Freezing Thoughts

A day which will be remembered for Sachin Tendulkar's remarkable achievement of scoring a hundred international centuries, will ironically not be a very happy memory for Sachin Tendulkar himself. A man who proudly wears a helmet with an Indian flag on it every time he walks out to bat, would have preferred an Indian victory over him scoring a hundred. There are these die-hard Sachin fans who consider him God and worship him. To them, cricket starts and ends with Sachin scoring runs. If Sachin scores a century and India wins, he is the guiding force of India. If he scores a century and India loses (which seems to happen more often), then it is the team's fault that they ruined a Sachin century !! This is testimony to a sad fact that we prefer individual brilliance and flair over team effort when it comes to sports in India. Sachin is an amazing cricketer and a more amazing human being. When you start branding him 'God', then it becomes necessary to argue irration...

When the first Indian wicket falls in India's next Test match, Rahul Dravid will not walk in at No.3. His perfectly balanced stance and steady poise in wonderful Test whites can only be seen in video recordings, for earlier today, Dravid announced his retirement from Test cricket; his final Test match was in the Adelaide Oval in January earlier this year. It is fitting that he marked the start of a new era in Indian cricket at the same venue by guiding India to a famous win in 2004.  When Dravid debuted in 1996, my Dad pointed him out to me and said, "It's not just that he scores runs, he works very hard for them, but makes it look easy with a touch of class." Apart from the cricketing aspect, it was an important message for me, a 10 year old boy just starting to get the grips of life. The message I got was that while Dravid did not possess the natural flair of a Sachin Tendulkar, his performances were still in the same league as Sachin's. When I realized t...

(இது நான் சென்ற வருடம் Munich to Amsterdam பஸ் பயணம் செல்லும்போது எழுதினது, இங்கே பதிவு செய்ய விட்டுபோய் விட்டது.)  பஸ் ஜன்னலின் வெளியை லேசான மழை தூறல், கேசம் கலைக்கும் மெல்லிய காற்று. இளங்கருப்பு மேகங்களால் சிகரம் தெரியாத மலைகள், அடுக்கு அடுக்காய் தீப்பெட்டி போல வீடுகள் கொண்ட பெயர் தெரியாத கிராமங்கள். பச்சை புல்வெளியை மீறி திமிறி வளரும் நெருப்பு மஞ்சள் பூக்கள், என் எழுத்து பாதிக்காதவண்ணம்,  பேருந்து வெண்ணையாய் வழுக்கிசெல்ல வழிசெய்யும் சாலை. செவியில் சுவையாக ஷங்கர் மகாதேவன். மனதில் இந்த ஜேர்மன் நாட்டு அழகை எனது தாய்நாட்டுடன் உடனே ஒப்பிட்டு பார்க்கதூண்டும் பழைய நினைவுகள். இவை அனைத்தையும் ஒருசேர நெஞ்சில் நிறுத்தியும்  இறகுபோல் லேசாக இருக்கும் இதயம்.  எனது இந்த அனுபவத்தை நேர்த்தியாக இயக்கிகொண்டுஇருக்கும் இறைவா, எல்லா புகழும் உனக்கே. பி.கு: நல்ல தலைப்பு கிடைத்தால் சொல்லவும்.

To all people intrigued by ' Why this Kolaveri ' song and not sure of the meaning of 'Kolaveri', take a look at Virat Kohli's innings today and the way he helped India chase down 321 runs in merely 37 overs. That, ladies and gentlemen, was 'Kolaveri' in it's purest form. Captaining India's Under-19 side to World cup victory in 2008 and then helping India win 'Emerging Players Tournament' in 2009, Kohli is not new to top-class performances. But to perform consistently on the big stage alongside some of the greatest names of world cricket is no easy joke. It is heartening to see his success in Australia this summer, hope he continues the good job for a long long time. Whether India make it to finals (riding on Sri Lanka losing to Australia on Friday) or not, this victory of Himalayan magnitude will sure do a world of good to the embattled Indian team. With injuries, talks of rift in the team, big questions begging for answers in the Test ...

When Arnold Swarchenegger is introduced in Terminator, he looks like a very well built man. Nothing very extraordinary. Only when a ruffian tries to stick his knife into Arnold and he in-turn literally punches through the man, we realize there is more than bones and muscles underneath his human skin. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a similar case. He may not show it outside, but there is a fire burning inside his ice-cool exterior. It is that fire that made him switch from hockey to cricket very late in his life and yet, lead India to two world cup victories. It is that fire that makes him treat accolades and criticisms alike, and smile at his bowler when the opposition needs one run off the final delivery of a championship final. Two times in two days during the ongoing CB series, he was the chief architect of two wonderful run chases. That Dhoni is a wonderful finisher in ODIs is nothing new, but to do so without any of his trademark flamboyancy and reserve them for only when ...

No one who witnessed the absolute annihilation of Indian team in Perth today would believe that just a few months ago this same team boasted the No.1 rankings in Test format. After a humiliating series defeat in England in August 2011, things seem to be no different in Australia. After a fighting couple of days cricket in Melbourne, something seemed to be missing from the Indian team in Sydney test. Just after one day of cricket in Perth, there seems to be no life left in them. After the Aussie bowlers ripped through Indian batting order, David Warner demolished the four-prong pace attack of India and effectively put an end to any hope of a comeback. The only satisfying thing from the day's play is that Australia did not go past India's score. This match and the series seem to be headed for a painful and glaringly obvious end for Indians. As a fan, the most shocking thing is the meek way in which we let the opposition trample and toy with us. BCCI has announced the IPL sc...

Closure is an important aspect of human life. Just like how some yoghurt or ice cream completes a hearty meal, it is necessary to add the finishing touch to everything with grace. End of calendar year surely is time for a relaxed look at our lives; some introspection, soften few rough edges, hope for things to improve in all walks of life and get ready for a new beginning. New year is a useful catalyst to propel our lives better, but we should not forget the right ingredients, hard work and faith, to keep things moving and achieve whatever we desire. It is important to understand the beautiful mystery of life, every next instant is full of surprises and the only way to progress is to believe that it is possible to convert those surprises in our favour. Let us recollect all the wonderful moments we've had, people who made those moments special and hold them close to the heart always. Also, remember every toughening and difficult experience that made you grow as a person, s...