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How to mess up a good game of cricket? Ask the Men in Blue

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu

 

A record opening partnership of 142 runs, a scintillating century of some 90 balls by the greatest batsman, a 125 odd run second wicket partnership – all of this look like a good setup of a challenging game of cricket. If you are thinking about how to mess up this situation just ask our Great Indian Players minus one [you know whom I am talking about].
I can’t believe that India, supposedly, one of the strongest team in the World Cup 2011 created a chaos out of a probable high scoring interesting game. A lightning start by Sachin and Sehwag was dampened by the rest of the players and in what a fashion! At one point of time, I was thinking, Gautam Gambhir was confused whether he was playing a Test or an ODI!  From a 269 for 2 to 296 all out looked like a joke. The Men in Blue started falling like bowling pins once Sachin was out. What were they thinking – this is Galli Cricket? Wasted the whole effort of two great batsmen and couldn’t even reach 300 when the projected score at one stage was over 370!
Right at the beginning of the World Cup we read our team goes in as favourites – I am asking HOW? By riding on one great man? What is he, a Super human? A Super Computer?  Or a Super Rajinikant? I am sure even Rajinikant can’t help these men to pull themselves up to do something sensible. This is not all, this one man has been serving the country for over 20 years without a grudge and has brought immense pride and joy to her, and still there are people who don’t think before telling “Sachin can’t win matches!” I am tired of hearing/reading this statement. But to all those people who dare to make these proclamations first answer my questions – Is cricket a match played by one player? Is one player responsible for a team’s performance? Is one player supposed to bat, ball and field on behalf of all the other players of the team? Is the team made with only one man? All those answers are NO. SO STOP CRITICISING THE GREAT MAN WHO HAS ALWAYS FOUGHT FOR HIS COUNTRY.
I came across this interesting stats by Vijay from Bangalore, so I am quoting him here. “I am sick and tired of hearing people blabber that Sachin’s hundreds do not come in winning causes. Below are the facts:- What statistics shows is that out of Sachin’s 48 ODI hundreds, 33 were in winning causes, 1 in tie and 14 losses. And in tests, out of 51 hundreds – 20 wins, 20 draws and 11 losses. When someone plays for so long, it is only expected that some matches will be lost too. Hope this seals the debate. Whenever someone tells otherwise, reply to them that it is their own ‘personal illusion’ and not ‘statistical conclusion'”. Thanks Vijay for sharing this.
Today was no different. Batsmen after Tendulkar didn’t bother to score runs. 8 wickets for 29 runs, I don’t even know how to react to that. I am still trying to come out from the shock. Right now I am raging inside. I had thought it is better that I don’t write this post now, but I am filtering a lot of un-friendly words (read abuses) that are coming to my mind and trying to write something clean.
Batsmen gave away their wickets, fielders didn’t bother to take the crucial catches, bowlers were trying to keep the pressure on SA at one stage of the game. But WHAT ON EARTH WAS OUR CAPTAIN DHONI THINKING BEFORE GIVING THE BALL TO ASHISH NEHRA FOR THE LAST OVER? I can’t get over this still now. All hard work of Sachin, Shehwag, Zaheer and Harbhajan was blown away with that one decision. I just want to know if Harbhajan told Dhoni he wanted to go to the loo so wont ball! Why Ashish Nehra out of every one else? The moment I saw Ashish Nehra flaunting his monstrous white teeth after the boundary in the first ball I felt like blowing those off!! Let me not write what I felt like after the six. But the bigger question is, why is Dhoni obsessed with Piyush Chawlas and Nehras? I always thought you preserve your best bowler’s overs so that you can use them up for the last overs, was he thinking Bhajji’s Doosra was inferior to the seam of a bowler who is playing a match after god knows how long?
 I hope we don’t have to regret decisions like this latter in the tournament. I can only perceive this game as a mess from all corners. One bright shining star couldn’t lighten up the rest and I am sure tomorrow those loud mouthed faultfinders will not step back from stating “He scored the century but India couldn’t win, He can’t win matches” Again, to all of them GO GET A LIFE OF YOUR OWN. Nonetheless, I am happy that the God is just one step short from a dream like record – ‘A Century of Centuries’, that is the joyous moment I am waiting for. And I couldn’t stop myself from celebrating the electrifying 99th century despite the loss of the team.

 

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Now England is hit by Tsunami

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu

It looks like the Queen’s land is hit badly by the Tsunami. Okay now don’t treat this as a world news headline. What I am referring here is the Tsunami of defeats. The English cricket team stands red faced now after two surreal defeats in the world cup league matches. As I watched the Bangla team lose their wickets one by one, I was thinking if only they could hold on to their nerves the game could change. And I think they just heard me.
I feel, it is a lesson for any team big or small, that a ninth wicket pair came together, held on to their nerves, and played bravely, I should say very sensibly and brought a moment of joy for the numerous Bangla supporters. At one point of time even they had lost hopes and joined the beeline for exit. But whoever stayed back, I guess, got to watch a match that they’ll never forget in a long time.
England, for me has turned out to be the most unpredictable team in the World Cup. They have managed to make heroes in their oppositions. Names of Kevin O’Brien, Shafiul Islam, Mohammed Mahmudulla are going to be remembered in cricket history for a long time and England should get a lot of credit for that. However, The English team looked at its best against India and even managing to win against South Africa, supposedly two of the strongest teams of the world cup.
Bangla players, poor fellows got stoned at their homes for being all out for 58, but with yesterday’s win I won’t be surprised if the fans now try to rebuild their hero’s houses!

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Dear Monday Morning

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
Dear Monday Morning,
You are one fixation which I don’t welcome, yet you have to come after each Sunday. I have never looked forward to meeting you ever since I left school. I don’t like my phone snoozing as you arrive, I don’t like pulling myself out from my soft warm quilt and push hard to get ready, but you never seem to understand these poor feelings.
I am sure there are many more who don’t welcome you with a smile – yet you have to knock at their door every week without a fail. Don’t you ever feel tired Mean Monday?
It is you who put me in the grumpy mood, I can still bear with your friend Tuesday and like, a little, Wednessday and Thursday. But my best friend is Friday who bring an instant joy with her bright sunny smile and the rest two are my soul sisters. Every Friday I wake up happy and bright get in my casuals and try to run from work as early as I can to enjoy with my best friend and soul sisters. And I start sinking into the blue Sunday evening onwards with the thought that again I have to see your unwanted face in a few hours.
Do you know I keep counting days right from your arrival thinking when I am going to meet Miss Friday? Does it ring any bell in your mind? Why have you never changed when the whole world is busy transforming and evolving? So many of us is always cursing you, but I must agree, you have enormous endurance power to withstand all of them.
Like always I wished last evening that I don’t have to see your grouchy face, but who can stop you, you just have to come uninvited. I can only hope that we get a holiday on Mondays at times… Please God sometimes you can be a little kind to us and bring holidays on Monday and not put the whole lot of leaves/official holidays/national holidays on weekends… please.  

Yours untruly
Tina
On a fateful Monday morning!

Image Source: Google images

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A Thriller called Kevin O’Brien

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
For those who don’t know who Kevin O’Brien is – he is a cricket player of a not so known team called Ireland but today he did something for which the entire Irish community will be proud of. He is the man who almost single handedly got Ireland their first big victory in the group matches of World Cup 2011 but mind you not against any other newbie but defeated England! It’s a huge feat Kevin and I congratulate you for your effort and contribution.


I am feeling so guilty that I didn’t watch this match thinking it is only Ireland and England had played sensibly in their last match. It is only the last two overs that I caught while having my dinner. The little bottom corner of the TV flashing 321 for 7 and Ireland batting was jaw dropping and next when my eyes moved a little more I saw they just needed 6 runs from 9 balls which felt surreal. Even after the winning runs it took me time to digest Ireland had not only won a match but they scored 300 plus and won against England!

The next shocker came as the scorecard of Ireland batting was displayed. Opener out for a duck and almost every other person in 30s I was wondering how did they score 300 odd runs till I came across this huge triple digit of the 6th batsman! The more astonishing fact was his 113 valuable runs came from only 63 balls! Visuals of the ecstatic Irish team hugging each other were being flashed in the TV and I was still trying to figure out how did they manage to do it. It’s only the presentation ceremony where I finally saw the hero of the day Kevin O’Brien. His pink hairstyle is as crazy as his bating style adding oodles of punk I guess.

I could watch little glimpses of this momentous century during the highlights and felt this man kept his cool in a situation when his country needed the most and helped his side like a soldier.  I just hoped they would show a little more of the batting but Harsha Bhogle has to display his new found hairstyle and open his big mouth along with the three analysts with their bigger mouths. This little note is for the one sitting in between with weird colored turbans and his own dictionary of idioms/phrases – I neither like you opening your big mouth and the bizarre dictionary at the end of every match nor do I like you laughing baselessly in stand-up comedy shows. Nevertheless, today I was much more curious to see the 13 fours and 6 sixes so bared with these men for sometime. The wagon wheel looked quite nice for this wristy yet powerful player.

I didn’t buy tickets for an India Ireland match being played in the city thinking it will be an uninteresting game as it’s only Ireland. But I am getting a feeling that I should reconsider the decision.


More than that, I am being a little apprehensive thinking about the days coming ahead of us. Ireland had played quite well against Bangladesh and lost by a thin margin of 27 runs. England has already had a rocky start with their almost lost match against Netherlands and today’s loss against Ireland. [Clash of the ‘lands’ I guess Ireland, England, Netherlands/Holland!] From this summary I am getting a little jittery on where do we (India) stand?? We were almost on the verge of losing the match against England who is fighting to keep up to their reputation now, given the fact that they won the Ashes and now lost against Ireland. I hope everything goes well for us this Sunday. Hopefully our team specially tail enders, bowlers and fielders have watched the match and taken some cue from it. It feels funny how a 5th down batsman anchored the match today and how everyone from our team fell like bowling pins after Dhoni last day. I have to mention there was some good fielding from England which resulted into two superlative run outs.  

I can only hope and pray that our team performs better and better in this chapter of World cup and accomplish the long awaited dream of a 1 billion Indians and of course my Hero’s. [for those who don’t know who my hero is, FYI, He is Sachin the great and if you are thinking why H is capital in Hero and He it is because I worship Him].  

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An edge of seat action bringing the nation to a halt

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu
The first big match of India in the world cup saw some high voltage drama being unfolded among two teams battling in the middle amidst thousands of excited supporters and crores watching through television. It’s difficult for any cricket enthusiast to miss such a match. Being a huge Sachin fan, it’s almost impossible that I would miss a match where he is scripting yet another dream like century.
Though was away from home for my little nephew’s birthday I managed to catch the master blaster on his way to a milestone. We were with a busy bunch of kids hopping around in a gaming zone of a shopping mall. They were least bothered about this high profile match as they were busier in their shooting, biking, bowling and numerous video games (I realized I had very less knowledge on those than the 6-7 year olds). In between managing the kiddie party I came across this huge screen showing the match live and there could be no way I missed the match at that time. (So thoughtful of the mall management).
It was Sachin and Sehwag’s batting brilliance which made the shoppers change their minds. Within no time there was more crowd in front of the screen than in the shops. Fighting to get a better place to stand people resorted to sitting down on the floor and enjoying the match forgetting about everything else. And they were being treated accordingly with the firecracker batting bejeweled with numerous fours and sixers. For me viewing this match was nothing less than watching it in the stadium, it was only the players in a giant screen which made the difference. As it happens in a stadium, people swelled up into loud cheers for every big shot and there was a pin drop silence in the mall when Sachin was caught out. I get tensed every time Sachin is in his 90s and yesterday was no different. When the crowd broke into cheers and screams as he scored his century I went inside some shop just to be away from the tension. I was back only when he was past 100. I wonder at time what his family must be going through on these times, I get too tensed or maybe I get superstitious at times! I know his wife doesn’t leave the fixed spot she has while her husband is playing and his brother only watches recorded matches!
Finally with a massive total everyone seemed to be happy, notwithstanding the poor show by our tail enders. I thought, they could have easily added another 30 needful runs only if they had acted a little responsibly.

Now back at home we started watching the English chasing the total like soldiers with their heavy ammunitions of boundaries and over boundaries. I was surprised with our Indian fielders for showing such less energy and competence while fielding. It was raining pouring runs from all sides of fields. A well played 120 runs by the Little Master was almost being wasted out there. I felt it was almost like running out of currency situation!
Our captain somehow was more upset on this UDRS than the bowling/fielding. At one point I even told my husband lets change the channel thinking it might help India (I get so superstitious at times, when in a situation like this I almost try all sorts of things). But wasn’t quite lucky on that as he was more interested in watching the action than being irrational. Our players made sure that they don’t give respite to the whole nation till the very last moment. I even tried out sitting in different positions on the couch so that one more wicket falls. I don’t know how long I prayed with my hands folded in the last three overs (I am sure I wasn’t the only one doing it). Each time the English players lofted the ball I wished someone could catch it than it going the distance beyond the boundary rope. Yes, I also felt like going and blasting at Piyush Chawla, screaming ‘go and learn how to ball in slog overs’! I have no clue why he had to bowl so many short balls! Why on earth didn’t any one come and told him to bowl tight.
Last over was the apex of the tension all prayers and pressure (on me) heightened. Till the last ball I remember, I was stuck to corner of the couch in a single position and was only praying ‘please god get him out, please make him bowled/ CnB/ LBW/ runout/ caught behind anything but please get him out, I don’t want India to lose’. I think he just could hear only the last sentence, maybe he had signal problem – Abhishek Bachchan may ask Him also to get Idea, who knows! Tied in the middle with 1 point each, people were still happy. What I would say is I was a little less sad. The bowlers and fielders didn’t do justice to the bank of runs the batsmen gave them. Thankfully Dhoni acknowledged that if 338 is not enough then what will be enough even he doesn’t know. I hope we gear up better for our next matches with a better bowling lineup and hope the fielding is better, even the minnows are fielding better. But the true Indian fan, that I am, I can only think positive and believe in ‘yes we can win, we will win’.


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Color in Abundance

by Tina Basu
written by Tina Basu

“Color possesses me. I don’t have to pursue it. It will possess me always, I know it. That is the meaning of this happy hour: Color and I are one. I am a painter.” – Paul Klee, Swiss painter
Colorful things have always attracted me from childhood. I used to be amazed with the red colored old fashioned phone we had when I was a kid and the blooms of all color in the small garden we had on terrace. I still like playing with bright colors in my designs than being dark, dull, pastel or conservative.

However, you don’t get to see many colors of nature in a metropolitan city anymore. What you can expect to see more are the bold colorsof brandings and advertisementson every street and every corner of a city and n number of neons. The town gets painted in red during the Valentine’s week and Christmas; orange, white and green during our Independence Day and with all sorts of colored banners/posters/flags(orange, red green, white, yellow – you name it and it is there) during the elections making it a cluttered spider web. But with some initiative of a few creative people you get to see colors in different faces.

This January, I witnessed a bright sunny day with a riot of colors after a long time. The Directorate of Horticulture, Government of Karnataka does one thing good apart from a few more – organizing a bi-annual flower show in the coveted Lalbagh. Missing all the last three editions of the show for various reasons this year I was determined to visit the flower show. The beautiful pictures in the newspaper motivated me more towards the visit. Taking time out from the busy work life looked challenging since the show takes place onlyfor a week. 26th January came as a relief as it’s a holiday for us (our Republic Day) so we zeroed on that day for our visit. My armed force enthusiast husband was initially reluctant to go as he was more interested in watching the Republic Day Parade but he still kept his words and took me to Lalbagh, [sadly, he missed the parade on TV because we got stuck in traffic while coming back, I think he caught up with it on YouTube].
In between the lush greenery on both sides bordered with bright yellow marigold lay the straight road towards the glasshouse which housed the main flower show. Leaving a number of stalls behind we walked towards the glasshouse and came closer to the bustling area where people had queued up to enter. Obliging to a number of security check-ins (as if we were in the airport on the Republic Day) we could finally enter to catch a glimpse of the lovely flowers.
First few flower arrangements didn’t excite me much as I felt the flowers were already dry, maybe because we went on the last day, but stretches of color that lay ahead surely brought a smile on my face and I got busy clicking. Interestingly,I found the number of photographers more than the onlookers.
Almost everyone armed with their Cannons and Nikons with various types of lenses and a few amateurs who either love their mobile phones to death or think there isn’t a better cam than their phones (I am not talking about iphones or other smart phones here). Somehow, pushing them aside I managed to peep through quite a lot of beauties and clicked a few with Indro’s SLR and my lil cam. So enjoy some of the photos which I feel are nice.
 
It’s not the first time that I visited a flower show, we used to go to a similar one in Kolkata in winters long back. But I remember only colorful Dahlias, various roses and huge marigolds, and some others which I am not quite familiar with. This time around I saw some kind of flowers which I have never seen or heard of and now that I am writing this post almost a month after visiting it I don’t even remember the exact names.
 
More than individual flowers kept in huddles what engrossed me were the different formations made with flowers. But the hyped structure of Namma Metro was quite a dampner, I thought. They had decorated a coach of the soon-to-be-launched metro (I don’t know when though – it’s been months now) and in the run of making it look majestic, I thought, there was overdose of flowers with almost no creativity or formation, it only hid the coach inside. Because of this blanket of flowers we couldn’t even see how our Metro’s gonna look like!
 
Nonetheless, the experience of coming across some unseen species of flowers and their beautiful colors surely added a smile to my face as we left the venue for home. Next time around I’ll try to visit on a different day when I can enjoy the innocent flowers more… when they would not get dry… when flowers will not have photographers becoming bees for a change…   

 
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