We are family!! Thank you Sachin!!!!!!

482 runs in 9 matches with 2 centuries, 2 half centuries, and the maximum number of sixes by any Indian batsman. The person who placed his country and his game above everything in his life has got a fitting reward after 21 years of endurance. He might have all the records in his kitty but nothing would have satisfied Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar as much as this world cup. After all, he finally played his part in bringing glory to his country. Arguably , Sachin is the one of the most patriotic cricketers ever in the history of the game. And the cricket Gods have rightly adorned  him with the crown and now Sachin has made yet another record!! He is the first player to play a world cup final at his home ground , and he has won it!!

The madness with which the religion of Cricket is being followed all over the country , and particularly in this Engineering island in Guindy is absolutely amazing. Over the last 10 days, nothing went really wrong for the crazy people over here, and we enjoyed damn good cricket. We had to go to the tv hall (which was as hot as a mine), an hour before the starting of the match to get seated. The only time when the tv hall was relatively empty was when Sachin got out yesterday and the scorecard read 31/2. Whenever there was a misfield, whenever a batsman gets out for a stupid shot, and whenever someone in the opposition does well, they were subjected to horrible abuses. Each and every run and each and every dot ball was cheered.  We never had a feeling that we were infront of TV set. We all enjoyed as though we were in a stadium. Newspapers were torn into pieces and thrown in air every now and then. Cricket bridged gaps between us, we came to know each other better, new friendships were made.

All these days, we had one common religion, one big festival, and one main deity called Sachin Tendulkar. Kudos to Cricket!!

Board of Controversy and Corruption in India.

Even after the pathetic and characterless defeats in the world T20 and in Zimbabwe, BCCI's national selection commitee and its chairman is unfazed. With Sachin opting out of the Asia cup, the chances for India in the tournament are very very dim. The little master is very choosy of late, and he is right in doing so, as he shoulders a huge responsibility in the 2011 WC. The selection commitee made a good decision by leaving out Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan. Yuvraj Singh must have been shown the doors long ago in January, and he cannot take his place in the side for granted anymore.

But , it seems the committee has totally forgotten Rahul Dravid. He has not announced his retirement from ODI cricket till now. He is one of the finest and greatest players of the game. He is fitter and far far better than most of the so called "next generation" players. His performances in IPL-3 is commendable, and his bat speed and strike rate has improved considerably. If the selectors think strike rate is an important criteria for selection,he is a perfect package today, and there is no reason why he is being denied his place. The Indian batting order is too vulnerable now, and the inclusion of Dravid would have altogether changed the scenario.

The BCCI has commited a blunder in not sending a team for tha Asiad. It has missed a golden opportunity to let its players contribute to the country's glory. It was a chance to prove the nation why cricket is the most loved sport in the country. By its action,the BCCI has brought shame to the cricket followers and cricket worshippers all over the naton.

These are testing times for cricket in this nation. Let not BCCI be carried away by the success of IPL. Cricket is not all about money, and cheer girls. Its about passion, and hero worship. Without heros , Cricket in India wont survive

THE REAL MASTER

He taught me cricket.. When my grandma taught wat is a boundary, sachin was the batsman.. When i was wondering whether anyone can hit a six off a fast bowler, sachin smashed michael kasprowickz into the sharjah crowd.. Still i remember that particular match.. Unbelievable 143 against aussies at sharjah!! It was the match and sachin was the man who pulled me for cricket.. In the last 11 years I dont know even a single instance when sachin rolled on the floor and kissed the pitch for a century.. He was not chewing bubble gums , while the national anthem was played on the world cup finals.. He rarely blames the pitch.. " He chased a south affrican spectator and pulled him down , for snatching his Indian cap" , wrote vijay lokapally on The hindu dated 15.11.09..
He returned to national duty , right after his father's funeral.. Still I remember the sachin who looked into the heavens for 2 extra seconds , on course of his 140 against kenya... That was his first century after his father's demise... Thanks to the espn star cameraman , who focussed on the eyes of spectators , as soon as sachin scored his century... The tears shed there by those people and millions back home, tells who sachin is , amd wat he means to us..Anyone would have forgot his fourth innings century at chepauk.. certainly not I.. I was just 10 kilometres and 50 rupees away from watching it.. But for mathematics 1 , nothing prevented me from seeing sachin.. I dont know when the next test match will be played at chennai.. I dont know whether I will have a glimpse of the hero in my lifetime.. I missed a chance for seeing the man, who after scoring 87 international centuries , said his best moment in international cricket waas when he got his indian cap.. Thanks to his recent "I am an indian first" comment,Sachin is the only indian who unified all the political parties..
Dhoni right now shoulders the huge responsibility of giving sachin his most wanted gift, the world cup.. Let the street-smart captain keep in mind that if at all cricket has to survive in the country, sachin should announce his retirement from international cricket only after touching the golden cup with his golden hands... Else , it is very obvious that he will be asked to step down , not only by all indian cricket fans , but by all sachinists...

T20

With the T20 championship underway , every Indian including me is expecting dhoni to lift the trophy again....Commentory debutant Dada has written in "The Hindu" that he is backing india for a berth in final.... On the other hand The Netherlands captain smits has said yesterday that he is looking forward to finals......


In this format both can or cannot happen....

The first few days of the competition itself had seen a lot of drama with symmo turning indisciplined once again thereby putting a potential fullstop to his own cricketing career, the appearance of the entire indian team for the press meet showing that they are united(really?!),and cancellation of the opening ceremony , and an unexpected result in the opening match itself.....

In many ways this edition will be more interesting than the inaugural edition,with no clear favorites and nearly 6 teams of equal strength,its upto the minnows to upset the party.....

Though it is very risky to guess in a T20 tourament , I cant stop myselves from predicting...

My bet for the semis are the promising indians under dhoni, the determined South Africans under smith, the attacking kiwis under Vettori and a rejuvenated lankans under sanga..... i am not ruling out pakistan or windies but lanka has a better chance to be in the last four.... I may be proved wrong for writing off the aussies but I strongly feel that they are comin without hayden,gilli nad symmo....so its very much unlikely that aussies will take the honours.......a miraculous form should be exhibited by marsh,watson,husseys and johnson along with the captain and his deputy to win the tournament....but i feel thats highly unlikely......

This would be the best chance for South Africa which missed out the semis narrowly last year and also for Newzealand to seal their first world crown....... but lets see......it may be smith or even smits...lets wait till june 21....