Sometimes in life there are few things for which we seem to have no explanation at all. Like this:
Why has there never been a left handed dibbly dobbler? A dibbly dobbler according to Geoff Boycott is one who trundles to the pitch and bowls an assortment of cutters, slower ones and anything which can be classified as 120- km/hr. I have watched cricket quite a lot and still I am racking my brains to find one bowler who belongs to the ilk of Gavin Larsen, Sourav Ganguly, Chris Harris, Ian Harvey, Hansie Cronje etc.. Heck, I dont think there is even a spinner/dibbly dobbler like Sachin.
There is one guy , Sohail Tanvir who bowls left arm fast medium/spin. The only kind of left arm bowlers I have seen are those who bowl left arm fast/fast medium/orthodox. A left arm leg spinner i.e., a Chinaman itself is a rarity, those on the top of my mind being Michael Bevan,Simon Katich and the frog-in-a-blender Paul Adams. This though is a well publicised fact and most us are aware that Chinaman bowlers are as rare as winter in Chennai.
There is only one guy I think who bowled left arm military medium, Ijaz Ahmed, the destroyer of an Indian bowling combination comprising Abey Kuruvilla,Venkatesh Prasad,Rajesh Chauhan,Harvinder Singh (Excuse me for the digression, the thought of this Indian bowling "Attack??" sends me on a nostalgia trip). Still, wouldn't there be one captain who would love to have a bowler of this variety? I mean, it is something that has never been seen by the cricket playing community and would certainly be a welcome novelty in addition to the Switch Hit and the Carrom Ball.
May the left hander survive. May he flower(like Andy, the great Zimbabwean maybe?) , may he prosper. And no, this is not a left handed compliment :)
PS: I am a left hander.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
What's in a name?
It has always been a source of amusement to me, the way teams have been named in the Indian Premier League. Mumbai decided to call themselves Indians, as if the rest of us are from Swaziland or Burkina Faso. Delhi decided to call themselves Daredevils, maybe due to Akshay Kumar's presence and Deccan in a fit of inspired thinking triggered by V.V.S Laxman's running between the wickets,called themselves Chargers.
Amidst all this sea of really "innovative" name keeping,Chennai went with Super Kings. Being an avowed Chennai fan, I was obviously curious. People bandied about various reasons and prominent among them were:
1) It's an indirect homage to the superstar of Tamil Cinema. ICL did steal a march by calling themselves Chennai Superstars, and hence the Chennai IPL team had to resort to this. One team I thought had got it perfectly right were the people behind PHL(Premier Hockey League),
who named the hockey team Chennai Veerans (Madurai Veerans would have been even better).
2)Super is an extremely important Madras baashai word. When I came to Madras in 1993, after having spent the first 8 years of my life in New Delhi, this was one word that I noticed kept recurring in everyone's lingo. People had to keep saying "Super a iruku","Machan Super da", and ultimately it entered my lexicon too without much hesitance one should agree.
And with the logo being that of a Lion, it could possibly be a sum of the two and hence Super + King(s).
It was when I read Business Line yesterday that I found the reason behind the naming of the franchise. Apparently, the 2 most popular brands of cement that are manufactured by India Cements, who own CSK are Coromandel Super and Coromandel King.Thus, Super King(s).
I never thought on these lines, thought it seems to be a brilliant idea, but why this was not publicised by India Cements really beats me. Generally, no one is too bothered about cement ad's, but this was one serious way of increasing brand recall.
PS:
If you don't remember Coromandel King flip your mind again, that construction site, those sacks with the spade imprint, that labourer in yellow colour jersey(CSK jersey colour btw), ahh.. yes finally you remember. Wonderful !!
Amidst all this sea of really "innovative" name keeping,Chennai went with Super Kings. Being an avowed Chennai fan, I was obviously curious. People bandied about various reasons and prominent among them were:
1) It's an indirect homage to the superstar of Tamil Cinema. ICL did steal a march by calling themselves Chennai Superstars, and hence the Chennai IPL team had to resort to this. One team I thought had got it perfectly right were the people behind PHL(Premier Hockey League),
who named the hockey team Chennai Veerans (Madurai Veerans would have been even better).
2)Super is an extremely important Madras baashai word. When I came to Madras in 1993, after having spent the first 8 years of my life in New Delhi, this was one word that I noticed kept recurring in everyone's lingo. People had to keep saying "Super a iruku","Machan Super da", and ultimately it entered my lexicon too without much hesitance one should agree.
And with the logo being that of a Lion, it could possibly be a sum of the two and hence Super + King(s).
It was when I read Business Line yesterday that I found the reason behind the naming of the franchise. Apparently, the 2 most popular brands of cement that are manufactured by India Cements, who own CSK are Coromandel Super and Coromandel King.Thus, Super King(s).
I never thought on these lines, thought it seems to be a brilliant idea, but why this was not publicised by India Cements really beats me. Generally, no one is too bothered about cement ad's, but this was one serious way of increasing brand recall.
PS:
If you don't remember Coromandel King flip your mind again, that construction site, those sacks with the spade imprint, that labourer in yellow colour jersey(CSK jersey colour btw), ahh.. yes finally you remember. Wonderful !!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Trivianomics
I kept taking notice of the fact that during a point in the Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps had more medals than the rest of the US squad put together.
Until, another startling piece of trivia came my way, only 4 countries have a population greater than that of Uttar Pradesh .
Until, another startling piece of trivia came my way, only 4 countries have a population greater than that of Uttar Pradesh .
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Bolt from the Blue Carib
The 100m dash has always made me wonder, why the most prestgious gold medal also takes the least time to win. Maybe it is the thing they call Need for Speed.
Anyway, the winner was a Jamaican very very aptly named Usain Bolt. Bolt could possibly be the most apt surname for a sprinter, but with another tinker we could make it even better.
"Usa"in Bolt --> "Usa"out Bolt
Anyway, the winner was a Jamaican very very aptly named Usain Bolt. Bolt could possibly be the most apt surname for a sprinter, but with another tinker we could make it even better.
"Usa"in Bolt --> "Usa"out Bolt
King Midas Reincarnated
Mythological tales are generally fantasies, which people concoct to imagine things which would normally not happen in reality. But there are times, when strange things happen and one is linked to the story of a king named Midas.
It is said that whatever Midas touched turned into Aurum (Ancient name of Gold, and Midas was an ancient king, get the drift ?). This tale though hard to believe has finally been repeated in real life by a gentleman(fish?) from Baltimore, Maryland named Michael Fred Phelps .
It is said that whatever Midas touched turned into Aurum (Ancient name of Gold, and Midas was an ancient king, get the drift ?). This tale though hard to believe has finally been repeated in real life by a gentleman(fish?) from Baltimore, Maryland named Michael Fred Phelps .
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Milkybar Memories
Bought a Milkybar sometime back. Cost me 10 bucks. When I bought it nothing special struck me. Just when I unwrapped it and started chomping it like just another eatable, realised how unimaginative/reckless I had become.
When in school, a Milkybar was something cherished. When appa bought me one, I used to treasure it like a mother fondles her new born. You can't just open the cover and start eating. First you have to look at the bar, then read everything in and around the cover, stare at all the images that are there, check if anything free was not given by the stingy shopkeeper, and then place it in the refrigerator to cool. Every 5 minutes the mind wandered off from Science and Social Studies to the Godrej 165 L rusted pale White fridge and the hand instinctively reached for the fridge (yes mummy told it's fridge only!).
But, then came the villain amongst all these dreamy sensations, the SISTER. It came , it growled and it snatched the candy. Then , a fight ensued, World War 1 chapters were forgotten, Newton's laws were rewritten and the SISTER was forced to share the spoils, that "Smoothest Whitest Softest bar, Nestle's Milkybar". Then we had to cut each piece nice and clean, ensure there were no extra helpings for either of us. The grandmother was called to confirm that the pieces were equal and finally when all was well we finally got to sink our teeth into those 2-3 pieces of absolute bliss. Then , when Duck Tales came on TV,during the ad breaks those children used to fly like astronauts and eat whole bars of Milkybar and the mind wandered off again imagining when it will live to see that day when it too could do that.
Finally, the day has come 8 th July 2008, alas the pleasure doesn't remain.Oh, what wouldn't I give to be a child again minus the studies of course :)
When in school, a Milkybar was something cherished. When appa bought me one, I used to treasure it like a mother fondles her new born. You can't just open the cover and start eating. First you have to look at the bar, then read everything in and around the cover, stare at all the images that are there, check if anything free was not given by the stingy shopkeeper, and then place it in the refrigerator to cool. Every 5 minutes the mind wandered off from Science and Social Studies to the Godrej 165 L rusted pale White fridge and the hand instinctively reached for the fridge (yes mummy told it's fridge only!).
But, then came the villain amongst all these dreamy sensations, the SISTER. It came , it growled and it snatched the candy. Then , a fight ensued, World War 1 chapters were forgotten, Newton's laws were rewritten and the SISTER was forced to share the spoils, that "Smoothest Whitest Softest bar, Nestle's Milkybar". Then we had to cut each piece nice and clean, ensure there were no extra helpings for either of us. The grandmother was called to confirm that the pieces were equal and finally when all was well we finally got to sink our teeth into those 2-3 pieces of absolute bliss. Then , when Duck Tales came on TV,during the ad breaks those children used to fly like astronauts and eat whole bars of Milkybar and the mind wandered off again imagining when it will live to see that day when it too could do that.
Finally, the day has come 8 th July 2008, alas the pleasure doesn't remain.Oh, what wouldn't I give to be a child again minus the studies of course :)
Monday, July 7, 2008
WIMBLEDON
As another day dawns upon us, July 6, the Americans would veer towards the fact that it's their long weekend and the rest of the sporting world rubs it's hands in fervent glee anticipating the most momentous day in the sporting calendar - the WIMBLEDON final.
What's it about Wimbledon that has the critics and the masses swooning over it? Why is it that it is the holy grail
in all of tennisdom? It should be because of the amazing sense of history associated with it and crucially because there are so few
events played on grass anything which is rare is revered. There are umpteen events on clay and hard court that the Australian, the French and the US open don't seem to overwhelm us anymore. And anything which is British has to have a sense of dignity and pride (Hooliganism apart that is :) ), the strawberry and cream, the lack of irritating sponsor boards on courts and the lush lush lush green courts. When a certain William Renshaw was winning Wimbledon in the 1880's, would he have realised he was the precursor to a long list of truly great champions who would converge in London for a display of 2 weeks of breathaking tennis.
Each tournament, in any sport for that matter survives on a diet of contrasting rivalries and Wimbledon being no different , was blessed with it's own assembly line .Oh, what wouldn't I give to sit on that hallowed courts watching a trash talking John McEenroe pit his wits against a serene Bjorn Borg or the all Australian battle between Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle or the peerless Pete Sampras match the big serving Goran Ivansevic. Goran, doesn't it bring back those tearful and ultimately joyous memories. That was my Wimbledon moment, as an impressionable youngster living and dying with the man from Split,Croatia trying to bring his split personality into unison with that serve of his.
Goran once famously remarked , there are 3 Gorans inside him, the Good Goran, the Bad Goran and the Emergency Goran , all of which could do only one thing in common - SERVE. And boy, did that serve hook me. Eagerly watching him battle his demons in the 1990's but unable to win any of the 3 finals he contested in, we were left wondering whether it would be another case of the Best Player never to have won Wimbledon. And then came 2001, the year the WTC was toppled , the IT boom went bust and my man Goran won. It was potentially the best Wimbledon of all time . When Goran remarked after winning the title against another crowd favorite Pat Rafter, he said he wouldn't mind not winning another tennis match in his life. That is Wimbledon for us. With all the euphoria surrounding Goran in 2001, another young man was taking baby steps towards greatness, Roger Federer when he defeated Pete Sampras in the 4th round.
When Sampras lost rather unfortunately in the 2nd round in 2002, to another Swissman George Bastl, the tennis world wondered whether they would find some one else who would carry the torch and the cupboard did look bare with pretenders like Hewitt winning in 2002. Then, came 2003 and we never looked back . Because it was the age of Roger, Roger Federer. Like a man possessed Roger helped us overcome the lose of Pistol Pete with his class and all round tennis skills.Federer won from 2003-2005 with great ease enthralling the Center Court audiences with a dazzling array of strokes which none of his fellow competitors could comprehend.Here was a guy who could serve and volley and play from the basline with equal felicity. Here was a guy who was virtually unbeatable, winning everything in sight and the audience was left wondering whether he was in fact the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time .
Were we to witness another rivalry or just watch Federer climb step upon step of transcendental glory? Or could there be someone, someone who could show us that it takes two to tango. Finally , we found our knight in shining armor ( or was it a raging bull in ghastly capris :) ), Rafael Nadal. Nadal, we all thought would be another one in the fleet of Spanish Armada Ships that harbored on the baseline and keep winning the French, but little did we realise that here was someone who could match Roger shot for shot. He made the finals in 2006, we thought it was sheer luck, he made the finals in 2007, well lady luck struck twice and now 2008, it's not luck mate it's Rafa's pluck (puns puns and more puns :) ). 2006 was contested in 4 sets, 2007 in 5 sets and 2008, what next?.
Man, I am pinching myself for being able to watch this feast fit for gods . Even Bjorn Borg is back from hibernation to watch them , and so is Sachin (Why Sachin, any sports article written by an Indian has to include him !).
Roger or Rafa - Take your pick. Sparks will fly.
- Ramesh Natarajan
05/07/2008
What's it about Wimbledon that has the critics and the masses swooning over it? Why is it that it is the holy grail
in all of tennisdom? It should be because of the amazing sense of history associated with it and crucially because there are so few
events played on grass anything which is rare is revered. There are umpteen events on clay and hard court that the Australian, the French and the US open don't seem to overwhelm us anymore. And anything which is British has to have a sense of dignity and pride (Hooliganism apart that is :) ), the strawberry and cream, the lack of irritating sponsor boards on courts and the lush lush lush green courts. When a certain William Renshaw was winning Wimbledon in the 1880's, would he have realised he was the precursor to a long list of truly great champions who would converge in London for a display of 2 weeks of breathaking tennis.
Each tournament, in any sport for that matter survives on a diet of contrasting rivalries and Wimbledon being no different , was blessed with it's own assembly line .Oh, what wouldn't I give to sit on that hallowed courts watching a trash talking John McEenroe pit his wits against a serene Bjorn Borg or the all Australian battle between Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle or the peerless Pete Sampras match the big serving Goran Ivansevic. Goran, doesn't it bring back those tearful and ultimately joyous memories. That was my Wimbledon moment, as an impressionable youngster living and dying with the man from Split,Croatia trying to bring his split personality into unison with that serve of his.
Goran once famously remarked , there are 3 Gorans inside him, the Good Goran, the Bad Goran and the Emergency Goran , all of which could do only one thing in common - SERVE. And boy, did that serve hook me. Eagerly watching him battle his demons in the 1990's but unable to win any of the 3 finals he contested in, we were left wondering whether it would be another case of the Best Player never to have won Wimbledon. And then came 2001, the year the WTC was toppled , the IT boom went bust and my man Goran won. It was potentially the best Wimbledon of all time . When Goran remarked after winning the title against another crowd favorite Pat Rafter, he said he wouldn't mind not winning another tennis match in his life. That is Wimbledon for us. With all the euphoria surrounding Goran in 2001, another young man was taking baby steps towards greatness, Roger Federer when he defeated Pete Sampras in the 4th round.
When Sampras lost rather unfortunately in the 2nd round in 2002, to another Swissman George Bastl, the tennis world wondered whether they would find some one else who would carry the torch and the cupboard did look bare with pretenders like Hewitt winning in 2002. Then, came 2003 and we never looked back . Because it was the age of Roger, Roger Federer. Like a man possessed Roger helped us overcome the lose of Pistol Pete with his class and all round tennis skills.Federer won from 2003-2005 with great ease enthralling the Center Court audiences with a dazzling array of strokes which none of his fellow competitors could comprehend.Here was a guy who could serve and volley and play from the basline with equal felicity. Here was a guy who was virtually unbeatable, winning everything in sight and the audience was left wondering whether he was in fact the
Were we to witness another rivalry or just watch Federer climb step upon step of transcendental glory? Or could there be someone, someone who could show us that it takes two to tango. Finally , we found our knight in shining armor ( or was it a raging bull in ghastly capris :) ), Rafael Nadal. Nadal, we all thought would be another one in the fleet of Spanish Armada Ships that harbored on the baseline and keep winning the French, but little did we realise that here was someone who could match Roger shot for shot. He made the finals in 2006, we thought it was sheer luck, he made the finals in 2007, well lady luck struck twice and now 2008, it's not luck mate it's Rafa's pluck (puns puns and more puns :) ). 2006 was contested in 4 sets, 2007 in 5 sets and 2008, what next?.
Man, I am pinching myself for being able to watch this feast fit for gods . Even Bjorn Borg is back from hibernation to watch them , and so is Sachin (Why Sachin, any sports article written by an Indian has to include him !).
Roger or Rafa - Take your pick. Sparks will fly.
- Ramesh Natarajan
05/07/2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Musical Memories
What is it about music that captures us so much? Beats me! I was thinking about this old group song that we used to sing (well not sing but blare) in school and I was able to reproduce it word by word without having thought about it for nearly 10 years.
The song:
We shall overcome(2),
We shall overcome someday,
Oho deep in my heart
I do believe that
we shall overcome someday.
Popularly known as Hum honge kamyab.
Hum honge kamyab(2),
Hum honge kamyab ek din,
Oho man me hai vishwas,
And this is for some one who can't remember one chemical equation for 5 minutes. Startling, the power of music isn't it?
The song:
We shall overcome(2),
We shall overcome someday,
Oho deep in my heart
I do believe that
we shall overcome someday.
Popularly known as Hum honge kamyab.
Hum honge kamyab(2),
Hum honge kamyab ek din,
Oho man me hai vishwas,
Poora hai vishwas,
Hum honge kamyab ek din.And this is for some one who can't remember one chemical equation for 5 minutes. Startling, the power of music isn't it?
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
2 posts in a day, and it is snowing in Madras
Prashnottari:
Question: What would Laxmipathy Balaji tell Darrell Hair if he didn't uphold Balaji's plea for an LBW decision
En Kelviku Ena Badhil.
Answer: Poda "Mairu".
Yay, I got this "monkey" off my back finally. I wanted to write/post this somewhere. I have taken permission from ICC to use the word "monkey".
Question: What would Laxmipathy Balaji tell Darrell Hair if he didn't uphold Balaji's plea for an LBW decision
En Kelviku Ena Badhil.
Answer: Poda "Mairu".
Yay, I got this "monkey" off my back finally. I wanted to write/post this somewhere. I have taken permission from ICC to use the word "monkey".
Second Innings
Ok, this is my second blog. I had started one when I was in college (being young and impressionable you see) and it turned out to be a damp squib as it was consumed by a giant squid. My first innings was worth 2 runs. Let's see how long this one lasts. No promises , no "com"promises I will pethify whatever I want whenever I want. Ipothiku TaTa NaNo.
Oh and if you are interested in reading my pieces of crap please navigate here. And you can gauge my el brilliantico by comparing the titles .
Oh and if you are interested in reading my pieces of crap please navigate here. And you can gauge my el brilliantico by comparing the titles .
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