What a match that was!

The quarter final match played between India and Australia, gave jitters to everybody as we all sat glued to the television. It all started off as Australia won the chose to bat and as usual as soon as the match progressed we started our usual will India beat them? Will we make it to the next stage, the usual words that ring in all our minds throughout the time span of the match. It came across as a pleasant surprise to me, when the Aussies were actually struggling to score runs. This showed that Dhoni’s men had strengthened up their fielding. They were simply superb when it came to fielding that day and Oh the new man, Ravichandran Ashwin, our very own Chennaite took two wickets and crucial ones that too. Very well played Ashwin. He had performed well in his debut match as well and Dhoni made the right choice of keeping him in the playing eleven.

Another tough decision that Captain Dhoni took was to have Suresh Raina in the place of Yousuf Pathan, which should have been a hard decision for him considering the kind of drastic games that Pathan is capable of when he is at the crease. But I suppose consistency was what India was looking at and that where Pathan had a back seat.

On the other hand, as the match went on Australia was struggling to touch a run rate of 5 per over and their captain Ricky Ponting, as he entered in the 3^rd slot stayed on till the end as the biggest pillar of support for the series of batsmen who entered and exited. On a personal record, it was 100 after a long time in ODI cricket and he seemed quite happy about it except that the constant pressure and tension of having to be there for the team haunting him. Over all Australia scored 260 and it was pretty much what they were expecting to score anyways.

Then came the second innings of the match with little maestro Sachin and Sehwag opening to bat and though Sehwag did get out quickly Sachin did stay on for quite sometime and contributed.

After the exit of Sachin Tendulkar was when problem for India started along with the rising tensions amongst fans throughout the country. At one point when the score got too close, for a split second I even thought we wouldn’t make it, but then came in the heroes of the day Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. They both played beautifully under pressure and with such calm and poise. So much pressure on them ,tensions mounting up, with the number of balls decreasing and the runs to be scored pretty high, it were the series of fours that were hit by the duo that got India into the quarters sending the Aussies back home.

As we were nearing the end of the match, it was getting more exciting and we could see the entire crowd go mad with joy once Yuvi finished off the match with a stylish four talking India into the Semi Final. Opting to have Raina in did yield fruits at the right moments and credit must be given to the captain for having that kind of confidence and courage to change the playing eleven for a crucial match as this.

Yuvi at the end of the day was awarded the Man of the Match Award for being the all rounder performer and the happiness of India had no limits. Next India will be meeting Pakistan in Mohali, and is always the most expected and anticipated match that everybody just loves watching. Every ODI, the whole country waits to see if Sachin would get his century of centuries record, but I suppose the best is saved up for the last!!

Will India make it to the final beating Pakistan is something that we need to wait and watch!!!

It is World Cup time

It is World Cup time and the country is raving in madness about it, but that is what is best about India and cricket. It is undoubtedly India’s second religion. With India giving us nail biting moments in easy matches also, there are certain little things about our men in blue that are definitely worth noticing. Whether they are able to perform on field or not, they are extremely multi talented and it clearly shows in all the recent Pepsi ads that have come out for the World Cup. Keeping aside everything else, the ads have been so well picturised and presented that I find them very funny and light hearted. The best in my opinion is the one where Sehwag tries to shake a leg with Ranbir Kapoor pathetically but still there is something very unique about this ad followed by the ad of Dhoni, trying to imitate the man in the village, rotating a wheel. What I notice apart from all the visual appeal is the idea that goes into making such an ad that immediately captures the viewer’s attention with catchy songs and funny only liners. I think Pepsi has done it once again .They always manage to hit the bulls eye and yes they do know how to lure the people as well. Bhaji’s doosra is another another one but I feel irrespective of how many such ads are made with our men in blue, we would still watch each one of them with all awe and admiration. The ads are very very innovative, I mean it is really interesting to see how ad makers come up with such ideas that they know are sure shot to captivate their viewers and they actually make so many ads just for the World Cup season which only boils down to show what kind of an audience we are who never tire to see our Indian Cricket team in any form.

Where have they gone???

Just as I am wondering about all the very sophisticated and very professional sports that we play, on the other side, where has all our traditional Indian household games gone? From time in memorial, India has been quite a shy society and this has been reflected from the ways of behavior and culture.Talking of this kind of an set up, we always believed in a balanced household where the men of the family went out to work and the women folk stayed at home to takecare of the her family and the house. During days of yore, there were child marriages and it was approxinmately at the age of ten that litlle girls got maried and were sent off to their husbands home.Once they were married they werent aloowed to run around and play freely, but how else would they keep themselves engaged in some for of recreational activity? It was now that our traditional home games came into being that kept all our patis engrossed for a certain number of hrs during the day. Games like "daayakattai" , "palankuzhi","aadupuli","paandi" are by far the most played games by girls at home. Young and little boys played "gilli danda" , flew kites and tops.After the daily chores of the house are over, casually women in houses nearby got together at somebody's place and played these much to their delight. Today, these little games have lost their relevance in our lives and but so bad is not the case as with flying kites. It still is prevalent in certain areas like near the beach where litlle boys play around flying kites. This too now has drastically reduced because of the number of dangerous accidents being casued by the use of the thread of the kites. Apart from this, flying kites outside homes has seen a dip, primarily independant houses have gone and multi storey falts have cropped up and it is definitely not adviseable to send children to the terraces of these scary sky scrapping buildings just to fly kites.Sad!!!

So whatever said and done at the end of it all, our age old games have slowly faded out of our homes and we have moved onto a fast paced world where we find no time for such leisure and fun activties.Where are we all heading to???? Makes me wonder!!

Meet Wenlock and Mandeville

awwww..damn cute!!! is the first impression that I gave when I saw Wenlock and Mandeville...Who are they?? None other than the super duper cool official mascots for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ,respectively to be held in London. The mascots were born from the last steel pieces that were used to build the stadiums in London and thats precisely why they are shiny all the time.Little Wenlock, the Olympic mascot derives its name from Much Wenlock in Shropshire, a town that is at the heart of Olympic history.Wenlock loves discovering new things and is eagerly waiting for the games. Little Mandeville , the Paralympic mascot derives its name Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, the birthplace of the Paralympic Games.Mandeville loves taking up challenges and trying its best to succeed in all of them. Want to know more about them.....Catch them them in London in 2012!!!.

Getting back to the present...The whole concept of has fascinated me beyond words.The whole idea of the mascots and the way they have been portrayed is truly amazing.With, just two main characters, there is a wonderful story being woven around it and it has been shot so beautifully. Personally, I would say it is the best set of mascots I have seen till date.Hats off for the idea conceptualization , the animations, the sound effects etc. The entire objective of grabbing the attention of the viewer and even those who wouldn't be interested in the Olympics would be inquisitive to know more about it thanks to the mascots.Unlike the usual mascots of created during sporting events that have a simple background to its credit....these mascots are far ahead of their previous counterparts. There is a whole history behind their creation, the reason for their creation and their purposes are different as well.Its like a little fairy tale that is told to every child before it goes to sleep...the creation of these mascots are just that......wait and watch!!!

Sporty weddings?

Sports and weddings...Ah..Hold on...I am not talking about sports celebrities and their weddings...but...but…but…how weddings today are sports based!! How innovative and interesting could that get I thought when I chanced upon an article that was entirely dedicated to this theme. Whoa…Felt this was a whole new concept that hasn't come to limelight in India, and if it did…Rather when it does, I can already imagine the kind of show and pomp that a wedding scenario would witness. Having a theme for weddings is not something new abroad and more so now in India as well, modern couples today have theme based weddings that try to blend tradition and contemporary styles, but having a sports based wedding is I think for the whole new NXG. It might sound very lame to those who aren't ardent sports lovers but for those who are, this is a wonderful idea. Right from the pre wedding procedures to the final ceremony having a tinge of anything related to your favorite sport, or sports star or anything for that matter is I feel a very cute thing!! It is usually this cliché norm we hear, especially in Indian weddings where the girls go out of the way and engage themselves in the pre weddings and wedding plans...Now would this sporty wedding themes interest guys to pitch in??? Only wish it would...What could be better if the couple are both passionate about sports? Right from their costumes, to their venue of their wedding and the post wedding celebrations could be sports correlated. Like for example if the bride and groom both like basketball or are players themselves, they could probably take their favorite team jersey colors and use it in their wedding costumes. Like wise there could be n number of ways they could experiment with a gamut of options available. For the post wedding celebrations, apart from the normal rituals of games that are played during the Indian weddings, a casual game involving the families and friends could be arranged for. The wedding itself could be set up in the made shift set of the favorite sport etc. Such innovative themes and ideas break monotony and could be a lovely icebreaker for family members and could help in bonding with each other as well. Fascinating and wacky??? That is what the NXG is heading to anyways! One doesn’t need to be a celebrity to grab eye balls during their weddings; everybody can wed like a celebrity and make heads turn with this fresh idea.

Derek Redmond: An epitome of inspiration

What I saw in the video for about five minutes left me numb for a few seconds afterwards and awestruck. Hats off the person who compiled the video but the lesson that it has taught is something to be remembered for a life time. The essence of the video dates back to the 1992 Olympics held in Barcelona. One of the most awaited track events of the Olympic Games, the 400 mts sprint semi final run was shortly to be conducted when all the athletes had assembled on their respective tracks at the start line. The top 2 finishers would qualify for the final run, and there hence all the athletes were ready for the gun shot marking the start. Along with all the athletes was one, Derek Redmond from England, who that day showed the world what courage, perseverance and true sportsmanship was all about. The race started off, and all athletes started sprinting, and towards the last 250 mts nearing completion Redmond tore his hamstring and tumbled on the tracks in pain unable to complete his lap. As the whole stadium watched in shock and disbelief, he rose up on his feet and started limping on his track to complete his lap. This was when his father came forward to help finish the race with a standing ovation from the whole stadium. This incident became a striking moment in Olympic history and became the subject of one of the International Olympic Committee's 'Celebrate Humanity' videos. This will power of Redmond, showed the entire sporting fraternity and the whole world that courage and sheer perseverance is what leads to success many a times. And success here was not coming first in the race but finishing the race and not quitting half way, and failure was not falling down but refusing to try again. After seeing this, I realized especially for sportsmen, there are a lot of pits and falls at every stage that one has to tackle with utmost grit and determination if one has to make it to the top, and even if not the top, being a sports person in the first place itself is a lot of pride in itself. More so, every human being I feel has a lot that one can learn in those 5mins of watching the video that not only portrays the commitment of a true athlete but also certain values that helps one lead a valuable life.

Two sides to a coin

Everyday on my way to college in the mornings, I pass by a specific slum area when I get to see the bitter side of reality of how life is people who live out there and the kind of lives their children lead. But one thing strikes me hard every time I pass, the happiness with which the tiny tots of the slums happily run around screaming their throats out and playing with each other. All that those kids know are that and nothing more than that. No high-funda spendings, the ability to get themselves trained or nothing of that sort, but still they have their own physical activity to keep them engaged irrespective of the surroundings around them. To the little boys out there, their Sachin Tendulkar rocks the bat made out of some left over piece of wood, their stumps drawn with black charcoal on a pavement wall and their ball made of some worn out hard material. But what is heartening to see was the fact that they actually know every single detail of the game. The vigor and enthusiasm that is shown on their faces during their play is outstanding, shouting in joy when they dismiss a batsman or when a boy hits their makeshift ball high in the sky. As I go ahead a little further, I come across this well known school, where I see young boys coming out wearing track suits, with the cricket kits and talking in English about their practice session they had just been to. What a contrast I just saw within a matter of just ten minutes. Totally distinct from each other yet very similar on only one thread – the love for the game ‘Cricket’. It is then I realize that cricket in my country, has no boundaries and it truly is the unsaid religion of India. The kind of background that especially children come from, don’t matter at all. To them how they play, where they play, with whom they play, when they play is of least importance, it is the sheer love for the game and the joy of playing that matters at the end of the day for all of them. With the two mega cricketing festivals, the ICC World Cup and The IPL round the corner, everybody has a lot to look out for and enjoy!!!

The Australian Open!!!

Atlast, The Australian Open and the victories…was this result expected by many a tennis lover? I doubt, with the World No1 and No2, not featuring in the final match at all. Nadal and Federer lost out way before and that came as the biggest surprise to one and all. The first grand slam of the year for mens’ singles was clinched by Novak Djokovic and the women’s singles by Kim Clijsters. To talk about the ladies first, Belgian player Kim Clijsters walked away with the title defeating China’s Li Na. Oh what a game did Kim deliver, a mother of a two year old who bounced back in action after retiring from the sport. This is what one calls a true comeback I would say. In full form, calm and composed facing each hurdle with all her might to get the title. The unexpected exit of Justine Henin came as another upset. Moving to the men’s singles Nadal faced defeat owing to his injury, sadly!! Following this, Federer and Djokovic were seated against each other and to everyone’s surprise Djokovic bet Nadal, but one has to give him true credits for the kind of game Djo played that kept Nadal on his toes. Probably this was the best match for Djo in his entire career. Talking of all the players, how could I forget our Indian players? The combo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Peas came together after nearly nine years for a grand slam but they did not perform as well as expected. They lost out though but never the less, their entry or reappearance as a team itself was a lot of hopes in the making when they entered the finals. I even thought they would make it, but sadly they didn’t. Never the less, it is all in the game!!It wasn’t our day. It was the Bryans day when it came to doubles. All said and done, the next what the world will look for is the French Open to see if there will be the clash of the titans in all categories then atleast for the title!!!