MATCH REPORT: India Vs Australia, 1st Test, MCG (26 Dec - 29 Dec), Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2011-12

In what was one of the most anticipated & well contested games up & until day 4, the 1st test between Australia & India, reached a premature anti climax, making this India's 5th consecutive loss out of India. This test match stands testimony of India's battling weakness in foreign soil, irrespective of the opposition. After suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat in the hands of World No.1 team England, a lot of was spoken and expected from a near injury free Indian team playing its full strength for the first time in 3 Foreign trips.

The first day of the Boxing day test was filled with anticipation in what promised to be a battle between 2 teams, who are in cusps in their own respective ways. You would have backed India to be the more settled side of the 2 teams. But, Australia with any given team in their own backyard would prove to be a tough nut to crack and this promising Australian side was no different. Dhoni and his men were looking to be well prepared for the task, but just flattered to deceive.

MSD's bad run of form with the toss continued, after which Australia decided to bat on a terrific cricketing wicket. The inform pair of Warner & Cowan took to the crease in their respective fashion. Expectations were galore to see Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma & new speedster Umesh Yadav respond to the quick Australian wickets. Yadav zipped the ball & got the wickets of men in form, Warner & Marsh with his impeccable controlled movement. One of the very few debutants, who had the temperament to deal with the excitement of a lively wicket. Ponting & Cowan rallied along with some fabulous shots from the former. It was almost like, he had made up his mind to score a century here. But that thought was cut short by Yadav, with Ponting fishing outside the off stump. 

Thoughts of the previous tour did emerge. Zaheer Khan finally warmed up & produced a burst a of wickets & also thanks to some poor umpiring decisions, Australia were floundering at 214/6. Though Haddin's poor form continued, the lower order showed much resolve lead by Peter Siddle, who added 119 runs for their last 4 wickets.

One of the few times that Dhoni missed a trick by delivering the knock out punch, a bit of conservative approach eventually costed him important runs. Australia were finally bundled out for 333. The Indian innings was much expected, for Sehwag's explosiveness & Sachin's 100th ton, more than the fight back. Gambhir's mixed run of form took a slump when he poked on outside off stump. Sehwag contuned to march on with his natural stroke play, but an err in his concentration, with a dual going on with a promising Pattinson, costed him his wicket. As in any part of the world, a thunderous round of cheer erupted when Sachin walked onto the ground. Dravid, at the other end, proved yet again, why he was 'The Wall', with his rick solid technique. Sachin & Dravid together were going at a steady pace, with some mind numbing display of shots. The ease at which Sachin was playing, his confidence & the urge to score runs reflected in the shots he played. The upper-slice has been an innovation that Sachin was worked out & executed so well. With 100 of the partnership coming up, towards the close of play, the world was sure that Sachin was on course for his 100th ton & it was advantage India. But the last over of the day by Siddle, mildly tilted to momentum in Australia's favor, with a peach of a delivery claiming Sachin through the bat-pad gap. Thw wait for the world continued. 

The next morning, the second ball of the day ,Dravid was consumed by a terrific delivery by the comeback man, Hilfenhaus. The famed Indian middle order dint have much to offer with Kohli, Laxman & Captain Dhoni failing to make a mark. From 212-2, India were bowled out for 282. Hilfenhaus, with a renewed action picked 5 wickets, ably supported by Siddle & Pattinson. Their lines were much better & fuller, making use of the old ball well. With a handy lead of 51, it was advantage Australia. 

The resumption of Australia did send ominous signs, but for the Indians. Yadav continued to impress with some good line & length bowling, along with good pace. For the first time in this game, the Indian quicks did look like they were upto the task. Australia's top order failing yet again to some class swing bowling were 27-4. Dhoni's press to deliver the knock out punch lacked a bit, which was taken advantage by 2 men who were on the wrong side of 30's & the selectors. Hussey & Ponting had a point to prove despite their illustrative careers. Ashwin bowled well in patches, but often erring with his short pitched deliveries. Though his wickets tally couldn't swell up much, he did unleash a variety of deliveries & made sure that he did not reveal much of his carom deliveries. That could mainly be due to the long period of this tour & he might still want it to be a little bit mysterious. He wasn't able to trouble Hussey or Ponting much.  This 115 run partnership proved match winning, taking Australia to a much comfortable position to defend a decent score. Zaheer Khan then managed to stall their progress with ripping through the lower middle order, with Hussey stranded at the other end. With an overnight score of 179/8, this sizeable lead seemed gettable, provided the Indians finished the lower order cheaply.

Day 4 was tantalizingly poised with the match yielding a sure result, which could go wither way. Some gritty resistance from the low order along with hussey made sure, 40 more valuable runs were added, before eventually getting bowled out. The target of 292, though seemed achievable, Indians would have been disappointed for letting Australia take a mild advantage. But what unfolded in India's second innings was purely lack of application & patience, not to neglect some top class fast bowling by the Australian trio. After losing the openers, India's chance to consolidate became a bit more difficult. If you wanted to chase this score down, India would decide how to go about the chase depending upon only one person, Sehwag. Their defensive approach played into the hands of some quality Australian bowling.  

Majority of the top order Indian batsmen struggled with the pace trio, and most of them lost their timber. The fact that the batsmen were sliced, pointed out two things. Lack of foot movement by not getting to the pitch of the ball & some nagging bowling, costing the patience of Indian bats. Laxman's poor form at MCG continued. Yet another opportunity for Kohli went begging. There was not much resistance provided by the batsman, in what looked like a meek surrender. Full credit to the way the Australians responded to this situation. With a fairly inexperienced bowling attack, they did show a lot of fire & proved yet again why they invincibles atleast at home. Ponting scored 2 fifties & Hussey top scored in the 2nd innings. The bowlers were their match winners, though Lyon dint have much of a part to play. The concern for the aussies in their middle order batting with stars like Marsh, Haddin & Clarke not delivering when it was most needed.    

What might be disheartening for the huge Indian contingent, who turned in big numbers to witness history, is the way the second innings was contested. There was something unsure about the Indian batting. They walked into this test showcasing a famed batting line up & an inexperienced bowling attack. But it just proved to be the opposite, where the bowlers did exceedingly well & the batsmen just flattered to deceive after the performance in the first innings. The second test at Sydeny has been a not-so-happy hunting ground for the Indians. I'm sure the memoirs of the last tour at the 'black test' sydney would haunt them. If India need to click in their next game, form of Gautham Gambhir & that all important No.6 spot should be ably filled, to give this Indian team a more complete look. MSD & his men wouldn't have wanted to sign off this year in such a note, but to just hope that 2012 begins well, they should stop banking heavily on the stars above & the one's in their own team. 

But having said all of the above, more than being a true cricket lover, the urge of the true Indian fan comes out of me now & then. Any day you'd back this Indian unit to make a strong comeback,(inspite of recalling the forgettable English summer). This coming new year, shall surely bring a lot of happiness & more than that, a truck of luck, atleast with the tosses. Lat time, the indians broke the new year in Australia, it was an emergence of a new Era, hope this new year in Australia, matches a similar impact. Wishing all the Indian players & the Indians around the world a very happy and a prosperous New year !                             

"Only one team played in the spirit of the game," - The series is back !!!

How can one forget these words. This statement was from one of the very few players who epitomized the ever-dying Gentleman part of Cricket, Anil Kumble. Many know that this legend lets the ball do all the talking. But when he speaks, the world takes notice. He stood up for Indian cricket in what was considered to be one of the most tension filled controversy that the cricket field has ever seen. In my personal view, that tour unearthed a lot of interesting finds and made India a more grittier side to face on the cricket field.  

That tour (2007-08) down under was an eye opener for many a players & it was for the world to see, who managed the heat much better. A landmark tour, which changed the way Indians looked Australians on the field. The fight in all the 4 tests were intense & a resurgent India could be seen after the world cup debacle in 2007. The players were at their mercurial hilt, that even a feather touch could blow them up. From then onwards, the fights between India & Australia were considered the war of the lords. With the supreme Australia & the resurgent India, the intensity of the games were compared to that of Ashes. Everybody were erring - the players, the umpires & even the fans for that matter. One couldn't help with the tension mounting on them by the day. The media in its own play played its part - blowing it out of proportion. 

But the world witnessed something really special in that tour. The first time in a couple of decades that Australia were given a true fight in their own backyard. The world could see the Australians wilting under the pressure of their opposition. India was rising much faster against the liking of the Aussies. The tour games as usual didn't have much of a significance with respect to their performance. The only player who reaped its benefits was V.Sehwag, who scored 113  of 70 odd balls in the 1st game. India were going through a cusp during that season. Though they were considered to be the favorites to win that world cup(2007), they were kicked out of the World cup in the first stage. The world never gave India the chance to come back in the near future. A few months later, a completely new look, young Indian team took the world by storm by claiming the 1st ever T20 world cup under M.S.Dhoni. The Indian team which toured Australia had a mix of both the youth and the experienced. It was considered to be the last time that the Fab 4 (S.Tendulkar, S.Ganguly, R.Dravid & VVS.Laxman) toured Australia. Little did they realize that it would have been the most action packed summer down under in their cricketing careers. 

The series began with the 1st test played on the boxing day, it was all the way Australia's game. Matthew Hayden's century sealed the game for Australia & the game was done & dusted in 4 games. The only highlight for India was Sachin's innings of 62. As the media always when India tours Australia - "India are down & Under". It was rather a bad ending for the year 2007. India just hoped that New year got them better luck, as the 2nd test was scheduled on the second day of the new year. The luck was no different. But due some appalling decisions by the Umpires, in what seemed to be an Indian victory was snatched away from their hands. Aussies were reeling at 137/6, and they went on to make a massive 463. Thanks to A.Symonds for taking advantage of the umpiring err and making 162. India's reply was even more fascinating with usual suspect Sachin scoring 154. With India leading by 69, Hussey & Ponting made centuries to take the Aus score to 401 and declared then. With over 200 runs to get in the final day of the test, India were looking for a draw. But wickets fell on a slider of pitch at SCG. With Kumble & Laxman showing some much needed match saving grit, it was down to the last 2 overs, with 3 wickets on hand. No one could imagine a bowler such as M.Clarke could turn the match on its head by taking 3 wickets in 5 balls to gift Australia one of the most thrilling test encounters. More than the thrilling nature of the game, it became even more famous for the monkey gate between Harbhajan & Symmonds. The temperatures reached maddening heights, creating a huge uproar in either camps. It was considered a black day in cricket. This created more tension between the teams.  

A comeback after such shocking defeats & a ploy of personal vendetta was nearly impossible for the Indians. But the Indians pulled themselves up and come back strongly to win the 3rd test match, with Irfan Pathan being a revelation in that test. Indians were praised for the way they made a comeback in this test. This test which lasted for 4 days dint see a century, but saw mediocre totals in all the 4 innings, making it a well contested match, especially after all the heat in the previous games. Ishant Sharma was a sparkling find in that tour, teasing R.Ponting and making him his bunny. It was a refreshing sight to see an Indian quick garner such response from the Australian team & media.     

The final test was intriguingly poised, it was for India to win the final test and stage one of the most remarkable comeback in a series in Australia. With over 1300 runs scored in the test and sparkling batting performances, the test could just go one way, heading to a draw. Sachin yet again proved his worth as the world's best batsmen with another 150. The series score line had said Australia won 2-1, but it was much closely contested than the score line suggested. The characters of the players were assessed. The precision of the umpires were accused. The diplomacy of the match referee was tested. In all together, it would be safe to say that 'Cricket - A gentleman's game' was put under trial. 

India reaped valuable benefits from that series & changed the way Indian cricket was looked at. Men of that series for me were Ishant Sharma who was a huge find in such conditions. He could swing the ball either ways. His precision was spot on and showed great temperament. The second man was Sachin Tendulkar. He was in the peak of his purple patch and he continued that into the ODI series with 4 scores of above 90. The 2007-08 series gave the rest of the world hope that Australia could be beaten in their own backyard, with some precise cricket. The tag of 'Invincibles' took a beating after the young India troubled the Aussies with some astonishing batting, bowling & fielding display. Sachin was no more the mainstay of the team. Under Dhoni, Indian cricket became a more of team effort. This in turn relieved sachin off the pressure and play his best cricket in his life from that point. 

Its interesting to see that only 7 players who toured Australia the last time, are touring even now. Apart from that, this is a completely new look young indian team. This team lacks the experience in their bowling department, but the spirit of these youngsters look very promising. The temperament will be tested, in a never easy aussie condition. Both the teams are pretty much in a similar situation. But Australia in a more desperate one. Indians are still reeling from the shocking defeats in the hands of England. And Australia's current for has taken a beating while playing against South Africa & New zealand. The media is harsh on the Aussies, terming their current form as the lowest of lows. With a bit of internal pressures & selection stresses, it can be said that Cricket Australia is slowly stepping on the panic button. The Simon Katich & Ricky Ponting issues are  stalling the process of rebuilding the new team Australia. For the first time, I could see a bit of India in Australia with they way they are treating a legend like Ponting. 

India on the other hand seems a more settled unit, but the niggles of 2 of the most important pacemen for India, Zaheer Khan & Ishant Sharma has once again raised the questions of fitness. The bowling line up is studded with first timers. The warm up games also dint show much promise apart from the performance of R.Ashwin. The batting is a bit undoubted at this moment. 

The want is there from the Indian camp to make a statement. Australia feel no different, especially with an inexperienced-lethal bowling attack & dying phase of a legend, M.Clarke and his troops will be ready to create the right amount of friction to derail the Indian summer down under. Like Dravid said "We are back like a few creaking terminators, older & wiser" , this for all probability can be the last time that the middle order Indian legends tour down under. They would want to make it count, and this could be the best opportunity for them to create an everlasting mark, by scaling crickets biggest & toughest peak, a victory down under.  

Is Australia the next West Indies ?

The true mark of an emperor is a touch of arrogance at the top of the throne. Once the emperor is dethroned to a king, that arrogance is read as confidence. And once the king turns into a pauper, that confidence is read as a joke. This downfall is very painful for any emperor turned pauper to take. One such team which went through this harsh reality was the West Indian team. My father could have never dreamt of a team which had master batsmen like Sir Viv Richards, Sir Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd & a terrorizing bowling attack featuring Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall & Michael Holding, see such a plight now. All that he can do now is, unceremoniously shed tears of blood, thinking about the glorified past. The current West Indian team is not even close to the shadow of what was once the fiercest & feared opposition that the history of cricket could ever see. I just hope that I don’t shed tears of blood like my dad, looking at team Australia, when my son grows up.

Though it might be a bit harsh to rule the current Australian team a similar verdict as West Indies, but I just can’t help to think that they’re slowly spiraling down that route. “Australia may never regain Test cricket supremacy”, “'Aussie cricket crisis' declared after New Zealand defeat”, with such headlines doing the rounds; it’s hard not to feel for a team which dominated cricket for over 2 decades. Every team goes through this slump, but in the case of Australian cricket I’d like to think that this more than just a slump – A cause of concern.

But, what could possibly be the reason for this current “Lowest of the low” state of Australian cricket? I guess it all started with almost the simultaneous exit of legends such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist & Mathew Hayden. I think if we put just these four in a team, any opposition would flounder against them. But what is not strange is Cricket Australia’s inability to find apt replacements for them. These players are once in a lifetime players who can never be replaced. Inspite of having the best domestic framework, identifying such talents is another special task. This special task is not only about finding apt replacements, but also to unleash them at the right time.

Australia’s eternal search for that one special spinner has been a long one. Even though pacers such as Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clarke, Shaun Tait, Brett Lee & more recently Pat Cummins are being considered as able replacements for Glen McGrath, none of the above can sustain a long career such as the Pigeon. The batting line up misses the grit and fire power to replace Mathew Hayden & Adam Gilchrist at the top of the order. The closest one can get is David Warner, but his consistency is yet to be tested in all formats of the game. 

Apart from the replacements, what matters the most that have carried Australia on a very strong platform, is the affirmation a captain has on his team & the way the team is projected to the opposition irrespective of any fall outs within the team. Captain Clarke has not been able to replicate the same kind of charisma that Steve Waugh or Ricky Ponting carried onto the field. They were fierce captain, who would send shivers down the spine of the oppositions even before the series started. Their words were as powerful as their performances. But sadly, Michael Clarke has not been able to portray the forceful nature of the team, inspite of it lacking that nature anymore. His mild dual with Simon Katich & Ricky Ponting has not helped his case get any stronger.

The Australian team has been plagued with lack of performances from their key players at the wrong times. Players such as Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, have always stood upto the task and taken challenges head on. But in the recent past they have not been able to arrest a very quick and steep slide of the Australian cricket team. A management which takes no excuses and expects top performances from their players through the calendar year, can sound a bit heartless to a player such a Michael hussey who just created a world record for a clean sweep of Man of the match awards in all the 3 tests against Sri Lanka in their own backyard. The axe can soon fall on Ricky Ponting who hasn’t scored a century in his last 20 innings. Life can’t get crueler for a person who is just behind Sachin for the maximum number of test centuries.

As a cricket buff, you can’t help to think differently, especially with their recent performances against South Africa and New Zealand. Performances which could never be co related with such a power house, were being churned out. With inability to beat a 7^th ranked team and to cross a paltry 50 runs as a team, reflects serious issues, which are quite alarming.

With injuries being the current trend in world cricket, the Australian team, which is supposed to have the best training methods & rotation policy to keep an injury free squad, is not spared either. Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh and the latest to that list is, the promising speedster Pat Cummins have been injury prone. It can’t be a case of over burdening of the players, as the rotation policy which is critiqued very much takes care of players and gives them the right amount of time to recover in case of any injuries. But that makes me wonder if the coaching methods with respect to the bowling have something to do with this never ending injury plague for the Australian quick’s.

The domestic league of Australia is so strong that a lot of players are drafted into the Australian team only at the age of above 25, which gives only a prodigy to figure in the team the age of below 25. In what can seem like a crisis, the strict Australian board is soon running short of ideas on how to tackle this pressure. With the headlines of the newspapers poking straight at the ego of the selectors, they could be forced to move with a mindless decision of removing Ponting and Hussey. In my view these guys just need a spark to regain their touch and they are far from being done. This case cannot be related to the blunt axing of Harbhajan, because the state of these 2 batsmen has been less pitiable to that of the veteran spinner.

Another aspect to the whole situation is that, my assessment can prove to accuse the players of lack of motivation to play for the national team. With a lot of players who have been drafted into various IPL teams, they are raking in the much needed moolah, even without representing the country. The lack of drive to represent the country for the pride of it & the selfish minds of players to be happy with such income has come out to being a shock for many. The Australian fans can just hope that this isn’t the trend set in the minds of the players. If this can be the slightest of the possibilities, it can be safe to say that Australia is just taking a different route to become the next West Indies.  

The fans are not sparing this team either. With the current Australian team missing the zing that it always had, the fans are beginning to face a panic attack. Suddenly Australia looks like a team which can’t find replacements and it can never be the same ever again. Though it can be true to an extent that this team can never be the same again, we should also be sensible enough to understand that every team goes through this phase of re building. The right time and the right environment should be given to teams to facilitate the right growth. But this doesn’t seem to be happening with respect to Australia. The resilience is missing, both on and off the field.

What this attitude of Australia has done is, it’s thrown open the competition within the other cricketing nations. In what was once considered a one sided affair with Australia literally winning every game of theirs, it didn’t give any chances to the oppositions. Now every team is made to believe in themselves that Australia can be beaten at any circumstance. It is so fabulous to understand, what a bad form of a leading team does to the confidence of others. Teams such as a strongly growing young India, the ever mysterious Pakistan, the near to perfect England team, the multi faceted South Africans & the rebuilding Lankans give themselves a chance to be at the top of the table and game. But all teams will discount Australia at their own peril; the emperor can be defeated but not his spirit.

The real Aura behind the real Superstar - He’s a man who values a billion hearts much more than the millions he earns.

After racking my brains for quite some time, I still didn’t know how to draw an introduction to this blog. You generally tend to run short of words when you’re writing about something, which is of such magnitude. Words can get buried, thoughts can get stalled, eyes can get frozen, and heart can beat a million times faster. I can get this feeling only when I see some so special as Sachin Tendulkar or A.R.Rahman , but it’s now happening to me even when I think to write about this person. If you’re still guessing who I’m talking about, especially on this date (Dec-12^th), for a man who needs no introduction, the name is Rajinikanth. 

      

One always wonders what this man would have done in his previous birth for him to become Rajinikanth now. The name by itself emits a universe of power, aura & grandeur. Even a person with the squeakiest of voices, feels like he’s letting out a lion-like war cry, when he utters that word. Full credit should go to his master – K.Balachander, who identified, introduced & gave him the name – Rajinikanth. Right from the time when he made his debut by pushing away iron gates on his first appearance in Aboorva Raagangal, till the time where he gave birth to iron robots in Endhiran, he has travelled 36 kaleidoscopic years.

His Journey from Sivaji Rao Gaikwad to Rajnikanth was a turbulent one with a lot of struggles & sacrifices. But young sivaji wanted make the most of it. That was the time where he got his true friends, who would stand the test of time. It was good in a way that, he knew the value of people at a very young age. Only a person with such level head & such experiences can be humble at any peak of his career, when the entire world is celebrating him.

He was a coolie, who later turned into a bus conductor in the Karnataka State Transport Corporation, a very unique & stylish conductor though. His struggles were heard much more by his friends than god himself. That can be one of the reasons why Rajini, still keeps his friends close to his heart. His dialogues often have a lot of inner meaning to it like keeps saying in various films that, one should never forget the path that he came in, as that stands testimony to what he is now. A lot of people don’t realize that. They understand the meaning of it only after they’ve lost their ways & learnt it the hard way around.

For a man who was actively involved in stage & street plays, the baddy’s role always attracted him for some strange reason. He used to essay roles of Dhuruyodhana & Raavana with such ease, making the audience believe that actually those villains could have been as stylish as Rajini himself. His stint with the film institute after that, in my view couldn’t have helped him much apart the contact of K.Balachander , mainly because he had the style & charisma of his own which couldn’t have been taught by any film school.

An actor with no background & not the greatest of looks entered the film industry as a villain & played second fiddle under Kamal Hassan. He was happy to be under the shade of such a senior actor, but simultaneously started to churn out some stellar performances, which identified him as a fabulous actor with his own inimitable style. Movies such as Mullum Malarum, Bhairavi, Moondru Mudichu, aarilirundhu aruvathu varai had tear evoking performances that earned him much needed notice as a standalone actor.  He portrayed his characters with a lot of grit, finesse & aplomb.

This prompted a terrific gesture from his senior friend Kamal Hassan. He advised Rajini not act anymore movies along with him, as it was high time that he had created his own brand. He later went to tell Rajini that, his talent needs to be indentified separately rather than under him. Kamal said this with all great intentions and paved way to what is now one of the most revered competitive pairs of all time. The last movie that they did together as my knowledge is the musical classic, Ninaithale Innikum.

Rajini did take that friendly advice in the right spirit & charted his own way henceforth. The rest is history. His meteoric rise can be dedicated to his selection of subjects, roles & the pace at which he worked through his projects. There was once a time where he’d work round the clock to honor the commitments. The amount of money that was showered on him never had a bearing on how he spoke to people and looked at life. He’s a man full of learning from his past experiences.

The hysterical aura around him was created automatically through his natural persona. He did not have to try too much to impress people. Any word uttered by him was welcomed with fanaticism. The rajini phenomena spread like forest fire around India. Working in various languages including Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam & many more, he earned the respect from his co workers with his humble nature & simplicity.  Unlike other film stars, his image off the screen was so natural & true. His social service & his image of ‘Son of every house’ made him a household name.

His movies reflected his values & love towards society, motherhood & more importantly children. As children of my generation, it would be safe say that we grew up looking at his movies. The aura around him just keeps increasing by the movie. He was getting simpler by the year. His stylish route to any character defined the lust he had for them, right from juggling his cigarettes, swiveling glass wears & riveting expressions.  

He has inspired a lot of people with his dialogues. All of his punch dialogues have the power of a volcanic eruption. His volcanic dialogues were oozing with a lot of sense that can be put to practice in everyday of life of a normal human being. Dialogues like “ Aandavan nallavangala sodhippan, aana kaivida maatan. Kettavangalukku naraya koduppan aana kai vitruvaan” (God will test the good but will always be there till the end. He will give a lot for the bad people, but will not be there till the end). This is a dialogue that can pep up anybody at times of their distress. Other dialogues which reached the mass with so much force were

·         “Naan solrathaiyum seiven, sollathathiyum seiven.” (I will do what I
say, I will also do what I don’t say)

·         “Naan oru dhadavai sonna nooru dhadavai sonna madhiri.” (If i say it once,
I’ve said it a hundred times)

·         “Naan eppa varuven, eppadi varuvennu yarukkum theriyadhu, aana varavendiya neratthil correct-aga varuven.” (When I will arrive, or how I will
arrive, nobody will know, but I will arrive when I ought to)

·         “En vazhi ? thani vazhi.” (My way is a unique way.)

·         “Paera ketta Chuma adhurudalla” (If you here my name, it simply sends down tremors)

Rajini reached a point where, money & fame was just after all part of the worldly pleasures. His realizations of life were beyond human ability. But he still lives the life his fans want. I can guarantee and say that the ever-growing loyal fan base that he has got is a god’s gift to him. The beliefs, respect, love & craze that people have on him is unimaginable & unmanageable. Though it’s a boon, I’m tempted to think that it’s a bane in its own way. Privacy is something that is obsolete in such a person’s life. He still longs for walking upto the nearest teas stall and having a smoke with that. But guess these are the tradeoffs that you’ve got to deal with when you’re superstar in the truest of senses.  But still he manages his trips to the Himalayas to the silent caves following his guru, which gives him the equanimity even at such a stature.  

Every film of his is treated as a festival around the globe. This demi-god is always bathed with Lorries of liters of milk & is served every respect an idol would get inside the temple. It is every fan’s dream to watch his movie the first day first show, which later turned to be a status symbol. Even though the movie is sure to run for about 100 days, if the movie isn’t watched within the first weekend, a fanatic considers it an insult.

In the recent past, his health was a cause of concern. After MGR, it was Rajini for whom the entire state came to standstill praying for him to get well soon. There were mass prayers in mosques, temples & churches. Various kinds of prayers such as tonsuring their heads, carrying fire on bare hands and walking to the worship place at the hill top without any footwear, were some of the million prayers dedicated to the wellness of rajinikanth. His fans waited to for his return. Slogans of ‘God, give him life by taking mine’ was the chant by his fans. Due to god’s grace, doctor’s skill and mainly the fans prayers, he slowly got back to his normal condition.  Rajini personally dedicated his recovery to the doctors & his fans. In his tearful comeback moment, he thanked the entire fan contingent at every part of the world with his fullest of hearts. That was a moment where a lot people realized that, it is his fans who gives this man the aura and they way he converts it is what makes the superstar.  

Too much said, not much covered. The world is not enough for Superstar Rajinikanth.  He is a humble human being, a fabulous actor, a simple man, a perfect father, a loving Husband, a multi faceted star, a spiritual guru.  Many actors possess these qualities. But what separates & defines Rajinikanth from the others is that he’s a man who values a billion hearts much more than the millions he earns.

One of the most simply fierce words in the English dictionary is “Comeback.”

The word comeback is such a fascinating word, which can spur a kaleidoscope of emotions within a human mind. Even the utterance of that word, subconsciously gives me a sense of power, grit, assurance & resolve. Comeback is a very close knit word when it comes to sports. A comeback in life obviously scores more than a comeback in sports. But when a person’s life is sport, any opportunity of a comeback seems larger than life. Often in such a situation, the player gets caught in a cusp between reliving his passion & the pressure to perform. Cricketer, Irfan Pathan, is in a similar situation at the moment, in what is tipped to be one of the most anticipated comebacks in recent years for Indian cricket.

Irfan was born in Baroda, and had a big family to support him. His family lived his dreams inspite of a very income low income line then. Though they wanted him to become an Islamic scholar, he & his bhai  Yusuf Pathan, were caught by cricket fever. His father led the prayers in the mosque, as his profession. The pathan family is a very god-trusting & disciplined family. People around him, would laugh at the antics of this pair of cricket crazy brothers, who trained day in & day out, irrespective of the heat of the weather & relatives. But Irfan used to trust his passion & believed that it could take him to represent the nation.   

After some terrific domestic performances, his dream after all did come true. Irfan was just 19 years old when he made his debut for India in the 2003-04, in the down-under series. With a very quick & whippy action, he made his presence felt during his very first game. The spring-haired lad was very rightly compared with the early days of the sultan of swing, Wasim Akram. Irfan’s ‘banana swing’ was a very potent weapon, which seldom came across the Indian fast bowling scene then. One could never forget the swinging Yorker that dismantled the stumps of Adam Gilchrist in Australia. That one delivery drew a lot of appreciation & made heads turn towards him in the cricketing fraternity.  He did not waste his opportunity, unlike many of his fast bowling predecessors did. India was overjoyed to find a gem, who could later be identified as a spearhead of the Indian attack, especially on foreign grounds. Every time a wicket falls, his smiles were adorable & celebrations were audacious.  

 His rise in stature looked flawless, as he got his batting going good as well. Irfan, who always wanted be a batsman who could smash the ball to various parts of the ground, took his batting seriously. He was a very useful lower order batsman who had the mind of a top-order bat. His methodical approach towards batting caught the attention of the then coach, Greg Chappel. Greg’s belief on pathan’s batting ability saw him open the batting for India in a test, where Sehwag was unable to take the field due to an illness. To the world’s surprise, he scored an innings of 90 which had a perfect mix of caution, aggression & luck. Following that innings, he was beginning to hone his batting skills and was considered a true all-rounder. His consistent show with both bat and the ball, earned him comparisons between him & Kapil dev.

His standout achievement in the famous India - Pakistan series saw him being the first & only person to claim a hattrick in the first over of a test match. All were peaches & left the batsmen clueless, with the “What-hit-me? “expression on their faces. Still India went on to lose that test match (Only possible by India!)  

India’s quest for an all rounder seemed successful. But during the 2006-07 season, he flattered to deceive. With a 4 year burst for India, he lost his pace & way. Though he was able to score runs, he just couldn’t maintain his bowling rhythm. He had lost considerable amount of pace & was an on-and-off member of the Indian squad. His military medium pace was highly criticized & his line- length was very unsettled. In my view he might have taken his place for granted or a bit easy after the meteorically high he had got in those 4 years. But still he is one of those players where you seriously want him to perform & have great belief on, irrespective of his performances. Beyond a point his services came to an abrupt end. Though he was part of the T20 WC winning team & was adjudged the man of the match in the finals, it was that period when a flurry of fast bowlers were produced and were having a stiff race between them in the likes of Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, R.PSingh, & veteran Zaheer khan. He played his last test & ODI in the years 2008 & 2009 respectively.

During this period was the emergence of IPL. Though it was something for him to be happy about, that was the time where talents from all over the nation began to unearth. He was in a precarious situation to perform and not get lost between the local talent pool. The young guns began to step up, and all of a sudden, India had options even for the bench. It was that time, when the critics had ruled out Irfan pathan as an option for the national team.  He was replaced by his big brother Yusuf Pathan, though inconsistent can still win matches single handedly with brutal power. But Irfan was never down & never out. He still continued to fight the odds with his growing age. Guess 27 is the perfect age to stage a dramatic & long lasting comeback.

Irfan Pathan was always at the corner of the selectors eyes. He just needed to perform consistently well in a domestic season. With the much famed bench strength, kind of falling like a pack of cards, due to inconsistency & injury woes, Irfans’ comeback is much more magnified. Why Irfan pathans’s comeback is worth the weight of gold, is that it gives the much needed pivot to the lower order & the bowling department. Though R.Jadeja is now being able to fulfill it to a near best, his addition gives more variety and option for the Indian team. He can be toggled anywhere in the batting line up & his bowling can be switched according to the conditions, with both the new ball & the old ball. The new Irfan has improved on his pace a few yards & consistency with guile has been the reason for his comeback. With 6 specialist batsman, 3 bowlers & 2 all-rounders , he could be the 3^rd all-rounder who provides the much needed dexterity required in the lower order. Having said this, on a personal note, he should have still figured in the squad which is going to be touring Australia – the place where he made his mark.

The pathan brothers have always usual suspects of the Indian team. But these 2 games, however inconsequential it may be, still is a great opportunity for Irfan to cement his place in the squad. More than the happiness of himself, he could do it for a family who have lived their lives for their children and have been the pillars of support for what they are now. His family’s faith on him and his faith on god has not gone waste & he should make sure he doesn’t waste it.

Another person who’s helped him on his way to a comeback is Pace guru, TA.Shekar of the MRF pace foundation. Irfan dedicates his comeback to the veteran, where he says that the wrist position & rhythm were corrected in order to get back his lost swing.  His Ranji season so far has been terrific.  It was terrific enough to earn him a recall to the Indian team and is certain to play the 4^th ODI.  

“It makes every second of the struggle worthwhile. You feel blessed when your hard work is rewarded. The dream to play for the country has always been there. When it is fulfilled, you feel nothing gets better than this. Having all the luxuries in life — having a big car, big house — nothing comes close to this,” said pathan in one of his recent interviews. His genuinity has been his trademark.  I really wish he makes full use of his comeback & understands why Team India & Irfan Pathan is mutually interdependent. Insha Allah, he comes out trumps!               

Music would have been a greater journey, If only his journey had not ended - H.Sridhar remembered

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain – Bob Marley

Bob Marley couldn’t have perfected that line better. Music is something that transcends lives. And only people, who understand the true essence of music, live them.  Though I might not be competent enough to talk about him or this subject, you can take this as a reflection of a person, who simply enjoys the nuances of every note in music. As my friend says, you don’t have to be a musician to enjoy the music.

December is generally the music season in Chennai. Accidentally, on this day (December 1st) I couldn’t think of a better person who lived his music, however ironic it might sound. H. Sridhar, was one of the most desirable & gifted sound engineers that the world has ever seen. It would be unfair to him, if we just limited him into the Indian music scenario.  H.Sridhar, was a man who read between notes & experienced the mood of the music. Not many people are aware of the fact that he was the main strength behind A.R.Rahman’s music. With over 200 films in his 20 year long career, almost all of the leading directors & music directors have worked with him & more importantly enjoyed their stints.  

In my view I think his success was mainly because, he had the ability to turn simple music into an extravagant experience. He gave the right music it’s deserved due.  He was a person who matched the brilliance of Rahman’s music during production. Only a person who can understand the soul of the music, and the importance of every single track involved in the orchestra can be a good sound engineer. His empathy towards every single track gave him the opportunity to understand the value of music when it came together. This could have helped his unmatchable rapport with Rahman.

Movies such as Lagaan, Dil Se, Kannathil Muthammittal & Dil Chahtha hai were pioneer movies, mainly because the music & soundtracks in the movie uplifted the entire experience. I’m sure in each of the movies mentioned above; you would have surely shed a tear at some point of the time. If you‘ve noticed keenly during those scenes, it might have been the actors who have done a fabulous job. But if you stop to recollect that moment; it’s because of the arousing music during that scene, which would have let you reach for your handkerchief. The music subconsciously plays a huge role in affecting your senses. And only music can never help you achieve that objective. If you really need to touch the heart of millions through music, you need to provide them with the right amount of music at the right levels & at the right moment. H.Sridhar was a wizard of that art, who clearly distinguished between noise & music.

You might think, a person with such a craft would have gone a long way in his studies to get to where he began. Surprisingly, he was a self taught audio engineer. It was his pure passion towards music that had driven him to where he began.  He was a pioneer in introducing DTS mixing to Indian music while engineering sound.  He has bagged 4 national awards for the best Audiography for following movies:

·         Mahanadi (1994)

·         Dil Se (1999)

·         Lagaan (2002)

·         Kannathil Muthamittal (2003)

Of these national awards given to him, my personal favorite is that of Lagaan & Kannathil Muthamittal. Both of these movies are of completely different genres & the music needed to be designed in distinct manners. In Lagaan, the scene where Bhuvan invites Kachra (spinner) to be part of the team & later hugs him, had music get into every neutron of your body, instigating a unanimous standing ovation, otherwise simply said as ‘Goosebumps.’ 

Another of my favorites is the climax of Kannathil Muthamittal. The climax is about 14 minutes, with a very volatile scene, which defines the title of the movie demanded impeccable sound engineering. With a perfect mix of the ambience sound & the characters voice, you could gradually feel the music grow on you & towards the end leaves you spell bound with tears. With due credit to Rahman, H.Sridhar’s masterpiece emerged.

Not to forget his Grammy for the best compilation soundtrack album for a motion picture, for the movie Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman duly recognized Sridhar’s contribution for getting 2 Oscars. Another great distinction in my view was the way he worked with both Rahman & Ilayaraja. Both are legends in their respective rights. But both have distinct sounds & music, which have created their own trademark & authority in delivering such music. To swiftly adopt with ease is another thing that I’d always admired about him. Not many people could toggle various spaces of music at such a short span of time. It was not only the Indians that he had worked with. Musicians such as George Harrison of The Beatles, John Neptune Kaizan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar and John McLaughlin too had the privilege of working with this mastermind.

Here are few of his masterful works: (Thanks Wikipedia)

1.       Slumdog Millionaire (2009) (Sound Engineer)

2.       Connections (2009) (Sound Design & Final Mix)

3.       Dasavathaaram (2008) (Sound Design & Final Mix)

4.       Jodhaa Akbar (2008) (Music Mix & Song Mix)

5.       Cheeni Kum (2007) (Sound Design & Final Mix)

6.       Bombil and Beatrice (2007) ( Audiography & ReRecording Mixer)

7.       Sivaji (2007) (Mixing Engineer)

8.       Guru (2007) (Audiography)

9.       Dharam (2007) ( Mixing Engineer)

10.   Provoked (2006) (sound re-recording mixer)

11.   Godfather (2006) (sound engineer)

12.   Water (2005) (additional music editing) (sound engineer)

13.   Ramji Londonwale (2005) (audiographer)

14.   Ah Aah: Anbe Aaruyire (2005) (sound mixer)

15.   Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005) (music programming) (sound engineer)

16.   Swades (2004) (sound engineer) [fr]

17.   Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004) (sound engineer)

18.   Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004) (sound designer)

19.   New (2004) (sound mixer)

20.   Boys (2003) (sound)

21.   Saathiya (2002) (sound designer)

22.   Om Jai Jagadish (2002) (sound re-recordist: Media Artists)

23.   Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin (2002) (re-recording and song mixing)

24.   Kannathil Muthamittal (2002) (sound mixer) (DTS mix)

25.   Nayak: The Real Hero (2001) (sound recordist)

26.   Dil Chahta Hai (2001) (final mixing)

27.   Lagaan (2001) (final mixing engineer) (song recording)

28.   Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa (2000) (sound re-recordist: Media Artist, Chennai)

29.   Pukar (2000) (sound re-recordist: Media Artist, Chennai)

30.   Alaipayuthey (2000) (dts mix)

31.   Thakshak (1999) (sound mixer)

32.   Mast (1999) (audiography)

33.   Vaastav: The Reality (1999) (re-recording and mixing: Media Artist)

34.   Sooryavansham (1999) (audiography: Media Artists)

35.   Kaun (1999) (sound designer)

36.   Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) (re-recordist: Media Artist)

37.   Dil Se (1998) (audiography) (song recordist: Panchathan Records Inn) (sound mixer: Panchathan Records Inn) # Satya (1998) (sound designer)

38.   Kabhi Na Kabhi (1998) (song recordist: Panchathan Recording Inn, Madras) (as Sridhar) (sound re-recordist: Panchathan Recording Inn, Madras)

39.   Aflatoon (1997) (sound re-recordist: Media Artists, Chennai)

40.   Daud: Fun on the Run (1997) (music mixer)

41.   Jeet (1996) (background music recordist)

42.   Mumbai (1995) (song recordist) (sound re-recordist)

43.   Rangeela (1995) (music mixer: Media Artistes) (sound effects: Media Artistes)

In my view music can never be written for it to reach the soul. It needs to be experienced. H.Sridhar was a man who provided such magical experiences along with various musicians. I trust that he was one person who took music from the ears to the heart. That’s the most difficult journey any musician/ technician would yearn to conquer. He did that in his own way of presenting music as a final product. But I’ve always wondered what this fatal connection between music & death was. A lot of legends have reached peace, much ahead of their times. Music would have been a greater journey, If only his journey had not ended.