Plethora of Emotions

Arjun applied his breaks just in time to pause for the signal.. the traffic was heavy as people were being help up to clear the road for a safe passage for the minsiter’s convoy.

He was staring without an aim and reflecting on his thoughts..his emotions were getting the better of him and his mind was clouded and disturbed..

He was feeling pretty low and sorry for himself, perhaps the worst state one could ever wish to be..

He had let ANGER get the better of him, picking up fights with his friends for no apparent reason,his DEFEATist attitude was making him feel bad with every FAILURE,he wished certain things would go his way: with a mixture of EXPECTATION and HOPE and when reality had something else in store, he was cursing himself in self EMBARASSMENT.

His own INDECISIVENESS and that of people around him was adding to his frustration and he was lamenting the fact that not enough SUCCESS came along despite him pitching in the best of efforts and the grief and PAIN of disappointment and unfulfilled EXPECTATIONS were haunting him.Harsh realities in schooling days had taught him that REVENGE eats up half your time and peace of mind, and it takes strength of mind to abstain oneself from seeking it, and the best way to avoid JEALOUSY was to celebrate others’ success. The traffic was starting to clear and the road ahead seemed clearer now, and Arjun was moving forward through the army of vehicles..

Just then, Arjun’s ears began revebrating with the dreaded hissing sound..yes it was a flat tyre..Luckily, the garage was nearby and Arjun asked the mechanic to hand over the car at his home when it was ready, and he proceeded to have a walk towards his home which was a couple of kilometers away.

An old woman was waiting patiently for her turn to cross the road, and inconsiderate people seemed to be unmindful, hardly caring to stop, yet there was not even a hint of ANGER due to frustration in her visage. She waited patiently, knowing her turn would come.Arjun clasped her wrinkled hands firmly and helped her cross the street.

As he walked on, he saw a few kids playing a game of marbles. A kid narrowly missed his shot, and the winning group traded high fives and the losers sulked for a moment. Almost immediately, “one more time” said the losing group captain.. ” get ready for the next win” said the victorious captain to his team. Arjun watched with keen interest as to how the losing kids quickly shrugged off their DEFEAT, and how the winning team wanted more SUCCESS.This time around, the other team won and soon the kids were holding their hands together, gazing at the huge billboards in awe, with no trace of PAIN,REVENGE or JEALOUSY.

A herd of goats were scampering accross, almost reaching the other side only to come all the way back on hearing a loud horn..so much for INDECISIVENESS and yet Arjun could spot them realligning themselves, sticking to their original plans ,determined to give it a try all over again.

Arjun was just a couple of cross streets away from his home and
on one side of the road, a lame beggar was sitting besides a magnificient paiting of Lord Hanuman. Arjun stopped, admiring the beautiful piece of art, and the beggar looked up at Arjun with HOPE. Arjun thrust a ten rupee note into the beggar’s hand. “Thank You, Sir this is a bonus as I usually expect just a well done or a one rupee coin from people for all this”. So much so for EXPECTATIONS for efforts !

As he moved ahead, Arjun observed a middle aged man squatted under the street lights. Arjun walked up towards him, partially wondering how one could take up such a job. “I can guess what you are thinking Sir, I can tell you I dont see any EMBARASSMENT in doing this: I need to feed my wife and kids and I prefer stooping down and polishing shoes for a living rather than standing upright and stabbing others behind their back for instant success! ”

Arjun was speechless ” Polish ?” the man asked cheekily. Arjun was retiring to his home for the night and obviously he did not need one but still, he decided to have his shoes gleamed up and handed out a two rupee coin. ” And now tell your wife that though you bent down to polish my shoes, you recevied your pay with your head held high !” said Arjun with a wink.

Arjun was coming out of his cocoon,thanks to a flat tyre, and the realities of the outer world made him realise that everyone else was having their own set of emotions to keep them occupied as well.

Back at home, Arjun unbuttoned his Orange shirt and let it hang neatly.After some minutes, he was all by himself in his room, lights switched off, the moonlight finding its way, tricking through the curtains, blissfully illuminating the room. The Moon is a magical mix of charm, mystery and romance Arjun looked up at the fast revolutions of the ceiling fan, going back to those glorious days as a kid..

Arjun longed for those days when ..

1.INDECISIVENESS meant being unable to choose between a packet of Uncle Chips and Cadbury’s Crackle
2.JEALOUSY was when you looked with hate at the big ice cream cone on your sister’s hands when you were struggling with a sore throat
3. ADAMANCE meant refusing to let “Paatimma” watch Mahabharatham when the timings clashed with India’s cricket matches
4. REVENGE was all about letting the air out of the cycle wheels of your friend who won the race to touch the school gates first
5. PAIN was something that you experienced when the family doctor drove his sterilized syringe right through your bum
6. EMBARASSMENT made you blush when the girl next to you pointed out that you had failed to pull up your zip after attending nature’s call
7. APOLOGY was never at premium especially when the Social Science teacher expected one and the clang of bells meant the next hour was the P.T period
8.DESIRE meant longing for a gulp of “Goldspot” after having spent the entire day playing under arm cricket in the blazing sun
9. DEFEAT and FAILURE meant a lost opportunity to be the first person to wish the prettiest girl in class on her birthday
10. ANGER made you fume when Mom refused to let you indulge yourself in the rain but vanished as soon as she opened the window to let you admire the rainbow
11. EXPECTATION and IMPATIENCE meant glancing at the intercom longingly, waiting to utter the chants “hari ohm shanno …”- the evening prayer so that you could crash straight into mom’s arms for a tight hug after having won a prize at school
12 HOPE meant you would still keepy praying for an Indian win, even after the fall of Sachin’s wicket
13 COURAGE meant the guts to walk upto your neighbour and ask if you could retrieve the ball,after having just smashed his window with a swashbucking hit
14 And most importantly, SUCCESS meant both “NOTHING and EVERYTHING” and CELEBRATIONS NEVER NEEDED A REASON

Arjun was reflecting on all that had happened, the lessons he had learnt on the streets that day. He was tossing and rolling over from one side to another,unable to sleep.He was just hoping for better days ahead and realised that no one else but Arjun himself had to take the initiative if he wanted his state of affairs to improve. Slowly, the effect of the moonlight softened, upto a point of non botheration ,Arjun stopped sensing the comfort of the breeze and he could not hear the sounds made by the rotations of the fan blade against the wind anymore…

And in case you thought Arjun had breathed his last, courtesy a massive cardiac arrest…

Arjun was in his own dreamy world by that time, a world where the Aishwarya Rais and Nayantharas were waiting to welcome him with open arms

Life is too short to be spent worrying. Live for the moment

Fab Five:A Tribute

Change is inevitable..a new chapter begins when an era ends.. but such theories are more easier when read on paper than experienced in flesh and blood.. at the instance of a change of guard,we always look back at the fond memories..once in a while,it is good to turn sentimental

I think the first time my grand father made me sit and watch proper cricket was the Chennai test match against England in 1993..Sachin Tendulkar was the first ever cricket personality I saw on tv, and till date remains the best ever

A tense match against South Africa..last over ..6 to win..and an unexpected bowling hero emerged.As cool as a cucumber,Sachin bowled the last ball to Mcmillian, to signal India’s victory with a famous jig with his elbow pointing downwards..a defining moment that inspired millions to pursue cricket passionately.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar’s phenomenal teenage success resulted in cricket academies mushrooming in every nook and corner of India.His achievements made parents send their kids without hesitance to pursue cricket as an active career.When I was playing Under 16 level cricket, he was the yardstick for strict measurement.After turning 16, you simply could not give excuses as the general quip form our coaches would be “C’mon, no excuses, Sachin was playing for India when he was 16″. Though it was not a wise comparison by any means, it emphasizes the fact that it sowed the seeds of genuine belief in many people.

A clean private life ensured that Sachin was the perfect role model for youngsters.The way he has carried the hopes of the nation can’t be put in words. Imagine being surrounded by 50 people staring at your monitor, as you type a document,scrutinizing every word of yours.. makes you break into a sweat ? or what if you were asked to sing your favorite bathroom song to a select audience? makes you nervous ? or if you were expected to make a flawless speech in a full house auditorium? is is getting tougher ? Imagine, walking out to perform in front of a jam packed stadium, with 20 cameras zooming in on your minute moves, knowing fully well, that a billion viewers on telly are expecting you to perform each and every time.. forget it,lets stop imagining

At around the same time when Sachin was making waves, a bespectacled engineer bowled India to its first famous Cup final victory that this generation came to witness.. the Hero Cup final-1993 signalled the arrival of India’s greatest match winner ever-Anil Kumble.

The batsman, even if he was a genius like Sachin, can only set things up.The easiest way to win a test match is take 20 wickets and score a solitary run more than your opposition.Till 2003,if it was a home test,it had to be Kumble.Post 2003, if it was an “away test”, it again had to be Kumble

Kumble warmed a million hearts, when he, batting along with Srinath engineered a remarkable victory against the Aussies in the Titan Cup.But perhaps the most courageous moment to have been witnessed on a cricket field was the sight of Kumble, bowling with a plaster to hold together his broken jaw,stepping onto the field, bowling 13 continuous overs for the sake of his country, picking up the wicket of Lara in the process.

His man management skills were put to severe test during that tense tour of Australia in 2007-08, and to his credit,he emerged unscathed.Even during his final appearance, he was at it again,running back 30 yards to pouch a catch with a broken palm.His calm and dignified exit summed up his cricketing career.

Lord’s 1996:A graceful left hander and a shy right hander announced their arrival. Saurav Ganguly perhaps would be the greatest Indian captain ever till date.A true revolutionary who turned Indian cricket right on its head.

When on song, Ganguly was a treat to watch.The mauling of Sri Lanka at Taunton,the famous innings in Dhaka where he lead India to victory, the back to the wall hundred in Brisbane which helped India salvage a draw and set the tempo for their exploits down under remain etched in memory.

His attitude of looking at the opposition straight into the eye and standing up to a challenge rubbed onto his team mates as well.The frozen image of a bare chested,shirt waving Ganguly mouthing the words “thanks gentlemen” ( of course he did not say that ,and we know what he said ) on Lord’s balcony shocked the elite;pleased the commoner.Move over designer ties:desi kurtas where here to stay. In a country where an orthodox upbringing would consider even the slightest of offensive words to be a sacrilege, Ganguly never hesitated in giving it back to the opposition,inspiring a new generation of Indian cricketers who greatly improved their vocabulary,thanks to this habit of engaging in conversation with the opponents.With all doors shut and the keys to them thrown into the Bay of Bengal,in typical Dada style,he made a remarkable comeback. Fittingly enough,he has now scripted his own final swan song.

1997:Standard Bank tri-series final:Allan Donald,the fastest bowler in his time steamed in to unleash a fullish delivery. A wiry batsman,with the logo “Wills” plastered on his bat,bent down,rested his right knee on the ground,thudded his front foot forward and smacked the ball over long on for a massive six.Allan was shocked but the basement for an immovable wall were laid.

Rahul Dravid,one of the most self less of all cricketers ever to have stepped on to the cricket field,established himself in the one day scene as well, with that innings.With due respect to Sachin,Rahul was India’s best ever overseas batsman from 1997-2005.From Wellington to WACA,Durban to Dhaka,Rawalpindi to Jamaica, Rahul has been in the forefront of every major Indian overseas triumph.When the team needed him to don the wicket keeping gloves for the sake of balance,he willingly obliged,even if it meant doing 300 sit ups a day

2001 Kolkata: Needless to say anothing more: VVS Lazman,the artist who could paint blindfolded, the tailor who could thread a needle with one hand tied to his back.He wielded the bat like a wand,thanks to his supple wrists.An entire nation faced mixed results in tenth board exams,thanks to his innings in Kolkata when viewers could not take their eyes off the idiot box

He has been the unsung hero of Indian cricket.Sadly, his absence from the one day team has contributed to him being not as marketable as some of the other cricketers of far lesser ability For television purposes, he did not need “after shower” to freshen him up,nor did he need a “boost” for his energy,or “brylcream” to create new hair trends,nor did he need a heroine hugging him after getting a wicket courtesy nice shampooed hair ,but the best thing he could do,and he could only do, is bat like a dream If Sachin could play a textbook shot to the most difficult of deliveries to contend with,Laxman could play the most unbelievable shot to a seemingly unplayable delivery.

Saurav and Anil have announced retirements and the others would follow soon.These are cricketers who have become a part of our daily routines and the topic of our lunch time conversations.The success of our day was measured by their success;We skipped meals and dinner, unable to bear the grief of seeing them lose;We bunked classes and flunked tests, burning the mid night oil to see them win They made us jump in joy,they made us weep in despair, they made us pray in hope and they made us celebrate in ecstasy.To think that we have perhaps seen the last moments of the fab five playing together for India leaves a lump in our throats.We will miss these heroes;cricket watching will never be the same

(PS: readers leaving their comments can also pick their personal favorite from the Fab five for interesting discussions )

Beating Boredom

It has been just two days since resignation but already its been tough.It is always a struggle when we miss something which is a routine for quite sometime.I have spent time watching Cricket Matches and songs on Television. I am really running out of ideas as to how to spend the next few days.I think I am well past those days when I used to have a voracious appetite for books.I simple don’t have the patience to sit through an entire novel these days.But today morning , I chanced upon Paddy Upton’s blogs.I read only a couple of them but I just can’t have enough of it.The thought process of this man is simply mind blowing.For those who have not heard of him, Paddy Upton is the ‘Biokineticist’ & Sports Psychologist of the Indian Cricket Team.

One topic that instantly caught my fancy was “Self Organized Learners”.To put it in simple terms,he calls those willing to practice this theory as “people who think for themselves”.The best thing is that he stops with just a couple of lines,instead of dwelling on it,allowing the reader to come up with his/her own interpretations and relate to his/her own thought process.This set me thinking,and I tried to come up with my own interpretations of what he meant.The following are my personal views where in I have tried to come up with a summary as to how we can assimilate his thoughts.The individual,sits down,thinking on what could be the possible solutions to a particular scenario.The same applies to all players in a group.At the end,each individual shares his/her views to bring out the best possible outcome.It sounds so simple,but it is very tough to practice.The process behind it is amazing, a closer look would reveal that each individual has set his mind thinking to find a solution without any external help,and also learn the best practices of others.Thus,after each group analysis,the individual emerges a better person than what he was before it,and also the quality of the team improves after every outing.This is not a scenario where people are thrown the long end of the rope without a clue.At the same time,there is no focal point or “senior mentor”.Each peer latently helps the other!

Imagine each and every one of us thinking to ourselves ” I am no Edison.I am no Einstein either.I may not have the capacity to invent anything( who cares for it??!!),but still,I definitely can do certain things,the best way as only I possibly can!”.Sounds great!

Paddy Upton’s theories are tailor made for guys like me,who don’t have the patience to sit through personality improvement lectures for long hours.Only the tip is revealed,and the rest is left to our imagination.I am this sort of person who loves sitting alone,and imagining,living out, dreaming- (I just can’t find the right phrase)- about the things that I want to do in the very near future,I see it visually, as to how we see a cinema..and I try penning it down in words.. yes a perennial “dreamer”.. but who does not love to dream??

It also set me thinking on a few other things that I have been trying hard to practice.Just two weeks before my resignation,I had decided that I wanted to be good( or at least diplomatic,at best) to each and every one I was gonna get in touch with.It was difficult,believe me,at times people really tested my nerves but I quickly realized it was not impossible.I knew that it was possibly the last time I was gonna meet a few people in person for the near future,so I had made up my mind that,at least by the time I leave,parties from both sides should have only pleasant memories.I was reasonably successful I should say.I even went to the extent of taking people who bitched about me ,behind my back to my manager for a treat,with me bearing the expenses.I personally believe that it works out best when you try to be good to people who were not so good to you, as it stings them hard!One of the foremost things that made it possible was cutting down on expectations.Frustration arises mostly when expectations are not met,leading to bitterness and anger,so I had lowered my expectations.Nope it was not a Saint life,where one has to cut down on the root causes( which, in my humble opinion is never possible for mortals like us).It was just plain simple life in the sense that one needs to hold back on the urge to chase things that we covet/desire , but when it comes along,there is no harm in enjoying it to the fullest.I have tried to put this into practice,and it has been quite an emotional bliss so far.

Yeah I think we can wind up on that cos else,it would be me blowing my own trumpet a bit too much.This prompts me to ruminate on another happening that has set me thinking.A clip of Mr.T R (Vijaya T.Rajhendhar) losing his cool when a reporter asks him why he is not able to draw crowds like others.What followed was utter chaos,with T.R making desperate efforts to promote himself.This happens sometimes to us too.We try to comfort ourselves with the fact that we are the best,or better than other/other(s) who we think are our rivals,without pausing to think if we really have solid credentials to back ourselves.It becomes really dangerous,as after a point,our growth as an individual might stop,if we refuse to come out of the cocoon,as we first fix it up in our mind that we are correct, and then try to reason out facts for it,though ideally it should be the other way around.So that could probably be my next challenging activity.To go back in time and check out if I had acted with that sort of mindset in any such situation,and if possible set it right at least now.Look at the classic digression in topic.I had started out with Paddy Upton’s “thinking for ourselves”,only to end up talking about myself, and our TR,moving over to “thinking about ourselves” instead.Paddy Upton and T.R,though in contrasting styles, have set me thinking!
More to come..

Cricket Musings

The last one month has been eventful for all the supporters of the Indian Cricket Team.First and foremost hats off to those champions who have made every Indian proud with their stupendous achievement.There has been a lot of talk about Sachin Tendulkar in recent times and his “impending retirement”.Each and every time this has happened, the maestro has let his willow do the talking.. Proof: Highest run getter in the recently concluded one day series.Yesterday I chanced upon a quick interview which only strengthened my ever increasing awe of the “GOD” of Indian Cricket.This is how it went..
Interviewer:”Lot of youngsters look upto you for inspiration in this Indian Team..what is your response..??” Sachin:Well I am just 5″6 and most of the guys are taller than me so they can’t look up to me.. they have to only look down for me..!”A single line that said it all .. humility, modesty,cheekiness, sense of humour.For all those arm chair apocalytes who perenially keep cribbing about him and his achievements.. please take a note of the following..

1.”Have you ever travelled to Pakistan at the tender age of 16 without your parents for playing representative cricket at the international level..??”
2.”Have you ever been challenged by the legendary leggie Abdul Quadir and promptly dismissed him for 28 runs(Four sixers and a Four) in a single over in an alien land on your maiden tour ??”
3.”Would you stand up to the challenge of the rigours of competitive sport at 16 sacrificing all those fun filled moments ,pani puris etc with your friends..??”
4.”Have you ever made a brilliant century on the fastest wicket in the world , facing four fearsome fast bowlers at the age of 19..?”
5.”Have you ever felt the weight of a billion fans each time you set out to do your job..??”
6.”Have you ever carried the hopes of the entire nation for 16 years..??”
7.” Have you managed to stay free of all controversies for more than a decade after having realised that you are a national icon and a role model for the entire youth of the nation..??”
We Indians should be proud that we were privileged to be born in an era when Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar played competitive cricket.Inevitably age will catch up with him.It is he who is best qualified to determine when he has to hang up his boots and NOBODY ELSE.
A few of the other happenings were also eye catching…
A- The Indian Media lambasting SreeSanth for his antics on the field.This was a ridiculous act.We need a character like him who can match up to the opposition in terms of sheer agression.Guys like him can lift the spirits of the entire team.Agreed that he has to match his antics with solid performance but we dont need the home media lashing out at him especially during the middle of a crucial series.Mind you not only Sreesanth does it..Glenn Mcgrath,Andre Nel,Flintoff have all been consistently doing it .. so why pick out Sree alone..??If Aussies do it , its termed “mental disintegration and Aussie aggression” , but when some one else does it, it is dissent.. why such double standards??
B- Andrew Symonds and the entire Aussie team complaining of Racial Abuse and accusing Indian audience of not behaving themselves..This was certainly ironical..For ages the Aussie crowds have consistently mocked at our Sikh cricketers by placing banana peels and melons on their heads imitating the turbans and “putkha”.Where did the ethics go then?? And Aussies have no moral grounds to complain about racial abouse.. Did not Darren Lehamann call Muralitharan a black “C*Ck’??The Aussies successfully diverted the attention to off field events during the middle of the series and once again the media fell victim to it.
c-Ricky Ponting crying like a kid who has been stripped of his candy that Murli Kartik should have walked in the final ODI when he nicked to the ‘keeper. This provided great comical relief , perhaps even better than most kollywood comedy flicks. Was it not the same Ricky Ponting who came up with those famous words when asked about sportsmanship in the game ..”The umpire has a job to do and he is paid for it. Why should I walk when he has a decision to make..”!!! Is Mr.Ponting suffering from selective amnesia??
It is now plain fact that Aussies have been rattled by the Twent-20 semifinal loss.The Aussies are poor losers and dont know how to handle defeat.With other young teams breathing down their neck,their days at the top are definitely numbered.

India’s loss to Sri Lanka-The right perspective

After all the hype ..at last things have come back to normal( if I can use the word because no Indian defeat can be termed normal..!).. but sooner we start viewing things in the right perspective .. the better..

1. First and foremost ,let us stop blaming the coach entirely for the defeat because one must remember,cricket is played by 11 players on the field and not the coach… we have players with more than 10000 runs,over 300 wickets.. and can a coach be blamed if they dont perform?? Is it not sheer foolishness that we expect a coach to take the blame if they cant force runs of straight deliveries(ganguly),attempt a steer to point of a world class spinner when he has a slip in place(sehwag), getting dismissed by a routine inswinger on target(sachin),attempting to stem the flow of runs instead of going for the kill when you have the opposition at 94/3 in 25 overs( harbajan)

2. Let us first realise that the WORLD CUP is not the end of it all. It is but another event in the cricketing calendar..!

3.Let us stop stupid acts such as vandalising player’s homes,holding demonstrations against them..For those who are not aware .. The Indian Cricketers are not public servants but are contracted by the BCCI which is a PRIVATE BODY and hence the players can not be held accountable..Pray SIR/MADAM.. did any of the players ask us to shun our activites and sit glued in front of the television and watch them..?? and of course RAHUL’s wife will not give her dinner preparations a skip if TEAM INDIA is playing nor will SACHIN’S kids ignore their homework.. then why should we..???

4.Cricket is a glorious unifying factor in India and there in lies its greatest strength and weakness..The biggest problem is that in countries like Australia and South Africa, the country men have a host of sporting events to look forward to but sadly in India,we have nothing but cricket…!

5.Dont single out players as targets because we have to keep in mind that BCCI is a private organisation that “selects” its players.. We did not go for public voting to choose our cricket team..! and even when we vote as in general election.. do we hold the elected representative by the scruff of his neck when things are going wrong?? If that is the case, what reason have we got to be ANGRY with a DHONI or a SEHWAG if India loses??

6. Commercialisation of the game has spoilt it..In case of those who want to blame the players for appearing in adverstisements,direct your accusations at the BCCI for being money minded..A CRIKETER’S career is unpredictable and could be cruelly short..there are a lot of factors-loss of form ,bad luck,injury concerns.. so is it not logical to make hay while the sun shines?? And how many of us are regular in paying out taxes?? Dont we always look for shortcuts??!!!

7.So what do we do now?? Simple.. Stop blaming and start working..!

8.We need to keep sentiments aside and be prepared to say good bye to some of the old legs in the team..The one glaring thing about this team is that it lacks freshness that all other teams pocess…We looked jaded..Either we need to have exuberant youth (as in Sri Lanka and the Windies) or seasoned professionals who are supremely fit(as in Australia),we have neither

9.In all probabilities,Greg Chappell would go..And it is time we had an Indian who could talk the “players language” at the helm..Greg’s services could still be utilised at the academy level( for his professionalism).. because the “process” has just not worked..look at Sri lanka in 2005( we thrashed them ) and how well they have come back now..that is real progress.!Better to have someone who played cricket in recent times and can be one among the players instead of being a preacher.. Even if we have another foreign coach.. he will still be abused by the seniors.. because not many would like to be told to play straight and stop bowling wides after 10000 runs and 300 wickets.. Imagine this, even after the end of professional engineering course, how would it be if someone keeps repeating basics like asking us to shut down a system properly after use .. day in and day out?Not many would take it the same way.. ( but we stil wont follow the instructions..! do we??!

10.Rahul has been an exceptional player and a selfless cricketer..He has been an astute thinker but sadly he has not been a motivating leader..The passion is missing..

11.So who next ?? I am sure my next few lines would raise a few eyebrows.. I think it is time to pass on the mantle to SACHIN TENDULKAR..I say this not for the single reason that I am his ardent fan.. A few might argue that he has already been a failure once but the team that was handed to him in previous years would struggle to beat even a county side.. We need a leader who can hold his own in both the test matches and one dayers ( That leaves us with very few choices) , leader who can give the team a feeling of stability(That rules out Saurav), A leader whom the youngsters can look up to as their role model..He should be handed over the team and then the seamless process of gradual transition must begin..We need to groom a team under him and a leader under him( Yuvraj or Dhoni( even Kaif if he can find back his touch)..After a year or so, it would be time for him to hang up his boots and for the next generation to take over..

12. Finally no need to feel aweful about the loss to Sri Lanka because we definitely lost to a better performing team..It was a joy watching them in action..

13.For those rational ones who have had enough, switch off the television sets and get back to normal life..For those eternal hopefuls who cant bear a world cup second stage without India ,cross your fingers and pray that bermuda should defeat bangladesh..Finally for the genuine cricket lovers(Yours Truly included) come along and cheer for either the West indies( for their charisma) or the SRI LANKANS( for their flair) …We have had enough efficient abusive cricket from the hot-headed Australians,one dimensional South Africans and cocky New Zealanders and it is high time an asian team like SRI LANKA handed them a defeat.. Cheers WINDIES and SRI LANKA..!! (COME ON.. Even Sri Lanka wears blue.. so we can still be THE BLUE BILLION..!)

TEAM INDIA-THE PRESENT TURMOIL

A lot has been said and written about the performance ( or , rather the “non performance” ) of the Indian Cricket Team and the various underlying reasons make interesting reading..

BOUNCING ‘EM OUT
“Straight Drive”
Indians have never been good tourists and the failure to adapt to the bouncy conditions has been our undoing..and just a single practice game before international matches did not help our cause either.All said and done it was perplexing indeed that players like Sehwag,Dravid,Sachin too could not produce any convincing performance..

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUND DOMESTIC CRICKET
Most of the youngsters who created an initial impression have gradually faded away.. The main cause for our downfall has been the lack of emphasis on domestic cricket..It is indeed startling to note that Parthiv Patel who made his debut at the age of 16 played his first match for his state side Gujarat after having made his debut for INDIA!We simply seem to ignore our prestigious domestic set up.. More stress is laid on the under 19 competitions.. once we spot a talent there.. it is then a couple of matches with the ‘A’ team and before you realise..you find the youngster in the Indian Team..let us have a comparision with the best team on the planet at the moment…”AUSTRALIA”.. people who made their debuts for India in the recent past-Suresh Raina( he was eighteen when he first wore Indian colours) ,Piyush Chawla(17),Parthiv Patel(16),R P Singh(19),Irfan Pathan(18)..barring their U-19 matches..not one among this set played more than 10 first class matches before donning the Indian cap.. let us look at Australia .. Mike Hussey-made his International debut at the age of 30.. having made more than 15000 runs in domestic cricket..Brett Lee(24),Michael Clarke(24)-both played for their respective state sides for atleast 5 full seasons before replresenting Australia.. Stuart Clarke a fast bowler who made his debut at the age of 30!While our youngsters have faded away after a promising beginning.. these Australians ,with a wealth of domestic cricketing experience have easily adapted to the rigours of International cricket… after all not everyone can be a SACHIN TENDULKAR..!

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF PITCHES
“Straight Drive”
If you had been to some of the first class matches ,you would have noticed that finding balls bouncing consistently above waist height is as rare as spotting bengal tigers in Antartica( hmm not that u get too see many bengal tigers in India these days).. The Pitches are slow,low and lack bounce..to add to the misery,the grass is almost completely shaven off ( it would even put a good barber to shame). Only when we start producing good sporting pitches for first class fixtures,can we expect to produce quality batsmen who can handle good bounce and pace..
“Reverse Sweep”( the other side of the coin)
The board has taken a step in the right direction ..very soon you would find Ranji games being hosted by a non participating state and if the pitch is not of good quality,the host associaton would be facing a heavy penalty.

QUANTITY AND NO QUALITY
We currently have more than 25 first class teams in India and that gives an astonishing number of more than 500 first class cricketers..Unfortunately we can hardly single out 8 – 10 good teams and hence most of the runs and wickets come at the expense of minnows.. look at a country like Australia where you have just six first class teams! It is much easier to look out for quality cricketers in their region..it is only in the recent past that we have gone for this two tier system of the top 16 teams competing for the Ranji trophy and the bottom tweleve teams competing for the plate championship.. but that too hasnt produced any significant improvement.If the Australians dont have any international commitments ,you invariably find them reperesenting their state teams..so the quality of competition is of very high standards as the domestic players compete along side seasoned professionals.. but here in India once the players make the International grade,they hardly look back..
“Reverse Sweep”( the other side of the coin)
From the current season ,seasoned professionals from other countries would appear in our domestic circuit ( already English internationals- Vikram Solanki and Kabir Ali have been signed up by Rajasthan)

SELECTION WOES AND A NEWSMAKING COACH
“Straight Drive”
A situation where in you have 5 selectors representing 5 different zones does not help either.. each and every member tries to “push ” in players from his zone to satisfy the state associatons from his zone ..hence good cricketing talent from minnow states is always ignored.. the shining exceptions have been M.S.DHONI-Jharkand and SREESANTH-Kerala..
Of course we dont even elect our Prime Ministers properly( and look for some “Foreign Origin Inspiration).. talkin about foreign origin the other “foreigner” who has been makin the headlines ever since his arrival has been Greg Chappell..A loud mouthed coach has not helped our cause either..much as been said and written about the man and some of the criticism has been harsh..he has been accused of causin instabilty by changing the batting order..but his real intentions have not been properly comprehended.. the Aussie Batting legend merely tried to push the players out of their comfort zones but the players have not been very receptive..now if you cant bat in any postion between number 1 to 6 n cry over a fixed postionn are you really good enough to play for India..??
“Reverse Sweep”( the other side of the coin)
All said and done it is pretty evident that the national coach has his own favourites in this Indian team.. We follow this wierd system of coach n captain picking the team along with selectors.. in my humble opinion a coach should only refine the resources deputed to him and not involve in selection matters.. in the case of a champion team like Australia.. they first pick out their squad and then only name their captain!