The league of the extraordinary managers..

The life of a manager of a top premier league team is tough.Each have their qualities,but the common goal of winning comes to a select few,and that too after a load of hard work.The big four of the Premier league no longer exists,its more of a top six now.And while we wait,we all see the wile and guile of the team managers.

Arsene Wenger is having a tough time since that League Cup final loss to Birmingham.The dreams of a quadruple faded in the rubble that was caused by knockout defeats to Barca and United in the CL and FA Cup,the season began with important players like Nari,Fabregas and Clichy leaving,and Wenger was listless to get replacements that ended up in them getting hammered 8-2 to a powerful United side.They bought players of unproven talent rather than tried and tested due to their financial constraints.They
barely managed to scrape through to the CL group stages,courtesy to a wasteful Udinese side.Wenger has a lot to prove and ponder upon this season.

The other London club also have seen a lot.Eliminated by United in the CL and Everton in the FA cup.Chelsea took out the trash with firing the listless Ancelotti and getting in the colorful Andre Villas Boas.Out went the deadwood.In came Romeu,Mata, Meireles and Lukaku,and a blossoming Sturridge.Fernando Torres needed direction and Villas Boas looked just the man having won the treble with Porto.Although it will take time for him to make the pride of London champions again.

Now with the team that has seen it all-the brink of administration,board trouble,revolving door of managers,lack of funds,controversial transfers,swindling ownership to transformation to a top side again,they found stability with Kenny Dalglish up front-again as manager.He is not one for tactics or analysis,he is more better as a man manager,and his future shall ride much with the expensive commodities
in Downing,Carroll,Suarez and of course Stevie G.He has a good team but we need to see how far can King Kenny go with his colorful squad.

Now to Manchester.First the City.Almost spending half a billion in players since coming in,the mega rich side with Roberto Mancini leading them has shown that money still rules the game.Mancini's Italian grounding is seen with his teams stubborn defense,although new buys of Aguero and Nasri may make them a deadly front in attack,although they still lack a cohesive unity as seen when Bayern dismantled them in Munich.Mancini has an expensive squad ,but in no way will the road be easy for him.

His main challenge will be from none other than the legendary SAF-the imperialistic Scot who has fulfilled his word when he toppled Liverpool with their league win last season.Although the Barcelona side got them into submission in Europe for the second time in three years,The Scotsman is now making a squad that will challenge not just in England but also in Europe.No trophy is safe from his clutches while he still manages the Red Devils.

Finally,back to London,where the gambling,bumbling and oft fumbling Harry Redknapp.Having tasted European pinnacle in Champions league, Real Madrid
attached a ball and chain when they were cruising in their orbits.Having beaten the two Milan sides in engaging contests,the European adventure took a toll,which is why they failed to get in to the top four.Although losing badly to the Manchester sides may have caused doubts whether they can get back into the top four,buys and loans of Scott Parker and Adebayor have made sure they will have a say in who wins the league,and with arch rivals Arsenal faltering,Harry has a battle in hand to fight off Liverpool for the last CL spot.Although with the influential Modric staying,
Harry just might get 'lukay'...

The battle rages on...

New kids of the continental block..

Apparently after a world cup performance in which no other team from South America could go even to the semis,Uruguay held guard.If not for Diego Forlans bad luck it might have been Uruguay versus Spain rather than the Dutch-Spanish brawl.

Truly out-shined in the number and quality of stars from the big boys-Brazil and Argentina,Uruguay had a modest few in Suarez,Forlan and Cavani.Unlike Argentina who have an embarrassment of riches up front and Brazil having a number of stars,it was the smaller teams from the Latin continent that shone.The Brazilian trident of Pato ,Neymar and Ganso fell flat,while Messi showed he had not exorcised his demons in playing for his country.In fact just how Argentina fail again and again in spite of producing some of the best ball players of the 21st century is amazing to say the least.Nonetheless Uruguay had discipline and that separated them from the others.While Chile and Paraguay relied on team spirit and fans.Uruguay mixed technique with discipline.Muslera had his defense to thank-a unit comprising of Lugano,Caceres ,Coates ,Godin and Fucile aptly distributed the possession to the midfield.The likes of Gargano and Peirera maintained the balance between attack and defense perfectly.Up front the holy trident made sure the opponent were never at ease.While you never know how good you are if you beat the best,they showed their class with beating sides like Argentina and the tenacious Peru side.A wise coach in Oscar Tabarez,the forwards marauded the opponents with Forlans immaculate skill and vision,Luis Suarez hard work ,and the power of the demonic Edinson Cavani.
Forlan sacrificed his position to more of a play-maker and let loose the rockets from midfield.He had championship inheritance it seemed ,as both his father and grandfather won the title previously,Luis Suarez was undoubtedly the champion who helped his country to victory.
It was one victory the small South American side could cherish for some time when the game was dominated by the two giants.The underdogs strikes back!

The Super Marios

One is a much maligned and underrated goal poacher.Another was the co-architect of Borussia Dortmunds league glory.Another is the enfant terrible of Italian football.All three have somehow or the other raised their status as future greats.
The super Marios.

While Mario Gomez is not really young,he is one of those late bloomers who hit their peaks in their late twenties.He is a goal hungry panther whose goals come in multiples rather than consistently.He was almost regarded as a flop after his arrival to Bayern and was about to be offloaded to Liverpool before his sale was cancelled and given another chance.And boy did he grab his chance.A Bayern side faltering after missing its two champions Ribery and Robben,they found inspiration in this lethal weapon that scored more freely than Messi or Ronaldo.He doesn't have turf burning pace like C.Ronaldo,nor does he have the physical presence to intimidate defenders like Drogba,but he scores like there will be no tomorrow.A staggering 42 goals single-handedly carried FC Hollywood to a champions league spot.In the current season he has already scored 18.How Liverpool must be ruing that they missed out on him.

Mario Goetze is the other super mario from Bundesliga.A young Bundesliga side based on German discipline,the young playmaking forward.Together with the more defensive minded Sahin he formed a midfield that reeked of quality.Aptly supporting the other stars in Shinji Kagawa ,Nuri Sahin ,Lucas Barrios.At his teens ,he has a better record than the contempory greats when at their age in C.Ronaldo and Lio Messi.In his last season he has scored 8 goles and racked up 16 assists.Dortmund must nurture his genius rather than let him be poached by an Arsenal or a Bayern Munich before he reaches his peak.At 5'7" ,he has at lot of growing up to do both in terms of physical attribute and game vision.

Finally its the Super Mario in Manchester.Although he is known more for the frequent faux pas and controversy,Mario Balotelli's talents are undoubted.He is a maverick genius,who gets carded after scoring a hat-trick due to his overzealous spirit.He his one who bites more than he can chew,and gets under the opponents skin too often.He is a future talisman for the mega rich club in Manchester,although he may require to control his emotions on the field to render his game to flourish.A forward who has all the qualities-pace height power and technical skill,he needs to work on his game for the long term good,by knuckling down and work hard.

End of an era..

When Tendulkar and Ganguly opened the one day innings much to the delight of a billion fans,how many fancied the scrawny no.3 to be their idols??


The answer is shamefully simple.No one.
Everybody loved Ganguly ruling the spinners and dominating the off side.Tendulkar's genius was second to none.But how many matches has this no.3 won for the country?
No one cares.Because he is not flashy.He does not have a strike rate of 150+.He is your test match player.Not suited to the pace of the shorter version of the game.
But now that this no.3 retired,why are the pundits worried about the fragile batting lineup?


Its because that's what the team shall miss now on - the sense of security and calm when this no.3 batsman-probably the best ever is gone.
The man who lived in the shadow of the above named.The man who saw through tough times and tight games.The man who bowled,kept wickets and took some incredible catches.The man known as Rahul Dravid.

His ODI retirement was no surprise considering his age.But then age was never under consideration when a batsman of 35+ is called over and over again to protect a fragile batting lineup.His call ups to the champions trophy and the abysmal England tour can lay proof to that idea.Whenever our opening Gods-Sachin ,Sehwag and Ganguly failed,Dravid stood up and saw through the innings.In fact his calming influence helped them to play with freedom.He held on while it was the yuvrajs and dhonis who took the chances.He was the concrete wall who milked and frustrated the opponent bowling attack.He always was there to save the day.

We talk about the number of centuries from Sachin Sehwag and Ganguly.While Rahul hasn't scored many,his innings should be measured with respect to the circumstances.He rarely faced the new ball,which has more bounce and easier to go after.The number of times he has finished the game is astonishing.The greatest team of the decade-the aussies,hated bowling to him because of his stubborn defense.Very irritating if the batsman you were bowling in the opening session where you dismantled the top order,and yet he is still there with the tail.
His partnerships with another underrated great Laxman have been magical.Its like magic when those two bat.One perfectly suits the others game.The perfect foil.The ying to the yang.

His one day stats do not reveal the hard work he put in every kind of surface.Whether its pace ,bounce ,slow or low ,turning or seaming , no pitch could unravel him.His technique was such he was immune to the malevolent nature of the pitch.Whether its concrete strip in Perth or a coal mine at Kanpur.Critics slammed him for his strike rate.While 'notable' cricket experts like Sanjay Majrekar could rebuke the other batting greats for no getting the job done,Dravid was teflon,his consistency was an incredible riposte.His centuries were rare,due to his batting attributes that marked him a test specialist.But they always came in important situations.Together with the other batting greats,he was one of the pillars of Fabulous five that gave India many priceless moments in the modern age of cricket.He was a batting plinth
- the architecture that defined the greatness of this current team.He was a rare gem and his value was more to the opponents he defied than the fans.

Goodbye Steve...

I first heard his name when the i-phone was launched.As I grew older,Steve Jobs was the name talked about by every geeky pal of mine.He had been a living legend in the 21st century and I wondered why the overlords make sure to snatch the good guys away from the world.


At a time when Microsoft and Bill Gates were household names,Steve Jobs had been modest throughout his glowing career.MacIntosh Computers and Apple were not heard often due to the inundated monopoly of the former in my country.
He was no engineer,not a programmer.Nor did he graduate in any specific field.
He was this visionary,an entrepreneur with a way of thinking that was probably far ahead of the time.His inventions have not only revolutionized the digital world, but have created a field that one may have only imagined couple of decades ago.
It is not common knowledge that Jobs was not just inventor of the i-tech,but he also had the courage to introduce the mouse technology that revolutionized GUI computers.
He had also revolutionized the animation field since he was with Pixar.
He had been one of the few who had been there,done that.


He had won a number of distinctions in his life.Fortune magazine listed him among the most powerful persons among the world.He was awarded the National Medal of technology in his younger days.He was in the California hall of fame.In September 2011, Jobs was ranked No.17 on Forbes The World's Most Powerful People.He was a one of his kind.He brought a sea change in the field of business and technology,and had the acumen to combine the two to give a new generation of marketing technological devices.
His genius was unbridled , and vision unparalleled.

But nothing can be taken away from his courage to fight the most dreaded disease of mankind.A rare cancer of the pancreas,was threatening him as he grew frail each day.But he fought back.Created one novelty after another.The i-pod was just the beginning.In came the i-touch and the i-phone.With newer versions more better and amazing than the former,he had created a magical digital market.Apple was modest in its beginnings and in moniker.But it was really stark in contrast with its market.Steve Jobs had created a corporate mega demon in the technology market.
Alas,his health was beginning to betray.Even his shareholders were concerned.He was not to be stopped,however.With time not on his side,he gave us the tablet i-pad and i-phone 4.He was a perfectionist.His business skills were shrewd and simple.He was known to be notoriously demanding,but then for perfection you cant slack off.


His work made him a renowned figure in the world of computers.And also off it.
He will be missed.


Although for Steve Jobs that's probably a huge understatement.

Everybody wants to rule the world.

Why do you think the country has gone to the Dogs?


When i was watching Sanjay Dutts 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai' the other day,one thing hit me.When Mahatma Gandhi was fighting for independence,he had envisaged a utopian society that would blindly follow his principles.Well if he was alive,he would have said 'Woe is me!'
I am a big Myth geek.Apparently if you have read enough of the legends and history of India,you will gain an unassailable sense of right and wrong.Every damned Dilton Doiley from the library would be a monk.When my family made me imbibe their values on me,I was a mere blank slate.
But now as I read more crap from modernism and other progressive ideas,I begin to challenge what I knew and loath my values of my origin.I imbibe the foreign and vainly integrate them in my way of life.That,to make a statement.And now that I realise it,Its all bulls***.Whether its the Occident or the Orient,nothing is perfect.
Not even my nation.

Lets start with the youth.
Shashank Mahapatro is a 21 year old rebel.He is a wannabe techie who is looking to go for an MBA after his degree
and get out the nation.To his friends he is tech savvy,womanizing,bike riding,
bingeing sassy 'Apna dude'.
He is Sassy M.He loves his Apache RTR,he has the oomph factor.From irctc to wikipedia.org he has an account in almost every imaginable registration
enabled website.He loves watching TV shows that are broadcast in Sitar World.He also likes the booty shaking in BH1.
He is a fan of Guns and Roses and has been taking guitar lessons from tutorial videos.He also has a blog way more awesome than this one.[who am I kidding?]
He is awesomeness redefined.His family spent millions in trying to get a good son.All they get is a badass suave charmer who wants to leave the country.
This was the same kid who loved playing cricket and supported India no matter what.He has now switched allegiances to football.
He supports Barcelona.Messi is now his God.His views are now more global rather than bound by territorial lines.

Now with the Culture.
Long gone are the days when television meant good shows with good taste,and one which always were in sync with the culture of the country.Reality TV is now the name of the game.With shows that challenge the extremes.Bike and car stunts,action stunts are all rage.TV shows you can enjoy are now ones where you can be peeping Toms to celebrity lives for months.Dangerous stunts hit the gong in TRP ratings.
Baba Ramdev doing a lionsault from a pedestal after being chased by police is a big hit in News channels and in the internet streaming videos.
Satya Sai's death causes a riot in the news channels to determine who shall lead his organization.His death was saddening to one and many,
someone I knew said that part of them died when they heard it.But of course its all fodder for the press and media.They talk about accountability
when they henpeck a government official into a scam.Who is accountable for the trash they broadcast into the idiot box?
News channels pretend to be the messiah for a new world and broadcast almost anything to get attention.The rich getting richer.Poor getting poorer.
One corrupt leader follows another.The bengali idiom 'thug bachhte gaan ujaar' holds good.Millions are poured in the pockets of the greedy.A huge amount of national wealth is claimed as black money.Governments come and go,but inflation soars and so do the taxes.Not just in the constitutional machine.In sports.In business.No longer are film stars held in a Godlike status.The smallest Faux Pas is a subject of crucifixion.People love a riches to rags story rather than a rags to riches story.That because people are to jealous of each other.Much easy to tear apart the good guys rather than cherish their good work and use it for some inspirational motivation.People want the easy way.
Work less,earn more.Money is the name of the game.My way or the highway.Fundamentalism.People question everything these days - morales,values,
honesty and even God.

The name of the Tears for fears song comes to mind:
"Everybody wants to rule the world."

Bong Lyrics

Sei byathar Sesh belae...tumi chole gele jagath cherde..
Sei dukhher
Sesh belae..tumi chole gele buke chidro kore..
Sei alukhune Sesh belae... tumi chole galo amay chere..
Din gulo jano swapner moto chokher samne bhase..
Or cricket ball r tennis racquet ta jhola sei garager ak kone..
Schooler panchil topke cinema ghore bose..
Kinba godhulir samne paromar r paromitar hath hathe diye..
Sesh belae..
Tomar chhara jibonta jano kalo sada tei anka..
Tumi je chhile rong r tuli haathe palette bhora..
Suman dar bike niye jodi tumi na beriye jete..
Amra fer miltaam sei..Sei Aghotoner..
sesh belae..

The Cup.

It took almost the better portion of three decades to win it.So long.But it was worth it.As our MSD helicoptered Kulasekara over the fence,one billion dreams finally came true.


Truly it was the coup.Fours years ago,A team returned home utterly devastated and tarnished for all eternity.It was a team individual champions but one which lacked a team spirit ,and that had been intoxicated in its own pride and vanity.A team of swollen heads,as a coach from Down Under referred had groups.A massive shakeup was needed.And so it happened.Heads rolled.Leaders changed.And an obscure left handed opener was brought in.Along came a mental conditioner too,apparently to change the mindset of a perennially pressurized playing squad.

But it was in the T20 WC 2007 in South Africa where we uncovered our first piece of jewel,not the trophy,but a leader in the form of MS Dhoni.In Australia we found out
wily pacers like Praveen Kumar and mirror image of Dravid in Gambhir.
Tendulkar finally exorcised his demons and went on a century spree.Sehwag found the strength in his shoulders.Yuvraj worked harder on his game and Zaheer was fighting fit.Voila!A champion team was ready.

Such is the level of sport these days with the advancements of technology in training disciplines,that there were no clear favorites.India were under pressure anyway,so being at home meant home pitches more than baying crowds who demand a boundary every ball.Nevertheless there were always going to be stumbling blocks on the road to becoming of champions.

The blocks were huge anyway.Flat pitches meant the likes of SreeSanth and Nehra could not be cut any slack,and as a result runs flowed from the adversary batsmen.
While Bangladesh were battered,Ireland vanquished and The Netherlands were conquered,it became evident that the bowling was a tad undercooked to face good batsmen in flat feather beds.As in the other results it showed.
South Africa showed their tenacity by shocking the home side.While the lowly England one day side,buoyed by their consecutive Ashes victories managed a tie.Only against the Windies did the bowling department show any sign of improvement.

Lessons were learned quickly,and the team were ready for the quarter finals.
Battles with Australia and Pakistan followed and it was worth every penny of the tickets.The Oz fought fiercely as they usually do,but MSD's men stood their ground.
The under fire bowling restricted a powerful Aussie lineup to a manageable total and although the batting looked shaky against the pacy quartet of Lee,Johnson Tait and Watson,Yuvraj and Raina made it to the finishing line.Ponting's
century made him only the tragic hero.India avenged Ponting whose century had sent India's cup chance in 2003 over the fence.Eight years of pain were totally worth it.

It was the semi-final and Pakistan were waiting.The shrewd Afridi worked wonders with his uncanny attack and put India in a lot of bother.But it was the dropped catches of Tendulkar that was bewitching.Fate,we gasped.But it was plain Pakistani butterfingers.Nevertheless Sachin was dismissed after he got the job done.The onus was now on Zaheer and co.And no one who bowled disappointed.Everybody picked up a brace of wickets.That put a lot of pressure on Misbah and Hafeez.Seemed like everybody struck gold that day.Zaheer,Bhajji even Yuvraj had magic in their fingers.
Even a struggle from Umar Akmal would be vain.The Arch rivals were brought down.

It was the day of reckoning.Against a formidable side no less.Sri Lanka had been another of those bogey sides.But battles against tough rivals like Australia ,Pakistan and South Africa had shown the fiber of of the team.
Zaheer Khan got one early,but Jayawardena would notch a century that oozed class.It was brilliant especially in such demanding conditions.
275 was the target and Malinga struck early.Sehwag was caught in action plumb in a lazy attempt.In came the man who had honed his skills to Dravidian levels.He missed his ton,but he got the job done with the self promoted skipper.He was helped by Virat Kohli who was calm and assuring.In came the prince with a point to prove.But his king had done it for him already.Crucified for being useless with the bat the entire tournament,he showed his potency in an extreme pressure situation.
The scores came closer and then it was only a matter of time before the likes of the retiring Murali could only watch.It was clever Kulasekara who chanced his hand for a bit of magic with the ball.We could all feel it.Will Mahi do the helicopter to sign off??Or will he trudge for another comprehensive run??
Will he , or wont he??

And it he went all Leonardo da Vinci over it.In engineering that is.Not art.
The Captain pulled off a miraculous coup to hand the country the beloved Cup.

And the emotions.
Yuvraj cried.Bhajji bawled.My neighbour Mr.Chakraborty howled and danced in joy his balcony.For a dozen years we saw the Aussies hold the trophy,it was our time.
Sachin was paraded.He won the trophy he had never won.And in his twilight.Talk about late bloomers.While Virat Kohli in his young years delivered the perfect one day swansong speech for Sachin:"he has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders." Gautam Gambhir dedicated the victory to victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.Yuvraj the much maligned maverick was adjudged man of the tournament for his all round performance-the perfect answer to the critics who flipped him the bird.Kirsten became the venerable training God.

Reverence ,riches and rewards followed.But it was immaterial to the pride that emanated in winning the ultimate trophy of the game that had been embedded in the DNA of every Indian.
It was redemption.
It was the dream coming true.
It was the cup.

The hand knitting machine...

The November afternoons were usually tough for Kunal.He had more homework to do because of all his pre-exam class tests.The days were short,so less time to play cricket in his courtyard.But worse,since winter was peeking,and his cricketing skills had to be sharper because the ball hurt whenever he heaved for a shot over his favorite mid-wicket,and missed when the ball hit him in his knees et al.It really hurt.So he thought.Minto Singh's delivery really corked him in his groyne that day.


Kunal's mother would be busy with her knitting machine.It was a hand knitting model,not the motorized one.It could sew and knit wool.It was her dream gift from Mr.Reddy,for she always craved herself one of these.She said that these are God's gift to women.Although she was miffed by her more sophisticated friends in their kitty parties.
They often were condescending as the Reddy's was extremely well to do, and she was looked at jeeringly,all because of that stupid machine - if you could ask Mr.Reddy.
Kunal's mom would not be riled.She was the calmest soul in the whole of Kanchan Towers.She was rarely seen upset,she was spriteful,no less than Mr.Reddy himself,kept busy by government duties.A civil servant,he raised the class of the entire block.Kunal's mother was an apostle of grace and beauty.Mr.Khanna's wife still rebukes the poor man,because he inadvertently told her how nice she was and she could learn a thing from her in an argument.She tore into him,and now the Reddy's can't figure out why the Khanna's from second floor dont see eye to eye with them.

Kunal's mother's hobbies were innumerable-philately,a brief stint as a florist in a botanical garden,photography,designing,decorating.She had her husbands money,but she rarely asked for anything fancy.She took gifts under protests.
-"Ab Iski kya zaroorat hain?"
It was her default response.She was into crafts,she was immensely skilled in many.Little does anyone in Kanchan Towers knew that such an arty and hallowed woman had a masters degree in a subject as tough as Statistics.This woman was a genius in the form of a caring mother and wife.She was offered a job from a renowned college abroad,but her love for Kunal and hobbies meant she was never going to take it.Such a waste-again,if you ask Mr.Reddy.He always wanted the best for his family,for he had no other to take care of,his parents were long gone,and all he desired was to keep the family happy.
Kunal hated her machine.His mother would be busy with the wool for hours,and he was stunned because his mother enjoyed the monotony-apparently.
He wanted to play with the rotor and dragged it from one end to the other in full pace,till the knitwork got damaged,and Kunal's mother arrived just in time to save further damage to the fabric frame.He had his number one enemy,since all October her mother knitted away the pink scarf for Ravi's aunt,then she was busy with Mona kaki's wool-cap,and now it was time Karan's mothers sweater.He wanted his milk shake but she told him to go play and she would be ready with it when he came back.He hated it.He wanted the taste of the milk chocolate before playing,because Sehwag played better with it,if you watch TV.


He was almost at breaking point.It had been a fortnight since he hit the ball over midwicket.The other kids knew his weakness.They efficiently used their pace on the ball to good effect when he left his wickets unprotected for a heave.No matter how hard he heaved,he rarely made good contact,and much to the jeers of his opponents,he failed miserably.But Minto went overboard with his mockery.Although Kunal's mom could see all this overlooking the window in her machine,she was unperturbed.Kids and their ways...




-"Sucker"
-"watch it...this time over the midwicket"
-"With your technique?In your dreams.."
-"hmgrrr"
-"Ley babu lolipop!"
-"Unghh..tch!"
-"HAHAHAHAH"
-"here's mah doosra!"
-"Unghh..tchhh!"
-"HAHAHAHAH"
-"You are all @#$%....you are bowling way too fast!"
-"But you are #$%@ as well...and you suck!"


The language.The tempers.The mockery.The stupid machine that made his mom busy.No super milk chocolate.No heave over midwicket.It was getting to Kunal,who had the emotional equivalence of a match stick or Tinker Bell,whichever is less.


-"Keep bowling you pompous dog.."
-"Unghh..tch!...ARRRRGGG!!!My knee!"
-"HAHAHHAH"


-"You really suck..."
-"Bowl...you ...%$%!@"
-"Unghh..Ahhh!!!!!!!!"


That one was really fast.And the ball hit his groyne.Kunal had his dad's temper.It was kept under check more often than not by his mother,but his mom was too busy for that testing week for Kunal.Minto mocked him,jeered him,which made Mrs.Khanna from her balcony smirk at his wanting quality .This one was fast and hit in a place hard which made Kunal cry,but so lousy was his batting that everybody were laughing.

-"You ##$!"

Kunal wanted to kill Minto.He thumped him in his face.Then he grounded him.He went for the nose,the cheek,and the left eye.He wanted him to feel his pain.Gully Cricket was never sporting.It generated more anger than good cricketers.

"Kunal!"


It was a powerful shriek.It was not the amiable Mrs.Reddy.Kunal saw her,but he could not find his mother in her.Nobody could.She was furious and wasn't the ever smiling Mrs.Reddy people loved and a few hated.He was shocked.She never yelled.Even Mrs.Khanna choked on her coffee in the balcony.She slapped Kunal hard.She never hurt anybody.She shoved the other boys ways with her long forearms.It was a raging Mrs.Reddy that few wanted to face.A stunning silence followed a raucous climate in the nearby parents.She attended to Minto,who was bleeding and crying.She took her home.She put ointment in his bleeding scratches.She called his mother and sent him home.Everybody in the apartment were grounded for a week.But Kunal's punishment was harsher.She severely rebuked Kunal,took away his Gameboy,and his bat - which was useless anyway.Kunal cried.He cried even more when he was forced to swallow his pride and apologize to Minto.His dad punished him more.No TV.No comic books.He had used foul language-her own mother was witness,a serious offense in the Reddy family.Others did the same,he complained-and lo!No pocket money for arguing.He cried all night till he went to sleep.

His punishments had expired,but he did not go play.He was ashamed.After school,he sat in his fathers
armchair.Then he watched TV.It was that Sehwag ad again.He turned it off.
He saw his mothers machine on the other room.

It was dissembled.Kunal's mother was done with her knitting.
"Kunal..".
It was the smiling mother again.Her voice was acting like an analgesic to his grief from last week."Wear this..".He put it on.After a little fiddling he put it on.Kunal liked the smell of new wool.Turns out Karan's mother was so happy even with the flawed sweater - courtesy of Kunal,that she wanted one for her daughter.She was of the same stature as that of Kunal so she wanted him to try it on.It was a perfect fit.Kunal was pleased to see his mom smile at him again,although he was miffed that it was for Aanchal and not him.It was pink with a UNICEF layer that Kunal's mother cast in the sweater to give it an uber cool look.
-"Why don't you make anything for me??"
-"You must ask first,Kunal.
-"Okay..i want this."
-"Kun,its for Karan's sister!".She smiled.
-"Aw..so make a new one for me!"
-"Okay..but then get ready,we must go Aanchal's birthday party"
-"Karan didn't invite me...".He said with broken pride.Karan had teased him too.
-"But we all know why,don't we..?"
-"I am sorry mom,but they were egging me.."
-"Is that reason enough to use such language an bleed people??Not nice Kun.."
-"Sorry mom".He sincerely apologized.He never wanted to hurt his mothers pride.



The evening was happy for everybody.In three hours the boys forgot the ugliness of last week and had fun in Aanchal's birthday bash.Aanchal appreciated the sweater she got from Kunal.Kunal had grown fond of her.His mother saw it.
She was the weaver.Even the damaged goods looked good in her hands.She mended the sweater and she had also mended Kunal.

The night I shaved my pony tail...

"Dude,you were supposed to be on a date,how the hell did you end up in a police station ?"
It was 7:30.I was busy doing my assignment for Monday.I thought i had my hands full.
Well,i was wrong...
A while ago she had called.It was probably one of the worst calls i had got from her.
It was 7:20.I got a call from my friend Tea Suarez.
"Sean,you gotta do something,they roughed him in Jail..!Please do something...you are the only one i know who could help...i just cant call his home."
"What the heck???Okaaay..imma gonna see what i can do...just keep calm okay??"

Just as well,my best friend has the worst nightmare.Pretty much the worst I guess.
Trying to slip some green stuff by the side wont do no more these days.I would hate Roque if the news of him being jailed would reach his folks.For one,I loved his parents.For two,I don't know what the Mr.Don Bealle's family will go through when they hear his latest shenanigans.I called him up.Roque was shaken up.He had been stupid.Why do you wanna take your date to a park anyway?Wine,dine,cuddle and go home.Why the heck do you wanna slip the guard fifty bucks to lose it?I mean seriously,why?


"And were you actually caught in action when Ram Singh caught you?"
"Shut up ,dude...please help me..."
"Dude,you are not helping your cause.You caused a public offense,you beat up a guard,you are in a cell with cons,and Tea and your parents are worried."
"Sorry,but please..."
"Chill."

Not the first time Mr Roque Don Bealle found him in trouble.Yes pretty much the third time since his drinking spree.Although that was a juvenile offense his folks have no idea about.I said I will help,but I was out of plans really.
Then I got one.

"What the f*** are you doing in a salon??"
"Dude,wait up,why don't you flip your counter with the convicts next to you.."
"What up..man???I am in trouble and you aint coming..."
"Patience..."
"Moron...click!"

That was pretty heated up.?It was 8 O'Clock and i was still moaning about losing my mullet.Oh yes,Roque...lets go...

"I dunno T,I think I gotta call my parents..."
"Wait for him..."
"Son of a !@#$!!!"
"What???"
"I will call you later...he is here...!"


It was me.I could feel everybody gazing me.
I did well enough to get rid of my mullet,and dress up like Ravi's dad...
It was his clothes anyway...
"Inspector...I have been aware of my nephew's activities.I am totally sorry about it."
"Welcome sire,please sit...."
I had done my best to dress up as a lawyer.I even got the salon guy Ankit to streak up a strand of white to gimme that look.Roque was flummoxed when i winked at him.
"You look really young sire...An Uncle???"
"Yeah..generation gaps...you know..Look I am sorry that it happened.As a man of the law I believe in you,enforcers of the law.But in that regard please be soft on
the kid.His father is hitting his seventies.It wont be nice..you know..
"Totally sir..but please make sure..."
"Yes.I totally will make sure.And he will apologize at once."
"He needed a lot of spanking as a kid if you ask me..."
"How true.."
"Manke!!!"

My wry smile seemed to burn his thankful eyes.He apologized.His pride took a beating,but its always nice to get out...

"Dude...last time..get it...?"
"Totally man...you shaved your pony???You the best"
I knew I was.
"T!!"
They hugged.It was nauseating.
"I can proclaim you man and wife...if you want to legalize that.."
"Shut up Sean!"


Well,all's well that ends well.So bad story...I save the day.I lose my mullet.He gets the girl and they canoodle happily ever after..

My phone beeped.It was her again.
the message read-
'Thnk u
<3'
I turned around and saw them speed off.
I was happy too.

MSD.

Unlike the usual acronyms for explosives this one is figurative.
Yes.Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been nothing less than a kilo of TNT or RDX in the twenty two yard pitch.And we all know why,dont we?
The common dude:-
'He pummels the ball so hard that ball manufacturers have decided to fill the core of the cherry with lead.'
Even that wont be enough,some believe.And yes,the impact on the field that has hailed our Capitano as a cricketing great who believes in his muscles as much as his neurons[of steel,so to speak].
Truth is,he is not the brightest bloke on the cricket field.He is not really a cricketing super brain like the dude we had for a couple of years from Down Under.Well,he may have had his bad breaks,but the thing that Mahi is differentiated
w.r.t d(cricketer) is ='Initiative'.
I may have my Math wrong,But I do believe many of fellow partisans will say i am
damn right.The India Capitano has what it takes to come and bask himself in the spotlight.He is this rambunctious bull from Ranchi who calls a spade a spade and has no fear in charging the red flag.A matador who is street smart and has what players of yester years lacked from India.He acts,instead of doing.He springs into half chances and takes on the seemingly impossible-head on.


Mahi's statistics have defined him as one of the most successful [if not the most!] leaders of an Indian team.An awesome strike rate that defines the age of rocket science and T20 cricket.An average even Rahul Dravid would be proud of.And yes,his precocious goalie skills that put him in good steed in and as the wicket-keeper role.
He may not have innumerable hundreds like Sachin,but the countless times he has bludgeoned for just a single , curbing his style and playing for the team,he has in his game defined our Constitution-by the team,of the team,for the team.As captain he has won matches everywhere.His reign defined the numero uno era for the Indian tema in the ODI and Test rankings.Oh yes,we won a T20 Wc cup too!Come on dude,just feel the desire,win the ultimate prize-the 2011 WC,we are all behind you..Are we feeling it?...oh yes..we are...

If statistics reveal a lot,then MSD is our talisman.
If it does not,
then i shall refer to my very debut blog post.Period.

Spurs: Can you stand their heat?

After a crushing 3-1 second leg victory over Inter Milan in the group stage of the Champions league,Spurs had finally made their mark.Well,they actually did that a fortnight ago,but on that occasion,it was a loss that undermined the talented side that is Tottenham Hotspurs. No longer did their fans have to envy the Arsenal machine. They were now a side that tore down the Champions league holders. A part of the top four of the best league in the world-The Spurs of North London had finally made others feel the heat of their presence.
But it wasn’t a while ago when this Spurs side were literally struggling to keep pace with the top sides because they lacked the quality that comprises of the material that holds the silverware. They lacked match winners. But in time, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp and some quality investments, Spurs started to evolve. Players like Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and more recently a Real champion from Madrid-Rafael der Vaart.Along with the likes Jermaine Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko,Spurs were now ready to take on the big boys of Europe.They tackled the heavy spenders in Manchester City and just made it on the finish line of the Champions league – yes,they just made it.Thanks to a Peter Crouch goal,they retired from a gruelling season to know that they will compete with the finest.This added to the spike of the Spurs.For the beginning of the season,they have tormented sides both in England,and in Europe.Milan had been taken apart[who later won their fifth trophy of the year],Liverpool and Arsenal bit the AstroTurf-dirt.Although it must be said that what has been the decline of the big guns,has been the contrasting gain of Tottenham.Peter Crouch was an important part of Liverpool,William Gallas had been Arsenal’s gatekeeper and held his own there,but now belonged to the Spurs label.It was coming-the success story that is Tottenham Hotspurs.
It was not one dimensional-Spurs development into a reckoning force was had its facets in every department,in the Central midfield,the young Modric made the place his own , and aptly supported the Real reject in Rafael van der Vaart.Gareth Bale was quickly morphing himself into a lethal winger.And yes,the defense has suffered this season,but in spite of all the injuries and the victories with no clean sheets,Spurs did superlatively well to patch up their tattered defense.While many believe Gallas to be a rotting Arsenal spare chucked away,Harry Redknapp used him so well that he became their leader at the back and gave them the quality to fight in Europe.The goalie in Gomez has taken a beating thanks to an ever changing back line,but he has showed the class act he is in important ties.Aaron Lennon,Jermaine Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko have all lend their hand to Spurs cause.While Huddlestone and Palacios have yet to cover their development.Harry also is not one who is shy to spend in the time of necessity,players have been loaned out,and young Turks like Townsend and Sandro have been given debuts.
What Spurs need to complete the jigsaw is a solid defensive midfielder.The likes of another Real import like Lassana Diarra won’t be bad.Also they lack a striker.One whom we can rate near the class of Torres,Rooney or Tebhej[:)].And Luis Suarez fits the bill.Perfectly.A top four finish second time around is not unlikely,but it is ludicrous to think that Spurs can manage the financial clout of Manchester City or United.A few well filtered buys,and we shall see Spurs again in the top four.But for the fans,they could even fancy a title challenge.
And indeed,why not?Up Spurs!!![:D]

The million dollar ?

Cr7 or Lio?

Yes.That's the question.The most simplest hardest question.
No better euphemism.Its been raging for the last three years.
Since the time,the big three of footballing genius-Ricardo Kaka,Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo shared the Balon D'or podium,we knew after Kaka,these two would set the world of football on fire.Ronaldo has been burning the AstroTurf with pace and guile.While with Lionel Messi,its been mesmerizing to see him in action.Messi is like fiery firecracker,who shows his class and virtuoso in bursts of jaw dropping dribbling ability.Ronaldo is more of a ballistic missile and he is one of those whom one can make a team around.Messi is a magician,Ronaldo is an epitome of Herculean will that sans in the modern game.What Messi has skill in abundance,Ronaldo makes it up with will power second to none.Injuries have rendered Kaka unable to compete with these two,but the battle of being the best rages on between these two champions of the game.

But indeed can we compare these two?Who is better and by how much?
Not much if you ask me.To answer who we have to look at certain aspects that are in contrast to the normal statistics.
Ronaldo is a good couple of years older, but Messi has been more rapid in development.It can be attributed to the fact that Messi has been with the same club for nearly a decade,Ronaldo has moved on from the giants of Manchester-United.Although Ronaldo has done really well to gel in Madrid,it is no secret that when he was transferred to Real Madrid,he had left a team with whom he had developed a chemistry that would not be replicated in a single season in the Los Blancos.Barcelona's home grown talent Messi in turn has developed such a chemistry with his teammates from his youth ranks,that suffice to say can never be matched,regardless of how many training sessions Ronaldo has in the Madrid squad.
Messi is hot to handle - both individually and as a play-maker.Ronaldo has been gelling in the role of playmaker in recent times under Jose Mourinho.With Mou to catalyse his already elevated skills,Ronaldo has been improving his game and pushing the threshold of perfection.Both possess the ability of reality defying shots,and indomitable skills that cannot be matched.Apples and Oranges?

Recent seasons have seen Messi mystify the game with his effervescent display that Ronaldo has struggled to match.Players have certain situtions that sportsmen refer to as form.Messi has racked in 47 goles in the last season.Ronaldo had fitness issues,but finished with 26 in the league.A great goal to game ratio when you consider he has played only 29 games.So statistics make Messi the better player.But then do they really?Messi has scored where Barcelona have demolished teams 3-0,4-0,5-0,and so on.This season they thrashed Real Madrid 5-0.But does that make Ronaldo a lesser player than Messi?Messi shouldered the attack when another great striker Ibrahimovic was injured.Ronaldo aptly filled in the role as the Madrid's man of need when Kaka was unavailable.Needless to say that whenever Ronaldo has scored,Madrid have won.But Messi's goals come in scenarios where Barcelona have routed the opposition[Arsenal 1-4 Barca an exception].It defines that Barcelona believe in the team game more than Ronaldo's Madrid.That makes the Pedro's look good,because he makes them the game.Also having the leisure of Xavi and Iniesta at the midfield involves freedom for Messi to attack.
Another thing that describes these two comparisons is their gamplay against tactical sides.Messi struggled in the world Cup against Germany with Schweinsteiger marking him long and hard,and against Mourinho's Inter Milan where he was bottled up like a genie to a robust Italian defence[although no Italians were in that squad].
Ronaldo has under Sir Alex Ferguson broken through stern defenses across Europe.
Players as I have said go through phases called form.Some develop late,some like Messi early,while some are rattled by injuries.Some just keep developing.Ronaldo's impressive regimen served him well with regard to fitness and form through six grueling years in the English league.Messi has been amazing in the Spanish Liga BBVA.
It is suggested that he may struggle in the rough and tough game in England.Ronaldo has passed that test,so he scores over Messi there.But then greatness is measured in performances and not assumptions.Two of the best.Better than the rest.A cut above so to speak.No arguments there.


It will be a perennial question,but if I were to choose,I would simply say:
"Pass".

Heroes of our Heydays...

People's Perspective:
Sagar was fidgeting with his shades when we saw him fall.



It was not a hard one.Saugata and me hopped on quickly and helped him.
He was a bit smudged with dirt.Saugata helped him as he dusted himself off.
The people around inquired but he said he was okay.
We helped him up to the climb.We took him to the infirmary.
He then inquired about our names,his seniors.
He had not heard of us.We wished each other well.
He made his way to the architecture lab.It was workshop day.



My Perspective:
Sagar was fidgeting with his shades because whatever we do,
-that's all he does.

It was not a hard fall,but for someone who is NOT paraplegic,that's easy to say.
Saugata and myself quickly helped him after his fall,but we were not any nearer than Sagar was.He was smudged with dirt,and it was damningly evident it was a brand new shirt he has to get washed in the evening.Another chore in an already overbearing life.Saugata helped him to dust himself off,but he was apparent that he did not need it.For someone who has to walk using two leverage crutches,to me him having made his way in an engineering college is nothing short of a miracle in the hands of Jesus.He did really not need it.But we helped him,because we did not make him feel in comfort,we comforted our sinful hearts for that instant.We did not do him a favour,he did one to us.The people around inquired if he was okay,but lets face it,nobody gives a damn unless he is one of your own.We helped him to climb the steep pavement,but he could have easily made it without us,as i see him do that every single other day.
We took him to the infirmary, but he did not want to go.He was bruised, so we forced him through his stubbornness.He inquired about our names-Saugata and Mukunda.He had not heard about us.But that is because we don't have a fancy bike that burned a hole in daddy-cool's pockets.We don't have female company who preen at our rustic demeanor.
Yeah,we were not heard because we were not popular with the girls or the grading systems.To the people's perspective,we were not heroes.But to my perspective-
He was.


We wished each other well.
But honestly,i wished him all the luck in the world.
He deserved it.
It was workshop day,and i wondered how he held his own there.
But he is what we see in comic books and movies.A heyday heroe.
He will somehow figure it out.
Kudos amigo.