Indian Tennis: Split Wide Open

There are quite a few things in my mind that can be "blogged". But what, perhaps, could not stop me from signing in here is the latest news of Indian tennis going down the doldrums. Four Indian tennis stars, the most notable among them being the great Mahesh Bhupathi, have written to the All India Tennis Association (AITA), that they would not play in the next Davis Cup tie against Japan, if the team is continued to be led by Leander Peas.

This news, confirmed by all the players involved, has not only come as a huge shock but also as a big setback for the future of Indian tennis. Paes has been accused of being a poor leader and the players, including Prakash Amritraj, Karan Rastogi, Rohan Bopanna, apart from Bhupathi, have objected to Paes' critical attitude towards them in the press and believe he does not fulfill the larger role of a captain -- not encouraging or communicating with the teammates enough outside the Davis Cup weeks.


The golden duo of Leander and Mahesh, dubbed the "Indian Express" and, perhaps, the best thing that ever happened to Indian sport, had, unfortunately, already split in 2000 and "are not on talking terms", according to Mahesh Bhupathi. The duo, however, have always put their differences in a corner when it came to playing for the country, be it in the Davis Cup or in the Olympics. The reason for their split is, perhaps, the biggest mystery of Indian or rather, world sport. Unless one of the two come out with a tell-all autobiography, this mystery will remain what it is right now - a mystery. Bhupathi and Paes were expected to play together for India in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They were, and always will be, India's best chance for a medal at the Olympics. What implications would the recent developments have, starting from whether they would even play together at the Olympics, is yet to be seen.

The widening split between Paes and Bhupathi is, according to me, bigger and nastier than the split between Ganguly - Chappell or for that matter even Fernanndo Alonso - MacLaren F1 team. Cricket and F1 are more of team sports and there are replacements available. But it is the Indian tennis, which is a more of a two-man show, will have to bear the brunt.

I am not a stupid news channel to conclude or speculate for any reason at all. Unless we know the reactions from both the parties involved, it is difficult to predict the future of Indian tennis. India need both, Leander and Mahesh, at this point of time. Not only because the Olympics is around the corner, but also for the fact that Rastogi, Bopanna and Amritraj are too raw and inexperienced to take over the responsibility on their young shoulders - a responsibility and the billion expectations that Bhupathi and Peas have so wonderfully handled on their mature shoulders for over a decade despite their differences.

This is not even the last thing that tennis fans, like me, would have wanted. India is already suffering from Sania Mirza's decision to pull out of the Bangalore Open in order to avoid any further controversies. The Indian star, the best that we have after Paes and Bhupathi, refused to play in India after being involved in numerous controversies, most of them having being created by publicity-hungry people and for no absolute fault of hers.

All that I, as a true Indian tennis fan, can hope for is that Bhupathi and Paes play together at the Olympics - because they are India's best chance for a sure-shot medal and that Sania decides to revoke her decision of not playing in India, as this would be her best chance of stepping up in the rankings. I also wish, but I know that this would never happen, that the Indian media, especially the Hindi news channels, let these players alone and not create controversies.

One Night @ The Call Center

Read Chetan Bhagat's second book, "One Night @ The Call Center" this week. I found it absolute crap. I chose the book from the library for two reasons:

• Chetan Bhagat had spell-bounded me with his Five Point Someone
• The back cover of the book read something like this - The writer, while on a train journey from Kanpur to Delhi, meets a girl who narrates him a story on the condition that the writer would make this story in a book. The story is about about 6 people, Shyam (the narrator), Vroom, Military Uncle, Radhika, Priyanka and Esha, who work for a call center. On a particular night, they get a call - from God.

Now, this was enough to simulate my curiosity.

As it turned out, this book was nowhere close to the genius of FPS. Although it is unfair to compare, ON@TCC is not up to the mark. A friend of mine, who has worked for a call center, said that the happenings, as mentioned in the book, are quite realistic and this is what happens at a call center. Though I really doubt whether the guys at a call center can do everything, but work, while at work!

The problems with the book:

• It is a bit slow. Though it is expected as it is just a 6-hour story in a 280-paged book. But, it needed to spend some more time on the editing table.
• The much hyped character in the book - the God, and the call from God, was just a 2-paged affair. And, he appears during the climax of the story, although he was projected to be one of its main characters. The writer goes over-board with the fiction part of the book...what with Shyam's mobile displaying, "God calling". All the little fun and faith generated at the beginning evaporates in thin air.
• And, to make a crap book crappier, it turns out that the girl, whom the writer had met in the train, was not after all, a girl! She was God! Hell!

I guess, had I read this book before reading FPS, it would not have made an anti-ON@TCC. I, however, still like the writing style of Chetan Bhagat. After all, ek galti sabko maaf hoti hai.

Five Point Someone

Read this book recently. Ok, don't give me that, "What! You had not read this book earlier?" look. Have had enough of those already. And, I need no more. Probably, I am the last person on earth to have read this book. Everybody seems to have read it.

Anyway, my point is, this is easily one of the most interesting books that I have read. This book gave me several of my firsts. It was the first book:

• that I finished reading in three days flat. Its quite an achievement, I tell you. Though I must admit that the small size of the book and the large fonts did help my cause.
• for which I never turned back to check where I had left off. I remembered exactly which page I was on when I last read it, and what had happened in the story till then. Have to commend the writer for this. Its a simple story told simply.
  
• for which I did not open the dictionary even once. I hate it when I have to refer to a dictionary whenever I read a book. I am not very fond of expanding my vocabulary, coz I feel that its useless. Why do we have synonyms in any language? Its truly useless I tell you. Also, there should be no place for "degrees of comparison" in any language. Instead of using, "good, better, best", why cant we just use "good, very good, very very good"? The message conveyed is the same. If we do away with synonyms and "degrees of comparison", every dictionary in this world would truly become a "pocket dictionary".

This book is racy, intriguing and realistic, and anybody can identify himself with one of the three protagonists (I found myself closest to Hari and sometimes with Ryan.). However, Sudeep (he is a Nine Point Something, I tell you!) said, "It describes bad things that can (and do) happen here at IIT. But it is highly unlikely that more than one of those bad things will happen to anyone. The book describes an "all things gone wrong" situation." True, and who better than Sudeep to know about it. It, however, is still a must read. (Assuming there are people who have not read the book yet. I know none of these rare breed of people.)

I was so amazed with the writing style of Chetan Bhagat, that I couldn't resist myself from bringing home his "One Night @ the Call Center". I hope it it turns out as good as, if not better than, Five Point Someone.

These (and it includes "The Kite Runner") are the kind of books I like. No 'boy wizard with a magic wand' stuff for me.

P.S. No matter how much a guy would hate to listen to this from girls, it is true that all guys ARE THE SAME. They all think alike and this book just strengthens my belief.

Traffic keeps me fit!

This is related to my earlier post or can be called as a prequel.

It is necessary to warm-up your body before you start with your exercises. But warm-ups are usually quite boring. The sight of a dumb-bell keeps me away from my warm-up exercises. Staying in Mumbai, or rather traveling in Mumbai, helps ensure that I don't miss out on this vital part of exercising.

The traffic, while coming back from office, is so dense that it is impossible (ok, not impossible, but extremely difficult) for even a bike to get through it. Powai's IIT area has a magnet placed secretly somewhere. No matter what hour of the day or night, the traffic just refuses to move an inch. You can well imagine the plight of the huge, king-sized red vehicle that I travel in. Who says that the stronger and the bigger you are, the mightier you get?

Having born with extremely low levels of patience, the only solution I can find to beat this traffic is getting down and walk! A quick 20 minute walk from Ajahara shopping center to IIT market is what I do, and then catch another bus to get home. However stupid it might sound, this saves loads of time and also warms-up my body for the exercises! Ah! Never mind the the various poisonous gases that I inhale during this period!

Mumbai's traffic helps me keep fit!

P.S. One particular line from the lead India movement by the Times of India comes to mind while on the subject of traffic. Had this SRK advertisement running on TV wherein he says, "You are never stuck in a traffic jam, YOU are the traffic jam!!!" So true! (Must compliment the writer of this line. But its just better to remember it as an SRK ad. Though, I feel sorry for the writer.)

Another thing comes to mind about the BEST buses as this post started off with the might of these very vehicles. To understand why I use the word 'mighty' for these bus, just try standing very close to the front of the bus. And look at it in the face! It is HUGE!! Especially, the old buses. And the job of manoeuvering these huge creatures on congested roads must be so damn difficult, and this certainly deserves a standing ovation. (Well, stand is what I do in the bus...who gets a place to sit?)

We should learn not to make an issue of the accidents that these buses sometimes cause. After all, how many accidents are caused by these buses? Certainly not as many as those caused by bikes and cars. And, to think of it that there are hundreds of these buses on roads everyday. I have never come across any situation where I could find fault with the driver or the conductor, who is generally assumed to be a rude person. What they do day in and day out is certainly not what a normal person can do. What the two of them in each bus do is something out of the ordinary. And to bear the irritating passengers! Wow! Hell of a job, for sure!

The joy of exercising!

Ok. I am not here to discuss the benefits of exercising. Everybody knows about them. But, how many of us actually try to go beyond the usual benefits and look at the not-so-apparent joys of exercising?

I am not a gym person. So, I exercise at home as and when time (and mood) permits. Not that I want the V-shape like Salman or abs like SRK (he used to look better when he was the no-pack-Khan, though). I exercise for the sheer joy of it. Its an hour for yourself. You in a locked room with no one to disturb, with your favourite music at the highest volume! Wow!! You can jump, kick-box, shout...do whatever you want! Become a child again! No one would know (or hear you shout, coz of the loud music) what you are up to inside the closed room.

And if anyone DARES disturb you during that hour, remember...you have the dumb-bell and he has nothing!!! :)

Look before you speak...

Well, literally.

1) I found myself in an awkward situation that day when I wanted to tell this friend of mine something that I didn't want anybody to hear. And, since we are always surrounded by people everywhere in the office, I presumed that an empty washroom would be the best place to send across the news. After telling him the 'news' inside the washroom, I kept on telling him not to tell that to anybody until it is officially declared.

10 minutes later: This friend of mine comes to my cubicle and says, "When you were telling me that stuff sometime back, Mr. ABC was there inside!" And, that ABC being a very senior person in the office, I was so terribly annoyed at my stupidity and having made a fool of myself in the presence of that person!


2) There was this meeting scheduled in the office sometime in the morning in the first week of January. But, it kept getting postponed coz some senior member (not the one mentioned in the earlier episode...so, lets name him Mr. XYZ) had yet not arrived. After several such "scheduled-for" times, it was finally confirmed that Mr. XYZ has arrived and the meeting would be held at 2:30 pm.

At around 2:15 pm, I met this team-mate of mine just outside the canteen where I asked her, "Kitni baar meeting postpone karta hai yeh? I hope abhi nahi karega..." And the very next second, I saw a person coming out of the canteen, who must have obviously heard me saying that. Needless to say, that person was Mr. XYZ.

Why do I always open my bloody mouth at the wrong time?

Well, I can laugh at it now...but yea, one should LOOK before before one speaks...

Defeat of the winners

How does a kid who has cheated in an exam, but has yet topped, feel about the result? I am not in the know. Though I cannot claim to have never cheated, I have never topped!

Well, the Aussies would be your best bet to answer that question. Everybody saw what happened at the SCG against India. 7 decisions went against India (were they really 7? Or more than that? I have actually lost count). Oh yea, one can claim that 1 decision went against the Aussies too. But, 7:1 is a poor ratio at any given time. Not only were the umpires at fault, but there is no doubt in any body's mind that the cheating Aussie side had an equally important role to play.

More importantly, it were the players who were given not out (when they were actually out), and those given out (when they were actually not out) that cost India the match.

• Symonds was given not out thrice (worst being, by the third umpire who can use all the technology available, just to declare a batsman not out when he is actually in the otherwise).
• Ponting was given not out when everybody in the stadium heard the nick to the wicketkeeper. Yea, well he was given out finally on 55 when he wasn't, but that did do India a lot of damage as he was on 17 when he had nicked the ball, only to be given not out.
• Jaffer was bowled of a no-ball. But, the umpire decided to enjoy Lee's brilliant yorker and forget that he had actually bowled a no-ball. However, this is just a decision that umpires can get wrong even on a normal day and given Jaffer's batting form, it surely didn't affect the result of the game.
• Dravid, The Wall, who was finally playing nicely, was given out caught behind when he had his bat nowhere near the ball.
• Ganguly (my man!) was given out when Clarke had actually grassed his catch. The remorseful fact about this decision is that the umpire Mark Benson, decided to ask the fielder and his captain whether he had caught the ball cleanly. Did he forget that he actually had a partner in Steve Bucknor at square-leg and another one in Bruce Oxenford sitting in an AC room upstairs whom he could have consulted? Well, in a game where all three umpires faulted, I don't think either of the three would have given the correct decision.

There is not even an iota of doubt in my mind that India would have easily won the game had it not been for the blind and deaf umpires (who could neither hear nor see the proceedings) and for the Aussies who claim to have played in the spirit of the game. How can they claim to be playing "gentlemanly" (and how can the umpires take their word to make decisions) when Ponting and Clarke had not walked when they both had clearly edged the ball while batting? Although I have nothing against them for not walking, they cannot claim to make right decisions while fielding and forget all about it while batting. Like Clarke, Ponting too had clearly grassed and had blatantly appealed to a ball that had popped-up of Dhoni's pad (fortunately) and not his bat. Had he edged it, I am sure the umpires would have ignored that he had grounded the catch.

To add to that, Harbhajan was belted with a 3 test ban for allegedly making racist comments on Symonds. I would not have believed had Harbhajan claimed to have done no wrong. Coz, he is known to be notorious. But when Tendulkar, who was with Harbhajan during the incident, claims that nothing wrong was said, one cannot but just believe his word. Sachin, after all, is the Gandhi of the game of cricket. But when his testimony was not paid heed to during the hearing, it triggered an un-Sachin like call from him, asking the team to back out from the tour (well, thats the news on TV right now). And, when Sachin does that, one just cannot say that it was not Bhajji, but Symonds who was playing foolish and had lied during the hearing.

Ponting has gone on record saying that no one should question is integrity. Well, his integrity is for everyone to see. And Clarke too, who grassed Ganguly's catch, said that he was 100% convinced that he had cleanly completed the catch. (Yea, the videos lied, didn't they?). But he must seriously be joking when he said that both the parties suffered coz of the wrong umpiring decisions. Which two parties is he talking about? Perhaps, the Indian Batting Party and the Indian Bowling Party. If he means India and Australia, he could be sent as a next candidate for the Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

Fortunately for India, every bit of the proceedings was captured on camera and presented to the world. The Aussie media and the Aussies in general are said to be blaming the Australian team for not playing with the spirit of the game. Therein lies the DEFEAT OF THE WINNERS. They are known to do all that it takes to win matches, but to do ANYTHING to win it...its not what a champion side should be made of.

Never in his career, spanning around 18 years, have I ever seen Anil Kumble so disturbed and angry. He has always taken all things - good and bad - in his stride. All the joys, sorrows, triumphs and disappointments with the same smiling face. But his anger was there to be seen. Not through words, but his eyes spoke it all. Perhaps the loudest cheers came during the press conference when he said, "I think only one team played with the spirit of the game." So right he was! He was not defeated. He was wronged.

P.S.: Would have loved to see how things would have shaped up had this episode occurred 4 years back when Ganguly was at his peak as a captain. Though I have high regard for Kumble for the way he has conducted himself during the aftermath of the test, it would have been really interesting to see how Ganguly would have reacted. Theres no doubt that there would have been a lot many swear words used. He was a captain who stood by his side through thick and thin. A particular incident that comes to mind is when Sachin Tendulkar was accused of ball-tampering against South Africa. Steve Waugh, the then-Aussie captain, had unnecessarily said that Tendulkar is at fault (when he actually wasn't). Ganguly had at that time, in a TV interview said, 'Steve Waugh should rather SHUT UP and concentrate on the conduct of his team'. A man who could dare shut the mouth of a legend named Steve Waugh...well, he can do anything then! Perhaps, the Aussies would not have dared to play such a shitty game had he been the captain...

I am back...

Yea, I know this is my first post. But, I did have a blog some couple of years ago, and had then stopped coz of lack of motivation and enthusiasm. Now when I wished to come back, I found that I had forgotten the password for my earlier blog! Though I can still view it if I type in the URL, as if I am some outsider longing to read someone else's blog! Well, that reminded me of an article that I had posted in my earlier blog about passwords. Here goes...

"Oh ! These passwords.....

Its been a long time since my last post. So long, that I even forgot my password. Well, thats a problem with passwords. If you don't use them for some time, the 'words' of the password 'pass' your minds.

Having the same password for all my email accounts and other subscriptions is not something that I do, so remembering which password is for which account is as difficult as solving a legal case in a quick time.

"Incorrect username or password" is the worst and the most offensive webpage on the internet. And most of the sites have those words written in red as if warning us that a crime as grievous as forgetting one's password will not be tolerated henceforth.

Can't they be a bit polite? "Hey dude/babe, we think you have made a mistake in your username and/or password. We would be glad if you could PLEASE correct it." This sounds so good !!! Hell ! But why would they care? Rude or polite, they know we are going to try again...

And what kind of a sentence is "Incorrect username OR password"? These websites put the load on our brains to find out whether our username is incorrect or our password. Can't they be a bit precise???

Anyways, I have logged into my blog now with my CORRECT username and password hoping never to see the most insulting page on the internet.

And as I conclude, Yahoo! Mail, where I am trying to sign in, has just reminded me that no matter how much I hate those rude words in red, they'll keep showing me that page & make a fool of myself...

Oh !!! These passwords..."

Well, why "adi-just like that"? Coz:
1) Didn't know what to name my blog. So, decided to name it, "Just like that"
2) "Just like that" was not available...so, adi-just like that!

Hope I am a bit more regular at this than I was 2 years ago...