" WORLD HOLD ON..."

24th february 2010 witnesses the history being redefined. Sublime, elegant, surreal, unprecedented , idiosyncratic , history, definitive , ceaseless, crafty can be replaced with just one name as the world becomes a stickler ecstatically surrendered to the little first step towards the inception of a new league , a new history. No prizes for gue??ing !!!!

The humdinger of 200* is a thought, a vision. It’s not a thought after accomplishing the unimaginable. It has transpired because of a thought and vision of a thoughtful visionary genius. His reign in the bailiwick is permanent due to his attitude. The transcendence is more transcendental. It is more about the conversation he his engaged with himself in. He is so engrossed with the brain, eye and hands coordination that he is hardly unoccupied.

“ First man on planet to score a double hundred in ODI's and it is the superman from India, Sachin Tendulkar. 200 from 147. Take a bow, master ! “ was Ravi Shastri's reaction for someone well-deserved doing the impossible, millions and zillions of eyes witnessed. Merely thinking big doesn't execute it. Merely executing it doesn't do good forever. Putting efforts to make it effortless is what SACH is about. It’s transcendental that way. Its really mesmerizing to see his composure amidst the cacophony of half baked, rarefied opinions credited to make their presence felt. There is clear demarcation between his conscious and subconscious. That's where conviction stems from. He humbly doesn't care to explain coz if it could be understood why would there be only 1 Sachin Tendulkar. He is an innovator go-getter meant to create milestones so that people can sit and opinionate on those what they are meant for while he is busy creating another one. Willing to play another 50 over knock after having played knocks like 175 before unbeaten 200 and 5 centuries in the past 7 tests recently shows he is not ready to slow down. WORLD HOLD ON as its still counting. Not letting success go to brains n failure to heart seems to be his mantra. Even after achieving the unachieved and seemingly impossible forever there were no aggressive gestures, no running around the park. He just took off his helmet, raising helmet and bat to acknowledge that it’s done. He doesn't need to do fancy stunts when the world celebrates for him.

      A mere statistical autopsy doesn't confirm genius, though he clearly stands out there as well. Statistics can be quite deceptive. It is half measures leading to a confident illusion. A miscued shot edged passing by the keeper gives a boundary on board but it doesn't make a tail-ender stand in the league of a specialist batsmen. Likewise, categorically there are differences between 2 batsmen as well. One scores and the other is spectacular to watch. Scoring a ton is no big deal. Runs on board don’t define class. It can be defined only after contemplating every aspect of it. Every bit of his innings makes it special. He has piled up those records and it seems to be his prerogative to rightly possess all of the possible and impossible records.

He goes through the veins of his own game and every factor directly or indirectly affecting the way he does that. Sach has been following a rigorous exercise regime only for those parts of his body straining while playing typical ST shots like lofted cover drives, straight shots over the bowler's head he has not been playing for a longtime.
The overweening compassion he draws is not on dossiers. The exemplary is stimulation to subconscious which moves the nation. He is an ideal combo pack of every perfection seen in different people. Sachin Tendulkar is a spontaneous, simple performer and human being. Simplicity is esoteric. Ostentation can be taught as ' show off ' can be showed off. Complications can be explained, simplicity is inexplicable as it cannot be broken further. Spontaneity and simplicity cannot be taught. It is the last thing to achieve but the first prerequisite to be an achiever. Showed promise and potential at the age of 15, became a legend at the age of 25, thrashed all the records stepping into the league of his own at 30 he still stands tall to break his own records never to be broken again. The camera perfectly positioned eyeing at the sky while the little master walks back to the pavilion acknowledging the standing ovation shows the height of the GOD OF CRICKET. For those obsessed with numbers and for those needing spectacular batsmanship. There is someone for whom the world says “His name is Tendulkar and he is far from over." .......JAI HO !!! THE STORY CONTINUES.........

' All rise ' and no fall for the Men in Blue

After having trounced at the hands of Sri-Lanka a couple of days ago, India didn't take too long to pay off the debt. Carrying the bell on Sri-lankan soil has always been an uphill task for teams across the globe. Hitherto, It's been no different for men in blue either but there were no Monday blues for them this time round. Given a not so resplendent record in SL and infamous unpredictable proclivity followed by an abashsed show against the same side put indians under immense pressure. They washed up the inglorious 'it's not what it's cracked up to be' image proving unpredictable to cynics this time. There are benefits too of having a vocally schizophrenic singer on Radio in country.

MSD's auxiliary marshalling has been par excellence. A captain is as good as his team and as they say he is riding his luck when things are hunky-dory at the moment but the credit should be given to him for his modus operandi of setting the record straight about what he expects from all and sundry as a unit. The whiz-kid of new times is au-fait the fact that fame has its price. It will be quite piquant to watch him when things unfold nasty in the way it did for the Aussies. Yuvi is at the pinnacle of his career and is having a ball on and off field. At times it is quite difficult to differentiate between a good and a bad ball when he is batting.

Numbers are quite deceptive. Statistics can be accurate but not necessarily true. It has to be accompanied with conviction to make a legend. Random figures like 92, 44, 59 and 14 would hypothetically make one think not beyond some individual's match scores. Having bagged 91 half centuries , 44 tons, 59 man of the match awards and 14 man of the series awards Sachin is far ahead of his contemporaries yet far from over. Little master's cricketing standards have remained unfazed and impervious to time and he has left a lot of talking mouths shut and a lot of shut mouths talking yet again. For him it's all work and no talk . He has seen it all, he has done it all. Age is strictly a case of mind over matter, if you don't mind it doesn't matter. A fact which went unnoticed during this match but should not go unmentioned. it took MSD 22 balls to score the first boundary which made tendulkar run for his scoring in ones and twos other than the 92 individual runs he scored during his knock of 138. Words can never be greater than the great man himself. Just as so often aggressive batsmen are unable to find their way through when their aggression is curbed. Tendulkar shows how to do it in a quagmire. The whimsical batsman's batsmanship exemplifies a naturally perfect blend of two archetypal batting genres different in nature en masse ! I.e sheer timing with appropriate placement (Sunil Gavaskar's ) and shoot at sight raw powerpacked strokeplay (Viv Richards). No wonder that these two legends possessing different batting styles were his idols during his childhood. If a flick made on his cricketing norms is fast forward @ 4 times the regular pace one would still wonder whether it's the primordial one or the tendulkar of present times. Only time on the screen will tell you that everything else remains the same for him except time. A few things don't have a sell by date, they only have versions. Notions were rife that sachin has never been a match winner. More likely than nought a match winner is awarded the man of the match or man of the series award. There are cynics who always have reasons to quibble. As Oscar Wilde puts it " We are all in gutter, but some of us are still looking at stars " . Numbers are eye-catching but they can be eye-opener too. The little genius is there to tell you that. Oops !.....or may be he is not.

If One is looking for a perfect recipe for FUN-tertainment we have something called IPL for you.For those who might raise their eyebrows on my SHORTCUT language,excuse my language because the GEN-ext has hardly any time to read three different words and our language is also formatted like the new version of cricket,aint it FANtabulous? oops!I did it again! Right from Mccullum's swashbuckling innings to Gilchrist's pyrotechincs leaving a few questions on his retirement as how timely or untimely it was?; from Tendulkar's late debut in the IPL to techincally sound former captain Dravid's Royal Challenger's regular setbacks; From Harbhajan's SLAP-stick antics to Shoaib's volatile presence for the Knight Riders. The long awaited IPL started with the mercurial and expected success for the SRK's Knight Riders. Brandon Mccullum smashing established Knight Riders as a threat and the favorites in the glam and glitz bathed quickie format. "Lorbo-korbo-jeetbo"seemed to fall in place for the King Khan but after losing four matches in succession SRK could feel the heat along with his apple eyed and ' befriend with controversy ' boy there in Pakistan who was at loggerheads with the PCB struggling with a five year ban. Fates turn around for Knight Riders and Shoaib as he Shoaib managed to make it to the IPL, FINALLY ! not to the finals though. Shoaib emerged as KNIGHT in SHINING armour for the outSHONE KNIGHT RIDERS in the very first match he played, heralded his arrival with his breathtaking quickers. No wonder he did not get enough time to relax as another controversy was on its way tracing the fire left by his deliveries. Rawalpindi express was again derailed because of injury and supposed allegations of doping onc e again leaving 'The knights' without any weapon in the battlefield.'Lorbo-korbo-jeetbo' slackened off with the passage of time and could not do much except for an eye catching performance or two they could take solace from. Skipper Sourav Ganguly was adamant on finishing it on a positive note and his 56 ball 86 was endorsed with DADA's snazzy batsmanship. Shahrukh's dreams to BREAKFREE were torne apart with the untimely outser of the KKR's .

Mumbai Indians kept on winning and loosing alternatively as if they were not sure until Jayasuriya started blazing after finding a partner in Sachin who could not do much with the bat, but his motivating presence was doing some wonders for the team.

Royal Challengers Bangalore must have thoroughly pondered, wondered and pitied about their value in the IPL. Dravid's panicky captaincy and negative body language did the rest for the ROYAL challengers as they surrendered without any 'challenge'. All hell and heaven broke loose when the RCB’s skipper was treated like a ordinary sales executive who was unable to make any sales. Mr Maliya could not keep his cool when the chips were down, and in quest of a solution “SACK DE MALIYA” got in action showing the door to Charu Sharma ‘The CEO of Royal Challengers Bangalore.
After vying for over 45 days 4 teams qualified for the semifinals (the only way it could be ) . Derring-do Delhi Daredevils, Mighty Kings XI Punjab , Silent operators Chennai Super Kings and Visionary $ Star-Devoid The Rajasthan Royals made it to the KRAZZY 4 lot. Though KXIP and Delhi Daredevils got pipped at the post leaving Preity Zinta in dismay. What a p(re) ity execution , Miss Zinta?
The highest bid of the IPL on MSD seems to find its way to justification as he was able to infuse guidance and motivation after initial slight panic stations during the roller coaster ride throwing Yuvi’s KXIP in disarray.
Amidst all this people even threw questions at the short format and short hemlines of cheer-leaders. A few raised their eyebrows calling it a ‘NON –CRICKET ‘cricket. As per cynics the only reason behind the success of the pocket sized format was the shorter duration of the game. Nothing to be judgmental, but would one go to watch an inferior and absurd movie just because it is only 60 minutes long. No one would! People would watch 5 day test matches and then the 50 over format was introduced which was welcomed because it consumed lesser time but was it the only reason for ONE DAYER games to get applause. If you like cricket, you like it. If you don’t like it you won’t go to watch matches regardless of the format. Length of the game is not everything; it is just a part of it. Undoubtedly it consumes lesser time than to that of a 50 over game, evidently with no enough time to get your eyes on the ball. You cannot waste for three four deliveries, you are in to blaze. No wonder the opponent knows that so going for biggies is no a surprise but if you can still be unpredictable, it is a feat. There is no option to make a come back, either you are on the top or you are not. It takes a lot of talent, temperament and technique to be there.
Phew! Finally two gigantic and well deserved sides have made it for the final clash. The euphoria will reach its apogee and the atmosphere will be electrifying. The audience will be at the edge of their seats to get carried away with the high. “Survival of the fittest” is not out of vogue for ages. The heat will be felt by both the sides and the one with nerves of steel will carry the bell. The tug of war will take its onset in the next one hour time. The beats are already on. The breathtaking moments and deafening shouts and music blaring in the background are not for those with weak hearts. It is for those who are KRAZZY 4 IPL.

Hit me baby one more time

If I were to give team India a sobriquet i would say shylock.The men in blue are in full swing with uncountable lucrative endorsements coming their way after the emphatic win over the kangaroos.OZ tours have always been bristle-with on and off field controversies and this time was no exception either; however, Australian's well known or infamous distract and win policy was not good enough to see them through this time round. Bhajji, the man sought after was tested at almost every milisecond on this sojourn which was not unexpected, but was of course more than one could anticipate it would be. He should be given full marks to come out unscathed of this ordeal. Ponting was of course not in a very good shape and man used to win was pretty much on backfoot. The realisation of the same would have been very killing for him, peradventure Punter would have expected another cheek from the Indians for his well known antics.

This young brigade is different altogether and believes in "AN EYE FOR AN EYE,A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH." The best part of this was the hot blood did not loose the sight of them being on the field in the heat of the moment,if you are being targeted to distract it is fine to give it back to them, but if you get distracted in turn, you are doing what they want you to do. This "self destruction" mode is what Aussies developed over the last decade. Not only Indians, but all the teams did not see themselves through.This strategy not only included who are to be targeted, but also who are not to be targeted at any cost, If you trace the steps Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Inzamam were the ones on 'KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE' list, coz it might backfire and they tested and tasted it on quite a few occasions against these players. Punter's statement "third final would not be required " before the onset of the best of three finals was just a futile effort to show that he was mentally fit enough to distract Indians,though his prediction was correct to the T.Ponting also have a big share in india's win on this tour, India should be thankful to Mr Ponting for that.India's finds in Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar is a superb sign for Cricket India.

This series will be known for many reasons. A change of season also indicated curtains for Sourav and Dravid ODi career.One man who has seen change in seasons and is still there with a few more memories added to his memoirs but with a lot of cricket left in him.He rose to occasions to leaving his critics who were criticizing him a day before just smile as they are happy to loose it to him.Sachin Tendulkar is not an era,he is not a season,he is a human being playing cricket who will have him time to bid adieu to cricket.By the time he says goodbye to the game he will leave a lot of unbreakable records behind,flabbergasted opponents and critics of cricket rubbing their hands gleefully.This is a finish of an era and of course a commencement of a new one.Another change in the game of cricket spearheaded by India in Indian Premier League is eager to take an onset and there is still a lot to come.There would be clashes,there would be records broken as well as heartbreaks.There would be tears and smile.Moments of dispair and obessessed with freak will be there.It is all happening here. Stay Tuned!

Perfect "wrong one" at the right time !

Jumbo letting Brad hogg off the hook might have left a few people dumbfound.This Oz tour has been quite happening more than an average individual like me would have anticipated.Anil's changed response has left a few questions unanswered but the answers are right there and we must appreciate Anil's capability of killing two birds with one stone as long as he does'nt lose the sight of the purpose of taking this move coz this is the best time for him to grip his hold tighter on the situation.Anil's keeping this card up his sleeve to be thrown at the right time will allow BCCI Chief Sharad Pawar to have more points when they take Cricket Australia and ICC on a task in the coming days proving that they have done their bit in in the interest of the game.This knock out punch will be an ordeal for everyone down under and the heat must be felt by Punter and Cricket Australia if they have comprehended what does RECIPROCATE mean? An unexpected "generosity show" and earnest essay by the Indian captain to mitigate the everlasting effects in the interest of the game backed by the BCCI expecting a "RECIPROCATION" from Australia will force Australia to play their shots and as there is no room for an escapado.It is not going to be a clear sail for ICC as well which holds a substantial no of Australian representatives which has worked as a tonic for Australia to become law unto themselve.He has taken it in his own stride and demonstrated how Indian culture have an edge over the Aussie Culture,but that is very much true that Ricky Ponting and Co.would be last thing to be trusted in cricketing World coz they are the ones who just crave for win not winning on positive note,so I think we can still call the shots if BCCI sticks to their take in Bhajji's episode.India can still call off the tour and undoubtedly Aussies and only Aussies will suffer because of that as long as BCCI sticks to it.India has filled ICC's safe in leaps and bounds in terms of revenues.Needless to say that Indian Cricket has booned ICC alone as compared to the entire cricket fraternity put together especially after the advent of stars like Sachin,Sourav and Dravid.I must say that not only Anil is a calm and collected individual but also a one who knows when the iron is hot enough to be hit.Anil is far sighted and when Australia is looking to save their reputation,he has made most of it by showing generosity especially when Indian team has been heaped with praise for their true spotsmenlike spirit in the Sydney test,So it is nothing but a perfect wrong one from Anil at the right time,Good Move Jumbo!

Records are paramount,cricket is just a coincidence-Australia's New panache

Many Congratulations ! to the Australians to yield the result they were looking for playing with 14 players in the side.The debacle down under has taken the entire crickting world under its wings and the Harbhajan Singh's episode is not going to calm down as easily as Kangaroos might have perceived..It was pretty much evident that it was not about proving whether the Indians were right or wrong.Proving your innocence or to postion yourself righteously comes into picture when there six from one side and half of a dozen from the other side situation drops in.When the T.V replays,the 100,000 people on the ground the three umpires who are held in great esteem in the cricketing world were perpetrators ashaming cricket openly like psychopath rapists forcing the receiving side to prove how cricket was raped.Can anyone in this world expect criminal to be his own judge,ending up with a confession of the crime?In a catch-22 situation when the opponents are playing with 14 players and 4 umpires including the one standing in the slips,India has lost the clash by merely 122 runs, HATS OFF TO YOU BOYS! When you turn on T.V nowadays you find dignified names of cricket debating on how umpires performance should be gauged and what is the sell by date for them.Have those people called the administrators and almighty of cricket in the world or Indian cricket ,for that matter forgotten the criteria to sack a cricketer when he is not performing well? Is that age of a cricketer,the answer is no.A lot of people who understandably do not have any allebies for the advertent mental disintegration of the Australians,Bucknor,Benson and Oxenford would say that Bucknor has a record 167 test match stand as umpire.What happens when players like Tendulkar ,Ganguly or Inzamam holding zillions of records Under their belt have to prove that they still have enough cricket left in them,At least if they do not perform they are unjust to their respective teams and their own careers,At least they do not jeopardize an Ethnicity or sportsmanlikeship. Be that as it may ,even if the umpires including the third umpire are not physically fit(which of course is nbit the case)what are they doing on the field,waiting for the test match to finish to hide their shameless act by another one.Steve Bucknor did not find it unjust to nod his head in affirmation that Symonds was called a MONKEY by Bhajji coz he knows that this monkey word can do wonders on the cricketing field and this is one of those opportunities to vent out his frustration when he might have been called a Monkey by once upon a time Australian team.He forgot that it was nothing less than a BLOW-JOB. There is anger ,anguish and dissatisfaction in every nook and corner of the country. The BCCI should be patted on its back to be quick in the uptake and also to Sachin Tendulkar who sent the SMS to the BCCI making them aware of the dire consequences in the pipeline if no action was taken.He raised his voice only for the second time in his career after the Chappell's episode.The credit should be given to the PSB as well which supported India being a fellow sufferer. The chappell's episode should not be overlooked which might also have worked as a catalyst for the inglorious and cheap approach of Australians towards this series.Sitting in a press conference the winning captain loses his nerves in lieu of the losing captain.The losing captain enters like a hero and the winning captain...It reminds of a very interesting moment of the game when Dravid was given out and instead of showing any frustration he smiled while taking steps to the pavillion,taking a mickey in the faces of the umpires and the Australians leaving Australian skipper self sufficiently happy as if the entire world has also connived.Navjot Sidhu's comments on the same episode is something to watch out for as it will probably make everyone feel venting out their frustration and also for those who dont have good enough range of Vocab to vent their frustration in words,We have Navjot Siddhu for you. All the more the reknowned cricket journalist lost it to Siddhu by saying "Ricky must go". All is well if it ends well and no one knows better than Indian to show how to fight fire with fire .All of us Indians also have our share in this episode and congratulated to have won this unprecedented struggle because of the United voice of every Indian against the ICC and racism.ICC on the back foot,Howzz that ?

India's flirtations leave Pak heartbroken

What will be Pakistan's strategy when they cross swords with India in the first test against India at Ferozeshah Kotla. While India goes strength to strength ,Pakistan cricket seems to struggles to find its way to victory. When Pakistan landed on the Indian soil a few weeks ago for one of the most talked about encounters it was ironical to all expectations the tour was not hyped as it happened back in 1999.Probably because the two arch rivals were playing against each other after decades which was a complete package for cricket loverz. Pakistan cricket is known for its aggression and combative approach and one thing which these Asian giants have in common is to rise to the occassion,surprisingly which is completely missing in this Pakistan side.The Pakistan team toured India led by Wasim Akram or "The Master of toe breaking Inswingers" Waqar Younis had an inherent killer instinct which made them interesting and thrilling.A lot of factors might have contributed towards the seismic change in the character of Pakistan team touring India this time.oming down to India without Wasim and Inzamam and the speedster Shoaib making a comeback to the side added pressure on Pakistan,especially after losing it to India in the Twenty-20 finals.The two forms of Cricket are different in nature altogether,though ! Shoaib has been rusty and it shows.He was an intimidation for any batsman in the world when he toured India last time.He was young as so he is now,but he was not one of the seniormost players of the side,so his aggression and fire was harnessed to the fullest. He has been wayward at times but if you handle him well he is a player every skipper wants to have in his side. He has looked rusty,his run up is not rythmic which might take some time. He is a wonderful cricketer to watch when in full flow. The wayward Leo has that fire in him which makes him worthwatching. One one hand where India is enjoying every game as compared to their counterparts, Pakistan is still picking up the pieces. After being made mincemeat by the traditonal rivals in both the formats of modern cricket,its going to be a tough ride for the Pakistanis.The lack of cohesion is more significant in the side and the chinks are getting wider with every game they play. Even the former cricketers like Wasim,Waqar and Rameez were spotted giving their frank opinion which is very unusual. It shows that things are out of sync in the Pakistan dressing room. There are legends who the newly appointed Skipper Shoaib Malik can take a cue from them but it's always easier to be said than done. Captaincy is an ordeal and there are a few to come out unscathed. Shoaib is naturally talented and he has shown his temperament as a crickter but the responsiblity handed over to him is just not about it. He gotta make sure that harmony amongst the XI is nothing less than perfect which does'nt seem to transpire for Pakistan in the offing. It clearly shows that now everyone is playing for himself and trying to save their skin. No wonder if they want a few runs or wickets to their credit for merely passing the buck. Both the teams will be playing under new captains,but Anil Kumble has played much more cricket than the former one. The co-operation for the new captain will be there all the time as he has been quite a character. India has been phenomenal and unbeatable in both the quickie format as well as the ODI's. Nothing to say that Pakistan are out of the game before it has started but it is all about the team spirit which makes you do what you thought you could never do. When two sides play one has to leave the ground as the losing side. India seems to be on a high of the team spirit with no intentions to stop flirting with Pakistanis hearts. Let's see whether their counterparts have some surprises in store for them !

News and Tendulkar are synonyms

"Life comes a full circle" and this seems to prove right for Sachin Tendulkar at the moment. The year did not start off well for the little master and he had not scored any century in the last 45 matches at that time. Life was’nt in clover but big names are known to rise to occasions and that’s what Sachin has done. Probably he was insouciant. By the time he realized it things had already gone terribly bad. The pressure kept on mounting and he was frantic giving an opportunity to his critics to raise a finger at him.He always knew that he could do it and that is why he preferred to differ to those who wanted him to call it a day. Things have gone his way and he finally comes out of the haze. A lot has happened in the Indian Cricket hitherto. Sachin Tendulkar’s glossy form, Ganguly’s vigourous comeback to the side, India’s dramatic debacle in the worldcup 07, Dravid brief stint as captain and stepping down and MSD superseding Dravid and emphatic win in the Twenty-20 World cup. Sachin Tendulkar’s pyrotechnics seem to occupy space in the news again and the lion roars after a hiatus. But the Indian media and news rely a lot on him; his nervous nineties jinx draws spotlight on him this time round which might not hesitate to follow him to his bedroom as well. What does it mean to be a Tendulkar? Who knows better than him! Dislodged Ganguly’s most talked about resurgence us worth being called ‘An epitome of fortitude’. Guru Greg’s mantra and out of the box strategies reached no where apart from being thrown out of the window after India’s disastrous performance in the world cup which to an extent also became a reason for Ganguly’s comeback to the squad which was an outside chance at one time. The wall could not handle the pressure and ended up banging his head in the brick wall because of media scrutiny. He finally stepped down understanding the nuances of captaincy much closely. The former captain has been rested by the cricket board and this so called rest was again scrutinized finding some space in the news for a while coz there was a lot happening to watch out for than Dravid’s ouster. What else could be better than watching Tendulkar in full.Indian Cricket found a calm and collected captain in Dhoni who led shilly-shally Indian team to the finals of the quickie format getting everything out of it. Indian team is on a song and we all wish we can hum it for quite a while with the musical notes of Tendulkar’s willow and the newly found chorus in MSD and Co.