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!!