Schizophrenia

Don't let her go..

2011-10-25T12:48:00.002-07:00

This is something I blogged after a discussion I had with someone on how his girl left and I told him to be the man in the relationship and bring her back....not mentioning his name for he doesn't want to be mentioned.

Her hair were still wet, skin freshly scented from the rose bath, the house lit with candles, she looked in the mirror, laughed, smiled and the doorbell rang. She winked at the mirror, ran and opened the door. But, it wasn’t him. It was him! She chocked, looked at her collapsed soul on the floor, hid her tear in the eye, tried to keep the smile real and hugged him before he could read her. His warmth was still there, hers wasn’t. He hugged the cold meat and kissed the forehead.

She made tea, added some honey, they drank with a smile till he cried. He confessed he knew it all, yet he loves her much and he may not be him, but he is the man who loves like no one does. The evening progressed, the sun went down, and they looked at the moon and slept in the dark. She knew, he, has gone too far, and now she has a man, who loves her selflessly with all the hearts he can.

She wept all night, resting herself on his chest, calling his name till she slept. Be the man you can, in the game of love, for a man is the man who wins the war of flames.

PLANE TRUTH

2011-08-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Excerpts from One Hundred Proofs That the Earth Is Not a Globe, a pamphlet distributed by William Carpenter in 1885:

Staunch flat-earther Wilbur Glenn Voliva (1870-1942) asked: “Where is the man who believes he can jump into the air, remaining off the earth one second, and come down to earth 193.7 miles from where he jumped up?” Hard to argue with that.

2G AND 3G!

2011-06-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

'Racism' in the time of 3G auctions
Rice and telecommunications! Hey, what has rice to do with telecommunications? Don't jump into conclusions; nor try to compare rice with telecom in this incredible India!
In this incredible India, where odd combinations are quite usual, rice too seems to have a contextual relevance in the telecom sector. At least that's what the statement of our telecom minister makes us think.
Ok. No more beating about the bush. Though many would have already assumed what I'm implying at, for those who haven't yet, this is how our Telecom Minister A Raja compared 2G and 3G spectrum bids.
I'm quoting here a portion from a report in The Economic Times that appeared two days back: On the comparison being drawn in certain circles about revenues from sale of 2G spectrum, for which the licences were given in early 2008, and 3G, he (The Telecom Minister) shot back: “We can't compare PDS rice with Basmati rice.
Now, if you are amused at this queer comparison of our respected Telecom Minister, I'm not really. In poverty-ridden India more people use PDS rice than Basmati. Forget the 'racism' in the minister's statement and better think of the economics of what he said. Of course, it is this economics which put the minister in a hot 2G soup.
The 3G spectrum auction that began on April nine, with nine mobile operators in the fray for three pan-India slots of spectrum, rose as high as 139.4 per cent above the base price to 83.8 billion rupees ($1.9 billion) till two days back.
Not just that. Through the bid, earlier the Indian Government was eyeing Rs 35,000 crore (including BWA spectrum auction), but now, as per the latest estimates, 3G auction alone will garner Rs 50,000-55,000 crore. Huge, right!
Now, coming to the 2G bid, price of pan-India 2G spectrum is being given away at Rs 1,650 crore, whereas one block of pan-India 3G spectrum closed (on Tuesday) at Rs 8,662 crore, which is Rs 7,011 crore more than 2Gs!
Now doesn't that sound similar to the difference in the prices of Basmati and PDS (Public Distribution System) rice. On one hand the price of Basmati rice starts at Rs 100, while on the other PDS rice come as cheap as Rs 2 for the BPL Indian! Also, keep in mind that though the quality is 'very cheap' the government incurs heavy financial burden in PDS because it serves a social purpose. But in 2G there seems to be no such purpose.
Then what is that makes the comparison between PDS and 2G possible? The stink that emerges from both?! Was our Telecom Minister indirectly implying that the rice distributed through our Public departments are low of quality, and so is 2G?
Only the minister can answer the riddle. So let's stop thinking over here!

NOSTALGIA.

2011-05-03T23:56:00.000-07:00

Waking up on Sunday mornings listening to Jungle jungle baat chali hai pata chala hai…are chuddi pehenke phool khila hai phool khila hai was truly a delight. The desperate wait to meet Mowgli, Bhalu, Bhageera and Akela once a week was nothing less than a treat! Another serial ‘Mahabharat’ worked as a time machine that took us to the era of the mighty Pandavas.

TV shows of the 1990s were undeniably an integral part of the growing up years for all those born a decade earlier. These programmes left a deep and an indelible impact on my heart for infinity. They are indeed a priceless part of my (And I am sure of many like me) memory.

The public service advertisements and simple animated messages produced by the government were equally appealing. Right from Ek titli..anek titliyan to the ad featuring actor Manohar Singh educating an underprivileged child are very close to my heart. The theme song of the ad Poorab se surya uga…phaila ujiyara had in-depth meaning. Every time I listen to the song, I get goosebumps that remind me of my priceless childhood!

Who can forget Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, a sur that literally held the entire nation in one common string. The simplicity in being an Indian, being a unit despite diversities was beautifully expressed through the music video. Directed by ad-filmmaker Kailash Surendranath, ‘Mile Sur…’ is beyond comparison. An attempt was made recently to revamp the iconic music video but the efforts couldn’t simply match. The new video Phir Mile Sur had industry bigwigs lip-syncing the soulful song, but it lacked zest and passion for the nation. Which is why someone has rightly said, ‘Old is Gold’.

Adding more colours to the panorama was Baje sargam…har taraf se, goonje banker desh raag. The incredibly overwhelming song featuring a number of singers, musicians and classical dancers enhanced India’s multi-cultural tradition on small screen. At a time when India was taking baby steps with respect to television, these music videos helped people across the length and breadth of the nation to get drenched in the colour of secularism.

Even TV commercials had “Indian-ness” in them. Remember, Humara Kal…humara aaj…buland Bharat ki buland tavsweer…humara Bajaj! How about Jab main chota baccha tha...badi shararat kerta tha…meri chori pakdi jati……doesn’t this remind one of his/her childhood?

It was so easy for us then, to relate to the character on screen, whether on soaps, commercials, animation or radio jingles….but now forwarding to contemporary times, very little of real India do we get to see on the idiot box. It is such a sorry state of affairs.

Watching TV then was like having a gala time with the entire family. I still remember how I and my parents would bring everything else to a halt and watch ‘Mahabharat’. Not only us, but the whole neighbourhood would get glued in front of the TV set. And the title track of the epic show would reverberate as if it were echoing. A routine family get-together in such a fashion was unparalleled. Sadly, no such gathering takes place these days. Maybe the content on television in earlier days acted as a catalyst to knit families…something which is completely lost nowadays!

What saddens me the most is how a mother is represented on TV…especially in commercials today. I vividly remember women draping the six yards, long hair either tied in a bun or left open and sporting a big red bindi. They made perfect Indian moms. But off late, ‘mothers’ are women who are nothing but glam dolls and too westernized to fall under the bracket of Indian motherhood. This is how someone described what the future generation would miss in their mothers- Maa ke aanchal mein sone ka sukh agli pidhi nahi le payegi, kyun ki jeans pehen ne wali Maa aanchal kahan se layegi (Gen-next will not be able to cherish the feeling on resting on mother’s lap as a mother who wears jeans won’t be able to provide the pristine motherly love).

Commercials without jingles then were unthinkable. The captivating melody sunk into the ears so soothingly that people would just hum them sub-consciously. Be it Tandurusti ki raksha kerta hai lifebuoy…lifebuoy hai jahan tandurusti hai wahan or Sirf ek saridon aur sardard se aaram...na rahe peeda na rahe dard.

Just contemplating what it used to feel to be a kid in the 1990s. Life was simple yet the day to day experiences of life were enriching. With limited yet impactful exposure of TV, I and many others like me grew up only to reminisce memories of the long past. Something which can never return…

DADA IS BACK...

2011-05-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

Don’t get shocked if you see a sudden rise in the fanpage of Pune Warriors India on Social networking sites. This is bound to happen as the prince of Kolkata, Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is back in the IPL. Sourav Ganguly is joining Sahara’s team Pune Warriors India. Dada is replacing injured Indian Pacer Aasish Nehra. Sourav Ganguly was with Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three seasons of IPL. He led the side in the 1st and 3rd edition of the league. The side finished 6th on both the occasion when he was the captain and finished last when Brendon McCullum was the captain. Not just the people of Kolkata but all the Dada fans across country are extremely happy to see him back.

The Maharaj of Indian Cricket is set to join Yuvraj. It will be good to see Ganguly playing under Yuvraj, who was groomed by Sourav Ganguly when he was captain. PWI is currently at the bottom of the table by winning only 2 out of 8 matches. Yuvraj has looked pretty ordinary and it will be good learning opportunity for him as well as he’ll get a chance to play as a captain with India’s Best captain ever.

Brand KKR will surely be affected by this. We have already seen empty stands at the Eden Gardens in IPL-4 which generally doesn’t happen. In the first home game of KKR at Eden vs Deccan chargers, there were only 19,000 spectators. The management had to slash the ticket prices to attract people. We are yet to see a full house Eden Gardens. Even the merchandise sales has been affected. KKR was on the top when it comes to the revenue from merchandise in the first 3 edition but now they have lost their way. This time KKR has gone down to 4th position with only 13% of the total IPL team jersey purchases. Fortunately for SRK, KKR is playing a game vs PWI but not in Kolkata otherwise Eden would have been packed supporting Pune Warriors. Even IPL’s TRP rating may go slightly high as people will be looking forward to see Dada back in action.
Sourav Ganguly hasn’t played any competitive cricket for more than a year now. So we don’t expect any big or fast inning from him. He has proved himself in the cricket and he doesn’t need to prove anymore. He is back again because he still loves the game as much as he used to love way back in 1996. For that, I salute his fighting spirit.

ALL THE BEST DADA….

HAPPY EARTHS DAY...

2011-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

It’s the day where we show our appreciation to the planet we live on! How are you planning on celebrating?
I found 10 great ways you can honor our Earth on this day.

All of these activities are great to do together with the whole family. Which one sounds the most enticing to you?

Here's to mother Nature!!!

@NiRbAn...

A LEARNING PROCESS.

2011-04-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

Anna Hazare, a noted ‘Gandhian’ and an activist, who has earlier played a role in fighting for Right to Information Act has taken up fast to bring more teeth to Lokpal Bill, an instrument to curb the corruption at highest offices in this country. Many urban middle class Indians have come forward to support him in this cause. Relay hunger strikes have sprung up in many cities in India. Artists and intellectuals lent support. It is heartening to see so many yuppie Indians coming out onto streets to voice their opinion against corruption. Not many movements in the recent history have seen the urban middle class coming out of their secure careers and gated communities to take the streets in protest on a universal and overarching cause. At the most, the urban middle families are known to fight for their selfish needs like parks for their kids, or against reservations for lower castes, or for stopping the government from demolishing their illegal houses.

A phenomenon like this, where urban middle class across the entire country has participated and expressed opinion on the streets or on the internet for a cause that is not just selfish but helps even the common man should be celebrated as truly historic. But some hard questions remain, as to how long they are willing to fight, and will they be perseverant enough to reach a logical end. Or is it just a one-off incident and phenomenon where they got attracted to the event because they do not know enough details and hence got carried away by the mere symbolism that sounded deliriously romantic and heroic like in movies where one man takes on a mighty nation and ends corruption once and for all. Are they participating in it to fight their own guilt of apathy towards the country around them? Does this cause seem to have a lofty goal where their mere participation can be recollected and remembered as their one-time participation to erase their years of apathy? Do they know what they are in for? Do they know how long it will take to actually achieve the desired results?

The government has indicated that it is ready to succumb to the pressures from these agitations and embrace some of the demands Anna Hazare is proposing. Already there are detractors. Some people ask if these ‘extra-constitutional’ methods, like coercing the government through agitations and protests, should be encouraged to get the desired results. On CNN-IBN show with Karan Thapar, journalist-editor Kumar Ketkar and bureaucrat-turned-editor Sanjaya Baru said that we should not resort to ‘blackmailing’ a ‘democratically elected government’ through ‘unconstitutional’ methods like fasts and agitations. Sanjay Baru equates the fast of Anna Hazare to that of KCR holding the government of India to ransom. To make a case against the methods Anna Hazare and the urban middle class Indians are resorting to in their fight against corruption, they cite Ambedkar, one of the founding fathers of Indian Constitution, who said in his last speeches to the Constituent Assembly on 25th November 1949 the following [emphasis mine]:

If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgement we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that we must abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha.

When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us.

The question and the answer both lie in what Ambedkar said. Yes, if indeed this nation is a truly democratic country where the Constitution is working the way it is written, then there is no need for fasts or agitations. But Ambedkar says that ‘when there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods.’ So what should the people of the country do when the constitutional methods are no longer 'open'? When the country no longer works as a truly democratic country? When the Indian Constitution is subverted on a daily basis? Shouldn’t the people of this country fight against their government the way they fought against the British in India?

Actually, the slogans on the TV reflect the current mood pretty well. One reads: “Govt bends, India wins”. Such a slogan would sound more appropriate during the British rule, because the Government and India were two different entities, where the Government is seen as unrepresentative of India’s wishes and demands. To make a slogan like that now shows how people are pitted against the Government of India, reflective of colonial rule.

A democracy is not just about elections. Protests are an integral part of a thriving democracy. Therefore, people coming out onto streets in protest, participating in agitations will make our ailing democracy recover not make it weaker. These agitations should be seen as a course-correcting measures putting India back on the democratic path. Didn’t we go into large scale agitations to fight the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi? Ambedkar naively believed that India would remain open, democratic and constitutional forever once British left. That is not the case. Our masters remain. They are within. We have long way to go in toppling all our masters. The fight continues. If that was not the case, there would not be people agitating for reservations for lower castes or participating in Telangana Movement for protecting the region against domination of Seemandhras.

Here I would like to introduce the readers to the current Telangana Movement and draw lessons from it for the future course of action in their anti-corruption movement.

Lessons from Telangana Movement

First, let’s take a look at the people’s participation in the current anti-corruption movement. The media says that it is the ‘power of people’, that it is ‘victory of the people’. Like in Telangana Movement, many urban middle class Indians have come out in throngs walking the roads, participating in the agitations. Usually the urban middle class is apathetic to people’s causes. They do not come out of their comfort zone to participate in people’s movements. They keep their kids indoors cutting them off from the realities of the world, protecting them from the knowledge of the reasons behind social injustices, the realities of discrimination towards lower classes, or tales of subjugation of weaker people by the powerful. Telangana Movement might be one of the first movement in the recent history where urban middle class comprising artists, intellectuals, authors, editors, scientists, lawyers, bureaucrats, politicians, social activists, doctors, bankers, teachers, professors, engineers, IT professionals, etc, have participated in agitations along with farmers, workers, rickshaw pullers, masons, pachayat leaders, potters, sweepers, cobblers, grocers, milkmen, weavers, etc, to fight for a common cause. And yet, no change has taken place. Telangana remains under subjugation even after intensive agitations spanning nearly 10 years. The yuppie Indians should ask themselves some serious questions as to why there is almost no participation from the masses of India in their fight against corruption and why it is limited to cities comprising urban middle class. Unless the anti-corruption movement becomes a grass root movement where ordinary people are involved, you will never have the political influence and without political influence nothing will ever happen in this country. The bill will fail to pass in the Parliament.

Second, it is considered a victory just because a committee has been formed. Like in Telangana, one should be highly skeptical of any serious result from such committees. Srikrishna Committee included a reputed ex-judge of Supreme Court, an economist, a social scientist, and other eminent people, who are supposedly apolitical in nature, supposedly with integrity, honesty and sincerity. But the report that came out clearly shows how even such ‘supposedly honest’ people can succumb to corruption and how they can subvert people’s movements undermining democratic values and institutions. Yuppie Indians who are new to such devious tactics of Indian government should study Telangana Movement to understand what the Government of India will do next. They may find answers as to how and why this committee won by Anna Hazare's fast and activists' agitations will be used to subvert their movement rather than accept their demands.

Third, why should the committee include Anna Hazare and other representatives of his choice in the committee? Is Anna Hazare elected leader of recognized people’s party or organization? Is he representative of the urban middle class Indians who are fighting against the corruption? If indeed these people put faith in Anna Hazare, how is it guaranteed that other members are equally trustworthy? How long will Anna Hazare live? What happens after him? The middle class Indians should ask themselves some hard questions – is the movement dependent on a single person? Are they going to create a sustainable system that will deliver results in spite of the person? Once again they should learn from Telangana Movement. KCR, though the hero of Telangana Movement, is not the only leader spearheading the movement, nor is he the unanimous choice as their leader. There are many organizations, JACs, political parties competing with his party; many leaders who challenge him, and these other people have won the mandates of the people. KCR is not Telangana and Telangana is not KCR. In the same way, it is important for the yuppie Indians to create a sustainable movement and organizations at all levels in India without depending too heavily on one or two individuals or heroes.

Fourth, Anna Hazare calls this ‘second war of Independence’ against the Government of India. Some anti-corruption activists equated their movement with that of Tahrir Square in Egypt. Yuppie Indians should be prepared for cases of sedition against them for such calls. Telangana activists had to deal with such anti-national tag against them by their detractors. It is just a matter of time- their activism may be called anti-national and seditious once it becomes powerful. Already people like Sanjaya Baru whose newspaper 'Business Standard' continuously discredits Telangana Movement has described the current anti-corruption movement 'unconstitutional'. Thankfully, most of the media is currently with the activists, unlike in Telangana, where Seemandhras control all newspapers and media outfits. But there is a strong likelihood that even the media will be instructed not to showcase this movement in positive light, and there is a good chance they will comply. You should be strongly suspicious of the motives and self-interests of the media.

Fifth, many activists of the current anti-corruption movement do not know the details of the Jan Lokpal Bill, Lokpal Bill, or the anti-corruption acts already in place. They do not necessarily know the details of what Anna Hazare is fighting for. They have rallied behind the mere symbols, which are usually seen in black and white. If they continue to stick to black and white symbols and not understand the shades of grey, their movement will be a mere blip on the radar which will fade away eventually. Yuppie Indians need to spend time to understand the details and then go about educating the masses on those details so that each of them is equipped with the knowledge and facts, histories, and precedents, legal arguments, and the rationale so that this movement becomes sustainable. My fear is that once these yuppie Indians know the details, they will not be able to come out onto the streets because the devil is in the details. Telangana Movement has built itself into one of the strongest, most sustainable movements with strong grass root participation, having set of ideologues and activists and leaders who are pretty savvy in legal details, in facts and figures, ready to quote historical precedents, provide rational argument, knowing Indian Constitution’s strengths and weaknesses. There are hundreds of thousands of activists who are well versed in the rationale and they provide the bulwark to this movement. Telanganas have made their movement a large scale mass movement though hundreds of books and thousands of songs. Grass root level people may still see it in black and white but it becomes sustainable only because of this bulwark of savvy activists. The yuppie Indians who are ready to fight anti-corruption movement should spend time studying the nuances of the bills, the committee details, the outcomes, the failed precedents, the existing laws and understand why they have not worked, should be ready with facts and figures and keep disseminating this information to everyone on a continuous basis to create more activists so that this movement is sustainable, so that it becomes independent of Anna Hazare the way Telangana movement is independent of KCR.

DLF IPL 4 T20 Cricket Matches Schedule 2011 Opening Ceremony

2011-04-07T02:17:00.000-07:00

DLF IPL 4 T20 Cricket Matches Schedule 2011 Opening Ceremony

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS.

2011-04-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

When Chennai Super Kings picked their team in the 2008 auctions, it was as if they were plucking flowers from a garden in full bloom. Cut to 2011, and they will have a World Cup Champion, Champions League Champion and IPL Champion leading them into the fourth season of the Indian Premier League.
In 2008, they picked up contemporary stars like Dhoni, Mike Hussey, Matthew Hayden, Suresh Raina, Muttiah Muralitharan, etc. and looked the most balanced unit the league could get. After the first-match massacre of a hapless Kings XI team, with a record total of 240 runs, the team seemed to be on track for bigger honours, but there were mid-season jolts. However, Chennai had their set-belts tied and sailed through to the semi-finals - only to be beaten by a magical Rajasthan Royals team in the final of the inaugural event.

Going into the second season, the expectations were expectedly high. There was obvious hype and collective brilliance of the team ensured they ended second on the league table. But the law of averages got them in the semi-finals and a resurgent Bangalore Royal Challengers were too good for the previous year’s finalists.
By the third season, the chokers’ tag sat amiably on their shoulders. The Chennai Super Kings started their campaign disastrously with early losses but Murali Vijay’s purple patch and Doug Bollinger's near perfect bowling ensured a final berth again.
They knew the match was never going to be easy against a spirited Mumbai Indians' outfit but some bizarre decisions by the opposition and no-nonsense all-round performance by Dhoni's boys put the championship crown on their head. And then they double their silverware collection by winning the Champions League as well.
In the 2011 auctions, CSK took a sensible decision by retaining key performers Dhoni, Albie Morkel, Vijay and Raina while most of the other teams were busy planning a complete make-over. And the new additions to their camp included some proven stars and some intelligent buys; all in all, an intelligent make-up by the champion franchise.
While Dhoni will lead the pack, Vijay, Mike Hussey, Raina and Badrinath will form the core batting line-up.
Albie Morkel, Francois Du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo and Scott Styris are a bunch of all-rounders any team would envy.
Morkel has been an integral part of Chennai’s lower middle order and his lusty hits will be more than handy. Couple it up with his disciplined bowling and ask the South Africans what they missed during this World Cup.
Bravo’s move to CSK is a big boon and his former team Mumbai knows it too well and Du Plessis is talked about in the South African corridors for all good reasons of impeccable talent.
The bowling looks as sharp as the barber’s prized possession. The team of Bill Hilfenhaus, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Bollinger/Southee should be good enough to turn the opposition bald.
And with players like Sudeep Tyagi and Shadab Jakati backing up, this will be the team to survive against.
With all the pros of new drafts and old survivors, the con of losing the big Matthew Hayden will be hard to hold down. Haydos is one of the players whose mere presence in the dressing room transpires confidence.
Agree nothing is immortal, but a World Cup-winning captain leading another champion side may just help the Chennai Super Kings conquer yet another peak.

Squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Subramanium Badrinath, Joginder Sharma, Sudeep Tyagi, Abhinav Mukund, Aniruddha Shrikant, Ganapathi Vignesh, K Vasudevdas, Shadb Jakati, Vijaykumar Yomahesh, (Foreign) Albie Morkel, Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo, Doug Bollinger, Scott Styris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, George Bailey, Faf du Plessis

FINALLY THE FINAL!

2011-04-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

India innings: 41-50:

It was almost anti-climactic -- despite Gautam Gambhir's rush of blood charge that saw him bowled three short of what would have been the most memorable century of his career.

Heading into the straight needing to chase down a run a ball, with MS Dhoni stroking in form, Yuvraj replacing Gautam, and Raina still to come, it was India's to lose. And this India is not losing too many, not if it can help it.

Mathematical, it proved. So dominant was India that Murali backed off from bowling in the PPs. And India broke the game open against Malinga, the most feared of the opposition bowlers. Needing 16 off 18 heading into the 48th over, Dhoni smashed the Lankan quick twice to the square leg ropes to turn the chase into a fait accompli, India ending that over with just 5 needed off 12. Fittingly, Dhoni ended it with a humongous hit over the long on ropes, to seal a six wicket win.

Think of that one more time -- just two wickets went down after Sachin and Sehwag, and at the end, it had batting to spare.

As chases go, this one ranks with the best India has ever been involved in -- and when you factor in the occasion, the pressure, the early loss of two powerful batsmen -- you could say this is it, the game that tells this team that nothing, not a thing on the cricket field, is beyond them once they set their minds to do it.

Enjoy the win -- such moments come once in a lifetime.

India innings: 31-40:

This is it -- the batting I was waiting for. Nothing flash -- just calculated batting, never allowing any bowler, including the feared Murali and Malinga, to settle.

Dhoni and Gambhir kept knocking them around the park; pressure built as it was bound to; bowlers feeling it erred, as they were bound to, and the two batsmen cashed in on every available opportunity. The 50 runs between 150-200 took a mere 48 balls, which when you consider the context, was brilliant work.

The trick had to be to remember the carnage of the last five overs, and the fact that the overs between 41-50 produced 91 for the Lankans. That is a bridge too far -- the trick had to be to reduce the ask in the last ten overs. And that is what the Indians worked out to perfection. With calculated assaults and gritty running, they got the score to 221 at the end of 40. Which basically meant that India had made up for the late charge by the Lankans, and left them with less than a run a ball, including the power play.

Equally to the point, they neutralized the Lankan spinners and attacked Kulasekhara, forcing Kumar to try over after over of Malinga's. At the 40 over mark, Lanka's spearhead had gone through 7, leaving him with just three to bowl during the power plays. And the cat and mouse game is set up -- because India can now delay taking the power plays and keep knocking the runs down.

India innings: 21-30:

It takes big moments to change games, and Dilshan produced one such in the 22nd. Kumar had to bring him back, to try and save overs of his top two spinners (keeping in mind that his two back up seamers were not particularly effective).

Kohli drove at Dilshan, but failed to control the shot and off the leading edge, it was flying towards his batting partner. Gambhir got out of the way of the shot, and that gave the bowler just enough room to check, lunge to his right, and pull off a blinder. Kohli's 35 off 49 had helped stitch together an 83-run partnership in 15.3 overs that put the innings back on track, but that blinder terminated the partnership just when it was beginning to be dangerous.

Later in the same over, Kumar muffed a tough stumping off his opposite number, to go with the run out he had missed off Gambhir. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the toss, one thing is fairly clear: Kumar is feeling as much pressure as the Indians are on the chase.

Needing at least another wicket, Kumar brought Malinga back in the 27th, far earlier than he is normally accustomed to. The Lankan quick normally bowls two overs at the top of the innings, then comes back for two or so in the late middle, and then shuts down the chase. Here, his comeback over was his 50th, and it was still shy of the 30 over mark -- calculations the batting side would likely be making out there.

After 30, India had moved to 150/3 (Sri Lanka was 134/3). And the game was set up -- which way it will swing will be decided in the ten overs to follow.

India innings: 11-20:

With the Indian batsmen chipping the medium pacers around, Suraj Randiv was brought on in the 14th over, and a shimmy by Gautam Gambhir to chip over mid off saw Kulasekhara come in off the line and dive forward in a brave attempt to make a catch of it.

That little bit of drama aside, India in almost imperceptible fashion fought its way back into the game. Gambhir and Kohli stroked singles around the park, got the bowlers distracted and fidgety, pounced on lapses to stroke the fours, and kept the board ticking over -- which is how games are played and, often, won. What the doomsday prophets who called the game after the exit of Sehwag and Sachin omitted from their calculations is this: Lanka, after losing their big hitting openers inside the first 15, managed just 83/2 at the end of 20 overs. In other words, the opportunity for India is not in a final assault, but in overhauling the Lankan pace in the middle overs and setting themselves less of an ask towards the end.

Randiv was joined by Dilshan in the 17th, but again, on a track where the turn is on the slower side, two batsmen who know how to play spin faced little difficulty pressing back when length permitted, and when exasperated bowlers increased the length, promptly going forward to stroke the ball around. It was percentage batting of quality, and the crowd (those who remained after the exit of Sachin) gradually climbed back into the contest as the runs ticked on. That forced Kumar to remove Dilshan and bring on his withheld trump, Murali.

Very early in the over, Gambhir showed what the play would be when he pressed deep back in his crease and stroked Murali through point for a brace (that Kumar missed taking a simple throw to effect a run out was a coda to that stroke). The over also saw Gambhir move to a nicely stroked, if not entirely chance-free, 50 off 56.

After 20, India was 105/2 (a little matter of 22 runs ahead of where Lanka was at this point). Significantly, India was still going at 5+ -- in other words, the ask was not being allowed to slip too far.

India innings: Overs 1-10:

For the second time in two games, Virender Sehwag stayed back to a good length ball and tried to work it off his legs. For the second time, he missed and was hit on the pads. For the second time, the umpire gave it out and again, Viru reviewed without benefit of consultation with partner. Just to round the deja view off, for the second time he was wrong, the umpire was right, and India at 0-1 had gotten off to a bad start, courtesy Lasith Malinga.

It was in the fourth over that breathing -- if you are an India fan -- became relatively easier. Not because of the ease with which Sachin Tendulkar picked length and slapped Nuwan Kulasekhara square on the off despite a cordon of three to stop that shot, but because of that autograph shot to the ball before that: a glide forward, an easy swing of the bat, a check at point of impact, and a pause to watch the ball speeding past the bowler, to the straight fence. It is when he is batting with a free mind that Tendulkar pulls that shot out so early in an innings, and as omens go that went a long way to off set the loss of Sehwag early.

Malinga was, as he always is, class -- fast, accurate, and spot on in his lines and his lengths. Sri Lanka's problem in the early exchanges was the lack of a bowler at the other end capable of maintaining that pressure. Nuwan Kulasekhara, in for this game, struggled to match that intensity, and the Indians worked him around the park when Tendulkar wasn't showing off some of his watermarked shots.

After two overs Thisara Perera (sometimes known as the 'India expert' for his inexplicable knack of performing only against the one team) was brought in for Kulasekhara. What works for Perera is his control over line and length, which in this case was tight enough to force Gambhir into taking risks with a swat dangerously past point.

Kumar Sangakkara normally bowls Malinga in very short spells at the start, rarely more than two. It was surprising to see him pressed into service for a fourth over here -- but the first ball of the extended spell produced what the Lankan captain was clearly hoping for: for his main bowler to take out the main batsman in the opposition. The ball was wide of off going wider; Tendulkar, who till then seemed remarkably composed, chased that and got the thick outer edge through to a delighted Sangakkara, and with that both openers were back in the hut inside of 7 overs, courtesy the Lankan spearhead.

4-0-11-2 for Malinga and with India on 32/2 after 7, the Lankan slinger had decisively changed the course of the game. Also, he had given his bowling mates all the cover they needed to tighten the noose, since from that point on India was always going to be on the defensive, permitting the bowling side to pretty much stick to their plans.

Virat Kohli, runless for the first ten balls he played, clipped Kulasekhara off his pads to the midwicket fence to get off the mark, then stroked him through the off for two more, and at the ten over mark, India had moved to 41/2. Not an ideal start -- and that is an understatement. But it does represent opportunity for established players like Yuvraj, Dhoni and Gambhir, and rising stars like Raina and Kohli, to put on a show.

Sri Lanka: Overs 41-50:

Yuvraj (3). Munaf (6). Harbhajan (7). Munaf (6). Harbhajan (6). That is how the first five overs went during the key phase. And to add spice, Kulasekhara was lucky a nick audible in real time was not "conclusive evidence" on a review.

With 211/5 after 45, the batting power play was mandatory - and it was fairly surprising that the Lankans left it that late, allowing the Indians to keep Zaheer's three overs in reserve besides one of Harbhajan and two of Munaf -- in other words, five good overs plus one surplus.

A four in the 46th off Zaheer, two in the next off Munaf, were all good without however really breaking the game open. And then came the 48th -- Kulasekhara took a long stride out, and swatted Zaheer off length over the long on fence for a huge six. With a bit hit at the top of the over, all the pressure swings onto the bowler, and Jayawardene rubbed it in with two brilliant fours. The first saw him step away, let the ball bounce, and guide it over point, playing the upper cut to the fence. The next ball, fuller and on off, was driven with savage power to the long off boundary and even as the ball was racing to its destination, Mahela had his helmet off to mark his 100.

A century in a World Cup final is worth appreciating for its own sake, but this one, coming off 84 balls from a batsman who thus far has struggled to find his touch, coming too at a time when his mates, all in form, had struggled to make the pace was invaluable. It almost didn't matter that in trying to keep the strike, Jayawardene got Kulasekhara run out off the last ball of the Zaheer over that produced 17 runs.

Harbhajan and Zaheer bowled the innings out (incidentally, some 38 minutes behind schedule). 63 runs came off the power play -- including 18 off Zaheer Khan, who after a first five overs that produced 9 runs, gave away 51 runs in his last five, thanks to a spectacular assault by Perera, who bunched his muscles and swung away, aided by bowlers who bowled to his strength.

India now has a 274-run chase -- and more than most times, the critical bit, at least at the start, will be how long Viru Sehwag stays at the wicket. It is not an out of reach target -- but to get there, India will need to play out of its collective skin against a bowling and fielding side that, thanks to the heroics of Mahela and that late assault, will now be fancying its chances.

Sri Lanka: Overs 31-40:

The thing about MS is that once something works for him, he makes it part of his operating template. The idea of slipping in an odd over from part-timers (and increasingly you can't include Yuvraj in this category) is one such. In the 33rd over, thus, he slipped in Sachin for two over of assorted all-sorts that fetched Lanka 12 runs. MS will consider that a bargain, since it allowed him to make up the two overs Sreesanth has yet to bowl. Also in keeping with his new-found idea, he slipped in a Kohli over at a time when the Lankans wouldn't be looking to attack; that helped save another of his good overs for the death.

The highlight of this phase was Mahela's half century -- at a tick better than a run a ball (49 balls, six fours). The stylish Lankan right hander has struggled through this tournament, but the final has thus far seen the best of him: all classy eleganvce, relaxed, assured, batting in a fashion that makes you understand why he is in Lankan circles regarded as the natural heir to the batting mantle of Roy Dias and Aravinda d'Silva.

Zaheer's introduction in the 38th over, following the mandatory ball change in the 35th, was a departure from Dhoni's norm, and a sign that the Indians were beginning to feel the strain of this partnership. While the run rate was not electric, the two batsmen were knocking the runs around with facile ease, never seeming threatened, and with each passing over, they were setting themselves, and their fellows in the hut, for the big-bang finish.

If that move was intended to produce a wicket, it did -- at the other end, where Samaraweera went a long way forward to sweep Yuvraj's straighter one, missed, and got it on the hip adjacent middle stump. Simon Taufel, who thus far has been spot on with his decisions, called it not out, then over-ruled himself on review, and India pulled one back just when the momentum of the game seemed to be shifting thanks to the 57-run stand at a healthy 5.5 with neither batsmen working up a sweat.

And then, in the 40th over, Zaheer struck what could be the mortal blow to Lanka's hopes of a really big score. As he so often does when bowling round the wicket with the older ball, he kept the pace closer to his current highs, and then produced the perfectly disguised slower one. Kapugedara was a lifetime early into his shot; all he managed was to get the higher half of the bat onto the ball and hit it straight to Raina, well inside the ring at cover.

After 40, Lanka was on 183/5. The platform they want is in place, but their hopes of maybe adding 90-100 runs in the last ten overs has been stymied by the two wickets that fell late in this phase. Kulasekhara has been promoted to try and slog a few, but India will feel at as the game heads into the straight, it is better placed than the opposition.

Sri Lanka: Overs 21-30:

For some reason, this period saw India reverse its policy in the field, and pull its fielders back a bit. The immediate consequence was that Kumar and Mahela could work the ball around in a way the earlier tight cordon had not permitted, and that brought visible relief to the two Lankan senior bats.

Yuvraj was switched on in the 21st over, by which point Harbhajan had bowled 4 of his quota. The slow-and-slower phase was on, and the Lankans had to work to make pace on the ball. At the halfway point of the innings, 105/2 (Mahela 25/25, Kumar 39/58) constituted under-achievement on the part of the Lankans -- or more accurately, it constituted a tremendous performance by the Indians with the ball and in the field, with Sreesanth (39 in 6) the only aberration in an otherwise impeccable bowling card).

Just around the time the quiet accumulation of the Lankan batsmen began assuming problematic proportions, the wicket fell. Perhaps predictably, it was Yuvraj -- but for once, to a ball that deserved a boundary against his name. It was dragged down short, it was straight, it was going wide on the angle to the left hander, and Kumar Sangakkara's eyes lit up with the possibility. To his bad luck, he overhit, swinging far harder than he needed to to put the gift away, and ended up with the faintest of nicks to Dhoni (48/67).

The captain's 62 run partnership with his predecessor at 5.5 per over revived the Lankan innings just when it was falling apart -- but against that, it ended just when the team needed the two best bats to kick it up another notch, and India once again got the upper hand.

MS, still working on his Sreesanth problem, promptly brought the bowler back, to take advantage of a period when neither Mahela, nor new man Thilan Samaraweera, would feel comfortable attacking even the weakest link in the opposition lineup.

After 30 overs, Lanka had managed 132/3; having added 49 for the loss of Sangakkara during this ten over phase. On balance, India would be the happier of the two sides at this point: they have stopped the opposition from breaking free, despite having one fairly weak link in the attack; they've taken out three of the four dangermen in the Lankan batting line up; and with just 20 overs left, are in a position to restrict Lanka to less than the 270+ the batting side would have been looking at on this track.

Sri Lanka: Overs 11-20:

MS Dhoni's gameplan was clear from the get-go: pack the off side, keep the ball on that side, and shut the Sri Lankan stroke-makers down. As tactics go, this one is hard to fault -- the wicket is good for batting on (this is not the Premadasa with the ball coming knee high), and the first objective had to be to keep the Lankans from breaking free in the early overs, so the middle ones could be controlled by the spinners.

Field setting, complemented by the right lines, had much to do with this. Dilshan loves hitting square on both sides, so the bowlers kept the ball on fuller length and within the stumps most of the time. Against that, Kumar loves to bat in the V, where he is at his stylish best -- and for him, the bowlers focused on being a bit wider while staying on the full side, forcing him to open his bat face in a way that is not his first choice of stroke.

Munaf and Sreesanth continued the good work of the first 10 overs, during the bowling power play. Against that, and with Dilshan unable to break free (credit largely to the bowling, which was along lines calculated to deny Dilshan's strengths), Kumar Sangakkara took the onus of batting Lanka out of jail on himself, and in the 13th over waltzed down to chip Sreesanth over the mid on fielder, then unfurled a glorious straight drive to make sure India wasn't getting things all its way.

That assault saw the beginnings of a sight familiar to Indian cricket fans: the gradual implosion of Sreesanth. Those two hits messed with the bowler's equanimity (despite 'big brother' Zak walking him back to his mark after each ball, getting in his ear with calming words); off the next ball he was warned for running on the pitch, and his response was a no ball. Off the resulting free hit, Dilshan thick-edged the ball down to third man for a four to complete a 15 run over. The previous highest was the 8th, also by Sreesanth, when Dilshan took him for two fours.

What that over did was force Dhoni to rethink his bowling strategy, and bring Harbhajan on in the 15th over -- at least three, four overs I'd suspect before he would have wanted to. Harbhajan began (as he so often does these days) with a round the wicket line that seemed designed more to contain than to attack. Predictably, the opening over was tight (2 runs) but not incisive.

Sri Lanka reached 58/1 at the end of 15, with the bowling power play done. At that point, the batsmen had played out 64 dot balls of the 90 legitimate deliveries bowled to them -- a far cry from their preferred method of working the ball around, pressuring the bowlers with relentless singles and pouncing on the inevitable errors. Another way of looking at this period is that Sreesanth gave 33 in his five, while the other three bowlers gave away 22 in their combined ten.

Clearly, the Lankans who had set their sights on a 270-plus score would have begun to feel pressure. And it showed in Dilshan's almighty heave of a sweep at Harbhajan, to the line on or just outside leg -- the kind of line you paddle, not really swing full on -- that saw the ball carrom from bat edge onto arm onto thigh and back onto leg stump. An unlucky dismissal, but the batsman contributed with an absolutely rank example of shot selection. 30 dot balls out of 39 faced points to the discomfort the normally free-wheeling opener plays, and the credit for neutralizing him belongs largely to India's super-efficient fielding inside the ring on the off, that time and again cut off his best shots.

Needing to slip through Sreesanth's overs at some point, MS brought him back in the 20th. Somehow, it only seems to happen to him -- that when he is having a bad day, everything that could possibly go wrong, and some that you thought couldn't, will. Here, Dhoni gave him a slip, then took it off after two balls, and the third one found Mahela's edge with late swing and flew through that precise point where the slip had been till then -- and ended at the third man fence.

After 20 overs, Sri Lanka is 83/2. In these ten overs, Lanka has made 52 runs for the loss of Dilshan -- which is good going, all things considered. The trick for the batting side is that the key phase is now on them: 20-40, when the older ball will see India taking the pace off and trying to make run scoring all that much more difficult.

Sri Lanka: Overs 1-10:

Most people wouldn't pick a World Cup final to try a gamble -- but MS Dhoni is not most people. His instinctive preference is a 3-seam, 1-spin attack and with Ashish Nehra out with a finger injury, Dhoni picked Sreesanth (whom he hasn't picked since that initial outing in the Cup-opener against Bangladesh) over Ashwin.

As gambles go, this one is potentially huge -- if the maverick bowler can keep his wits about him, he could be a game changer; lose the plot, and his ten overs could be what costs India the game.

What works in its favor is that India lost the toss on the second try -- and got to bowl first. If there is movement at the Wankhede, it is early on, when there is a bit of moisture left and before the sun has a chance to burn it off. And movement is what makes Sree dangerous, thanks to his ability to move it one way in the air and bring it back off the seam.

Zaheer Khan, whose last appearance at a World Cup final turned into a personal nightmare, turned it on with an exhibition of controlled swing that produced three back to back maidens at the start of his spell. At the other end, Sreesanth got the expected movement, but his radar needed fine tuning, with the ball tending to home in towards leg stump as opposed to the ideal middle/middle-off line.

The best part of the opening exchanges was India's fielding -- particularly Yuvraj at point backed by Raina at cover. The two fielders covered each other and between them, shut the area down -- crucial, as against Zaheer in particular, the left handed Tharanga was unable to get the ball square, and Zaheer wasn't giving him anything to hit straight.

With the pressure on, Dilshan pulled -- not convincingly, but hard enough to carry the midwicket fielder in the ring -- Sreesanth, off the first ball of the 6th over, to bring up Lanka's first boundary. One ball later the bowler, who had cranked his pace up to around the 145 mark, bowled the first loose delivery of the game -- short, outside off, just in the slot for Dilshan to hit the first authentic shot of the innings, through point.

At the other end Zaheer, who for three overs had been setting Taranga up, forcing him to play to the field and neutering his best shots (nothing for the drive, nothing for the cut), took him out with the first ball of the 7th over: a regulation dismissal, with the bowler going close to the stumps, hitting the line just outside off and getting it to hold its line. The batsman, set up to expect movement away, played at it away from the body, got the edge, and was well held by a diving Sehwag at first slip. At that point, Zaheer had bowled 19 balls without a run being scored, and a wicket in the bag (4-3-2-1 at the end of that over).

Sree's 3-0-15-0 opening salvo wasn't bad, as bad bowling goes, but it wasn't incisive enough to complement the brilliant Zaheer. And that brought the first change, with Munaf Patel coming in, and promptly getting swing and seam. While on that, it's worth mentioning that neither form of movement is pronounced, but just enough to mess with the batsman's timing.

Overall, this session was India's: they had their thinking caps on, knew what lines and lengths to bowl to each of the batsmen, had their fielders in the right place, and played as a unit. Against that, Sri Lanka's three batsmen on view have seemed a tad nervous and/or tentative, and seemingly unable yet to match the opposition's intensity.

If you had to pick a 'Man of 10 overs', Zaheer (5-3-6-1) would win hands down. With point policeman Yuvraj (who, in the 10th over, flew yards to his right to pull off a save off a Dilshan square drive) a very good second choice. Zak and the Indian fielders (and what was good to see was that everyone was committed, with the likes of Zaheer and Sreesanth producing superb saves on the line) between them ensured that Sri Lanka got off to its worst start of the tournament: a big wicket down, and not enough runs to show for it. 31/1 in 10 beats Lanka's previous lowest in this tournament -- 42/0 against Pakistan.

PS: You have to wonder just how much ink will be spilt, after this game, on the toss that wasn't. Dhoni tossed, Sanga called, no one heard what the call was -- or at least, neither Shastri who was yelling into the mike, nor Jeff Crowe the match referee, did. With rather undue haste, Shastri suggested they toss again. They did. Sanga won, and opted to take first strike.

Is that how you want to start a World Cup final? No. Is that something either team wants to have preying on their minds? Equally, no.

Pre-Game:

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan of Cricinfo has put together an excellent compendium of statistics leading up to today's final in the ICC's quadrennial showpiece. Here are some bullet-pointed takeaways:

India has played Sri Lanka 33 times since 2008, winning 18 and losing 13.

Five of those 33 games were played in India, with a 3-1 record favoring the home team.

In all games played between the two sides since 2000, India leads 11-3.

Of these 14 games, 11 have been won by the team chasing.

Of India's 11 wins, nine have come chasing a target against what is being touted as the best defensive bowling and fielding outfit in the business.

However, in World Cup match ups and finals of big tournaments between the two sides Sri Lanka has won 7 and lost 2 to India.

In these nine games that ended in results, 7 times the team batting first has won.

In World Cup matches alone, the team batting first has won the last four encounters between these two sides.

So on it goes -- and the only real takeaway from all of this, at least for me, is the truism that statistics are at best indicative, rarely if ever normative (Australia, with 34 World Cup games won on the bounce including three consecutive finals, ended up losing two on the bounce, remember? A result that no pre-game statistical analysis prepared you for). And that is also why the best comment coming out of the rival camps, and the dozens of experts lined up by the media and television channels, actually came from Indian skipper MS Dhoni.

It is about living in this moment, he said. (Read more, in Jharna Kukreja's curtain-raising story on Dhoni's pre-game press conference.)

Dhoni also said something in an earlier game, that holds peculiar relevance today: "Play for the country, not the crowd" (See video)

Keep that in mind as the pre-game build up on television channels continues to hammer away at predictable themes: the last outing of two legends, for instance. Or the circular narrative that centers around Muthaiah Muralitharan: Lankans, past and present, often point to the fact that Sri Lanka's tour of Australia, in course of which he was systematically called on the field and off it, accused of being a cheat, was the catalyst that brought a bunch of talented individuals together as a team under the combative Arjuna Ranatunga, and played a large part in the team's successful 1996 campaign. For the fairytale to come to a fitting end, Murali needs to hold the trophy aloft tonight, they argue.

Against that, there is the other fairytale: Sachin Tendulkar, making his last World Cup appearance, playing before his adoring home ground on his home turf, one century away from attaining the peak of 100 international centuries, looking to cap five appearances on cricket's grandest stage by holding aloft the grandest prize of them all.

Nice story lines if you are looking to build narratives. Mercifully, while both teams are aware of these landmarks awaiting their own storied champions, neither is naive enough to believe this game is about either Murali, or Tendulkar. In fact, both Dhoni and Sangakkara are level-headed enough to realize that such a narrow focus could be counter-productive: A Murali, for instance, looking to finish with fairytale figures could end up over-trying and getting taken big time by an opposition that has played him ad nauseum and know his bag of tricks as well as he does himself; a Tendulkar -- if he were ~~selfish foolish~~ foolish enough to allow the personal milestone to weigh over the team's requirement, could get bogged down and drag his side down with him.

Those are the dangers the two teams, and their respective champions, know too well -- and why, in their minds unlike ours, it will not be about fairytale scripts but little moments: a single stolen here, a dot ball bowled at a crucial point there, an ordinary fielder producing an extraordinary save at some other point, will be what this game turns on.

That, and strength of mind. For when two teams meet that are fairly well balanced, that know each other's game inside out, that over the past month and a half have lived a dream from which only one will awake smiling, it will finally boil down to which unit can absorb the pressures of the big occasion better.

Here's to a game worth the occasion. Once the game begins, we'll be bringing you analytical updates at 10-over intervals -- refresh for the latest.

And while you wait, here's a menu of reading/watching matter to keep you engrossed:

AR Hemant believes this is the most even World Cup final in years

Aakash Chopra analyzes the four pillars of the Lankan lineup, and what India needs to do to counter them

Akshay Iyer pays tribute to the two legends who, in their World Cup swan song, will square up to each other

AR Hemant on Gary Kirsten, the facilitator in the Indian dressing room

Video: In characteristically outspoken style, MS Dhoni reviews the team's performance in the semifinal against Pakistan

Video: Sri Lanka's outgoing coach Trevor Bayliss on his expectations for the final

Video: Mahela Jayawardene on why a win is important for Sri Lanka

Slide Show: The contrasting paths the two teams took to the final

Slide Show: It's India versus Sri Lanka, but within that frame there are mini battles between champion players of either side. A checklist

Slide Show: In Mumbai, the two teams have been quietly gearing up for the summit clash. A look at their preparations

Slide Show: Previous World Cup encounters between the two sides have produced high drama. A recap

Slide Show: The final showdown: a factfile

India vs Pakistan Top Shots World Cup

2011-04-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

YouTube - India vs Pakistan Top Shots World Cup 2011

INDIA VERSUS SRI LANKA (WORLD CUP FINAL).

2011-04-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

Hosts of 2011 Cricket World Cup, India and Sri Lanka are ready for the battle of Grand Finale to lift the prestigious trophy on Saturday, 2nd April, 2011 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, in a day-night game starting from 09:00 GMT, 14:30 local, 14:30 IST.

India reached the final by winning two high profile against top teams under pressure, first beat defending champions in the quarter final and then biggest match of the tournament against arch rivals Pakistan in the semi final, as both the match were close. Good thing is that in both the matches India's weakest link, i.e. their bowling clicked and bowlers bowled brilliantly under pressure as Zaheer Khan is now the 2nd highest wicket taker in the tournament with 19 wickets 2 short of Shahid Afridi, while Harbhajan Singh also back in form. Sachin Tendulkar is also at the 2nd amongst highest scorer, 3 runs short of leader Dilshan. They will highly depend on their batting one last time in the tournament specially openers.

Sri Lanka's knock out journey was quite easy as they beat England and New Zealand comfortably. Their openers are in great touch specially Dilshan who is leading the highest run chart along with captain Kumara Sangakkara, but their lower middle order has not much exposed. They will be much depend on 3 M's Makinga, Mendis and Muralitharan as the later is injured but he will probably in his last ODI. It will be interesting if they will go for 3 spinners with Herath. Other advantage is that they had played and won here in Mumbai in the league match against Kiwis,

Indian Team, Squad for the Grand Finale of 2011 CWC:

Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk/capt), Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, R Ashwin/Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel

Sri Lankan Team, Squad for the Grand Finale of 2011 CWC:

Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara/Rangna Herath, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis

INDIA VERSUS PAKISTAN

2011-03-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

Finally the fans have gotten what they wished for, an India-Pakistan game. Just one day to go for the mother of all games and the hype surrounding the same is unbelievable. An India-Pakistan encounter is a very rare occurrence these days, so every game carries huge expectations among the fans of both the countries. The politicians, the movie stars, the business tycoons all will be in attendance at Mohali on 30th of March for this brainstroming contest.

The teams though would not want to fall into this hype. They would want to keep this game simple and concentrate on their performance on the field. They would want to stay away from all the commotion which surrounds this semi-final game. I pity New Zealand and Srilanka as they have hardly got any attention ahead of their semi-final game tomorrow. So let’s take a look as to how the two teams stack up for the game on Wednesday. Both India and Pakistan have had their ups and downs during this world cup. Pakistan though contrary to the pre-tournament predictions has had a wonderful world cup. Except for the one slip up against New Zealand, they have done exceedingly well. Their bowling has clicked almost in every game and their batting has contributed enough to take them through.

Their win against West Indies in the quarters shows how well they have gelled as a team this tournament after all the off field issues they had prior to the same. Gul and Afridi have been brilliant and the addition of Misbah and Younis in the middle order has given the solidity the team was lacking over the last few months. So the Pakistani team would be quietly confident regarding their chances in the Wednesday’s semi-final game. The batting will be under the scanner and they would know that their bowlers cannot have an off day.

The Indian team on the other hand has had a mixed tournament. Their bowling and fielding has struggled and the batting has been inconsistent during the course of the tournament. The bowlers have failed to defend 300 twice in this tournament and the batsmen have collapsed from great position twice. The Indian bowling has heavily relied on Zaheer Khan who has been brilliant in this world cup. He has been the second highest wicket taker in the world cup and along with Harbajan Singh has been India’s consistent performer. Ravichandran Ashwin’s inclusion though has given India a definite edge over the past couple of games.

The Indian top order has been in great form and Raina’s inclusion ahead of Yusuf has given the team the necessary depth in batting. India would take a lot of heart from their performance against the Australians where their bowling and fielding was top notch. The Indian fielders put on an incredible performance to restrict Australia to an achievable total. The bowling was also pretty consistent and it was probably their best performance on the field in the entire tournament. That shows that probably the Indian team is peaking at the right moment for an important tournament like this. The Indian batting too showed that they have the necessary depth and quality to chase down a difficult total on a tough wicket.

Sachin, Ghambir, Yuvi and Kohli all looked in excellent touch. Sehwag coming back from an injury did not look that comfortable against the Aussies but knowing him, he will be very much ready for a contest as big as this. Raina who was included at the last minute showed amazing maturity to play a great short innings under pressure to guide India to victory in the quarterfinals. The win against the Aussies for sure would have been a great confidence booster for Dhoni’s men. On paper though you would say that the Indian team should win 9 times out of 10 but strength or form counts for nothing in India-Pakistan encounters. It’s the performance on the day which matters.

Indian management’s decision to not allow the players to interact with the media is a masterstroke as this will keep them focused on the game. It’s unfortunate that the Indian government is trying to make this a political game by inviting the Pakistani prime minister. This puts a lot of pressure on the players in the middle. I don’t know when the politicians will realize that this is just a game of cricket and politics has no place in sports. The pressure on the players is enormous as it is and they would appreciate a little respite.

Just a day to go for the D-day and fans from both the countries would want their team to win this game. I don’t even think anybody is worried about the finals as of yet as this game is as good as the final for the people of both these countries. I just hope that this game lives up to its billing and produces a wonderful contest. C’mon India!!!

ALCOHOL ADDICTION

2011-03-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

Alcohol dependence and abuse cost the U.S. approximately $220 billion in 2005. For the sake of comparison, this was greater than the amount of money spent to combat cancer ($196 billion) and obesity ($133 billion) in that same year.
25.9% of underage alcohol abusers (i.e., underage alcoholics) drink 47.3% of the total amount of alcohol consumed by drinkers under the legal age.
6.6 million minors in the U.S. live with an alcoholic mother or father.
About 14 million U.S. residents battle an alcohol addiction.
Around a quarter of all children experience some form of alcoholism in their families before they reach age 18.
One out of every five alcoholics who attempts to stop drinking without medical intervention ends up dying as a result of alcohol withdrawal delirium tremens (the “DTs”).
Studies indicate that the offspring of alcoholics have a much greater chance of becoming alcoholics themselves than those whose parents are clean.
People who live with an alcoholic use ten times more sick leave than do those who are not exposed to alcoholism. Four-fifths of these living with an alcoholic also claim that their productivity on the job is reduced as a result of their home situation.
A staggering one-half-million U.S. children aged nine to 12 are addicted to alcohol.
Almost three times as many men as women are problem drinkers, with prevalence highest for both sexes in the 18-to-29 age group.
41% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related.
3 million U.S. citizens older than the age of 60 abuse alcohol or require it to function normally.
One third of alcoholic deaths are from suicides or accidents such as drownings, head injuries from falling, or car crashes.
My advice to all addicts is please SLOW DOWN....!!!

INDIA VERSUS WEST INDIES......

2011-03-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

There are days when Yuvraj Singh feels it, days when he plays one level above the game around him. Today was one such day when on a two-paced pitch, despite mis-hits punctuating the innings, despite dehydration and vomiting on the field, despite Ravi Rampaul taking his first five-for in his first World Cup match, he played some breathtaking shots to bring up his first World Cup century. India might have lost their way once again in the last 10, going from 218 for 3 to 268, but it seemed an above-par total at Chepauk, which has been the fairest pitch of the tournament when it comes to balance between bat and ball.

Live Scorecard

Virat Kohli, who came back home to No. 3 thanks to a knee injury to Virender Sehwag, supported Yuvraj ably. In familiar environs of not being expected to go at a strike-rate of 150, Kohli did just what was required on a tough pitch after a tough start, scoring 59 off 76, letting Yuvraj take majority of strike in a partnership of 122 from 51 for 2.

West Indies will not be overly pleased with their effort because they could have made things much worse for India. Like they successfully did in the last two World Twenty20s, West Indies tried to bounce India out, and on a hard surface, they tasted some success at the top too. Inside the first 11 overs, two deliveries bounced over the keeper's head for byes, two batsmen got out to deliveries dug in short, one was dropped off another short delivery, but Sulieman Benn - who surprisingly persisted with the new ball despite the obvious plain and bouncy track - went for 21 in his three overs at the top. To make matters worse Sammy dropped Yuvraj twice, chances not easy but not impossible, at 9 and 11.

The man who fashioned West Indies' last win over a Test side other than Bangladesh, back in June 2009, Rampaul, was brought in to replace an unwell Kemar Roach, but the switch didn't hurt West Indies at all. The last ball of his first over reared up from just short of a length, and also straightened, catching the shoulder of Sachin Tendulkar's bat. Benn bowling from the other end meant West Indies didn't capitalise on that first over, but when Gautam Gambhir fell slashing at Rampaul, offering third man a catch, West Indies were still ahead.

This, especially considering that Rampaul and Andre Russell were charged up, and were pumping up some pace and bounce. Soon Russell squared Yuvraj up with a short ball outside off, Sammy at backward point got to the lob, but mistimed the leap and couldn't hold onto it. In the next over, Sammy managed to just get his fingertips to the return chance that flew over his head. The bouncers still kept coming; the odd ball still misbehaved, especially for the left-hand batsman; Yuvraj got dehydrated and barfed, but nothing seemed to be able to stop the Yuvraj specials in between, shots that kept the scoring rate up in the middle overs. Kohli was smart too: he had played 21 deliveries when Yuvraj came to join him, but so good was the strike manipulation that Yuvraj had played 12 more deliveries than him by the time their partnership ended.

During the partnership, Yuvraj pulled over midwicket, cover-drove for fours along the ground, swept the legspin of Devendra Bishoo, and on-drove Sammy over long-on for a majestic six. By the time the partnership was broken, again by Rampaul with a reversing ball just before the 34-over change, Yuvraj was struggling immensely. The singles went down expectedly, but he didn't hit out. That his partners kept falling - MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina followed Kohli for 22 and 4 - might have had a role to play.

The big hits didn't quite come out, but the lap shot exposed the short fine leg. Frequently Yuvraj got runs there, one such took him from 92 to 96. After he reached the century, he pulled Sammy over midwicket for another six. Once bitten twice shy, India kept the Powerplay for the last five overs, but Kieron Pollard removed Yuvraj with the last ball of the 45th over through a return catch off the slower ball.

That proved to be a big wicket because in the Powerplay, Rampaul continued his superb comeback, stifling Yusuf Pathan, then getting his wicket as India once again failed to play their quota of 50 overs, leaving the door open for West Indies.

HOLI...!

2011-03-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Hindu festival Holi begins this year on March 19. It celebrates many things: the coming of spring, the play (lila) of Lord Krishna with the gopis and his beloved Radha , and the triumph of Prahlada over the evil Holika. But at its essence, Holi is the “feast of love.”
An Indian vendor arranges colored powder at his shop ahead of Holi, in Hyderabad, India, Friday, March 18, 2011. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors will be celebrated across the country on March 20.

What happens during Holi stays there. It would be poor form, and bad luck, to hold onto resentments—after all, Holi is about letting go of anger and beginning the year anew. During the morning of Holi, social boundaries had been broken down. During the evening, those same boundaries were reformed through acts of reciprocal love. The play of Holi varies throughout North India—in some places it is quite wild, in others it is more restrained. But its message about the transcendent power of love remains. As I found the year I played Holi, the bright colors obliterate visible differences of race, ethnicity, and status. And it is by looking beyond those superficial distinctions that we can see the deeper reality revealed in the human heart.

AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHY!

2011-03-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

TAG FRIENDS IN COMMENTS...

2011-03-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Facebook has recently updated their comment system, Now you can tag your friends while commenting. The advantage of this is, Everyone can visit the tagged friend's profile by clicking on their names.

How To Tag Friends In Comments?
While commenting, Add '@' followed by your friend's profile name.

It's just like mentioning someone on your twitter tweet, The only difference is that, You can't see the '@' sign after tagging.

TRAGEDY IN JAPAN.

2011-03-12T20:52:00.000-08:00

The quake is one of the most powerful ever to hit Japan.

The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.9, and occurred at about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo and at a revised depth of about 17 miles. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said the quake had a magnitude of 8.8, which would make it among the biggest in a century.

The quake occurred at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time and hit off Honshu, Japan's most populous island. The quake was so powerful that buildings in central Tokyo, designed to withstand major earthquakes, swayed.

Google has built a quick little app for people trying to locate friends and family in Japan. There are two options: 1) "I'm looking for someone" and 2) "I have information about someone".

Had any other populous country suffered the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that shook Japan on Friday, tens of thousands of people might already be counted among the dead. So far, Japan's death toll is in the hundreds, although it is certain to rise somewhat.

Over the years, Japan has spent billions of dollars developing the most advanced technology against earthquakes and tsunamis. The Japanese, who regularly experience smaller earthquakes and have lived through major ones, know how to react to quakes and tsunamis because of regular drills -- unlike Southeast Asians, many of whom died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami because they lingered near the coast despite clear warnings to flee.

The headline you won't see: "Millions saved in Japan by good engineering and government building codes". But it's the truth.

Emptiness- Rohan Rathore with lyrics

2011-03-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

Can't Help Falling In Love (Richard Marx)

2011-02-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

HUMOR

2011-02-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is completely a picture based post..... :-)

FACTS.

2011-02-18T20:08:00.001-08:00

“You show people what you’re willing to fight for when you fight your friends,” Hillary Clinton once said. If only all politicians will practice what they preach all the time the world might be, well, even more entertaining, as can gathered from the diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.

What some US diplomats had to say about their “friends”:

French President Sarkozy is “thin-skinned,” have an “authoritarian personal style” and is “an emperor with no clothes”

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is “feckless, vain and ineffective as a modern European leader”

Prince Andrew Windsor, fourth in line to the British throne, is “cocky” and “verged on rude” and thinks that “Americans don’t understand geography. Never have.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was described as “weak” and “unstable”

Current British Prime Minister David Cameron was thought to be “lightweight”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “risk-averse and rarely creative”

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is “physically and politically weak” and “feckless, vain, and ineffective”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is suggested to be a corrupt closet Islamist

Tunisia President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali apparently has a deep hatred of his wife and her family

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is “like Hitler”

North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-il is a “flabby old man”

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is “vain, fastidious, vindictive,” a “practiced liar” and “not a very bright guy”

Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov’s daughter Gulnara Karimov is a “greedy, power-hungry individual” and “the single most hated person in the country”

Azerbaijan first lady Mehriban Aliyeva, also an MP, is “poorly informed about political issues” and has problems showing a “full range of facial expression” following “substantial cosmetic surgery,

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is “driven by paranoia”

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is “dismissive, bored and impatient”

Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki is an “unhinged dictator”

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is “a crazy old man”

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was thought of as a “flawed figure”

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is a “pale and apprehensive man” and is “Robin” to Vladimir Putin’s “Batman”

Hillary Clinton views Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as a “behind-the-scenes puppeteer”

Promises

2011-02-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

WORLD CUP 2011

2011-02-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

India is about to be hit by a work productivity loss of 768 million man hours. The reason? Cricket.

At least 10-12 million peoples' attention is going to shift to the ICC Cricket World Cup co-hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2, according to a survey from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.

Here's how to be a part of this heady two-month South Asian sports party.

The big ticket

If you haven’t got your World Cup tickets yet, you need to pick up the pace.

Book fast-disappearing tickets on Kyazoonga.com, the official ticket hub online and be weary of fakers on the web.

Prepare to pay about 12 percent of the ticket fare in service, bank charges and taxes.

Kyazoonga writes a big “Woo hoo!” when your booking is confirmed. Nice touch.

There have however, been some complaints about overseas fans not having received their tickets yet. The reassuring bit is that the website has constant updates and email support for different crisis situations (but no way to track couriers) and getting in touch with the constantly congested helpline is a pain.

If you don’t find good seats online, which is a possibility at this point, officially appointed travel agents (see travel deals below) are your best bet.

These guys aren’t allowed to sell tickets minus a package, so a way around that for Mumbaikars is to get the transfer package that comes with a match pass, and stadium transfer. This will cost you more than face value, but that’s the price you pay for being a slow coach.

If all else fails, every Mumbaikar knows someone who knows someone who can score tickets. Hint: find a member of the Garware Club -- they get one to two tickets based on a computerized lottery system -- and start sucking up now.

Travel deals

If your World Cup watching involves travel, Cutting Edge Events (+91 9820027663/ +91 9819549724, www.cuttingedgeevents.info) is your best bet. Why? Most importantly, they have a ton of ticket packages available NOW, and tie ups with hotels that may appear to be out of rooms when you try booking online.

Also offering similar packages is Tui (+91 (0) 22 33005555, www.tui.in) which is pricier than the former. The base package for the final match at Cutting Edge Events starts at Rs 27,800, while the one at Tui is Rs 42,000.

If you’re travelling within India, book a domestic flight on Cleartrip.com and get the base fare free off your next domestic ticket (redeemable only on SpiceJet). Book before March 20 and use before April 11.

Online travel booking engine Yatra.com is running a similar deal with a free ticket redeemable on highly recommended budget airline IndiGo. Book before March 25 and use before April 15.

Travel agents say accommodation in smaller cities like Mohali and Nagpur is filling up fast, so if you have a ticket, figure out hotel arrangements quickly.

Note: India is issuing six-month multiple-entry visas, but a new rule means once you leave the country, you have to wait two months before returning, so no hopping in and out on a whim.

Best matches to attend

The most fun games to attend are the ones involving the hosts because that's when the stadiums will be brimming with fans.

1. Bangladesh vs. India in Mirpur (the opening game), February 19. Bangladesh knocked India out of the World Cup in 2007, and the Indians have still not gotten over it.

2. Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka in Colombo, February 26. Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final but were stripped of their World Cup hosting rights in the wake of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore.

3. India vs. England in Bangalore (the game was moved from Eden Gardens
to Bangalore because the legendary Kolkata stadium was not prepared in time for this match. #FAIL), February 27. Pakistan might be India’s most hated rival, but it never hurts to stick it to India's former colonial overlords.

4. Australia vs. Sri Lanka in Colombo, March 5. Sri Lanka beat Australia in the 1996 final. Australia trumped them in the 2007 final. And so it goes ...

5. Australia vs. Pakistan in Colombo, March 19. It's a weekend match between two of the most aggressively offensive sides in world cricket today.

6. India vs. West Indies in Chennai, March 20. This is the last game in Group B and there is a chance one of the two sides will need to win it to guarantee a place in the quarterfinals.

7. Final in Mumbai, April 2. A World Cup final in Mumbai, the cradle of Indian cricket. And if India is playing Pakistan (the only opportunity for the two teams to meet), it will be madness. And Bal Thackeray’s head might explode. You won't want to miss it for the world.

Bar hopping in the best host cities

Here’s where to fill your soul with beer at the best host cities this World Cup.

New Delhi: What could be more perfect than Howzzat, a cricket-themed bar that brews its own beer and has ginormous TV screens? Alternatively, cozy Red Monkey Bar has all-day happy hours on Mondays and Tuesdays, discounts on beer and sangria and stadium-like, true live sound system.

You should know: Locals say you should watch the match with 500 plus fans on giant screens at the DLF promenade. For free!

Howzzat, Galaxy Hotel, NH-8, Sector 15, Part II, Gurgaon; +91 (0) 24 4565000; Red Monkey, 47 Defence Colony Market; +91 9910808653.

Chennai: Start drinking at noon considering all bars shut at 11 p.m. at 10 Downing Street (a 15-minute drive from the Chepauk stadium), where an afternoon deal of Rs 250 will get you beer, the chef’s special and dessert.

You should know: Respected cricketed website Cricinfo.com calls Chennai spectators “the most knowledgeable cricket fans in the country” so don’t go challenging them to a game of World Cup trivia at the pub.

No.50, Kences Inn Boutique Hotel, North Boag Road, T.Nagar; +91 (0) 44 28152152, 28113004

Bangalore: A 10-minute walk from M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Guzzlers Inn is a convenient pre and post match watering hole.

You should know: A 2010 DNA story reveals that the tech hub of India and a big student town is increasingly resorting to hypnosis to deal with stress. Don’t look directly into those crazy fan eyes.

48, Rest House Road, Brigade Road; +91 (0) 80 25587336, +91 9844096185

Kolkata: Hookah, flavored shots, and a long, long bar at new club Nocturne that stays open later than most, until 3 a.m.

You should know: Kolkata is home to the largest Indian cricket stadium, Eden Gardens, and some notoriously fervid Indian cricket fans. Should you get into a pub brawl with a Bengali bloke, respectfully call him dada for instant calming effect.

Nocturne, 31, Shakespeare Sarani, HSBC Building, Elgin; +91 9831252442, +91 (0) 33 22903648

Mumbai: Special world cup offers and big TV screens at Sports Bar Express and Geoffrey’s.

You should know: Stroll through Shivaji Park for a glimpse into the birthplace of future pro Indian cricketers. Many greats including Sachin Tendulkar have been nurtured on this ground.

Sports Bar Express, ground floor, Regal Cinema Building, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba, +91 (0) 22 66396682; Geoffrey’s, Marine Plaza, 29 Marine Drive; +91 (0) 22 22851212

Colombo: Sir Donald Bradman's memorabilia and lots of beer at Cricket Club Cafe, a bar housed in a pretty bungalow.

You should know: Hit one of the many casinos in Colombo, especially if you’re heading to India next, where gambling is illegal.

Cricket Club Cafe, 34, Queens Road; +94 (0) 11 2501384, thecricketclubcafeceylon.com

City to avoid: Ahmedabad. Two things: An alcohol-free, vegetarian Indian state. Enough said.

Trivia source: A new book on the history of world cup cricket

CNNGo scored some excerpts prior to the release of "The History of World Cup Cricket" by James Alter, just so you can show off. Silly points? Not.

1979: Viv Richards is the only person to have played World Cup football and World Cup cricket, having represented Antigua in qualifying matches for the 1974 finals.

1983: In 1983, a fielding circle was introduced, 30 yards away from the stumps. Four fieldsmen needed to be inside it.

1987: Courtney Walsh’s decision not to run out the last Pakistani batsman Salim Jaffer, who had completely backed out of his crease at the non-strikers end, potentially cost West Indies the World Cup that year.

1992: White balls and colored kits were not used until 1992. Prior to this, teams had dressed in white and used red balls.

1996: Ricky Ponting became the youngest World Cup centurion (21 years and 76 days) against West Indies at Jaipur.

CrickeTech: Podcasts, online gaming and live mobile streaming

Listen to cool World Cup podcasts featuring quick bites from players; play the new Fantasy Cricket League online by Zapak; Vodafone subscribers can watch live streaming of the match coverage; Google users are invited to mark all important points around match venues using Google Map Maker.

Jersey shore: Personalized Team India jersey

How about a blue Team India jersey with your name and favorite number on it?

Myntra and Nike team up to bring you customized jerseys that you can order online, preview your personalized details and have delivered to your doorstep, for Rs 895.

Place your bets: Bookies say India

International Cricket Council chief Haroon Lorgat has suggested legalizing sports betting in India in order to curb corruption in the game of cricket. FYI: Bookmakers hold India clear favorites to win this World Cup as they believe this is the best Indian side ever, and are too difficult a team to beat at home.