Indian Railway System

History states that it was the British who brought about the railway system in India. I still feel that they have done good things to our country may be a margin less. If at all my granddad was alive and reading this post he will give me 1001 reasons as to why we should be an independent nation. Unfortunately he died on January 1, 2005 we miss u thatha… He was a freedom fighter and he ran away from home at the age of 16 years. That’s how much was the impact of freedom movement during those period.

Coming back to the topic, the railway system in India is tremendous keeping in mind the landscape and population size of the country. To cater to a population of this size is not an easy task and people move from one corner to another corner of the country.

Recently I had the privilege of making a long journey in train from Howrah to Bangalore. It took me close to 34 hours to complete the journey and I should say it was an experience of a kind. The trains in India run at an average speed of 90 km to 100 km per hour and that’s far far slow compared to other countries of the world. And every year there is competition between TGV and Bullet train and if my memory is right I think its TGV who are ahead at around 500 km ph. The tracks in India need to be modified so as to take the speed. Maybe this is the area which the department needs to have a serious thought on there by reducing the travelling time. With absolutely no entertainment and no plug point to charge my laptop I was left gazing at the scenic beauty outside.

Coming to the aspect of food in trains, I would say its far better than how it used to be 10 years ago but still a lot of improvement needs to be done especially with regards to hygiene factors.

I was literally killing my time during my entire journey thanks firstly to the aviation department which is another big story. So I sat down to write this post as I was left with no other option and my blog also desperately needs posts.

Give away of the day...!!

I was actually searching for an encryption software on the internet and accidently got hold of this site, this is probably one of its kind atleast till now. The name of the web site is http://www.giveawayoftheday.com as the name describes they give one licensed software free everyday which otherwise you have to pay. I wonder how they actually manage to do this but as long as it serves the purpose am not going to ask the question.

They also give one licensed game software also everyday. Should sounds great for all those game freaks out there.

But seriously speaking I just loved the site for what its offering. So people just log onto the site everyday, you never know the software or the game which you desperately needed might be on the stands and that too free of cost.

Jab we met

This was the movie which i co incidentally happened to see last night. I was so bored and didn't know what to do so watched the movie. One of my friend said the movie is good, so Jab it happened.. I should say the movie was worth a watch for 3 reasons first i could spend my time, next it made me laugh and finally it had an happy ending. I don't want to explain in detail about the story but its a typical bollywood movie and the centre theme is obviously Love. Kareena Kapoor has put on a good show and her non stop blabbering reminds me of a friend by name vinita who is exactly like her. Songs are good especially the music, i dunno who scored it but its peppy. If u are looking for something on the story line, please don't watch the movie as the story is not that very great.

On the whole a good movie and i would rate it 5.5 on 10 as its a good time pass.

September till November

I haven’t actually posted anything on my blog but have been visiting the page regularly to write something and after adding bits and pieces every other day my final post is ready. Travelling is the reason y I haven’t been able to write. The second half of the year has been really great for me and traveling to different parts. F

First on the list was Chandigargh (Northern Part of India) where my stay was for close to 2 weeks.
Chandigargh – India’s first planned city and to say its actually well planned be it the roads or the buildings. Its neatly cut out. Lots of greenery and good people. And food – Punjabi food I don’t have to tell anything. During the course of my stay I had the opportunity to visit Jalander and Amritsar. My stop was at first in Amritsar – Golden Temple early morning at 4 am. And it’s a paradise on earth.. wat a mind boggling structure made out of 500 kg of Gold, I didn’t know much about the custom and tradition but really enjoyed the way things are done. Later the evening went to the famous Wagha border (now known as Atari) and witnessed one of the most beautiful sights. Indian and Pakistani soldiers showed their true class and power.

On the whole a memorable experience.

October saw my first trip to China – where the east meets the west. I stayed in the capital Beijing for nearly 3 weeks and witnessed one of the best be it food, people or infrastructure. China is easily 30 times developed than India and at the rate they are going I dunno who can stop them may be its language which will stop them. I also happened to visit Chengdu another beautiful place – voted as the best tourist spot. During my stay in Beijing got a chance to visit one of the 7 wonders of the world The Great Wall and am thrilled, happy name the word and I am really over joyed. I also visited the Summer Palace, Tianmen Square (The fmous studen revolution took place there) and Temple of Heaven. All beautiful places and well maintained. Love Beijing and didnt feel like leaving the place. I miss Beijing.

So this is the reason why I haven't been writing. Let me work out on a good post soon.

India win Twenty20 World Cup

India are ICC Twenty-20 World Cup Cricket Champions!!!

India have beaten Pakistan by just five runs to lift the first Twenty20 cricket World Cup - their first major trophy since 1983!
India won the toss to bat first and Gautam Gambhir soon knocked up 75 runs to help his side reach 157-5.
Pakistan started well in response, but Irfan Pathan and Rudra Pratap Singh took three wickets each to see them end on 152 all out in the final over.
India had only played one Twenty20 game before the start of the tournament.
Shahid Afridi has declared "Player of the Tournament" and Irfan Pathan as "Man of the Match"

Well, truely a memorable day for all Indians.

Chak de India!!

Amazing Truth

The Most Selfish " 1 " letter word
" I " ---> Avoid It

The Most Satisfying " 2 " letter word
" We " ---> Use It

The Most Poisonous " 3 " letter word
" Ego" ---> Kill It

The Most Used " 4 " letter word
" LOVE " --> Value It

The Pleasing " 5 " letter word
" SMILE " --> Keep It

The Fastest Spreading " 6 " letter word
" RUMOUR " --> Ignore It

The Hardest working " 7 " Letter word
"SUCCESS " --> Achieve It

The Most enviable " 8 " letter word
" JEALOUSY " --> Distance It

The Most Powerful " 9 " word letter word
" KNOWLEDGE " --> Acquire It

The Most essential " 10 " letter word
" CONFIDENCE " -- > Trust It

English - Driving me crazy at times

Some reasons to be grateful if you grew up speaking English:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound .
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) There is no time like the present, he said it was time to present the present .
8) At the Army base, a bass was painted on the head of a bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear .
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
22) I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt .

The Parking at T.Nagar

On Sunday, I had the great privilege of driving pun intended in the crowded streets of T.Nagar at around 11AM. I was approaching Saravana Stores, the one opposite Panagal Park. The problem started then, where should I park my car, the security personnel outside the shop told me take the first left and you would find the place. I did follow suit and to my surprise I couldn't find a single parking spot so I drove ahead and ahead and ahead till I reached the end of the road. Thank God, there I could find a place between two houses and I parked, now the trouble started I had to walk back and it was gruel some long walk approximately 1km.

From now on, learned a lesson never take private vehicles to T.Nagar instead use public transportation which will have its own drawbacks but its better than walking 1 km.

I wish the authorities do something productive about the parking problems and the shop keepers also have a role to play.

What is marketing....??

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me! " - That's Direct Marketing"

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: " He's very rich. "Marry him." -That's Advertising"

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: " Hi, I'm very rich. "Marry me - That's Telemarketing"

4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car)for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you "Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations"

5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! "Can you marry ! Me?" - That's Brand Recognition"

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. - " That's Customer Feedback"

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband. - "That's demand and supply gap"

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him - "That's competition eating into your market share"

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives. - "That's restriction for entering new markets "

They are...

1. CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE, BRAZIL
The 125-foot-tall statue of Christ the Redeemer with outstretched arms overlooks Rio de Janeiro from atop Mt. Corcovado. The statue, which weighs more than 1,000 tons, was built by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski in pieces in France starting in 1926, then shipped to Brazil. The pieces were carried by cogwheel railway up the mountain for assembly. The statue was inaugurated in 1931.

2. PYRAMID AT CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO
This step-pyramid surmounted by a temple survives from a sacred site that was part of one of the greatest Mayan centers of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Built according to the solar calendar, it is placed so that shadows cast at the fall and spring equinoxes are said to look like a snake crawling down the steps, similar to the carved serpent at the top.

3. GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The 4,160-mile barricade running from east to west in northern China is the longest man-made structure in the world. The fortification, which largely dates from the 7th through the 4th century B.C., was built to protect the dynasties from invasion by the Huns, Mongols, Turks and other nomadic tribes.

4. MACHU PICCHU, PERU
Built by the Incan Empire in the 15th century, the giant walls, palaces, temples and dwellings of the Machu Picchu sanctuary are perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet above sea level in the Andes mountains. It remains a mystery how the huge stones were moved into place for the construction of the remote city.

5. COLOSSEUM, ITALY
The giant amphitheater in Rome was inaugurated in A.D. 80 by the Emperor Titus in a ceremony of games lasting 100 days. The 50,000-seat Colosseum, which has influenced the design of modern sports stadiums, was an arena where thousands of gladiators dueled to the death and Christians were fed to the lions.

6. PETRA, JORDAN
The ancient city of Petra in southwestern Jordan, built on a terrace around the Wadi Musa or Valley of Moses, was the capital of the Arab kingdom of the Nabateans. It also flourished under Roman rule after the Nabateans were defeated in A.D. 106. The city is famous for its water tunnels and numerous stone structures carved in rock, the most impressive of which is probably Ad-Dayr, an uncompleted tomb facade that served as a church during Byzantine times.

7. TAJ MAHAL, INDIA
The white marble-domed mausoleum in Agra was built by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The complex - an example of Mughal architecture combining Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles - houses the graves of the emperor and his wife, as well as those of lesser royalty.

Source: Forbes.com

And the Seven Wonders are...

Two moons on 27 August, 2007

**Two moons on 27 August* 11 pm CST (12 pm EST) in USA.

You may be interested. Show two moons to children. Mark the date on your calendar. Let us hope the sky is not cloudy. This time translates to 11 pm CST (12 pm EST) in USA. Let’s not miss this spectacle!!**Two moon on 27 August

**27th August the Whole World is waiting for.............* Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August.It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am IST. It will look like the earth has 2 moons.The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again.

The iPhone: Ten Things Apple Did Right, and Ten Things That Need Work

The latest gizmo to hit the market is definitely the iPHONE from Apple. I was seeing the video the other day and was seriously awe struck by its features and things it can do. Seriously its an eye catchy phone priced at around $600. But for people in India the wait is still on as the iPHONE will not be available till 2008.

I was glancing at PC WORLD magazine and came up with the pros and cons of this latest gadget, which i have pasted below. Thanks to them.

Ten Things Apple Did Right in the iPhone

1. The display, the display, the display: Everything looks good on it.

2. The menu design is simple and clean, and the home-screen icons look like so much eye candy.

3. Fingertip navigation, zooming, and scrolling are intuitive, effective, and fast.

4. Video playback is so good that you can tell when you've done a subpar job of ripping your movies.

5. Visual voice mail lets you get to the calls you care about faster.

6. The integrated applications--including Google Maps, YouTube, and a world clock that packs a timer, a stopwatch, and multiple alarms--are great.

7. CoverFlow, which lets you choose your music by visually flipping through album art, is incredibly fun.

8. The exterior is tough: Our initial stress tests suggest that the iPhone is more durable than you might expect for such a sleek handset.

9. It's the first Apple music player with a built-in speaker--and the speaker isn't half bad for a phone component.

10. You don't get a disconcerting "do not disconnect" message when syncing the iPhone with a PC.

Ten Things Apple (and AT&T) Did Wrong

1. There is NO AOL Instant Messaging--and Yahoo and MSN IM clients, too. What about MMS support for sending picture mail?

2. There's no voice recording and, more importantly, no voice dialing support. How are you supposed to use an iPhone with a hands-free car kit?

3. It's the most locked-down phone we've ever seen. You can't swap out the AT&T SIM card for one from another network; in fact, you can't even swap it out for another AT&T SIM card.

4. AT&T is building out its mobile broadband network, but iPhone users are stuck with the company's older EDGE technology--or with battery-consuming Wi-Fi.

5. You know those great headphones you already own? They won't fit the iPhones headset jack, so your first iPhone accessory will have to be a bulky, ugly $10 adapter.

6. The software keyboard invites typos--and when you're entering passwords, there's no way of telling whether you've got them right until tyou get an "access denied" prompt.

7. It's great that the iPhone can reorient pages in Safari, CoverFlow, and the photo album, but why not extend that capability to other apps such as e-mail? Some messages would benefit from a wide-screen display. And even when the device does reorient, it doesn't always follow through with all the attendant features: CoverFlow loses access to the volume slider, for example.

8.There's no support for custom ringtones--surprising in a music phone.

9. The camera is rudimentary, with no audio/video or even a zoom capability.

10. You don't get to-do list support, a basic in most calendar applications.

Cortesy: PC WORLD Saturday, June 30, 2007

Here comes the monsoon.....!!!

The south west monsoon which had set much earlier than usual is bringing rain. Though Kerala and southern parts of Tamil Nadu experienced rain, yesterday was the first day Chennai received good rain bringing delight to many including me.

Normally its the north east monsoon which brings much rain to the city and it normally sets during the month of august i guess...

So what happens next, is the corporation of madras geared up to take up the rainy season ahead.

And my car is still in the operation theatre only.

My first car accident

I have been driving for over 8 months now and managed to drive so far without any scratches in my car. Anyone driving in the city of Chennai would know how tough it is really to drive without any hits. But finally the jinx was broken, thanks to our good old MTC (Metropolitan Transport Corporation) bus driver.

The incident, rather accident or what should I say..... happened near Dashprakash bus stop. It was 7 PM and as always the traffic was at its peak and I was not driving rash or fast also (how can I drive fast...!!!) just driving in second gear. I had halted to the right of the bus waiting for the traffic to clear ahead of me. Then suddenly it all happened, the bus was standing in the stop and the driver seeing only to his left started the vehicle and rammed to the left of my car, left rear door went inside and luckily petrol tank was not much damaged apart from the paint of the bus and scratches. Luckily the door could open.

As expected the driver just left the place, damage only to my vehicle.. Sob.. :(

Now I have given the vehicle for repairs and God knows how much the damage would cost me..

Where is the helmet..??

Come June 1, '07 all motor cycle riders in the city have an extra load to carry in their armoury and i.e. a HELMET and the pillion rider will not be spared either, he / she also has to wear one.

Thanks to the new law...!!!

Though this rule existed from long back, only now it will be implemented (hopefully..!!!). From tommorrow the new law will come into effect and slowly it will be implemented in other cities of the state.

Rules:

• All two - wheel riders are to complsourily wear helmets.


• All pillion riders should also wear helmets compulsorily.


• No kid will be allowed to travel sitting in the petrol tank.


• Kids are exempted from wearing the helmets provided they are below 6 and sit behind.

So, this is how the order of the day will be from tomorrow. Already there has been a last minute rush to purchase the same and I hope everyone sees the ISI symbol (Indian Standards Institute now renamed as Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS)) on the helmet before purchasing.

And I was told from July - wearing seat belts in car will also be made compulsory. Seeing all this, its really good sign for the city which has been recently voted as the cleanest metro in the country. Another feather in the cap.

Krd Rys (a.k.a Curd Rice)

For about a week now, at several strategic locations, there is a huge hoarding with a smiling Prakash Raj announcing Krd Rys, at an introductory offer of Rs.10 (against the intended price of Rs.16). In the picture, the Krd Rys is all white with touches of green and orange, and its container echoes the same colour scheme.

According to Business Line:
Hatsun Agro Product Ltd has come out with `Krd Rys'-- possibly the world's first branded curd rice offering. The company owns brands such as `Arokya' milk, `Komatha' milk, `Santosa' milk (targeted towards hotels and caterers) and `Arun Ice cream' and launched `Krd Rys' recently in some parts of Tamil Nadu.

`Krd Rys' will be prepared entirely by machines in the company's ISO and HACCP certified dairies. Hatsun operates four dairies at present in Salem, Kancheepuram, Nallur (Chennai) and Belgaum, Karnataka.

At an introductory price of Rs 10 for 275 gms, the curd rice is garnished with mustard, cashew nuts, raisin, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and carrot.

The product will be available throughout the State in a few days, according to company officials. Details of the investment have not been disclosed but the thinking behind the launch of the product is evident.

So what do you guys think about this new product??

A dozen stupid facts..!!!

1. It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland!

2. The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!

3. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

4. Women blink nearly twice as much as men!

5. You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206!

6. Earth is the only planet not named after a god!

7. Sharks can live up to 100 years!

8. Former president Bill Clinton only sent 2 emails in his entire 8 year presidency!

9. Octopus have three hearts!

10. Tiger shark embroyos fight each other in their mother's womb. The survivor is born!

11. A Blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant!

12. Bill Gates' house was designed using a Macintosh computer!

Tips for searching in Google

Modifiers

1. allintitle: If you start a query with [allintitle:], Google will restrict the results to those with all of the query words in the title.

2. allinurl: If you start a query with [allinurl:], Google will restrict the results to those with all of the query words in the URL.

3. date: Search only a range of months.

4. intitle: If you include [intitle:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to documents containing that word in the title.

5. inurl: If you include [inurl:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to documents containing that word in the URL.

6. site: If you include [site:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to those websites in the given domain.

7. Punctuation - Several of the more common operators use punctuation instead of words, or do not require a colon. Among these operators are OR, "" (the quote operator), ~ (tilde, the synonym operator), #...# (the numerical range operator), * (asterisk, any word identifier), - (the minus operator), and + (the plus operator).

Operators

1. cache: If you include other words in the query, Google will highlight those words within the cached document.

2. define: The query [define:] will provide a definition of the words you enter after it, gathered from various online sources. The definition will be for the entire phrase entered.

3. filetype: Use to restrict the results to a specific file type such as [filetype:pdf] or [filetype:ppt].

4. info: The query [info:] will present some information that Google has about that web page.

5. link: Use to see who is linking to you. The query [link:] will list web pages that have links to the specified web page.

6. movie: Use the [movie:] operator to search for films related to a specific actor, director or plot detail.

7. related: The query [related:] will list web pages that are "similar" to a specified web page.

8. safesearch: Exclude adult-content.

8. stocks: If you begin a query with the [stocks:] operator, Google will treat the rest of the query terms as stock ticker symbols, and will link to a page showing stock information for those symbols.

Special Searches / Features

1. showtimes – Use [showtimes] or the name of a current film into the Google search box. If you've already saved your location by using Google Local, the top search result will display show times for nearby theaters for the movie you've chosen.

2. patent - Search for a specific patent number. "patent 12345678 "

3. Fcc - Search for a specific FCC equipment ID. "Fcc B4Z-34009-PIR "

4. Weather - See weather conditions and a four-day forecast for a particular U.S. location.

5. Calculator - The Google search box becomes a calculator.

6. FAA registrations - Get info based on an airplane's tail number.

7. Stock quotes - Use the ticker symbol(s).

8. Airport conditions - "mco airport"

9. UPS tracking numbers - "1Z9999W99999999999"

10. FedEx tracking numbers - "999999999999"

11. Telephone area codes - "650"

INDIAN CRICKET BOARD REFUSES RICHARD BRANSON'S VIRGIN AIRLINE SPONSORSHIP

Billionaire Virgin business group boss Richard Branson has offered to
sponsor the Indian cricket team currently reeling after a string of
tournament defeats.
However, the embattled Board of Control for Cricket of India (BCCI) has
politely refused the generous multi-million-pound offer by the cricket-mad
magnate.

As one harassed Board official snapped: "We can't have VIRGIN written on
our shirts, when we're getting screwed in every match"

"courtesy of : Selvan. L (You know who)"

Worst day of the summer !!

Today probably the worst day for me to feel the scorching heat. Normally, thanks to the AC's the office atmosphere is really a heaven. Today, my mother wanted to go sri perambathur and we started by 9 AM. Morning, it was fine as the heat was gradually increasing, once we reached the temple there it was pretty cool. I seriously admire the construction of these old temples, though the heat is more, its pretty chill inside.. how in the world did they manage to make such a construction or the God's doing the trick ;)

The problem started only when we were coming back, we started by 11.30 and at noon we were literally burnt in the weather, the car AC was at its maximum but still the heat could be felt inside and once we reached the city limits it got worse as we couldn't move freely and the heat was taking its toll. Eventually we couldn't travel anymore and had to settle in my aunt's house for the afternoon.

This truely is hot really hot, I wonder how people travel in this weather especially the two - wheelers..

What do you think about the weather chennaities..??

Job Offer availabe in a leading MNC. Who have 3 years experience in Sales and 1 year experience as Team Leader in Sales.

Requierement: Any Graduation
Age: 25 years to 32 years
Current CTC : Should be 1.5 lakh
Position: Agency Manager
Should be residing within city limits

For further information mail me

The Best Things in Life

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. Getting mail.

4. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

5. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

6. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

7. Finding the jean you want is on sale for half price.

8. Giggling.

9. A good conversation.

10. The beach.

11. Laughing at yourself.

12. Running in rain.

13. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

14. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.

15. Laughing at an inside joke.

16. Friends.

17. Falling in love for the first time.

18. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

19. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

20. Your first kiss.

21. Having someone play with your hair.

22. Sweet dreams.

23. Chocolate.

24. Swinging on swings.

25. Watching a good movie cuddled up on a couch with someone you love.

26. Going to a really good concert.

27. Getting butterflies in your stomach every time you see that one person.

28. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

29. Winning a really competitive game.

30. Holding hands with someone you care about.

31. Discovering that love is unconditional and stronger than time.

32. Hugging the person you love.

33. Watching the expression someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.

34. Watching the sunrise.

35. Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day.

If you think there is anything else best, let me know.. :)

WC 2007 - Also The Aussie way

The best team won the world cup. Clearly, any person seeing Australia bat, bowl and field can say they were the best team of the tournament. Though they had a miserable tournament against the Black Caps, a clean white wash and losing the Hadlee - Chapell trophy, they provided some outstanding cricket all through this tournament. As a result they strech their world cup winning record to 29 matches on the row. Yes 29 matches, so they were last defeated in a world cup match only in 1999. Spectacular and brilliant, the way they have been consistent for the past 11 to 12 years shows their calibre, mind you they lost to Sri Lanka in 1996 world cup final and the revenge has been taken now. So, for the last 4 editions of the world cup they have been into the finals.

1996 - India, Srilanka & Pakistan

I personally feel that the reason why Srilanka won the 1996 world cup is because of 2 personalities. One their former coach, Dav Whatmore and second Aravinda De Silva. Whatmore bought about this strategy of lofting the ball beyond the 30 yards circle, where in only 2 players are allowed beyond for the first 15 overs and Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwartana capitalised to the fullest possible extent. Aravinda is technically the most prolific batsman of the time and its thanks to his innings in the final, that they were able to chase Australia's score.

1999 - England

For the first time after the World Cup started in 1975 - the world cup was held within the span of 3 years, normally its held every 4 years like any other major tournaments of the world. People say different views about it, but I think England wanted to hold the World Cup before the 21st centuary. They hosted in 1975, 1979 and before the end of the centuary they wanted to hold and so perhaps the world cup was preponed by a year and so in 1999 world cup was held. Another exception is 1992 world cup, held after a gap of 5 years.

During the world cup, Sachin Tendulkar's father expired and he flew back and came back to hit a massive hundred against Kenya.. Truely.. a superb knock. Another major highlight was the semi - final between Australia and South Africa. The match ended in draw and Australia scrape through to the finals because of a better run rate. The final ball when Allan Donald ran out by Lance Klusener still is fresh in my mind, I seriously think they shouldn't have ran that single instead Zulu could have hit the ball over the park as he did the over before. So, Australia went to the final and literally tore apart Pakistan for the loss of a single wicket.

2003 - South Africa

The Indian team were a total under dogs (I seriously find this term stupid !!!) before they went to the tournament. No one expected them to be in the finals, they however still managed to reach the finals and got pulverised in the hands of Australia again. The major highlight would be India reaching the finals, because after 1983 's win they never managed to reach the finals in any other edition of the cup. So, exactly after 20 years they reached but only difference and major difference, they lost in the finals.

2007 - West Indies

This was the recently ended one which clearly stands out for all the unlikely events. First India lost to Bangladesh, second Pakistan lost to Ireland who were playing for the first time and the following day Bob Woolmer expired (Pakistan coach) first reports suicide and later confirmed as murdered. Still after the world cup, no clear picture as to who murdered him or how he was murdered. Next, Ireland got one day status because they defeated 2 Test playing nation, namely Pakistan and Bangladesh. By this, both South Asian giants were out of the tournament namely Pakistan and India who didn't manage to go to the Super 8. And once again Australia won the world cup for the third time on the row making it a hat trick of world cup wins.

With this we can see that during the last four editions of the world cup its been Australia vs some Asian country, leaving the first its been Australia all the way. Another way this WC would be memorable is that almost all the coaches are retiring after this WC.

John Buchanen of Australia is giving way to Tim Nielsen.

Duncan Fletcher of England gives way to Steve McClaren

Bennett King of West Indies, Tom Moody of Sri Lanka, Dav Whatmore of Bangladesh, Greg Chapell of India all have retired. Pakistan have lost their coach in the sad way. Mickey Arthur coach of South Africa is under the scanner. Its more likely that John Bracewell will continue as New Zealand's coach. Zimbabwe's coach Kevin Curran, I seriously dont have any clue whether he will continue as coach or ..... And South African Adrian Birrell will most likely be taking over as coach of Ireland who got one day status recently. I think I have covered all the ODI playing countries. Next, coming to the players retirement list...

From the Indian Cricket Team, the first player to retire from the ODI was Anil Kumble.
Brian Lara, Inzamum-ul-Haq, Russell Arnold, Ian Bradshaw and Glenn McGrath have already announced their retirement. Stephen Fleming, Sanath Jayasuriya announced their retirement from ODI's for the time being.
I definitely believe Marvan Attapattu, Michael Vaughan, Jacques Kallis will and many more will call it a day soon. In a few weeks time we could see many players following suit.

Whats your say? Am I missing out somebody?

On the whoe, though the tournament was very long, it was a treat especially to all the Aussie fans atleast. The sponsors of the tournament made a huge loss, thanks mainly to India's and Pakistan's early exit, it was a tournament well fought and the best team eventually won it.

HATS OFF TO AUSTRALIA... !!!

They truely deserve the cup.. (though it contradicts my earlier post, happy because the best team won).

Lara calls it a day

The on going world cup has seen many upsets, starting from India's loss to Bangladesh and Pakistan's loss to debutant's Ireland. The recent addition to the list would definitely be the retiring of the great West Indies captain and batting maestro Brian Charles Lara who announced his retirement from International cricket to bring to an end a enthralling career. Lara, 37, holds the record for the top test score (400 not out) and highest in the first-class game (501 not out). He amassed 11,953 runs in 131 Tests and 10,387 runs in 298 one-day internationals.

Lara's relaxed, superb technique, flourishing drives and broad smile meant he was always destined to stand out. He will be remembered as one of the most natural timers of a ball, but his legacy will also be tarnished somewhat by his failings as a captain in a rapidly declining West Indies team that could not challenge as World Cup hosts.

Come Tuesday, the semi finals begin starting with Sri Lanka facing New Zealand, though personally I want NZ to win.. I would keep my fingers crossed. What is more important would be the Australia vs South Africa semi final which I definitely want SA to win. Don't ask whether am against Aus and if you still ask I would say a big YES... for the simple reason they have won it 3 times. Why not have a change...??? From 1996 they have been in all the finals, so want a change.

GOD turn your eyes to a place which is to the right of Australia... Let the Black Caps hold the Silverware..

Are the God's to be blamed...!!!

Lord Krishna, Lord Jesus, Lord Allah.... who are we going to blame now or the God's are going to point fingers at one another. This can happen only in India, because the importance which we give to cricket is huge, no other sport comes even near. Can you imagine, people from different walks of life be a hindu, muslim or christian all praying for "TEAM INDIA" (as they call these days). Are we giving undue importance to cricket?? Definitely yes...

The recent exit of Team India from the world cup have brought about lot of things under the scanner. Axing of players, coach and what not...!! Is this fair on our part, going a year back it was under the leadership of Greg Chapell that we won 17 matches chasing, which is a world record by itself. So, its like if the team plays well we worship them as God else burn their images and send rubbish messages. The most interesting one which caught me was, Indira Gandi is to be blamed for the loss against Bangladesh, because its she who split Bangladesh from Pakisthan in 1956. What nonsense is this...??

Media - Goodness me, what can I say about them. According to me they are the serious cause for all the problems. They give unnecessary hype and make money and when the team fails they create a bad image.
So, what next...?? The BCCI meets on April 6th and some serious decisions should be taken on the future of cricket in India.