Copenhagen Climate Change Summit: India Crumbling before US-led Developed World??

The Following is the release brought out by the SFI-JNU on the Copenhagen Summit and India's shifting stances. With due acknowledgements to Arjun and Anagha, publishing this as a post

From today(7^th December), the attention of the world would be turned towards Copenhagen which is hosting the two-week United Nations Climate Change Conference that would last till 18^th December. The issue of the change in our atmospheric temperature fundamentally caused due to Global Warming is definitely of a serious nature, that can no more swept under the carpet. Any rise of global temperatures above 2 degree Celsius, according to experts and scientists would have catastrophic effects. This would in fact lead melting of glaciers, change climate patterns, and raise sea levels that would in turn make way for submergence of low-lying areas and islands, as has been feared with countries like Maldives. This would also affect the level and pattern of rainfall, leading to drastic impact on agricultural production and turn farm land into the deserts. The rise in global temperatures is brought about by the emission of Greenhouse gases that includes Carbon Di Oxide, Methane and four other gases, which severely damage the ozone layer. Therefore, the world should definitely look at the impact of climate change on livelihood of people as well as on the environment.

However, developments leading up to the global summit on climate change in Copenhagen have demonstrated yet again the sheer tenacity of the Rich and Developed countries in preserving their unequal and unjust privileges with respect to the rest of the world. In the last few months, the developed world, under the leadership of the US, has tried every trick in the book to transfer the entire burden of climate change on to the shoulders of the Developing Countries. This has been attempted in several ways. Firstly, developed countries have been shrilly insisting that developing countries take on legally binding and specific obligations to reduce their carbon emissions. This demand is accompanied, of course, by a view of the problem of climate change in which the historically dominant contribution of the developed world to carbon emissions is completely denied. The fact that different countries, at different stages of development, contribute differently to global emission levels, and should therefore bear the burden of emission reduction differently, is completely glossed over. India’s per capita emissions, for instance, are around one-tenth of the per capita emissions in the developed countries. In such an unequal scenario, insisting on an equal commitment to reduction from every country amounts to the worst kind of inequity. This view is outrageously blinkered to another important fact. The brunt of climate change, in terms of its impact on the quality of human life, is already being unequally and disproportionately shouldered by the Developing World–particularly the poorest of its inhabitants. Climate change has exceptionally severe consequences for countries that are predominantly dependant on agriculture or other kinds of primary economic activity. This is particularly the case where artificial irrigation is not very developed and extensive. In India, for instance, climate change can play havoc with agricultural activity by interfering enormously in patterns of precipitation. Further, as climate change is beginning to substantially impact the physical shape and ecological constitution of coastlines, activities like fishing, particularly in cases where levels of mechanization are comparatively low, stand to get acutely affected. The Developing countries and the lesser developed countries, therefore, is disproportionately vulnerable to the ravages of climate change.

Secondly, there has been a concerted effort by developed countries to shamelessly distance themselves from their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The principle that served as the foundation of the understandings reached at these conventions was that of “common but differentiated responsibilities”. On this principle, developed countries were supposed to take a lead in emissions reduction with specific legally binding reductions within specific lengths of time. Most developed countries have grossly violated these binding targets. (The US, of course, which refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol has unabashedly let its emission levels rise). They have also tried, over the last few months, to systematically remove these legally binding obligations from public memory. Most developed countries, therefore, pretend that the Copenhagen summit is a forum wherein deliberations on climate change can be ‘begun’ from a clean slate! The sheer deceit of such a stand has had several crude manifestations. The blatant lie that the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012, for instance, belongs to this category.

Thirdly, there has been a strong insistence by the developed world that technology and knowledge transfers to the Developing and less developed world, pertaining to emission reductions, should be subject to international Intellectual Property Rights frameworks. It is an undeniable fact that countries in the Third World, if they are to develop–if they are to lift themselves out of the mire of poverty, unemployment and economic stagnation–they will have to increase their levels of carbon emissions.

What can, however, mitigate the consequences of such a rise is the adoption of technologies that can help reduce the level of pollution relative to a given level of production. However, plagued as these countries are by economic and technological underdevelopment, their capacity to develop these technologies on their own is limited. Hence, the transfer of ‘green’ technologies from the developed to the developing world is of extreme importance. The developed countries, predictably of course, are attempting to profit from even this dire situation. By insisting that IPR norms apply to these technology transfers, the Rich countries are, in effect, insisting that the developing world and lesser developed countries be incapable of pursuing a trajectory of development. Through this insistence, the developed countries, under American leadership, have revealed their stark and cynical indifference to both the question of climate change and that of the welfare of the overwhelming numbers of people languishing in situations of extreme want and underdevelopment in the Developing World.

The position of the Indian government, in the run-up to the Copenhagen summit, seems equally shocking. The government seems to be extremely keen to accede to the unconscionable demands of the US-led developed countries. This has largely been in the form of the reversal of several of the principled positions that India has traditionally had on the question of climate change. In fact, in all the dilution and watering down the principled positions, the role of the Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh has been that of leading from the front!! The Prime Minister’s earlier stated position was that India’s per capita emissions “would not exceed” the per capita emissions of the Developing World. However, Jairam Ramesh, has recently modified this position by replacing the words “would not exceed” with “will stay below” thereby making room for negotiations under the per capita emission levels of the developed world. This amounts to nothing but shocking enthusiasm for the inequitable and unjust pressures exerted by the rich and developed countries. The minister has also announced 20%-25% reduction in emissions, while stating that this was ‘only domestic measure and would not be legally binding’. Further, the same minister has gone to the extent of claiming in the Lok Sabha that taking per capita emissions as the key standard is mistaken in the first place as it is largely a function of the population size. The concept of ‘per capita emissions’ has been central to the arguments of resistance made by the developed countries against the iniquitous designs of the developed countries on the question of climate change. To attack the use of this concept is therefore to render this resistance toothless. Further, he has offered to make India’s internal emission reduction efforts open to external monitoring and verification, regardless of whether technology transfers outside the domain of IPR are carried out at all or not, thereby deviating from one of the key components of India’s stated position on the issue. Of course, this has been accompanied by a vehement dismissal of the importance of the G-77, which till some time earlier had been viewed as a principally important formation as far as the resistance to the first world’s climate change-related bullying was concerned. These constant flip-flops and dilly-dallying by Jairam Ramesh in the past few days, and now the only goes to show the dilution in India’s Negotiating position on this issue and thereby, kowtowing or acting in the interest of the Developed World led by the US. Hence, this sudden shift in the country’s Environment and Climate Change is not hard to comprehend as it only points to the larger strategic alliance with the United States. In fact, two key members of the country’s Negotiating team in Copenhagen, Chandrasekhar Dasgupta and Prodipto Ghosh had even initially sought to not travel for the Summit due to differences with the Minister’s position.

Finally, the recent announcement of the Prime Minister attend the final days of the Summit only raises apprehensions as to whether this came under the pressure of the US, where Barack Obama would also be in Copenhagen. In fact, this is in contrast to his earlier position that if the proposed terms of understanding were unequal, he would not be a part of the forum. His decision to attend it, therefore, represents the final confession on the part of the UPA government that it has no intention whatsoever to resist the US-directed imperialist tyranny of the rich and developed countries on this issue. The series of agile u-turns and somersaults the government has done on the question of climate change have been nothing but a part of their systematic effort to dismantle mechanisms and space for resistance to US imperialism and hegemony in general. Finally, it represents a deep-rooted and fundamental callousness, on the part of the UPA-led government, to questions of the welfare of the Indian people, particularly those enormous sections of it grappling with material want and abysmal conditions of life.

Therefore, there has to be a united opposition to these positions of the Indian government. The need for all concerned sections is to ensure that even while taking into cognizance and acting on the perils envisaged by Climate Change, there can be no reversal or dilution of Principled Negotiating positions, by kowtowing to the diktats of the US and the Developed World. 

Sachin Tendulkar: A Journey of Two Decades

The time of growing up is very interesting; very often, it is a time of innocence. A time when the vagaries of the world seemingly leaving us unscathed. For a person like me and my generation, the beginning of the decade of the 90s was still embalmed in innocence. The hard realities of the world seem to be not affecting our morale. I would still vouch that, many facts and realities were yet to sink in. It was after covering great distance, from my formative years, that one is able to come to terms with those years. I could not understand, that the Post-Rajiv's assassination, the Narasimha Rao government at the centre was in fact in minority; I was still trying to understand the communal polarization being built up after the Babri demolition; the nitty-gritty of the 'Manmohanomics' in the form of economic reforms were still to be dissected; corruption and scandals in the form of Harshad Mehta, Hawala, et.al were still throwing up new truths and one was yet to see Shahrukh Khan as the Badshah of Bollywood!! Life for a school boy in the beginning of the decade of 90s was dominated by only one name......an image built stronger by conversations among the friends.....a time when everyone just watched him and forgot the happenings around them...perhaps his act was that of a transporter, who took us on a ride, into surrealism, away from our troubles and miseries........SACHIN TENDULKAR!!

Every person needs someone to look upto as he/she grows up......Every generation have their icons to remember...........My generation of the 1990s have not had anyone better than him. The first instance of observing him was the 1992 World Cup. Catching up with the rage and seeing a short, sturdy guy playing solid cricket shots was nothing sort of magic. Cricket for us was then identified with him. He was the 'Be All' and 'End All' of everything associated with the game. He was the prized wicket and his dismissal ended all the high hopes. The nuances of his game were still not understood. Neither were his array of shots nor his poise. The only thing that mattered was his image, his presence to face the bowler. The shouts were only for him blast the bowling and cart the deliveries all over the park. Eager eyes followed his exploits, at home against England, as he scored his first test hundred in India, at Chepauk-a ground where he has continued to maintain a great record-in Madras. On one early February morning, on the way to the morning school assembly, a friend informed that Sachin had made his debut as opener in the ODIs in New Zealand and scored an aggressive half-century. One still fondly remembers, how curses were breathed, for not having a cable connection at home. The feeling was one of missing the good things in life!! Curiosity and passion ruled the minds, as one saw him score his first ODI hundred at the Premadasa Stadium against the Australians in Colombo in 1994. Life has from then, carried on along with his journey, watching him score heavily in the 1996 World Cup till that stumping by Kalu off Murali in the Eden Gardens on that fateful day.

As one grew out of boyhood, into the responsible time of adolescence, the image of Tendulkar changed from a dasher to that of an accumulator. Along the way, he also accepted captaincy, where despite his best efforts he faltered. The most challenging time for him definitely seemed to be that test match at Bridgetown, when in the face of the gettable score of 120, the team just wilted away and crumbled for around 90. Nobody would have been more dejected than the skipper himself. It was only when the growing up as a youth was complete, that a closer peak into Sachin's beginning years could be developed. His exploits for Sharadashram along with mate Kambli under the tutelage of the Achrekar in the Harris Shield. The Mumbai cricketing nursery had produced another gem, having been tested in the fire of the different leagues in the city. The Bombay school of batsmanship was driven into him deeply. His performances in the Harris Shield and the Kanga League catapulted him into the Mumbai Ranji line-up. Scoring heavily, he also made a Century on Debut in the Ranji trophy as well as in the Irani trophy. As a 16 year-old, Sachin's only purpose on this planet seemed to play cricket. In fact, in one of his last interviews before his demise, Raj Singh Dungarpur remarked as how the Cricket Club of India had to revise its rules to allow the teenager to practice at the venue. Having been selected for the Indian team at the tender age of 16, he was straight away thrown into one of the toughest cauldrons, to tour Pakistan. That challenge was not only uphill, but was also demanding mentally for any youngster. His first captain, Krishnamachari Srikkanth got him into the final XI and he had to literally undergo his Baptism by Fire. Facing the pace of Wasim Akram along with another tearaway from Burewala-also making his debut-Waqar Younis, along with the astute leader in the fiery Pathan, Imran Khan, at Karachi, the 'boy' was not one to be intimidated. Even though hit by a snorter of Waqar in the second test at Faislabad and having his nose bleeding, Sachin defiantly carried on and made a half-century. Navjot Singh Sidhu was his partner at the other end. It was on this tour that he even took on Abdul Qadir for 16 runs in an over.

He reached his first big landmark of getting the initial three figure mark at the Old Blighty in the company of Manoj Prabhakar. But he would have scored that earlier in the year, on the tour to New Zealand. However, in the midst of a well-made 80, he was caught by John Wright. His room-mate on that tour, Sanjay Manjrekar during his commentary in later years, remarked as to how little Sachin cried for missing that hundred. But it was his tour to Australia that put him in an altogether different plane. His remarkable tons against the marauding pace attack of McDermott, Whitney, and Hughes in Sydney and Perth displayed his strengths. Driving good length deliveries, he also cut and pulled well. Perhaps, the best shots were the punches down the ground, that were played with supreme class and precise timing. The hundred at WACA at that age, is still adorned and forms part of the folklore. Over the years, following and keeping track of him has been an exercise, worth every single pie. The country cried as he lost his father in the midst of a World Cup and stood together in solidarity as he cracked a hundred against the Kenyans immediately after his return. That battle for Tendulkar was one he fought within himself more than with the opposition. His grit and determination were best displayed in that knock of 131 against Pakistan on a searing hot day at Chepauk in 1999. Fighting a back injury,while wickets were falling all around him on a fifth day track, he held one end up and almost took India home. One of the most epic chases with just the climax being different. Falling to a skier off Saqlain, Sachin walked off and India were left high and dry by 12 runs. People still remark how he didn't come to collect his Man of the Match award and just cried the entire day.

As time has progressed, his body has also undergone enough wear and tear. Playing for two decades is no mean achievement. Injuries have plagued him greatly and there is no part of the body left, which has not been placed under the scalpel. His stroke-making has changed. The booming drives and dances down the track have become less pronounced. But the sobriquet of the 'Run-Machine' still holds onto him. The timing and compose is always there. he still shifts gears with ease. Take the match in World Cup 2003 against Pakistan for instance. he just tore into Akhtar and rest of the attack. Missing the ton by just a whisker, it was wanton display of brutal, but still calculated aggression.

The 1990s had only one image of the Maestro: that of him taking the entire burden of the team on his shoulders and getting into the assault mode. Many a match can be remembered for analyzing this effort of Sachin. The battles against the Aussies in Sharjah in 1998, in the famous 'Desert Storm' was one such. Scoring two back-to-back hundreds-one in the final on his birthday night-wherein he launched himself against Kasprowicz, Fleming and Warne, was an image etched in stone.So me of those towering hits still encapsulate his batsmanship. Switching gears according to his will, he took control by being in the driver's seat. No wonder, the Aussies still consider him the biggest threat!! The team's fortunes hinged on Sachin's show. How he batted and how his work report sounded became the benchmark for the team's upward mobility. That clearly overburdened the champion, but he never let the team down. It was only in the beginning of the Sourav Ganguly era, where the vision and trajectory of the team changed. Greater challenges were identified and determination was plugged in to fulfill targets. The Indian batting became more stabilized with the emergence and flowering of the Dravids and Laxmans. New talent was unearthed and nurtured in all departments of the game like Sehwag, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Kaif, Raina, Rohit Sharma, Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma, Ojha, Nehra, Irfan Pathan. The team began to win tests and even series abroad. The raw talent was getting more polished with greater exposure and more competency through the astute coaching under John Wright. New thoughts and ideas were planted and germinated. A New purposeful Aggression was visible in the march of the Indian team. Followers began to believe in the team itself as a whole and not just limit their interest in Sachin getting a hundred, even if India lost in the process. The New Sachin was born. Gaining the status of an elderly statesman, he was more a guide and a father figure to the youngsters. That certainly freed Sachin, making him more reassured that there were others to shoulder the burden and he could play lot more freely.

Batting is just class. It is not just about taking the attack to the opposition. It is in fact an Art Form; an Amalgamation of lots of components. The essential features includes timing, placement, transfer of body weight, playing with soft hands, using the bottom hand to good effect, rolling of those magical wrists-typical to the batsmen of the sub-continent-and much more. The battle is also of the mind. To overcome pressure; to know that one may be still on high after getting a ton, but the next incoming delivery may send you back to the hut. Its about concentration, perseverance and elegance. The beauty of watching Tendulkar on song cannot be compared to anything else. Its a magician or great artist at work. Working the ball into the gaps, running hard converting ones into twos and twos into threes along with launching those big hits. The lovely straight drive, the crisp cover drive, the short of the jab pull, the hook, the mesmerizing square cut, nice on-drive, the brilliant punch back past the fast bowler, the elegant late cut, the cheeky paddle sweep, the mighty slog, the calculated reverse sweep......these and much more are all integral part of the Tendulkar book of batsmanship. Pure orthodox cricket shots, nicely off the meat of the bat....that sweet sound as the ball wheezes off to the boundary. But the most rapacious picture, without doubt is his dance down the track to hit the spinner down town. The way in which he picks the length early and positions himself to unleash his barrage of strokes. Even the way in which he scored the last of his test hundreds against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad, he reached close to the hundred after getting one past the ropes, after picking it up from outside the off-stump off Welegedara and depositing it away from mid-on. The experts have often opined on how he dictates terms; how the opposition bowls to his own terms. How the picking of line and length makes the bowlers to bowl, not to their fields, but to how Sachin wants to bowl. That puts forth a psychiatric pressure from the master!! He may have cut down on many of those shots with the age catching up with him. But he still displays them on the needed occasions. Just like that innings of 175 against the Aussies in Hyderabad, few days back. Hitting back-to-back sixes of Hauritz, keeping the run-rate ticking; Even if there was a dip in the rate in one over, he compensated it in the next over with those meaty blows. Even when the going is tough for him, he still is able to come out with flying colours and finding opportunities in adverisities. The Double Hundred(241n.o) at Sydney in 2004 was made in the backdrop of a string of poor scores in the earlier 3 tests. In fact during that innings, he did not play a single boundary through the off-side. That was a complete story of leg-side shot making. Such was his planning and execution that the double hundred became more sweet.

It is not only his batting, but his bowling also need strong mention. He was on his own terms, a mystery bowler, by not moving him into any category. He was a tweaker, bowling both the off-breaks and the leg-breaks. He even bowled pace up at times. Captains have used him often as a breaker of partnerships. Whenever, given the ball, he has most of the times delivered. His best have come in high pressure games. Those three wickets in the defining test match against the Aussies at the Eden Gardens in 2001, with his victims including the dangerous Gilchrist, trapped in the front. The two important wickets of Damien Martyn and Steve Waugh at Adelaide, caught by Dravid in the slips ensured that the Australian second innings was broken, later opening the doors for Ajit Agarkar to get a six-wicket haul, that in turn culminated in India winning that epic test match. Again, his tight bowling during the Hero Cup semis against the Proteas in that final over amidst great pressure ensured the team's passage to the finals. Also, the two 5-wicket hauls against Australia and Pakistan in different years in Kochi. It must be noted that whenever he didn't shine with the willow, he made for it with the ball. His bowling even finished careers-the tweaker to Moin Khan in the Multan Test match in 2004 on the final ball of the third evening, squeezed through between the former's legs and crashed into the stumps. And ever since, Moin Khan did not play any international cricket!!

Critics have often passed judgements stating that he had failed to take the team to victory batting wise, or falling at hurdles on the way. But as recently, he has dismissed those notions through his willow. Not a great deal of time has passes since that hundred against the Englishmen at Chennai chasing 387 on the final day, a century he later dedicated to the victims and Martyrs of the Mumbai Terror Attacks. Or his innings of a ton and 91 in the two finals of the CB Series against the Aussies in Down Under in 2008. Even the latest 100 against the Sri Lankans on the final day of the Ahmedabad test was a sign of him putting himself in to save the test match. Out his 43 hundred, one of the testing, of attrition was against the Englishmen in 2001 in Ahmedabad, when Nasser Hussain and his main bowler, Ashely Giles were sticking to negative bowling to dry up the runs and frustrate him. Or how about his 160 odd in that test in Cape Town in 1996-97 in the company of Azharuddin to take the game to the Proteas and saving it ultimately.

In each of the media sessions and interviews on him completing 20 years in international cricket, Tendulkar remarked that he would like to be remembered for 'giving 100 per cent' for team and country. Thats what has come to symbolize him. The perfect balance, both on and off the field. He may have a million endorsements, multitude of fame and have the charm of the global icon; but his feet are still on the ground, the passion for the game growing with each passing day, the hunger for runs still unabated, seeing each upcoming day as a new challenge, willing to learn something every day, trying to gain perfection with those teeny-weeny bits of advice.....that makes Sachin the best!! Retirement may be far off, despite his aching body taking great toll. There are still aims to be fulfilled, even though he may possess the record for the highest runs and most centuries in two leading forms of the modern game. His poise and passion are still intact, the intent well preserved. The aim for larger causes for the team and country still there....an elusive World Cup that has continued to slip from the grasp. Despite coming close on two occasions in 1996 and 2003-when he single-handedly almost won it-the spirit of Sachin being part of a World Cup winning unit is still alive and kicking. That would be ultimate dedication the current Indian team can do to the Little Champion.

Fortunate are we for witnessing the acts and exploits of this Gentleman in this era. Sachin Tendulkar is like the Kohinoor; that diamond only comes once in a generation. The Maestro is like that. People have started demarcating the timeline in international cricket, by drawing in the prefixes of before and after, against Sachin's name. That may be a bit off the cuff, but still Tendulkar has come to be identified as a phenomenon. my generation is fortunate to follow his gamesmanship, integrity, sacrifices, determination, grit and glory. In fact, I have even the audacity to state that I have watched all his centuries now-even if that meant, exploring through various channels to access his knocks in the beginning of the last decade, mainly those in the tests. One can also remember the grounds, opposition, atmosphere and nature of the attacks against which he made them. It was in the Caribbean that he had not scored much. But he erased that glitch too, when he equalled his admirer, the great Don Bradman, after scoring in the second Test match at Port-of -Spain in 2002. Erasing landmarks and conquering new peaks, the voyage of the legend called Tendulkar continues into the 21st year. Tracking and following him as an avid fan has been truly enchanting. Today, the government at the centre is a coalition against a

minority with the Congress party back to the helm, the neo-liberal economic policies have deprived people, the Liberhan report on Babri Demolition is finally public after 17 long years, terrorism is a major challenge, mass struggles are now on the horizon, nuclear deterrence has again been tested, the country has its own Moon Mission, Shah Rukh Khan is now the Badshah, and the country has hit gold spot in the Olympics......Many things have changed and many have stood still; some have even given way to newer forms. But Sachin Tendulkar continues playing and that Age of Innocence still lingers on. The eyes continue to follow him avidly with greater expectations, for that surreal experience, giving that hope for millions watching. As Sachin himself said for the forward march for any player or performer, there needed to be people to celebrate with, to constantly look upto and feel motivated. He was happy that for this precise purpose, he had "A Billion".....Play on Sachin, the world continues to look forward to that sweet music from your hand, whether it be by the willow or by the cherry.

Resurrection and Redemption: Circle turns full in many ways for Pakistan

There are always times when one feels to be lucky to witness turnarounds. For these are moments when you would keep pinching yourselves in future for having missed some of the defining moments of human endevaour. Watching the World T20 final at Lord's on Sunday was one such feeling. As Afridi ran for the winning single off the leg bye, the mind wandered back to the past. As a child, those were the days of my 'initiation' into the game. As a primary school student, cricket then was defined by personalities. I only knew and followed one man, Sachin Tendulkar(even after years of maturity and growing up, I still have him as my favourite cricketer, ever watching his entry to the crease with the rawness of a six year old). The year was 1992 and I had not followed much cricket anyway then to have, kept track of India's progress-that was only dismal, except for their win against Pakistan and a narrow one run loss against Pakistan. On the day of the big final, I watched for the first time in a black and white television set in my school Games Room, the scintallating batting of the great man, Imran Khan and his protege, Inzamam (I used to then wonder how the school got a TV set in the first place!!). As a child, I was still unaware of the nuances of game as well as the timezones-as to how floodlights came to be used when the daylight was still out there outside!! After the completion of the Pakistan innings, the school was given half-day leave (still wondering why!!) and I was back home. There, I watched a left-arm fast bowler named Wasim Akram, destroying the English run chase and remember my mother tellling that Imran was spearheading this campaign for the memory of his mother. I even believed the team was ditto following the captain's personal efforts. Thus, as the light green coloured uniforms danced after that catch by Rameez, I suddenly felt that Pakistan was everything in world cricket. For many Indians, it was the 1983 win by the Kapil's Devils, that changed the way the game was followed in this country. However, those moments were only watched by me years later. Therefore, my cricket affinity and passion was only rooted after that performance in Sydney that January night by Imran and his hand-picked boys. Their passion and determination contained within it something unique, enough to propel a child to keep his own interest and passion in the game forever in life.

"Life turns Full Circle", that's how we describe turn-arounds. But in Lord's that Sunday, the turning of the wheel was not in one, but in many ways.But before getting to that, something on the final itself. It was bold statement; one may also call it a kind of 'catharsis'. More than the fact that both Sri Lanka and Pakistan were the best bowling sides in the final, thereby driving away the conventional notions of dominance of batsmen in the shortest format of the game, both the teams also had lots of excess baggage in the form of emotions within themselves. Of course, there was the trauma of the Lahore terror attack, through which the Lankans had gone through, and that was also something that sealed Pakistan's fate for hosting international cricket at home in near future. Sangakkara was having his first duty as full time skipper of Sri Lanka, taking over the reins from Jayawardene, and in fact, the Lankans were playing their first international tournament, after that traumatizing day in Lahore. Both the teams had come through civil strife in their countries. A civil war that was raging in the North and East had tormented Sri Lanka in ethnic terms for more than three decades now had just ended. Similary Pakistan had always been in spate, through instability, terrorism and lack of vibrant democracy. The latest offensive of the Pakistani Army in the Swat Valley also carried greater burdens in the minds of the players. Cricket is a great healer, a kind of balm that may soothe the wounds, even though it may not permanently rub off the marks, as remarked by Sachin Tendulkar after the Mumbai terror attacks. However, if even the game is able to provide some respite to the struggling masses, then atleast some part of the job is said to be done. This is what precisely happened on Sunday. Kumar Sangakkara and Younis Khan, leading their teams, were also sending a strong statement defining the strength, courage and mental preparedness of both the nations along with the entire cricketing world, cutting across boundaries. Statements that can never be written off, adding to the grit and glory of these 'demigods', who are also humans at the end of the day.

Now, to get back to the turning of the wheel. A few days, before the final, zapping through television channels, got me the opportunity to watch the highlights of the 1999 World Cup final-again at Lord's. On that day, Pakistan which looked the most dominant team of the entire season under the astute leadership of Wasim Akram won the toss against the Australians, who had kept their nerve in the semi-finals at Edgbaston, to defy Lance Klusner and South Africans. The mercurial captaincy of Steve Waugh also was visible in the forefront then. Despite winning the toss and choosing to bat, the mighty Pakistanis' who never looked like losing, were brought to earth by the guile and tweak of Shane Warne-who was the man of the match for his 4 wickets-and was ably supported by the rest of the pack. Bundled out for a mere 139 on that day, the Australians won their second World Cup by eight wickets and have ever since never let off their stranglehold on the world cricket's most premier trophy. Thus, watching the win of Younis and his team at Lord's was the first full turn of circle of life of Pkistan cricket. Perhaps, the Mecca of Cricket always has something in it for underdogs, for the big matches. India in 1983, Australia in 1999 and now Pakistan in another World Cup final.

Only two members of that 1999 World Cup side survived in the final match on Sunday-Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq. Afridi-whose age never seemed to grow and whose image as a 'dasher' slowly waning away from his lacklustre performances-and Razzaq-whose departure of the rebel ICL also depried them of a genuine all-rounder down the order. Along with his medium-pace and power hitting, Razzaq was instrumental in giving depth to the Pakistani team in that World Cup. He was also a difficult bowler to get away, bowling wicket to wicket, on a steady line and length. Afridi who took the cricket world by storm after the 'boom-boom' knock of hundred off 37 balls at Nairobi, slowly looked fading away. His on-and- off performances also did not do him any world of good. In fact, Afridi's performances also mirrored that of the Pakistan team as a whole. Inconsistency was something that always plagued them. Despite his usual poor form in the initial stages in this World Cup, he peaked at the right time, that in turn also led to his team's rise in fate. Although his batting was crumbling, he held his fort in his bowling, getting in those sharp leg-spin deliveries with precision. His two wickets off his miserly overs in the semi-final against favourites Soituh Africa best exemplifies this fact. His fielding standards also rose significantly. Perhaps, the best was that catch which took in the match against New Zealand, with the ball seeming to get away from him. Thus, both his bowling and his fielding complimented his batting. His promotion up the order replacing Younis Khan was also a boost. His rotation of the strike, preferring to take the singles in the final, was well combined with those 'boom-boom' hits. For once, his inconsistencies were forgotten. Similarly, the injury to Yasir Arafat and his timely replacement with Razzaq also swung Pakistan's fate. Combining with the lanky left-arm fast bowler Mohammed Aamir making his debut in international cricket, Razzaq used his experience with the ball in the form of his medium-pace to good effect. His sharp and disciplined bowling pepped up the Pakistani attack, right from the match against the Black Caps to the final. In fact, Pakistan bowled well to a plan in the final. Both Aamir and Razzaq combined well, in pushing short-pitched stuff to the Lankans, that led to the fall of in-form Dilshan. The new ball combination of Aamir and Razaaq made Umar Gul, retract as the first change bowler. He still finished as the tournament's top wicket taker with 13 prized scalps. The three crucial wickets by Razzaq had almost sealed the final in Pakistan's favour. Thus, the stand out performances of Afridi and Razzaq formed second full turn of circle for Pakistan.

Another fact was the T20 World Cup itself. The shortest form the game, that gripped the imagination of the game's lovers the world over, perhaps displayed its best in the first edition. That inaugural championship win by Dhoni and his boys, changed the way T20 was viewed in India. In fact, that brought cricket, hefty contracts, millionaire ownerships, and corporate sponsorships, marking a transformation of the image of the game itself. But just spare a thought for Pakistan. Again pooh-poohed by the bookmakers and experts, they made it to the final defying all odds. They almost clinched that trophy too that evening in Johannesburg, if not for the untimely decision of Misbah to select the wrong ball to scoop to fine-leg. That climatic evening in 2007 seemed a different proposition altogether in 2009. Misbah was in the Dug-Out padded up, when victory arrived. He may well exorcised his ghosts by this performance that had the stamp of authority. This was definitely the third full turn in the circle.

Ever since that epic final in 1992, Pakistan cricket has been perpetually in turbulence. Match-Fixing scandals, infighting, indiscipline, lacklustre performances, poor team selections, wrong training methods, revolving door policies, administrative goof-ups, mass exodus to rebel league and the unfortunate death of a master strategist, Bob Woolmer who was their coach. These factors that cloaked Pakistan cricket was also perilious for the team as a whole in displaying its best. Inconsistency and uncertainty have always dogged cricket in the country. The 'revolving door' selection policy in Pakistan only meant that there was no stability in the team. The many 'blink and miss' players for the team, only deepend the crisis. Indiscipline was also a serious concern. Shoaib Akhtar's tantrums and inconsistent performances along with his frequent break-downs are now part of cricket folklore in Pakistan. Missing drug tests, doping scandals and possessing contraband stuff - the off-field incidents have also blighted Pakistan heavily. This World Cup win, cascaded all the perils and took Pakistan to the pedestal of glory, mirroring efforts of Imran and his boys seventeen years before. Can anything be better than this fourth full turn of the circle?

To come to the recent past, international cricket has disappeared without any time-frame from Pakistan. The players and the fans have been starved off quality cricket in the country. Getting rusty in such situations is a common factor; luckily that did not happen as both Younis and Intikhab Alam filled in their roles as the captain and coach, very well. Terrorism had also severed Pakistani cricketers off their contracts in IPL-2. Many franchisee teams missed the services of the Pakistani cricketers in their ranks, who had actively taken part in the first edition. This deprivation and almost complete non-visibility of Pakistan from the international cricket scene, made people to write off the team. However, only when their backs are against the wall and odds are stacked heavily against them, Pakistan's true test of character and strength is brought forth. The 1992 World Cup was also similar, with them losing most of their matches until the rained-off tie against England. After that there was no looking back, as they went on from strength to strength. Similarly, this time, they lost both their warm-up games and even lost to England in their opening group match, making Younis Khan to remark that T20 was mainly played for the 'fun factor', sparking off criticism. Though they beat Holland to enter the Super Eights, they again lost to the Lankans. However, again the team came back winning. This hallmark of Pakistan overwhelming adversity with ease without doubt for me is the fifth turn in the circle. Perhaps this is the precise reason why being witnesses to 'turn-arounds' is a cathartic experience. The indomitable human spirit shows itself up displaying the true colours, in terms of essence, character and the self-belief.

Pakistan cricket's moment of reckoning is well and truly here. The wheel has rotated to its full. The fans across the country in Pakistan and all true followers of the game including yours truly are happy that the team has soared to new heights. One can only hope the ever-prevalent dangers that stalk and lurk side by side, proving to be the achilles' heal for Pakistan, are heavily guarded against. One also thinks emphatically that Pakistani cricket would turn new leaves in the coming days. The solidity of team strength, positiveness in the frame of mind of the players and passionate aggression-all traditional features of the game in Pakistan need to stay well and true. Of that long list of ever impressive legendary cricketers, from Kardar, to Fazal Mahmood, to the run machine in the form of Zaheer Abbas, the aggressive Miandad, the astute Pathan in Imran Khan, to the giant Inzamam, to the duo who hunt in pairs Wasim and Waqar.................the list is endless. For all those cricketers who have given everlasting memories to the countless fans, Pakistan as a team needs to get back that indomitable spirit. For there are many a six year old child out there, who want to be 'initiated' into the game, with the right spirit and attitude.

India's exit from T20 World Cup: A Post-Mortem

As Team India marked its exit from the T20 World Cup, there have been wide-scale dissections and digging up in formulating a post-mortem of the campaign. The media is spearheading in the role as the sole sentinel of Indian cricket. Therefore, it is important to analyze the Indian campaign in right perspective and take some sense, beyond the frenzy unleashed by the media that is baying for blood by calling for Dhoni's head. Any loss is heart-breaking, and that too going out unable to defend the crown is all the more depressing. So, the analysis has to take the disappointment of the fans also into consideration.

Let us begin with the negatives first. It is agreed that Dhoni and the team management faltered in the crucial game against England. But before stating that emphatically, it is also important to understand that it was only a continuation of the loss a couple of nights before at the same ground against the Windies. Some former players argue that Dhoni faltered in choosing his option at the toss and the decision to put England in was an error in judgement. In fact, they say this mistake at the beginning set in motion things which spiralled down at the end of the match. However, I would beg to differ. In their first game at Super Eights, India had batted against the Windies. But the result was there for every one to see. T20 is an unpredictable format, and teams batting first are generally never sure of the ideal target to be set. While more than 150-160 is very important, that's not a sure-shot target giving any rise in the comfort levels. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the bowlers to defend totals. But this also comes with the rider that putting low totals on the board, do no help to the bowlers. If one sees the day when India played the West Indies, Sri Lanka also played against Pakistan. The Lankans defended a total of around 150 by applying the pressure and taking wickets, while the Indians failed in their efforts to do so. So, Dhoni may have well thought that chasing was a better option, with a strong batting going down to number eight. Indeed, the target against England was also perfectly gettable. Sending Jadeja up the order is another point of contention in such a crucial match. In fact, many have argued even against his selection in the first place, replacing in-form Pragyan Ojha. However, again I would like to contend this. Ravindra Jadeja, an all-rounder with handy left-arm spin is a good pick in a format like T20. The role of spinners in T20 is getting greater prominence in stopping the flow of runs as well as to break crucial partnerships. Jadeja also proved this with his two wickets of Bopara and Pieterson at a time when the duo was looking ominous. However, the argument that Irfan Pathan could have filled that role equally with ease, is without any doubt true. But his leaking of runs has been a perennial concern now, even though with the bat, he is very effective.

However, on him being sent up the order, I feel the team management faltered. By keeping three of the best batsmen-Yuvraj, Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan-towards the near-end certainly pushed matters to the brink. The relative inexperience of Jadeja caught up with him and his failure to rotate the strike cost the Indians hard. With an ever-increasing required rate, there was little for the Indians to do than to rue the decision. Even the pressure was visible on Jadeja's face, as he tried valiantly for the big hits, but ended up consuming lots of dot balls in the process. In T20, such 'consumption' only proves too costly. This also did not favour Yuvraj, who was the ideal person for such situations. Hence, with not enough time to get a feel of the prevalent situation, the game became a quick sand for the Men in Blue. The dismissal of Yuvraj to a good stumping of Foster really hit the nail on India's prospects. Even Dhoni and Yusuf could not save the match at this point. But it was the failure of the Indians to deal with the short-pitched stuff in two consecutive matches that rankles the most. Both the Windies and the Englishmen peppered the Indians with short of length balls along with slow and high bouncers to rattle the Indians. The dismissal of Rohit Sharma, India's makeshift opener in the place of Sehwag, in both matches proves this point beyond doubt. The opposition sorted India out, with their best weakness, proving to be their Achilles' Heel. Even Suresh Raina, who loves to pull and hook, threw his wickets away to Sidebottom.

Dhoni's batting and keeping have also come under the scanner. His inability to get the big hits is an area of concern no doubt. So, is a slight dip in his keeping skills, wherein against the Windies, he made mess of a run-out chance against Dwayne Bravo. But it is not Dhoni alone who has faltered. The overall bowling of the Indians also lacked aggression and penetration. Ishant's problems in the shortest version of the game were again visible. Zaheer never looked 100% fit, which may be due to the fact the shoulder injury may not have been fully healed. R.P. Singh and Praveen Kumar never got enough chances. Perhaps another negative of Dhoni in this tournament that I feel is the fact that he did not allow his frontline bowlers to finish their quota of overs. R.P.Singh bowled one over less against England; but I also feel that it R.P.Singh was a pale shadow of himself in the IPL last month, for the Deccan Chargers. While Harbhajan and Ojha bolwed well, the bowlers on the whole gave away needless runs with wayward and indisciplined bowling. Also, the bowling in the death also remains an area of concern for India. In pressure situations, giving away crucial runs tells alltogether a different story. The batting also did not live up to the expectations of the 'Super Unit' tag. That killer punch and authority was not visible. The overall fielding of the Indians also dipped, with shoddy work on the field, thereby leaking many runs.

However, the post-mortem also has to negate certain wrong theories and faulty formulations. One of them is the fact that the IPL had a drastic effect on Indians, causing them mental fatigue and thus, tiring them out. Long hours of endless cricket with constant travelling also are pointed out as factors. Even coach Kirsten feels the same way. Some players also carried injuries from IPL into the tournament. However, blaming IPL for this disappointing show is going overboard. To substantiate my point, let me point out that apart from India-whose entire squad featured in IPL's 2nd Season-South Africa had most members in IPL. Almost their entire squad represented one franchisee or the other. However, they were never hit by fatigue and are playing some wonderful cricket. All the players have mentioned IPL as having been the best platform for practice for the World T20. Modern cricket is all about professionalism and adapting to situations in the best possible manner. I agree with Dhoni that using IPL as an excuse can never be justified. It is the individual choice of players to choose their options in either playing for or keeping themselves away from tourneys like IPL. To carry this further, take a look at the Australians, many of whom kept away from IPL this season. People like Ponting, Mike Hussey and Mitchell Johnson. Has 'ample rest' done them any good?? on the contrary, the 'rest' only 'rusted' them as they made an ignominious exit from the first round itself. unlike Indians who made their way out after Round Two. I also feel the loss of a dangerous batsman like Sehwag from the tournament due to injury also dented India's chances. A batsman at the top of the order to tear apart the opposition bowling attack, who could accelerate the team totals, Sehwag's presence would have pressurized teams right from the start. Rohit Sharma despite his best efforts, could not fit into Sehwag's shoes. Neither could Gambhir take on the mantle from Sehwag. His grind with the bat was more like the 50 over version.

Calling for Dhoni's head for this crucial loss, is again above rationality and going over-board. It is the same Dhoni who was the poster boy of the media, over the past few seasons. Winning the inaugural T20 World Cup, the series in Australia, the home series against the Aussies, Pakistan and England, taming the Lankans twice in their den and also winning in New Zealand for the first time after many years are all under the astute leadership of Dhoni. Leading the team effectively and ably supported by them, Dhoni has augmented a further leap started by Ganguly. The combination with Kirsten has also served the team well. The media, whose rumour mills were abound with theories of rift between him and his Sehwag were also set at rest by him, with the show of unity at press conference. Not fearing to call spade a spade, Dhoni may have also got the ire of the media. But the fact that Sehwag was seriously carrying an injury also proved the point that the captain was indeed right.

The time is seeking a rational analysis of this loss. Perhaps the pressure of being the 'Defending Champions' also got to India. The time now is to put behind this loss and take lessons from it. There is a need to iron out flaws too. Instead of the frenzy being unleashed, it would do a lot of good to the Indian cricket, if the cricketers are allowed to get back refreshed and more aggressive.

Watching a Magician

So what do you do on a muggy Sunday evening, with the sun still out and dusk still some time away; when the afternoon heat decides to lengthen its presence making your room dreary and roasted like a furnace. May be one you try to stick to the bed and wait for the night to descend, or you wish to remain in a tub full water added with ice blocks.........or even try to go for a bit of walk to the nearby woods, trying to take in some cool, fresh air. Away from home, Hostel Life can be at times torturous, especially during Summer. Killing boredom also forms an important cog in his life. People have their own 'Comfort Zones'-as I call them-to immerse themselves in. But I decided to do something different. Carrying a bottle of cold drink, I venture into the TV room to watch the Wizard in action; to see his waltz and touch, thereby being mesmerized with that aura.........watching Roger Federer play on any day is not only pleasing, but also it brings a sense of sereneness and calm to those watching him. There is a surreal magic in his style of play, and the way he carries himself on court; Federer looks all pervasive. His armoury is quite full, with his serve, returns, amazing drop shots and of course his special-also the only rightful claimant-the brilliant backhand cross court volley makes one yearn for more and more of them. Like Mozart composing those magical notes, like Michelangelo chiselling and working away his works of art, Roger Federer moves on all over the court with grit and perseverance.

This Sunday was something special, as the stage was something that had always overwhelmed him; a championship that had continued to elude him, despite his best efforts. At Roland Garros, he had reached the finals on the last two occasions, only to fall to his nemesis-Nadal. Three years before, he had fallen at the penultimate hurdle, again vanquished by the Spaniard. Like an albatross on his neck, Federer was constantly reminded that he was yet to conquer the French clay. However, this year was different-his nemesis had been ousted in the fourth round by a Swede-Robin Soderling, who had set up a summit clash with him. Ever since Nadal made his exit from the tournament, all eyes were poised on Federer, as many believed this was his best chance to break the jinx and go on to conquer the Musketeer's Cup. From then on, his Quarter-Final and Semi-Final gained more attraction. He got past Monfils-the local boy-and deposed the Argentine, Del Porto in a five-setter. Approaching the final, Federer was holding his nerves, despite the pressure of expectations building upon him.

Due to various reasons, which are mighty long to elaborate here, I was not able to follow Federer's march other than through the web and the papers. I couldn't watch him in "live action". As he took each step towards the summit clash, I strongly hoped that he makes it this time. However, this Sunday nothing could hold me from watching my champion. Unlike his other matches in his route to the final this time, ever since Nadal was ousted, this seemed different. He had lost the two opening sets in the fourth round against Tommy Haas, before climbing his way up with authority. Again, in the semi-final against Del Porto, he trailed before coming up trumps. However, today Federer was more a work man like, getting down to business immediately, accelerating to win the first set 6-1. However, it was in the second set, where both the players' services remained unbroken. As both held their serve, the set moved to the tie-break. However, with amazing speed and class, Federer raced through to win 7-1. It was a day when those rivetting drop shots were rarely in action. It was mostly from the baseline, that both Federer and Soderling played their shots. Roger's classic back-hand volleys were on vision. However, there were many unforced errors by the champion, sometimes over-exerting himself. 

But it was third set that gripped the match. Federer broke Soderling's serve for the first time after the 1st set and went on to hold his serve to lead two games to nil. But again, Soderling worked his way up and didn't let Federer break his service. However, Roger also held his serve. But the two point gap never closed. Soderling was and serving 3-5 to stay in the match, hopes grew that Federer would break him. But that did not happen. It was also the day, when Federer was also powering his aces in deep and with precision. In fact, he won the fifth game in the third set, with at least 3 aces. The rallies were brilliant as both of them pushed themselves to create most accurate angles, to work their points away. Waiting for the top-spin of the ball, both Federer and Soderling sought to push each other to the corners of the baselines. As I mentioned, Federer's back-hand cross court volleys were fast,aided by the pace from the clay surface. However, it was the final game where Federer was serving for the championship that proved the most interesting. In his excitement and zeal, Federer tried a little too much. There was a point when he fired in his horizontal smash with full vigour, only to see it go over the baseline. This earned Soderling a break point at that crucial moment. However, with his composure regained, Federer controlled the things better, and with a powerful serve, came back strongly to induce a deuce, leading to advantage for him. Then finally as he served and returned, with Soderling's return finding its way onto the lower net, Federer sunk on his knees.........he had overcome all odds and the clay at Centre Court in Roland Garros was rightfully his. I stood and applauded for a long time-that had passed from my each applause during his winning games. Sadly, not much people were around me to witness this glorious scene.

As Federer kissed the Musketeer's Cup handed over to him by another legend Agassi-the person before him to win a Career Grand Slam-that image was frozen in time. I have to admit that I enrolled into the fan list of Federer only late and hence, have not watched his arrival statement-defeating champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round Wimbledon. Neither had I watched his epic final last year at the green grass of the Centre Court against Nadal as he missed by a whisker the chance to overtake Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles even though he equalled the legend. Nor did I watch him being overcome by emotions at the Rod Laver arena in Melbourne at the season-opening Australian Open when Nadal-his victor again-put an arm over him. But what I have watched mainly are two Wimbledon finals-without doubt his favourite arena-in 2004 and 2005. Both times he had overwhelmed Andy Roddick. Seeded One and Two on both these years, Federer and Roddick displayed an exciting show of tennis. Especially in 2004, Roddick threw everything he had at Roger-later described him humourously as "throwing kitchen sink at him" and Roger fittingly retrning the compliment-but still could not vanquish him. Perhaps, Roger reserves his best for Wimbledon, but his other grand slam wins are no less wonderful.

With his conquering of the Roland Garros, Emperor Federer had won his first French Open, equalled Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles-but no French Open in it-and the sixth person-after Don Budge, Fred Perry, Andre Agassi, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson-to win a Career Grand Slam that is all the Four Major Championships in Tennis. Where does he go from here? His hunger, his passion and his yearning are all intact. Roger Federer still has miles to go and the debates on "whether he is the best ever??" will also continue.

I continued my applause as Federer cried with the playing of the Swiss anthem and even later when he gave his thanks giving. Watching history created before one's eye is no trivial thing; it is a gift that one preserves and carries along as one their best ever possessions. This was my 'Comfort Zone'........I had been a silent part of this just now. I would cherish this image forever. And on one such muggy Sunday evening, I would live to tell my grandchildren that I had watched Roger Federer move from sublime to make history at Roland Garros. 

IPL-2: Some Lessons to Ponder

As the second season of the Indian Premier League draws to a close, it is time to sit back and savour the happenings of the last 36 days. As two of the bottom placed teams-Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers-clash to be the champions of this season, one can take a deeper look at all the matches and draws some conclusions as lessons or talking points, in cricketing terms. After watching this season, yours truly has these points to make:

# "If it can happen, it will, come what may"-thats the message of this season!! If Lalit Modi has the will, irrespective of whether the country is seeking the mandate of the people to form its next government, the show will go on!! The sceptics and purists can debate endlessly whether Indian Premier League can truly be 'Indian' if the show happens in South Africa; but the matter of fact is that IPL-2 has happened.

# This season of IPL was primarily aimed at the global television audiences, especially given the fact that the timings remain unchanged for the Indian viewers. They watched the games at the timings of last season, i.e 4 pm and 8 pm, even if that meant that the players had to sweat it out , according to SA timings of 12.30 and 4.30 pm respectively.

# Now to come to the actual show, Cricket is a game where the primacy is for the players, and not necessarily for their "Star Owners'. The franchisees which had superstars as owners, lost out in the big race. While Kolkata Knight Riders learnt it the hard way this year-taking on the mantle from the Deccan Chargers last season to finish last-Kings XI Punjab was also heartbroken as they were edged out at a crucial phase. Even the reigning champions, the Rajasthan Royals who acquired a new owner from this season, were beaten out of the semi-final race.

# Turn-arounds are always possible, for that is nature of cricket or for that matter, any sport. Only that you need astute leadership, tactical acumen and the desire to turn adversity into challenges. This cannot be more clearly explained than to point out the two finalists this season-the Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers, who were down in the dumps last year. Under the combination of Anil Kumble-Ray Jennings (though Kevin Pieterson was the captain, it was after his departure for national duty that Challengers started their remarkable turn-around) and Adam Gilchrist-Darren Lehmann, both the teams with shifted gears and turned out to be giant-killers in the semis, outclassing Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils, the top two teams in the league table.

# "Expensive Signings are not their money's worth in true terms"-that is another statement in this season!!Both Kevin Pieterson and Andrew Flintoff failed miserably to justify their high price tags, in whatever limited opportunity that was available. So was the case of Jesse Ryder. Once again, this season of IPL like last year has proved that utility players who are moulded into the format fit the bill. However, there were exceptions like Lasith Malinga, Jean-Paul Duminy(who in his first season of IPL scored 5 half-centuries for the Mumbai Indians), and AB DeVilliers.

# Once again, unlike the big foreign signings, its the unknown Indian domestic players who have shone themselves. One such example is Manish Pandey for the Challengers-the first Indian to score a century in IPL. Also there were T.Suman, Naman Ojha, Shadab Jakati (who marked a turn around for Chennai from their suprising rut of losses with two consecutive four wicket hauls against Daredevils and Chargers) and of course the big guns like Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina and Irfan Pathan.

# It is not always a batsman's game, as its is being largely visualized. No matter how many runs you score, it is not worthwhile if it can't be defended. The Chennai Super Kings understood it the hardway in their outing against the Knight Riders, the punching bag of this season. After scoring almost 190 in that game, the Super Kings could not just defend that score. One of the best batting sides in the IPL, the loss of Super Kings proves that bowlers still win the day, even as odds are favourably loaded for the batsmen. However, there are again exceptions, like in the case of CSK itsell, who defended their motely score of 129 against the Kings XI in their last league match. In fact, on the whole, the shift to South Africa has also lent some balance between bat and ball. The swing and seam movement both on and off the track-with the descent of winter in the country-has also helped the bowlers to keep a check on the batsmen from cutting loose. This is unlike the first season of IPL in India last year, when teams posted huge totals on board playing on wickets which could only be described as "batting paradise". In fact, this year, only one total of over 200 has been posted by any team(Rajasthan Royals' 211 against Kings Xi Punjab in Durban).

# "Form is Temporary, Class is Permanent", and "Never write off Cricketers even if they have retired-Two other statements justified this year. The biggest examples??-Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.Post-retirement, their hunger for runs and passion for the game remain as fresh as ever.What is it with these Aussies and that too, with those who have retired.Last year, Shane Warne-who never captained his country during his international career, leading to many people getting vocal and sympathetic about him being the 'best person to have missed captaincy'-turned the Royals, one of the underrated teams at the start, into a champion unit; Gilchrist, this year has led the Deccan Chargers into the summit clash with greater vigour and motivation; and Hayden being the proud owner of the Orange Cap for scoring close to 580 runs, a marked departure from last December when people from all quarters were calling for his head, leading to his retirement. One needs to only take a look at their marauding form this season. The image of the tall, well built Hayden walking down the track to take on the bowlers, inspires continues to inspire awe among his numeorus fans, inclduing yours truly. Watching his innings of 89 the other night at Centurion against Kings XI taking on Sreesanth and co just makes me cling more to his batsmanship. It was said that Chennai could chase any imposing target, because among their superior batting line-up, Hayden stood rock-solid as the anchor. Gilchrist's innings in the semis against the Daredevils was blitzkreig that blew the latter away. Wish they continued playing at all levels, even today. Andrew Hilditch and his team of Aussie selectors listening??

# Ambidextrous players have shone brightly in batting and bowling. Take the case of Hayden and R.P.Singh, the proud owners of the Orange and Purple caps this season. Also Gilchrist, Raina, Jean-Paul Duminy, Jakati and Nehra(whose performance left many still wondering how he lost his spot in the national side). Also, Left-handers on the whole have made waves. Just look at the case of Yuvraj Singh, who shined more with the ball than with the bat this year, getting two hat-tricks. Again, Pragyan Ojha with his flight, and subtle variations was one of the key pillars in instrumenting the rise of the Chargers this year.

# Over-dependence on few players have also cost teams highly. One best case scenario here is that of the Mumbai Indians. The failure of Sachin and Sanath at the top of the order exposed their batting order, leaving them heavily reliant on Duminy to steer their ship. Same was the case with the Royals, as the failure of the Graeme Smith, made the shoulders of Yusuf Pathan heavily burdened. The top-heavy approach has also damaged the team prospects along with that of things revolving around one or two players.

# Packing the team with all-rounders also doesn't guarantee total success. The biggest illustration for that is the Super Kings. Except for a few games, their batting was like this in permanence for this season-Hayden, Parthiv, Raina, Dhoni, Badrinath, Morkel, Oram, Tyagi, Jakati, Balaji and Muralitharan. Sometimes, Murali Vijay, Bailey, Flintoff, R.Ashwin, Manpreet Gony and Thushara got the chances. The lack of a genuine pace bowler hurt their chances badly. Even while having Makhaya Ntini within their ranks, the fact that team combination heavily favouring all-rounders could be changed only seldomly needs a serious re-look. For it is the bowlers, who have a bigger role than the batsmen as i pointed out earlier. Hence, I feel that this mindset of "all-rounders being win all and end all" needs to be re-loaded.

# Carrying on from the last point, some remained just bench-warmers this entire season. Never able to fit into the team combination, they remained as "senior advisers". Perhaps, the bill fits here best on the Daredevils. Three of their players-the veteran Glenn McGrath(still having the fuel in tank for many a battle), Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah remained in the dug-out rather than being on the field.Similar was the case of Ntini, who definitely would have had his hands itching to have a go at the opposition batsmen. McGrath never understood his role well and was even prompted to state that he may not play in the next season of IPL, only to retract later.

# One more simple fact-teams who look unbeatable on paper, are not the same as they seem to be. Delhi Devils-with Sehwag, Gambhir, AB Devilliers, Dilshan, Warner, Vettori, Nannes, Maharoof, Amit Mishra, Sangwan, Nehra, Karthik-and McGrath, Collingwood and Owais Shah may have topped the league standings, but were beaten superbly by the Chargers. So was the case of Super Kings-touted by many as the sure-shot winner this year.

# Old school theories still do the trick. "Disciplined Line and Length bowling" with subtle variations squeeze batting teams and choke them for runs. Numerous matches this year reflect this. One match in memory this year was the re-match of the Super Kings and Royals at Kimberly. Restricting the Royals to a gettable total, the Super Kings also had their screws tigthened, until a cool and determined knock by Badrinath, in the company of a composed Hayden. Yet another match afresh in the mind, was the semi-final of the Super Kings with the Royal Challengers, where Anil Kumble tightened the leash whenever the Super Kings tried to explode, thereby squeezing them for runs.

# This was also a season, where the fielding standards dipped to new lows, by all teams. While the ground-fielding could still be managed, it was the catching that left a lot more to be desired. The Chennai Super Kings again were the culprits in the department more than anyone else, and they also paid the price for having 'butter fingers' on many occasions. While they tried to mask their 'drops' under the garb of big runs on the board, their captain Dhoni minced no words in showing the disappointment. Many of the catches were 'dollies' that had to be taken at this level. Whatever be the reason-even if it had something to do with the weather as pointed out by Gilchrist after the semi-final against Delhi-losing the basics is equal to committing harakiri. Remember Steve Waugh to Gibbs in 1999 World Cup??

# Strategic Time-Outs may have its pros and cons, but I feel they have worked. Teams threatening to run off with the match through hurricane innings of the batsmen have been grounded after the 7 1/2 minutes mid-innings break. One feels this is a case of getting two birds with one stone-raking in extra moolah from ad revenue and on cricketing terms, unsettle the opposition with fresh strategies.

# Maverick laptops and bizzare tactics-strategies do not pay dividends,as was the case with Kolkata Knight Riders. John Buchanan's "Multiple Captain" theory bit the dust and removal of Ganguly from the helm, along with ovwerweight support staff left many wounds afresh and untendered. The 'Fake IPL Player' controversy further opened new cans of worms for the team, as was booting out of Akash Chopra and Sanjay Bangar in middle of the tournament. Similarly, the pushing out of Mohammed Kaif also needs a strong re-visit.

# IPL is here to stay and the more sooner, the cricketing world comes to grip with this reality, the better. Wth ongoing efforts to replicate this model elsewhere in the cricketing and non-cricketing world, it is high time the game's governing body seriously discusses and seals a pending demand from last year-To Have a Permanent Window in the Future Tours and Programmes Calendar for the IPL. With increasing number of players wanting to associate themselves with the even-whether it be for financial or cricketing reasons-it is no more a 'Paid Holiday' as pointed out by Dale Steyn last year. Also, with the ICL also releasing players, many more are expected to join the bandwagon from the next season. However, attempts to have the overdose of the spirit, like suggestions of having two IPLs a year(one in India and other in a potential market catchment area like USA) would only mean 'killing the golden goose'. Also, the primacy of classical first-class cricket has to be established. Statements are emerging from some quarters regarding 'doomsday' for Test cricket; Some players-who reach join the team for the test match just 48 hours before its start and who are angry for dragging them away from IPL-feel "not too sorry or unhappy ath the demise of test cricket" have got it all wrong. The excitement of a five day test match in white flannels, where game happens in sessions, where the skills and perseverance of players are put under scanner, can never be replaced by the razzmattazz of the T20 revolution

# And finally a lesson on personal note-determination and decisions like "will never miss any match, come what may" are also bound to change. They undergo change, due to various circumstances. However, efforts to stick to that original determination 'continue' in numerous forms.

General Elections 2009-Battlefronts in Kerala

Cricket can wait.............Yours truly has set his eyes, ears and heart on the 15th General Elections in this country. Till May 16th, which the day of Counting of the votes, it is going to be hectic days ahead. The people of India have to give a mandate rejecting politics of hate, anti-people neo-liberal economic policies that creates massive inequality and unemployment, against imperialist kowtowing, for ensuring people's livelihood, security, social justice and all-round development. It has to be a mandate for CHANGE; a change towards a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative. One becomes a bit parochial as yours truly would like to put forth the candidates of LDF and UDF in each of the 20 constituencies in my native state of Kerala, which goes to polls in the I phase on April 16th.

Kasargod  -  P.Karunakaran (CPM-LDF) v/s Shahida Kamaal (Congress-UDF)

Kannur  -  K.K.Ragesh (CPM-LDF) v/s K.Sudhakaran (Congress-UDF)

Vadagara  -  P.Sathidevi (CPM-LDF) v/s still to be announced

Kozhikkode  -  Mohammed Riyas (CPM-LDF) v/s M.K Raghavan (Congress-UDF)

Wayanad  -  Rahmatullah (CPI-LDF) v/s M.I.Shaahnawaz (Congress-UDF)

Ponnani  -  Hussain Randathani (Independent-LDF) vs. E.T.Muhammed Bashir (IUML-UDF)

Malappuram  -  T.K.Hamsa (CPM-LDF) vs. E.Ahamed (IUML-UDF)

Palakkad  -  M.B.Rajesh (CPM-LDF) vs. Satheeshan Pacheni (Congress-UDF)

Alathur  -  P.K.Biju (CPM-LDF) vs. N.K.Sudhir (Congress-UDF)

Thrissur  -  C.N.Jayadevan (CPI-LDF) vs. P.C.Chacko (Congress-UDF)

Chalakkudi  -  U.P.Joesph (CPM-LDF) vs. K.P.Dhanapalan (Congress-UDF)

Ernakulam  -  Sindhu Joy (CPM-LDF) vs. K.V. Thomas (Congress-UDF)

Idukki  -  Francis George (KCJ-LDF) vs. P.T.Thomas (Congress-UDF)

Kottayam  -  Suresh Kurup (CPM-LDF) vs. Jose K.Mani (KCM-UDF)

Pathanamthitta  -  K.Ananthagopan (CPM-LDF) vs. Anto Anthony (Congress-UDF)

Maverlikkara  -  R.S.Anil (CPI-LDF) vs. Kodikkunnil Suresh (Congress-UDF)

Alappuzha  -  K.S.Manoj (CPM-LDF) vs. K.C.Venugopal (Congress-UDF)

Kollam  -  P.Rajendran (CPM-LDF) vs. Pithambarakurup (Congress-UDF)

Attingal  -  A.Sampath (CPM-LDF) vs. G.Balachandran (Congress-UDF)

Thiruvananthapuram  -  Ramachandran Nair (CPI-LDF) vs. Shashi Tharoor (Congress-UDF)

This would be the main contestants in the state. The Drumbeats have been sounded.......all eyes and ears are set on the battlefront!!