Chennai Crowd proved it again...

Chennai crowd has proved it again that they are the most knowledgeable crowd in India. I'm really proud of them.

No other state can match Chennai crowd in terms of encouraging the talent wherever it is.
They love the game, they applaud, appreciate and give standing ovation to any player who plays well even if their favorite side is losing.

We can't forget the standing ovation given by the same Chennai crowd to Saeed Anwar who scored 194, a record in one day cricket and still unbeaten. I was really upset when Anwar was scoring in that match and starting scolding the bowlers Kumble, Prasad etc. who had let him score so much but once when I the saw the standing ovation given by the crowd my mind changed and I cooled down myself. Anwar is still one of the dangerous batsmen in Cricket.

Every team who had played in Chennai had never missed to appreciate the sporting crowd of Chennai and entertained them.

Cricket is just a sports and not a war. I hope in every other state the crowd should try to be smart and entertaining crowds rather than targeting the opponent players which really gives a bad impression about India.

Bhaji proved that he is indeed an Obnoxious Weed

When Matthew Hayden called Harbhajan Singh an 'obnoxious little weed' I was very upset with Hayden who is one of the best cricketer in the world. But now I feel that he is right.

When Harbhajan can slap his own colleague, he could have done anything to the Australians. It's definitely against the spirit of the game. I really appreciate Sreesanth for not hitting back on Bhaji though he is very aggressive and remained calm, otherwise like it always happens in cricket he would have got punished. But he shouldn't have cried like a school boy.

I have never seen the Indian players getting annoyed so much like this except very few even after losing an International match. We can call that as Sportsmanship but why this extreme reaction for just losing in an IPL match? Is it the money that made Harbhajan to behave like this?

Harbhajan may have had a long chat with Sreesanth just as a gimmick to escape from being punished. But IPL has did the right thing to suspend him from the IPL temporarily. I hope he won't escape this time like he escaped from Symonds racial controversy. Speaking about the Harbhajan-Symonds racial controversy, it makes me think now that Harbhajan might have called Symonds 'a Monkey'.

If India wins 90% of their matches loses only a few then this kind of action can be justified. But our ratio of Winning vs Losing is 50-50%. So think before you act.

Bhaji, "I'm a great fan of your bowling. You are really a wonderful cricketer but first learn how to depict sportsmanship in a cricket field. Otherwise you might lose all your fans all over the world."

The French Teacher!

This is one of the incident during my school days that I would never forget!

After our 10th school holidays, the school just reopened. We were really happy to come back to school after the long holidays and were happy to see our friends.

Till that year we had only Tamil, Hindi and Sanskrit as second language but that year they introduced French in our school. They appointed a new teacher for teaching French. There were only a few to take up French since many were hesitant whether they could score good marks.

The French teacher looked very modern and students(especially boys;) were trying to impress her. On the second day evening after the French teacher joined our school, I was walking towards my home with my friends. There was this guy whose house was just nearby our school and he was in commerce group. He came up to us in his cycle and asked us how to wish 'Good Evening' in French as one my friend in our group has taken French. His second language was Hindi but he still wanted to speak to the French teacher and show-off.

My friend suddenly told him that 'Good Evening' means 'Gowri' in French. We saw the French teacher coming out of the school after her work and we started moving. He said thanks to us and started driving towards the school. He was driving the cycle like Siddarth used to drive in the Movie 'Boys' to impress Genelia. As he went near the French teacher, he smiled at her and then slightly bent his head down and said 'Gowri' at the top of his voice and moved on. The French teacher showed a confused and angry look at him but didn't say a word. Seeing her angry look this guy was perplexed.

He took a round and came back to us again. He asked us innocently why the French teacher didn't say anything and showed angry face. By this time all of us burst into laughter for atleast 5 mins and slowly one of us told him that the French teacher's name was 'Gowri'! You should have seen his face that time;) (he scolded us for atleast 10 mins continuously with all the bad words he knows).

Singapore Roads...

Last week I got a chance to travel from almost one end to other end of Singapore by Car. I was really impressed by the quality of roads and the number of trees along the roadside. The pictures above were taken by me from the car. I've already been to many places in Singapore and it's so green everywhere even in the heart of the city. The roads are so broad as compared to the roads in India.

At many places in Singapore you can find Garden's and Forest or Nature Reserve's. Yes, you read it right. It's forest. Sime Forest, Nee Soon, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Bukit Panjang are few of the forests to mention. Singapore is a clean and well planned Garden City. This makes me wonder how they are able to maintain this. Singapore being so small (692.7 sq km - less than half the size of Delhi), it will be good for them to destroy these and make use of the land for commercial or living purpose. But they don't want to do that.

This shows that Singapore is well aware about the Global Warming effects. The raise of temperature around the world would cause the sea levels to raise which is really dangerous for Singapore. So, Planting trees is one way to tackle Global Warming. But there are some controversies around this theory as some say that the Trees will also cause Global Warming.

I was shocked when I read it. They say that though the trees absorb C02 and produce oxygen they also produce some methane and this would cause Global Warming. But I still can't accept this. I think because of the deforestation the temperature got increased. Trees will absorb the sunlight and heat and convert them into energy. It's cooler to stand underneath a shade tree rather than in the open sun. It's as simple as that. There are many other benefits from growing trees which we have been studying from the school and it's the nature. Anything against the nature is only dangerous. People are already destroying the forest and if they started believing that the trees could cause Global Warming, I can't imagine where it will end.

Read about Global Warming in Wikipedia.

Indian's were cheated by misleading information

Indian's were all out for 76 runs in 20 overs in the second Test in Ahmedabad against South Africa where Dale Steyn took 5 for 23. When everyone was shocked by the performance of Indian Batting, it was later learnt that the poor performance was due to the misleading information given by the Team Management.

The team was told in the morning by the Management that there is a change in the match format and it's going be a 20-20 match today. The team was shocked by the sudden change in the match format and couldn't believe what they heard. But they were convinced by the Management and said that it will be a good practise for them to play in IPL. There were also told that Tendulkar knows this earlier and that's why he opted out in the name of injury.

Believing this the Indian team played well to make 76 runs in 20 overs. They felt that it was a good score until that shocking truth was revealed by the management. The management said that it was really a Test match and not a 20-20 one. They had played this prank on the Indian team for an April Fool contest. They also said that they never knew that India would be all out so soon. After India went to bat, the Management had left the stadium to have a tea in the near by Tea Stall. They were planning to reveal the truth after going back to the stadium. But when they came back, it was all over. The Indians were all out even before the tea break. The Indian team was really upset on this with the management as the entire team had planned to go for the movie 'Race' noon show after the match.

But without showing their disappointment, the Indian team admitted that they also played a prank to fool the Team Management and the Indian Fans. That's why they made only 76 runs though there were capable of making 500+ runs like they did in the last match. It was all fun in the dressing room. Hope you all enjoyed too;)

Blood Donation (for First Timers)

Isn't it good to have a certificate like the one above? I got this certificate 2 months back by donating my blood. It gives a wonderful feeling of satisfaction that you cannot achieve by simply donating your money. It's so simple yet so special.

I know people who donate blood every three months or on their birthdays. It's one of the great services they render to humanity. I always wanted to do it but whenever I tell someone that I'm going to donate blood, they look at me weirdly and ask "Are you serious?" When I nod my head to say yes, they will have a teasing laugh and say, "Actually it should be you, who should get the blood". They might be right because I look so lean but I thought otherwise. I always feel healthy as I'm a sports person and thought why shouldn't I give it a try. Moreover, I need not worry about being eligible to donate blood because they are going to reject me if I'm not eligible. It's as simple as that.

So, when there was an announcement of a blood donation drive in my office through Red Cross, I gave my name immediately. On the day arrived, I went to the venue with few of my colleagues. One of my colleague who is a regular donor said that there were many back out's this time too (may be due to work pressure or whatever). But later we saw that most of the people who were thought to be back out's came late to the venue. It was good to see their commitment.

We were asked to eat a well balanced meal including plenty of fluids 24 hours before blood donation. Well balanced meal is ok but why plenty of fluids? I thought, it's like mixing water with milk like most of the milk sellers do;) Then I found that it's to increase the flow of blood and to replace the amount of fluid that you are donating.

As I went inside the venue, they gave me a form of two pages with so many questions. Many people would hate this and will think of going back. But this is for the safety of the person who receives your blood. Just think of yourself getting blood transfusion from someone else.

After completing the form you will have a counselling, where they will ask some personal questions again for the receiver’s safety. Even after donating the blood, you can call them (they will give you a toll free number) and inform if you feel your blood is not suitable for donation. There is also a penalty if anything that you had declared in the form is later found to be incorrect.

Once you are through with the counselling, they will poke in your finger to get a drop of blood for an initial test. They will draw your blood donation after this test. It hurts a little but just for a few seconds. While we lie down on a very large well-padded lounge chair, the nurse puts a needle in a vein in your arm. Once the needle is in place it doesn’t really hurt and you might not even notice it. Some people even start reading books or hear songs. It takes about ten minutes to pump out a pint. You may need to squeeze a soft rubber ball that they give you once every five seconds. Once it is over, the needle will be removed and they will put a bandage to stop bleeding. That’s it.

The donated blood can be kept refrigerated for 35 days with no preservatives. With the addition of an anti-clotting agent, it can be extended to 42 days. They will take few samples from your donated blood for screening.

Donating blood can temporarily weaken the body. After donating, we should eat foods high in iron. Plasma volumes will return to normal in around 24 hours, while red blood cells are replaced by bone marrow into the circulatory system within about 3-5 weeks, and lost iron replaced over 6-8 weeks

A donor effectively burns about 650 calories by donating one pint of blood. Recent studies are now showing that donating blood regularly can have positive effects on your overall health. So don’t hesitate if you want to donate blood. I’m planning to donate blood as often as I can.

Other things that you may want to know about Blood Donation:

Basic Requirement:

Age: 16 - 60 years (16/17 year-olds can donate with parental/guardian consent)
Weight: At least 45 kg for both males and females
Health: Generally good
Well Being: Feeling well that day. Not having colds, coughs or flu in the last one week. No fever (>37.5°C) in the last 3 weeks
Haemoglobin level: At least 12.5g/dl for males, and 12.0g/dl for females
Intervals between Blood Donation: At least 12 weeks (3 months) between each blood donation

Do's:

* Eat a well balance meal including plenty of fluids 24 hours before blood donation
* Rest in the donor chair for at least 10 minutes after the donation is completed. The nurse will put a plaster over the needle site. Keep the plaster on the arm for 4 to 6 hours. (No problem with taking a shower as the plaster is waterproof)
* Rest in the donor refreshment lounge for at least another 10 minutes before leaving the Bloodbank. Please take the refreshment served.
* Drink more fluids than usual on that day, at least 8 glasses. This will help replace the liquid component of the blood donated. (Within 72 hours)
* Take the iron pills given, once daily before meals for 2 weeks, or eat iron rich foods.
* Apply direct pressure and raise your arm should there be bleeding from the needle site, and call for help.
* Lie down or sit down with head between knees should you feel dizzy or faint, and call for help.

Dont's:

* Lift or carry heavy weights for 12 hours after donation to prevent bruising and promote healing.
* Involve yourself in strenuous or athletic activities for 24 hours after donation. This is a precaution to help the body adjust to the blood withdrawn.
* Leave should you feel faint or unwell. Please inform the staff immediately.

There are some considerations when you come to donate blood:

-Cold, flu or respiratory infection - wait until symptoms are gone for one full week.
-Cold or canker sores - wait until completely healed.
-Blood pressure medication - most are allowed, blood pressure must be acceptable on the day of donation. Check with CBB nurse.
-Cancer - one year after final treatment.
-Pregnancy - wait six weeks after delivery.
-Surgery - donor deferred until completely healed and released from medical supervision.
-Ear piercing, tattoos or acupuncture - check with CBB nurse.
-Blood transfusion - wait one year from last infusion.
-Malaria exposure - if you travel to a malaria endemic area with or without medication, wait one year.

India did it again!

Australia v India at Perth, Jan 16-19, 2008

India stopped Australia's winning streak again. It's a great triumph for India. They did it in 2001 at Kolkata but this one is so special since they won Australia in their own country and that too in Perth, which is known for its paciest and bounciest track.

Though 2008 was not a good start for India as they lost the test match against Australia which created a lot of aftermath controversies, this would be a big sigh of relief for them. I actually wanted to write about those controversies but many people have written much about it already. I never really thought that India would win this match but was hoping that at least India would try to draw the match. It's a great win for India against the world champions. Australia has become India's most rival team now pushing Pakistan behind them.

Australia is definitely going to come hard on us in the last test match at Adelaide. I hope our team doesn't get carried away by this victory and should concentrate on the next match. Most importantly, the media should stop creating so much of hype for the Indian team after this victory. This is just one. Australia have won 16 in a row and they are truly world champions, which we all should accept. I do respect the Australian team but after the controversy at Sydney I was really not happy with them especially with Ponting. He still believes that he is 100% sure that he had taken that catch, which is very disappointing. Now it makes me feel that if sledging is banned in Cricket, Australia wouldn't perform well as they play mind cricket most of the times.

I've never seen this much of umpiring blunder's ever in Cricket and as I always see it comes against India. Most of the time it used to come against Tendulkar and now it's against India. Steve Bucknor was once my favourite umpire and now he falls way behind. I sometimes feel what he has against India and especially against Tendulkar. Now he says that he was upset on his removal by ICC and says that he has made just two wrong decisions.

I strongly believe that we should make use of the technology wherever possible to minimize umpiring errors. There were some umpiring errors which came in favour of India too. But we can't be happy about it. Whenever the umpires make mistakes the only reply we get from ICC is that "Umpires are human and to err is human". How long they are going to say the same old story? In every organisation if anything goes wrong there will be a corrective and preventive action. Why not they do the something like that in cricket? Third umpire was introduced just for this reason and if the umpires are not sure of anything be it LBW or Catch, what's wrong in referring to the third umpire? Third umpire is also an umpire. These are just my thoughts.

I just made a note of all the umpiring errors in the last two test matches we played against Australia. These are those:

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2nd Test: Australia v India at Sydney, Jan 2-6, 2008

13.1 Ganguly to Ponting, no run, down leg and huge appeals for a strangle, long way away from the pad, Ponting appears to have got the edge but the umpire is unmoved

21.4 Harbhajan Singh to Ponting, 2 byes, missed stumping chance; Harbhajan did him in the flight down leg, Ponting down the track, Dhoni hashing the ball as it cannoned off the gloves

46.4 Sharma to Symonds, no run, there's a massive appeal for caught behind, the Indians are convinced but Bucknor is stony faced, Ishant gets one to seam away from the right hander and the ball has taken a healthy edge through to Dhoni, that was a sizable edge and Ishant can consider himself unlucky. "Symonds looked straight at the umpire - a dead giveaway," reckons Dan in Adelaide. Snicko shows a massive edge off Symonds' bat for that Ishant appeal, he looked behind at Dhoni as soon as the ball passed him as well.

55.3 Kumble to Symonds, no run, Kumble draws Symonds into the shot, coming forward, Dhoni whips the bails off sharply and it's a question for the third umpire - it will be tight either way - and it's not out Great work from Dhoni nonetheless, in by a whisker, make that half a whisker. (His feet had not touched the ground here).

71.2 Kumble to Lee, no run, loud appeal for lbw but Lee had got a long stride forward and was hit in line of off stump, it was the stride that went in the batsman's favour

73.3 Kumble to Symonds, no run, huge appeal for leg before, Symonds moved across his stumps, tried to sweep and missed, that hit him in front of middle and it was low on the pad as well, very close call, Symonds had got a long stride in and the ball may have slipped down leg for lbw turned down, that looked pretty straight but umpire Mark Benson thinks otherwise!!!

(The blunders continued into the second day when Symonds again benefitted when Bucknor refused to use the third umpire off a closing stumping appeal. Close look at the television replays showed that Symonds, who was on 148 then, was once again short of his crease.)

50.6 Johnson to Dravid, no run, slightly pitched up, outside off, drawing the batsman forward, Dravid looks to drive, gets a thick outside edge, low flying catch to Ponting at second slip but the ball bounces just as he was picking it up, Dravid starts to walk back but Ponting denies the catch, great sportmanship by him!

(India's batsmen also suffered when Wasim Jaffer was bowled by Brett Lee off a fast delivery, but replays showed that the pacer might have overstepped the bowling crease.)

40.2 Lee to Ganguly, OUT, huge appeals as Clarke is adamant he caught the ball low in front of him at second slip SC Ganguly c Clarke b Lee 51 (90m 56b 9x4 0x6) SR: 91.07 Ganguly stands his ground, disgusted, and finally walks off. Replays suggest there is some doubt about whether it carried or not. Replays aren't conclusive I'm afraid.

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3rd Test: Australia v India at Perth, Jan 16-19, 2008

57.4 Lee to Tendulkar, OUT, this time Lee gets his man, he pitches short of a length and gets Tendulkar back in the crease, playing down the wrong line, the ball hit him on the top of the pad and at the time of contact Tendulkar was jumping in the air, Lee appeals confidently and umpire Rauf eventually raises the finger ... replays show it was indeed high and going over the top of the stumps ... Tendulkar shakes his head as he walks off SR Tendulkar lbw b Lee 71 (175m 128b 9x4 0x6) SR: 55.46

3.3 Pathan to Rogers, OUT, angles towards leg, good length, Rogers moves across his stumps, bends over the ball to play on the front foot, looking to turn it to midwicket, and is rapped on the front leg CJL Rogers lbw b Pathan 4 (14m 9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 44.44 Can of worms time as this statement will no doubt be, he was pretty unlucky with that call, I reckon it was just veering past the leg stump.

44.6 Singh to Hussey, OUT, and thats given! Last ball of the over, RP gets Hussey playing forward, missing the line, and the ball hits him on the knee roll just about in line with middle stump, Asad Rauf has a think and then decides thats out MEK Hussey lbw b Singh 46 (165m 113b 5x4 0x6) SR: 40.70 Commentator's curse again. Hussey departs for 46. RP gets a big, big wicket. Clarke will be joined by the in-form Symonds. Replays show that ball to Hussey was going over the stumps. Hawk-Eye says not out. Hmmm.

49.4 Kumble to Symonds, OUT, gone! Kumble fires one in flat, and quick, at 102ks, pushing a surprised Symonds back in the crease and he's a sitter in front of middle and leg, Billy Bowden has no doubts and up comes the finger in a flash A Symonds lbw b Kumble 12 (18m 14b 1x4 1x6) SR: 85.71 Well, well, well .... replays show Symonds got an inside-edge onto pad. Another poor call. Symonds has reason to feel aggrieved.

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Had a look at the umpiring errors? Do you still think that Australian's deserved the victory at Sydney against India? I really don't but Ponting believes they deserve it and he was upset that their victory was forgotten amidst the controversies. Moreover Ponting and Clarke both are still 100% confident that they have taken those catches. Ponting~ Have you seen the videos/photos of your catches? I'm sure you would have and you still don't accept your mistake? If you had accepted that you were wrong, I would have praised you and you wouldn't have lost one of your fan.