture? Instead, salaries and jobs are used as filters in a society that claims to be at the forefront in advances and rational thinking. If this is not the definition of hypocrisy, nothing else is. While I would be the last person to attack astrology or the other empirical sciences that play an important role in the entire matrimony process, I can't help but believe that the horoscope is being used as an alibi to mask the real underlying reason for rejection. People and society in general would be much better off if the prospective partners are allowed to spend time and make their own decision on whether they want to proceed further. This eliminates any ambiguity and leaves very little room for assumptions.

Money is important and much more than I can ever envisage. But like most materials, an over-indulgence is undoubtedly malevolent. We as a well-informed and educated generation would do better if we focus on what brings more lasting happiness than on something that is ephemeral. If money indeed was what mattered to my best friends, I would not have survived the last few years. Their help and encouragement during trying times has not just changed my approach towards material wealth, but has also created an awareness in me that I should enjoy and appreciate the innate qualities that make people wonderful human beings and not the facade that material wealth creates.

Epic crossword

Hey guys.. time for another crossword and this time on a favourite topic. I am not sure about you guys, but Indian mythology especially the Mahabharata has been a fascinating read each and every time i pick it up. The seemingly endless stories and interesting array of characters make it an exceptional epic. I have put together this crossword on Vyasa's great epic. Whether it happened or not is irrelevant, the fact remains that it will perhaps be the greatest work ever.

** Since most answers involve names, slight variants in spellings are ok. I shall provide the number of letters though.

Across

3. King whom Krishna reinistated after killing Kamsa (8)----- UGRASENA
5. Father of Drona (10)----- BHARADWAJA
11. Gifted with divine vision to narrate the war to Dhritarashtra (7)---- SANJAYA
13. Main narrator of the Vishnu Sahasranamam (7)---- BHISHMA
15. Nakul and Sahadeva's uncle. Killed by Yudhishtira (6)---- SHALYA
17. Arjuna's name when in disguise in Virata's kingdom (10)----- BRIHANNALA
19. Vishnu's guards who chose to be reborn in three births as Hiranyaksha- Hiranyakashpu, Ravana-Kumbhakarna and Shishupala-Dantavakra (4,6)---- JAYA VIJAYA
20. One of the four wives of Arjuna (Draupadi, Chitrangada and Subhadra the others)(6)--- ULOOPI
22. Designed the house of lac to eliminate the Pandavas (9)-- PUROCHANA
23. Only Kaurava who opposed the ill-treatment of Draupadi (7)--- VIKARNA
24. Charioteer who raises Karna (8)-- ADIRATHA
25. Yadava warrior who fought on the Pandava side (7)------ SATYAKI


Down

1. Responsible for luring Arjuna away from the Chakravyuha. This ultimately leads to Abhimanyu's death inside. (8)---- SUSHARMA
2. The only person other than Arjuna, Krishna and Abhimanyu who knew to enter the Chakravyuha (did not fight the war) (9)--- PRADYUMNA (KRISHNA'S SON)
4. Krishna's conch (11)---- PANCHAJANYA
6. Jarasandha's Kingdom (7)---- MAGADHA
7. Karna's guru who cursed him for lying that he is a Brahmin (11)---- PARASHURAMA
8. Village that was being terrorized by the demon Bakasura whom Bheema slew (9)--EKACHAKRA
9. 'Neigh of a horse' (11)-- ASHWATTHAMA
10. Jayadratha's wife and Duryodhana's sister (8)--- DUSSHALA
12. Arjuna's name (conqueror of the night (sleep))(9)-- GUDAKESHA
14. Arjuna-Abhimanyu-Parikshit-? (10)--- JANAMEJAYA
16. Joined the Pandava army from the Kaurava camp just before the war (7)-- YUYUTSU
18. Reborn as Shikhandi in order to kill Bhishma (4)-- AMBA
21. The origin of the name Partha (6)-- PRITHA (KUNTI'S ORIGINAL NAME)


And a bonus weirdo question to finish.. Name the Sri Lankan fast bowler whose name figures in the last part of the second line of the first verse of the Vishnu Sahasranamam. He dismissed Brian Lara caught and bowled for 8 in the Singer Cup final in 1995 which Sri Lanka won by 50 runs-------- Eric Upashantha (Shuklambharadharam Vishnum..... Sarva Vigna upashanthaye)
Till next time..cheers!

Contextually speaking..

Graham Gooch's 154: the greatest Test innings ever according to many

Nearly every sporting achievement is measured based on the context. What is the context after all and why is it so paramount? What does it involve and who decides the parameters? Greatness, after all separates the extraordinary from the ordinary, and can be bestowed only to the deserving. What makes a performance special and what makes the circumstances demanding? Majority of these context-related questions are typically raised in a conversation over a drink or two. While the discussions rarely end with a unanimous choice, they do provide a keen insight into the sports fan's mind.

Sample this discussion in a pub between two cricket buffs A and B. One may ask why cricket? Well...after all it is Test cricket and discussions on the topic hardly require a particular time or place..

A: Well, it's been a long time. How have you been? Am fairly sure you have been following all the action lately.

B: Yeah, it has been a while. Of course, I have been following all the matches. Who would miss the cricket after all?

After a couple of usual questions inquiring about trivial stuff such as career and the job, the topic inevitably shifts to the much more serious analysis of Test cricket..

A: Well, After taking a look at the stupid XI that the ICC put up, I wonder if the people who voted ever watched or read about cricket

B: You're not alone. It's a bloody disgrace not to have Sobers and Richards in a team. Sobers for me goes into any XI even ahead of Bradman..

A: I have to agree but it would be even more interesting to see a top 10 innings list. I would imagine it being populated by Tendulkar and Sehwag efforts considering what people exposed to. However, what would be your picks?

B: Read about many and watched quite a few too. But Laxman's 281 for me stands out. An outstanding bowling attack led by two of the greatest ever in Mcgrath and Warne. 274 runs behind and following on. Can it really get better? Add to it the impact he made on the match and series itself. Simply the best..

A: Interesting choice. But I would perhaps rate Gooch's 154 at Headingley slightly higher. Ok, England had a 25-run lead going into the second innings but no other player even crossed 20 while Gooch batted throughout the innings against Marshall, Ambrose, Patterson and Walsh. That beats the Autralian attack for me which at least had a couple of weaker bowlers in Kasprowicz and Mark Waugh.

B: Dude, you must be kidding me. Laxman started when India were 222 adrift and took them to a score of 608 i.e. 334 ahead and effectively sealed the Test. Look at the context and impact.

A: Righto. But he had Ganguly for support first. Ganguly made a crucial 48 which is easily forgotten and then Dravid, who made a brilliant 180 which is overshadowed by Laxman's effort. What did Gooch have anyway? He made 154 out of 252 and carried his bat through the innings. Add to it the fact that the pitch was fairly tough and that he was up against the finest pace attack going around. And yeah, helped England win a Test at home against West Indies after 22 goddamn years...

B: If you are looking at the quality of the attack, then Kim Hughes' effort in Melbourne is probably an even better one. He came in at 8 for 3 and soon 26 for 4 and faced Roberts, Holding, Croft and Garner. Simply superb 100 out of 198.

A: Yeah, the Hughes effort was exceptional. But we have to consider the fact that Lillee's burst at the end of the day which left West Indies at 10/4 was the turning point and what's more, he nailed Viv Richards.

B: Don't drag the bowlers in now. In that case, all Tests are won by bowlers. Harbhajan Singh had to win it for India and so did the England bowlers after Gooch's effort. Why, even Bob Willis' 8 for 43 is more responsible than Ian Botham's 149.

A: Nonsense. Botham gave England a chance in a game where they had no hope. Dilley and Old played a minor role, but Botham transformed the mood of the series.

B: Lara's 213 and 153? Surely, they figure right up there. Imagine the plight the West Indians were in. 51 all out in Trinidad and 34/4 in Jamaica chasing 256. He responds with the 213 and in Barbados, he steers them to a target of 308 from 78/3. Mcgrath, Gillespie, Warne and Macgill. These are two of the best knocks man.

A: Warne was not as potent man and was coming back from the surgery. That was the case in 1998 in Chennai too when Tendulkar took to him. And yeah, the attack had no Mcgrath and featured Gavin Robertson. How pathetic is that? What about Tendulkar's special in Chennai in 1999? Akram and Saqlain were brilliant and Tendulkar nearly took them home from a hopeless 82/5.

B: Mark the words nearly. He didn't help them cross the line that's all. You are remembered not for aiming at the target but for hitting it. Did not win it simple. Can't quite be up there because of that.

A: That's stupidity. So all top efforts in losses can't be on top you mean? Gavaskar's stunning 96 on a bloody hard Bangalore track where Tauseef and Qasim bowled nearly 90% of the overs. Tendulkar's 169 in Cape Town after India fell to 58/5. Lara's efforts in Sri Lanka. Come on, you must rethink.

B: No man. There is no need to rethink. The best knocks in history are always ones that result in wins. Greenidge's 214 made a mockery of England's target at Lord's, Gavaskar's 221 is an exception because it came so close to a win.

A: It was a draw. Don't contradict yourself. What about Bradman's 270 on a spiteful MCG pitch. 2-0 down in the series and turning it around completely.

B: Hold your horses man. Australia had made 200 and kept England down to 72. Bradman astutely sent the tail enders first and when the pitch got better, Fingleton joined him at 98 for 5 in a 346-run stand. It's not the score but the quality of support you have to look at here.

A: All said and done, the 270 turned the series around and he followed it up with 169 and 212 to win the series 3-2. Amazing really!

B: I'll make one exception though. Stan McCabe's 187 against Larwood and Voce is top class even though its a loss. Doing it against Bodyline. Stuff of legend man.

A: Contradicting yourself. Bradman was back in the next Test and made a duck and hundred leading Australia to a win. So perhaps, that is the better effort. Although Bradman himself says Stan was better.

B: Ponting's fourth innings classic at Old Trafford. He did it all alone for Australia.

A: If Mcgrath and Lee had not held out for four overs, Ponting's effort would have been in vain. What a thin line? Dravid's 233?

B: Agreed that India were up against it trailing by 556. But an Aussie attack without Mcgrath and Warne. Instead Brad Williams. It's a good knock not a great one. Dravid averaged just 15.5 in 1999 when both the greats were there. So you see, there is a difference. I think Steve Waugh's 200 was better.

A: He had Mark Waugh for support. I personally think the West Indian attack in that series was not as good as 1993 when Ambrose blew Australia away.

B: Gavaskar's 236 maybe?

A: Dead rubber. 3-0 down and although it was 0/2, I would rather think his 94-ball century in Delhi was better. Sobers' 254 man. Sadly not considered an official Test. Not often would Bradman call a knock the finest in Australia.

B: Yeah. Would have to agree. Lillee at his searing best and on a pair, the knock is right up there man. Fredericks 169 for its ferocity i suppose. And how about Miandad's century in Jamaica. Stunner!

A: Definitely one of his best knocks. The closest any team came to beating West Indies in the Caribbean. Richard's 109 in Delhi also great. Four down chasing nearly 280. Good effort although not a great attack.

B: So can we come to a conclusion man. Seems like we have evaluated the context and impact for many knocks now.

A: Laxman, Gooch, Hughes, Lara, Botham the top five in order for me i guess.

B: I'd put Gooch, Lara, Hughes, Laxman and perhaps Bradman..

A: Hmmm.. not quite the list according to me.

B: Nor is yours. Needs a relook..

A: Perhaps, next time, we can discuss in detail.

B: Wasn't this good enough.. Guess we rope in few more guys next time..Great fun it was though. Adios..

A: Yup. I just recalled. Forgot Gilly's 149 in Hobart. But not quite top tenner maybe.

A number voyage

After a spectacular 2000th Test where a few records and statistical highlights emerged, I thought of the importance of numbers and stats in analysing sports. A recent article set about questioning the role of numbers and the pursuit of statistical analysis of performances. While stats don't quit reveal the full picture, a careful and exact analysis can often bust a few myths and end arguments while fueling new ones.. Here's a small number based quiz to all fellow cricket stats enthusiasts..I sure am a huge fan of cricket stats and can't quite describe how amazing the feeling is when I dig into scorecards and databases to find answers to the most 'useless' of questions :)

All you need to do is to fill in the exact number there. Accuracy is important guys. Some are easy/well-known numbers and the rest...well, don't curse me!

1. Gavaskar's aggregate in his debut series: _ _ _

2. Bob Massie's match figures on Test debut: _ _ / _ _ _ (example 10/74)

3. Sir Garry Sobers Test average: _ _ . _ _ (example 35.25)

4. Highest Test partnership: _ _ _

5. The scores in the four innings in the first Tied Test:

WI 1st innings: _ _ _

Australia 1st innings: _ _ _

WI 2nd innings: _ _ _

Australia 2nd innings: _ _ _

6. Laker's figures in the two innings at Old Trafford 1956: _ _ / _ _ and _ / _ _

7. Wally Hammond's record Ashes series aggregate for England in 1928-29: _ _ _

8. Viv Richards' tally in the calendar year 1976: _ _ _ _

9. Test averages of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose: _ _ . _ _ & _ _ . _ _ & _ _ . _ _

10. Ambrose's figures when he bowled England out for 46 in Trinidad in 1994: _ / _ _

11. Score when Graham Dilley joined Ian Botham in THE TEST in Headingley 1981: _ _ _/_ (example 200/9)

12. Score when Dravid entered in Calcutta 2001 and score when the partnership ended (clue: partnership was 376 runs)

entry: _ _ _/_

exit: _ _ _/_

13. The number of wickets Dennis Lillee has in Tests and number of dismissals for Rodney Marsh (hint: both numbers are equal): _ _ _

14. The highest ever stand to end in a run out: _ _ _

15. Best bowling in an innings in a defeat : _/_ _

16. Total number of wickets taken by Terry Alderman in 12 Tests in England in 1981 and 1989
: _ _

17. West Indies' lowest score in Tests till they were bowled out for 51 in Trinidad in 1999: _ _

18. CLyde Walcott's run tally in the 1954-55 series against Australia which WI lose 3-0: _ _ _

19. The score at entry of Jack Fingleton and the partnership total with Bradman in the famous 1936-37 MCG Test where Bradman sent tail-enders to bat first on a tough pitch: _ _ / _ and _ _ _

20. The deficit Australia overcame against Sri Lanka in the 1992 Colombo Test (Aus won by 16 runs): _ _ _

That's it for now guys...be back with more later..have fun


1. 774
2. 16/137
3. 57.78
4. 624- jayawardene and sangakkara
5. 453, 505, 284, 232
6. 9/53 and 10/37
7. 905
8. 1710
9. 20.94 20.97 and 20.99
10. 6/24
11. 135/7
12. 232/4 and 608/5
13. 95
14. 446
15. 9/83
16. 83
17. 53
18. 827
19. 98/5 and 346
20. 291

DVD Reviews: Fire in Babylon and From the Ashes: Excellent recreation and terrific entertainment

Fire in Babylon: The story of the outstanding West Indies cricket team of the 1970s and 1980s



A video that I had been waiting to get my hands on did not disappoint. For someone who grew up listening to heroic achievements of West Indian greats, and idolised their top performers, this movie was a Godsend. I had read about West Indian history and followed their cricket for years, but the movie claimed to provide me with something that I had never quite seen- rare footage of classic match-action and interviews with the best players of a bygone era. The story itself is woven around the tale of how prevalent racism was in the early days of Caribbean cricket, and how important it was for the natives to reclaim their identity. Although it is not clear how many players shared these sentiments, it becomes quite easy to understand that most of them wished to make the cricket field a platform where they could perform and demonstrate to the 'masters' (whites) that they could compete and surpass the best around. The movie traces the roots of cricket in the Caribbean back to the early days of Headley and Constantine till the 1960 series against Australia when Frank Worrell was appointed captain and in effect became the first black captain to lead the West Indies. Cricket remains the only sport where players from all islands, so disparate in nature and way of life, come together and the first instance of this unity was seen under Worrell. Perhaps, more importantly, the West Indies became a far more competitive side intent on erasing the tag of 'Calypso entertainers' who mostly enjoyed the game and did not care much about victory.

The 1960-61 series in Australia was played to full houses and the quality was top-class. Worrell's team was given a ticker-tape farewell in Melbourne and this was the start of an era in which West Indies would go on to become a genuine competitor. However, the form tapered off in the early 1970s and in 1975-76, the West Indians were humiliated 5-1 in Australia. They were stunned by the wild crowds and aggressive fast bowling of Lillee and Thomson. Racist taunts added to the embarrassment. Following a 1-1 draw in the home series against India, Clive Lloyd, who was perilously close to losing his captaincy, embarked on a move that was to revolutionise the game. He chose to pack his side with four fast bowlers who would relentlessly pummel and pepper the opposition with hostile pace and bounce. Tony Greig's unfortunate grovel' remark touched a raw nerve, and West Indies, led by Viv Richards' batting and Michael Holding's blinding pace annihilated England. Packer's World Series Cricket came and went but had a positive effect on the West Indies team who seemed to discover the joy of playing together and winning. England stood no chance any more but the big challenge lay in winning in Australia, something no West Indian team had ever achieved previously. They duly went on to crush Australia unleashing a barrage of short-pitched bowling. The press tried to curtail the use of bouncers and devise tactics to nullify the threat posed by the Caribbean pace bowlers. It was, however, not hostile bowling alone, but a brilliant combination of aggressive bowling and batting which led the West Indies to the top of the world. The icing on the cake came when Lloyd' team won 5-0 in England, an unprecedented achievement. Despite the protests against the bowling, very few had answers to the quality of the West Indies. The film beautifully portrays the rise and provides a strong emphasis on the background of racism and torture that proved to be a motivation for most members of the great team, especially Richards.

For cricket fans in this generation who have grown up wishing to know more about the era when the Caribbean Kings lorded over the cricketing world, the movie is perfect. The DVD is a must-own for a cricket aficionado. It is packed with extra features including interviews with batsmen who faced up to the bowling and an interview with David Frith, the former editor of Wisden, who does not quite approve of the nature of the bowling. Overall, but for a few glitches in the footage, and for the fact that there could have been some more emphasis on the 1960s team, the movie is a great one and one to add to the collection.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the Ashes: the story of Ian Botham masterminding England's remarkable comeback in the Ashes 1981



There are very few stories in sport that transcend eras and occupy a place in the list of immortal achievements. One such is the story of Ian Botham's outstanding performances in the Ashes series in 1981 when he, almost singlehandedly, took England to the promised land from a position where they stood no chance whatsoever.
The movie considers the political situation in England and talks about the unrest prevalent at that time. Innumerable strikes and violence were rife in England in the first few months of 1981 and there was very little that could be done to improve the mood of the nation. The focus shifts to the cricket where the picture was gloomy too. Botham, who had been offered captaincy at the young age of 24, struggled for impact against the powerful West Indies and his captaincy was hanging by a thread as England took on Australia in the series that mattered. Dropped catches and ordinary bowling led to a defeat in the first Test and in the second Test (Botham's last chance to redeem himself), Australia were denied victory by the rain. Botham's form, however, was in the doldrums as he was dismissed for a pair, lasting just three balls in the match. Onto the third Test and Botham was replaced as captain by the scholarly Mike Brearley, who was described by the opposition as someone who could not bat, bowl or field. But lead he could! Brearley seemed to strike a chord perfectly with his beleaguered team mates and when Botham and Willis were chosen to play, England had hope. Quickly, the hope disappeared when Australia racked up over 400 and shot England out for just 174 with only Botham scoring a half-century. Australia enforced the follow on and England were on the ropes at 105/5 when Botham walked in. The movie packs the sequence with excellent interviews. Gideon Haigh, Kim Hughes (the Australian captain), Rodney Marsh among others have painted a picture which seems to bring the series to life. Botham, joined by Graham Dilley at 135/7, decided to enjoy himself, and with nothing to lose, swung away merrily at the bowling. Soon, the situation turned grim for Australia, and they were left chasing 130 for a 2-0 win. Botham's extraordinary 149* was indeed the stuff of dreams, and Bob Willis, who until the start of the game, was hardly a certainty to play, lit up the stage with a superb display of 8/43 to bowl Australia out for 111. England had won after following on and the nation was on its feet.

In the next Test at Edgbaston, Botham was central to a heist as he picked up five wickets for one run to snuff out Australia's chase when they seemed well on course for an easy win. Australia never recovered and Botham cracked another hundred at Old Trafford to crush Australia 3-1. The movie is narrated superbly and the story has been presented interestingly. After hearing for years about the drama of July-August 1981 and Botham's greatness, it is time to see it for real. Another great DVD to add to the colelction!

Sudden yet Seamless: the enduring charm of tennis

Novak Djokovic's recent Wimbledon triumph is yet another addition to the long list of surprises that make tennis a marvellous game to follow. One could ask, what is unique about surprises in tennis? The appeal of the game lies in the fact that these unexpected results are just so logical and predictable that anything other than these periodic shocks may be construed as uncharacteristic. The talented Serbian is no stranger to Grand Slam finals having won the Australian Open in 2008 and making the US Open final in 2007 and 2010. However, his show in 2011 is nothing short of astounding. After a brilliant display in the Australian Open, he ran up a streak of 41 consecutive wins in 2011 before a defeat to Roger Federer in the semi-final at Roland Garros. Although people cannot be faulted for assuming that the end of the streak would restore the Federer-Nadal domination, there was something different about Djokovic's run. He had defeated Rafael Nadal four times in four ATP finals in a year, a feat even the great Federer could not achieve. Two of these wins came on clay, a surface where Nadal has been near-invincible. To anyone doubting that tennis is just as cerebral a sport as it is physical, the psychological advantage the Serb had over the Mallorcan was perfect evidence. The tennis quality on display in the second set was reminiscent of Pete Sampras' remarkable performance in the Wimbledon 1999 final when Andre Agassi was left high and dry. Nadal, the supreme athlete, was dumbfounded by the angles that Djokovic managed to find with uncanny regularity. It might have come as a shock to many who had seen Nadal hold a 10-2 record in Grand Slam finals till the Wimbledon final, but to me the result was something I was very used to- tennis had always managed to serve these up from time to time.

This was my 20th Wimbledon. Ever since I watched Agassi's heroics in 1992, I had witnessed a remarkable pattern of rise and dominance in men's tennis. Actually, the pattern goes back well into the 1970s. Bjorn Borg's domination of the lawns of Wimbledon was unprecedented in the open era, but after the brilliant display by the brash, yet highly gifted John McEnroe in the 1980 final, it seemed like Borg's time was about to run out. McEnroe defeated Borg in the 1981 final and also in the US open final in the same year, prompting Borg to retire at just 25 with 11 titles. The McEnroe show was not as complete, but the most unbelievable result came in 1985 when an unknown 17-year old German by name Boris Becker burst on the scene defeating Kevin Curren in the Wimbledon final. Becker defended his title in 1986, but was at the receiving end when Stefan Edberg won his first title in 1988 with an exceptional display of serve and volley tennis. Becker and Edberg won the Wimbledon titles in 1989 and 1990, but the signs were clear that their hold on the sport was coming to an end. Sampras, Agassi and Jim Courier were three very different players from the same country. While Sampras boasted an excellent serve and volley game, Agassi and Courier surprisingly possessed a strong baseline game, mostly a feature of clay-court specialists.

The 1993 Wimbledon is fresh in memory as it serves as a perfect example to illustrate the change of guard at the top of tennis. Becker met Sampras in one semi-final and Courier played Edberg in the other. Courier had won the Australian Open and made the finals of the French losing to Sergi Bruguera. Edberg, on the other hand, had a couple of lean years by his standards but was still expected to reach his fourth final. Another Becker-Edberg classic was on the cards, but in what followed, Sampras and Courier dethroned the greats, and ushered in a new era. Sampras went on to win Wimbledon and the US Open in 1993 and added to his Wimbledon count in the next three years. Becker and Edberg quietly faded away although the former won the Australian in 1995 and made the finals of Wimbledon in the same year, losing to Sampras. The giant Dutchman Richard Krajicek stunned the world by defeating Sampras in the quarter-final in Wimbledon 1996 but normal service resumed soon with Agassi also back to winning ways. Sampras won the next four Wimbledon titles, but never quite conquered clay. In Wimbledon 2001, 19-year old Roger Federer from Switzerland eliminated Sampras in a five-set thriller in the fourth round. His sublime groundstrokes and quicksilver footwork were soon to dominate the tour. Infact Federer's 237 consecutive weeks at No.1 is an aberration when the rankings are closely observed. Federer dominated the game between 2004 and 2007 winning 11 out of 16 possible titles. But then, just as people thought he would go on to win everything in sight for the next few years, out came Rafael Nadal, who till then had dominated Federer in clay-court exchanges but never on other surfaces. With his heavy top-spin game and extraordinary physical strength, he destroyed Federer in the French final in 2008, and soon after, triumphed in one of the finest matches in the Wimbledon final. Between 2008 and 2011, the pair won 10 out of 12 titles with Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro winning the other two. Djokovic's wins over Federer in the US open in 2010 and the Australian Open in 2011 were shocks, but served notice to the top two that it was no more a two-horse race. The results were sudden but the progress never in doubt. As in many previous cases, the ascent of Djokovic has again reinforced my view that tennis (especially men's tennis) has an everlasting charm that can be attributed as much to the unique pattern of rise and dominance of players as to the skills of those involved..

The beautiful games

Hey guys

After numerous posts obsessed with cricket, it is time to turn to one related to two of my favourite sports. Football and Tennis are two of the most beautiful games to watch and are among my biggest crazes. Here is a crossword purely on these two games ranging from the World Cup to the leagues in Europe, Wimbledon and other opens. Time for Kick off guys, good luck!


** There are spaces between the first and last name

Across

1. Home country of the only player to win the Champions League with three different clubs (7)----- clarence seedorf
5. Tournament referee at Wimbledon from 1982 to 2005 (4,5)----- alan mills
7. Took out Hingis in first round of Wimbledon 99 (6, 5)------ jelena dokic
9. Total football with Cruyff at Ajax (5, 7)----- rinus michels
10. Pistol Pete's final defeat in Wimbledon (6, 5)-------- george bastl
12. Cause for Sampras' tears against Courier in 1995 Australian Open (3, 9)--- tim gullikson
14. Runner-up when Navratilova won her final Wimbledon singles title (4, 8)--- zina garrison jackson
15. Easy final for Andre Agassi down under in 2003 (6, 9)------- rainer schuttler
17. Led Bulgaria in shock upset of Germany in 1994 WC (9)------hristo stoichkov
18. French manager in 1998 WC (4, 7)---- aime jacquet
19. Handed Steffi Graf a 6-0 6-1 defeat in Berlin (6, 7)-------amanda coetzer
20. Shock death on field (Cameroon and West Ham)(4, 6, 3)----- marc vivien foe


Down

2. Hit crossbar with free kick in 2002 final (8)---- oliver neuville
3. 'White Pele' (4)----zico
4. Bust up with Keane led to the latter missing WC 2002 (4, 8)---- mick mccarthy
6. Doubles partner of the player who was blanked by Graf 6-0 6-0 in the Roland Garros final 1988 (4, 9)------- gigi fernandez
8. Would have been a footballing great if not for Munich (6, 7)----- duncan edwards
11. Scored both goals against Croatia in 1998 semi-final (6, 6)---- lilian thuram
13. Partnered Puskas in legendary Hungary side of 1954 (6, 6)---- sandor kocsis
16. Upset Graf to win 1992 Olympic Gold (8)---- jennifer capriati

It's all in the genes

Hey guys and mostly this time gals..

Another crossword and this time on another of my favourite topics.. genetics- endlessly fascinating and most interesting..do give it a shot and lemme know how it is..



Across

2. mutation in gene on X chromosome (muscular degeneration)-- (10)
3. widely used organism in genetic analysis -- (10)
4. Ethically prohibited form of gene therapy -- (8)
5. prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal disorders -- (13)
6. Hairy pinna(Y chromosome) -- (14)
8. Abbreviation for an autosomal recessive disorder (leads to progressive mental retardation) --(3)
10. In RNA but not in DNA --(6)
14. Process to generate multiple copies of a DNA sequence --(3)
16. Rna to dna synthesis in retroviruses --(7,13)
18. Observable traits, characteristics or behaviour of an organism-- (9)
19. Missed the Nobel for DNA structure --(8)


Down

1. Gene with the potential to cause cancer --(8)
5. DNA Fingerprinting --(4,8)
7. Non-identical twins --(9)
9. XXY --(11)
11. Trisomy 21 --(4,8)
12. Lab where Watson and Crick discovered the double helix structure --(9)
13. DNA->mRNA->Protein --(7,5)
15. Human cloning, really?? -- (7)
17. Controls cell division --(8)


Answer key

Across

2. mutation in gene on X chromosome (muscular degeneration)-- dystrophin
3. widely used organism in genetic analysis -- drosophila
4. Ethically prohibited form of gene therapy -- germ line
5. prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal disorders -- amniocentesis
6. Hairy pinna(Y chromosome) -- hypertrichosis
8. Abbreviation for an autosomal recessive disorder (leads to progressive mental retardation) -- PKU
10. In RNA but not in DNA -- Uracil
14. Process to generate multiple copies of a DNA sequence -- PCR
16. Rna to dna synthesis in retroviruses -- Reverse Transcriptase
18. Observable traits, characteristics or behaviour of an organism-- phenotype
19. Missed the Nobel for DNA structure -- rosalind franklin


Down

1. Gene with the potential to cause cancer -- oncogene
5. DNA Fingerprinting -- alec jeffreys
7. Non-identical twins -- dizygotic
9. XXY -- Klinefelter syndrome
11. Trisomy 21 -- down syndrome
12. Lab where Watson and Crick discovered the double helix structure -- Cavendish
13. DNA->mRNA->Protein --central dogma
15. Human cloning, really?? -- Clonaid
17. Controls cell division -- telomere

crossword 1 answers

Hey guys

hope you had a fun time with the sports crossword

Here are the answers

Across

1. KING tells the umpire not to stop the bowler from bowling bouncers-- Len Pascoe

3. United played them before the Munich crash-- Red Star Belgrade

4. Batsman, journalist, 346 with the Don-- Jack Fingleton

7. Obstructing the field on 99-- Rameez Raja

9. Off the pitch like a crack of doom-- Mohammad Nissar

11. Arguably the greatest fielder ever...(pre Jonty Rhodes)-- Colin Bland

13. Fastest to 200 wickets in Tests-- Clarrie Grimmett

14. Agassi's grand slam completed-- Andre Medvedev

15. first minute goal in 1974 WC final-- Van Neeskens

17. Five goals in a WC game in 1994-- Oleg Salenko

19. Bradman battered, bruised and embarrassed in First Class match-- Eddie Gilbert

20. Can United score? They always do-- Clive Tyldesley (commentator on ITV4)



Down

2. only player to beat rank 1,2 and 3 enroute to title-- Steffi Graf French Open 99

5. Awarded MOM to Nawaz in 1975 WC game without knowing which team won-- Tom Graveney

6. two twin tons in a series-- Clyde Walcott

8. 1993 US and 1997 Wimby final. Both times fell to Pete-- Cedric Pioline

10. 40 wickets in a series...twice-- Terry Alderman

12. Wrong end of a Colin Croft bump-- Fred Goodall

16. Common to Ramsey, Busby and Fergie-- Scotland

18. 4 wickets out of 5 on debut against WI in Delhi-- Arshad Ayub

Next one coming up today on another of my pet topics...

Cross the line..

Hey guys... a first of a few crosswords I wanna put up over the next few weeks. As expected, I start with a sports based one before heading to other stuff. The clues are below the image. Good luck with it and let me know how the standard of questions is.

You can click on the image and open it in another tab before trying it out.

You can either send in your answers in the comments section or better still mail me at madhusudhanramakrishnan@gmail.com




Across

1. KING tells the umpire not to stop the bowler from bowling bouncers (6)

3. United played them before the Munich crash (8)

4. Batsman, journalist, 346 with the Don (9)

7. Obstructing the field on 99 (6,4)

9. Off the pitch like a crack of doom (6)

11. Arguably the greatest fielder ever...(pre Jonty Rhodes)-- (5,5)

13. Fastest to 200 wickets in Tests (8)

14. Agassi's grand slam completed (8)

15. first minute goal in 1974 WC final (8)

17. Five goals in a WC game in 1994 (4,7)

19. Bradman battered, bruised and embarrassed in First Class match (5,7)

20. Can United score? They always do (9)



Down

2. only player to beat rank 1,2 and 3 enroute to title (6,4)

5. Awarded MOM to Nawaz in 1975 WC game without knowing which team won (8)

6. two twin tons in a series (7)

8. 1993 US and 1997 Wimby final. Both times fell to Pete (7)

10. 40 wickets in a series...twice (8)

12. Wrong end of a Colin Croft bump (4,7)

16. Common to Ramsey, Busby and Fergie (8)

18. 4 wickets out of 5 on debut against WI in Delhi (4)

Move over Richie, the clowns are here!

For cricket fans used to the joy of watching quality cricket shows and listening to excellent analysis and commentary on Channel Nine and Sky broadcasts, the IPL coverage will indeed come as a shocking aberration. Undoubtedly, the overall standard of cricket coverage has dropped in the last ten years. This is mostly due to a spurt in the number of ex-cricketers and so-called cricket show anchors (read models, VJs etc). Admittedly the lady hosts are hot, but I cannot fathom the need for these skimpily clad girls to step up and enlighten the world with their extraordinary cricket 'acumen'. They might just as well cavort in the stands or somewhere outside which will at least regale viewers who are least interested in listening to the nonsensical conversations in the studio.

Because I run the risk of being branded sexist or chauvinistic, I hereby start with a disclaimer. There are quite a few girls/ladies who are knowledgeable about the game and are definitely not the ones I am referring to in this piece. I am in fact fortunate to know many of them. I also am not critical of the ones who do not like sports. After all it is their choice. It is the ones in between who do not quite know which way to go. They have boyfriends who love sports or claim to. Hence the girls decide it is best to demonstrate interest in the same lest they end up being left out of the groups. A classic example of the same is when i notice scores of girls in sports bars clueless while watching a Manchester United football game. Now do these girls care to know about the legacy of the club or its rich past. Do they have the slightest idea about the great trio, the Munich disaster or Nou Camp 1999. I bet not. Why then turn up there and stare at the screen? The reason a comedy show like the IPL is successful is because it is targeted at such a population. They don't know much, don't care to know much, don't appreciate the finer aspects and have only a faint idea about the game in general.

I have had enough of listening to these pretentious girls talk about Nadal's posterior and Federer's cut looks. Instead of appreciating the fantastic rivalry and the nature of the contests, they reduce the sport to such a meaningless concept. Messi's hair, Ronaldo's relationships take precedence over their skills and the history of the El Clasico. Well, the IPL is after all bloody entertainment and nothing else. So I can't really expect the brilliance of Test Match Special analysis there. But then the ones who are responsible should realise the fact that the game is being corrupted and adulterated with these ignoramuses trying to pass off as experts. Why on earth did cricket have to get to all this?

I don't think the ones i spoke about are going to ever know the history, listen to Benaud wax lyrical about Holding's silky action or appreciate classic Test match finishes. Neither are these 'smart' girls (lots of guys also fall in this category) going to understand, analyse and appreciate the nuances of football and tennis. But I hope this piece does hammer a fact into these girls' heads. We guys may ogle and think about girls more often than not BUT when it comes to sports and related discussions, we clearly prefer intelligent analysis to shameless exposure and ignorant opinions.

The Don's Achilles heel??

It would be sacrilegious to even consider comparing any batsman with Don Bradman. He is so far ahead of the rest of the pack that it defies logic. It is fair to say that no sport has witnessed such an extraordinary domination by one player. Bradman made tons of runs, scored them remarkably quickly, was involved in numerous record partnerships and averaged near 100 which is astounding. Before I go further, let me summarise a few of Bradman's outstanding records that are unlikely to be matched, let along bettered.

1. 29 centuries in just 52 matches (80 innings)- 1 hundred per 2.75 innings. Headley comes close with one every four innings (10 in 40).

2. Bradman scored 974 runs in a single series in 1929-30 against England. The closest is Hammond's 905 in the 1928-29 series.

3. His lowest average in a series was 55 in the Bodyline series and that was considered a failure.

4. He was one of the quickest scorers and scored 300 runs in a day.

5. In 1936-37, he scored 270, 169 and 212 as Australia fought back to win the series 3-2 after being 2-0 down.

6. His average is first class cricket is over 95 with 117 centuries in around 234 games. Merchant and Headley average nearly 70 (next best)!!

7. Has a 400 and 300+ stand with Bill Ponsford and a 346 run stand with Jack Fingleton.

8. Lost six of his best years to the World War. You can only imagine what his record might have been otherwise.

9. Led his team called the 'Invincibles' in 1948 to England. Did not lose a single game. Australia piled up 700 in a day against Essex.

10. Scored a century as Australia chased down 404 (then a record chase in Tests)

Ok. before you start thinking what is the objective of my piece, let me tell you that analysing stats is useless unless the context is considered.

As an example, I read CLR James' classic 'Beyond a Boundary'- a highly recommended read. In that book and a couple of others, I came across the point that Bradman was the prime example of a batsman who feasted on bowling in good conditions (read flat tracks) but struggled on the really tough ones (sticky/wet wickets). While it is not possible to establish the nature of the wickets without actually seeing them, I have jus done a brief analysis of how Bradman fared in matches where the team posted less than 300. As it turns out, in 22 such innings, he averages just over 28 with 2 centuries, a far cry from his astronomical career numbers. There can be arguments about how other batsmen failed and the reverse logic of the team failing when he failed. Hobbs and Headley were thought of as better players in tougher conditions and I shall try to establish this with some analysis soon. But at the moment, can I dare suppose that this can be considered the 'Achilles Heel' of the great Don??

Bradman in innings where the team total has been less than 300

43 and 0: vs West Indies

13: vs India

2: vs South Africa

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rest vs England

1 and 18

8

0 and 103*

8 and 66

24

71

36 and 13

38 and 0

0

26

103

12

7

Total = 592 in 21 (22 innings and 1 n.o)

Average of 28.2 in innings where Aussies were dismissed for less than 300 shows that he scored when it was lot easier and did struggle when the going was tough.

In a similar context (team scores less than 300), George Headley scored 817 runs at an average of nearly 38 with four centuries. He wasn't known as the 'Black Bradman' for nothing. Hobbs (of 199 FC centuries fame) scored 1639 runs in a similar context at an average of close to 40. I am not sure if this is enough to pass a judgment. That is not my intention anyway, but just an example to show that career figures of any batsman/bowler must be broken down and analysed in greater detail before coming to a conclusion.

Case in point are the stats of Sunny Gavaskar against WI- 12 of his 34 hundreds against them. In matches when Holding/Marshall did not play, he had 6 hundreds at an average over 91. In games they played, he averaged 41. But even the 41 is bloated, because in 20 innings, he scored a 236* and 147* in dead draws. He scored 594 runs in 4 innings and just 151 in the remaining 16 at an average less than 10 and did not pass 20 even once in the 7 innings he was dismissed by Marshall between 1982-83 and 1983-84.

Ace of Pace

For almost every Test cricket fan, nothing symbolises quality Test cricket than the sight of a superb fast bowler steaming in with the new ball to dislodge a top batsman. It surely can't get better than this! I have grown up in the 1990s watching and admiring brilliant line and length bowlers like Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, the quick Allan Donald and the talented Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Despite having missed the action in the previous decades which witnessed the best of West Indian fast bowling and the aggression of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, I have managed to catch the best matches and moments on video. Comparing fast bowlers is as old a debate as the one on who the best batsman is. Intrigued as I have been by this debate, I decided to analyse the great fast bowlers statistically to try and come up with the answer to the big question- Who is the greatest of them all?

Firstly, I decided to consider only the top fast bowlers from each team (only post World War 2 bowlers considered due to similarity of conditions). The criteria for shortlisting the bowlers is purely the bowling average and strike rate after considering all bowlers with a minimum haul of 200 wickets. Here is the distribution.

Format-> Bowler (wickets)

1. Australia- Ray Lindwall (228), Dennis Lillee (355), Glenn McGrath (563)
2. England- Fred Truman (302), Ian Botham (383), Bob Willis (325)
3. India- Kapil Dev (434)
4. New Zealand- Richard Hadlee (431)
5. Pakistan- Imran Khan (362), Wasim Akram (414), Waqar Younis (373)
6. South Africa- Allan Donald (330), Shaun Pollock (421), Dale Steyn (238)
7. Sri Lanka- Chaminda Vaas (355)
8. West Indies -Malcolm Marshall (376), Curtly Ambrose (405), Michael Holding (249),Joel Garner (259)

There can be several books written about the fantastic exploits of these legends, but I shall restrict myself to the task of explaining the various parameters I have used in the analysis.

Although most parameters are self explanatory, I shall provide a brief idea about each of them.

The main factor used in all calculations is the quality factor which is the product of the strike rate and the bowling average. The lower the value, the better the bowler's performance. In all factors, the highest score is used as the base and the other numbers are normalised.

1. factor 1: Overall career quality factor (bowling average and strike rate)
Dale Steyn, by virtue of his outstanding strike rate is on top while Marshall's average of 20.94 brings him second.

2. factor 2: five wicket hauls: Innings per five wicket haul is used to measure the bowler's match-winning ability.
Richard Hadlee is on top followed by Steyn.

3. factor 3: performance in wins: the quality factor is measured in wins.
Once again, Hadlee and Steyn are on top.

4. factor 4: Away performance: accords bonus to bowler if more than 50% of his wickets are in away Tests and measures quality factor in away wins.
Michael Holding and Marshall are on top. Note that Dennis Lillee loses out as a result of not playing many Tests outside Australia and England.

5. factor 5: top-order wickets: percentage of top-order wickets. Vaas and Pollock are slightly ahead of the rest of the pack.

6. factor 6- 3rd and 4th innings performance- measures quality factor in the vital phase of Tests.Marshall and Donald are on top.

7. factor 7- performance w.r.t peers: complex factor which measures quality of peers both in the same team and other teams. Care is taken to ensure that a bowler does not gain significantly if he has played in a weak team (eg Hadlee).
Steyn and Trueman come out on top.

8. factor 8: Performance against the best teams (3 or 4 at most)- Marshall and Trueman are on top.

9. factor 9: Performance in tough bowling conditions: batting average in the period is used to measure which conditions have been the best for batsmen i.e. toughest for bowlers. Bowler stats in these countries is used to calculate this factor.
Marshall and Steyn are on top. Lillee loses out again as a result of poor performances in the few matches he played outside Australia and England.

10. factor 10: best years- The best years (4/5) of the bowler are used to calculate this factor so that the peak performance can be compared.
Imran Khan and Waqar Younis are on top.

Bonus points are given to allrounders who have contributed to Test wins in the batting department too.



Finally, when the results are checked, Malcolm Marshall comes out on top and deservedly so. He performed superbly and was the best of the Wi pacemen. He also impressed in India and Pakistan which were regarded as graveyards for fast bowlers. Steyn comes a very close second by virtue of a stunning start to his career. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain this for the next five years. The next five are Hadlee, Imran, Waqar, Donald and Ambrose. It's highly unlikely that anyone will have complaints about the rankings of these greats. McGrath, Akram and Lillee come within the top 15. The last few positions belong to Botham, Kapil Dev and Vaas, who despite s rich haul of wickets, were definitely not as potent and threatening in all conditions as the bowlers in the top five.

It was an enthralling exercise to go through the amazing stats of these legendary pace bowlers and an even more interesting exercise to work out the parameters. Now all I want to do is get my hands on a collection of DVDs where I can watch some classic fast bowling, which is truly the most endearing aspect of Test cricket.

Crazy, whacko, out of my mind! take ur pick..love those acts of mine though :D

It's a no-brainer to realize by now that I am a sports nut and especially a huge cricket nut. But most people would be unaware (and might as well stay that way) of the insane things I used to indulge in during my high school and college days when it came to sports. Those days and acts of mine still bring a smile instantly and undoubtedly form a major part of the stories I will narrate in the future..and ya i would not mind if people consider me a weirdo after reading all this..my AIM is that people should understand they have just spoken/met one of the biggest, most passionate and craziest of sports fans. Here's a short list of my acts- some laughable, some embarrassing and some rather atrocious :)

I'll start with the worst ones and get better...

1. Railway station, who cares?-- On numerous occasions when we had to go to the station to pick up cousins and relatives, I always carried a tennis ball. My parents were worried what people looking at me practicing inswingers and leg spin on the platform would think. Little did i care..if there was a ball it was better, else i would still imagine an Imran bowling to Viv and feel bliss..

2. Benaud of Bangalore- if i couldn't bowl at home lest i break some glass, i would turn Benaud/Lawry/Greig all rolled into one..mock Test matches and contests were described with some finesse..add to it imitation of batting and bowling actions and one wouldn't be blamed for assuming something was not right with me..

3. Wimbledon has moved?- how about running Grand Slams in parallel at home?..simulating the matches starting from the first round and five set matches pitting the top seeds against each other. It wasn't always easy to get Edberg's volleys and Sampras' serve right with a table tennis bat and ball..but I did a fair job..frankly this helped me the most when I actually tried playing tennis much much later.

4. exams can take a hike- inevitably the best matches take place mostly during exams. 7th exams- Wc 1996, luckily 10th exams just before WC 1999, but 12th not so lucky- 2001- India Aus- VVS :), engineering almost always had a great series/matches on including the Football WC 2002. Care to take a guess what choice I made..no way could i have given lesser importance to exams than i did those days...

5. poster quizzes- a humongous collection of Sportstars and Wisdens which is still somewhere in my attic, to go with a superb poster collection. I stuck 100s of them in my room to completely cover the walls and the ceiling..only for my mom to pull them down for repainting the house :(. those lovely days when i used to play quizzes for the posters with Raghu and Navneet will stay forever in my mind.

6. Test cricket at 6am is on no matter what- I can take credit for coming up with a fantastic idea to play Test cricket instead of slam-bang stuff. With all rules including lbw, we played some amazing Test cricket from 6-6:30 in the morning all the way till afternoon. The Rajkumar kidnap period in 2000 gave us the best possible chance to play everyday and play we did!!. that phase of my life will remain up there when i finally look back at top moments that i savour..

7. SCG the better drainage system..no way guys!- on numerous occasions, Bangalore's weather created problems for the cricket on weekends. I would return on some days at about 2 or 3am after hanging out with college pals, and then after just 3-4 hours of sleep, would head off to the ground to set it right for play. no super soppers available, so what? Trash rollers were clearly a good replacement. Hari would be the only guy to wake up at 6:30 and help me. The rollers would be used all over the pitch and laying area so as to even the surface and dry it. After about two hours, when the other lazy idiots turned up, the pitch would be perfect to play with just enough moisture for some movement :D...haha!

8. Indispensable? maybe not..but close enough- When I was away in the US, no cricket was played in Bangalore. The day i returned, after few calls, there were 28 guys ready in the ground for some serious Test cricket. I did the same in the US too- organizing a match by making calls to seniors/juniors all through weekends..sometimes I had no time for a shower on sat/sun with innumerable calls coming in to inquire about the prospects of play. Once, I even called people from the airport and got them to the ground to play a match in which I was not gonna play. :D

Ultimately though, my absence in Bangalore led to the beloved ground being converted into a park. Whenever I pass that place, my eyes go moist and I recall those lovely days of cricket and in general those times when the innocent love for all things sport superseded most other trivial pursuits in life (read studies/career etc). My passion for the game and crazy actions at various points might have made it hard to digest for people watching, but little did I care. Even today, nothing gives me more satisfaction than practicing a Michael Holding run up and a Richards flick in the middle of the road:D

The best since Edgbaston!

I shudder to think that I almost managed to miss this match! The venue shift from Kolkata had ensured that the number of tickets available to the public in Bangalore was far fewer than usual and the struggle that ensued on February 24th when tickets were sold was extraordinary. Being used to easy access to tickets and passes, I braced myself for a whole new experience at the stadium few days before the game. We spent a sleepless night witnessing violent crowd behaviour, a police lathi-charge and continuous chaos before finally managing to get just two tickets. The number of tickets sold was less than half of what had been advertised. Following a heavy criticism of their high-handedness, the KSCA decided to release a few more tickets online. I managed to purchase two more tickets after receiving useful information about the online sale of tickets. I was fortunate because the entire quota of online tickets was exhausted in less than an half hour.

Finally, on the big day, we reached the ground about five hours before the start only to find nearly 150 people queued up already at the gates. The intensive security measures ensured that we could not carry any food or water inside the ground. Haphazard seat allocation procedures meant that nobody quite knew where they were supposed to be seated. But eventually, all I cared about was watching the game, and with a great group of cricket crazy fans, it was undoubtedly going to be a day to remember. None of us, however, had the faintest idea of what was about to transpire in the next few hours.

India won the toss and batted. Most of us realised that this was a major factor considering the strength of the batting lineup and the presence of two spinners. A frenetic start where Virender Sehwag had three lives in five balls left us gasping. Sachin Tendulkar played another of his superb ODI knocks, mixing aggression with sound placement. Crucially though, India lost far too many wickets in the end overs and finished about 15-20 runs short of what they should have got after the excellent platform they had. Being dismissed one ball short of the 50 overs is not a bad thing usually, but as we were to realise, on this flat track, every run, including the single the last pair failed to complete, was going to be vital. The Bangalore crowd, already known for its vociferous support, only got louder as the innings progressed and the raucous cheers that went up when Tendulkar reached his century were mind numbing to say the least.

While 339 seemed unassailable, I was not quite confident. The track had absolutely nothing for the bowlers, and if the batsmen had a good outing, the chase was very much on. Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen started like a train, and to most avid watchers, it all seemed like the blistering start the Pakistan openers had given in the 1996 quarter-final. Munaf Patel, not generally known for his fielding, demonstrated stunning reflexes and managed to latch on to a return catch offered by Pietersen. The crowd was roaring and when Jonathan Trott was dismissed soon after, it seemed like curtails for England. A hugely controversial moment followed when Ian Bell was reprieved after being struck palpably in front. The rule stated that in the event the ball strikes the pad at a distance greater than 2.5 metres from the stumps, the decision would stick with the on field call. The technicality of the UDRS had saved Bell and the displeasure in the crowd was immense. Loud chants of “cheating” and other expletives were heard for a while, and at about the 40 over mark, England seemed to well and truly have the match wrapped up.

Strauss’ century was the highest score by an England batsman and one of the finest in an ODI chase. MS Dhoni’s defensive tactics were not going to bring any success and it seemed very obvious that for India to have a chance, England had to mess up. The decision to take the batting powerplay immediately paid dividends when Bell was caught trying to go over the top. Zaheer Khan’s searing yorker nailed Strauss the very next ball and the stadium went wild. Chairs were being thrown, people fell on top of one another and few others even ripped their shirts off in Sourav Ganguly style. With two more wickets falling quickly, it seemed as if England had succumbed to the pressure exerted by the crowd and the bowling. 29 runs required off two overs. India surely could not lose. Enter Swann and Bresnan. They took 15 runs of the hapless Piyush Chawla, setting up a fantastic final over. With 11 runs required off four balls, Ahmed Shahzad deposited a half-volley from Munaf Patel for a six over long on. The crowd could not bear to watch and suddenly a tie seemed a possibility. The improbable came true when, with two needed off the last ball, Swann drove to the covers. The ball was somehow fielded and one of the greatest matches in World Cup history had come to the most amazing of ends and need I say I was privileged to be present for this one. Once again, it is impossible to believe I almost missed this game!

Caribbean Cruise

It is ironical that I am attempting to write about the glorious history of West Indian cricket when it is at its nadir. The sad state of affairs is palpable and the administrators and players are guilty of doing nothing to alleviate the situation. But then it is also apt, as it reminds one and all about their extraordinary contribution to world cricket. No other team has managed to produce as many naturally gifted batsmen, outstanding fast bowlers and brilliant all-round fieldsmen like the West Indies have. While selecting the all time XI of the West Indies, people are in a complete quandary considering there are at least 25-30 top players to pick from. Richie Benaud, the doyen of commentators, himself calls them 'The True Entertainers' of cricket and I cannot help but agree. I have grown up watching and reading about the fantastic exploits of West Indian legends and this work is the smallest tribute I can pay to a team cherished by every cricket lover.

West Indian cricket has seen many highs and lows, exceptional captains and dominant players. It can be divided into different periods detailed below.

1. The Headley years

Cricket was given to almost every country by England during the course of its imperialistic conquests. West Indies made their entry into international cricket in 1928. The islands of the West Indies did not have a fair representation in those early years though. Majority of the players in the team were whites and very few locals were preferred. Learie Constantine was an outstanding all-rounder who played in his country's first Test match. The tour of England under Karl Nunes turned out to be a disaster though, as the team went down by an innings in all three matches. But in 1929-30, when England toured the West Indies, a new batting star was born. George Headley of Jamaica plundered the England attack and scored 703 runs in four Tests including four centuries as West Indies won their first ever Test at Georgetown.

After a couple of disappointing series, West Indies won their first ever series against England in 1934-35. A loss in a low scoring first Test was followed by an outstanding performance by Headley, who by then was known as the 'Black Bradman'. He scored 485 runs including a superb 270 in the final Test at Kingston where England were beaten by an innings. Headley's record before the World War was simply outstanding. He scored almost 26% of the team runs during the period and averaged more than 66. He finished his career after the war with 10 centuries in 40 innings, a rate second only to Bradman's. He also averaged 71 at number three which remains one of the best for that position.



Centre:George Headley, the first great WI batsman

2. Era of the 3 W's

England toured the Caribbean in 1947-48. George Headley led the West Indies in the first Test at Barbados becoming the first black captain to do so. But he was immediately replaced in the next match by Gerry Gomez. Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott and Everton Weekes made their debuts in this series. Known as the 3 W's, all three were born in Bridgetown and soon became the batting heavyweights of the team. West Indies went on to win the series 2-0 and on the next tour of India, Everton Weekes set a record for the most consecutive centuries when he scored five hundreds in five innings and was run out for 90 in the sixth. West Indies dominated the 1950 series against England winning 3-1 with Worrell leading the scoring. He aggregated 539 runs at nearly 90 with a top score of 261 at Nottingham.

Australia won the series down under in 1951-52 by a comprehensive margin of 4-1 but the series was a lot closer than that. The Aussies won the first Test by three wickets and the fourth by just one wicket. Despite the excellent individual performances, West Indies were not able to establish dominance. This was in part, due to the absence of a local captain. The 1955 Australian tour of West Indies saw the home team losing heavily with the Aussie batsmen feasting on some weak bowling. Clyde Walcott though was in superb batting form scoring 827 runs with five centuries in the series, including a century in both innings on two different occasions in the same series.





Left:The three greats from Barbados: Worrell, Walcott and Weekes
Right: Meckiff is run out by Joe Solomon's direct hit as the Brisbane Test is tied


3. Rise of the greatest all-rounder- Sobers

The England tour of 1954 witnessed the debut of the 17 year old Garfield Sobers, who played in the lower middle order and bowled occasionally. He had not scored a single century despite getting numerous starts. On the disastrous England tour of 1957, when West Indies lost 3-0, Sobers was one of the few quality performers. Finally, in 1958 against Pakistan at Kingston, Sobers announced himself with a spectacular 365*, in the process surpassing Len Hutton's 20 year record. Conrad Hunte scored 260 and the West Indies amassed 790/3 beating Pakistan by an innings. This series was followed by a victory over India and a defeat to Pakistan and England. The next series was against Australia down under and was expected to be a no contest considering Australia were easily the best team.

4. Worrell's era

Frank Worrell became the first black captain of the West Indies and encouraged his team to play attacking cricket. He united all the islands and there was enormous respect for his leadership. Richie Benaud was the opposing captain and in the first Test at Brisbane, the West Indies were in trouble early losing three quick wickets. In the passage of play that ensued, Sobers and Worrell unleashed a scintillating array of strokes, with Sobers in particular dominating the Australian bowling. He scored a stunning 132 as West Indies made 453. Norman O'Neill made 181 as Australia secured a 52 run lead. Alan Davidson who had scored a half century earlier bowled superbly to keep the West Indies down to 284, with Worrell top scoring. Australia were expected to get the runs easily, but Wesley Hall's aggressive fast bowling left them in tatters at 92/6. Benaud and Davidson fought back and took Australia to 228 when Davidson was run out by Joe Solomon. When Hall started the last over of the match, all results were possible. Benaud was caught behind with five required putting West Indies on top. Then the drama started. Hall spilled an easy catch two balls later and when Wally Grout was run out going for the third run, the scores were level. Kline pushed the ball to square leg and set off for what would have been the winning run, but Solomon swooped and effected a stunning direct hit. The match had ended in a tie, the first ever in Test history and had set the precedent for a glorious summer. Australia and West Indies won the next two matches comfortably and when the fourth Test started in Adelaide, the series was level 1-1 with two to play. West Indies dominated the match, but Australia's last pair of Kline and Mackay frustrated them for almost two hours to draw the game. Australia won a tight contest at the MCG by two wickets to take the series 2-1. At the end of a fascinating series, Frank Worrell and his team were given a parade through Melbourne and the Australia-WI contest ever since is known as the frank Worrell trophy. Worrell's team comfortably defeated England and Australia over the next two years and Garry Sobers took over the captaincy in 1966 for the England tour of West Indies.

5. Sobers as captain and the decline

Sobers took over the captaincy from Worrell in 1966 and reestablished West Indian supremacy in his first two series as captain. In the ultimate all-round performance, he scored over 700 runs, picked up 20 wickets and held 10 catches against England in the 3-1 victory. The team though had lost much of its sheen and the bowling had gone rather weak. In what turned out to be a premature decision, he declared both innings of the Trinidad Test in 1967-68 setting England 215 to win which they managed to do with few balls to spare. He was vilified extensively for this blunder and despite his best efforts to win the next Test, England drew and won the series 1-0. Sobers did not win a single series after this. After the 1-0 loss to India in 1971, Rohan Kanhai took over the reins. A loss against Australia at home was followed by a 2-0 win in England with Sobers stroking a fantastic 150 at Lord's. Sobers announced his retirement in 1973 and the captaincy was taken over by Clive Lloyd for the tour of India. Lloyd's reign was the start of what would go onto become an unprecedented period of dominance over the next two decades.





Left:The greatest captain and motivator- Frank Worrell
Right:All rounder nonpareil-Garry Sobers


6.Pace is the key

The first Test at Bangalore on the 1974-75 tour of India witnessed the debuts of two players who would go on to become the most outstanding batsmen over the next fifteen years. Vivian Richards and Gordon Greenidge had contrasting debuts; while Richards made just 4 and 3, Greenidge scored 93 and 107. West Indies went on to win a close series 3-2. Lloyd's success continued in the first World Cup in 1975 when they won all their matches enroute to the title. They were lucky to win against Pakistan when they were down 166/8 and 203/9 chasing 267, but Andy Roberts and Deryck Murray put on 64 runs for the last wicket to clinch the win. In the final, Clive Lloyd smashed a brilliant 102, his century coming off just 82 balls to lead West Indies to a 17 run win. Australia's chase was thwarted by Richards who ran three batsmen out including the Chappell brothers. The tour of Australia in 1975-76 taught the West Indies some harsh truths about the game. The Aussies were the best side by a distance and in Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, they had the best new ball pairing in the world. Max Walker and Gary Gilmour provided superb support and the tough cricket they played clearly hurt the West Indies. Roy Fredericks smashed the Aussie bowling around in his 169 in the 2nd Test at Perth, but the West Indies were routed 5-1. The only man to emerge with his head held high was Viv Richards, who after being promoted to open the innings made 98, 101 and 50 in the last two Tests. India toured the Caribbean later and squared the series by chasing down a then record 406. The West Indian spinners proved to be totally ineffective and Lloyd realized that the only way to batter teams into submission was to assemble an array of top fast bowlers. In Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft, he had a terrifying set of fast bowlers who changed the way Test cricket would be played over the next decade.


7.The summer of 1976

>;Tony Greig's remark that he would make the West Indies 'grovel' turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes. The term had a racist connotation to it and nobody was angered more than Viv Richards, who took it upon himself to inflict all the suffering on the England bowlers that summer. Richards was in exceptional form scoring 829 runs in 4 Tests and might have gone on to touch 1000 runs had he not missed the second Test. In the Old Trafford Test, Brian Close and John Eldrich were subjected to a barrage of bouncers by the West Indian quicks. In the final Test at the batsman friendly Oval, Michael Holding produced a masterclass. After Richards' 291 had led WI to 687, England had managed 445 thanks mainly to Dennis Amiss who made 203. Holding produced a blistering spell of fast bowling picking up 8 wickets including the prized scalp of Tony Greig. Six more wickets in the second innings brought him match figures of 14/149, an amazing performance on a flat track. England were thrashed 3-0 and this began a period of unprecedented West Indian dominance over England. Richards went on to make 1710 runs in the calendar year, which remained a record for 30 years.







Top:Whispering death Michael Holding who destroyed England at the Oval with 14/149
Centre:Gundappa Viswanath's glorious 97 at Chepauk is one of the finest knocks played against WI
Right:The WI pace quartet- Roberts,Holding, Croft and Garner

8. Packer and beyond

Most players around the world had issues with their pay and when Kerry Packer of Channel 9 started World Series Cricket after discussions with Tony Greig and Ian Chappell, most West Indian players joined the fold. After two seasons of SuperTests and one-day games among the rebel teams, the boards accepted the demands and the players were back in the main team. During that period, a depleted West Indies lost
a Test in India. Lloyd's team embarked on a tour of New Zealand which turned out to be one of the most ill-tempered. In the first Test at Dunedin, the WI bowlers were incensed after a blatant caught behind decision was turned down. New Zealand squeezed a one wicket win and held on to win the acrimonious series 1-0. The series is sadly remembered for Michael Holding kicking the stumps down and Colin Croft barging into umpire Fred Goodall.


9.Lloyd's reign

Lloyd's powerful West Indian team drew 1-1 against Australia after a classic Kim Hughes century at the MCG enabled the Aussies to win a close game. India were beaten easily in the home series with Richards smashing an exceptional 61 off 36 balls to chase down 173 in 26 overs at Kingston. The WI went to England confident of lifting the trophy for the third consecutive time. An early setback against India was quickly forgotten as they went about their business clinically thrashing Australia by 101 runs, with Winston Davis picking up 7/51. India had a superb tournament and reached the final on June 25th at Lord's. It was a classic mismatch and despite India having tastes success against WI at Berbice earlier and in the World Cup, the Caribbeans were expected to cruise to victory. David Frith was so confident of India being humbled that he famously stated that he would "eat his words" if India won. When India were bundled out for just 183, everything seemed to be too easy for the champions. But when Greenidge forgot about the Lord's slope and was bowled by an innocuous Balwinder Sandhu delivery, the Indians were hopeful. Richards quickly proceeded to change the game with some terrific shots. He had seven fours in his 33 and looked like he would end the game within the next twenty overs. Then came the moment of truth! Richards played a pull off the hapless Madan Lal andjust when the ball seemed headed for safety, India's captain Kapil Dev ran more than twenty yards to pluck the catch. The tide had turned. India's medium pacers squeezed the WI batsmen and eventually won a shock victory by 43 runs. The WI were stunned and Lloyd was resolved to establish that India's victory was only an aberration.

In the series that followed in India, the WI definitely sought revenge for the defeat in the final at Lord's. India failed to win a single Test and were ruthlessly hunted down by the pace bowlers, Malcolm Marshall in particular. He picked up 33 wickets in the series with his best spell coming in Kanpur. On a flat and lifeless track, Marshall destroyed the Indian batting with a spell of 4 for 9 in eight overs and accounted for Sunil Gavaskar. At the peak of his bowling prowess, Marshall dominated Gavaskar dismissing him seven times below 20 runs. Gavaskar scored a scintillating century at Delhi and unbeaten 236 in Chennai coming in at No.4. Richards' famously remarked to Gavaskar, who came in at 0/2 "No matter when you come in, the score will be zero." India were thrashed 7-0 in the ODI series, the highlight being Richards' superb 149 off 99 balls at Jamshedpur. The result was truly a reflection of the greatness of the WI team and how far ahead of the pack they were.







Top:Infamous series in NZ- Holding kicks out following an umpiring howler
Centre:Lloyd introduces his team to the Queen
Right:Malcolm Marshall, the greatest fast bowler from the Caribbean


10.The blackwashes

WI secured an emphatic 3-0 win against Australia at home, not losing a single second innings wicket in three victories. WI then travelled to England, who they had dominated in recent series. But what transpired in the next five games was truly extraordinary. After an innings defeat at Edgbaston, England fought back at Lord's picking up a 41 run lead courtesy an 8 wicket haul by Ian Botham. David Gower declared at 300/9 setting WI an enormous task of chasing 342 in 75 overs. Gordon Greenidge however was in a belligerent mood and made a mockery of the target scoring 214 off 242 balls as WI chased the target down for the loss of just one wicket (a run-out)in just 66 overs. The WI comfortably won the next Test at Leeds after Marshall ripped through England with 7/53 despite a fracture in his left hand. A 5-0 thrashing was sealed at the Oval few days later and WI were firmly sitting on top of the tree.

WI also won the ODI series 2-1. The first ODI at Old Trafford witnessed a stupendous 189* by Viv Richards, which is by far the greatest ODI innings ever played. WI were reeling at 166/9 when Richards, on 95, was joined by Michael Holding. The last wicket stand was worth 106 with Richards contributing 94 of those runs. He cut loose on the England attack and hammered Willis, Pringle, Foster and Botham to all parts of the ground. Old Trafford had witnessed some of the cleanest striking of the cricket ball ever and his 189 out of a team 272 is still the highest contribution to a team's completed innings (total greater than 100 and overs greater than 25).

Lloyd retired at the end of the away series against Australia which WI won 3-1. Marshall was again the pick of the bowlers and was at his peak with 11 five wicket hauls in 14 matches. Richards took over the captaincy and led WI to a comfortable 2-0 win over New Zealand at home. The home series against England was another mauling for England. They were swamped 5-0 again with Richards scoring the fastest Test century at Antigua in a 240 run win.

11. The Richards' era

Viv Richards led WI with distinction after Lloyd's retirement, not losing a single series as captain. The only team that consistently challenged WI was Imran Khan's Pakistan who drew three series in the 1980s. WI were bowled out for 53 in Faislabad with Abdul Qadir taking 6/16, but bounced back to win by an innings in the next game bowling out Pakistan for 131 and 77. In the home series that followed, WI lost the first Test at Guyana by nine wickets mainly due to Imran Khan's 11 wickets and Javed Miandad's century. The next Test was a tight affair and Pakistan held on for a draw with one wicket in hand. WI squeezed home by two wickets in the final Test to square the series 1-1. WI had a disappointing World Cup, not making the semi finals for the first time. Courtney Walsh's act of sportsmanship when he refused to run out Saleem Jaffar, who had backed up too far, resulted in defeat for WI and elimination from the WC. But his terrific gesture was commended by one and all. WI thrashed England 4-0 in the 1988 series, with Marshall ripping the England batting apart at Old Trafford with a haul of 7/22. Richards's side, despite losing most of the stars, dominated cricket for the next two years and he retired after another home series win against Allan Border's Australia.







Top:Terrific on one leg-Greenidge's 214 at Lord's set up a 5-0 rout
Centre:Richards' 189* at Old Trafford- the finest ODI knock ever
Right:The king and Botham- best of pals

12.The beginning of the end of domination

Richie Richardson took over the captaincy after Viv Richards and led WI to series wins against Pakistan and Australia. The series against Australia witnessed the closest win in Test history when WI pipped the Aussies by one run in Adelaide. Ambrose, with a spectacular spell of 7/1 destroyed the Australians at Perth in the next Test to win the series 2-1. The series also unearthed the genius of Brian Lara, who made a superb 277 at the SCG. He followed this effort up in the next year by scoring 375 against England at Antigua and a 501* for Warwickshire against Durham. Mark Taylor's team visited the Caribbean in 1995 to try and win the Frank Worrell trophy, which they had not won for the last 20 years. Australia won the first Test comfortably, but were thrashed in a low scoring third Test. In the final Test, the Waugh twins shared a stunning partnership to put the match beyond the West Indies. The Australians had won the series 2-1; the first time WI had lost a series for 15 years. This turned out to be the beginning of the end of the dominance of the West Indies.

13.The sharp fall

After a 2-2 series draw in England in 1995, West Indies travelled down under to try and regain the Frank Worrell trophy. They were outplayed in the first and second Tests and despite fighting back to win the third Test at the MCG, they lost the fourth to lose the series. A century by Lara and some fine bowling enabled them to gain a consolation win in the final Test.

A disappointing World Cup campaign began with defeats against India and Sri Lanka (WI refused to travel to Colombo). More humiliation followed as they were bowled out for 93 against Kenya at Pune. They managed to qualify for the quarterfinal after defeating Australia in Jaipur. Few gave them a chance against South Africa in their QF clash in Karachi. SA had won all their five group matches with ease and were the favourites to lift the trophy. What followed though was sheer brilliance. Brian Lara produced a masterpiece, scoring 111 off 94 balls which took West Indies to 264. Excellent bowling kept the Proteas down to 245 and the World Cup has witnessed a huge upset. In the semi-final in Mohali, the West Indies started superbly reducing Australia to 15/4. Michael Bevan, the man for a crisis, who had singlehandedly won an ODI in Sydney earlier in the same year against WI, combined with Stuart Law and put Australia back on track. However, the total of 207 seemed inadequate when Lara and Chanderpaul were going great guns. Lara fell to a superb off-cutter from Steve Waugh and this opened the sluice gates. Warne returned to wreak havoc in the middle order. Umpiring decisions went against the West Indies and in the panic that ensued, Richie Richardson fought a lone battle. Curtly Ambrose's run out and a mindless hoick by Courtney Walsh put an end to the campaign and Richardson resigned as captain after the exit.

Walsh took over the captaincy but there was no way he could stem the rot. WI lost 3-0 in Pakistan and he was forced to retire. Lara's start at the top began horribly as the team went down 5-0 in South Africa. In February 1999, Australia made a trip to the Caribbean under Steve Waugh. In the first Test in Trinidad, Wi were bowled out for 51 and there were numerous calls for Lara's axing. Under extreme pressure from all sides and with absolutely no support, Lara produced a string of exhilarating performances that is surely the stuff of legend. He started with a stunning 213 at Jamaica, enabling WI to recover from 34/4 and secure a 10 wicket win. In the next Test in Barbados, his glorious 153*, remembered best for his partnership with the tail, helped WI to triumph by one wicket in a thriller. He followed this up with a violent century in the fourth Test, but Autralia held on to square the series 2-2. In the not so memorable 90s, this show of individual brilliance stood out.

However, the cracks were only widening as the WI were thrashed 3-1 in England. This series marked the end of Curtly Ambrose's career and with his departure, WI had lost a fantastic match winner. His absence was felt in Australia as the spineless attack was hammered all round. Jimmy Adams resigned from captaincy soon after a 5-0 rout and Carl Hooper took over for the tour of Sri Lanka in November 2001.





Right:Don't cuss me man..Ambrose flares up against Steve Waugh and is hauled back by Richie Richardson
Left:Lara's finest moment- the surreal 153* to snatch a win in Barbados, 1999


14.The prince's second coming

Brian Lara very well knew that the fortunes of his team rested squarely on his batting performances. He produced what is arguably the greatest series batting display by a batsman from a losing side. His 688 runs in just three Tests in which he ran up scores of 178, 221 and 130 were not enough to prevent a 3-0 whitewash. He had amassed more than 42% of the team runs and his superb command over the magnificent Muttiah Muralitharan was a joy to behold.

In every series that followed, WI plummeted to new depths. A 4-0 loss in England was followed by another home series defeat against England. In the final Test, Lara scored a record 400*, surpassing Matthew Hayden's 380 to restore some pride. A shock win in the ICC Champions trophy was the only bright point in an otherwise horrible phase. Amidst series defeats in South Africa and Australia, Lara played some glorious knocks. His 226 in Adelaide took him past Allan Border's Test aggregate. He made a splendid double-century in Multan, taking Danish Kaneria for 26 runs off one over.

Lara retired from all forms of cricket after a disappointing World Cup loss to England. With his retirement, WI had lost their last great batsman who was the only one capable of standing up to the world's best bowling attacks. Lara's second coming yielded 21 centuries at an average over 60 and he definitely looked good enough to carry on for two more years. His greatest regret though, will always lie in the fact that his best phase coincided with time WI cricket was in its doldrums.





Right:Lara after his superb 202 in South Africa
Left:The prince essays a scorching drive

Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan have provided resistance on occasions and youngsters like Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo and Kemar Roach have shown promise. But it will take a while (I hope!) for WI cricket to emerge from these dark times and thrill one and all.

There has never been a sports team so universally loved and admired, yet feared and respected. Headley's batting exploits, the outstanding and inspiring leadership of Frank Worrell, the great performances of Walcott and Weekes, Sobers' extraordinary feats, the stunning standards set by the teams led by Lloyd and Richards, the assembly line of fast bowlers and finally the genius of Brian Lara. These memories will undoubtedly last till my dying day and will serve me in good stead when I sit down to narrate the fantastic achievements of the greats from the Caribbean islands to my children.


Ok guys..here's a small set of questions for all you WI cricket fans at the end..have fun!

1. Name the bowler who split Wally Hammond's chin in a terrifying spell in 1933.
2. What is the record run tally by a West Indian batsman in a WI-India series?
3. Who hit Nari Contractor on his head resulting in a life-threatening injury?
4. Who were the two batsmen recalled from retirement by England to face up to Michael Holding and Andy Roberts in 1976?
5. Who was the captain of New Zealand when they beat WI by one wicket in a controversial Test in 1979-80 (it was to be 15 years before WI lost another series)
6. Two batsmen were seriously injured my Malcolm Marshall on the 1984 tour of England
batsman 1 (temple) and batsman 2(shoulder). Who were the players?
7. Who scored a spectacular 154* against WI at Leeds in 1991 to enable England win a close contest?
8. What were Curtly Ambrose's figures when he bowled England out for 46 at Port of Spain in 1993-94?
9. How many sixes has Brian Lara hit in Tests?
10. WI hold the record for not losing a single Test in Barbados for 59 years (1935-1994). Who was the man of the match in the Test they lost in 1994?