The Untold Saga

Growing up on Amitabh Bachchan movies has influenced a lot in my life, much of the way I am and much of the way I deal with situations has been derived from Amitabh's characters in some of his movies. He has always been the celebrated hero, of course but it is not the loud one-man-beating up-ten-villains heroism that one gets on to emulate, it is the other kind of heroism that impacted me...the untold stories of the silences, the steady, resolute look on the face, the determination that does not want itself to be sung about, the single-minded, super-achieving and yet humble outlook to any situation.

There was the other side to his heroism too, the one we all loved to admire but perhaps never thought of emulating because it simply seemed so out of reach...the one Sachin Tendulkar embodies, arguably flawless, unarguably bordering on the greatest ever. There are very few however, who dream to be Sachin Tendulkar for it appears to be only that, a dream. It is therefore, as in my case, the achievable side of the hero that we all strive towards achieving...the Rahul Dravid side of it. Achievement par excellence, no doubt...something that any and all would be proud of and yet all of it done in such unassuming a manner.

This does not mean that Sachin or those other characters essayed by Bachchan are arrogant or don't relate to the ground realities. It is just that their brand of success is too flamboyant, too Sehwag-ish to draw a pattern around. Dravid, on the other side, seems a lot like most of us. The hard worker who is super talented for sure but can perhaps not move mountains on the basis of talent alone...the one who has taken risks in his life but not out-and-out risks, only those risks that make sense and have a back-up plan along with them...the one who could not dare to give up a good education riding on nothing else but faith in his own talent...the one who built things up brick by brick with each brick joined to the other via sweat and blood, so to speak.

Dravid is the second highest run scorer in the world in Test cricket, someone who has hit more centuries than the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, someone who was requested back in the one-day team that was floundering without an anchor post his unceremonious exit from it, someone who went on to not just survive for five seasons (when other more celebrated contemporaries called it quits mid-way) but also captained two different sides in the most commercial and ruthless exhibition of cricket, and in a format that fits the least with his style of play. Dravid is all this and yet he is still the boy next door (despite, as per his own admission, being the oldest playing cricketer around in India, older even to Sachin by a few months). He is still the common man who has fought all odds to become special.

It almost gives one the goose bumps to realize the significance of what Dravid and people like him achieve in their lives and how they manage to contribute to the society in the process. Not just their achievements, but even the painstaking manner in which they have worked on to achieve the same become folklore, examples that parents give to their kids when they want them to follow the path to idealism. Dravid and his type would rate amongst the guys mothers (and fathers) would want their daughters to marry, CEOs would want to hire for the most complicated and critical jobs they have, army generals would want to trust with the post situated in the most difficult of terrains and marking the most amount of risk if it were to be compromised.

He is all that one would want to be...a clear thinker, erudite, well-read and logical, a class act at what he does, and someone who has a sense of humor good enough to crack jokes not just about others but at his own expense as well. An idol in the true sense of the word, Rahul "The Wall" Dravid shall remain an inspiration for me as much as Sachin "The Master" Tendulkar or Virender "The Nawaab" Sehwag would remain distant dreams I would want to keep striving for.

By the way, if you disagree with what I have said and insist on a different perspective, I respect that. I would only request you to read Dravid's address at the Bradman Oration in Canberra, the first time in the last 10 years that it has been happening that a non-Australian has been invited for it. The speech in video should be available on YouTube and it can be read in text at the ESPN Website

World Cup Cricket 2011: The Glitter

As he stared in the distance, the whole country stared with him. He kept looking at it till it disappeared above the horizon and then all hell broke loose. He didn't know what to do and neither did any of the others who were staring with him. The deed was done, the task accomplished...what next? How does one start believing that what had been elusive for so long is finally within reach, in the hands. His hands...hands of all others...hands of the chaiwallah chotu who had been given a day off that for once, he was not spending nursing his jagged palms. In fact, he was beating them together to join the cacophony all around him.

His eyes seemed dreamy and his smile was so unsure...quite a contrast with what was the situation a moment ago. Grit and concentration had given way to a sheepish grin. Even the teeth were showing through as his partner jumped on to him...elated, overjoyed, as incredulous with it all as he was...he didn't know how to react. The others were celebrating too, jumping on to each other, opening champagne bottles at some places, exchanging the few leftover drops off some soft drink bottle recovered from the trash at others. They were all united though, in their celebrations. He had won, his partner had won, his team and his nation had all achieved one of the biggest wins of their lives.

India...champions of World Cup Cricket 2011. Doesn't it sound surreal...even now? The celebrations are still going on, parties are giving way to other parties and blue tees, though replaced by formal striped shirts, have made sure that the color blue is retained at least in the stripes. Every new day brings with itself a new realization of what it means to be the world champions and not just for the people who made it happen, the 15 crorepati team members of the Indian cricket squad, but for millions of others who took it upon themselves to make sure the country won. They performed pujas, skipped offices, reduced their social lives to nothings, faced the brunt at home as they made others skip episode after episode of the popular soap opera...all to watch 11 people running after a small little ball.

The celebrations, though they still continue in one way or the other, were the loudest that night. Loudest and the most emphatic. The rich paraded the cities in their cars, moving downtown in bumper-to-bumper traffic, sticking their heads out of the sun roofs or just sticking out of the windows for the not-so-flashy-car-owning variety. They were carrying flags, playing loud music streaming out of the radio stations, all party songs...shouts of Indiaaaa Indiaaaaaaaaa were everywhere.

The others were shouting too. If not through the stylish cars that they could never dream to own, they had their own ways of feeling a part of the joy that had spread out to them too for once. They could not wave the tricolor (would rather afford clothes that they could wear to protect their modesty) but would still smile at all passers-by and encourage them to fly the flag high up in the air if they were just holding it in their hands. Their eyes were their means of celebration, eyes that were gleaming with pride...eyes that seemed to say that it was not eleven men on the field who had defeated some serious odds to emerge victorious...eyes that were claiming their own share of the spoils...eyes that were smiling, participating, goading on.

As I turned to sleep that night, the image that stood with me was not the one in which Dhoni stood imperiously, having hit the winning shot...not even the one where the master was lifted on to his team-mates' shoulders and paraded around the stadium with the tricolor...not the one in which the Boys in Blue lifted the big one...The World Cup. The image that I had in my eyes as they said a silent prayer to appreciate the joy this night had brought with it...was that of three kids standing in front of a road-side restaurant.

They had probably just finished their routine of serving customers, washing utensils, cooking rotis, etc...or perhaps they were still doing it and had taken a quick break to come out for a minute. They were standing there hand-in-hand, happiness written in capital letters across their faces. They couldn't have seen it on TV, there was none around but would definitely have heard it...on radio, from people who would be bothered enough to tell them the score. They knew for sure that India had done it...that they had done it. As they saw cars flash past, luxury celebrating amidst their misery, their faces were hopeful...hopeful that now that India has won the world cup, they stood a chance as well. Their misery can also end if India's wait for the world cup can end...what if it took 28 years...it will be faster now. The world moves faster now, their lives shall move even faster and they will win again...this time their own personal cups.

Nagpur Diaries

India started off this cricket world cup, like many other tournaments in the recent past, as favorites to win it. Some may say that this was guided not by the talent or form of the team but more by the sheer financial muscle of the Indian cricket board and consequently the media hype surrounding all its activities. Whatever be the reason, India have been the favorites and playing at home, with this being the last world cup the great Sachin would play, the really tall batting order (at least on paper), and of course the spin friendly subcontinent tracks have all been reasons used to justify India's expected fortunes in this tournament.

So far, the progress of the team has been quite steady in the tournament, helped, in no little means, by the way the tournament has been structured and the way India's matches have been scheduled. India has already played the minnows and beat them (not too comprehensively though, raising a few eyebrows enroute) and tied a game with another big contender, the set-on-revival-course England. Almost through to the next stage (pre-ordained of course given the format of the tournament), India met South Africa at Nagpur on Saturday, March 12 in a game that was supposed to be the first acid test of a team that has, in such a matter-of-fact manner, put its claims on being world champions.

This was the background with which I and a few colleagues from office were viewing the upcoming match. Having already made our train reservations to Nagpur, we were frantically looking out for tickets for the match. Things turned to desperation and we turned to desperate measures, buying tickets at 6X premium and actually feeling pleased about it. Slight goof-ups and certain presumptions also meant that we didn't have confirmed train tickets while coming back. Expecting the wait-listed tickets (wait list 6 onwards) to get confirmed with time, we were quite gung-ho about the entire idea of the weekend trip to Nagpur.

And it was time as the whole lot of us found ourselves at the CST station of Mumbai on Friday evening, ready to set off for the Orange city. The start of the journey itself was fraught with events that were quite unexpected. The boss had got extra tickets and one of us had latched on to it, getting last minute wait-listed tickets and the rest of it. Having reached the platform with all of us, he realized at the last moment that the boss's train was re-scheduled and he was not sure if he would make it and if he didn't make it, so wouldn't our guy's match tickets that were with the boss.

Our guy was of the hardened material, though and he took the plunge and got into the train. It was real good that he did, for though the boss didn't manage to come, he ensured the tickets came through and what an extra-ordinary turn of events this resulted in for him and for the rest of us!

As we touched base at Nagpur station amidst the early morning cool breeze, the signs were all there and it couldn't have started any better. Thanks to one of us, who had arranged for a guest house, we were soon refreshed, fed, and ready to take the stadium on. A party shop in Bandra had completed our wardrobe and get-up and we were all set with the tricolor painted on our faces, glowing glares, multi colored and shaped wigs, etc. We had bought Indian flags on the way and even had a couple of posters enticing ESPN and Star to cover us during their broadcast.

Entry into the stadium and our stand was smooth considering the early start we were able to manage from the guest house. The stand itself was awesomeness personified, right behind the bowler's arm and at reasonable altitude, arguably the best place from which one can watch live cricketing action. And what action it turned out to be! It just seemed to get better and better and we were witness to some brilliant batting by India, another masterful century by the little master, some hard hitting by Sehwag.

The peak was built up over such a long time and at such a pace that when the fall came, it hit us real hard. Right from the moment we had got hold of match tickets till the time Sachin was at the crease, things were going in only one direction...up. And down it came after that but how! 29 runs - 9 wickets...the last over by Ashish Nehra...the heart-breaking loss...

As if this was not enough, we realized that the tickets we were counting on to get confirmed did exactly the opposite of our expectations. With the e-ticket automatically canceling itself, we were left without any tickets for our journey back. With our hearts heavy after the Indian defeat, we did not want to spend any more time in Nagpur than necessary and decided as one that it will be better to try getting back to Mumbai as early as possible instead of trying to figure out some other options that will add to the time and more importantly, the money.

So it was that except for the lucky colleague (who, by the way, won a contest in mid-innings, getting a tee and goodie bag for it, got himself snapped with South African fans of the fairer variety, and finally even came on TV when despite all our efforts, we didn't) of ours, we found ourselves in the sleeper coach of the train begging people to let us sit down for a bit. Our friend, of course, got to fly back on a cheap ticket even though he did not even have a wait-listed ticket to begin with...all backed by one of the weirdest stretches of good fortune I have ever seen.

By the time we reached Mumbai, we were completely done in by the heat, dust, discomfort, and all associated perils of the journey back. The only thing we did not feel was boredom, thanks to the amazing gang we befriended on the train who not only happily shared their seats with us but also chatted and played with us all the way through.

Battered and hardened, as we made our ways to our respective homes with drooping shoulders and hoarse voices (what with all the Saccccchhhhiiiin....Sachin shouting), I thought of the team that was played out to be invincible before the tournament started and which was considered so vulnerable now with every day, every match bringing out some new chink in the armor. We will all get back to work the next day I thought, shrugging off the travails of the Nagpur trip slowly and surely. Will the Indian team also get over the pedestals they have been placed on and then thrown out of, all of it in such a hurry? Will they get back to believing in themselves and not the hype surrounding them? Will they stop being blind to their faults and finish wallowing in the make-believe world their fans would want them to be a part of? Will the day we were just witness to turn out into being just another day for the Team in Blue or will it be the day that made a difference...ye sab dekhenge hum log!

The curtain falls

It almost feels sad to see the pictures of Anil Kumble and Saurav Ganguly bidding their final adieus to world cricket. When we, as passionate yet unrelated followers of the game are feeling the pinch, it seems impossible to even hazard a guess as to what will be going through the minds of those two. Though called retirement, it is not really that in true sense of the term for these cricketers. It is not as if they have had a nine-to-five job for the last thirty five odd years and now that their sight and sharpness of wit are not as much of assets as they used to be, they are hanging their boots.

Here, these players are still in the prime of their lives (not even forty yet, any of them) and still it seems as if they have done grave injustice to their chosen professions and their employers by probably staying on for just that little bit more. They are fit, most of them, of course not as fit as a modern cricketer is supposed to be but still many times fitter as compared to many others their age. Unlike the normal retirees, they can not just sit in the verandah, on the armchair with the daily newspaper, starting to get used to the morning walks and carrying milk, grocery, and grandkids home (maybe not in the same order).

The only thing that is probably similar between other retirees and these players is that they have left an impression through their illustrious careers that can not be easily matched, leave surpassed. Having achieved in one and a half decades each of their careers more than other people do in their lifetimes, they do deserve their retirement. But ask them if they want it and the reply will be a vehement negative for who doesn't continue to yearn for the stage and the lights.

It is the limelight that has goaded them on, it is the praise and glory that has made them gun for more, it is the attention focused on each and every act of theirs that has made all their talent and lack of the same visible in zoom mode, and it is their accountability to the general public that has made them call it a day much before they would have liked to.

All good things must come to an end and if they come to an end in appropriate time, the better for them. (I am talking only about good things so any references, however much in jest, to any soap operas are not appreciated).

Of fifth graders, IPL, work and life

I first caught this show 'Are you smarter than a fifth grader' on television as I was aimlessly surfing through the channels on a lazy sunday. I thought it to be a nice format and then forgot all about it till Shahrukh Khan and Synergy Adlabs happened to it. And thus was launched 'Kya aap paanchvi pass se tez hain'. Though I missed the first episode (got a bit confused as to the dates), I did catch the other two and I must say that Mr. Basu impresses once again. Right from the TATA Steel Quiz all those years ago in Patna to Quiz Time, KBC, and now this show, I have always been a fan of Siddharth Basu, not as much for his quizzing talent (which, in itself, is remarkable) but more so for his ability to execute, without a fault. Consider the sets of KBC and the questions that stumped you just enough to feel that you can win, and just enough to make sure that you actually don't. Consider Quiz Time and the first ever popular quiz show on the Indian television, much before the current breed of reality shows had hit the boob tube.

Coming back to this particular show, the technical stuff is very much in place and very similar to the original, thanks to Mr. Basu and team. More than that, Basu's getting the hang of getting the right people for the job is pretty evident as well. I mean, who else but King Khan to pit kids against young and not-so-young adults, who else but King Khan to host a show that is supposed to be bubbly, energetic, and to a certain extent, kiddish, who else but King Khan to make a complete mockery (and yet be considerate enough to be polite all the way) of the contestants when they are not smarter than a fifth grader?

Fortunately or unfortunately, the people who have actually come on this show so far have not really been geniuses and the questions haven't helped either (well, some cases like the Is-Is-Istanbul and Karanchi-Lahore or revolutions around the SRK-sun were plain dumb). More than this, and definitely unfortunately, SRK has not been in his elements so far to be actually able to take the show to another level with his infectious energy. Whether it is thanks to his commitments to IPL, or unveiling of yet another wax statue of his, or his receiving yet another award in yet another award function organized by yet another magazine/TV channel, is open for debate.

Speaking of the IPL, things are going on pretty smoothly for the league now and just as the interest was about to be weaned away from the affairs on field, some things happened off it that brought the limelight right back. The 'Slapgate' and 'Cheeromania' were enough for even Dadas and Dadis who had not been clued in to the game's latest avataar to start talking about it. From news channels focusing only on the opulence of the game so far, and partly on the game, as well, this gave enough fodder to bring in other aspects of the drama to the public, and finally, it is the BCCI and the IPL franchise owners who are silently but surely, laughing all the way to the bank.

Work, on the other hand, is fast becoming a multi headed monster with too many things occupying my attention at the moment. Some of these are down right mundane and I do not wish to spend any more time on them but then there are others as well which are absolutely exciting and I can't wait to get going. However, as long as I am involved in these tasks, I shall be held responsible for their failure (if not the success, being just another cog in the wheel) and thus, have to give my whole and be on my juggling best as I go through late nights at work and at the same time, boring inerludes of sleep-inducing stuff during the day.

The personal life is not really kicking with work taking more of my time than I would ideally want but then I had anticipated this when I agreed to come to Mumbai in this role. Having been put into a position where I need to cultivate new friendships, and not having the ease of picking up a conversation with any and every one in the vicinity, is getting to be a pain, as well. I had assumed that life in Mumbai would be more social what with the IIMK people presumably hitting it big time in Mumbai, but I couldn't have been more mistaken. Distances play the spoilsport here in Mumbai, as well. Perhaps more so, since the distances are not just composed of the actual miles but even include the time constraints that many of us face in this fast and busy city.

Top of the mind

The Indian Premier League is currently enjoying a very enviable top of mind recall, and perhaps deservedly so. Even though a lot of people had anticipated the IPL to be one rocking extravaganza, the "Manoranjan ka Baap" (do catch the ad if you haven't already) was a pleasant addition. With perhaps the most potent combination of cricket and movies that is possible in this country, the IPL is fast on its way to become a path breaker and a trendsetter. Comparing it to its poorer cousin, ICL seems such a shame now, given the remarkably comprehensive way in which IPL has emerged victorious, be it in terms of star power, money, facilities involved to things as simple as graphics, advertisements, side shows (remember the Akshay Kumar stunts in Delhi?). 

Apart from IPL, the other thing that has been keeping me occupied is my 'gareebkhana'. Thanks to Priya, the place is looking so much better and livable now. We have got the bean bags, an artificial fountain, a whole lot of kitchenware, and of course with the maid having started coming in, the overall appearance of the place is so very neat and clean. In fact, on Sunday, as the last few hours of the three day vacation were coming to pass, I had this inexplicable feeling of contentment at having finally managed to stay in a kind of place and in a kind of style that I always wanted to. Of course, it would have been great if I could have managed it in Delhi, but even if the new salary here in Bombay allows me this lifestyle, I shall be grateful.

At work, it is productivity that we have been talking about. In fact, it is a very interesting and debatable issue as to what is a good metric for productivity. If and once you are able to decide on this metric, do you have the systems required to measure that metric, or before that, to even record accurately the inputs required to measure that metric. For me, it has been a little difficult and yet extremely interesting to come to terms with this search for this metric, with the system lacking any substance at all, and the metric's visibility being almost non-existent. I also look at this entire exercise with a lot of interest because I have been at the other side of things so far, responsible for breaking all the rules and being, more or less, part of the reason why this metric is being considered in the first place.

In fact, this has led me to a difficult situation with my friends and colleagues working in the position I used to work for. I am, now, on the other side of the table, doing things that they would hate, imposing restriction, rules, and unreasonable-sounding requests that I would have as vociferously opposed as idiosyncrasies of the management. This, however, is part of what I have chosen for myself so I guess I will have to live with it. It will not be easy, of course, because with time, what is right now just good natured banter and teasing might take the form of talking behind my back or open criticism.

Outclassed, outperformed, and outplayed

Gaurav XI 168/9 (Anas 47*) beat Kotak Wealth 90 (Manmohan 13)

Inspired by a relatively superlative performance by a couple of players, Gaurav XI rode all the way to the lunch table in style, and in the process, comprehensively beat Kotak Wealth by 78 runs.

In what promised to be a warm and sunny debut match for most of their players, Kotak Wealth suffered the ignominy of one of the most disappointing defeats that a 20 over match could have seen. Muffing up a run-chase on a pitch posing no real worries and much before that, giving away one-too-many extras for a chaseable target, things could certainly have been better.

The toss was, in fact, a good omen for Kotak Wealth as the not-one-of-the-fittest-teams got to choose what they wanted to do and not surprisingly, they chose not to field in the wee hours of the afternoon and instead use the tiring opposition in the hot and humid conditions of the noon to meet whatever target was posed to them. At Modern School Vasant Vihar grounds, a relatively wet, green top in the morning which dried up into a relatively batter-friendly track with the day's passing meant that the decision to field first had all the promise of turning out to be the right one, for more reasons than one.

In retrospect, too, it wasn't as one-sided a contest as the scorecard suggests, at least not in the first half when some good ground fielding by Suveer and company and one particular blinder of a catch by Mukund had the batting team struggling to convert their ones into twos and twos into threes. Even the initial damage done by the 23 run spectra wide over by Nishith and some more off-the-track efforts by Mohit and Shankar seemed to have been redeemed by some fantastic run with the ball from Gaurav Bhalla and to some extent, Saket's first spell.

Wickets were falling at regular intervals and the run rate had come down from a disturbing 12 an over till the 3rd over to a more manageable 7 per over in the 11th. That was when Amas came on to bat and things started changing for Kotak Wealth. With a string of boundaries getting unwound from the 12th over (2 in Saket's and 3 in Mohit's next), matters started looking ominous. Even Gaurav Bhalla, easily the pick of Kotak Wealth's bowlers, could not do much in his return spell, except maintain a tight leash on the run rate with his good line bowling.

Coming into the bowling attack by starting with almost a wicket maiden, Saket came in for quite a hitting when he replaced Bhalla after his 4th and last over. Before Saket could take his revenge in getting the batsman bowled, he had been hit for two sixes and a boundary, and sounds of the lid thudding onto the Kotak Wealth team's coffin could already be heard.

The pair on crease did much to raise Gaurav XI's score from what was looking like a 125 kind-of-a-score by the middle of the innings to well over 150. Amas with his fantastic stroke selection and some really clean hits was, beyond doubt, the best of the batsmen and it was actually a pity that he remained unbeaten on 47 and could not complete his half century. Last 5 overs going for 60 runs was an indicator not just of the supreme ease with which Amas and company could see, hit, time, and place the ball but also spoke a lot about the ease with which the wicket was playing now.

Kotak Wealth team was upbeat even after the beating in the final few overs and though there was that uneasiness over some 30 odd runs that could have been removed from the opposition's score, things did not look that gloomy and as Sunit said, it was all a question of the ball finding the bat and the rest will follow.

What turned out to be not so prophetic was the fact that the ball did only that, find the bat and there was fairly little that the bat could do from there on. With a good line and length maintained by the opening bowlers and the number of extras not really overshadowing everything else, it was left to Kotak Wealth's batsmen to make a match of it. They had to work hard for their runs and except a few good hits by Manmohan Tiwari (who, incidentally, was given the signal to bat after much discussion and dispute) and later by Nishith, Shankar, and Bhalla fighting for a lost cause, there was hardly any application seen by the rest of the batsmen.

Adding to the misery was the absolute lack of match fitness and practice of many players that resulted in a number of unfortunate mix ups on the pitch, getting as many as 3 run out decisions for the fielding side. With a salvageable midway score of 53/5 as against the opposition's 73/3, Kotak Wealth slumped to 90 all out in the 17th over. A bunch of tired and despondent cricketers were back to the pavilion with the promise of more regular practice and game sessions before asking for a re-match. Analysis of the scores and the game may continue for another day or two but whether it actually results in the team getting fitter, leaner, and more competitive, remains a thing to be seen.

Bowling Analysis for Kotak Wealth:

Gaurav Bhalla: 4-0-11-1 (02.75 runs per over)
Saket Khosla  : 4-0-34-2 (08.50 runs per over)
Mohit Sharma : 4-0-35-3 (08.75 runs per over)
Suveer Modi   : 1-0-10-0 (10.00 runs per over)
Nishith Kumar : 4-0-44-3 (11.00 runs per over)
Shankar Saini : 3-0-34-0 (11.33 runs per over)

Batting Analysis for Kotak Wealth:

Kapil Manchanda : 09 (caught in the deep)
Rahul Sharma     : 05 (LBW to yorker length ball)
Suveer Modi       : 04 (clean bowled)
Mohit Sharma     : 02 (clean bowled)
Manmohan Tiwari: 13 (run out after no reply from Sunit)
Sunit Jain           : 07 (runner Saket run out, taking a cheeky one)
Mukund Raichur  : 02 (caught in the covers)
Saket Khosla      : 03 (went to a brilliant catch in the slips)
Nishith Kumar     : 08 (run out after no reply from Bhalla)
Gaurav Bhalla     : 02 (caught behind)
Shankar Saini     : 10 (not out)

Little Johny wants to play

Did you say something about IIMC-XLRI sports meets? Or was it some talk about how Harvard kicked butt when they met Yale this year in the sports meet? Or hey, are you talking about the way IIM Kozhikode thrashed IIM Bangalore in the IIMK-IIMB sports meet?

The inaugural edition of the IIMK-IIMB sports meet is here...the team from Bangalore comprising of some 40-odd guys, one firangan, and some 7-8 girls has landed on Kozhikode's soil with their own slogans and cheerleaders. The stage set, and the drums rolling, the first leg of the first IIMK-IIMB sports meet is on and how...

Starting off with the football match in which our team had had practice sessions for some 5 days and was supposedly not match fit, IIMB guys creamed us right, left and center. They were the better team and deserved to win was what I heard from everyone who watched the match. I could not see the proceedings (had classes) but from what I heard, the 2-0 margin we lost by was actually quite decent, considering that some three goals were saved by the posts.

Next came Throw ball and whatever the IIMB guys might shout about it being our national (???) game, the girls did us proud. Coming back from 10-0 down, they not only won the set but won the match in style (2-0 in the best of three mode). Some really good stuff and resilience were shown by them (especially in light of the slogans and chants and jeers and boos that they had to face from the IIMB junta) in winning the game.

The tennis game was on simultaneously in the adjoining court and it was really sad to see Richard (one of our better players) lose out to Pali from IIMB, and that too, in a match which turned out to be actually irritating, even for the viewers. This guy, Pali, has got a strange game where instead of serving hard or returning strong, he just tries to simply put the ball in the other half of the court and does only whatever it takes for that. Richard, playing his normal game, would have been frustrated, first when he got such serves and returns and later when his own serves invariably found the net. The 6-3,6-3 loss was certainly not reflective of the skill of the players. The other game, better played and certainly more interesting from the viewer's point of view had no takers, with most of the crowd having dispersed after the throw ball victory :-). Gaurav Vohra took on Padam in the game and though he lsot 3-6,1-6 to him, it was a good game with both the players coming up with some good serves, volleys and returns...the better player won.

There were a lot of expectations from Table Tennis, especially since it was one game that we had been in regular practice with. There were some big names in TT, including our own Sports Committee member, Babbar. All of it turned out to be an anticlimax as Babbar was defeated by IIMB's star player in the very first match. The second match between Anirudh and Ashish was the best part of the Table Tennis contest as Anirudh made mince meat of Ahish in the first two games. Ashish's dogged persistence, and his strategy of limiting Anirudh to his backhand, paid off, however, as he took the last three games in a row. 2-0 down, the TT team looked really upset when our own Jeph teamed up with Anirudh to take the match away from the IIMB guys and deny them victory with a straight sets win. The reverse singles saw Babbar playing his second game, this time with Pali, the player with an irritating style in Tennis. As soon as Babbar seemed to have come back to form and had won the first two sets (in his own words, he was having a laugh at his opponent), there was a distraction and the firnagan came in, wearing a skin-hugging top and stood right in the center of the room. Whatever Babbar might say about the reason for his loss, I still believe that the Bangaloreans' strategy paid off and the distraction proved to be too expensive for Babbar :-)

Chess was the last game of the day. Having been a part of the trials process myself, I was particularly interested in the way our team plays. Four matches were scheduled and as I joined the first match a little late, I got to see Alok, the celebrated Chess player on campus (supposed to have won national championships) lose tamely to IIMB's own national champ, Shiv. In the next match, Vijay lost to another guy who did not have a good game but still...

The highlight of the day was still to come, however. It came as Mayank locked horns with Shiv in the third game. Mayank started playing fast and with an unconventional opening that made the opponent think more than the time allowed him to. As Shiv's flag went down (that is, he was timed out), Vijay and Mayank almost simultaneously called out to claim victory. This was when the supposedly intelligent IIMB guys started showing an utter lack of sportsmanship. They started cribbing about the player being prompted from outside about the flag going down (as if he was blind and couldn't have seen the clock himself). A re-match was claimed and was held but not before Alok made mince meat of the opponent in his reverse match. Not having watched the first game, I had thought that Alok's was also a story of better amongst the worse but this game disproved all this as he went on a blitz, demolishing the other player like nine pins.

It was time now for the rematch and believe me or not, the game was from from over, as the national player, Shiv claimed this time that Mayank was playing for a draw, well at a time when both the players had a lot to play for. Shiv was short of time yet again and this time, it was Rohit Bansal's turn to shout Yeah when the flag went down. Yes, you got it right, there was to be a re-rematch, this time in the library as the party was to begin in the mess.

With two victories in a row that were not recognised, Mayank was being stretched and probably, too far. The third game was in his hands, too but for the rare miss in stopping his clock after his move. In utter disregard for the spirit of the game, the other player, Shiv, took all his time for the next move as he sweetly let Mayank's time run out. By the time Mayank realised what was happening, it was too late. That Mayank was still able to salvage the game and despite a trail of about 10 minutes, was able to bring the game to the last nail, speaks a lot about his ability and mental toughness. Hats off to you, Mayank!

One of the now-famous IIMK parties was next on the agenda as the music started beating, and the food and drinks flowing. There was enough for everyone this night and perhaps even more. The IIMB people were surely having a good time in the party and so were the hooligans (that is, if Deki decides to let IIMB guys off from this adjective she gave them during the football match) of IIMK. Reddy was in one special mood and right from the first swig, he was on to the floor. His calls of Sorry and Thank You filled the background even as the sound system kept tripping for some reason. I came back quite early from the party and was in my room by 2.

The cricket match in the morning was missed completely and I made optimum use of the Sunday to fill up my sleep quota. When I got up, the last few overs were remaining and it seemed that our team stood a good chance. Having made 149 in 25 overs, IIMK had IIMB gasping for breath at 97 for 7. The victory was not to be, however, as the IIMB people kept their cool (which they have been doing through out the last two days) and got the required 11 runs off the last over (4 required off the last 2 balls)...they even hit a four (or was that a six?) off the second last ball to take themselves to victory...unbelievable, but true.

The IIMK girls' team won the badminton tie, yet again inspiring the organisers to put in more sports for girls in the next meet (if that's the way we can have some points, so be it). With no referree available for the basketball match, there was only one last sport left for the first leg and that was Swimming. Manu from IIMB has played national but even our Kiran was not bad. With the first position in almost all swimming events going to them, we could level up only with the help of the second and third positions that kept going to us (that is, if you account for the disqualification of Piyush from IIMB, who was actually swimming freestyle in breast stroke). The final decider was going to be the relay and what a decider it was. With the teams level, and the four players of our team ready, it promised to be exciting. Exciting it was, and how! Kiran got us the lead in the back stroke as he lost the IIMB guy way behind. Kunal was next with breast stroke and he maintained the lead and perhaps even added a bit to it. Anurag had to compete with Manu, and that is when Manu showed his class by not just closing the lead that we had got but also taking a good lead himself. When Vaibhaw lunged into the water for the final freestyle 100 meters, the other guy from IIMB was about 40 meters ahead of him. However, when Vaibhaw rose from the water after his initial start, I knew that he was going to do something special today. And he did do it, he beat the IIMB guy hollow...getting us the first victory in the men's events.

The next leg of the meet is going to be held in Bangalore on the 23rd and 24th of October, when we go there to play football, cricket, throwball, volleyball, basketball, carrom and badminton. Though we are a little too down on the points tally right now, I am sure that we have the talent to beat them. It is only a question of practice and that razor sharp match fitness that is lacking. With two weeks remaining for the second leg, all of us here at IIMK hope that our team turns up the tops.

I want to crib

The Harry Potter DVD I got from the DVD rental shop downhill does not work

I have been kicked out of the college basketball team

I have missed the deadline for submitting the scholarship form

I lost the trials for the college Chess team

My legs hurt after the basketball practice of yesterday and more than that, my ego hurts after the realisation of how unfit I have become

I am not looking forward to the weekend party when the IIMB people come in and am actually losing all enthu for parties

I screwed up the quiz in UD's Financial Management class today

I have not been able to update my blog as regularly as I want to...have not been feeling like writing

My ICICI Bank ATM still doesn't work and I am under the debt of so many people

I have been thinking a lot about her nowadays