just like that

It’s been over a month now since that memorable Saturday evening. The 2^nd of April will now take its place as the most important date in Indian cricket displacing the 28-year reign of June 25^th. For me, personally, it was the greatest moment of my life. It gave me joy that I had never felt before. Before I go further, I would like to dedicate this victory to two people:

1) Sachin Tendulkar – The person who has inspired me the most in my life. The entire team rightfully dedicated the WC to him but as one of his true fans, I would once again like to do the same. We won it for you, Sachin! There wasn’t nothing much left for you to achieve but this is one cup we wanted to see you lift. A loss wouldn’t have reduced you in my eyes in anyway but the win just makes the world so much more perfect.

2) The cricket fan – The cup may belong to all the people in India but there are some who deserve more credit than the others. This win truly belongs to

a. that fan who stood for hours in the sun to buy a ticket for any test-match/ODI

b. that fan who never gave-up on his team when they were eight down and needed 52 off 34 balls.

c. that fan who did not say “This team is a bunch of losers” just because it was the fashionable thing to say

d. that fan who defended Sachin resolutely when some half-baked guy said random stuff about him not winning enough matches for India

e. that fan who woke up at unearthly hours to catch live action of a test match.

f. that Indian who never gave up on India, in sport or otherwise.

I have always loved cricket because it excites me in a way no other sport does. But on April 2^nd, I actually felt what we have all known all along – that cricket is more than just a sport. On the streets, there was a celebration like never before. Everyone met on the street was greeted like a long lost friend. For once, the marathis and the Punjabis and the tamilians were gone - there were only Indians.

Now, as the dust settles and we return to our corrupt politicians, desperate news channels and an ordinary IPL, I have a small request for all of you. Most of us lead routine lives which could do with a little more inspiration. I hope all of us could rejig our thoughts once in a while to the night of 2^nd April and derive hope and energy from that to do something better –it could be standing behind Anna Hazare or it could be starting that fitness regime you have been putting off – something that will make you better than what you are. Think about it!

Just didnt want the blog to become inactive again. So reproducing an earlier post I wrote as a guest blogger for Mrunal's new blog.



Cricket versus T20

Along with over-arm bowling, Kerry Packer and the third umpire, T20 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the few things that changed the game forever. Like all those changes, the impact of T20 was not immediate – Two years and an Indian win in the inaugural World cup was what it took to capture India’s, and thus, the cricketing world’s, imagination. Smartly, Lalit Modi & Co stepped in. A few cash-rich corporates, some of the world’s best players, a borrowed concept and a booming economy (on second thoughts, just a growing economy) took care of the rest. No one even remembers poor Subash Chandra now.

Well, with IPL2 ready to rock South African audiences and Indian televisions, I thought about why IPL1 didn’t fascinate me as much as it should have. Surely, if not for all the glitz and glamour, atleast the big names and the cricket on display should have had me. First and foremost, I guess it was the city-based teams’ concept. I really didn’t feel that passionate about supporting my city, or any city for that matter. And when Mathew Hayden, Joginder Sharma and Andy Morkel turn out for Chennai SuperKings, whatever little you felt is also gone. On the other hand, when Team India is playing, it’s a totally different ball game. The ecstasy that an Indian win brings is truly unmatched and so is the disappointment at a narrow loss.

The second thing that doesn’t work for me is the whole T20 concept itself. Sure, it gets over in three hours and fits television audiences perfectly but for a serious cricket fan, the cricket on view is not as pleasing as Test or one-day cricket. I remember seeing the inaugural T20 WC and truth be told, I fell for it. What nail-biting excitement it provided and of course, India kept winning. Two years on, the format has not evolved as much as it should have with the result that we keep seeing batsmen trying to hit every ball for a six. Swing and seam are gone; Flight and loop have been forgotten and it’s all about getting the Yorker length.

There is no doubt that T20 has given an exciting twist to the gentleman’s game. As Richie Benaud famously remarked “Test cricket is what parents take their kids to and T20 is what kids bring their parents to” (or some such thing). It has got a whole new generation of people hooked onto cricket. It has got more money into the game and for a cash-strapped ICC, it’s a huge opportunity. But let this opportunity not lead us to the demise of the game. Let it not turn cricket into some fast-paced action thriller where power and purpose take control over skill and strategy. The Dhonis and Gambhirs of today were brought up on Sachin’s Sharjah-like innings. Let Yuvaraj’s six sixes in an over not be the role model for tomorrow’s cricketing princes. Let T20 be what it is - the fun-filled, relaxed form of the game.

It’s a tribute to the game that Test cricket is still considered the pinnacle by its players and fans. And it’s a tribute to its administrators that they have maintained the balance between all the three formats. Undoubtedly, the big challenge will be to sustain the same in the coming years. Let’s maintain IPL as what it is – a cleverly packaged entertainment show with cricket as its anchor. Let it stay as the format where Buchnan tries out his multi-captaincy theories and Modi his time-out commercials. But let’s not take it beyond that.

Once in every four years, we come across

(i) the biggest sporting extravaganza on the planet.
(ii) the existence of sports like Boxing, Weightlifting and Shooting.
(iii) small African countries that can't be found on the map winning many medals.
(iv) an entire nation of one billion and more waiting with bated breath for that single gold/silver/bronze.

That time has come. Lets pray and hope for the best!

I finally got my posting this month at work. Coimbatore will be my new home. The Manchester of South India, the city and its surrounding geographies are in the middle of an economic boom. For the first time, I see a city where manufacturing is above par the services/agriculture in terms of employment as well as wealth creation. The cost of living, not surprisingly, seems to be nearly as high, if not more than, Chennai. In fact, one of my friends went to the extent of suggesting that it is costlier than Bangalore.

Anyways, since I am going to be here for sometime, you will have enough of Coimbatore snippets in the days to come. Just thought I will make a post as I begin another journey in a new city. I am looking forward to the challenges and hope to have fun in the way!

You know Valentine’s Day is near when

a) The normal stationery shop you visit is suddenly full of ‘You are the one for me’ cards and heart-shaped gifts.

b) Your newspaper comes with special ‘love’ supplements.

c) The news channels run breaking news as “One crore red roses sold in February”.

d) Shopping malls run all sorts of Ms. And Mr. contests.

e) A lot of (otherwise idle) bloggers write some silly post on it :)

As of now, the only missing link is the self-proclaimed moral police who pop-out on occasions like this and tell people what is right for them and the society. (I guess they will give it a skip this time as they are busy with other ‘Maha’ issues)

Anyways, my earliest memory of V-day goes back to eighth standard - I overheard a conversation while standing in the prayer line at school which went as follows “Do you know today is lover’s day?” “Yeah! I know. And Ganesh is going to propose to Divya” (Names changed to protect identities :) ). But it wasn’t until I was 15 that I actually came to know about the dress-color codes to be followed. I remember being furious with myself for not having a green shirt with me (Green, supposedly, was to indicate to your target segment that you were available). These two silly events keeping come back to me whenever I think of V-day. Since my other adult years did not provide any reason to remember Feb 14 in any special way, its time to bring this aimless post to an end now!

I wish all of you a Happy Valentine’s Day. Enjoy the day. Love everyone and throw away any of your old hatred for anyone! And above all, treat every day of the year as V-Day. Let your heart go on!

Since we are already in February, it is probably a bit too late for the 2007 year post, but since I had started writing it sometime back, I might as well complete it. This should also satisfy all my readers who have been complaining about too much of cricket posts :)

It was a year of two parts – the one on campus and the one after.

The one on campus

The last few days on campus were quite enjoyable as was most of the two years. Birthday cakes and treats, parties, movie downloads, yearbook testimonials, placement preparations, a few last-minute love stories, and farewell trips with friends – it was all happening! And then came the three biggest days in any B-school’s calendar – Day 0, Day 1 and Day 2. (Yes, all those stories you read in papers about placement getting over in half-a-day are, mildly put, pure #%$*). Anyways, blessed with a buoyant economy and a hard-working placement committee, we all got our dream placements. Delighted mothers, relieved fathers, and proud siblings - the convocation was really the icing on that huge cake called IIM Indore.

And then it was finally time to leave - everyone had to, except that no one really wanted to! There are moments in life when you wish you had an opportunity to go back and do it all over again - that feeling came over me as I stood near the stairs of my hostel block and took one final look at the home of my two years. And when I finally boarded the train at Indore, I knew I was finishing up on one important journey and starting on another.

The one after

The one month period after campus and before work was bliss - I slept a lot, ate even more and generally didn’t do any productive work. And then I joined work. The first four-and-a half months was so hectic and so full of travel that it passed before I could say ‘paint’. After that it’s been relatively peaceful with occasional bursts of work.

On the personal front, a six day week meant just one day for all the catching up - catching up with friends, coming online on Gtalk, sleeping long hours and all the efforts towards getting a driving license and passport (both still continue to be in the pipeline). Thanks to weekday night shows, I managed to stay in touch with the film stars. And by installing DISHTV, my lifelong ambition of watching Sachin bat on a 29 inch screen was also fulfilled :)

There is one more very significant thing that happened in the year of 2007. Right through my school and college days, I have tried everything from drinking Complan (Yes, I was a Complan boy!) to working out at the gym to put on weight. None of it had ever worked even a little bit and I had given up hopes long time ago. And yet, magically, this year, with almost no effort from my side, I put on so much weight that for the first time in life, I was actually worried about my diet :). For this reason alone, 2007 would go into the annals of my biography as a very important year. 2008, u better have something really special up your sleeve :)

With the current mood in India, the title alone would have sufficed as a post but I am so angry right now that I need to pour my feelings somewhere.

To the Australian cricket team – I would like to remind you that the world hasn’t forgotten what Glenn McGrath, Michael Slater and so many others have all said at various points of time in the field. So don’t act like a bunch of angels now! What was said in the cricket ground was to be left there. If other teams started complaining about what you say to them on the field, Australia can never field eleven players in any match.

To Australia and its people – If you want to prove to the world that you are a good sporting nation, this is the time to do it. You know what’s happened – so if we call off the tour tomorrow, you know it was because of your own team’s making. Sorry about that! I, as a cricket fan, have at times saluted the way in which your team has played the game but your current team will have none of it. It’s tough to believe a team led by someone like Steve Waugh has also been led by a rogue like Ricky Ponting.

To Mike Procter, the South African match referee:

1) When harbhajan did not agree to the allegation (or to the actual words as charged) against him and you had no neutral person (namely the umpires – Whether they were neutral in the game is an altogether different matter) supporting the allegation, on what basis can you lay a ban on the accused?

2) Coming from South Africa, a country which has fought so long against racism, you should be the first person to understand when something is meant as a racist remark and when its not. Or are you probably trying to pay back for all the good that the Indian board has done to South Africa when you came out of apartheid?

To Indian fans – Thanks a lot for the support and feedback you have been giving in the media. It proved that we not only burn effigies but also can support our team in an hour of crisis. Continue the good work!

To the BCCI – You have begun acting the right way. Ensure the job gets finished properly. For the benefit of everyone, the following is the procedure we should adopt:

1. Revoke Harbhajan’s ban completely, failing which we will pack our bags and catch the next flight out. If the hearing is suspended till end of series, we can continue to play under the condition it will happen before the beginning of tri-series.
2. Although we would like Bucknor and Benson not to stand in any more matches, it currently cannot be changed mid-way through a tour. This must be understood by everyone. We should register an official protest for now and leave it at that. For any international match played after this test series, BCCI should insist on these umpires not officiating in any India matches. It might sound very childish but their performance left very little scope for anyone to think otherwise.
3. If the matches do happen after revoking the ban, ask our team to give it back on the field in every single opportunity. The series has already been lost, so what is left for us is not just ‘pride to play for’ as some might argue but use the opportunity to show those guys who we really are and what happens when you rub good guys on the wrong side.

The most stupid thing for us in the world would be to continue the tour if the ban is not overturned. It will be like bowing down to every team in the world and saying “Next time I tour your country, keep your players and the match referee ready – We have our key players waiting for a ban” .

Enough is enough!This is the time to show our cricket power to the world. For far too long, we have been seen as a country of meek people. Its time to assert ourselves, not only because we deserve it, but for the simple reason that we are right! Come back India!

Wishing all of you a very happy new year! May this year see all your dreams come true!

Iam someone who believes every day of every year is a new one and needs to be started afresh but nevertheless, these occasions give you a chance to reflect upon yourself and an opportunity to start something new and positive for the days ahead. As for the year that went by, it is quite a memorable one and I would probably make a post on it sometime. Till then, happy new year folks!

Sourav Ganguly, after completing his first century in his homeground, Eden Gardens. Go on Dada!

Pic courtesy - Cricinfo

Recently read about a petrol bunk fraud in one of my friend’s blog. I was reminded about how I had got duped at the exact same bunk a couple of weeks earlier in the same fashion. Taking a cue from it, I decided to post about one of the other frauds that I came across recently so that at least some of you can be prepared next time around.

I developed great respect for Mumbai when I lived there for a year. I was impressed with the efficiency of the train system and the honesty of the auto drivers which made travel at any time of the day such a comfort. So when I recently got duped at the Mumbai airport six months ago for the first time, I wasn’t even sure whether I had been duped in the first place. Me and my friend had landed at the airport and asked for a cab to Powai. Upon agreeing to the rate of Rs 200, the guy (lets say a Mr. X) who did the bargaining with us called for the cab and we get into it.

As soon as we sit inside, Mr. X smartly hands out three hundred rupee notes and politely asked my friend to give a 500 rupee note to settle the fare. My friend is slightly puzzled, but still takes the hundred rupee notes and pays the fare but Mr. X immediately returns it showing it’s actually a hundred rupee note we have given and asks for 500 Rs note. My friend thinks he has made a mistake, takes the 100 Rs note and pays him 500. Later, when he checks his purse, my friend remembers that he had no 100 rupee notes to begin with in the first place. So effectively we had been duped 400 Rs (since we got back a 100 Rs note for the first 500 Rs we gave).Upon enquiring with others, we find that this is a common occurrence at the airport.

So what is their modus operandi? They pick on unsuspecting passengers who as it is have no idea about the fares. Negotiations over, they take you a little outside the airport saying the taxi is parked there. There, the usual Mr. X is ready with the (500 – Agreed fare) amount. They wait for the passenger to sit inside the cab and immediately give him the money and ask for the 500 Rs note. And here is where the most important part of the operation is – As soon as u pay him the note, he switches it in a flash with a 100 Rs note, which no doubt he was having handy. If u weren’t paying enough attention you would not even notice his hand movement,go on to assume u made a mistake with the notes and end up losing 400 bucks more in the process.

I experienced the whole thing again when I went to Mumbai two months back. This time I was watching him closely and despite that I wasn’t able to spot when he actually made that switch. However, I at least knew he had definitely switched the note. I was angry and despite the broken Hindi I uttered, my tone helped that guy realize I was clearly not impressed by his behavior. He went off silently and the journey progressed smoothly. All of you might not be that lucky so I suggest one of the following precautionary measures:

1) Always try to take one of the taxis which are standing just in front of the airport lounge exit. In full public view with security personnel nearby, the Mr. Xs are virtually absent. Even better, take one of the prepaid taxis. The queue is long, but it’s always better than paying 400 bucks extra.

2) Never agree to go outside the airport to board a taxi unless it’s a prepaid taxi where you have already paid the fare.

3) Always insist on paying only after you reach your destination. Even if you are already inside the cab and they insist on payment before starting, do not hesitate to walk out.

4) Finally, if you know you are going to stay in a particular hotel, make use of the cab pickup service by calling them in advance and informing them of your arrival. The service usually comes free but even otherwise it makes a lot of sense.

As a parting note, I would like to mention a couple of things.

One of my friends recently had to go to the US and he had to take a connecting flight via Mumbai. He is running late and takes a cab to go from the domestic airport to the international airport. The cabbie takes him to some remote place, asks him to pay money failing which he won’t take him to the airport. Due to the paucity of time at hand, my friend paid 100 dollars in traveler’s cheques and got to the airport. Of course, he smartly blocked those cheques once he got inside the airport via phone banking.

Just beware of the Mumbai cabbies in the same way you would be of the Chennai auto- drivers. As in the latter case, the safest option would be to avoid them!

It almost seems that Oct-Nov is my blog hibernation period. Even last year, I haven't made many posts in this period. Anyways, since Iam making a re-entry yet again, I guess I will use this post to just give a snapshot of what's been happening with me over the last six months. Return to serious blogging only if I manage another post this month.

1) Work - When I made the choice on campus, I knew it was a good one but wasn't exactly sure if it was the right one. Six months post joining, the initial signs are encouraging. Responsibility, Independence and Pressure would be the few adjectives that I would use to describe the journey so far. With training getting over, I am just waiting to be let loose on real work.

2) Travel – This should count among one of the perks that I have enjoyed at work. From the buzzing M.G roads of Bangalore to the serene shores of Pondicherry, I have traveled across four states and 17 towns, learning something new at every stop. There was a period when I had to explore some new towns in interior TN with just a map, a sales officer and an Indica - Good fun it was!

3) People –The brusque menial in my godown, the smart yet down-to-earth MBA salesman, the multi-crore dealer who sits in a shop so small that two people can’t enter at the same time, the cab driver who has seen more countries than I ever will, the risen-through-the-ranks manager from whom I keep learning new things about management everyday – Its simply been a terrific time meeting new people and understanding what motivates each one of them.

4) Friends – Right at the top of the list of casualties. I knew I would lose touch with a lot of people once I left campus but even the 25-30 people with whom I wanted to stay in touch with have slowly started drifting apart. It may be because my work is too hectic (such a lame excuse!), I come online for a very small time and Iam not exactly the calling types but the fact remains that the only friends I have stayed in touch with are the ones who have bothered to call/mail me. Hoping to correct the situation in the near future (just the way I hope to write a blog more regularly)