tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14327861436960633392024-02-03T21:23:02.984+05:30CREATING EXPERIENCEOnce people started living for years on this earth, they tried everything they could and one fine morning they wake up to say that the world has become old. That's how EXPERIENCE came into existencesidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-54948705247836445582011-03-23T20:15:00.000+05:302011-03-23T20:16:59.865+05:30Quarter Final–1: Pakistani spinners feast on West Indies at MirpurAt Mirpur the West Indies team was attacked by stone throwers for having bundled out Bangladesh for 58 runs in the league stage but never would they have thought that the tables would turn before they left the subcontinent. At the knockout stage it was never going to be a question of talent but about one’s ability to handle pressure and West Indies were caught napping as Pakistan humiliated them and broke their spirit by bowling them out for a paltry 112 runs, their third lowest world cup score.<br /><br />The entertaining Chris Gayle’s indulgence in power hitting fills the stands but that does not discount the reality of flashiness prioritizing over responsibility in his career. If ever there was a day when his team would have wanted him to spend more time at the middle to create a platform for the likes of Pollard to break free then it was today but it was not to be. Once again the stoic Jamaican flattered to deceive on the big stage as his alter ego contributed to his perishing much before the people in his neighborhood would have finished their ablution work. If his departure was a setback then the defensive ploy by West Indies was hard to decode.<br /><br />Tinkering with batting line ups on big match days has more often than not boomeranged for teams in the past and today was no different. Promoting Ramanaresh Sarwan to number 3 ahead of Darren Bravo was either to protect the youngster from the sharp Pakistani attack or to create a role in the batting line up for the veteran to fit in. Whatever the thought process was it failed as Bravo was dismissed much before he could get his eye in and Sarwan who looks to be in the last leg of his career spent most of his time in the middle trying to settle before departing for 24 runs which came off 68 deliveries, in an attempt to up the antique.<br /><br />Shivanaraine Chanderpaul took 18 balls to open his account and by the 10th over with the score board reading 18 for 3, Pakistan had a strong foothold in the Caribbean camp. The spinners took over the proceeding as Pollard came and went as did the others and the score board soon read 70 for 7 with Shahid Afridi having missed a hattrick and soon it was 71 for 7……8. Kemar Roach and Chanderpaul who might have batted for the last time in South Asia took the score beyond 100 runs but it was bit too late in the day as by then Pakistan were well on their way to Mohali for the semifinals.<br /><br />Shahid Afridi ended the day with a tournament tally of 21 wickets; still the highest and the Pakistani openers cruised to the target without any damage. West Indies positives from the tournament have been the emergence of some good young talent who now need to be nurtured as the rebuilding process will begin yet again. As painful as it may be but it won’t be a surprise if some radical changes are reported by West Indies Cricket Board in the near future.<br /><br />Score card link to the match: http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/current/match/433600.html<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />23rd March 2011, 8.11pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-84651932060405849372011-03-22T23:01:00.000+05:302011-03-22T23:06:48.624+05:30World cup’s marathon recapIn comparison to other globally popular ball games, cricket’s pace might be tortoise-like but to discard it as a form of sleeping pill would takeaway the connotations of the game in the lives of its fans and followers. More so in the subcontinent where the amount of dead time between sunrise and bedtime is plenty, this stop-start game is an excellent feeder to more than a billion aspirations. For the arm chair citizens the near perfect definition of a beautiful life lies in their ability to chew cashew nuts or betel-leaf, depending on affordability and speculate, scrutinize and convince every one around of how they could have been more valuable asset to the team than a Yuvraj or a Afridi, just that they could not make it to their district team of the age group competition due to petty politics and favoritism. How much imbibed is such culture in the history or what is so emotional about this syndrome that syncs perfectly with the government’s vision of progress has been beautifully explained in Mukul Kesavan’s The Men in White and Ramachandra Guha’s A Corner of a Foreign Field. But for now the International Cricket Council (ICC) has enormously benefitted out of this chaotic cricket patriotism surrounding because it had pinned its last hope on the people of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India and to an extent on that of Pakistan to approve their belief that 50 over cricket has still enough reserves left in its tank and like always the public has made ICC look good.<br /><br />The 720 hours constituting the calendar from 19th February to 20th March involving 42 cricket matches has been a marathon race involving players, administrators, broadcasters, pundits and the fans who to their credit have formed a human chain and run on to pass an important verdict regarding the future of one day cricket. Strange but the truth is that Australia’s depleting resources made the stakeholders believe that this year’s world cup is one of the most open tournaments in the recent times. The Kangaroos might still prove all wrong and then brag about it the way only they can but at this point of time it still remains to be the starting point from where the romance of world cup 2011 emanated. The romanticism needed some colour and Dhaka chipped in with the best opening ceremony of a cricket tournament ever to welcome the world to the subcontinent and that set the tone for what the entire cricketing world has seen in the last 30 days.<br /><br />Before the tournament began, everyone who knew a little about the game was critical of how scores beyond 300 on the flat batting bullied tracks of the subcontinent would make the contests one dimensional and monotonous. Few even were sure that by the time the tournament ended, bowlers worldwide would have signed a secret pact of faking injuries to avoid any further humiliation but that was not to be as in this cup the ball has had a slight advantage over the bat at the end of the first round. In the 82 completed innings that have been played in this tournament so far (does not include the curtailed Sri Lankan innings in their abandoned match against Australia) just 17 times have the teams scored beyond 300 runs whereas 31 times have the teams been bowled out. Further more evidence is the fact that 28 times teams have been bowled out or restricted below 200 runs (not considering the successful run chases below 200). If that does not suffice the justification then the average run rate per over which was 5.20 at the end of the 19th match of the tournament has gone down to 5.08 after the conclusion of the 42nd match and moreover the average partnership per wicket stands at 28 runs which is miniscule compared to what modern bats and compressed boundary lines are capable of producing. There might be an argument against the skewed nature of the figures because of the minnows influence in the first leg of the tournament but statistics like hawk eye has this knack of considering all other factors as constant while dishing out data.<br /><br />Apart from bowlers restoring their sanity the other thing that has clicked for this world cup is numbers. Any hardcore cricket lover would secretly confess the affection for individual records even though at times it comes at the cost of his/her home team. If records would not have been the point of high in a cricket fan’s career then no newspaper would have titled their headline as ‘Sachin’s 99th international century goes in vain’. Considering cricket’s ability to either generate a new record or break an old one in every delivery of a match this world cup has been right up there. Every run and wicket of the 18275 runs scored and 643 wickets taken in 3597.1 overs bowled so far has meant something to someone. It has been someone’s 1st or 2000th or 7000th international run, 1st or 100th or 200th international wicket, 100th or 200th international catch and that has kept the hungry public from Islamabad to Colombo in a celebratory mood without any signs of fatigue at the mass level.<br /><br />Staying with records it has been aptly led by the little master Sachin Tendulkar. If the country related his 6th world cup appearance as its own then his 5th and 6th world cup century and 2000th world cup run were revered for the joy he brings to the life of every one who knows who he is. Then there was a lot of talk in the town when Yuvraj Singh became the first cricketer to score a fifty and take five wickets in a world cup match. How much ever pride Indians associate with the landmarks their bleed blue boys scale nothing comes in comparison with Ireland’s historic world cup run chase against England, courtesy Kevin O’ Brien’s ton off 50 balls which now happens to be the fastest world cup century. England’s other bit of record in this world cup was when they transpired with India to register the 4th tied match of world cup cricket. The hat-tricks of Kemar Roach and Lasith Malinga (Malinga now is the first cricketer to register two world cup hat-tricks) reaffirmed the faith that nothing is more exciting than the sight of a fast bowler rattling the timber with sheer pace and precision. For the first time a bilateral series (Chappell-Hadlee Trophy) was played within the confines of the world cup and it for sure is going to be a trivia question in the charity quizzes in the pubs across Australia and New Zealand for many years to come. Ross Taylor became the fourth batsman after Vinod Kambli, Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya to celebrate his birthday with an international century and this also is a qualifier for the pub evenings. South Africa’s record claim so far in this tournament has been their victory against Netherlands by a world cup record margin of 231 runs. In between all this Sri Lanka lost its first world cup game at home to Pakistan (it had never lost a game in 1996) who also halted Australia’s world cup winning streak of 34 matches (last time they had lost was on 23rd May 1999 to Pakistan) in a match in which Ricky Ponting led his side for the 28th time in world cup cricket, highest by any captain. Somewhere the law of averages had to come into picture like it so beautifully does in the life of Rahul Dravid.<br /><br />If the departure of the injured Kevin Pietersen, Dwayne Bravo, Stuart Broad, Doug Bollinger and a series of other cricketers took some shine away from the tournament then it was doubly enriched by the show of the fringe players who made a transition from the bench to the park in true Hindi film style. Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Luke Wright, James Tredwell, Devendra Bishoo are not the kind of names that feature in the first eleven on a perfect day but situations made them overnight stars and in the broader perspective it augurs well for the star system of international cricket which needed new names to look up to in the new decade. James Tredwell in particular will now be remembered as the guy who was instrumental in changing England’s flight ticket from sector Chennai-Heathrow to Chennai-Colombo. However among all these extras the real ‘big’ name during the course of the world cup has been Ravichandran Ashwin who in the last fortnight has captured more mind share than the country’s Prime Minister and debates over his place in the Indian side have been material for prime time consumption. MS Dhoni finally handed him over the ball against West Indies and now he looks a certainty to start in the encounter against Australia.<br /><br />Ricky Ponting had clearly nicked the ball into the gloves of a surprisingly alert Kamran Akmal but stood ground pretending oblivious of the sound whereas the faintest of the edge that was produced by a peach of a Ravi Rampaul delivery could not have caught the attention of technology but still Sachin Tendulkar, one short of his 100th international century decided to walk. To walk or not to walk is entirely a personal choice of a batsman but two similar instances and different reactions by contemporary cricket’s top most batsmen has yet again opened up the Pandora box. While it is grossly unfair to relate to an act of not walking with lack of integrity, it definitely is an indication of the contrasting frame of minds the two batsmen are currently in. <br /><br />The grand welcome in Bangladesh supplemented by the stone throwers, Ireland’s inspiration, the associate’s debate fuelled by Zimbabwe, Kenya, Canada and Netherlands callous cricket, swansong of Murali, Akthar, John Davison, Steve Tikolo, Graeme Smith, the Eden Gardens fiasco, the crashing of the ticketing website, the lathi charges, Navjot Singh Sidhu’s mediocrity , a parade of replacement cricketers, the new stadiums of Sri Lanka, Sourav Ganguly’s rise, Harsha Bhogle, the theme song that has divided opinions, the eight predicted quarterfinalists, give and take for the spot between Bangladesh and West Indies and more, these are few images that come rushing to the mind away from the actual action from the field of play. This world cup has been unexpected, dramatic, action filled and at times reminder of the old days when cricket was not just about hitting the ball out of the park. The only thing that has lived up to the expectations along the trusted line is the decision to bat first on winning the toss in the subcontinent. 30 times have team winning the toss batted first and out of the 40 matches that have produced a winner, 22 times team batting first has been victorious.<br /><br />What else is left to unfold? Pakistan’s clash against West Indies will decide which country needs the cup more, though at present it looks like the Pakistanis. Between India and Australia it will boil down to who bats better and which batsman decides to take the onus of guiding the innings. England might have lived another day but if asked to bat under lights then for them to crumble against the Sri Lankan spin in typical Premadasa conditions won’t take much time. On paper South Africa should have a cakewalk over New Zealand but in a clash between the ultimate chokers and perennial dark horses it is never easy to go for a choice.<br /><br />This journey which has been miraculous, emotionally challenging, mentally draining, pulsating and at times dragging; actually any adjective can suit here as this world cup has surpassed all expectations has finally reached its end that matters and with less than 24 hours left before the quarterfinals begin, the next 11 days promise to be capitulated with high intensity top class cricket. It will be a perfect return gift for all the fans who have followed the game on the internet, seen it live on television or gone to the stadium. It is the paying public who deserve the man of the tournament award for many years from now they will be remembered for being instrumental in putting the debate on the future of 50 overs cricket to rest; only if ICC could now learn and reduce the number of meaningless bilateral one day series worldwide. <br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />22nd March 2011, 10.38pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-79270804882043275312011-03-18T19:53:00.001+05:302011-03-18T20:30:40.557+05:30The World Cup is still freshWhoever first recognized that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties would have loved to be in the subcontinent at present to witness live some of the most exhilarating cricket matches played back to back at breakneck speed. If the first seventeen days of the tournament were marked by a tie, an upset win, a suicidal loss and some top class display of individual brilliance then the following ten days have been about confidence and resilience. In a matter of four weeks all those doubters and critics of 50 over cricket have been put to shame and it has brought forward their shallow understanding of the subject on which they make their living on. It is true that most of the matches involving the associate nations have only been of academic interest but given the overall success of the world cup the Irish coffee, maple leaves and sundry have contributed in extending the variety of the menu card on offer; the turnstile attendance for Australia’s matches against Kenya and Canada at Bangalore’s M. Chinnaswamy stadium stand as a testimonial to the statement. Indeed decades ago CLR James was right to point, “What they know of cricket, who cricket knows.”<br /><br /> <br /><br />Predictability was the norm of the world cup’s fixture and in no way did it arouse the sentiments of a cricket lover as the quarter finalists and their table position were pretty much given much before the Visas of the players were stamped. In Group A, New Zealand was always expected to make into the next round but their track record of nine straight losses in the sub continent in the preceding summer had raised questions about their credibility against the top teams but the notions changed when all hell broke loose on 8th March at Pallekelle as Ross Taylor finally quit hibernation to celebrate his 27th birthday in style. His talent and ability to clear the fence had always been a reason for awe but for a career spanning over 5 years he had hardly ever influenced the result of a match singlehandedly. His popularity had always hinged on a few brutal hits there or a couple of exquisitely timed shots here which were invariably supplemented by the cardinal sin of throwing away his wicket either because of his alter ego or some reckless shot selection. Just three centuries in 102 matches had always made his resume look incomplete. However his first innings of high class repute against Pakistan which included his team massacring 95 runs off the last five overs not only gave him an entry to a party that had been begging his entry since eternity but also toppled all pre calculations with respect to the table position.<br /><br />All this would not have been a reality had Kamran Akmal latched on to a sitter just when Taylor was still figuring out in the middle. Unfortunately Akmal’s performance both in front and behind of the wicket has been much below the par of a school cricketer and it only raises suspicious eyebrows that go beyond the cricket field for the history he comes with. It is a bad advertisement for the entire cricketing community and the faster the puzzle is solved the better it is for all. New Zealand might still be the fourth team to qualify from its group for the quarter finals; much depends on their result against Sri Lanka tonight but for sure that carnage against Pakistan significantly enhanced the stakes of the tournament and also gave their perennial tag of dark horse a timely boost. In the hindsight it was a match that warmed up the world wide audience for some bigger test of their nerves.<br /><br />At Nagpur what seemed to be India’s day of batting dominance till the sun was shining all of a sudden looked like an attempt by the batsmen to rush into the dressing room for an ice cream eating competition. 9 wickets for 29 runs is absolute bizarre and no justification can provide any logic to it. Such score lines are common at age group competitions but for that to be a reality at international level requires some special skills by those who scripted it. Sachin Tendulkar might have registered his 99th international century but before anyone else he would have been disappointed by the pattern that is clearly evident. It is one thing that both his centuries at this year’s world cup have not taken India to victory but more importantly he has thrown away his wicket twice in the batting power play just when he looked set to launch an onslaught. Against England and South Africa the deliveries that have produced his wicket had punishment written all over it but in an attempt to improvise he made the bowler look good. What has happened after his dismissal is there for all to see. 16 wickets for 62 runs!<br /><br />It is an indication that if the little master is set, it will benefit the team if he plays for the entire 50 overs and the power hitters can revolve around him. Considering India’s dismal record in the batting power plays it would be apt to not aim high in those five overs instead use it as a platform to go for the slog in the final overs. Whatever said and done 296 was a good score to defend and India’s bowling and fielding, presumably the two weak links rose to the occasion to make a match of it. MS Dhoni’s decision to bowl a pacer instead of a spinner in the last over was a logical one and considering Ashish Nehra’s stupendous exploits in the 50th over of a cricket match in the past, a win was all likely a formality but cricket is a funny game and it was not to be the Delhite’s day. However that should not take anything away from the spirited performance the boys put in the park after undergoing the worst batting slump in recent times. It takes some mental strength to do that and the fact that they managed to pull up the socks augurs well for team India. Now the equation is as simple as winning four matches on a trot to spark celebrations among a billion.<br /><br />West Indies are a lower rated team than Bangladesh in the ICC rankings and no one can throw more light on it than England. If the loss against Bangladesh was difficult to digest then the win against West Indies have made them the hot favourites for this world cup. The Englishmen have been the talk of the town for their role in making this world cup one of the most open tournaments ever played but they would have loved a better association than this with the mass. Their unpredictability has been both their strength and weakness in the six group matches and with seven points in their kitty they should be wondering how easy it was to top the group and simultaneously must be thanking Lord for coming to rescue just when it mattered the most. Their storyline resembles a lot of similarity with teams who have come from behind to win the world cup in the past (1983 – India, 1987 – Australia, 1992 – Pakistan, 1999 – Australia) and there is no reason why they cannot script their first world cup championship title from hereon. The fact that their best cricket in this tournament has come against higher ranked teams make them spicier than ever before. Quarter finals here they come!<br /><br />Ireland has just beaten Netherlands in an inconsequential Group B match which means that they have successfully chased more than 300 runs twice in this tournament. It leaves the analysts to wonder how the group of death would have looked like had the Irish managed to get past the Bangladeshis in a low scoring thriller. Take a bow Ireland. More cricket should follow their way. Similarly if Bangladesh win against South Africa tomorrow then it will be a dream come true for ICC as till the last match scheduled on 20th March between India and West Indies the final standings of the table would not be known and who would have guessed when the fixture was drawn that this would be the case! However it looks like South Africa have survived after choking against England and for them to be beaten again will need some really good cricket by the opposition. This world cup might also be their time to live to tell the tale.<br /><br />In between all this Virender Sehwag has managed to score a boundary off the first delivery of all the 5 Indian innings so far. It is an insignificant occurrence but it does matter to us Indians who are so obsessed with records and statistics! So far 37 matches have produced 16230 runs for the loss of 554 wickets in 3168.2 overs but this world cup is far from over. The world cup is still fresh.<br /><br /> <br /><br />As this article is about to be published, Kumar Sangakkara has scored his first one day international century since June 2008 to help Sri Lanka post 265/9 against New Zealand. However the news that hurts is that an Indian umpire on liaison duty with ICC for the world cup has been removed from the committee for sharing inside information in a sting operation carried on by a news channel. No Indian ever since the retirement of AV Jayaprakash has been a constant in ICC’s elite panel of umpires and now this. What more needs to be said?<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />18th March 2011, 7.27pm<br /><br />Marathahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-38216791732898190932011-03-08T23:04:00.000+05:302011-03-08T23:05:22.422+05:30Celebrating WomenFor centuries the robust cultural attributes of the Indian society has caught the imagination of the westerners and in the Far East alike and for that a major share of credit goes to the women of the country who have been an integral founding limb of this heritage. If today the India we live in is viewed as colorful and vibrant and relatively safe in a volatile geographical zone then anyone with the slightest understanding of the community’s societal ethos will not find it difficult to unearth the secret behind the recipe. With the mushrooming of media channels, for the dearth of topics the debates centered on women’s inequality status in a male dominated society might have found an entry into our living rooms but the fact of the matter is these agendas are superficial and have looked politically driven at times. Any man worth his salt is fully aware of the opposite gender’s overall contribution to the exercise of society building and its significance in the history books. Today the role has by no margin diminished; if at all with India on its way towards becoming a new age global economy’s go to market, the influence has only increased by immeasurable standards which at times has become difficult for a section of shallow minded individuals to come to term with. <br /><br />If an independent India produced individuals of the highest repute in the global scheme of things then a liberalized India’s biggest contribution to the world has been its efficient manpower’s ability to contribute handsomely in enhancing the bottom line of diverse multi national companies. Various studies have been commissioned by the developed nations to comprehend the background of such superlative performances but to gauge the actual reasons it is imperative for a researcher to peep behind the tangibles and observe the soft part of the quotient involved in the equation. A thorough study affirms an Indian’s ability to adapt under challenging conditions with a desire to succeed, a comparatively better peace of mind and the correlation between them as the key causes behind the commitment to excellence and for that undoubtedly the woman in the family deserves the admiration and adulation for breeding an environment of dignity and respect in the kid’s life, right from the day (s) he sees the world. <br /><br />Power and money may be the two biggest lure that drive a man’s business ambition but the tool to attainment lies in the emotional stability and calmness of mind and that is enabled through the chain of relationships that the man shares with the special women in his life. If it is the mother who sacrifices her ways of leading life to accommodate the interests of a growing kid then the luckier ones find a best friend in their sister and as life evolves the girl friend, for the lack of a better word and then the wife become the best companion to confide to. The amount of love and affection that encompasses these relationships is directly proportional to anyone’s professional success. <br /><br />Though for a man the biggest triumph of life lies in his ability to communicate his expression to a woman yet like any change that is difficult to digest, at times fingers have been pointed at women for complexities in the relationship status of a man once he foregoes bachelorhood. However a deep introspection brings out the harsh reality and more often than not it is the male’s chauvinism that is the culprit behind tainted bonds. An essence of a woman who is the nurturer lies in her ability to take care, love and shower affection and empathetically allow herself to absorb the emotional downpour of anyone who opens up their heart to her. It is her nature that provides the basis of harmonious existence in the society and to distrust and disrespect her stature and compassionate qualities is not only a shame but is a harbinger of deep loss of happiness to the community at large. Delicacy is a virtue that has been God gifted to women and for any man filled in abundance of it around him is a fortunate soul and for those who fail to realize this are either lunatics or have lost their sense for taste and judgment. <br /><br />From an Indian context the society has changed more in the last twenty years than in the last two hundred years. In a free for all education set up to create notions of divide between two genders will not only alienate realities from fantasies but will also make it difficult for the future generations of women to accept the bargain for which it is pivotal for people across political lines and poverty lines to realize the larger significance of a woman in the continuous exercise of society building beyond being home makers. Not that her profile inside the house has changed but her need outside it has increased and to allow her to fulfill her new ambition and dreams along with raising kids and cooking meals is a trend that needs to be respected and given equal space to. <br /><br />The clear heart and aspiring mind of a modern woman makes the society an elated space and to be breathing the same air is an honor and privilege and calls for lifelong celebration. Period. <br /><br />Happy Women’s Day to all the beautiful souls around. <br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik <br />8th March 2011, 10.44pm <br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-63863196207492017462011-03-07T16:20:00.000+05:302011-03-07T16:21:46.427+05:30From above the sight screen - India vs. IrelandA nerve cracking tie between India and England followed by Kevin O’ Brien’s fastest cup century contributing to a record chase, fiery fast bowling by Kemar Roach and then a pulsating thriller between England and South Africa in Chennai arguably makes the eight day period between 27th February and 6th March 2011 as one of the most fascinating windows of one day international cricket ever witnessed and there was no way for the contest between India and Ireland scheduled within this timeline to fall out of the radar. Ever since Ireland’s heroic deeds against their ‘big brother’, the momentum had picked up rapid pace for the Sunday encounter at M. Chinnaswamy, Bangalore and at the end of the day the expectations lived up to the standards as the day produced some good cricket all round.<br /><br />The stands were packed with a capacity crowd an hour before the toss and the energy around surely had the voltage to supply electricity to half of the city. The usual habit of winning the toss and take first strike on a Bangalore track and use their strength to better their last batting performance would have been a temptation for the Indian team management but MS Dhoni’s decision to field first put things in place from a larger perspective of the tournament. If the team needed anything at this point then it was to test their ability to bundle out oppositions in order to enhance the overall confidence level before entering the knock out stages and this was a perfect opportunity for the bowlers to silent the critics who had been filling up the print space murdering the country’s thin line of attack. Zaheer Khan’s double blow in his first two overs vindicated the skipper’s trust in his bowling unit. Watching the left arm seamer from above the sight screen was a treat as the white ball was behaving the way a snake adheres to the charmer’s flute.<br /><br />Just when an early finish was being predicted, the notions was proven wrong by William Porterfield and Niall O’ Brien who consolidated the innings with a 113 runs partnership. After the initial jitters it seemed as if the Irish have found an access into India’s weak link and it needed a special piece of field work by Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni to break the monotony of the duo as the senior O’ Brien was run out. Immediately the occasion demanded for some smart captainship by the Indian skipper and soon there was enough display of reasons for which he is considered as one of the shrewdest brains of contemporary cricket. Every time a bowler looked a bit wayward, he was replaced by another and by mixing up his bowlers he unsettled Ireland’s strategies and did not allow them to pick the pattern of the innings. 34 overs of spin bowling produced only 148 runs at the rate of 4.35 runs per over and it managed to hide the ordinary individual figures of Piyush Chawala which read as 8-0-56-0.<br /><br />The move of throwing Yuvraj Singh’s pie chucking bait worked for India as one after the other Irish batsman failed to pick up the ball from the air. They were easily deceived by the spin and the slow nature of the deliveries and the magic of Yuvi bamboozled them hence giving him his first five wicket haul in international cricket. For quite some time he has been India’s answer to an all rounder but his first fiver signifies his importance in the bowling line up beyond that of a part timer. It is a hint of how much more is there to be derived out of his capabilities and at a time when the team’s bowling has been questioned his skills come as a luxury. Since he can do the same job as that of Piyush Chawala of taking the ball away from the batsman it opens up a spot in the eleven and gives the team an option to play either Ashish Nehra (subject to fitness) or Ravichandran Ashwin depending on the pitches and opposition. India finally managed to go to bed with DRS when Alex Cussack’s not out decision was reversed after being referred and it might be a significant moment in the scheme of things as BCCI may soon agree with the usage of technology in decision making on a regular basis.<br /><br />As the lights took full effect, in walked the Indian openers and one had to be there in the galleries to experience the buzz that prevailed at that point. One more time the legend that India walks into bat with Sachin Tendulkar came alive and the roars enchanting his name rhythmically was the moment that captured the 22 years journey of an entire nation. Specialists have grown grey hair researching and writing about the phenomenon of how billion hearts skip a beat when Sachin takes guard and it still holds true as the fear of his dismissal is what differentiated the paying spectator from a free pass holder as he got ready in his customary style to start his 436th one day international innings. Virender Sehwag kick started the Indian innings for the third consecutive time with a boundary but soon the score card read 24/2 and that brought Virat Kohli to the centre. With a solid technique and smooth wrist play he was down to business from the word go and along with Sachin was on course to the target but on a day that belonged to left arm spinners across two cricket matches, George Dockrell got the better of a Tendulkar attempted sweep shot and it looked plumb in front of the wicket to the naked eyes. The little master’s consultation with Kohli and subsequently deciding to not challenge the umpire’s original decision was a transitional moment in Indian cricket as the Delhite looks to be in shape to be the next cricketer to enthrall the new generation of Indians once Sachin Tendulkar bows out. As the master started walking back towards the pavilion for an individual score of 38 runs, the crowd looked stunned for a moment but spotting the significance of the occasion every soul in the stadium stood up to clap and salute. Bangaloreans might just have witnessed the country’s favourite son for the last time in a blue jersey, though secretly the wish would be to proven wrong. <br /><br />Smelling a chance, Ireland upped their game by few notches and their magnificent fielding sent Kohli back. For a moment it looked like as if there were more than 11 men inside the field and by no means would it be an exaggeration to draw comparison of their fielding standards with a certain Jonathan Rhodes. Every single that the bleed blue boys ran was cheered because for a phase in the match ticking the score board had become a game of cat and mouse. There lies a thin line of difference between an attitude of nothing to loose and something to prove and the Irish stood as an example for the later and the best of it was on display when in a particular over from BEML end, Boyd Rankin squared and bounced Yuvraj Singh for six consecutive deliveries. If there are still doubters after last night about the Irish reputation as a cricket team then it is time to do a reality check as they have not only won the hearts of many but have put forward a strong case for themselves. Here is a team that can be the link to ICC’s global vision of making cricket a truly world sport and that is exactly the reason for ICC’s role from now on in ensuring that Ireland plays more limited overs international cricket with top opponents both on home and away basis.<br /><br />A 67 runs partnership between Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni settled the nerves and just when it looked like the match was in India’s kitty, Dockrell struck again to give Ireland a glimmer of hope. Intensity levels around the ground rose again and the anticipation of a close finish was speculated but in came Yousuf Pathan and with three mighty blows assured the country a good night’s sleep; richer with two points. Yuvraj Singh’s labored half century made him the first cricketer to have a double of fiver and fifty in the world cup’s history. The southpaw is slowly getting back to his best and if the first half of his career was marked by flamboyancy then his last leg as a cricketer has all the ingredients to be remembered for his contribution as an all rounder and that will be a telling point in the bigger picture of world cup dreams and topping ICC rankings.<br /><br />Outside the cricket field if it was encouraging to see the presence of a lot of kids in the galleries then one had reasons to be flabbergasted observing the disrespectful and arrogant behavior of the police staff on ‘duty’ of watching a cricket match for free. If what was seen is to be believed then cricket still excites the school kids and it is a good sign but from an administrative point of view, these kids need to be preserved and moulded because in them lies the pulse of the game’s future in the country.<br /><br />To sum it up the day was filled with small but significant instances that define the life of a cricket follower but if asked to pick up the best moment of the day then it has to be reserved for that minute when 35000+ Indians stood up to sing the country’s national anthem. The current that flew as the voices echoed the lyrics formed a chain of sentiment that made the experience hair rising and the thought of it many years from now is sure to be supplemented by goose bumps.<br /><br />Link to the match score card - http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/current/match/433578.html<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />7th March 2011, 4.00pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangalore<br /><br />P.S – For records Debanta Patnaik, Siddhartha Dasgupta, (A stand), Sourav Majumder, Sudip Dhar and Sidhanta Patnaik (N stand) were there at M. Chinnaswamy, Bangalore on 6th March 2011sidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-10151311915709696122011-03-05T20:19:00.002+05:302011-03-05T20:33:20.567+05:30Afridi, Roach & the anti socialsWith most of the 19 matches in the first two weeks of the world cup being mismatch between the contenders and number fillers it is still early days but what is surprising is that despite the 8206 runs scored for the loss of 283 wickets in 38 innings on the flat pitches it is the bowling performances that have caught attention. The inflated egos of the batsmen might be getting bigger with each passing day of the tournament but their role remains secondary and any team aspiring to finish on the podium with the trophy on 2nd April 2011 it is their bowlers who have to be the main actors of the script. So far Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa have solved the equation and the faster the other teams get their priorities right, the better are their prospects of smiling in Mumbai four weeks from now.<br /><br />As a 17 year old kid Shahid Afridi was first picked in the Pakistan side in 1996 as a leg spinner but within a couple of matches he recorded the fastest one day international century and ever since his role in the team has been assumed as that of a batsman who can bowl fast and flattish leg spin during the middle overs. Though it has taken 15 years to put things in perspective yet Pakistan supporters must be thanking their stars that the leg spinner has finally fulfilled his potential just at the right time on an occasion that they so desperately want to champion. For anyone who has been following his cricket ever since he was appointed as the captain of Pakistan’s limited over side it should be no surprise that he is topping the bowling charts of the world cup so far. Hearing him speak in interviews and other forums communicates that he is an honest soul who does not hide his expressions and after ICC’s no-ball verdict against the culprits he now has full control over his team and that is bringing out the best in him. This is probably the first time in his entire career that he is enjoying his cricket to the fullest and that is visible in the results he has been producing consistently over the last 8 to 12 months. Seeing him bowl; skidding it through the surface and hurrying through the overs reminds of a school boy who is fidgety until he finishes his homework so that he could concentrate on other important things in life. If that is not enough then his variations have been difficult to pick up for the batsmen and the audacity to go for referrals without consulting the wicket keeper after being turned down on a leg before the wicket appeal reveals the zone of confidence he is in right now. He loves the spotlight that has come along with the added responsibilities and along with Waqar Younis has turned this bunch of erratic cricketers into a business unit solely aiming at the top prize.<br /><br />A line up that can afford to bench the talent of Ajmal Shahzad; it is strong message being sent out to the opponent. So far they might have faced only one stiff opponent in Sri Lanka yet the way they successfully defended a paltry score of 184 against Canada shows that they are working to a plan. Abdul Razzaq might have lost his pace but his years of experience cannot be of much better use than now. Not only he is using the crease exceedingly well but also is making the ball talk both ways. Umar Gul might not have got into full action in this tournament but he is warming up well for the big matches that start in a couple of weeks from now. And finally Shoaib Akthar’s peach of a delivery to dismiss Mahela Jayawardene gives an indication that he has understood the importance of cutting down on pace and concentrating on precision.<br /><br />Having taken 29 wickets for 516 runs at the rate of 19 runs per wicket, Pakistan so far look to be the only team that can successfully defend anything below 300 runs and for them to reach there they have the experience of Younis Khan and Misbah-Ul-Haq. Umar Akmal looks to be slowly getting into the groove of living up to his potential and more often than not Abdul Razaq and Shahid Afridi will have off days with the bat but the day they switch on, God save the opponent!<br /><br />There is no better sight than a fast bowler steaming in to rattle the woods of a batsman hence setting in fear in the minds of the opposition. By bundling out two sides for a combined total of 173 runs; West Indies has displayed some breathtaking bowling. Netherlands might not have ever faced the pace of Kemar Roach but his second successive man of the match performance against Bangladesh in their backyard shows what his talent is capable of achieving single handedly. Their approach in a virtual pre-quarter final against the host nation made all to stand up and notice as they virtually shattered Bangladesh’s dream of proceeding to the next round. Another important cog in this wheel is the left arm spin of Suleman Benn, who to the naked eye might appear as one of those cricketers who is aloof of his surrounding but he is as cunning as a cricketer can get and is a master in the art of choking the batsmen. For someone opening the bowling for a team that is legendary for its fast bowlers, he has a big shoe to fill and for now he has been doing it the best. They are slowly getting their act together and there are still a few gaps to be filled in their armour whose answers will be clearer when they meet the big nations but till then it is all about rejoicing the sensational performance of Kemar Roach.<br /><br />Lasith Malinga’s absence turned out to be the difference between Sri Lanka’s 11 runs loss to Pakistan and the huge expectations of their fans. When he was brought into the eleven against Kenya, the slinger used his toe crushing yorkers to affirm his value as a hot property in world cricket and there will be more on offer in the days to come. Australia’s bowling is being well led by Mitchell Johnson but so far their opponents have been weak to say the least. Similarly South African spinners have come to the party but their big tests will begin in the quarter-final stage. New Zealand is one team that needs a special mention not for any superlative performance but for having recognised their weakness and playing within it. Having realized that they do not have the fire power to explode top oppositions they have made it a point to crush the weaker teams in order to enhance their net run rate and their approach has literally booked them a place in the quarter-finals.<br /><br />Beyond the on field cricket action, if the unparliamentarily words of Canada’s Balaji Rao that the stump microphone captured were unpleasant to the ears then the news of West Indies team bus being stone pelted in Bangladesh does not do any good to the game’s richness in the subcontinent. Just when appreciations were flowing in from across the world for the spirit of the Bangladesh crowd and the manner in which they welcomed the world cup, the parochial act of a handful has put a black spot on the country’s international image and has brought shame and displeasure to all. It was not the fault of West Indies for the spineless show of the Bangladesh batsmen and if the fans could not muster the courage to appreciate the bowling display of Roach and company inside the cricket field then they had no rights to act like animals beyond it. Someone has to teach those barbaric people that once the 100 overs of a cricket match are over, the visiting players and officials are guests in a country that is thirsty for tourism revenue.<br /><br />On a parting note I just collected my tickets from M. Chinnaswamy for tomorrow’s game between India and Ireland and something within me says that Virat Kohli will produce a Sunday special innings.<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaiksidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-58716214834561862702011-03-03T14:24:00.001+05:302011-03-03T14:26:56.468+05:30Record chase & fastest 100 by the Irish: ‘I was there’Last night was incredible! To be witnessing a lesser fancied team scripting a world cup record chase to topple their ‘big brothers’ by coming from behind courtesy the fastest world cup century was a double delight for all those sports lovers of Bangalore who had walked in through the turnstile of Chinnaswamy with a unassumptous objective of catching up on some cricket on a public holiday and experiencing a bit of the world cup caravan that has been in town for some time now. At the half way mark the cynics had already put their caps on crucifying the associate nations for their villainous contribution in making the world cup’s first phase predictable and boring and when the Irish skipper William Porterfield lost his timber to James Anderson off the first delivery of the chase, the whispers gained further momentum. <br /><br />By the 25th over with just the nelson figure of 111 on board and half the side back in the hut, the hope of crossing the finish line of 329 runs was looking ominous for Ireland. The inevitable was written on the wall and the media personnel around the world would have started filing yet another monotonous match report, similarly the crowd to avoid the chaotic match day traffic around MG road and Infantry road was prompted to bid good byes to their fellow mates in the galleries but that is exactly when Kevin O’ Brien, born on 4th March 1984 had come to the center with a single eyed focus of celebrating his 27th birthday two days in advance in front of his parents.<br /><br />A well knit 167 runs partnership between Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott had taken the game away beyond Ireland’s reach before John Mooney and Trent Johnston with some common sense wicket to wicket bowling pulled things back into the fold restricting England for a commendable 328 runs. For the first 75 overs of the match Ireland had looked good in patches but were generous in their approach allowing England to tighten the noose at crucial junctures. Graeme Swann’s wily skills had strangled them and when Kevin O’ Brien hit two sixes off a Swann over it was conceived to be a flash in the pan before he held out in the deep. Not a single being watching this ‘one sided’ affair would have predicted that it was a warm up before the launch of the main act! Those two sixes over the midwicket fence triggered off a period of 12 overs including 5 overs of power play of brutal hitting and sensible batting. The contrasting approach of Kevin O’ Brien and Alex Cusack complemented their style of play as they amassed 130 runs in 72 balls and it was that stretch of the game which shifted the momentum in Ireland’s favour. From there on it was the batting side’s match to loose and Cusack’s misjudgment leading to his run out after a 162 runs partnership at the pace of 9.43 runs per over threw the possibilities of yet another turnaround but the junior Brien found a greater alley in John Mooney who was unbeaten on 33 when the final runs were scored.<br /><br />The anchor of the chase, Kevin O’ Brien during the course of his innings not only become Ireland’s highest one day run scorer but also engraved his names in the individual records book as the fastest centurion of world cup cricket, and by the time he was run out in the penultimate over of the match he would have surely booked a few appointments with some of the Indian Premier League franchisee owners. In his blitzkrieging display of batting he was particularly severe on James Anderson, Michael Yardy and Tim Bresnan who gave away 24 runs apiece to him from 6 overs between them. With Swann’s quota completed much before the anti-climax, Strauss was short of wicket takers forcing him to over attack by bringing in 5 fielders inside the ring and in the hindsight the ploy boomeranged as the batsmen got the license to go over the top of the infield. If the first 25 overs of the innings had produced only 11 fours and 2 sixes, the Irish made up for the dearth in the business end of the innings by registering 22 hits to the fence and 7 over it. In the end it was the difference in the boundaries and sixes (England – 26/5, Ireland – 33/9) that sealed the verdict in favour of the boys in green.<br /><br />Once the night’s hero made his intentions clear and showed his flair and capabilities, he was backed and trusted by the nearly 10,000 people to produce an entertaining spectacle. Till then the crowd had applauded for every good shot played and every wicket taken without any loyalties but the moment a sense of history being made was felt in the air, Ireland became the home team for the evening. Every run was reciprocated with thunderous roar and suddenly the decibel level around the ground picked up, much better than what the shout meter had recorded before the lights were on. The ascending energy level impacted the English who looked brain frozen on the park, the English flags disappeared from sight and mentally England had lost before Ireland had won. The presence of a strong Irish contingent in the stands contributed to the frenzied atmosphere and the smile on their faces signified the importance of the victory against their geographical neighbours in the background of difficult political relationship between the two nations.<br /><br />Unpredictability is what makes sports a beautiful exponent of joy and hope and enables it to be the biggest catalyst in a turbulent society. Miracles evoke priceless emotions that cannot be described in words and Ireland’s night with destiny on 2nd March 2011 qualifies to be one of those ‘I was there’ moments for every single soul who witnessed it live and for those who had left the stadium early, it was a hard way to learn that a game of cricket is not over till the last ball is bowled. Ireland’s next contest against India in three days time from now may be a one sided affair with Indian batsmen massaging their ego but the result will in no way diminish the degree of spark that the Irish have ignited.<br /><br />Link to the match score card: http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/match/433572.html<br /><br />Credit to www.espncricinfo.com for the statistics and image<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />3rd March 2011,2.07pm<br /><br />Marthahahlli, Bangalore<br /><br />P.S – For records Rakesh Shastri, Siddhartha Dasgupta, Sanketh Katti, Sudip Dhar, Sidhanta Patnaik were there at M. Chinnaswamy, Bangalore on 2nd March 2011 to witness historysidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-35885845976247176702011-02-28T17:32:00.000+05:302011-02-28T17:34:06.391+05:30A day after Chinnaswamy shone and cricket wonEver since the world cup schedule was drawn, the 3110th one day international match was tagged as a marquee contest and the mouth watering ingredients of top forms, star players, venue shift and ticket controversy had cooked up for a humdinger but the probable top of the table clash did not present itself with any side effect clauses. However more than 12 hours after the high voltage dramatic finish that India and England transpired to produce at M. Chinnaswamy, Bangalore, emotionally drained minds, exhausted bodies, weak knees wanting for more and floating feelings gives a silhouette of the palpitation and tension that the participants went through courtesy the classic nail biter.<br /><br />The hangover takes the thoughts back to the intense images of last evening and immediately the mind springs to action for a post mortem of field placements and permutation and combination of what would or would not have happened had an extra run been scored with the bat or a few extra runs saved on the field. On one side of the fan’s psyche, the feeling is flamboyant for being privileged to have witnessed 599 deliveries of an epical entertaining episode between two strong cup contenders but the other half, that of a parochial cricket lover is busy pacifying the soul for having got out of jail, after all with ordinary fielding and without any firepower to cause real time threat to the Englishmen, the bleed blue boys managed a tie from the jaws of defeat.<br /><br />A few years back a score of 338 runs posted by the team batting first would have eliminated the anxieties of betting racquets, knowing exactly where to place their penny on but in 2011 on a flat sub continent track, with the evolutionised batting technology any score below 350 is just par. India was presented with an opportunity on a platter to set a total beyond reach but their inability to press the pedal and seal the advantage while being on the driver’s seat overshadowed the little master’s obsession for centuries; around which the batting revolved. Similarly when an international team was made to look like a club side while defending a comprehensive score, few questions cropped up immediately. With bowling resources as thin as setting Sun’s rays, this match removed the mask and exposed the naked reality of India’s bleak possibility of winning the cup that matters.<br /><br />If MS Dhoni and boys have to do justice to all the hope that has been pinned on them then this was a much needed reality check to shake them up and the result communicates that there is a lot of ground to cover and editions to make. Though it was a good ploy to play three spinners yet the point could not be driven home on a ground which has produced India’s top two leg spinners. Piyush Chawala might be well backed by the team management but the sight of him coming to bowl with sweaty palms, nervous looking face and then delivering more than 51% of his quota of the deliveries on the wrong half of the pitch is not pleasant for a buoyant fan who has planned his calendar around 2nd April 2011.<br /> <br />With a mammoth total on the board, a much more attacking field was the need of the hour so that the bowlers would have got the license to go for the kill right from the outset, instead it was more of a defensive field and the runs kept leaking till the 40th over as Andrew Strauss through his classical innings along with Ian Bell sensed the crack in the wall and drove it open. A few more men in the ring would have changed the context of the game as was seen when a man at short mid wicket was placed for Yuvraj Singh’s left armers in the 41st over. Immediately the number of dot balls increased the pressure and the gap in the equation expanded forcing Strauss to opt for the batting power play. The batting power play once again proved to be a nemesis for the batting sides in both the innings. England’s crumbliness after the departure of Ian Bell and Andrew Strauss off successive deliveries was understandable considering the pressure that had been built in by the packed 40,000 crowd but what went wrong with India?<br /><br />Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir and then Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni set the ideal platform for the lower middle order batsmen to come and play a flurry of shots but that was not to be as against the run of play, the momentum was lost and in a space of 33 runs 7 wickets tumbled. This is one area India has to be careful in the remaining matches and cannot afford to slip up because this is where the team’s strength lies. However between all these glitches lies the minor issue of applying common sense and making it a mandate in the dressing room to bat out the 50 overs. Zaheer Khan’s thought process while facing the penultimate ball of the innings needs to be questioned. He not only got run out trying to force a second run when it was not on but also ran one short. He is no Harbhajan Singh and in situations like he was in, application of basic cricket brain should have taken precedence ahead of trying to go for the glory. There will be lifelong speculation of what would have happened had Munaf Patel got the strike and scored a boundary off the last delivery of the Indian innings but for now Ajmal Shahzad has become a household name across India and will always be an answer to various trivia questions that will be designed around that six, he hit off Munaf’s third ball in the 100th over of the match. The value of the point earned or lost from this contest will only be known depending on who finishes as group topper of the league stage and who their opponent is for the quarter final. <br /><br />All in all, by the time the 5158th run of the 10th cricket world cup was scored and 4th tie of world cup cricket was secured, cricket had become richer and it augurs well for the competition. Special kudos have to be showered on Karnataka State Cricket Association for having fought their ways amidst controversies to facilitate a thrilling encounter and the energetic people of Bangalore deserve a round of applause whose sporty behavior has been rewarded with two top class world cup matches that are now a part of the cricketing folklore (read 1996 world cup Quarter Final match between arch rivals India and Pakistan).<br /><br />On a personal note, I made up my absence at the stadium by teaming up with old mates in front of the television, with whom I have watched cricket matches for nearly 10 years now and the experience was tantalizing. Like a true adrenalin cricket junkie my mind is still fixated on yesterday and I have refrained myself from switching on the television today because then the high would lower and bubble would burst as no other cricket match for some time to come can present the extremities of the pendulum swinging from one side to another periodically. It will take some time for normal services to resume.<br /><br />Link to the match - http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/current/match/433568.html<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br />28th February 2011, 5.06pm<br />Marthahalli, Bangalore<br /><br />P.S – MS Dhoni is one of the shrewdest international cricket captains and a smart strategist. The technical points in this piece are mere observations from the other side of the white line and in no way intends to question MS Dhoni’s on field decisions. The writer is well aware that it is a different ball game altogether once you step inside the boundary.sidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-35949219310222815232011-02-26T00:35:00.000+05:302011-02-26T00:37:11.531+05:30Paying cricket fan deserves better treatmentRight from queuing up overnight for a ticket a few days before a contest to walking a fair distance to get to the parking area after the completion of the game, amidst pollution that can be the root for any airborne disease, it is quite a torturous process for anyone who has ever been to a stadium in India to experience its biggest entertainment spectacle – a cricket match featuring the national team. In spite of this painful journey the average Indian middle class has never failed to pay and honour its commitment of filling up the arena every time the clowns are brought to the town in their colorful attire for the circus. The marketers have lapped up this unassuming role of the fans and in an attempt to leverage their benefits have turned predators and injected greed into the business cycle. What is unfortunate however is that though the controlling boards (international, national, state) measure the pulse of this triangular relationship and have always grinned at the richness that the Indian fans generate for them yet they have purposefully failed to understand the importance of human quotient or have knowingly stayed away from a question that has been asked time and time again ever since Board for Control of Cricket (BCCI) became one of the richest sporting body of the world. Despite making cricket cash rich why is the Indian fan always taken for granted? The answer is not far away.<br /><br />First of all to open the counters for selling a meager 7,000 tickets for the high profile India vs. England encounter at M. Chinnaswamy stadium on 27th February 2011 or for that case 3,000 tickets for the world cup finals in Mumbai is a systematic failure of the organizers to assess the demand for the world cup’s return to its financial haven after 15 years. One has to take into account the last minute shift of the Bangalore match from Kolkata but then the world noticed how the online ticketing agency’s website was made a mockery of when ten million people tried to get a hand on one of the thousand tickets available online for the final match. These incidents bring embarrassment to the world cup which is heavily dependent on the Indian mass to be a commercial success. It goes without mentioning that like any other business project there are sponsor deliverables and on top of that in the Indian context there are bureaucratic issues of massaging the egos of association members and local government authorities through free match passes but for that do the fans have to compromise? Like any other professional venture why cannot the fans be treated as kings in the cricket economics of the subcontinent, is it that difficult?<br /><br />The episodes that have transpired over the last week clearly indicates that the organizers at three levels (ICC, BCCI, state associations) have not worked in tandem for a foolproof plan with respect to the ticket distribution arrangement and it was a matter of time before the media brought it out to the open. The audacity of Mumbai’s mayor to demand for a certain number of free passes for the finals and the reasoning behind it or the detention of two Karnataka State Cricket Association officials for their alleged role in selling match tickets at an inflated price in the black market gives a fair idea of how tickets are freely available in the air but still far from reach to the common man.<br /><br />When news such as these make headlines it brings bad name to the state association for which it becomes their prerogative to set the house in order. It is time for boards to look beyond voting banks, visualize the big picture and operate like a corporate house does. As an on ground partner for ICC events their priority should be on fan satisfaction and issuing free passes to members should be restricted to minimum number and done on a pro-rata basis. At the same time it should be ICC’s responsibility to set the guidelines and take charge of the situation instead of being allowed to be kicked like a sponge ball between state and national political wires. Similarly ICC should also rethink on its terms and conditions and negotiate on free pass deliverables to its sponsors. Tapering with the quota system is bound to rage the privileged class but the big question of who is the heart beat of the game; the members or the mass needs to be asked. From an honest answer, the change will stem down the system and the ripple effect will finally make the cricket business bigger than the personalities running it and with it the magnitude of respect will grow.<br /><br />The corporate representatives in suits inside glass boxes have always come to the ground to cut a deal or oblige a partner and that does not do the game any good from a socio-cultural aspect. Therefore ICC’s single motto should be to ensure that more and more paying public walk through the turnstile. For the junta (mass) who are the real lovers of the game the result of the match has always been incidental, instead the joy of seeing a player from a distance, clicking a photo with the ground as the backdrop or being captured on the giant screen is what creates an experience of lifetime for them and it should not be that difficult for a sports body to understand the long term profits of such a mind set. The fans not only add benevolent colour to the buzz and excitement around the stadium but a full house is the single most effective tool to help a broadcaster earn credible TRP rating across the globe and if not for anything else but for this role of theirs, fans deserve more respect and better treatment. <br /><br />At another level the brutal behavior on the fans by the local police every time they line up over a night with a hope of ‘winning a ticket’ against the race is something that needs to stop. The recent media images of police lathicharging the fans outside M. Chinnaswamy stadium; Bangalore is a shame to a land where cricket is the biggest connecting factor. For any Indian who has been a part of that rooster camp at some point of their life and has felt the stick on the backside of the body will relate to the pinch of ego, after all only a criminal deserves such action. It does not happen in South Africa or England or Australia then why do the Indian fans go through the ordeal when they are the one’s contributing maximum to the kitty?<br /><br />It boils down to the administrators to show the right intent, put their heads together, study the best practices of iconic sporting properties and work out a logistical plan that is peaceful and free from the element of nightmare. Once the quantity of tickets to be sold is reached after accommodating the free passes, the number and the process of ticket sales should be made public. Each buyer should be entitled for a solitary ticket hence negating any threat of black market. The gates to the ticket camp can open one night before the counters start operating and each fan on walking into the camp will be given a colour differentiated token depending on his/her choice of seat denomination. Just like in Wimbledon, fans can come to the camp with their canopies and other basic amenities and have a good time around it. Once the number of tokens issued matches with the tickets available, the entry to the camp should be closed. The fans have to queue as per the token number. As soon as the sun rises, the queues can start moving in the direction of the ticket counter, aided by volunteers and that would avoid any chaos and help in making the fan’s journey an enjoyable one. Just imagine the goodwill and coverage the association who implements such a plan will earn by the time the last ticket is sold at the counter.<br /><br />The cricket loving people of India have always been treated like cattle for no fault of theirs but like the true nature of this democracy they have let it go and moved on however the new generation which has access to the world at their finger tips has a different mentality. They demand respect, comfort, luxury and value for what they pay. If the approach of the authorities towards the queuing public does not change in the near future then the younger generation will eventually be driven away from the stands and the repercussions of such a move will ultimately deplete the cricketing vibrancy of the country right from the gullies (lanes) to the living rooms to the international level and tomorrow our beloved sport will be dead and buried. Typing such a line makes the monitor look like a scary battle field and to avoid it in real, the administrators have to wake up now to the new demands.<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br />26th February 2011, 12.19am<br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-27066022318582005552011-02-24T23:31:00.001+05:302011-02-24T23:33:11.777+05:30Bravo, Tahir & a cricket matchAll the cricket statistics for the next seven weeks might be emanating from the moment the clock struck 2.30pm as per Indian standard time on 19th February 2011 when Virender Sehwag characteristically hit the first ball of the 10th cricket world cup for a boundary to the extra cover region, but it is only after 2698 runs, 83 wickets and 496.5 overs and 6 one sided encounters were produced that the real moment arrived. If the first six days of the competition were meant for the fans to get into the zone of reviving their viewing habits then the next four days starting today can be categorically termed as the base on which the popularity of the world cup hinges on. If the Trans-Tasman rivalry of Australia and New Zealand or the keenness of a challenge between Sri Lanka and Pakistan or a marquee contest between India and England fails to arouse the interest level of a fan, then nothing probably will but to reach there one had to first witness the teaser that West Indies’ opening clash against South Africa offered to start an early weekend for cricket lovers.<br /><br />On paper and as per the ICC ranking the result of the 7th match of the cup seemed to be a no brainer and that is how the match lived up to with the Proteas registering a comprehensive 7 wicket win hence achieving their first win over the Caribbean team in an ICC event. It was a true reflection of the downward slide that West Indies cricket has been through for more than a decade now. <br /><br />West Indies cricket now is the benchmark for institutional failure in the sporting world but today for a span of 23 overs it looked like the Sun was about to rise once again over the Calypso island. Whoever witnessed the 111 runs 2nd wicket partnership between Devon Smith and Darren Bravo will not only vouch for the fluency that was on display but will also assure you that there were two talents on the park who are potentially ready to take their country’s cricket into the new horizon.<br /><br />The 22 year old Darren Bravo’s 82 ball innings had class written all over it and that needs a special mention. The calmness on his face walking in after the dismissal of Chris Gayle in the first over is something that has been lacking in the West Indies line up for long. His temperament is what looks like to be his biggest asset and it was visible in his ability to rotate strike and simultaneously play fearless shots all across the wickets and keep the score board ticking. His drives off the square of the wicket reminisced comparison with the legend Brian Lara and for someone playing in his 14th One day international it is a true moment of reckoning. His perfect back lift and level headedness while playing shots marks him as a talent for the future. Just when everyone glued into their television, being refreshed by the original Calypso style batting was wishing how the party would continue Bravo misjudged a Botha delivery to be dismissed leg before wicket for an entertaining 73 and it was not long before the bubble burst and West Indies were left to defend a meager total of 222.<br /><br />On the other side, there was a 31 years old man who having made his first class debut in 1997 and played in 261 matches at a level below international level for 19 teams was still unsure of his future till the last calendar year. With the arrival of the new year he not only became a legal South African citizen but was also gifted with a life that he had dreamt for ever since he spun a cricket ball from middle stump to off stump. Having travelled between Pakistan, England and South Africa to realize his ultimate dream of playing international cricket, Lahore born Imran Tahir is an epitome of journeyman cricketer. Mixing personal life with profession might not be a good idea but it is his marriage with a South African lady that helped him earn the country’s citizenship and the fact that he got a call up to the national team as soon as his legal formalities were completed gives a clear picture of the credibility he had built over 13 years and 547 first class wickets is a testimony of his skills and demand.<br /><br />In a team that banks upon seamers to do the job more often than not there can be no assurance to the international career graph for this leg spinner but by taking four wickets on debut and displaying the spirit of an attacker he has finally done justice to that solitary opportunity that he had been looking for a lifetime now. Tomorrow Imran Tahir may or may not be a legend but 24th February 2011 will be a day for innumerous journeyman cricketers to draw inspiration from and continue their perusal towards earning an international cap. In a matter of few weeks Imran has become synonym of hope and motivation and that is itself a worthwhile achievement to earn someone a name for life.<br /><br />May this world cup continue to produce many more such talents.<br /><br />Darren Bravo’s profile - http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.espncricinfo.com%2Ficc_cricket_worldcup2011%2Fcontent%2Fplayer%2F277472.html&h=25ca0<br /><br />Imran Tahir’s profile -<br /><br />http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/player/40618.html<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />24th February 2011, 11.19pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangalore<br /><br />P.S – Today is exactly a year since Sachin Tendulkar scored 200* in the Gwalior ODI against South Africa and it also marks my one year of cricket writing.sidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-12514625016572921582011-02-21T22:40:00.003+05:302011-02-21T22:44:38.500+05:30Sourav Ganguly – Refreshing the face of Indian CommentaryFor a country obsessed with its cricketers and contributing a lion’s share in enhancing the game’s richness, it is surprising that not many Indian cricketers have managed to ride on the wave after their on field sell by date. Except for Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri hardly has any Indian cricketer done justice to their ability of narrating and analyzing the game from the other side of the boundary line. Among the players who hung their boot after 1995 it is only Sanjay Manjrekar who comes close to comparison to the two microphone stalwarts. Barring a few who have been promising with still a lot to prove, others have either failed to express their thoughts appropriately or have been criticized for their associations with media houses that use cricket as a tool to enhance the TRP ratings of their ‘soap operas’.<br /><br />Australia’s Channel 9 and England Sky Sports’ have been the favored employment destination for their cricketers who have wished to associate themselves with the game after retiring without being directly involved but the Indian scenario is quite contrasting. Not only did Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) have no constant broadcaster for its home matches for long till Neo Sports’ emergence, but the communication skills which is the oxygen for an ex cricketer have always raised questions about their credibility beyond playing the game, probably the two key reasons why popular names have slipped into oblivion until handed over a honorary post by the board.<br /><br />The taken for granted Indian audience’s patience was slowly hitting the roof top and the reviews of the broadcasters was visible on social networking sites where fans have openly shared their dismay ever since the medium has been made available to them, over the quality and content of the voice that brought the game into the living rooms. Not only had the Indian Premier League (IPL) made the commentators worthy a sales manager of a fast moving consumer good (FMCG) company but for an intelligent cricket watcher who keeps a tab of the telecast in Australia, South Africa and England, India formed the bottom end of the expected standards axis. The monotony had to be broken for better ratings and financial interest, if not for anything else and if anyone has heard to Sourav Ganguly in the two world cup match analysis shows that he has featured in so far has to congratulate ESPN Star for their master stroke.<br /><br />The present generation hardly remembers watching Ravi Shastri or Sunil Gavaskar bat, but Sourav Ganguly remains fresh in their memories. Right from his burst into the international circuit with his Lord’s special in 1996 till his retirement in 2008 hardly has any other cricket divided opinions, the way he has. As a captain he was pivotal in setting the foundation for India’s resurgence as a top cricket team and allowed his hand picked boys to redefine the meaning of aggression and body language. The approach not only stirred the emotion of the entire nation but also invited for handful of controversies and he soon became a synonym for India’s attitudinal shift from gentlemen to ‘give back what you take’ boys, especially after his Lord’s balcony antics on 13th July 2002. <br /><br />A slight observation confirms that nothing much has changed in his role as an analyst at ESPN Star’s studio. He may not be artistic but he is blunt, straightforward and is willing to call spade, a spade. His technical view points on game situations not only leave you wondering the reasoning skills he possesses but also leaves you wanting for more. Having played his last first class as recently as December 2010 and with 424 international match experience he brings in a sense of fresh air into an atmosphere that had become stagnant for quite some time now. His insights from dressing room perspective; trusted bait for listeners since the evolution of sports commentary, have not only kept the audience on their toes but also have given the fans an entry into the thought process of the cricketers featuring in this world cup.<br /><br />The passion in his presentation is visible and if his progress is at the rate what one is seeing then it won’t be late before he earns another set of original fan base for his new profession. He has got an entry into a much bigger gamut which would have been far from possible had he been picked up by any of the franchisee for the fourth edition of IPL and knowing his penchant for the big stage, this is just the beginning of his second calling. Tomorrow if the world witnesses Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid in the commentator avatar then Dada deserves to be credited for opening yet another flood gate.<br /><br />May the breed grow and continue to spice up cricket discussions across living rooms.<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br />21st February 2011<br />Marthahalli, Bangalore<br /><br />P.S: As I am about to publish this piece Harsha Bhogle, Dermot Reeve and Sunil Gavaskar wished him on his wedding anniversarysidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-47985876004162250162011-02-21T16:19:00.006+05:302011-02-21T18:01:34.250+05:30Harsha Bhogle - The voice of Indian cricket<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnl-LcaUGEIZTBuqwl3m387Tzna-PgF2X_PY5HjPVcyvNh5bGeagsOuNuy8KkQDRkT8-hAZ6bGPqvo8iycJEvAUJZEB3zuYWLj0uWwoxiPqnra3r_59-XVr0sknFoMD8n8k4aDoHRS4k/s1600/Harsha.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnl-LcaUGEIZTBuqwl3m387Tzna-PgF2X_PY5HjPVcyvNh5bGeagsOuNuy8KkQDRkT8-hAZ6bGPqvo8iycJEvAUJZEB3zuYWLj0uWwoxiPqnra3r_59-XVr0sknFoMD8n8k4aDoHRS4k/s320/Harsha.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576093319843832914" /></a><br /><br />The animated celebration of the first two days of the world cup 2011 is a testament of cricket’s meaning in the sub continent. In this part of the world though poverty stares at most levels of the society due to unfavourable demand and supply equation yet all the worries stand still and joy takes over the moment the bat hits the ball. The Afridis, Muralis, Shakibs and Sachins have not only brought familiarity across the geographical stretch but have continuously offered entertaining content which has acted as a soothing balm in an otherwise black and white environment where the top priority has always been about the day’s next commitment. Just like the giants, the game has also produced a few who without ever having donned the national jersey have managed to enter our households. If in this world cup, after a long gap viewers are slowing starting to switch on their television set for the pre match analysis and stay glued to it right up to the completion of the post match analysis then the sole reason behind it is the screen presence of Harsha Bhogle, who incidentally is covering his 7th world cup. <br /><br />For some one who has played cricket at the University level, his cricketing skills can be termed as above average but that does not earn him his stripes. It is his ability to give words to the character of a master’s straight drive or a wily foxes’ doosra that connects him with the emotion of more than a billion. Cricket had always united the sub continent but there was a lack of a story teller who could add color to the pictures and showcase the expression of the mass to the world. Till the 1990’s Indian parents were influenced by the air of conservatism that the country’s economy projected and that restricted young brains to career options in either technical, administration or medical field in pursuit of secured future but much before liberalization Harsha Bhogle had defied the trend by earmarking his area of specialization in a domain that was yet to be introduced to the middle class. <br /><br />Today when illusionary notions like peer pressure, parental dreams, packages, financial security have made job placements around educational institutions a mockery and have robbed creative independence out of career graphs one can only leave it to imagination of what would have happened had IIM branded Chemical engineer Harsha Bhogle opted for the tested instead of taking the unexplored territory. Like every dreamer he had his shares of risk and hard days. Not only did he quit his advertising job but at the age of 19 in 1991 he had to domestically fund his trip to down under to work alongside Australian Broadcasting Corporation as his employer All India Radio were unable to offer financial assistance. Just like history luck favoured him as being Alan Border’s ghost writer for the tour gave him a golden opportunity to pick on his brain. Later on when Disney’s ESPN entered India in 1995, he got his first big break and since then there has been no looking back. In 16 years that have passed by he has established himself and created a niche for his profession to be titled as the voice of Indian cricket. <br /><br />His title is far from being officially accredited but it is the people who have bestowed the honor on him and there is a reason behind it. His role in the game goes beyond the statistics that emanates from the cricket field. His unique talent of making composite look simple and relate with the fans differentiates him from many others analysts visible across television channels. If today cricket is the way of life for a large number of Indians who claim to know more about London or Melbourne than the respective country’s locals then a major credit goes to Harsha Bhogle who along with his friend Gautam Bhimani has been the best geography teacher of our times. Informing and sharing facts and images from Auckland to Bridgetown and effectively negating the difficulties of waking up late or sleeping at the wee hours by mastering the art of assimilating the opinions of legends have embedded him into every cricket follower’s nerve system in the sub continent. <br /><br />Self awareness and working efficiently within limitations by sharing forthright views, packaging his team of presenters and connecting the experts with the fans instead of trying to be one has been his biggest strength that has enabled him to hold his own ground when squeezed in between 10,122 test runs and 916 international wickets in front of the camera. His ability to sport a naturally broad smile and using appropriate words to communicate without ever cutting into anyone’s space makes him loveable and a modern day icon. If today his views on the game are considered as a benchmark then it has a lot to do with his quality educational background and valued upbringing which gives him the freedom to alternatively switch between cricket and real life. His background allows him to accept anyone from an ex cricketer to a cameraman on ground as a teacher and learn from the environment and it has been one of the key reasons behind his longevity in the circuit dating back to much before Tendulkar took guard in Sialkot. <br /> <br />For anyone who follows him on twitter and has truly understood the language of his 80 odd minutes IIM-A address or of his articles on print and electronic media will acknowledge that sense has always prevailed in his successful journey. They give an insight into the dynamics of brand Harsha Bhogle and proves that for such a person accomplishments cannot be a fluke. <br /><br />The brand is a symbol of hope and light for every dreamer as he epitomizes the true meaning of living one’s passion. Though he belongs to a depleting tribe of non cricketers on the big stage, it is his optimism that inspires many around him who at best are top class gully cricketers to aspire of a career in the game in a role beyond taking strike or shining the cherry. <br /><br />If Richie Benaud is for Australia, Jonathan Agnew is for England and Tony Cozier is to West Indies then Harsha Bhogle surely deserves to be India’s flag bearer in this category. For someone who believes that praises for a person should be shared with him/her much before the judgment day which usually is the society’s norm, the biggest compliment comes from the horses’ mouth himself: <br /><br /> “I can’t be Tendulkar but mind you Tendulkar can’t be me either.”<br /><br />Link to Harsha Bhogle's IIM- A address: http://brijux.com/2009/09/12/harsha-bhogle-achievers-of-excellence-iim-ahmedabad/<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br />21st February 2011<br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-83108049522900973912011-02-18T19:37:00.003+05:302011-02-18T19:43:02.122+05:30Sachin’s Ton & Dream: From 18th to 19th February18th February takes me back by 15 years to the summer of 1996. Those were the days before the marketers had laid the strict dictum of scheduling all of India matches as day nighters in marquee stadiums. The commercial dynamics were evolving and within Board for Control of Cricket in India’s (BCCI) permutation and combination tier B cities were allotted their share of big time cricket, a rarity these days as the format of this year’s world cup suggests. The images of that morning are still fresh in my memories.<br /><br />The 1992 world cup’s razzmatazz appeal had colored the world and India was bubbling with excitement and anticipation as the next edition came home after four years. As per the tournament fixture Mohammed Azharuddin’s India were scheduled to play their first match against Maurice Odumbe’s Kenya at Barabati stadium, Cuttack; just an hour’s drive for my residence. On being educated about this my thrill knew no bounds and with just a solo live stadium experience prior to that of an international match featuring players in white attire, I was fantasizing and reassuring about my prospects of being there at the stadium to witness my first pyjama cricket match. The unknown quotient of world cup debutants Kenya, the African spirit of their fans and India’s expected dominance set the buzz around the stadium and made the experience enriching but what makes the day eternally memorable is Sachin Tendulkar’s maiden world cup century.<br /><br />Before the world cup the Tendulkar phenomena had yet to grip the nation’s demographic in entirety. Though marked as a prodigy yet his scores had not gained the weight to reflect the mood of a billion and his bat’s fascia still did not have a sponsor logo. Having made his debut in 1989 he had played a miniscule role in the disastrous 1992 world cup campaign and with 3212 runs and 4 centuries from 102 matches there was still a lot to establish. The 1996 world cup came at the right juncture of his career, just when he was looking for the first big stage to showcase his credentials as a truly international icon. 18th February 1996 happens to be that red lettered day when he scored his first world cup century (127*) and with it the juggernaut that started rolling continues to mesmerize the world without any signs of slowing down.<br /><br />How he rose to conquer every target that was once considered impossible and its overall impact on the country’s post liberalized macro economics are something that is there to be seen felt and cherished; today it forms a part of bed time stories for nursery kids. 1996 world cup defined the Sachin Tendulkar that the world was to see in the coming years. Not only did he become the highest scorer of that tournament (523 runs) but also rewrote his record in 2003 by scoring more than 600 runs and today with 1796 runs from 36 world cup matches he stands unparalleled and peerless. Let it be the swashbuckling 137* against Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla in the same world cup or an emotionally draining 140* against Kenya in 1999 after completing his father’s funeral or the appeasing 98 against Pakistan in 2003 after a series of sleepless nights or taking the attack to Andrew Caddick and company, all these accomplishments have made brand SRT a part of ICC’s world cup lexicon but on that distant afternoon in Cuttack when the base was being built for the future the singular thought in his mind would have been to carry the bat through and produce a match winning innings for the country.<br /><br />Exactly a day after a decade and half since that century, in his 21st year in the international circuit he will become the second cricketer after Javed Miandad to feature in six editions of the world cup and once he walks into the park against Bangladesh he will be the most capped One Day International (ODI) cricketer surpassing Sanath Jayasuriya’s 444 match appearances. His longevity and consistency is a symbol of adaptability, concentration and single mindedness focus on the goal, it is a sheer example of perfect implementation of skills in four continents that he had honed at Shivaji Park and continues to polish at MIG Grounds or MCA Grounds in Bandra. With an international experience of 32000 plus runs and 97 centuries tomorrow he will embark on a mission for probably (probably because if he wishes then playing in 2015 world cup is attainable) the last time in the blue jersey towards realizing his unfulfilled dream of lifting the world cup on 2nd April 2011 at his backyard; Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. Ever since he made his thoughts known to the public, winning the world cup has become a mass aspiration but it is time for common sense to prevail. <br /><br />For a country that has grown on Tendulkar these are indications of preparing towards the Sun set. Any day from today the little master might be playing in his last ODI and now is the appropriate time to once again stand up and salute the diminutive genius and the best way of articulating it would be to allow him to enjoy last phase of a voyage that has brought happiness to countless souls across boundaries. The new decade has convinced the fans that the hopes of winning the world cup are no more pinned on the shoulders of one individual but depends on the precise execution of game plan by 11 men and this will probably be the first time in his career that Sachin Tendulkar will be accompanied by ten equally competitive team mates to share the responsibilities of performance. Lastly the faster the mass realizes that the world cup has to be won for the country and not for Tendulkar, the better are the prospects for their favourite son’s dream coming true.<br /><br />Many years from now when I will be sharing Sachinlore to my grand children; as much as I will talk about that chilly morning of February 1994 in Auckland when he opened an innings for the first time or the Ganesh Chaturthi evening of September 1994 in Colombo when he scored his maiden century against Australia that much I will be expressing them of how lucky I was to have witnessed live the master blaster’s first world cup ton at Barabati stadium, Cuttack on 18th February 1996.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />18th February 2011,6.25pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangalore<br /><br /> <br /><br />Link to the match against Kenya on 18th February 1996: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65161.html<br /><br />Statistics courtesy www.espncricinfo.comsidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-38251642768675608002011-02-18T00:19:00.001+05:302011-02-18T00:21:58.092+05:30Celebration of Cricket - World Cup Opening CeremonyToday is a day of celebration for the entire cricket world as the editions of world cup entered double digits. The opening ceremony which officially marked the beginning of the 10th edition of the cup delivered high valued entertainment which has not only left every one impressed but also has made news for its precise execution. Sports and art have always complemented each other since their evolution but as history suggests International Cricket Council’s (ICC) relationship with ceremonies to mark events have not been occasions to savour. Let it be the Eden Garden’s pitch controversy in 1996 world cup or 1999’s weather interference at Lord’s or 2003’s drag every time ICC had ventured beyond its domain there were eyebrows raised with respect to the real need for such failed attempts of celebration. As the hype built up around this year’s world cup the world was staring with suspicion and a lot was at stake for ICC.<br /><br />All doubts were put to rest as the spectacular opening ceremony at Bangladesh’s historically rich Bangabandhu stadium not only enthralled the packed house and the one billion households over 180 territories courtesy Espn Star Sports (ESS) live feed but also left a huge impact on the economic value and cultural image of the host country. Tonight Sharad Pawar and company can heave a sigh of relief.<br />For a young nation which gained independence in 1971 today was its time for glory. Being the only sport where their national team features in the world cup it had to be cricket that brought them the big moment they had been waiting for long. Today for a change the world did not point out at the country’s slow on field progress but stood up to appreciate the energy and enthusiasm that blew in the air and saluted the endeavor of every citizen to make the day historic. It is a moment of pride for a country where cricket is the biggest connector among various classes of the society. Right from the time when the country’s national anthem was sung which was the opening act till the last performance of the evening the glitter in the eyes of every Bangladeshi communicated the delight they took in being host to the 14 nations and a smile on their face confirmed their dream of having an international ‘I was there’ moment written down in their diary had finally come true. <br /><br />Taking the captains of 14 teams to the center stage in rickshaws accompanied by kids struck chord with the entire country where public transport still largely is dependent on manual labor. The captains on the stage with their chest upright was a visual that signified the meaning of the world cup, it is indeed the cup that matters. Just when the anticipation from the evening was reaching its crescendo the tempo had to be broken in true sub continental style and that was the sole dampener of the evening. <br /><br />Public events in this part of the world are more about political mileages and there was no way the world cup could escape it. Four men who are primarily politicians holding honorary positions as cricket administrators and the head of the state spoilt the momentum with their long speeches that could have been easily avoided. The crowd was least bothered of the address and was busier with antics wishing to be captured on the giant screen for a moment’s fame; the captains were engrossed in their own world thinking of the big days that lie ahead but none on the dais made an attempt to notice the pulse, after all the agendas were fixed. As predictable there were requests for grants, appreciations, ego massages, self praise for the hard work and congratulatory messages which ideally suit the script of a closing ceremony. If ICC had thought that by having Bryan Adams, Shankar-Eshan-Loy, Sonu Nigam and other big names it can get away with the monotonous nature of the speeches then it for sure lost a few points there. However considering the political hassles they operate within it is unfair to blame them or the four Bangladeshi speakers for their time in front of the microphone since this was their first tryst with international glitz and glamour. Claps that followed were more of a sign of respite. It is either time to stop such farce or grow beyond it and there is no better time than now to pass a resolution wherein ceremonial speeches in public events do not exceed beyond a minute or two. Assigning psychologists to tutor politicians on an average human being’s grasping capacity would solve a few problems too. <br /><br />The trusted route of showcasing the colorful tradition and vibrant culture of the three host countries livened up the audience whose interest levels were slowly sliding. The seamless assimilation of the artists from one performance to another depicting the heritage and history of the sub continent, the melodious tunes of prominent singing sensations, dazzling fire works and the innovative concept of Ariel cricket lit like bright stars on a clear night. For the first time cricket was played on air though virtually by real men and the depiction deserved to be on the tallest building of Dhaka that had been the backdrop of Bangladesh cricket for so many years before the base shifted to Mirpur.<br /><br />All in all the sub continent lived up to the expectation and Wizcraft International Entertainment yet again enhanced its reputation. Every body who witnessed the evening got good value for a Thursday entertainment and it surely boosted the spirit of the 14 nations for whom business begins day after tomorrow for the next 45 days. Many years from now when a player from the sub continent makes it big in the international arena and attributes his success to the energy that rubbed him on 17th February 2011 will ICC know whether it was able to break its jinx with ceremonies entirely or not.<br /><br />Time for Cricket to begin.<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br />Thursday, 17 February 2011 at 23:59, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-1081573262929745102011-02-16T22:08:00.003+05:302011-02-18T00:19:20.315+05:30Dark side of a 'First Class' cricketerAt a time when a former cricketer has got into legal problems for alleged domestic violence it strikes a sense of fright among the country’s cricketing community and raises a few questions instantaneously. Are the country’s cricketers good human beings? Does fame permit them to take things for granted? Are their head at the right place? Is their off field conduct not important? These are delicate and debatable topics with far reaching implications in a country where cricket is a religion and cricketers are worshipped and looked up to. Out of all the revered only a handful go on to represent the country while majority of them end their career with staggering performances at the first class level. In spite of being domestic giants there is a sense of frustration written on their face for having failed to make it to the level that really matters and many a times they make it visible through the way they carry themselves. However the sliding self esteem is soon uplifted by the neighbourhood who celebrate the established status of the cricketer as if it is a collective effort of the local chaiwallah to the corner grocery shop owner to the doctor residing two houses away. These ‘first class’ cricketers are pampered with rich provincial status and everything, from the car they drive to the T-shirt they wear becomes a sign of status. These peripheral indulgence enjoyed by the cricketer influences five out of ten youngsters to be one of the seekers of luxury in spite of limited cricketing abilities; after all fame is such an easy lure and a fresh brain picks up what it senses in the air.<br /><br />These first class cricketers are very much knowledgeable about their role as opinion leaders and impact in their geographical stretch and love being role models as their inner self reminds them of the childhood days, when they were on the other side of table filled with awe and respect for their seniors. Being public figures much of their appearances are stoic but the grin when amongst their peers affirms how much they relish their success. All is well as long as on field statistics of runs scored and wickets taken are being talked about but not long after the discussion shifts to character and mannerism many of the collars that were fluttering with pride come down and shame surrounds the background.<br /><br />What goes wrong for such exceptionally gifted craftsmen as soon as they step on to the other side of the white line calls for thorough research but a little bit of probing delivers answers that are not out of the world. The Indian set up is such that, very early in their career kids are told whether they have it in them to make it big as a cricketer or not and if they are on the right side of the judgment then being fast tracked into the talent pool is the obvious next step. Unfortunately with that the basic necessity of completing quality formal education becomes a secondary objective, which remains unattained till the player becomes successful and uses his string in the system to obtain the certificate; by which time the value of that esteemed paper would have nullified. Early access to independence courtesy their on-field machismo and subsequent accolades subconsciously trap their egos and slowly the false sense of being bigger than life and getting away with wrong doing takes over. Much before they realize resentment would have become their best companion and on being questioned or told about subjects much beyond their specialization they welcome it with volatile behavior and unreasonable attitude.All this breeds the fear of being rejected which like a venomous snake poisons the player’s thought process and gradually closes the door on good days. How much ever a cricketer learns about values, culture and team work by being on the field yet there are still a few elementary lessons to pick up from within the four walls of a classroom. <br /><br />Unlike any other profession, a cricketer’s life is much different as his entire career is an unedited format of a reality show. The pressure to perform or perish is humongous and every time he gets out of his shed to fetch the family’s bread and butter he attunes his brain to thrive on the adrenalin rush that comes along with the job. Entering the zone is much like being high on an abandoned substance and as the game gets over or career terminates, the kick fades. Immediately withdrawal symptom sets in as all the adulation and recognition that were routine grants are swapped by blankness and a mirror to look at. However big the performer might be on field, this is his toughest test and the blatant truth is that far from few have managed to undergo the transition without showing any signs of conflict. <br /><br />For anyone who knows such cricketers at a personal level will vouch for the fact that the childlike innocence that had sparked the journey many years back still drives them but it cannot be denied that somewhere down the line their minds have been allowed to elude from the real world and get lost as clowns in the circus of vicious circle. Every time a ‘first class’ cricketer makes it to the news for wrong reason it threatens the country’s lifeline and brings into the discussion of who should be monitoring the timeline of the young kids coming off the block who are absorbing the good, the bad and the ugly with equal intensity? As much as it is the responsibility of the cricket clubs where careers flourish, the primary ownership lies with the parents to ensure that cricket does not become an obsession to be possessed at any cost but an alternate mean to enjoy just like any other good thing in life. Lives of many on field stalwarts have been dismantled and any more casualties will not only be a bad advertisement for the game’s legacy but will also shatter a generation of dreams. Indian streets need more ‘first class’ cricketers.<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaiksidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-82106546230453262912011-02-14T23:02:00.003+05:302011-02-14T23:13:42.596+05:30Change of CricketThe last time the cricket world cup was hosted in the sub continent was in 1996. 15 years have passed by and as big time international cricket makes a comeback to its financial haven here is a look at 20 things that have changed in 50 over cricket ever since.<br /><br /><strong>Field restrictions:</strong> Today field restriction is known by its new name of power play. From one block of 15 overs, it has increased to three blocks of a total of 20 overs . The first 10 overs are compulsory wherein like the previous rule two fielders are allowed outside the 30 yard circle and two more fielders have to be in compulsory catching position, 15 yards from the bat. The other two blocks of five overs each are named as fielding power play and batting power play which are at the disposal of the fielding captain and batting side respectively. However unlike the first 10 overs in these blocks the fielding captain can have three fielders outside the 30 yard circle and there is no compulsion to have fielders in catching position<br /><br /><strong>Gone are the whites:</strong> Whatever little ODIs were being played in white attire, red ball and in front of white sight screen that also was sucked in by the power of commercialization. Today red ball limited overs cricket is like an extinct species<br /><br /><strong>Constitution of a match:</strong> Those days each team had to face a minimum of 25 overs for an ODI match to produce a result. Today a minimum of 20 overs faced by each side makes a match legitimate. Talk about the influence of Twenty20 cricket!<br /><br /><strong>Off shore venues:</strong> For anyone who was seen matches in Sharjah, Toronto, Singapore, Morocco and other offshore venues will never forget the celebratory atmosphere. Big time cricket was marked for a certain period in every calendar year and that brought the big stars to the town and it was party time for anyone and everyone in that city. Gone are those days where top cricketers went to such venues and injected the spirit of the game into the veins of many who were not as fortunate as their counterparts in the test playing nations. Some attribute illegal business as a reason for ICC’s decision to stop cricket at off shore venues but it remains to be one of the biggest loss for pyjama cricket.<br /><br /><strong>ICC Champions Trophy:</strong> Cricket’s popularity was rising and one world cup was not able to meet the appetite of the ever hungry passionate Asian crowd. ICC too wanted to derive maximum commercial benefit in this uneven balance between demand and supply, hence came ICC Champions Trophy into existence. In many ways it has become the poor man’s world cup, a tournament to aspire for every team who could not lay their hand on the previous world cup. <br /><br /><strong>More runs:</strong> Initially if runs were scored off a no ball then the penalty run for the no ball was not added to the scoreboard but today a separate penalty run for no ball is awarded to the batting side apart from the runs scored either off bat or any other part of the body.<br /><strong><br />Free Hit:</strong> Free hit for a front foot no ball was something even the biggest visionary of the game would not have visualized then but T20 cricket changed it all. Entertainment at the expense of the bowler’s sin became the norm but this rule has helped the bowlers to be more disciplined and today hardly anyone oversteps.<br /><br /><strong>Ball Change: </strong>White ball get soiled up easily and as the game became more intense viewing clarity for the batsmen became an issue to be addressed. Today the white ball is compulsorily changed after 35 overs in each innings.<br /><br /><strong>Cheer for bowlers:</strong> Now bowlers are allowed to bowl one bouncer per over hence giving them more armor in their arsenal. It has come as a sigh of relief for the bowlers at a time when boundary lines are getting shorter by the season.<br /><br /><strong>Super Subs:</strong> They came, they played, and they left. An experiment that was never designed to work.<br /><br /><strong>Switch hit:</strong> Who said right handers and not good left handers. Kevin Pietersen changed the notion for good and convinced the law makers that changing stance before the bowler delivers is well within the laws of the game.<br /><strong><br />Impossible is nothing:</strong> A batsman has gone on to score 32321 international runs, 200* in a single ODI innings, 96 international centuries, another batsman has scored an ODI century in 37 balls and a bowler has gone on to take 1319 international wickets – All these feats were considered impossible in 1996. <br /><br /><strong>Electronic scoreboards:</strong> Gone are the days when the curator’s son used to double as the manual scoreboard operator for a bargain of watching the stars play free of cost. Today ICC has made it a mandate for every ground to haves a giant electronic scoreboard which flashes the minutest on ground detail as it occurs. Not only has it reduced the seating capacity but also taken away the charm that only a player can associate with an old rugged scoreboard.<br /><br /><strong>More than third umpire:</strong> The role of third umpires has gone beyond calls on stumping, run out and other line decisions.<br /><strong><br />Support staff:</strong> Someone once told that at international cricketers need not be told what to do, they know their job pretty well. It has been proved wrong as today every team carries a minimum of 5 support staff. Once upon a time the same job was being done by one tour manager-cum-coach. Talk about job specialization.<br /><br /><strong>Technology:</strong> Role of technology has increased threefold in modern day cricket. Every team plays the game as much on the computer screen as much on ground. Plus the introduction of tools like snicko meter, hot spot, pitch map and what not has made players machine operated performers.<br /><br /><strong>Television: </strong>With so much cricket happening across the globe and the ever increasing demand channel owners have gone on from sports broadcasting to cricket narrowcasting. The advent of Star Cricket, Neo Cricket and Ten Cricket justifies the point.<br /><br /><strong>Paying crowd at a bay: </strong>Like every other thing administrators have invested millions in safety and security to ensure that the crowd behavior is also mechanized. No more a passionate fan is allowed to get on to the ground to share his/her emotion with the favourite player who (s) he has come to watch for a price. No more are matches delayed because of crowd interference.<br /><br /><strong>Bet and caught:</strong> Fixing a match or a spot as the latest trend was discovered was hidden under the carpet by the very own players who many worshipped as idols but now the rabbit is out of the hat. Strong anti corruption measures taken by ICC to eradicate malignancy makes the game much more sane than ever before.<br /><br /><strong>Commerce drive:</strong> Cricket has extensively become a seller’s market especially from the context of the paying Indian public. Everything that was not sponsored those days is now branded. From boundary ropes to player attire to TV screens to every possible element are now priced. Neon flash boards have replaced the good old perimeter boards, commentators have become salesmen, scripts have become predictable and the guest list at the presentation ceremony has increase from handful to houseful. More marketing means more money but with it the game has lost a major share of old charm.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />14th February 2011,10.42pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-63817918566904303922011-02-09T12:24:00.001+05:302011-02-09T12:27:34.468+05:30Know Your 14 World Cup TeamsThe 10th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup is probably the most open tournament in a long time and the time is just appropriate to have a sneak preview of the 14 teams that will be vying for top honors from 19th February to 2nd April 2011. <br /> <br /><strong>GROUP A</strong><br /><br />Australia: Just when they were being written down after the Ashes debacle they struck back with a vengeance in the ODI series and stamped their class and authority hence making the statement that of a defending world champion. If their tally of world cup trophies ascends from four to five in this edition then consider it as no miracle. Seasoned campaigner Ricky Ponting has a few points to prove and will be hungrier than ever before considering this will be his last world cup. The batting looks rock solid and if a fit Mike Hussey makes it to the sub continent then along with Michael Clarke will form the core of their lineup. Cameron White has enough exposure in the prevailing conditions courtesy his IPL stint to deliver some lusty blows during the death overs. Brett Lee’s experience and Doug Bollinger’s penchant for swing bowling make their attack lethal. Mitchell Johnson and John Hastings, still a relatively unknown component in the international circuit can tie up loose ends when demanded. Though their spin department looks fragile on paper expect them to rise to the occasion. <br />*Squad: Ricky Ponting ©, Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin (wk), John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Cameron White<br />Young talent to watch out for: Doug Bollinger<br />Cup chances: 9/10<br />World cup track record (1975-2007): Played – 69, Won – 51, Lost – 17, Tied – 1 <br />Best world cup performance: Champions in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007<br />Last ODI performance: Beat England 6-1 in the 7 match home series <br /><br />Pakistan: Their decorum of cricket defies any logic and makes them look like a club side but their unpredictability and their ability to not be affected by innumerous controversies make them one of the most feared team in world cricket. Their secret formula might not be ideal for an onlooker but that’s how they play their game. Barring any madness a quarter final berth is rest assured and as Harsha Bhogle pointed out in the near home conditions three more brilliant days of cricket is much within their capability. Opener Mohammed Hafeez will look to set up a platform before Younis Khan and Mishbah-Ul-Haq showcase their craft in the middle overs and the exploits of Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi are well archived. In Umar Gul, Shoaib Akthar and Sohail Tanvir they have a world class pace attack but much will depend on how Saeed Ajmal and the skipper deliver their quota 20 overs between them. <br />*Squad: Shahid Afridi ©, Mishbah-Ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammed Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (wk), Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Younis Khan <br />Young talent to watch out for: Umar Akmal<br />Cup chances: 7/10<br />World cup track record (1975-2007): Played -56, Won -30, Lost -24, No Result - 2 <br />Best world cup performance: Champions in 1992<br />Last ODI performance: Beat New Zealand 3-2 in the 6 match away series <br /><br />New Zealand: Their cricket has distorted in the recent past . Having lost all their nine one day matches in the sub continent this season and then going down to Pakistan in the home series is not an ideal way to prepare for a big tournament and once again they come into it as the dark horse. Statistics does not justify Daniel Vettori’s influence as a captain and player; slightly more promising resources would have portrayed a different picture. With 3 centuries in 99 matches Ross Taylor continues to deceive the audience. Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum are not to be relied upon to hold the innings together and Scott Styris is ageing. Jacob Oram is carrying an injury and all that the Kiwis are left with are Martin Guptill and James Franklin. The bowling at best will do a marvelous job in containing the opposition but that is not a front line strategy in Asian conditions. Ironically John Wright’s Indian experience might be their biggest go for weapon in the campaign. <br />*Squad: Daniel Vettori ©, Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum (wk), Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock<br />Young talent to watch out for: Kane Williamson<br />Cup chances: 4/10<br />World Cup track record (1975-2007): Played -62, Won -35, Lost -26, No Result - 1 <br />Best world cup performance: Semi finalists in 1992, 1999, 2007<br />Last ODI performance: Lost to Pakistan 2-3 in the 6 match home series <br /><br />Sri Lanka: Ever since 1996 they have come to every world cup as a competitive side and have not disappointed either with their overall standing. Playing with a spin packed attack in front of a noisy home crowd has been their biggest strength. They will be playing 5 of their league matches and in all probability the knock out matches in the familiarity zone and that makes them a dangerous team. In between Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan they have an experience of 22774 runs and 808 matches hence making their batting one of the most formidable in the cup. Muralitharan’s experience combined with Lasith Malinga’s awkwardness and Nuwan Kulasekara’s economy gives their bowling the required bite. <br />*Squad: Kumar Sangakkara ©, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Rangana Herath, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Matthews, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralithan, Thisara Perera, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga<br />Young talent to watch out for: Angelo Matthews<br />Cup chances: 8/10<br />World Cup track record (1975-2007): Played -57, Won -25, Lost -30, Tied – 1, No Result - 1 <br />Best world cup performance: Champions in 1996 <br />Last ODI performance: Beat West Indies 2-0 in the 3 match home series <br /><br />Zimbabwe: A lot of hard work has gone in the recent past to revive their cricket but there is still some time before they make amends for all that they have lost in the last decade. Their squad of 1999 world cup had some amazing players who on their day turned the heat on the opposition but today the scenes have changed drastically. However the format of this edition gives them a ray of hope to make it to the quarter final if they can get past New Zealand, Canada and Kenya in the league stage. Sean Ervine’s last minute withdrawal leaves them with Charles Coventry who shared the honor of being the highest individual scorer in one day international for some time, Brendan Taylor and Tatenda Taibu. The rest of the squad have not done enough yet to earn a name at the international level.<br />*Squad: Elton Chigumbura©, Regis Chakabya, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Shingirai Masakadza, Tino Mawoyo, Chris Mpofu, Ray Price, Ed Rainsford, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams<br />Young talent to watch out for: No one in specific<br />Cup chances: 2/10<br />World Cup track record (1983-2007): Played -45, Won -8, Lost -33, Tied – 1, No Result - 3 <br />Best world cup performance: Super 6 in 1999 and 2003 <br />Last ODI performance: Lose to Bangladesh 3-1 in the 5 match away series<br /><br />Canada: One of the first few teams of the world cup cricket they were lost in the wilderness before making their second appearance in 2003. Their style of play has always been spirited and good to watch and John Davison’s 67 ball hundred against West Indies remains to be their moment under the sun. Like every world cup if an upset is due then Canada have the potential to stage it against Zimbabwe and New Zealand and a win against Kenya might see them in the quarter final.. John Davison and Ashish Bagai are the biggest names in a team filled with Asian expats. <br />*Squad: Ashish Bagai©, Rizwan Cheema, Harvir Baidwan, Balaji Rao, John Davison, Parth Desai, Tyson Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekara, Jimmy Hansra, Khurram Chohan, Nitish Kumar, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Zubin Surkari, Karl Whatham<br />Young talent to watch out for: No one in specific<br />Cup chances: 0/10<br />World Cup track record (1979-2007): Played -12, Won -1, Lost -11 <br />Best world cup performance: Yet to qualify beyond league stage<br />Last ODI performance: Drew with Ireland 1-1 in the 2 match home series <br /><br />Kenya: There is nothing left to be written about Kenya and they have failed to justify their ODI status, such disappointing has been their performances ever since they lost in the 2003 world cup semi final to India. Qualifying for the semi final was expected to be sting they needed in their armor to raise their game to the next level but all the predictions have been proven wrong for reasons beyond the cricket ground. In their debut world cup in 1996 they upset West Indies in Pune and the Odoyo brothers and Steve Tikolo will carry memories from then but this time around they are not expected to have any easy match. They might pull off a win against Zimbabwe and Canada but that won’t affect the points table. <br />*Squad: Jimmy Kamande©, Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, David Obuya (wk), Nehemiah Odhiambo, Thomas Odoyo, Peter Ongondo, Elijah Otieno, Maurice Ouma (wk), Rakep Patel, Steve Tikolo, Seren Waters<br />Young talent to watch out for: Tanmay Mishra <br />Cup chances: 0/10 <br />World cup track record (1996-2007): Played-23, Won-6, Lost-16, No Result- 1<br />Best world cup performance: Semi finalist in 2003 world cup<br />Last ODI performance: Beat Afghanistan 2-1 in the 3 match home series<br /><br /><strong>GROUP B</strong><br /><br />India: It is one of the best Indian teams to be coming into the world cup but lack of match practice for most of the key players might be an area of concern initially. On home conditions and current form they are clearly one of the top favorites however the huge pre event expectations and hype is what Kirsten and co have to be careful about. If the external pressure can be kept at a distance and on field focus can be the sole motto then the ultimate goal can be attained. The players have to identify themselves, rise to the occasion and take responsibility on the big match days instead of relying on their fellow mates which has usually been the case with the Indian teams in previous world cups. A smashing start by Virender Sehwag and early breakthroughs from Zaheer Khan can set the tone for others to build on it however there should be a backup plan if the duo does not come good. Do not expect Yusuf Pathan to fire in each innings but when he does, sit back and enjoy. <br />*Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni©(wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Piyush Chawala, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, S. Sreesanth<br />Young talent to watch out for: Virat Kohli<br />Cup chances: 8/10 <br />World cup track record (1975-2007): Played-58, Won-32, Lost-25, No Result- 1<br />Best world cup performance: Champions in 1983<br />Last ODI performance: Lost to South Africa 2-3 in the 5 match away series <br /><br />South Africa: In each of the last four editions the storyline has been common for South Africa; from potential title holders to chokers and the mystery remains unsolved. The circumstances of their departure from the tournament have always been bizarre ever since they were readmitted into international cricket. This year they come into the competition high on confidence but will be aware of history and might start their campaign cautiously. AB de Villers and JP Duminy can provide the required firepower but a lot will depend on the technically sound Hashim Amla and old warhorse Jacques Kallis to give solidarity to their innings. Rookie journeyman cricketer Imran Tahir and Johan Botha will be expected to play a key role in the subcontinent tracks but all eyes will be on Dale Steyn who is the sting of the Proteas attack and comes with a reputation of single handedly wrapping oppositions. The emergence of Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Morne Morkel makes South Africa one of the strongest bowling team but like always their fate depends on what is going on between their ears. <br />*Squad: Graeme Smith©, Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villers (wk), Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne Van Wyk (wk) <br />Young talent to watch out for: Lonwabo Tsotsobe <br />Cup chances: 7/10 <br />World cup track record (1992-2007): Played-40, Won-25, Lost-13, Tie- 2<br />Best world cup performance: Semi finalist in 1992, 1999<br />Last ODI performance: Beat India 3-2 in the 5 match home series <br /><br />England: The press has written a lot of good about them and Andy Flower’s boys have delivered some outstanding performance over the last season or two. For the first time in many years they come into the world cup as one of the contenders but a lot remains to be seen on how they cope up with the conditions in the sub continent which have been their nemesis for a long time now. If they can focus on their task instead of feeling suffocated about issues beyond their control then a semi final berth will be within reach but only time can answer whether it can happen because history suggests otherwise. Graeme Smith’s rise in the rankings and James Anderson’s mastery over the new ball and Collingwood’s overall knowledge offers variety into the attack which had never been their ingredient in the past editions. However like every other team they will depend on their batsmen to fire on placid tracks. Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell will be expected to build an innings around Kevin Pietersen who remains to be the big draw. <br />*Squad: Andrew Strauss©, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior(wk), Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy<br />Young talent to watch out for: Jonathan Trott <br />Cup chances: 7/10 <br />World cup track record (1992-2007): Played-59, Won-36, Lost-22, No Result- 1<br />Best world cup performance: Semi finalist in 1992, 1999<br />Last ODI performance: Lost to Australia 1-6 in the 7 match away series<br /><br />West Indies: Cricket teams world over use West Indies as the bench mark to measure their performance graph over years. A team that was feared by every opponent today stands at its lowest point and the format might allow them a berth in the quarter final but their competitive level does not promise anything beyond that. On paper their blend of youth and experience make them look good but on field a lot is left to be desired. It is another thing if Kieron Pollard with his IPL confidence decides to come to the party and with meaningful contribution from others a different result can be on the cards. Adrian Barath is an excellent talent but Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo will be their go to men most of the times and Sulieman Ben’s left arm spin will be entertaining to watch. <br />*Squad: Darren Sammy ©, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wk), Sulieman Ben, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith<br />Young talent to watch out for: Kieron Pollard <br />Cup chances: 5/10 <br />World cup track record (1975-2007): Played-57, Won-35, Lost-21, No Result- 1<br />Best world cup performance: Champions in 1975, 1979<br />Last ODI performance: Lost to Sri Lanka 0-2 in the 3 match away series<br /><br />Bangladesh: Their series white wash win over New Zealand at home have earned them respect worldwide and fact that they will be playing all their league games in their backyard makes them a strong contender for the quarter final and if they flow with the rhythm then a semi final spot might not be elusive. The fanatic home crowd’s nothing to lose attitude will add extra pressure on the opponent and expect a few of them to crumble to trigger widespread celebration across the country. In their skipper Shakib Al Hassan and Abdur Razzaq they have two spinners who can choke any line up with their miserly line and length. Absence of an injured Mashrafe Mortaza and the unfulfilled promise of Mohammad Ashraful is their biggest weaklink but youngsters like Tamim Iqbal bring an element of freshness and vibrancy into the squad. <br />*Squad: Shakib Al Hassan ©, Tamim Iqbal, Abdur Razzak, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Raqibul Hassan, Rubel Hossain, Shaiful Islam, Shahriar Nafees, Suhrawadi Shuvo<br />Young talent to watch out for: Tamim Iqbal<br />Cup chances: 4/10 <br />World cup track record (1999-2007): Played-20, Won-5, Lost-14, No Result- 1<br />Best world cup performance: Qualified for the super 8s in 2007<br />Last ODI performance: Beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in the 5 match home series<br /><br />Ireland: Ireland will find the Asian conditions alien but for them it has always been about enjoying the experience. In the world beyond test status they have been making some rapid progress and to be playing in 2011 world cup is a reward for all their hard work. They have tasted a big world cup and T20 world championship victory in the past and the smell of it would still be fresh and that will keep them going in this edition. With veteran Ed Joyce, Trent Johnston and William Porterfield in their ranks there is no dearth of international exposure however for them to repeat their 2007 world cup performance they have to bank on the others to come good. <br />*Squad: William Porterfield ©, Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’ Brien (wk), Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Albert var der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson (wk) <br />Young talent to watch out for: No one in specific<br />Cup chances: 0/10 <br />World cup track record (2007-2007): Played-9, Won-2, Lost-6, No Result- 1<br />Best world cup performance: Yet to qualify beyond league stage<br />Last ODI performance: Drew with Canada 1-1 in the 2 match away series <br /><br />Netherlands: In 1996 Nolan Clarke entered the record books for being the oldest world cupper at the age of 47 and that remains to be the only reason for Netherland to cheer about. Their performance at the associate level has earned them a place in the world cup but at the big stage they have still a long stride to cover. With ICC deciding to reduce the number of teams to 10 in the 2015 world cup this will be their last outing for a long time to come. Ryan ten Doeschate the current ICC associate player of the year and the first Netherlands player to bag an IPL contract will be the key entertainer along with Tom Cooper. <br />*Squad: Peter Borren ©, Adeel Raja, Wesley Barresi (wk), Mudasar Bukhari, Atse Buurman, Tom de Grooth, Alexei Kervezee, Bradley Kurger, Bernard Loots, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski, Ryan ten Doeschate, Berend Westdijk, Bas Zuiderent <br />Young talent to watch out for: No one in specific<br />Cup chances: 0/10 <br />World cup track record (1996-2007): Played-14, Won-2, Lost-12,<br />Best world cup performance: Yet to qualify beyond league stage<br />Last ODI performance: Lost to Ireland 0-2 in the 2 match away series <br /><br />*Few of the squads might have a few changes due to injury concerns<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaiksidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-66066795616977394412011-02-06T01:04:00.001+05:302011-02-06T21:05:54.926+05:30Refreshing Cricket World Cup MemoriesIn the 19 years between January 1992 to 2011, five cricket world cups have been hosted in five different continents with each tournament being special in its own way. Cricket lovers across the world have got enough memories from these editions to drool about for lifelong. With just over a week to go before the 10th ICC Cricket World Cup gets underway in Bangladesh, India and Srilanka it is time to look back at those unforgettable occurrences of the past.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1992 (5th Edition) –Benson & Hedges Cup (Hosts: Australia & New Zealand)</span><br /><br /> * Introduction of colored dress, white ball and floodlight matches in world cup<br /> * Martin Crowe innovates by opening his team’s bowling attack with spinner Dipak Patel<br /> * Ajay Jadeja takes a spectacular diving one hand catch at long off to dismiss Alan Border and announce his arrival. India’s loses the match by 1 run<br /> * Sachin Tendulkar scores an attacking half century against Pakistan<br /> * Javed Miandad does a monkey jump as a reaction to Kiran More’s chirping behind the stumps<br /> * Jonty Rhodes’ produces a marvel piece of diving one hand run out to send Inzamam Ul-Haq packing<br /> * Debutant South Africa agonizingly bow out in the semi-finals against England courtesy Duckworth-Lewis – From 22 runs needed off 13 balls to 7 balls to finally 21 runs being needed off 1 ball.<br /> * Wasim Akram dismisses Alan Lamb and Chris Lewis off consecutive deliveries in the finals<br /> * An emotional Imran Khan lifts the trophy and commits his share of prize money to the cause of his cancer hospital in memory of his mother. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1996 (6th Edition) –Wills World Cup (Hosts: India, Pakistan, Srilanka)</span><br /><br /> * A combined Pakistan-India XI play an exhibition match against Srilanka XI to compensate for the loss after Australia and West Indies forfeited their matches in Srilanka against the home team due to security reasons<br /> * A controversial opening ceremony at the Eden Gardens where the pitch was dug up<br /> * Gary Kirsten’s 188* against UAE becomes the highest individual score in world cup cricket<br /> * Javed Miandad becomes the first cricketer to play in 6 world cups<br /> * Sachin Tendulkar’s first world cup century comes against Kenya at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack<br /> * Kenya’s upset win against West Indies after bundling them out for 93<br /> * Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana redefine the meaning of an opener’s role in one day internationals <br /> * The Srilanka openers put a halt to Manoj Prabhakar’s career in a league match in Delhi where Sachin Tendulkar’s run a ball 137 goes in vain <br /> * Srilanka post 398/5 against Kenya, the then highest team score in One day internationals <br /> * Ajay Jadeja and Anil Kumble’s famous Bangalore assault on Waqar Younis in the quarter final followed by the infamous spat between Aamir Sohail and Venkatesh Prasad <br /> * South Africa’s clean slate spoiled by West Indies in the quarter final hence earning them the tag of ‘chokers’<br /> * The ugly side of Eden Gardens shows up as India stumble to 120/8 chasing 252 against Srilanka in the semi final. Match is called off due to crowd violence and Vinod Kambli is seen sulking<br /> * Sachin Tendulkar (523 runs) and Anil Kumble (15 wickets) finish as the edition’s highest run scorer and highest wicket taker respectively<br /> * The famous Mohali semi final where West Indies snatch defeat from the jaws of victory<br /> * The then Pakistan president Benazir Bhutto refuses to shake hands with world cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga on the presentation podium <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1999 (7th Edition) – ICC Cricket World Cup (Hosts: The United Kingdom)</span><br /><br /> * Return of world cup cricket to England after 16 years<br /> * The ship like media box at Lords becomes the latest addition to cricket infrastructures<br /> * An opening ceremony that could not get underway because of the English weather<br /> * Introduction of the super 6s for the first time<br /> * India’s shocking defeat to Zimbabwe courtesy Henry Olonaga’s 3/22 in a league match comes to haunt them in the super 6 stage<br /> * Sachin Tendulkar scores a century against Kenya after attending his father’s funeral in Mumbai<br /> * Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid murder the Srilankan attack at Taunton<br /> * Saqlain Mushtaq becomes the 2nd bowler to take a hattrick in world cup after Chetan Sharma (1987)<br /> * Bangladesh upset Pakistan’s plan and set up a riot back in Pakistan<br /> * Herschelle Gibbs drops Steve Waugh in the super 6 and with that the world cup though Steve Waugh in his book has clarified that he never said it<br /> * New Zealand falter yet again in semi final<br /> * Alan Donald commits suicide in semi final and South Africa retain the choker tag<br /> * Lance Klusener wonders one and all with his stroke play<br /> * Rahul Dravid becomes the first wicket keeper to score a century in world cup cricket and ends the tournament as the highest run scorer<br /> * Geoff Allot becomes the highest wicket taker in the world cup and retires months after citing back problem<br /> * Australia win 7 matches in a trot to come back from hopeless situation to lift the world cup <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2003 (8th Edition) – ICC Cricket World Cup (Hosts: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya)</span><br /><br /> * Shane Warne banned for one year just before world cup for failing the drug test however Andrew Symonds sets the tempo for Australia in their first match<br /> * England forfeit their match against Zimbabwe in Harare due to the Robert Mugabe controversy<br /> * Andy Flower and Henry Olonga wear black bands as a protest against Robert Mugabe regime<br /> * Indian players disallowed to have sponsors name on their jerseys, finally play with Amby Valley branding<br /> * India get bowled out against Netherlands within the stipulated 50 overs<br /> * Australia crucify Sourav Ganguly’s boys in the league stage and effigies are burnt across India. Sachin Tendulkar makes a open request to the Indian public to have patience<br /> * James Andreson floors Pakistan in the league stage<br /> * England scare Australia before Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel put things in perspective<br /> * Asish Nehra decides to own England<br /> * Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar make a mockery of Pakistan’s famed pace attack<br /> * Canada’s John Davison sets new world cup record by scoring the fastest hundred off 67 balls against West Indies<br /> * Chaminda Vaas and Brett Lee become the third and fourth bowlers to take world cup hattricks respectively<br /> * Wasim Akram quits international cricket as the bowler with highest number of world cup wickets - 55<br /> * South Africa commits sin yet again. The team miscalculates Duckworth Lewis formula and Mark Boucher decides to defend a ball instead of taking a single before rain comes in. Eventually the match is tied and South Africa fail to make it to the super 6 for a margin of one run<br /> * Kenya surprise the cricketing fraternity with a semi final berth. Unfortunately their cricket has declined drastically ever since<br /> * Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first batsman to score more than 600 runs in one edition of world cup (673) and bags the man of the series<br /> * Aussie batsmen led by Ricky Ponting murder the Indian bowling attack to be the second team after West Indies to win consecutive world cups<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2007 (9th Edition) – ICC Cricket World Cup (Hosts: West Indies)</span><br /><br /> * For the first time 16 teams participate in the tournament leading to 51 matches.<br /> * The format flops and most of the matches are played in front of empty stands<br /> * India lose to Bangladesh and Pakistan go down to Ireland. Both the big teams fail to make it to the super 6 hence robbing off major interest in the tournament<br /> * India post their first score beyond 400, coming against Bermuda. A match in which Dwayne Leverock takes a blinder to dismiss Robin Uthappa<br /> * Dhilara Fernando’s timber crasher to Sachin Tendulkar<br /> * Herschelle Gibbs becomes the first batsman to hit 6 sixes in an over in international cricket<br /> * Matthew Hayden’s 66 ball ton against South Africa becomes the fastest world cup century<br /> * Lasith Malinga’s 4 wickets in 4 balls against South Africa<br /> * South Africa fail to make to the semi finals despite being strong contenders – Chokers yet again and New Zealand flounder in semi final yet again<br /> * Glenn McGrath with 56 wickets becomes the highest world cup wicket taker<br /> * Inzamam Ul- Haq, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath retire from international cricket<br /> * Bob Woolmer dies under mysterious circumstances making it the worst remembered world cup<br /> * Adam Gilchrist’s sponge ball hundred powers Australia to their 3rd consecutive world cup title<br /> * Steve Bucknor, Aleem Dar, Rudi Koertzen, Billy Bowden, Jeff Crowe suspended for inaugural World T20 championship for their decision making skills in a rain interrupted controversial world cup final match<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br />6th February 2011 (Sunday), 12.49am<br />Marthahalli, Bangalore<br /><br />P.S – The first four world cups have not been included in this piece because the writer was born in 1984 and witnessed his first world cup match only in 1992.sidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-51891100739040530992011-02-04T18:41:00.000+05:302011-02-04T18:42:30.319+05:30A Lady I MetWhen you ask someone who would have just come out of a life changing experience about the biggest take away from the phase and invariably the reply would be about the kind of inspiring people and their stories (s) he came across hence giving a new reason to live life to the person in question. I could never co-relate the connectivity till I became one of them. The hard reality is that majority of us do not heed to the worries of others when the sailing is smooth, it is only when the weather gets rough that one truly acknowledges the meaning of pain in someone else’s life. Your mind opens up to the vastness that lies beyond the usual depictions and you start admiring things and respecting elements that were never a part of your agenda till recently.<br /><br />There are certain people who elate your feeling much before you come in acquaintance with them. After having heard a lot of good things and her upbeat approach to life when I finally met Ms. Manju Bagha Singh, wife of Tata Power’s HR Head on 22nd December 2010; my last day as an in-patient at Tata Memorial Hospital I understood the reason behind the hype that surrounded her. She came across as a simple lady who was interested in finding life’s true meaning instead of investing time behind fancy obsessions, a common hobby of wives of corporate honchos. One look at her sparkling eyes communicated that she had a lot of life experiences and was open to share those expressions with anyone and everyone she came across or else why would have she come all the way from Colaba to Parel to visit me. Though her body had undergone a lot in the last two decades yet her biggest secret has been the power to be in control of her state of mind and drive her thoughts at every given moment and that makes her a winner for life.<br /><br />Consciousness of one’s own self is the best remedy for the human mind and the finest tool to spread the spirit of joy and love is the message that came across from her stories. One could only admire her spirit and motivation because had it been a slightly fragile mind then the cookie would have crumbled much before the Sun set. No wonder God tests the tougher souls so that more and more examples sprout around us to live and let live. Ever since she regained her normalcy she has been looking for avenues to add value to life and has been deriving pleasure from her ability to enable open minds to release their energy into the Universe for aspirations to come true. Any other objective looks miniscule in front of such a genuine mission. Meeting such people not only strengthens your conviction to be in love with your present but also assures you of a future worth the wait.<br /><br />It was quite apparent midway into our conversation that we had struck a mental chord and were in the same wavelength. Her positive and vibrant vibes rubbed off to me and presented me with a set of questions whose answer can only get better every time I make an attempt to discover them. Her act of gifting me two priceless books (The Secret and Power) signifies the definition of our relationship and it was accepted with an assurance that those stores of knowledge have reached the right person at the right time. Our maiden meeting has been the sole point of interaction and the second appointment is yet to be scheduled but with certain people in life the duration between visits is inconsequential because you are rest assured that whenever and wherever you come across next the threads will be picked up from where they were left the last time, such is the level of understanding between the minds.<br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />4th February 2011 (Friday), 6.35pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-9781555030866055462011-02-03T23:21:00.000+05:302011-02-03T23:22:24.352+05:30Thank you WizcraftAn event manager’s life is an amalgamation of timelines and follow ups especially on the day of the show prior to the venue handover time. Typical visuals from the venue would scare any heart patient or pregnant lady. The phone never ceases to ring and the client demands undivided attention even if that invites delays. In another corner various vendors continue with their customary drills as the venue operations in charge frantically calls a few who perennially get stuck in traffic only to arrive with the deliverables just at the nick of time. The show running team usually is busy readjusting the final show flow to accommodate client’s additional request. The artist manager continues to wonder the reason behind the hostesses’ unpunctuality and the snobbish attitude of that of a self acclaimed show stopper. In the meantime the MC is on stage requesting the audience to settle down for the show to start and that becomes the reason to waste crew food that was budgeted under the miscellaneous head of the event cost sheet. <br /><br />For someone who has been there and done that for nearly hundred times it was a feeling of familiarity and home coming amidst all the chaos when I stepped into Karnataka Trade Promotion Organization (KTPO) on 3rd February 2011 where the Wizzes were executing GE’s Health Care annual awards ceremony. As usual Pradeep was driving the young brigade for that extra percentage of perfection and Nadia was going around getting things done in an unassuming manner.From a distance it all looked proverbial as it was months back when I had done my last event as a Wiz but to convince myself of it would have been one of the biggest denials of life and more so when Pradeep (Jr) ensured that I was the first one among all crew members to be given food.<br /><br />The last four months have not only toughened my character courtesy the fight I put up but also put a lot of things in perspective for me. Thanks to my hopes and aspiration the test of life was not about survival but about celebrating the journey in order to have stories to tell in the future. However there were moments when loneliness took over and at times the light at the end of the tunnel was nothing more than a hallucination. It all boiled down to the number of hours I dedicated everyday to paint images of a future of my choice. Among many other things I constantly simulated were scenes of being in the middle of live projects (cricket matches and other shows) piled with major responsibilities and handling them successfully. Frequent communications with the Universe had become my best pastime to remain in the best frame of mind.<br /><br />I was always convinced during that phase that my imagination would become real much faster than the normal pace because my approach was upbeat all through out. Instead I had decided much in advance to cherish every moment of that day when it arrived and was patiently waiting to witness the form and shape of it. My impulsive message to Girish seeking permission to be a part of Wizcraft on an ad-hoc basis, his affirmative reply and then deciding to undergo my next stage of treatment in Bangalore were all an indication of how the moment would arrive and that is why my presence at the GE event makes it one of life’s special moment.<br /><br />Ever since Nadia had put my name in the event’s manpower list I had started to feel the occasion and my Wiz T-Shirt was pulled out of the wardrobe with a purpose written all over it. At the venue when Sneha handed over my crew badge to me I accepted it with honor, looked at it with a grin on my face and wore it with pride. I felt complete and my mind joined the dots of an imaginary circle. Fascination for crew badges is one thing but to get an access to it after going through an ordeal is another thing. That very moment I felt how true the old adage of ‘Once a Wiz, always a Wiz’ is. It was incidental that I carried out my responsibility of trophy distribution with aplomb and the event was well executed. The day was well summed up when after the event Priyanka voiced out my unspoken wish of archiving the day courtesy a crew photograph against the stage backdrop, again the Universe doing its magic.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Thank you Wizcraft.<br /><br />(Wiz) Sidhanta Patnaik<br /><br />3rd February 2011, 11.04pm<br /><br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-15603992860401010602011-02-02T21:02:00.000+05:302011-02-02T21:04:00.924+05:30Today's International SchoolsToday primary education is exorbitant and fashionable just like any other trend in the society. It has become a matter of status symbol for parents to put their kids in the most talked about school in the town for which they do not mind queuing in line for reserving a seat much before the baby is conceived in the mother’s womb. The mirage of securing the future has created this craze and in the process today schools with ‘international’ tag have mushroomed anywhere and everywhere just like malls, business parks and residential apartments have. It is a classic example of the theory of demand and supply and anyone who has the capital is trying to make hay while the sun is shining. It is for nothing that India’s education industry is thriving irrespective of what phase the country’s business cycle is in. <br /><br />Today every city’s traffic congestion is half contributed by the school buses with the word ‘international’ and their phone number beaming on it bold and clear. It is a good marketing tactic to lure someone who has a family to run and is stranded for the major part of the day on the road. The vision is restricted to what it sees and a time constrained environment leads to instant decisions as a call is made while on the transit to book an appointment with the school’s admission officer on the coming weekend. So out of nowhere the kid in the family whose path was undecided till yesterday finds himself in the middle of a centrally air conditioned building to be exposed to some world class education – After all the fantasy advertisements on the hoarding and on television had promised to deliver much beyond classroom preaching. My grandfather who was an eminent educationist always stressed upon the point that educational institutions and hospitals should let the quality of service be their mode of promotion instead of spending on paid form of media. These days many private schools have employed marketing managers whose job profile includes scouting for influential parents who can afford a seat. Come to think of it and education has become like any other commodity in the market. <br /><br /> Coming back to the point as soon as the kid’s journey begins the parents realize that all that glitters is not gold. However the huge investment eliminates the option of backing out and like a typical Indian who trusts international brands much more than their mom’s opinion they find themselves trapped in no man’s land with no alternative but to continue with the initial choice. Moreover any change would attract unwanted attention and Mrs. Sharma from the neighbourhood would ensure that the topic becomes the point of gossip in the next kitty party at the locality’s community hall. The prestige cannot be compromised for; so what if the kid is in the firing line. <br /><br />As it turns out all is not what it was showcased to be. The teachers responsible for molding the kid are what they were years back teaching the same subjects in pretty much an identical manner. If at all the meaning of values and their importance might have diminished by a margin over the years. The kid’s parents are now considered as business partners who are equally accountable for the school’s economic growth or else how could the visionary who woke up one morning with the mega idea of world class schooling encourage the thought of financially penalizing the parents if their kids broke a rule or two. Were we not of the notion that a child’s innocent mischievous mind is the breeding ground for creativity and to allow him/her to express would only reap societal benefit in the long run. Now by indirectly putting a gag on his/her naughtiness we are only hampering the kid’s lateral thinking and the society’s potential richness. <br /><br />The school’s glossy brochure also promises of state of art sporting facilities that guarantees of the kid’s physical fitness and putting him/her in the process that would fuel the dreams of representing the nation in the selected sport but soon reality sets in. Most of the schools which have propped up overnight do not have playgrounds of their own; forget about coaching set up. They prefer to lease out their sporting wing to private entities who charge an extra fee for allowing access. No wonder today’s parents are much happier to provide their kids with the latest video game or allow them to watch reality shows against discussing how their straight drives, smashes or slam dunks could be mastered with constant practice. <br />Gone are the days when being punished by the teachers was considered to be a matter of achievement. Today in schools it is a strict no-no to hurt the kids. If any evidence is found then the parents are willingly dragging the school authorities into the courtroom. What does a kid learn from this? Is the society streaming up the pipeline with softy kids who are cushioning themselves with aloofness every time they are exposed to the real world? The picnic destinations have conveniently shifted from trips to unexplored locations to swanky resorts. Now is that a good bargain? Artificial creations have taken precedence over nature’s beauty. The kids’ appreciation towards the gift of nature is much low at a time when we are thinking of ways to counter global warming and protect the fast depleting forest base. No more do kids go to zoos instead they are taken to malls and community halls for occasions at a time when millions of rupees are being invested to protect the 1411 tigers left in India. The concept of celebration has also changed as today distributing chocolates on birthdays to classmates is considered as outdated and kids are content as long as their parents take them to nearest pizza outlet for a bite. This is not the ideal way to impart the lessons of sharing and caring. Days of national significance are no more important in the scheme of things for these new schools. Recently my cousin who studies in class I was happy about republic day because he would get a few extra hours of sleep. When enquired about the importance of the day he was clueless. How is he supposed to know what 26th January stands for when his school does not celebrate it? <br /><br />It is pointless to debate how so many schools with most of the required boxes un-ticked get permission to start their venture because everyone is aware of the reality but it is worthwhile to pose a few questions which have futuristic impact on how we live our life from here on. Are the schools playing a major role in changing the meaning of life? Are they significantly altering the societal equation? Are they changing the meaning of everything around us? The answers will be clear only when the first batch of these ‘international’ students graduate and start taking responsibilities but if what one has to believe what one sees then it is time to be prepared for a transitional shift worth a period. <br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik <br />2nd February 2011 (Wednesday), 8.51pm<br />Marthahalli, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-81883078519858377512011-01-29T00:58:00.001+05:302011-01-29T01:07:19.535+05:30Sorry Eden GardensIf there is one cricketing venue in the world where the home team plays with more than 100,000 members in its side then it is the Eden Gardens. Testimonies have been archived about the venue’s aura, so much so that many international cricketers consider playing in front of a packed Eden audience as a pre-requisite to qualify for the big league. Paradoxically today the worshipped site finds itself betrayed by its own caretaker. Kolkata’s passionate cricket lovers are known worldwide for their ability to inject high level emotional quotient into dead matches and converting them into epic encounters. Today they are disappointed and their confidence has been shattered because their sentiments have been taken for granted. The embarrassment handed over by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is too big to be hidden. The ICC Cricket World Cup is in the subcontinent after a gap of 15 years and it is a disgrace that the most deserving venue has been robbed of its privilege to host the sold out contest between India and England on 27th February 2011 for reasons that could have been easily avoided had the people concerned would have for once understood the importance of timelines. The Indian board still might pull of a miracle as it does so frequently using all its clout and make ICC look like a bunny by forcing it to refute its original decision but that is not the point. <br /><br />For all its events The International Cricket Council (ICC) takes decisions based on a certain protocol and the idea needs to be respected because every time there is the pressure to deliver and questions to answer. In the larger scheme of things this year’s world cup is crucial as it has the potential to decide the future course of 50 over cricket. Therefore it becomes important for all stakeholders to understand the complexity and work in tandem with the parent body so that the execution is smooth and objective attained. CAB who were expected to be a key player in building the hype for the cup have been stumped even after being allowed extra time. The deadlines did not arrive from nowhere. It was in place much before ICC started its marketing campaign for last year’s World T20 which happened in West Indies. How could CAB not smell the coffee especially after what had unfolded in the country during the build up for the Commonwealth Games 2010. Was CAB arrogant in its approach? Did it think that the richness of Eden Gardens is indispensable to the success of the world cup? Like any other matter in Indian cricket the answers to these questions will never come out in the open from the right sources but in reality who is the Mickey here? Gone are the days when the maze used to be complex, today the general public can see through it to know what it wants. Anyone who follows cricket beyond on field action knows the history of the relationship status between the present ICC president and present CAB president but to term ICC’s verdict as a part of a political game plan is like a child blaming his poor score in exams because his bench partner did not allow him to copy from his answer sheet. <br /><br />Heart goes out for the Barmy army members who would have already planned their trips and bought necessary tickets. Whichever venue will now be allocated the February 27th match for sure cannot accommodate as much Eden Gardens would have. CAB’s callous attitude has not only brought shame to the country but more importantly has ensured that today’s fan get one more reason to distant themselves from a game that has been trapped in off field controversies of late. Had any other venue failed to meet ICC’s requirement it would have been overlooked in the cricketing world but because the fingers have been pointed at the famed Eden Gardens the impact will be felt for many years. Every time an opportunity arises in the future the foreign media will ensure that it makes a mockery of the Indian system. The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has washed off its hand from the episode in its customary style but come to think of it and it is all interlinked. The board that has managed to float the second largest sporting league in the world within a span of three years has failed to show respect and gratitude to a historical destination that has been pivotal in making it one of the richest sporting bodies of the world. A ground that was established in 1864 and in every sense is the Mecca of Indian cricket deserves better treatment. <br /><br />Every member of the Indian cricketing fraternity has lost some shine today and it will take some time before it is back again. This episode testifies that the pride that Indians take in being masters of last minute arrangements courtesy their jugaad setting is a myth that was waiting to be busted. CAB has asked for yet another deadline and has questioned ICC’s decision but that is a mere sympathy earning tactic. BCCI should immediately take charge of the situation and proactively ban Eden Gardens from hosting any first class and international matches till at least 2014. The occurrence of events is a blessing in disguise for BCCI to send the right message to all other associations so that such face saving errors are not repeated in the future. <br /><br /><br />Sidhanta Patnaik <br />29th January 2011, 12.50am <br />Lingarajpuram, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-27764919215761008342011-01-27T14:31:00.003+05:302011-01-27T14:37:09.673+05:30My starting India XI for Cricket World Cup 2011The cricket world cup season has arrived. Come 18th February the 43 days cricketing extravaganza will grip the subcontinent. With less than a month to go before India plays its first match I have selected my best Indian team that will carry the hope of billion people forward.<br /><br /><strong>Sachin Tendulkar </strong>- Playing his 6th world cup he will be keen to lay his hands over it. He is currently in his best period as a batsman and will capitalise on it. His aim will be to hold the innings together and bat for as many overs as possible because his mere presence in the middle is a morale booster for the dressing room. Even after 21 years as an international cricketer, he remains to be the most prized wicket for the opponents. In the last 12 months he has played just four one day international games and recently has suffered from an injury but that should not be an area of concern because he is the best judge of himself. A big occasion player who thrives on a stage such as this he will look to make this edition count as this might be his last limited over assignment (though you never know with the man). The highest scorer of world cup cricket would love to bow out on his home ground (Wankhede) on a winning note on 2nd April 2011.<br />Season 2010-11 (Batting): M – 2, I – 2, NO – 0, R – 31, HS – 24, Avg – 15.50<br /><br /><strong>Virender Sehwag</strong> - Technique is not the criteria while selecting certain players and Sehwag is one among them. He automatically walks into any playing XI for the impact he causes when he gets going. It is difficult for the opponent to have a fixed plan for him because on his day he can destroy the best attacks of the world. A natural striker of the cricket ball he is always looking for scoring opportunities albeit a few quick dismissals. He can mentally defeat any opponent the day he gets going and that is what Messer Kirsten & co would be expecting from him, to at least bat for 20 overs. On field he is a sharp catcher. More importantly in the sub continent conditions his off spin will be an ideal resource for the team and will be a key tool to break partnerships.<br />Season 2010-11: Yet to play<br /><br /><strong>Gautam Gambhir</strong> – As Harsha Bhogle pointed out recently, he brings gravity to the famed Indian batting line up. Naturally an opener he has to settle for the number 3 position till the little master is playing. That is an added bonus for the team as Gambhir has shown in the past his tenacity to carry on his bat if he gets set. He is a rhythm player who will go with the flow once he settles down in the middle usually converting starts into big hundreds. The whole middle order can revolve around him. Sub continental conditions will suit his style of play and will give him an extra over or two to get his eye in. On field he has got a sharp cricketing brain and can have a few inputs while patrolling the outfield.<br />Season 2010-11 (Batting): M – 5, I – 5, NO – 2, R – 329, HS – 138*, Avg – 109.66<br /><br /><strong>Yuvraj Singh</strong> – The stylish south paw’s batting form has been an area of major concern and the flamboyancy has been missing in the recent past. He has failed to play in and get a feel in the middle although he has come in to bat quite early in the last few matches. He has been edgy and has looked low on confidence but the beauty of Yuvraj is that he is always an innings away from getting into the groove. Being a senior member and a part of the think tank he is well backed by the team management and is due for delivery in the mega tournament. Yuvraj on his day is any opponent’s nemesis but for that he needs to get set before trying to press the accelerator button. Concurrently he has been the team’s best spinner in the recent past and is easily fills in the all rounder slot for the time being. Dhoni being a pro spin captain will look forward for a full quota of overs from the left arm spinner. Though his fitness levels have dropped drastically yet he is one of the fast movers on the field and that is an asset worth 10 to 20 runs.<br />Season 2010-11 (Batting): M – 11, I – 10, NO – 2, R – 269, HS – 58, Avg – 33.62<br />Season 2010-11 (Bowling): M – 11, I-10, O – 63, R – 309, W – 10, BB-3/34, Avg – 30.90, Econ – 4.90<br /><br /><strong>Virat Kohli</strong> – In the last season he has been India’s best batsman and has made the number three position his own but now with the big three back he has to play the role of floater, something Mohammed Kaif did exceedingly well in the 2003 world cup team. During the initial stages of the build up to the world cup a few of the fringe players were given a chance to make a statement but it was only Kohli who sealed the deal for himself by scoring 7 half centuries and 2 centuries in 26 winning matches that he has been a part of. This goes to show the kind of influence he has managed to create in the team environment. His youthful vigour and tapered aggression has held him in good stead and in a team packed with world class batters he will have an edge over Suresh Raina in the race for the 7th batsman. A livewire on the field he can well be the fielding captain of the team.<br />Season 2010-11 (Batting): M -11, I – 11, NO – 2, R – 545, HS – 118, Avg – 60.55<br /><br /><strong>Mahendra Singh Dhoni </strong>– Captain cool. Over the last few seasons barring the home series against New Zealand he has been the lone consistent face in a team otherwise filled with injuries. His superb analytical brain and apt leadership skills have been the key reason for India’s rise to the top. His batting average as a captain is 52. 87 and that goes to show his contribution which is usually understated. His stoic appearance dilutes the pressure during intense match situation and his immaculate record of 53 wins as a captain is a testimony of his precise game reading skills. <br />Season 2010-11 (Batting): M- 6, I - 6, NO-2, R-75, HS-38, Avg – 12.50<br /><br /><strong>Yusuf Pathan</strong> – He was never a part of the original world cup plan until Bangalore happened and further evidence of it was on display in South Africa. Brutal chaotic entertainment is how his batting has been described and that is exactly why he finds a place in the team. He is a high impact player who can rewrite match scripts but he is not going to deliver in every match however that cannot be the reason to keep him out of the team. He can be used as the other floater of the team and his role will change depending on match situations. Getting his eye in will be the key because after that the cricket ball looks like a football to him. He might not play all the matches if the team decides to go in with an extra bowler or an established batsman in the form of Suresh Raina. Yusuf is a safe fielder and though his bowling is not as effective as Sehwag or Yuvraj but has this peculiar knack of picking up an odd wicket here and there.<br />Season 2010-11 (Batting): M- 8, I - 5, NO-1, R-318, HS-123*, Avg – 79.50<br /><br /><strong>Harbhajan Singh</strong> – of late the turbanator has been criticised for under delivering but that is unfair on a bowler who is closing on 250 one day international wickets. In South Africa he was back to his wily ways and it was just the tonic he needed before getting to bowl on the subcontinent wickets. His bounce will be difficult to judge on tracks that primarily favour spin. His role will be more premium while India has to defend a score under lights. He has the ability to break the momentum of the opposition’s batting and that will turn the games in India’s favour. The aggressor in Bhajji will also deliver a few lusty blows and add vital runs to the board when he comes to bat in the slog overs.<br />Season 2010-11 (Bowling): M – 5, I – 5, O – 47, R – 205, W – 4, BB – 2/23, Avg. – 51.25, Econ. – 4.36<br /><br /><strong>Praveen Kumar</strong> – PK is one of those countryside cricketers who brings that never say die spirit into the team. He is a utility player who will manage to swing the white ball prodigiously and also score a few quick runs at more than run a ball down the order. His economical spells and ability to induce early breakthroughs makes him an important part of this Indian line up. He plays his cricket well within his limitation and bowls to the field that his captain sets for him. He may not have the pace but batsman can take risk against him at their own peril. His chirpiness and UPwallah jokes keep the team’s humour mill running.<br />Season 2010-11 (Bowling): M – 3, I – 3, O – 22, R – 113, W – 1, BB – 1/20, Avg. - 113, Econ. – 5.13<br /><br /><strong>Zaheer Khan </strong>- He is India’s bowling captain. If there is one Indian bowler who has made the ball to talk in the last few years then it is he. He has developed into a cunning artist who plays around the minds of the batsmen and sets them up before trapping them. With able support from the other end he has the ability to rip apart any batting line up on his day and will be expected to do so during the world cup. During the slog overs he bowls those perfect yorkers that India had been searching for long. His presence at mid-off offers a lot of confidence to other bowlers as he gives them timely advices using his experience. He is also a dependable tail ender who the team can depend on if the need be to get a quick 10 to 15 runs.<br />Season 2010-11 (Bowling) – M – 7, I – 7, O – 62.2, R – 297, W – 11, BB – 3/43, Avg. 27, Econ. – 4.76<br /><br /><strong>Munaf Patel</strong> – He is one more player who was not a part of the initial world cup plan but things changed once he was inducted into the playing XI. His second coming has been phenomenal. Though he has reduced his pace drastically yet his probing line and length raises a few questions in the batsman’s mind before committing to a shot. The last time he played more than nine matches on a trot was in 2006-07 but this season has tilted the equation in his favour. He is here to stay because he has made it clear that he means business. However on field he is one fielder who has to be hidden well.<br />Season 2010-11 (Bowling) – M –9, I- 9, O – 70, R – 316, W – 13, BB – 4/29, Avg. – 24.30, Econ. – 4. 51<br /><br />The bench warmers:<br /><strong>Piyush Chawala, Ravi Chandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Asish Nehra </strong><br /><br /><br />India’s league schedule:<br />19th February (Saturday, 2pm IST) : Vs. <strong>Bangladesh</strong> (Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur)<br />27th February (Sunday, 2.30pm IST): Vs. <strong>England </strong>(Eden Gardens, Kolkata)<br />6th March (Sunday, 2pm IST): Vs. <strong>Ireland </strong>(M. Chinnaswamy, Bangalore)<br />9th March (Wednesday, 2.30pm IST): Vs. <strong>Netherlands</strong> (Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi)<br />12th March (Saturday, 2.30pm IST): Vs. <strong>South Africa </strong>(Vidarbha Cricket Association, Nagpur)<br />20th March (Sunday, 2.30pm IST): Vs. <strong>West Indies</strong> (Chepauk, Chennai)<br /> <br />Statistics and schedule courtesy www.cricinfo.com <br /> <br />Sidhanta Patnaik<br />26th January 2011,10.26pm<br />Lingarajpuram, Bangaloresidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-23363995675978341172011-01-16T12:16:00.000+05:302011-01-16T12:17:01.311+05:30Life at 91 yearsYesterday while waiting for my turn at the hospital a person walked in introducing himself in a loud and convinced voice. The astounding nature of the address made me look at him before I got back into the book that I was reading. In a place like Tata Memorial Hospital it is common for people to show their positive side as everyone out there is fighting a battle and only way to emerge winner is by keeping up the spirit. However when the gentleman announced his age, a few heads turned around. At 91 years he looked fitter than an average senior citizen. From that very moment I was interested to strike a conversation with him because in today’s fast food world one rarely gets a chance to come in acquaintance with someone who has seen it all evolve in front of him. Like always the law attraction did the magic and created a situation wherein he had my uncle and me for his company in one corner of the waiting lounge.<br /><br />The discussion began with both of us in awe of a person who had so much to share from his life experiences. Having witnessed nearly seven to eight generations unfold in front of his eyes he had stories that ranged from A to Z of life. The intense knowledge sharing session which lasted for around three hours created a student teacher bond between us. It was a delight to observe that at an age where many would not have ever dreamt to reach he was in control of his mind and had mastered his thoughts. His words were as sweet as nectar even though he spoke the naked reality of today’s world and the logic behind the occurrences that have surmounted today’s media crazy society.<br /><br />The topics varied from world politics, government policies to the philosophy of life to the existence of God and he was as updated as a current quiz champion. He spoke his heart out and with that won our hearts. All his statements were nothing less than a verdict which could be not be challenged because he communicated what he meant and it signified truth. Among the various things that covered the duration of our meet what stood out as a message to the society were two facts that were filled with cent percent commonsense. Happiness is a scarce commodity in today’s society and it calls for immediate attention. He felt that human beings are to be held responsible for such a situation to have been presented to the most intelligent species of earth. In the process of making fast deals man has slightly miscalculated the equation and the gap continues to grow with every passing era. The concept of happiness lies within and over time mankind has reduced its effort to spend time with him/herself. It has led to the rise in the demand for God as the belief that irrespective of what one commits, right or wrong – one visit to a temple is the solution to every problem has blinded the society. However the reality is that every human being is himself a form of God and the body is the temple. Worshipping one’s own body by taking proper care of it and loving it with utmost precision should be the focus for everyone. If one can love his/her own self and spread the spirit of joy then attaining peace of mind would not be the hottest topic of discussion in various spiritual forums.<br /><br />At 91, he is confident of scaling the 100 years mark because he knows the mantra to achieve it is to have a positive attitude and adapt to the changing society. With an open mind and the ‘can do’ spirit he is looking forward to celebrate his centenary year. The kind of live wire he presented himself to be I am certain that he has many more years of societal contribution left in his kitty before he decides to call it a day.<br /><br />Having met someone who is a Sachin Tendulkar in the field of life I have mentally marked an age till when I want to remain alive with a perfect state of physical and mental being. With the spirit that he has injected into me there is only one way forward and that is to attain my target.<br /><br />As the session came to an end when it was time to say good bye my uncle and me touched his feet for his blessings. His hand on our head was a significant moment which indicated that after having undergone the ordeal for a quarter it was time to begin life fresh. There are good things waiting to happen in the near future and the time has come to visualize and accelerate the speed towards those moments that are waiting to be captured. Change is the ubiquitous aspect of life and interaction with such individuals prepares one to brace the transformations with a positive attitude and spirit.sidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432786143696063339.post-85001082485424203482011-01-16T12:12:00.002+05:302011-01-16T12:24:26.149+05:30Rajasthan - The Ranji Trophy ChampionsRajasthan cricket has been an integral fabric of the Indian cricket set up and has rich historical significance dating back to 1887. Off field opulence and the flamboyancy have always been associated with Rajasthan cricket and its two famous sons have gone on to be top cricket administrators of the country. Late Raj Singh Dungapur and Lalit Modi have had their days influence on the world cricket order. However till the beginning of 2010-2011 season their standard of cricket performance in various domestic competitions had been average if leniency would be the basis of judgment. The script has now changed as the team has gone on to create history by winning this season’s Ranji Trophy. 15th January 2011 is a red lettered day for Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).<br /><br />The intent was clear right from the beginning of the cricketing year and RCA did its homework by taking some brave decisions to set the house in order. Gagan Khoda, the face of Rajasthan’s on field woes for years was shown the door and fresh blood was injected in the form of youngsters. The significance of first innings lead in Ranji Trophy cricket is paramount therefore the batting was bolstered by signing Aakash Chopra, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Rashmi Ranjan Pardia as professionals for the year. Apart from bringing in the international experience, the three domestic giants along with the other veterans formed the core think tank of the team.<br /><br />Irrespective of all the backend fine tuning and setting a strong base hardly anyone had taken notice of Rajasthan, quite predictable as they were one among many ‘I was also there’ teams in the Plate group. However when debutant Deepak Chahar bundled out Hyderabad for 21 runs courtesy his 8 wicket haul on the first day of the season (match haul – 12 wickets) perceptions changed. If there were still some doubters, the air was cleared by skipper Kanitkar (193*) as he batted Rajasthan to a position of victory. Kanitkar’s exposure to the big league was the rational behind his appointment as the team’s captain and as the season progressed his calming influence on the team was clearly on display as he scored bucketful of runs and made the right moves on the field.<br /><br />The initial momentum created by the young Chahar and the seasoned pro Kanitkar was seized by the team and the aggressive mode was noticed by anyone and everyone. Tripura and Jharkhand were mauled whereas Goa and Madhya Pradesh were tamed and fittingly Rajasthan topped its group to qualify for the semifinals. Through out the season Aakash Chopra, one of the most media friendly Indian cricketer used his twitter account and cricinfo columns to generate enough interest about this fairytale ride. He celebrated the hype by scoring an unbeaten triple century in the semifinals against Maharashtra. After the cake walk the scene shifted to the quarterfinal stages of the elite group.<br /><br />Rajasthan’s romantic journey would have led to many fans desire for a miracle but very few would have visualized what was about to unfold. A quarterfinal clash against 39 times Ranji Trophy champion Mumbai was a no brainer for the Pundits who had predicted a convincing win for Mumbai in their pre match analysis. Who knows what would have happened had Mumbai opted to bowl first but Wasim Jaffer committed the cardinal sin of deciding to take first strike on a green surface against an attack that consisted of the top bowlers of the season (Season haul: Pankaj Singh – 43 wickets, Deepak Chahar – 40 wickets, Vivek Yadav -22 wickets). On the lines of expectation the seamers ran through the Mumbai line up to dismiss them for a meager 252. With more than three days to go, Rajasthan made merry of Mumbai attack as Vineet Saxena and Hrishikesh Kanitkar registered centuries to their name and the young Ashok Menaria announced his arrival (121). Rajasthan ensured that the wounds inflicted on Mumbai are remembered when the two teams face off some other season.<br /><br />After Mumbai it was time for to play checkmate against Tamil Nadu, who had managed to enter the knockout stage despite rain being a constant threat throughout their road to semifinals. Being put into bat Rajasthan found themselves in a familiar zone and the top order batsmen made optimum utilization of the opportunity by piling up a mammoth 552 at a snail’s pace of 2.9 runs per over. Tamil Nadu failed to catch up, albeit Subramanium Badrinath’s valiant unbeaten 175.<br /><br />Baroda, another minnow in the Ranji Trophy circuit were the other finalists though their victory against Karnataka in the semifinals had raised many eyebrows. The stage was set for a final that would go down the folklore for the teams it featured. Baroda became yet another team to play into the strength of Rajasthan as they decided to bowl first on their home ground. Rajasthan cherished the familiarity of the circumstances on the big match day and put up a competitive 394 (Kanitkar – 61, Robin Bist – 77, RR Parida – 56, A. Menaria – 45). Most of the Baroda batsmen failed to apply themselves as Deepak Chahar yet again joined the party (wickets) and helped Rajasthan take a vital 33 runs lead. There were quite celebrations in the Rajasthan camp but they slipped to 11/3 and then 61/4 in the second innings. Baroda’s hope for a dramatic comeback was kept at bay as Rashmi Ranjan Pardia (89) and Ashok Menaria (101) stitched a 165 runs partnership and with that the verdict was sealed – maiden Ranji Trophy title for Rajasthan. Fittingly Rashmi Ranjan Parida was adjudged as the man of the match (In 2000-01 while playing for Orissa he had scored 94 and 71 at the same ground against the same opponent in the semifinals but Baroda had proceeded to the finals on the basis of the first innings lead). Immediate rewards were showered on the team as the chief minister of Rajasthan Mr. Ashok Gehlot announced a cash award Rs. 1 crore for the team and promised to allocate 16.18 hectare land for the proposed construction of a state of art cricket stadium. This victory is a tribute to the late Raj Singh Dungapur who had been a part of Rajasthan’s eight failed attempts to lay their hand on the coveted Ranji trophy. He must be smiling upstairs.<br /><br />The Ranji Trophy champions for the season Rajasthan achieved only two outright wins and were declared winners in the remaining seven matches on the basis of first innings lead. Is domestic cricket hampering the overall competitive standard? As the season comes to an end there are many such critical questions that BCCI has to answer but for the moment it is time to celebrate the victory of cricket. Rajasthan’s win has the potential to inspire an entire new generation to aspire to play for their state cricket teams across the country. It is a romantic season that will be remembered and spoken about in the corridors of Indian cricket for many many years to come.sidhantapatnaikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09144658308303536982noreply@blogger.com0