DADA : THE WARRIOR PRINCE

I often wonder….. how will history remember Saurav. Will anyone actually remember him say 50 years down the line. After all he has played his cricket alongside India’s arguably best sportsperson Sachin Tendulkar. So why will people remember him? If not for his comeback, we would have associated our Dada by his blunt aggression shown by him by waving his T shirt at lords after the Natwest victory in 2003. He could easily have been forgotten.

Fortunately Saurav has done much more than that. He has done much more than playing Cricket. His career coincides with India’s new found self belief as a nation in its abilities and I am sure it will not be a overstatement that Saurav has been a catalyst to this new found belief. It is not uncommon that a nation finds its inspiration… its aspirations through sportsmen. Especially in a country like India, which has no role model to look upto in its public life. Plagued by corruption, indecision, instability India looked upto the cricketers. But Indian cricket was no different. In 1999/ 2000 season, when Saurav took on the captaincy, Indian cricket was rocked by its worst crisis ever: The infamous match fixing scandal!!!! The revelation that shocked the nation where Cricket was a religion and cricketers were no less than gods. Trust was shattered and people, understandably so, turned their backs to cricket. Saurav took on the job of captaining the Indian team when the popularity of Cricket in India was at its all time low.

Like a true leader, Dada, started collecting the pieces left after this Tsunami. To be true nothing much was left after this Tsunami. So he started picking the talent from all parts of India. The Shewags, the Harbhajhans, the Yuvrajs and so many more. At a time when every failure was being criticized heavily by critics and looked upon by suspicion by public, he defended each of his boy like he was defending himself. India achieved what others might consider impossible under his captaincy. In 2001, when Aussies lead Series 1-0 when they enforced a follow on to India in Kolkata. Who can forget the miraculous turn around of the series from there. Not only India won the Kolkata Test but we went on to win the 3rd test at Chennai and the series with it. Within 3 years he made a team which almost won us the World Cup in 2003!!! We won almost all ODI series in that era. Impossible wins like in the Natwest Finals in 2003 where Kaif and Yuvi chased down 326 had almost become a habit. Even the mighty Australians had nightmares of India at that time. They were seriously challenged in the drawn test series in 2003/ 04 for the 1st time in over a decade in Australia!!!!

But destiny had different plans for Dada. As if to say, this is not enough for a life time… lets see if you can handle more challenges. Ganguly’s personal form dipped from there on to a extent that he was asked by his coach to drop himself from the team!!! The aggressor lost his cool and the Indian public lost its memory. He was infamously dropped from the team for more than a year.

He was picked for one of the hardest tours… South Africa. And what did he do there … well not much. He was only the highest run getter for India in that series!!! And since then every series he has got better and better. So much so that he was the Man of the Series against Pakistan in the recently concluded series.

If you're looking for a clue to what has helped Sourav Ganguly sustain his spectacular run in Test cricket since his return at the fag end of last year, don't bother looking at his footwork or the flow of his bat. Take, instead, a close look at his eyes while he is batting. They speak of a calmness that borders on serenity, and a combination of composure and resolve. You could see it in his comeback innings in Johannesburg, which fetched him an unbeaten 51, and you could see it through his epic innings in Bangalore that marked a new high in his career.

Ganguly has taught India the true definition of aggression. People in India wrongly conceive that if you sledge you are aggressive… far from it. Ganguly has always been aggressive not only by his words but by his deeds. One need not be a rocket scientist to understand that that Ganguly has hardly spoken anything after his come back and yet is mighty aggressive. In his bowling, and on the field, we have seen the more familiar Ganguly; excitable, emotional, even fiery. He has appealed cantankerously and celebrated his wickets and catches with child-like gusto.

He has let himself go only once after his comeback: it was an emotional moment, getting to his first hundred before his adoring home fans. But his celebration after he got to his first double-hundred, a landmark he sought and will cherish, was far more subdued. There was the raising of the arms and the acknowledgment of applause from his team-mates and the crowd. But then there was also a series of little pumps of the fist, and a waving of the helmet. Those were for himself. There was an air of fulfillment, of a man celebrating privately in public. His smile touched a million hearts: his struggle to regain his place, and some would say his honour, have been among the most stirring and uplifting stories in cricket.

His story is about a man who simply refused to surrender to what seemed inevitable to most. Much can be said about his improved footwork and the decisiveness of his stroke-making, but in the end, it has been a triumph of spirit, of incredible strength of mind and faith.

But he is living out a fairytale at the moment, and nothing he achieves will be a surprise anymore. There are many, me included, who believed Ganguly's time as an international cricketer was over. We owe him an apology and a salute.

Dada you have made us proud !!!!

Pakistan : The Worst Team Ever!!!

Wow!!! Finally the day came when Indians can clam that indeed their cricket team is much better than that of their arch rivals.

However, believe me, my heart bleeds when I see the Pakistani team perform as bad as they have done in India. But facts are facts and they cannot be denied. Just look art the following stats of this shattered team for 2007

M W L W/L
Tests 6 1 4 0.25
ODI 21 8 12 0.67
T20 10 7 2 3.5 (1 match was a Tie)

I am not a great believer of stats in Cricket. However, the above stats more or less signifies why my heart bleeds. Pakistani test team has never be so down since 1972 and believe me this pathetic record would hurt every cricket fan across the globe.

Except for the T20 finals, Pakistan have more or less nothing to show for their efforts this year. If one analyses their problems this year, one can easily say that they have problems in every department of the game. Their Opening batting has been a issue since Syed Anwar and Aamir Sohail combination left the international scene. Their middle order looks extremely thin without Inzy. Their wicket keeper drops a crucial catch almost every match these days. They have no all rounders which once had had in abundance. Their bowling is no where to even county team standards. And their fielding ….. well even school boys will be ashamed of the effort Pakistanis are putting in these days.

Pakistan was surely my favorite team, after India obviously, and yes it hurts to see the powerhouse of cricket falling the way they did this year. As if the trauma of early world cup exit wasn’t enough, we are seeing them perform they way they did on first two day of the 2nd Test. They are so down that their think tank cannot even think logically. Inclusion of Shoiab Akthar in the playing 11 is the biggest blunder I have seen in test arena!!!! It gives me no pleasure, as a Indian, to see them being defeated by my team. They are not worth opponents.

I wont pull the topic more but I only hope that Pakistani cricket does not follow the path of West Indies Cricket. I hope good sense will prevail in selection of their team and we get a better opposition to play our Ashes!!!! Till then the present series is dead and its not good for cricket

This is Vikas from ICC head quarters in Dubai.

India Pakistan to Clash again : It doesn’t get any bigger than this !!!!

As a child, when I was growing, I was told that Ashes was the mother of all Series and that winning the Ashes was the most important thing in a career of a International Cricket from Australia or England. But even the purist have to agree that over the last 3 decades nothing matches the excitement offered by a Indo- Pak series. Fortunately or unfortunately, the clash between the arch rivals is just more than a just a game. It was very well depicted in the recent Bollywood block buster “Chuk De India” where it was shown that one game turned the life of a man upside down. Didn’t it reflect the career of Chetan Sharma whose life couldn’t be same again after the infamous last ball six by Miadad.

In fact the main reason for Indo Pak series are so famous are due to the fact that players from both the teams cross the limits of possible and go on to do things which are almost hard to believe. Who can forget Miadad’s last ball six, Prasad’s famous comeback in the Bangalore Quarter Final in 96, Sachin’s arrival in International cricket against Qadir, Shoiab’s Yorker to Dravid, Aqeeb Jawed’s LBW hattrick in Sharjah, Sehwag’s Triple at Multan, Kumble’s perfect 10 at the Kotla and the most recent Misbah’s flick to find a mallu at short fine leg to loose the T20 World cup. These are some of the finest moments in International cricket and hence no one can underplay the importance of a Indo- Pak series.

This year has been a mixed kind of year for both India and Pakistan.. Out from the world cup in 1st round. India then went on to beat Bangladesh in Bangladesh, S. Africa in Ireland in 3 match series, won the English test series, lost the One day series, Won the T20 cup and then lost a home series to Australia. Similarly Pakistan lost both One day and test series at home to S. Africa after having reached the finals of T20 Cup.

However, in this it does not matter what form a team is in nor does the reputation of a player matters and hence I am not going to tell you that on paper Indians look the favorites. But as it is very clear, it is just on paper. For all practical purposes, it is safe to assume that this series will be a cracker of a series. Players would be tested not just on their talent but mental resolve as well because these games separate the men from the boys.

This India-Pakistan series would be of the utmost importance because it is a series between two countries who share so much history between them. History that has blazed the two cricket fanatic nations with feverish excitement every time the two arch-rivals have met on a cricketing field, history which has epic battles that have set one nation in a frenzy while the other mourns and history which with every series has been recreated.

Come November 5 and the world will have its eyes on the mother of all series. As is said, 'It doesn’t get bigger than this.'

This is Vikas Gupta from the City that saw closest Indo Pak matches … Dubai (Sharjah isn’t that far :) )

LETS SAY NO TO RASICM !!!!

The recent row of racist remarks over Symonds at Vadodara, Nagpur and Mumbai reignites the discussion over Racism in world of Sports.

However, I guess Australians have no right to take the matter too far. I read a report, entitled ‘What’s the Score,’ by The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Australia. They concluded Racism is still ‘prevalent’ in all Australia’s major sports, including among professionals, despite administrators’ best efforts to stamp it out, a hard-hitting report. One can easily remember Australian crowds’ racial abuse of touring South African cricketers in 2005-06. In 2006, former Australian Test cricketer Dean Jones was sacked as a TV commentator for calling Muslim South African player Hashim Amla a “terrorist” during a broadcast. Murali and the Sri Lankan team will have more than a story to tell about Australian, on and off field, racist attitude. One can only wonder what Indians will face this time when they tour Australia.

However, not withstanding all that. Let us put behind what the others do to us. After the much hyped Indian victory at the T20 World cup, there was a call for positive attitude and aggression. India, as a nation is also breaking through and there is a general aggressive attitude in the youth of our country. It is actually very nice and refreshing to see that. However, we have yet to understand the meaning of aggression. Aggression is not saying mean and harsh things to your opponents. Aggression is not saying “Watch out you asshole, I will kick your butt.” It is never about saying things. It is about doing things. Being persistent to achieve your goal. Never giving up. That’s being positive and aggressive. We Indians learnt to say those mean things, but what we have not learnt is the attitude. Lets face it, Australians have played their cricket aggressively and one needs to respect them for that . They are undisputed world champions of cricket and they played their hard cricket in India. No two opinions about it. So why disrespect someone like Symonds who was by far the best player on show in the two teams. That’s not fair. Just because these guys are racist, doesn’t mean we need to match them even in their evils. We Indians should embrace the good of the west and not its evils. We have our values and racism is something that is not acceptable at all in our country.

If you are black you know that racism is still alive, unless you live in a cave. Racism isn’t just a sports thing, it is a society thing. Blacks run into it or see it everyday in all walks of life. Sports are just a small part of society and racism in sports cannot be denied. I don’t know if this is a sign of racism, but how many times have you seen TV sports people refer to blacks as having a ‘good smile?” It bothers me, because I don’t hear those same statements about none black athletes having a good smile.

I remember Thierry Henry, take up the issue very strongly last year when he came up with the wrist bands and “Stand Up, Speak Up” Campaign. We all know racism is a major problem in Europe even now. Germany was one such place which waged a war on the basis of racism only to be completely shattered.

Lets say no to such social evil and play and live our lives positively and with “aggression”. Lets leave these smallness of being racist to the west.

Lets say NO TO RACISM!!!!! For the 1st time I will request you to forward mails on anti racism to your friends because this is something that unnecessarily divides the world, which already faces so many problems. We don’t want such problems in sports anyways

Sorrow in the Sub continent: Final Frontier is lost !!!

A fortnight is a very big time these days in the world of cricket these days. Just a 15 days back we were all celebrating a historic Indian win at the T20 World cup and today I am voicing my concern over the losses of the sub-continent teams in their recent series.

Yes, indeed the verdict is out and it doesn’t look all too well for the teams from the subcontinent. India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have lost their respective series in their own land. This is something we have not seen in the 90s and indeed the start of 2000s. This a sad and telling blow for the teams from the subcontinent where the spin web used to suffocate the best to death.

Lets take Sri Lanka first. The rise of this cricketing power can be easily attributed to individuals like De’ Silva, Jayasuriya, Murali and Vaas. With all these players in the twilight of their career, the lack of proper cricketing mechanism in the country is exposed. With the help of foreign coaches and some astonishing talent they have kept the cricket alive but the recent series defeat against the English have exposed the fact that Sri Lanka does not has a proper cricketing organization to breed and throw international talent consistently enough. With Jayasuria out of form and Murali not playing in the series, the Sri Lankans looked totally out of sorts. This English win was their first series win in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan on the other hand were handed over a 1-0 series defeat by the hands of South Africa in the 2 test series. The confusion over selection and the total mismanagement by the administrators there was the prime reason for the defeat. There is a bit too much happening in Pakistan cricket off the field for them to concentrate on their cricket. To be honest, the forthcoming tour of India will most probably sort things out. Also for me their biggest worry is batting. After Aamir Sohail and Syed Anwar, Pakistan have struggled with their opening batting. For last 5-6 years they haven’t have had fixed openers which cost them dearly in this series.

Indians are probably the unluckiest of the lot. After the celebrations of the T20 win, Australia would have been the last team they wanted to play with. Dhoni is new. The big three are assuming new roles in the set up. And believe me there is a huge quality difference between Australia and rest of the other teams. They are by far playing the best cricket world has ever seen. So Indians were pretty much helpless. Also a lot is being said about the utility of the big 3 in the team, post T20 win. My take on the subject is, the day u find better than Rahul, Saurav and Sachin, throw these guys off the team. However, till such time respect these guys. Post T20, people want their head with no logical reasons. Both Sachin and Saurav are playing extremely well this summer. People need to realize that T20 is different from ODI and these players are still the best in this country. Dhoni is learning bitter lessons on Indian captaincy now, but I feel with the forth coming Pakistan series, his caliber as a captain will be tested. India will have to think a lot about their team combinations and the mark the correct people to be backed as like Pakistan, frequent changes are being made in the team which is no good.

However, whatever may be the case, the frontier is lost and India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will have to do a to regain the lost honor. A lot for the cricket administrators to think about

Fearless Cricket won the World Cup

“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance..... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again”

Yes I will take help of the same words which were spoken 60 years ago when India got its independence!!! Yes this has been one of those rare occasions in history when we have stepped from the old (era dominated by Sachin, Saurav and Rahul) to the new (Era which promises a lot with Dhoni, Yuvi, RP, Irfan, Rohit). The Cricketing soul of this nation was suppressed since 1983 and yes it has now found a new utterance. 24th September 2007 is a day when we end a period of ill fortune and I am sure Indian Cricket will discover itself again!!!!

I must confess, I began the tournament with a mild sense of cynicism, which was due to my reservations about Twenty20 as a form of cricket. Growing up watching cricket, I understood that Cricket, especially batting, is a combination of 3 Ts viz. Talent, Temperament and Technique. The shorter the game gets, the balance shifts from Temperament and technique towards Talent. While some amount of Temperament and techniques is required in One Day Format, T20 Cricket is a showcase of talent. And to add to it… it is fast, exciting and is more often than not competitive. This format is one of those things which act as a dessert when you consider the big picture of Cricket.

The finalist in the tournament were unarguably the teams full of natural talent and hence it shouldn’t have been a surprise. I heard a lot of people not giving both India and Pakistan any chance to reach the final. But my theory explains it all!!! To be honest one could hardly choose between the two arch rivals. I personally thought that Pakistan was the best team among the 12 teams on board and it would be only fair to say that they lost the cup not due to talent and lack of ability but unfortunately they couldn’t play that “fearless Cricket” for the last 20 overs of the tournament, which was the hallmark of the two finalist of the tournament. I wont emphasis on the final which, I must confess was tough on the nerves and the hearts of the millions but I will concentrate on the big picture.

The big picture that emerged from the tournament was what I call as “Fearless Cricket Theory”. The young teams of India and Pakistan exhibited some of the most amazing fearless Cricket that I have seen for 24 years now. They say experience dilutes a person. Well I am sure they are right. These new guys did not know, and thank god they did not know, things that can go wrong. The examples of this can be seen in Rohit Sharma’s Debut knock of 50 in the semis and that 1st over aggression from Yusuf Pathan in the final. Yes in case of Rohit Sharma it clicked and in case of Yusuf it didn’t. But these guys played this fearless cricket thoughout.

Pakistan must consider itself unlucky to have not won the tournament. Their bowling of Asif, Tanveer, Gul, Afridi was a treat to watch. It was their batting that had let them down more than once in the tournament and I guess that’s the reason they paid the price.

India on the other hand, build momentum gradually as they went into the tournament. The inspiration came from Yuvraj as he hit 6 Sixes of the 19th Over of Chris Broad as Indians defeated the experienced England. Rohit Sharma then proved in the next match against South Africa that, this team does not rely on one individual and all of them can chip in as Indians defeated the South African and cleared their road to the semis. They faced their toughest opponent in Australia in the semis. Here the most striking thing about the India Performance was the clear headedness. Indians Cautiously started with their innings only to hide their cards in the final few overs where even the mighty Australians had no answer to the talent of Dhoni and Yuvraj.

However the test of character was the finals where one must admit that, toss played a crucial role. One is asking for a bit too much if one expects the Run chase in the final of a tournament against the arch rivals to be easy. One had to play “fearless cricket” in that final session of cricket and only Mishab, Tanveer and Imran Nazir could play it from Pakistan and it was all over for them.

This vistory proves that a lot has changed in Indian cricket in the last two decades when we last won the world cup. The fact is that the social geography of the game has changed dramatically: the 1983 winning eleven had four players from Delhi, two from Mumbai, two from Bangalore, one from Chennai. It was the quintessential big city team, mostly comprising of upper-middle class men. The 2007 team, by contrast, is very much a Tier 2 and 3 town team, unburdened by metropolitan consciousness. The winning eleven against Pakistan had only one player from Delhi, one from Mumbai and just one from Bangalore. The rest were from towns like Rae Bareli, Rohtak and Kochi, places with no cricketing history. Many of them come from lower middle class families, having lived in one and two room tenements for much of their lives. A majority of them defy the stereotype. This makes the win all the more INDIAN

Well one hopes these moments shall no longer be rare in Indian Cricket

Here is Vikas Gupta Signing off from city of head quarters of International Cricket Council, Dubai.

T20 Cricket: Whose game is it anyway?

Twenty20 World Cup is only a week old but it already seems to have started a long time ago. It seems ages since Shane Bond took a wicket with his first ball. Last seen, he was disappearing into the stands against Sri Lanka. Or was it against England? Was it yesterday or the day before? As matches blur into one another, the memory gets hazy and scrambled. You are left with a lot of moments, but can you place them? Can you find context?

You see, I am trying to like Twenty20. I really am. I know it's here to stay, and as long as I choose to be a cricket fan, it's an obligation to watch the game and write about it. I really don't want to sound either like an old bore or a cricket snob. Give the damn thing time, I tell myself; it might grow on you.

There have been two enthralling matches in the tournament so far - which is admittedly twice as many as the first phase of the 50-over World Cup had. Zimbabwe's win over Australia, because of its unlikeliness and because everyone loves the underdog; and the tie between India and Pakistan.

I wouldn't call that match a win for India. The bowl-out ruined it for me. A thoroughly thrilling game reduced to a farce by five minutes of meaninglessness. Even in a penalty shootout, which many football fans deride as a lottery, there are basic football skills on display. In the senseless adaptation of the concept to cricket, part-time bowlers have a much better chance of success than regulars. And honestly, what's wrong with a tie? It's rare and precious. Why must cricket copy football thoughtlessly?

The best way to enjoy this game, perhaps, is to enjoy the moments. That will take some reorientation because it is not the way we grew up watching cricket. Yes, cricket is finally all about the moments, but there's always the larger plot to consider; a lot more goes into making those moments. In Twenty20, the moments are the plot. Games can often be decided by one innings, one spell, one over: it is cricket without pauses. You flow with the tide, soak in the atmosphere, and come back for more the next day - or the next hour. It's not cricket as art but cricket concentrated into an adrenalin shot; it's designed to give you a kick but not to linger.

An over can produce two sixes and two wickets. A top-order collapse could mean absolutely nothing. And the finest strokes could be followed by the ugliest hoicks.
Of course it's a far better game to watch at the stadium than on TV, but how much of the fun at the ground is real? The DJ gets into action at every over-break. Every boundary and every wicket is a cue for the dancers to go into overdrive. Some of them don't even know the game. It all feels a bit contrived and lacking in understanding. Edges are cheered as lustily as sublime strokes.

Yet it's easy to see why Twenty20 has a future. It is far less demanding on the spectator: it requires much less patience, engagement, and understanding of the nuances. And it has no history or tradition to intimidate new audiences. Most of all, it is short and something is happening all the time. If you are not burdened with cricket's past and the knowledge of its finer, complex aspects, Twenty20 is pretty good entertainment. It has revived domestic cricket in England, and in South Africa where audience figures for Test cricket have fallen hopelessly.

My friends, who have dumped cricket as it was supposed to be boring, loved the bowl-out. One of my friend, was so excited about the "shootout" that he started text-messaging me at 1:30am from India when I was in Frankfurt Airport. As he cheered and exulted at every hit by the Indians, I was left with conflicting emotions. It felt like both victory and defeat. I was delighted by his sudden involvement with my game, but was it really my game?

Sport is about skills and possibilities. Tests provide the best platform for a full exhibition of cricket skills. Twenty20 shrinks that range. But spectator sports are also about enjoyment. People having a good time can't be such a bad thing after all.

Chuk De India (CDI) : A Winner all the Way !!!!

When the film was about to release though I was very happy about the subject on which the film was made, but I was not sure how the film had shaped up.

Well all those apprehensions went out of the window no sooner India witnessed its first truely hollywood style movie. The shear brilliance of the film cannot be comprehended yet let me try it here. This movie was absolutely great and it had many dimensions to it and I shall put them across one by one

Choice of Subject: Actually story of the underdogs is a safe bet in all parts of the world. But both SRK and the director must be complimented to choose Hockey (a underprivileged Brother of Cricket) as a subject, And Women's Hockey!!!! Can any one name of one Women hockey player. I my self claim to be a sports fanatic but I simply have no answer to it. This was the subject these guys choose and hats off to them .... They Pulled it off

India: India was the most stressed word in the film. I wont go into why it is important to be proud to be an Indian because it has been dealt in the film.

Team Work: I have always urged to all the parents of young children to make their children play on the grounds rather than on Play Stations. Wasn’t the field Goal where the Haryana Girl, Chautala, passes the ball to Preeti Sabarwal a perfect example of how team comes first and then the individual glory. I have seen MNCs spending millions to teach the same by some or the other out bound programme. But nothing is as effective as sports. So please ….. please … play some sports and make the younger generation play too.

Under Current of Religion Bias: Mohd. Azharuddin was once called a “Perfect Modern Muslim” when he and India were doing well under him by “Hindu Samrat” Shri Balasaheb Thackrey. Post Cronje revelations…. He is a traitor… “Inki Toh Jaat Hi aaisi hai”, These guys should have been thrown off the country during partition itself. You know I feel ashamed. I feel ashamed of the fact that we “Hindus” have still not accepted Muslims as our countrymen after 60 years of Independence. Come on. There are good and bad people every where. Wasn’t Ajay Jadeja also named with Azhar. So why target his religion. We claim many times of equality when it is bought to our notice that we had Muslim Presidents, SRK and many other famous personalities are Muslims and we have given them equal treatment. Yes all this is true. But when it gets down to crunch situations, we target them first. As I said I am ashamed and I apologize to all my Muslim friends jinko aaj tak yeh maa apna beta nahi maan saki.

The point was subtly raised in the film. But the best part is no melodrama involved.

Film Making: The director of the film Shimit Amin might even not know what he has pulled off. I have seen a lot of Indian Films and I must say that only Ram Gopal Verma came close with Company and Sarkar to the Hollywood standard of films. But here Shimit has not only touched those standards but at places he has gone beyond any typical Hollywood sports movie. The best part to me of the film was not what he showed but the fact that he didn’t show many things. Many things that would have turned this feast into a nightmare. He didn’t show Kabir Khan’s 7 year struggle. He didn’t show the frustration of a Muslim in India, he didn’t actually show the man giving speeches when India won the World Cup. Any Indian film would not have missed the opportunity to show that. But Shimit did miss it and thankfully so. He knows, that a man does not necessarily cry when he is sad. Those emotions can come by showing a rock hard face. He did that!!!!

Performances : All the gals were brilliant but to be honest I cant take off “Preeti Sabarwal” of my head.

But one man…. Who carried the film …. All Alone…. Was …. Kabir Khan …. Or was it SRK…. Well if he was SRK, he never looked like one. I guess I have said it and u understood it. I guess I took a leaf of Shamit’s book. Lesser is better. But anyways hats off to SRK. Performance of a life time.

SRK: People usually compare SRK and Amitabh. Well I need to illustrate my experience here. Of Late I have been traveling to Europe and when I tell people I am from India. The next question they ask me is are u from the land of SRK. Well I wont comment on who is better but SRK is a Perfect Modern “INDIAN”. Aggressive, extremely hard working, talented, religious, one who has those Indian values and a family man. He has it all. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he emerges as a Brand Ambassador of India

Well all in all the movie was a experience of a life time. I hope people take something of it.

Jai Hind

Vikas Gupta

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India Glorious!!! Chak De as they say it

The most delightful sight moments after India pulled off the historic draw at The Oval was the one of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar locked in ecstatic embrace. On a patch of turf where India had pulled off their maiden Test victory in England, the trio, a holy trinity in India's batting echelonshistory, were toasting a glorious series win, one built on the bedrock of team unity, partnerships and swing-bowling combinations. No one team member could lay claim to this series being theirs, it belonged to everyone.

Here was a captain supposed to be under scrutiny. Surrounding him were a couple of fading stars who ought to be riding into the sunset. Instead a team without a coach had found pockets of leadership in them. It was long felt Dravid suffered from not having a supportive vice-captain, but here he was being propped up by a couple of shrewd warhorses. India's series win was as much a tribute to the collective brains trust as it was to efforts with bat and ball. What this team lacked in modern coaching technique, it made up for in common sense.

None of India's batsmen made a big statement in the middle, yet everyone came with his own little jewels.

Dinesh Karthik isn't a classical opener - most expected him to fail - yet he showed how confidence could help overcome conditions. The hard work at the nets would have helped; the time spent sharing dinners with team-mates, especially those with a vast wealth of experience, were crucial

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a young man with a cowboy's reputation. But his clear-headedness and ability to adapt have played a part. He had a torrid time behind the stumps, he had edgy phases with the bat yet, when he needed to adapt, he stood up. Watching him assault Monty Panesar at The Oval was special, seeing him knuckle down and craft an ugly 76 at Lord's more so. Memorably he smiled his way through it all.

It's been a series for fun. India took their cricket seriously, yet made sure they had their fun. Here was a bunch of senior pros mingling with young boys, a get together of uncles and high-schoolers. On the first day at Lord's, India's frontline bowlers are flayed to different corners. In walks Ganguly and strikes first. When India batted, RP Singh stuck it out as a nightwatchman. Anil Kumble's maiden Test hundred was simply the icing on the cake. Bits and pieces don't get better.

At Nottingham Zaheer Khan ran in as if his life depended on it. Jelly beans were only part of the story. Here was a fast bowler desperate to win India a Test. RP Singh didn't merely land up at Lord's, he went all the way to the honours board. Yes, the same lanky, nonchalant Rudra Pratap who usually picked up the second fiddle. Even on the last day of the series he was bouncing Kevin Pietersen, forcing him to weave out of the way. Is that you, RP?

Lost amid the intrigue surrounding India's coach, both the previous one and the unknown newcomer, buried under the wretched disappointment over the World Cup, is the gradual re-evolution of India's Test side.

As of now its the time for champagne!!!

It takes two to Tango

Story of the Day after Day two of 3rd Test at Oval, London

• The story of the day was Anil Kumble's unbeaten 110.




• India's total of 664 is their highest against England, and their fourth-highest against all teams.




• Eight 50-plus stands, which is a record in Test cricket. There are 25 instances of six 50-plus stands, but no team had managed seven in a single innings.

In some of their warm-up games on this tour, India have used the 'retired out' option. Batsmen crossing fifty have trooped back voluntarily to the pavilion to give their team-mates more batting time. The tradition seems to have spilt over to the Test match arena, although with a slight modification. The first part, 'retired', has been forgotten - possibly because India's oldies are fed up with all this farewell tour talk - and replaced simply by 'out'.

India's plan, throughout this series, has been outstanding: reach a half-century, look good for a hundred, walk back, and watch the next person do exactly the same. No big gulps from anyone, just small bites from all. You get your fifty, I get mine. Liberty, equality. Anil Kumble was obviously dead against this policy of equality, carving out a most memorable maiden century, but the rest have stuck firm.

Four years ago India's batsmen shone so bright in Australia that experts compared them to England's Bodyline-winning batch of 1932. In four Tests Sourav Ganguly's men ransacked six sparkling hundreds, all of which were over 140. Batting feasts rarely come tastier.

This has been a series for hard-nosed cameos. Since they landed in Ireland, India have played ten matches, both first-class and international. It's produced 31 half-centuries and just two hundreds - Sachin Tendulkar's 171 at Chelmsford and Kumble's 110 here.

There's been lazy elegance (Wasim Jaffer's 62 at Nottingham and VVS Laxman's 51 in the 3rd Test at Oval) and youthful exuberance (Dinesh Karthik's three fifties); controlled assertion (Dravid's 55 in 3rd Test at Oval, Ganguly's 79 at Nottingham) and single-minded accumulation (Tendulkar's 91 at Nottingham and his 82 in Oval); guarded run-gathering (Jaffer's 53 at Lord's, Laxman's 54 at Nottingham); uncharacteristic stodginess (Mahendra Singh Dhoni's fifty at Lord's) and clinical destruction (Dhoni's 92 today at Oval).

Partnerships have been crucial. Batsmen have clung on to each other dearly with a staggering 16 50-plus stands. Unlike in Australia, where they rattled off one masterpiece after another, none of these innings will be termed 'great'. Yet they've made a collective statement. Like a swarm of bees, they've combined to make life hell for the opposition.

Jaffer and Karthik have gelled well at the top, both compact and fluent; Tendulkar and Ganguly have been like soul-mates out in the middle, chattering incessantly; Ganguly and Laxman have had to get through some crucial final sessions; Laxman and Tendulkar brought back memories of Sydney 2004 this morning - where the first brushed and the second sculpted; Dhoni and Kumble have gallantly shepherded the tail; the rest have chipped in at various points.

Ganguly has been crucial. He's been the most composed of the lot but, more importantly, he's the only left-hander in the line-up. Partnerships involving him read: 28, 21, 59, 96, 67, 11* and 77. Batting at No.5, he's split the right-handers perfectly. It's put the bowlers off rhythm. His own scores haven't been outstanding (thanks to two poor umpiring horrors) but his presence invaluable.

India's lower-order didn't promise much before the series but Kumble has led a resurgence. RP Singh slugged it out as a nightwatchman at Lord's. Zaheer Khan took his batting so seriously that external objects on the pitch fired him up for a matchwinning spell. Watching Sreesanth three successive fours off James Anderson was like watching a batsman in his prime. And Kumble's strung together vital partnerships: 17 and 16 at Lord's (the second helped India save the match), 50 and 9 at Nottingham (the first made a difference in the eventual result) and four special ones today: 91, 62, 21, 73.

India have long relied on individual brilliance, this one came with awesome synchrony. In batches of two they Conquered, when one left the other took over. Four years ago, in a series decider, India amassed 705 for 7 declared at Sydney on the back of Tendulkar's towering 240 and Laxman's magical 178. Here they almost matched that, with a partnership bombardment like few others.

Somebody should suggest a motto for the series: 'It takes two to Tango'.

CDI : Jagoo India : Its Hi time

An interesting thing about 15th August and 26th January these days is releases of some interesting films in India.Swades and Rang De jump to your mind instantly.

This time again Yash Raj banner put their head together with SRK to tell us a story. A story that almost everyone of us have heard before..... but unfortunately very few have lived. I know a very few people who can claim that at any point of time of the lived their sport........ even for a month. Only a previllaged few amongst us can boast of understanding the real dynamics of a team and what real winning is all about. Yes I am talking about the not so well hyped release Chuk De India (CDI).

Its a story of an underdog who wants to win the ultimate prize.... the Women's Hockey World Cup!!!! .... After all as they say Winning is the only thing that matters.

Anyways why am I putting this across? Nopes I havent joined the Yash Raj Marketing and promotion team.

Well actually for someone who has spent his time more on Cricket and Football grounds than in the class rooms, for some one who learn manmanagement by sweating it out and not inside AC class rooms of MBA, for some one who learnt team dynamics, trust, sacrifices by falling and then getting up on the "maidans", this film makes people like me extremely excited and happy.

Any effort, to promote sports culture in India always is always a welcome and hence I don't even care how good/ bad the film is. As long as it makes people talk and do something about sports in India.... The film would have done its job. Indian and Indian Companies needs to realise that instead of spending thousands of Crores of Rupees in Team Building exercises and out bound programme, if we in India play our Sports while growing up, you wont require those bull shit things. Its only on a Football/ hockey groundthat u learn to pass the ball at the last moment to your team mate because he is in a better position to put in the ball into the net. What else can teach you not to worry about personal glory ahead of team glory.

I sincerely hope that this movie isn't a disaster and it serves it purpose of awaking the dead of the country.

SRK says "I hope after the film is released there are five-six people who say 'oh, I haven't played hockey for a long time man!' Or a father or a mother picks up a hockey stick and tells their children go play the game. So, if people in India start doing that then it is good enough for me. "

I guess that will be good enough for me too!!!

Jai Hind !!!

Test Cricket Reinvented

The 2nd test match at Trent Bridge between India and England was a great test. The iwas a under statement. The margin, would suggest one-sidedness, but this has been a cracking match featuring some of the old-fashioned skills that so endears Test cricket to its loyal supporters.

The Australians have redrawn the definition of attractiveness in Test cricket by spectacular batting based on unrelenting aggression. To this end they have been helped by the general feebleness of bowlers around the world and the fashion of flat pitches. The role of television cannot be understated: stroke-making makes good viewing and batting pitches ensure matches last the distance. The standard definition of a good pitch has come to be one that is suitable for batting.

Not surprisingly, the great pace bowlers of this era have been shaped by their circumstances. Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock are masters of minimalism, bowlers who have relied on their command of line and length and prey on the patience and the character of batsmen rather than tempting them to indiscretion. Mohammed Asif, the next potentially great bowler, belongs to their type.

This summer, though, in cloudy and heavy conditions, the art of swing bowling has come to the fore. Ryan Sidebottom has been England's best bowler of the summer, including periods when Steve Harmison was available. And it's been traditional new-ball swing and not the reverse swing Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones deployed to bring the Australians to their knees in 2005. Late into the summer, the ball hasn't stopped swinging.

It has made for fascinating cricket. It has encouraged bowlers to pitch the ball up, and it has forced batsmen to reassess their options. Driving on the up hasn't been easy, batsmen have had to play late, adjust their strokes and be vigilant at all times. Runs have had to be earned, and so been far more valuable. More than anything else, it's been a contest.

Apart from the first two sessions at Lord's, the Indian bowlers - barring the hot and cold Sreesanth - have been exceptional. Zaheer has used his experience and the knowledge of English conditions to perfection. In the first innings at Trent Bridge, he relied on the conditions, overhead clouds and moisture on the pitch. On the fourth day, greater skill and variety was demanded. While the pitch had eased up, however, swing was still available and he used the angles left-handers alone can manage with the canniness that has been a refreshing addition to his bowling. And when the release was right even RP Singh, playing only because Munaf Patel stayed home injured, produced some great balls.

Years later, when fans look at the bowling card, they might not be able to appreciate the quality of Vaughan's innings. But it must surely count as one of his best. He made batting look easy when the pressure was immense and the conditions were demanding. It is the nature of cricket, and no one will know this better than Sachin Tendulkar, that hundreds in lost causes are not often accorded the status they may merit if skill was the only criteria. If a comparison was to made, however, this was a superior performance to his 197 against India at the same ground five years ago. That was a more flowing innings featuring more gorgeous strokes. This one tested him far more. And the moment he was out, batting seemed a far more hazardous task for his colleagues. And while there was incredulity when Kevin Pietersen described his hundred at Lord's as his best ever, it wasn't just a case of Pietersen's trying to hype up his latest performance. Batsmen know when they have been put through the grind.

Seen in isolation, the fourth day's play at Trent Bridge would count among the best days of Test cricket in recent times. The conditions were roughly even: batting was challenging, not impossible, and the bowler had to do more than just put the ball in the right spot to get wickets. Both runs and wickets had to be earned and Vaughan and Zaheer provided two masterclasses.

India dominated the Test on all five days but it was never easy. That they scored 481 without a century would point to an all-round performance. Even though it was founded on an opening partnership of 147, the middle order had to scrap for every run and Tendulkar's battle against Sidebottom on the third morning will soon be the stuff of folklore. Had Tendulkar perished then, it was conceivable that India would have collapsed.

While the Indian team and their fans savour another victory away from home, which mercifully for them is much more frequent now, here's the occasion to celebrate the return of Test cricket as we once knew it.

Cricket: Sport or a Religion?

For people who have know me, even the slightest bit know me as a person who is passionate about his Cricket. But the people who really know me, know that cricket is not a obsession to me.... Its my religion. Yup I am not a Hindu, Muslim or a Christian..... I belong to a religion called cricket. I know I am on a high when I am blogging this ..... Weather gods just helped India save the 1st test at Lords!!!! But go a bit more into a thought and u will find my words making sense.

Religion well this is what an online dictionary has to say about it

Definition:

1. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine

2. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by

3. obsession: an object, practice, cause, or activity that somebody is completely devoted to or obsessed by

Now Cricket, like any other religion on earth, teaches you life!!!! Life is not straight.... its is not fair.... nor is it logical.... 2+2 is not 4 in life. Yet life is straight.... Life is very fair ... its logical and yes obviously 2+2 is 4. People take help of religion to understand the devine and his ways. And beleive me these are well explained and taught by cricket.

Today the almighty played his part and the match result was a Draw. A unfair, illogical climax ... Isnt it? After all England deserved to win !!!! But life is never staright. This game has taught me all the philosophy that i know and I am amused that even after watching this great game for more than 20 years now..... how this game throws up new lessons.

The Drawn match taught me that when every thing seems lost and over.... Still stick on the ground .... Fight it out till the end.... Dont give up.... Dhoni did that. After the departure of Laxman, it would have been easy for him to throw it away. After all statistically he had done his job and would have been selected for next test.... But no life isnt about throwing it away even if it seems lost. One never knows one can get lucky. Like Dhoni found out today. On one hand Indians got lucky and might have learnt a lesson of sticking there till the end, at the same place, Englisg leant a different lesson. They learnt that one has to pounce on every oppurtunity, when things are going your way. You have to take initiatives and show more urgency even when thingsb are going your way. They didnt do that today. Over rate of 13.9 overs shows that they assumed it would be a cake walk. What a lesson they learnt!!!!

Cricket is a way of life. If looked philosophically can teach u things at every moment.

NO WONDER ITS MY RELIGION

Indian Batting Beyond the Big Three

After years of relative stability, the time was ripe for the emergence of a new brigade of Indian batsmen. I would have liked to see young blood to be pumped in the test Arena, but the team selection of Lords test has disappointed me.

It will not be sufficient to slash a few timely runs in fifty-over matches, let alone the twenty-over frivolities currently not so much capturing the imagination as amusing the brain. Despite the crowds and the razzmatazz that accompanies the shorter versions of the game, Test cricket remains the measure of a batsman. Everyone in the game acknowledges this harsh reality. Greatness can only emerge when it is demanded. Pleasure is not to be mistaken for fulfilment. Aspirants must confront this inconvenient truth. No batsman has proved himself till he has prospered for a sustained period in the five-day maelstrom.

Still the people running the game have overlooked this fact. Exclusion of Yuvraj Singh from the Lords test is an example of short sightedness of the Indian think tank.

Beyond argument India will presently need a new breed of batsmen and it’s no use expecting to find another Sachin Tendulkar. Batsmen of that calibre come along once in a hundred years. Nor is it wise to expect youth to match Rahul Dravid or Sourav Ganguly or V. V. S. Laxman or even Virender Sehwag because these players have been exceptional. Moreover they were the last of their generation, the last products of old, educated, middle-class mainstream Indian cricket, sophisticated, relaxed, proud, combining the best of past and present, east and west. Rather it is a question of uncovering a new bunch of forceful characters. Most likely they will be from the raw parts of the domain.

Strong teams are full of distinctive performers.

In the past few seasons numerous players have been introduced into the Test team. Some have stayed long enough to make an impression, others have vanished as quickly as a shadow on a cloudy day. Some waited a long time for a chance, others were chosen before shaving became a daily requirement. None has made himself indispensable. All have been caught midway between the thought and the execution. Accordingly the old guard has repeatedly been recalled.

Unsurprisingly the inability of emerging batsmen to secure regular places in the five-day outfit has provoked concern about the prospects once the tried and trusted put down their willows. Everyone has watched with dismay the painful decline of the West Indies. Anxious to avoid such deterioration, India has given promising players a chance to play alongside the veterans but it has not really worked.

None of the newcomers can be put alongside Michael Clarke or Alastair Cook. What price a young batsman unable to prosper in the protection provided by the most prolific batting order in Indian history?

And yet the protection may partly explain the failures. Every young cricketer worth a rupee yearns for responsibility. Growing plants need light. Not even the most encouraging words can convince a novice listed alongside Tendulkar and Dravid that he matters as much as them.

Moreover India reveres its sporting gods. Not easy for a promising lad to join his heroes and to regard himself as an equal.

Eventually the senior men will go and then the flame will pass to the next generation. Probably those immersed in underperformance these last few seasons will remain the same because failure grips the soul, becomes habitual.

Hope rests with still incomplete and underexposed batsmen, including precocious teenagers, a group more easily found in less hierarchical lands.

Although the outlook may appear bleak, all is not lost. India has a wealth of talent, a functioning democracy, a growing economy and an enduring devotion to the game. Inevitably the outstanding batsmen of the last 15 years will be missed but their departure may hasten the maturing of hitherto obscure successors.

For the sake of Indian cricket, I would like to see the likes of Yuvrajs play test cricket more often. We have yet to address the issue of Test Capataincy after the depature of the BIG THREE.

Too many questions.... To many issues.... and yet our selectors are overlooking the situation. Keeping eyes shut will not help. Now will the fear of loosing.... We have to pump in more young bloos to Test Cricket.... Otherwise it will be too late

Jai Maharashtra!!!!

Within minutes of Mrs Pratibha Patil being "chosen" as the UPA's candidate for president, a chain sms was floated: "After 300 years, the Marathas are finally set to conquer Delhi", a reminder that defeat in the third battle of Panipat still rankles. The next morning, the Marathi papers were equally euphoric: "Maharashtra's day in the sun has come at last!" thundered one headline. Even the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, set aside political differences to celebrate what it described as a "historic opportunity" for the "Marathi manoos".

I must confess, my regional genes were riding high too at the prospect of a Maharashtrian lady occupying the highest constitutional post in the country.

Who then cared that Mrs. Patil had only been chosen on the presidential principle of the lowest common denominator, selected after half a dozen male candidates had been vetoed? Who was bothered that in her selection was also the humiliation of another son of the soil, Shivraj Patil, who must really wonder how he can continue in government as home minister after being so publicly rejected by the left ? Was anyone really interested in questioning how the very Maharashtra politicians who were taking delight in her choice had been responsible for banishing her from the state not so long ago? And what of the ultimate irony: Mrs. Pratibha Patil made it to the highest office, not because she was a Maharashtrian (or not just because she was a woman for that matter), but because she was also married to a Shekhawat from Rajasthan, and hence could neutralize her prime opponent?

And what of the other rather embarrassing circumstance of Mrs Patil's nomination, namely her unswerving loyalty to the Gandhi family? In an otherwise worthy political career, Mrs Patil has revealed no glimmer of threatening talent, no unsettling flamboyance, no unnecessary excellence or extraordinary charisma that her supporters and patrons might undoubtedly have hated or seen as a rival power centre. After all in our republic of mediocrity, flamboyance and star quality don't really get you very far (and nor should they, sniff the politically correct, in their constant hankering for "low profile "good people" ) Instead hers has been a textbook path to upward mobility in the Congress: stay quiet, work quietly, stay obedient to the "high command" and who knows the highest gaddi in the land may well be yours.

At one level, the collective euphoria in the Maharashtrian middle class over the rise of Mrs. Patil (or Patil-Shekhawat) is understandable. Maharashtra has thrown up great cricketers (more centuries have been scored by Mumbaikars than the rest of the country put together), outstanding musicians, playwrights and scholars. But in public life, there has been a feeling that post-independence India has not given the state its due. It's a sense of resentment that perhaps stretches back to 1920, the death of Lokmanya Tilak and the passing of the baton of national leadership to Gandhi. The shifting of the power base away from the Maharashtrian Brahmins led one strand in the direction of the RSS and Hindutva politics while another moved towards the intellectual traditions of the left. The dominant Marathas, on the other hand, embraced the Congress, captured power in the state, but were unable to translate their regional supremacy onto the national stage.

The Marathas will tell you of deep-rooted conspiracies, of how from Y.B.Chavan to Sharad Pawar, the ruling elite of the Delhi durbar refused to accept the authority of the regional satraps of Maharashtra. As a result, the prime ministerial chair remained a distant dream for the men from the Sahyadris. There is some basis for this grievance. The Indira Gandhi years in particular saw the deliberate marginalization of the regional warlords, and the imposition of puppet chief ministers, best exemplified by Babasaheb Bhosale who, it is said, was made chief minister by Mrs. Gandhi only to teach the squabbling Maratha leaders a "lesson they must not forget". In the high command culture of the Congress, regional leaders with a mass base have always been seen as a "threat"; national leaders are those who will draw in no votes, but will "manage" the political environment in the capital.

And yet, if Maharashtra's leaders were to truly introspect, they would have to accept their own role in squandering their inheritance. Take Sharad Pawar for instance. Once the country's youngest chief minister and a man gifted with administrative acumen, Mr. Pawar has always found it difficult to take the step up from regional boss to national leader. Poor communication skills and a compulsive tendency to cut a deal with rivals instead of fighting on principle has meant that Mr. Pawar has never acquired the kind of national stature he might have hoped to achieve.

Mr. Pawar, in a sense, exemplifies the failings of the contemporary Maharashtra political elite. If the Bengali left has been burdened with an innate superiority complex (many of them still genuinely believe in the Gokhale dictum of a century ago that what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow), the inward-looking attitude of the Maratha leadership has bred a certain inferiority complex, and made it difficult for them to adjust to a wider, more complex world (which is why Mr. Pawar needs a Praful Patel as his political brand manager).

Even the "progressive" Maharashtrian middle class has failed to rise above its origins. Instead of embracing the cosmopolitanism of Mumbai, they were convinced that they were being encircled by the "outsider". The rise and growth of the Shiv Sena over the years is stark evidence of the decline in the intellectual traditions of the Maharashtrian middle class. That Bal Thackeray's demagoguery and anti-minority rabble-rousing has proved more durable and effective than his "secular-liberal" critics is a reminder of the ideological bankruptcy of the social movements that were once Maharashtra's badge of pride.

How can Maharashtra reconcile its progressive ethos with the banning of books, the selective targeting of journalists, the victimization of minorities, and the growing incidents of attacks on Dalits? Where is the vigorous debate in the state when students from north India are beaten up in the name of Maharashtrian asmita? Or when one of its most prestigious libraries is ransacked by a mob, destroying valuable archival material, allegedly because the image of Shivaji has been tarnished? Is this a state genuinely committed to a forward-looking society, or one which seeks to prey on animosities and past hatreds?

Indeed, when some of Maharashtra's politicians now speak of Mrs Patil's ascent as a symbol of women's empowerment, there is a certain hollowness to their claims. This, after all, is the state whose politicians seem to spend more time debating a slip-up at a fashion show and the closure of bar dances than the brutal murder and rape of a Dalit woman in distant Khairlanji. This is also now a state which has just one woman cabinet minister in a 40 member cabinet and where a 288 member state assembly has just 12 women MLAs, well below the national average.

Unfortunately, who cares about these ground realities when a woman from Maharashtra is about to be anointed the country's first woman Rashtrapati (or patni)?

Perhaps, there are two Maharashtras: one is a state of intellectual and social ferment, which produced the men and women who lived by the ideals on which modern India was built. The other Maharashtra is a far less noble entity, it is provincial, it is small minded, and it no longer produces original thought. I still don't know which Maharashtra Pratibha tai represents since we still havent heard her speak out on any "real" issue (and not a manufactured controversy like the veil comment). Till one decides, maybe its safe to join the chorus and say Jai Maharashtra!

Why I am Afraid of Mayawati !!!!

Mayawati's historic victory has left me speechless. And scared. Her victory tells me onceagain how I, and people like me, have no voice in Indian politics anymore. We, themiddle-class, educated, semi metro-bred, Christian-education raised, young. We, thebackbone of the knowledge, entreneurial economy. We, who have no representation.We have no voice. We have no one who speaks our language, our idiom.

We are the people who rejoice every time Manmohan Singh takes stage. He is us. He isthe success of education and middle class values rising to the top. Only, shudder, hefailed to win a poll.

We, the non-vote bank. We, who must remember that Manmohan Singh rises becauseof Sonia Gandhi. Because of loyalty to the Family. We, who form no mass base.Actually, you know, if you ask many like me, we are happy to be with the Gandhis andtheir Family-Is-All-ness than the Mayawatis and the Mulayams of the world. The Gandhisspeak our language, they, we hope have our concerns, and they, we hope express it, in our words.

All that might be untrue. But if you go by pure instinct, Rahul and Priyanka, and SheilaDikshit, and Salman Khurshid and Mani Shankar all beat the Amar Singhs of the worldanyday.

Analysts would scoff at such instincts, pundits would ridicule, but is what I'm saying anydifferent from the way people in the villages of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in fact, in mostparts of small town and rural India vote

Why does a Raja Bhaiya, renowned for throwing bodies of his opponents in a croc-infested pond, so violent and corrupt that he is called Kunda Ka Goonda, win elections?Why does Amar Mani Tripathi, accused of murder, get votes? Because their electoratevote for one of their own. It's the same logic that kept Lalu in power, that allowed him toargue that development is nothing. He brought something more to his voters - he wasone of them, and for those who had been oppressed for centuries, to see one of them inpower, to see a CM who kept buffalos in his backyard was intoxicating. It was a realsense of power. No roads or electricity could beat that.

Mayawati, by the way, does the same. Unabashedly corrupt, one could hardly argue thatshe stands for development. Crime-fighting, yes. Afterall, she was the one who put anend to Raja Bhaiya's goondagiri. But forward planning? Infrastructure ideas? Modernity?Mayawati, alas, is the quintessential behenji.

And people like me, well, we have always disliked the behenjis, now we are scared ofthem. They rule. We have no voice.

Truly, the masses have hit back and how. In fact, in many circumstances, I am almostapologetic about by background. It is sneered at. It is also 'firang', and 'angrez-loving',my love for the world cinema and football and F1 races and the apparel I wear , and,and... and everything, shunned by the Hindi heartland. The people who rule.I have barely a handful leaders to look upon and as parties like the SP and the BSP rise,on a day when Rajdeep Sardesai was discussing if Mayawati could one day becomePM, I am conscious that I have no leader to look up too.

Priyanka Gandhi is far away. Rahul Gandhi has failed. Manmohan Singh is a puppet. Iam aware that were a Lalu or a Mayawati were ever to become PM, I would have tochoose to not to return to the country.

I, part of the first generation in India who have enough opportunities to work abroadanytime they want, and yet want to work at home for less than 1/5th the salary. We wantto do it because we believe we can push this country to great heights. For the first time,opportunities at home seem, though far less lucrative, attractive because we are buildinga nation. A confident nation that will beat the world.

And if we are to do it, we want to see a leader we can look upto. We need to see one ofus. Mayawati cannot and never will be my leader.

This is a country that prides on it English-speaking, entrepreneurial youth. We whorepresent India to the world. But we don't vote do we? And why don't we? Becausethere's no one to vote for! Where is my leader? The truth is, I don't have one. And that,as sophistication deserts our politics, means perhaps I might not return home!!!