The year of 2020

As we bid adieu to 2019 and usher in the new year, here's wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2020!

Based on some reflections from the last 12 months, I have some wishes for the next 12:

May the present times being witnessed in India improve in every way.

Wishing for a better climate (environmentally) - lesser pollution, lesser weather extremities, and lesser global warming.

I wish for a better quality of interaction and better communication - between everyone, across all different faiths and practices.

May we stay united, inclusive and positive. Let us learn to disagree with each other amicably and courteously genuinely without losing respect for anyone with a contrarian perspective.

Hopefully, the coming year will see us get less angry and more compassionate.

Let us gladly and fearlessly share what we believe in, well enough. But even more than speaking well, I hope all of us learn to listen (to the other side) even better.

If we have a better ear, we will have a better year!

PS: 2020 is also, quite appropriately, the year of the 20-20 World Cup. As an Indian, I need not say any further to share what else I wish but may I say, I'd love our team's Test wins (especially abroad) even more!

Cheers to everyone for a great new year!

Maha Hopeless

"The world is full of out and out liers.

Any others are just outliers." - Free Free 1008 Shailesh Dhaundiyal

 

At least the world of politics is surely one such cosmos, where truth and honesty is more a rarity than a norm.

Perhaps we as the janta - the perennial lesser mortal public, have also got so immune to their selfish, manipulative and devious nature, that their self-centredness and complete lack of principles is the only thing that we can now expect of them consistently. 

What's more, despite looking as divided as they may ostensibly seem, this is the one trait that cuts across party lines.

The political one-upmanship in Maharashtra in every major party's brazen lust for power is another grim reminder of how sorry the state of affairs is.

One can only haplessly witness events where people poach, buy and sell MLAs - who are supposed to be our elected representatives, who have sworn allegiance to the Constitution of India, and who have pledged to uphold the values of integrity and principles in public life.

Where is your ideology?

Where are your principles?

There is no better to choose from - perhaps just a matter of opting for whoever/whichever seems to be the least worst.

Hopefully, we as the electorate, will either stand up to make a difference or continue to do our best in making the right/least-worst choices.

Airspace, movies, cricket, and politics

So, for the umpteenth time, Pakistan has again denied India the permission to fly over its airspace. Oh, and yes, the denial is not just for regular flights but also for the flights of its Prime Minister, Indian PM Narendra Modi. Yet again.

While this might seem par-for-course for those familiar with Indo-Pak bluster, there is a point one might do well to recollect. But, on that, later.

Foremost, let's look at the reason behind Pakistan's hardline stance. They have stated that this is being done (repeatedly!) to mark their protest against the "atrocities" on India's "unjust" and "unilateral" actions, and "suppression of human rights" in J&K. Espousal of human rights anyone, coming from the champions of jihad and terrorism?!

Well, once you are done laughing at a) the blatant lie, and b) the irony of where it is cimg from, let's also look at facts.

India has always maintained that it is well within its right of administering J&K in the ways it deems best, as per its own internal constitutional processes.

For the UNinitiated

Those harping about UN intervention and India not removing its troops (in self-defence) along the LoC need to also know and understand that as per the same UN's resolution, any de-militarization is contingent on 3 conditions. The UN resolution unequivocally states that India will de-militarize ONLY AFTER Pakistan does so on its side of the border. In the event of Pakistan mobilising troops on its LoC, India is well within its rights of self-defence.

"No politics, please"

Rewind to Pakistani movie stars not being able to get their much-coveted entry into Bollywood.

All of us know that the IPL is also a synonym for "sour grapes" in every Pakistani heart.

Remember Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and others not being able to enter, let alone perform, in India - especially after 26/11.

Now I'm not getting into the "whether to call them" debate right now.

But just go back and think movies, think sports, think music.

Think about ailing children/patients or people who India entertained to still come over and get treated at our best facilities.

Think about anything where the Pakistani citizen or economy could benefit by simply cashing on the wave of India's success in that field.

"Let's not mix politics between our relations" is an oft-repeated refrain from Pakistan's sideon every such occasion. The pattern is just unmistakable. Every. Such. Occasion.

Cut to 2019. Now, when we make repeated requests to the Pakistani side, such goodwill gestures and homilies have conveniently been put to the sword.

Why?

Only because it doesn't help them and only because it hurts only us in this instance.

Most importantly, also because, it shows they never believed in the small talk on earlier occasions either. It was just that the previous occasions helped them. So it never hurt them to preach about all.thr good things that the other side (India) should do. In the event of no such stance from us, it would only provide fuel to these guys to cry themselves hoarse about not mixing politics with sports/music/arts etc.

Our response

In the present context of airspace denials despite repeated requests for no less than our nation:s PM, the hypocrisy has stood thoroughly exposed. The shoe is on the other foot now and if Pakistan even dares to bring any such trash talk in future when it suits its own interests, their hardline-driven aviation policy - like every other policy of theirs - will come to haunt them.

We must also ensure that we close the Arabian Sea side link from our side towards Pakistan and get them to divert their ships towards their ports, which have till now used routes on our side.

Get flights emanating from/to Pakistan which are plying towards/from Australasia/South Asia/S-E Asia to also go through the same drill that we have been provided.

Leave aside all the espousals about mixing or not mixing politics with policies but for once, I do want us to mix our intelligence and geo-strategic resources with our abilities and response capabilities.

Jai Ho!

WTC, here we come!

As they say, well begun, is half done!

By collecting the maximum possible 120 points from 2 matches, India have made a great start to the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC).

In fact, India triumphed through the entire series – winning the T20s, ODIs and of course, the Test matches, without a huff, even when they did not field their best 11 in the limited over versions.

It was bewitching to watch our pace battery, led by the indomitable Jasprit just-a-treat Bumrah, showcase their wares against the hapless Caribbean batsmen.

Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal did their credentials absolutely no harm with sterling displays in each Test.

The icing on the cake is that our next Test matches are with South Africa and Bangladesh, all in our own den. Hopefully, this should only buttress our position at the top of the tree, especially because there won’t be any dead rubbers anymore. 

Thanks to the WTC, every match means points at stake. 

No matches are inconsequential anymore. The more you score off these matches, the more your chances of actually being able to change change the look and final standings of the points table.

So keep going, Team India…it’s a marathon race WTC, but you sure have the lead right from the first lap. 

Keep up the good work, and…

…Get Set Go!!

Too much, too (many) "Late(s)"

Too many leaders have left us too soon this month. Or, for that matter, in recent times too:

Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr. Manohar Parrikar, Mr. S. Jaipal Reddy, Ms. Sushma Swaraj, and now, Mr. Arun Jaitley.

Each of these leaders had a larger-than-life presence, much beyond the boundaries of being relegated to only their political party.

One hopes that their personal and professional confidantes will have the strength to come out of this unfortunate, permanent void.

Let’s also try and ensure that all of us value and learn from the fact that each of these gentlemen (and much-respected lady) were so brilliant, yet extremely affable and humble.

If anything matched their charisma as much, it was their simplicity.

We are poorer without you.

Rest is peace, each one of you!

Champions!!

July the 14^th, 2019 – The day that would be remembered for two of the best sporting spectacles in the world, both hosting their respective championship finals, happening in the same country, even in the same city, and guess what, heck, both were at their thrilling best too, at pretty much the same time!

We had a World Cup final and a Wimbledon final happening concurrently, with surely a good chunk of the world riveted to at least one, if not to both the sporting treats together.

Look at what happened on Centre Court, Wimbledon on Sunday: Anyone who watched it live, would consider himself (or herself) lucky: For, on the one hand, you had a champion player – a player at the peak of his powers, the World # 1, a player who is extremely respected for his talent and abilities. Yet, even more renowned his personality, affability and tenacity: Novak - true champion - Djokovic.

On the other, you were witness to the old warhorse, a sprightly 37 (in a week’s time, 38) year old stalwart, a living legend, and another genius, who is such a sublime performer that his game has transcended itself to be called an art. Blessed with the ability to make everything look graceful, elegant and easy on the eye, he is someone who is and will always be remembered for his touch play, along with his pulse on outwitting placement and immaculate timing, as much as for his big booming serves and returns. Another true champion, another superstar: Roger - all-time great - Federer.

Both ND and RF are well-known for their down-to-earth, funny, genuinely humble, and easy-going nature. But on court, while their gentlemanly conduct never dissipates, both are also fiercely competitive, giving their all to each and every point, to each and every shot, game after game, set after set, match after match.

Sunday’s Final was a perfect testament to their character, talent, and perseverance.

Eventually, Novak held on, after saving two championship points and after channelizing all his reserves of energy and abilities. This match was well and truly worthy of being the final of the tournament.

Typically, one would be lucky to have seen such a close match on any day. Even as an audience, one is so heavily involved and invested in the match, that irrespective of the result, once the match has been done with, the audience is also pretty much spent. One does not have any more energy nor does one even expect to be involved in yet another humdinger, on the same day, in fact not just that but even right after the first match.

So, there you were: same day, same city: another sport, another match: another fitting final of ICC’s marquee event – the 50-over Cricket World Cup!

Again, it’s rare to have a tie in any match, let alone World Cup Final (an obvious first-of-its-kind). What made it even rarer was the fact that the Super Over, meant to decide the winner after the regular match’s scores were tied, was also tied!!

               

And, if any more drama was ever missing, it was left for the last: the fact that the winner was decided based on an absurd and illogical rule, which left everyone (except the English) baffled and even sad for the Kiwis.

From a fortuitous overthrow, to an incorrect interpretation of the rulebook by the umpires, there were too many rarest-of-rare cases together, which happened to always be incompatible with the Kiwis’ liking.

However, in yet another exemplary display of grace, dignity, composure and true sportsman spirit, the NZ team, led by their unflappable skipper Kane - Gentleman – Williamson, the Kiwis just showed how even if you might “lose” a match, you could still win hearts and become true champions.

To all such athletes who were in action in both the Finals on July 14^th: You’ve been great ambassadors for your sport. Well done, well done, well done!

INDIAAAA....Indiyeah!!

It's the biggest quadrennial showpiece event of the cricketing world: the 50-over World Cup.

In the absence of a proper Test match tournament (at least before the Test Championship actually takes off), the 50-over cricketing World Cup is easily the most hallowed trophy of the lot.

At the time of writing this, defending champions Australia have already qualified for the semis, while ex-champions India, along with the perennial dark horses New Zealand are also almost through.

As of now, India is the only unbeaten team in the tournament, having beaten Pakistan (yet again!) comprehensively.

The most interesting part is debate is about who will seal the 4th place?
England and Pakistan, along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - all of these are in contention for that one berth, to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

It will then boil down to who comes top of tops in the league standings, to play the 4th-placed team in Semi Final # 1, with the second Semi Final to be held between teams placed 2nd and 3rd.

I see England as a likely semi final entrant but we will have to wait and watch on that.
All said and done, this is an exciting time at the Cup and if all goes well, there is a great chance of an Indian hand holding the trophy!

Go for it, Team India - all the best!!

Modi 2.0

After the resounding mandate for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, the Modi-led BJP is now well and truly on a complete roll.

But for me, amidst all this, the most important nugget of information is that by November 2020, BJP (and NDA) will have an absolute majority in the Rajya Sabha too.

This makes the passing of every legislation in Parliament a cakewalk now, thus handing complete control to the government. Now is the time, now is the term. I have a strong feeling that Mr. Modi knows just how much this means and how rare it has been for governments to have such enormous clout in both Houses.

Every tough decision, every bill, every law, every change that the government would like to bring about – can be done now. It has the numbers, it has the time, it has the momentum – to ensure that everything it wants done, can see the light of the day.

Time for the team to make India even brighter, bigger, and stronger.

Onward!

Happy Anniversary, IPL!!

Circa 2008:

Eleven years ago, the eighteenth day of April 2008, was a historic day.

For, it was a day that changed the course of not just Indian cricket but the entire landscape of world cricket forever.

Indeed, this was the day when the Indian Premier League was born. Along with the birth of millions of new dreams. Many new careers. Many new teammates and alliances. Many new mindsets.

From a rich cricketing economy to the undisputed financial behemoth that BCCI became thanks to the IPL, there are many reasons to love the event for making cricket a sporting extravaganza par excellence, rich with talent, non-stop action, slam-bang thrills, riveting finishes, and all this in the midst of having the best of national and domestic cricketers rubbing shoulders with the marquee cricketing giants from all across the globe.

Surely, like with anything else in the world, the IPL too has had its flaws but then, as we all know, a to expect anything to be perfect or flaw-free is to expect a bug-free software or a corruption-less, pollution-less world.

Despite all its naysayers, the IPL remains and despite almost every other country which can afford to host such events and replicate the IPL model, the original Indian version is likely to remain entrenched as the best and most attractive T20 league in the world, by far.

Without any doubt, the IPL has done more good than bad. By giving a platform to the otherwise-untested domestic talent in the country (who could’ve hoped for international exposure only by donning an India/India ‘A’ jersey), it has added muscle to the confidence of every aspiring cricketer to see, learn and absorb everything from the marquee superstars, learn from them, and get inspired to be the best in the business.

All in front of packed houses and the world’s best. If you can be a star in the IPL, you can be much more sure of yourself that you can face anyone, anywhere and come up trumps, because you have done it earlier, with the best, against the best.

Oh, and did I mention the financial security you now have as a budding cricketer? The uncertainties of living the life of a less-than-‘India-cap’ cricketer are well and truly over. If you have the game and talent to be a star in T20s at that level, all you need is to be spotted. Once ‘bought’/ ’sold’ and your form & fitness permitting, you can bid any of your financial restiveness goodbye forever.

In fact, on the contrary, as a budding cricketer, your performances are always likely to get more visibility for your performances even more.

Happy Anniversary then, dear IPL!!

May you live long, may you live well, and may the tribe of emerging cricketers (with skills across all 3 domains, Test cricket being the highest) only grow with each edition.

LOC: Line of Controversy

Ashwin: How’s the Jos?

Jos: Why (did you do this) sir?!

Barely after tensions had somewhat reduced at the LOC (Line of Control - between India and Pakistan), India came in the midst of another LOC conflict: at the bowler's Line of Cricket.

All this, courtesy a certain Ravichandran Ashwin, who decided to Mankad Jos Buttler, in the most controversial circumstances.

What followed, was an almost clear split, between supporters and critics of Ashiwn’s act, in the cricketing world. From Rahul Dravid to Shane Warne to Harsha Bhogle to Ben Stokes, everyone had their take on this.

While I do not have the pedigreed credentials of the above-mentioned luminaries, given that this blog is my space, I would like to air my view out here (so what, if no one, including me, would lose any sleep if I do not say anything on this!):

Before coming to any conclusion, it would be pertinent to note, that any such instance earlier in the history of cricket, has always been accompanied by the aggrieved party (Mankad’ed non-striker) never being happy about the way things panned out.

Quite evidently, being Mankaded has never been a common or acceptable mode of dismissal anyway. 

However, it is also important to consider that the rule about effecting such a dismissal has changed. 

From the hitherto almost-mandatory as-a-rule warning to be given to the backing up non-striker, the rule has now given the liberty to the bowler to Mankad someone without any warning.

Therefore, Ashwin never broke any rule by his act. What he did break, apart from Jos Buttler’s heart, was probably the perception (and hope) that bowlers can never be pre-emptive in Mankading batsmen.

It is like a country attacking another, when the latter is erroneously presumptuous about the no-first-use policy of the former. (No no no, I ain’t naming anyone, nor drawing any corollaries! It is only your mind which picked up the obvious names of both the countries in this example!)

All said and done, though, what is debatable, is this:
Was Ashwin being smart enough in waiting for Buttler to be out of his crease or was he too manipulative and unfair in picking the right moment to do a Mankad?

The change in the rules has come in place because batsmen were being too cheeky. Far too many non-strikers have, on far too many occasions, gained the extra and undue advantage of backing out of their crease even before the bowler has “loaded” in his delivery mode. This leads to the non-striker gaining those vital 2-3 seconds of extra ground and extra time, which can prove to be the difference between making or not making the run.

It is to remove this unfair play, that the rule would have been amended. And in this specific instance, to be fair to be Buttler, there was no intention to gain time or ground by backing out, because although he was only technically out of his crease, there was no intention there to get an extra advantage of lesser time or distance to be covered.

It is due to this, that all the spirit of cricket talk comes in.

So, in this context, he might seem hard done by, but then one must also think through another similar scenario:

Imagine a batsman steps out of his crease without any intention of taking a run but due to any inadvertent reason is out of his crease (before the ball is dead) and the wicketkeeper collects the ball and takes off the bails. Despite no intention of gaining any advantage or any extra run, isn’t the batsman ruled out then too?

Have we not seen VVS Laxman get run out this way?

The foot could be in mid-air for precisely that moment, as the ‘keeper can (and has) swiftly taken the bails off just then.

If that is out, and without any breach, I see no reason how or why this should be treated any differently.

Mankading or no Mankading, I guess we might see no (bats)man kidding around even while being at the non-striker’s end anymore!

Jai Ho!

Remember the date: February 26, 2019.
The date when India did what it had not done for years and years, despite multiple provocations and reasons.

Among many other dreadful episodes of direct Pakistani involvement and complicity:

• In 1999: We got Kargil for our peace initiatives, 
• In 2001: We suffered the Parliament attack, and 
• In 2008: We also bled through our people and our souls during 26/11.

Obviously and unfortunately, this is not even an exhaustive list. But these 3 instances stood out amongst even the other cowardly yet dastardly acts which merited an appropriate and commensurate armed retort.

Yet, despite every such instance, our only response was a condemnation. At best, a strong condemnation.

Every time Pakistan hid behind the veil of acting as victims themselves, or sought evidence or more evidence. Dossier after dossier of evidence was provided for 26/11. Yet, more than 10 years after the incident, no concrete action has been taken. Nor does it look likely that anything would change for the better.

So when Pulwama happened on February 14, the nation's collective rage was only natural. As always. What was not-like-always (or unlike all the reactions in the last 50 years) was our military response, in as much as even crossing into the LoC was concerned!

Finally, we did that on February 26. Finally, we have a leader who has the gumption to talk with the Pakis in the language that they understand. (Oh yes it could be well-timed and strategically aligned for his own poll prospects but did no other leader have polls earlier?! Was there no provocation earlier? And why did Surgical Strike 1.0 happen, despite no such polls on the horizon then?)

Even as regards the extend of the damage (at the time of writing, this is still being speculated).
But, you may like it or not, you may accept or deny the efficacy of the strikes, but what you simply cannot deny is the fact that the Indian Armed Forces - in this case, specifically the Indian Air Force - showed how, despite all the preparedness that an expectant enemy can come up with, again displayed brilliance of strategy and execution.
The fact that for the first time, we could - even if not kill as many as India claims it has (because it is still debatable) - but what is absolutely incontrovertible and has been accepted universally, including even by the Pakistanis, is that our jets entered well inside Pakistan and if nothing else, surely showed them their place when it comes to the strength of our forces.

For the first time, someone showed the gumption from an Indian perspective.
For the first time, we made a huge statement to the Pakis and to the world that while we love peace and try everything to maintain sanity, if our good nature is perceived as our weakness, we can make the Pakis pay, very very dearly.

Well done, and more power to you, always!!

To our armed forces and our leadership: Jaya Hey, Jaya Hey, Jaya Hey.
Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey!!!!

Jai Ho!!

Happy New Era!!

Beating Australia in a Test Series in Australia!!

25,915 days.

853 months.

71 years.

Yes, that is how long it took for India - or, for that matter, any Asian team - to register their first-ever
Test series win on Australian soil.

Being perhaps as coveted as a World Cup win, our triumph on Australian soil indeed took a long time coming. Generation after entire generation has been fed on Aussie-accented Yayyss and Woohoohoos at the fall of every Indian wicket (leading to eventual defeat) through our tours of the ‘90s, 2000’s, although 2003 was a glorious exception.

We all wondered whether we would ever – in our lifetime – get to see an Indian captain holding the BG trophy solely in his hands, on Aussie soil.

And then, the day came.

True, it was not an attack that comprised Messrs McGrath, Lee, Warne and Gillespie. Not even Ponting, Hayden, Glichrist and Clarke. Heck, not even Smith and Warner. But none of these is our fault, nor did this mean that the inclusion of the last two gentlemen would have made too much of a difference. Only that we might have chased more or that they would have folded up for more and/or later.

THE BEST Part
The best part of our win is the fact that our team looks such a complete unit. Not just from the fact that we have all the bases covered but also by the fact that we outplayed the Aussies on not just batting, bowling, fielding, but even on the basis of bench strength!

Can you imagine we had Bhuvi, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya (and one of Ashwin/Kuldeep) unused always in each of the Tests?

And, I haven’t even mentioned as yet the fact that one of our biggest upcoming stars, Prithvi Shaw, had to miss out at the very beginning of the tour, due to injury.

See, this is exactly my point: Forget the 11 guys we put out on the park in these Tests. A lot (and most deservedly so) has already been written about Pujara, Kohli, Bumrah, Ishant, Shami, Agarwal, Vihari, Pant, Rahane, Kuldeep, et al.

Just look at the support/bench cast: Bhuvi, Umesh, Hardik, Ashwin/Kuldeep, Shaw.

These 5 people on the bench!!

5 people who would walk into any other international team today on any given day.

This bench strength, along with the average age of our team (long-term and one for the future) is the biggest plus for us.

One always hopes sincerely but along with the sincerity, because of these factors, now one can hope with practical expectation and almost assuredness that this team will usher in a great new year and also a great new era in Indian cricket.

This landmark win should now be only the precursor and a catalyst to many more memorable conquests both at home and abroad.
Amen to that, and enjoy the cricket!! Happy new year, and happy new era!!😊