Recently, the Incredible India bandwagon was in NYC, (or is it still thr I dont remember). I do not understand the purpose of this event. If it is to showcase India's diversity and attract tourists then its fantastic cause it has helped in making India the top destination for tourists this year. Kudos. But what I seriously find stupid is that a part of the 'Incredible India' event is to educate the rest of the world that 'India has arrived' or 'It's our time now'. Where has India arrived? Everything that is happening in our country and will happen in the future is still 'to be achieved'. Don't get me wrong because I am not some intellectual cynic or doomsdayer , but let's make noise of something noteworthy.
Take the last 30 years or so and think about the economies that have taken of, countries that have transformed themselves, Japan, Eastern Asian countries, China and then think how many of them campaigned about how incredible their countries were?.. None I'd say. But still they were able to capture the imagination of the world .. How??.. Quite simply because their work did the talking. This is something we have to concentrate on.. how do we, India and Indians, use our strengths to captivate the people of the world. I am not against blowing our trumpet but we got to choose the right moments. The celebrations after winning the 20-20 world cup was acceptable but telling the average foreigner that 'India's time has come' is not , because if anyone buys into how 'great' India is and reaches one of our creaking airports, to be greeted by impoverished kids, the entire illusion is broken.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Saturday, 3 March 2007
The Indian Dream XI
With the world cup fever reaching a frenzy and Australians coming out with their all time ODI XI, i decided to do the same for India. Here it goes :
1. Sachin Tendulkar-
The man is a genius. He can tinker with the opposition at his will, bowl very well , fields brilliantly, is so committed and focussed. And on top of that the leading run scorer in ODI's and a host of other things. You cannot imagine a team without him. i do not have words to describe the genius. And for people who think hes not good enough, watch him at the world cup 2007.
2. Sourav Ganguly
Well i have written a lot about him in my previous post, his attitude is fantastic, his leadership skills are just brilliant and he is aa lucky guy to have in the team. And as a small matter, he has scored 10000 runs wid 22 centuries. He did form the most successful opening partnership with Tendulkar, so keeping that in mind I chose him ahead of sehwag.
3. Rahul Dravid
No Indian batting line up can be complete without Dravid. This man can accelerate when you want him to, soak up the pressure when you want thim to, stabilize the inning s when you want him to. He basically is the backbone of the team. Committed, focussed, a complete team man plus all those fantastic ODI records. Gawd, has he been a gift to Indian cricket or what.
4. Mohammed Azharuddin
Well he is the most controversial choice, but people who know me would tell you I absolutely adore Azhars batting. Well that was before all the match fixing. But seriously you cannot ignore his record, his fielding skills, his wizardry with the bat. At his peak , he was unstoppable and could do things with the bat nobody could imagine. His partnerships with Sachin were the stuff of legends (Cape Town anyone).I sometimes pity this man, who had everything he wanted and threw it away.
5. Mohinder Amarnath
We have wizards in this team (tendulkar, azza and to some extent ganguly), but what we need is a character. A gutsy person who could never give up, never wanted to give up. Mohinder Amarnath was one such batsman. Who can forget his duel with Malcolm Marshall, where he was hit repeatedly, but did not flinch. Kudos to his character. On top of that he was a useful bowler and a wholehearted cricketer. And it wasnt only guts that he had but talent too. At one point of time he was hailed by no less than the West indians and pakistanis to be the best player of fast bowling they have seen.
6. MS Dhoni
We've had better keepers, but nobody quite has the explosive talent that this man has. He is a genuine wkeeper batsman whose hitting talents we are well aware of. Hoever, what impresses me most is his attitude. When he wants to he completely shuts down and plays in gear1 and plays as the situation demands. This, for me, is the hallmark of a very good cricketer. Plus he does well in pressure situations, and is never shy of a good fight. A real gem.
7. Kapil Dev
The Indian cricketer of the millenium, World cup winning captain, India's only genuine all rounder and dedication personified. Like Sachin, no Indian team can be complete without Kapil Dev.Moreover, you need his hitting prowess down the order. Though he was never consitent, but he could hit a cricket ball as clean as they come and you need that at number 7. Bowling wise, he moved the ball at pace (though at his peak) and is by the far the best fast bowler India has produced. Though he was an inspirational captain, but being a Ganguly fan I chose him captain.
8. Ajit Agarkar
I have never been a big Agarkar fan but then i looked at his record and wud u believe he is nearing 300 wkts !!!.So he must be doing something right. He is erratic, inconsistent but we do not have much of a choice. I prefer Zaheer, but I am still amazed Agarkar has 272 wkts at 27.55 a piece. Hence he gets the nod.
9. Anil Kumble
Hes a fighter, dedicated and committed. On top of that not too long ago he was the best one day bowler India had. He could also bowl at he death, or in the first 15 overs, or in the middle overs. This man can do anythin for the team.Plus he gives a variety to the bowling attack as a genuine spin option. no. 9 for him.
10. Harbhajan Singh
Bajji boy had to be in the team because of the following. He gives the team a fighter, a quality off spinner and some sort of a handy bat. He is one of the two genuine world class bowlers we have, and has enough experience and ability to bowl to anyone and on any surface.
11. Javagal Srinath
The only genuine fast bowler weve had (after kapil). Though i am not a big fan but i cant really ignore the nos. 313 wkts at 28 a piece with an ag for 4.4. More importantly, he could be devastating specially to left handers (Jayasuriya, a case in point).
12th man : Yuvraj Singh
He is a real good prospect , who has proved his hitting and finishing abilities. Just a bit more of polish and he wud definitely be in the XI. And wow what a fielder!
So here is my complete list. However i shud make a few points clear. This team has not been chosen keeping in my mind the way ODI's are played today cause that would be unfair on Amarnath. What i have given weightage to are aspects like fighting qualities, performance under pressure and to some extent their records.
Anyway you guys are welcome to post any comments.
Cheers
1. Sachin Tendulkar-
The man is a genius. He can tinker with the opposition at his will, bowl very well , fields brilliantly, is so committed and focussed. And on top of that the leading run scorer in ODI's and a host of other things. You cannot imagine a team without him. i do not have words to describe the genius. And for people who think hes not good enough, watch him at the world cup 2007.
2. Sourav Ganguly
Well i have written a lot about him in my previous post, his attitude is fantastic, his leadership skills are just brilliant and he is aa lucky guy to have in the team. And as a small matter, he has scored 10000 runs wid 22 centuries. He did form the most successful opening partnership with Tendulkar, so keeping that in mind I chose him ahead of sehwag.
3. Rahul Dravid
No Indian batting line up can be complete without Dravid. This man can accelerate when you want him to, soak up the pressure when you want thim to, stabilize the inning s when you want him to. He basically is the backbone of the team. Committed, focussed, a complete team man plus all those fantastic ODI records. Gawd, has he been a gift to Indian cricket or what.
4. Mohammed Azharuddin
Well he is the most controversial choice, but people who know me would tell you I absolutely adore Azhars batting. Well that was before all the match fixing. But seriously you cannot ignore his record, his fielding skills, his wizardry with the bat. At his peak , he was unstoppable and could do things with the bat nobody could imagine. His partnerships with Sachin were the stuff of legends (Cape Town anyone).I sometimes pity this man, who had everything he wanted and threw it away.
5. Mohinder Amarnath
We have wizards in this team (tendulkar, azza and to some extent ganguly), but what we need is a character. A gutsy person who could never give up, never wanted to give up. Mohinder Amarnath was one such batsman. Who can forget his duel with Malcolm Marshall, where he was hit repeatedly, but did not flinch. Kudos to his character. On top of that he was a useful bowler and a wholehearted cricketer. And it wasnt only guts that he had but talent too. At one point of time he was hailed by no less than the West indians and pakistanis to be the best player of fast bowling they have seen.
6. MS Dhoni
We've had better keepers, but nobody quite has the explosive talent that this man has. He is a genuine wkeeper batsman whose hitting talents we are well aware of. Hoever, what impresses me most is his attitude. When he wants to he completely shuts down and plays in gear1 and plays as the situation demands. This, for me, is the hallmark of a very good cricketer. Plus he does well in pressure situations, and is never shy of a good fight. A real gem.
7. Kapil Dev
The Indian cricketer of the millenium, World cup winning captain, India's only genuine all rounder and dedication personified. Like Sachin, no Indian team can be complete without Kapil Dev.Moreover, you need his hitting prowess down the order. Though he was never consitent, but he could hit a cricket ball as clean as they come and you need that at number 7. Bowling wise, he moved the ball at pace (though at his peak) and is by the far the best fast bowler India has produced. Though he was an inspirational captain, but being a Ganguly fan I chose him captain.
8. Ajit Agarkar
I have never been a big Agarkar fan but then i looked at his record and wud u believe he is nearing 300 wkts !!!.So he must be doing something right. He is erratic, inconsistent but we do not have much of a choice. I prefer Zaheer, but I am still amazed Agarkar has 272 wkts at 27.55 a piece. Hence he gets the nod.
9. Anil Kumble
Hes a fighter, dedicated and committed. On top of that not too long ago he was the best one day bowler India had. He could also bowl at he death, or in the first 15 overs, or in the middle overs. This man can do anythin for the team.Plus he gives a variety to the bowling attack as a genuine spin option. no. 9 for him.
10. Harbhajan Singh
Bajji boy had to be in the team because of the following. He gives the team a fighter, a quality off spinner and some sort of a handy bat. He is one of the two genuine world class bowlers we have, and has enough experience and ability to bowl to anyone and on any surface.
11. Javagal Srinath
The only genuine fast bowler weve had (after kapil). Though i am not a big fan but i cant really ignore the nos. 313 wkts at 28 a piece with an ag for 4.4. More importantly, he could be devastating specially to left handers (Jayasuriya, a case in point).
12th man : Yuvraj Singh
He is a real good prospect , who has proved his hitting and finishing abilities. Just a bit more of polish and he wud definitely be in the XI. And wow what a fielder!
So here is my complete list. However i shud make a few points clear. This team has not been chosen keeping in my mind the way ODI's are played today cause that would be unfair on Amarnath. What i have given weightage to are aspects like fighting qualities, performance under pressure and to some extent their records.
Anyway you guys are welcome to post any comments.
Cheers
Sunday, 18 February 2007
North India vs South India
http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/nov/13rajeev.htm
I was reading this article the other day and the article, more so the reaction of the people who posted the comments on this article created a sort of unease in me and i decided to pen my views on this entire North-South divide. The article above clearly glorifies South india and South Indians, which although i dont completely agree with, but do not mind. I think sub-nationalism has its virtues and people should be proud of where they come from.
However, I think the article polarises people's views. I found people really angry with the guy who wrote it or using his article to bash North Indians. the real question is why?. If you notice , North Indians who have travelled or studied in the South (like me) or vice versa have a very different world view to people who haven't travelled in and around the country.I have made some wonderful friends from the South, and why South, from East , west , North every part of India , and the more people I meet from various parts of India I realise that we are all the same. In particular, my generation (the famous Gen X), does not differentiate on as shite a basis as the region one is coming from. I am an unabashed supporter of globalisation, and this is why I completely support it because it is leading towards a new sort of national integration where Kannadigas work in Gurgaon, and Biharis in Bangalore and Chennai.
I think this is real national integration and I hope it continues.I come from Delhi and studied in Bangalore and there is a definite stereotype that one associates with North Indians and South Indians. Southies consider Northies to be "corrupting their culture", whereas northies have a condescending attitude towards the Southies. But once they come to know each other all this peels off , and they can see beyond each others last names.
Some time back one of my profs said that the erstwhile USSR had a yearly program in schools whereby school children from one part of the country were taken to the other side so that they accept and appreciate the diversity of their country. Maybe, we should start looking at the same because our diversity is absolutely the pillar of our country.I am working in the UK now, and people are expecting India to be on the cusp of something great. Lets channelize our energies positively towards that rather than bicker which Zone or state is better and end up causing real harm to our country.
Jai Hind!
Photo Credit: devadutta.blogspot.com
Tags: North India vs South India, North India vs South India, North India vs South India
I was reading this article the other day and the article, more so the reaction of the people who posted the comments on this article created a sort of unease in me and i decided to pen my views on this entire North-South divide. The article above clearly glorifies South india and South Indians, which although i dont completely agree with, but do not mind. I think sub-nationalism has its virtues and people should be proud of where they come from.
However, I think the article polarises people's views. I found people really angry with the guy who wrote it or using his article to bash North Indians. the real question is why?. If you notice , North Indians who have travelled or studied in the South (like me) or vice versa have a very different world view to people who haven't travelled in and around the country.I have made some wonderful friends from the South, and why South, from East , west , North every part of India , and the more people I meet from various parts of India I realise that we are all the same. In particular, my generation (the famous Gen X), does not differentiate on as shite a basis as the region one is coming from. I am an unabashed supporter of globalisation, and this is why I completely support it because it is leading towards a new sort of national integration where Kannadigas work in Gurgaon, and Biharis in Bangalore and Chennai.
I think this is real national integration and I hope it continues.I come from Delhi and studied in Bangalore and there is a definite stereotype that one associates with North Indians and South Indians. Southies consider Northies to be "corrupting their culture", whereas northies have a condescending attitude towards the Southies. But once they come to know each other all this peels off , and they can see beyond each others last names.
Some time back one of my profs said that the erstwhile USSR had a yearly program in schools whereby school children from one part of the country were taken to the other side so that they accept and appreciate the diversity of their country. Maybe, we should start looking at the same because our diversity is absolutely the pillar of our country.I am working in the UK now, and people are expecting India to be on the cusp of something great. Lets channelize our energies positively towards that rather than bicker which Zone or state is better and end up causing real harm to our country.
Jai Hind!
Photo Credit: devadutta.blogspot.com
Tags: North India vs South India, North India vs South India, North India vs South India
Sourav - the champion
Ever since David vs Goliath happened , human beings have supported the underdog. There is nothing more exciting than someone beating the odds and a better opposition. Sourav Ganguly was an underdog since he returned to international cricket in late 2006. I was secretly rooting for him to do well coz well i love supporting underdogs. Anyway, the real issue is the way he has comeback into the team and carved a niche for himself, again. It might not seem a big deal now but race back to 2005 and Dada was nowhere in the reckoning. A series of lucky breaks (Raina's dip in form) helped Ganguly to return and oh my! has he taken it with both hands. But there is a difference to Ganguly this time. His attitude has changed , for the better.
In todays match he came out to play again after bowling overs and getting cramps. This si something one never expected from Ganguly.You gotta give credit to him. He is showing how much he wants to play for India. In fact, I think that his determination is so fierce that there would be no place for Rainas and Kaifs till Dada is in the team.You can see it in his eyes, a steely determination of jus keep doing well. On his return to the Indian team, Harsha Bhogle was interviewing him and you could tell by the way he talked to them that Sourav is where he belongs.
Tendulkar has a special place in Indian cricket because he is simply a genius. Dravid is so bloody focussed and disciplined but Ganguly's place will always be remembered for his mental toughness and a never say die attitude. Tell me one cricketer who has faced so much flak and criticism, but come back so brilliantly. How many of us gave him a chance of scoring a century at Lord's?or scoring a century at Brisbane? or for taking India to the world cup final ? none. But he surpassed all expectations through sheer mental strength and self belief. Thats why Sourav Ganguly is a champion in my book. Inspite of his shoddy fielding, and difficulty in playing quick bowling, he is out on the crease fighting and fighting and then fighting some more. Vince Lombardi , an oft quoted legendary American football coach, defines a champions attitude as
“I have been wounded but not yet slain. I shall lie here and bleed awile. Then I shall rise and fight again. The title of champion may from time to time fall to others more than ourselves. But the heart, the spirit, and the soul of champions remains.”
Dada carry on, you are special, a true champion.
In todays match he came out to play again after bowling overs and getting cramps. This si something one never expected from Ganguly.You gotta give credit to him. He is showing how much he wants to play for India. In fact, I think that his determination is so fierce that there would be no place for Rainas and Kaifs till Dada is in the team.You can see it in his eyes, a steely determination of jus keep doing well. On his return to the Indian team, Harsha Bhogle was interviewing him and you could tell by the way he talked to them that Sourav is where he belongs.
Tendulkar has a special place in Indian cricket because he is simply a genius. Dravid is so bloody focussed and disciplined but Ganguly's place will always be remembered for his mental toughness and a never say die attitude. Tell me one cricketer who has faced so much flak and criticism, but come back so brilliantly. How many of us gave him a chance of scoring a century at Lord's?or scoring a century at Brisbane? or for taking India to the world cup final ? none. But he surpassed all expectations through sheer mental strength and self belief. Thats why Sourav Ganguly is a champion in my book. Inspite of his shoddy fielding, and difficulty in playing quick bowling, he is out on the crease fighting and fighting and then fighting some more. Vince Lombardi , an oft quoted legendary American football coach, defines a champions attitude as
“I have been wounded but not yet slain. I shall lie here and bleed awile. Then I shall rise and fight again. The title of champion may from time to time fall to others more than ourselves. But the heart, the spirit, and the soul of champions remains.”
Dada carry on, you are special, a true champion.
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