LINUS FERNANDES

Somdev scores a ton

The Ton Is Here!

He’s done it! Finally!

Somdev Devvarman has cracked the top 100 on the ATP tour. Another milestone in his fledgling career.

He becomes just the second Indian male player in a decade or so to be ranked amongst the top 100. Leander Paes was the last Indian male to be ranked so, achieving that distinction in 1999.

Somdev’s rise to the list of centurions has not been meteoric; rather it has been steady but sure.

He is now ranked 96 in the world. However, he is unlikely to be perched there for too long; he was thwarted in his bid to defend last year’s accumulated points.More on that later.

IIT Bombay – IRace Aug 1, 2010

Image via Wikipedia

I ran my first 10 km race (the IRace) on the 1st of August, 2010 at the IIT Bombay campus at Powai. Running after almost 2 months , I decided not to push myself too much.

However,I was confident I could last the course. But the last 1 km stretch was killing on the feet. 1 hour 35 minutes on a course that was not all flat terrain is not bad ,says I, especially since I have run 10 kms just 2 –3 times in training and not quite recently. The time, incidentally, is the longest period I have run so far. Overall, a satisfying outing for me.

The organizers did a great job. A big Thank YOU!

PS: I would especially like to thank the b*****s yelling ‘Give Up’ throughout the course.Also, the security personnel for acting clueless as to what’s going on and where! (sarcastic note).

Life isn’t about the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away. Anonymous

Source: http://quotes4all.net/quote_1133.html

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Murali erupts, at last! Bedi bears the brunt!

Prologue

The controversy over Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling action will not abate.

Just when we believed that Murali would waltz off into the sunset — peaking at 800 Test wickets — we find alarm bells tinkling in the Indian media.

Bishan Singh Bedi was among those who remarked on Murali’s latest achievement but qualified his congratulations saying that he thought that Murali was a lovely person and a nice chap (something on those lines) but he believed that the ICC had bent its rules to accommodate his equally bent arm. He pronounced him a chucker and maintained that he would always consider him one.

His protégé, Maninder Singh, echoing his godfather, noted that Murali would always remain a disputed figure because of his unorthodox action.

Over the years, Murali chugged along smoothly without responding in kind to any criticism. He let his supple fingers do the talking and ICC could decide on the legality of his action. That was good enough for him.

But all that changed this week, when Murali in an interview with the Indian TV news channel, Times Now, went on the offensive, claiming that there is a lot of jealousy about his achievements among former players. He targeted Bishan Singh Bedi and lambasted him, disparaging him as an ordinary bowler.

Quote of the day:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye. – Miss Piggy

Murali On Bedi

Murali , uncharacteristically , had the following to say about Bedi:

“Bedi, I don’t think he even comes to a contest on that. I saw some (of his) bowling of his playing days. In modern era, if he plays he will get hammered every ball, that is what will happen. So no comparison”

“Prasanna is a good bowler. I have seen his bowling. Venkataraghavan is good. But Bedi does not come under it”

“He (Bedi) is also a controversial person. He has lot of controversies everywhere in the world. And he should think about himself first rather than talking about other people”

“He (Bedi) did not have any variation. He just bowled left arm spin and pitch did the variation for him. That is what he bowled”

Muralitharan also had praise for his contemporary Anil Kumble.
“You forget the best spinner is Anil Kumble. Not Bedi or Venkataraghavan or any other. I think the best ever spinner produced (in India) is Kumble. No doubt about it and nobody can doubt it. Statistics-wise and on the basis of other things, he is far ahead than other guys”,

The Rejoinders

Bedi’s response was swift :

“I don’t call Murali a chucker. He is a chucker.”

Bedi was supported by his colleague-in-arms, Prasanna:

“He (Murali) should have avoided it. Murali should have been little more mature. He just can’t make such loose comments that anybody could have achieved Bishen’s feat. We all admire him for his achievements. He should have avoided making such comments.”

“The fact of the matter is that ICC bent its rules for Murali. With that, flexibility was allowed to him and most of the bowlers.”

“He doesn’t fit into the slot of conventional bowler but fact of the matter is ICC bent the rules and permitted him. Therefore it’s ok.”

Maninder Singh joined the fray next:

“If he (Bedi) was allowed to bend his arm by ICC, he would have taken 5 wickets in every of the 67 matches that he played in his career. Murali should keep his mouth shut really.”

“Whole world knows that he has the licence from the ICC to keep chucking and that’s why he started his ‘doosra‘. Nobody stopped him. Wickets started increasing for him. It’s best time for Murali to keep shut.

“He should understand he is talking about such a great bowler Bedi. I don’t think he is doing justice to himself. I have lost respect for him after this verbal attack.”

Former Australian captain and great Steve Waugh commented:

“Bishen has been very strong in his criticism about Murali. I don’t necessarily agree to what he said but I think Murali must have held his tongue for 15 years and just gave it back today.”

Commentary And Analysis

Let’s look at the protagonists in this war of words, examine their statements and verify the veracity of their utterances.

First, Bedi.

Bedi is right. Murali is unconventional. The ICC, though, has given him the benefit of the doubt. He has been subjected to varied scientific tests but the ICC — unable to slot him into a pigeon hole –– pressurized by the Sri Lankan board caved in and exonerated him of all charges of throwing.

Bedi, however, is an old-fashioned man and speaks his mind. He believes that cricket should be pure and chaste. He does not mince words and has gone head-to-head with various sporting personalities, the most famous example being his spat with Sunny Gavaskar, one that has endured over the years. He has termed Gavaskar a destructive influence and says that he always liked power without accountability.

Bedi has always been critical of Murali; some of his earlier, unequivocal remarks about the bowler were similarly pungent, vehement and caustic.

“If Murali doesn’t chuck, then show me how to bowl.”

He has compared Murali’s action to a javelin throw and shot putting.

Muralitharan “will complete 1000 Test wickets but they would count as mere run-outs in my eyes”.

Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan bandit closing in on a dream artist called Shane Warne.”

Bedi has been equally adept in antagonizing Harbhajan Singh, similarly terming him a chucker.

Murali , in 2004, threatened to take Bedi to court unable to put up with his constant derision and barrage of criticism.

But Murali has been a veritable sea of calm since.

Why this sudden volte face? What made this normally, unaffected person turn on Bishan Singh Bedi and savage him in his own country’s media?

Let’s consider Murali again.

His whole life revolved around cricket. It’s his life, his bread-and-butter for the past nineteen years. Murali would have dearly wished to continue till he achieved the milestone of 1000 Test wickets and why not? He is a spinner and his body could easily withstand the wear and tear for another couple of years.

His decision to retire was prompted by Ranatunga’s televised assertion that it was time for Murali to go. That was the final straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. The exhortation from his former captain and mentor was probably more than the normally stoic, ever-smiling Murali could take. And bear in mind, there were three talented Sri Lankan bowlers nipping at his heels, clamoring to be a part of the Sri Lankan eleven.

Much as we would like our heroes to go quietly into the dark night, they rarely do. Now that Murali has retired from Test cricket, he probably felt a huge weight was taken off his shoulders. Is it possible that he felt it was time to take on his detractors, that he could devote some time to their many allegations? Work, work and more work makes Murali a blinkered boy! He has hit back and how!

Murali declares that Bishan Singh Bedi would be hit out of the attack if he were playing now. There is some truth to that; Bishan played in an era when not much one-day cricket was played and bats were much lighter.

It has been the bane of the current cricketers that they believe that the former greats fail to acknowledge current cricketing realities and seem to live and breathe an anachronistic heyday of their own. It is also true that the spinners of today bowl much flatter; that’s because they are punished by the batsmen (and their captains) when they flight the ball specially when mishits clear the ground and switch hits are the order of the day.

But the great ones will always adjust; they always do. Murali’s criticism of Bedi rings true but slightly muted.

As to, who among the four, Venkataraghavan , Bedi , Chandrashekhar and Prasanna was the best? That debate rages to date. Though it is always felt that Venkataraghavan never really got his due. Murali has an opinion and he’s entitled to it.

As for Bedi being a controversy monger, well, need we say more.

Your Opinion

What are your views on this fracas?

I would love to hear from you.

Have a great day!

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Sania Mirza: Whither Goest Thou?

Sania, A Volcano Of Talent

It was a heady day in 2003, when Sania Mirza burst onto the stream of Indian sport consciousness, an awareness that if India were to ever have a world beater in an individual sport , it would not be a hirsute male, but a member of the weaker, fairer sex.

Sania Mirza erupted onto the scene like a long dormant volcano, heralding the birth of a new breed of Indian athletes , who not only excelled at their sport but were media savvy and clever enough to carve an image, a niche for themselves, in games other than cricket.

She was smart, she was intelligent, she was articulate, she was pretty, she was sexy, she was photogenic and she had attitude with a capital A. She carried off the anachronism of a nose ring with aplomb and style. To top it all , she owned a killer forehand -  the one that drew comparisons with Steffi Graf , her idol incidentally– , that was almost impossible to return when she dispatched the tennis ball with all the power and strength at her disposal. The forehand was flat and it was skiddy.

Sania Mirza had arrived on the stage of world tennis and Indian tennis would never be the same again. Or so we hoped.

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Adios, Murali: The Final Musketeer

Suddenly there were none!

The Galle test this week brought down the curtain on the career of the last of the three spinning maestros of this generation.

Much has already been written about Muttiah Muralitharan’s exit from the cricketing stage, and many more reams of paper will be consumed describing his exploits in his swan song test at Galle. Murali ended his Test career on a high against his Indian opponents claiming the requisite eight wickets to perch himself atop the summit of 800 wickets – master of all he surveys – in the process ensuring victory for his Sri Lankan teammates.

Murali , Shane Warne and Anil Kumble were the foremost exponents of spin bowling of this generation. Each alike the other but yet very dissimilar. Will there be any more  like them?

They were the three Musketeers of spin bowling; their sovereign – the Art Of Spin Bowling. Come flat tracks, come bouncy ones, come true ones, come lousy ones, come under-prepared ones, come turners,come rain, come shine, they were forever on call to serve their master, to do him proud. All-weather heroes, I term them!

Corporate Governance

Corporate governance has been in the Indian news headlines quite recently in connection with the scam perpetrated by Raju on Satyam shareholders and employees. Interestingly,  Satyam was the recipient of numerous corporate governance awards. Just goes to prove that just because processes are in place, does not imply that the processes are being followed. The spirit of the law  is more important than the letter of the law. But then India is a nation that loves it’s forms, it’s idiosyncratic processes and customs,it’s  bureaucratic ways and any change is greeted with derision, disdain and shock. Processes are meant to be traditionalized, embedded into the culture of the company and not uprooted without a by your leave! Who minds it’s clutter?

For more laid-back news followers, Satyam was just another scandal in just another family-run business.Satyam despite all its protestations , was just that – a family-run business though it’s shares were listed on the Indian stock exchange and available via ADRs.The more engrossing and entertaining corporate scandal has been the IPL imbroglio and it’s many running installments in the Indian media rumor mill.

Now, the IPL has a governing council which is equivalent to a corporate board of directors. In theory, a board of directors is an independent body that oversees the management of the corporate body or entity. It is there to make sure that the right processes are adhered to, that due diligence is carried out while executing strategy and no hanky-panky or unethical acts are carried out by any of the top management honchos.

But in practice, this is easier said than done. Most corporate boards are appointed with inputs from the incumbent management and thus cronyism is the name of the game. The typical board is populated with members who thus tend to be hand-in-glove with top  management. This seems to have been the case with the IPL governing council. Despite the presence of luminaries such as Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and M A K Pataudi on the governing council, the BCCI finds itself facing a scandal of gargantuan proportions with conflict of interest and high-handedness tarnishing the fabric of IPL governance.

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Uruguay: Tainted? Yes. Defeated? Yes. Disgraced? No.

What if?

We could debate for hours, days, months, years , perhaps until the next World Cup in Brazil, but there can never be a definite answer to our perambulations, our speculations on what could have been. England fans will berate Sepp Blatter and other FIFA officials for not bowing to demands for the introduction of  Hawk-eye technology: Frank Lampard’s goal would have been allowed and a recharged, rejuvenated England side would surely have thumped Germany into submission. Or so they would have us believe.

Image via Wikipedia

What if Luis Suarez had not succumbed to his heart-felt instincts to prevent the Ghanaian goal, throwing his hands at the ball, to stop it from crossing the goal-line. I wonder if Suarez is a betting man. If so, he surely knew that the odds of saving a penalty kick were much better than expecting a magical tailwind to swerve the Jabulani ball away from the goal line and towards safety. Did that thought cross his mind?

His words describing the incident were something on the lines of Maradona’s Hand Of God. Funny how Maradona gets quoted by all the cheats. Perhaps, they hope that his cheeky greatness will gloss over the heinousness of their folly.

But this article is not going to dwell on the Uruguayan fortune in entering the semis on the back of a piece of impudence by a suave Suarez , a hero to his countrymen , who has been termed – tongue-in-cheek – the best goalkeeper of the tournament. His save on the line was ,arguably, the most significant save of the tournament.

Our hearts and minds went out to that man from Ghana- Gyan – who had till then not missed a single penalty. And in that instant of despair, his stricken face told the story. In that moment , all our hearts cried for Africa, for Ghana, for Gyan. We were one in solidarity with the Ghanaian team. But those are the rules of the game: a handball deserves a penalty and a red card. And that is how it is. To twist a cliché: Abide By The Rules, Die By The Rules.

Outplayed, Outmaneuvered, Outwitted

Germany was outplayed, outmaneuvered and outwitted by a Spanish side that believed that slow is good, slow is nice, and that slow can win. The battle between the two teams was less about attractive football and more a war of attrition, of nerves, and mostly, of patience. The Germans were unable to play the free-flowing, counter-attacking style of football that brought them this far to the semifinals.

The Spaniards on the other hand, stuck to their strengths, backing up their defense with tie-clinching goals at crucial junctures. On the eve of the match, I felt  that if both teams played attacking football, Germany stood a better chance. The Spanish however, were resolute in defense and stuck to their game plan of making their midfield superiority pave the way to victory.

Quote of the day:
"There are 350 varieties of shark, not counting loan and pool." – L. M. Boyd

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Wimbledon 2010: Post-mortem

Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Or woman!

And may it never be said that Serena and Rafael don’t know how to party!

They came to the Wimbledon party and how!

Nadal, as though his year-long hiatus from the sport was a mere blip in the chasm of tennis time!

And Serena, who perhaps believes that it’s  now time to just buckle down to it and claim her space in among the greats! Not that she does not belong there already but who’s to say that she might not have been the greatest?

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Venus Quote

"Some people say I have attitude – maybe I do…but
I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself
when no one else does – that makes you a winner
right there." — Venus Williams