LINUS FERNANDES

Sunil Gavaskar: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“Somebody should tell them nobody from Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool has come to scout talent here.”

Sunil Gavaskar is not quite thrilled about Indian cricketers getting injured playing soccer rather than in the nets or on the field.

What he really meant:

“It’s the IPL, for Christ’s sake, not the EPL.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“They’re cricketers, they should just focus on cricket. In my heyday, I played tennis, badminton, TT and hockey with a cricket bat.”

Ishant Sharma: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

"Sometimes even I don’t know which ball is going to straighten, so how can the batsmen know?”

Ishant Sharma confesses to being nonplussed sometimes as to the direction his deliveries will take.

What he really meant:

“It’s easy to keep batsmen guessing when I’m guessing as well.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“How much can a cricket ball deviate from a straight line?”

Alastair Cook: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“The cricketing gods might look down in a bit of disgust.”

Alastair Cook is not too happy with Sri Lankan batters, who appeared to lose sight of the target in the attempt to ensure that Dinesh Chandimal reached his century at Lord’s.

What he really meant:

“The rain gods did not oblige us with a wash-out. Why should they favour Sri Lanka and particularly Dinesh Chandimal? ”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I would not have had much to say had Sri Lanka batted first.”

“I’d better say something critical before any one points out how long I took to make my ton.”

Chris Gayle, Indian cricket team and Anirudha Srikkanth

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle, Chris Gayle, Chris Gayle.

It’s all about the West Indian opening bat.

Will he ever play for the Windies again?

The solution to this riddle may lie with Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The heads of government opted to resurrect the prime ministerial sub-committee on cricket to resolve the dispute.

For uninterested outsiders, it becomes harder and harder to sympathise with the Jamaican player. Not because the decision taken by the West Indian Cricket Board is fair, but because it seems he’s crying himself hoarse despite being richer to the tune of $265,000 plus his RCB fee of $400,000. Being a free agent has its perks when you’re Chris Gayle.

Dr. Ernest Hilaire and Dinanath Ramnarine are the other high-profile faces of the warring sides in this drama. The man in the centre of the storm is Ottis Gibson, the West Indian coach.

Gibson is a former player from Barbados who played a couple of Tests snaring three big wickets in Alec Stewart, Darren Gough and Jacques Kallis. Gayle appears to have more than a few issues with the current coach, a common thread repeated by Shivnarine Chanderpaul among others. A resolution to the crisis can only happen if Gibson is shown the door. Every predicament has a scapegoat.

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Novak Djokovic Has An ‘Eye of The Tiger’

"I don’t know why I ate the grass. I felt like an animal! I wanted to see how it tastes. It came spontaneously. I didn’t plan to do it. I didn’t know what to do in all my excitement and joy."

—Novak Djokovic describing his wild rite on centre-court on winning Wimbledon for the first time.

Perhaps, the slim Serb was feeling like a tiger—admittedly a grass-chewing one.

Survivor wrote a song for Rocky III in 1982 called the ‘Eye of The Tiger’.

The lyrics could very well depict the Djoker’s elation at achieving a long-held dream.

Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger (As Is Version)

Risin’ up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

It’s the, eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watchin’ us all with the eye of the tiger…

Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin’ tough, stayin’ hungry
They stack the odds still we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive

It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watchin’ us all with the eye of the tiger…

Risin’ up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I’m not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive

It’s the, eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watchin’ us all with the eye of the tiger…

The eye of the tiger…
The eye of the tiger…
The eye of the tiger…
The eye of the tiger…

Quote of the day:
A coupla months in the laboratory can save a coupla hours in the library. – Westheimer’s Discovery

Underwear, one-way streets and Central European champions

“Bjorn Loves John”—that’s what will be emblazoned on Bjorn Borg’s new line of underwear.

Mac the Mouth disclosed that he has donned the Borg name under his pants for the past 10 years. Now, he has a chance to get his own back.

The former champs are serious.

But John, why wear those undies beneath your clothes? Wear them over  like a modern-day superhero where those labels are visible to all and sundry.

A better idea would be for Bjorn to launch a special edition of ‘Borg loves Nadal’ when the Spaniard equals Bjorn’s record of 11 majors.

For a man who is immensely flattered to be compared to the inimitable Swede, there could be no bigger compliment.

But then, Armani might not be too happy about it.

For now, it’s merely a ‘Perfect 10’  for the Mallorcan.

Rafael Nadal was on his way to a third Wimbledon title and his 11th major, until he turned into a one-way path—‘Djokovic Street’. Unfortunately, traffic was not flowing his way.

The Serbian knocked out the defending champion in four sets, a thorough demolition of the man who would be ‘GOAT’. Is there a chance that we might soon be saying the same of Nadal, that he is the best ever except he was not the best of his generation?

That’s assuming the Djoker can sustain his spell of excellence and attain a stranglehold over his senior—by a year.

We shall see.

Did you know?

Petra Kvitova is the first Czech woman since Jana Novotna—in 1998—to win Wimbledon.

Jan Kodes was the last Czech man to triumph at Wimbledon in 1973 representing the erstwhile Czechoslovakia.

Novak Djokovic is the first Serbian to win the men’s title. He is the first man from a Central European country to win the title since Croatian Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.

No Central European ‘pair’ have lifted the singles title in the same year.

Quote of the day:
In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it’s the exact opposite. – Paul Dirac

Andy Murray: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

‘It’s hilarious. It happens three or four times a match. I don’t find it amusing.’

Andy Murray is not amused that some fans think it a gag to start a ‘Come on, Tim’ chorus whenever he plays at Wimbledon—an obvious reference to his predecessor Tim Henman, who made four Wimbledon semis without making a single final.

What he really meant:

“Aw, come on, chaps. Tim’s retired, besides he never got to a Slam final. I have three appearances.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Now, you know why I grew a beard this year. I was hoping they wouldn’t recognise me and leave me alone.”

“You do know, it’s not called ‘Henman Hill’ anymore.’Murray Mound’, it is!”

Andy Murray: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

"I think it’s about time she stopped that nonsense. Makes me want to throw up. It’s disgusting,"

Andy Murray is disgusted that his mother, Judy, named his hitting partner and quarter-final opponent, Feliciano Lopez, ‘Deliciano’, a moniker that stuck. Murray embarrassed his mother by then telling Lopez that his mother thought him ‘beautiful’ and asked for a picture of them together.

What he really meant:

“You’re embarrassing me, Mother. Stop.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Why couldn’t she come up with a nickname like that for me or Jaime?”

Maria Sharapova: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

What she said:

“I don’t think I would allow that (laughter).”

Maria Sharapova does not tell her boyfriend Sasha Vujacic how to play basketball and likewise will not permit him to advise her on the intricacies of tennis.

What she really meant:

“I’m the tennis player—not Sasha.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“It’s rocket science.”

Martina Navratilova: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

 

What she said:

“It’s the way the game is played now. The two hander will rule, no doubt in my mind. Unfortunately, it’s a beautiful thing that’s kind of passe.”

Martina Navratilova agrees that as the game progresses it becomes harder and harder for a player with a single-handed backhand to triumph against two-handed backhand players.

What she really meant:

“A single-handed backhand player? Soon to be extinct—a museum for him or her, perhaps?”

What she definitely didn’t:

“Federer still rules.”