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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

EERIE THING AT JHARGRAM - இப்படி எல்லாம் கூட நடக்குமா ? ரயிலையே தூக்கி செல்ல முடியுமா !!!


Dear (s)

I had earlier shared some concerns and some news arising out of Piracy – which is a war like act committed by private parties (not affiliated with any government) that is engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. Somalian Pirates continue to be in news - after the biggest seizure of super tanker Sirius Star, the thugs have reportedly captured a yacht with a British man and woman aboard, with the aim of holding them to ransom.

The pirates are no longer wayward thugs and goons – now they run sophisticated operations using the latest hi-tech equipment such as satellite phones and GPS. They are also heavily armed with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s. The pirates are known to receive tip-offs from contacts at ports in the Gulf of Aden. They use speedboats with very powerful outboard motors to approach their target. Sometimes the speedboats are launched from much larger "mother ships" on the high seas. A matter of grave concern for the Shipping industry and to the Insurers, the IMB says there has been an "unprecedented increase" in Somali Pirate activity in the first nine months of 2009. So far, there have been 147 incidents in the waters off the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Aden, compared with 63 for the same period last year. A total of 533 crew members have been taken hostage. The IMB also says the pirates appear to have "extended their reach, threatening not only the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Somalia, but also the southern region of the Red Sea, the Bab el Mandab Straits and the East Coast of Oman".

Whilst some may not have a passing attention to this, here is something back at home which worried all.


Bharatiya Rail (Indian Railways) is one of the largest and busiest rail networks of the World, transporting over 18 million passengers and more than 2 million tonnes of freight daily. It is really an amazing network, traversing the length and breadth of the country covering 6,909 stations over a total route length of more than 63,327 kilometres. From introduction in 1853, IR has come a long way with 16 Zones. Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. There are a total of sixty-seven divisions.

Though there have been some terror activities aimed at disrupting the network and threatening the lives of the commuters, the one that happened to Rajdhani Express on Tuesday (27/10/09) at a nondescript station near Jhargram is absolutely perplexing. This is 155 kms off Kolkatta and closer to Antapani jungle.



Hijacking of aircrafts have been known. But somebody taking control of such a big train with Engine and many bogies and holding passengers to ransom is rather unthinkable but plain truth. In the drama at Banstala in the Jhargram-Kharagpur section, the Maoists and their supporters wrote the script, cocking a snook at the Railways under Mamata Banerjee and the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government and the Odishan Govt on tenter hooks. The Rajdhani Express was intercepted by a 1,500-strong mob at 2.35 pm and its driver and his assistant were taken hostage. Armed men then called the shots, demanding among other things the release of Chhatradhar Mahato of the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) — the seizure of the train came a day after the PCAPA announced it would resort to an armed struggle to achieve its goals. After several tension filled hours, at 10.10 pm, the Rajdhani Express finally resumed its journey ending the ordeal of panic stricken relatives of passengers.

This is a national shame and the issue will have political ramifications. This should not be forgotten as days pass by. Those at the helm of affairs need to rein in things and run Govt benefitting the common man.

In Europe, Cereal brand Quaker has begun using electric train services to ship goods from its factory in Cupar, Scotland, to its depot in Lutterworth, Leicestershire as part of move to reduce carbon emissions. Elsewhere France & Italy have inked agreement to link up Alps rail 'motorway' which has been transporting truck-trailer units on low bed rail wagons between France and Turin, a distance of around 175 kms with round trips daily.

With regards - S Sampathkumar.



Thursday, October 15, 2009

A new word and some update on Pak cricket

Dear (s)


Not many of you would be following up the Champions League as it entered its next phase - with an interesting super over result. Lot happened at Pakistan after the Champions Trophy.


----- but before all that the word in the caption "triskaidekaphobia" - a noun meaning ‘fear or phobia concerning the number 13’. It might strike one to ask what is there in a number. This word is from Greek tris meaning 3 and deka meaning "10" + phobos: fear. The fear of no. 13 is number commonly associated with bad luck in Western culture. Though the fear is traced back to olden days, the word appears to be of recent origin reportedly coined during 1911 and having appeared in New Yorks time article in 1953.


Triskaidekaphobia also may be related to Norse mythology, which tells how the god Odin invited eleven of his closest friends to a dinner party at his home in Valhalla, only to have his party crashed by Loki, the god of evil and turmoil, thus giving a total of 13 people. Past disasters linked to the number 13 hardly help triskaidekaphobics overcome their affliction. The most famous is the Apollo 13 mission, launched on April 11, 1970 (the sum of 4, 11 and 70 equals 85 - which when added together comes to 13), from Pad 39 (three times 13) at 13:13 local time, and struck by an explosion on April 13. It is also widely circulated that seemingly ingrained case of triskaidekaphobia, forced managers to impose the bizarre, '13-free' numbering system on its flights. Some famous historic persons are reportedly triskaidekaphobes which would include Napoleon, Mark Twain, Richard Wagner and Franklin Roosevelt.


One would like to pooh pooh this as superstition and not a notion based on reason, knowledge or experience. There is yet another phobia combining the no. 13th with day Friday and it is called paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.



Why bad luck should be associated with a common week end day is ......... some have tried to list out events of Hurricane Charlen in 13/8/2004; the storm that struck Buffalo, NY on 13/10/2006; Continental Flight 3407 crashin ginto a house at NY on 12/02/09, Asteroid 2004 , Andes Plane crash of 1972 and hurricane sinking manhy ships at Havana Cuba way back in 13/2/1733. Lot can be read into coincidences !!!



Coming back to my pet topic lot more is being forced into the match between Pak and Aussies - the match most Indians wanted Pakis to win. (Read my earlier article : when Indians wanted a Paki win here)



Chasing a modest 206 for a victory and easy entry in to Semis, Aussies started well, were 59 for 2 and cruised to 150 and were 157 for 3 in 36 overs which meant 49 runs in around 80 balls with 7 wickets in hand. The end result had Punter chewing all his nails due to the improbable aussie middle order failture but scampering home off the last ball. That match effectively ended the Indian challenge securing a first round elimination. Pak qualified well but succumbed to Kiwis in the next match.



In cricket crazy Nations, lot more is read and understood. There were incendiary report somewhere that Paki loss was much intentional to keep India out. This had no credence but germ perhaps had been planted. This was picked up by Pak’s hyperactive media big on headlines. The head of Pakistan's national parliamentary committee on sports has accused the team of deliberately losing to Australia and called for changes in the national cricket board. It had its repercussions even in the Pak Parliament and the captain Younis promptly, in a temperamental rage announced his resignation. To many Younis was the most fascinating personality at the Champions Trophy, endearingly honest, open and refreshing. Broadly speaking, he was thought to be a good, calming influence on the side. That message seems not to have reached Pakistan.


In a game which is to be fought on field, Pak always had its share of controversies off the field also. Remember the death of Bob Woolmer, the coach during the World Cup at West Indies and mysteries that shrouded his death. There was a shoot out at the Lankan team which pushed them to abysmal depths. Efforts were made to overcome all this but whatever was achieved by the recent commendable performances in the T 20 WC and Champions trophy, seem to be going down in the drain once again.






With regards - S Sampathkumar

Monday, October 12, 2009

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE - some FACTS and some V I E W S

Dear (s) 

The Nobel Awards captured headlines everywhere and here is something which is not commonly seen on papers.  More so on the Nobel Peace Prize  which is  worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) and that  will be handed over in Oslo on Dec. 10.  Incidentally with so much clamouring, do you remember the winner last Year ?

 In his 1895 will, Alfred Nobel stipulated that the peace prize should go "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses." Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded by Swedish institutions, he said the peace prize should be given out by a five-member committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament. Sweden and Norway were united under the same crown at the time of Nobel's death. The committee has taken a wide interpretation of Nobel's guidelines, expanding the prize beyond peace mediation to include efforts to combat poverty, disease and climate change.

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 89 times to 119 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2008 – 96 times to individuals and 23 times to organizations.  The list of organisational recipients include some who have received it more than once - the Red Cross  in 1917, 1944 and 1963,  the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees  in 1954 and 1981;  that means 96 individuals and 20 organizations have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Of the 96 individuals awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 12 are women. The first  woman to win was Bertha von Suttner.

Though there cannot be any comparisons – when  Ramakrishnan Venkatraman, the Tamil Nadu-born Indian  won the Nobel Prize for chemistry becoming the  fourth in the list of Indian-born scientists (the first three being C V Raman, S Chandrasekhar, and Har Gobind Khorana) the first glimpse that hit the headlines was ‘TN-born American bags Nobel, with humility’ —  In portraying it, he said  “Don’t look at the Nobel Prize as the recognition of your excellence. Your work is more valuable; more profound” .   Perhaps words of a noble man discounting the value of the prize in constrast to many who flaunt their award at their compatriots compatriots and build an awesome brand for the Prize and for themselves.

That was slightly deviant from the topic - The nobel peace prize is no stranger to controversy.    In 2009, a record 205 nominations were received.  The Committee keeps the nominations secret and asks that nominators do the same. Over time many individuals have become known as "Nobel Peace Prize Nominees", but this designation has no official standing. Nominations from 1901 to 1955, however, have been released in a database.Though he never won, in 1939 the nomination for the peace prize was Adolf Hitler, nominated by a  member of the Swedish Parliament. Others include  Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini.  But it should be seen in the light that  nomination requires only support from one qualified person, and hence  all nominations do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Nobel committee itself.  Obama has exalted admiring Gandhi and some of Gandhi’s professed followers – Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi had been conferred with the coveted award.  But not  Mohandas Karamchand.  The omission has been particularly widely discussed including public statements by various   members of the Nobel Committee. The Committee has confirmed that Gandhi was nominated in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and, finally, a few days before he was murdered in January 1948. The omission has  also been publicly regretted by later members of the Nobel Committee. In 1948, the year of Gandhi's death, the Nobel Committee declined to award a prize on the ground that "there was no suitable living candidate" that year.  When Dalai Lama was awarded the prize in 1989, the Chairman of the Committee had said that this was in part a tribute to the memory of Gandhi. One cannot but think that the Nobel committee in those days was influenced by imperialists in denying him the peace prize as he was a big threat to imperialism. Many believe that Winston Churchill was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but he was actually awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature. In fact, Churchill was nominated both for the Literature and for the Nobel Peace Prize.

With this background, and going by the guiding principles, the Committee stunned observers with its choice especially with the citation for his work in Nuclear weapons elimination and international diplomacy.  The chairman of the Committee Thorbjorn Jagland said it had considered what Obama had done during the year - and that the prize was not for what Obama might do in the future, for instance in Afghanistan and Obama becomes the 90th winner of the award. It is a plain fact that Obama has only served nine months of his presidency, the deadline for nomination was Feb 1 and Obama was sworn in on Jan 20th.  

Speculation before the 2009 prize announcement had centred on Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, freed Colombian-French politician Ingrid Betancourt as well as dissidents in China.  The first ever winners were Jan Henry Dunant of Switzerland  and Frederic Passy of France.  Dunant was the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Frederic was the founder and President of  French Peace Society. 

In a statesmanly manner, Obama has  responded to his selection stating “ I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear, I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations. To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize, men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace”

If you still remember the Q in the first para : The 2008 winner was  Martti Ahtisaari, born on June 23, 1937 in the city of Viipuri, then still part of Finland.  The former president of Finland was a UN special envoy at the Kosovo status process negotiations and awarded for his role in resolving international conflicts.

With regards

S Sampathkumar

Thursday, October 8, 2009

எங்கிருந்து அழைப்பு ? வீதியில் உள்ள போது போன் பேசாதீர்கள் !!!!

Dear (s) 


Some common photos that we see every day on road. I had shared my concerns earlier also on this.




படங்கள் நன்றி : தினமலர் நாளிதழ்

There is a very disturbing news report on papers today. “Yesterday was a sad day - 11 persons were run over by trains in a single day – majority of them were talking on mobiles while crossing railway tracks in Chennai division occurring at in Korukkupet, Gummidipoondi, Erode, Pothanur, Morappur, Athur, Tambaram (two cases), Chromepet, Annanur and Basin Bridge

Human lives are invaluable and the statistics of Railway Police is alarming. More than 525 have died in the city since January this year being knocked down by trains while crossing railway and it is 1050 under Chennai division. The Authorities pathetically describe that despite efforts to create awareness, most of the deaths are due to commuters crossing track while talking on mobile phones. Was it a call from hell that was beckoning them ?

After the introduction of first cell phone in India in 1994 the users have multiplied in great numbers and there is impending need for inculcating the much needed discipline in usage. Today’s youth are inherently impatient. Irrespective of age – you find people talking on mobiles – whilst on road, driving, crossing and whilst doing anything else. The first thing most of the drivers do immediately on stopping at a signal is taking out the mobile and checking their calls / messages. May be every body is dealing with millions every minute ! BUT ……

In London Motorists who use a hand-held mobile phone or fiddle with a satellite-navigation system while driving could be jailed for up to two years. Prosecutors have said they could be charged with dangerous driving in a dramatically tougher approach to such offences. Even those caught fiddling with an MP3 music player or texting on a mobile at the wheel could also face the charge.

There are not tough laws in the country but more than Laws it is the attitude of people which can save precious lives. Lots lies in store to be achieved and let not life be cut short by a talk.

Please take an oath that YOU will never use a mobile – whilst on road – whether driving or walking !!!!! Tell all your friends also.


With regards  -  S Sampathkumar.

DOING INDIA PROUD ~ Venky Ramakrishnan is NOBEL LAUREATE

Dear (s) 

Chidambaram, located at 11°23′58.87″N 79°41′37.04″E11.3996861°N 79.6936222°E, a municipality in Tamil Nadu and taluk hq of Cuddalore is famous for its ancient and renowned shrine of Lord Nataraja in the form of a cosmic dancer. There are times when places get more famous due to individuals – today is one for it is the birth place of the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - Venkatraman Ramakrishnan.

This year's three laureates, will share the 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) award, for generating three-dimensional models that show how different antibiotics bind to ribosomes and one amongst them has an Indian connection. The Nobel Prize is a Swedish & International monetary prize, established by the 1895 will and estate of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel. It was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901. The Nobel Prizes in the specific disciplines (Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature) and the Prize in Economics, which is commonly identified with them, are widely regarded as the most prestigious award one can receive in those fields.

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. 100 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry have been awarded since 1901. It was not awarded on eight occasions. It is stated that if none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated, the prize money shall be reserved until the following year. If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be added to the Foundation's restricted funds. Moreover no prizes were awarded during the two World Wars.

Though an American now, India has reasons to celebrate this Nobel moment when Science salutes the work of Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, who painstakingly, atom by atom, decoded the structure of ribosomes those tiny worksheds in each cell where life is built. Ribosomes are small granules, about 20 nanometers in width (1 nanometer = one billionth of a meter) found in all cells. Using the code carried by DNA molecules, they build proteins. Dr Venkatraman ‘Venky’ Ramakrishnan, 58, who had his early education in the temple town of Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, and Vadodara, Gujarat, moved out to US. Dr Ramakrishnan follows in the footsteps of Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1983, and the country’s first Nobel laureate, Sir C V Raman, who won the same prize in 1930. 

Dr Ramakrishnan is currently affiliated with the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, UK. He shares the prize with Dr Thomas Steitz of Yale University, Connecticut, and Dr Ada Yonath of Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. “This year’s three Laureates have all generated 3D models that show how different antibiotics bind to the ribosome. These models are now used by scientists in order to develop new antibiotics, directly assisting the saving of lives and decreasing humanity’s suffering,” the Nobel citation explained.

With regards,
S Sampathkumar

சாதரணமாக சின்ன சின்ன சினிமா விஷயத்துக்கு எல்லாம் நாட்ராம்பள்ளியில் இருந்து நியூயார்க் வரை புகழ்வது நமது கலாச்சாரம்.  இது மிகவும் பெருமைப்பட வேண்டிய விஷயம்.  எனவேதான் இந்த சிறு குறிப்பு

Addition on 20.10.2009

Yesterday read an exclusive Interview of the Nobel Laurate in Dinamalar.  He clarified that his parents moved out to Gujarat in his early ages and he had his schooling only in Gujarat.


Whilst the honour of his birth at Chidambaram remains, he has criticised a claim made by a person of having taught him in his PUC at Chidambaram, which is reported by him to be totally far from truth.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

OVERDOSE OF CRICKET - THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Dear Friends,     After the Champions Trophy which was a 50 over format involving 8 nations, there is more in store for cricket fans – the Champions League. 


The 2009 edition features 12 teams and there would be 23 matches in all. This tournament is sponsored by Airtel and is a competition between clubs from India, Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies. This League is chaired by Lalit Modi, who is the Chairman and Commissioner of the Indian Premier League and Vice-President of the BCCI.



As you would remember, this was launched in 2008 after the success of the IPL and was to have different teams thence. The first edition was set to happen during Sept – Oct 2008 in India. There were many teething troubles and was postponed to December. The terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 26th Nov had its impact on this and was cancelled subsequently.  Now in its new avatar, this tournament carries whopping Rs.170 crores of money. In the present edition there would 12 teams :  Top 3 teams of IPL, top 2 teams of Australia, England and South Africa and top teams from West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Can you name them. Do not worry. Here is the list.:


1. Royal Challengers Bangalore


2. Deccan Chargers Hyderabad


3. Delhi Dare Devils


4. New South Wales Blues (Aus)


5. Victorian Bush Rangers (Aus)


6. Cape Cobras (SA)


7. Diamond Eagles (SA)


8. Otago Volts (NZ)


9. Sussex Sharks (Eng)


10. Somerset Sabres (Eng)


11. Trinidad & Tobago (WI) and


12. Wayamba (SL)


Well, some players who performed very well in the inaugural IPL would be missing – yes that of our neighbours - Sialkot Stallions who were the winners the Pak’s domestic T20 and who were to take part but will not be playing here in tune with the Govt. Policy.  The three Indian teams – RCB, DC & DD do not need any introduction. For the rest, here is something :


4) New South Wales Blues are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales and compete in Sheffield Shield, Ford Ranger Cup, and KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.


5) Victorian Bushrangers are also from the land of OZ, based in Melbourne.


6) Nashua Cape Cobras is the team from combined Western Province and Boland first class cricket teams in South African domestic cricket, hailing from Newlands, Capetown.


7) Gestetner Diamond Eagles is the team of combined Free State cricket team and Griqualand West first class cricket teams in South Africa, with home venue at Bloemfontein.


8) Otago Volts is an association team from the land of Kiwis


9) Sussex Sharks is one amongst the 18 major country clubs of English domestic cricket structure. Interestingly, Sussex won its first-ever official County Championship title in 2003 after a wait of more than 100 years.


10) Somerset Sabres is another team from England for which once Ian Botham, Sunil Gavaskar and Vivian Richards played. This club is headquartered at Taunton.


11) Whilst most are club teams, here is a country which represents combined West Indies – the Trinidad and Tobago.


This is an archipelagic state in the South Carribean and is a Nation. This country has an area of 5128 sq km. Of the two, Tobago islands are much smaller comprising of about 6% of total area and 4% of the entire population which is around 1.3 million. !!!!!!!


12) Wayamba is from the land of Lankans 


The teams are grouped in to 4 in the initial league stage


Group A  :  DC,  Somerset,  Trinidad
Group B  :  NSW, Diamond Eagles, Sussex
Group C  :  RCB, Cape Cobras, Otago volts
Group D  :  DD, Victoria, Wayamba.



Here is the schedule :




In the second round, the two qualifiers are divided in two leagues and would play two matches for qualifying for the Semis.   The grand final will unfold at 8 pm on Oct 23 (Friday) at Hyderabad.






With regards


S Sampathkumar.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Triplicane, SYMA and BLISS - Presenting our Sept. 2009 issue

Dear (s)



I have been sending you the newsletter BLISS and by now you have had some introduction of SYMA, a social service organization rendering service for more than 3 decades.  (Read more at http://www.syma.in/)



Days of significance to the Nation are very important and we have been celebrating Indian Independence day by conduct of Eye camp. This year also we organized Cataract awareness camp in association with Lions Club and Sri Sankara Eye Hospital, Pammal. More than 200 people registered, and after screening 25 persons underwent free cataract eye surgery at Pammal.

Presenting our September 2009 issue.  Please view the same at : BLISS SEPT ISSUE http://syma.in/images/bliss/BLISS%20092009.pdf



This issue has a detailed write up on the Eye Camp and place on record our thanks for the great service rendered by Sri Sankara Eye Hospital. We also conducted an Asthma camp during Sept., details of which will find place in our next issue.



This issue also contains something about


- Is the epitaph of 50 over game being written ?


- the naked aggression of China


- Is the Indian Namaskar the best way viewing the hype behind Swine flu and where went the masks now ?


- The Spelling Bee competition


- What is great about this man – Dean Du Plessis


- Do you know which teams fight for MJ Gopalan Trophy and its significance.


Look forward to your feedback.


With regards


S Sampathkumar (Editor)

Thursday, October 1, 2009

இந்தியர்கள் விரும்பிய பாகிஸ்தான் வெற்றி

Dear (s)
30th Sept was phenomenal for the Sports lovers (read Cricket fans). Millions in the Nation sat glued to television – Star Sports.



Well, ESPN and DD were telecasting live – West Indies battling India. The bowling exploits of Nehra were not the cynosure of eyes but elsewhere the game at Centurion – the match between Paki & Aussie were. Indian fans for once were wanting Pakis to win. Such was the depth that when Saeed Ajmal came back to bowl, my son cursed Younis stating that he would have preferred Umar Gul having a fling at Nathan Hauritz and ending the game. It was a great tense match.




Chasing a modest 206 for a victory and easy entry in to Semis, Aussies started well, were 59 for 2 and cruised to 150 and were 157 for 3 in 36 overs which meant 49 runs in around 80 balls with 7 wickets in hand.  Normally, Aussies would cruise but they survived a scare and Ponting had to chew many nails as then came the improbable Aussie middle order failure – Ferguson, Hyssey, Hopes, Cameron White all gone and Oz were tottering at 176-7 in 41.5 overs. Johnson left at 187 but Lee & Hauritz saw it through scampering a win off the last ball, as Indians waited with bated breath.



It was really mesmerizing to see a comeback bowler playing his first international in 18 months claiming 2 in an excellent second spell and Saeed Ajmal throttling them with 2 for 31 in 10. Rana Naved at one stage conceded a solitary run from 3 overs at the death making the chase a nerve shredding climb.



This win ended the Indian ICC Champions Trophy campaign with a first round elimination. Hours after came the consolation win over Windies at Johannesburg. Perhaps Indian never deserved to qualify for the Semis after the crippling loss to Pak in the opening match and dismal show against Aussies in the next.  Ashish Nehra has been a revelation in his comeback but Ishant and Harbhajan disappointed. The weak Windies were subdued at 129 which were scored not so easily with Dinesh prodding and Virat making most of the given chance.




The Indian players would head home early and will have some time off before the seven ODI home series against Aussie starting last week of this month. Some however, will take part in the Champion League representing their winning IPL teams.



With regards - S Sampathkumar