Well Done, MSD!!

As the one and only Ramesh Srivats put it so wittily, if there was one thing MSD could not achieve, it was this:

It all started with a blistering knock against Pakistan, when an international star was born.

The world stood up and took notice of a batsman who could bludgeon the ball most cleanly as well as brutally.
Using his bat like a scimitar, he made the wicketkeeper-batsman slot his very own, after that innings.

Over to 2007.
Legends like Sachin, Dravid, and Ganguly had decided to skip the T20 tamasha, albeit it being the (first) World Cup of this format.
MS got anointed as the new captain in the format, and as they say, the rest is history.

The young team, led ably by its new leader, won the World Cup, and MS as captain was here to stay.

We often criticize (correctly) his inability to force the pace in Tests, the tendency to be passive, letting the game drift, and a general inertia in his Test-match leadership.
I have never quite fathomed how he could not translate his One-Day style of captaincy, filled with innovative, out-of-the-box thinking, into Tests.
Perhaps if we had better bowlers, he might have been more authoritative.
Perhaps he always knew we could do only so much with our limited bowling arsenal (hence being defensive too soon).

Who is to know, and it is anyway, a futile exercise judging the what if's and what-could-have-beens.

What is important and unforgettable, is the fact that he has achieved and delivered so much for Team India, across all formats, in all these years.
We might accuse him of being laidback in Tests, of being reactive as a captain, but we cannot ever question his composure (perhaps his silence on issues such as corruption, N Srinivasan, and suchlike) but never his intent and calmness both on and off the field.

Undoubtedly, he set a glorious example as a leader with all his achievements.

Sample this: here is a man who led India to:

• World No. 1 in Tests
• World Champions in One Dayers 
• World Champions in T20
• Winner of Champions Trophy
• Beating Australia in Australia in their Triangular ODI Tournaments

Add to that, his victories in IPL, Champions League, and his cool-as-cucumber approach in all situations.

In any case, win or lose, the best part about MS was that he never lost sense of the moment and never let any success or failure seem larger than life, letting the moment pass by as one of the many moments in life.

By the way, to get a glimpse of the man's persona, do read the very knowledgeable and very readable Gaurav Kalra - MSD from a distance.

You could never make out from his face, whether MS has won or lost the match.
A sincere hat-tip to your equanimity and sanity amidst any and every chaos around you, MSD!!

Well done, and well played!!!

Now that you have handed over the format that was most excruciating and tiring for you, hope to see you play with even more freedom and authority in limited overs cricket, across all formats!

Salute for a glittering career in Test cricket and for retiring with grace, and on your own terms!!

63 Not Out - FOREVER

Dear Philip Hughes,

I have no words to share.
The scoreboard says you "Retired Hurt".

Well, it has been nothing short of horrible to see that you had to retire so completely.
And the hurt part has been palpable to anyone and everyone who has heard this news.
Tragic.

Sad.
Very, very heartbreaking to see such an end, for any cricket lover.

Bless you, and may your soul bat on, in peace, happily.
On behalf of all the cricket lovers (and for that matter, anyone who does not want to see an untimely, unnatural end for anyone) - you shall be missed, so so sorry, and God bless.

Coming Soon!: Playing It Sachin's Way

It's been almost a year now, since we last saw (and saw for the last time) the Master Blaster don the Indian cricketing gear.


As they say, once a fan, always a fan.
Almost a year has elapsed, and yet, the memories still (and will) remain.

True, the game is (rightly) bigger than anyone, and moves on, unraveling new heroes, reaching unchartered territories.

However, there is always that something extra special about the favorite players we watched in awe, the ones we grew up idolizing, that we keep yearning to see them in action always.
It could be through archived footage or avid discussions about their best performances with friends and like-minded enthusiasts.

It's always fun to be around, when your hero(es) come back in the news, with you being a willing audience, ready to lap up any but of information about them :)

A similar activity is going to take place very soon.
Sachin Tendulkar, my hero, is coming up with his autobiography - Playing It My Way - and today marks the first teaser of his book.

Here's wishing Sachin the very best on his upcoming book, and hoping it turns out to be as fun, as insightful, and as entertaining as his cricketing accomplishments.
All the best, hero - see you soon!!
Would love to read every word of the hitherto unheard-of trivia and interesting tidbits from the man himself.

Can't wait!!
Sachchiin, Sachchiin!!! :)

Hamara leader AISA ho!!

Pre-script: I am not a blind supporter of Narendra Damodardas Modi. Nor am I a critic of anyone else. I am just writing this to share my objective thoughts on the choices we have from among our leaders today.

A while ago, I had posted about the sort of leader a country needs.

Right or wrong, there are quite a few people who believe Narendra Modi is not the right guy at the job.
But the fact is, that never in the last 30 years, has any leader managed to command an absolute majority, on the basis of his charisma and ability alone.
Make no mistake.
We have been in an era of coalitions all along in the last 3 decades.

The thumping results in the General Elections of 2014 was not an electoral victory not really a vote for the BJP.
This emphatic and absolutely unambiguous verdict was for Modi Sarkar. It was a decisive and comprehensive mandate for the one man who was the focus of the entire election and indeed, the entire nation.

There are some who believe that Arvind Kejriwal is a better person, a beacon of honesty and transparency.
Well, he could well be all of that and more.

But who or what made him come to power (when he had promised otherwise) and even after he had done so, what stopped him from continuing in Delhi when he had the government and the chance to govern and deliver?
This is not to say that he is a bad guy.

But there are many blind supporters who of his, who find fault with every right thing too.
Who turn a blind eye to even the right things that anyone does.

Ofcourse, this applies both ways:
A Modi supporter who criticizes or Kejriwal or his partymen for any good work that they would have done or ignores any constructive point from them, is equally wrong and just as guilty as the AAP supporters who criticize or ignore even the qualities or good points that Modi has brought to the fore.

Even before he had arrived, the very fact that no other visiting dignitary has ever commanded such a reception, never has anyone else generated such a buzz and never has the public clamored to hear a politician speak, in itself speaks volumes about his charisma and fervor.

You might agree or disagree when it comes to ideology, but credit where due - the way the man spoke, the eloquence and the passion, the alacrity and clarity of doing the small things right - the purposefulness, the earnestness and the zeal to make a difference, along with the ability and willingness to involve and invoke active participation from everyone - all this, is what makes Modi, Modi.

Did your heart not swell with pride as he spoke without reading out from a prepared script, as he spoke about India and Indians from a position of strength?
It wasn't that he was saying just for effect. It wasn't as if he was overlooking the negatives and ills that beset the country.

However, what was strikingly different and positive about him was the genuine confidence and pragmatic optimism he generated that all of these problems could be solved and overcome.

It was his astute identification and clarity of thought about India's strengths and USPs that showed we can win over any and every problem.

He might be right or wrong - you can say he is good or bad - but no one can ever deny that this is how a leader ought to be.

This is how a leader must think and behave.

Jee haan, hamara leader AISA ho!!

Time to introspect

A lot of water has gone down the Thames since the time I last posted on this blog.

It seems perhaps even a completely different time when the Indian team won at Lord's.

Cut to the present: where, after lording over England at Lord's, we repeated the same old story of inept displays in all departments of the game at Old Trafford, followed by a big zero (another oval) at the Oval too.

If, after being 1-0 up after 2 Tests, you lose the series 1-3 (with the last two Tests getting wrapped well under 3 days), it just shows how meekly and completely you have lost the plot.

It's only appropriate therefore, that we use this latest series loss to introspect for the patterns and learnings we could take from them.

More than the matches, we have lost the respect and credibility of being competent performers at the world level.
As Harsha Bhogle points out correctly, good batsmen do not become bad overnight (and vice versa too!).
So what is it, that has plagued us series after series, in overseas conditions, not just on this tour, but in all the overseas tours we have undertaken (in the real deal - the Test matches)?

We have some good words of advice and constructive analysis available here:
You can read about the background and context of India's abysmal performance here.

Siddharth Monga shares his anguish of a deflated Indian team's dispirited show here.

And this is where he shares thoughts about the benchmarks we could have on digesting and classifying how ignominious our defeats can be.

No home series victory would help heal these wounds.
No amount of wins in ODIs would create the aura that a Test series victory provides, in difficult, away conditions against quality opposition.

Let us ponder, analyze and come back stronger.
The first step has been taken, let's hope we go forward and emerge improved, stronger, and better.

Lords of Lord's

It's been sweet comeuppance for the Indian team at Lord's this time around.
After what was a terrible tour in 2011, this younger, new-look Team India has done pretty well in both the Tests that have been played so far in this series.
While Trent Bridge would rightly not qualify to be up there in the league of the toughest 'away' matches that India would have ever played (due to the placid, benign pitch on offer), what really made everyone stand up and take notice was our performance at Lord's.

After losing what was a very crucial toss, and being inserted to bat by England on a green top, the Indians would have the odds stacked against them.
Despite that, the team played splendid cricket at all levels in the game, to emerge deserving winners at the end of Day 5.

Just a few notes about our victory at Lord's:

Murali Vijay - disciplined, focused and absolutely watertight in his defence and leaving the balls that are best left alone.

Cheteshwar Pujara - lovely application, great temperament and a classy, patient innings.

Ajinkya Rahane - with the classy hundred he scored

Ishant Sharma - bowling the way he most often should - more than the second innings, I liked him a lot the way he bowled in the first innings...no trash deliveries, pitched-up, wonderful line and length - maintained consistently.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar - superb batting and bowling

Ravindra Jadeja - great counterattack and disciplined bowling

Wait, we still have Dhawan, Kohli and Dhoni who are due anytime now.
Plus, I am betting on Ashwin to come good and be effective in his next outing (and there's even a certain Gautam Gambhir waiting in the wings - talk of bench strength!).

Shami needs to just stop drifting down leg side so consistently and rediscover his control and accuracy.

Dhoni could still be more proactive the way he was in the second innings and not like his captaincy at the fag end of England's first innings.

All said and done, given the form and fitness our team is in, this series is a golden opportunity to obliterate all the unpleasant memories of the past, and ensure a series win in England, finally!!

Nothing is sweet, without sugar

This might seem a delusional post but I am well and truly in my senses as I write this.
There are times when one does not like sugar, after reading or hearing about its possible disadvantages on one's health.

Yet, one cannot do without it.
There are times when we detest or avoid something just to satisfy and rationalize those thoughts in our mind.
Just to ensure that we are avoiding or sacrificing an idea, a choice, a liking - only to suit our needs.

Yes, there could be reasons to avoid sugar.
But if you truly love sugar, you would never be able to find a suitable replacement for it.
Heck, you would not want to even consider a replacement for it.

For all the talk about its disadvantages, one who loves sugar, will always love it, and will never find sweetness anywhere else, through anything else.

After all, this is what love is.
One can happily risk all its associated risks, challenges, possible side-effects, and can not avoid or resist it even after making all plans or efforts to stay away from sugar.
That's why it's love!! :)


No wonder, nothing can beat, having sugar.
No wonder, nothing is sweet, without sugar.

Hamara Neta Aisa Ho!!

A month earlier, I had posted about the qualities one wants to see in our leader - trying to figure out what all a leader should possess.

Finally, after the world's largest democratic exercise, we have a new government, and a new leader in place.
It's time to bid a 'quiet' (sic) goodbye to Dr. Manmohan Singh, and usher in the man of the moment: Narendra Damodardas Modi - India's 15th Prime Minister, and the one man who almost single-handedly spearheaded BJP to victory.

It is no mean feat that in this era of coalitions, a party has won absolute majority by itself, making its presence felt in virtually every nook and corner of the country.

Among the things that renowned British economist Jim O'Neill has said that India desperately needs, is a leader who is "good on economics".
While we have had one such distinguished economist as our leader in his immediate predecessor, what sets Modi apart from others is his decisiveness and out-of-the-box thinking.

The fact that he has won an outright victory and a decisive mandate, should serve him in good stead. This verdict allows him to implement all his ideas, vision and plans in the most uninhibited manner possible.

It might be too early to predict but his performance in these years might just catapult him from a leader to a statesman, and be counted as among the all-time best PMs / leaders that we have ever had.

He can be hard-nosed or liberal, quiet or rambunctious, risk-taking or cautious - all upto him.
The glory is his to squander.
But one thing is for certain - of all the available options the Indian electorate had - being Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and Narendra Modi - it is NaMo who fits the bill of who and what India wants as of today, from its leader.

All the best Narendra Modi...hum sab unke gunn gaane wale hain..
Ab chinta kis baat ki hai....aakhir ab to achche din aane wale hain!!

Hamara Neta Kaisa Ho...

Unless you have only just migrated from Pluto, chances are that if you follow news about/on India, the last few months would have ensured that you are fully aware of the General Elections of 2014.

Yes, it is that time when the largest democracy in the world exercises its voting franchise to elect its government.
The way things have panned out, this election has seen it all - vitriolic attacks, partisan politics, comments aimed at polarizing voters (vote banks), et al.

An election is not just about electing a representative to the legislature. It is about selecting the best (or least worst) from the rest.
Who do we want to see as our leader(s)?
What qualities should that person possess?
All these are questions which every sane person should ask, instead of settling on any particular caste factor as one's selection criteria.

Now that we are at the fag end of the election process, let's hope whenever a new government is formed, we have a government that is not only stable, but also efficient.
We have a leader, who is not only capable and deserving, but also strong and dynamic.
It's about time we deserved a government and a leader who can deliver.

Here's hoping these elections get conducted successfully and peacefully, and we get a hung-free parliament with a strong, vibrant democracy in tow.
Jai Ho!

Ye Dil Vishy More!!

Often, when I begin to write, I look at the things I can talk about.
The newsmakers, the trending topics, the talk of the town - it is cricket or political affairs that occupy center stage for me most of the time.

However, this time is a bit different.
Of course, there are a host of things going on in cricket and politics.

Yes, India has been doing well at the T20 World Cup.

Yes, the Supreme Court has rightly shown N Srinivasan the door and attempted a fresh, credible and clean start towards reviving the cricket fan's faith in the game and in its administration.

Yes, it's also easy to talk about the choices an Indian voter is facing in probably the most bitterly contested elections. It is worth writing about the pros and cons of each major party.

The new nadir in electoral vocabulary, the punch followed by counter punch among candidates and spokespersons from different parties - all these ingredients are good enough to create a melting pot of all the wrongs we are facing in today's times.

However, being an eternal optimist, I am in no mood to talk about such negative stuff. Not now for sure, when we do have a positive news with us.
A news that could be easily forgotten or undermined in the midst of all these other heavyweight news items.
It's the news of a lone ranger who keeps going about his job quietly and keeps churning out world-class (nah, make that world-beating) performances day after day. Year after year.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about the one and only chess prodigy from India Vishwanathan Anand.

It was only in November last year that he lost the world title to another genius called Magnus Carlsen.
While it might not seem unique to have been able to win a tournament, what makes Anand special is how he picked himself up from the disappointment of having lost comprehensively to Carlsen just a few months earlier and then come into a new tournament and fight his way back into winning it and ensuring a rematch with Carlsen for the World Champion crown for this year.

It is easy to lose this news to other eye-catching stories but make no mistake, this is a true account of how a fighter and a hero should conduct himself even when faced with not the best of times. To win the Candidates tournament and two be able to do so at his age, and so close on the heels of his loss to Carlsen (which must have sapped him of so much energy), and script an unprecedented turnaround, is truly heroic and commendable.

Vishy might still lose against Carlsen again but that is not of utmost importance.
To just be there and make such a stupendous comeback so quickly at his age requires not only talent but also great will, tenacity and unflinching self-belief.
Mind you, the Candidates tournament was also against the top players in the world, not against any rum-of-the-mill players.
Truly heroic.

Well done Vishy and more power to you for the final encounter later this year!!
For one more time, ye dil maangey (wishes...Vishy) more!! :)

MSD: Must Start Delivering

Just a few Februaries ago, there was a captain who could not put a foot wrong.

It was circa 2011, and MS Dhoni had been riding on the crest of series victories over Australia and New Zealand in both Tests and ODIs.

Even the Test series in South Africa (yes, that perennial 'away' tour bogey) was managed and salvaged with a respectable 1-1.

After the crest, came the crescendo - the ultimate - a World Cup victory, culminating in an incredible season of achievements and never-seen highs.

The unprecedented crests and highs were followed by the troughs and never-seen lows: the disastrous tours to England, Australia, the heart-wrenching home-series-loss to England, followed by the recent losses in South Africa and New Zealand.

The only reason MS has not had the axe is because we are talking about a man for whom the only cricketing trophy/tournament that he has played in and is yet to lift, is the Ranji Trophy!

The always-hallowed World Cup victories - in T20 as well as the ODI format, Test# 1 ranking, Champions Trophy victory, beating Australia on home turf in ODIs, even conquering the IPL and Champions League - the glitziest medals from all these competitions adorn the shelves of his cupboard.

However, this is not about results or stats alone. Not about just wins or losses.

As a matter of fact, not for nothing were questions raised about Dhoni's approach, even when India won the Test series but played out a draw in Dominica, West Indies - opting for an ultra-defensive approach and shutting shop in a possible chase for victory in the last Test, knowing that a draw was enough for the series win.

As Sidharth Monga points out, there have been quite a few such instances where Dhoni's defensive, meandering, unimaginative and / or simply reactive tactics have let the opposition rise from ruins, far too often for one's liking.

Given the increasing number of such instances, there has also been a proportional increase in a clamor for MS Dhoni to either change his approach or be changed.

The upcoming Asia Cup will also provide us with a glimpse of the mettle of Virat Kohli as captain.
Given the fact that (form and fitness being much the same as today), he is the one youngster who is a certainty for India in all formats of the game for the next few years to come, he is the best choice as heir apparent to MSD.

However, I am still not prepared to throw in the towel just yet.
I still believe MS will understand and introspect about what he is not doing as well as he should or can.

Just the way MS has persisted with quite a few players and given them a long(er?) rope during their lean times, I believe given all the achievements he has garnered at the helm, he too deserves to be given some extra time as well, in delivering outside home conditions.

Most importantly, the break might also help him analyze and hopefully galvanize himself, into becoming a lot more imaginative, dynamic and aggressive skipper.

Unless Dhoni delivers outside the subcontinent (yes, that ultimate benchmark for all Asian teams to get the 'tigers-at-home-lambs-abroad' monkey off their backs) - with, if not results, at least with sharper, better and more aggressive captaincy - the Februaries of 2010-11 will seem even more years away.

As a fan, as a pragmatic optimist, one is still hopeful that he will find a way to remodel himself into being more aggressive than defensive, and more proactive than reactive, in the near future.

All the best, MS!

Jai Ho!

Happy New Year and all that.
Yes, this is a review alright, but not a movie review, albeit a cricketing one.

It was the first series of the new year, and with the loss to New Zealand, we have now lost the numero uno ranking in ODIs in the new year.

It is not the loss that rankles fans like yours truly.
It is the insipid display of our batting (barring Kohli and Dhoni, and later Jadeja) in this series and the perennially toothless bowling attack that we have been enduring, which hurts.

There are times when the very first ball of the match sets the tempo - the immaculate line and length a bowler finds right from ball one, the agility and reflexes shown by the fielder(s), the team spirit and body language that is reflected in the way the team carries itself, and if batting, the intent, concentration, and discipline shown by the batsmen.

All these add up to make a cricket match exciting and accelerate its tempo, building up to a crescendo by the time the last ball of the series is bowled.
This time, however, the euphoria has ended much before the last ball of the series actually gets bowled, thanks to the series already having been lost by India, and the last match turning out to be a dead rubber.

As I said, it is not the result - victory or defeat will eventually follow, sooner or later, as per the efforts that are put up in either direction - it is the efforts, the process being followed (or the lack of it) which needs correction.

With the likes of Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Raina, and to a a large extent, even Rohit Sharma, failing, the time has come for some serious introspection on what we need to do to perform better overseas.

Hopefully, we shall see a reformed and as the cliched new product commercials have us believe, a (New, Improved!!) Team India on its next important assignments overseas.

PS: Watch this space for more - we still have the Test series to go.
And with the change in personnel - someone like Pujara coming in, we still have hope for a better performance by our team in Test-ing conditions overseas too.

Hoping for better performances and victories eventually: Jai Ho!