Harry Brooks on a song ! ~ England steamrolls at Multan

It was carnage at Multan – before you read further – do you know of the 4^th Test at Kingston in Apr 1930 and a batsman who scored total of 879 runs in his career of 14 tests but made 325 in his last Test !!! – who ?? 

A day after he made history as England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, Joe Root watched Harry Brook upstage him with an innings of 317 before describing his Yorkshire teammate’s efforts as “a masterclass” and adding: “I don’t think it’ll be the last time we see him with a monster score.” He shared a mammoth 454 run partnership,   now the highest for England in Test cricket, bettering the 411-run stand between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against West Indies in 1957, also for the fourth wicket. 

A triple century in Test cricket has been scored on 32 occasions by 28 batsmen from eight of the twelve Test-cricket playing nations.  Two Indians are in that elite list – twice it had been scored at Chepauk – Virender Sehwag boasts of 2 300s & Karun Nair made the other (for India) 

A couple of years ago,  Harry Brook was touted as one of the world's most exciting young players with a staggering run of form across formats, most particularly in England's rebooted Test team. After making his debut against South Africa in Sept 2022, Brook travelled to Pakistan and New Zealand with Ben Stokes' team, where he peeled off consecutive scores of 153, 87, 9, 111, 89, 54, and 186 to take his overall tally to 809 runs in nine innings, at an extraordinary strike-rate of 98.77.  If you remember right,   he was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 13.25 crore !! 

 

It was a day four that England had dreamed of and Pakistan feared, and the most fascinating one for English fans, the docile Multan pitch offered.  A first Test that was drifting towards nothingness now stands poised in favour of England, who are on the cusp of another famous win in these parts. England's staggering 823 for 7, their third highest total and fourth overall, featuring Harry Brook's maiden triple-century of 317 and Joe Root's new career-best of 262, has laden this match with more history for themselves. Pakistan, meanwhile, plumbed new depths. 

Brook, who was born nine years after Gooch's 333 against India at Lord's in 1990, eventually finished on 317 from a remarkable 322 balls, displaying remarkable fitness and shot-making throughout. The 310 deliveries it took him to reach the milestone made it the second quickest to Test triple, 32 balls shy of Virender Sehwag's effort against South Africa in 2008.  He has thus far scored 4 centuries against Pakistan.    

Paki’s tale of woes was complete with hospitalistion of Legspinner Abrar Ahmed, being treated in a hospital in Multan after being taken ill. Abrar, who bowled 31 overs on day three against England, complained of a high fever and body aches on the morning of the fourth day, and did not take the field with the rest of his team-mates. 

The Test at Kingston in Apr 1930 meandered to a draw – with scorecard reading :   England - 849 & 272/9d;  West Indies (T:836) 286 & 408/5.   Batting first, in a timeless Test, Andy Sandham shared stands of 173 with George Gunn (85) for the first wicket, 148 with Bob Wyatt (58) for the second wicket, and 249 with Leslie Ames (149) for the fourth wicket, on the way to an England total of 849. West Indies replied with 286, but England did not enforce the follow-on, setting West Indies a target of 835 to win. After bad weather prevented any play on the match's eighth day, a draw was agreed with West Indies at 408 for 5, George Headley having scored 223. Andy Sandham’s was the first triple hundred in Tests. Sandham was 39 years and 275 days old, and playing his last Test match.   

England scored runs in a frenzy – 823 came off just 150 overs @ 5.48 !!  - Pak bowlers all have forgettable figures.   Shaheen Shah Afridi: 26-1-120-1; Naseem Shan 31-0-157-2; Abrar Ahmd 35-0-174-0;  Aamer Jamal 24-0-126-1; Salman Agha 18-0-118-1; Salim Ayub 14-0-101-2 !!! England could hardly have rushed any more – after all, only one of the 150 overs they faced was a maiden. They averaged 5.48 an over, a rate bettered only twice in the 3,861 Test innings that have lasted for 100 overs or more  

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
10.10.2024 

Baratha Nattiyam ~ Salangai Oli !!!

In 1983, my friends had booked a movie ticket [hard to get those days] and gracefully invited me – it was K Viswanath’s classic ‘Salangai Oli’ – Kamal Jayapradha starrer with classic hits of Illayaraja.  I refused as those were the days when Semis & Finals of Wimbledon was to be shown  live .. .. .. my favourite Ivan Lendl was to play John McEnroe.  A few years earlier, I had started following Tennis following  the exploits of Bjorn Borg.  McEnroe defeated Ivan Lendl, played the unseeded Chris Lewis in the finals won in straight sets 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 to claims his 2nd Wimbledon title.   My friends were to make fun of me, not only for missing the movie but also for my unbridled support for Ivan Lendl.  .. .. and there was this comedy of photography !!

 

Bharatha Natyam is classical and capturing moments of the dance is a challenge !!

 

Characterized by precise movements, sharp edges, and expressive body language, this tradition has delighted audiences for generations.  Bharatanatyam is  derived by joining two Sanskrit words: ’Natyam’ meaning dance and ’Bharata’ which is a mnemonic containing ’Bha’ (bhava/emotions), ‘Ra’ (raga/melody), and ‘Ta’ (tala/rhythm). Thus the term Bharatanatyam means a dance that expresses Bhava, Raga, and Tala. 

The distinctive feature in Bharathanatyam is its basic stance or the posture called the Araimandi or the half-sit position- the there are  paadha bhedha (leg positions)  that experts exhibit.  

jeté, a French word – means  ballet leap in which the weight of the dancer is transferred from one foot to the other.  In Bharatham there are Utplavanas – the leaps. 

Alaga: leap forward in aramandi and land in aramandi; open both hands from chest level to above head to shoulder level in shikara. Katari: leap to the side, ending with toes of one leg in front of the other; both hands in katarimuga. Asva: leap forward with right and left legs and and with bent knees before straightening them; left hand on waist and right hand in tripataka depicting a horse  …. .. .. 

Here are some photos  taken by me at Thirumylai Kapaleeswarar temple yesterday.
 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
9.10.2024

  

Arasa Maram and a brown Song bird (Cuckoo) ~ நீலக் குயிலிருந்து நீண்டகதை சொல்லுவதும் !!

Ficus religiosa or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina  that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, Peepal tree, ashvattha tree [அரச மரம்].  The sacred fig is considered to have a religious significance in four major religions that originated on the Indian subcontinent: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Hindu and Jain ascetics consider the species to be sacred and often meditate under it. Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment – do you see anything in this Arasa maram ??

 

 

Kuyil, Koel, Cuckoo – is a songbird – when heard – the sound may not exactly  attract you!  .. common perception is the  Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is jet black in colour resembling a Crow but having  red eyes !  .. .. some Cuckoos have a grey head with a thin, bright yellow ring around their eye, yellow feet and a black beak. They have dark grey plumage on their upper parts and barred plumage below which resembles the markings of the sparrowhawk. Some females are a rusty-brown colour.

 

மஹாகவி சுப்ரமண்ய பாரதியாரின் குயில்பாட்டு, (the songbird Cuckoo)  மற்றைப் பாட்டுகளினின்றும் வேறுபாடானது. கவிஞன், குயிலொடு கொண்ட காதலைத் தானே சொல்வதாக அமைகிறது. விழுமிய பொருளையும் உயர்ந்த தத்துவக் கருத்தையும் மனித வாழ்க்கையை, லட்சியத் துணையோடு இணைக்கும் வகையிலும் அமைந்து, பொருள்நயமும், கவிதை இனிமையும் சேர்ந்த இத்தொகுப்பு பாரதியார் பாண்டிச்சேரியில் வாழ்ந்தபோது இயற்றப்பட்டதாம்.

 

காலைத் துயிலெழுந்து,காலிரண்டு முன்போலே

சோலைக்கிழுத்திட,நான்  சொந்த  உணர்வில்லாமே

சோலையினில் வந்து நின்று,சுற்றுமுற்றுந் தேடினேன்,

கோலப் பறவைகளின் கூட்டமெல்லாங் காணவில்லை.

மூலையிலோர் மாமரத்தின் மோட்டுக் கிளையினிலே

நீலக் குயிலிருந்து நீண்டகதை சொல்லுவதும்   !!   ,...

 

                    புதுச்சேரியில் கடல் அலை எழுப்பும் ஓசை கவிஞருக்கு வேதப் பொருளை உரைத்ததாம்; கடல் அலைகள் மட்டுமல்ல  ~   குக்கு குக்கூவென்று குயில் பாடும் பாட்டில் தொக்க பொருளெல்லாம் தோன்றுகின்றது அவரது சிந்தைக்கே. 

 

Cuckoo, (குயில்)  of the family Cuculidae,  designates some 60 arboreal members of the subfamilies Cuculinae and Phaenicophaeinae. Cuculids range in length from about 16 cm (6.5 inches) in the glossy cuckoos (Chrysococcyx and Chalcites) to about 90 cm (36 inches) in the larger ground cuckoo.  Koels have long, graduated tails, usually with the individual feathers tipped with white. The bill is rather stout and somewhat downcurved.

 

This morning inside the dense Peepal leaves saw a multi-coloured bird, later realized it resembled a dove but perhaps is a Cuckoo.  A brown Cuckoo !!!

 

The brown cuckoo-dove (Macropygia phasianella) is a dove in the genus Macropygia found in Australia from Weipa and Aurukun in the north to Bega in the south, and most inland at Atherton and Toowoomba. It is sometimes called the "brown pigeon" or "pheasant pigeon".  The brown cuckoo-dove was formally described in 1821 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck from a specimen collected near Port Jackson in New South Wales, Australia. He coined the binomial name Columba phasianella.  The specific name is a diminutive of the Latin phasianus, meaning "pheasant".  The brown cuckoo-dove is now placed in the genus Macropygia, which was introduced by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1837. 

The feathers of brown cuckoo are a rich rusty-brown colour, and the short wings, long tail and back are darker. The males tend to have a slight rose/green colouration on their nape and neck. The call of this dove is a very loud "whoop-a whoop" with some differences depending on the subspecies involved. 

Hoping that  this beauty would give another appearance and present itself to be photographed closer !!

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
7.10.2024 

Marina airshow ! - out of focus !!

 

All eyes on skies and all roads lead to Marina beach  -  a  spectacular aerial display showcasing the prowess and manoeuvrability of the Indian Air Force (IAF) aircrafts. 

Few lakhs of people thronged the beach and every road leading to it was choked with vehicles – it was an ordeal to walk even.  At least 60% of those who saw the event took to social media posting photos and videos  !!

 

~ and this is what I got trying to catch Suryakiran on my camera !  Crow out of focus with Suryakiran in the background !

.. .. few minutes later, Suryakirans were performing breath-taking acrobatic loops – but the crow continued in the focus frame  !!!

 
S Sampathkumar
6^th Oct 2024