CRUISE CONTROL

Award Wapsi - Are they really at fault ?

2015-10-31T16:42:00.004+05:30

I beg to differ with a few of my friends with a contrary view on the eminent people returning their awards. I think they have chosen the most sensible way to protest and put pressure on the people concerned to act ! Especially when innumerable letters written by many scholars have been ignored. It neither belittles their stature nor the honour that they have been bestowed with.

I think their protest is in the right spirit but is not enough. Instead of just criticizing and showing their vexation, they could have proposed suggestions to improve the deteriorating polarized environment prevalent in the current Indian setup. Interpreting what it means to return an award is every individuals guess. People who returned the honours alone know the motive behind it.

I myself can see the surge in intolerance against certain sects of people in the society and governments inability to punish the fringe elements present with their own party and outside. The whole idea of these guys could be to get people talking about this deliberate communalization of Indian society. They are at their discretionary liberty to choose the method of demonstrating their displeasure.

The government at the center has become so insensitive to intelligentsia, that they are not able to digest all this and they preferred to call it “a manufactured rebellion” instead of paying heed to the plight of the doyens and take corrective actions. Alleging that these eminent and revered personalities have "selective amnesia" and questioning where were they, when other similar situations happened earlier is just being insensitive to the situation devoid of any intent to solve the problem. A few of the writers have protested and written letters earlier too, may not be as a cohesive unite as they are doing now, but surely they displayed their displeasure during the emergency etc. Even if they might not have protested earlier, it attaches no rational logic to question their intent in past. Painting the whole act as a political gimmick is just miniaturizing the very reason of their act.

They might have thought that organized protests are the need of the hour as Passive protests are not going to help anymore. The president of India appealing to the government and people to protect the plural fabric of the nation not just once itself explains the severity of the divide. Hope the central government takes necessary steps and in the right direction!

Welcome to the World of Optimism

2014-05-27T08:22:00.000+05:30

~Breakfast was boring.., but there's still lunch.

~None of my friends messaged or called me today.., my closest ones mite come home 2mrw.

~Nothing interesting on TV now.., my favorite movie might be on in an hour or so.

~It's too hot outside to go out.., evening could have the best weather I've ever seen.

~I didn't make it through this interview.., the next employer could be the one who would worship me.

~I've missed the bus.., the next one's on its way.

~I didn't win the lottery.., I'm gonna save a fortune learning from this experience.

~My good friend hurt me real bad.., time to find my real 'good friend'.

~My last exam was a 'failure'.., may be this is my 'stepping stone to success'.

~I didn't clear the entrance exam.., I'm destined for something better.

~My girlfriend's cheating behind my back.., good for her that she found her true love n good for me coz I know of this.

~My dad thinks I'm good for 'nothing'.., he doesn't know I'm the best at 'something'.

~I love music but I got a bad voice.., guitar is probably where I ROCK !

~Small nations are going nuclear.., rest of the world is uniting to stop them.

~Terrorists are creating havoc.., governments are FINALLY doing something about them.

The left half of every line are not really my problems.., but the right half is how I would look at them. Crying., sulking or complaining don't solve problems., they create new ones. If this has excited even one nerve cell in your brain., I welcome you to the world of optimism., I welcome you to my world....

IPL2014 MI Vs RR Match Analysis

2014-05-26T12:06:00.000+05:30

As a cricket fan, I have to admit that the tension filled last playoff match in IPL 2014, between MI and RR was nerve wrecking. I was elated with the result specially after the happy ending that Mumbai managed to achieve by qualifying to the playoffs after their dismal performance in UAE during the initial phase of the tournament. As a Mumbai Indian fan though I was happy to see my team qualify, As an engineer with strong affinity to numbers, I felt the calculations of net run rate shouldn't have caused so much of confusion in deciding what needs to be achieved! It is very critical to have a logically correct methodology in place, when it comes to matches like these when the victory depends on the fourth decimal in the net run rate calculations!

Its only prudent to adopt the most suitable method that recognizes the winner based on the most accurate logic to declare a winner specially when there are such millions of dollars of prize money and reputation of a franchise at stake. It was disheartening to watch Dravid throw his cap in disdain after the loss.

What ever was the outcome of the match, irrespective of the teams involved in the match, the net run rate calculations should have been more transparent and to an acceptable reason.

The calculations are perplexing. Firstly about their methodology of adopting "Average Runs per over" as the quantitative measure and not "Average Runs per ball" to decide the winner. This is because the former measure approximates and equates the 6 deliveries of an over in to unequal measuring points between two numbers. Secondly, rounding off the net run rate (NRR) to two or three decimal points after considering "Average Runs per over" as the measure is further going to effect the chances of a team. This match just showed us the loophole in the erroneous methodology adopted.

From the looks of it, the above NRR calculations show that there seems to be no reason to understand why even in first place Mumbai was allowed one more ball if the NRR is calculated based on the "Runs per over" for judging the qualifying team. MI was a clear winner with NRR of 0.078 over Rajastan's 0.077. Since this has not happened, contrary to the "Runs per over", "Runs per ball" should have been considered for the NRR calculations. But here comes the more confusing question of why they had considered the NRR rounded to three decimal places? which otherwise would have made Mumbai the clear winner with the fourth decimal. Either case, MI should have been declared winner, which means there was a blunder in setting up the qualifying target !

Nothing of this has happened and to add to all this chaos, more confusion prevailed when the commentators Harsha and Ravi Shastri just kept throwing in more numbers with all the convoluted calculations by saying " Boundary required of the next ball" no no hold on "just 2 runs would suffice" etc etc !

Let us now consider the numbers after the last ball was bowled, Since there was a six hit, there is no confusion since the calculations in "Average Runs per ball" method and ""Average Runs per over" method all showed Mumbai as the clear winner. This isn't the end of confusion yet, I am still wondering how commentators got those "4 needed" oh no "just 2 needed" to win from, when there was already a clear qualified team!

For a casual spectator like me, In addition to the missed run out chances, dropped catches, ball being given to Praveen Tambe in the 13th over, two full tosses, etc, it just gives me further more reasons to doubt if this match was fixed! Hope this isn't the case, as it doesn't bode well for the already dented reputation of IPL as a brand. Hope more common sense and more logical reason prevails in such close match results!

PS: I welcome being corrected in my calculations and proved otherwise, if somebody spots one.

Reply to the "Choosy Patriot"

2012-11-20T16:47:00.000+05:30

This post has got a small history to it. There were a couple of very close friends with whom I always argued, waged quite a few tom and jerry fights over topics like Sachin, Telangana, Politics, Relegion etc, had taunts on each other every other day. Now each of us is miles apart, but the arguments have never declined. I miss those debates and arguments as much as I miss them. Coming to this particular post, it is in response to a comment by Vinil on my facebook. I did not really find a right time to post this, despite composing it on the same day I was asked to give a reply to. Here it goes, in response to this.

I would compare Sachin choosing the innings he want to play to a senior vice president who worked for 30 + years in a company, reserving his "Accumulated earned leaves" for a vacation when he feels his team mates can handle a project without any help from him. What we should not forget is, the CEO ( read BCCI ) could still want and force him to handle a project if he thinks the severity of the project requires his services. It happened with the Australia tour where Sachin couldn't perform to his best, though relatively not bad compared to his other team mates.

The CEO is changed now, the top management has changed now, they could perhaps even force a retirement now. But the managers know what players deserve best, else the outgoing lot wouldn't have taken those decisions to let the master pick and choose the matches he want to play.

Once in a while we keep hearing experienced commentators say, preserve Sachin for the upcoming SA tour next year, why is that skepticism still in air about the team not performing in sachin's absence, coz they know he is one man on whom we can rely on, despite his short stints of bad patches, and probably that is the reason why the big bosses are ok with him being a choosy patriot!

Now coming to IPL, "IPL duties" has become a buzz word now, and people delve in to a lot of analysis about players, simply because it is a huge money ball. I agree that every Indian has a say in weather Sachin should play for India or not coz when he plays for team India, he represents a country and has an emotional connect to all Indians, buy IPL ? who are we to say and question him to play or leave IPL, he is an employee of Mumbai Indians and he has to work to get paid for why he is hired ! People say he chooses IPL over Indian matches when he is fit, but why can't we understand where the similarity ends - He can't let others play in his place in IPL unless his franchise agrees to, unlike with BCCI where he has earned the luxury to do so!

Though I would also want to see Sachin representing India more than in IPL, I can understand and relate to his predicament. I would have done the same if I were to be in his place. People cribbing about Sachin not getting a hundred for a year and toddling to a hundred against Bangladesh should compare his stats to his other team members. I always argued, one should earn a place in the team not get it by virtue of others leaving it. The age doesn't matter as long as performance is on track. People will only realise his importance when he is not around in the team anymore.

For the people questioning his patriotic fervor and calling his down to earth attitude "practiced modesty". It is not a single year or two that he has been serving his country relentlessly. Never has been a dark spot in his behavior and actions that brought a bad name to the motherland. I always felt he kept the team before him, victory before personal records, and nation before anything else all the while. (Remember his father's death ?, broken elbow etc read here ) That is why he is still willing to serve even after taking so much of verbose on how he should behave and play for all these years without crumbling to the harsh comments. Just think how you feel when somebody questions your true services to a company, true love to your family and brand you selfish after you sacrifice everything you have got to them. That feeling is worse and can easily succumb anyone to surrender and accept what is not true, but he didn't and that is why he is a true soldier, a hero who still wants to fight till his last breath ! Dare not question his services to the nation. Question yourselves, how could he have behaved not to look like "practiced modesty" after scoring his 100th century. I can't think of any other way, he was naturally modest as he is, you may differ in opinion but it is just individuals perception of varied expressions and things, no questioning that !

Tendulkar’s unwillingness to compromise on his batting positions : My foot you know about what is happening in the team discussions and requirements, how can one say, that he never wanted to change his position in the team ? Why does the team want a man who scored 12 thousand plus runs at no 4 to move and experiment with the combinations ?

To refresh the memories, In tests, no 3 was occupied by one of the best no 3 batsman of all time till recently and sending Sachin at no 5 would be a foolish act coz laxman would have to be accommodated before Sachin. Only option hence was to open. Where was the spot to open when it was already being competed for, amongst Sehwag, Rahane and Gambhir. Gambhir and Sehwag's pair is touted as one of the best opening pairs. Would you want to disturb that? In fact I would say, the team ran out of choices when Sachin din't play a test match rather than when he returned, again it is all about how you or I read the game which doesn't matter, coz what matters is how the captain and team reads it !

In ODIs also, Sachin was sent down the order in a world cup under Ganguly, that decision was later in contemplation accepted as biggest mistake by the then coach Chappel, Even now, if Sachin lets Gambhir and Sehwag Open and Sachin takes one down, it is just the top 3 places that get shuffled, how are we accommodating other players ?

After saying all this, the question still tickles in my mind: are we greater thinking minds than the players themselves ! I guess we should all keep our thoughts parked and let the people who matter call the shots!

2nd Innnings

2012-11-20T16:09:00.003+05:30

The madness has not yet died. It was just hibernating. I am going to be back with a lot of ranting. I just forgot for all along, that I had another side of me. The blogger in me hit in to a deep slumber. But I promise I am going to be back soon. My posts as you all know, are going to circle around my favorite topics including Politics, Technology, Cricket, Branding, Marketing, Philosophy, Knowledge etc. I am getting ready for a second innings of sought. The wait is over. Thanks for hanging around for so long ...

Simply Sachin !

2012-03-19T14:44:00.002+05:30

There are three primary reasons which brought me back to my blog after a long time. I am writing this:

1) To signify the importance of an epic that has been created by a legend, that I have been lucky enough to witness in my life.

2) To put a full stop to all rubbish that so called critics of Sachin keep prattling about!

3) Not to disappoint few of my dearest friends, who invariable expect from me an article or a snippet on Sachin, after his exploits.

4) and finally, I just recovered from a bout of the extended attack – Attack of Cynicism

I hate it sometimes, when people speak without knowing the facts, my role then shifts from an arguer to a statistician trying to convince people about what was their misconception (based on factual stats of course!). But one thing I am always happy about is there is no dearth of support when it comes to defending Sachin, as there are more intellectuals than ignorants amongst the Indian cricket fans!

The apotheosis of Sachin by his fans is the only way they can show their gratitude for all the entertainment from him over the years and which makes them all proud, for, it all has come from a fellow country man. We had a good sleep when he scored; we felt proud for his success and mourned his failure. As one of my friends said, "Take the happiness index When Sachin scores a hundred and rank it, I am sure India will be numero Uno !" When he was down, some of his own team mates who once shared the dressing room with him wanted him to take the exit door saying that he is no more wanted! He never for once resented the animadversions of his critics. He waited and believed in himself carrying the hopes of billion others who wanted him to bounce back and do well and answer all the criticism. He did that once, twice and every time when the time was against him. That is the nerve of a man. His ardour for the game he loved never sank making a trivial few even believe him to be bigger than the game. He always emphasized though, that he never was or will be bigger than the game! Such was his humbleness. Like it or not, his name is for sure, to go down in the annals as the greatest of his time.

Amidst all the gloom that otherwise I saw around me during the past week, it indeed was an exhilarating experience for me when Sachin Tendulkar, the iconic “Human Being” surpassed a humongous milestone. Humongous not due to the enormity of the task itself but the super weight of expectations of Crores of “Knowledgeable & Expert” Indians. Everyone in India seems to have an opinion and strategy when it comes to Cricket.

I love cricket but by no means be classified (at least not these days) amongst those fanatic lovers of the game putting the world on Pause button. But what he gifted to the mankind is something that cannot be brushed away so easily. And remember in a country where dreams of the entire nation are driven by 70 year old politicians, at 39 years, it indeed is a weight of expectation no ordinary Human Being can bear without cracking up. And here he is a great guy who did not crack up for over 2 long decades. And by God! He did handle his success like no God did and my admiration goes up manifold for this. Mythology has lot of stories where even some Gods had to pay a price for their haughtiness.

The 100th 100 jokes were very cruel on someone who was a sincere student of the game. Did we ever hear an instance of arrogance or misbehaviour from this legend, who could have had the world at his feet? And when he did get there, it was ironical. We had an effort for a losing cause. But I give a damn. Someone who is our own is right up there – extremely lonely at the top. We only can look up and admire (or alternately pelt stones).

People tried to link all they could, whenever there is an argument about him. Ball tampering acquisitions/Waiver of customs duty on his Ferrari/Bharata ratna Debate/Failure as a Captain, every one tried to cast aspersions on his character. No denying that he has had his quirks, and that is the reason why I kept stressing the “Human Being” aspect of him. Though what he achieved is nothing short of what a “God” could have done. Folks, Gimme a break! Take out each of those 100s and we never know what could have happened! No one bandied statistics on this. Look at statistics of matches India lost and his scores too to get the real and overall picture. And the bashers would do well to also look at statistics of any other Indian or foreign cricketers. He is not just shoulders above the rest – a whole height. I felt I had a second life when one of friends introduced me to a blog of guy from Indian statistical institute who analysed Sachin’s career threadbare and concluded why he is, what he is ! Till then, I only relied on stats guru from cricinfo and some statistics stuff which I learned in my MBA to understand the numbers and for an insight in to them. Numbers don't lie, and there is a method to look at them. People who say he scored centuries against smaller teams should have a relook at his career and before that, if they mean to draw a direct reference to his ability to bat against stronger teams, why consider only his hundreds, even his 90s are as good! Leave aside all the numbers, coz no one is going to beat his numbers if they compare!

Looking back I know this Gentleman would realize that despite all this achievements it indeed is a thankless world. Definitely this is a feather in the cap as compared to the other shameful achievements that we otherwise are known for in the world – Scams, Rapes, Female Infanticides, and Murders. Let us allow these positive achievements to swamp the negative ones. We as a nation owe it to ourselves. What this great man has achieved is no small feat. The whole world is looking up and saluting this Little-Big man. Let us at least be indifferent if not supportive. Criticism is simply out of place.

Could I ever replace !

2011-11-29T13:15:00.001+05:30

It has been 6 months since I am out of college. It has been a mixed bag feeling, though I am happy to be in a place where I wanted to be in, I left a lot of things behind me, in search of unexplored waters of life ! In this quest of new things, I really miss quite a lot of things. My life has never been the same with out them, specially my friends from college !

I really miss ...
The business news and the pink papers
The early morning lectures
The shairis of Kumar Gaurav
The melodious songs of Vineet
The evangelical talks of Astha
Stern and never give up arguments of Khobragade
The "group" presentations
The fun of solving the cases
The numbers filled Deshpande sir classes
The debates and discussions in the classrooms and away
The lectures of Gods in the class rooms
The colors in the campus
The birth day celebrations
The exam fever and the night outs
The last minute entries in to the college gate
Drishty and the preparations for it
The never ending talks in the auditorium
The Chicken lollypops and the feast after the HR meets
The lab sessions of Prantosh baba
Dilip Bhav's vada pav
The xerox materials before the exam days
The struggle for the requisitions
The trading tips and gyaan of Sandeep bhai !
The economic times quizzes
The news hour and mind boggling cases of Ramashastry sir
The helmet rules and the red/black lists
The placement season fever and the preparations
The unending examination spree !
The puzzling and confusing rules
The last moment goofups
The temple and the library
The campus gossip
The internship projects
The DJ nights and the fun
The Diwali crackers and the Pongal payasam
The least understood Jr. Bala sir's Finance lectures !
The winter breakfasts in the urban cafe lawns
The World cup matches on the big screen
The long bike rides to Lonavala with friends
… and much more beyond what can be put on this !

A tribute to one of my favourite writers

2011-11-22T09:30:00.001+05:30

Peter Roebuck for me was an equivalent of god at writing articles on cricket and whenever I read his master pieces, I relished them and revelled at the thought process of the best cricket writer.

He was much more than a cricket writer; he was the voice of cricket – He was very vocal, yet lucid with his views, he was assertive yet rationale with the perspective. Frank and blatant some times. Every piece of his is a lesson in cricket and cricket writing. He was a cricket intellect to the core and his passion towards the game was absolute. He never indulged in jingoism and his emotions were unadulterated towards the great game; rather the only affection he seemed to have was cricket.

With a cricketing brain like none, Roebuck had the forte over the English language at his command and combined with the proficiency of the game, Roebuck actually created magic with every sentence he wrote.

For me there is no single favorite piece of cricket literature written by him, but plenty. Every new article of his was just a tad better than the previous one.

Through his writing I learned (or still learning) why is it important for a sports scribe to be unbiased and how to view the game not as a casual observer, but as a bull-headed critic. He was a writer with no holds bar approach when it came to his perspective, his views or his ideas. He was never diplomatically correct because he never tried to be in that position.

His pieces on Glenn McGrath, Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman would make an average baseball loving American fall in love with these legends of cricket. Reading about his idea of Test cricket would make the idea of ODI and T20 cricket pitiful.

His was a voice to reckon with and his take on cricket was like a holy grail. He was not only shrewd but was downright witty and entertaining.

I am deeply saddened by the death of Peter Roebuck but he will live through his articles and would be remembered as one of the greatest cricket writers ever. Rest in Peace Peter.

Bryan Adams

2011-02-11T01:03:00.002+05:30

I got back from the Bryan Adams concert. It wasn't bad. We kept walking all the way up to the entrance and lucky we were, to walk right in! But my friends choked when security checked their cameras and told them no cameras were allowed at the venue - huh ! I am yet to discover the security reason behind it. Why do they allow certain mobiles with cameras and not SLRs ? Strange!.

Great night, we were far from the stage but we could see him and the band really well. The highlight for me was when he said My name is Bryan. Here I am'. He took off his song 'Here I Am' from that point – The crowd was excited when he just stringed through our ears the first tune of “Summer of 69” everyone got into it and was loud and singing and dancing. Played all the hits “Baby you are gone”, “18 till I die” and some new tunes as well. Bryan Adams singing songs that you and me would have listened more than million times but still listening those songs from Bryan is for sure to get goose bumps.It gave me a great feeling to sing along to the hits from the 90's. The stage was a constant flurry of excitement and completely into the aura of rock music.

The sky was sparkling with beautiful stars here and there and a huge round shining moon. Bryan was standing under the cool and beautiful gray shiny sky and entertaining the crowd. His voice roared through the miles in the air and I was totally in trance watching the sky, the star, the moon and the rock star, watching him singing, the whole sight was mesmerizing.

Hey Stars! What’s special today? Why are you shining too much? Stop! Isn’t it too much for my small eyes, huh I know they never listened to me. Just I could see another me in them with full packed excitement; All the way they were brilliance, twinkle, glint, radiance, and sparkling along with the rock star Bryan. All the more Bryan asked a lady to come on to the stage to sing along. She made her day! Lucky she. She took home T shirts signed by Bryan to her friends as well. Wow! The entire picture was food to the eyes and music to the ears. He sang around 20 songs including “Let’s make a night to remember”, “Please forgive me”, “How do ya feel tonight” “Running to you”- but it was not enough for all of us.

The crowd was kept in a constant trance and was simply electrifying. Bryan kept the pep talk on and trying to communicate to the audience. His light-heartedness was infectious. He has such a unique way of captivating and relating to his audience. I think after this astonishing experience, I now see Bryan Adams with even more respect than I did before. I could see that Bryan Adams’ impact on me and I hold the piece of evidence, that even when you climb the highest ladder of success, you can still remain grounded in your sense of reality. My eyes kept filled with plenty of colorful wonder as the music played on. The hyperactive guitarist scott, who was never at a standstill, wore a path in the floor running back and forth. The light works kept me craving for more.

Everywhere excitement, I noticed that there were bouncers, security guards and traffic policemen posted on every nook and corner. However, they could not do much to stop the madness. Thank God nothing of that sort happened. Bryan said Thanks and goodnight twice asked the crowd to go home but all of us were not ready to leave him. He left his guitar down and stood for a sec looking at the crowd. That was really fun to watch him the way he was teasing his fans. After he gave two more songs and signed off himself saying - Its fantastic night! Good night! God bless. The mood was ecstatic and upbeat throughout the show. I enjoyed every moment of the show and shouted madly . It proved to be a big treat for all the fans of Bryan Adams.

What a start of 2011 year! Hearing Bryan sing live was the experience of a lifetime. The concert was one of the most electrifying and enjoyable moments of my life. It was better than MLTR concert which I attended couple of years back in Bangalore. Rahman's rain concert is still the best for me ! The feeling of being in a world of rock music was just amazing. The event was worth the experience which I will remember for days to come.

Stumped !

2010-12-14T15:17:00.002+05:30

Too much time on hand and too little work to do these days after getting placed ( and with the placement season in full swing) meant that I can do a little research on one of my favorite areas: "CRICKET".

I have been trying to understand Duckworth-Lewis rules which were framed for this game in times yore. Though there is no information about the algorithm they used on the internet, I could find a paper submitted by Duckworth and lewies. I was curious to find the function used by them to calculate the percentage resources available at any point in the game.After some research I found that they used a non parametric asymptotic function in two variables, which has an exponential decaying constant.

Z(u;w) = Z0(w)[1 - exp{-b(w)u}].

This raised a lot of questions in my mind
1) why asymptotic function, when every match has fixed no of overs for a team , especially in One days where D/L method is used more frequently ?
2) How can the resources be considered to be same for every wicket! Common, a school kid in India also knows that Sehwag who opens is far more dangerous than an Ishant Sharma for sure while batting!
3) The table uses the above mentioned Function to fit the curve on data of all the cricket matches . But wouldn't it be more practical to plot the curve or fit it depending on the data of just that particular ground or based on the the matches played between those two participating teams instead of generic stats of all matches?

So I am thinking on those terms. As of now, I figured out tentatively that, Weightage has to be given to each player based on his previous record and then incorporate that probabilistic variable in the function to differentiate a Sehwag from Ishant sharma or a Petersen from Anderson.

The Function can actually be calculated real time by having the previous data of the teams on hand while the match is being played and various projective techniques can be fitted (which would then be dynamic) during the match using Excel tools like what if analysis or Solver.

The second Issue to be blogged on is Umpire referral system. I fail to understand why is all the fuss about the probability of Technology not identifying the unnoticeable things on the ground. The name ‘UDRS’ is clumsy, and the UDRS implementation has been just as clumsy.

UDRS for those who don't know is short for ‘Umpire Decision Review System’. This system allows the batting and fielding side the opportunity to challenge the decision of the on-field umpire. But there is a proviso: you cannot challenge after two failures! Why two? What is so sacred about two? The argument for limiting the failed challenges to two is that every decision would otherwise be challenged, and this would unnecessarily delay the game. It is also intended to appease on-field umpires who might ask: “what the hell am I doing out in the middle?” Restricting referrals to two is actually making things worse. For example, one of the two Indian referrals would perforce be reserved for Virender Sehwag if he is playing; and the second might be held back for Sachin Tendulkar. This is ridiculous. We have also seen situations where a blatant umpiring error could not be contested because both the referrals had been used up. Indeed, we also know of instances where a batsman has abused a referral: he knows that there is a faint nick, but he also knows that technology is unlikely to spot it! So instead of walking, he asks for a review.

Today’s avatar of the UDRS is essentially a compromise. We want to use technology, such as Hawkeye, Hot Spot, Snickometer and Super Slo-Mo, but we don’t want to offend the umpires. This can’t go on. We have to quickly choose one of the ‘umpires only’ or ‘technology only’ options.The latter is much more likely because cricket is, what mathematicians would call, a ‘discrete’ game: the game moves forward step by step, or ball by ball. Tennis is discrete too, as indeed is American football. Football, on the other hand, is ‘continuous’.If we reflect for a moment, we will realize that technology is easier to implement in discrete games than in continuous ones. The next ball in cricket can be delayed to confirm an lbw decision, but a football game cannot be halted to verify if a player was really offside or not!

That’s why the future is much more likely to be ‘full-blown’ UDRS. In this set-up, the best umpires are not in the playing field … they are seated next to technology-based outputs. Every appeal will be reviewed; every decision will be technology-driven. The umpires in the middle will essentially be lackeys: they will call ‘play’, count the six balls that make up the over, ensure good on-field behaviour, signals boundaries or dismissals (after hearing from the chief umpire indoors), peer at light meters, hold the bowler’s cap and, if they feel like Billy Bowden, do a little jig to amuse the crowds. But they would still be required to call no balls (because that’s a real time decision).

The ICC tells us that the best umpires get 93% of their decisions right, while UDRS-assisted decisions are 97% right. These statistics try to impress, but ignore that one of the 7% wrong decisions could completely change the course of the match. A better way to estimate performance is to ask how little did the umpire’s performance affect the eventual result of the match … and it is here that UDRS will perform much more impressively.

The trouble with ICC is that it is fearful of technology. A decade and more ago, ICC asked Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) to come up with rain rules that could be computed on the back of an envelope, because they feared that a ground in some corner of Bulawayo might not have access to a computer. This meant poorer targets not because the D/L model was deficient but because ICC’s mindset was flawed. Today, ICC has similar fears about UDRS technology and its costs. But they will eventually discover that full-blown UDRS is indeed the way to go. I am in for UDRS, join the brigade if you are with me.

108 Facts about Telangana

2010-11-07T22:37:00.003+05:30

108 Facts About Telangana

Ayodya Verdict Crux

2010-09-30T17:23:00.003+05:30

Verdict Crux

MBA - The flip side

2010-09-17T07:57:00.000+05:30

As a professor professes, Marketing is not general knowledge for sure, but I still don't agree that its specific knowledge, Its more of common sense + sensitive thinking + intuition.

95% of what we learn in MBA is not seen/implemented in the market.

People lack the flexibility to mend and adopt the models learnt in college.

Industry is projected as a battle field before joining, but I feel it is a game with lots of breaks in between, the one who takes a longer break always looses.

MBA is learning a lot less in lot more ( time/money )

There are not more than 11 subjects an MBA seriously needs to learn to get in to business.

Having a prior work experience definitely helps. I really mean it.

Diversity of back grounds in class is a hyped phenomenon, many a times it wastes time of many who already knew certain topics. Benefits are picayune.

Indian MBA colleges, lack quality "FACULTY", I know I am making a huge proposition here! My college also has only 10% geniuses, 40% Good, 20% average and 20% bad and 10% worst faculty on board. The top 10% only command respect.

Very few doubts are clarified in the class, the veneer of belief only becomes clear after "research"

In MBA, copying from one source is called plagiarism but copying from many is research. One needs research most of the times, in presentations, assignments, case studies etc.

Only 50% of what we learn in MBA is useful, I wonder which.

As a professor, first thee should brand self.

MBA helps understand reading a pink paper better. MBA is a Jargon dictionary.

MBA also teaches you how to knot a tie :)

MBA without Internet can't be thought of! Present generation wonders how they did MBA when there was no internet.

Half of the case studies solved during MBA, can be solved even if you are in 10th class.

MBA is actually not taught and also not learnt in the right spirit.

All you find yourself in, after completing MBA is little knowledge, lot of debt, married ex girl friend, more pressure and 404 page not found error.

PS: I ain't a looser, but one of the toppers in my class; I missed a strike at IIMs by a whisker BTW. Never bunked classes, didn’t flunk any paper, never goofed up in interviews, GDs etc but now feel what's life without any excitement!, join the brigade if you are one like me.

Lonavala Trip - Executives on Run

2010-09-08T17:04:00.005+05:30

My Summer Internship Project at Panasonic

2010-09-08T08:55:00.000+05:30

Panasonic Air Conditioners Project

The Advertising World

2010-08-14T13:26:00.000+05:30

Probably this is the first time that I am here to brag on something which I don't normally like to, on the net. A subject which I fell in love with after joining my MBA. I don't still say that MBA has to be for 2 years by the way. I feel useless subjects are taught almost 84.4 percent of the times. "Brand management" is one subject which I liked from the core of my heart, which I enjoyed most by solving all those out of the box cases etc. There was no surprise when I scored 98 out of 100 in my brand management exam. Brand management I feel is married in a way to Advertising and Integrated marketing communications. IMC always fascinated me for the simple fact that It proved me wrong as I always thought I knew every thing about advertising when I realized I knew nothing. I always loved the romance of advertising. The unexplored intricacies and the depth always caught me spell bound. Advertising, in its profound and deep sense of the term, reminds me of all the embroidered drama, inflated emotions, mellifluous jingles and colorful myriad pictures that form a beautiful collage of incidents and brands and consumer and the beautiful relationship of romance that they share is manifested through this patchwork.

Take a brand like Cadbury’s; won’t you say you love Cadbury’s ? Won’t you feel close to this brand – something that you are possessive about, something that you can identify with and feel comfortable with? And how! Imagine a situation where Cadbury would not have been advertised! Would you feel the same connection that you feel right now? No! Somewhere – lines like ‘kuch khass hai zindagi mein’, ‘Asli swaad zindagi ka’, ‘khaanewalon ko khaane ka bahana chahiye’, ‘rishton ki mithaas’ etc have etched in our minds. We feel nostalgic when we recollect the girl dancing on the cricket field in the Cadbury ad, our mouth waters when we recollect the swirling melting chocolate shown just before the Cadbury pack shot… Thus advertising is that magical elixir of romance that creates the sparks between the brand and the consumer. Since ages, advertising is used as a medium of communication. However, today this medium is not just that. It is a means to feel emotions, indulge with the brands, create rippling effects on the consumer and above all make them feel warm, special and important.

Advertising takes the consumer through that romantic journey where the consumer first gets acquainted with the brand, then tries to find more information about the product, makes the first purchase, expresses his likes and dislikes, and after he likes, he becomes a loyal customer. Later discounts and other offers make him feel special and wanted and thus the romantic journey of the brand and the consumer carries on for the rest of the life.

When one considers high involvement products like a car or a diamond set, people collect more information as they are in the process of making a purchase decision. One can just imagine the quixotic, dreamy and indulging process of a woman buying a diamond set (say for instance Nakshatra diamond). Since it is popularly and truly said that diamonds are women’s best friend – the romantic buying journey is even more exciting. The lavish and extravagant Aishwarya Rai Nakshatra diamond TVC creates the first bounce of mawkish feelings towards the brand as we repeatedly see the ad with glaring eyes. It is not just wishful and dreamy but establishes a space in your heart that lightens up every time you see the ad. Just imagine the sentiments in the consumer’s heart when he or she has just bought Nakshatra diamond earrings. It is this particular feeling that advertising slogs to create in the heart of the consumers. It is that moment when you come home and adore yourself in the mirror with those earrings and the happiness you feel is the same when you are being loved by your special someone…

Many criticize that advertising lures customers into a pit of false dreams and hopes. But doesn’t advertising offer a stage for you to romance with your favorite brands, watching them evolve, feeling connected with the characters in the ad, dancing with imaginations about the product, flaunting your purchases, loving your brands, creating long lasting relationships with things you use, feeling nostalgic, experiencing emotions and above all making you feel so special against the rest of the world! Advertising is truly a romantic indulgence! I will surely want to land up there.

Bitter Business - Why Ambanis are never revered Biz guys

2010-06-30T17:58:00.001+05:30

Infotel, a relatively, unknown player in the telecom business, was the sole winner of a pan-India licence for BWA spectrum. Many well known telecom players like Vodafone, Tata , Idea and Reliance Communications backed out, saying unreasonable prices. They bid an astounding sum of Rs 12, 848 crore. On the day, the results were announced Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Industries announced that they are acquiring 95 % of Infotel for Rs 4,800 crore.

Infotel is a small Internet Service provider (ISP) run by Anant Nahata, son of Mahendra Nahata, promoter of the infamous Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited ( HFCL). Readers may remember that HFCL had bid irrationally in 1995 acquiring 9 licences for mobile telephony ( 2G). They did not have the financial muscle to roll out the same and eventually telecom minister Sukh Ram bailed them out. Even then it was rumoured that HFCL was actually a front for the Ambanis. Readers may recall that HFCL had bid the highest as licence fees and Reliance Telecom had bid the lowest. Reliance got some category C circles like North East, West Bengal, Orissa etc for peanuts. When HFCL did not pay up the licence fees , Indian govt not only lost over Rs 20, 000 crore in revenues, in several circles the roll-out of GSM got delayed by 2 years.

Now by acquiring Infotel and announcing it openly on the day the BWA auction results were announced, it is clear that HFCL was just a proxy for Reliance. As the Ambani brothers ironed out their differences and worked out their non-compete clauses, Infotel the front for Mukesh Ambani was bidding for BWA. For doing the task, the Nahatas have got their Rs 4800 crore ( ?) and 5 % equity in Infotel.

By paying Rs 12, 848 crore for spectrum and additional Rs 4800 crore for Infotel, ( roll-out costs are extra) apparently Reliance is entering what is essentially an Internet Service provider ( ISP) business using wireless technology. ISP is a business, not unfamiliar to Reliance and Mukesh Ambani-Manoj Modi duo ( Most of the Reliance Infocom top-team continues to be with Mukesh) . Reliance had an ISP service which was marketed under the name “Only Smart.” This ISP business did not make any waves and can be dubbed a failure. This service was discontinued when Reliance Telecom changed hands from Mukesh to Anil’s. Reliance Infocom when it was launched, Mukesh Ambani during his visionary speeches, used to mention how ‘data’ business would be much bigger than ‘voice’. Reliance Infocomm was only entering ‘voice’, read ‘mobile phone services’ business , just as an additional service, the focus being data. Readers would remember how using the ‘wireless in local loop’ licence Reliance entered mobile telephony through back-door , creating a controversy. This controversy led to several changes in regulations and Reliance is now well entrenched as the No 2 player in 2G. All the so-called superiority of CDMA over GSM has been dumped, with R-Com clearly going for GSM in 2G and 3G.

Once again Mukesh Ambani is back in his visionary role and is talking eloquently about the prospects of broadband.

“We see this as the next wave of value creation opportunity in the wireless broadband space,” says Mukesh Ambani, who is the world’s fourth richest man, said in a prepared statement. “We believe this will pole-vault India’s economy into the digital world at an accelerated pace while creating next generation tools that will enhance productivity and create world-class consumer experiences.”

“RIL sees the broadband opportunity as an opportunity to be in the forefront in providing world-class 4G network and services,” the company said, suggesting the scale of its ambitions. “[The] initiative will usher in a wireless broadband revolution in both the urban and the rural areas by providing end-to-end data solutions for business enterprises, social organizations, educational and healthcare institutions, and Indian consumers.”

Most analysts are apprehending that Reliance and Mukesh will once again get a back door entry into the mobile telephony space using the BWA spectrum. As of now Internet telephony within India is not allowed. Once Reliance has rolled out their infrastructure for broadband, it is apprehended they will cleverly manipulate the regulators and policy makers in Delhi, in the name of low cost of telephony for ‘aam aadmi’ to open up Internet telephony. Remember, papa had said that domestic call should be cheaper than the price of a post card, the promise of Reliance. In public, politicians want to make policies that benefit the ‘aam aadmi’ , as long as they or their party is adequately compensated in private.

On earlier occasions, HFCL ( proxy for Reliance ?) got away without honouring their licensing contracts and sabotaging India’s cellphone industry. Through back-door Reliance entered cellphone services industry, which was an unfair competition to the existing players. Now the apprehension is using BWA, Reliance would make a backdoor entry into cellphone services yet again by getting cheaper spectrum.

The history of telecom industry in India is marked by a series of scams. So, what is one more scam. Politicians and businessmen create scams, media and bloggers cry hoarse about them. All in a day’s work

IPL - Bet its More than just cricket

2010-04-27T17:51:00.009+05:30

As I was watching news regarding the IPL controversy, something stuck my mind. The IPL has turned murkier, now with a new avatar, as a combo of the top 3 entertainment industries of the nation, Cricket + Bollywood + Politics!

The hysteria has never died right from the day one the IPL has started; it has seen the either extremes of madness. The Pakistan players’ inclusion, Franchise selection process, the bomb blasts, the racist comments, the betting drama, match fixing allegations, the taxation episode, the underworld connection, everything made it even more "Indian viewer oriented".

Mr. Modi is a man of steel and he donned the play of resurrection every time he is punched down hard with some allegations. In light of all the controversies surrounding IPL, I think one brave step to avoid a little feud, from this war would be legalizing Betting in India. Gambling is socially acceptable in India, but not legally, it is this dichotomy which is at the root of the periodic bouts of headlines about betting and match fixing that comes out to haunt us every now and then. The IPL format seems to be tailor made for betting, and it would have benefited for good, if betting was made legal. Declaring something illegal does not mean we can wish it away, the bets continue to be laid, under the table, instead of, on the table. So proper legalization would also circumscribe criminalization of Indian sports, illegal rackets and money laundering.

The IPL controversy should serve as a wakeup call to the Government on the need to make betting legitimate. I feel that the bans are never a solution to a problem; they drive the activity in the dark, outside the formal system which makes it un regulatory. (Though the government draws a thin line, on where one can bet- i.e. games involving skill and games of chance, the demarcation is often ignored). Betting is allowed in horse racing as it is a game of skill and not a game of chance. But there is a lot, who argue why lottery is legal in certain parts, and they are right, for, the discriminating line is crossed by the government itself.

Detractors argue that unfettered gambling could lead the public to social and financial ruin. This is noble argument but erroneous because gambling is ubiquitous. Everyone benefits from transparency and disclosure of information, poor included. There is a patronizing assumption that poor does not know what is good for them, even though they gamble all the time when they elect political reps. we never think of counter factual. But is the present system of “Ban on betting" good for the poor, assuming they ought to be controlled against their own vices? Not really, as they resort to unregulated bootlegging type gambling. We may not get transparency if it is legalized but we will get translucency and it is done in many countries like UK, Australia already. The "regulated Betting environment" which even brings huge taxes to the government. By the way I owe a treat to few of my mates, for DC lost in the Semi finals!

That same old feeling of...

2009-11-03T06:09:00.001+05:30

Time : 3.02 AM, Pune.Discovering the dormant side of me
The night after compleating my first Exam PPM in MBA

When in night I see the stars,
their light seems to vanish the dark,
but i feel a scare in my heart
I don't know what triggers this fear...

When i see the sun in morn
its scorching heat falls on my palms
and it seems my throbbing heart would never calm.
I dont know what triggers this fear...

When in cold winter days
the wind blows over my face
i feel the chill
as if the wind is going to kill.
i dont know what triggers this fear...

When in hot summer days,
the loo hovers like a ghost
i feel that its hot trap would engulf my soul
i don't know what triggers this fear...

My dolorous heart, my sickening fear
for the day is near
when i would be killed by fear!

Sleeping in seminars?, Here is a way to change all !

2009-09-29T11:39:00.000+05:30

What did we do in all those boring workshops for 10-12 hours a day, and those guest lectures, which no one had any idea about what they were talking, they included!

Being an aspiring entrepreneur, I came out with this unique start-up strategy. Venture capitalists are welcome :)

The proposal is simple, before your next meeting, seminar, or conference call, prepare your "Bullshit coupon" by drawing a square 5X5 or 6x6.

A prototype is below

Strike off each block when you hear these words during a meeting, seminar, or phone call. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, stand up and shout BULLSHIT!! (Raise your hand if you can't utter in front of your faculty, guest or Manager) Believe me those boring meetings would never be the same.

Here is a database to help you:

Strategy, Synergy, B2B, Out of the box, Customer delivered value, Revisit, Take that off-line, 24/7, Out of the loop, Value added services, Win-win, Think out of the box, Proactive, Fast track, Return on Investment, Knowledge base, At the end of the day, prototype, Touch base, Client focused, potential, Ballpark, Game plan, Leverage, Economic viability, Legacy, Real time, Push, Sequentially, Core competencies, USP, Scalable, Due Diligence, Market Leader, Wow Factor, Bottom Up, Target Audience, High Level, Expectations, Sustainability, Knowledge Base, Sub Optimal, Demographics, Empowerment, Technical Requirements, Multitasking, Outsource, Corporate, Networking, Prospects, Bottom line, Benchmark, Result-driven, Mindset, Cascade, feasibility, Core Business, Bottle Neck, Scope, Resource

My desk project on Merchant Banking

2009-09-07T08:28:00.001+05:30

I am flattered by our professors comments with my desk project on Merchant banking.
I have scored 8/10 BTW

Merchant Banking

Guys Rule ! I mean., Guy's Rules...

2009-08-30T14:29:00.001+05:30

1) Yes, pissing standing up is more difficult than peeing from point blank range. We're bound to miss sometimes.
2) If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
3) ALL men see in only 16 colors, like windows default settings. Peach and pumpkin are just fruits, not colors. We have no idea what mauve is.
4) If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
5) If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
6) Sometimes, we are not thinking about you. Live with it. Don’t ask him what he's thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss topics like navel lint, Indian Monitory Policy, Future ICC tournaments.
7) Get rid of your pet. And no, it's not different, it's just like every other.
8) Shopping is not sport.
9) Anything you wear is fine.Really.You have enough clothes and too many shoes.
10) Your ex-boyfriend is an idiot, your brother and Dad probably are too.
11) Ask for what you want. Subtle hints never work. Please.
12) Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers.
13) A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. You need a doctor.
14) Your Mom doesn't have to be our best friend.
15) Foreign films are best left to foreigners.
16) Don't fake it. We'd rather be ineffective than deceived.
17) It is neither in your best interest nor ours to take the quiz together
18) You definitely lack in logic, accept it.
19) Anything, said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. All comments become null and void after 7 days.
20) If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad and angry, we obviously mean the other one.
21) You can either ask us to do something OR tell us how you want it done- not both.
22) Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
23) We don’t normally take a leave unless ill or its urgent, and I was not the one whom you saw at the mall.
24) Columbus didn't need directions, and neither do we.
25) Don't cry, we really have no sympathy, we hate it !
26) The relationship is never going to be like it was the first two months we were going out.
27) No, we do not know what day it is. We never will. Mark anniversaries on a calendar. Remind us frequently beforehand. Its Ok.

Comming up >>>

2009-08-19T14:58:00.001+05:30

Rules which girls have to know about guys ..

Gauging Harsha

2009-08-17T14:20:00.002+05:30

Yes, writing a book review is harder than writing it, I compleatly agree. Latest assignment of writing a book review to a book which I have not already read was challenging and pretty tough, after going through many sites and reviews of books, I thought I have learnt the straight drives and cover drives of it, What better book to choose to write a review on than a Book which had written introduction by Sachin,The Mastro himself . The Book brought two people whom I admired a lot, together. One Sachin Himself and the other Harsh Bhogle.

I couldn't resit my temptation to buy this Book at landmark, though it was costly. "Out of the Box: Watching the Game We Love" - By Harsh Bhogle, The subtle way he drives home the serious points is simply amazing.When Harsha first came into the commentary box, he brought with him a rare sense of excitement, a deep regard for the game's traditions and a profound empathy for its players. There was,the boy-next-door image attached to him too, which, once he had found his feet in television, made him the first superstar of the game in India who was not actually a player. Amazingly, after two decades Bhogle retains the enthusiasm and a child-like wonder that communicates itself to the listener. There are no fans like 12-year-old fans, some one once said, and Bhogle is a 12-year-old fan bringing the game into our drawing rooms without the cynicism or world-weariness common to journalists. This is remarkable. Nor is there word-weariness, if this book, the short pieces in which were written first for the Indian Express is any indication. The first of the pieces was written some five years ago. For a traditionalist, it is surprising that he begins with the Twenty20 - he was associated with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL - before moving on to Test cricket and assessment of the great players.

Harsha really writes well, and conveys to the reader a sense of immediacy, even urgency, as he comments on India's matches, looks forward or throws a backward glance, and occasionally gets personal (some of the best pieces, incidentally, like his column on the 1983 World Cup triumph). This is both the strength and the weakness of the book. The immediacy captures a moment, but occasionally suggests that the tyranny of the looming deadline has triumphed over the need for what he himself calls "weightiness". In a crisp summing up in the preface, he says, "While television rewards spontaneity, the written word demands weightiness. It is a completely different genre but one that is crippled by insensitivity to words."

Yet, there are enough gentle strokes of the brush, especially in the player portraits, that make up for this. Rahul Dravid, he says, "is like the musician plucking each note carefully, a scientist doing a titration where each drop matters. Sehwag might wonder at the need for it." The metaphors come thick and fast, and the comparisons are bang on target. I have two grouses, however. One is the felt need to occasionally cater to the lowest common denominator by dragging in Bollywood to make a point, and the other is the lack of insider stories from a man who has seen Indian cricket, indeed world cricket, from inside out. It would also have been good to have some of his early writings, from the days when he was less rushed and wrote with an innocence that was charming. But that isn't his fault. This is a collection of columns from a specific newspaper over a certain period, and such columns have their limitations. It would have been lovely, too, to have had anecdotes about his colleagues in the commentary box, and stories of the people he has interviewed with such a wonderful combination of "weightiness" and fun. Bhogle's best work is yet to be anthologised, and for fans everywhere like me, that is something to look forward to.

Dreams unlimited....

2009-08-15T06:39:00.002+05:30

I dream of waking up with a six pack abs and hair that John Stamos would envy.
I want to wake up to a day with no chores and many friends to catch up and party with.
I dream of singing 'Tu Jahan' to my girlfriend.
I dream of having a girlfriend in the first place.
'Papa kehthey hain' is my song. I want to be live up to it.
Though I secretly wish to be the world's most popular person (I don’t know for what), I would be satisfied if meeting or talking to me would bring a smile to peoples’ faces.
Frankly, I cannot help everybody in the world, but I would do everything I can to see all my friends always smile.
Reaching the top position and staying there is probably the toughest thing to do in any field, I want to be the second best in everything I do.
Sometime in my life, I want to be something different from everybody else and want everybody to be proud of me for being good at that.
The best compliment I want, would be "I trust you", especially if that came from a girl.
I am waiting for some special girl to walk into my life and change it forever, for the better.
I really like to learn. I wish I got teachers that really like to teach.
I want to be at a high position (second high) of a company and overhear my employees talk about me as if they worship me.
I really like to sing., I wish I had a better voice.
I am still waiting for my dream friends group with 2-3 guys and 2-3 girls who trust each other with their lives.., trust is the keyword.
I am still waiting for a lot of things to happen.

I like to dream, dreams give you things that you haven't got or don't get in your real life. Dreams give you motivation and inspiration. Dreams dig out things hidden deep inside your mind that you were not aware of. Dream as much as you can., enjoy your dreams. Treasure them. Dream on, dream on, Dream until your dream come true ...