Is Life a play?

Many times during the 21 years of my life, i have got a feeling that life is like a play where people like us are playing different characters. But most of the times i say to myself that's is not true because life does not have a fixed story line or a script based on which everything happens. i have always felt that the suspense part in life is what makes it unpredictable. It is the reason why people say that no body can guess what is going to happen next yet we all seem to balance each other. But now i feel that some part of our life is planned and we are playing certain roles but nobody knows what role we are playing but we end up helping many people and make them our friends and we also end up hurting people, they become our enemies.

Life has a purpose, all of us have some purpose in life. Many of us realize our purpose a bit late and a few realize it earlier. When we start working towards our goal we cross many stages, we meet many people who can be generally classified as friends and enemies. These are the people who help you to achieve your goal and these are also the people who stand as an obstacle in your way towards success.

In short life can be treated as a game where u have a mission that you are supposed to complete at any cost. This is a game where many fail and only the best prevail. Be brave and face your problems with courage. Life is too short to be worried about so act quickly and work towards your goal.

I am back again

I quit writing posts in this blog couple of months back and Its been a while since i have blogged. Few days back i popped into my blog and i noticed that my blog had many visitors and i received comments in my cbox saying that they are missing me lots. I started thinking of the good times that i had when i used to blog. So today i decided to get back to blogging. I have changed the look of my blog and deleted many of the stupid and nonsense post i had written in my blog. From now i will be writing sensible stuff and i am sure all of you will like it. This is a new start i hope you all will support me in this.

Be foccused

Focus this is just a five letter word which has a lot of meaning in it. Every humane being has many ambitions in life he sets numerous goals for him self and nobody knows whether he achieves them or not but if he does one can be sure that the a person was focused on what he was doing and was clear about what he wanted. It is very essential that all of us should be focused on what we are doing to ensure that we succeed in whatever we do.

The reason why i am em phasing on the need to focus is tat if one deviates his attention from what he must actually do then it will become very tough for that person to complete what he was doing and to succeed in life. We must never allow such situations to arise and must always be focused on every thing we do in life.

Rahman 3

Roja (1992)
Yodha (1992)
Uzhavan (1993)
Thiruda Thiruda (1993)
Pudhiya Mugam (1993)
Gentleman (1993)
Vandicholai Chinnaraasu (1994)
Super Police (1994)
Pudhiya Mannargal (1994)
Pavithra (1994)
May Madham (1994)
Kizhakku Cheemayile (1994)
Karuththamma (1994)
Kadhalan (1994)
Duet (1994)
Manitha Manitha (1994)
Gangmaster (1994)
Indira (1995)
Rangeela (1995)
Muthu (1995)
Bombay (1995)
Love Birds (1996)
Indian (1996)
Kadhal Desam (1996)
Fire (1996)
Mr. Romeo (1996)
Anthimantharai (1996)
Minsaara Kanavu (1997)
Iruvar (1997)
Daud: Fun On The Run (1997)
Ratchagan (1997)
Mona Lisa (1997)
Vishwa Vidhaata (1997)
Jeans (1998)
Dil Se… (1998)
Earth (1998)
Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998)
Kabhi Na Kabhi (1998)
En Swasa Kaatre (1999)
Jodi (1999)
Padayappa (1999)
Taal (1999)
Takshak (1999)
Kadhalar Dhinam (1999)
Pukar (1999)
Sangamam (1999)
Mudhalvan (1999)
Taj Mahal (2000)
Alaipayuthey (2000)
Fiza (2000) (1 song)
Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)
Rhythm (2000)
Thenali (2000)
Zubeidaa (2000)
One 2 Ka 4 (2001)
Nayak: The Real Hero (2001)
Love You Hamesha (2001)
Star (2001)
Lagaan (2001)
Parthale Paravasam (2001)
Alli Arjuna (2001)
Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)
The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)
Baba (2002)
Kadhal Virus (2002)
Saathiya (2002)
Udhaya (2003)
Parasuram (2003)
Boys (2003)
Enakku 20 Unakku 18 (2003)
Kangalal Kaithu Sei (2003)
Tehzeeb (2003)
Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2004)
Lakeer - Forbidden Lines (2004)
Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004)
Aayitha Ezhuthu / Yuva (2004)
New / Nani (2004)
Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa (2004) (3 songs)
Swades (2004)
Kisna - The Warrior Poet (2004) (6 songs)
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2005)
The Rising - Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005)
Anbe Aaruyire (2005)
Water (2005) (5 songs)
Rang De Basanti (2006)
Sillunu Oru Kaadhal (2006)
Varalaru - The History of the Godfather (2006)
Guru (2007)
Provoked (2007)
Sivaji: The Boss (2007)
Azhagiya Thamizh Magan (2007)
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) (with Craig Armstrong)
Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

Rahman 2

In 1991, Rahman began his own music recording and mixing studio, attached to backyard of his house, called the Panchathan Record Inn. He initially composed music jingles for advertisements, Indian Television channels and music scores in documentaries, among other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil film Roja. The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, the first time ever by a first-time film composer. Rahman has since then gone on to win the award three more times for his scores for Minsaara Kanavu in 1997, Lagaan in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal in 2003, the most ever by any composer.

Roja's score met with high sales and acclaim, in its original and dubbed versions, bringing about an effective transformation in film music at the time, and Rahman followed this with scores for films including, among others, Bombay, Kadhalan, Indira, Minsaara Kanavu, Muthu and Love Birds, which gained him notice. His soundtracks gained him recognition in the Tamil film industry and across the country for his versatality in classical, folk, jazz, reggae, soft rock and other styles in his pieces. Rangeela, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, marked Rahman's debut in Hindi films. Many popular and superhit scores for films including Dil Se and Taal followed. The sales of these albums prompted several film producers to take film music more seriously.
Rahman's work is also unique in the fact that his collaborations with some film directors have always resulted in successful soundtracks. In particular, he has worked with Mani Ratnam on ten films until 2006, all of which have been musical hits. Also notable is his collaboration with the director S. Shankar in the films Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Boys and Sivaji.

His Second movie album Roja was listed in TIME's "Top 10 Movie Soundtracks of All Time" in 2005. Rahman continued to record frequently in his studio, the Panchathan Record Inn. In 2005, a newly developed recording studio, attatched to the Inn called A.M. Studios was opened. It is considered to be the most developed, equipped and high tech studio of Asia. In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Musiq. It's first release was his soundtrack to the film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal which it released worldwide, in August 2006. His latest work includes Rang De Basanti, Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, Guru, Varalaru - The History of the Godfather, Sivaji: The Boss, Azhagiya Tamil Magan, and Jodhaa Akbar . Rahman has scored the movie Provoked, co-scored Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and is working on Chamki Chameli to be released in 2008 and Hindi version of Tamil blockbuster Ghajini. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri.

Loneliness

At times i wonder if i was meant to be alone all through. Not the way losers think..just something that troubles my mind whenever i get into one of my introspective moods. People are mixed creatures... they want people to share their joys and sorrows and also need their own space in life. I have met a lot of them in my journey of life and can say there is one common thread between all the people in this world... Loneliness!

That is one emotion which every one goes through at some point in our life. For some its an occasional feeling and for some its a daily existence. I belong to the category in the middle. I feel detached from the people around me at times and can be in my elements and have the time of my life when i feel like it.

Today is one of those days when am feeling contended being on my own. Just some time to ponder what i have been upto and trying to connect with my Inner self.. the person that i really am. And its very comforting to know that though many things have changed and as time moves on... there is that something which can give you the comfort feeling of being something from the past...that something which has been the same all through... Ur Inner self!!!!

Hi ppl

Hi friends i was not in blogging action for sometime because my system had crashed. I have got a standby system now and from now on you can see me posting frequently. I have seen that many of you have updated your blogs in a big way i surely make it a point to visit all your blogs and comment on your posts. So keep in touch and do visit my blogs too cause i ll be posting lots from now onwards.

A review about my blog

This is the review about my blog written by Mr.Unnikuttan. I have pasted the post in my blog the original post is in the following link Click Here

Today I want to make a hint on the blog of my friend Kiran. It is a nice blog well connected with other bloggers in India. He is a ambitious blogger and managed to set up a great blog community. Kiran, you did a great work, Please go on with it.

Unnikuttan

Results

Hi guys the results of the final semester are expected any time this week. First it was said that the results will be announced on 20th but I guess it has been postponed to 23rd of this month. I wish all of us get super results and I also wish all of you best of luck for your future endeavors.

Lets give them Hope!!!

"Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions, which force certain parts of the body into abnormal, sometimes painful, movements or postures. Dystonia can affect any part of the body including the arms and legs, trunk, neck, eyelids, face, or vocal cords."

Not many people know what Dystonia is and what are its affects on you. I was really down with tears after reading what has happened to Tyler. I love kids and always enjoy being with them and and to see something like this happen to a wonderful kid is really bad. What i feel is more than anything else what all of us should do now is to support Tyler and his family so that they can handle this situation well. They must know that they are not alone in this fight and all of us are there to help out.

I would advice all of you to visit Tyler's hope to know more about the organization and their motto. They are a non-profitable organization who are working to prevent
Dystonia and are trying to find a cure for the disease. It would be nice if all of us could join hands for the noble cause of creating awareness of this disease and this organization.

I am going to spread this message to whom ever i can in the best way possible and i pray to god that the cure is found soon and the disease is eradicated.

To know more about Tyler's story and about Tyler's hope pls use the links below.

Florida venture blog
Tylers Face book



Rahman 1

A. R. Rahman was born on January 6, 1966 as A. S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai. Tamilian by birth is an award-winning composer, record producer and musician. He is a musical legend who revolutionized the music standards in India. He was the only musician from India to take Indian music to the world standards and was successful in composing music at the age of 12. Today music buffs in India and not only in India, but also all parts of the world recognizes his music and his music have satisfied all types of music lovers. This magnificent man is one who redefined contemporary Indian music and is the pride of the entire nation and an idol for millions all over the world needs no preamble.

A. R. Rahman was born to R. K. Shekhar, a composer, arranger and conductor for Malayalam-language films. His father died when Rahman was nine years old, and his family rented out musical equipment as a source of income.

During these early years, Rahman served as a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots" and "Nemesis Avenue" with friends including Sivamani, embracing numerous music genres. He played the keyboard and piano, in addition to, among others, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar. His curiosity in the synthesizer in particular increased because, he says, it was the “ideal combination of music and technology.” He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. At the age of 11, he joined, as a keyboardist in the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja, a great composer of all time and one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented to. Rahman later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan and Ramesh Naidu, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship to Trinity College of Music, where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.

A lesson that i ve learned

One thing what i have learned is that, your parents look after you since you are born and till the time you start working and your able to stand on your own legs and look after yourself. But after you start earning and do something for them with the money you have earned, it will never be equal to anything they have done for you.

It is the duty of the parents to take care of you till you grow up at the same time it the duty of the children to take care of the parents when they grow old. Just remember one thing "what you do is what you get" "Your children will treat you the way how you have treated your parents" so please set an example for your children.

Save the tiger

I found this heartening truth and i wanted to share it with all of you so that we realize what is happening around us.

A few years down the lane after the independence it was note that the number of tigers in our country was dwindling, in order to control it project tiger was started in 1973 to save the dwindling populations of tigers. All these years many tiger census where released but none spoke of the truth.

This in spite of the fact that the number of tiger reserves has tripled since Project Tiger began. The 2006 tiger Census reveals that:

  • In 1972, a year before Project Tiger began there were 1,827 tigers in India.
  • In 1997 the Tiger Census showed that there were 3,507 tigers.
  • And in 2006 the official estimate of the number of tigers is 1,411 only.

A look at some broad trends

Tiger Sanctuaries like Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal and Bandipur, and Nagarhole in Karnataka are safe havens with the number of tigers in these areas remaining more or less the same.

Central and Western India was supposed to be a safe haven for tigers, but the latest Tiger Census shows that the number of Tigers in Madhya Pradesh have almost halved in the last five-six years.

Sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh like Panna and Kanha and even Melghat in Maharashtra have witnessed a drastic reduction in the number of tigers.

Present situation

  • Today there are 28 tiger reserves in the country spread across 17 states.
  • Central India once best habitat for tigers has noted sharp decline as per latest reports.
  • New methodology for counting tigers was introduced in 2006 using camera traps.
  • As per last census in 2002 tigers were estimated to be 3500.
  • After poaching outbreak in Sariska all tigers were wiped out here.

What the states say?

Madhya Pradesh

2002 – 710

2006 – 300

Orissa

2002 – 173

2006 - 45

Maharashtra

2002 – 238

2006 - 103

Andhra Pradesh

2002 - 192

2006 – 95

Chattisgarh

2002 – 227

2006 – 26


Its high time we realize what is happening and come forward to protect our National animal. Its just like the proverb "Its better late than never". So at least now we should start doing things which must have been done years ago. I pray that these magnificent creatures live a longer life and don't go down with the animals that have extinct.

Injury concerns for India before SA tour

India are feeling the effects of the three-month long tour to Australia with four of their players, including Sachin Tendulkar, doubtful for the Test series against South Africa, starting on March 26.

Tendulkar, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, and Yuvraj Singh are required to rest for a minimum of two to three weeks, the Indian physio, John Gloster, has said in his report to the board.

According to the report, Tendulkar is suffering from tendonitis in the right hip region and will require a minimum of two weeks rest. Ishant is troubled by injuries to his toe and finger, Harbhajan has pulled a left hamstring, and Yuvraj's knee continues to be a problem. Yuvraj and Harbhajan could even have to undergo surgeries.

"He must ideally have three weeks break from cricket and excessive activities. He must try to do a lot of swimming, cycling and water running," Gloster, the outgoing physio, wrote in his last fitness report. "He must have a straighter approach when attacking the ball. He must take care while turning on the ball or else it could lead to instability which might need surgery."

All the players have been referred to Melbourne-based surgeon David Young. All the four injured players were part of both the Test and one-day squads and went through a gruelling tour that was not short of controversy.

selection of indian team for SA tour postponed

The selection of India's squad for the first two Tests against South Africa has been postponed from March 9 to March 17. The selectors will now meet in Bangalore instead of Mumbai.

Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, had requested a postponement for picking a squad for the Tests starting March 26, so that players could take part in the Deodhar Trophy scheduled between March 14 and 26. "The Deodhar Trophy is a significant tournament on the domestic calendar and would have lost its value if we had announced the Test team on Sunday," Vengsarkar told Cricinfo. "We want those who returned immediately after the Test series in Australia to appear in this tournament. But those who stayed back for the CB one-day series deserve these 15 days of rest."

Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Wasim Jaffer are expected to turn out for their respective zones in the tournament that marks a close to the 2007-08 domestic season. Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ishant Sharma are among those who will get a break before the South Africa series.

In an earlier interview, Vengsarkar had pointed out that it was with the amount of international cricket being played, it was difficult to get players in the national side to play domestic cricket.

South Africa will arrive in Chennai on March 21 for three Tests, the first of which begins at the MA Chidambaram stadium on March 26. The next second and third Tests will be played in Ahmedabad and Kanpur between April 3-7 and 11-15.

Meanwhile India's Test specialists will have to undergo routine tests at the NCA over the next three days in accordance with a BCCI policy, which states that players who have been out of action must undergo periodic check-ups prior to all selections. Laxman, Jaffer, Ganguly, Dravid, VRV Singh, Pankaj Singh and Kumble haven't been part of the side since the Adelaide Test in January and will need to go through fitness tests before their names are cleared for selection. They will undergo tests under Paul Chapman, the trainer at the NCA, Paul Close, the physiotherapist, and Dav Whatmore. The NCA will in turn forward the reports to the board on Saturday.

One of the best books


I read this book very recently and i just loved it am planning to read more books of this author. i strongly recommend all of you to read this book. I f any of you are readers of Paulo Coelho then plse recommend some of his books to me so that i can lay my hands on them really soon.

Brisinger - third book of inheritence


The next Christopher Paolini book has been announced! The third book in the Inheritance series is titled Brisinger. The book is slated to release on September 20th 2008. The first book Eragon has already been made into a movie actually speaking the book is far far better and interesting than the movie. The second book Eldest is a marvelous one with many twist and turns and it has two stories running parallel. I badly hope the third one is a good one too.

Our trip to tada falls



HI friends i had been to Tada falls which about 100 kms from where i stay. I had gone with my friends in my friends HONDA CRV. We started at about 5:30am on a Sunday. We had been planning this trip for a long time so all of us were eager to enjoy our trip. We went pretty slowly in the highway and we reached the place after about an hour and a half. we had taken food along with us along with the necessary articles to make a small fire where we can re heat the food and have them. After reaching the hill we had to walk up for 3-4 kms to reach the falls. Water was really clean and good and very much inviting. We didnt wast much time :-) after finding a good place to keep our bags all of us dashed to the water and had a amazing time. After playing in the water for couple of hours all of us were tired. Some of us gathered wood to make a small fire so that we could heat our food. After gulping our lunch we sat down rested for a few minutes before we started on our journey back. We started on our journey back home at about 2pm. We were back in our friends place by evening where we rested again and had a few laughs about our trip after which every one started back to our home. This trip will remain close to my heart for ever. I thank all my friends for making this trip a memorable one for me.

Schumacher - The honours he recieved

In recognition of his contribution to Formula One racing the Nürburgring has renamed turns 8 and 9 (the Audi and Shell curves) as the Schumacher S. In a similar act of honoring Schumacher, he was awarded an FIA Gold Medal for Motor Sport in 2006.

The following year the Swiss Football Association appointed Schumacher as the Swiss ambassador for the 2008 European football championship. A month later he presented A1 Team Germany with the World Cup trophy at the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport 2007 awards ceremony. He received a standing ovation from the gathered crowd when he was announced on stage.

Schumacher has been honored during his career. He has won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award twice, in 2002 and 2004 for his performances in the 2001 and 2003 seasons respectively. He has received nominations for the 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 awards. No-one has been nominated more times than Schumacher in the award's 7-year history.

Sachin back on top and India gains points

Sachin Tendulkar has replaced Ricky Ponting as the top-ranked ODI batsman as per the latest ICC player rankings. His elevation comes on the back of successive match-winning knocks of 117 not out and 91 in the finals of the CB Series against Australia

This is the third time the batting maestro is claiming his spot at the top of the batting rankings. It looks like the old war horse has many more to deliver and lots of unfinished business before he decides to step down from international cricket.

Tendulkar, with 777 rating points, is seven points ahead of Ponting, who had a poor run in the CB Series, scoring 191 runs from 10 matches at 19.10. Graeme Smith the South Africa captain, is at third place. Meanwhile, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has climbed to 10th place, three points below the ninth-placed Herschelle Gibbs.

India's title-triumph has put them on fourth place in the ICC ODI Championship - New Zealand were ahead when the rankings were calculated beyond the decimal point, while Australia, with a rating of 127, are still the best one-day side, ahead of South Africa on decimal points.

South Africa can overtake Australia if they sweep their upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, but they will remain in second spot if Bangladesh manages a single win.

Top 10 ODI batsmen

Rank Name Rating

1 Sachin Tendulkar 777

2 Ricky Ponting 770

3 Graeme Smith 753

4 Mohammad Yousuf 752

5 Matthew Hayden 740

6 Adam Gilchrist 738

7 Michael Hussey 736

8 Kevin Pietersen 735

9 Herschelle Gibbs 731

10 Mahendra Singh Dhoni 728

ICC ODI Championships (as of March 4)

Rank Name Rating

1 Australia 127

2 South Africa 127

3 New Zealand 113

4 India 113

5 Pakistan 109

6 Sri Lanka 107

7 England 105

8 West Indies 96

9 Bangladesh 47

10 Ireland 28

11 Zimbabwe 18

Greater than world Twenty 20!!!

"This is a greater victory than the World Twenty20," was captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's reaction after India won their first tri-series in Australia, succeeding at the formidable task of beating the top-ranked side in their own den twice.

Dhoni, who has now led India to victory in two prestigious events in the last seven months, attributed the results to a team effort. "The role of the captain was not the only one. The captain is one guy who gathers the pressure and then channels it to the individual player and then it depends on how that individual reacts," he said. "We didn't start that well but we improved as the tournament went on and the credit should go to every player."

India's batting, which has been their biggest weakness throughout the tournament, came into its own during the finals with Sachin Tendulkar hitting top form. Tendulkar followed up his stellar performance at the SCG on Sunday with a vital 91 in Brisbane. Despite ordinary performances early in the tournament, Dhoni never doubted his senior-most batsman. "Performance is one thing, but performing back-to-back is something else. He is the best."

Dhoni was relieved India had wrapped up the series at the Gabba thereby avoiding the trip to Adelaide. Was he desperate that they complete the job in Brisbane? "Yes, because I have not ridden my motorbike for quite a long time," Dhoni joked but added that a third game would have been taxing for his players, some of whom have been away from home for about three months.

After a resounding victory in the first final, India's decision to bat first in Brisbane paid off with Tendulkar and Robin Uthappa giving them a solid opening stand of 94. While India have shuffled their batting order during the series, Dhoni said Uthappa's promotion to the opening slot had given the batting a settled look. "Robin changed his game a little bit and reacted to the situation and curbed his aggressive instincts."

Throughout the tournament, like in the ICC World Twenty20, Dhoni surprised many with his team selections and his on-field strategies. For the crucial final over in the World Twenty20 final, he threw the ball to the inexperienced Joginder Sharma, in the first final here he asked Praveen Kumar, another rookie, to take the new ball. That move paid off; Praveen got crucial top-order scalps and did an encore at the Gabba.

The other surprise was to play the legspinner Piyush Chawla, who was overlooked during the league phase, in the finals. "We wanted to play Piyush, and wanted him to use as a surprise. He mixed it up really well was consistent in his line and length."

When the squad was picked Dhoni had strongly recommended the presence of youngsters. While that gamble has now proved successful, he said he never doubted that it was the only way ahead. "Even if we had lost this tournament, we should have stuck with the young boys. This will be the team's core."

Schumacher 2005-2006

In 2005 Schumacher's sole win came at the United States Grand Prix. Prior to that race, the Michelin tyres, used by most teams, were found to have significant safety issues. When no compromise between the teams and the FIA could be reached, all but the six drivers using Bridgestone tyres dropped out of the race after the formation lap. However, rule changes for the 2005 and 2006 seasons required tyres to last an entire race, tipping the overall advantage to teams using Michelins over teams such as Ferrari that relied on Bridgestone tyres. The rule changes were partly in an effort to dent Ferrari's dominance and make the series more interesting. Less than half-way through the season, Schumacher said "I don't think I can count myself in this battle any more. It was like trying to fight with a blunted weapon.... If your weapons are weak you don't have a chance." The most notable moment of the season for Schumacher was his battle with Fernando Alonso in San Marino, where he started 13th and finished only 0.2 seconds behind the Spanish driver. Schumacher retired in six of the 19 races. He finished the season in third with 62 points, less than half the points of world champion Alonso.

2006 became the last season of Schumacher's racing career. After three races, Schumacher had 11 points and was already 17 points behind Alonso. He won the following two races, his first wins in 18 months, not including the boycotted 2005 United States Grand Prix. Schumacher was stripped of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix and started the race at the back of the grid. This was due to him stopping his car and blocking part of the circuit while Alonso was on his qualifying lap; he still managed to work his way up to 5th place on the notoriously cramped Monaco circuit. By the Canadian Grand Prix, the ninth race of the season, he was 25 points behind Alonso, and the three wins that followed helped him reduce his disadvantage to 11. After his victories in Italy (in which Alonso had an engine failure) and China, in which Alonso had tyre problems, Schumacher led in the championship standings for the first time during the season. Although he and Alonso had the same point total, Schumacher was in front because he had won more races.

The Japanese Grand Prix was led by Schumacher with only 16 laps to go, when, for the first time since the 2000 French Grand Prix, Schumacher's car suffered engine failure. Alonso won the race, which gave him a 10 point championship lead. With only one race left in the season, Schumacher could only win the championship if he won the season finale and Alonso scored no points.

Before the Brazilian Grand Prix, the last race of his career, Schumacher conceded the title to Alonso. In pre-race ceremonies, football legend Pelé presented a trophy to Schumacher for his years of dedication to Formula One. During the race's qualifying session, Schumacher had the best time of all drivers through the first two sessions; but a fuel pressure problem prevented him from completing a single lap during the third session, forcing him to start the race in tenth position. Early in the race Schumacher moved up to sixth place. However, in overtaking Alonso's teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, Schumacher experienced a tyre puncture caused by the front wing of Fisichella's car. Schumacher pitted and consequently fell to 19th place, 70 seconds behind teammate and race leader Felipe Massa. Schumacher recovered and overtook both Fisichella and Räikkönen to secure fourth place. His performance was classified in the press as "heroic", an "utterly breath-taking drive", and a "performance that ... sums up his career".

Schumacher returned to an F1 cockpit for the first time since retirement on 13th and 14th of November 2007, in Barcelona. The reason for this test was to help Ferrari prepare for 2008 season, the first without Traction Control and using Standard ECU (Electronic Control Unit). Upon return, Schumacher contributed fastest lap times, and it is confirmed that he will continue to test for Ferrari in Jerez. Testing is scheduled to begin on December 4th, marked with the return of slick tyres for the first time since the ban in 1998.

India beat champions in their Den!!!!

In the final installment of its 29-year existence, a series that has become a part of Australia's summer culture came to a climactic end with a fitting humdinger at the Gabba.

Twenty three years after India's last significant limited-overs title in Australia, Sachin Tendulkar helped script another memorable chapter with an innings of skill and determination. There was to be no repeat of his twin centuries against Australia in 1998, but his 91 set up a total which, backed by Praveen Kumar's subtle-swinging accuracy, proved nine runs too much for Australia.

In a game that ebbed and flowed wonderfully, James Hopes took Australia agonisingly close to victory with his maiden fifty after Praveen returned from an 11-run 45th over to snap a threatening eight-wicket stand. Back when Australia dominated this tournament regularly Steve Waugh earned the moniker 'Ice Man' and under starry skies Hopes and Praveen gave it a modern context.

Hopes battled on with comfortable sweeps against the spinners and some deft placement down the ground. There was not a trace of emotion on face as he raised his fifty. Similarly, having given up 11 runs in his penultimate over, Praveen displayed awesome composure to bowl a three-run 47th, cleaning up Brett Lee.

That left Australia needing 29 from 18 balls. Sreesanth picked up a second wicket but Hopes refused to bow down, flat-batting a six over wide long-on to ratchet up the tension. With 13 required off the final over, Pathan came back on. A single to third man exposed Nathan Bracken, who chipped a slower ball to midwicket. Hopes crossed and drove a manic couple to long-off but could only drive the fourth ball into midwicket's diving lap. Sinking to the ground as India whooped and cried around him, Hopes cut an endearing figure, a hero on a losing side, but the entire Brisbane crowd stood to applaud a pulse-setting, nerve-wracking game - and the deserving winners.

The contest was set up by yet another masterclass from Tendulkar. In nearly three hours of nimble-footed driving, mainly to the off side, interspersed with soft on-side strokes, Tendulkar treated an appreciative crowd to a fine innings. India were steady during the Powerplays, scoring 36, 30 and 26 in three blocks, but made their best opening of the tournament. The ball didn't speed away to the ropes when the openers leaned into their drives and so they smartly adjusted gears, keeping the outfielders busy through a mixture of full-faced dabs to third man and flicks to deep square leg.

Tendulkar had a life on 7 when Ricky Ponting dropped a hard reflex catch at short cover, and he made it count. An utterly mistimed pull attempt off Nathan Bracken was the first sign of frustration but he quickly regained composure and decided to target Stuart Clark. His fifty came up from his 70th delivery and India had successfully chipped out a good start.

Some needless shots, however, allowed Australia back in. India would have preferred even 280 after this but having seized the initiative they allowed it to slip in a flurry of impetuous shots. Hopes allowed just one run in the 45th over, Bracken was accurate with his crafty mix of yorkers and slower deliveries, taking two wickets in the 48th over, and Lee kept it full as well.

At the SCG Tendulkar backed the bowlers' efforts with a sublime century and today they returned the favour. Especially Praveen, who for the second time in two high-pressure matches justified his new-ball promotion with the wickets of Australia's three most dangerous batsmen. Adam Gilchrist's final innings came to end with an edge and a walk but it was Ponting's horrendous attempt at a pull shot that really set off the alarm bells.

Michael Clarke's ability to judge length has been his strength in the tournament but he lost his off stump, playing a crude swipe across the line, to one that stayed low. Hayden made the most of mess-up between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Tendulkar, at first slip, when he was on 5, to keep the asking rate in control. Irfan Pathan was again the target of Hayden's ire and went for 37 from his first five overs. Hayden put on 89 with Andrew Symonds, whose eventful season continued with him shoulder charging, and Australia looked to be in the game.

At this stage Australia required another 138 and Michael Hussey showed there was fire in Australia's belly. Paddling and sweeping his way energetically in a 76-run stand with Hopes, he threatened to take the series to Adelaide. Hunting a target at over eight an over finally got to him, and he under-edged Sreesanth for a cool 44 in the 42nd over.

The rest turned into a tension-filled rollercoaster ride, during which India held their nerve to triumph. After a long and controversial tour Down Under, India now head home with their heads held high. For Australia, the last time they surrendered back-to-back series was 1983-84 and 1984-85, against West Indies, and 23 years later this loss would come as a chastening blow.

Domino Effect

My friend pinay mama tagged me today with this Domino effect meme, another way to create technorati, I guess! Well, thanks friend for sharing this meme with me. You always remember me for memes. And for that thank you and to all future memes! heheehe!


To Be Continued Here.

Wanna share this Domino effect to the rest of my blogger friends
Channu, juliana, lensman, les, mars,

Who is your Idol?

My friend JK passed me this Who’s Your Idol meme. I shall answer it the way I feel... And you can See me for what you will... Thank you so much JK


1. Who is/are your idol/s? – My Dad

2. What characteristic/s does/do your idol/s possess/es that draws you to him/her/them? – I have been with my dad since my birth and i like everything about him. I get drawn to him mainly because of the way he speaks.

3. What have you learned from him/her/them? – Yup lots actually. One of the important thing i have learned is how to prioritize the things we have to do so that we can finish them easily.

4. Have you applied anything you’ve learned from your idol/s? – Yes of course i am putting many things i have learned form him into action each and every day in my life.

5. What have you taught others based on what you’ve learned from your idol/s? – I try to set an example to others with what i do and if i feel that certain habit is good i suggest all the people i know to try it so that they can also get positive results.

6. What are the things that you don’t like about your idol/s? – I don't think i dislike anything about my dad but just that he is short tempered

7. Have you done something to correct them? – I have told him that he looses temper for small things and he has also taken steps to correct them.

Now, I am passing this tag to: Channu, Kavin, roko, sheng, pinay mom, Mahesh

Friendship Chain

This is a Friendship Chain. I recieved this tagged from JK and . thankyou for passing this tag :-).
I'm passing this tag namely: Channu, Gen, Buzzing around, juliana, rica.
~~Begin Here~~
This is the easy way and the fastest way to : 1. Make your Authority Technoraty explode.2. Increase your Google Page Rank.3. Get more traffic to your blog.4. Makes more new friends. Rules : 1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.2. Put your own blog name and link.3. Tag your friends as much as you can. 1. Picturing of Life 2. La Place de Cherie 3. Chez Francine 4. Le bric à brac de Cherie 5. Sorounded by Everything 6.Moments 7.A lot to Offer 8.Blogweblink 9Blogcheers 10. Bloggerminded 11.Blogofminegal 12.LikeADreamComeTrue 12.Simply Amazing 13.Amazing Life 14. oldmonkkings 15. JK 16. Kiran. 17. ADD YOURSELF HERE!!!
~~END HERE~~

Under 19 world cup

Needing 191 to win off 43 overs in a rain-affected match, India seemed well on course for an easy win as Shreevats Goswami's half-century and captain Virat Kohli's 41 took them to 150 for 3. However, India had to endure some anxious moments as four wickets fell in quick succession. Left-hand batsman Saurabh Tiwary, though, kept his cool in a nervy finish and his unbeaten 29 sealed India's place in the final.

Heyden Warned

Cricket Australia has upheld the charge that Matthew Hayden breached its code of conduct when he referred to Harbhajan Singh as an "obnoxious weed"on a radio station on Tuesday. No fine was imposed on Hayden but he was issued a reprimand after a hearing on Wednesday by the Code of Conduct commissioner Ron Beazley. Hayden was charged under Rule 9 of CA's Code of Behaviour, which prohibits detrimental public comment.

In a brief statement following the verdict, Hayden said: "I maintain my innocence, my intentions were never to denigrate cricket or anyone. But in the spirit of cricket I respect and accept the decision." Reacting to the judgment, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told Cricinfo, "CA has taken a decision and the matter is closed as far as we are concerned."

Earlier CA had assured the Indian board that it would investigate Hayden's remarks. "Mr Sutherland [the Cricket Australia chief executive] wrote to me that he is aware of the comment and is dealing with it," Shah told. Shah has asked the Indian team manager Vimal Soni not to react to Hayden's comments.

Harbhjan was quoted saying he did not want a slanging match over the issue. "Maybe they [Australians] realise they no longer are the undisputed champions of the world. Maybe they feel the crown is slipping. Otherwise, why would a cricket veteran [Hayden] ask a 19-year-old [Ishant Sharma] to join him in a ring? You only need to speak to international cricketers and international teams to know in what opinion they hold Hayden," Harbhajan said.

Hayden and Harbhajan clashed during Sunday's CB Series game between the two sides and the Indian team later complained that Hayden had called Harbhajan a "mad boy". Clarifying what he had said, Hayden told the radio station: "I called him a bad boy."

He also said: "It's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan, the first time I ever met him he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now. His record speaks for itself in cricket."

Award

Thanks to my friend JK for this wonderful award...


I would like to pass it to: China, Mahesh, Boobu, Raznok, Kavin,rokoksalem, Raja

Schumacher 2000-2004 "Championship years"

Schumacher won his third World Championship in 2000 after a year-long battle with Häkkinen. Schumacher won the first three races of the season and five of the first eight. Mid-way through the year, Schumacher's chances suffered with three consecutive non-finishes, allowing Häkkinen to close the gap in the standings. Häkkinen then took another two victories, before Schumacher won at the Italian Grand Prix. At the post race press conference, after equaling the number of wins (41) won by his idol, Ayrton Senna, Schumacher broke into tears. The championship fight would come down to the penultimate race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, Schumacher had the early lead, but soon lost it to Häkkinen. After his second pit-stop, however, Schumacher came out ahead of Häkkinen and went on to win the race and the championship.

In 2001, Schumacher took his fourth drivers' title. Four other drivers won races, but none sustained a season-long challenge for the championship. Schumacher scored a record-tying nine wins and clinched the world championship with four races yet to run. He finished the championship with 123 points, 58 ahead of runner-up Coulthard. Season highlights included the Canadian Grand Prix, where Schumacher finished 2nd to his brother Ralf, thus scoring the first ever 1–2 finish by brothers in Formula One; and the Belgian Grand Prix in which Schumacher scored his 52nd career win, breaking Alain Prost's record for most career wins.

In 2002, Schumacher used the Ferrari F2002, widely considered to be one of the most dominant racing cars in Formula One, to retain his Drivers' Championship. At the Austrian Grand Prix his teammate, Rubens Barrichello was leading but in the final meters of the race, under orders, slowed to allow Schumacher to win the race. In winning the Drivers' Championship he equaled the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio of five world championships. Ferrari won 15 out of 17 races, and Schumacher won the title with six races remaining in the season. Schumacher broke his own record, shared with Nigel Mansell, of nine race wins in a season, by winning eleven times and finishing every race on the podium. He finished with 144 points, a record-breaking 67 points ahead of the runner-up, his teammate Rubens Barrichello. This pair finished 9 of the 17 races in the first two places.

Schumacher broke Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five World Drivers' Championships by winning the drivers' title for the sixth time in 2003, a closely contested season. The biggest competition came once again from the McLaren Mercedes and Williams BMW teams. In the first race, Schumacher ran off track, and in the following two, was involved in collisions. He fell 16 points behind Kimi Räikkönen. Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix and the next two races, and closed within two points of Räikkönen. Aside from Schumacher's victory in Canada, and Barrichello's victory in Britain, the mid-season was dominated by Williams’s drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, who each claimed two victories. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher led Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen by only one and two points, respectively. Ahead of the next race, the FIA announced changes to the way tyre widths were to be measured: this forced Michelin, supplier to Williams and McLaren among others, to rapidly redesign their tyres before the Italian Grand Prix. Schumacher, running on Bridgestone tyres, won the next two races. After Montoya was penalised in the United States Grand Prix, only Schumacher and Räikkönen remained in contention for the title. At the final round, the Japanese Grand Prix, Schumacher needed only one point whilst Räikkönen needed to win. By finishing the race in eighth place, Schumacher took one point and assured his sixth World Drivers' title, ending the season two points ahead of Räikkönen.

In 2004, Schumacher won a record twelve of the first thirteen races of the season, only failing to finish in Monaco after an accident with Juan Pablo Montoya during a safety car period when he briefly locked his car's brakes. He clinched a record seventh drivers' title at the Belgian Grand Prix. He finished that season with a record 148 points, 34 points ahead of the runner-up, teammate Rubens Barrichello, and set a new record of 13 race wins out of a possible 18, surpassing his previous best of 11 wins from the 2002 season.

Schumacher 1996-1999

In 1996, Schumacher finished third in the Drivers' Championship, as well as helping Ferrari edge out his old team Benetton for second in the constructors' race. He won three races, more than the team's total tally for the period from 1991 to 1995. During the initial part of the 1996 season, the car had had reliability trouble and Schumacher did not finish 6 of the 16 races. He took his first win for Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he lapped the entire field up to third place in the wet, using an uncharacteristically flamboyant oversteering style. In the French Grand Prix Schumacher qualified in pole position, but suffered engine failure on the race's formation lap. However at Spa-Francorchamps, Schumacher used well-timed pit-stops to fend off the Williams' Jacques Villeneuve. Following that, at Monza, Schumacher scored a momentous win in front of the tifosi. Schumacher's ability, combined with the improving reliability of Ferrari, enabled him to end the season, putting up a challenge to eventual race and championship winner Damon Hill at Suzuka.

Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve vied for the title in 1997. Villeneuve, driving the superior Williams FW19, led the championship in the early part of the season. However, by mid-season, Schumacher had taken the Championship lead, winning five races, and entered the season's final Grand Prix with a one-point advantage. During the race, held at Jerez, Schumacher and Villeneuve collided as Villeneuve passed his rival. Schumacher retired from the race and Villeneuve scored four points to take the championship. Schumacher was held to be at fault for the collision and was disqualified from the Drivers' Championship.

In 1998, Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen became Schumacher's main title competition. Häkkinen won the first two races of the season, gaining a 16 point advantage over Schumacher. With the Ferrari improving significantly and being faster in the second half of the season, Schumacher won six races and had five other podium finishes. Ferrari took a 1-2 finish at the Italian Grand Prix, which tied Schumacher with Häkkinen for the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 80 points, but Häkkinen won the Championship by winning the final two races. There were two controversies; at the British Grand Prix Schumacher was leading on the last lap when he turned into the pit lane, crossed the start finish line and stopped for a ten second stop go penalty. There was some doubt on if this counted as serving the penalty, but the win stood. At Spa, Schumacher was leading the race by 40 seconds in heavy spray, but collided with David Coulthard's McLaren when the Scot, a lap down, slowed in very poor visibility to let Schumacher past. After both cars returned to the pits, Schumacher rushed to McLaren's garage and accused Coulthard of trying to kill him.Schumacher's efforts helped Ferrari win the Constructors title in 1999. He lost his chance to win the Drivers' Championship at the British Grand Prix: At the high-speed Stowe Corner, his car's rear brake failed, sending him off the track and resulting in a broken leg. During his long absence, he was replaced by Finnish driver Mika Salo. After missing six races, he made his return at the inaugural Malaysian Grand Prix, qualifying in the pole position by almost a second. He then assumed the role of second driver, assisting team mate Eddie Irvine's bid to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari. In the last race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix, Häkkinen won his second consecutive title. Schumacher would later say that Häkkinen was the opponent he respected the most.

Schumacher's Ferrari years

For 1996, Schumacher joined Ferrari, a team which had last won the Drivers' Championship with Jody Scheckter in 1979. He left Benetton a year before his contract with them expired; he later cited the team's damaging actions in 1994 as his reason for opting out of his deal. A year later, technical director Ross Brawn and designer Rory Byrne also departed Benetton to join Schumacher at Ferrari.

Ferrari had previously come close to the championship in 1982 and 1990. The team had suffered a disastrous downturn in the early 1990’s, partially as their famous V12 engine was no longer competitive against the smaller, lighter and more fuel efficient V10s of their competitors. Various drivers, notably Alain Prost, had given the vehicles labels such as "truck", "pig", and "accident waiting to happen". The poor performance of the Ferrari pit crews was considered a running joke. At the end of 1995, though the team had improved into a solid competitor, it was still considered inferior to front-running teams such as Benetton and Williams. Schumacher declared the Ferrari 412T good enough to win the championship.

Schumacher, Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, and Jean Todt (hired in 1993), have been credited as turning this once struggling team into the most successful team in Formula One history. Three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart believes the transformation of the Ferrari team was Schumacher's greatest feat. Eddie Irvine also joined the team, moving from Jordan.

IPL Billion Dollar Baby

The teams for the IPL tournament

Jaipur Shane Warne (US$ 450,000), Graeme Smith (US$ 475,000), Younis Khan (US$ 225,000), Kamran Akmal (US$ 150,000), Yusuf Pathan (US$ 475,000), Mohammad Kaif (US$ 675,000), Munaf Patel (US$ 275,000), Justin Langer (US$ 200,000)

Chennai MS Dhoni (US$ 1.5 million), Muttiah Muralitharan (US$ 600,00), Matthew Hayden (US$ 375,000), Jacob Oram (US$ 675,000), Stephen Fleming (US$ 350,000), Parthiv Patel (US$ 325,000), Joginder Sharma (US$ 225,000), Albie Morkel (US$ 675,000), Suresh Raina (US$ 650,000), Makhaya Ntini (US$ 200,000), Michael Hussey (US$ 350,000)

Mumbai Sachin Tendulkar (icon), Sanath Jayasuriya (US$ 975,000), Harbhajan Singh (US$ 850,000), Shaun Pollock (US$ 550,000), Robin Uthappa (US$ 800,000), Lasith Malinga (US$ 350,000), Dilhara Fernando (US$ 150,000), Loots Bosman (US$ 175,000)

Bangalore Rahul Dravid (icon), Anil Kumble (US$ 500,000), Jacques Kallis (US$ 900,000), Zaheer Khan (US$ 450,000), Mark Boucher (US$ 450,000), Cameron White (US$ 500,000), Wasim Jaffer (US$ 150,000), Dale Steyn (US$ 325,000), Nathan Bracken (US$ 325,000), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (US$ 200,000)

Hyderabad Adam Gilchrist (US$ 700,000), Andrew Symonds (US$ 1.35 million), Herschelle Gibbs (US$ 575,000), Shahid Afridi (US$ 675,000), Scott Styris (US$ 175,000), VVS Laxman (US$ 375,000), Rohit Sharma (US$ 750,000), Chamara Silva (US$ 100,000), RP Singh (US$ 875,000), Chaminda Vaas (US$ 200,000), Nuwan Zoysa (US4 110,000)

Mohali Yuvraj Singh (icon), Mahela Jayawardene (US$ 475,000), Kumar Sangakkara (US$ 700,000), Brett Lee (US$ 900,000), Sreesanth (US$ 625,000), Irfan Pathan (US$ 925,000), Ramesh Powar (US$ 170,000), Piyush Chawla (US$ 400,000), Simon Katich (US$ 200,000), Ramnaresh Sarwan (US$ 225,000)

Kolkata Sourav Ganguly (icon), Shoaib Akhtar (US$ 425,000), Ricky Ponting (US$ 400,000), Brendon McCullum (US$ 700,000), Chris Gayle (US$ 800,000), Ajit Agarkar (US$ 330,000), David Hussey (US$ 675,000), Ishant Sharma (US$ 950,000), Murali Kartik (US$ 425,000), Umar Gul (US$ 150,000), Tatenda Taibu (US$ 125,000)

Delhi Virender Sehwag (icon), Daniel Vettori (US$ 625,000), Shoaib Malik (US$ 500,000), Mohammad Asif (US$ 650,000), AB de Villiers (US$ 300,000), Dinesh Karthik (US$ 525,000), Farveez Maharoof (US$ 225,000), Tillakaratne Dilshan (US$ 250,000), Manoj Tiwary (US$ 675,000), Gautam Gambhir (US$ 725,000), Glenn McGrath (US$ 350,000)

Gilly happy about his last outing

The outpouring of emotion at the WACA on Friday made Adam Gilchrist realize the end of his record-breaking career was near. Gilchrist, who will retire at the conclusion of CB Series, waved goodbye to his home crowd in Perth with a fine 118 in the 63-run win over Sri Lanka and listened to chants of "Gilly, Gilly" throughout the match.

"Today was where it really hit me, that it is all finishing," he told Friday night. "Today was always going to be a big day, so I was more nervous than any day, leading into here. I am glad it is done ... there was a lot of emotion in there."

I feel very happy that he was able to come up with a century in his last game on his home turf. This fellow will always be remembered as one of the greatest cricketer of all time.

India Vs Srianka Match

A 21-over match should have suited the reigning world Twenty20 champions India, but a revised-down total and some blistering early strikes from Sanath Jayasuriya lifted Sri Lanka to their first win of the CB Series. Rain reduced the target to 154 and Tillakaratne Dilshan's half-century eased Sri Lanka home with 12 balls to spare.

India were on the wrong end of the weather adjustments after Rohit Sharma's career-best 70 not out set up what should have been a competitive total following morning showers. But further rain during the innings break meant Sri Lanka could pursue a victory in Twenty20 style.

The chase of 196 from 29 overs had been reduced to 154 from 21 but Sanath Jayasuriya appeared to be still aiming for the original target from the smaller amount of overs. He had his team rattling along at nearly 12 an over when he top-edged an attempted pull to Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Ishant Sharma.

Jayasuriya had taken only 13 deliveries for his 27 and he left Sreesanth with the ugly figures of 0 for 34 from his first two. Sreesanth's second over went for 23 as Jayasuriya casually flicked a six off his pads over midwicket - the ball nearly left Manuka Oval - and followed with another six lifted over backward point. There were also a couple of cracking drives through and over cover before Ishant's pace earned the prize wicket.

But with just over a run-a-ball required it was simple for Sri Lanka to keep the score ticking for such a short period, and Dilshan anchored the chase with an unbeaten 62. Dilshan cut hard and pulled impressively, reaching his half-century from 47 balls. The milestone came off Sreesanth, whose horror day continued as fielders fumbled off his bowling and Ishant misjudged what could have been a catch off Dilshan, but turned into a six.

On a day when Australia's capital city experienced the first sitting of parliament under a Labor government in nearly 12 years, Canberra's residents also enjoyed the end of another lengthy era. There had not been a one-day international played there since the 1992 World Cup, when Kepler Wessels' South Africans beat Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval.

It looked for a while like the local fans might be disappointed as the scheduled start time of 10am came and went with heavy rain falling. After three and a half hours and some frantic work by the groundstaff, a 29-over game was announced and Mahela Jayawardene asked India to bat in the still damp conditions.

India initially struggled to adjust to the unusual-length match, although Sachin Tendulkar was typically dominant in posting 32 from 30 balls, including plenty of runs worked to the leg side from outside off stump. But when he and Virender Sehwag were both caught at third man the runs dried up for a while.

Rohit and Gautam Gambhir had trouble deciding on the right tempo and India went for nearly nine overs without a boundary until Rohit cut hard for four in the 15th over. Gambhir (35) showed glimpses of his best with a couple of brazen drives over cover to the boundary but he was caught short thanks to a snappy piece of work from Lasith Malinga, who took a hard throw at the bowler's end and flicked the ball backwards onto the stumps.

At 3 for 113 after 20 overs India needed to get a wriggle-on and the 46-ball partnership of 68 between Dhoni and Rohit was ideal. They often manufactured boundaries from deliveries that weren't that bad, and it was their second important stand in three days, having saved India from a late scare to beat Australia in Melbourne on Sunday.

Rohit's half-century came with a four bunted over the wicketkeeper's head when he backed away and Nuwan Kulasekera followed him with what appeared a sensible piece of bowling. But everything went right for Rohit, who at one point had seemingly dawdled to 29 from 45 balls.

His perfectly-timed slog-sweep six off Muttiah Muralitharan inspired the late charge and soon he was backing away to create space, premeditating sweeps, and finding runs where they did not seem to exist. His 64-ball innings was complemented by Dhoni, who struck three fours in his 26-ball 31.

But India's chances drained away with the further showers - they had already suffered two wash-outs to open the CB Series in Brisbane - and Sri Lanka's first victory evened up the tournament with all three sides sitting on one win. Australia's tri-series is being axed after 29 years but the farewell competition is shaping up as a classic.

We Won!!!

India wins!!!!!!!!!! India registered their first victory in the CB series today. They won against the Australians By a margin of 5 wickets. Our bowlers did a good job of restricting the Aussies to a total of 159 in 43 overs. India had a bit of hiccups in their batting but, Dhoni The Aggressive captain!!! stood along with the young Rohit Sharma to finish off the innings with out any trouble. Young pacers Ishanth and Sreeshanth formed a formidable new ball pair to cause the early damage and they took 7 wickets in total leaving the other bowlers very less job to do. India face Srilanka in their next match. This victory was India's first in the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 22 years!!!!! wat a special victory this is!!! Now we are at the top of the points table in the series. I am sure this series is set for a fabulous finish and we can expect many thrilling matches in this series. One last word Ishanth sharma is truly the find of the season. He is playing in the batsman's mind and he likes bowling to Ponting a loooot.... Am waiting to see more of his action in the future... I am glad India has a good bowling dept now!!!!!!!!!!

Will keep updating abt the matches

Ponting Praises Ishanth

Ricky Ponting is still working out how to tackle Ishant Sharma. You could say he is a bit puzzled. The Australian captain admitted as much as Ishant waited to talk about his spoils at the post-match media briefing.

"He's been a big improver for India through this tour", Ponting said of Ishant, who has already got him thrice this summer. The memories of WACA where Ishant picked him twice in the slips during the Test series is still haunting Ponting and he once again had no answer to Ishant's poser on Sunday.

It is no surprise that Ishant knows the value of having the number of the one of the best batsman of this decade. "Ponting is one my favorite batsmen and if you get the batsman complimenting you, it feels good," Sharma explained modestly.

Even if he was taking the new ball for the first time in the ODIs Ishant had fast tracked his growth as bowler on the first leg of the tour to understand and deal with the pressures of sharing the new ball. Obviously, he stuttered a touch initially. His first ball was a no ball, the fifth was a wide and in between Hayden edged one just above the outstretched hands of Rohit Sharma at the third slip. Next over a still-settling Ishant was whipped for 18 runs which included three fours from Hayden's bat.

"After that over Dhoni told me to just stick to my plans. He felt I was trying to do something else and instead I should do what I had to. I calmed down from there onward", Ishant recalled of those nervous moments.

He recoiled well to pick three top-order wickets in Hayden, Ponting and Andrew Symonds to effectively turn the match in India's favour. "We had our plans for each batsman and I just worked on that. For Ponting, it was to bowl to him on the fourth stump."

Ponting reckons Ishant is one of the few right-arm fast bowlers who can bring the ball in and that makes him a difficult proposition. "He's a little bit different in the fact that he probably brings the ball back into right-handers more than most right-arm bowlers that we've faced. Normally as a right-handed batsman you usually only get the ball coming back in from left-armers. He's tall, he hits the deck pretty hard and he gets a little bit of inconsistent bounce off the wicket."

Ponting said Ishant has the variety that can also trouble the left-handers and compared him to the Makhaya Ntini in that respect. "He's looked dangerous. With the angles he creates he can be pretty dangerous against the left-handers as well and he swings the ball away from them, a bit like Ntini does."

When asked if the workload has been an issue, Ishant said he was fine even if he felt a "little tired" at the end of today's encounter. "I was a bit tired and I had stomach aches but I have bowled long spells and my stamina is improving."

Tag away...

Got this tag from China thank you ever so much,

I’m passing the tag to: Bobou , Samba, Swami, les


Dear Friends and co-bloggers lets play-game-tag to tag- “pass it to the front”Heres the Rules:* First copy and paste it.* Do not remove any content.* Just add One word related to your blogs.* If you don’t like the concept Pls! say no?* Our main goal is we are going to circulate our number of friends.* The more people join the “pass it to the front” the more links we generate.* Lastly write only one word “short” for your blogs…*Keep it simple and short,i know some of you have more than one blogs.* The color is only black,gray, or white plssss avoid using any Let me show you:

1.-Filipina,2.-Stories,3.-Abroad,4.-Husband,5.Gagiers, 6. Life 7. Everything, 8. Offer, 9. Moments, 10. Food Trip 11. World 12. suffering 13.china's autograph 14.Kiran's My voice