This blog is not for the ones who work all day and complain that they don’t have enough time for fun. This is for the ones having too much fun and feeling guilty about it. I used to belong to the second kind. Not anymore! Now don’t get me wrong here. I have not stopped having fun, it is just that I’ve stopped feeling guilty about it. Arriving at this conclusion took a lot of introspection. I put some deep thought into this and I ended up asking myself the age old question, “What is the purpose of life?”. If I am not here to have a good time, what exactly was I born to do?
When I was young, I wanted to become a pilot. I thought I was born to be a pilot. Well, I am not one at least as yet. Thinking back, did I really believe that god sent me here to transfer a few people across the Pacific and the Atlantic? Guess not! I am an engineer right now. So is this why I am here? To analyze buildings and reduce electricity consumption? Seems very trivial (I’ll definitely make that sound a lot more important on my resume :D).
Over centuries, there have been various answers to the one question. Be it science, philosophy or religion. They all have different ideas. Some of the prominent ones being helping one another, gaining knowledge, attaining spiritual enlightenment, doing good etc. Of the various books published on this, there is one by Timothy Tang that suggests that “Life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose because human existence occurred out of a random chance in nature, and anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose”. I found this thought very interesting although I may not completely agree with it.
The very fact that human existence does not have a purpose (for whatever reason) makes it very special. No one is born with a task list. In life, you can do what you want If you really want to. So as long as you’re here, you might as well enjoy yourself. Keep everyone around you and yourself happy. Don’t feel guilty about that extended holiday, extra scoop of triple chocolate ice cream or that expensive dress you bought but never wear . Live your life to the fullest. For all you know, that may be the meaning of your life!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
India Out??? Kidding Right!!!
Well .. this is my first blog … always wanted to be an active blogger but never got started … today it has been an emotional day for me as India went down against England in a match that was more like a “tactical loss” than players shortcomings … with so much to express I believe a blog is a right way to give way to my thoughts …
After a loss to West Indies (WI) in the first Super 8 match it was never going to be easy for India but still given the side, which I feel is the best side in this world cup, it probably didn’t seem so bad … but now we are out of the world cup before playing against the team in FORM, South Africa …
Lets look back a little … as the tournament started … I was very disappointed by the fact that Dhoni was coming at no. 3 instead of the in-form Raina … the warm up match against Pakistan was the first match I saw wherein it didn’t make sense why Dhoni would come at no.3 when he is so good at hitting in later stages of the game wherein his improved maturity not only makes sure that he sees through the innings but also gets lot of runs in the end with his powerful hitting given the fact that he doesn’t have much to lose at that stage … I have seen those type of innings from him in the IPL … and also in the last T20 world cup .. So why take away something one is good at and disturb the winning routine …
Next the exit of Sehwag didn’t seem to be a huge loss at first as we had players who were firing but clearly he was missed … the daring batting display that gets India off to a flyer was missed … I do know that Rohit Sharma played phenomenally but don’t believe he was the correct replacement at the opening slot … he scored well from the start but against whom? … first innings against Pakistan … well… warm up match with Pakistan, who weren’t the best and were trying to come together as a team … ok not bad … then against Bangladesh … ummm ok … then Ireland … good innings but then failed in crucial matches … WI and now England .. Its not that he only played against weaker teams but just that he wasn’t tested enough to replace Sehwag, whose batting in the opening spot gives India a VANTAGE POINT … also Rohit is a fine player lower down the order … may be no. 5 / no. 6 … so who should have opened? … I may be wrong on this one … but I felt Yusuf Pathan is more like our ‘former’ Sehwag [current Sehwag shows much more stability ] who just HITS … who just likes to go behind the bowlers … who can take away the game from the opposition very quickly … Yusuf according to me certainly has that capability … so probably he could have opened with stable Gautam Gambhir who again isn’t in great nick but is still playing well enough …you might lose Yusuf quickly at the top order but if he fires it just gives a huge bonus … the VANTAGE POINT… exactly like Sehwag .. well this is what I feel … just an opinion …
With respect to bowling … well Dhoni has been saying for the last two games that bowlers are bowling their hearts out and are trying their best … well I don’t think he is completely wrong on that but just that I am not sure if he is getting the bowling strategies right. In the match against WI, wherein I felt Ishant wasn’t up to his best was asked to bowl when WI needed 39 of 24 … his bowling in that over wasn’t consistent and caused 16 runs … leaving only 23 to get from 18 … I mean when u are expected to keep it tight … there shouldn’t be experiments … bowl straight around off-stump … with a couple of yorkers … I don’t think Ishant has great discipline in his bowling at this point of time … and hence wasn’t a good choice … two good T20 bowlers were never tried out, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina … both were impressive in IPL … so basically after a very good over from Harbhajan we needed something similar and restrict WI further. Now, in today’s match … again Ishant was hit everywhere … it was frustrating to see that a good bowler, RP Singh, with figures of 13 runs in 3 overs and 1 wicket wasn’t given his full quota of 4 overs and bowler like Ishant who is not at his best right now gets 4 full overs … and guess what 36 runs came of his 4 overs … it just doesn’t make sense … plus Yusuf who has got some bowling experience in this T20 world cup didn’t bowl today and Yuvi was asked to bowl 2 overs that went for 20 runs … well there was history there … the fact that Yuvi took Pieterson in almost all matches in India made Dhoni look at this option but it was a different environment … different set-up .. so.. not so sure about that move … again “too many strategies” …
With respect to selection for this crucial match against England, Ravindra Jadega came in to replace Ojha … well not a bad move … because Jadega is a good all rounder … but then they left Irfan behind and got RP Singh and retained Ishant Sharma … COME ON … !!! gimme a break … Irfan Pathan’s bowling is much better than Ishant Sharma’s… also he can bat brilliantly … remember the knock called “Pathan Brothers special” against Sri Lanka … Irfan played a significant role exhibiting his talent and proving his worth as a bowler-cum-batsmen … no clue why there is so much support for Ishant … I am not against him but he is not playing well and wasn’t the right choice at this point of time and further doesn’t deserve a spot when better players are on the bench … Keeping him out for a couple of games will make him fight back for his spot and also help him realize the importance of a position in a side.
Lets talk about Yuvi … why was he asked to come at no.5 today … I m pretty sure Dhoni got it wrong there as it was evident from his reaction when questioned about the same during the presentation ceremony … u know u have a player in form .. get the most of him … I really don’t understand this cautious attitude of our team that is clearly visible in the last two games … be champions and face the music … why do you want to protect Yuvi who is actually nothing but a serious danger to the opposition … you should let players like him play for more overs than letting lesser competent players consume majority of the innings giving smaller benefits … Jadega, who wasn’t bad, failed to score briskly and in turn added extra and rather unnecessary pressure on Yuvi … what do you expect … one more 36 run phenomenon of 6 balls … he is a great T20 player and a match winner but for him to perform he should get opportunity to play enough overs and sufficient time …
To be honest, there are many areas that can be looked at to understand our exit from the T20 world cup but as I said at the start, that it was more of a “tactical loss” than anything else … too many strategies … too many changes … bowling combinations … batting order … right bowlers … too much reliance on Yuvi … leaving things till the end … etc
Any ways its over for now … but want to finish off saying that I still believe our team was the BEST team in comparison to all other teams in this world T20 … I feel its even better than South Africa who are favorites this time … so its really unfortunate to go back so soon … Also I believe MS Dhoni is the most eligible captain for our side … I have written a lot about his decisions and have given not so great opinions about him but this is how he will evolve into an awesome captain … sometimes failure is the best way to understand one’s shortcomings and his leadership can only get better from now … I love our team and I hope that we beat South Africa in style to leave this tournament with pride and show the rest of the world what we really are as a side …
Lastly what ever I have written is my personal opinion and I can be wrong on certain things … so apologies for that …Adios …
Cheers…
After a loss to West Indies (WI) in the first Super 8 match it was never going to be easy for India but still given the side, which I feel is the best side in this world cup, it probably didn’t seem so bad … but now we are out of the world cup before playing against the team in FORM, South Africa …
Lets look back a little … as the tournament started … I was very disappointed by the fact that Dhoni was coming at no. 3 instead of the in-form Raina … the warm up match against Pakistan was the first match I saw wherein it didn’t make sense why Dhoni would come at no.3 when he is so good at hitting in later stages of the game wherein his improved maturity not only makes sure that he sees through the innings but also gets lot of runs in the end with his powerful hitting given the fact that he doesn’t have much to lose at that stage … I have seen those type of innings from him in the IPL … and also in the last T20 world cup .. So why take away something one is good at and disturb the winning routine …
Next the exit of Sehwag didn’t seem to be a huge loss at first as we had players who were firing but clearly he was missed … the daring batting display that gets India off to a flyer was missed … I do know that Rohit Sharma played phenomenally but don’t believe he was the correct replacement at the opening slot … he scored well from the start but against whom? … first innings against Pakistan … well… warm up match with Pakistan, who weren’t the best and were trying to come together as a team … ok not bad … then against Bangladesh … ummm ok … then Ireland … good innings but then failed in crucial matches … WI and now England .. Its not that he only played against weaker teams but just that he wasn’t tested enough to replace Sehwag, whose batting in the opening spot gives India a VANTAGE POINT … also Rohit is a fine player lower down the order … may be no. 5 / no. 6 … so who should have opened? … I may be wrong on this one … but I felt Yusuf Pathan is more like our ‘former’ Sehwag [current Sehwag shows much more stability ] who just HITS … who just likes to go behind the bowlers … who can take away the game from the opposition very quickly … Yusuf according to me certainly has that capability … so probably he could have opened with stable Gautam Gambhir who again isn’t in great nick but is still playing well enough …you might lose Yusuf quickly at the top order but if he fires it just gives a huge bonus … the VANTAGE POINT… exactly like Sehwag .. well this is what I feel … just an opinion …
With respect to bowling … well Dhoni has been saying for the last two games that bowlers are bowling their hearts out and are trying their best … well I don’t think he is completely wrong on that but just that I am not sure if he is getting the bowling strategies right. In the match against WI, wherein I felt Ishant wasn’t up to his best was asked to bowl when WI needed 39 of 24 … his bowling in that over wasn’t consistent and caused 16 runs … leaving only 23 to get from 18 … I mean when u are expected to keep it tight … there shouldn’t be experiments … bowl straight around off-stump … with a couple of yorkers … I don’t think Ishant has great discipline in his bowling at this point of time … and hence wasn’t a good choice … two good T20 bowlers were never tried out, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina … both were impressive in IPL … so basically after a very good over from Harbhajan we needed something similar and restrict WI further. Now, in today’s match … again Ishant was hit everywhere … it was frustrating to see that a good bowler, RP Singh, with figures of 13 runs in 3 overs and 1 wicket wasn’t given his full quota of 4 overs and bowler like Ishant who is not at his best right now gets 4 full overs … and guess what 36 runs came of his 4 overs … it just doesn’t make sense … plus Yusuf who has got some bowling experience in this T20 world cup didn’t bowl today and Yuvi was asked to bowl 2 overs that went for 20 runs … well there was history there … the fact that Yuvi took Pieterson in almost all matches in India made Dhoni look at this option but it was a different environment … different set-up .. so.. not so sure about that move … again “too many strategies” …
With respect to selection for this crucial match against England, Ravindra Jadega came in to replace Ojha … well not a bad move … because Jadega is a good all rounder … but then they left Irfan behind and got RP Singh and retained Ishant Sharma … COME ON … !!! gimme a break … Irfan Pathan’s bowling is much better than Ishant Sharma’s… also he can bat brilliantly … remember the knock called “Pathan Brothers special” against Sri Lanka … Irfan played a significant role exhibiting his talent and proving his worth as a bowler-cum-batsmen … no clue why there is so much support for Ishant … I am not against him but he is not playing well and wasn’t the right choice at this point of time and further doesn’t deserve a spot when better players are on the bench … Keeping him out for a couple of games will make him fight back for his spot and also help him realize the importance of a position in a side.
Lets talk about Yuvi … why was he asked to come at no.5 today … I m pretty sure Dhoni got it wrong there as it was evident from his reaction when questioned about the same during the presentation ceremony … u know u have a player in form .. get the most of him … I really don’t understand this cautious attitude of our team that is clearly visible in the last two games … be champions and face the music … why do you want to protect Yuvi who is actually nothing but a serious danger to the opposition … you should let players like him play for more overs than letting lesser competent players consume majority of the innings giving smaller benefits … Jadega, who wasn’t bad, failed to score briskly and in turn added extra and rather unnecessary pressure on Yuvi … what do you expect … one more 36 run phenomenon of 6 balls … he is a great T20 player and a match winner but for him to perform he should get opportunity to play enough overs and sufficient time …
To be honest, there are many areas that can be looked at to understand our exit from the T20 world cup but as I said at the start, that it was more of a “tactical loss” than anything else … too many strategies … too many changes … bowling combinations … batting order … right bowlers … too much reliance on Yuvi … leaving things till the end … etc
Any ways its over for now … but want to finish off saying that I still believe our team was the BEST team in comparison to all other teams in this world T20 … I feel its even better than South Africa who are favorites this time … so its really unfortunate to go back so soon … Also I believe MS Dhoni is the most eligible captain for our side … I have written a lot about his decisions and have given not so great opinions about him but this is how he will evolve into an awesome captain … sometimes failure is the best way to understand one’s shortcomings and his leadership can only get better from now … I love our team and I hope that we beat South Africa in style to leave this tournament with pride and show the rest of the world what we really are as a side …
Lastly what ever I have written is my personal opinion and I can be wrong on certain things … so apologies for that …Adios …
Cheers…
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