Hit It Off With Sambit

Think Dhoni, think!!!

2011-03-10T12:40:00.003+05:30

India’s expected victory against Netherlands has sealed their quarterfinal berth in the twenty eleven edition of the World Cup, but bowling still remains a sore area for them. They have been struggling in this department right from the word go. A weaker team like Bangladesh managed to score 283 against them, while England almost chased down a huge total of 338. Ireland threatened to go big with a 100-plus run third wicket partnership and it took a special effort from part timer Yuvraj Singh to restrict them to 209 with a five wicket haul. Against Netherland, their front line spinner Harbhajan Singh yet again went wicket-less, while Dhoni’s blue-eyed boy Piyush Chawla continued to prove more than a generous host to yet another associated nation.

Dhoni's blue-eyed boy

It’s hard to decipher Chawla’s inclusion ahead of Ashwin, even when Dhoni says that he needs more practice, for I can’t see him taking any further part in the crunch games ahead with his current showing in the three matches that he has played. Dhoni is bang on when he says Chawla’s confidence is down, in fact that would be a gross understatement. His confidence and form has hit rock-bottom, almost to a point of no-return, at least in the near future. At this moment, nameless batsmen from the weakest of sides are looking like Viv Richards in front of him, and it would not take a rocket scientist to figure it out that his rightful place is nowhere else but the bench.

Backing a less than capable player has been the Dhoni’s hallmark for quite a while now. Remember Ravindra Jadeja? He formed part of Dhoni’s scheme of things for more than a year ahead of Yusuf Pathan, and it took a spectacular series of domestic performances on Pathan’s part and international non-performances on Jadeja’s part to save India the misery. In Chawla’s case Dhoni doesn’t have the luxury of time, as we are barely five matches away from the cup, if at all we get there. And if we really intend to get there, Ashwin has to be in. We can’t penalize a deserving bowler (Ashwin) for not bowling leg-spin, and reward an undeserving bowler (Piyush) who is going to feed international batsmen with club bowling-stuffs match after match. Dhoni has to put his thinking cap on, and get it right pretty quickly. We had discussed about his dilemma in a different post, but he stumped us all with an entirely different approach!

I wouldn’t read too much into their batting effort in this five wicket victory though. As explained by Dhoni, it was just an experiment, not only in batting order, but also in style. It did look like they were trying to go after the bowlers to hone their fluency, always aware of the fact that they had the depth to pull the shutters down and cruise to victory in a more traditional manner in case a few quick wickets went down in their quest to oil their big hitting machineries.

(Form) Home Coming

Yuvraj Singh helped himself with yet another half century, his third in this tournament and second without getting out while chasing. This augurs well for India. His confidence is on the ascent, and it’s evident in his body language. Make no mistake, he is far from the old match winner India had, at best, you could say he is just about sixty percent of his abilities. But what is heartening is, Yuvi is willing to take responsibility out there in the middle. He is still struggling to get right behind the line, to pick gaps in the effortless manner he used to do, to time the ball as gracefully he is capable of, but all that will come back. As the experts say, the best way to get back there is to spend time in the middle. Seems like he is putting his best efforts there, and the results are bound to flow sooner than later.

We have two more important matches coming up in the group stages, and we would do well to use them to get our bowling attack right before the knock out stage comes up.

A revaluation of my world cup favorites

2011-03-06T01:32:00.001+05:30

Even though it has come a bit late in the day, I guess it would still be relevant to evaluate my list of teams that I had thought were favorites to lift the twenty-eleven edition of the world cup, even before the first ball of the tournament was bowled. And since by now, we are already two weeks into the mega-event, we do have an opportunity to examine the validity of my initial predictions against some actual performances of the teams featured in the list.

Out of the ten teams that are participating, I had picked three teams in order of their strength, and added another as a dark horse on the basis of its sheer talent at the fourth position. Here are my initial choices, the reason behind, the till date performance and the revised ranking if any:

The Favorite

1. India: This home team was my clear favorite to lift the trophy, primarily due to the batting heavy weights it boasts of in its lineup. Any team which opens with the best ODI batsman of all times (Sachin Tendulkar) and the most destructive batter of his era (Virender Sehwag), follows them up with two top ten ICC ranked batsmen (Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli), then back them up again with two hardest strikers and match winners (Yuvraj Singh & Mahendra Dhoni) and is still left with a fearsome hitter of the cricket ball to come in next (Yusuf Pathan) has to be up there as the team to beat. The fact that all the above guys are in excellent form barring Yuvraj (even Yuvi has shown some early signs of getting back into touch), presents a strong case in their favor. They also have a crafty seam bowler in Zaheer Khan, an experienced off spinner in Harbhajan and some very useful part timers who can do the job in the sub-continent conditions. Hence despite the fact that they lost a recent series in South Africa, I thought, they had to be the favorites here under more familiar placid home tracks.

By now, they have played two matches, and having won one and tied one have already accumulated three points. With two relatively easier games in hand against Netherland and Ireland, their quarterfinal berth should be a near certainty. The only worrying factor is that their bowlers have looked clueless in both the matches so far. While Bangladesh managed to score more than 280 against them, England threatened to hand them with their first defeat in the cup as they weren’t able to defend a mammoth total of 339 in Bangalore. They have to do some serious re-thinking there before any further damage is done.

Hence, in my ranking system, even though they still appear there as the number one favorite, which is again due to their batting prowess and knowledge of the conditions, there is certainly some amount of doubt that has crept in at this point. What if on a knock out match, the batsmen don’t manage to score 300 plus? Still I am willing to give them the benefit of doubt at this stage.

The Lions

2. Srilanka: They are always a force to reckon with, in the slow and low sub-continent tracks and hence despite the fact that they have a relatively weaker middle order, I had ranked them as the second most likely side to lift the cup. To support my reasoning, I have to point out at a decent opening pair in Dilshan and Tharanga, followed by the classy duo of Mahela and Sangakkara and then a smart choice in Samaraweera at number five to lend some stability in the middle order. With the versatile Angelo Mathews and the hard hitting Tisara Perera to follow, they seem to have one of the most balanced sides in the tournament. In Malinga, they have a dangerous wicket taking fast bowler and in Muralidharan, they have that world cup winning experience, who could guide spinners like Herath and Mendis when the situation so demands. How I wish they had picked Jayasuria at least in their 16 member squad, in place of Chamara Silva or Kapugedara! A slightly out of form forty-odd year old Jayasuria is still ten times better than either of the above. The Lankan selectors may have missed a trick here.

Notwithstanding that, and their loss to Pakistan in their group match, the Lions are still my choice as the second most favorite even now. They have already secured five points and with two games against the Kiwis and Zimbabwe, they would probably back themselves to qualify for the quarter finals as one of the top two teams from their group.

The defending champions

3. Australia: The Aussies, despite of their humiliating ashes defeat, have quickly bounced back with a six-one home series win against their traditional nemesis England and looked quite formidable ever since. The addition of the pace duo, Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, has added that extra spark to their bowling attack, and despite of missing Mike Hussey in the middle order, they are looking every bit the defending champions, if only marginally subdued. They have an invaluable player in Shane Watson, who coming at the top of the order, not only destroys bowling attacks, but also is adept at sneaking away those important wickets as an extremely handy seam bowler. While Mitch Johnson, as a first change bowler, doesn’t provide any respite for the opposition, Jason Krejza & Steve Smith look to form their other attacking option. Alongside the above six specialists, the world champions also have the option of bowling White, Clarke and David Hussey, and that undoubtedly ranks as the best bowling unit of the tournament.

Here again, my evaluation doesn’t change, and I still go with them as my third favorite to win the cup. I hear that they are in the process of getting a replacement for Doug Bollinger, and if they manage to get Mike Hussey, then, in all probability, I would place them ahead of the Lions as my second favorite beyond any doubt.

The unpredictables

4. Pakistan: Having selected my top three favorites to go all the way, I have the supremely talented but extremely unpredictable Pakistan team as my dark horse to lift the trophy. Coming into the tournament, they look a very flexible but strong batting unit and a very balanced bowling unit. In batting, Ahmed Sehzad and Mohd Hafeez at number one & two, Kamran Akmal at number three, Younis Khan at number four, Misbah at number five, Umar Akmal at number six, Shahid Afridi at number seven and Abdul Razzaq at number eight do make their batting look super-strong. In the bowling department, a mellowed-down but controlled Shoaib Akhtar still packs a punch as a fast bowler, and is well supported by Umer Gul and Wahab Riaz. With Shahid Afridi himself breathing fire with the ball, this team has the ability to defeat any opposition on its day.

The only reason why they are outside my top three list is because of their unpredictable nature, which yet again resurfaced & made them fumble against as weak an opposition as Canada, before Afridi rescued them with the ball.

England doesn’t feature in my list for obvious reasons and South Africa, in my opinion don’t have the ability to win three knock-out matches in a row, against three good oppositions, which severely dilutes their chance winning the tournament. This is the very reason why the Proteas have been unsuccessful, despite of looking really strong, in each of their previous attempts.

That sums up my list of probable winners of world cup 2011. But funnier things have happened in cricket, and who knows, a surprise might just be round the corner.

O Brien's Glory, England's Misery

2011-03-05T00:26:00.002+05:30

The unlikely hero

Kevin O’Brien’s sparkling innings against England would certainly be up there as one of the best ODI knocks ever seen, for the simple reason that it turned an almost lost match on its head and helped his team achieve the unachievable. Even otherwise, you don’t get to see too many fifty ball-hundreds every other day! At this moment, the impact of this superlative effort is yet to be known in its entirety, but certainly it has the ability to cause some serious headache for England so far as the world cup quarter final lineup is concerned. Not that it would automatically put England out of the race straightaway, but it has rendered all the forthcoming matches for England that much more important.

From here on, England is scheduled to play South Africa, Bangladesh and West Indies, and none of these matches are going to be easy for them. Adjusting against Bangladesh’s slow ball bowlers is going to be as much a challenge as negotiating the quick bowlers like Steyn & Morkel. West Indies too, is running into some serious form and could multiply England’s problems. If England does lose to South Africa, the next two matches would turn out to be knock-out encounters for them. And because they have had a forgettable campaign till now, it only adds to the pressure.

Catching-up time

They have come into this tournament on back of a six-one loss against the Aussies, and done nothing here to get their confidence back. They have somehow managed to scrape through against Netherland, tied a match against India and then lost to Ireland. With two of the relative easier matches out of their way, they have to quickly regroup, if they want to travel any further in this edition of the world cup.

South Africa and the West Indies are sitting pretty with two wins each. Since both these teams are due to play against Ireland, you could safely assume that they would comfortably book their quarter-final berths. India too are playing against Ireland, and that should provide them a chance to secure two more points, and hence a claim on the third QF spot. It would be too much to expect O’Brien to repeat his heroics yet again against any of these sides.

So, in my opinion, only the fourth quarter final spot in Group B is logically up for the grabs and England has to race against Ireland and Bangladesh to secure that.

But then Destiny and O’Brien might have other ideas.

Dhoni’ Dilemma

2011-03-02T16:56:00.001+05:30

A lot to ponder over

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a lot to think about before India takes field against South Africa on 12th March 2011 at Nagpur. He has got this unenviable task of settling the demons of his side’s hapless bowling performance against England. Unfortunately, the games against Ireland and Netherland are not going to help him much in finding the right answer, for, theoretically, India could win those matches with its batting strength alone.

But it’s going to be a different matter all together against stronger opponents, during more important matches. If we are unable to defend 339 runs against a team who notwithstanding its Ashes form, is not considered the best of sides in the limited overs format, how are we going to do so against top ranked sides in the later stage of this tournament?

Now, Dhoni has always preferred to go with four specialist bowlers, which he seems to have inherited from the age-old Indian practice that has been prevalent since time immemorial. This is primarily because India never had that elusive all rounder at their disposal since Kapil Dev’s retirement. Occasionally we have had guys like Irfan Pathan, who rather than providing a long-term solution, have flattered to deceive after some amount of early promise. And because we have had to deal with quite a few batting collapses intermittently, we have not been too inclined towards including a specialist bowler in place of a batsman. As a result, we have had to be satisfied with, batsmen who could turn their arm over to fill in the fifth bowler’s slot. And that has worked for us most of the times. But the question to be asked is, how long? It could well be a blessing in disguise that the tied match against England has posed that question right at the outset.

Let us try to answer that for Dhoni:

Option 1: Stick to the same combination, try Ashwin or Nehra in place of Piyush

Experience could prove handy

Now, if Dhoni goes for this option, which looks more likely at this moment, his reasoning could be this - it’s too early to change a long successful strategy only after a single reversal. We must also be mindful of the fact that our field placing was woeful during that match. We were only following the ball rather than being proactive. If we can tie that loose end up, this four-bowlers-three-part-timer-strategy might look formidable yet again. The upside of sticking to this combination is that we are that extra bit protected against the ever round the corner batting collapse, and we would also be able to maintain the on paper mighty look of our lineup. The downside is that, if one specialist bowler has an off day, It becomes that much more difficult for the part-timers to fill in those extra overs. This weakness could be exploited by better oppositions, as we saw in the match against England.

In my opinion, even if we go with this combination, we have to have three pace bowlers and only one spinner, since all our part timers are spin bowlers. In a spinning track, even Yuvraj or Pathan could be as effective as anybody. And in matches like the one we tied, it would be always harder to hit a pace bowler out of the park for sixes in the closing overs. Had there been a seamer to bowl that penultimate over in place of Piyush Chawla, we still could have ended up in the winning side.

Option 2: Play an additional bowler in place of a batsman

Yuvi could be dropped

If Dhoni finally plans to get the balance right by going for this option, a further confusion awaits him here. Who does he drop? Virat Kohli could be a natural choice. But as rightly pointed out by Rajiv during a recent conversation, if there comes a bad batting day, only guys like Gambhir and Kohli are more likely to bail you out of that, not our Yuvraj or Pathan. If today the line up looks strong, it’s because the former two are in red hot form, and hence it would be a mistake to leave Kohli out. Now dropping Pathan would not be advisable because he is a game changer, who could turn a few matches around for you, all by himself, not to forget his bowling. And the fact that he is in some serious form, can’t be ignored. That leaves us with Yuvraj, who is still struggling with the bat, and you would most definitely not pick him for his bowling alone. The matter further worsens when you do decide to drop Yuvraj, because, yes, you preferred Pathan over Yuvi due to the reason mentioned above, but how about Raina? Could you include him in place of Pathan? Would that be better, as he is more reliable than Pathan and is in better form compared to Yuvraj? Perhaps yes. That would give a completely newish look Indian one-day side, which despite of being logical, I am not very comfortable with. Forget about me, it doesn’t matter, but would Dhoni be comfortable? I doubt.

We will have to wait and watch.

Think Positive - Day Nineteen

2011-01-19T01:53:00.000+05:30

19. Shoes

"I pray to remain conscious throughout my day and bring poetic mastery to all I do. I use my life to remember and glorify the presence of spirit."

Heaven is gained or lost not just by dramatic deeds, but by the little acts of daily living. A Zen maxim states, "If you can serve a cup of tea correctly, you can do anything." meaning that we can use any mundane act as a meditation to create harmony and beauty. We can make our life a work of art by paying attention to the details of daily living. Let everything be a dance in which we create poise and grace. It's the highest game there is.

"Live as if your life depends on it." - Werner Erhard

-Day Nineteen from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Eighteen

2011-01-18T23:41:00.001+05:30

18. For Whom?

"I pray to place quality before quantity. Let me live and act for essence before form. I give all to all, and receive as I give it."

It is not tbe numbers that make a life, it is the content. It is more valuable to touch a small number of people in a quality way than to amass fame or fortune. Give your full presence and integrity to everyone you meet and your heart will be full.

"To have give all to all." - A Course in Miracles

-Day Eighteen from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Seventeen

2011-01-17T22:25:00.000+05:30

17. The Eye of the Beholder

"I choose to use Your vision today. Help me to see the good in all people and experience."

Experiment with finding the good in every experience. Even if an event seems to be a threat or a problem, adopt a vision through which it can empower you. When you behold life through the eyes of love, you will find the beauty of God everywhere.

"Two men looked out through prison bars, one saw mud the other stars." - James Allen

-Day Seventeen from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Sixteen

2011-01-16T21:56:00.001+05:30

16. Don't Shoot The Screen

Help me remember that my inner world is where real change occurs. Show me the truth about myself,that I may manifest love in my relationships. My world reflects the true beauty within me."

If you know your worth, you do not need anyone else to confirm it, and if you do not recognize your value, you will not gain it by getting others to approve. If you don't like a movie you are watching, don't bother shooting the screen, instead, change the movie - or better yet, turn on the light.

"It's hard to defeat an enemy who has an outpost in your own head." - Sally Comption

-Day Sixteen from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Fifteen

2011-01-15T21:44:00.001+05:30

15.Great Spirits

"Give me the strength to walk with integrity, help me to live what I believe. I am here for a mighty purpose. I change the world by following my truth."

We must live what we believe and not give into fear. We must act on our principles rather than simply talk about them. And we must find ways to join, not separate from, our brothers and sisters.

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein

-Day fifteen from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Fourteen

2011-01-14T22:31:00.001+05:30

14. Forge a New Destiny

"Lead me to a destiny that outshines my history. I am willing to release my expectations based on the past and know a better future. I open my mind to the new and the better. I live in a universe far grander than I can imagine."

We can transform our lives by changing the way we think about possibilities. We are prone to picture our future as an extension of our past. But we have no guarantee at all that our future will be anything like our past. The nature of a consciousness shift is the release of an old belief system, replacing it with a new and grander one. Just when you think you know it all, life comes along and says,"Here, let me show you a bigger universe!" Thank God we do not know it all, if we did, we would be in big trouble, for most of what we know has made us small. Be grateful that the universe is willing to take away your impotence and replace it with magnitude.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

-Day fourteen from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Thirteen

2011-01-13T22:45:00.000+05:30

13.Time to be Free

"Help me to movebeyond time and celebrate the glory of the present moment. I live in the timeless kingdom of love."

We always have enough time to do what needs to be done. We are always free at this moment. It is only when we haul the past or future into the now that we feel bound. Practice surfing on the energy of the now. If you become seduced by past or future thoughts, remind yourself that all is well right now. Handle whatever is before you, and leave the rest for another time or another way.

When we live in love, miracles happen that defy the laws of time. Ultimately, time becomes irrelevant and as Jesus stated,"The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Prisoners are colloquially described as "doing time." If you are a servant of time rather than letting time serve you, you are a prisoner. Break free of your watch and bask in the glory of the present moment. Bring more activities that you love into your world and you will be a millionaire of time.

"Lovers make a fool of time." - Anonymous.

- Day thirteen from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Ashes 2010-11 and World Test Cricket

2011-01-13T01:44:00.001+05:30

Sweet taste of victory

With a convincing victory in the Ashes over Australia in Australia’s own backyard, England has established itself as a serious contender for the No.1 spot in test arena. England’s coach Andy Flower too has echoed this view, “It’s realistic, and it’s achievable.” Not many would disagree with that. England team has been on the ascent for quite some time now. Right after Andrew Strauss had taken over from Kevin Pieterson, they have gone from strength to strength. With the most balanced test side in world cricket at this moment, they indeed looked too hot to handle for the Aussies right from the word go during the Ashes. In the end the result of 3-1 all but confirmed their dominance. Clearly the better side had stamped its authority over the other.

Perfect Farewell

England’s awesome batting line up, superbly penetrating bowling line up and brilliant fielding unit, both close-in and otherwise, ensures that they start as favorites almost against any side in the world at this moment. Even Paul Collingwood’s retirement has come as a blessing in disguise to this immensely talented side as that was the only position which would be up for discussion at any selection committee meeting. With Eion Morgan breathing down his neck, Collingwood was under serious pressure all the time and it reflected in his recent performances. With him retired for good, in my opinion, Ian bell should move to the number three position (Bell batted at number six in the Ashes, he is too good a player to bat that low down the order) after Strauss and Cook, followed by KP at his customary number four and Trott at number five. Eion Morgan should take up the crucial number six position to make it one of the most formidable batting line up in the world. At seven Mathew Prior would provide the desired impetus, where as Tim Bresnan or Steward Broad would bat at number eight. Number nine is taken by Swann beyond doubt and would have to be followed by James Anderson and Cris Tremlet. Looking at the team, one would feel that such a combination comes once in a life time, as the experts opine, “This is the most settled side in world cricket.” And no, I am not getting carried away by their Ashes triumph alone; I am never bothered by results. I was impressed by how this team went ahead with the task in their hand. They played aggressive cricket right through the series, with a lot of self belief and showed everybody that they are indeed a force to reckon with as far as the test top ranking is concerned.

The faces say it all

On the other hand, Australia are reeling at number five in the ICC ranking at present and I truly believe that they are placed at their rightful place. They don’t accept it, as Mike Hussey said a few days back after losing the test series to India, “I don’t think we are the number five side in the world, obviously there is something wrong in the ranking system.”

Well, I agree with him for the second part, that the current ranking system is not the most perfect as it gets, but certainly, it has got it right by ranking Australia at number five. The reason being, England, India and South Africa beyond doubt and Srilanka probably by the skin of their teeth would deserve to be placed ahead of the fast sliding Aussies. Shane Warne was bang on when he urged them to accept that they are indeed at the fifth position, because only by doing that would they strive to improve.

Time for serious introspection

Indeed, Australia has to shed their arrogance in a hurry. Ricky Ponting, if he wants to play for a couple more years, has to let go of the captaincy and concentrate on his game alone. And they just can’t play Steven Smith at number six; he is just not good enough for that position. He can’t be played as a batting all-rounder. They need some drastic changes, may be a near complete revamp. I don’t follow their domestic cricket that much, so can’t really comment on who should be brought in, but all I can say is that the current bunch of players are victims of so much negativity at this moment that they simply don’t seem to be able to move forward. They have been losing almost every match they are playing and that’s certainly not a great feeling.

All said and done, the Ashes, in my opinion, has put things in perspective for two of the top five sides in world cricket. While it has helped the cricket world to sit up and take notice of England as one of the best three sides (even you could call it one of the best two- we would discuss that in a different post) in the world in terms of ability and not ranking, if also has confirmed the Aussies to be at the bottom of the top five.

Think Positive - Day Twelve

2011-01-12T00:35:00.000+05:30

12. Unbeatable

"I pray to see life through Your eyes, that I may fully reap the gifts of love. My happiness depends on me. I choose joy now."

No one can take away your happiness unless you give it to them. People may say all manner of things about you or try to hurt you, but unless you choose to be hurt, they cannot rub you of your good. They are making choices that determine their happiness, just as you are choosing yours. When we feel hurt by another, we are only hurting ourselves. It is said that "Offense is something that you can only take but never give."

Experiment with finding blessings wherever you go. Quickly you will discover that using a vision of perfection is far more empowering than one of loss. In love you are unbeatable.

"Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another." - Madonna

- Day twelve from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Eleven

2011-01-11T23:36:00.000+05:30

11. Big Love, Big Fear

"Show me where I have protected myself from love, that I may step forward and live in the light. I open my heart to all the love there is."

Big love calls for big fear. If you love someone a great deal, you will bump up against the blocks to love you have erected to protect yourself. But don't stop there. The fence has been shown to you not to imprison you, you have already been imprisoned. Now its time to dismantle it and be free.

"True love calls forth everything unlike itself" - A Course in Miracles.

- Day eleven from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Ten

2011-01-10T23:02:00.000+05:30

10. One Frog per Hand.

"I want to live a quality life. Let me say yes to what belongs to me and let all else go. My presence is the present. I give my whole heart and I find true reward."

Many of us try to do so many things at once that we don't get any of them done well. Instead of expanding with creative joy, we succumb to "Management by emergency." We say yes to more than we can handle and then spend most of our time putting out fires. We take on so many projects that we cannot give any of them the attention they deserve, and we leave ourselves overworked, exhausted, ineffective, and sometimes ill.

To be a true healer, teacher, minister, parent or business person, you will gain more in the long run by giving your clients quality attention. To be successful, no matter what your vocation, you must be fully present with whatever you are doing. Life is best lived one wholehearted moment at a time.

"Never try to catch two frogs with one hand." - Country wisdom.

- Day ten from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Nine

2011-01-09T22:46:00.001+05:30

9. Your Point of Power

"I pray to follow my spirit and walk past fear to make my dreams come true. Powered by enthusiasm, I step forward to greater things."

There is a formula for knowing if a next step is right one for you. If you feel both excited and scared, that is it. If you are just excited and not afraid, there is no challenge, no stretchinng, no initiation, you are still in your safe zone, and growth is unavailable. If you are just afraid, there is no positive motivation. Why walk thorough a fear unless there is something you are walking towards? But if you are simltaneously turned on and frightened, do it and watch your growth skyrocket.

You owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and your clients to stay on your cutting edge. If your career or relationship is a bore, step back and ask yourself what it would take to make it exciting. Then ask yourself waht would take to make it scary. The intersection of the two answers is your point of power.

"Don't play for safety. It's the most dangerous thing in the world" - Hugh Walpole.

- Day nine from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Eight

2011-01-08T23:08:00.000+05:30

8. From the rooftops

"Give me the courage to express my true caring without fear or reservation. I stand for love, and love stands for me."

All acts are expressions of love, either as skillful statements or calls for love in disguised forms. Love is the power that moves the universe and it is the aching need of our world. If only we stood for love as we have for fear!

Practice expressing your love courageously.

- Day eight from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Seven

2011-01-07T23:00:00.001+05:30

7. Finally made something

"Help me remember where my true peace lies. I am a spiritual being. I nourish my spirit and I am fed."

All worldly glory pales in comparison to spiritual awakening. No matter what accolades we achieve in the outer world, it is our inner life we need to come in terms with. Should you be tempted to trade inner peace for worldly glory, remember, it's what is inside that counts.

"What should it profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul?" - Jesus Christ

- Day seven from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Six

2011-01-06T20:30:00.001+05:30

6. Limitbusters

"I am free as God created me. I am bigger than fear. I step forward and live in the light."

Fear tells us that we are small, powerless and separate. Love affirms that we are great, creative, and connected. Which voice do you choose to be your guide?

The way to dissolve a limit is to step right up to it and look it in the eye. When we shine the light on the darkness, we see that the thing we ran from had power over us only as long as we kept it at a distance. When we face what frightens us, we discover that we are bigger than it is. We can do anything we choose, we were not born to live in fear, but in love.

"Do the things you fear, and the death of fear is certain." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

- Day six from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive - Day Five

2011-01-05T21:57:00.001+05:30

5. Be Firm

"Support me to walk my talk. My powers come from being what I am."

Life will support us in our decisions, but we have to make a decision around which the universe can gather. Often it is better to make a wrong decision than no decision. If you make an error, you can either correct it or learn from it, in either case you will move ahead. If you make no decision, you will likely remain just where you are.

If you are in life, then be fully in life. Don't sit around wondering what you might do until it is too late to do anything. Will Rogers said, "You might be on the right track, but if you are sitting on it, you are going to get run over."

Live by choice, not self-protection. Be active rather than reactive. Make a stand for your truth, and your truth will make a stand for you.

- Day five from "365 Recipes..." by Alan Cohen

Think Positive- Day Four

2011-01-04T22:20:00.001+05:30

Today, we have a very short but sweet message from Alan Cohen from his book, "365 Recipes..."

4. May I feed you?

"Help me move beyond the small self so I can connect with the hearts of others. When I give love to others, I feed my own soul."

Well, the message here is that, if we step out of our comfort zone and give a helping hand to those who need it, ultimately we are helping ourselves. The kind of joy that gives one is just beyond anything you would have ever felt out of material happiness.

The title of this topic, "May I feed you" comes from an experience of the author, wherein he helped a lady with both her arms in casts eat,on a flight. The experience he drew was out of this world.

His words, "Love always flows beyond human borders and dissolves the fears that keep us separate. When we stretch to serve another, we grow to live in a larger, more rewarding world."

Think Positive- Day Three

2011-01-03T22:42:00.000+05:30

3. Grow with the Flow

"Help me to remember that You are present in all situations guiding me home even when I cannot see how. I am always in the presence of love. Everything that happens to me is a part of the plan for my good."

The thought for today from Alan Cohen's "365 Recipes..." says, "When you come up against a situation you can not control, trust that the universe is working on your behalf. When we fight what is, we lose our power. The sage capitalizes on the energy at hand and makes it work on his behalf.

This short and simple thought helps you immensely when you face a situation which is out of your comfort zone, and you feel helpless. It urges you to have faith in God and his plans for you and just carry on with doing your duty to your best. And you will see the universe working on your behalf to get your tasks done in a manner you would have liked to do yourself.

Think Positive- Day Two

2011-01-02T21:36:00.000+05:30

The thought for day two from Alan Cohen's book "365 Recipes That will make you Think Positive" is :

2. Act Now

"Work through my hands to bring about the things that will serve you. I step forward with the trust that Spirit is moving through me to create good."

Alan says that you can think and talk about a project for a long time, but only action will manifest it. If you wait until you are ready, you will never get anything done. Do not wait until all the conditions are perfect for you to begin. Begining makes all the conditions perfect.

Beautiful idea! in my case it has to be my half written novel. Or is it really half? I have to get on with it keeping in mind a deadline, if I have to get any closer to complete it and that would be my first priority. And I urge you to take up that one thing which you have been procrastinating all the time. Let us make it happen this New year, together.

Think Positive - Day One

2011-01-01T19:28:00.001+05:30

Wish you all a very happy new year 2011!

The best way to start this wonderful year would be doing so by THINKING POSITIVE.

I am going to share 365 ideas with you right through the year, one each day, from this excellent book, "365 Recipes That will make you Think Positive" by Alan Cohen. Alan is best known as the co-author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul". He has also written two best sellers named, "I had it all the time" and "The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore".

So, here we go.

1. Clean Slate

"I pray to start over. No mattter what has happened, I am willing to let today be new. Thank you for the chance to begin again.

Today I begin anew. I see through the eyes of innocence."

Says Alan, "As you enter this new year, nothing in the past has any power to affect what you do now.You are an entirely new person, different from the person you were.This year has never been lived before and you have never had the consciosness, you now have. You are setting sail on a new adventure determined only by how grand you are willing to think. This year think big thoughts to create miraculous results."

Wonderful thoughts. On my part, I have already decided that this year, I am going to fulfil all my dreams, achieve what I have been planning to achieve all along, and live the life I have always wished for . The action plan to make that happen is my New Year Resolution. For a change, my resolution is GRAND this year.

What's yours?

India wins 5-0 as expected

2010-12-14T20:08:00.000+05:30

When Yusuf Pathan said that the knock of 123 not out against the Kiwis might just prove to be the turning point in his career, he was right in many ways, or so it seems. At least history is on his side, for New Zealand has regularly allowed Indians some truly career-transforming moments, ever since I can remember.

Yusuf played a blinder

About a decade ago, on 2nd August 2001, Virender Sehwag played his life changing knock of 100 off 70 balls against the Kiwis, coming at the top of the order. He has not looked back ever since. Go back seven more years, and on 27th March 1994, yet again New Zealand witnessed a young Sachin Tendulkar playing that unforgettable inning of 82 runs off 49 balls opening in absence of Navjot Singh Sidhu, a knock that would re-define his batting position and in turn his LOI career forever. You could probably add to that a hattrick in world cup to Chetan Sharma, or the only one century of his career to the original little master Sunil Gavaskar, or the other 123 to Rahul Dravid that resurrected his one day career, but we need not go that far.

Today, if Pathan feels history may repeat itself yet again, you can’t blame him for sure. But then the onus is entirely on him. What this particular knock has done for him is that, it has allowed him a fresh lease of life in this over competitive Indian batting line up. To say that this knock has cemented his place in the world cup side would be logical, but slightly tricky. That’s because, the timing of this epic innings has made Pathan a certainty for the five one day matches against South Africa, and if due to any reason he fails there, it might just go against him when the wise men sit for picking the world cup squad.

Pathan handled the short ball well

But from what I saw in that knock of his, Pathan was in fact handling the short ball much better than he used to, something that would stand him in good stead while dealing with the likes of Styens and Morkels in the bouncy wickets of South Africa. Also, since all our big guns would be back there in the squad to test themselves in match conditions for the final time before the world cup, Pathan would only be batting only during the last few overs, if at all. That he should be able to manage.

One more demon should have been laid to rest as a result of this performance of Yusuf, i.e. the unreasonable competition with Jadeja for the number seven slot. In all fairness, going by ability alone, this comparison should never have been made, for Yusuf is a game changer and a match winner, where as Jadeja is just an accumulator of runs even though a slightly better bowler. Though both have similar kind of records in international cricket thus far (request Sankara to provide us with a qualitative analysis on this piece of statistics), we need an impact player at the number seven slot, which tilts the scale towards Pathan beyond doubt.

Gambhir lead from the front

Now coming back to the series against the Kiwis, a five nil white wash has given India a very good momentum and self confidence, especially due to the fact that they were able to achieve the result in absence of quite a few regular players.

It has helped Gambhir, Kohli and Pathan immensely, and to an extent Yuvraj and Rohit Sharma have also benefitted from their knocks. In the bowling department, Sreesanth, to my surprise has done quite well and Pathan and Yuvraj chipped in with wicket when needed. Ashwin did justice to the faith that was reposed upon him, carrying the mantle of the lead spinner role with élan, in absence of Harbhajan. Parthiv Patel too, helped himself with a couple of half centuries in as many matches. I am not sure, where he features in the future plans of the selectors, but all credit to him for grabbing the opportunity and showing that he is now a much improved batsman and wicket keeper who can be considered when Dhoni is not playing. Dinesh Karthik has competition here.

Of course, like Sankara, I too would have preferred to give Rayudu or Robin Uthappa a go in such kind of a series, but can’t really complain much especially the way Patel batted and kept.

The biggest dissapointment of the series emerged in terms of Murali Vijay, who despite of a fair run at the top of the order for three matches, could not capitalize on the oppotunity. It is extremely difficult to get your chances in this Indian batting line up, more so, at the top of the order, as we have stalwarts like Sehwag, Sacin and Gambhir in our wings, hence it's absolutely important that Vijay should have grabbed the rare chance that came his way. This was the second time after the series in Zimbabwe, where Vijay was seen wasting the opportunity.

Now the focus shifts to South Africa, where the battle for the number one position in test would take the center stage to begin with, and then to the ODI series, which would, as I mentioned earlier, be a defining series for the Indian world cup campaign.