Stumped !!

This year has been an year of firsts for me. My first date, my first time weighing around 50kg (ok, technically not the first time but first time in a long long time ), my first time to a pub and then my first time to a stadium to watch a live cricket match! Just the idea of it is super exciting isn’t it? As I opened the TOI sports page this last Friday, I realized that there was a champions league T20 match on Saturday involving Deccan Chargers and Somerset County Cricket Club (ok, I honestly did not know about the latter team and had to verify my tickets to get their awfully long and boring name right ). Coming back to the plot -on our way to office, I mentioned about going to the match to two of my colleagues – Nikhil and Tarun and they immediately agreed. After lot of discussion/debate and frantic phone calls we came up with the final list of people who wanted to see the match. During lunch we drove to the nearest CCD and got tickets. It was surprisingly easy to get tickets on such a short notice because I expected lot of people to flock the stadium, this being the first match for the Chargers post their success at IPL-II. Its really funny when things for which you plan in advance for ages go haywire and short term proposals like this end up being a cakewalk. Oops, forgot to mention another backstory…..I had been planning a certain surprise for a certain khaas friend and fortunately stumbled upon the newspaper ad. So, oblivious to all these activities, my khaas friend was as clueless as Brittany Murphy in the movie by the same name ,when I told him he had a surprise in store .I could not wait for the day to end and although it did not seem like a match that would arouse lot of enthusiasm, I was really eager to catch a glimpse of Rohit Sharma (huge crush – do not ask me why ) and Adam Gilchrist (I do not need to tell why ). I called up my khaas friend later that evening and gave him the surprise and am really glad that he loved it. Now all that was left to do was wait for Saturday!!

The tickets allowed one to see both the matches that were scheduled on Saturday – the first one between Cape Cobras and Otago Volts while the second one was between DC and SCCC. Joining in for the matches were Sandeep,Cini,PJ,Gunjan,CV and Ashwin. We hopped into two cars and headed for the Rajeev Gandhi International Cricket Stadium situated in Uppal around 2.30. After what seemed like ages ( I measure distance in units of time ), we reached the venue and have to mention the absolute lack of planning by the officials to accommodate vehicles. Also, special mention to their ridiculous rule of not letting bottled water inside. A few of the guys had to walk all the way back to the cars to dump the water bottles and after what seemed like eternity we reached the stands. Our seats were on the first floor and we had an awesome view of the ground. It felt very strange, cricket is so different from how it seems on television. It suddenly did not seem too larger than life or anything. I went on with my observations much to the amusement of Tarun and Bhargava. A few of them were

-> Masceranhas looks really small (in my defense, I changed my opinion after seeing him field close to us near the boundary line)
-> Wow, Gibbs has an awesome physique (he really does , he’s chiseled )
-> Duminy is arrogant ( well, we kept shouting out to him and he pretended as if he could not hear a hundred people shouting)

Ok, so getting on with actual cricket. The first match was kind of boring since we really did not care much about either team but the guys had a gala time secretly catching glimpses of the cheerleaders. The ones towards our right were pretty good and one blonde in particular caught dear Nikhil’s fancy . The ones to our left were pathetic. It was like they had dragged themselves on to the podium and were being forced to move. Their steps were bad, costumes were bad and energy levels were bad. That did not stop the junta from flocking to them though. I wonder why there are no male cheerleaders. Another case of gender bias I tell you . The emcee was doing an okay job of keeping the crowd entertained by initiating the mexican wave and playing a ‘wake-up’ trumpet sound which as time progressed annoyed all of us out. But, it was fun to shout for no reason at all and the match got over pretty quick. We all wanted to grab a bite before the DC match and as a few headed down to CCD – unfortunately, Nikhil’s wallet and Bhargava’s phone got flicked. Our spirits were dampened for a while but as soon as we saw the DC team on the ground practicing, a huge smile came on our faces. The entire team took a jog around the ground and it was incredible to see Symonds, Gilly etc from such close quarters. The fact that DC batted first made it all the more better. Every boundary and six was met with huge applause and chants of the batsman’s name. The atmosphere was great and the support the crowd was giving was amazing. We would break into an impromptu jig everytime the team’s song ‘Go-chargers-Go’ was being played. Have to admit though that the bowling by the opposition was good in the middle overs – in case the concept of middle overs does exist in T20 . Finally we ended up with a decent score of 153. To be honest I was expecting a better total given the star-studded line-up of the DC team but the match took an interesting turn when SCCC lost quick wickets in succession thanks to RP Singh and Ojha. The match seemed to be heading for a nail biting finish with 5 runs required of the last over. Everyone in the stadium was on their feet, hoping and praying that somehow DC would pull through and break the curse of not having won a single match on their home ground. Scott Styris came on to bowl the deciding over and the very first ball resulted in the loss of a wicket. There was an enormous eruption in the stadium and suddenly it seemed as if DC could pull a win. The next delivery was a dot ball and its successor resulted in another wicket. We could not believe what we were seeing. It was nervousness and excitement unparalleled. Prayers were being offered to a higher power but damn that Thomas guy who hit two boundaries in the last 3 balls to snatch a victory. Curses went all around the stadium for him but he truly was a hero for his team. Unfortunately, the curse continues for DC but we got our money’s worth with an incredible finish that none expected. Watching a match under floodlights is a totally different experience and I am glad I got an opportunity to watch such an exciting match. Can’t wait to go to another live match.

The journey back home was hilarious. Most of us were feeling tired and sleepy so we switched on the radio and to out utter dismay found some AIR program running. The rj was ridiculous and funny for all the wrong reasons. We laughed our ass off in the car and made our way to Subway for a midnight snack. Yours truly was half asleep and walking like a zombie. Finally, we reached home and an adventure-filled day came to end.

Guys go ahead...oggle!!!

Lol @ Punde's priceless expression !! I look high

The DC team taking a lap across the stadium

D gang

Kahi pe nigahen.. kahi pe nishana Even the camera couldn't stop Tolia from staring at the cheerleaders!

PS: Cameras were not allowed inside and we had to make-do with PJ’s cell. Thanks to PJ for the pics !!

Australian Open ‘09 – another classic

I am still a little misty-eyed as I write this post and that is only because of the immense respect and appreciation I have for the talent,skill,commitment and class of Roger Federer. Congratulations to Nadal for putting up such a splendid exhibition and proving himself worthy of all the accolades coming his way.

I tend to get really passionate when it comes to Roger’s matches and today’s match was such a perfect setting for Fed to capture a record-equaling 14th grand slam, get the trophy from Rod Laver whom Roger admires so much, beat Nadal on hard court and do it all in style in front of millions of his fans, that his tears during the ceremony must have made several people reach for tissues. Even after winning so many times and earning in millions and playing on the tour for more than a decade, his love for the sport and his desire to win showed when he cried on the podium. I hope people do not make an issue out of it saying he stole the limelight away from Nadal’s win and should have been more mature about the defeat. He is human after all and is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. He did not even have time to let the feeling of losing sink in.

Rafa is such a sweetheart. The way he went and hugged Federer and delivered his speech just goes to show he is a winner both on and off the court. As much as I hate to admit this, Rafa is definitely the better player now and Fed is not far behind. Its just that there is always a phase when you have to redefine yourself and Fed is not getting any younger. He needs a coach and a plan to face the younger and fitter players coming up on the tour. Both Rafa and Roger are wonderful ambassadors for tennis and sports in general. Like SRK famously quoted

‘Sports teaches you how to lose, it also teaches you how not to be a loser’

Looking forward to a wonderful clay court season and hoping that Roger breaks Sampras’ record in the near future. After all he is the best player to have ever held a racquet

The year that was

2008 was a strange year. It was a lot of other things as well but it was a strange year more than anything else. We went from being amazed at the shooting fuel prices to being distraught at the faltering economy; from dancing to 20 year old Chris Brown’s hip hop to 42 year old SRK’s dance pe chance; from a growing economic superpower to a vulnerable nation sick and tired of terrorism ; from Bush to Obama ; from Federer crazy to a little less Federer crazy and I went from 20 to 21!

I learned a lot about myself in this past one year but the most important lesson I will take away is that ‘if good things are not happening to you, it only means that better things are in store’. More about that some other time. This post is a review of the year 2008 from my perspective.

Politics in 2008 - Nothing caught my imagination more than the US presidential elections this year. I always wanted Democrats to come back to power and being a feminist at heart I wanted  Hillary Clinton to bag the nomination but I am happy with Obama as well. He looks like a sincere guy and lets hope he doesn’t go the bush-way. On a sadder note, I think I am going to miss all the jokes and satires on Bush when he leaves office. He truly was(is) the most entertaining president I have ever seen.

Indian politics were well….. Indian. There was the no-confidence motion which the Congress turned into another sweet victory by means better known to them. There was this whole Raj Thackeray saas-bahu type ka drama in Maharashtra. I pity the guy and his followers because a few years down the line when they look back at all the crap they pulled out, they will melt due to embrassment. The year ended on a bright note with the J&K polls proving that democracy is still a privelege and a right we cherish. I hope Omar Abdullah turns out to be a model CM because our country needs young politicians and leaders with charisma.

Sports in 2008 -  India had a very good Olympics this time. There were the usual disappointments but we won a gold in shooting and a bronze in boxing – totally unexpected and totally awesome. We need to build on these athletes and not just give them appearances on reality shows and ads for fairness creams. Cricket was great this year. The men in blue were pretty consistent in their wonderful performances and it gives me so much happiness when I see Australians losing. Go Proteas !!! Tennis was the biggest winner last year. There was so much high quality and so much talent to look forward to. Men’s tennis is in great hands with Nadal, Murray , Novak and several others coming through but it was an okayish year for Fedex who will come back strong though. Lewis Hamilton won the F1 championships and although I do not follow the sport at all, I think he is much better looking than that Ferrari driver (cant even remember his name ). Saina Nehwal is the new Sania Mirza. She is supertalented and has achieved so much this past year that she needs to given the attention and shown the appreciation that she has earned with her hardwork. All said and done, 2008 was a superb year for sports.

* – Liverpool are going to do the double this year

Movies in 2008 - Lots of great movies this year. Tollywood first , small budget films with no big names like Vinayukudu and Nachavule etc did good business which is a positive sign. Brahmanandam is a genius. He made two ordinary films like Ready and King super hilarious. He should be elevated to a higher status. Bollywood had an average year. I did not like SIK or Ghajini or Rnbdj which apparently are the three superhits of the year. I was also not too entertained by Jaane tu … and Rock on! . A wednesday, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Mumbai meri jaan and Dasvidaniya were the picks of the year. Salman was a huge disappointment. Hollywood had a fantastic year. TDK, Slumdog, Curious Case, Milk, Burn After Reading, Wall-E, Vicky Christina were all fantastic films. It is going to be a very very interesting awards season. I would also take this opportunity to congratulate certain films on achieving all time lows in filmmaking like Yuvvraj, Tashan (inspite of being a Saifeena fan) , Jimmy (Mimoh needs to find another profession) , Maan gaye mughal-e azam etc. When will an Indian filmmaker make a Slumdog Millionaire.

Here’s hoping for a much entertaining, less political and sportingly spectacular new year.

Dog of another kind

Ari Gold has a classic quote in Entourage which goes something like ‘This town loves nothing more than a comeback and since Britney blew her’s, there is still chance….’ (a few words have been changed because Ari is an obscenity machine). Unfortunately, this episode must have been shot quite early because Britney is back big time and all the people who cursed her saying she is an irresponisble parent, drug addict, disaster on feet (none of which btw was wrong) are singing her latest tunes. I have always been a Britney fan and am glad she is doing better with her career and life in general. Though, this got me thinking beyond just one person’s comeback. Remember when Sourav made a comeback into Indian cricket and his success was so much ‘more’ phenomenal, Amitabh went through a slump but created history with KBC and everyone started worshipping him once again and the list is pretty long. Its not that people dont celebrate other success stories, its just that when an underdog – someone of whom not many expect great things at that time proves all of us wrong , we actually like it although we were wrong because somewhere deep inside our heart we always root for the underdog.

Do you think the CL final between Milan and Liverpool would have been that dramatic had the latter not been three goals down or the wimby final that exciting had Fed not come down from two sets down to challenge Nadal. I dont think so and I think being an underdog is a privelege. Yes, it can be tough emotionally on you and your family but it gives you such a wonderful opportunity to start afresh without any pressure because people have already written you off. Yet, they want a challenge, a success story worthy of Reader’s Digest and they will cheer for you irrespective of your past accomplishments or failures.

Its so much easier to attack than to defend. Its better to be the challenger than the challenged.

‘Every underdog has his day’

Wimbledon 2008 (of course the men’s final)

I have never been such a nerve wreck in my life and that too for someone other than myself, but last night’s Wimbledon men’s final was a near perfect tennis match. Unlike several people I do not think it was the best Wimbledon final ever because the 1980 Borg- Mcenroe final had better quality from both players and it was a true grass court match with serve and volley techniques used in abundance unlike this year’s match which was more like a clay court match. Nevertheless it is not a case of sour grapes on my part and I think Rafa deserved to win the match. I adore Rafa but worship Federer and it was hard to see Roger with the plate and not the trophy but he is so damn gracious that you cannot help but shed a tear for him. The atmosphere of the match was superb ,probably matched only by the Murray – Gasquet match earlier in the tournament.

Rafa is definitely the best player in the world right now and although he will not be the world number 1 when rankings are released, everyone knows it is just a mere formality. Roger has to come back strong after this and he will because he IS Roger. The American hard court season has been very kind to Federer over the years and Nadal’s true test lies here. I just hope and pray that Roger buries this defeat and restores himself back to his glorious form.

PS: Wow – what a match

Djoker is the King now!

Novak Djokovic has become the AO champion 2008 and it was a fitting finale to what has been a great tournament. Having lost the first set the maturity and strength of character that he displayed to win the next 3 sets in a tremendously fought match goes to show that he is someone who can challenge Federer’s supremacy if not dethrone him which is too early to say.

I just had to write this post to get the whole Nole fever out of my system and get on with EPL which for the last fortnight or so has taken a backseat. His win today is an inspiration because he comes from a war torn country like Serbia and has yet managed to not only be a champion on court but also a sweetheart off it. Special mention to Tsonga who is absolutely adorable with that million dollar smile. It was a great contest and no one walked off feeling like a loser which is so rare in sports.

Djoker > King ????

There was no specific reason to write this post but I can hardly contain my excitement. I am fanatic about Roger Federer and think that he has done to tennis what no one in the history ever has but just dont write him off. He lost a match , just one and I think that the commentators saying that ‘The King’s reign has come to an end’ is absolutely pointless and uncalled for. There is something great about Federer. When he wins , even against someone whom you like , you do not feel bad. Roger winning seems to be the right thing to happen.

Yet, his loss today in the AO semifinals was a little weird because he was dominated and overpowered in every department by my favourite player Novak Djokovic – a fabulous Serbian who is a wonderful ambassador for the game. What is astonishing is that he is only 20 years old and has aldready been in in 4 grand slam semi finals. I am just so excited about the finals on Sunday and have my fingers and toes crossed.

Lets go Novak , lets go !!!!!!

Game – Set-Match!

Since I wrote a post about football , I thought I would even it up by writing one for tennis.Its a sport I started watching when I was still a kid precisely because my maternal family is totally into it.They would talk about Borg-Mcenroe,Edbarg -Becker, Sampras-Agassi rivalries with such an intense enthusiasm that it intrigued me.So I started following up on the sport and fell totally in love with it.Then I realised where that enthusiasm came from because I would get really excited about any Federer-Roddick match and now the Federer-Nadal rivalry is such a talking point.

I remember having a huge (and I mean colossal) crush on Andy Roddick when he was at the peak of his career and also remember praying for him during the 2003 US open finals.Hes still a favourite but he isnt playing that well now and well who doesnt like Roger Federer.He is perhaps the greatest the game has ever seen and his grace and demenaour,the way he conducts himself both on and off the court and his super nice interviews make him a favourite.Apart from these 2 players my current favourite is Novak Djokovic who created a history of sorts by beating Roddick,Nadal and Federer back to back at the ATP masters and his antics,imitation skills and fab sense of humuor have made me lose my heart to him although hes not that good looking.

Yesterday night I sat for continuous 4 hours to watch him play and win at the US open and he just keeps growing from strength to strength.As for the handsome guys on tour there is always Tommy Haas,Marat Safin,A-Rod ,Feliciano Lopez and Blake!!!!

Heres hoping for another Nadal-Federer match but I hope and pray that its a Roddick-Djokovic final.

Long live the Reds!!

My gaze was fixed on the goal keeper Dudek and I was praying ‘Please make Shevchenko miss it’ and then I felt numb.Wow what a game and such a fitting finale.Liverpool were champions of Europe.This was in 2005.

I really cant remember watching many/any matches before the one mentioned above , though , even if I had it was all about this classic encounter that made me take a keen liking towards football – the bestest game ever. I became a huge Liverpool fan that day and once a Red always a Red.There is something magical about Liverpool.The fans , the anthem (its the most inspiring one) , the Kop and especially the players.Steven Gerrard is God and his amazing football skills put aside hes such a good ambassador for the game.He was magical then and he respun it all over West Ham during the FA cup final.One has to watch his goals atleast 3 times to let the feeling sink in.I have lost count of the number of times I have seen Liverpool’s matches and it gets better and better every time. Alonso , Carragher , Gerrard , Kewell , Kuyt etc etc are simply awesome. The kind of comebacks they have made makes you believe in fairy tales.

With the football season kicking off again , I am fingers and toes crossed for my favourite club.That also means I would be seeing more of Kaka – who is playing great right now apart from Christiano Ronaldo but there is something about Man United that just puts me off.

PS : If possible watch the Ac Milan vs Liverpool 2005 final.It would give you butterflies in the stomach even today. The anthem is like a 12th man for the team.

When you walk through a storm
Keep your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams
Be tossed and blown
Walk on
Walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

1..2…3 and the winner is

Quite a title I suppose but dramatic moments call for dramatic measures.There was a time when I was a huge WWF or WWE or whatever Vince Mcmahon’s company is called now but ever since I went into boarding I havent really been able to follow up.I am dead certain that when it comes to acting and learning how to swear there can be no better thing on television.

I was initiated into it by my cousins and initially it looked a little lame to me but thanks to the Steve Austin-Vince rivalry I got interested and the wrestling is not all that gory either.In the summer breaks all of us would flock around the TV set and watch even the re-telecasts much to my Grandpa’s annoyance.All the elders in the family disapproved of it but we were adamant and the funny part is we got all the Dads take a genuine liking towards it by telling them enthusuatically about all the happenings and the twists and turns in the plot.

The mothers were not all that happy with we watching ppl fighting in ahem well…minimal clothing if I may say so.But who cared.We were only interested in seeing how many beer cans Austin would gulp,whether or not DX would reunite,the Hardy Boys and Lita were a favourite then.Lita sucks now.Then there was the all time favourite Undertaker and his so called emotional rivalry with Kane.

That was 4 years ago.I find it hard to watch WWE in Gh because first the TV isnt working and even if it did I am not sure people would let me because a movie would sound better to them which is pretty reasonable.Whenever I am home I do manage to take a sneek peak and try to make sense of the chaos going on.Though Rock isnt there anymore he will always be the People’s champ and I miss quite a few other people but Cena is good too.I hate Edge and I hate Vince Mcmahon and his idiotic son Shane even more.My mum always keeps taunting me saying girls rarely watch such things but I guess its ok.I love the whole sport and strangely I cant watch Karate,Judo or the other wrestling shows on air.Its just that I have my loyaties towards WWE.

Even today when the families meet this a huge topic for discussion.We cousins sort of bond over WWE and its great fun talking about all the great memories we have had.I hope WWE grows and more girls take a liking to it.Its much better than the soaps on Star or Zee.