My First And Only Love Letter

I wish, I could tell you how much I love you. I love you, I love you very very much. 
I love you and when I close my eyes I see you. When I open my eyes, I want to see you.
Every second....every minute....all the time..my eyes search only you.
Call it love, madness or just my heartbeats....its same thing for me.


A lot of people have loved before, but my love stands apart from all of them because
they don't have you.
I can never forget you. Actually, I don't want to forget you. You are mine and I will love
you forever. I will love you till I die and even after that....
   

actual date of letter: 24th Oct,2009.

Open Your Heart

If you’re like me and you’re pretty left-brained, you might be thinking, “Okay that’s nice, but how exactly do I open my heart?”

Opening your heart is a matter of accepting yourself and life as it is. It’s a matter of forgiving  yourself and others. It’s letting go of all your resistance to the flow of life and the flow of circumstances.

If you want to take action to change something, that’s fine. But it doesn’t make any sense to resist what is already a reality. Surrender to this moment, accept things and people as they are, and your heart will begin to open.

Dravid and the mastery of the struggle

 “It never gets easier; it’s always hard, it’s always a test."


I think of all this when I watch Rahul Dravid: his daily search for the struggle, his eagerness to bat on a spiked pitch, his desire to treat every ball like a grenade, his technique to counter any ball on any pitch and, most striking of all, his temperament to put behind the struggle that went before and focus on the struggle that awaits. Not for him a flat pitch on a sunny day. He’s not going to derive immense joy in hitting through the line. He craves a that masochistic joy.
For me, an ideal Dravid innings needs a most challenging pitch. If it’s a batting beauty with the ball coming on to the bat, give me Sehwag or Laxman; if there’s a truly great array of bowlers set to be unleashed, give me Tendulkar. If it’s a minefield, give me Dravid.And then I think of Dravid. Of course I admire him for his technical expertise, his equanimity, his ability to rescue a side. Of course I marvel at the way he bats and bats and bats. Of course I enjoy how he battles a crisis.

But most of all, I’m constantly in awe of his mastery of something we all try and run away from: the struggle.

Rahul Dravid -The Wall of all Seasons

Count on Rahul Dravid when it comes to pulling the chestnuts out of the fire. Rahul Dravid has been a driving force behind some of India’s most remarkable victories overseas. He is the power-house of grit, composure and unflinching concentration. He sparkles when all the odds are put against him and going seems difficult. His superb 112 at Sabina Park, Jamaica, in the ongoing test, is the testimony to his batting genius. He unleashed a majestic innings of 112, when the next highest individual score was 28, which has put India in a commendable position. Here, we look at some of the gems from his rich repertoire of batting brilliance when he flayed the oppositions in their own backyard.

1) India v England – 3rd Test, Headingley (2002)
India was 1-0 down going into the final Test at Headingley. Pressure was on India to square the series and save their blushes. The situation was tailor-made for Rahul Dravid and he didn’t disappoint. In overcast conditions conducive for the seam bowling, batting on day 1, Dravid demonstrated sumptuous technical finesse and conjured up plucky 148 which led India to romp home by an inning and 46 runs. Nasir Hussain described it as one of the best innings he had ever seen.

2) India v Australia – 2nd Test, Adelaide (2004)
In response to Australia’s mammoth 556, India was wobbling at 85-4, when Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman collaborated to produce a scintillating partnership of 303. Dravid ran up towering 233 while India ended their innings at 523. Australia crumbled in the second inning and were rolled over for measly 196. Dravid rustled up another fine inning of 76* staying till India chased down the total of 230 comfortably.

3) India v Pakistan – 3rd Test, Rawalpindi
India went to Pakistan tour after a hiatus of 15 years. The excitement and thrill had hit the stratosphere as both teams displayed scorching cricket during the whole series. The Test series was evenly poised, 1-1, when both the teams met at Rawalpindi for the final Test. Rahul Dravid rose to the occasion again and scored splendid 270, his highest score in Test matches. India steamrolled Pakistan by an inning and 131 runs clinching their first Test series in Pakistan.

Cricket is a religion in India

There may be many religions in this secular country called India, but it is said that cricket unites Indians better than any religion can ever do. Although Hockey is the national game of India, it is cricket that enjoys supremacy in terms of fan following. With millions of ardent followers, cricket is the ‘religion’ of India. ‘Men in Blue’ are absolutely adored by the crazy cricket fans and their fame outshines the popularity of any other celebrity. From a school going kid to retired old man, the charisma of cricket has enchanted almost every Indian. People plan their activities, leaves and travel plans after checking out the schedule of Indian Cricket team. Cricket is also the fastest way of befriending an Indian. No matter which part of India it is, one can find a bunch of kids playing cricket with lot of enthusiasm.

It is very often said that cricket is dying in England, the country where it originated. Even in West Indies, cricket seems to have lost its sheen. But Indians, who picked up the game from the British, continue to be the fanatic followers. In fact, after the birth of the immensely popular Indian Premier League, the cricket fever has entered into entirely new horizons of fame and glory.

Because of its enormous popularity in India, cricket attracts a lot of sponsors too. In addition, the frequency of matches played by India is higher than most of the other cricket playing countries with each game being followed like a ritual. Hardly would anyone witness any vacant seats in a stadium where a match is being played. Apart from India’s International fixtures, the domestic tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy and Duleep Trophy also gather a huge support. All these factors contribute in making BCCI the richest cricket board of the world. Most of the ICC revenues are generated from this cricket crazy nation.

The religion of cricket has no holy books but there are several Gods. From legendary players like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, all have been extremely popular in India. “If cricket is the religion, Sachin is God” has become a popular saying. Sachin Tendulkar>, regarded as a living legend, is worshiped by almost every cricket fan. Even International players never go unrecognized in the malls and streets of India.

Apart from these Gods, the religion of cricket also has its festivals in the form of victories. Every Indian win is cheered and celebrated like a festival. But there is a flip side too. Whenever India loses a match, the defeat is seen as a national tragedy generating a lot of criticism for players as well as selectors. Sometimes the criticism becomes very harsh prompting to several changes and resignations.

Is Test Cricket really dying??

The hottest topic of discussion amongst the cricketing fraternity these days seems to hinge on the 5 day game for some strange reason. Over the course of time, ever since its inception in the 1860's, cricket has undergone evolution just like any other sport. Today the game has become so commercialised that we often wonder if test cricket would survive the onslaught of the T20.

They say that T20 is a young man's game and those who have been born and bred playing the longer version of the game don't belong to cricket's latest baby. For a fact, it was these so called "test match batsman" who did exceedingly well on the seaming and bouncy South African wickets during the 2nd season of the IPL.

The likes of Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis proved it to everyone beyond doubt that the test cricket is the pinnacle of the Gentleman's game and the other versions of cricket are just an adaptation of the longer version.

The cricketing culture these days seems to have changed completely. These days its a common sight to see budding young cricketers talk about which IPL team they would like to represent rather representing their country. The value of earning a test match cap is soon deteriorating and that is a big cause of concern.

The best solution to tackle this growing threat of T20 cricket is to introduce a world test match league/championships on the home and away basis, which would provide some much needed oxygen and some spice to test cricket.

India,Australia and England are the only nations that have witnessed full houses for test match cricket over the years. No wonder international cricket seems to be revolving around these countries. The Ashes series of 2005 ,Border Gavaskar series last year which would now be remembered for the infamous Sydney test, and the current Ashes series has proved beyond doubt that test match cricket is here to stay. Watching Anderson bowl on that Edgbaston wicket last week was an indication that the art of swing bowling was well and truly alive and brought back memories of young Wasim and Waqar charging in to bowl.

The system needs a rethink but its certainly outrageous to think that the format of the game which has produced legends like Sir Don Bradman,Sir Garfield Sobers and Sunil Gavaskar will be forgotten. Test cricket is the true test of character and fitness and no amount of money nor commercial interest can take away the beauty of test match cricket. Won't it be a sad sight to see young bowlers running in to bowl with a third man and deep point straight away?

The ICC had been mulling for sometime about the possibility of Day Night test matches. But this move is widely touted to fail as it would take out the early advantage for the bowling team as they would not be able to make use of the moisture on the wicket, resulting in dead and placid wickets which would be enough to put the crowds to sleep.

The move would just backfire and the tradition of test match cricket would be changed forever.

What would you call the 3 breaks? (Dinner,Drinks and Stumps? !!). Bizarre!!

Shahrukh Khan Vs Aamir Khan

Who is the bigger star : King Khan or Mr. Perfectionist? Who is a better actor? On one side there is the Baadshah of Bollywood who solely depends on his big screen presence and acting prowess while on the other, is Mr. Perfectionist Aamir khan, who depends on his command over acting and his strategies for making his films appeal to audiences. Both are known for their share of battle within the industry and one can only fume when the other does outstandingly well. King KHAN is dependent on his entourage, his controversy-free life and the supremacy of his on-screen presence which impresses his fans to the extent that they’re bowled over by his very demeanor. AAMIR KHAN, on the other hand, has a knack of making a successful commercial movie by renditioning his performances with finesse. The only thing holding him back are the controversies surrounding his personal life and his movies. The common factor between the two KHANS is that both of them do one film per year making themselves feel more wanted. Who do you think is better - SRK or AAMIR??

IS INDIA REALLY SHINING ?

While Indian industries are blooming, sensex shooting, bulls roaring on Dalal street, metro cities modernize with malls, nightclubs, flyovers, I still land up questioning myself “Is India really Shining?”,when several are living on streets and pathetic slums, several are dying due to hunger, diseases, severe cold of winters, or scorching heat of summers. Still dirty scantily clad children of poor labourers play in unhygienic environment and have never been to school. Still agriculture depends on monsoons and farmers commit suicide on crop failures or debts. Many villages are still without electricity and level roads.

In the visionary mosaic of India’s conglomeration, the crevices are yet to be filled.

Is the area of progress just the urbanized India, when approximately 55% of our population is on or below poverty line? They say our GDP rate is growing, but I’m apprehensive about the whole business of averaging. How can someone give genuine figures of India’s total wealth, when there is a gigantic gap between the poor and the rich. India is flourishing in agricultural sector and it is due to the obdurate hard work of the farmers, who are statistically getting poorer day by day.

In Jaipur, where on one hand, we are looking forward to travel in metros in coming years, the municipal corporation has recently demolished a long established bangle manufacturing body, that was a source of income for several families of low economic stratum. In many parts of our country, people, struck by poverty, ingest certain inedible things, like rat meat, insects, grass, mango kernels, or even dry mud to quell their hunger and sustain themselves. In Tamil Nadu, family members, vexed by the poor financial grades, resort to the practice of senicide (the killing of the elderly).They call it thalaikoothal.

While India adds profits to its economy by exporting numerous leather goods, textile goods, agricultural products, medical appliances, there are millions starving, several dying due to insufficient clothing or medical facilities. It is a disparate fact that most of the slums in India are located boundaring the sky-scrapers in the flourishing cities. The prospering MNCs in urban India have led to the extirpation of the venerable traditional colonies of our under-privileged Bharat.

I don’t presume our nation is shining when the actual hand behind the achieved heights are crushed to poverty. The time-honoured heritage and savoir-faire of our incredible Bharat are lost in the glint of the affluent urbanized India. A country shines not just by the procurable resources or the scored heights but by the way its people use the availabilities and impute to those actually responsible for the accomplishments. Our working culture need to be changed. Yes, being an Indian, I’m glad that India has Mukesh Ambani, the 4^th richest man on the planet, but how can we neglect that it also has the poorest man in the world too? 

Love vs Friendship

A lot of thought has been given over the variance between the terms, Love and Friendship for a long time. Even though both these terms cannot be considered as interchangeable terms as one for the other, yet it is extremely easy to confuse them without being conscious, especially when those who are actually interested in the terms often end confusing while elucidating them to others the thin demarcating line that partitions love from friendship or vice versa. The two terms are so confounding that it becomes far more difficult to put forward the explanation as to which is a subset of what. We are well aware of the distinction of our love from our friends, but are not able to know the technique to properly define these two terms.

Love can easily be explained as an emotion that overwhelms a person and forces them to act in a manner that they usually may not have acted otherwise or even have done so in their wildest dreams. It may also induce a person to sacrifice almost everything for a person with whom they are deeply in love or attach themselves emotionally and become dependent to such an extent that they would find it difficult to exist when one of them leaves thus creating a emptiness hard to fill.

The foundation of love exists only in between pairs. It is an emotion that is difficult to control yet is easy to define as an emotion that is existent between two people for each other such as a husband and a wife, a brother and a sister or between a mother and a child.

A person who has relationships with several people at the same time is defined as a friendship. A person may also have confidants amongst a group of people with whom he can share his thoughts or has fun with and have a heart to heart talk. In emergent conditions, one can always fall back on good friends who are always there to provide assistance in a lot of ways. There are also a lot of things which require no explanation among friends since there are certain facts which friends comprehend without any explanation. In friendship, there is a profound connection between friends like telepathy where one understands the mind of the other without verbal explanation and when their minds are in sync with each other.

Friendship is an affiliation that finds its basis more on trust whereas the emotion of love coerces one to surrender a lot. Friendship is also a connection that one may have with several other people at one given point of time and on the other hand love is a feeling shared between two persons. In friendship also there are categorization of friends, some are known as very good friends, some may be simply friends while others may be acquaintances who when you meet brings a delightful feeling every time you meet. Yet when you meet someone you love, it increases your heart beat or you feel overwhelmed completely. It is usually assumed that two persons having the most divergent and opposite personalities or traits have an attraction between them, yet in friendships blossom when friends possessing similar tastes and personalities meet each other. Although the special attachment is existent in love, it is not sufficient for one to trust the other person, which breeds a sense of insecurity in love.

In summation, even though both the feelings of love and friendship would continue to remain perplexing terms through generations to come, yet both are sentiments and associations much treasured to cause happiness in a person’s life when existent. Love is a powerful emotional sentiment towards a person and in many cases it is tender, profound and an ineffable feeling of solicitude and affection that one feels for a person, whereas friendship can be explained as a relationship between two persons often considered to be intimate, controlled and socially enduring between two or more persons.

Think Big - How to Be Creative to Survive in Life?

Creativity has been taken into the next stage with a great emphasis on creative thinking as one of the major selling qualities for an individual. The ability to have great ideas, to be able to think out and through the box, combine with charisma and the ability to interact with the public is a great skill seen by many companies worldwide.

What do you have to say about thinking big and new ideasbeing the new keys in survival of living? Perhaps some people might see it a little too extreme to associate this with a person’s survivability but it’s not entirely unrelated too. This is because new ideas are usually influenced by new overviews and ways of thinking toward many things in life, it shows indirectly how fast and skillful a person is in facing new challenges and changing situations - an explorable necessity which one needs in order to adapt to the current situations and dynamic intervention of events and happenings.

No human beings are able to use 100% of their brainpower, an average person only use up to 10% of it. Brainpower is something that improves as you practice - through thinking especially. But to some people thinking can be stressful and too much to bear but there’s also another way of practicing your brainpower, that is through learning. The main point of learning is so that you can expand your knowledge and regular thinking habit can increase your brainpower.

Rahul Dravid – The Selfless Man Who Goes Unnoticed!

This piece is not about his runs, his centuries or his partnership – we have millions of articles dedicated on this facet. So let us move above all this! This article is about Rahul – the generous soul whose attitude makes him stand tall above others, this article is about RAHUL SHARAD DRAVID!

Rahul Dravid, the Wall of Indian Cricket team for decades is one man who hates to see a fall! Every single time, this man has risen out of ashes, just like a phoenix and went on to create histories after histories. This selfless man sees the benefit of his team before seeing his advantages. Rather, there is no such word like “personal benefit” in his own dictionary. He may not be a Tendulkar, who is applauded as GOD in the history of world cricket, but what is his fault that he was born in his era? Rahul is the only batsman who has scored more than 10,000 runs in both the formats after Sachin Tendulkar! But this is also true that there cannot be two gods at one time. So, this selfless creature has been given the status of “The Wall” and “Mr. Dependable” and has been kept behind curtains since ages!

Many emerging cricketers can only dream of what Rahul has done for the Indian cricket – fighting so many battles and bringing glory to his country! With his warrior like attitude and amazing approach to the game, he has and will become one of the greatest icons of the world cricket. But if you are one of his CRITICS, this piece of writing would hold no relevance to you and you would keep on ignoring his contributions one after another! You will find fault in his innings where he managed to score just 15 or 20 runs and would babble about his failure to score a century just like a Sachin or a Sehwag, who managed to make centuries in the same match. But what about the matches where his sweat spoke for his achievements? These critics would not utter a single word in his praise when this icon makes a double century or pour his heart out in saving a match on any given day! But these are CRITICS for you! You can’t help but to ignore them!

I know he does not have centuries like Tendulkar, killer-instinct like Ganguly, or strike rate like that of Sehwag, but one thing which makes him superior over others is his selfless, generous and unselfish approach towards his love for this game! And this facet is enough to shut the mouths of all those critics who babble about this icon. In this team, where we have all the politics running in the veins, players fighting to get slots, planning conspiracies for acquiring the position of a captain, we have one such player who thinks above all these aspects – he is Rahul Dravid!

Somewhere in all these years, Rahul never got his due as a player! But can we question about his adherence and devotion for his team. Has he ever refused to bat at any position, which was allotted to him? Has he ever denied keeping wickets at the time when he was struggling with bat? He managed to handle both the responsibilities at the same time, just because Indian team needed to accommodate the position of one extra batsman in the team!

Here is what legendary spin bowler Shane Warne wrote in his anecdote:

“The fortress could also describe Rahul. Because once, Dravid was set, you needed the bowling equivalent of a dozen cannon firing all at once to blast him down.”

But this is Rahul Dravid for you! Lack of acknowledgement never de-motivated him! He has still maintained that selfless approach towards life and his love – Cricket! No matter the selectors pick him or drop him, he will continue making contributions in the Indian cricket with his selfless, yet (intentionally) unnoticed efforts!

 And I can only call it an irony that legend like Rahul Dravid would now be seen less and less in the coming years! (Good news for his CRITICS, but bad news for all we Rahul Dravid lovers out there). But “Such is Life”!

"SRT"- My Addiction

I dont remember when I fell in love with this guy. It was a sheer herd mentality. Every1 loves him, I have to love him too. If I dont, I will be a loner. What will I do when he is on TV? Every1 will be glued to him, I'll be alone. Thats when I started watching him on TV. 

He was cute looking then. He is good looking till date. That time I had no clue whats so special about him. Now, I know, he is the only special thing about the religion. He is the talk of the town? No no, he is the talk of the globe. Anything that he does is watched, worshipped and blindly agreed. 

 For many, the religion starts and ends with this 1 man on the field. The TV is on till the time camera can follow him. Rest is just a daily soap. Nice, but no spice!

I was reading a article by Former England captain Allan Lamb that mentions how the Lords' match is of utmost importance. He writes: "People in England have been writing about Sachin Tendulkar breaking his Lord's jinx (of scoring a hundred) well. he won't get a better time to do it, will he? Even if he doesn't get there, he shouldn't get disheartened. A lot of top players over the years haven't got a hundred at Lord's. I don't know why that is!

Well, its time for an Indian to write something. Why is it so much important for an Indian? Lacs of Indians never want him to retire. Someday he will. But the thought sends a shiver down my spine. What do u mean that he'll retire? He cant retire. He will never leave. At the bottom of my heart, I know 1 thing. The day he bids farewell, thousands of spectators will wave with him. The religion will no longer be celebrated as the way it is done now.

Ever since England tour was announced, every Indian has a dream of seeing 100th 100 by the GOD at the Mecca of cricket. Its not just the dream anymore. We have prayers recited, wishes made and what not. Sir Lamb, no one can ever understand the feeling that every Indian shares in heart when the Master Blaster hits a ton. The celebrations are to be experienced. No1 can describe it. 

Lamb also wrote: "It doesn't get any bigger, or better, does it? It'll be a very special occasion. Playing at Lord's in general gets the best out of cricketers - this time it'll be even more special."

We cannot deny. It will take its place in the history.

Sachin is the reason why I started watching cricket. He is the reason why I started playing it. He is the reason why I was totally addicted to the game. Today, it’s his moment. It’s going to be his event. It will be his turn to create and rewrite history. A proud Indian - Me - wants to speak for entire nation about how important the day is for us.

The day when we will see TV as an occasion; when “fingers-crossed” will be a group activity; when no-jinx-allowed will trend. When there will be hands folded, lots of innocent bribes offered. When, again, there will tears of joy! The dream will come in real for so many supporters. I might be exaggerating the incidence. But, why not? I have waited for it so long. I want to be a part of it and stay there forever.

Ofcourse, I don’t know how the future will look like. I don’t know what will be the outcome. But this is my wish-list. I can vividly see the moments of glory. These are the blissful moments. They may or may not come true. But the colour of each face is saffron, white and green.

As they say in my country, U will never know how it feels. There is just 1 Sachin and the rest are all, well, mortals. Let me seal the moment right now. 

Because you are My Friend

Because you are my friend I would do for you all that my heart and my soul and body are capable of doing.

I would cry with you and share your burdens when you are down.

I would laugh with you and rejoice with you when you have achieved.

I would be there when you want my company and I would be gone when you do not.

But do not expect perfection from me, for the day shall come when I let you down and you will be hurt.

And when I let you down, it will not be because I desire to hurt you, nor because I do not still love you. It will only be because I am human and that is one frailty from which no one can escape.

My Favorite- Prof.Prathibha Raj

Tens of subjects, lessons in hundreds, thousands of questions arise in my mind 
Knowledge and wisdom you provide me with kind 
Hours of preparation and the experience that you acquire 
All come handy, when the classes transpire.

Your light hearted comments become comical breaks for me 
Without which subjects seems nothing but a fuss 
Deep inside, you imbibe in my principles of morality 
The joy of understanding the concept brings calmness.

Every year one batch fades by and a new batch blossom 
It’s an end for many yet a new beginning for some 
Each year new dreams sparkle 
Some perish, and a few twinkle 
Every year precious gems are crafted out of lifeless stones 
You turn me into ‘humans’ just from flesh and bones 

The souls that loose in the fight against evil 
Would blame their teacher, their guru for the reasons nil 
The many that win against the odds 
Remember their redeemers as equal to God 
The former could not take away the sparkle of your glory 
Though the latter does add feather to your story 

Times change, and so do I 
You are my foundation just like the trunk of a tree 
What remains unchanged is the soul of a teacher 
You are an institution of knowledge, you are the best preacher 

Thank you for being my Teacher .

What is Boxing Day Test?

Every year, a cricket team tours Australia around Christmas. A match is played between Australia and the touring team on Boxing Day (26th December) at Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is known as Boxing Day Test.

With the excitement and exhaustion of Christmas Day over, the Boxing Day Test at the MCG is one of Australia's most popular sporting events. Reasons for this go well beyond the fact that cricket in Melbourne, and indeed Australia, attracts loyal supporters.

The popularity of the Boxing Day Test also has something to do with Australia's relaxed outdoor lifestyle, which sees sports lovers appreciate a fine summer's day spent with friends watching sporting greats battle it out on a well-manicured field.

The first ever Test match involving Boxing Day took place in 1950. Prior to that, Boxing Day at the MCG had been the domain of Sheffield Shield cricket, often the highly popular Victoria-New South Wales encounters.

Many famous events have happened during the Boxing Day Test, including umpire Darrell Hair calling Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in 1995 and Shane Warne taking his 700th Test wicket in 2006 against England in his final MCG Test.

Does being prolific in domestic cricket matter?

Is thriving in domestic cricket, scoring tons, and excelling in the longer format any good, after all? I am beginning to wonder, for let’s face it, the franchises, understandably, care a zilch about your scores in the Ranji Trophy. A player could have well put on view both the temperament and the technique essential to succeed in the coveted championship, but it is still not enough to bag a ticket to the IPL.

But, that’s not the league’s fault, you may say. It’s a Twenty20 championship that requires a particular skill set, which some domestic cricketers may or may not possess. And hasn’t the IPL anyway picked up many a domestic players and made stars out of them in a span of just three years? While I don’t dispute that, there’s still an issue lurking, almost lost, in the whiff of the aromatic IPL. It involves that crop of players who are not suited to play the slam-bang cricket, and who are beginning to wonder if playing and excelling in the IPL is bigger than representing their state in domestic cricket.

Till a few years ago, a domestic player played for peanuts, while the recognition for his skill was even lesser. All that mattered was to play for the country, while everything else was either inconsequential or simply stop-gap. But the IPL changed it all. Besides being ever so lucrative, and a sure-shot way to instant stardom, it actually, and quite bafflingly, became a parameter to judge a player for national selection.

What makes matters worse for these domestic players, who are stamped as ‘Test players’, and ignored by the league on this very pretext, is that they are now being looked right through even for a selection to the higher berths, in spite of prospering in the Ranji Trophy. These players are pigeonholed to play a certain brand of cricket and nobody is willing to give them a fair run to showcase their talent in the shortest format. Their agony is doubled when they see their peers, some of them not even good enough to play for their state, stealing a march over them and enjoying plum IPL deals. Quite a double whammy!

Pity, they are contemplating a change in their batting style, becoming a tad too flashy, brazen, restless, and ever so aggressive, even if it means going for cheap in the ‘lacklustre’ longer format. But, even as they do get swept off by the winds of change, they continue to feel as insecure as they did a few years ago. Nothing, not the IPL, not even the Ranji Trophy, has succeeded in making these rather brilliant players feel safe.

A place in the Ranji side is as unpredictable as the outcome of the next innings, for past laurels can only take a player so far. While the pay packets for Ranji players have gotten better, their chances of getting a promotion haven't. My question, though, is larger – Why has playing in the IPL become so important? So much so, that it is either as good as playing for the country or not playing cricket at all. Think over.

Corruption in India

Corruption is today a world-wide phenomenon. In our own country some people in high positions lave been charged for it.

A corrupt person is termed immoral, dishonest and unscrupulous in his dealings. His disregard for honesty, righteousness and truth results in his alienation from society. He is treated with contempt. But as erosion of values leads to decadence, remedies for the social malaise remain elusive, and so no amount of contempt can eradicate corruption which is a symptom of decadence.

Corruption is the most virulent when crises everywhere threaten the very existence of the society and the faith in life is shaken. It has always been there like tie leech, but when the system grows weaker and the boat flounders, it gets bolder and drains its victims of the last drops of their blood.

The older the system the weaker it grows and fails to solve the riddles of life that grows more complex every day. So men lose faith in it and let it drift down. At this point corruption takes over and plunges the entire society. After Second World War the old system with all its values was left in a shambles. The crippling effects of the war, the recession and depression, and uncertainties in a faithless world of maimed and moribund encouraged cynicism in a section of the population.

This section included the government officials dealing in essential commodities. They found the post-war conditions ideal for fishing in troubled waters and jetting richer. They formed a sort of vicious circle in which moral values and honest intentions no longer held valid. The flourishing black market in essential commodities, adulteration of even baby- food, bribery, fraud and economic, political and administrative manipulations with an eye on earning profits has brought untold misery to the people.

One would say the corruption in India has an ancient lineage; it is sanctified by tradition. The author of the Arthasastra made some remarks on government officials of his time which are relevant even today: "Just as it is impossible not to taste the honey or the poison that finds itself at the tip of the tongue, so it is impossible for a government servant not to eat up at least a bit of the king's revenue. These in the post­war world became only bolder while eating up government money and accepting bribes.

Today, when India is free, these officials representing all government departments are very close to the most corrupt businessmen who are too unscrupulous to let any opportunity of amassing profits slip. This collusion broadens the base of the vicious circle and corruption spreads 'like wild fire to engulf the entire society. The political and social guardians depend only too much on the richer communities and they look indulgently on while these communities hold the entire society and the government to ransom.

Corruption starts at the top and percolates down to the whole society. Such corruption cannot be confined to the towns alone. It is as widespread in the villages where the dishonest officials and the traders carry the germs of the disease. The tyranny of confusion and price rules the land and the people are helpless victims of corruption everywhere.

Harbhajan joins elite club

In his 96th Test, off his 26,961st delivery, Harbhajan Singh became the 11th man in Test history, and the fourth spinner, to claim 400 wickets. The relief-drenched celebration came out with a pumped fist and a roar. It would have perhaps been even more fitting had it come through a shout for an lbw or a catch as then Harbhajan would have done his signature backpedal-and-appeal routine.

The mode of celebration was understandable as he was made to wait for the landmark. He needed seven wickets at the start of the series and in the first two Tests, on pitches that suited the seamers, he took five wickets at an average of 35.60. The wait ended today. With Ishant Sharma threatening to run through the tail, Harbhajan removed Darren Sammy with the typical bat-and-pad dismissal that he is known for. The ball dipped and bounced as it turned in and Sammy edged his defensive poke to the short-leg fielder. In his next over, he got one to turn in from just outside off and cramped up Carlton Baugh for room. Baugh went for the cut, almost stumbled out to the leg side and lost his stumps.

Cameras flashed from the Indian dressing room. Out in the middle, Harbhajan was enveloped by warm hugs from his team-mates. Slowly he extricated himself, walked towards the top of his run-up, placed his right hand on his chest and looked up to the skies.

It's been a common sight through his 13-year career. Often he gives the feeling he is fighting the world. Often you get the feeling the world is fighting against him. It's been a career with ferocious highs and puzzling lows.

Rarely has any other bowler, who has taken 400 wickets, received so much criticism. It's as if his critics expect greatness from him and feel disappointed that he has let them down.

On his bad days his line would drift to leg and middle, the pace would be too quick and the attacking bowler in him would evaporate. The critics would have a field day on how he is finished and then suddenly, he will shut them up with a match-winning spell. On his good days he could be a handful. The ball would drift, dip, and bite and batsmen would succumb, unable to contend with the extra bounce and the turn. It was as if there were two different bowlers. Other top spinners rarely gave this illusion of split personality. Harbhajan does.

He is a good bowler. Some believe he can be better than good. Some believe he is not as good as he is purported to be. The truth must lie somewhere in the middle. He has confounded his critics through his career. It's often been said that he needs spin-friendly tracks to be effective. However, in his previous two outings away from home, in New Zealand in 2009 and in South Africa in 2010, he has excelled. He was perhaps at his best away from home during that tour of New Zealand. Deploying over spin, side spin, and top spin, he was at the top of his art. The drift he got was mesmerising. Couple of months after that tour, Daniel Vettori named Harbhajan as the bowler who he admired the most in international cricket.

Later in South Africa, in the Cape Town Test, after a wicketless first innings which had the critics hollering, he gave a rousing performance in the second, taking 7 for 120. Through his career he has been a different bowler once he got early wickets. In recent times, he hasn't used the doosra much and has preferred to use the topspinner. It's been a puzzling development.

Today, however, was a day to bask in personal glory. The list of top wicket-taking spinners reads Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan. There might have been better spinners than Harbhajan in Test history but it's he who has achieved the landmark of 400 wickets. And it's no mean achievement. It will be interesting to see how history views him. Will he judged by what he has done and or will be judged by what some think he could have done? What more he could have done?

'Murli Vijay' needs to be shown the door .

Time to throw Murali Vijay out of the team and not get him through to England if Sehwag doesnt recover in time. He's got enough opportunities and failed to convert any of those. Any slot in the Indian team is not Tamil Nadu's right just cos Srikanth heads the selection committee and another buffoon N Srinivasan is about to head the BCCI.

12 Tests, possibly 13 are more than enough to show your class and moreover attitude and temparament.