What can I say about yesterday's game?
It was nostalgia. Sachin almost chased the whole game down by himself, only to fall down at the final hurdle and be let down by his team mates.
For somebody who started watching the game in the 2000s, this might not be a familiar story; but for the fans of the 90s, all of this is too familiar.
The fall of quick wickets, the lone man standing, the fall of wickets again, it was all ringing an alarm bell inside me. You cross your fingers and hope that this time, we might actually do it; but alas, it was not to happen.
Credit to Australia, they played remarkably well. Any other team would have collapsed under the display from the Great Sachin Tendulkar. The batting oozed class. Every shot was that of the highest order. To say that it was amazing is an understatement. The memories of Sharjah came right back when he danced down the track to loft Hauritz over the top of his head for a sensational six. Ofcourse the sight of Warney standing there holding his nose was no longer there, but this time it was replaced by a folded-arms Ponting. The fantastic cover drives, straight drives, beautifully lofted shots, even the cheeky lobs behind the keeper were a sight to see. The fact that this is a man who is on the top of his game was confirmed when Ponting put a short third man and backward point only for the ball to be guided cheekly between the narrow gap between the two.
But lets not take anything away from Australia. This is their second string team and they played wonderfully. Sean Marsh looks like a class act and Shane Watson a man rejuvenated. Our bowling and fielding leaves much to be considered. If we had been as sharp as the Australians in the field, we could have probably saved 20-30 runs. The bowling at the death is appalling. Australia scored 150 runs in the final 15 overs.
But the biggest issue is our batting lower down the order. Nehra was simply lost when holding the bat. Who knows? He might even be worse than Venkatesh Prasad and that really is saying something. The running between the wickets was as bad as it possibly could get with the tail enders. It should not have come to this, but just in case, maybe we should start teaching out tail enders the basics of batting. You know, at least to hold onto one end?
The series is very delicately poised right now with India needing to win the two remaining games. Lets hope the game on Sunday is a cracker as well! Only with us being at the winning end!!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Confusions of a computer enthusiast
Alright, its completely messed up...
Everything's just so fast and crazy, you don't even have enough time to understand what's going on!!!
Here I am, trying to decide what to buy and when to buy a new computer. I've been hooked up and am following everything thats happening out there very very closely. And quite frankly, I can't get a fix on the "When" and "What". As soon as something new comes out, I start following it to see if its worth the buy. I read a couple of reviews and verify that the particular part is good and then 'pffff'...that part becomes old and something new is out. All in under one month man...under one month.
Lets imagine the scenario if I do buy a computer now. I'm completely happy with it for the first few days. Ah, life is sweet. Games run amazingly well, movies are perfect, music sounds fantastic. Now 1-2 weeks into the new machine, just 1-2 weeks, news comes out that the price dropped by 100$!!! I bang my head against the table. I can actually hear a voice inside my head "I told you to wait for 2 frigging weeks!!". I collect myself, get calm, and proceed with my new PC and then again, another 2 weeks down, BOOM...some whole new technology is out. And my 1 month old "new" pc suddenly became a "little bit old" pc. I'm talking about the time frame of a MONTH folks. And its not like a PC costs a couple of bucks, its EXPENSIVE!!! Oh the agony.
Now lets imagine I buy the PC after 2 weeks. I'm smirking thinking that I was clever to have waited for 2 weeks. I got the 100$ price drop! And then, 2 weeks down the road, somw whole new technology is out. I bang my head against the table. Oh the agony.
So suffice to say I'm confused. It will remain a never ending cycle. But that's just only one side to the story isn't it?
I probably just need to accept that there never is a so called "Good" time to buy a PC. No matter when we buy it, 2-3 months down the road, its the same story. Always. Probably that is what makes the field that interesting to the enthusiasts. There is always something happening. Something to keep you on your toes. The competition is so fricking awesome. One company releases something and the very next week, some other company is out to kick its a$$. It is no wonder that in this particular field, the developments that have taken place in the past 2 decades surpass any other field for its shear innovation.
You see, on the good side, we can be absolutely certain that technology will never cease to amaze us. We will always be spoiled for choice and the control we have over the different things is just mind boggling. I can be absolutely sure that if some company does release something crappy, I don't have to be limited by it. Somebody else will release something better. I'm talking about hardware folks. Software is a completely different story with just a couple of leaders who take it granted that whatever they make, we will use.
Anyway, I'm going back to the drawing board to once again, look and see at this moment of time, which computer would be the best for me. Let me just wait for 2 weeks and see if something exciting is going to happen. I'm sure there is :)
Everything's just so fast and crazy, you don't even have enough time to understand what's going on!!!
Here I am, trying to decide what to buy and when to buy a new computer. I've been hooked up and am following everything thats happening out there very very closely. And quite frankly, I can't get a fix on the "When" and "What". As soon as something new comes out, I start following it to see if its worth the buy. I read a couple of reviews and verify that the particular part is good and then 'pffff'...that part becomes old and something new is out. All in under one month man...under one month.
Lets imagine the scenario if I do buy a computer now. I'm completely happy with it for the first few days. Ah, life is sweet. Games run amazingly well, movies are perfect, music sounds fantastic. Now 1-2 weeks into the new machine, just 1-2 weeks, news comes out that the price dropped by 100$!!! I bang my head against the table. I can actually hear a voice inside my head "I told you to wait for 2 frigging weeks!!". I collect myself, get calm, and proceed with my new PC and then again, another 2 weeks down, BOOM...some whole new technology is out. And my 1 month old "new" pc suddenly became a "little bit old" pc. I'm talking about the time frame of a MONTH folks. And its not like a PC costs a couple of bucks, its EXPENSIVE!!! Oh the agony.
Now lets imagine I buy the PC after 2 weeks. I'm smirking thinking that I was clever to have waited for 2 weeks. I got the 100$ price drop! And then, 2 weeks down the road, somw whole new technology is out. I bang my head against the table. Oh the agony.
So suffice to say I'm confused. It will remain a never ending cycle. But that's just only one side to the story isn't it?
I probably just need to accept that there never is a so called "Good" time to buy a PC. No matter when we buy it, 2-3 months down the road, its the same story. Always. Probably that is what makes the field that interesting to the enthusiasts. There is always something happening. Something to keep you on your toes. The competition is so fricking awesome. One company releases something and the very next week, some other company is out to kick its a$$. It is no wonder that in this particular field, the developments that have taken place in the past 2 decades surpass any other field for its shear innovation.
You see, on the good side, we can be absolutely certain that technology will never cease to amaze us. We will always be spoiled for choice and the control we have over the different things is just mind boggling. I can be absolutely sure that if some company does release something crappy, I don't have to be limited by it. Somebody else will release something better. I'm talking about hardware folks. Software is a completely different story with just a couple of leaders who take it granted that whatever they make, we will use.
Anyway, I'm going back to the drawing board to once again, look and see at this moment of time, which computer would be the best for me. Let me just wait for 2 weeks and see if something exciting is going to happen. I'm sure there is :)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Riddle
Alright, I have a nice little riddle for all of you.
There are 3 boxes. One contains Apples, one contains Oranges and the 3rd contains a mixture of Apples and Oranges. They are all labelled with the labels 'Apples', 'Oranges' and 'Apples & Oranges'.
However, all the labels are wrong. That is, none of the boxes contain what is actually written on the box. The box that contains Apples does not have the label 'Apples', the box that contains Oranges does not have the label 'Oranges' and the box that contains Apples and Oranges does not have the label 'Apples and Oranges'.
Your task is simple. What is the least number of fruits that must be picked to determine which of the boxes contain which?
Post your answers in the comments section.
Also, if there are already some comments, you know you would be cheating by looking at them..:)
Good Luck!!!
There are 3 boxes. One contains Apples, one contains Oranges and the 3rd contains a mixture of Apples and Oranges. They are all labelled with the labels 'Apples', 'Oranges' and 'Apples & Oranges'.
However, all the labels are wrong. That is, none of the boxes contain what is actually written on the box. The box that contains Apples does not have the label 'Apples', the box that contains Oranges does not have the label 'Oranges' and the box that contains Apples and Oranges does not have the label 'Apples and Oranges'.
Your task is simple. What is the least number of fruits that must be picked to determine which of the boxes contain which?
Post your answers in the comments section.
Also, if there are already some comments, you know you would be cheating by looking at them..:)
Good Luck!!!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Unseen Paradise
I just received these photos from a friend a couple of days ago and they are fantastic.
This was the place that Veerappan used to stay in the Kerala - Karnataka border.
Looking at these photos can only remind us of the potential of tourism that our state and our country has to offer. These places give us a reason to be proud of our country. Imagine the revenue that can be generated from tourism with places like these. But it'll happen only if we ourselves are aware of the beauty of our own backyard.
This was the place that Veerappan used to stay in the Kerala - Karnataka border.
Looking at these photos can only remind us of the potential of tourism that our state and our country has to offer. These places give us a reason to be proud of our country. Imagine the revenue that can be generated from tourism with places like these. But it'll happen only if we ourselves are aware of the beauty of our own backyard.
Dravid in the Probables
Has to be the most surprising recent news for me.
Didn't expect Dravid to feature for us again and so its a great and pleasant surprise.
But it has made me think. Why? Why would BCCI want 'The Wall' back in the team? More appropriately, why would Dhoni want Dravid back in the team? It just defies the recent trends on which the Indian team has been built. The team is completely filled (with the exception of the evergreen Sachin Tendulkar and a couple of others) with exuberant youngsters who more or less have a great attitude towards the game. The team has been extremely successful in the past couple of years and shows no signs of slowing down.
But the recent World Twenty20 and the ODI series with West Indies showcased a huge flaw in the batting lineup. Not one player in the team was able to negate the short pitched balls. Dravid is one of the most technically perfect batsman that you can find in the planet. True, he's on the wrong side of 30, but Cricket is as a much a game of the mind as of the body. If the youngsters continue to have problems with the short pitched balls, Dravid definitely is the man to have in the middle to provide them with courage and to frustrate the bowlers. He has time and again defied some of the best bowlers in the world and can continue to do that. Plus, the recent IPL has shown that he can take the mantle and play strokes when necessary.
Well, I certainly do hope that Dravid is there in the final team and that he gets a chance to bow out of the One Day Internationals on a high. Here's to one of the best batsman of Indian cricket.
Didn't expect Dravid to feature for us again and so its a great and pleasant surprise.
But it has made me think. Why? Why would BCCI want 'The Wall' back in the team? More appropriately, why would Dhoni want Dravid back in the team? It just defies the recent trends on which the Indian team has been built. The team is completely filled (with the exception of the evergreen Sachin Tendulkar and a couple of others) with exuberant youngsters who more or less have a great attitude towards the game. The team has been extremely successful in the past couple of years and shows no signs of slowing down.
But the recent World Twenty20 and the ODI series with West Indies showcased a huge flaw in the batting lineup. Not one player in the team was able to negate the short pitched balls. Dravid is one of the most technically perfect batsman that you can find in the planet. True, he's on the wrong side of 30, but Cricket is as a much a game of the mind as of the body. If the youngsters continue to have problems with the short pitched balls, Dravid definitely is the man to have in the middle to provide them with courage and to frustrate the bowlers. He has time and again defied some of the best bowlers in the world and can continue to do that. Plus, the recent IPL has shown that he can take the mantle and play strokes when necessary.
Well, I certainly do hope that Dravid is there in the final team and that he gets a chance to bow out of the One Day Internationals on a high. Here's to one of the best batsman of Indian cricket.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Federer the legend
I watched the Wimbledon final yesterday. And I can say I witnessed history being made.
Man, it was a mind-blowing event. Roger Federer has re-affirmed his status as one of the greatest if not THE greatest tennis player of all time. Some might say Rod Laver is the greatest, and yes, it is quite possible, but when even Rod Laver says Federer is the best, you have to take a bow for the man.
Really, 21 consecutive grand slam semis is no small achievement.
And yesterdays final was just the best way to complete 15 grand slam titles. Roddick proved to be a feisty opponent and Federer was not able to break his serve until the final game of the match. Roddick was impeccable the whole night and was at the top of his game. But that Federer won even then just goes to show his class. His experience showed throughout the game and there was a calculated look on his face which showed that he was on top of what was going on.
Will Nadal overtake Federer? He probably will. Still only 23 and with 6 grand slams, he stands a better chance than anyone else to do it. But the Swiss maestro still has at least 2 great years infront of him and I will back him for a small slam again. 20 grand slams before he retires. Mark my word.
Man, it was a mind-blowing event. Roger Federer has re-affirmed his status as one of the greatest if not THE greatest tennis player of all time. Some might say Rod Laver is the greatest, and yes, it is quite possible, but when even Rod Laver says Federer is the best, you have to take a bow for the man.
Really, 21 consecutive grand slam semis is no small achievement.
And yesterdays final was just the best way to complete 15 grand slam titles. Roddick proved to be a feisty opponent and Federer was not able to break his serve until the final game of the match. Roddick was impeccable the whole night and was at the top of his game. But that Federer won even then just goes to show his class. His experience showed throughout the game and there was a calculated look on his face which showed that he was on top of what was going on.
Will Nadal overtake Federer? He probably will. Still only 23 and with 6 grand slams, he stands a better chance than anyone else to do it. But the Swiss maestro still has at least 2 great years infront of him and I will back him for a small slam again. 20 grand slams before he retires. Mark my word.
My first post
Well, here I am, with my first post.
You know, I've been thinking about starting a blog for more than 2 years now, but it never really materialized. And I have no idea why.
See, I'm the kind of person who doesn't get out of the sofa (in my case, in front of the computer) EVEN if I have to. But even then, a blog has never really appealed to me. Why, you ask? As I said, I have no idea. Well, then what am I doing here writing a blog? Well, let me describe the scenario:
Its a Monday afternoon and I'm bored to death at my office. Work is pending but I'm just not in the mood, you know. So I figured, I should do something to occupy myself. If not, I'll probably end up falling asleep at my desk and that would not reflect well on my half yearly appraisal. That's when I thought - why not write a blog? It would be a great way to spend time (in which I should actually be doing some work).
So this is a start. How it is going to go on or if at all it will go on, I do not know. But rest assured, if there is any topic that I think I should write about, this is the place to look.
Ciao
Ashwin
You know, I've been thinking about starting a blog for more than 2 years now, but it never really materialized. And I have no idea why.
See, I'm the kind of person who doesn't get out of the sofa (in my case, in front of the computer) EVEN if I have to. But even then, a blog has never really appealed to me. Why, you ask? As I said, I have no idea. Well, then what am I doing here writing a blog? Well, let me describe the scenario:
Its a Monday afternoon and I'm bored to death at my office. Work is pending but I'm just not in the mood, you know. So I figured, I should do something to occupy myself. If not, I'll probably end up falling asleep at my desk and that would not reflect well on my half yearly appraisal. That's when I thought - why not write a blog? It would be a great way to spend time (in which I should actually be doing some work).
So this is a start. How it is going to go on or if at all it will go on, I do not know. But rest assured, if there is any topic that I think I should write about, this is the place to look.
Ciao
Ashwin
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