A Sincere Appeal

I am sure all of us in India (especially in NCR/North India) must have heard about the horrific news about the killing of a 22-year young toll plaza attendant.

Fault: As per his duty as the toll plaza attendant, he asked for the toll fee from the hooligans who were commuting through the toll road.

Well, one can go on about the state-of-affairs and cry ourselves hoarse about why people do what they do.
Why are so many of us getting intoxicated through the high of a few extra notes in the pocket, or a weapon within arm's reach?

But, I would prefer to not dwell on these things. For, these are not the things that are within my control.
I'd rather share about what is in our - your and my - control.

Here's what we can and MUST do.
This link contains information about the details of Umesh's family and how we can send across our financial assistance to them.

Apart from just sympathizing with the absolutely innocent victim and his family, and deploring the hooligans and our inept system for a few moments before moving on with our lives, let's help in whichever way possible.

It's a humble, sincere request/appeal: Please DO help the bereaved family, if you can - through cheque or online transfer. (details are available within the link)

Although we might not be able to bring Umesh back, atleast a little assistance from us could go a long way in redeeming the financial condition of his helpless family.

Dear Team India

As a popular joke would have me believe, it was a good tour for us. We beat 3 teams: Sussex, Kent and Leicestershire. And lost to only one: England :|


A lot of water has flown through the Ganges (or through the Thames, if you'd like) since the time I last wrote about the Indian cricket team's travails in England.

Despite the fact that we had lost poorly in the first Test, I was still hopeful of a turnaround in our fortunes.
Well, turn they did, only to turn circularly - to effect a 0-4 drubbing in the Tests, a 0-1 in the lone T20 match, and a 0-3 scoreline in the ODIs.

I saw most of the massacres live, and I am still searching for a silver lining in our performance. Nevertheless, there is still no doubt that we can only do better in the upcoming series.

In a contrived and convoluted sort of way, I am quite happy in a way that we lost so badly.
Despite the injuries, the spate of below-par performances, and the weather playing truant especially on the few India was in commanding positions, we cannot say with hand on heart, that we deserved to hold on to the #1 spot in Test Cricket after our performance.

I am happy with our whitewash because I have a hope that this shall rankle us. Hurt us. Remind us.
I wanted to write about all this now,  because I do expect most Indian batsmen to score big and plunder attacks at will in the ensuing encounters at home.
Not for a moment am I not valuing their ability in home conditions. I just wanted to write this today to ensure I register my thoughts and rankling from the English summer somewhere so that next time we hit a fast bowler outta the park, we do not lose perspective of what we've still got to accomplish.

But as the Champions League razzmatazz gets underway, and our stars find their own in familiarly docile conditions, let us not forget that if we manage even 80% of what we do at home, we shall be consistent away-series winners.

It's been a while since we lost, let alone lost so badly. So hopefully, such a smattering which has come after a string of commendable and at least respectable away-series performances, shall prove to be more an aberration than a portent for things to come. However, as they say, those who forget their history, are condemned to repeat it.

While there is no reason why we should not be more patient and understanding about the highs and lows that any team and core group of players inevitably goes through, let us also try our best to learn from the tour and not forget those lessons as we rebound at home and ride on the crest of domestic success again.

Let us not forget the mistakes and shortcomings to work on, when we hit the next knee-length ball out of the park.
While we respect, enjoy and love all the talent and ability on display at home, let us not forget that we are not true champions till we conquer all frontiers.
Let us enjoy being the champs at home, but let us savor etching the Indian flag on Australian, South African, and English soil, more than just defending our crown at home.

New Branch Office!!

They say, at the age of 3, a kid moves from one stage of life to another, for the first time. The first three years of our life are the most formative, the most carefree and enjoyable. We are still coming to terms with our family, relatives and acquaintances. Still trying to learn communicating, articulating, and expressing ourselves with everyone around.

And by the time we blow our birthday candles for the third time (at least in the current Indian educational set-up), our parents ensure we make our first move - from the totally carefree schedule at home, to a somewhat time-table bound routine - a 5-day a week introduction to an extended home atmosphere - in the form of pre-schooling!!
The rest, as they say, is history. And Civics. And Geography. And Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Social Studies, English, Hindi, and Mathematics. For the next 10-12 years!

So why am I saying all this? Cut to July 2008.
Ok, it isn't exactly back to the origin of species but yes, it was then that I wrote my first post, marking my first baby steps into the world of blogging.
And now that Choc-a-blog has completed 3 years (though not exactly at supersonic posting speeds but still managing atleast one post a month from April 2009 onwards), I would like to gift it too with an extended home for my baby - yes, Choc-a-blog is now on FaceBook as an FB page!!:)

Hopefully, this would help my blog connect with my friends through the social networking medium, and might help everyone to benefit from it through regular posts, comments and interactions.

Sau baat ki ek baat - itni publicity kar raha hoon, kabhi time miley (ya neend nahin aa rahi ho), toh yahaan aa jaaya karna yaar! Neend ke liye shartiya ilaaj guaranteed!! :-)
Ab toh hum aapke nikat ke FB profile par bhi uplabdh hain!!

Hope to see you all around, also through FB now...cheers!!

Have WE Made It Large?

With great power, comes great responsibility. - Voltaire

Perhaps, we could re-phrase or extend this to infer/create another statement that seems to hold true for the current state of affairs in/for the Indian cricket team. Or, maybe they are already experiencing/realizing this:
With great rankings, comes even great(er) criticism - especially if you have an Indian fan following.

I am never one to support anyone blindly or irrationally. So yes, one has felt gutted way too often for one's liking in the first Two Tests against England and there must always be (constructive) criticism, for that alone shall open the doors to remedial action.
However, over the course of the last two Test match routs, I have felt a sense of failure, not just on the part of Team India not living up to their touted billing, but also on the part of you, me - us: on the part of the fans and experts, in general.

As I said, yes, there is no doubt that a lot of flak is justified, wherever due. I am the first one to object to the defensive tactics we have had - in terms of:

• Poor, Reactive and Ultra-Defensive Field Placements - with easy singles and even twos, being offered on a platter
• Very Average Captaincy - in not keeping close-in men, especially to new, vulnerable batsmen
• Poor shot-selections and lack of application by many batsmen
• Some very ordinary line and lengths bowled by our bowlers, negating the good work done in an earlier session in the day

All this does need prompt attention and correction - especially since I have only highlighted the parts that are manageable. Not something like being able to bowl express pace/play the short-stuff out-of-the-blue from nowhere.
All the above is stuff that should never have happened in the first place and can surely be rectified w.e.f. NOW.

However, while I would hate to see an encore of the above-listed avoidables, I would also like to object to a generally pervasive sentiment among the more intolerant of India fans (and ofcourse, also almost all of the non-India fans) - that we do not deserve to be #1.

First things first - I would like to believe I ain't any jingoistic, least of all for the sake of a numbers rat-race. So while anyone would naturally always want to see and feel great at his team getting to and then defending its #1 position, I am not as bothered about the potential loss of the #1 tag, as I am about the unjustified and inaccurate comments and statements being dished out.

There has been a lot of breast-beating about the fact that India have not been able to defeat England in England. Fair enough, we won't be able to win the series this time (though we could still make it 2-2).

But at least we did beat England in England as recently as on our last tour (and so have many other teams) over the last few years. When did England do so on Indian soil?

I would like to ask anyone who cares to prefer reason over personal wants/preferences - Why are we making it such a big issue? Forget Harbhajan Singh, why have WE made it so large?!

Except Australia - that too, only in 2001 (that too, due to Indians suddenly being a disjointed lot after the then-skipper Ganguly chickened out in Nagpur - but let's leave that for another day), no team, and I'd like to repeat NO TEAM (including all other Australian tours with their unbeatable, golden cricketers at their pomp) - could ever beat India in India, in the last 20 or so years.

It's not for nothing that India is the Final Frontier. So while I myself strongly believe that this Indian cricket team is yet to become that good, where it can claim to have beaten anyone anywhere, I am equally convinced that it's not that we have a proven team all set and ready as the rightful inheritor of the #1 crown.

Just as each team has its strengths, so too have we.
As I said, while we would love to see the required gumption, skill and technique to survive and excel in conditions meant for swing, bounce, and seam movement, it is equally true that just about everyone that has toured our turf has failed equally miserably.

So here is my rant in a nutshell:
To Team India: 
Please wake up and smell the coffee. It's high time we adapt, perform and at least persevere. The very least I would want to see from them, is to redeem themselves in the areas I listed above.

Equally importantly, or perhaps even more importantly, to the Fan: 
Perhaps a good-to-remember note for all of us - to you and me who wish the Team well and want to see it excel everywhere: A fan ain't just one that's on our ceiling...ain't just one who goes mad at his team's wins. A fan believes and supports his team as much as he loves them.
Like in life, so too in cricket - one (a team) needs support (fans) the most, when things aren't going great. If you are a fan, behave like one.

No, do not ignore their wrongs. But yes, lets criticize constructively, let them rectify, not pressurize 'em & just help them be their best.

Let's not be blinded by jingoism for sure, but let's also not be swayed by knee-jerk reactions or easy, drawing-room critiques either.
At least I, for one, do believe our team must already be as keen as we are, to seem them play to their potential - results notwithstanding.

The task of neutralizing the 0-2 lead and the big mouthing is already enough to keep our Team motivated. 
As genuine supporters and fans, let 'us' not make it large!