DST Update - Issue with BlackJack Mobiles

By now everyone would have realised that US Moved to Daylight Saving Time (DST) this weekend. So, this means that starting weekend the time zone delta with the US will be one less hour.

Keeping this in view, I noticed that the time on my 'BLACKJACK' had not changed to the DST timings. Oh god.... thinking I had put the time update to manual I checked the settings. To my surprise it was set to 'automatic' and then it dawned on me that the mobile had failed me. As per my naive belief it should have changed to DST based on the settings.

This got me surfing the net and it lead me to the following microsoft site which had an update available for the Window Mobile devices.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/daylightsaving/default.mspx

You need to download the CAB file available.

I downloaded the file and my mobile changed to the DST timings immediately.

Hope this works for everyone.

FYI: I use the AT & T network.

Sync your data - Allway Sync

Last year in thanksgiving I purchased an external drive and since then have been struggling to synchronize the data between PC & External Drive..... some of it can be blamed on my carelessness or lethargy to keep data in synchronize. After quite a struggle & surfing the net, I stumbled upon "ALLWAY SYNC" a free download.

The software has easy to use interface. It helps in 'analyze' the files that need to be synchronized between the source & destination. Allway Sync also gives us a list of files that are questionable and waits for us to take action.

Feel free to download the software from http://allwaysync.com/download.html

Finally, my prayers are answered and data is synchronized between the drives

Cannon SD1000 - Lens Error, Restart the camera

My cannon SD1000 died on me while taking pics of my new born baby. It kept saying "Lens Error, Restart the Camera". In the hospital, I could not concentrate or do any trial n error on the camera.

Back home now... I did the following and it worked

Removed the battery, recharged the same. Inserted the charged batter and very gently moved lens sideways couple of times. The lens immediately went in and I restarted the camera. Everything is back to normal.

I have clicked some more photos and it is working fine.

Not sure if this will work for everyone....no harm in sharing some tip

Bundle of Joy arrives

Wondering why I stopped blogging.....for a very good reason

Sudha and myself were blessed with a cute little baby on 29 Feb. She is named ALEKHYA and will remain 'young' always as she was born in the leap year.

She is our second child....Abhishek our first son is all excited and already playing the bigbrother.

SuperBowl XLII - Final Update

The Final Game lived up to the expectations....Eli Manning gave the 'slip' of his life...Patriots were left shell-shocked. Eli in the last 2 minutes of the game played probably threw the 'best' throws in a football game. NY Giants defense were the "MVP" of the superbowl. Brady was not able to create the moves and was 'sacked' very often or made to throw wild.

An interesting article that caught the attention "Patriots coach a sore loser"

It is point well made .....

"But when the shoe's on the other foot, and Bill Belichick's team has been beaten, he can't sit there and take the pain for a few seconds. "

Bill Belichick should have waited till the final whistle to blow before embarking on his mission to congratulate the winning coach. At the same time, other school of thought would debate that Bill Belichick was eager enough to admit his team was beaten and was being sporting enough to walk across to the other side. This action of the 'star' coach is going to rage for many weeks to come. While the debate is on, we should give Bill Belichick and Patriots there due credit, they were the best but failed the 'last' step to the zenith.

NY Giants are TRUE WINNERS....they were underdogs but played like "CHAMPS"...Congratulations Eli Manning and the brave 'defense' team.

Before signing off - on SuperBowl...the following were the last two commercials watched by yours truely....

Victoria Secret - let the real games begin
American Idol - even champs can dream.

Curtains have come down on another SuperBowl....

SuperBowl XLII - NY GIANTS CHAMPIONS

NY GIANTS ARE THE CHAMPIONS....

Eli Manning gave a slip of the season...he slipped out of the pile to throw a "TOUCHDOWN" pass of his life.

SuperBowl XLII - TOUCHDOWN NY GIANTS

IS THIS THE TOUCHDOWN for the CHAMPIONSHIP......

Are we going to see the the end of "SEASON RUN-STREAK" of the PATRIOTS...

35 secs to go in the match and the Giants lead by 3 and now 'time-outs' will come into picture..

TOM BRADY - THE STATUE will have to bring out his best game out in the field..

HOLD YOUR BREATH ......

SuperBowl XLII - TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS

Randy Moss - Catches the ball of the match -- A TOUCHDOWN

Tom Brady...is heading for 2nd SuperBowl Championship...

Eli Manning will have to really pull-off something here to keep the NY Giants in the hunt...

MATCH IS ON..........

SuperBowl XLII - Commercial & Game Update

Coke is leading the way in Commercials at the beginning of the 4th quarter

CocaCola - Washington DC
Toyota -
TACO BELL - New Fiesta Platters - OOla
Gatrode - Man's Best Friend
Bud Light - Flint
Hyundai - Genesis - think about it thru the tunnel

Randy Moss has been able to make only 2 catches in the whole match and we are alreadyinto the last 10 mins of the 4th quarter. The NY GIANTS defense is playing their best football. They are hurrying Tom Brady and who looks to be shaken up. He seems to be running out of ideas.

Need to see if we would see another 'ace' coming out of his pocket. He is back on the field as we are in the last 8 mins of the 4th quarter.

SuperBowl XLII - NY Giants Lead

NY GIANTS score a TOUCHDOWN ... LEAD the PATRIOTS 10 -7

SuperBowl XLII - Commercials Update 2nd Half

Hyundai - "Genesis " the drive thru the mountains
*** other blogs are talking about Hyundai making its first appearance since 1989 in SuperBowl

BudLight - Missed the flight
Sunsilk - make it happen
CocaCola - Macy's Parade

************
not sure if these commercials were aired before the SuperBowl

E*Trade - not sure if it was aired before SuperBowl
Jack in Box - Jack in the Spa

the Big Brother - Peyton Manning is looking anxious as he watches his brother putting it up against the Patriots.

SuperBowl XLII - 2nd Quarter Ad Update

The advertisements aired during the 2nd half

Cars.com - Witch Doctor
SalesGenie - Pandas
BudLight - The Wheel
IceBreakers - Ice Cubes
Careerbuilder.com - The Wish, Bee

These ads were aired as the Patriots challenged that NY Giants had 12 men on the field.

SuperBowl XLII - HalfTime Update

Patriots are having a tough time keeping the NY Giants defense at bay. NY Gaints had a turnover just before the half-time. NY Giants would go to the tent feeling good...they have not let the Patriots run away with the game. Tom Brady has been sacked almost 3 times today and has tough time throwing 6 times.

Scoreline of 7-3 in favor of Patriots definetely does not tell the true story of the game. NY Giants are giving everything they have and it is going to 'final' half worth watching.

It is going to be an exciting 2 quarters....Let's watch n enjoy

SuperBowl XLII - Ads Update

The following are the ads that have been watched by me

Ford Synch - Anesthesia On
SalesGenie.com - Indian Touch - Mr. Ramesh
GoDaddy.com - not for kids. surprising it went thru the Censor Board
Budwiser - Horse & Dog partnership
Toyota Corolla - Cannons firing
Garmin Navigator - 'Follow the Leader' the take on the French Leader Napoleon Bonaparte
LifeWater - Lizards dancing to the "Thriller" - Very Catchy
GMC - Never say Never - Yukon Hybrid
BudLight - Gives some Indian touch.
Cars.com - Stone Circle
PepsiStuff.com - not that intersting, involving the Justin Timberlake
Doritos - violent, not cool.
T-Mobile - Barkley & Wade T-Favorites

SuperBowl - Ads Update

Ads that have been aired so far and looking ood

Budwiser - The Fire
Audi - Car take on the 'head of horse' in the film 'GODFATHER'
Dell - Red
FedEx - Piegons causing an havoc
Gatrode - G2 - Derek Jeter Baseball Field

Jim Carrey is at the venue enjoying the show.

Patriots lead 7-3

SUPERBOWL XLII - Underway

Wow...the American sports extravaganza is underway.

the whole of US is now busy watching the match between NY Gaints vs Patriots.

Most of the viewers would be eagerly watching the new advertisements that are going to be released today.

If you miss any of the ads and the same can be watched at www.myspace.com/superbowlads

Budwiser - Fire Adv and Audi's take on the scene from Godfather really show the way for some good ad watching..

If someone wants to know more about superbowl...they can visit the NFL site http://www.nfl.com/home

It would be worth watching if Jr. Manning would be able to pull off a trick out of his bag to upset Brady's applecart.

Will India survive the Last Day?

It has been an exciting series so far and it boils down to the 'last day' of the final test match. The series so far has contained all the 'masala' a bollywood pot-boiler would have. The stories and happenings both on the field and off the field has lifted the Aus-India series to a new level.

Now it comes down to this '5th day' battle and the million dollar question 'Will Indian batsmen survive the last day'. History on the same ground tells us all a different story. In 2004, India had pulled a stunning victory over Aussies when both teams had completed 500 runs in their respective 1st innings. In 2006, Australia had pulled off another Ashes historic win, when they beat England by 6 wickets. Again both teams had scored more than 500 runs in their 1st innings.

As things stand, this match happens to be in the same state as the Aus-Eng match in the 2006. England could not survive and Australia chased down the target.

Apart from the history of the Adeliade ground, we all know about India's vulnerability in the 2nd innings of a test match. Leave the umpiring decisions aside, Indian tail could not survive the last 10 minutes of the Sydney test match. Tail-enders have put up a great show in the 1st innings by throwing their bats around but when it comes to survive they have been found lacking. India do not have a big lead on the board, hence they have not alternative but survive all the sessions of the last day. Hence, it may boil down to how the top-order and tail stands up to the contest.

Moreover, Australians are all charged up and would like to give one of their greats 'Gilly' a resounding farewell. Adam Gilchrist changed the complexion of the 'wicket-keeper' batsman in the history of cricket. He has really given the best performance both in front & behind the stumps.

Oh boy....ODI has changed test cricket... gone are the days when we used to see similar scoresheets and give up on the last day as match heading for a draw....

Who knows what the 'crystall-ball' has in store for us tomorrow...

One placard in the Perth Test carried truely fits the bill today again...

" Heart says India, but Head says Australia"

From 'oracle' point, a T20 match scenario might just be on the cards..Australia trying to chase down 150-175 in the last 20-25 overs...

Indian blues...all the best 2-1 would be the score which would make us all happy..And a 2-2 result would send the INDIAN FANS index to a 'stock' high level

Weekly Roundup - Perth Test

It has been a week where lots has happened.....

It has been a deja vu for the Indian Team...they have stopped Aussies in their tracks once again. They did the same in 2001 at Eden Gardens and have now done it in Aussies own backyard at Perth. It was hyped that India would not even last 3 days on a bouncy and fastest pitch in the world. Unfortunately the Aussies tasted their own medicine and lost the match.

Inspired India end Australia's streak - @ cricinfo.

Kumble would not have dreamt a better time to have his 600 wicket in the test match. A test match which is going to be remembered by all for a long time to come.

The master of nuances @ cricinfo

Immediately after the Test win, the Indian Selectors have announced the ODI team. And as usual have sprung quite a few surprises. The selection has the Bengal Tigers up in arm again. It is time Indian Seniors are treated with some dignity. The seniors have stood like pillar of strength during the crisis Indian Team faced during the past couple of weeks. They have shown dignity and solidarity in keeping the team as one unit.

Dada dropped, Raina goes over the Wall

And the most happy man of the week must be The comeback kid – Irfan Pathan....

Congratulations to Indian Team...hope they carry this performance to the Adelaide...

New Tiny Laptop from APPLE - Unveiled

A slide of the MacBook Air, from the back.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)



Wow...Steve Jobs does have it in him to throw surprises Last year it was the IPHONE and this year he unveiled the slim laptop to world @ the MACWORLD in San Francisco

Read the details in this news article

"The new laptop, which has a 13.3-inch screen and full-sized laptop keyboard, will cost $1,799 when it goes on sale in two weeks, though Apple is taking orders now. The company's Web site is already touting the machine. The price is competitive with other laptops in its market segment."

Laptop is slated to be 3 pounds in weight and with 2GM memory.

Read the details at the following links
http://www.news.com/one-more-thing/8301-13579_3-9850085-37.html?tag=head
http://www.macworldexpo.com/

Kiss of Century - Worth Watching

Start of New Year - Nothing has changed

A new year has begun but the fortunes of Indian Cricket team do not seem to change.

The same old story, the top order is bundled out but the team cannot deliver the final blow. Let's give credit to Brad Hogg & Symonds for being ODI batsman and in the team for their all-round capabilities. BUT what about Brett Lee, Johnson.... they contributed approx 80 runs to the Australian total.

Everyone may be skeptical about the umpiring decision, but it is high time Indian Cricket team admit that they donot posses the killer instinct to be treated as world-class beaters.

Hope the diet change suggested by indian team management improves the team's hunger for doing well... Details are in this article

Hope things improve in the batting for the Indian Team and they can post a good total on board.

Happy New Year - 2008

WISHING ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

HOPE 2008 brings lots of luck and blesses everyone with best wishes in their endavors.

India is 2-0 up in Mental Game @Bangalore

Bangalore seems to have a unique record of seeing Pakistan and Indian players getting into a swearing fight and unfortunately it has resulted in two pakistani batsmen getting out immediately. Both the incidents happened at a crucial time of the respective matches and surprisingly it involved the local 'karnataka' boys.

First incident happened in the Q'Finals match in 1996 WC between Venkatesh Prasad and Amir Sohail. Amir Sohail was playing a fantastic knock till he needled Prasad unnecessarily and that resulted in his downfall. He was bowled of the next delivery and was shown the doors of the pavalion rightly so by Prasad. This incident was highly talked about in the cricketing circles. View the video of that incident and Imran in his commentary rightly said ' pakistan has suffered due to insensible batting by Sohail'

Second incidient to happen was yesterday in the 3rd test match between India v/s Pak being played at bangalore. The players involved again are a Pakistani batsman - M Yousuf and a player from Karnataka - Kumble.

Read the article from George Binoy @ Cricinfo
" Distraction, destruction
The afternoon session was meandering along without much excitement when a bit of drama occurred in the 71st over. Mohammad Yousuf, visibly angry at something that had happened, walked towards Anil Kumble at gully. Yousuf was seething and gestured towards Kumble, who had a few words with him and patted him on the back. On returning to his crease, Yousuf wasn't becalmed and had a word with the umpires Simon Taufel and Rudi Koertzen. Three balls later, clearly irked, he had a chat with Harbhajan Singh. All the talking evidently disturbed his concentration because he drove loosely at the last ball of the over - a wide one from Irfan Pathan - and sliced it straight to Yuvraj at point. "

Though, Bangalore seems to be a good hunting ground for Pakistan, it somehow holds the unique record for Pakistan players getting out after an altercation with the Indian - Karnataka players.

Kumble will definetely be pulled up by the ICC Refree for the incident and being the captain of the team it would not go down well with the cricketing pundits. But who can deny the fact that the top team in the world - Aussies also have a captain who likes to needle the opposition players and get away with the word 'aggression'.

Let's hope we do not have anymore of this incidents in the last game of the tour and both the teams churn out some good batting displays.

Yuvi's Innings to be remembered

Is Yuvraj's innings going to help India break the Bangalore Jinx?

Wow....What an innings under pressure. Yuvraj has been knocking on the doors of the Test team for a long time now. Given the opportunity today @ Bangalore he sized it with both hands. India tottering at 61 for 4, the 2005 match definetely would have been running thru the minds of the most players in Indian Dressing room. Most of the players playing today were part of that match in 2005.

Yuvraj definetly had some different ideas of his own. He really turned the tables (atleast on first day) on the Pakistan team. He was in a fantastic form in the ODI and he has carried the same into the test match. He had the calm presence of 'DADA' on the other end who allowed this youngster to blossom while he himself kept another end ticking.

Ganguly and Yuvraj did enough to make Indian sniff the air of win here in Bangalore. But the match is not over yet rather it is wide open. If India fail to capitalize on this magnificent knock tomorrow morning, things may go the other way. India need to put up 500 plus on board and make sure they do not bat in the match or have very few runs to chase in the second knock. If Pakistan is able to knock out the rest of Indian wickets and put up a big score, then the B'lore jinx might still come back to haunt Indian team here.

As they say it is not over till the last ball of the match is over....

Bangalore Jinx comes back to Haunt Indian Team

Yours truely had written earlier about India might have left a golden chance of wrapping the series in Kolkata slip.

"That series in 2004-05 has several parallels to this one. India had dominated for the majority of the first two Tests. In Mohali, Pakistan ended the fourth day with a lead of 53 with only four second-innings wickets in hand. Akmal and Razzaq, who had begun batting on the previous evening, played nearly the whole of the fifth day to save the Test. However, in the next match in Kolkata, Pakistan conceded a slender first-innings lead despite hundreds from Younis and Mohammad Yousuf and were dismissed for 226 chasing 422 in the final innings to give India a 1-0 lead. "

The article by George Binoy at Cricinfo - India beware the Bangalore jinx clearly underlines the same story

At the sametime, Indian team seems to be down with the same 'non-fit' bug that infected Pakistani team in Kolkata. With Zaheer, Tendulkar & Dhoni the doubtful starters for the match, Indian bowling & batting put up a depleted look.

"The irony is that Pakistan was in a similar position ahead of the second Test in Kolkata. Their captain Shoaib Malik had twisted his ankle, Umar Gul flew home with a back injury and Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami were unwell. However, barring Malik, they have no injury worries at the moment. India, on the other hand, have had to call up Gautam Gambhir on the eve of the match as cover for Tendulkar, who did not practice on Thursday but had a light training session on Friday. "

Read up the article at Cricinfo

As things look India have their backs to the wall even before the start of the TEST match.

Did India drop a chance to win the series?

Has India dropped a golden chance to win the series at Kolkata....

Next match is at Bangalore and it happens to be a happy-hunting ground for Pakistan..

At the same time, Pakistan have given themselves an outside chance to square the series at Bangalore. Pakistan have done well in the past when test matches were played in 1987 and 2005.

Well...who can forget 1987 test match where Sunil Gavaskar played a memorable knock of 96 on a turner of a pitch. He almost single-handedly took India to victory.

While in the last test match played here in 2005 between these two arch-rivals, Pakistan had thrashed India by nearly 160 runs. It is a happy hunting ground for Younis Khan who had scored a double-century to help Pakistan post a mamoth score of 500 plus.

Hence, India would be definitely ruing the catches they dropped in both the Pakistan innings. Had they held on to their catches in both the innings the story line would have been different.

It looks to be seen how the 'Dravid - the wall' and 'Kumble - the jumbo' will perform in front of their home ground. This is probably going to be their last TEST match before the home crowd.
Kumble may be hoping to finish off on a high with a win and secure his first series win as a captain.

As a cricket fan, could just hope for an exciting test cricket and wish both the teams all the best.

Indian Cricket Team - finally has a coach

It is offical...the Indian Cricket team has a coach ... Gary Kirsten takes over during the Australian Tour

Read the cricinfo article for the masala

Interesting Finish in Offering

Let me begin with appluading the Pakistan team for putting up a spirited challange so far in the 2nd test @ Kolkata in the ongoing India v/s Pak Test Series in India.

Everyone had predicted that the India would roll-over the Pakistan in this test match. And with Pakistan not fielding its top 11 players and India chugging along nicely to a 600 plus score, the writing was very much clear on the wall. Misbah-ul-Haq, who is having a dream season since Twenty20 WC seem to have different ideas. He found an able partner in the Kamran Akmal who on the other hand is having his worst season behind the stumps. If Kamran had to wipe out all those bad memories, the only option was in coming good in front of the stumps and he answered to the prayers of the Pakistani fans in a fantastic manner.

Though this rear-guard action cannot be compared to the epic Laxman-Dravid partnership at the same ground against Australi (2001), it definetly will go down in the books of cricket as one of the finest 'survival act'. At the sametime we need to give credit to M Sammi who helped Pakistan to avoid a follow-on and probably escape with heads held high in this test match.

A Indian win or draw would be a predicted result in all the corners, but would not be surprised if Pakistan make India sweat chasing down the target.. Just a knock on the memories....it was here in 1998-99 series that Pakistan won a test match after being reduced to 26 for 6. No one knows till the 'last ball' of the match is bowled...

A very interesting finish is definetly in offerring for the last day...

Wow- New Culture of Workspace

Silicon Valley is bringing in a new of 'culture'...the bigwig companies are promoting the concept of open spaces and do away with the 'cubicle' culture

Read on in this mercurynews article http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_7622029?nclick_check=1

World Aids Day - 1 Dec

Today is the WORLD AIDS DAY ....lets join hands to eradicate this deadly virus from our lives

some usefull links
Understand HIV/AIDS
UNAIDS

Innovative Idea to Fund Education

Guys I came across this article while surfing through the blog

this was posted on the http://youthcurry.blogspot.com/ by Rashmi Bansal

A Delhi College of Engineering grad (2005 batch) Ankur has some savings from a job as sr business analyst at evalueserve. And yes, he will apply for a scholarship. "Loan is not an option as I don't have collateral," he shrugs.

But Ankur has a 'plan'. He read an article which basically said,"You can earn millions from Adsense" and so he decided to put the theory into practice. Ankur has created a blog called http://milliondollarstory.blogspot.com. His plan is to write 1 short story, everyday, for 180 days.

Hope this guy is really able to achieve his objective and request everyone to visit his site

Happy Diwali

WISH YOU ALL AND YOUR FAMILIES
A VERY HAPPY DIWALI
AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

Anil Kumble - India's Test Captain

Finally, Indian selectors decide to hand-over the captain's crown to the most hardworking cricketer of the team. Anil Kumble is known to give his 100% on the field always and no one can deny the fact. He is one of many gutsy players who came on to the field even when injured and try his best to win India a Test.

Anil Kumble definetly deserves the crown as he comes to the end of his career.

Hope he gets the necessary support from his team members in the same fashion he did when playing under them or along them.

Definetly a "DIWALI" gift Kumble would cherish for a long time....

Wishing him and the team all the best for the Pakistan series

Indian Team needs to walk the talk

Indian cricket team needs to learn to walk the talk. All the aggression they show with their hands and glares needs to be put into action. Aussies are the true champions and they play aggresively which is defined in winning matches from a situation of 13 for 3.

Ponting rightly states in his article Some Indians misinterpreting aggression - Ponting

"Both teams can still play aggressively, but when the Australian team speaks about playing aggressively I think a lot of people get the wrong idea," Ponting wrote in his column for the Australian newspaper.

"I don't mean talking aggressively or showing aggressive body language. That's exactly the opposite of what aggressive or positive cricket is all about. A few of the Indians have reacted very much with aggressive body language and trying to force themselves upon us, and I think the way some of them are playing their cricket that they have also misinterpreted what aggressive cricket means.

"I suppose if some of the players don't understand it, a lot of people watching the game in the stands or at home don't understand it either. It's not jumping up and down, sledging, giving people send-offs and that sort of stuff. When the Australian team talks about playing aggressively, we are committing ourselves to playing hard: there's nothing given and there's nothing asked to be given."

The series till now has given the impression of 'history' repeats itself. After the 1983 WC win, WI the uncrowned champions had come to India and thrashed India 5-0 in ODI series. Now as things are progressing in this series the same result seems to be on card unless Indian team pull up their socks.

It is time, the stars of the Indian Cricket team live upto everyones' expectations.

And youngsters live upto the Twenty20 WC championship tag

A magic instrument called - 'MagicJack'

wow..this is really magic instrument for the phone users in US. If this true as seen on the net, it would be a windfall for everyone. It would make other service providers stand up and look up to this magic.. click here to read more about the instrument...http://www.magicjack.com/site/index.html

Pakistan Captains draws flak for his comments

No match between India v/s Pakistan can end without generating controversies off the field. The Twenty20 WC finals was no different. Pakistan captain's comments at the post-match ceremony has created uproar in cricket fraternity.

the reaction posted by Mukul Kesavan at the cricinfo blog site "Scenes from a final" are worth reading

"It is a world where Muslims, Hindus and a Sikh currently play for England, where Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and a Hindu play for Sri Lanka, where Hashim Amla turns out for South Africa, where a Patel plays for New Zealand, where Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Hindus play (and have always played) for India. Why would Shoaib think, then, that the Muslims of the world were collectively rooting for the Pakistan team or that they felt let down by its defeat? Did he stop to think of how Danish Kaneria, his Hindu team-mate, might feel hearing his Test skipper all but declare that the Pakistan team is a Muslim team that plays for the Muslims of the world? It is one thing to be publicly religious—Shahid Afridi thanked Allah and Matt Hayden and Shaun Pollock are proud, believing Christians—quite another to declare that your country's cricket eleven bats for international Islam. "

Pakistani captain is a good sportsman and probably should be given the benefit of doubt as this would be the comments made in the spur of the moment. He is definetely going to take this as a learning experience and lead Pakistan cricket into future.

Personally, this was a game fought between two good teams. The best team on the day won and in the end cricket was the winner.

India are Twenty20 WC Champions

Indian Cricket team has been crowned the World Champions in the shortest version of cricket.

24 September'2007 will be remembered for a long time to come. It will be cherished by Indian fans as it was achieved with a win over their arch rivals Pakistan.

What a thriller of a match.... Pakistan tottering at one stage and recovering to come fraction close to winning the finals. But Indians just kept their cool and one fatal mistake of the day happened to bring down the curtains on the finale.

This young team was expected to make up the numbers at the Twenty20 WC. There were no expectations or pressure on the players to prove themselves. Though there were some who did have a point or two to prove for their return to national side.

If the batsman were scintillating, the bowlers were not far behind. With young and strong legs, the fielders were atheletic on the field and backed the bowlers to the hilt.

It was a complete team effort. There were people who were ready to raise their hands when given opportunity. India played the SA without the star - Yuvraj of the previous game and Rohit Sharma stepped in to do the job. Today India were without Shewhag, and Yuvraj & Dhoni failed to take off, but Gambhir & Sharma played the knocks of their life to keep India in hunt.

This young team will cherish the moments for their lifetime now.

CHAK DE INDIA has become CHAK DIYA India

Young Indian Brigade Storms into Twenty20 W

The young turks of Indian Cricket team have done it once again.... They have stormed into the "FINALS OF THE TWENTY20 WC" and setup a clash with arch rivals PAKISTAN.

WOW... Finals is going to be a game to watch. No one could have predicted a finals between India v/s Pakistan. For many generations, it has been a dream for many of the Indian and Pakistani fans to have their teams playing in finals of a World Cup. This will definitely make the sponsors and TV channels jump with joy.

Both the teams had been ousted from the ODI WC earlier this year in the first round. Reaching the finals of the Twenty20 WC would definitely erase some of the bitter memories from the minds of the cricket fans in both countries.

Chak De India.....

Young Indian Guns rolling in SA

Young guns of Indian Cricket team are rolling in SA...they knocked out the host from the Twenty20 WC.

This victory showcased the exuberance of the youth. Scintillating fielding, swinging bowling and flowing batting...all the 3 combined sealed the fate of South Africans.

Yuvraj the other day showed his frustruations on the England side, by sending the ball soaring into the Orbit for 6 consecutive times and today the SA team was at the receiving end of Rohit sharma's bat. Probably Rohit was sending out signal to BCCI selectors for dumping him without giving his due.

Fielding was sensational, must have defienetly made Jonty Rhodes proud - alas his home team had to make the exit from another WC at an early stage. Rohit did not end his day with 50 on board but also took the centerstage with a Jonty like runout of Kemp. If the run-out was outstanding, the catch by D Kartick was breath-taking.

RP Singh is having the best time of his cricketing career... a great series in England and now a great bowling spell that brought down the curtains on SA hopes of entering the semis of Twenty20 WC.

Indian team now take on the hot favorites Aussies in the semis. Hope the Indian captain Dhoni would be able to induce enough motivation and self-belief in the team that they could put it away against the Aussies.

If India win on Saturday, this team would have definetely erased the memories of 2003 WC debacle to some extent.....

Go India... CHAK DE INDIA

Rudderless Ship - Indian Team

With the resignation of Dravid as Indian captain, the Indian Cricket team seems to be going nowhere.

No Captain, No coach.... BCCI needs to take an action soon to put the train back on rails. At this moment, the sudden resignation of the captain after successful tour of England really raises some eyebrows. The excuse of concentrating on his batting does not really gel with the circumstances.

And the news of Tendulkar being offered the captaincy, is really taking a step backwards. With news of Tendulkar contemplating retirement from the shortened version of the game, does it really make sense in giving Tendulkar the opportunity to lead.

It would be better to have Dravid continue for some more time and groom an youngster for the job of captainship i.e. would be Yuvraj or Shewhag (if he makes his comeback) or Dhoni

Well, we would know the path BCCI takes in the next couple of days and the decision might even change the destiny of the Indian team's performance in the remaining half of the season.

Another veteran calls it a day

After an illustratious career spanning over more than 100 tests, Kiwi captain Flemming announces his retirment from ODI...

Another great player bids adieu to the color flannels..

Long Hiatus - Blogging time again

It has been a very long hiatus for yours truely... Have been busy with a project at work and had been traveling which did not give me enough time to blog...

Lots of water has flown under the bridge since last written on this blog

My son has started his first year of school and thus steps into the real world

SRK has returned with a super box office hit CHAKDE.. reviews the memories of Indian Hockey Glorious days

RGV disappoints again with RGVKIAAG... don't understand why Bollywood is depending on old movies & making remixes like the music

Hyderabad undergoes a turmoil weekend...as the blasts rock the city

India have won the TEST series and lost the ONE-DAY series in England.

India go to Twenty20 WC without their 3 main players...and may be the beginning of a new era and end of an illustratious career of 3 big names in Indian Cricket.

And after lot of debates finally one hears of retirement of a genius from the world of cricket. Sachin has been playing his best cricket on the tour of England, but the body and age has been telling on him.

Lets wait and see if this year would see the end of a great career in world of sports

India Without a Coach on A Tour

Wow... Work has been so hectic for the past couple of weeks...

Last time when yours truely wrote about Indian cricket, a coach for the Indian team had been found and finalized.

But it was not to be....the appointed coach said goodbye even before taking off on the tour of the INDIAN PARADISE. BCCI has since then swallowed the bitter pill and the Indian team has embarked on a tour to the Ireland & England without a coach. In these days when all the other countries talk about professionalism and accountability, these two words just don't seem to be part of the Indian Cricket authorities dictionary.

Just when things seem to be moving forward, Indian cricket always does a U-turn and goes back 2-3 steps.

Coming back to cricket being played...Sachin seems to be putting up scores on the board but that does not seem to make the critics happy. Even his 99 against SA is not being ranked as a face-saving effort for the Indian team. With the age, the best batsman seems to have lost his 'BOOST' power and seems to be just playing for the sake of being in the center of things.

It is high time, India looks beyond the three pillars of Indian Cricket. The days are not far away when DADA, Sachin and The Wall are going to hang up their boots.

It was on the tour of England that India discovered two finest players Dada and The Wall. ... This tour may decide how long they play for India before hanging their boots for good

Indian Cricket team has a new Coach

After days of speculation, the Indian Coach has been named and he is GRAHAM FORD

If you wish to read more about him...

http://specials.rediff.com/cricket/2007/jun/06slide1.htm

Time will only tell how this coach will setup India's cricketing future in coming years. He definetely does not have the charishma and hype that surrounded the earlier coaches to coach India.

let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. And hope the "PLAYERS COACH" works well with the STAR-UNIT of INDIAN CRICKET TEAM

STAR WARS - Completes 30 years

Guys while on way to India and surfing the net at the Changi Airport came across this interesting headline

STAR WARS - Completes 30 years.... Wow.. I still have the avid memories of going to the MADHURAM theatre in Ahmedabad and queuing up to watch the first movie of STAR WARS being screened there. For those who are familar with 1970-80 era of Ahmedabad film circle, would remember two prominent theatres - ADVANCE & MADHURAM which used to screen the ENGLISH movies.

And when rewinding down the memory one does not realise that it was way back in 1977 that STAR WARS was first relised. Yours truely definetly remembers those names which have become a legend Luke Skywalker,Han Solo (played by young Harrison Ford) and R2-D2( robot that won many hearts).

Read the details on STAR WARS history in this article http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2007/may/25sld1.htm

30 years down the lane...

Tendulkar in Spotlight again

Even though Tendulkar is trying his level best to silence the critics, the list of critics keeps growing.

Tendulkar has scored two centuries in the series in Bangladesh but those too are not being regarded highly by the critics.

Intersting statistics posted at cricinfo in the article

"There must be truth to it but the manner in which he crawled to a century today has left even that argument open to doubt. Today's was a solid, honest Test century - for a debutant, not for someone playing his 137th Test"

Read the article ... Whither Tendulkar?

Things just don't seem to be going Tendulkar's way both on & off the field...

Bangladesh Series - Purpose Undefined

India have embarked on a test series with Bangladesh which carries no importance in the eyes of the cricketing world.

The media has given the series a big hype by terming it as a "REVENGE SERIES". The kind of sensational opening a bollywood masala movie would hope for.

If one runs thru the pages of cricket history, there was definetely a ' revenge' series played in India after the WC-1983. West Indies had come to India with soul objective of defeating India after they had lost the WC-1983 finals. And boy...they Blackwashed India completely during that series...

Since the Bangladesh tour started there has been less play and more rain delays. It makes no sense in going to Bangladesh when the whole world knows it is the pre-monsoon season. It is high time someone puts their step down and lets the ICC know that they had an over-dose of cricket.

After the debacle in WC-2007, there was a call for complete changeover in the composition of the Indian Team. Whoever was looking to see any new faces in Indian Team must have been born recently and not knowing the facts. India are still playing with Ganguly and Tendulkar, they are scoring hundreds and making sure they are on the England tour. Poor Laxman....he is labelled to be non-ODI player and is soon going to be non-existant on the TEST match scorecard. It is time Laxman bids adieu to cricket and settles down in the princely city of Hyderabad.

Indian team is good at making and breaking a players' career. This time round they are busy doing the same with a cricketer called Dinesh kartik. In the next couple of seasons, when the batting form deserts him, he will be dumped by Indian selectors. He will be left pondering whether he ever knew the business of wicket-keeping. If you guys don't agree, please go and look at the career graph of a player called Irfan Pathan after he was termed as the next "KAPIL DEV" - the all-rounder for Indian Team.

From a layman point of view, the Bangladesh series does not seem to govern any positives for Indian team. They have not tried or tested out any new players who would stand out and be counted. Moreover, it is becoming pretty clear India does not have a strong bench and they will be a big void when the 3 stalwarts of current team bid adieu to cricket.

Aussies win the WC-2007 - The Invicibles

Australia are the true winners of the Cricket World Cup -2007.

They lift the cup for the 3rd consecutive time and the PIEGON - Glen Mcgrath signs off in style.

Probably Glen Mcgrath was the only one of the oldies who was destined to have a fairytale end to his career.

Congratulations to AUSTRALIAN TEAM...

Imposing Total for SL - WC 2007 Finals

Aussies have posted an imposing totals for Sri Lanka to chase in the WC-2007 finals.

Australia riding high on Adam Gilchrist knock of 149 runs is placed well at this stage.

Everyone is waiting to see how SL reply to this mountain of runs. It is going to be a herculean task chasing and climbing the Mt. Everest. SL would like Jaysuriya fire on the top, Sangakkara play another good knock and the captain Jaywardane would need another GEM of a knock to take the WC back home.

If Jaysuriya fires.... WHO KNOWS WE MAY SEE THE SHIELD OF INVICIBILITY BREAKING DOWN IN THE YELLOW BRIGADE...

Let's hope we have a good game and not a one-sided finals as has been off-late....

Go TIGERS...

WC 2007 - Moment to Reckon

Gilchrist gets his hundred and the next ball the whole of SL must have gone up in joy .... but it was not to be

Gilchrist snicked the ball after he got his hundred and Sangakkara came up with a fabulous take...And immediately raised his hand to signal 'NOT DONE' ... he had floored the catch during his roll-over...

A GREAT SIGN OF SPORTSMANSHIP in the heat of the moment... HATS OFF to SANGAKKARA for playing the game in true spirit.

Meanwhile...Gilchrist has completed a great hundred and has taken the game away from SL in the first session of this final.

Sri Lankans are truely looking lost as the Indians did in the last finals. Vaas seems to be bowling like Zaheer Khan on that final day in South Africa...

Gilchrist summary so far 110, 80 balls, 10 4s and 6 6s... wow..

Aussies on a gallop

WC 2007 Cricket Finals is finally underway.... And a different kind of rain is being witnessed at Bridgetown, WI

Gilchrist is playing the "RAIN GOD" and it is raining 6s and 4s. Hayden is playing the pivotal role at the other end and joining in the fun.

SL players are looking up skywards and hoping the rain would make its entry once again.

The way the opening pair of Aussies is galloping away, this looks like more of an 2003 WC replay except that the Sri Lankans seem to be at the receiving end this time round.

Aussies seem to be truely playing as the 'invincibles'. With Ponting, Clarke, Symonds,Hussey still to follow, big score seems to be in offering. Unless,SL pull off something out of their hats, Aussies seem to be running away here with the WC 2007...

Final Day of WC-2007 - Rain SpoilSport

Rain Rain Rain Go Away......

Rain is playing the spoil sport on the Final Day of the WC 2007. It has dampen the spirits of millions of fans around the world and especially the ones from the island of Ceylon.

Every anxious fan hoping for a good game of cricket must be praying that the RAIN STAYS AWAY and we have a great "CONTEST" in true terms of the FINALS.

Rain Rain Rain Go Away

Lesson for all at Virgina Tech Campus - Tragedy

Many of young dreams have been shattered.... 32 young lives have been lost due to one stroke of madness..

Indian student community has suffered ...they have lost a teacher who was imparting knowledge to youngsters and one student who came across the seven seas to pursue her dreams ..but the dreams have been curtailed even before they could take any form..

Condolonces go out to the families of all those killed in this tragic incident... Being a parent myself makes one feel if our children are really safe in the schools and colleges..As a parent one would give his child advice on not falling prey to vices like drugs or alcohol, but who can advice them to be look-out on such incidents..

With heavy heart, wish the familes of the lost ones my heart-filled condolonces..

A lesson to be learned for BCCI

A nice article that talks of implementing some corporate policies and processes to make Indian Team a world beaters...

Read the article to understand how....



http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Howzzat_HR_teaches_BCCI_masterstroke/articleshow/1895135.cms

Interesting Reading - Woolmers Death

While going thru our own Indian newspaper came across this interesting article....

"It is important for the Jamaican police to examine the victim’s mobile and telephone records, mails, emails, food in the refrigerator, meetings and appointments, work and entertainment habits. A discreet inquiry into any suspected romantic affair should also be made. They should also look into what possible enemies Bob Woolmer had — business-financial, political, religious, relationships etc. It would be equally helpful to find out Woolmer’s medical and mental history. "

Read More
http://www.dc-epaper.com/deccanchronicle/ArticleText.aspx?article=11_04_2007_007_003

This article is published by someone who is very well know in the field of investigation. And definetely would be worth a thought.

Winds of Change in Indian Cricket

The two day BCCI Committee meeting to review the WC-2007 debacle has come up with some startling and brave decisions.

This is just may be a historic decision...that may just do plenty of good for Indian Cricket

"In a historic change, it was also decided to scrap the present Zonal representation in the Senior and Junior selection ommittees. BCCI will appoint selectors on a full time basis based upon the eligibility criteria which would include stature as a player, selection experience etc. The selectors will be remunerated suitably and appointed for a two year term."

By passing the following decision...BCCI is making sure the players keep their focus on the game rather than their increasing $$ balances

A player will endorse not more than 3 sponsors or products. No Sponsor can contract more than 2 players. The players will not be allowed to do any sponsor related events 15 days before the tour and also during the tour.

Domestic cricket would also get a boost if the following rule is strictly implemented

All the players will have to play a stipulated number of Domestic matches when not playing for India.

By retaining Dravid as captain for the next tours, BCCI has sent strong signals to one and all that nonsense will not be tolerated.

Over all the 'Chappel' era seems to have brought in 'winds of change' in the INDIAN CRICKETING WORLD.... Hope this change is for good and India can only become NUMERO UNO

Read more in detail at http://www.rediff.com/wc2007/2007/apr/07dravid.htm

Finally a match to talk about in WC-2007

Finally, there was a match of equals and something to cheer about in the WC-2007.

After so many soft matches, finally there was an even contest and CRICKET was the winner. England gave Sri Lanka run for their money. They fought back from the brink to come close to pulling a victory that would have made all the English Fans 'revert to some drinking binge'.

Hope Indian cricket team takes some lessons out of the English win. It was the 7th wicket pair of unknown players in the world of cricket who fought like there was no another day. And mind you there were no heroics, just simple basic cricket of accumulation of runs thru singles. One cannot digest the thought that India with the strongest batting line up put up such a dismal show against the same SL attack.

England would take many positives out of this game and SL must be sitting pretty with their chances of going thru to semi-finals have brightened.

Guys my 2 cents on the following line up for semis - Aus, SA, NZ and SL..

Another Kerry Packer in India

Wow...

The poor showing in the WC 2007 seems to be having lots of side-effects back home.

We have our own Subash Chandra doing a Kerry Packer.....

Read more http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/288641.html

It would be worth watching the proceeding as they unfold going forward.

Scarry side of Blogging

Guys... this is really scary ..Blogging world can turn so dangerous for a person who is just sharing thoughts with the world

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/tech/2007/04/02/cho.dark.side.of.blogs.cnn

Sponsors shy away from Cricket

India's poor performance in WC-2007 is having affect in the business circles in India.

Big Gaints of the consumer industry are re-thinking their strategies in regard to sponsoring cricketing events. LG is going to review or probably even end its long association with the ICC.

Ripple affect of India not making it to the second round of the WC-2007.

Sachin at cross-roads

In the wake of the WC debacle, Sachin Tendulkar the 'god' of Indian Cricket is at cross-roads. He is probably standing at an T-junction with the options indicating 'Retire' or 'Continue'. The option of 'continue' may not be looking very attractive with age, form not in synch and also the 4-year WC show is over for India. As we have seen in recent past that his batting prowess in ODI is on decline, while he is being used more as 5th bowler.

Ian Chappel in his article clearly echos the feelings of many of the non-pleased Indian fans

"If Tendulkar had found an honest mirror three years ago and asked the question; "Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the best batsman of all?" It would've answered; "Brian Charles Lara." If he asked that same mirror right now; "Mirror, mirror on the wall should I retire?" The answer would be; "Yes." "

Read more http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/287961.html

Similar sentiments are being echoed by a Indian fan in his article at Rediff

"So, Mr Tendulkar, it is time for you to retire. Your best cricketing days are behind you. You will be known for your records, great batting style, bringing unparalleled thrill to your fans over and over again -- and if you do it at the right time, people will also remember you for your graceful exit. "

Read more http://www.rediff.com/wc2007/2007/mar/29guest.htm

With end-of each series the writing on the wall is becoming clear and the 'genius' of Indian Cricket needs to make a decision very soon.

After Effects - World Cup 2007

Here we go the after effects of the WC2007 fiasco for India has started

Kumble to retire from ODI

Details http://www.cricketnext.com/news/kumble-announces-retirement-from-odis/23975-13.html

We have to wait n see what else is going to change after the dismal performance of the Indian Team...

All Over - A comprehensive win for SL

India are beaten all blue by Sri Lanka......

Sri Lanka played like a unit and gave the Indians no breathing space...rather Indians choked themselves to death would be a better statement....

Indians wait for an outcome of the last match in their group B'ldesh v/s Bermuda to decide their fate...Knowing the form B'desh is playing and how Bermudas play...the result is a forgone conclusion..

Muralitharan made a good point during the presentation...INDIA HAS THE LONGEST BATTING LINEUP ON PAPER.... who doesn't know that and they still falter while chasing such achievable targets..

The Middle-order for SL did the trick for them, while the MO of India simply caved-in. It is noticeable that the youngsters in all the other teams are raising the hands and grabbing the opportunities thrown at them. The same spirit is lacking in India team, we had the strongest team on the paper but the weakest on the field.

It is high time, the selection team throws the 'record' book out of the window and give 'merit' to the form a player is in. It is easier said than done, in India everyone knows how things are going to go... There will be a loud noise made but after sometime it will die its own slow death...
They say time is a perfect healer but in India's case it is just becoming a routine ...

India is theortically in with a chance, but ????????????????????? let's leave it at that

Indians Dream in Shatters

Indian Dream of making it to Super 8 is in shatters.....

They themselves are to be blamed.....Needless run-outs and shots that were not necessary at any given stage...

The gameplan should have been very simple, play out the 50 overs and be watchful against VAAS and Muralitharan....

With wickets in hand, India could have easily chased down 255 but that was not to be...

They say you cannot say till the last ball is bowled....but here the writing is clear on the wall...

INDIA ARE GOING TO BE OUT OF WORLD CUP 2007....they will follow their neighbours Pakistan on the return flight home....

The predictions are that a team from sub-continent is going to be the likely winner...And today SL have done nothing wrong to make the predictions come thru....

Let's wait for another 20 overs before signing off on the match...you might just see a captain's knock...or a so-called ALL-ROUNDER AGARKAR have his say...

Indians struggling

Indians are struggling...

They are in a spot of bother chasing 255 runs at 44 for 3 in 11 overs.

Sachin Tendulkar bowled for 'duck' on the 3rd ball he faced....

The 'god' of Indian cricket is gone and with that hopes of India making it to Super 8 have dwindled... We cannot say it is a lost cause because it has been 'ages' since the 'god' took India to a win.

With this knock this interesting thought from a former player really makes one sit up and think

"He must not think of the delectable half-century he made in the last match against Bermuda. "Has the day come when we're seriously talking about Sachin batting well against Bermuda?" one intelligent former Indian cricketer responded when it was mentioned in passing that the little man looked sharp in the last match. "When an elephant stamps on a fly, do we say 'well done, that's a great kill'?"
As some former cricket mentioned... the state of affairs in sachins case is such that we are appluading his 50 against Bermuda while it should have been like elephant killing a fly...Very rightly put..."

Read more : http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/286790.html

Pitch is not doing anything. It is playing well, but the Indian batsmen as usual are making it unplayable with some stupid shots. India needs a long partnership to turn the tide in their favor.

Viru n Dravid need to bat for another 10-15 overs to stem the rot before they can even think of making a chase of the target.

SL captain also has his thinking cap on and is making some interesting changes in the field by having just 1 slip for a bowler like Vaas knowing he is not going to get such a great swing from the pitch. The wicket-keeper was also standing up and putting the doubts in the minds of the batsmen.

It all depends on how India play Murali and it is the question of team India and not a single player as such.

At this stage one would favor a SL win and the INDIAN DREAMS are fast fading .....

SL post a challenging target

It all boils down the next 3 hours.... Will India make the cut for Super 8...

Sri Lanka have done well...they have posted a challenging score of 255 for India to win.

SL middle-order batsmen turned the heat on Indian fielders with some good running between the wickets. Indian team must be rueing the fact they bowled 14 wides and 2 no-balls. They bowled 2.4 overs extra and this in-discipline in bowling might just turn the match in SL favor.

India might be also feeling the pinch of not playing Kumble in this crucial match. They went with the past record, unfortunately things did not go well as per the record book. Harbhajan did not come off against the SL.

Well, we can spend all our time analysing and debating what India should have done in the bowling...It is all done...water has flown down the bridge....

Script is ready... actors have to deliver on the ground of cricket..

India need 255 runs to get into Super 8... From here on...it will depend a lot on how the 3 biggies of Indian team script the fate of the Indian team...

Indians hanging in there

Indian bowlers have done well in the first 25 overs of the SL innings.

After the way they started in the first over...every Indian fan would have been hoping it is not the signs of the things to come...but so far India is hanging in there with some good tight bowling.

They have also picked up three valuable wickets and are applying the pressure on the SL batsmen. Indians seem charged and confident. Their body language is totally positive and commitment is there to be seen.

Dravid is ringing in changes and making some good moves. Ganguly was a good move and it paid dividends.

The next 25 overs of the SL innings will decide the score the Indian batsmen will chase....

Go blue ...

Do or Die - For India

It is a do or die situation for India in WC 2007... they carry the hopes of billions of cheering Indian fans all over the world.

India win the toss and elect to field in this crucial tie.

The first 5 overs have not gone India's way...the start of Zaheer Khan refreshes the memory of the 2003 final...Nervous start with wides and leg byes... India needed a good start in the bowling but have filtered that away with their loose bowling... Now India will be playing the 'catch-up' game on the run-rate unless bowlers strike to get some wickets...

Wait n See ... Indian Fans would be praying and hoping to get thru the long night with some cheer back home..

Day of Upsets in WC2007

Guys... what a day it has been in the WC 2007

Bangladesh beat India by 5 wickets a stunner... if you can't believe what you are reading then you won't believe the next line

PAKISTAN ARE OUT OF WC 2007...IRELAND have beaten PAKISTAN and they have crashed out of WC 2007 in the first round...

It was the day when the 'minows' of the WC-2007 threw the statistics out of the window and proved that on a given day they can be menancing too.

The body language that Indian players showed on the field completely showed their lack of application and spirit to put up a good fight. The way Zaheer Khan was plastered by the young turk from Bangladesh must have been a rewind to 2003 Wanderers final. In such tough games, you need to pull off 'blinders' and 'half-chances'. Unfortunately, it was not to be and India were left stunned by a great batting display by 'school children'. After the defeat in hands of Bangladesh, hope some sanity prevails thru the minds of 'think-tank' and drop 'virubhai' for the next matches.

Rameez Raja claims heads are going to roll in the Pakistan Team after their defeat... and why not in Indian team..

Pakistan Team must be cursing their luck..they were undone by a team which fought like there was no another day. Ireland team may not have hoped for a better St Patrick Day celebrations. Pakistan were going great at almost 4-5 runs an over and suddenly the 'winds' changed the direction. The batting went from north to south in just couple of minutes.

It is going to be very difficult for Pakistan and India to digest their defeats, while Bangladesh and Ireland will be dancing till the 'rooster crows' again in morning.

Read in one of the pages...a team from the sub-continent would lift the cup..is it going to be 'bangladesh'...In 83' it was India who were the under-dogs, 92' it was Pakistan who came from nowhere to lift the cup and in 96' it was the Lankans who dazzled the world.

Mind you guys...the coach of Bangladesh team is none other than Dave Whatmore who was the coach of the Sri-Lankan team in 96' WC....

Cricket is a game of uncertainties...anything can happen...March 23 will decide the fate of 2 strong contenders from the sub-continent...

India in deep waters

India have started their campaign in WC 2007 on a disappointing note.

Everyone was expecting India to steam roll Bangladesh and at the end of the 1st session the story looks to be different.

Once called 'minows' of the cricket, Bangla Tiger seems to roaring loudly. They beat New Zealand in their warm-match chasing 226. Hence, the things really look grim for India unless the bowlers can turn in a performance of their lifetimes.

What is Virubhai doing in the Indian Team? With today's performance, Dravid would be definetely rueing the idea of playing him in the XI. Kartik would have been a better option than out-of-form viru....

Everyone back home would be hoping that Indian bowlers turn their 'golden' arms over and make their late night watching worth it...

OR IS THIS GOING TO BE THE FIRST UPSET OF THE WC2007... another 3 hours of cricket will tell

Back after trip to Apna Desh

Guys...lots happened since I was on vacation to apna desh...

WC team has been announced...DADA is back with a bang.. Yuvi is dancing on his feet..

Lot's to write...keep patience and will be back

New Year Gift not to be at Capetown

At the end of 1st day at Newlands, Capetown, SA - there was a talk stating that Rahul Dravid had given his team a New Year Gift by winning the toss. Also there was a talk of similarties between matches played in past and especially the one played in Sydney

But looking at the comparision, one can definetely feel that the similarities failed to exist since day 1
Day 1: In sydney India scored 284 for 3 In SA scored 254 for 3 (a loss of 30-40 runs)
Day 2: India ended the day @ 650 for 5 In SA were bowled out for 414 (a loss of 200 runs)
Day 3: India decl @ 705 for 7;Australia 342/6 In SA, the home team is bowled out for 373 (a lead of 200 )
Day 4: Australia 474, India 211/2d, Australia 10/0 In SA India bowled out for 169, SA score 55 for 2
Day 5: Australia survive @357 for 6 SA canter to Victory @ 211 for 5

Hence feel India lost the script since day 1 and squandered the 'golden' chance to win a series in SA.

Personally feel India missed the bus in SA due to

1. Slow Scoring Rate - ended the day 1 short by 30-40 runs
2. Middle Order Failure - there was no defining partnership in the middle order
3. Bowling - Bowlers not bowling well on the pitch considered to be in India's favor.
4. Selection process - playing Munaf instead of Harbhajan. Would India have played 3 fast bowlers on a Indian Pitch? Answer known to 'Indian Think Tank'. Why was Virendra Sehwagh persisted?

Rain has alway played a 'defining' factor in deciding the results of a game or fortunes of a political parties in elections.

Every team travels with all the help of technology and support staff whose duty would be to keep track of things happening outside the cricket field. Indian cricket team is no different and was surprised to hear no one was watching or hearing the weather channel after India's batting started crumbling on day 4. If weather report was predicting rain for day 5, a message should have gone out the Indian Tail-enders to stay put as long as they can and give Kartik ample support. History repeats itself again, India had to playout few minutes (not even sessions) in the last test match against WI in WI before a downpour could have drawn the match and given them a chance to go home smiling.

There was another incident that would have caused India a wicket and a embrassing defeat that would have definetely raised another 'furor' in the minds of the politicians of the country. Sachin was away for 18 mins on the 3 rd day during the SA innings and could not come out to play till 18 mins were gone in India's 2nd innings. This point should have been definetely noted by the support staff and pointed out to the Indian Captain.

It would be interesting to note if BCCI would take action against the support staff for such 'performance' lapses.

All said and done, it was not a NEW YEAR GIFT the INDIAN CAPTAIN would have liked giving to his team...

INDIA needs to gear up and come up with some tricks for the WC2007.

SA hold the upper hand at Capetown

At the end of the 4th day's play SA seem to be holding the upper hand in the duel at Capetown.
The glow on the SA faces must have have dimmed a bit with the fall of Amla at the end-of-days play. But they would be overall excited and anxious to wrap the match tomorrow on a canter.

But the Verdict from Dileep Premachandran in Capetown clearly says it all... India dig their own grave

Whatever happened on the 4th day has been written and debated for many years now in the books of Indian cricket. It is the same old story, that keeps getting repeated like any other Bollywood masala movie storyline.

From the heart of a true-Indian, would luv to see India win and create history tomorrow. But in reality,odds definetely favor SA clinching the match and series.

If India pull out a miracle tomorrow, they will definetely come back home with lots of fanfare. And also prolong careers of some of the so-called stars

And if they loose, the think-tank definetely will have lots of questions to answer and may even see the Aussie mentor pack his bags.

As a bystander and well-wisher of Indian Cricket would like answers for the simple questions

a) Knowing the state of the pitch, why did we not play Harbhajan?
b) Knowing Viru's form, why did they send him as opener in the second innings?

Well, these questions will never be answered or may not be even asked depending on the outcome of the match tomorrow.

And as they say nothing can be said till the last ball is bowled.

An Interesting Duel at CapeTown

An interesting duel is in offerring at Capetown,SA between India and SA.

It is interesting to note that all the experts have been going gaga over the pitch and claiming it to be an Indian twin. But surprisingly, Indian Think Tank thinks otherwise and have decided to play only one spinner in the match. Personally, have been harping on playing Bhajji in SA since the beginning and feel India have missed a trick or two here again. With SA also playing a spinner, India had all the signals required to play two-spin attack and try clinching the rubber. Time will only tell, if Jumbo would be good enough for SA team.

Personally feel India is 70-100 runs short in the first innings. On a pitch like this India should have scored 500 plus and made sure that they only bat once in the match. Other factor that may go against them was the slow scoring rate. In modern times, a score of 300 or more in a day is common and gone are days when you could count yourself safe by a slow grind.
And let us not forget in the recent Ashes series, we had a result even after the team batting 1st scored 500 runs.

As the situation stands, SA have given a positive response. Smith and Amla have shown no signs of any fear against the pitch behavior.
Anything can happen from here on, SA can pile up a good score or India can run thru the SA fragile middle-order.

But as they say...Cricket is a funny game and you cannot predict till the last ball is bowled.

Happy New Year - 2007

Wish All A Very Happy New Year

Hope the Year 2007 bring joy, peace and prosperity to Everyone.

Dancing away to Victory

The blue brigade has turned the tables on the Proteas at the Wanderers.

“Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.” – The saying from Bhagavad-Gita aptly portraits the Indian Cricket Team’s belief in them and that has lead them to a victory and cricket-crazy nation into raptures of joy.This moment will be even more cherished as it has come at a time when Indian Team was expected to get white-washed.

The best part of the win was underlined by the fact that India won the match due to a team effort. For the first time, the team did not depend on individual performance to win. There were contributions from each and every one in all the departments of the game. Whenbatting, it was good to see the ‘comeback seniors’ proving their worth and making their respective returns a memorable one. The ‘dada’ of Indian Cricket has again proved the saying ‘class is permanent, form is not’. When it came to bowling, Indian bowlers demonstrated to their well-known opponents a class of seam bowling. Sreesanth and Zaheer were a class act in themselves. Catches win matches, and the Indians held all their catches and also hit the stumps to get their run-outs.

Sreesanth also danced into the hearts of the Indian Fans, with his jig and gave the opponents back in the manner well deserved. The altercation between Nel & Sreesanth has shown that this team is not the one that is going to take it lying down. They definitely have in them to give it to the opponents if necessary. But it would be interesting to see who would fall on the wrong side of the ICC Referee’s sword.

With this win, Indian team has really put the SA Team in a quandary. SA team has been been given taste of their own medicine. This would have definitely put them in 'confused state' regarding the pitch they would like to ditch out for the second test.

A win at DURBAN and DRAVID team would have the PARLIAMENT jumping up and down. Blue Brigade keep it going…win the series and ring in the NEW YEAR.

Historic Win in SA

Wow ... Indian Tri Color flies high @ the Wanderers,SA

Unbelievable stuff.. SA is bowled out for 84 in their own den..

Indian fans are going to cherish this win for long time...

Congratulations Blue Team and keep the good work going... We need to win the series and prove everyone (yours truely incl.).

When are we going to learn - Indian Cricket Team?

In the past, team selection has been the 'achilles heel' for the Indian Cricket team. They always believe in playing to the strategy of 'horses for the courses' rather than playing to their strengths and belief.

Personally feel, that Indian Team is repeating the same mistake once again by not playing their best players. Over the years, Indian team has won matches by unleashing their 'spinning missiles' on the doubting minds of batsmen worldwide.

Whatever may be the state of the pitch, you need to play with bowlers who are going to help in picking up 20 wickets in a match. And one person who has definetely proved in the past that he would do no harm to that cause, is none other than our own "TURBANATOR". He is a quality spinner who has proved in past that he is not over-dependent on the pitch conditions for the purchase of the wickets. And with Jumbo firing in from the other end, they both would form a dangerous proposition for any seasoned campaigner on any track.

But with no 'turbanator' and no 'pathan' let's look at the bowling options that India wishes to use to create a dent in SA armor

Zaheer - playing his first test match after a long forced sabbatical and as the experts say test match is a different ball game than the ODIs. Hope he carries his form from the shorter version to the longer one.
Sreesanth - has not grown the stature where Indian team can pin their hopes of leading the bowling attack
VR Singh - is all raw pace and knowing that SA batsman are great players of pace...don't you feel that the SA players would be just happy to receive this 'wrapped gift' just before the 'christmas'
Kumble - has vast experience and a lone figure who may be able to make some impression, but god help India if SA players start negating his expertises...

Let's take the case scenario, if one or two of the four bowlers is taken to the task by the SA batsman who is the 'WALL' going to fall back upon -VIRU n SACHIN no way..Will the Bengal Tiger be asked to bowl...these should not be your options at all.. Don't you think it would have been a better proposition to have the following players in the script

Jaffar, Sourav,Dravid,Sachin,Laxman,Dhoni,Zaheer, Pathan, Sreesanth, Harbajan,Kumble

Blinking..u have too..VIRU is dropped in my list...with the form he is in..give him a dose of 'drop'... at the most he will get you some runs which Ganguly can also and with 'pathan' in the list you can definetely bet ur penny on having more runs on the score sheet. Pathan would give a double-edge to the team.. he would definetely add runs to the total with the form he is in..and even in his bad bowling form..he would be a better prospect than the 'raw power' of VRSingh. With Bhaji n Jumbo bowling in tandem, India stand a better chance of getting past SA... It was these two great spinners bowling in tandem that helped India record their first series win in 35 years on a WI soil. Between them they had taken 12 wickets, out of the 20 needed to win a test match. On the sidenote...VIRUBHAI's contribution was a total of 4 in the whole match and no wickets.

During the WI tour there was this fantastic article on how well kumble n harbhajan bowl in tandem. It proves that article has definetely not been read by 'think-tank' of Indian team.

Guys... lets just hope n pray for the best... hope the 'raw pace' of VRS get a 5-wicket haul...aur apna VIRU Bhai score a 196 and set the tune for INDIA's march to many milestones.. Personally, would luv India win with any combinations... Wish the BLUE BOYS all the best.

Judgemental Week

In the past couple of days quite a few eye-raising judgements and all involving some big-wigs of Indian Society

Firstly, Munnabhai is sentenced for his known 'childish' act of acquiring an 'adult' weapon. And finally the man who potrayed 'gandhigiri' in his movie is going to the jail for all the wrong reasons.

The sweet marts in Kolkata might have made a roaring business selling 'rasgollas' with the 'second' judgement. The news of "DADA" returning to the Indian side might have sent the 'dada crazy state in frenzy. And Sourav Ganguly is already making his bat talk since his return; having scored a gutsy 83 to revive Indias' hope in the friendly match. Really pity the person as he is going to be under the scanner all the time, and would be expected to do something xtra everytime he goes out to represent India.

Last but not the least the author of statements like "the ball went so high that even airhost could have caught it in air" is himself in soup. Yes, Navjot Singh Sidhu - guru of sidhuism is in the docks for something he did in his younger days. That was the time during which the Indian Cricket Fans saw a complete change in Sidhu since he made his debut. At the time of his debut played a knock and was considered 'strokeless wonder'; but by the time he returned for his second knock in the middle he had suddenly found the knack of sending the ball soaring into the stands; and was crowned the 'badshah of sixes'.

These three judgements have really captured the media glare for the past couple of days.

But the most talked about news in the world of cricket is England's catapult to defeat.

Aussies are really proving the cricket world how the champions play. And at the same time score of 500 is also not safe in these times of cricket. Couple of years back when both teams scored 500 the test match it would have been given up for a draw. But with the advent of the ODI, scores of 300 in a day are becoming common.

The scoresheet of the Aus-Eng match must have given a Indian think tank some fodder to ponder.... What is going to be a good score against the 2nd best team at present in the world of cricket ...Every Indian batsman will have to stop playing the 'katakali' to the music of SA bowlers.

Judgement Day - Awaits Sourav Ganguly

Sourav is living on the thin ray of hope i.e. recall to the Indian Cricket Team...

With the Indian teams' fortunes taking a deep dive from the TABLE MOUNTAIN in CAPETOWN, this hope may soon turn into a reality....We all just need to wait n c what is in store in tomorrow's SELECTION meeting for the selection of the Indian Cricket Test team to SA..

Meanwhile watch the "Sourav Last Stand" interview with Rajdeep Sardesai on CNN-IBN live.

the whole of nation awaits another Judgement Day in the lives of Indian High Fliers....

"Munabhai" of the bollywood has heard his fate, now the cricket crazy nation awaits the judgement on the "DADA" of cricket.... Will the PRINCE OF CALCUTTA fly the MAHARAJA airlines to SA is worth rising to..

Thanksgiving Weekend - Holiday Season

Last weekend was the ThanksGiving Weekend and the curtain raiser for the holiday season to begin in the US.

This was also an opportunity to catch up with your families, take a break from the fast paced worklife.

Apart from relaxing, the most anticipated and eagerly awaited even is the "Black Friday" sales. The "Black Friday" is the day when most of the bigwigs of the retail industry put out 'blowout' sales for a short span of time. This also signals the beginning of the shopping season and would also indicate the health of the retail industry based on the way people would spend. To make the most of this sale, people queue up in front of the shops very early. Hats off to these people as they brave the weather to collect gifts for their loved ones.

Frankly, I do not have the strength to brave the weather/crowds to do such a shopping but feel more & safe in the sanity of online shopping.

Traffic Lights in Vancouver,Canada - Intersting Logic

Last week, was away to Vancouver (Canada) for an appointment with US Consulate. The H1 B stamping and interview was sucessfull.

During my stay there noticed that the traffic lights keep blinking green and do not follow the normal mode of changing colors. On enquiring with the cab driver, was told that the lights keep blinking until some pedestrian wishes to cross the road. Even when a pedestrian wishes to cross the road and pushes the sidewalk cross button, the lights do not change color but they turn solid green. After few seconds the traffic turns red and there is no 'amber' step involved. It is believed this method of traffic lights is in place to keep the traffic moving along the long stretch of the road.

Weather in Vancouver during my stay was really 'wet'. It rained all the time I was there and to top it all the City of Vancouver issued an advisory stating the tap water was to be boiled before drinking. Also it was stated not safe to use for brushing or cooking activities. As a result of this advisory, had to go without a 'starbucks' coffee as most of the coffee centers had stopped brewing the coffee.

Was put up in the Georgian Court Hotel, which was very close to the downtown and gave easy access to the Robson Stree - high fashion street. Also had the opportunity to walk to the Harbour Vieww tower and the Chinatown. The hotel is bank opposite the BC Place, unfortunately there was no match scheduled during my stay.

Vancouver is in process of building the city for the 2010 winter olympics. In future, if have an opportunity would luv to return to the city with my family and take in the sights of this beautiful city.

Sachin n Kambli in Making - Hyderabad Boys do it

Finally the record held by Sachin n Kambli is broken.... And it was broken by boys from the fast growing city called HITECH - Hyderabad.

Look at the video interview of Manoj - one of the AWESOME TWOSOMES...
http://www.cricketnext.com/videos/21752/manoj-tumbi-bask-in-the-glory.html

It is interesting to note that the match was a 50 overs one but curtailed at 40 overs due to time constraint. Who knows...if they had continued for another 50 overs, we might have seen another score than 721 on the board...

Great going by the Hyderabad Nawabs...hope both represent India and do well in their choosen careers.

Youngest CEO in the World from INDIA

Wow... India has the youngest CEO in the world. CEO and president of Globals Inc that he founded in 2000,

Read the details in this article at rediff.com

Indian Stars shining in other sports

Everyone let's take a break from Cricket and follow the paths of some other sportsmen who are doing extremely well in their field of sports and earning laurels for the country

Jyoti Randawa is going great guns at the US $5 million HSBC Champions where he has even impressed the "TIGER" woods. Look at the details at the following

http://ia.rediff.com/sports/2006/nov/09golf.htm

Saina has stormed into the semi-finals of the World Junior Badminton Championships ...

http://ia.rediff.com/sports/2006/nov/09saina.htm

It is not a surprise to know that she is being coached by none other than Pullela Gopichand a great badminton player of his time and hails from Hyderabad...

Let's keep cricket aside for somtime and follow these sports too..... Hope to see a golfing champ or badminton champion arising from INDIA.. All the best for these sportsperson in their endavours.

Champions Trophy 2006 - Australia claim stake on the elusive cup

The curtain has finally come down on the Champions Trophy 2006 and the cup has gone 'down under'.

Australia wrapped the final in the only style they are known to do i.e. 'champion style'. No hiccups, no drama, no controversies.....but a methodical surgery took place in Mumbai...the patient WI were administered 'general anesthesia' and they never recovered from the same.

This was considered a dress rehearsal for the WC-2007 and do not know which of the teams benefitted the most. The only teams who would be going home with some 'positives' is NZ and WI. NZ came into the champions trophy after almost 8-9 month layoff and they did not do any harm to their comback performance. Other team to feel on cloud 9 apart from Aussies are the runners-up. Since India brought them back into form they have been firing on all their guns. And if one of their 'icons' MR LARA decides to go out all blazing into the sunset...then it would be bye to many of the fancied teams in the WC-2007.

Host country must be rueing its experiment policy and selection policies. They just did not play to their potential and have lots of thinking to do before they venture for the SA tour. Hope the SA tour turns favourable and does not dampen the hopes of the INDIAN team n fans before the WC-2007.

Other Asian countries, SL started off in a blazing fashion but came cropper against some good offensive. Need to get their act together before the WC. Pakistan were overcome with the sideline tamasha and were not a '100% ' unit. Hopefully they would rejuvenate and become a big force at the WC-2007. But definetely a India v/s Pakistan would do wonders for the WC -2007.

The win would do wonders to Austrailain team before the ASHES. Everyone would now be glued to the ASHES tour and wonder how would the POMMIES fare down under..

It is good bye Champions Trophy and look forward to ASHES n INDIAN tour of SA