Meeting Point

Half a century

2007-02-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

I just realised that I completed 50 posts with my last post on the 4th of February. This is the 51st one .

I haven't blogged as much as I should have,but half a century is a decent achievement.

What do ya think ????

KBC

2007-01-27T03:06:00.000-08:00

A KISS post here with only message to you folks.

WATCHING KSKBT CAN GET YOU A MEETING WITH KING KHAN

If you did not understand what I said, then check out Thursday's episode of KBC again. Vasu Jaitley made it to the hot seat purely because she watched Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.Although the question wasn't difficult, Ekta haters and our western serial watchers would have had a hard time. I am not discriminating against them, just giving a reason why watching Kyunki helps.

Kaun Banega Crorepati 3- SRK vs the Big B

2007-01-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Like many other people, I have been watching KBC 3 with great interest, primarily to see how Shahrukh Khan steps into the shoes of the Big B.

Day 1 wasn't particularly impressive. Day 2 represented a marked improvement over day 1. Maybe it reflects something about my personality given that most of the celebs interviewed in various papers thought King Khan rocked. I wouldn't say he rocked on the first day, but did his job reasonably well.

The cheorographed video by Ganesh Hegde at the beginning of the show makes for decent viewing, but you just feel that you have been transported back to Bluffmaster. SRK and hip hop do not make a bad pair, but there are times in the video when you do feel that somebody else would have done a better job. He gets through the video with average marks, and we now move on to the main show.

Khan makes attempts to erase all memories of the big B and says that he hopes that the audience will accept him. Freeze replaces the lock kiya jaye and the first question asked to excise officer Prasenjit Sarkar is a question of bridges on Kolkata. They probably wanted to ensure that he didn't go out on the first question.Computerji becomes compaqda, keeping in mind Sarkar's Bengali origins.It later becomes compqgaru for Gugs Gugila, participant no 2 from Khammam , Andhra Pradesh. Gugs Gugila looks a lot like Bugs Bunny though.

Positives of the show
1.) SRK cracks jokes, even at his own expense.
2.) SRK's smile. His greatest asset along with his eyes.
3.)He is a little more friendly with the contestants than Amitabh. He even gave Gugs a Tag Heuer watch when the man failed to answer the Infy question for 6,40,000 and came back to 20,000. This is supposedly Sallu's idea.

Negatives :
1.) SRK overdoes the yuppy stuff like the high 5 a bit too much.
2.)He does appear a tad nervous and has a slouch while sitting.
3.) The breaks are too much, and consume nearly half as much time as the main show between the breaks.
4.) Some of his actions look artificial.

Another loss??? Not again damn it...

2006-11-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

So, India lose again. I thought they had their best chance of winning a game in the series after the openers took em to 23/0. But then the familiar old story started, and within minutes, we were back to 39/4.

Not too long after , we folded up for 163 on a pitch where 250 was very gettable.

Now for the twenty twenty ODI...hope we win something there

Change to Statcounter

2006-10-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed that I have switched to statcounter from sitemeter. Well the move had to come, it was a matter of when :D

ICC Champions Trophy-Rohit Roy

2006-10-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

OK, I get the idea of marketing, but I simply do not think Rohit Roy is the right person to anchor extra innings. The way Mandira and he were questioning the crystal ball reader, didn't appeal to me at all. We know you are a good actor Rohit, btu why did you have to get into this.

PR update

2006-10-04T03:01:00.000-07:00

I know I am a bit late here, but better late than never, so here it goes. 29th September 2006 was a Google PR update.
The values have begun to show across many datacentres though not all.
Yours truly got a PR1 despite not having done too much work at all in the last few months. Whats your PR??
Click here and fine out http://livepr.raketforskning.com/

Anybody noticed the mutual friends option in Orkut???

2006-09-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

Has anybody noticed the mutual friends option which now comes just below the "friends" on the right. When you click on the profile of a person it tells you how many friends you and that person have in common.

I find that a pretty neat addition too.

Pluto removed from the list of planets

2006-08-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

OK,it is official...My very eager mother will not show us nine planets from now on,she will show only 8.Pluto has been removed from the list of planets which will now read Mercury,Venus,Earth,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn and NEPTUNE.

http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0602/index.html
read this for more information

Time for a bit of revival

2006-08-20T04:23:00.000-07:00

Ok,I agree that I haven't been paying too much attention to this blog,as I have recently shifted to WP.But the listing of it on a popular site has made me restart it again. After all,we can't just let the gals be unimpressed,can we....???

India vs Sri Lanka washed out due to rain again

2006-08-20T04:07:00.000-07:00

The India-Lanka series is becoming a bit of a joke.First South Africa pulled out and now the rain gods seem hell bent not to allow a game to take place.

When it was a time when rains occurred in the emerald island,why keep it there in the first place???

The story of a boy called Prince.

2006-07-23T01:12:00.000-07:00

The name of this boy is Prince and it is his birthday today.But by no means is he living like a Prince at this moment.This 5 year old boy is currently stuck in a 60 feet deep well in Kurukshetra in Haryana in Northern India.He has been stuck like from Friday evening 6.30 pm Indian Standard Time and as of 1.30 pm on Sunday IST,he has not come out.

The whole of Kurukshetra is at the well and the whole of India is praying for him.His cries are quite heart rendering. He was fed glucose by a rope and has miraculously survived the fall as well has managed to stay alive for the last 42 hours alone.

The Indian army has been called in and they are trying their best to rescue the little boy.A tunnel is being made to try and rescue him.

Pray for this boy and hope he emerges from this unscathed

World Cup final preview

2006-07-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

I wont take much of your time,but will compare both the teams --

Gigi Buffon------------Fabien Barthez--- +1
Grosso------------------Abidal-----------+1
Cannavaro--------------Gallas------------- +1
Materazzi---------------Thuram------------ -1
Sagnol-----------------Zambrotta-----------equal
Perotta----------------Malouda-----------equal
Gattuso-----------------Makalele--------- -1
Camoranesi-------------Ribery-------------equal
Totti------------------Zidane------------- equal (this was the toughest part of the comparison)
Toni-------------------Henry--------------equal

This leaves Patrick Vieira and Gilardino to be compared. Both play at different positions but I'll give Vieira an edge given the form he is in...
That makes it equal and a very tight game to say the least.

I 'll be rooting for the French though.

Les Bleus vont au Berlin

2006-07-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

Yes folks,Domenech's golden oldies have done it.They beat Portugal 1-0 to set up a date with the Azzuri on July 9.Portugal had more possession but could not translate them into shots going into the back of the net.

The result means Luis Felipe Scolari's boys will have to be content with a third place playoff against Germany. That game will not be easy ,as they have Ricardo Carvalho suspended,a real blow as the Chelsea defender has been one of the star players in Germany.
Potugal welcomed back Deco and Costinha from suspension as the match started off with a flurry of activity .Flourent Malouda nearly gave France an early lead after latching to a wondeful through ball from Thuram,but he shot wide.Both the teams were restrained in their tackles in the first half,something quite understandable from the fact that 10 players were on yellows.Lilian Thuram was outstanding in defence and time and again thwarted the moves of Deco,Figo,Maniche and company.He anticipated the ball well and timed his tackles perfectly.

The breakthrough finally came in the 33rd minute when Carvalho had some contact with Henry in the box.The Arsenal forward lost his balance and fell and the referee pointed to the spot.Ricardo guessed right,but Zidane kept his cool and slotted it past him. 1-0 to France.

France preserved their lead till half time.After the lemon break,Theirry Henry nearly made it 2-0 to France ,but Ricardo saved well to keep the margin to one goal only.After that it was Portugal,who had more of the ball,as France soaked up the pressure in order to defend their 1 goal lead.Pauleta ,Portgual's all time highest goal scorer struggled upfront .He was playing as sole striker and looked lost on the pitch.When he did get a teeny weeny inch of space,he shot into the side netting.Miguel hobbled off as he was replaced by Champions League winner,Paulo Ferreira.Scolari also brought on Helder Postiga and Simao as Portugal searched desperately for an equaliser.Their best chance came off a Cristiano Ronaldo freekick which was parried by Barthez. It met the head of Luis Figo and went over the bar,much to the relief of the French.

The Portuguese looked capable of anything but scoring a goal.They dived blatantly ,the most prominent culprit being Ronaldo himself.The 19 year old did nothing to endear himself to the fans as he constantly dropped himself to the ground in the box.One wonders why they did not try Luis Boa Morte,who has proven himself with Fulham in England.The Portuguese did earn corners and dominated attacks in the second half but just could not get past the French defensive wall.
Fabien Barthez did display some signs of the eccentricity that all Manchester United and French fans know him well for,but fortunately for France,nothing came off them.

The final score ended 1-0 to France.Zinedine Zidane went one step closer to his goal off signing off with a WC win while his ex Galactico Luis Figo had his dreams shattered.
France vs Italy is a rematch of Euro 2000 and Italy will be thirsting for revenge.This scenario is very similar to what happened in 1982 ( Last time all four semifinalists were Europeans) and that time,Italy won.

Another thing to add : The referee himself was a bit lenient and it was only in the latter stages of the game that he started handing out cards.It was probably a step taken in the right direction for nobody might have liked to see a France vs Italy final without the likes of Zidane,Vieira and co.

The dream has to wait for four more years.....

2006-07-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

I havent updated this blog for quite a while and the reason is the FIFA world Cup.And today the reason for me updating the same is the FIFA World Cup......
As and ardent English supporter,I feel gutted after the penalty defeat to Portugal.Especially after watching the match in a mall,in an absolutely marvellous atmosphere. Everything was right,except one---the winner.

Somehow someway,Big Phil has done it again. A Hattrick of knocking England out of major tournaments in the last 4 years.Portugal went into this game without the services of Deco and Costinha.Yet two players played caused England enormous problems on the flanks. Wily veteran Luis Figo and his future replacement,Cristiano Ronaldo.The rest of the Portuguese played a supporting role to the two.England started off well in the first five minutes and after that lost possession of the ball for long periods of time. Barring a couple of saves,neither goalkeeper had much to worry about.

England played a 4-5-1 with Hargreaves in midfield and Wayne Rooney playing as sole striker upfront. Frank Lampard who had the most shots attempted for a player in this World Cup shot a few more at Ricardo but they were saved easily.Lemon Break 0-0.
With all to play in the second half,both the teams started showing more urgency.Valente appeared to handle the ball in the box but there was no reaction from the referee. David Beckham limped off after 55 minutes to be replaced by Aaron Lennon.Lennon immediately injected that much needed pace and trickery to the right wing as Valente and his fellow defenders had a hard time.

Then came the decisive moment of the game. The boy who had been touted to make the World Cup his own,stamped on Carvalho's groin.It did not look intentional on first look,but did after some replays.His club teammate Cristiano Ronaldo protested and the boy lost his cool and shoved him away.The referee brandished a red and Wayne Rooney was off the pitch......England down to 10 men.Rooney had done what his skipper had done 8 years ago against Argentina.....

From then on England defended and Portugal attacked.Eriksson brought off Joe Cole and brought in Crouch.Frank Lampard took on set piece responsibilities for England in the absence of Beckham but could not find the back of the net.The English back four had a good game,especially Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand.Many people thought Owen Hargreaves was brought in by Sven for his German speaking skills than his playing abilities. But the Bayern Munich midfielder was easily the most impressive English man on view in the Gelserkirchen.He robbed the Portuguese attackers of the ball and made surging runs into the box from the left,only to see his work go waste as the ball often landed on the wrong side of the post.His work rate was excellent and the British will hope that he can put in more performances of that kind in future. If he does,then he will surely make more appearances for England,may be even at the expense of Lampard or Gerrard.

Luis Figo produced a sublime chip in the 78th minute that was brilliantly saved by Robinson.Scolari then brought Simao for Pauleta. Figo left the ptich,with many Portuguese unsure whether they would see him on the big stage.ON came Helder Postiga,determined to show the English that he could do better than what he did at Tottenham.He did not however do anything great.Full time 0-0.And 30 minutes of extra time failed to break the deadlock .Aaron Lennon was substituted for Jamie Carragher ,two minutes from the end of extra time,as Sven had one eye on his list of penalty takers .And then came the dreaded shootout.

Simao sent his penalty to Robinson' right ,to the bottom of the net ....1-0 Portugal.
On came Lampard,England's first choice penalty taker,looking for retribution.

But the Chelsea man's penalty was saved by Ricardo and his miserable WC continued..
Viana missed the second for Portugal by shooting wide.
Owen Hargreaves capped an excellent display with his penalty beating Ricardo....1-1

Petit misses for Portugal...
On steps Steven Gerrard,one of the better English players on view during the match.
Saved by Ricardo.......still 1-1

On steps England's nemesis,Helder Postiga...2-1 to Portugal.
Jamie Carragher scores,but is ordered to take a retake..
Ricardo saves again...2-1 to Portugal.

On steps up Cristiano Ronaldo...and no mistake as he sends the ball past Robinson.

England's penalty jinx continues...

The world will most likely never see David Beckham and Gary Neville in the World Cup again.

Why....Why Sven ...why did not you not bring off Frank Lampard for Peter Crouch...Why did you sacrifice Joe Cole when it was not Lampard's day. You may argue that you had Lampard for penalties....

Why did you not give Theo Walcott a game???Bringing on Walcott instead of Crouch would have been a gamble which might have paid off. We needed somebody who could play with his foot.......not head......Argentina will wonder what might have happened had Messi come in place of Julio Cruz. So might the English.

Jamie Carragher seems to have a curse which prevents him from showcasing his skills for England.His critics will say that he did not fill Neville's boots properly and neither did he score the penalty when it was needed.Only Kopites will ever know what Carra is capable of..

And finally,Cristiano Ronaldo will become the Ahn Jung Hwan of this World Cup. I foresee him going out of Old Trafford..If Rooney never forgives him for provoking the referee.......

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

2006-06-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

India will fight for third place against NewZealand in the Sultan Azlan Shah cup today. The Aussies and the Dutch will fight it for the top spot.Netherlands beat India by a solitary goal in the semfinals and the Australians whipped their trans Tasman Neighbours by 7 goals to one

Argentina vs Mexico

2006-06-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

It was a match billed to be a match between two evenly matched teams. And it certainly was. And as it so often happens in such games,the match is decided by one piece of magic. This match was no different.The hero--A certain Maximiliano Rodriguez.And he will be one name Mr.Ricardo Volpe will not forget for a long,long,long time.

Mexico had not justified their World no 4 ranking in their group stages. They might have not made it if Iran hadn't struck a second half equaliser against Angola.But they sorely missed Bolton striker Jared Borgetti in their last 2 group games.And the return of the veteran striker seemed to vitalise them as they attacked the Argentines from the beginning . They were rewarded when Rafael Marquez slid one past Abbondanzieri into the roof of the net.1-0 to Mexico in the sixth minute.Argentina,who didn't expect to fall behind so early then,launched a furious hunt for an equaliser. And they were granted it just 4 minutes after conceding when Borgetti put it into his own goal off a Riquelme corner.Hernan Crespo however appeared to have the minutest of contact with the ball and claimed it as his own. 1-1.There were many chances created after that. Argentina once again showed that they are a delight to watch with some splitting passes and breathtaking moves and some 1-2's.But the ball somehow did not find the back of the net.Reason-both the goalkeepers especially Oswaldo Sanchez had an outstanding game. He rose airwards,had one on ones and showed some excellent reflex actions to keep the Argentine forwards at bay.

It stayed like this till 90 minutes.In came Tevez n Messi. Still nothing. Then in the 98th minute,Maxi Rodriguez launched on to a cross from Sorin . He then volleyed it from some distance out with absolute force and Sanchez was left helpless. That goal is certainly a contender for one of the goals of the tournament along with Frings' opening goal.

Mexico tried all they knew to get a goal,but it was in vain.
And so ladies and Gentlemen,it will be Argentina vs Germany in the next round.
What a mouth watering clash that promises to be.

View Rodriguez against Serbia

England vs Sweden preview

2006-06-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

England face a side whom they have never beaten in the last 38 years in a game which will not only decide the winner of group B,but will also determine who plays Germany in the second round.The side they are facing has one of its own countrymen managing the English. Yeah folks,the team in question is the Scandinavian nation of Sweden.
England are already assured of progress to the next stage while their opponents have all but qualified for it.The Swedes are on 4 points and their nearest rivals,Trinidad and Tobago are on 1 . So if the Swedes lose to England and T & T slot a few past Paraguay,T & T might go through on goal difference. But Trinidad haven't exactly looked as if they are capable of creating opportunities for themselves. They haven't found the back of the net even once and I think it will need an Herculean effort on their part to get a few past Paraguay,who have acquitted themselves quite well in this tournament without having a point to show for it.

England will be minus Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch with both on yellows. Gary Neville hasn't recovered from his calf injury and we will see Jamie Carragher fill in for him at Right Back. Teenage Wayne Rooney looks to make his first start of the tournament alongside the disappointing Michael Owen.Sweden will be without Juventus forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

England say that they will go for a win,but I suspect that the strategy that both the teams may use for this game will be hugely influenced by the result of the Germany Ecuador game. Privately neither of the two teams would like to face Germany,a team which always reserves its best for the World Cup.

The last encounter between the two sides was a 1-1 draw. A draw looks to be the most logical result.I cannot see England scoring much. Neither do I see them conceding with their impervious defence manned by Terry and Ferdinand. I may see a narrow English win say a 1-0.

England beat Trinidad and Tobago,but just about

2006-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Final score
England 2 --Trinidad and Tobago 0
Scorers :Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard.

England today were unconvincing and the Soca Warriors may feel a little hard done by the final result considering the way they thwarted England time and again.

The pair of Michael Owen and Crouch struggled.Owen got subbed for the second time in as many games.Crouch missed some really simple shots but his eventual header made amends for all his misses. Owen is not at all showing the form which made him one of England's most feared strikers.

Jamie Carragher struggled to fill the boots of Gary Neville and could not match his surging runs forward and the crosses.

Frank Lampard left his shooting boots in England and had about 7 to 8 shots on goal,but to no avail. Steven Gerrard scored and this is a reminder to Eriksson to play him in a more attacking role rather than DM,where coming upfront is a luxury for him

Rooney had an ordinary game by his standards but both Aaron Lennon and he brought in an extra spark in England's attack in the second half.

England's backline had an otherwise good day with John Terry producing some wonderful defending to ensure that they kept their clean sheets.

The media will be happy with this win,but England need to buck up. They need to get their scoring boots on,otherwise they can kiss goodbye to any chances of winning this WC
..

England vs Trinidad and Tobago preview

2006-06-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Sven Goran Eriksson's lads play the Soca warriors in a game where a win could well and truly confirm their progress to the next stage.England put in a below par performance against Paraguay and will be keen to silence their critics with a thumping win over Trinidad and Tobago.
The game may see Wayne Rooney on the pitch for a few minutes and we may get to see glimpses of the boy who was supposed to make the WC his own.Peter Crouch may have get his thinking hat going,after virtually being victimised by the referee in the game against Paraguay. Every time Crouch rose for the ball in the air,the whistle went against him.Sven is expected to start both Lampard and Gerrard in this game and is unlikely to make any changes from the squad which won a few days ago.
The Soca warriors have nothing to lose. They have already climber their own Mt. Everest by holding Swededn to a draw.But England have more keener guys in front of goal and Shaka Hislop,their MOM last time around will have his work cut out if they are to get anyhting from this game.

Spain thrash Ukraine

2006-06-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Luis Aragones will be a very pleased man. His team just thrashed the living daylights out of an Ukranian side in a match which was to effectively decide the winner of the group.
Aragones's decision of leaving Raul on the bench was justified by his replacment David Villa who scored a brace. Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso added the other goals.
This has been Spain's best start to a major tournament in years,given their debacles they have had .They have comprehensively beaten a team which was expected to give them a headache.This augurs well for the Spaniards and possibly this is their WC.

The Three Lions vs La Albirroja

2006-06-10T04:26:00.000-07:00

At first glance,the title of this post doesn't seem as if it's even minutely concerned with football. But a deeper look will reveal the hidden meaning.Yes folks its England vs Paraguay to clas in the World Cup today.Paraguay will be looking to emulate their highflying South American counterparts,the men from Ecuador who upset the Poles' 2-0 yesterday in Group E.

This England squad has very good players for every position on the pitch. And the best part of it ---everybody right from Owen upfront to Terry at the back can score.Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is a slight doubt going into the game and this probably opens the door for Michael Carrick or Owen Hargreaves to step in.May be if I were Sven i might think on giving Aaron Lennon a few minutes on the pitch inplace of Gerrard. The Tottenham winger has been hugely impressive in the Premiership and is an unknown quantity for the Paraguyuan defence marshalled by veteran Carlos Gammarra.With Rooney not yet having recovered fully,new England hero Peter Crouch gets another opportunity to repeat his Robot dance.

The Paraguyuans are no pushovers . I remember one very flamboyant personality from their last edition squad--Jose Chilavert. The veteran custodian will not be in Germany however. The onus will be on Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez,both of whom ply their trade in Germany to get them goals.
Possible English Lineup
Robinson
---Neville-------------Terry---Rio--------------------A.Cole

Becks------Gerrard/Carrick--------Lampard--------------J.Cole

Crouch--------------Owen
My verdict--England have high hopes pinned on them this time and will want to prove that they are worth the hype generated about them before the WC.I feel Joe Cole could be a key player for them today. Its not that the others won't be but the left winger has a penchant for scoring goals ,especially when needed.

The Best opening match for a World Cup

2006-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sepp Blatter and his VIP guests would be absolutely delighted after watching a match which truly justified being the opening match of the quadrennial extravaganza.
It was a match which did not promise much on paper but showed its potential at the Olmpyic stadium. Germany played with an attacking mindset instead of their usual 1-0 grinding and Costa Rica as usual played with a lot of flair.The end result--6 goals ---the HIGHEST EVER in an opening game of the World cup.

The Costa Rican defence in the starting was very shaky and looked at times worse than a local club side.Their Goalkeeper produced a couple of amazing saves and Germany also shot wide or strayed offide.The Costa Ricans were under constant bombardment from the left flank,with Philip Lahm and Bastein Schweinsteiger causing them all sorts of problems.Lahm produced a wonderful courling shot to open the scoring of the WC in the 6th minte. Wanchope equalised in the 12th minute only for Schweinsteiger to bisect the Ticos's defence with a splitting pass which resulted in a simple tap in for Miroslav Klose.Klose added to his tally with another one ,thus celebrating his B'day with a brace..Paulo Wanchope then scored his 45th goal for country from a Centeno assist leaving Lehmann stunned.But then Torsten Frings slammed home an absolute screamer from long range to settle the issue--a goal which is definitely as of now a contender for Goal of the Tmt.

My observations from the game---the central defensive duo of Mertesacker and metzelder were not composed enough. The germans escaped with conceding two here,but it will be more difficult against the Poles.Also the Teamgeist ball appears to be difficult for Goalkeepers' to handle and it may be a reason for the high number of goals.

What ever be the case,the match was a perfect ambassador of the way football should be played.

allez Berlin--

2006-06-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Yes folks,the biggest sporting extravaganza,the Fifa world cup,its 18th edition to be precise will get underway in a little less than 2 and a half hours when hosts Germany take on Costa Rica in Munich.
The quadrennial extravaganza is probably watched by many people than any other event,may be barring the Olympics.You can probably understand the impact of the beautiful game when you realise that FIFA,soccer's governing body has 205 members in comparison to the 191 members of the United Nations.
There isn't much difference between the Germans and the Costa Ricans in the rankings but Costa Rica weren't very impressive en route to Germany. I expect Germany to win this one and take some pressure of their and Jurgen Klinsmann's shoulders.

Here's a photo of the stadium where the match is taking place courtesy Fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

So Near and Yet so Far

2006-06-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

In a match where fortunes kept swinging like a yo-yo,a draw was probably the most fitting result at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday.And that's the way it eventually did after 90 overs of play on the final day.The heroes for the home side were the southpaw trio ---Chris Gayle,Shivnarine Chanderpaul and ...........Not Brian Charles Lara but .......Dave Mohammed.Gayle was mostly Ungayleish,choosing to defend rather than his natural attacking style. Chanderapul played a composed innings.Mohammed ,the least unlikely hero of the trio scored 52 runs which were worth their weight in gold.

On the final day the most potent threat to the home side was expected to be Anil Kumble and the Karnataka warhorse proved that with 4 wickets to his name. He also bowled close to one third of the overs.Darren Ganga and Gayle started off the innings pretty well and at 66/0 with a few overs to go for lunch,the West Indies were in the safe zone.But Kumble struck ,with Ganga out to a brilliant diving catch by Yuvraj.And Sreesanth for whom it was remarked that the test had so far been"worth jumping off the bridge" snapped up Ramnaresh Sarwan,the one day series hero and then the prize wicket of Lara,whose last test at the ground when he had broken batting records ended up with a golden duck. (Notice the little similarity between Bradman and Lara).After Gayle and Chanderpaul defied Kumble the wet behind the ears Indian pace bowlers,with the trio having a total of 4 tests between them . But then things changed --Kumble struck and then Sehwag added to his tally of 2 in the first Innings with another 2.

The West Indies ,who before the start of the last session hadn't exactly envisaged defeat were now staring down the barrel. 21 overs with 3 wickets to go. And the last three were the West Indies tailenders,not definitely with defying capabilities. But them Mohammad scored his 52 and Collymore survived the last over amidst great tension with Fidel Edwards.And so the WI ended with 298/9. Lara did not have the heart to see the last ball ,he himself remarked later.The umpires were under constant pressure throughout the day and they gave a pretty decent acct of themselves.

One wonders whether a draw might have been a win had Pathan and Harbhajan played. But this is not time to talk about if's and buts.A win would have been sweet for this young Indian team and would have been a morale booster for a side which have been on a losin streak after seeing their run of 17 Odi victories end.

This match may be remembered for the M.S. Dhoni "catch" and Lara's behaviour. But it deserves to be remembered for more than that. For this was the last test match at the fabled ground where Brian Lara scored his 375 and his 400 + knock,both against the Englishmen

The progress of the internet in India

2006-06-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

Two countries in the Asian Subcontinent are supposed to be the new markets for internet penetration. Identifying them is no tough task as they have the highest and second highest population respectively in the world.They are described as the biggest rivals to each other as well as the factor which drives the other's progress.We are talking about India and China.
As I do not live in China,I do not assume that I am the most competent authority to talk on the subject of internet penetration in China. But Beijing atleast as far as statistics go is miles ahead of New Delhi in the number of Internet connections.

Speaking of the progress in India,it is absymal. We mere mortals in India dream of one MBPs and greater connections,something which is quite common in the USA and other countries like Sweden,South Korea Etc.Therefore downloading big files turns out to be a very excruiating exercise to say the least.The average guy in India has a 64kbps connection. Some of the more priveleged have 256 and thats probably it. Its this section of the population which is defined as having broadband. But,the actual definition of broadband is something which is 256kbps +.Higher speeds than this are rare and are mostly for commercial users and the niche class.

The other odd thing--the internet hasn't really taken off in India vis a vis Exam results.Many university servers are just not equipped to handle the pressure and most of them crash during result time.Being able to view one's result on the net for a first timer is indeed good. It creates a good impression of the net for him.E commerce in India is still in the nascent stage. But with new age budget airlines promoting E-ticketing and sites like Ebay making slow but steady progress,we are on the way.This is however largely restricted to the urban areas. Some of the rural areas are not even wired,do not have telephones. As a result ,the villagers do not even have an idea of how a PC looks like. Intel has recently launched a PC for the rural man. Let's see what kind of response it evokes.

Somebody has said "Growth of India lies in the growth of its villages"Maybe its time for the concerned authorities to wake up to this and take the appropriate steps in the right direction.

India falter at Trinidad--what to do now??

2006-05-29T01:57:00.000-07:00

In their fourth successive defeat in as many ODI's India lost the fifth and final ODI to the West Indies in Trinidad to end up losing the series 1-4.The match which will be most probably remembered as Brian Lara's final ODI at the Queen's Park Oval.

A measured 95 by the Najafgarh Mauler was not enough as India fell short by 20 runs. None of the other batsmen went beyond 30, a rather sad thing for a team which was expected to whitewash the Calypsos 5-0.The heroes for the West Indies--Dwayne Bravo more so for his 62,and Jerome Taylor and Dave Mohammad for their three wickets apiece.Coming back to Lara,the King of Trinidad hit 36 before slipping while going for the second run which saw him being Run out.

Where do you India go from here? Clearly the young Indian side had performed extraordinarily well in the last few months but this was not their series.The second ODI was some kind of live saver and motivator for the West Indies and it produced exactly the opposite effect for Rahul Dravid's boys.. My view--persist with the lads.I do agree that clarion calls for the Gangulys and the Laxmans will start flowing in. I have no disrespect for the batting talent of these two wonderful classy batsmen. But give the lads another couple of series to settle down. One bad series is not everything.Give them more chances to prove their mettle.If they do not perform well there also,then may be its time for the selectors to get their thinking caps on.

Sherpa. creates a record-not one most of us would like to emulate

2006-05-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

A Nepali Sherpa shed his clothes a few days ago on Wednesday---You may wonder why this news merits attention. The fact is that this guy stood naked for over three minutes on the top of Mt. Everest. Quite shocking isn't it????

Probably the bloke wanted to etch his name in public memory amongst all who had climbed Everest. Really--The heights people go to create records. I wonder how hard it is to reach Everest,let alone do what he did.We have heard of guys who have died of frostbite on Everest,so to stay three minutes like that is quite stunning.

Maybe i should steer this topic on today's world and what it takes to be remembered indirectly taking it into Psychology which will research the crazy tendencies of the human mind. On second thought that can wait for another time.

Fanaa to be stalled in Gujarat

2006-05-26T03:32:00.000-07:00

Aamir Khan's film Fanaa will not be available to Gujaratis in theatres because of his stand on the Narmada issue--scream the newspapers in India.
Much as we would like not to mix films and politics,the two have had a relationship dating back to quite a long time. And boycotting everything which is even minutely related to a person or thing your ideology opposes is not a new practice. This therefore means that Titan,Coke,Toyota to name a few will be hit quite hard. I wonder how the corporate honchos of these companies will react to this.
We live in a democracy and everyone is entitled to his /her views.Aamir has categorically stated that he made these statements as an Indian and not a Muslim. Sad to see that we have to justify our nationality even after close to 6 decades of independence. Aamir has been targetted because he made his support public ,added to the fact that he is a celebrity. That's not to say that he is right or wrong. But may be the BJP can adopt better methods of protest. Personal attacks against a person are unwarranted. Aamir and the BJP maybe right in their own ways,but everybody has a right of opinion and people have to accept that. Not everybody will think the way you want them to. And forcing them to think that way is wrong, because it's an imposed opinion and not a natural one.
Any ways Aamir has said he will not change his stand.He said that the loss in revenue is far less than what the poor villagers will have to undergo.
The BJP has said that it will stick to its ideology and has trained its guns on the actor. This issue has also given the media a lot to chew about.
Let's hope for an amicable solution.

Mark Inglis

2006-05-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

I am a bit late in congratulating this man on his wonderful feat,but better late than never. This man is the first man to climb Mt.everest without legs. It's definitely not everyday that a person climbs Mt.Everest and not certainly a double Amputee. This bloke was a victim of frostbite in a 1982 expedition in his home country. He has defied the odds and truly epitomises "IF THERE"S A WILL,THERE"S A WAY".

The other sad aspect of his trip revealed by Inglis himself is about a 34 year old British climber who went alone on the expedition ----David Sharp,who was atleast watched by 40 odd climbers battling for his life.Unfortunately none of them came to his rescue. Edmund Hillary expressed shock and was quoted as saying "Human life is far more important than just gettting to the top of a mountain".
Inglis added that his team tried to save the Englishman but were forced to make the tragic decision to leave him to die for their own safety. In England Sharp's mother said that she held no grudge against Inlgis' team for not having saved her son.

In such hostile conditions,decisions are tough to make ,one has to admit and one decision can alter the entire course of one's life.If somebody had managed to save Sharp and thereby forego the opportunity to climb Everest and maybe even risked his life ,his fame would be temporary and he would have faded out of public memory in a short while. It probably explains the reason why the 40 odd climbers never tried to save the man's life .

Sad,but true. Nothing however to take away from Inglis. The feat he's done is monumental

Mandal Part 2 just seems to get Bigger with every passing day

2006-05-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

Just as one thought that the anti quota protesters would finally cave in,the movement appears to have increased in intensity. Medicos have struck work in protest in Government Hospitals and only emergencies are being attended to .Even the consultants who are otherwise forbidden to strike ,have gone on mass casual leave,thus crippling the public health care system of the capital.

Even traders are supporting the protesters. Markets in Jaipur were closed for half a day to show solidarity with them. Other protests have taken place in Kota (Home to some of the most famous IIT grads for 2 years if they go to Bansal and elsewhere) and elsewhere in Rajasthan.

I do want upliftment for the poor and economically backward. But what have 50 odd years of reservations done for these sections in our country. Has there been a being change in their standard of living???Have the reservations been able to do the job they were earmarked to ? The answer is a sad NO.

The government needs to tackle the problem from the base. How good is the primary education system in India?? When OBC's and other classes do not even have basic good education facilities,what is the point in giving them reservations in the most recognised intellectual brands of India?? How can the top floor be built when the foundation itself is shaky? That's a big question in itself.We all preach on equality ,so where's that gone ??Most of the OBC guys in these institutes do not believe in reservations at all.Merit,they say should be the decider.

The greatest sufferers will be the middle class which is not poor enough to get reservations and not rich enough to pay their way in. It's this middle class which accounts for most of our population.

The IIT's n IIM's who are already struggling with professor recruitment will have more people to recruit when the quota is enforced. A beautiful thing in today's Times "Good faculty do not grow on trees". And with the pittance the government offers as salaries,teaching standards are bound to fall and so will the credibility of India's most premier educational jewels.

Talks between the students and government officials have failed to make any headway so far.Some guys are equating this with the Civil Disobedience movement. That's quite a comparison??? What say guyz???????????

No Yuvi-Raj ,But Sar-wins it for WI

2006-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

A gutsy 93 by Yuvraj Singh went in vain as India lost a nailbiting encounter at Sabina Park to the hosts by one run,the lowest margin of defeat in the Carribean.Chasing 199 for victory after having reduced the hosts to 198/9,the Indians needed 11 off the last over. 2 Yuvraj boundaries reduced it to 2 to win off 3 . Dwayne Bravo whose day really did not have any thing much to be written about,bowled a slower one and the ball found its way to the stumps from Singh's pads,a dismissal which shocked the bowler as much as it did the batsman. The dismissal thus saw India's record 17 match chasing streak come to an end.

Earlier the West Indies struggled after being put in by Dravid,whose luk with the toss continued. As it was in the first match only one batsman made a significant contribution --close to 50% of the team total. That day it was Chris Gayle ,today it was Ramnaresh Sarwan.Coming in after Gayle had gone for a blob,the Guyanese batsman paced his innings well gradually improving his strike rate from 20 to 58 to a final 71. None of the remaining West Indies batsmen seemed to want to stay at the middle,barring Carlton Baugh and to an extent Marlon Samuels. The flamboyant batsman finshed at 98 not out,thus becoming the first batsman in ODI history to remain unbeaten on scores of 98 and 99. Surprisingly or coincidently both have come against India.

India have themselves to blame too. Sarwan could well have been run out close to thrice in his innings,with Yuvraj being the guilty person on more than one occasion.Virendra Sehwag's poor form continued. Many of the Indians played poor shots to lose a match which was in their grip for most of the game.The dismissal of Suresh Raina was a key point in the innings .At that point India needed 75 odd runs from 15 overs with 6 in hand.

This win comes as a great morale booster for the Calypso Kings, Many pundits had predicted them not to win even a single match in the series . They have played quite well and we hope to see the same level competition in the rest of the series

We head off to St. Kitts in two days time for the third ODI. Till then,adios!!!!!

The Spanish Armada rolls on--Viva La Catalunya

2006-05-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Barcelona completed a Spanish double as they overcame 10 man Arsenal 2-1 in the UEFA champions League final at the Stade de France yesterday night.Earlier their compatriots Sevilla had thrashed soon to be English manager Steve Mclaren's Boro 4-0 in the Uefa cup final.

Underdogs Arsenal,buoyed by the support of a pretty partisan Paris crowd nearly opened the scoring in the third minute but Victor Valdes produced an amazing close range save to deny Theirry Henry.Another Henry attempt from the edge of the area was saved by Valdes as Arsenal produced some good football in the opening minutes. Then in the 18th minute Arsenal's tournament hero Jens Lehmann became the first Goalie to be sent off in a European final as he lunged forward to deny Samuel Etoo and sent him tripping.Ludovic Giuly cooly tapped the ball into an empty net but referee Terje Hauge disallowed the goal and sent Lehmann off--A decision which has been debated quite a lot.Robert Pires probably playing his last Champions League Match for the Gunners was made the sacrificial pig as Manuel Almunia was brought on. From then on it was a match between Arsenal's defensive ability and Barca's Attacking.

Hauge made another atrocious decision giving a freekick to Arsenal when Eboue had dived. Sol Campbell ,whose season can be best described as tumultous ,rose above Oleguer and sent the ball into the top right hand corner leaving Valdes stunned . 1-0 to Arsenal .Almunia produced an amazing save to deny Etoo from close range in injury time ,leaving the Gunners with a 1-0 lead as the teams went into the lemon break.

All three of Riijkard's second half substitutes Andres Iniesta,Henrik Larsson and Juliano Belletti were tactical masterstrokes.Iniesta gave Barca more options in attack. Arsenal held on, staving all attacks on goal,preserving their lead for nearly three quarters of the match. Then a beautiful first touch by Larsson found Etoo and the Cameroonian shot it past Almunia into the net. 1-1 Arsenal had crumbled. Another superb pass by Larsson saw an other Barca player slot it past Almunia--a Brazilian ---not Ronnie---but Juliano Belletti . The Brazilian was absolutely stunned at having scored what was to be the winner's goal. Theirry Henry missed another chance to add to his third minute miss.And it stayed that way . 2-1 to the Catalans

The Catalns were deserving winners,considering their possesion and shots on goal. But Arsene Wenger's men had nothing to be disappointed of . They tried and tried but it was not to be their night.

Forca Barca!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bienvenue a` Parc des Princes

2006-05-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yes folks---The stage is set tonight at the Parc des Princes in Paris . In little close to an hour two of Europe's most famous clubs will battle for the ulitmate prize in European Football --The Uefa Champions League Final.The warriors--Arsenal Fc of England and Fc Barcelona of Spain.
The match is being billed as a match between two of the finest footballers in the world today ---Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho,opponents on the pitch tonight, both of whom may very well don the colours of the same club next season. The match is also seen as a Frank Riijkard vs Arsene Wenger match.On paper,one sees no need why Barcelona should not win this and if they do ,the Catalans might well go on to dominate Europe for the next few seasons.Their compatriots Sevilla thrashed Boro 4-0 a few days ago and the La liga winners would be looking to make it a Spanish double in Europe. There are few teams who can stop Barca when on song and Arsenal if they display their perfromance against Villareal in the second leg of the semifinal ,will not be one of those teams.
Still for Wenger's youngsters,it has been a dream run so far,beating the likes of Juve and Real Madrid on the way. Young Emmanuel Eboue has put up his hand up for marking Ronaldinho, a job one many of the world's best defenders would shy away from.Lets see how he fares. Cesc Fabregas would like to make an impression against his former club and Henry would like to add that one trophy which has been missing from his otherwise glittering cabinet.
Its promises to be attacking football at its best, a treat for the connossieurs of the game. May the Best team win.
GO GUNNERS AND FORCA BARCA.

Internet Security

2006-05-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

With the internet now penetrating into virtually every nook and corner of the world,internet security has become a serious issue.Phishing,hacking ,key logging all are considered serious threats. And the simple problem is ---When new people get introduced to the net,most of them aren't aware of the bad aspects of the web. If they are a victim of any internet scam,the impression created on their minds isn't actually quite helpful for propogating further use of the internet. And we kinda take 2 steps Backward instead of one forward step

Some of the most basic stuff any home PC user must have----

Anti Virus---I'd go for NOd32 ,although Norton and Mcafee are the better known ones. For the guys who dig on free stuff,I'd suggest AVG.

Anti Spyware---I do quite like Ad Aware SE. Spyware sweeper is also pretty good. A word of warning to the newbies---Many sites which promise to rid your PC of all the spyware with a click mostly add to the problems more.

Firewall---This is more generally used by advanced users. The first two stuff should protect any household, but a firewall does your PC no harm.

Suggested ones----Zone Alarm And Sygate .

There are many softwares which could do the job. However i have listed the ones which are most frequently used and the most reliable.

Another problem which gets on my head is "Spam". Most of us people are spammed with hundreds of fake mails giving us all kinds of special offers. This mostly happens when one enters his/her email in a site which asks for it. Pookmail is quite good for this purpose. You can use it and throw it. (Temporary usage)
However spammers always appear to be one step ahead of us. Somehow,I dunno why.
Actually speaking I'd love to see a Microsoft,Yahoo,Google anti spam alliance. Each of these companies are doing their bit for it and these three account for more than 3/4ths of all Email users. E commerce is fast becoming a defacto standard of transactions.

Lets keep this virtual world a clean place for all the newbies who enter it every day .

Kopites Rejoice----Liverpool win the FA Cup 2006

2006-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Liverpool beat West Ham 3-1 on penalties after a frenetic and exciting game of football ended all square at 3-3 after Extra Time at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

An own goal by Jamie Carragher and goals by Dean Ashton,Djibril Cisse and Steven Gerrard had kept the tie at 2-2 until the 64th minute. Then Paul Konchesky ,somehow quite incredibly found the net with a shot which looked more like a cross than a serious attempt on goal. The goal quite reminded me of Ronnie's goal against England which had knocked out the Poms out of the 2002 WC,but this one came from open play. The similarity being that neither goalkeeper,Seaman then and Reina today ever anticipated the ball to go in like that. The match looked tied up from then on for the East London club. It did look that Teddy Sheringham would have one final hurrah with the FA cup. But it was not to be. Steven Gerrard lashed home a goal from about 35 odd yards out into the left hand bottom corner,a goal which again reinforces the value of the midfield talisman to the Merseyside team.And the game consequently went to penalties where the Hammers' inexperience at taking penalties told with Reina producing three saves to give Liverpool a famous victory.

This game bore great resemblance to the Champions league final which Liverpool had at Istanbul last year. There they fought from 3 ,here they fought from 2 down. There Gerrard inspired them and here the England international produced similar magical football to take his side to extra time. Both the matches ended 3-3 after extra time. Both the games saw the respective Gk's,Dudek that time and Reina this time become heroes.

We do not see Liverpool 's tight defence conceding three goals very often. Neither have we seen them scoring three goals very often.

The game was a pleasure to watch. Congrats LFC ----FA CUP CHAMPIONS 2006. It was truly a wonderful cup . With a comeback victory over Luton,beating Chelsea ,MU and finally the Hammers.

Indian Idol 2 singer updates

2006-05-13T04:07:00.000-07:00

This basically tracks the new projects taken up by the main Indian Idol 2 contestants after bursting into the limelight with the show. Basically i'll cover Sandeep Acharya and NC Karunya and their offers but will also try to feature the other candidates from time to time. This will be constantly updated.

Karunya has sung a song for Munnabhai part 2 produced by Rajkumar Hirani . The film is a sequel to the comedy "Munnabhai MBBS". The song is called Aane Chaar Aaane and is reportedlly picturised on Sanjay Dutt ,the lead actor.

He has also signed a Usha kiran movie's project for which music will be scored by RP Patnaik.

Leave the poor kid alone

2006-05-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

I have read for quite some time about this person in the papers and the electronic media ,and his feats have both impressed and made me worried. . The person in question is Budhia Singh. What's so special about this guy,you may ask???

What if I tell you that he recently ran non stop from Bhubaneshwar,the capital of Orissa to the holy town of Puri, about 65 Km away. Running 65 Kms non stop is unfortunately not a feat many of us would like to even attempt and this boy has done it at an age when many kids are learning words and are more busy with their teddy bears and Barbie dolls.Yup ladies and gentlemen--herein lies in the surprising thing-----the boy is only about 4 and a half years old.

Coming back to the kid,he was born in a slum in Bhubaneshwar. He was sold for 800 bucks by his mother after his father died. Another reflection of poverty in India,just that this was brought to the fore by the media. His "coach" n guardian ,Biranchi Das, bought him from the person who had earlier bought him by reimbursing the money and discovered his amazing stamina. And today,the kid is in the forefront of a battle between the Orissa Government and Biranchi Das. The government has accused him with exploiting the boy, a charge stoutly denied by Mr. Biranchi Das. The government offered 500 rupees ($12) a month as stipend for the boy according to certain media reports, a very measly amount by any standards.

Is it ethical for a boy of this age to be running like this?Medical experts say that such running at such an age will be prove to be detrimental to his health in the long run,affecting his growth and bones.Mr Das, however says that the boy undergoes regular checkups and is perfectly fine. Even sprint queen P.T.Usha ,long regarded as India's finest athlete has said that running 50-60 kms could have disastrous long term consequences for the boy's health.

Meanwhile for other sections of the population he has been deemed as a future Marathon winner,a possible candidate for athletic glory in the olympics--something India has craved for but has never been able to achieve. Most of the Kenyans and Ethiopians,the ebony hued gazelles at the Olympics come from non descript areas and are gradually polished into diamonds. Budhia needs to be shaped too ---and he needs to be taken care of as he looks to be a rare,uncut diamond.

I do not think the poor boy even knows what is right and what is wrong for him. The debate willl continue to rage for some more time. I do hope the media keeps regular track of his achievements and doesn't abandon him when they consider him stale news.

England's WC squad of 23 announced

2006-05-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

Links to England's WC performance
England vs Paraguay
England vs Trinidad and Tobago preview
England vs Trinidad and Tobago review

As an ardent English supporter I do admit that i am a bit surprised by Sven Goran Erikkson's provisional selection ---squad of 23

• Goalkeepers: P.Robinson (Tottenham), D.James (Manchester City), R.Green (Norwich)

• Defenders: G Neville (Manchester United), R Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), S.Campbell (Arsenal), J.Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea)

• Midfielders: Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Totenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham)

• Forwards: Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).
• Standby players: Scott Carson, Luke Young, Nigel Reo-Coker, Jermain Defoe, Andy Johnson.

The Swede appears to be banking on the "unknown quantity" and youth to help England. His selections of Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon certainly appear to show so. Walcott has not made a single Premiership appearance for the Gunners this season since making his 12 million Pounds move from the south coast.His selection I do not view as wrong but surprising considering his lack of international experience .19 yearold Lennon has impressed with Spurs this season after making his move from Elland road . After only 21 premiership starts the lad has been handed a call -up.

I think Lennon would largely make sub appearances if not any as Sven's first choice for the right midfield spot would be David Beckham.The shock omission is of course, Darren Bent. The Addicks forward must be wondering what else he had to do to get into the England squad. He has been the highest scoring Englishman in the premiership,after all,this season .If Andy johnson can be in standby's why can't Bent atleast be there?????
The biggest weakeness I see is in the forward line. If we have a half fit Owen and a half fit Rooney,we could well see Peter Crouch partner Theo Walcott upfront,a possibility which would have been thrown into the dustbin by Pundits not so long ago. It does appear a decent probability now. How many goals have the two put together scored this season???. It doesn't go into double figures.

Jermain Defoe has been relegated to the standby's probably due to his lack of match practice at W.H. Lane due to the Keane-Mido striking combo.

The other puzzling thing is the omission of Scott Parker.The tenacious midfielder is one of the two box to box midfielders the other being Carrick. The selection of Owen Hargreaves is a bit surprising given the man's relationship with the English fans. He's done well in the Bundesliga ,which probably explains his selection.

Prima facie Sven appears to be thinking that Theo could do for England at Germany what Pele did for Brazil in 1957 in Sweden.Pele was 17 then and Theo is 17 now. Sol Campbell has had one of most miserable seaons at Highbury while Boro Left winger Downing has been plagued by injury this season.Shaun Wright Philips, has also been overlooked . The move to Chelsea probably cost the Ex Man City star a chance to play at the WC. Probably remaining at the city of Manchester stadium might have fulfilled his dream of going to the WC. Simply speaking----Money cannot buy you A WC spot.My sympathies are with the boy.

I do not think that ENGLAND can win the WC with this squad. But i can be proved wrong. Only time will tell if Sven made the right decisions or not.If it turns out to be successful,it will go down as a masterstroke by the Swede. If England crumble early,the british media will have its daggers ready to cut him into pieces and will make his departure after the WC more embarassing.

Parting shot
Sven------- Asked how he decided on his selection, in particular leaving out the likes of Bent and Defoe, Eriksson said: 'Probably not too logically, sometimes you do it on feelings as well and I am excited about Theo Walcott."

Did Arsene Wenger's asking Sven to take Theo influence his decision in any way ???
We do not know and might never come to know

Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin Ends

2006-05-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Finally,the curtains have been drawn..........
Two and a half years since its first episode was aired in September 2003,the Indian version of Yo Soy Betty La Fea ended yesterday night--May 4th in India to be precise.The serial,which centred around the joys and sorrows of an ordinary looking middle class Indian girl with a heart of gold,Jasmeet Walia----From hers being ridiculed for her plain jane looks to working at upmarket Gulmohar ----To transforming into Jessica to her marriage with Armaan Suri---her Boss and longtime crush ,if i can call it.

The show connected with the masses because it was based on a girl everybody identified with. The clashes between the upper and middle class,the dream of a plain jane girl to make it into the higher echeleons of society--things most indians had undergone.Sony carried out extensive pre release publicity campaigns for the show.The lead protagonist Mona Singh ,who played Jassi was almost in hiding,not being allowed to reveal her real identity. It even became some sort of competition amongst newspapers to uncover the real Jassi. It also probably clicked because it came as a whiff of fresh air to those who had got quite bored with Ekta Kapoor's Saas Bahu serials. Jassi,along with Astitva on ZEE were considered the new age serials. It helped garner TRP's for Sony and was an superhit.

Yet,somewhere down the line, especially after Jassi's transformation into Jessica ,interest in the serial waned.For some,it once again a run of the mill show.The USP of the show had been that it was different from the run of the mill stuff. And I think the creators Tony and Deeya Singh did the right thing by making a graceful exit instead of prolonging the show .Something which soem other shows must follow /
Good bye Jassi . You have left your mark on Indian television and an indelible impression on viewers

Sach mein----Jassi Jaissi koi Nahin

Not the Metatarsal again

2006-05-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

The infamous Metatarsal is back in the news againjust before the world cup. It particularly seems to have a fetish for English players. At the last World Cup it was Ex Manchester United winger David Beckham.It also went for Beckham's childhood pal,Gary Neville.This season Magpies striker Michael Owen was at the receiving end of it.And now close to 6 weeks before the world cup it has snared its most high profile victim. He is only 20 years of age. Yet he is heralded as the one who will inspire England to their second World Cup. Yes Ladies and gentlemen, the victim is WAYNE ROONEY.

Rooney suffered the injury during a challenge with Portuguese defender Paulo Ferreira in a game which saw United being beaten 3-0 by the Blues and Mourinho netting a second successive premiership title. Doctors say the wonderkid is likely to be out for close to six weeks,thus effectively ruling him out of the group stages.If England do progress further ,his lack of match practice could be a hindrance in his performance. This is an effective dilemma for Swede Sven Goran Erikkson--whether to take the 20 year old along to Germany or not??Such is Rooney's influence that every England fan would want him on the flight to germany,regardless of his medical status. if 1958 was Pele's then 2006 is considered to be the ex Everton star's World cup. It would be a tragedy not only for england but also for the footballing enthusiasts who would be deprived of seeing him exhibit his skills on the world stage.

The striker brings in new vigour in his teammates with his mere presence and he surely will be missed if he doesn't make it.This puts extra pressure on the midfield duo of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard,who have performed very well in the premiership but haven't been exactly able to replicate that form at international level. Even Jose Mourinho remarked after Rooney was stretchered off "The lad must play at the world Cup. The world cup will miss him badly if he doesn't play.

This probably sets the stage for Argentine teenager Lionel Messi,often compared to Diego Maradona to make his mark. Many current pundits find it hard to comment on who's better--Messi or Rooney. If Rooney doesn't play this might well be the South American teenager's World Cup.

England without Rooney is like Barcelona's attack without Ronaldinho.The lad plays in the hole,can fall back if needed and can virtually do everything needed of a footballer on the pitch,maybe with the sole exception of Goal keeping.

Get well soon Wayne----hope to see you in Germany

FEEL THE HEAT LITERALLY----It's summer time.folks

2006-04-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

Summer's here in India.The Page 3 guyz choose to go to Europe and the Swiss Alps.
A few others choose to go to Darjeeling,Shimla,Nainital ,----getaways closer to home.
And for the rest who are forced to stay (mainly because of studies ,like it is in my case) and sweat it out,summer is a nightmare come true.

I stay in one of India's metrapolises,a city which take everything out of you in summer with a deadly combination of humidity , pollution and lack of a green cover.You walk out of your house ,fresh from a bath and in a matter of minutes you are in a pool of sweat. The situation generally takes a turn for the worse every summer. Like Glucon-D ad shown ,I feel that the sun literally takes a straw and saps all energy from my body. My work demands me to be in the sun for close to a quarter of a day. Add to that,the general travelling difficulties and you can understand my plight. Being in AC's helps a bit. I do regularly drink Nimbu juices,Masala Milks ,Lassis from my favourite drink vendor (if not him,any place will do ---summer is not the time to think about hygiene.u see)
They provide temporary relief and not permanent ones. I drink one and travel for 15 mins and an immediate urge comes over me to take another gulp.Vendors are literally making hay while the sun shines.
At home, I do take 3 baths a day in cool water. Yes cool and not cold. Thats how the water is in summer. The good side is going to the Beach
With May approaching,I forsee more sweaty days. And there is a real threat of heat waves,especially in states like UP and Orissa,where thousands officially die out of sunstrokes and God knows how many unofficially.
Yet, we guyz take it in our stride every summer. And will continue to . Here's to the enduring spirit of the Indian.

PS--CONGRATS TO JM AND HIS TEAM FOR WINNING THE PREMIERSHIP,although I am a scouser

AC Milan Vs Barcelona preview.

2006-04-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

It is a game which many people would prefer to be a final.But unfortunately it is a match when one will return disappointed. Only one will make the forward journey to the final.Yes---Italian giants Milan travel to the Nou camp tonight to meet barcelona, having to erase a 1-0 deficit from home. Milan who fell behind at home due to a Ludovic Giuly goal will be bolstered by the return of in form striker Fillipo Inzaghi who missed the first leg due to a virus.Both clubs are the sole representatives of their respective nations at this stage and will be keen to prove a point. Milan have made it to 3 finals in the last four years and will be keen to continue their good streak in Europe.

Barcelona meanwhile have played extraordinarily in Spain but do not have any major CL appearance to speak of in the last few seasons.Their compatriots,Villareal fell to Arsenal last night.The flamboyant Ronaldinho ,spoken of as the best footballer in the planet right now,would like to stamp his class on the CL before heading to the world Cup . So would Samuel Etoo,Giuly and a host of others. That is easier said than done considering that Milan are not a side to give up easily. For most of their QF match against French powerhouse Lyon,they did not appear as if they were goin to go the semis. But then two goals in the last few minutes broke lyon hearts and sent Milan through.Milan do seem to have luck when CL encounters are taken into consideration----however luck may not be the only thing which they will need to fire past the Catalans into the final.

Barcelona are virtually guaranteed of their league title while Milan have almost made sure of second place in the serie A.So I expect both the teams to give it all.

For people who watch football as the "beautiful game" Barcelona is a delight to watch. They play attacking football at its best. Milan are more thought of as a defensive side,as most italian sides are made out to be---score and defend. But when Milan do have their backs to the wall--which they do have at present---the attacking football they play can be compared to the best in the world-----with the likes of Kaka,Inzaghi,Shevchenko and company spearheading their forward line.

A 2-1 victory would do for the RoSSoneri to advance on away goals. However winning is not an easy task at the Nou camp-----as Chelsea and Benfica might well tell you.
A win for either would take them to Paris to face Arsenal.Pundits are tipping on Barca,but you can underestimate Carlo Ancelotti's side at your own peril.

The Gunners off to Paris

2006-04-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

A dream was bound to be broken at the EL Madrigal yesterday night.Both the teams were in contention for their first ever CL final. And much to the disappointment of the home fans,it was the yellow submarines who walked off the pitch dejectedly after a 0-0 draw against arsenal saw them being knocked out of the CL. The dreams of Riquelme,Sorin, Jose mari ,Arruaebenna and company went up in smoke. To be fair to Villareal,they deserved to get the one goal they so desperately needed to keep the match and their hopes alive.

They rattled the Arsenal goal time and again. But it was ''mad" Jens Lehmann who stood like a rock between Villareal and the goal. No matter whatever they did they just couldn't get past him.When they did get one in ,it was not given for offside. For Jens it was another performance which justified Jurgen's Klinsmann's decision to pick him as German No.1 over Oliver Kahn.Lehmann had been in sensational form in the champions league and yesterday was another 10 on 10 performance for the Essen born Goalie. And for Arsene Wenger,things weren't smooth at all. His young side had to soak in lots of pressure and survive lots of anxious moments..Franco missed a couple of headers that should have found their way to the other side of the Arsenal goal. Prolific Uruguyuan Diego Forlan,too shot one wide. One tends to wonder what might have been the outcome had ronnie,Etoo n company been there.

And right at the depth when Jose Mari earned a last minute penalty,It seemed that Villareal's efforts wouldn't go unrewarded. But Lehmann saved Riquelme's penalty. Luck just didn'tseem to want to support the Spanish sideThe celebration of Theirry Henry after the save n the match clearly indicated the delight of the Frenchman at having watched his club move one step closer to the trophy he had always wanted and the trophy which has so far eluded him.

The funny point of the match came just before the kickoff the second half when an enthusiatic fan ran on to the pitch and draped Henry in a Barca jersey.

The difference was clearly visible with the return of clichy at leftback instead of the makeshift flamini.
I'd have to back the Gunnerz to go all the way like liverpool last season. But wait ------Etoo,Ronaldinho,shevchenko et al might have something to say.
Off to Paris Gunnerz --------enjoy ur first trip to europe's Premier footballing extravaganza.

Arsenal Vs Villareal

2006-04-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight will be a defining moment for 2 clubs in europe,both of whom have never reached the finals of the Champions league and whose only chance of making it to Europe next season appears,at least at present is to win the champions league this season,a bit like liverpool last season. Yes, I am talking about Arsenal and Villareal. Both especially Villareal have stunned the pundits by making it so far. The Yellow submarines qualified from a group which included the likes of Manchester United and Benfica. Their greatest achievement so far,has been dumping the grey half of the city of milan, Inter out of the champs league and leaving Roberto mancini's side of having to swallow d disappointment of another underachieving season.

Arsenal on the other hand, know that this trophy can help keep their most prized possession with them as they move into Ashburton grove next season,Theirry Henry.Success in Europe could ensure the Frenchman's stay at the North london club for the next few years. Arsenal have had a miserly defence in Europe ,keeping clean slates against the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus while moving into the penultimate stage of Europe's premier club competition. The Gunners hold a 1-0 lead when they step on to the pitch at El Madrigal courtesy Kolo Toure.Yet Arsene wenger knows that the job is not yet completed and an away goal will all but seal it.

I would be forced to tip arsenal to go through,although Villareal are not to be underestimated. While it looks tough for them to win 2-0 at home,one could back them to grind a 1-0 and then taking the match to extra time and possibly penalties. Whatever be the matter,an away goal should not be conceded.Villareal would look forward to their talismanic playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme to inspire them. They however do have Allesio Tacchinardi suspended.

I'd predict arsenal to go through may be with a goalless or one goal draw or win.
whatever be the result,we are in for a treat tonight at El Madrigal.

Indian Idol 2 Crowned

2006-04-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

tonite has seen the coronation of Indian Idol 2 winner. the lucky man in question is a shy softspoken guy from the smalll town of Bikaner in Rajasthan -------Sandeep Acharya. The runnerup -----the judges Favourite-NC Karunya from Hyderabad who first came into spotlite for his Bluffmaster performance ,greatly resembling AB Jr.The show went on for close to 2 hrs and the results were declared live on air.
Sandeep to me sings a lot like Udit Narayan,the latter very well known to most of us.Karunya to me appeared to have versatility,and was the darling of the judges. Amey Date -the frontrunner earlier was voted out when there were 4 left in the contest.
Coming back to these two ,Sandeep had public backing. He also looks like a person who will not let success go to his head.There was a kind of innocence ,which won over many hearts.
Congratulations Sandeep-----U deserved it. As for karunya,well done ------you wil get film offers no doubt.
--------------wish u all the very bst in ur life
------------As for the american version-it does luk like katharine will be the next Idol.
PS--alisha chinai.ishaa koppikar,kajol were few of the celebrities who came at the crownin of II2

2006-04-21T02:59:00.000-07:00

Bus Strike In Mumbai
Mumbai today is witness to another strike by the BEST. The undertaking is an important cog in the transport wheel of the city, ferrying more than 4 million people everyday . The reason,the discontuination of the interim relief granted since the last strike which was about a year ago.
I do agree that the workers do deserve their money amount which ranges from 800-1000 per person. But is holding the city on ransom correct?? That too indefinitely?????????. Not a single bus has plied on the roads and all the bus depots are deserted.But this means a field day for the taxis and autos. My journey today saw the autos dictating terms as to where I wished to go. The taxis too refused to go where i wanted. A bit of walking and loads of persuasion and patience later, I got the auto when I was almost on the point of giving it up. The worst affected are the daily bus commuters. They today have to go by train,in second class. Any Mumbaikar worth his salt will tell you how hard it is especially in peak hours.
Do the tax paying citizens deserve to be held to ransom like this. Mumbai does not have a metro rail,which can ease the load on its overburdened cousin,the train and so the citizens are subjected to tons of inconvenience when it really isn't their fault.
And if this strike continues for the nex few days,how many daily wage labourers and the middle class people can shell out triple if not more,for their daily commute????
By the way ,its a queer policitcal equation. the BJP and the congress appear to have come together against the Sena NCP unions. funny isn't it.
The problem should be resolved at the earliest to avoid further inconvenience . Come on unions and Best, reach on a compromise.

2006-04-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

We have just seen the conclusion of the DLF cup with both India and Pakistan taking home a share of the spoils.If it was Younis Khan in the first game,it was the "WALL" Rahul Dravid whose innings was the crux of the Indian total.The Indian captain has been a talismanic inspiration for the Indians. Kudos to Irfan Pathan for taking his 100th wicket in ODI's. The lad has made rapid strides in the game and the day should not be far when he may be talked of in the same breath as his mentor Wasim Akram.He has been taking close to 2 wickets a match and that is a very impressive figure. Speaking about figures,the tubby Ramesh powar has impressed in the few opportunities he's got for the Indian team .

This week has also been witness to one of the more spectacular yet one of the most unexpected feats. Yes I am talking about Jason Gillespie's double hundred against Bangladesh. People may crib about the quality of the opposition,but I believe that Bangladesh can beat the best on their day.DIZZY ,U really made us "DIZZY" with that innings.
Some staggering records made by dizzy during that knock
------------Joins the elite list of those who have scored a double century and taken 100 wickets (Botham,Sobers ..........)
-----------Becomes only the 6th Aussie to score a double century.

Dizzy had never scored a century in first class country before this. Well done dizzy,enjoy ur moment of fame.

--------------As for football,the champions league saw The Gunners and The Catalans take a 1-0 lead over their respective opponents,The yellow submarines and the rossoneri;both of whom now face an uphill challenge to make it to the finals.

To round it OFF take a look at this beauty
NOKIA ASTON MARTIN
It is for Guys with deepand real biiiiiiiiiiiiigg pockets.
ADios

2006-04-17T02:03:00.000-07:00

A lot has been read into Aamir Khan and the RDB cast supporting the Narmada Bachao Andolan aginst the Sardar Sarovar project.Khan,one of India's finest and most versatile actors is known as an intensely private person. He rarely if never gives interviews to the media. He stays away from the numerous film awards vying for space in indian television. So his taking part in this does appear as a surprise.There were protests outside his house on sunday.Meanwhile Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has begun a 51 hour fast.He alleges a Congress NBA nexus on this issue

Medha Patkar ,the pioneer of the andolan has said that it will be a struggle for Aamir if he wishes to take part.Coming back to Aamir, every citizen has the right of expression bestowed to him on the constitution. That's true. but the questions being raised are numerous. Why now ?? Why didn't he join the Andolan earlier ??Is it a publicity stunt??Was it RDB which caused this ??Only time will solve this. This like most matters might run out of newsprint in a few week's time.

This is however threatening RDB and aamir's forthcoming film Fanaa in Gujarat. Why should politics n films be mixed. Why should the films be targetted for no fault of theirs??

This matter will only be decided by time,somepeople say------but the NBA battle has gone for a long time and it doesn't seem to show any signs of stopping

2006-04-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

The Reliance ''Bas Button dabao" of the father asking the little kid greatly appealed to me.So many kids get embarassed when their parents want them out of their class for a few minutes. Although what is puzzling about the Ad is why the Dad does not know how to check cricket scores. he looks like a blue collar executive and it looks very improbable that he does not know how to check cricket scores.Still a good ad all the same.

Apart from the eye candy that Kareena and Priyanka provide in the Pepsi TV ad, I do not really see anything great in it.
I do think that LG have made a good decision by hiring AB's baby for their products till soemthing like 2008. AB's baby is a rare commodity when u look at ads on the small screen.
The Koreans look now to stamp their authority over the Indian market where they initially struggled.Speaking of Koreans that reminds me of the Voltas ad. The Tatas vociferously profess the Indianness of their AC,reminding people that it is not Korean.The liitle girl in the ad epitomises rural India.The Indian electronic market is mostly dominated by the Korean and Japanese electronic MNC's--------LG,Samsung to name a few.Plus the innumerable Chinese brands in the grey market..Videocon is the salvager of indian pride. Still considering the service given by these companies,I think they r doin a decent job.After all we r living in a world where there are no restrictions on trade.

The English have completed their long tiring tour of India. Despite putting up a good total due to some lusty hitting by Pieterson (who singled out VRV singh for some special treatment) and some rearguard action by Collingwood and Jones,England were unable to win at Indore.I thought Uthappa had a dream debut,barring his unfortunate runout .Today Kallis,Fleming and Pollock are 2 play their 100th tests at Centurion where South Africa are to play the Kiwis . Best of luck to these brilliant servants of cricket.Fleming is an astute tactician and Pollock and Kallis are 2 of the best allrounders in the world of cricket today.

Shifiting my attention to football,the news is that Massimo Moratti is ready to sell Inter.Tribal football estimates the price to be 250 million euros and says Giovanni Armani is interested..That'd definitely ensure better jerseys for Messrs Adriano,Martins,Stankovic etc. Any corporate listening ????????????

PS-----------( Tribal football is not supposed to be the best of sources. So I can't comment on the prices but yes,Moratti has said that he will listen to offers.)

PPS---------------Happy Easter to all

2006-04-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

My decision to start a blog was partially influenced by my desire to create an electronic identity of mine and partially by a newspapaer poll,which revealed that out of every 100 guyz who surf the net with regularity,only 4 have blogs.Shocking fact,isn't it !.I have always beleived that a blog is one of the better outlets of human creativity.So here I go................
Yesterday night saw Manchester United virtually conceding the title to Jose Mourinho's blues . SAF's lads failed to grab three points against the worst side in the premiership,Sunderland. Brown returned to partner Ferdinand in defence. With saha out to injury and rossi on reserved duty, the baby faced assasin,ole gunnar solskjaer was on the bench.The hero of the match was the GK of the cats,Kelvin Davis who produced some marvellous saves to keep United at bay.Some blame most also be taken by the United players for failing to hit the back of the net, with many of em looking to experiment,the worst culprit being Cristiano Ronaldo.This game must have both bitter and sweet memories for most cats supporters,most prominent being Paul Collingwood. The Durham all rounder currently in india,would have been happy to see his side take 2 unexpected points off United,but would have been unhappy to see the draw confirming relegation for the black cats. Chelsea face a tricky fixture away at Bolton,whose home form has been one of the best in the premiership. Yet the Trotters have had a bad run of late and sam allardyce would been keen to rectify that.Liverpool,my favourite club also have to overcome the inform Bellamy and in form Rovers at Ewood park. Elsewhere Milan won the Milan derby by a solitary goal,the hero being Kakahber kaladze.Barcelona beat their fellow champions league aspirants Villareal thanks to an Samuel Etoo goal.
Another recent development which has left me flummoxed is the union minstry's decision to increase reservation in IIT's n IIM's to 49 %. this has angered the middle class "general" people. Such reservations would reduce the quality of these educational gems. Plus this could be extended to private institutions.My point is if poor people are admitted to these elitist institutions,won't they suffer discrimination from the filthy rich elite?. That will increase discrimination.I have had many guyz now saying that its a curse to be born "general"
Equality should be the keyword. Let all admissions be on the basis of merit and not simply on the basis of caste.