2 Things before playing Basketball after a long time…

I was out playing basketball after .. lets say its been quite some time. The last time i played actively was an year or so or may be more than that.

I finally decided, enough of sitting around and hogging trying to put on weight. I head out to the court. I bitterly learn 2 things.

1. I was not having a good diet all this time. It was all filled with cheese, chocolate and junk food. I was on a desperate move to put on weight. I need to have a more balanced diet.

2. Never wear your favorite white shirt to the court. Ya i agree that was really dumb of me. But i had to learn it the bitter way.

10 min of running on a 5-point, half-court match and man i’m out of breath and i almost felt like fainting and throwing up. Thats it. New year is long gone but my resolution this year(as of now) is to stay fit and healthy. After all its not me alone that i have to think of now. There is a new addition too …

Cricket Virus

A game that is nowhere gets a whole page of news. A foreign Tennis player gets half a page when he is victorious. Yet the Indian pair of Bhupathi and Sania just gets less than quarter a page. They represented India, and they were beaten in the finals. If we can create a huge fuss about Indian cricket loosing then we can celebrate their near title miss. I have no idea. Leave all that how many knew that they made it to the finals of the mixed doubles at Australian Open

Over the days i have come to hate Cricket. It has become the single most inappropriate game that the Indians pursue these days. Its no less than a masala flick from a skimpy clad bollywood actress. There is nothing that you can define which is worth to be defined as memorable or a truly historic. I can hear people shout out what about the win at Perth? What about the lack of sportsmanship that was displayed by the mighty Aussies. I say damn all that. It was all as good as the wardrobe malfunction at fashion shows - you got to see something that you generally don’t see.

A racist remark, umpiring errors, a whole nation roars against that, a dramatic decision by the governing body, gentleman behavior by the captain - i’m asking do we need all these hype. Do we need cricket to survive. With cricket we no longer consider our neighbor as the arch rival anymore, its an island, miles south. The nation is celebrating victories and is doing injustice to other sports.

I dont care if the team loses or wins. The media makes sure that news reaches me even if i dont want to read it. Its in the front page of every news paper, flash news on TV. get out on the road, every one speaks about that, at work place the screens will have the score board open and local commentators shout out updates. I’m sick of this. Cant we just have some other sports take the center stage.

Does anyone care about what is happening to the other players. May be the media should dedicate time for other sports as well. At least report on the pitiable conditions of the other players. May be it should just avoid reporting in cricket. They are not GODs. They don’t deserve so much of attention.

Indians wake up, its just a game. F**K cricket. Its not really worthy of any praise now.

Congrats Sania and Mahesh

Sania and Mahesh have made India Proud again.

They might have lost the finals but they made it there and that is commendable. They made it to the finals by defeating Nathalie Dechy of France and Andy Ram of Israel (6-4, 6-2). In the finals they lost to Chinese-Siberian pair of Sun Tiantian and Nenad Zimonjic (7-6, 6-4).

Well done duo.

07 - India - 08 Report

2007, India turned 60 and yet She has the vigor and sensuality of a 16 year old. She still has the tenacity and the power to indulge herself in anything. Indians have grown at a tremendous pace in the last 5 years.

2007 bids good bye with the threat of another election looming at large. The Nuclear deal with US is proving to be a bit costly for the Indian National Congress lead UPA Govt. With Gujarat and Himachal polls suggesting that Congress rule at the center is loosing steam, they cant afford to go on an early election. BJP did it and they lost. The question of aam aadmi, is likely to prove costly for INC. There are enough over-the-teacup discussions on politics, lets move on..

In the name of GOD, still proves to be a hindrance in development process, with politicos going to the extend of deliberately forgetting the fact about a Secular state. Wounds of past events are kept fresh. The sad part is that, even the highly educated people fall for such roadblocks. Education is still not able to curb the differences. Yes the literacy rate is up for the Nation from approx 52% in 1991 to 65% in the 2001 census. But yet we heard about infanticide in some of our modern cities.

Time to REST Cricket… and its NOW!!!

Chak De India! was made around hockey. I totally go with the fact that it can be used to promote, encourage or cheer any game what so ever, from Kabadi to Cricket. But why cricket alone? That my friend is something that we must ponder and see the injustice that we are doing to the other sports that are here in India.

With the 20-20 WC mania gripping the nation, with nothing less than a scintillating performance by the Indian Team, we have to agree that the team needs appreciation. But are they really worthy to hog the limelight like this? They all became over night starts and came back home after signing multi-crore deals.

But what about the other sports in India? The football team, the Indian Hockey team all are equally frustrate. Even after they give their 100% for the matches, even after winning tournaments, they are left to loom in the dark. Not much media attention, may be a column of news in the second page of the sports section, that too if some space is left after reporting about some freaking cricketer’s mother spending the whole day doing pooja and praying so that her son would do better in the matches.

Do YOU remember the Indian Football team winning the Nehru Cup beating Syria. Or at the least, Indian Hockey Team beating South Korea to lift the Asia Cup.

Sadly the hockey match was much more action packed than the Twenty20 WC final. But who cares and who knew that in the first place. When on the eve of the hockey match we were all sitting in the comfort of our homes watching some stupid plagiarist movie.

Why didnt we give the Football and the Hockey team a hero’s welcome. They too were trained, they too gave the game their 100, they too beat all the odds and made things work their way. But we simply chose to ignore them. Leave alone the Central Govt. not recognizing the players and the game that they played, when asked to the CM of Karnataka of the same issue, well Mr Kumaraswamy wanted them to get the world cup as well to be recognized and treated. Hell!!! We all know that he himself cant handle his own cabinet.

As we apotheosize the cricket team, we are killing the other games as well. That very well includes the national game, Hockey too. BRAVO!!!. Cricket is a high rollers game now and big money and stardom follows the one that makes it to the National Team. It has become and anathema in all means possible.

As we are having a channel dedicated to cricket and that has nothing to show but replay the few moments that Indian team has ever won. I’m growing sick and tired of this solemn anarchy. I refuse to genuflect for this damned game that is sure to kill all the talent here.

Why MISBAH got out?

100s of mails celebrating India’s win. Every mail having the same set of Photos and the same lines and the same message.

But it was this one mail that caught my attention. The mail was just one line and it left me laughing

MISBAH THOUGHT HE WAS SENDING THE BALL TO A PLACE WHERE THERE WAS NO ONE.

HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE IS A MALAYALI* IN EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD!!!

* Malayali is what people of Kerala is known as, after their mother tongue Malayalam.

Sreesanth who took the wicket is a Malayali.

A victory well Deserved!!!

Now there is nothing that can wholly define this scintillating victory.

India deserved the win, not saying that Pakistan was no less a contender for the cup, but in the end when everything played down, it was India who emerged as the Twenty20 world cup champions.

The Tigers had to take on the best of the teams before they lifted Cup of Life.

First it was Pakistan - Defeating them in the first ever bowl-out the world saw.

Then they lost to the Kiwis

Won against the Brits,

Won against the Proteas.

Won against the Reigning One-day World Cup Champions

Took on the arch rival Pakistan ,again, in the final.

Some noted figured of the Indian Side

Dhoni : Excellent captaincy, took smart decisions and kept reminding the team that we are here to enjoy the game and to give 100%. It finally paid off.

Yuvraj : 6 Six in an over, Played consistently till the finals, The finals the Green Brigade out smarted him with some well placed balls and field settings.

R.P. Singh : The consistent ‘break’ deliver boy

Irfan Pathan : Took wickets when it most mattered.

Gambhir/Uthappa : When everything else seemed to fail they were there

RP Sharma : The David who fell the Goliath(s)

Sreesanth : The tiger on a prowl, extreme aggressiveness.

Sehwag : Backed every one who came to the center.

And the most important part : They were one TEAM- TEAM INDIA

T20 WC - India v/s Pak - 2nd Session - Overs 16-20

Over 16 (104/6) 59 off 30 balls to start the over.

Pathan continues; Dot ball!!! Dot Ball!!! Very good flighted delivery.

1 run off the next ball and 100 comes up for Pakistan. Boundary follows.

Dot Ball!!! And Wicket!!! Arafat gone!!!

Pathan does it again, 7 wickets down.

Over 17 (123/7)

3 overs to go!!!

Harbhajan coming under attack, 6 off the 2nd ball.

5th ball disappears into the crowd. Its 6 again. And 6 more.

Pressure on INDIA now

Over 18 (138/7)

35 from 18 balls to win.

Sreesanth continues, 6 off the 1st ball. A really magnificent shot under pressure.

Wide off the next ball and a run off the 2nd ball.

We need wickets very badly. Sreesanth needs to break Pakistan. Can he do it?

Unfortunately its 6 again. 1 ball to go and 15 runs conceded so far.

Wicket off the last ball!!!

Over 19 (145/9)

2 runs off 2 balls off R.P. Singh

Misbah on strike. Big appeal for leg-before. Not given.

Run off the 4th ball, Wicket!!!! on 5th, 9 Down

Last ball - Mhmd. Asif on Strike, edged to 4.

Over 20 (138/

13 runs required of 6 balls, Who will ball the last over? Its Sharma !!!

1st ball - Startsoff with a wide, Misses, 12 needed of 6 balls

2nd ball - Whoop its a 6!!! 6 needed of 4 balls now.

3rd ball - Misbah caught by Sreesanth, WICKET!!!!

INDIA WINS!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATS INDIA

INDIA WINS A THRILLER !!!!

now we are all hopping in the room

T20 WC - India v/s Pak - 2nd Session - Overs 11-15

Over 11 (76/4)

Sharma with the ball. Just singles coming off the bat.

A wide ball and appeal for caught behind, not-out. Its and out-swinger gone berserk.

Over 12 (78/4)

2 good balls by Pathan. Runrate needed closing 10.

3rd ball and Wicket for Pathan!!! Malik makes way for Afridi. And my friend Stan is hopping all around the room.

Wide of the next ball.

Wicket off the next ball!!! Afridi sent home!!! Now i’m hopping around with him

A very good over by Pathan. 1 run and a Wicket.

Over 13 (88/6)

Harbajan/Paaji with the ball.

Not a good over, 9 runs in 5 balls with a 4 in the last one.

Last ball 1 run, 10 from the over.

Over 14 (92/6)

Required run rate closing 11 and over.

Pathan again, can he give another break? 3 balls 2 runs. Misbah and Arafat in the middle.

67 from 37 balls. Very close. Nail biting finish is what its gonna be.

92 runs so far.

Over 15 (99/6)

2 runs off the first ball of Harbhajan. Singles coming off the next 2 and a dot ball.

A run from the 5th ball.

6th ball, a very good effort for catch in the deep and missed.

India tightening the noose on Pakistan .

T20 WC - India v/s Pak - 2nd Session - Overs 6-10

Over 6 (53/3)

Sreesanth continues. 2nd ball finds the boundary. India needs a wicket now and very badly.

And he balls a wide. This is not my idea of enjoying the game.

4 Again and Pakistan crosses 50. 105 required off 87 balls.

Direct hit and a Wicket !!! India gets break and its Nazir walking back to the pavallion.

2 dot balls to end the over. Good one for India, get rid off Nazir.

Over 7 (58/3)

I have a bet for 1000 bucks that this wont be a bowl out with Sandil. Either way i’ll win it.

Joginder Sharma takes on the attack from R.P. Singh, starts off with a dot ball and another and all in vain with a boundary off the 3rd ball.

100 runs from 80 balls. Will India Win?

Malik on strike, yet to open his account, dot ball. Another one follows and end of over

Over 8 (63/3)

100 to win from 78 balls.

Yusuf Pathan comes into action, run off the first ball. Run on all the deliveries so far.

Last ball yielding no runs. 5 off the over.

Over 9 (65/3)

Expecting a wicket in this over.

93 to win from 70 balls.

And a wicket!!! Yunis Khan walks back. Misbah comes to bat with that dismissal.

Game evenly poised, and India seems not to let go.

Over 10 (70/4)

Irfan Pathan follows and run off the 1st ball.

91 to win from 64 balls. Afridi next to come for Pakistan.

Seeing some intelligent decisions by Dhoni, and field placements preventing singles backed up by Pathan with nice tight bowling.

5 runs off that over.