Tuesday, April 19, 2005

OVER and OUT!

Pak tour of India during March/April -2005.

By winning the final ODI against India, Pakistan avenged for its loss at home a year back. Any game has a winner and a looser but every player who enters the field prays and plays to win, their commitment and the determination to fight till the last has flipped fates of many matches.

The First Test match between India and Pak is one great example where India entered the fourth day of play with the over confidence of crushing the 6 down and dying Pak team and seal a victory, but Pak’s crave for sheer survival slowly stole victory from India. The match ended in a draw. India paid the penalty of napping during play.

Conversely, the third test match showed how passive planning and negativity could bundle you out. Pak was the better side of that match, and being the final day, all India had to do was to bat it out to draw the match and win the series. India opted a defensive strategy to dot each ball till the end of the day. This cynical approach not only made legends like Sachin face 91 balls for his 19 runs but also forced players to be too defensive causing unforeseen errors and costing the match. India impotently lost!

Test matches bygone, it was ODI’s turn. After winning the first two matches in style, India did prove that it had the substance to achieve any limits. That’s when over-confidence stuck again. Each ODI after that was like – “Pakistan played a better game today and India has to JUST improve in FEW areas like batting, bowling and fielding.”

The Historically, Politically, technically and strategically high rated final ODI at Delhi was typically one sided. The Pakistani President came to India on a peace mission sighting this match as an excuse. The pitch was brand new, the match was witnessed by our Prime Minister ManMohan Singh, the Pakistani President Musharaf, our Union Railway Minister Laloo Yadav, and the DCB Head and BJP leader Arun Jaitley. India already down 2 to 3 had to either DO to tie or DIE. Still there was nothing tangible. Pakistan, for the third consequent time secured over 300 runs and in return India put up a spineless effort and crumbled for 144. The show was that bad, it made the two big heads cancel their plan of returning to watch the thrilling climax. The match ended before their talks :( . There was one consolation, Indians were together, and their disastrous loss was nothing less than a team effort. Their coach Wright couldn’t have asked for a better farewell gift.

Why blame just Ganguly when the whole team lacked commitment? Team’s performance was comparatively worse without him. Their governing body, the BCCI that works like a public sector Institution needs total refurbishment. It’s sad that this Multi million dollar organization doesn’t have even on MBA graduate to manage their issues. It’s high time these old rats be replaced with young, enthusiastic and educated masses.

I wonder if we give awards the Hollywood way, where not just the best movies, director, actors get recognized, but the worst ones too, things might get more streamlined. Just like a “Man of the Match”, we could also have an award called “Missing in the Match” for those whose contributions were literally missing.

Final words: There is one similarity and one big difference between successful and unsuccessful teams. The similarity is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Eureka! - The theory is now proved.

Saturday April 09, 2005, I was watching the India-Pak third ODI at Mugil’s place. Pakistan has just finished their innings with a whopping total of 319. Since the over-rate was less, the next innings started sooner than usual. It was noon, and hunger struck, but with no patients to prepare lunch, I thought of Maggi as the best alternate. By the time I bought a pack and cut it, Shewag and Sachin were already in the pavilion. Now, here is a strange co-incidence, I am going to prepare Maggi and Ganguly was just in the crease. I began with hopes that the theory equating Maggi’s preparation time to Ganguly’s time at the crease would just be “Blown out of proportion”. I was praying for him to break this jinx. But what do you know, by the time Maggi was done, Ganguly was on his way back!
---- Eureka! Eureka! It’s finally proved.

Hm… How I wished my inadvertent experiment failed.

Monday, April 04, 2005

LONDON

I recently went to London… No no, not to the London city but to the movie “LONDON”, starting Prashant, Bekhu-muzhi Pandiyarajan, and a lady who comes only to dance. The movie features Mumtaz XP, the latest slim version of the legacy pumpkin. In one line - the movie is “all gupsa and no substance”.

The movie is all about Prashant, who’s from a family haunted by 2 lakhs. On the same day Prashant gets a job in London and needs 2 lakhs security deposit, his younger brother gets an Engineering seat and requires 2 lakhs as donation, his sister gets a good alliance and the wedding cost would be close to 2 lakhs, his Mom is a heart patient, and for her operation needs 2 lakhs and finally his elder sister is back home as a “vaazha-vetti” and to get back to her in-laws place needs 2 lakhs. Uff… Is it 2 plus 2 plus 2 plus 2 plus 2 as in tuttuduttudu :). Prashant goes to London after mortgaging his house for 2 lakhs and promises to satisfy the rest of his family soon.

In London, like all other Tamil movies, Prashant keeps his luggage (with the cash) over a standing car and is seriously enquiring for an address only to see his luggage moving along with the car and never to return, I don’t quite know if he kept is common sense in the bank locker. Deprived of his luggage and money, Prashant is still seen in verity of cloths, god knows how he managed to get them. He meets upon Pandiyarajan, after he saved the later from a gang with a fierce Matrix like fight, and gets into a gang headed by Manivannan that plans to burgle the ****** bank (the name part was muted). Mumtaz is Manivannan’s friend, philosopher and misguide. Mumtaz gets Manivannan caught behind bars for the burglary and puts the blame on the Prashant-Pandi duo. By then Manivannan cleverly transfer the stolen amount to a different place keeping only Vadivelu aware of it. Vadivelu is a “Dubakur” Lawyer and Periya-paapa Nalini is his wife.

Vijayakumar and Srividhya pair is rich, old and accidentally blind, living alone in London for 25 years, even without a telephone connection. Staying lifeless for this long they suddenly feel a new zeal when they get the news of their grandson Saravanan (from America) visiting them shortly. Vadivelu is their family Lawyer too, and Pandiyarajan is his PA. Their family doctor, one fine day accidentally meets Pandiyarajan on the way and passes a message to inform Vijayakumar that his grandson won’t be coming for 6 more months. Pandiyarajan takes advantage and along with Prashant enter Vijayakumar’s house as their grandson Saravanan. Prashant first opens his mouth but Pandiyarajan gets accidentally hugged by Vijayakumar. The blind couple has a sharp sense of voice and physical recognition, So Saravanan is now a mix of Pandi’s body and Prashant’s voice. Some how, these oldies sadly stay ignorant of the distance and direction of the incoming voice and remain unaware all the time of two entities staying in their house and that Saravanan’s proximity is not matched by his voice. The only person aware of this is Vijayakumar’s mostly suspended “ever” drunk manager Delhi Ganesh, who tries deliriously to prove this to his master and his efforts though obvious, is still in vein.

The whole story revolves around, Manivannan who’s behind bars, now is the hospital with a “usually political” sick stunt. Pandiyarajan also in the hospital, again with a sick stunt to avoid talking when Saravanan’s mouth piece is missing. Vadivelu in hospital badly beaten by Prashant or Nalini. Mumtaz behind Vadivelu for the secret of the stolen money. Delhi Ganesh behind Prashant and Pandi to get them caught. Manivannan and Mayilsamy behind Delhi Ganesh since he was the only witness of the burglary. Vadivelu behind Pandiyarajan for cheating his clients. Vijayakumar’s distinct relatives coming home to squander the last penny with him and the two ignorant oldies still believing that the two men are indeed one.

There were few cost cutting measures done in this movie, few of the out-door scenes containing few co-stars were taken in India, needless to say about the indoor ones. Those scenes were very obvious with the Indianized buildings, with the only cars in vicinity being Ikons, Accents, old imported cars and tempo travelers.

Over all - LONDON - the bridge is down.