Happy Anniversary to My Blog!!

In the first year, I have been far less dedicated to my blog than I would have liked to be. Blame it partly on the tight schedule of my JEE preps and partly on my laziness. I fear that the situation is going to go downhill from here for the next six months.

Nonetheless, thank you for taking your time out and reading my posts! I promise that I will try my best to keep up the quality and quantity of my posts.

RIP The Nation's True Friend

RIP Dr A P J Abdul Kalam

You truly deserve a grand salaam

You surely didn't want to leave any student

But even the heavens need you, Mr People's President

Abdul Kalam aboard INS Sindhurakshak
Image Credits: Wikimedia

Ingenious as a scientist; as a teacher, uncanny

You piloted the Prithvi and ignited the Agni

At heart, a poet who loved birds and trees

The Missile Man of India -- an apostle of peace

Armed with a smile and a humble demeanour

You created amongst the youth a new vigour

Undeterred by poverty, you lived with zest

You set up GenY on Developed India's quest

Image Credits: qz.com

An inspiration to Indians, you'll always remain

We promise that we'll carry on in the same vein

Serving the humanity with full dedication

Realize your dreams and bring glory to the nation

This poem is, but, a small little ode

To a person who'd be working in his current abode

Secular to the core, a teacher till the end

I bow down to you, the nation's true friend

Image Credits: Wikimedia.org

PS
Happy Friendship Day everyone!
Let us continue to be inspired by this great man and work towards a developed India and a wonderful world!

Thank You South Africa : A Fan's Response

Come Sunday and one of New Zealand and Australia will be crowned the ODI World Champion. Which team did I support, you ask? South Africa. What happened to them, you ask? Well, they lost. Yes. South Africa lost, once again. Choked, you ask? Not this time. This year they let the tears flow.

I am definitely not the best person around to give you a ball-by-ball analysis or clinically examine where they went wrong. For this, we already have about everyone ranging from the morning milkman, who would tell you that Steyn should have had more calcium to get that extra 'bite' in his teeth to Martin Crowe, who had, more than a month ago written such a beautiful and inspiring letter that you OUGHT TO read it.

All those who know me well would concur that I should refrain from writing anything that is even remotely connected to sports. But such is the charm this South African team has over me, that a boy, who must have last held a bat in his hand five years ago, preferred and prayed for a World Cup title for South Africa rather than marks in his year-end examinations (not that the latter's now going to get better!). 

At the end of the day, the Cup was not to be the Proteas'. Come to think of it, and it is probably fair that the Kiwis won. They were, as de Villiers put it, 'the better team' on the night. After all South Africa had won their first knockout game seven World Cups, while New Zealand won their first semi-final in seven attempts. It definitely did hurt me that for a catch here and a run-out there, I would have been busy with the prayers. But there must be no regrets as South Africa had 'given it all' and 'left it all' on the field.

Yes, South Africa might not have won the World Cup but they won over the world.

AB's 150 v West Indies.














Miller's contrasting yet valuable innings in their first and last matches.



















Duminy's unnoticed hattrick and Quinny's catch in the quarters.

Quirky Tahir's beautiful leg-spin and his equally funky celebrations.
















Steyn's eye-popping spells.














They performed with passion in every game. Yes, AB de Villiers, the sun will rise and herald a glorious and bright morning. Glorious enough to match your spirits and exploits. Bright enough to match your and your team's future. 

I would have loved to write more about the team I love, admire, respect and absolutely adore, but I would save it for another occasion.

You'll rise higher

After every fire

With belief in your heart and strength in your mind

The path to success, you shall surely find

Thank you to the squad of fifteen who played their hearts out.

Thank you to the coaches and support staff who were steady sources of help, motivation and inspiration.

Thank you to the families of the players for always being there

Thank you, South Africa.

PS: Here is the video by the Proteas which inspired me.

PPS: Thanks for reading. Please like, comment and share! Good luck to the Aussies and Kiwis for the Final. Good bye!! Happy Reading!!

In Full Bloom

“Who knows how the outside world would be? What if we dry up and the flower wilts?” the petals spoke up, refusing to come into efflorescence. 

The stem and the leaves tried to reason with them, but the obstinate petals did not budge. The flowers around the bud used to recite the stories of cruel boys plucking the fellow flowers or dogs trampling upon them, further aggravating the plant's conundrum. The Wise Roots finally ended the discussion — Someday, the heat may wilt you or the dogs might trample upon you but nothing can stop your beauty and aroma from adorning the world, even if it is for a brief moment. 

Open up without fear to let the world see you in full bloom and admire your vibrant colours and inhale your intoxicating fragrance!

Thanks a lot for reading! This is my first attempt at five-sentence fiction, inspired by this wandering heart. The prompt for the week was 'Open'. Do send in your feedback!

TVF's Barely Speaking with Arnub | E03 - Arvind Kejriwal

Rahul, naam to suna hi hoga!

Baby Dravid

In Indore, 42 years ago, Mr and Mrs Dravid welcomed a new member into their family. Fans of Bollywood music as they were, they named their son after the then-reigning music director, RD Burman. They little knew that this boy would soon match, if not eclipse his namesake's popularity.

Debut at Lord's

Cut to June 22, 1996. Dravid Jr is all set for a dream debut innings at the Lord's, the Mecca of cricket. The whole Dravid family must have been incredibly proud of their son. After all, it is not a cakewalk to get selected for the Indian Test XI. Stitching together a 96-run partnership with fellow debutant, Sourav Ganguly, this young lad impressed many, and most importantly, the selectors. He departed five agonizing runs short of a memorable century-on-debut at Lord's but the Test had marked the arrival of a technically perfect batsman. Dravid. Rahul Sharad Dravid. Naam to suna hi hoga!

Rahul Dravid was one of the mainstays of the Indian top-order for the better part of the previous decade and made the one-drop position his own. (Un)surprisingly, however, some of his best innings came when he was not batting at his most preferred position.

The Joy of Eden--After a string of failures early in the series, Dravid's place in the XI was seriously threatened. The match seemed to be all but over for India when he came out on the third day at No. 6 and joined Laxman in the second innings. With a stand that lasted for more than a 100 overs, the Southern gentlemen had turned the tables on the visitors. 

The Wall v Windies--Having lost two wickets early, India were reeling at 99-3, still facing a 402-run deficit. That was when The Wall of All Times walked out to the pitch at No. 5. Although struck by a Mervyn Dillon bouncer, he refused to bow down and swallowed a few painkillers. He laboured for more than seven-long hours for his 144* which eventually saved the match.

A Dravidesque Effort--Having scored a ton in the first, Dravid was asked to open in the second Test. He responded with a stoic 117 of 235 balls. The lower order, however, could not capitalize and capitulated to 288 all out. This set the tone for a forgettable series for India, being whitewashed 4-0. Dravid however had a good run, scoring three centuries and topping the Indian batting charts with 461 runs @ avg. 76.83. In the fourth Test at the Oval, he became only the seventh batsman to carry his bat through a completed innings and straight into the follow-on. 

I could go on and on and on, his Adelaide innings, 270 at Rawalpindi, 148 at Headingley, et al. I would rather leave the job to Google and ESPNCricinfo. Dravid's records themselves speak about the man he is. Highest catches by a non-wicketkeeper, highest balls faced at the crease in Tests, most partnerships and partnership runs, only batsman to have scored a century in all the test-playing nations, only batsman to have been involved in two ODI partnerships exceeding 300 runs and has the record of not being dismissed on duck for the most number of consecutive ODI matches.

More than the runs, his leadership qualities and team-spirit are what make him my favourite cricketer. Rahul Dravid led India to a historic Test series win, against the West Indies in their home soil in 2006. Since 1971, India had never won a Test series in the West Indies. Rahul Dravid was also the first captain to lead India to a Test match victory against South Africa on South African soil (2006/07). Opener injured? Need a wicketkeeper-batsman? Captaincy problems? No worries dear, Mr Dependable is here! His Lord's century came, not on his debut, when he would have wanted it the most; but, in the 2011 series, when the team needed it the most.

The Lord's Century, Finally!

My tryst with Dravid fandom began when  he joined Rajasthan Royals in the 2011 Auctions. RR had always been my favourite team as they'd always been a lot more than the sum of individual players. The value he brought to the team cannot be matched by any salary. Not only did he play well, but more importantly, mentored young (and old) talent and boosted their confidence. Cases in point: Virat Kohli (at RCB), Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pravin Tambe, and to an extent, James Faulkner, Steve Smith and Shane Watson. Currently, he is mentoring India's future Olympians and Paralympians as part of the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme.

Don't ANGRY me!

Ever the sportsman, Dravid
congratulates Ian Bell for his 150

Rahul Dravid, forever
the Humble Gentleman

Above all, it is his nature that endears him to many. His humility and 'gentlemanliness' are as legendary as the man himself. It was only fitting that he became the first Indian to deliver the Sir Donald Bradman Oration. Rahul Dravid was known for his equanimity, on and off the field. There must have been rare moments when he must have lost his temper. In fact, during the IPL, one commentator joked that, ‛You simply give Rajasthan Royals an extra point in the Fair Play Award because they have Dravid in their team.' 

Announcing his retirement from FC
 and international cricket.

Today, as Jammy turns 42, I hope that he finds out the answers to life. Just joking!

I hope that he finally wins a trophy. The match-fixing scandal in 2013 must have left him shocked and, in his own words, 'bereaved'. That too, having come at such an important juncture in the tournament. The heart-wrenching loss against Mumbai Indians last year, showed how near yet so far the team was. But Dravid is not the one to get bowed down. He will surely rise up and inspire the Royals to greater successes.

I hope that I get to talk with him. Okay, at least a selfie? If even that's not possible, an autographed autobiography? Talking of which, I seriously need to buy 'Timeless Steel'. I can get that autographed, pleeease? Well, I wish...

Thanks Sharad and Pushpa Dravid for bringing your son up so wonderfully.

Thanks Vijeeta Dravid (née Pendharkar) for taking care of your husband. I do wonder how you broke his defences and 'won' him over!

Thanks Samit and Anvay for sharing your father's love with millions of fans like me.

Thanks ESPNCricinfo, Quora and Wikipedia for teaching me more about him.

Thanks Rahul Dravid for the innumerable moments of joy and reasons to smile that you have given me. 

Thanks.