How many business man would turn down opportunities of crushing his competitors and more importantly increase the market share by a significant % and take back more $s to his shareholders?
NRN Sir can do it.
Read this below interview by one of the most respected and professional Market Analyst, Udayan Mukerjhee . It has stunning revelations on Infosys is built on.
Value. Genuine Value.
Don't miss out to re-read those in green color.
Q: The first question which a lot of people ask after the episode is can we get Mr Murthy involved in some capacity to solve the mess. Newspaper articles were written about it. Did you consider, at any point, involving yourself since you are no longer involved in an executive capacity with Infosys?
A: I did tell the Prime Minister that I am a conflicted body even though I am the Non-Executive Chairman, I am in charge of making sure that the governance mechanism at Infosys is alright, making sure that its strategy is well in making sure that things are alright. We are the largest shareholders of Infosys so we are already conflicted. So I said I would not be the right person.
Q: But you did get a request to involve yourself in some way or the other?
A: There were lot of discussion and that’s what I told both the Prime Minister and Mr. PC Gupta.
Q: Seven days have passed now and you spoke on day one, what is your assessment on day seven, day eight of this situation and what kind of collateral damage, if any, it can have on the sector or the impression of Indian IT because now you would have got direct feedback from some of your large clients as well?
A: I don’t deal with our clients directly but Gopal Krishnan deals with them and I have had discussions with him. The feeling that we get is that the clients understand that these things have happened in the US, in Europe, they have happened now in India so they just want to get on with life, they just want to make sure they are de-risked. They just want to make sure that things are alright with them.
So, in some cases they will sit down with Satyam and make sure that there is higher level of governance mechanism, higher level of customer focus. In some cases, they may want to go to an alternate vendor, it all depends on individuals. However, I do think there is no panic; there is no feeling that the entire Indian industry is bad; there is no such thing.
Q: You said you would not involve yourself directly in the matters of Satyam now because the board is there in place but do you think you could do something to address the concerns which global clients or outsourcers have on the IT sector if any because on day one or day two you did a conference call with a large number of investors which was hosted by CLSA. Do you think you could do similar things with NASSCOM and you fronting it so that the image of Indian IT or vendors do not get dented even to the slightest extent?
A: Certainly whatever little value I can add to ensure that the Indian software industry continues its march towards higher and higher revenues, towards greater and greater glory – absolutely.
Q: It is a difficult environment right now as Kris was just detailing today. Do you think this puts more pressure on Indian outsourcing or do you think it will work the other way and some of the other clients might actually benefit because of Satyam’s failure?
A: We have all sat down and discussed and we said, we should nothing that will damage Satyam. After all there are 53,000 innocent employees. They are smart. They are competent. They have satisfied clients, so other companies should not take a vulture like attitude. So we said we will not proactively go to any client. However if a client decides to do that then we will go through our due diligence and we will ensure that we will do whatever is required by the client in the most ethical manner. But we will not approach any client proactively – that is for certain.
Q: It is competitive industry and if you don’t do it then the other top two vendors might actually solicit business and wean it away at a difficult time. Would that weigh on your mind?
A: No. Value system is all about you’re ability to pay a certain price. Pay a certain cost for your beliefs and convictions. If I see a Rs 500 note on the road and I pick it and put it in my pocket – on the other hand if you see a Rs 500 note and you go and give it to the policeman – you’re value system is better in my book. So I think there is inherently a cost you have to pay for your value system and we at Infosys will pay – definitely.
Q: Having watched this industry for so many years, I know you don’t talk to clients directly anymore, but you did for several years and decades before that – what do you think would be their reaction? Would their first impulse be let me run to the Infosys and TCS of the world because I know them from longer and I think their clean companies therefore my business is better served by them? Would that be the natural reaction of a CTO today whether you solicit that business or not?
A: Let us remember one thing that nobody expected in their wildest dreams that what has happened would happen. So in that sense they must all be very confused. The need of the day is to ensure that their comfort level is enhanced, to ensure that their projects have continuity, to ensure that the business continuity of Satyam is strong and to ensure that the Indian software industry does not suffer. All of us certainly will make an effort – certainly within Infosys, Nandan, Gopalakrishnan, Shibulal, me, Mohan etc – we will all take up this effort. We will make sure that the Indian software story remains intact and at the same time obviously we will enhance their comfort level with Infosys. We will provide them with whatever extra data they want – all of that we will do.
Q: Let me ask you about the Infosys board engagement with its independent directors, because the role of independent directors generally has come under scrutiny after this episode. What is your level of engagement? Do they really concern themselves very closely, ask tough questions of you or is it more of a social gathering at the board meeting?
A: We have been very lucky that we have an extraordinary set of people. People who are extremely tough, people for whom there are no heroes, people who are courteous but firm, people who will not mind asking any unpleasant questions.
Q: But are you saying that if you or Nandan or Kris put out a set of data, your independent directors – credible that they are – would they ever question it saying, show me the money or I don’t think what you are doing is right. Will they take it to that extent?
A: Of course. Forget about independent directors, my youngsters in Infosys will question me. When we sit down and finalise the next quarter guidance, when we sit down and look at the past quarter’s data, there are about 20 fellows in that meeting. It is completely transparent. Of course all of these people will have signed the non-disclosure stuff that they are debarred from trading in shares, all of that. So, these people are very tough.
In fact the beauty of Infosys is, in every project they know the net income margin. That is the beauty. I am a great believer in democracy. Infosys is an enlightened democracy. As Amartya Sen once pointed out, any democracy will not have any disaster, no famine. You know why? There is always an opposition, there is always discussion, debates, there is pluralism with the result that you a disaster.
So the lesson that we can all learn is create an informed and enlightened democracy in your company, make sure that there are discussions and debates, make sure that there is transparency on a need to know basis obviously, make sure that all of them have signed the required documentation in terms of not trading in shares, in terms of not disclosing, all of that. And once you create such an environment, I can assure you that you will be safe because somebody will stand up and say, where did this million dollar revenue come from, who is that customer?
Q: Do you think more disclosures are required to investors in the light of what happened last week in terms of what companies own in terms of cash, where they own it so that everybody knows. Nobody knew what bank Satyam was keeping its money in. Do you disclose such things that our accounts are now with X, Y, Z banks and you are free to go and check it out?
A: Yes, in fact in all our statements it is there, what balances we have in what banks. But that is at the end of the quarter. Then what happens is you produce the quarterly statements, probably it takes about seven-eight days. So, subject to that caveat of course it is there, absolutely.
Q: What is the biggest takeaway from this episode for you? If you were to list two things which companies may not be doing correctly today which they can do after this episode – what would those two things be?
A: First is very clearly a belief that honestly is the best policy and following the adage – when in doubt, disclose. Second I would say is that create an environment of openness, pluralism, discussion and debate. Involve as many youngsters as possible. Involve as many intelligent people as possible and then you’re safe, the company is safe and in the long run, you will be a winner. In the long run you will accumulate lot more wealth than any shortcut.
Q: There has been some talk though that the Sebi as a regulator might want to wet the audited books of the top companies in India. Do you think it is practical and do you support such a move?
A: I support any move that enhances the confidence of investors in these companies. After all what Sebi is saying is that whether it’s the Sensex or the Nifty 50, these are important companies. These contribute to the index. So the trust of investors in these companies is extremely important for the country. So I support that – definitely.
Q: You would not have any apprehensions in opening up all your books and sensitive information to a third party regulator?
A: No questions absolutely. After all why are they doing it? They are doing it because they want to make sure that the investor community in India is more comfortable and let’s remember we are a listed company. We have 300,000 plus investors. Our responsibility is to this community of investors. If they are not happy then there is no point in running this company.
Q: Would you describe the current environment that you are seeing today as your famous fog on the windscreen statement or not such a lot of fog from what you hear from Kris and the executive board members?
A: No, I would say there is a lot more fog today than what I saw in 2001.
Q: Even frost on the screen?
A: I think so. You are right. You put it even better, absolutely.
Q: What is different between then and now?
A: At that time it affected only the tech industry. It was really the tech bubble bursting. Today that has spread to mainstream, all sectors of the economy, spread to most countries in the world. So, this is a much bigger problem than what we saw in 2001-2002. So, this is really frost on the windscreen.
Q: How long could it take to mend in your eyes from the feedback that you get? Do you think it is a long-term problem from what you understand?
A: Given that we are going to have a new President in the US, given that he is committed to making sure that the economy improves, given that President Bush has also said that in whatever remaining number of days that he will fully cooperate with the incoming President, I do think that we will see some solution to this in the next probably eight to nine months.
Q: Do you think Indian IT will survive this rough phase globally?
A: It will definitely survive. There is no doubt at all. I do think that it will flourish and prosper.
courtesy: CNBC-TV18/moneycontrol.com
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Art of Winning
Congratulations to Australian Cricket team for winning their fourth consecutive CWC. There are many records that tumbled as Aussies marched their way to lift the cup.But one record can never ever be taken away from them.This record can never be broken.
That record is - winning two consecutive WC in record time of less than 30 mins, thanks to ICC.This will go down as one of the mega events that can be staged with as much holes/pitfalls as possible from day one of banning musical instruments in Carribean (yes you read that right) to getting the event to continue after losing one of the best coach the game had in the middle of tournament and mega-finally goofing up on the very basic guideline of how to handle a match if it gets truncated.
If there is going to be a book on the topic-"The Art of Winning", a study of Australian Cricket team for the past decade will be worth the time.
Winning is sedative. It keeps us yearn for more and more.
Winning so consistently like this team is so astonishing that at times we get bored too to keep seeing the same winner. :)
As a cricket fan, the next thing i would love to see is this Australian team being tested, over-powered and dethroned from #1 spot for a while.
This will be good for cricket too :)
Nothing to be taken away from Australia. The way they beat their last three opponents were literally stunning. When the stakes are high, this is the team to bet on.
But to make this game more interesting and less one-sided the other teams need to keep winning Aussies session after session, over after over. Lets see if that happens and which team does that more consistently.
My picks from this event:
Best Player: Ricky Punter Ponting.
Best Captain: Stephen Cool Fleming.
Best Bowler: Glenn Pigeon McGrath
Best Batsman: Michael Pup Clarke/Mahela Jayawardena
Best Fielder: Jayawardena/Collingwood (see their catches and reaction time they had)
Best Team: Ireland
i did not touch on the opposite part as the list will be bigger.
As the curtains are being drawn on this CWC, lets salute two big legends the game has produced. Brian 'Prince' Lara and Glenn 'Pigeon' McGrath. You made the passion for this game to grow more.There were other retirements, resignations,step-downs and push outs as an eventuality of this event.But these two deserves a bigger round of applause and salute than rest.
Something strange for you to know (courtesy ET): none of the Australian cricketers are brand ambassadors or endorsers. They are in fact not cared for too much with respect to endorsements in their own country. Its other sport personalities like Ian Thorpe and Scud Philliphosis who appears in commercials.
I know this would trigger some interesting questions/debates as I sign off on this topic.
Oooopppsss... i am sorry. This article is not complete without the below picture.
Nothing much for me to say as most of us saw this 'man for the occassion' to stand and deliver,demolish and demoralize the opponent within an hour of the game getting started. (pics courtesy: cricinfo)
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Time for New Look???
First a big round of applause for the Bengal Tigers for beating yet another #1 ranked team.SA will be wondering what went wrong. But Bashar used his available resources extremely well.Its know fact that except Gibbs most of the proteas are very vulnerable to slow/spin bowling.If they dont have great start by attacking pacers, they are in trouble, and thats what happened on Saturday.
Next time, if a team aspires to be #1 and if they have Bangladesh tour, let them be prepared for it :).Excellent attitude from each of the 11 players of Bangladesh team. That won their game.Special mention and accolades for Ashraful. He is the man for occasion. Aussies still remember him.So are going to be proteas.
Let others stop calling them minnows anymore. Atleast for Bangladesh sake, i dont want Dav Whatmore to be the coach for our team. :)
A big sigh of relief as BCCI ensured the best-coach in the cricket-world now, does not part once for all.He has been given the role he will enjoy most. Coaching the future talents of our team at NCA.Good job there by BCCI.
Greg <-> Shastri, Robin, Venkatesh Prasad ?
Not exactly. But collectively their areas can be more focussed and it will be only augmenting our team's growth further. Lets wait for the board to come out with its long-term plans post Bangla tour next month.
Another excellent move is retaining Dravid as captain and that too announcing right upfront.He is one of the three consistent player and captain for the past 18 months in cricket world.Indications are pointing to INDIA boarding plane to Dhakka with a young team under Rahul's captaincy.All eyes now on Apr 11th 2007.
Hey man, look at this figures. Dhoni-13, Sachin-12, Dravid-11, Yuvraj-8, Sourav-8.No, its not their average scores in WC.Its their no. of commercial commitments. I am sure i am not accurate here with the numbers as this could only be the minimum no.s.Thanks for the policy on endorsements too. Though the players have their own right to earn professionally, it irritates fans like me when we see commercials featuring them after recent performance in WC. I am sure Rahul and Ravi can maturedly work this out with the board with neccessary changes. But let the focus be on moving the team forward.
And finally with 35000+ runs between three of our batsmen and 5 of them having a strike rate of 85+ if you are still puzzled what could have possible gone wrong for our dismal performance in our one-week party at Carribean, read this article. (Thanks to Jay). It pulls out some interesting, very stunning stats and evidence about our key players' form. Enjoy the reading. You will for sure be surprised.
With Bangladesh winning against SA, its opened up chances for England / WI to make it to top 4 more brighter. Lets see if they make use of it. There is one team which is watching all these equations and number games with a big smile as they have nothing to worry. They are not much bothered even about Aussies. In fact its Aussies who are surely worried about this team. I am sure you would have guessed that team by now which could make it for the title clash with Aussies in which case i will be ruthlessly and selfishly supporting THIS TEAM. Lets see what next two weeks has in store in this unpredictable game.
Next time, if a team aspires to be #1 and if they have Bangladesh tour, let them be prepared for it :).Excellent attitude from each of the 11 players of Bangladesh team. That won their game.Special mention and accolades for Ashraful. He is the man for occasion. Aussies still remember him.So are going to be proteas.
Let others stop calling them minnows anymore. Atleast for Bangladesh sake, i dont want Dav Whatmore to be the coach for our team. :)
A big sigh of relief as BCCI ensured the best-coach in the cricket-world now, does not part once for all.He has been given the role he will enjoy most. Coaching the future talents of our team at NCA.Good job there by BCCI.
Greg <-> Shastri, Robin, Venkatesh Prasad ?
Not exactly. But collectively their areas can be more focussed and it will be only augmenting our team's growth further. Lets wait for the board to come out with its long-term plans post Bangla tour next month.
Another excellent move is retaining Dravid as captain and that too announcing right upfront.He is one of the three consistent player and captain for the past 18 months in cricket world.Indications are pointing to INDIA boarding plane to Dhakka with a young team under Rahul's captaincy.All eyes now on Apr 11th 2007.
Hey man, look at this figures. Dhoni-13, Sachin-12, Dravid-11, Yuvraj-8, Sourav-8.No, its not their average scores in WC.Its their no. of commercial commitments. I am sure i am not accurate here with the numbers as this could only be the minimum no.s.Thanks for the policy on endorsements too. Though the players have their own right to earn professionally, it irritates fans like me when we see commercials featuring them after recent performance in WC. I am sure Rahul and Ravi can maturedly work this out with the board with neccessary changes. But let the focus be on moving the team forward.
And finally with 35000+ runs between three of our batsmen and 5 of them having a strike rate of 85+ if you are still puzzled what could have possible gone wrong for our dismal performance in our one-week party at Carribean, read this article. (Thanks to Jay). It pulls out some interesting, very stunning stats and evidence about our key players' form. Enjoy the reading. You will for sure be surprised.
With Bangladesh winning against SA, its opened up chances for England / WI to make it to top 4 more brighter. Lets see if they make use of it. There is one team which is watching all these equations and number games with a big smile as they have nothing to worry. They are not much bothered even about Aussies. In fact its Aussies who are surely worried about this team. I am sure you would have guessed that team by now which could make it for the title clash with Aussies in which case i will be ruthlessly and selfishly supporting THIS TEAM. Lets see what next two weeks has in store in this unpredictable game.
Monday, March 26, 2007
As blank as it could be
My thoughts are as blank as above. What else to say with hopes of billions having sunk in deep doldrums. Of course, this is what happens when we play for 'not to lose' than 'for win'.
Players themselves will feel bad for whatever happened.
Its really comical now to look back at TV Shows who were analyzing Ind Vs Pak match in this WC. Thats cricket ! Its pulsating, amazing, pressurizing and more importantly unpredictable.
Ok my picks for final four - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, WestIndies / Sri Lanka.
Lot depends on how SA handles spinners and i am sure their opponents will exploit on this weakness. But for the likes of Collingwood and KP England will be brushed away by these sides comfortably.
Again it could be funny to realize half of my Semi-Finalists picks gets knocked out by 'Surprise' elements.
Though my heart says its going to be first-ever hat-trick of WC titles for THAT side in the game's history, i want to be proved wrong. Let me enjoy this next phase of WC.
My player picks who could make the difference:
Pollock, Gibbs, Smith, Kemp - SA
Silva, S'kara, J'suriya, M'tharan - SL
Ponting, Clarke, Tait, Symonds - Aus
McMillan, McCullum, Vincent, Fleming - NZ
KP, Collingwood, Flintoff, Monty - Eng
Bravo, Smith, Samuels, Lara - WI
May the best and worthy team WIN it.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Our Women who made us all PROUD
Women's Day is not a day to recognize Women around us.
Yes. Its not the only day.
In fact its a day to remind ourselves that we need to respect, celebrate and recognize womanhood all the time.
Hillary Clinton launched recently her campaign to be the first Women President of US.
Indira Nooyi, is going to be the first Chairwoman of PEPSICO in another few weeks.
Here is an interesting compilation of FIRSTs by Women in INDIA.
List of pioneers among Indian women in various fields: (courtesy TOI today)
GRADUATES: Kadambini Ganguly, Chandramukhi Basu (1883)
LAWYER: Cornelia Sorabjee (1924)
PHYSICIAN: Kadambini Ganguly (1886)
OSCAR WINNER: Bhanu Athaiya (1982)
TO SWIM ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL: Miss Arati Saha (1959)
PRESIDENT OF INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS: Annie Besant (1917)
UNION CABINET MINISTER: Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (1947)
CHIEF MINISTER: Sucheta Kripalani (1963)
GOVERNOR: Sarojini Naidu (1947)
SPEAKER OF STATE ASSEMBLY: Shanno Devi (1966)
ASIAD GOLD MEDALIST: Kamaljit Sandhu (1970)
OLYMPIC MEDALIST: Karnam Malleswari (2000)
IPS OFFICER: Kiran Bedi (Haryana) (1972)
WOMEN'S COLLEGE: Bethune College, Kolkata (1879)
TO CLIMB MT. EVEREST: Bachendri Pal (1984)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL: Punita Arora (2004)
AIR MARSHAL: Padmavathy Bandopadhyay (2004)
ARMY MEDAL WINNER: Bimla Devi (1990)
COMMERCIAL PILOT: Prem Mathur (1951)
AIRLINE PILOT: Durga Banerjee (1966)
JUDGE OF SUPREME COURT: M Fatima Beevi (1989)
CIVIL PILOT: Beant Kaur
PRESIDENT OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Vijayalakshmi Pandit (1953)
CHIEF JUSTICE OF A HIGH COURT: Leila Seth (1991)
Actually the list goes ON... There are many more who are not recognized/noticed yet.
Lets take a moment to applaude them and many more who will be joining this list soon.
Yes. Its not the only day.
In fact its a day to remind ourselves that we need to respect, celebrate and recognize womanhood all the time.
Hillary Clinton launched recently her campaign to be the first Women President of US.
Indira Nooyi, is going to be the first Chairwoman of PEPSICO in another few weeks.
Here is an interesting compilation of FIRSTs by Women in INDIA.
List of pioneers among Indian women in various fields: (courtesy TOI today)
GRADUATES: Kadambini Ganguly, Chandramukhi Basu (1883)
LAWYER: Cornelia Sorabjee (1924)
PHYSICIAN: Kadambini Ganguly (1886)
OSCAR WINNER: Bhanu Athaiya (1982)
TO SWIM ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL: Miss Arati Saha (1959)
PRESIDENT OF INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS: Annie Besant (1917)
UNION CABINET MINISTER: Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (1947)
CHIEF MINISTER: Sucheta Kripalani (1963)
GOVERNOR: Sarojini Naidu (1947)
SPEAKER OF STATE ASSEMBLY: Shanno Devi (1966)
ASIAD GOLD MEDALIST: Kamaljit Sandhu (1970)
OLYMPIC MEDALIST: Karnam Malleswari (2000)
IPS OFFICER: Kiran Bedi (Haryana) (1972)
WOMEN'S COLLEGE: Bethune College, Kolkata (1879)
TO CLIMB MT. EVEREST: Bachendri Pal (1984)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL: Punita Arora (2004)
AIR MARSHAL: Padmavathy Bandopadhyay (2004)
ARMY MEDAL WINNER: Bimla Devi (1990)
COMMERCIAL PILOT: Prem Mathur (1951)
AIRLINE PILOT: Durga Banerjee (1966)
JUDGE OF SUPREME COURT: M Fatima Beevi (1989)
CIVIL PILOT: Beant Kaur
PRESIDENT OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Vijayalakshmi Pandit (1953)
CHIEF JUSTICE OF A HIGH COURT: Leila Seth (1991)
Actually the list goes ON... There are many more who are not recognized/noticed yet.
Lets take a moment to applaude them and many more who will be joining this list soon.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Those Little Moments in Life
A forward email i received, which is worth your reading time.
Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a moving confessional. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in total anonymity, and told me about their lives. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, ennobled me, made me laugh and weep.
But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night.
I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town. I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or a worker heading to an early shift at some factory for the industrial part of town.
When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked.
"Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said.
I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."
"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."
I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said.
"You have to make a living," she answered.
"There are other passengers," I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient at the end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware--beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, ...
but they will always remember how you made them feel.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. It was a cowboy's life, a life for someone who wanted no boss. What I didn't realize was that it was also a ministry.Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a moving confessional. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in total anonymity, and told me about their lives. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, ennobled me, made me laugh and weep.
But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night.
I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town. I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or a worker heading to an early shift at some factory for the industrial part of town.
When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked.
"Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said.
I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."
"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."
I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said.
"You have to make a living," she answered.
"There are other passengers," I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient at the end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware--beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, ...
but they will always remember how you made them feel.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Carribean Fever ... Starts Now !
Time is a great leveller. Need evidence?
Look at Aussies now and how they were just few weeks back.
Matter of few weeks, Australian side considered to be #1 (even now i feel it is so) by leaps and bounds. They were leading the ICC rankings by a huge margin. After their recent maulings by England and NZ, they have been pushed to #2 with SA taking honors by 3 points.
(More details here)
End of the day these could be mere numbers.
But that does not hide the fact that how well the stage has been set for WC 2007 to kick off. Aussies were considered to be unbeatable as they kept bagging series wins and trophy wins again and again. In fact they demoralized England throughout their tour down under both on and off the field. Strangely its this England team that triggered off the most interesting story of Cricket world in recent times to unfold. They had beaten Aussies thrice in a row, in their home turf and bagged the Tri-Series trophy. NZ almost did what Aussies did to England in Australia from Nov-06 to Jan-07. NZ gave away 13 wickets in 3 matches and did a first-time white-wash of Aussies in a bilateral series invovling NZ. What more. They now have the second best (successful) chase in ODI history.
The stage is well set for an ideal Cricket extravaganza because
>> Australia has been wounded deeply & licking their wounds with a vengence now.
>> They have something to prove to this world beyond their consistent master class.
>> They are in the same group as SA which took(kicked) them to #2 for the first time.
>> Australia has now conceded top four successful run chases in ODI history.
>> Four teams have been beaten Australia convincingly in the recent past. (NZ,SA,Eng and WI).
>> 12 points separates teams between #3 to #8 now.
Its not other teams Vs Aussies. Its not at all.
Cricket followers will be a fool to write them off as yet.
But still with the recent happenings there is a new excitement that has been built-up.
It can only get better from here.
Its a World Cup and its anybody's Cup.
Cricket lovers could not have asked anything more than this before the start of this mega event.
More to come in this space ...as we inch closer to Carribean Curtain Raiser.
Look at Aussies now and how they were just few weeks back.
Matter of few weeks, Australian side considered to be #1 (even now i feel it is so) by leaps and bounds. They were leading the ICC rankings by a huge margin. After their recent maulings by England and NZ, they have been pushed to #2 with SA taking honors by 3 points.
(More details here)
End of the day these could be mere numbers.
But that does not hide the fact that how well the stage has been set for WC 2007 to kick off. Aussies were considered to be unbeatable as they kept bagging series wins and trophy wins again and again. In fact they demoralized England throughout their tour down under both on and off the field. Strangely its this England team that triggered off the most interesting story of Cricket world in recent times to unfold. They had beaten Aussies thrice in a row, in their home turf and bagged the Tri-Series trophy. NZ almost did what Aussies did to England in Australia from Nov-06 to Jan-07. NZ gave away 13 wickets in 3 matches and did a first-time white-wash of Aussies in a bilateral series invovling NZ. What more. They now have the second best (successful) chase in ODI history.
The stage is well set for an ideal Cricket extravaganza because
>> Australia has been wounded deeply & licking their wounds with a vengence now.
>> They have something to prove to this world beyond their consistent master class.
>> They are in the same group as SA which took(kicked) them to #2 for the first time.
>> Australia has now conceded top four successful run chases in ODI history.
>> Four teams have been beaten Australia convincingly in the recent past. (NZ,SA,Eng and WI).
>> 12 points separates teams between #3 to #8 now.
Its not other teams Vs Aussies. Its not at all.
Cricket followers will be a fool to write them off as yet.
But still with the recent happenings there is a new excitement that has been built-up.
It can only get better from here.
Its a World Cup and its anybody's Cup.
Cricket lovers could not have asked anything more than this before the start of this mega event.
More to come in this space ...as we inch closer to Carribean Curtain Raiser.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth Gets It !
Dec 18th 2006. Its truly a historic day for INDIAN cricket.
Sreesanth had been in limelight for his dance on the field, for his spell of 8/99, the aggression etc.
Chappell,Dravid,Smith,Sourav,Gavaskar,Shastri,Harsha Bhogle and Donald all admitted he is a livewire in the field. Emails had been floating around with clipings showing his dance after he hit Andre Nel for a six.
These are all the known facts in the last few days.
But something went unnoticed in the thick of actions.
Not for Ravi Shastri though. He watched Sreesanth a day before the match started and in the morning of the match day in elevator... both the occasions Sreesanth was holding the cricket ball in his hand tightly. Later he revealed that it was Greg Chappell who had asked him to get used to this kind of cricket balls - 'kookaburra'.
This guy went one step further started holding it all the time he is awake.
He told ESPNStar later that he wanted to get used to the feel and grip of the ball and so he did like that and carried the cricket ball all the time.
Rest is all history now. It had done wonders.
Whats in it for us? Simple.
It shows how we need to cling on to our dreams. Its not just having dreams alone that is enough. We need to keep thinking about it all the time, all the place.
The more closer we have it to our hearts, the more closer we get to reach success.
The more tightly and strongly we stand by it, the more easily we come out as winner.
Lets keep dreaming and hold on to it till we make it come true.
Come what may !
BIG CONGRATS TO TEAM INDIA ON THIS STUPENDOUS FEAT !!!
More details here.
Some more details here - courtesy cricinfo.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Indian Cricket Team ... Road Ahead
Yet another 'Team Selection' and few more surprises.
Atleast this time thanks to media we know whats going to be final list of cricketers for SA Test Series.
More details here.
Finally we have realized that its only with a good mix of experience and youth we can be winning consistently. (Australia has been doing this for last 2-3 decades)
Without Ganguly the middle order lacked the much needed experience and was more tentative for crumbling time and again.
Simple reason. When Ganguly was around The Wall - Dravid was batting in the middle order most of the time or atleast comes one down and hangs around till the end.
We did win matches without Dada. but most of them in sub-continent.
WI Series should have been ours as many tend to forget the closeness of 4/5 matches we played there.
In the absence of Dada, Yuvraj was taking up the responsibility and he was in ominous form during those stretchful victories of our team.
Having said all this, its good to see finally the Selectors 'realized' the need for experience and reverted back to Ganguly and Laxman.
Is it too late for his recall?
May be, considering we have only two series before the World Cup.
But Dada is known for bouncing back and i wish like his every other fans, he grabs this opportunity.
Its a known fact that Greg and Ganguly not in good terms.
But exclusion of someone from the team should not be done at the cost team's progress.
The yard stick used for Ganguly actually applies to many including Sachin.
But only Ganguly felt the heat and got the axe. Of course there are reasons behind that act which in long-term perspective was looking good. But it was too much of experimentation we were doing.
Not many realize that out of the nearly 10000 ODI runs Dada scored 4-5 of these thousands had been scored at a quicker pace than Sachin.
Without diverting the topic from being Dada Vs Sachin or Dada Vs Greg lets welcome this move of inducting both VVS and Ganguly into the team.
The best move is announcing VVS as deputy to Rahul.
Oh Boy ! he deserves this recognition long time back. So does Kumble.
I simply wonder where does Laxman gets his motivation for making those big hundreds after being ill-treated time and again and dropped on some non-sense facts.
Its very clear message to Sehwag not to take things for granted.
So it is for Dhoni with Dinesh Kaarthick around.
Very good moves and like millions of fans in this country i hope the fortune starts tilting towards us.
Final points on few need-of-the-hour issues.
- improving the pitches we play our domestic cricket. Let it be bouncy, turning, with green grass etc.
- making cricketers' pay to be linked to their performance. (Increase their current pay if they perform well).
- Making Selectors as paid ones and make them also accountable for team's success.
- Please please please let the media allow coach and captain to do what they intend to do. Dont keep poking on wherever they go or whatever they do. They know what to do. Thats why they are there.
- And support from all of us to the team when they are actually going thru bad phase like this.
Atleast this time thanks to media we know whats going to be final list of cricketers for SA Test Series.
More details here.
Finally we have realized that its only with a good mix of experience and youth we can be winning consistently. (Australia has been doing this for last 2-3 decades)
Without Ganguly the middle order lacked the much needed experience and was more tentative for crumbling time and again.
Simple reason. When Ganguly was around The Wall - Dravid was batting in the middle order most of the time or atleast comes one down and hangs around till the end.
We did win matches without Dada. but most of them in sub-continent.
WI Series should have been ours as many tend to forget the closeness of 4/5 matches we played there.
In the absence of Dada, Yuvraj was taking up the responsibility and he was in ominous form during those stretchful victories of our team.
Having said all this, its good to see finally the Selectors 'realized' the need for experience and reverted back to Ganguly and Laxman.
Is it too late for his recall?
May be, considering we have only two series before the World Cup.
But Dada is known for bouncing back and i wish like his every other fans, he grabs this opportunity.
Its a known fact that Greg and Ganguly not in good terms.
But exclusion of someone from the team should not be done at the cost team's progress.
The yard stick used for Ganguly actually applies to many including Sachin.
But only Ganguly felt the heat and got the axe. Of course there are reasons behind that act which in long-term perspective was looking good. But it was too much of experimentation we were doing.
Not many realize that out of the nearly 10000 ODI runs Dada scored 4-5 of these thousands had been scored at a quicker pace than Sachin.
Without diverting the topic from being Dada Vs Sachin or Dada Vs Greg lets welcome this move of inducting both VVS and Ganguly into the team.
The best move is announcing VVS as deputy to Rahul.
Oh Boy ! he deserves this recognition long time back. So does Kumble.
I simply wonder where does Laxman gets his motivation for making those big hundreds after being ill-treated time and again and dropped on some non-sense facts.
Its very clear message to Sehwag not to take things for granted.
So it is for Dhoni with Dinesh Kaarthick around.
Very good moves and like millions of fans in this country i hope the fortune starts tilting towards us.
Final points on few need-of-the-hour issues.
- improving the pitches we play our domestic cricket. Let it be bouncy, turning, with green grass etc.
- making cricketers' pay to be linked to their performance. (Increase their current pay if they perform well).
- Making Selectors as paid ones and make them also accountable for team's success.
- Please please please let the media allow coach and captain to do what they intend to do. Dont keep poking on wherever they go or whatever they do. They know what to do. Thats why they are there.
- And support from all of us to the team when they are actually going thru bad phase like this.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Saluting a Legend !
Not many would have watched world’s one of the greatest sportsman was bidding adieu to his favourite sporting spot.
Not many would have even been aware of that such a thing had happened.
Not many would have had time to appreciate what he had done to the sport he admiringly took up as a little kid.
Many were so much mesmerized with the biggest sporting extravaganza of the plannet – Foot ball WorldCup 2006.
I am referring to Andre Agassi bidding farewell to Wimbledon last week end.
Indeed it was an emotional moment for him for the love and admiration he always had for this tournament year after year.
He still has one more Grand Slam to ‘have-a-go’ before he actually bows from Tennis.
US Open 2006 will be his last major tournament after which Agassi retires.
So what has he done to Tennis ?
He had entertained the crowd GrandSlam after GrandSlam year after year.
He thoroughly had his stamp written on kinds of courts.
Yester year Champion Sampras found tough to handle Red Court (French Open) tennis
And even the current Champion Federer finding an answer for it.
But Agassi just had a smooth ride there too.
How can people forget the 5-set finals of Agassi with Sampras at Wimbledon?
I still remember. It was late evening of UK and well past 7.30 when even the SUN GOD waited for this epic battle to end.
More than who won it, people remember it for the intensity it was fought with.
It still remains the best match of this modern era in any court of Tennis.
He is one of those players who time and again loses first two sets and pulls next three sets to win the match.
And it does not stop here. He next game will be a big SEMI or FINAL itself and it will be a 5-setter too cooly dealt by Agassi.
But for his fitness he would have added more Grand Slams to his name.
It was only fitting finale at Wimbledon that he ended his relationship with Grass Court with another upcoming sensation Nadal.
Strangely when Agassi starting making rounds in the headlines Nadal was as old as three years.
That’s the sporting world for us ! When one champion bows out another one emerges !
But is Nadal a great champion than Federer is a debatable question as majority would prefer to vote for Federer !
Agassi has 60+ titles in singles to his name. This includes seven Grand Slams.
That speaks volumes of his abilities.He is also one of the modern era player to have won all the four Grand Slams.
Surely he leaves a spot for someone to take forward in the world of tennis.
Hope someone grabs it soon.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Jammy Speaks
Excerpts from Rahul's interview with AnandVasu
They have bowled 32940 balls to him in international cricket and yet bowlers still struggle to tell you exactly how to get Rahul Dravid out. He owns a Test average of 58.17, the highest in contemporary cricket give or take a few decimal points. He has 22 Test hundreds, and could so easily have had more if he'd buckled down in the 90s and made sure he went past the milestone. At most times, Dravid will tell you he doesn't really care about milestones. But when he leads his team in the third Test against England at Mumbai, he'll become only the sixth Indian to play 100 Tests.
What does this milestone of 100 Tests mean to you?
From one point of view it's still just another Test match which we must win. That's the most important thing. Personally for me it's a special feeling to reach 100 Test matches. It feels great to join the company of people who I have always admired and respected. There's Kapil [Dev], [Sunil] Gavaskar and [Dilip] Vengsarkar whom I have watched a bit on television, read about and looked up to growing up. But playing with Anil [Kumble] and Sachin [Tendulkar] has probably been the highlight of 100 Test matches. To play with such great cricketers, such legends of the game, to have shared so much with them, in the dressing-room over the last 10 years, it's been a great journey.
You were there at the Oval when Sachin played his 100th Test and you were at Ahmedabad, though you didn't play, for Anil's 100th Test. Is there a sense of emotion that surrounds the team as well when someone gets to a milestone like this ...
I really hope not. In the end of the day the focus is on trying to play a good game of cricket, not on the fact that it is my 100th Test. Everyone in the team enjoys the success of the others, and for me it was great to be a part of the 100th Tests of Tendulkar and Kumble. To share in the happiness of their special moment was a great feeling. But it's a game of cricket and we shouldn't forget that. That's what I'll be telling the boys - to focus on the game and on winning the series.
In the end of the day the focus is on trying to play a good game of cricket, not on the fact that it is my 100th Test
How well do you remember your first Test?
Oh I remember it very, very well. I remember walking in at Lord's and thinking that whatever else happened later I'd be a Test cricketer and that I had lived out my childhood dream. I never imagined I'd go on to play 100 Tests. I've been very blessed. When I look back at my career I'd say I've been very lucky. I realise that I could never have done so much without the support of so many people, whether it was those that actively played a direct part in the cricket or those who were just there supporting me and there for me. My parents, my coach, my friends, my team-mates at India and Karnataka, captains I have played under, everyone has contributed in helping me reach where I am. You sit back and realise how lucky you have been to survive so long. Obviously you've performed and done well - that's a critical part of it. But I think I've met the right people along the way and feel quite blessed.
They way you speak of Anil and Sachin, is there a sense of having taken a journey together ...In some ways, yes. Anil and Sachin have been on this journey much longer - 16 years or so. I jumped on 6 years later. Sachin and Anil were established cricketers by the time I made my debut and after three Tests, Sachin was captain. In some ways they have been much senior to me and have seen me as a youngster and then seen me establish and develop myself. Not just them, but even Sourav. We began together at Lord's in 1996 and since have shared some good moments. Lately I've really enjoyed playing with some of the younger boys who have come on and taken their game to the next level - Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Kaif, people like that - and that has helped me raise the bar.
As captain how important is it to you that you have people with 100-plus Tests in terms of experience to turn to when you need them?
That's a lot of experience and it is great to have that in the dressing-room. You know you'll get right advice if you have to fall back on them in a time of need. Just the kind of people they are makes them fantastic team players. They're good guys and it's really helpful to have their wealth of cricketing expertise to access when I have doubts. At many stages of my career I have gone to these guys even when I've needed advice on non-cricketing matters. They are the kind of people you would want in any kind of team.
Apart from the very obvious high moments, winning in Australia and Pakistan, there must be other moments that you remember ...
My Test debut was very special, especially at Lord's. You've listed some of the other ... also being there when Anil took 10 wickets against Pakistan at Delhi, when Sachin scored his 35th Test century ... to be there when these two legends had big moments was special. To have played with some great cricketers is really special - Srinath, Ganguly, Tendulkar, Kumble, Laxman, Sehwag, now Bhajji, people like Azharuddin ... I'm sure I'm missing out some names here. I've played with some great cricketers and I'll remember that for a long time.
I feel lucky that my family has been with me on this journey. In some ways they have had to make big sacrifices for me and I'm very grateful for that
But there must equally have been phases which you had to work hard to get out of, that troubled you ...
When you play as long as I have you obviously go through ups and downs. There will be tough stages in your career, tough tours, tough times. In 1998, I was out of the one-day side, and that was really hard. I was a bit confused with my thoughts then. It probably made me a better person, though. The way I approached those tough times probably helped me become better and play as long as I have. The attitude I took during that period was probably beneficial in the long run. The tour of Australia in 1999 was a tough time. Playing six months of county cricket in England certainly helped me get away from things, be in a different environment, play my cricket, be myself and I think I discovered a lot about myself and grew as a person as much as I did as a cricketer.
Who do you rely on, who do you turn to when you have a problem with your batting?We have Greg Chappell right here. Some of my team-mates have played with me for so long that they know my game as well as me. If I do have some issues I tend to go to them and talk about it. In the hurry of international cricket you're on the road all the time. In days before you probably had time off to go back home and work with specific people like your coach. But now you just have to work things out on the road, and the best people to help you are your team-mates.
How do you deal with the balance between a cricketing life and a normal life. Already cricket has taken a large chunk of your life ... you have a wife, now a young son ...
Like I said I've been very lucky. My parents were very supportive of me when I was growing up and now my wife is really supportive of me. I feel lucky that my family has been with me on this journey. In some ways they have had to make big sacrifices for me and I'm very grateful for that.
And then there's the media and the public ... it seems everyone wants a piece of you these days.
It depends how you take it. You can get hassled by it. There are so many TV channels in India now that the media presence has grown so much. You're right, everyone does want a piece of you when you're India captain. There isn't much time to switch off. But if you're going to think of it as a problem then you're always going to be hassled. In some ways you have to try and enjoy it. You have to understand that this is the way it is going to be. You have to learn that in the short period of time that your career is - and it is only a small period of your life, you have to make the most of your talents. It's not just what you play. You have to make optimum use of the talents you're given and ensure that you've fulfilled all you can. You have to learn to go with the flow and understand that these things, the external pressures, are part of being a cricketer, part of life. You have to figure out ways of finding ways to switch off. I'm constantly working on this, especially as captain, and at times it does get tough but that's part of the challenge.
When I was a young kid I remember what it felt like to come back from school, throw the bags, quickly get something to eat and then get out to the street to play cricket
You've also picked up many nicknames. The Wall, Mr. Clean ... It's like the media and the public have caricaturized you. Is that all there is to Rahul Dravid or is there another Rahul, a more private one?
People think they know you better than they actually do, that's part of being a public figure, you and your character are constantly scrutinised. You are labelled easily. People who have never even met you, don't even know you, will have an opinion on the kind of person you are. It's strange, but that's the way it is. I don't really get worried about what kind of impression people have of me. I am not trying to create an image, or portray an image of myself. I see myself as someone who has an ability to play cricket and I try and make the most of my talents. I try and fulfill my potential - that's what I think about every single day. I don't try and be something ... People call me The Wall or something else but it's not something I'm thinking about when I'm going out to play. I'm never thinking `I should bat like a wall!' I go out and do what I know best. What the situation requires. In that sense it's not difficult because I'm not trying to live up to anything.
Your cricket is characterised by intensity ... whether it's batting or captaincy. How do you manage to sustain that intensity over a long period?
You have to enjoy playing. And you have to make sure you never forget that it's just a game. You have to love the game. I always think about how I began. When I was a young kid I remember what it felt like to come back from school, throw the bags, quickly get something to eat and then get out to the street to play cricket. We played for two-three hours and how we enjoyed it. It was so much fun. Then there were the school nets and I couldn't wait to go out and play. I was so keen just to hear the bell ring so I could get out there and bat. That's something that never goes away. Obviously when you're playing professionally for such a long period of time the pressures are different. You taste success, you face defeats, there are some lonely days on the road ... but if you can always go back to the joy of why you began playing the game in the first place, then the intensity will automatically come whether you're playing your first game, the second or the hundredth. At the end of the day you have to accept that it's a game and you must have fun playing it. Defeats and losses will be there, but you have to take them for what they are. You have to love every nuance of the game. For me you have to find something you can take out of tough times, out of losses. You can never enjoy it but you must realise it's part and parcel of the game and if you live it you must embrace everything that comes with it.
And what about getting out in the 90s ... you embrace that also? Explain that a bit, does your mindset change when you get into the 90s?
I wouldn't know that! [Laughs] You tell me, mate. To be very honest with you, I'd say the attempt is to ensure that the mindset doesn't change when you get to the 90s. But I've got out a few times there and I suppose that happens when you play as much as I do. I really don't know. My mindset does not change too much, I still follow the same simple routines that I have ... it's probably just one of those things. It's part of the game, you move on, you don't lose a night's sleep over it. I try not to approach the 90s differently from other times when I'm batting but if I say that people aren't going to believe me because my record suggests something different. But I have converted 90s into 100s 22 times so I must be doing something right!
Some would say there have been distinct phases in your career ... would you care to break your career up into phases for us?
I'd really only say there were a couple of phases. Initially there was that phase when I had success in England, in South Africa, in the West Indies. That was one phase and then there was everything else that came after 2000, where I started playing the kind of innings I knew I was capable of. It was after 2000 that I really started contributing, kicked on and sort of moved on to the next level, if one may call it that.
Was there a particular process that led to this graduation to the next level?
There was a period of introspection that I went through. There was that phase in county cricket, there was a time of working on the game. There was a new set-up where I was vice-captain of the team. We created a good team and an environment that helped me. The work ethic improved, the fitness improved ... bringing in the right kind of help in terms of physiotherapists and trainers made a difference. I reveled in the atmosphere. For someone who was trying make full use of his talents, who was always trying to be the best player that he could be, playing in a professional set-up and getting the support from outside helped me achieve my goals inspired me and gave me the motivation I needed. In some ways getting the responsibility of the vice-captaincy, showing some sort of leadership gave me the thrust that I needed.
Are the pressures of being captain full-time resting more lightly on your shoulders now than perhaps three months ago?
It's a constant process. You have to evolve with the job. There are pressures and those will never change. Every match brings its own pressures but you definitely grow more comfortable in the job. You figure out routines for yourself, you know how to react in certain situations, you learn along the way. Experience, that's what you get. The pressures don't change - of winning and losing games, the pressure of picking teams, of leaving people out, the external and internal pressures. Those things will never change. But with experience you realise that you have experienced many of these things before, and you have things to fall back on that can help you.
You meet a lot of people and interact with them because you're a cricketer, because you're India's captain, but are there still people to whom you were and still remain just Rahul? Leave your parents and family out of this ... obviously to them you're still Rahul.
To the friends I grew up with, and there are a lot of guys I knew from school and college to whom I'm still Rahul Dravid. They're doing different things and with the amount of cricket I play it's obviously difficult to meet them as much as I'd like. To some of those guys who are still friends of mine we can still chat and have a laugh like the old days. We do get together for a quiet meal when we can. Now, having a family and a child it's a bit different when I go back home to Bangalore. To me it's important to catch up with people I've grown up with because it keeps me grounded. There are memories of where you come from and it makes sure your feet are on the ground.
You're always composed, serious, in control ... do you at least let your hair down in private?I'm like everyone else. I've had a go a few times. There's no point in me losing the rag on the cricket field. I don't think that helps anyone. Just abusing or expressing disappointment at someone who has made a mistake makes no sense at all. If you're going to berate a cricketer on the field, publicly, when he's made a mistake that he probably knows it better than anyone else, and feels terrible about, that does no good. In private I might have the odd go. But luckily this team has not really given me an opportunity to do that. We might not have always had the best results but at no time have I had occasion to fault the commitment of these boys. Since I took over I've never felt we've been short on commitment, and that's all I can ask for, really.
But not just berating the boys ... what about you having time to yourself, having fun, laughing a little maybe ...
I mean, uh, yeah ... I do let my hair down, with friends and family and people I'm close to. I can relax. There are times with the boys when we have celebrated after we've won that I've been totally relaxed. My idea of letting my hair down is not always about going to a disco and jumping up and down. I don't need to do that to have a good time. My way of letting my hair down, taking a day off, relaxing is just sitting down with a good book, having a great meal with family or friends, taking in some good conversation. That's my way.
Courtesy and Copyright - Cricinfo.com
They have bowled 32940 balls to him in international cricket and yet bowlers still struggle to tell you exactly how to get Rahul Dravid out. He owns a Test average of 58.17, the highest in contemporary cricket give or take a few decimal points. He has 22 Test hundreds, and could so easily have had more if he'd buckled down in the 90s and made sure he went past the milestone. At most times, Dravid will tell you he doesn't really care about milestones. But when he leads his team in the third Test against England at Mumbai, he'll become only the sixth Indian to play 100 Tests.
What does this milestone of 100 Tests mean to you?
From one point of view it's still just another Test match which we must win. That's the most important thing. Personally for me it's a special feeling to reach 100 Test matches. It feels great to join the company of people who I have always admired and respected. There's Kapil [Dev], [Sunil] Gavaskar and [Dilip] Vengsarkar whom I have watched a bit on television, read about and looked up to growing up. But playing with Anil [Kumble] and Sachin [Tendulkar] has probably been the highlight of 100 Test matches. To play with such great cricketers, such legends of the game, to have shared so much with them, in the dressing-room over the last 10 years, it's been a great journey.
You were there at the Oval when Sachin played his 100th Test and you were at Ahmedabad, though you didn't play, for Anil's 100th Test. Is there a sense of emotion that surrounds the team as well when someone gets to a milestone like this ...
I really hope not. In the end of the day the focus is on trying to play a good game of cricket, not on the fact that it is my 100th Test. Everyone in the team enjoys the success of the others, and for me it was great to be a part of the 100th Tests of Tendulkar and Kumble. To share in the happiness of their special moment was a great feeling. But it's a game of cricket and we shouldn't forget that. That's what I'll be telling the boys - to focus on the game and on winning the series.
In the end of the day the focus is on trying to play a good game of cricket, not on the fact that it is my 100th Test
How well do you remember your first Test?
Oh I remember it very, very well. I remember walking in at Lord's and thinking that whatever else happened later I'd be a Test cricketer and that I had lived out my childhood dream. I never imagined I'd go on to play 100 Tests. I've been very blessed. When I look back at my career I'd say I've been very lucky. I realise that I could never have done so much without the support of so many people, whether it was those that actively played a direct part in the cricket or those who were just there supporting me and there for me. My parents, my coach, my friends, my team-mates at India and Karnataka, captains I have played under, everyone has contributed in helping me reach where I am. You sit back and realise how lucky you have been to survive so long. Obviously you've performed and done well - that's a critical part of it. But I think I've met the right people along the way and feel quite blessed.
They way you speak of Anil and Sachin, is there a sense of having taken a journey together ...In some ways, yes. Anil and Sachin have been on this journey much longer - 16 years or so. I jumped on 6 years later. Sachin and Anil were established cricketers by the time I made my debut and after three Tests, Sachin was captain. In some ways they have been much senior to me and have seen me as a youngster and then seen me establish and develop myself. Not just them, but even Sourav. We began together at Lord's in 1996 and since have shared some good moments. Lately I've really enjoyed playing with some of the younger boys who have come on and taken their game to the next level - Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Kaif, people like that - and that has helped me raise the bar.
As captain how important is it to you that you have people with 100-plus Tests in terms of experience to turn to when you need them?
That's a lot of experience and it is great to have that in the dressing-room. You know you'll get right advice if you have to fall back on them in a time of need. Just the kind of people they are makes them fantastic team players. They're good guys and it's really helpful to have their wealth of cricketing expertise to access when I have doubts. At many stages of my career I have gone to these guys even when I've needed advice on non-cricketing matters. They are the kind of people you would want in any kind of team.
Apart from the very obvious high moments, winning in Australia and Pakistan, there must be other moments that you remember ...
My Test debut was very special, especially at Lord's. You've listed some of the other ... also being there when Anil took 10 wickets against Pakistan at Delhi, when Sachin scored his 35th Test century ... to be there when these two legends had big moments was special. To have played with some great cricketers is really special - Srinath, Ganguly, Tendulkar, Kumble, Laxman, Sehwag, now Bhajji, people like Azharuddin ... I'm sure I'm missing out some names here. I've played with some great cricketers and I'll remember that for a long time.
I feel lucky that my family has been with me on this journey. In some ways they have had to make big sacrifices for me and I'm very grateful for that
But there must equally have been phases which you had to work hard to get out of, that troubled you ...
When you play as long as I have you obviously go through ups and downs. There will be tough stages in your career, tough tours, tough times. In 1998, I was out of the one-day side, and that was really hard. I was a bit confused with my thoughts then. It probably made me a better person, though. The way I approached those tough times probably helped me become better and play as long as I have. The attitude I took during that period was probably beneficial in the long run. The tour of Australia in 1999 was a tough time. Playing six months of county cricket in England certainly helped me get away from things, be in a different environment, play my cricket, be myself and I think I discovered a lot about myself and grew as a person as much as I did as a cricketer.
Who do you rely on, who do you turn to when you have a problem with your batting?We have Greg Chappell right here. Some of my team-mates have played with me for so long that they know my game as well as me. If I do have some issues I tend to go to them and talk about it. In the hurry of international cricket you're on the road all the time. In days before you probably had time off to go back home and work with specific people like your coach. But now you just have to work things out on the road, and the best people to help you are your team-mates.
How do you deal with the balance between a cricketing life and a normal life. Already cricket has taken a large chunk of your life ... you have a wife, now a young son ...
Like I said I've been very lucky. My parents were very supportive of me when I was growing up and now my wife is really supportive of me. I feel lucky that my family has been with me on this journey. In some ways they have had to make big sacrifices for me and I'm very grateful for that.
And then there's the media and the public ... it seems everyone wants a piece of you these days.
It depends how you take it. You can get hassled by it. There are so many TV channels in India now that the media presence has grown so much. You're right, everyone does want a piece of you when you're India captain. There isn't much time to switch off. But if you're going to think of it as a problem then you're always going to be hassled. In some ways you have to try and enjoy it. You have to understand that this is the way it is going to be. You have to learn that in the short period of time that your career is - and it is only a small period of your life, you have to make the most of your talents. It's not just what you play. You have to make optimum use of the talents you're given and ensure that you've fulfilled all you can. You have to learn to go with the flow and understand that these things, the external pressures, are part of being a cricketer, part of life. You have to figure out ways of finding ways to switch off. I'm constantly working on this, especially as captain, and at times it does get tough but that's part of the challenge.
When I was a young kid I remember what it felt like to come back from school, throw the bags, quickly get something to eat and then get out to the street to play cricket
You've also picked up many nicknames. The Wall, Mr. Clean ... It's like the media and the public have caricaturized you. Is that all there is to Rahul Dravid or is there another Rahul, a more private one?
People think they know you better than they actually do, that's part of being a public figure, you and your character are constantly scrutinised. You are labelled easily. People who have never even met you, don't even know you, will have an opinion on the kind of person you are. It's strange, but that's the way it is. I don't really get worried about what kind of impression people have of me. I am not trying to create an image, or portray an image of myself. I see myself as someone who has an ability to play cricket and I try and make the most of my talents. I try and fulfill my potential - that's what I think about every single day. I don't try and be something ... People call me The Wall or something else but it's not something I'm thinking about when I'm going out to play. I'm never thinking `I should bat like a wall!' I go out and do what I know best. What the situation requires. In that sense it's not difficult because I'm not trying to live up to anything.
Your cricket is characterised by intensity ... whether it's batting or captaincy. How do you manage to sustain that intensity over a long period?
You have to enjoy playing. And you have to make sure you never forget that it's just a game. You have to love the game. I always think about how I began. When I was a young kid I remember what it felt like to come back from school, throw the bags, quickly get something to eat and then get out to the street to play cricket. We played for two-three hours and how we enjoyed it. It was so much fun. Then there were the school nets and I couldn't wait to go out and play. I was so keen just to hear the bell ring so I could get out there and bat. That's something that never goes away. Obviously when you're playing professionally for such a long period of time the pressures are different. You taste success, you face defeats, there are some lonely days on the road ... but if you can always go back to the joy of why you began playing the game in the first place, then the intensity will automatically come whether you're playing your first game, the second or the hundredth. At the end of the day you have to accept that it's a game and you must have fun playing it. Defeats and losses will be there, but you have to take them for what they are. You have to love every nuance of the game. For me you have to find something you can take out of tough times, out of losses. You can never enjoy it but you must realise it's part and parcel of the game and if you live it you must embrace everything that comes with it.
And what about getting out in the 90s ... you embrace that also? Explain that a bit, does your mindset change when you get into the 90s?
I wouldn't know that! [Laughs] You tell me, mate. To be very honest with you, I'd say the attempt is to ensure that the mindset doesn't change when you get to the 90s. But I've got out a few times there and I suppose that happens when you play as much as I do. I really don't know. My mindset does not change too much, I still follow the same simple routines that I have ... it's probably just one of those things. It's part of the game, you move on, you don't lose a night's sleep over it. I try not to approach the 90s differently from other times when I'm batting but if I say that people aren't going to believe me because my record suggests something different. But I have converted 90s into 100s 22 times so I must be doing something right!
Some would say there have been distinct phases in your career ... would you care to break your career up into phases for us?
I'd really only say there were a couple of phases. Initially there was that phase when I had success in England, in South Africa, in the West Indies. That was one phase and then there was everything else that came after 2000, where I started playing the kind of innings I knew I was capable of. It was after 2000 that I really started contributing, kicked on and sort of moved on to the next level, if one may call it that.
Was there a particular process that led to this graduation to the next level?
There was a period of introspection that I went through. There was that phase in county cricket, there was a time of working on the game. There was a new set-up where I was vice-captain of the team. We created a good team and an environment that helped me. The work ethic improved, the fitness improved ... bringing in the right kind of help in terms of physiotherapists and trainers made a difference. I reveled in the atmosphere. For someone who was trying make full use of his talents, who was always trying to be the best player that he could be, playing in a professional set-up and getting the support from outside helped me achieve my goals inspired me and gave me the motivation I needed. In some ways getting the responsibility of the vice-captaincy, showing some sort of leadership gave me the thrust that I needed.
Are the pressures of being captain full-time resting more lightly on your shoulders now than perhaps three months ago?
It's a constant process. You have to evolve with the job. There are pressures and those will never change. Every match brings its own pressures but you definitely grow more comfortable in the job. You figure out routines for yourself, you know how to react in certain situations, you learn along the way. Experience, that's what you get. The pressures don't change - of winning and losing games, the pressure of picking teams, of leaving people out, the external and internal pressures. Those things will never change. But with experience you realise that you have experienced many of these things before, and you have things to fall back on that can help you.
You meet a lot of people and interact with them because you're a cricketer, because you're India's captain, but are there still people to whom you were and still remain just Rahul? Leave your parents and family out of this ... obviously to them you're still Rahul.
To the friends I grew up with, and there are a lot of guys I knew from school and college to whom I'm still Rahul Dravid. They're doing different things and with the amount of cricket I play it's obviously difficult to meet them as much as I'd like. To some of those guys who are still friends of mine we can still chat and have a laugh like the old days. We do get together for a quiet meal when we can. Now, having a family and a child it's a bit different when I go back home to Bangalore. To me it's important to catch up with people I've grown up with because it keeps me grounded. There are memories of where you come from and it makes sure your feet are on the ground.
You're always composed, serious, in control ... do you at least let your hair down in private?I'm like everyone else. I've had a go a few times. There's no point in me losing the rag on the cricket field. I don't think that helps anyone. Just abusing or expressing disappointment at someone who has made a mistake makes no sense at all. If you're going to berate a cricketer on the field, publicly, when he's made a mistake that he probably knows it better than anyone else, and feels terrible about, that does no good. In private I might have the odd go. But luckily this team has not really given me an opportunity to do that. We might not have always had the best results but at no time have I had occasion to fault the commitment of these boys. Since I took over I've never felt we've been short on commitment, and that's all I can ask for, really.
But not just berating the boys ... what about you having time to yourself, having fun, laughing a little maybe ...
I mean, uh, yeah ... I do let my hair down, with friends and family and people I'm close to. I can relax. There are times with the boys when we have celebrated after we've won that I've been totally relaxed. My idea of letting my hair down is not always about going to a disco and jumping up and down. I don't need to do that to have a good time. My way of letting my hair down, taking a day off, relaxing is just sitting down with a good book, having a great meal with family or friends, taking in some good conversation. That's my way.
Courtesy and Copyright - Cricinfo.com
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
ARR Vs Harris Jeyraj
Its been quite a long wait for this to happen.
Two Music albums one each from ARR and Harris Jeyraj, getting released at the same time.
Now that they have sent out their latest numbers for GOD Father and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, lets take a closer look at whats in store for music lovers.
I hear somebody screaming saying that when it comes to ARR there is none who could be compared with him for the heights he had reached and the standards he had set.
Majority might agree. But Harris had come out from ARR school and had been giving good numbers. Why not do the comparison for these two movies?
Here we go!
GOD Father has five numbers in it.
One with a classical touch(Innisai), One in folk style(kamma karai) and another rendered by master himself (theeyil) and one more as a melody(kaatril) and one for the front-benchers(thothapuram).
Also its re-union of ARR and Vairamuthu and he does not disappoint with his lyrics.
Ezhuvaai Varuvaai Thiruvaai Tharuvaai ...
Marunthugal illaa thesathil kooda maivizhi pothum ...
Oru sollil oru ulagam amma..ulagellam oru solle amma...
these are few samples you might hear across throughout the album.
My picks are Theeyil by ARR , Kaatril by SPB & Sadhana & Innisai by Naresh & Mahathi.
Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu has five numbers too.
You can but recollect musicals and bits from Harri Jeyaraj's previous albums.
Prominently you will remember Kaakha Kaakha, Minnale and Gajini.
For a change there are three melodies and one folk and one rap type.
As expected there is a song for Bombay Jayshree (with Unni Menon) and lyrics penned by Thaamarai.
Paartha Mudhal Naale is the title of the number.
This should be an instant hit like 'Suttum Vizhi Sudare' of Gajini.
Might be bigger hit than that.
I stopped counting how many times i had heard the song Paartha Mudhal Naale.
iTunes counter in my laptop says 78 ... its in my mp3 player with 'repeat song' option and i keep listening to this in home theatre too.
Kaati kodukirathe Kanne Kaati kodukirathe...
Kaathal vazhigirathe Kannil Kaathal vazhigirathe...
Kann paarthu kathaikka mudiyaamal naanum thavikindra oru pennum nee thaan...
Kann kotta mudiyaamal mudiyaamal paarkkum salikaatha oru pennum nee thaan...
Thaamarai proves her worth with these lyrics.
Uyirile enathu uyirile & Vennilave are the other two melodies.
Rap sequence in the song Karka Karka (probably for Kamal's intro scene) reminds BABA bit. Harris got Inspired by his Guruji?
Overall my vote goes to GOD Father for the variety i got and the minute instruments that had been used.
Lets wait for the picturisation of these songs when these movies get released.
Till then keep listening to these songs.
Two Music albums one each from ARR and Harris Jeyraj, getting released at the same time.
Now that they have sent out their latest numbers for GOD Father and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, lets take a closer look at whats in store for music lovers.
I hear somebody screaming saying that when it comes to ARR there is none who could be compared with him for the heights he had reached and the standards he had set.
Majority might agree. But Harris had come out from ARR school and had been giving good numbers. Why not do the comparison for these two movies?
Here we go!
GOD Father has five numbers in it.
One with a classical touch(Innisai), One in folk style(kamma karai) and another rendered by master himself (theeyil) and one more as a melody(kaatril) and one for the front-benchers(thothapuram).
Also its re-union of ARR and Vairamuthu and he does not disappoint with his lyrics.
Ezhuvaai Varuvaai Thiruvaai Tharuvaai ...
Marunthugal illaa thesathil kooda maivizhi pothum ...
Oru sollil oru ulagam amma..ulagellam oru solle amma...
these are few samples you might hear across throughout the album.
My picks are Theeyil by ARR , Kaatril by SPB & Sadhana & Innisai by Naresh & Mahathi.
Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu has five numbers too.
You can but recollect musicals and bits from Harri Jeyaraj's previous albums.
Prominently you will remember Kaakha Kaakha, Minnale and Gajini.
For a change there are three melodies and one folk and one rap type.
As expected there is a song for Bombay Jayshree (with Unni Menon) and lyrics penned by Thaamarai.
Paartha Mudhal Naale is the title of the number.
This should be an instant hit like 'Suttum Vizhi Sudare' of Gajini.
Might be bigger hit than that.
I stopped counting how many times i had heard the song Paartha Mudhal Naale.
iTunes counter in my laptop says 78 ... its in my mp3 player with 'repeat song' option and i keep listening to this in home theatre too.
Kaati kodukirathe Kanne Kaati kodukirathe...
Kaathal vazhigirathe Kannil Kaathal vazhigirathe...
Kann paarthu kathaikka mudiyaamal naanum thavikindra oru pennum nee thaan...
Kann kotta mudiyaamal mudiyaamal paarkkum salikaatha oru pennum nee thaan...
Thaamarai proves her worth with these lyrics.
Uyirile enathu uyirile & Vennilave are the other two melodies.
Rap sequence in the song Karka Karka (probably for Kamal's intro scene) reminds BABA bit. Harris got Inspired by his Guruji?
Overall my vote goes to GOD Father for the variety i got and the minute instruments that had been used.
Lets wait for the picturisation of these songs when these movies get released.
Till then keep listening to these songs.
Monday, March 13, 2006
What A Match !!!
What A Match !!!
Yeah ! You can read that couple of times.
What A Match.
No prizes if you had guessed if this is about AUS Vs SA at Wanderers on 12th March 2006.
Total of 400 always seemed an unthinkable one in ODI cricket until SriLanka came closer and scored 398. Still many thought its gonna happen only after a long long time may be after a decade or so.
But none would have thought that 400+ will be scored not once but twice in a day.
That too the record 'team-total' being broken twice in a span of 5 hours.
It was just pouring runs at Wanderers.
Aussies scoring 434 in 50 overs and Proteas chasing that out by scoring 438 with a ball to spare and with one wicket in hand. Uhhffff... it was mentally so tiring to watch the match. Think about people who were there at the ground and think of those cricketers who were part of either of the teams.
Amazing Stuff !!!
It was records that kept breaking.
It was history that kept re-written.
Little history behind this 5th match of this ODI series.
SA being harrassed literally by racist comments when they toured Australia late last year. They were kind of thrashed in test series and gave a good fight of it in ODI but ended up on a losing cause. It was later revealed that there were consistent racist remarks on SA players when they were fielding.
There ends the tour of SA. In February Aussies arrive in SA for test and ODI series.
Mark Boucher, SA wicket keeper goes media asking SA people to give it back to Aussies when they take up the fields.SA skipper Smith supported this by keeping quiet.
Starts the first ODI with skipper Pontng and their best weapon in ODI Symonds being ruled out due to injuries.As expected Aussies lose the match.
Worst was to follow when in the next match Australia chasing near 300 target were tottering at 7-4. Yes you read that right. It was 7-4 and eventually they succumb to the worst ODI defeat in their history against SA losing it by nearly 200 runs.
SA goes into the 3rd match with a 2-0 lead and pushing for a win.
But there comes back the Aussie skipper Punter Ponting and takes control of the situation with a neat win in 3rd ODI and a pulled-off thriller in 4th ODI.
Series levelled at 2-2 and Ponting his reserved his best for the final on slaught.
He scored a murederous 164 to take his team to 434.
The same ground were INDIA were made to look like a elementary-attach team during the last world cup FINALS.
Ponting would have been smiling ear to ear during lunch break with 434 on the board.
Probably he would have thought this is the luckiest ground on earth for him.
But fate was different as, in comes Graeme Smith and along with Gibbs (one down) started taking the game away from Australia.
How many times we would come across the below stats while the team is chasing.
25 overs completed - 230 runs scored.
25 overs left - 205 runs required.
In the end it was records after records that was broken.
Apart from the fielders and Batsmen there were few other people who were very busy.
They were men who keeps track of the scoreboard in the ground.
And those who were called as 'STATSMEN' for keeping the statistics live and ticking.
Surely this is a match to remember as we are not sure how long this record will stay for it to be broken again or atleast threatened to be broken.
More than the result it was the way this match was played till the last ball.
We have to give it to all players in the both the teams for the show they put up.
I only pity the bowlers (Mick Lewis especially) being on-slaughted on this dead track.ODI cricket is entering into its next generation now.
I took out a leaf or two from both the leaders in PONTING and SMITH for leading a team when its a DO-OR-DIE. Hats off !!!
They showed what it takes to be a leader and to keep the team motivated when you are involved in a fighting battle like this.
My admiration for PONTING as a LEADER grows further after this match though he ended up on the losing side.(I personally prefered SA to win the match yday).
PONTING grew in his stature when he declined to accept the shared man-of-the-match award with Gibbs saying Gibbs' effort was for a winning cause and Gibbs deserved it more than him.That is PUNTER PONTING for you.
If somebody not convinced yet on what am saying, please look at the last two years records of Australia and PONTING'S contribution to it both as a player and as a captain.Yep. you can still include the ASHES of last summer.
There were many memorable moments through out the match and it would be great if you could watch the highlights of this match to have a glimpse of those.
This was a see-saw with twists every other over.
As i said if you had watched it live to the last ball it was so tiring mentally but you would have enjoyed every ball atleast in the second innings of the game.
ONE OF THE BEST DAYS FOR CRICKET.
Scorecard and full details - Courtesy cricinfo.
Yeah ! You can read that couple of times.
What A Match.
No prizes if you had guessed if this is about AUS Vs SA at Wanderers on 12th March 2006.
Total of 400 always seemed an unthinkable one in ODI cricket until SriLanka came closer and scored 398. Still many thought its gonna happen only after a long long time may be after a decade or so.
But none would have thought that 400+ will be scored not once but twice in a day.
That too the record 'team-total' being broken twice in a span of 5 hours.
It was just pouring runs at Wanderers.
Aussies scoring 434 in 50 overs and Proteas chasing that out by scoring 438 with a ball to spare and with one wicket in hand. Uhhffff... it was mentally so tiring to watch the match. Think about people who were there at the ground and think of those cricketers who were part of either of the teams.
Amazing Stuff !!!
It was records that kept breaking.
It was history that kept re-written.
Little history behind this 5th match of this ODI series.
SA being harrassed literally by racist comments when they toured Australia late last year. They were kind of thrashed in test series and gave a good fight of it in ODI but ended up on a losing cause. It was later revealed that there were consistent racist remarks on SA players when they were fielding.
There ends the tour of SA. In February Aussies arrive in SA for test and ODI series.
Mark Boucher, SA wicket keeper goes media asking SA people to give it back to Aussies when they take up the fields.SA skipper Smith supported this by keeping quiet.
Starts the first ODI with skipper Pontng and their best weapon in ODI Symonds being ruled out due to injuries.As expected Aussies lose the match.
Worst was to follow when in the next match Australia chasing near 300 target were tottering at 7-4. Yes you read that right. It was 7-4 and eventually they succumb to the worst ODI defeat in their history against SA losing it by nearly 200 runs.
SA goes into the 3rd match with a 2-0 lead and pushing for a win.
But there comes back the Aussie skipper Punter Ponting and takes control of the situation with a neat win in 3rd ODI and a pulled-off thriller in 4th ODI.
Series levelled at 2-2 and Ponting his reserved his best for the final on slaught.
He scored a murederous 164 to take his team to 434.
The same ground were INDIA were made to look like a elementary-attach team during the last world cup FINALS.
Ponting would have been smiling ear to ear during lunch break with 434 on the board.
Probably he would have thought this is the luckiest ground on earth for him.
But fate was different as, in comes Graeme Smith and along with Gibbs (one down) started taking the game away from Australia.
How many times we would come across the below stats while the team is chasing.
25 overs completed - 230 runs scored.
25 overs left - 205 runs required.
In the end it was records after records that was broken.
Apart from the fielders and Batsmen there were few other people who were very busy.
They were men who keeps track of the scoreboard in the ground.
And those who were called as 'STATSMEN' for keeping the statistics live and ticking.
Surely this is a match to remember as we are not sure how long this record will stay for it to be broken again or atleast threatened to be broken.
More than the result it was the way this match was played till the last ball.
We have to give it to all players in the both the teams for the show they put up.
I only pity the bowlers (Mick Lewis especially) being on-slaughted on this dead track.ODI cricket is entering into its next generation now.
I took out a leaf or two from both the leaders in PONTING and SMITH for leading a team when its a DO-OR-DIE. Hats off !!!
They showed what it takes to be a leader and to keep the team motivated when you are involved in a fighting battle like this.
My admiration for PONTING as a LEADER grows further after this match though he ended up on the losing side.(I personally prefered SA to win the match yday).
PONTING grew in his stature when he declined to accept the shared man-of-the-match award with Gibbs saying Gibbs' effort was for a winning cause and Gibbs deserved it more than him.That is PUNTER PONTING for you.
If somebody not convinced yet on what am saying, please look at the last two years records of Australia and PONTING'S contribution to it both as a player and as a captain.Yep. you can still include the ASHES of last summer.
There were many memorable moments through out the match and it would be great if you could watch the highlights of this match to have a glimpse of those.
This was a see-saw with twists every other over.
As i said if you had watched it live to the last ball it was so tiring mentally but you would have enjoyed every ball atleast in the second innings of the game.
ONE OF THE BEST DAYS FOR CRICKET.
Scorecard and full details - Courtesy cricinfo.
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