tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5464203849362201392012-02-16T18:25:06.097+11:00Blogging serves a fundamental human (?) drive: the drive to expand. Alternatively, it is a manifestation of this fundamental drive to expand; as are most things to do with the internet including the internet itself! Consequently, consciously staying away from a weblog is a manifestation of the complement of this fundamental drive. It is a moot point to argue over the independent existence of this complement: Just start BLOGGING!Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-73273446776204290102011-12-09T14:35:00.002+11:002011-12-09T16:04:06.251+11:00

Yes, the title does refer to the carnage that began less than 24 hours ago in Indore. In fact, after watching the post match conference of the 3rd ODI between India and West Indies, I had a sense of deja-vu. Prior to the India v Bangladesh curtain raiser of the 2011 World Cup, Sehwag had made ominous pronouncements of a revenge game. He backed it up with a 175 that seriously threatened Sachin's

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-18020717430570111392011-07-21T13:08:00.003+10:002011-07-21T13:41:05.212+10:00

The mind-numbing euphoria of India's World Cup victory is long gone. The long afterglow of victory is a distant memory. The IPL acted like a gatecrasher on India's WC triumph party. It was followed by a dour sojourn to the Caribbean. India should have remained unbeaten throughout and should have won all the three tests. Neither good omen came to pass.Then the Indian squad gathered at the home of

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-66659864883829167332011-04-03T16:21:00.001+10:002011-04-03T16:23:06.522+10:00

"Kapil ran a mile and caught Richards", "No one imagined India could win", "A bunch of no-hopers ended up as World Champions" ....I have heard an account of India's greatest sporting triumph before April 2, 2011 recounted from multiple sources. My father's generation has reveled in letting us know how it felt to be World Cup Champions in 1983. Every time I listened to him, I had this yearning to

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-24471593714234184912011-04-01T14:14:00.004+11:002011-04-01T16:17:13.209+11:00

If a cricket fan were to undergo sensory deprivation for an year and, at the end of it, be given the information that "at the business end of a multinational tournament, India had beaten Australia and Pakistan back to back", the fan's question (while battling fatigue of course!!) would be - 'What silverware did India win?'Yet, as far as WC2011 is concerned, the fan would be wrong. India are just

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-57030557858099903002011-03-30T15:48:00.002+11:002011-03-30T16:35:36.917+11:00

The IndoPak match that will start in a few hours will, undeniably, be the biggest sporting event in the subcontinent in the last four years (at least!!). Opinions, conjecture and predictions about the match have been diverse and partisan. Personally, I have already made the claim in my last post that, despite a close match, India will win comfortably in the end.Although dew wasn't a factor in

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-44350981061317528562011-03-26T03:38:00.003+11:002011-03-26T04:22:29.649+11:00

Alas, South Africa have done it again - snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Pundits from every single vocation pursued by mankind relish in rambling about the mind and its toughness. Personally, I find such ramblings too overbearing and presumptuous in a "I told you so" kind of way.However, now that we have witnessed two run chases within 24 hours, its very apparent that the mind is indeed

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-63421967974546078092011-03-25T15:45:00.005+11:002011-03-26T04:55:52.817+11:00

Normally, I do not write post match views on any cricket match that is not a final. However, yesterday's match between India and Australia was worthy of one even if it was just a quarter of a final. Hence, I am breaking my self imposed protocol and reliving India's triumph in cyberspace.For one thing, the dew didn't play a part at all and my gut feeling that India would prevail without dew did

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-58861040294287701122011-03-24T14:52:00.003+11:002011-03-24T15:24:59.087+11:00

In spite of the title, this post is about cricket! The Dew refers to the presence or lack of it in the second half of the day-nighter quarter final between India and Australia which begins in about five hours at the Motera in Ahmedabad, India.The Prince in the title refers to the eponymous Yuvraj Singh who, I reckon, will play a pivotal role in about five hours time! The big question of course,

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-57707087466263417572011-03-20T23:46:00.003+11:002011-03-20T23:51:11.362+11:00

I am penning this during the innings break of the last league game of WC2011. India have been bowled out once more within fifty overs and its beginning to feel a bit embarrassing now. Its likely that the Indian bowling will defend a score of 268 but whatever the result, Sreesanth must be brought back for the knockout games if India are to prosper. Dhoni seems oblivious of the presence of

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-59556625984122967802011-02-22T13:27:00.003+11:002011-02-22T13:55:22.107+11:00

"To be or not to be" allowed is the question when it comes to Associate member participation in international cricket tournaments. The Australian Cricket Board and the ICC are not very popular with the associate members for their strong stance in curtailing the playing field to 10 teams in the 2015 World Cup.Although the move may seem harsh on the associate members, it makes a lot of business

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-73856620431927603632011-02-20T15:19:00.003+11:002011-02-20T15:49:24.417+11:00

My last post sounded a warning to India about their World Cup opener. I felt, like many cricket pundits that the opener was more than a banana skin for the pre-tournament favorites, India.However, I hadn't counted on Virender Sehwag treating this game as a revenge game. If I had known that, I would have never been so naive to sound out my warning to India. Now, that apocryphal banana skin has

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-84698119198639077942010-11-30T15:41:00.002+11:002010-11-30T15:49:06.397+11:00

Its still very early to start writing about the ICC Cricket World Cup that opens with a Bangladesh v India clash at Dhaka in March 2011. I just happened to check the fixtures in that tournament and was a bit surprised that India will be taking on Bangladesh in Bangladesh in the tournament curtain-raiser!I hate to sound uncharitable but the opener does not augur well for the pre-tournament

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-12581142733531424402010-10-14T12:51:00.006+11:002010-10-14T15:15:46.502+11:00

Let me add a disclaimer outright that I am not one to put the jinx on SRT so do not go about blaming me if his form peters off as 2010 wears on! That being said, I wish to seriously consider if SRT can actually bring to fruition a billion dreams - well, actually its a single dream shared by at least a billion cricket fans - the dream of seeing SRT at the top of the highest test inning score list.

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-70958211029085459522010-10-05T22:40:00.003+11:002010-10-05T22:51:46.716+11:00

Seems an eternity since my last post but I just feel I have to write this one today.Just as I grew up watching Sachin Tendulkar set the cricket world on fire through the 90's, I am sure there would be a lot of teenagers who saw a very lax looking man lead India to a famous test victory today. Twenty years down the line, if one of these teenagers is on a quiz show and they are asked the question -

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-32879470148543943072010-02-25T20:14:00.004+11:002010-02-25T20:43:39.351+11:00

The DCT a.k.a Dream Come True was an acronym I made up almost a decade ago. Yesterday, around midnight (AEST), I did have a DCT moment. It was so special, so supernatural that I decided to break my hiatus and write a post about it.A few years ago, I had decided that Sachin Tendulkar (SRT) could no longer last an entire 50 overs in an ODI. The simple reason being that the biophysics didn't work

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-3968641313905733732009-09-02T16:15:00.003+10:002009-09-02T16:43:57.689+10:00

Admittedly, Joel & Ethan Coen's Oscar win for No Country for old men has led to some avid GOOGLING of their prior work. This very googling led me to their cult classic The big lebowski. If Wikipedia is to be believed, The big Lebowski is the first flick to achieve cult status largely due to the internet. In other words, the concept of word of mouth marketing that movies rely on for early ticket

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-10545948374279173072008-03-29T01:12:00.003+11:002008-04-01T16:21:23.461+11:00

Ian Botham had a snide remark to contribute a few years ago about women's cricket for which he had to eventually apologise. Personally, I have always thought women's cricket to be a joke. No, it has nothing to do with being sexist but its just my perception that there is too much testosterone at work in the game. I have romanced leg spin bowling since Warne but have always stuck to bowling pace

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-3708034899177545232008-03-10T15:21:00.004+11:002008-04-01T16:17:31.599+11:00

My previous post was an analysis for managing Dhoni's and Sachin's workload in India colors. Continuing in the same vein, I would like to point out one curious facet in my choice squad of 14 for India's home engagements with South Africa later this month.My squad of 14 includes the same old, tried and tested 'test' batting line up for India. This choice of mine was followed by a comment by

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-15290566892065552482008-03-07T02:53:00.002+11:002008-03-07T03:20:46.661+11:00

The whole of India and expats around the world are slowly adjusting to the high of beating the Aussies in their own den. This high will wane in effect over the next few days but it will only truly come down when the next series with South Africa starts in India at the end of this month.There have been a few words of caution especially for the U-19 world-cup winning team to not go overboard with

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-55124080193330515042008-03-05T01:18:00.002+11:002008-03-05T01:57:59.549+11:00

If truth be told, I do not want to analyze India's CB Series triumph. I just want to enjoy it. I want to write an ode to my favorite cricketer - Sachin Tendulkar. I have waited for a long time since that fateful sand-storm in Sharjah to boast the fact that Sachin does deliver when it matters. I have argued many a hour with fellow cricket crazies that Sachin does not seem to score when it matters

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-60818839246652196692008-03-03T03:06:00.002+11:002008-03-03T03:26:25.610+11:00

Admittedly, I am a Sachin connoisseur. It was as if I had written the script in my last post and Sachin decided to read it and deliver a critic's dream performance. Pity the Academy awards were done and dusted last week else, I guess, Sachin's batting today would have been a contender. At the very least, it has been a slap in the face to all his eternal doubters. Enough said about him; my

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-24949968107245181832008-02-25T16:09:00.003+11:002008-02-25T16:26:40.066+11:00

Finally, we are at the business end of the CB series and I am glad to stick with my finalists at the crucial juncture: Aus v Ind. Frankly, the Lankans have not beefed up their game. Australia definitely go into the finals as favorites but the Lankans will have to pull off a Houdini act to make it to the finals from here on. Expecting them to win against the Indians and Australians at the business

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-84557588154041793912008-02-11T15:02:00.000+11:002008-02-11T15:14:27.995+11:00

Never seen an umpire who so consistently fails to hear thin edges. I guess age is catching up with Rudi Koertzen. He failed to hear the thin inside edge on Gilchrist's bat and adjudged him Leg Before and he so faithfully failed to hear Sachin's thinnest of thin edges. To be fair to Rudi, watching these wickets on television, Rudi seemed to have got them right. Coupled with the noise exodus in a

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-19098723791848831322008-02-04T15:23:00.000+11:002008-02-04T16:05:38.802+11:00

Essentially, the conundrum in Indian ODI cricket is valuation of experience and youthful energy. This is not a problem of economics but a puzzle of perspective. The term 'experience' is often used to mask the lack of athleticism among senior players in the Indian cricket team. Of course, Sachin Tendulkar, as of today remains an exception. He has still got the zip in spite of 18 years of

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-61610717698265958982008-01-30T14:15:00.000+11:002008-01-30T14:45:51.941+11:00

Simply put, T20 is a lottery. It you hit it, you win it. Its the punter's dream, his addiction and his pitfall too! The upcoming India vs Australia T20 is a virtual sellout. Last time I checked, more than 90000 tickets were gone; few remain in the general admission category. Only a few thousand members' tickets still remain. The max. capacity of the G is close to 120,000 so I guess, last minute

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-11987133678984635122008-01-30T00:57:00.000+11:002008-01-30T01:29:58.797+11:00

I am one of the more fortunate people on the planet to live bang opposite an evenly grassed park that accommodates two cricket grounds side by side. In a nutshell, it makes for a 500 metre lap. Given the parsimony in population that Australia revels in, the park is one of the hot spots for joggers and pet owners during the evenings. A few Indians including myself enjoy a game of cricket 4 times a

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-66604113678976868742008-01-25T01:36:00.000+11:002008-01-25T01:57:26.692+11:00

If law breakers are to be believed then "Rules are mere guidelines and boundary lines, you can stretch them a bit and even occasionally put a foot on the other side". I guess this is exactly how Mr. Ponting views the 90 overs a day rule in test cricket. Otherwise, he would try to cut down on the camaraderie building chats he decided to have with his bowlers throughout the day.Consider this: 15

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-80663375153669802232008-01-21T23:34:00.000+11:002008-01-22T20:56:39.530+11:00

Let's all be honest, no serious cricket follower would expect Laxman to fit in the ODI format. Therefore, I would like to look at the decision by the Indian cricket selectors to drop Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for the Commonwealth Bank series down under.Consider Dravid: he was in the squad for a few matches in the Ind-Pak ODI series, yet he wasn't selected for a few games. Its obvious that

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-36101164927259482152008-01-20T00:27:00.000+11:002008-01-22T20:58:49.259+11:00

Whew, India finally managed to win a test in this series! It is a great achievement but given the talent in this team, its a win too late. Of course, one could come up with a lot of thoughts on why India were denied a win till now in this series but .... the hurt is still the same.I know that the atmosphere back home would be joyous given that this win came in Perth which has in the past proven

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-3802454218466541312008-01-14T20:46:00.000+11:002008-01-15T19:14:55.768+11:00

Greatness engenders envy, envy engenders hate and hate fosters gossip. Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter (Book 6) says something similar! The truth is indeed true, no matter who utters it and in what context.Do not be put off. This is indeed a post about Tata's newest brainchild, the Tata Nano. It is refreshing to know about a CEO who delivers on a promise. One who keeps his word and delivers the

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-85328787421078223982008-01-09T01:50:00.000+11:002008-01-09T16:15:31.674+11:00

After a mini hiatus over Christmas and new year, I was hoping to turn over a new leaf in terms of my blog topics. Unfortunately, the age-old Aussie approach to cricket in the recently concluded SCG test is torturing me to add my word on the test match, the series and beyond. For starters, look the image of Ponting claiming a clearly grounded catch. Someone should show Ponting this pic in private

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-27782457730994615222007-12-27T01:00:00.000+11:002007-12-27T01:11:38.129+11:00

It sure seems sunny for cricket. Everyone down under enjoyed a great celebration of cricket. At last, the Australians were challenged. The Indians came back hearteningly in the last two sessions of the day. One should say, India won the day 2-1! That's the way test cricket is analysed down under. Of course, you get the odd incident of rowdism and testosterone surges on the street but on the whole

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-5087403656541087032007-12-20T18:31:00.000+11:002007-12-20T18:48:40.391+11:00

I was down at the Junction Oval watching Dada and Dravid get some match practice. Sachin was unlucky to play on especially since he was looking to send a message prior to Boxing Day. The day was overcast which in turn helped the Victorian seamers keep the batsman honest. There wasn't much bounce and its likely to get lower and slower over the next two days. Not a great preparation for Boxing

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-71322258288836058192007-12-19T18:00:00.000+11:002007-12-19T18:52:00.606+11:00

Thats what its called here. It is not known as the MCG but just as the G. Here in the sports capital of Australia, India begin their march to glory; unmatched glory it will be if India do manage to upstage Australia in the 4 test match series starting on Boxing Day.I have booked tickets for the 3rd day and hope the match will not be over by then!! No, that definitely seems unlikely this time

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-72997992417177444412007-12-17T21:33:00.000+11:002007-12-22T18:49:03.095+11:00

Probably one of the best movies of all time for its sheer simplicity! I am talking about one of my favorite movies: Forrest Gump. Whats most likeable about this flick is that it has something in it to attract theatregoers of all ages, backgrounds and outlooks. The reason is simple: Its a satire on human life. Its a cariacature of the manner in which we live, the way homo sapiens think, our

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-91817740700186156832007-12-17T14:01:00.000+11:002007-12-17T14:36:57.732+11:00

The mind games have already begun. Harbhajan has fired the first real salvo targeting an individual: Bradley George Hogg!! As an isolated act, it sounds pretty cute. Here is a finger spinner who has not been among as many wickets as he would like, but before he is picked out by the Aussies as the fall guy in the visiting party, he goes ahead and dishes out a bit of Australian pie in anticipation!

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546420384936220139.post-75266786494717885122007-12-15T14:50:00.000+11:002007-12-18T15:20:59.630+11:00

That's the question, isn't it? The answer presents itself if the question is rephrased as 'why do people create networks?' In a nutshell, the answer is socializing. Then again, there is no human 'touch' when one is online but it seems, the virtual presence is enough! The nascent research field of haptics could well put an end to the lack of touch, but that's for a future post.To continue this

Bharat Sundaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01046183832844381554noreply@blogger.com0