Mumbai Indians lost horribly by 10 wickets against the Deccan Chargers yesterday. Gilchrist struck a mammoth 9 sixes for the Chargers scoring the fastest hundred of the tournament in 42 balls to blow the Indians away. This makes Mumbai Indians the only team to have lost all their 4 encounters in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Being a true blue Mumbaikar, I support Mumbai Indians whole heartedly although my loyalties are wearing thin after the successive losses and the Harbhajan controversy which is the saddest thing to happen in Indian sports. On the other hand the team doesn’t seem to be gelling together and there seems to be a complete lack of strategy and decision making. The openers Ronchi (pronounced ‘Ronki’) and Jayasuriya are waltzing to different tunes. Ronchi in particular got out to a wide R P Singh delivery yesterday trying to hit it over the slips. As for Jayasuriya, in the 90s he along with Romesh Kaluwitharana were the dashing Sri Lankan opening pair who instilled fear in the opposition with their explosive batting style in the first 15 overs. The match was normally won during that period as well. At present he seems to lack a good batting partner at the other end and looks over burdened by the huge responsibility and expectations of scoring big runs. Everyone is aware that if he gets going with Sachin, there will be enough runs on the board to demoralize any opposition of the day. I believe Sachin’s recovery would coincide with that of the team’s as well and that’s the best that I can hope for.
Other than Jayasuriya, Shaun Pollock and Dwayne Bravo are the two well-known match winners in the side who have failed to keep up with their reputation. We also have Dilhara Fernando who surprisingly has not been included in the playing XI uptil now — we have been relying more on the unimpressive Ashish Nehra. Including Dilhara would mean leaving a batsman out of the side since one can only play 4 foreigners in the final XI and Shaun Pollock has the ability to turn matches as a handy all-rounder and cannot be ignored. The promising young lads making their T20 debut like Saurabh Tiwary and Ajinkya Rahane will likely need time to accustom with the international standards of this faster version of the game. The question that begs an answer is whether Mumbai Indians which was bought for a huge sum (by Mukesh Ambani and Reliance Industries Limited) lagged behind in bidding for the right mix of professional players who could perform and inspire others to take up the mantle of winning. Whether we lack the right combination of talent or an inspiring leadership role model — only time can put all these questions aside and rest all the doubts forever.
We play the Kolkata Knight Riders next who went down to the Chennai Super Kings in their first loss of the season. They will be looking to hit back confidently against a depleted Mumbai Indians. At present, we seem to be lacking the grit and the initiative to push for a result in our favor. However, it’s imperative that we start winning now - 8 out of our remaining 10 matches to be precise to make ourselves worthy of qualifying for the semis and start worrying about the net run rate in case we are tied in the standings list. Time is running out for the Mumbai Indians. The road ahead seems to be tough and strewn with impossibilities.
Mumbai Indians - What’s in a name.
The name “Mumbai Indians” is devoid of any creativity, is dull and very uninspiring. It seems like a last ditch choice after an unsuccessful brainstorming session. If you note, every team in the IPL has chosen to highlight their regional or cultural taste (Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals) or let their name depict the underlaying character of their team or company (Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Bangalore Royal Challengers). On the contrary the title ‘Mumbai Indians’ interprets to be representative of a national side when in reality it is not “national”. The team has a good combination of both International and Indian players. It sounds odd then to have foreigners playing under the title of ‘Indians’ for Mumbai and therefore difficult to comprehend the rationale behind the name.
The title should have exemplified the dreams of the million strong citizens whose city is a participant in this regional league. The name could have been adjectives that highlight the diverse regional culture and ethnicity — the two strong points of this city. Mumbai is also a contrasting city which is modern, cosmopolitan, trendy, world class, et al apart from being traditional. A neutral name could have played a big role in charging up the morale of a team comprising mixed cultures and languages and boosted the excitement of the fans as well. Talking of which, in a tournament that involves rival metro cities from across India — Bangalore, Jaipur, Delhi, Chennai, etc., any fan supporting the Mumbai IPL team would consider himself to be a proud Mumbaikar first. We surely deserved a better designation along with a win.
Technorati Tags: mumbai indians, mukesh ambani, indian premier league, t20, cricket, bcci, sachin tendulkar
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
April 28th, 2008
I wouldn’t be misplaced if I say the internet is like my first home, since I spend more time there than on real earth. It’s a virtual place where I love exploring its alleys and partake the various benefits almost all free of cost — reference websites, address books, social bookmarking, email clients, et al. In short while I am surfing, I have a global passport of visiting any place without worrying too much about safety unless I download something that’s detrimental to my system. During my office hours, I am advised (rather compelled) to curb my sojourns across the information superhighway to protect the internal network where thousands like me are traveling on business purpose. Every morning though I check my mailbox for any new communication which I might have received during the course of the night. And while doing so I cannot resist the temptation of visiting the spam folder (or bulk email folder depending upon the client you prefer), to see and be intrigued at what the underground world has offered me today.
As compared to the rest, the amount of mails that I receive could hardly make anyone envious of me. It’s understandable considering my reserved stance and I am not regretting it one bit. However reserved I choose to be, the spam folder receives more (unsolicited) mails daily no matter how much effort I invest in protecting my online identity from the evil world. Although the spiteful nature of the content ensures it ends up automatically in the spam folder which I prefer to call a prison, thankfully to be “executed” (deleted) in a time bound fashion.
There are various kinds of spams which keep pouring in and some are truly funny judging from their subject lines. A particular one talks about ingesting “pills” that would assist in increasing the size of a certain inane part of the body and guarantees “instant success” after convincingly quoting a few testimonials from its “satisfied” customers (almost all of them women). There was another that asked me to “forget the doctor” and rely simply on the online medication, a sure shot prescription for disaster to be precise. Another one purportedly from an African nation promises millions of dollars in cash if I sent my reply to the sender. The sender was convinced that the money belonged to a head of state who has died in a conflict. There are more such mails which offer cash incentives, immigration promises and “lucky draw jackpot” prizes, all with the single aim of luring the unsuspecting reader and drawing cash. There are many who go for the kill and get “killed” themselves in the process.
I believe that spam by its nature has a tendency to reflect the undercurrent moods and trends of the society. From individuals who want to “show-off” their programming skills by writing a virus program to porn stars wanting to make a quick buck by inviting you to their online domains to cloudy pharmaceutical “companies” selling their shady concoctions — it’s a marketplace where restraint must be exercised at all levels. In such a scenario, it’s reassuring to find a facility like the spam folder which entraps spammers although it’s not successful in its duties at every time. There are some (mails) which end up in this black hole much the same as our Bollywood storyline, as they await my arrival to free them from the clutches of the villains. Alas! there’s no smart spamming system available which could tap into human emotions and filter the good from the evil. It’s a sign of the long road that the research and development community have to cover to ensure a solution to this long standing menace.
There is a definite purpose behind each spam and each spammer is defiant in his approach. It’s an act of mischief in a bid to challenge the hubris that would eventually efface your modesty and self-belief until you succumb to your own downfall. On several occasions I have witnessed my friends who got sold on an attractive subject line and clicked on their own sorrow only to find their livelihoods being wiped out completely. The “Spam” button should be used freely to lock up those with bad intent and help protect the democracy of the medium. I ensure that I do not open a mail that appears to be from a concerned person but is in reality a wolf posing in a lion’s hide. Look around and you might find a few in your inbox as well. You know what to do now.
ยป Try SpamGourmet to create a disposable email address
Technorati Tags: email, spam, junk mail
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
April 25th, 2008
I have a strong belief in the term customer experience. It matters to me since being a usability professional, it deals with the user’s satisfaction levels. Personally my priorities for purchasing a product ranges from brand loyalty to my expectations out of using the merchandise but if the after sales service is not provided, the product remains underutilized sitting on the investment which I made. Almost any time I decide buy something here, I shudder to think if the company would remember me as their proud customer and provide timely help when I need it. My experience suggests that never happens to be true. I went one of India’s biggest shopping extravaganza, to buy a wallet of my favourite brand. Having finished the deal, I set about dumping my old pouch and started transferring the cash and cards when I realise that the INR 895 (about USD 23) container did not have a pocket to collect the coins. This excuse was enough to promptly ask for an exchange within 10 minutes of purchasing the wallet.
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Continue Reading March 30th, 2008
When existence becomes boring, painful and demanding. When drudgeries of life begin to overtake you, it’s time to immerse yourself in nature’s arms. I have always loved being one amongst nature and as a member of the honourable Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), I could not have left the chance of exploring the deeper jungles of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park go unnoticed. So here I was on a Sunday morning in my trekking gear (without carrying the most important kit of all - water), joining a group of nature enthusiasts at the entrance of the park and of course my dear friend Hemant who was giving me company with his Nikon D40 and the works.
We made our way towards the deeper portions of the park called Silonda, which is a natural habitat for most wild animals including the famous leopards and the spotted deer. That also includes a variety of birds and vegetation that one must not have known despite spending half the life around this vast green expanse. Sadly most visitors to the park have rarely explored the real beauty and have turned the area into a lovers paradise. The first sighting of the morning that got everybody excited was a pair of colourful Kingfishers. Soon the cameras were pointing in that direction, the professionals peeking into their dark funnels wanting to capture this gifted moment for posterity.
The path to our rendezvous passed along a small village with thatched houses. The sun had just woken up shining mildly across the landscape that was littered with greenery, scampering fowls and a few kids getting ready for their daily wash. A little later we turned around from the paved road and prepared to enter into the arms of mother nature with a visible glee on our faces. Our walk through the dusty lane had begun. Nature indeed had surprises waiting for us. As our tour guides Sanal and Vithoba unearthed the secrets for us, everybody especially the kids were dropping their jaws in awe. The secret mother nature goody bag included trees that had medicinal qualities - one plant is used by tribals to treat some puss infected wounds, ants that chew the bark and build “pagoda” shaped nests out of the morsel, a “hitler” bug that lives in the dry leaves, a bird that literally sounds “I will beat you” when he’s calling out to his mate; not that it has any evil intentions for his partner. The group consisted of some expert bird watchers who could recognize a species by their calling sound. One such teenager was carrying a manual of birds that were found in the Indian sub-continent and showed me a particular sketch of a bird after listening to its sound (birds are difficult to be spotted in the forest environment). I was happy to see his latent enthusiasm. The guides then told us that the forest can be experienced in its full glory during the monsoon season when one gets to pass through the overflowing river and see a variety of anthropod and insect species including scorpions. During this season the forest is surrounded by tall bamboo shoots and fog which makes visibility difficult.
After walking for around 2 hours without at a stretch, we reached a dry river bed where we settled down for a round of drinks and food. A monitor lizard was basking in the afternoon sun on one of the boulders. The camouflage didn’t work for it as some members spotted it and thus began an elaborate photo session that would have made any supermodel envious. It however seemed unperturbed by the unnecessary attention it was drawing. Meanwhile I looked for an obscure spot in the terrain to rest my suffering carcass. For someone used to walking on the leveled tarred surfaces of the urban cityscape, mobility on the rocks and the uneven surfaces with the camera load could mean a huge challenge as my photographer friends would agree with me. The trek ended on a high note literally when the group congregated on a small hillock and began introducing themselves randomly while I rested my aching feet once again on the rock surrounded by some grass. At this stage I had no clue if I was thirsty or hungry. But I was feeling elated after that physically gruelling walk through the jungle and having made it this far. On our way back we saw a pair of Chital (spotted deer) behind a thick growth and we all stood in our tracks to watch the animal in its natural surroundings. Just then an enthusiastic mother bellowed gleefully to her son that alerted the Chitals who made a dash for the deeper reaches of the forest. The only sighting of a wild animal for us today (even if it was a spotted deer) was ended quite abruptly to our disappointment.
As we made our way back to our respective civilizations, leaving behind the visions of the flora and the fauna, the lingering freshness of the air and chirping of the forest birds, we promised to be back in nature’s arms very soon.
Technorati Tags: environment, borivali, sanjay gandhi national park, bombay natural history society
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
March 16th, 2008
This weekend was surely a memorable one for me. It presented a great chance to catch up with my past life and relive those fine moments of childhood fun and pranks. The mad scramble for career and lifestyle had detached me practically from strengthening my friendships. It was great to meet up with the likes of Tikoo, Amish, the Dixit brothers Samir and Hiren after a long long time. These are men who were boys sometime ago and grew up with me. We played together, fought over “wrong” umpiring decisions and even stopped communicating with each other for a while but that did not dent the spirit of our relationship at all. The place where I live had a good amount of females which also gave us an opportunity to play outdoor games which today’s youth might find hard to compete. The common issues that plague our apartment ensures that we forget our miseries and unite in the favor of a solution. In such circumstances, nothing else matters to us than the protection of our “motherland”.
The weekend’s impromptu meeting was a nostalgic one. It was heartening to know that the members of our team are progressing by leaps and bounds in the society. Most of them married and settled in life but some still strongly focused on their careers. Many are making inroads into the IT and Telecom industry. TCS, Wipro, Infosys, Reliance InfoComm, they are all planted there. Nishit has been abroad for a long time now serving his IT company there in software solutions while Amish is the future of medical science for us. Samir works in shifts but finds time to take his son and family out. We caught up with him on Saturday while he was returning from one of his trips with his little angel Hrishikesh who’s bewildered look at being introduced to me, reminded of the touch that I have lost with the families and friends around.
As evening fell on the day, it was time to meet another set of friends from the school days after 18 years! It all seemed unbelievable. The Internet helped Yogesh to meet me and then we networked and got some more friends to bunch up. Finally only a few showed up but the absence did not dampen the charm of nostalgia with 4 of my trusted buddies. We decided to hook up at a restaurant owned by another of my batch mate Sudhir who was a fine cricketer and had represented our school Sheth Gopalji Hemraj in many inter-school tournaments.
I recognised the podgy Yogi and the lank Rajesh but many were surprised when Sandeep entered the scene. They were noticing the change after a long duration. After the food and drinks were partaken, we stood outside for hours on the chilly roadside gossipping and making fun on the tid-bits from our past life, relishing it with the sweet paan. Our crushes on our faithful teachers, the fun that we had ragging a certain classmate, the love stories of our childhood, the period bunks, our mates who have settled abroad and the huge fights. I did skip a heart beat reliving that time just when my buddy’s phone starts ringing, the magic spell breaks and I am brought back from time. Realization dawns that we are no longer those naughty kids. There are other important things that have taken precedence in our existence. Just like my “chaddi” buddies back at my house, my schoolmates have progressed equally strong over the years. Yogi does a good job managing his print & production business, Sudhir’s become a smart restaurateur, Sandeep has been working for an MNC bank while Rajesh has become a Homeopathy doctor with a faithful list of clientele.
Amit, Ninad, Suhas and Kamalkant could not make it for various reasons but we do hope to arrange a grand event sometime in the future and have them show up for sure. Now that we have bonded in 18 years after the unfortunate split, we must not say goodbye just so soon.
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
February 24th, 2008
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
...34
35
36
Next
