End of Australian dominance in world cricket!

2003 World Cup Final – It was India v/s Australia.

I get a thunder bolt through my spine even now when I think about that match! Ricky Ponting and his boys literally torn apart the star studded Indian team by massive attack from the word go! I couldn’t take the fact that Australians were playing a final match and that even for a World Cup! They never been under pressure, Gilly started hitting every ball as if that is his farewell match and there were no second thought about his hittings; no bad ball and no good balls, all of them are for him to hit! Zaheer Khan succumbed under tremendous pressure; he was on receiving end from both openers Gilchrist and Heydan. Soon Ganguly ran short of ideas, he brought the spinners early to prevent the run flow, I still remember watching the match like an irritated wild animal in the cage, couldn’t sit in one place! Somehow Sourav’s move to bring the spinners early did the trick. Aussies 2/125. Captain Ricky Ponting came out to bat with Damien Martyn.

Ponting toyed the Indian bowlers with 8 towering sixes and 4 fours to score 140 runs from 121 balls, he dispatched the most applauded Indian bowling line up over the fence in fearsome regularity and incredible command – 8 sixes! The most from one batsman in any World Cup final match at the time! Martyn with a broken thumb scored 88 runs from 84 balls with 7 fours and 1 six, completed the partnership of 234 runs – an Australian record in one-day cricket! When the tempest settled down the Australian total was 359 for 2 wickets! A run rate of 7.18 runs per over was their second highest ever in ODI history!

I totally convinced that Australians got that extra supremacy and fighting spirit to beat any team in the world, the word “pressure “ was missing from their dictionary. India’s colossal run chase was made even more difficult after the trump card Sachin Tendulkar got out in the first over. Then it was a mare formality for India to give up for 234! All out in 39.2 overs! Emphatic victory of Australia by record margin in world cup final underlined their dominance in World Cricket. Ponting fetched man of the match award and Sachin Tendulkar was named player of the series.

I kept wondering those days, there were no real threat for Australians, they are in totally different level all together compare to other cricketing nations.

Everything which had the beginning should have an end; this is the rule of nature. Ironically Indians are the one showed the world; Australian vulnerability after losing few of their world class players from the list. Kumble’s men beat Australia in controversial test to begin with. It is hard to digest the fact that nowadays Australia is losing the matches more than they win! Finally they lost to England in legendary Ashes series to get hammered the last nail on their coffin!

What went wrong? How could winning graph of a team decline so badly after those consistent performances for a decade or so?

Australia always played like a team, there were at least three players who clicked in each and every game, if one fails another one step ups and make sure to score enough run on the board or take those crucial wickets in most critical junctures unlike most of the other teams. For example for a long time India was depending completely on Sachin Tendulkar, a dummy god of billion people in India failed very rarely in those days but unfortunately most of them were in vital final matches! Brilliant Brian Lara from West Indies was another example. On other hand Australia was with full of players not stars, if not Gilly then it is Hayden, if not Ponting then Hussey… the list continues.

Now Australia had shrunk in to a phase where everything is their captain Ricky Ponting. You can easily spot out that Aussies is depending heavily on Ricky Ponting’s batting in recent times, if he fails to deliver Aussies struggles to save the game. It is Ponting’s inconsistency that sealed England’s victory. After scoring 150 in second test match he couldn’t pull up the socks. A great attacking batsman that he is, having a huge impact on team Australia is invariable. I am knocking down the points of critics over the team selection; it is not team selection that put an end to the most victorious team in the world but a captain who shouldered great weight of responsibility, lack of talented players to come up and fill the shoes of those legends who retired recently, top of all drained out ideas of a captain on the field simply because he is not just used to be in losing situations!

I feel Australia is still a team to reckon with. It is hard to beat them even after revealing their susceptibility. But how long will they take to create another Gill Christ, Mathew Hayden or McGrath? This is the question worth a million dollar!

Virender Sehwag – Up against politics in Cricket!

Virender Sehwag is one cricketer who has such an uncluttered thinking head on his shoulders. Otherwise who the hell on earth can think of hitting a six when you are on 290s? If Sehwag scores 60 runs in one day match you just can’t afford to go to toilet to wee, by the time you come back he will be on 80s, if on 90, he will be raising his bat to celebrate century after two balls! It could be other way around too, he may be walking back to pavilion after a foolish upper cut, but luckily for his number of fans it happens very rarely, when he get going cricket ball finds its own way to boundary lines.

Now Sehwag is up in arms against his own home cricket association DDCA. It took some courage on his part to air his bitterness over the functioning of DDCA. In a way at present concerning his continuing absence from Indian team owing the shoulder injury and rehabilitation reflects Viru’s frustration! For sure I am not leaving his outburst as just hot air. If there is a smoke there will be a flame somewhere underneath.

Corruptions in India is very much reality. Even at the junior levels, merit alone never has been criteria for selection. The authorities are as much prone to bias and prejudices as your colleague accountant who envy your benefits from the boss!

I had a high profile foot ball player neighbor in India – Najeeb, his brother was my friend and school mate, through him I came to know the basics of politics in Indian sports, it is not necessary that you get a space in national team merely on the basis of performances, certificates won’t tell stories, it required a lot of behind the scene game skills and a brave heart. Only few players who got good talent make it into the national team, so when you see a fully fledged football team next time sweating on the ground, just keep it in your mind you are not watching the best players available in India! There are coaches, coaching staffs, management and other staffs. You should be extremely lucky to be from one of these asshole’s states to get attention that you desperately looking for! Even if they find you that you are from his own state he will ask your father’s name, ancestral house name and even may send you to the market to buy some fish for his dinner! I am talking about comparatively low profile game in India - Football, cricket is bigger in India unlike other countries, it is on really big canvas, big audience, huge advertisers, and mammoth money turn over. Obviously the politics turned out to be a bit polished over here; nevertheless the ultimate result is the same. I still remember once Najeeb broke his leg during a match, he struggled a lot to get back on the track, no, not because of the time he took to recover from the injury but to get back his slot from a biased selection that caused him his place in the team!

I witnessed from the close quarters the politics our sports administrators play. They are immune to public criticism and totally unafraid of the media. What we do get to see is merely a tip of the iceberg and nothing is what it appears to be. Look at our national selectors – when there was selection committee from Mumbai there were full of players from Mumbai, playing ones and non playing ones, when BCCI influenced by Kolkatta lobby there were rushing waves of Kolkattans at the main door, none of them could make it because of lack of minimum 25% talent that require to play cricket! Top of all they all were quite happy to have one Bengal tiger that too as a captain. So no complains! Now we have Kris Srikanth as chief selector, Badrinath is one player always made noise in Chennai news papers pleading to BCCI to take him to the National Team. “for god sake, please allow me to fail, I won’t ask you anymore, let me play once for India, let me fail…” Srikanth took his countryman to the team when he got the power, as prophesy of his own, Badrinath failed but didn’t stop insisting, yeah, this time he changed the sentence “for god sake, please allow me to play!” Now this is much better, at least not negative.

Viru is the latest sports personality to hit out at the sports administrators. I hope Viru didn’t dig his own grave; BCCI is looking at the incident very carefully as they are extra cautious not to make a Frankenstein. To sustain in the team Viru has to work really hard from now onwards, he will have to hit many more sixes and fours, play each innings as his last innings! Just because he is up against very cunning opponent this time around!

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Memories of a driver!

Years ago for those working in Bahrain's Malls the person covered head to toe in a black veil, gloves and glass appeared to be a rich doting Saudi mother, leaping one aisle to other to select children's shoes, clothes and toys. The lady came in shining Rolls Royce with all the blink blink and couple of security guards.

But why would a woman wear a man's shoes? Why those body guards? And why did the person's fluid moments so familiar?

"As soon as we guessed it was Michael Jackson we started playing his music in the store" Said Bijesh Kumar a supervisor at Euphoria Music store. "But he was so scared he told the body guards to stop the music" Jackson did sign the autograph for us. Kumar said.

Jackson, his three children and assistants headed in to a Mother Care store in Marina Mall - Bahrain, the pop icon spent almost an hour sprinting around buying $2000 worth of clothes and toys said Laila Al-Aradi the cashier.

But while he was waiting for his assistant to pay Laila noticed the person in women's abaya is wearing men's shoes!

"I looked at him and mouthed Michael Jackson!" She said "but he wagged his finger at me to caution me against calling his name aloud"

Jackson made his way to the shoe store, the shop assistant thought he is assisting a wealthy Arab woman till he heard some Bahraini girls screaming " Michael Jackson!" out side the shop. The girls were trying to convince the cashiers and shop keepers there is Michael Jackson inside their shop!!

Crowd started growing in thick by the time MJ finished his shopping, shop manager had a real surprise to see MJ in his store, he regained his mental stability immediately and acted wise to help Michael Jackson and his kids to escape. MJ wanted to go out through emergency exit, since there is no emergency, the manager couldn’t open it. The mall's main door was packed with photographers and fans; there were a sizeable crowd at staff exit as well, people gathered from all directions to have a glance at their favorite star.

At the point, the women with Jackson asked their driver Ramesh to get some scarves for the children, which she wrapped around their faces before the Shop Manager showed the way out through the back door.

By the time Driver Ramesh drove 2006 model Rolls Royce to the back side of the mall. Before leaving the mall Michael Jackson didn't forget to shake hand with the shop manager and say ' Thank you!"

Ramesh remember everything, his eyes filled with tears when talking about his ex-boss. Ramesh 38 was one of Jackson's three personal drivers when he lived in Bahrain for a year from 2005 till 2006.

When MJ's funeral took place in Los Angels, Millions of fans who watched it all around the globe, there was grief stricken Ramesh's family in Kerala, one of the southern states in India. Tearful Ramesh couldn’t control his bereavement, as he looked at his kid, who was holding tightly the doll that MJ had gifted!

Like all those thousands of critics, who only knows about Michael Jackson's wired attitude and dance steps, saw other side of MJ only when King of Pop's daughter cried and referred Michael Jackson as "a best daddy in the world" at the funeral function. That was in fact a light into MJ's personal life; the critics were amazed to know about the pop icon's humanitarian face, personal life, and struggle.

Ramesh didn't know much about MJ's celebrity status and how big he was, though he was aware of his popularity, songs and dances. MJ directly interviewed him with his Secretary and Manager.

"He was so kind and very friendly with all of us, He told me that I could be free with him and could share our joys and sorrows with him. Jackson's children Prince, Paris and Blanket also lived with him" Ramesh recalled fondly.

Ramesh Stayed in on the job till Jackson and his family left Bahrain at the end of 2006. The Showbiz's most brightest and mercurial star never forgot his driver even after he left Bahrain.

"Even after he left Bahrain, he called me twice. The last call came when he wished me Happy New Year in 2007" Said Ramesh who currently working as a shop keeper in Bahrain and is home on leave.

Tuesday night was tough for Ramesh. The family gathered around the television set to bid adieu to the former boss, who was revered as much as he was reviled, as his funeral was broadcast alive to millions around the world.

"My son Tanuj was holding a few toys that Jackson gave me for him just before he left Bahrain. All of us watched TV and we were sad. I can't believe he is no more," Ramesh said, remembering how the strange star covered his face every time he stepped out with his children.

"If you meet my former boss you will be wondering is this the man in all sort of controversies? I never believed anything came in news papers and TV channels against him and I am not going to believe it either, those spiteful yellow tabloids who tarnished the image of this very good human, let alone his celebrity status, will be questioned by god tomorrow!" Ramesh's words got caught in grief and broken.

Rakhi Sawant - A Stunt Swayamvar!

Over the past month, Indian item girl Rakhi Sawant left the country in terror as she met, appraised and selected finalists fitting the mould of her ideal groom on the reality show Rakhi Ka Swayamwar.

Rakhi gone ahead and done it! She pulled off a stunt that many are still trying to get in grip with. Rakhi Sawant's wedding on TV was a success with Toronto-based Elesh Parujanwala being selected as the chosen one to marry a woman who jerked the audience through TV and Cinemas with her belly and cleavage. Undoubtedly she is one loudest mouth in Bollywood without any direct competition.

Most of Rakhi's co-workers from Bollywood laughed at the show in the beginning; gradually the laughter had given the way to serious thinking, the TV channel made a lot of money through advertisements and other marketing strategies. The final output was nothing less than an instant hit!

It was a real shock to see those well groomed, handsome and wealthy business men from inside and out of India coming ahead to get married with a woman who can barely act, smile and talk decent topics if that is the measure they put forward for a best bride to be. Even more shocking to see is Rakhi Sawant in a mask of a bashful, coy Indian bride with a rose garland in her hand! What a transformation! Excuse me; did I say she can't act? If yes, I meant only in movies!

Bollywood sex siren who made the Indian version of American dating show The Bachelorette a hit – says her groom will have no choice but to meet her lofty standards.

"Let me make it clear, I will not marry now. All I am going to do is choose a groom tonight. We will date for one or two years and let me see if he passes my test. He cannot touch me or marry me until he finds a well-paid job and buys a posh three-bedroom flat in Mumbai. I will not compromise on any of these."

Rakhi's demand would make any serious suitor break in to sprint. Couldn't understand why she need three-bedroom apartment in Mumbai though. Why not two? One could be for couple; second one can be for visitors, and the third one? OK, I am not letting my imagination go wild.

Rakhi continued "I will never quit the Bollywood after marriage like some of the actresses have done. My first love is my job. (Yes, she said job!) I have given my blood to make it big. Marriage will be a part of my life. It's not my top priority" Please can anybody tell her she is not exactly "IN" the Bollywood to quit!? Or is she not aware of the fact that one should go IN to get OUT?

Incidentally I remember a controversy that surrounded Rakhi Sawant and troubled her at the beginning of her movie career (If anything that sort really exist) some tabloid printed on the front page that she is a transsexual! Followed by few other yellow news papers that the sex queen is a shemale! Poor Rakhi had hard time to convince the public through different electronic media that she is a real girl born with all human lady parts. Rakhi really was in a trap that she can't open up and show to the public but same time wanted to convince them desperately! There were rumors some big shots in Bollywood got totally confused with this puzzle gone to Rakhi's house in Mumbai and made sure she is not a transsexual!

Rakhi Sawant also fears that the winner will turn out to be a fame-hungry monster once the cameras are switched off.

"When the cameras are on, every body is nice. They are all Mr.Goody-goody. Let me see what happens when cameras are switched off. (the lights too!) I would never want to be in a position where he lives off my money. Don't you think I deserve better? (Certainly!) All my life I have taken care of my family, so there is no chance in hell that I will take care of my husband too." Ladies and gentleman, now you know who fed her family! It is she. Not her brother!!

"I am willing to give him time but I would hate it if he turned out to be a Ghar Jamai (cuckold husband who parks himself in the bride's house) He will have to use his brain cells, the way I used mine to become a celebrity (really brain cells? Or something else?) With this show they have become small time celebrities. But now it is up to them to become someone big. They should turn out as smart as Sharukh Khan, Amir Khan and Salman Khan. So I am giving my would-be a time frame of one or two years."

I have a serious question to Elesh Parujanwala the one had chosen by Rakhi Sawant. If you can be another Sharukh or Aamir Khan in two years time wouldn't be you getting a better bride than a mare item girl who shakes her belly for bread? And how the hell you gonna introduce yourself in public? Rakhi's chosen one, or the father of Rakhi's kids? Tomorrow how you gonna answer your kids if they ask you why you married mom in a game show?

Now Rakhi Sawant is trying to give us a hint by saying " I will also make clear to the winner. I don't believe in live-in relationships. I am an Indian girl and my culture doesnt allow me to sleep around with men. If I allow such liberties what is the difference between me and Firang Ladki? (western girl) I may wear short skirt and low waist jeans (more often won't wear anything) but I am not broad minded in such matters. If he ever crosses his limit, that's it for him. It's over between us."

Helpless poor chaps, came all the way to the well for a drop of water, now the owner of well is refusing to give the water!

Though most unlikely to happen I hope Rakhi Sawant's wedding will take place in one or two years time with the same person and it will last forever. You must be wondering what hint she left for us to guess, expect Rakhi Ka Swayamvar IInd part soon!