Federer manages to crawl home

Boy, what a match it was. Wimbledon 2007 Men's Final and the top two seeds battling it out for the crown. Federer the King of Grass and a 4 time champion against the "Spanish Stallion" and King of Clay, Rafael Nadal. They had met in the 2006 finals too but that looked more of a flash in the pan for Nadal. Nobody had given him much of a chance to reach the finals, including yours truly. But not only did he prove us wrong by galloping to the finals but nearly won the championship too!!!! Nadal displayed his allround game in the finals and gave the champion a run for his money. The match was a spectators delight with all the twists and turns one can ever ask for. Nadal did well to stretch Federer to 5 sets and in the fifth set, he had the championship in his pocket but full marks to Federer for not giving it up. Federer was constantly under pressure in the deciding set but as soon as he saw an opening, he went for it.....and won the championship. Everyone in the Nadal camp, including me was disappointed but now we know that Nadal has an allround game and he is not just a King of Clay. If he continues to play like this, he will win the Wimbledon pretty soon. As far as Federer is concerned, Congratulations for the fifth Wimbledon trophy mate.....now you have everything you want....no wait.....French Open is still missing. Oooops!!!!! Now that is gonna be tough for you. Anyways.....see ya next year at Paris Mr. Federer....if at all you feel like coming. Go Nadal Go!!!!!

Is everything alrite with the Indian Team

India played pretty well under pressure in the last two matches of the Future Cup against the South Africans. Indian team, 1-0 down after the first match, put up some great performances to win the series 2-1. Now the whole India is ecstatic. The team, the spectators and the fans, the media...everyone is going gaga. And they have reasons to do that as this series victory is first against the South Africans away from home. And the fact that it came after the World Cup debacle makes it even more sweet.

I do not want to sound pessimistic but is everything alright with the Indian Team? I do not think so. All the three matches went down to the wire and they could have gone either way. One big problem that I can see is with the batting. Though a couple (Tendulkar and Yuvraj) came up with some good performances with the bat, others were found wanting. (I am not including the performances in the match against Ireland). Against the South African bowling attack, Ganguly and Gambhir struggled with the bat. Ganguly's front foot seemed nailed to the crease where as Gambhir did not apply himself enough.

I believe the biggest problem is with the captaincy. Dravid allowed the South Africans to trot to the target in the first game and in the last game, his bowling changes were not up to the mark. That helped the opposition to build a fighting total. His captaincy is lacking the aggression that is required in such crunch games. Though he scored 70 odd in the first game, his batting is also not what it used to be. He is not giving the full face of the bat to the bowl, instead he is looking to work the ball on the leg side. That is making him look very tentative and is affecting his strike rate too. Moreover, the way he has been getting out is also a concern. He was bowled in the first (there was a time when it was a rarity but now it has become a common phenomenon), he was caught and bowled in the second (he was neither on the front foot nor back foot while playing a rising delivery) and he was run out in a stupid manner in the last. The way he was run out in the last game reminded me of Virendra Sehwag's dismissal in the last game against the Lankans, before the World Cup. On that occassion Sehwag was heavily criticized. I wonder why is the media quiet this time around. This dismissal could have cost us the match.

Having said all that, I agree that Dravid is a great player. Infact, one of the best that India has ever produced. (Its a surprise that he was not included in the "All Time Indian Test Team", which was selected by a few former captains.) It is just that we have an important series against England ahead of us. We will require good form of Dravid the batsman and Dravid the captain in that series. All the best to Dravid and the Indian Team for the series.

For now, let us enjoy the moment of glory!!!

Am Happy!!!

Today I took some time out to look back at my life. Me and Roshni had just returned after some heavy duty shopping and I was thinking that how happy I am...at least on the personal front. I have someone who is more a friend than anything else. We enjoy so much together and the fact that our likings match, does help a lot. I know guys tend to run away from marriage thinking that it will bring too much responsibility. They think that their wings will be chopped off and there would be someone at home constantly telling to be systematic!!!

Well, thats not entirely wrong. My wife DOES tell me to be a little systematic at home but its not that my wings have been chopped off. Its just that my idea of fun has changed. Pub-hopping, biking...etc have been substituted with candle light dinners and shopping. But I am enjoying all this!!! I did not have to make any changes in my life style. It comes naturally, if at all you love the other person and want to make her happy.

But I nearly missed all this. I had said no to marriage and had decided that I will spend my life alone as that would be a different kinda fun and there wont be much responsibilities. Thank god that for once, I subordinated my preference to my parent's wishes. I had lost all hopes from my life but she changed everything. ".....saaqi ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya.....". Thank You. I am happy once again....we all are happy once again....Touchwood.

Sachin will definitely cherish this one.

My colleague Yoges is a big time fan of Saurav Ganguly. He simply can not listen anything against Ganguly. I know, at this stage what you are thinking. No, Yoges is not a bengali, infact he is a tamilian. When Ganguly was "rested" from the national side after WC 2007 for the one-dayers against Bangladesh, Yoges cried his heart out!!!! If Ganguly is criticized, he will say its politics and favorism; if any other player plays well then he will say the match was fixed....point is that he can come up with zillions of crappy and meaningless excuses to save his dada. And he hates Sachin Tendulkar. At least, he pretends that. I think he is one of the biggest critic of Sachin and that has caused several heated arguments between us. But after the second game against the South Africans in the Future Cup, this is what Yoges had to say:

"I really liked the way Sachin played yesterday. My wish is that he should continue to play in a similar aggressive fashion. Having said that Dada is not far behind. He may not be a gifted stroke player like Sachin. He might not have the same variety of stroke play like Sachin. But still he too is a great player. The fact that he did not compete with Sachin in scoring runs in yesterday's match and rather concentrated on building a partnership with Sachin shows his maturity as a player."

He started with prasing Sachin but ultimately ended-up defending Ganguly. In any case, Sachin should cherish this one all his life!!!!

Congrats Sachin!!!

Sachin Tendulkar is back in news. He is among runs and has become the first batsman in the history to score 15000 runs in One-day Cricket. What’s good is that he is back at scoring runs against good bowling attacks and in difficult batting conditions. In the last two outings, he scored 99 and 93 respectively against the South Africans.

Sachin was not his usual self in the first match against SA. Over the years he has "mellowed" down and now he tries to build his innings rather than stamping his authority on the bowling attack. May be age or his senior position in the team has brought this change. But the first innings was too slow and calm even for his new avtaar. He missed the century by a “few inches” and was run out on 99 (143 balls)!!!! India eventually lost the match and a number of people attributed Sachin's slow batting to the loss. I was not surprised at all as bashing Sachin has become India's favorite pass time. His strike rate was in the late 60s, may be 69. Dravid who scored 70 odd in that match had a strike rate of 73....now, was that a lot better? I do not think so. Saurav Ganguly who scored 60 odd against Ireland had a strike rate in early 70s in that match. Then how come only Sachin is being questioned. These days, no matter what Sachin does, it seems his innings leave more questions than answers!!!

The first match was pretty close and it could have gone either way. Chawla was the surprise package and I think India could have won the game with some aggressive field placements. Dravid is a great player but his captaincy lacks the aggression that is required in such games. India let the South Africans take singles at will and that took the match away from us.

The last match was a treat to watch. Though he missed out on a century again but Sachin did score 93 runs and in the process completed 15K runs in ODIs. More than the number of runs, the way they were scored was appealing. He seemed like the Sachin of yesteryears. Trademark square cuts and cover drives were flowing from his blade. At one point in the innings, Andrew Nel beat him a few times and then followed that with smiles and stares. Sachin’s response? Bang!!!! Andrew Nel was asked to shut up with a pull yielding the maximum!!!! He even danced down the track to hit young off-spinner Tshabalala for a straight six. The fact that his innings helped India win and level the series must have given extra satisfaction to him.

Congratulations Sachin. Keep going.

Canon: Customer Delight

It was just about two and half years back that I felt that I should buy a camera. Back then, I had limited knowledge of these equipments (I would like to believe that it has changed over the period!!!!) but I had a strong desire as photography had always intrigued me. I bought a Canon A75 camera as I had used my sister's Canon A70 and was pretty familiar with the functioning.

The camera was my soulmate for around two years but just when I got married, it decided to make way for the new soulmate. It developed some problem and it's LCD blacked out. I thought that I have lost my camera forever :(

Around 20 days back, I decided that I will try and get the camera repaired. I stepped out of my place to take the camera to a Canon Service Center but on locating a Canon dealer on the way, I took the camera him. The guy told me that the problem was with the CCD and it will take 21 days (nothing more and nothing less) and 3,500/-INR to get the camera repaired. I was like....WOW!!!.....I was thinking that it will cost me much more, if at all a repair was possible. The "21 days" timeline did surprise me. After all, we all are pretty used to hearing "time lagega, sir" in such cases. But I thought that Canon, being such a huge name in camera space, must have set time for various types of repair. I felt pretty bad to leave my beloved camera behind. I still did that thinking that it will be worth it as my camera will make a recovery and come back to me.

On the 17th day, I gave the dealer a call to enquire whether I will be getting back my camera on the 21st day. I was pretty excited about getting my camera back. To my surprise I got the answer that I had expected initially..."time lagega, sir". I was told that it would take at least ten more days and in some cases it takes three months also!!!! Now, if I say that I was pretty pissed on this answer then it will be a huge understatement!!! I had plans to use the camera on a vacation in July. I asked for the owner and questioned him that how come I was not communicated. He did not have an answer to that but he simply said that in such cases, it takes time. Dude, if it takes time, you should at least let the customer know. May be I would not have given the camera for repair at all!!!!

I made up my mind that I will file a case in the consumer forum....supreme court....take the matter to the media...the President....American President and anyone who can help. But I started with filing a complaint on the Canon website. While doing that I noticed a customer service call center number. I gave them a call and explained them my problem. I was immediately asked to have a talk with the India Customer Service Head and the Andhra Pradesh Customer Service Manager (I stay at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh). I had a talk with the AP Manager and I was told that in half an hour I will be given the status. To my surprise, in 10 minutes the dealer (!!!) called up and said that he will deliver the camera on the next day (a good three days short of the initially communicated delivery date)!!!! Post that, I received a call from the AP Manager and some other official too and they apologized for the mishap. They suggested that for any customer service related issues or repairs, one should reach out to Canon Service Center. I was very happy with the quick response from Canon. But it did not end there. They delighted me by telling me that I would not be charged anything for the service and the dealer will bear the expenses!!!!

I saved 3,500 Rupees and got my camera in time simply because I dont have the "chalta hai" attitude. A lot of people would not have made all that effort and would have accepted the dealer's bullshit. But in the process, I came to know that Canon not only makes super cool cameras but also provides super cool service to its customers. Kudos to Canon!!!!

Confession

Okk, I confess I have been watching cricket!!!! After the World Cup debacle, I had made up my mind that I will never watch cricket and will never write about it too. But I simply can not stay away from cricket.

It does not stop here. If you have been following this blog then you will make out that I was a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar and considered him the GOD. I was very disappointed by India's disastrous showing and Sachin's performance at the WC and I wrote that it was "Death of a Devotee". I confess that it was rash behavior on my part and it was not true at all. This behavior reminds me of one of my cousins. He is a religious person and keeps a picture of the Hindu god "Hanuman" with him. He prays in front of the picture everyday......but whenever things are not going his way, he takes the picture and puts it outside his room!!!! He gets angry with the GOD!!!!! I used to find that pretty hilarious but my behavior was similar. I badly wanted Sachin to score as many runs as possible and guide India to its second WC victory. When that did not happen, for some time I lost my sanity and wrote what I wrote.

I confess that pretty much like the pre-world cup 2007 era, I have watched each and every game that Sachin played after the WC. I can not stop worshipping the man (read: The GOD) who has served Indian Cricket for so long. He is still the best in the world though he needs to get a little more consistent so that he consistently slaps his critics. Sachin, I still love you and I owe you an apology.

Beggars

If you are staying in India, you are familiar with the sight of beggars "attacking" a vehicle on a crossing. Children, men, women, old people...all kinds of people are there, begging on Indian streets. Even if you feel the urge to give something to a beggar, you stop yourself thinking that may be the beggar is part of the "begging industry" and there is a begging "mafia" running the show. It is thanks of the "realistic" cinema (Madhur Bhandarkar types) that we are aware of such unfortunate truths of our times. Such movies show the true picture of our society and they are indeed very helpful in forming an opinion.

Everyday I encounter at least 50 beggars but I dont feel like giving something to each of them. Its the old ones who move me. Many a times I have stopped myself thinking about the "industry" but I have felt sorry after driving past the signal. What if the old man on your car window is not part of an industry and really needs food? May be 9 out of the 10 times you end up funding the industry but for me, that one occassion is worth it.

Know what, one day I want to give a 100 Rs note to an old beggar woman, just to see the reaction. And if it brings a smile or any expression of joy on her face, I will be glad all my life.

Planning to buy a camera

" Look, I am not an intellectual - I just take pictures"

-Helmut Newton

(German Photographer, 1920-2004)

I am very fond of photography. The hobby was always there...even when my parents had the basic "Hotshot" analog camera!!! Camera rolls used to be costly so taking the camera everywhere and taking as many pictures as I wanted was a problem. But whenever my parents used to get film rolls, I used to be in charge of the camera.

I did not have a good camera till I became 25. At that time, my sister bought a digital camera, Canon A70. That was the first time that I used a digicam and was exposed to its great functionalities. The biggest benefit is that you can take as many pictures you want not worrying about exhausting camera rolls. I borrowed my sister's camera for a trip and used that extensively to understand its functionalities. That helped me make my mind and I bought a canon A75. That was a major investment (I don't think I got a good deal on the camera) but it was worth it. The camera remained with me, everyday for almost two and half years. I used to take that camera everywhere. Couple of months back, the camera developed some problem and now I have sent it for servicing. It is really funny that when I was leaving my camera behind at the service center, I was feeling really bad. I had kept that camera like a baby and now I was leaving it behind, in the hands of the technicians. :(

I have used several cameras..Canon A70, Canon A75, Sony DSC-L1, Canon IXUS 65...but I found the a75 most user friendly. It is a little heavy but I have this opinion that cameras should be a little heavy, otherwise your hand will shake while taking a picture. Though I still love my camera and I will always keep it with me, I have decided to graduate to a more advanced camera.

My colleague Balaji Bondili*, who like me loves photography, recently had bought a Canon EOS 350D. I got the opportunity to use it once and I was amazed by the power of the camera. It is a Digi SLR camera and it helps solve the problem which I find most irritating in normal digicams or compact cameras.....and that is the lag time. A normal digicam has a lag time and you can not take a picture exactly when you want it. Unless you have a great timing and you are extremely lucky, you wont be able to take a picture of a bird as it is preparing to take off. But a Digi SLR has no such problems. I really really want to buy that camera but I still decided that I wont!!!! At least, not now.

Canon 350D is an expensive camera. The usual price in the Indian market is around 45k (You can get it much cheaper if you buy online or get it from US) but it would require a lot more investment. If you are really keen about photography, you will have to buy additional lenses which will cost another 25K for the basic one!!!! Now that's too much an investment for me. I will have to risk my marriage if I plan to buy that camera as my wife is against such an investment. On a serious note, I don't think I have enough knowledge of photography and lenses to best use a DSLR. So what should I do now? I have to buy a camera!!!

So I decided to consult a few professional photographers and some experts. I even consulted the Editor of the "Better Photography" magazine. What I am looking for in a camera is option to attach external flash/lenses, zero lag time, decent mega pixels and kick-ass zoom. Most of the experts were of the opinion that I should go for "Canon S3IS". That's a camera which is available for around 25K in the Indian market but will cost half that price if you are getting it from US. It has 6 mega pixels and a killer...12X optical zoom and 48x digital zoom!!!! Though it does not solve the lag time problem but its still good enough for me!!!! Now a word of caution for anyone planning to buy this camera.......buy it only if you are really serious about photography. It is a bulky equipment and you wont be able to lug it everywhere. Consider buying it only if you have another camera for the day-to-day use. If you want a camera with more mega pixels then you can buy the Canon S5IS. It has 8 mega pixels but it is not yet available in the Indian market. So you will have to wait for a while.

In my case, I dont think mega pixels matter much. Since other functionalities in S5IS are same as the S3IS, I have decided to buy the Canon S3IS. Say Cheese!!!!

* (http://www.flickr.com/photos/atheistbishop)

You can judge the output of the S3IS camera by looking at some of the pictures in www.flickr.com/photos/nehavish. The pictures were taken by Neha Vishwanathan, a friend of my colleague and she uses the Canon S2IS. So S3IS will only be better. But ya, do not start thinking that you will be able to take pictures as good as the ones in the link. Neha is a damn cool photographer and those pictures say a lot about her skills than just the camera she uses.

Want to hide somewhere

For some reason, feeling pretty low today. Why is it that when I am working hard to achieve something, things go wrong at the worst time possible and ruin my chances. Like a mirage, the destination disappears. This has been the sad story of my life. I dont believe in astrology but I was once told that I will have such problems in my life.......shall I start believing in astrology now?....coz thats what has been happening.......

Nothing is clear yet...may be I am getting unnecessarily concerned....may be not....may be things will be alright tomorrow....may be there wont be a tomorrow......This uncertainty is killing me....I know I have worked hard and deserve what I am expecting....yet, I do not know whats in store.....I know I need to fight to protect my chances but not today....may be tomorrow...today I just cant feel the strength inside me....Today, I just want to hide somewhere and prepare myself for the battle tomorrow.

Rafael Nadal: The King of Clay

I was pretty nervous when the French Open started. The reason being, I am a huge fan of Rafael Nadal and he lost to Roger Federer in the finals of the Hamburg Open, the tournament before the start of the French Open. You may ask why did I get nervous after just one defeat but this defeat mattered a lot as it came on clay. Moreoever, the defeat broke Nadal's record winning streak on clay. Federer is an artist on a tennis court. If the surface is fast, he is almost impossible to defeat. So for Nadal, clay is the best chance to win tournaments and French the best chance to win a Grand Slam. With a win at Hamburg, Federer made his intentions pretty clear.

But, Nadal once again proved that he is pretty tough to beat on clay. He met some pretty strong players in route to the finals, including his idol and mentor Carlos Moya. The final was pretty exciting with Federer giving a tough competition to Nadal. Moreover, Nadal's nerves did not help him in the initial part of the match. But once he settled down and started going for his shots, he was a sight to watch!!!! Man, did he crush Federer's confidence and dreams to win the French.

Federer is a champion player. He is so good that a lot of people are losing interest in tennis tournaments as they know the outcome!!!! But.....for some reason, he finds Nadal pretty tough to handle. Nadal has an envious 8-4 record against Federer and if we include the exhibition match on the half grass-half clay court, its 9-4 in Nadal's favor (Being a great Nadal fan, I would definitely include that). Now that record says everything regarding the way Nadal has dominated Federer over the years.

Unfortunately, in all likelihood my party will be over soon as Wimbledon is starting from the coming monday. Now, thats a surface where Federer is God. But I will be keeping my fingers crossed as Nadal, very surprisingly, did manage to reach the finals of Wimbledon last year. Though he did lose to Federer but he managed to take a set away!!!! Now thats a rare accompalishment against Federer on grass. So I will definitely be praying for a better performance this time around. Go Nadal Go!!!!

Alankrita: Nice Getaway from Hyderabad

If you are at Hyderabad, I am sure every weekend you wonder what to do and where to go. Hyderabad is a nice city (Infact, I consider it the best in India to stay at) with nice infrastructure. There are several shopping centers and a few multiplexes but still shopping and watching movies is not what you want to do every weekend.

I have been staying at Hyderabad since almost 6 years. I am a person who has travelled quite a bit and I like to go to new places. For a while, I have stayed at Bangalore too. Now, Bangalore is a place with quite a few malls, shopping centers and multiplexes but infrastructure and traffic is a huge concern over there. You think several times before leaving home. And on the weekends, whole Bangalore comes to Forum. But unlike Hyderabad, Bangalore has many tourist places close by where you can go on the weekends. During my stay at Bangalore, I visited several places to quench my thirst of travelling and photography. Bangalore gave me that bad habit and now at Hyderabad, I keep looking for such places outside the city...but there are hardly any. There is Srisailam and Nagarjuna Dam but there is hardly anything over there to excite me enuff to drive 160kms.....one way!!!!

Last month, after getting tired of looking for places, me and my begum decided that we will go to Alankrita Resort, which is on the outskirts of the city. We decided to spend a day over there just to get out of the "routine". We did not make a mistake. Its a nice place with lush green lawns, a swimming pool, lot of recreation facilities like table tennis, badminton, billiards, etc. Moreover, there are three restaurants over there out of which, I found one of them (the main restaurant) pretty good. Another one is a veg restaurant and so we did not even step in and the third is an open restaurant called the "Well Side" or something like that. I did not like the food over there.

There are several kinds of rooms...from normal rooms to cottages and are suitable for any kind of budget. The basic room (Standard) is also good but I would recommend the Deluxe Cottage to everyone. I have been to Alankrita twice now and have stayed in both Standard room and the Deluxe Cottage. Though the charges are a little higher for the Deluxe Cottage but believe you me, its worth it. Having said that, I would like to caution anyone who is planning a trip to the resort that I have noticed that the room sizes and the facilities differ from one room to another...even if they fall in the same category. It means that one Deluxe Cottage can be different from another Deluxe Cottage!!!!

But overall, Alankrita is a nice getaway from the city......to spend one day, not more than that.

Trip to the National Defence Academy

In May end, I went to Pune for my cousin's passing out from NDA. I always wanted to go to NDA, its another thing that I would have preferred going over there as a cadet. Nevertheless, it was an amazing experience. Like all defence entities, NDA has been kept pretty well. Its a beautiful place and roaming around in the academy was an enjoyable experience. Moreover, the fact that my father also passed out from the academy made me even more excited about having a look around and taking pictures.

I reached Pune on 29th May...pretty late in the night, thanks to Indian Airlines. From Hyderabad there are not many options in terms of flights but I chose Indian Airlines as I wanted to reach over there on time. That was not to be and I reached Pune three hours late!!! As advised by my cousin, from the airport I went to the railway station as there were buses waiting to transport the parents/friends/relatives to the academy. Late in the night, I was concerned whether I will be able to get a bus. Much to my relief, there was a bus at the station.

It took almost an hour and half to reach the academy where in I got down at the Hunter Squadron where in the arrangement for my stay was made. I had to share my room with one of cousin's pal. My worst fear came true when the guy did not open the door even when occupants of the several near by rooms came out cursing, due to my banging on the door!!! Ultimately, I had to go to my Bua's room to sleep.

On 30th May, there was a convocation for the passing out cadets to mark the completion of their graduation. The ceremony had to go on for couple of hours and the scene was that nobody was supposed to get out of the hall before the completion. That was too much for me and I, along with my other relatives decided to give the ceremony a miss. I caught up with some much needed sleep.

Before the convocation, we went to the mess in anticipation of a royal breakfast....but it was pretty sad!!!

In the afternoon, we decided to go for "NDA Darshan". It was pretty enjoyable and we took a lot of pictures, one of the reasons for my travelling to the academy. We were shown the stables, the small planes used for flight trainings, the stadium, the lake used for navy training, Sudan Bhavan, the library, golmarket.......etc etc

After the sightseeing trip, we were supposed to have lunch at the mess but going by the experience in the morning, we decided to have lunch in the canteen. Boy, did we make a mistake. We had half cooked chicken curry with not-at-all cooked rice!!!! But the gulaab jamun were good. Before the lunch, we were laughing at the sight of cadets having around 10-15 gulaab jamun each but after having the lunch we could easily make out the reason. Probably, gulaab jamun was the best thing to have at the academy. Food was pretty disappointing though my father tells that it was not the case during his stay at the academy.

In the evening, there was a "Tatoo show" in which the cadets were showcasing the trainings that they receive at the academy. Now, "Tatoo" was not very clear so I asked my cousin the agenda of the show. He told me that they will be doing yoga and showing "dhaava". Dhaava can mean a lot of things and it did not excite me much. So, all of us decided not to go. Half an hour after the scheduled start of the Tatoo Show, we were rocked by the loud sound of a blast. Then, much to my agony, my cousin told me that its part of the "dhaava" in which cadets were showing simulated attack on a battlefield!!!!! That left me pretty disappointed about missing the show.

30th evening was the dinner night. We reached the mess, neatly dressed up. We were seated close to the main tables where the Chief Guest, Fali Homi Major (Chief of Air Staff) had to sit. The dinner night was a short ceremony and I must say that I did not really enjoy it. May be I was expecting too much, and I am not talking about just the food!!!!

31st May was the day for the passing out parade. The parade had to start around 6 in the morning. We reached the parade ground at least an hour before the scheduled start as we wanted to get the best seats. There was a lot of confusion over there regarding the reserved seats and the first termers were having a difficult time managing the over-enthusiastic parents!!!

The parade started as per the schedule. The cadets were smartly dressed up in whites. First the various squadrons lined up followed by a prize distribution ceremony. Then the Air Chief inspected the squadrons. It was followed by the parade. We had a tough time locating my cousin since he is a short fellow and everyone had the same hairstyle!!!!! Yet, we managed to take some good snaps. The parade was followed by "Dheemi Chaal" which marks the passing out from the academy. The fly past by the Jaguars and Sukhoi was a sight to watch.

Post the passing out parade, the cadets celebrated the occassion with fellow cadets and families. It was a pretty festive atmosphere and their joy was electrifying. Post that the cadets bid adieu to the academy, their home for three years and left with friends and family.

Overall, I am glad that I went to the academy or else I would have missed this memorable experience. Now I am looking forward to a trip to the Indian Military Academy in 2008

Back to blogging

I am back after a long time. Just got too busy with things. Blogging is a stress reliever...at least I use it to refresh myself and get away from the maddening tensions. But now a days, India has found another passtime and thats ....Orkut. Whatever time I used to get out of my schedule, I devoted it in making new friends and searching old pals. And it has been pretty effective!!! I have travelled alot and have studied in various schools, thanks to my father's transferable job. Retaining friends was always a problem but thanks to orkut, I have been successful in locating a lot of old pals.

But I did not make too many friends in my school days as I was quite an introvert. So now when I have located almost all my friends, I am back to blogging. And for the zillionth time, I am back with a resolution to be regular.

I wish to keep my wishlist!!!

Is my wishlist getting bigger? ...hmmm....not really. I want to buy a lot of things, go to a lot of places, do a lot of things.....all that is there in my wishlist. But as far as I can remember, my wishlist has not changed in last many years now. It was the same when I was in school/college!!! So, that essentially means that I have not been achieving what I really want to. I may have been effective in taking care of my necessities and those of people around me, yet that "over and above" factor is missing. I want to buy a Digi SLR camera, I want to own a Royal Enfield bike, I want to go to Egypt with my family (especially my dad)......I have been dreaming about all those things since.......777 B.C.(it surely feel like that long), yet I have not been able to do any of that. And if I look closely, with every passing day, my wishlist is getting further away from me and soon it will disappear in the horizon. Life has become too busy in managing the needs. Pssch

Thanks Dhinakar

Me and my wife Roshni went to Andamans in December 2006 on our honeymoon. I had a hard time selecting the destination as I really wanted to make it special. Andamans came to my mind as I always wanted to go there. That was strange as I hardly knew about the place. I wanted to see the jail but thats not typically the kind of place you go on your honeymoon. All the research I did suggested that Andamans is a peaceful place and lots of elderly people visit the islands. I personally like such places but I was apprehensive as I did not know whether Roshni would like it. I was confused and started considering other options like Lakshadweep and Colombo. Then one day, I gave Roshni the options but told her that I wanted to go to Andamans. She did not say no but she did not say "YESSSS" either. That added to my dilemma. Then the next day, Roshni told me that she has done some research on the place and she would like to go there as even she likes peaceful places. So thats how I got rid of the confusion but there was still a lot to be planned and taken care of.

Andaman is a small place and that too away from the mainland. When you are going for a trip to such a place then you have to be very sure about the arrangements. You can not just reach a place like that and expect to make arrangements over there. I checked for hotels and package tours on the internet but did not find any good one. There is no 5 Star hotel at Andamans and only one 4 star hotel. Through the various sites and blogs, I came to know that there are several good guest houses over there and they are much better than the hotels, at least in terms of location and value of money. Through my dad, I got an accomodation at one of the Ministry of Defence guest house (Believe me, it was a real good one). I got air tickets from Kolkata to Port Blair and back. But still there was lot to be arranged for. Then I recalled Sanjay Upendram (the head of the my team at Deloitte) telling us about his visit to Andamans and a guy who can be a great help in making arrangements over there. I asked sanjay and he gave me the number of Dhinakaran (Extreme left in the pic). I talked to Dhinakar and explained him my requirements. I asked for a trip to a couple of islands and to arrange a bike. Dhinakar told me about Havelock island and made arrangements for a two day trip over there. Before that I had never heard of the place and later I came to know that the beach at Havelock was rated as the best beach in Asia in 2004, by Time Magazine. Dhinakar was very responsive and he assured me that he will make all arrangements. I was still skeptical.

When we reached Port Blair, I was surprised to see Dhinakar in his big car waiting for us on the Airport (that was not the part of the deal)!!! He dropped us to our guest house, told me about the place, dos and donts, places I shall visit etc., and left. The next day he sent a brand new bike for us!!!! On the third day of the trip, when we were leaving for Havelock Island, he picked us up early in the morning and dropped us to the jetty. He had taken tickets for us for the 2 hrs 15 minutes boat ride to Havelock Island. He talked to the captain of the boat and got us the VIP cabin, something one can not book!!!! He had made all the arrangements at Havelock too. We had a booking at a resort and a car with a driver.

On returning back from Havelock, one day we decided to go for a ride. It was pretty late in the night (by Port Blair standards). Port Blair is a very peaceful and clean place and there is hardly any traffic on the road so driving.riding is a very enjoyable experience. We did not have the clue about the directions, yet we were roaming around in the town checking out all the roads. Then, in one lonely part of the town, the tyre of the bike got punctured and we were stranded at least 15 kms away from our guest house at around 11 pm!!!! I was cursing myself for being so adventurous. The nearest place where I could get the tyre repaired was around 7-8 kms away and in all probability, that too would have been closed at that hour. When I could think of nothing else, I gave Dhinakaran a call. In 20 mins, two guys came with a tyre. They replaced the punctured tyre and took it with them. We were surprised and delighted!!!!

Then the next day I came to know that the Dhinakaran, whom I was considering just a tour operator, has a few supermarkets at Port Blair, a travel agency, a cable network, his family owned a restaurant, a hotel and a TVS bike showroom!!!! He is a huge name at Port Blair but more than being a top businessman he is a very nice and helpful person. He helped in making our trip a memorable one. We owe it to you Dhinakar. Thanks a lot!!!!

(I suggest anyone planning a visit to Andamans to contact Dhinakaran (09434281417). He can be of immense help and he does not charge much too.)

US Air Force Pilots vs Maintenance Crews

Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by US Air Force pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews:

Problem: "Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement."
Solution: "Almost replaced left inside main tyre."

Problem: "Test flight OK, except autoland very rough."
Solution: "Autoland not installed on this aircraft."

Problem: "The autopilot doesn't."
Signed off: "IT DOES NOW."

Problem: "Something loose in cockpit."
Solution: "Something tightened in cockpit."

Problem: "Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear."
Solution: "Evidence removed."

Problem: "DME volume unbelievably loud."
Solution: "Volume set to more believable level."

Problem: "Dead bugs on windshield."
Solution: "Live bugs on order."

Problem: "Autopilot in altitude hold mode produces a 200 fpm descent."
Solution: "Cannot reproduce problem on ground."

Problem: "IFF inoperative."
Solution: "IFF inoperative in OFF mode."

Problem: "Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick."
Solution: "That's what they're there for."

Problem: "Number three engine missing."
Solution: "Engine found on right wing after brief search."

No More Cricket Talks!!!

Okay, It did take some time to digest but now I have accepted it. We are a poor cricketing nation and our team did not deserve to be in the Super 8. Everyone is talking about the future of the senrior cricketers, renewal of the contract, companies removing cricket players from their commercials, who was the culprit....etc etc. But whats the bloody point? We are out of the world cup and next one is four years away. And if the present state of affairs continue, we do not stand a chance in the next one too....and the one after that...and the one after.....

Now, I am moving on with my life and wont be talking about cricket anymore (No promises though!!!).

Fair Comment....I second that opinion.

Ajay Jadeja on NDTV, "You give your best player the slot he wants, and he does the job for you. Sachin was never performing in middle order and when he was not, as you say, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY THERE, you gave him the opening slot and rest is history. He still dislikes middle order and enjoys opening, but just to accomodate all other players you want in the team, you ask your best player to change his batting position.. this is unfair..."

Death of a devotee.

I had never thought that I will ever be writing anything like this. Just to give you a background, I am a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar. I have fought for him each time he was criticised, I have cried for him on several occassions. In India, Cricket is considered a religion and Sachin is the GOD. To me, he was always bigger than the game. But today, I feel let down as there is something bigger than him too and thats...... the nation. Sachin Tendulkar owed me a World Cup win. He is undoubtedly a great cricketer....one of the all time best but still he could not get us the coveted trophy. I totally understand that its a game and players can falter but this time he faltered when it mattered the most.

And now Sachin, what are you waiting for. You may have a few years of cricket still left in you but what will you give back to the nation...may be a series win against Bangladesh...a few more centuries....Is that all we expect from you? I think, its time to hang your boots...at least from the shorter version of the game. You may want to sign off in style but you have just missed that opportunity.

Having said all that, I will still respect you for all that you have done. I will still fight for you as you are the greatest that Indian Cricket has ever seen.

State of my Mind!!!!

(Pic Taken in July 2006 at ICRISAT, Hyderabad with Bond's Canon EOS 340D Digital)

Aaya waapas India!!!!

The Indian challenge in ICC World Cup 2007 is over!!!!! We could not even get past the league phase of the tournament. The league phase, at the most, was designed to give a morale boost to the upcoming cricketing nations and the real WC was supposed to start in the second phase, with the 8 strongest teams. Now the Super 8 will be played sans Pakistan and India!!!! India has no one but themselves to blame. They were uncertain and scared in their match against Bangladesh and they let go a fairly simple opportunity against Srilanka. Indians bowled well to restrict the lankans to 254 though they did let go the leash in the end overs. And then the mighty Indian batting line up put a strong display.....of its weakness. Utthapa played positively but inexperience got the better of him. Ganguly, after playing two innings for regaining his captaincy, played an unnecessary and rash shot. He was among the runs in the two previous matches but he was not playing for the team. Runs never flowed from his bat. All he needed to do was to rotate strike. Tendulkar disappointed by getting bowled by an incoming delivery, a long time problem. Yuvraj Singh, who was in supreme touch in both the previous matches, ran himself out and Dhoni got out in the ugliest of fashion. The match did expose Rahul Dravid. He may be a man for crisis as he clutches on to one end but he is certainly not a match winner in the shorter version of the game. I have always maintained that Rahul Dravid cannot pull off a victory by himself when the asking rate is climbing on top of him. He always needs a stroke player at the other end. In the match, when the asking rate was hovering around 7 runs an over, "The Wall" was busy taking singles and giving strike to Ajit Agarkar!!! Well played Captain!!!

Now, the whole of India....the media...the politicians...ex-cricketers...selectors...BCCI..everyone will start playing a blame game. Greg Chappel will be on top of the hit list. People will talk that the "senior" cricketers should have made for youngsters. But isnt that exactly what Greg Chappel asked for? We never gave the man a freehand. He was always under the scanner and constant media pressure. I do not have any grudges against the man. Its our team who has let us down. Its unbelievably painful. :-(

I am Hungry!!!!

(Pic Taken at Mitra Samaj Restaurant at Udupi. This Dosa is called "Outlook Masala Dosa"

Movie Review: "The Pursuit of Happyness"

When I was going to watch this movie, I was really apprehensive. I could sense that its going to be a good movie as Will Smith was nominated for the Academy Award for the movie. Yet I was apprehensive coz of the setup. It was an official team outing and that too after a whole day of listening boring presentations. In a group, you like to watch a fun-filled movie and not a serious one. I was wrong. It is one of the few movies in which I have seen the audience clap!!!

It is a very inspiring movie about a man's struggle to make the ends meet and make a future for himself. He has a 5 year old son and a job as a salesman of medical bone density scanners(!!!!), a product that has limited demand. He is unable to meet his expenses with his job and then one day, he decides to take a risk....He tries and struggles his way to an internship program in a strockbroking firm. The internship is very competitive and does not pay a dime!!!! With his determination, he finally clears the exam and becomes a stockbroker. Will Smith has given a very intense performance in the role of the man, Chris Gardner (The movie is inspired by a true story). You would laugh and cry with him throughout the movie. It is not at all a sob story. Believe me, you will enjoy the movie and come out with tears of joy and bunch of dreams. A "Must Watch" for everyone.

Warning!!!!

Wud you go to this guy with a flat tyre? I wont!!!! What if it isn't really a spelling mistake!!!!

(Pic was taken on 12 Aug 2005 at Bangalore)

Mayday Mayday....My life has been hijacked!!!!!

Have not clicked a single picture in ages, have not seen a movie with friends/family in last couple of months, have not gone on a long drive since last 4 months........I guess, life is getting too fast for me. Work is overtaking me. I have been slogging but am unable to catch up with loved ones, friends and hobbies. Why do people want a good job with a good salary?....they end up paying a lot more.

I would love to take some time off coz I am feeling burnt out. I would like to go some place far away...away from the daily marathon, which is increasingly becoming physically and mentally draining....may be Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, with my Camera and backpack......where I can live for and with myself, for a while....and ya, sleep peacefully.

Adios Bob

After the disappointing and shameful defeat against Bangladesh in the first match of the ICC World Cup 2007, we Indians got busy deriving joy out of Pakistan's premature exit from the World Cup. After all, we are still in contention but Pakistan is out!!!!! That moment of joy was killed the very next morning with the news of Bob Woolmer's death. Woolmer, who pioneered the use of technology in cricket, died in mysterious circumstances a couple of hours after Pakistan's shocking defeat against Ireland. One can never forget the image of Hansie Cronje with a earphone stuck to his ear with a tape. This was Woolmer's idea and he wanted ICC to allow coaches to give instructions during matches. He loved the game and wanted to be more involved. Woolmer's death is a very unfortunate incident and a great loss to the game of cricket. Bob Woolmer had a lot more to offer to the game. Adios Bob!!!!

World Cup Diary

India has already played two matches in the league phase of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. All those Indian fans, including myself, who were thinking that qualifying for the "Super 8" will be piece of cake are now scratching their heads. India lost the first game against Bangladesh, a game that should have been just a practice match before the real tests in Super 8!!! No body had imagined an Indian defeat but boy, did Bangladesh turn the tables on us!!!! Bangladesh's bowling was absolutely great and they did not give the Indians anything. Moreover, our batters played as if they were facing an all time great bowling attack. Barring Yuvraj Singh, not even a single Indian batsman applied himself and tried to dominate the proceedings. All that was required was somewhat positive approach from the Indians. Had someone attacked the bowling from the start, the result could have been much different. Our batters allowed the Bangladeshi bowlers get into a rythm and dominate. Much has been made out of the innings that Ganguly played. I agree that his innings gave the Indian total some respectability but he is equally to be blamed for the dismal performance of the team. In both the matches, Ganguly has been amongst the runs but still he does not look confident. He is miles away from his flamboyant best. Runs are not flowing from his blade and he is fighting for each run. He is giving an impression that he is trying to build his innings by being cautious and that is not what an opener is supposed to do. An opener is supposed to give a momentum to the innings. To make the matter worse, Ganguly (like always) has been running poorly between the wickets and has been unable to rotate the strike. Runs do matter but those should fit into the overall interest of the team. I personally think that Ganguly played a major role in creating pressure for India in the match against Bangladesh.

The second match was a delight to watch. After the first match, India needed to win both the matches in the league phase and that too with a good net run rate. Well, half the battle has been won. India ripped apart Bermuda's inexperienced bowling attack. It was good to see, Virendra Sehwag back amongst the runs. He played like the old Viru, we all know. Ganguly "walked" to his 89 where as Sehwag, Yuvi and Sachin "galloped"!!! The pain point is the bowling. If we are allowing Bermuda to score 150+ then imagine what can Srilanka, with the likes of Jayasuriya, Sangakara and Jayawardane can do to us. I think that India must play Irfan Pathan in the next match.

Let us all wish our boys all the best and pray for an Indian victory. We have to win the match and win it convincingly to ensure that Bangladesh doesnt catch up on net run rate in the last match of the league, i.e, Bangladesh Vs Bermuda. If somehow Bangladesh wins the match against Srilanka then nothing like it. Now thats called the optimism and wishful thinking of an Indian Cricket Fan!!!!

Horn Please

Honking in hyderabad, and I am sure in many places, has a taxonomy of its own.Its funny that you never realise that you can honk different honks as well.

Honk 1: Bep (a short burst of the horn) almost like a positioning system, saying I am here, usually used when the car in front you is rolling back on you on an incline

Honk 2: Bep Bep Bep A string of short bursts: I am over taking you slowly, so if you have plans to change lanes, chill for a few seconds, till the beps stop

Honk 3: Beeeeeeeep: Get the fuck out of my way. Else, I am going to beep the hell out of you.

Honk 4: Beep Beep Beep Beep: No reason, I just like honking kinda like a preemptive strike

Honk 5: Beep Beep: I know that we are stuck in traffic, let me just release some angst

Honk 6: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee......: Sorry, fell asleep on the steering

Courtesy:Bond...Bala Bond

My answer to the comment on "Mob Censorship: What are we scared of?"

Mr Upadhyay, I cannot agree more to your point that there are not many movies showing the problems of the "majority community" (as you put it). But even if there are no movies to show the problems faced by "Kashmiri Hindu Migrants", it does not give us a right to stop anyone from watching a movie that deals with problems faced by others. And, I do not know why we are deviating from the topic. The focus is not upon the "victim" but the "system". If something is wrong then it is wrong, irrespective of the religion, cast, race etc of the victim. The point that I tried to put across was that we should be OPEN to look at all the viewpoints. If you have a closer look at my original blog, I have talked about the movie "Water" too. Now, that is a movie dealing with the HINDU (Your "majority community") widows. When someone tries to show the problems faced by the Hindus, we try to stop them too. And we do it as we are scared and do not want to change the system, how much so ever rotten it may be. Since we are talking about movies, I will quote a dialogue from the movie "Swades", which I agree with, "Our country is not great but we have the potential to make it great". And for that to happen, we will have to change the system and do away with our myopic vision.

Comment on "Mob Censorship: What are we scared of?"

Mr Amit Upadhyay from Hyderabad has the following comment;

"Rightly said Mr Animesh but dont you feel that these movies show only one side of the whole situation.Now thats what we called 'Secularism' or 'Minority Appeasement'.Whether its indian politics or Media they dont want to show/support any reality related to the atrocities done on the majority community(read HINDU).Whether its godhra/mumbai riots or the situation of Kashmiri Hindu migrants, you hardly find any one raising his/her voice for them.The Kashmiri migrants are staying in slums and there situation is more like a refugee in his own country.You will hardly find any 'Human Rights group' coming in support for them.Human Rights in India means minority rights.If a militant is killed by our armed forces ,they come in support of that militant asking for compensation and inquiry for the killing but if some army jawaans or innocent non muslims are attacked you hardly find any support for them."

Mob Censorship: What are we scared of?

Whenever a new movie dealing with a subject closer to reality comes, it gets into troubled waters. Political parties, activitists, so-called social groups wear the hat of moral police and attack the theatres. They justify this stupid act by saying that the subject of the movie is offensive to the Indian culture or the movie is based on incidents which are not true. But do they actually intend to safeguard the culture and society? I do not think so.

Any incident that occurs in India which attracts national attention, there would be someone or the another trying to gain mileage out of it. We can take the recent example of the movie, Parzania. Its a movie about the trauma a parsi family faces during the Gujarat riots. Now here is a movie based on true incident which people should know about. But still mobs attacked the theatres and banned the screening of the movie in Gujarat. The reason had nothing to do with culture or moralities. It was done to save the face of the state government.

A few years back, shooting for Deepa Mehta's "Water" met the same fate when Hindu activists destroyed the sets, as the movie deals with the sorry plight of Hindu widows. Come on.....What are we scared of? Are our roots so weak that a movie would shake them up? Moreover, where is our right to freedom of expression? And we take pride in calling ourselves the largest democracy!!!!!

We should get a chance to look at the various perspectives, to be able to judge and make an opinion about something. Who are these political parties and activists to decide whats good or bad for us? Somebody has made a movie; Go watch it if you want to or just sit at home. No one is compelling anyone. If I want to watch a movie like Parzania to get a flavor of the reality, I definitely deserve a chance.

Nice picture, isn't it? It was taken on one lonely afternoon at Hyderabad (30th April 2006 to be precise) from the terrace of my place. It kinda reflects the state of my life too....Though I am surrounded by problems galore but I am still there....and I will come out.

Hello Readers, I am Back!!!!

I am back after being out of action for three weeks. I was off due to a personal emergency. From now onwards, I promise to be regular in blogging.

I had been to Delhi and the weather over there was in contrast to the hot weather at Hyderabad. It was quite cold but believe me guys, Delhi looks really beautiful in winter mornings.

Before leaving I had given my predictions on India's WC squad (see below). Though, I was bang on target with my predictions, I do feel that there are some gaps in the side. I feel that the newly laid pitches at the carribeans will offer assistance to the spinners and thus, Ramesh Powar should be on the plane, instead of Munaf Patel. Sreesanth's form in one dayers is also questionable but he gives his 100% on the field and could be pretty effective on his day. Plus, he is a good fielder.

Even with the gaps, India has a good and balanced side and would do well in West Indies. Lets cheer our boys and help them bring home the glory.

INDIA....INDIA....INDIA

Come March 2007 and the whole nation will come to a standstill. People will forget about their problems, productivity in offices will go down, producers will hesistate from releasing their movies, products will come up with fancy advertisements and guys will have the full control over the TV. That is because the "baap" of all cricketing events is starting in early March. And it will go till end of April!!!!! so guys, lots of fun coming our way.

Everyone is busy doing their own analysis, making strategies, selecting a team. Everyone in India can Bat and is also a cricket pandit. I am no different. Since World Cup is round the corner, I thought I (like everone else) will help the selectors make a decision by picking my list of 15 players. Though I must say that it is a tough task. West Indies have built some new stadiums and most pitches are brand new. If I were to believe the statements of the West Indian officials then "no one" knows how will the pitch behave. So it is going to be difficult to pick the team, especially the bowlers. But do not worry guys, I am here. Here is my XV;

1. Robin Uthappa
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Sourav Ganguly
4. Rahul Dravid
5. Yuvraj Singh
6. Virendra Sehwag
7. Mahinder Singh Dhoni (He should be promoted up the order if we get a good start)
8. Irfan Pathan
9. Ajit Agarkar
10. Zaheer Khan
11. Anil Kumble

Others: Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, S.Sreesanth

I think, the above mentioned is the final team that will travel to the WC and to a large extent this is the right combination. A couple of players like Ramesh Powar and Gautam Gambhir are likely to miss the bus even after some good performances. Gambhir has been inconsistent and the conditions at West Indies generally does not suit spinners, ruling out Powar. There are good chances that both these players may not make it to the caribbeans but a lot depends upon the performances of Virendra Sehwag and Munaf Patel in the Srilankan series. Powar deserves a chance though, on expense of Munaf Patel. I would go with Virendra Sehwag instead of Gambhir.

Some sense has finally prevailed amongst the 5 wise men of Indian cricket and they righthly dropped Suresh Raina after a series of dismal performances. Talent is never enough; it has to be backed by good performances. If Raina does not get his act straight soon, he will go the Hrishikesh Kanitkar way.

So guys, I took care of the tough part. Now you guys help me with the easy part. Lets CHEER for the Men in Blue. Something tells me that we are in for a special treat. In all probability (you never know with Sachin), it will be Sachin's last World Cup. I am sure he will sign off in style.

And we have the winning combo.....11 PLAY & A BILLION PRAY......after all, a billion prayers cannot be easily denied!!!!

Superman

When I think of him, the words that immediately come in my mind are loving, emotional, kind, honest, self-respectful and strength of character. Since my childhood I have always admired him. He is a man with a great personality.

During my childhood, We hardly got a chance to stay with each other. And during those days, I used to be so scared of him that I never tried to understand the person he is and how much he loves me.

Times have changed and we are more of friends now. We discuss anything and everything under the sun, much to the amusement of my friends. I have always looked up to him. He has always been there as my pillar of strength. Its always a great feeling to have someone to back you whenever you are making a decision. I know that if things go wrong, some people will stay by my side and most will abandon me........but he will definitely be there to support me and pull me out. He is my Superman.....he is my dad. I love you papa, more than anything and anyone and you know that.

Its a SIX...straight into a billion hearts!!!!!

Dhoni is confidence personified. The kind of shots he plays speaks a lot about the man. These shots make every cricket coach and "cricket pandit" scratch their head with disbelief. He is fearless and has his own style. When in full flow, he is quite a sight.

I personally believe that the team is wasting his talent by pushing him down the order. Players like Dhoni (There are not many) are good because of their hand eye coordination and they like the ball to come on the bat, which happens at the beginning of the innings.

But, we do need a explosive player down the order. Virendra Sehwag has been picked for the Srilankan series. He, after getting dropped from the Indian Team had one good game against Haryana but he still made it to the side. That clearly gives a hint that selectors/team management wants Viru in the World Cup side. I do not question that thinking since even I believe that we need Virendra Sehwag in the WC team. With his current form and level of confidence, Sehwag should play lower down the order. He is very good against the spinners and he can be destructive in the slog overs.

Now with Sehwag possibly filling the position of a destructive player lower down the order, I think Dhoni should be sent on one-down position (It certainly does depend upon the situation though. If it is a slow track, if the ball is swinging around or if India has lost the opening wicket cheaply, then Dravid is certainly the man). That way, Dhoni will get more balls to set himself in and then start "his business". On his day (and on his kinda pitch), he can be rip apart any bowling attack and make any captain look towards the skies for ideas. We need big runs from Dhoni's bat to have a chance in the "Big Daddy" of all cricketing events.

Dhoni's shots may not come from any cricket manual, but they definitely come from the heart.....or I should say....a billion hearts.