the affable Anil kutti ~ the squirrel

 

You have seen Squirrel on trees, on terrace .. ..

When you love them .. .. you see them everywhere - in unusual places too !!

“Leafless Greenery” — an Oxymoron or ... !!!!

 

People love greenery ! – Trees with green leaves attract !  -  “Leafless Greenery”  — an Oxymoron – is that possible … perhaps everything with AI edit – here is a photo of a barren tree that was too attractive, then processed it through with couple of Parakeets group photos .. ..   Abscission is a new word for those of us who studied Science in Tamil medium..

Abscission (from Latin ab- 'away' and scindere 'to cut') is the shedding of various parts of an organism, such as a plant dropping a leaf, fruit, flower, or seed. In zoology, abscission is the intentional shedding of a body part, such as the shedding of a claw, husk, or the autotomy of a tail to evade a predator. In mycology, it is the liberation of a fungal spore. In cell biology, abscission refers to the separation of two daughter cells at the completion of cytokinesis.

In temperate countries, in Autumn season – trees shed leaves.   The shedding of leaves itself is called abscission. In Chennai’s tropical climate, however, trees may shed leaves during the dry season or before summer—not necessarily during a distinct autumn. Such trees are called deciduous trees. Trees lose their leaves mainly to conserve water and survive an unfavourable season.

Trees do not necessarily lose their leaves because they are dying; sometimes, shedding is Nature’s strategy for survival and renewal.  When trees lose their leaves, they do not always lose their life—their vitality merely retreats within, awaiting another season.

“Leafless Greenery”   !!  by definition, perhaps not. Yet Nature is an ingenious writer—she occasionally composes poetry that grammar and logic cannot explain. Before me stood a great tree, stripped almost entirely of its foliage. Its bare branches stretched across the pale sky like an intricate charcoal drawing. There were no clusters of leaves to soften its outline, no luxuriant canopy to proclaim vitality. At first sight, it appeared dry, austere and almost lifeless.

Then came the parakeets! ~ though they were in very small numbers – I have exaggerated by extrapolating with some from my own collections editing through Chatgpt !! 

One after another, the rose-ringed parakeets descended upon the tree. Some settled quietly on its highest twigs; some perched in companionable pairs; others shuffled along the branches, searching for a comfortable foothold. A few hovered momentarily with wings outspread before joining the gathering.  Within minutes, the naked tree had turned green! Not through new shoots or tender leaves—but through living, breathing splashes of emerald. The birds seemed to have taken the place of the missing foliage. Their long bluish-green tails hung from the branches like slender leaf stalks, while their curved red beaks provided tiny strokes of contrast.

It was greenery without leaves—an oxymoron created by Nature herself!  The tree, though seemingly barren, was certainly not lifeless. Its innumerable branches offered the birds resting places, safety, visibility and companionship. What appeared empty to the human eye had become a thriving avian assembly hall. Every branch was occupied; every movement added animation; every call contributed to an unseen orchestra.

There is also a gentle lesson here. We often associate beauty only with abundance—trees must be thick with leaves, gardens must overflow with flowers and landscapes must be lush to attract our admiration. Yet a leafless tree can possess a beauty of its own. Its uncovered structure reveals strength, age and character. Every bend in its trunk and every fork in its branches records a story of seasons endured.

And with the arrival of  the parakeets   that starkness becomes splendour. Through this edited photograph I am trying to depict a quiet contrast of our concrete surroundings.  Buildings rise, wires criss-cross the sky and open spaces steadily disappear. Yet birds adapt, gather and reclaim whatever fragments of Nature remain available to them. A single old tree—even one without leaves—can become a sanctuary for scores of winged visitors.

To us, it may merely be a tree awaiting another season. To the parakeets, it is perhaps a meeting place, a resting station and a familiar landmark in their aerial world. For a fleeting while, the birds transformed its barrenness into abundance and its silence into celebration. They did not merely perch upon the tree—they became its foliage.

A leafless tree dressed in living green— “Leafless greenery” may sound like an oxymoron, but at least in imagination it is a  beautiful reality!

Interesting !

Regards – S Sampathkumar

31.8.2026

 

the morning charm !! ~ a Peacock in Triplicane !!!

 

Do you believe in luck ? well, I had some good luck this morning !    – getting up early, seeing our own palms, or image of God, getting up reciting a sloka -  are considered extremely good and auspicious morning practice or belief, then there are superstitions that some fully believe !!

Slightly moving away, have seen posters of donkey with words ‘see me – luck will come to you!’ .. .. in the last paras you will read about one such superstition that a friend fell prey.

Luck means an event or outcome that happens partly by chance and is outside your complete control. Good luck means that the chance event produces a favourable or beneficial result for you.

The readymade examples that come to mind are :  finding money on the road or getting money from an unexpected; going late to railway station, coming to know that the train is delayed and just arriving on the platform;  find a very important document that you had given up after many searches – seeing it  at a very odd place; preparing well for an interview is mainly effort and ability, though meeting the right interviewer or receiving the opportunity may involve luck.

Researchers describe luck in everyday life as an unexpected outcome that is unlikely, outside one’s control, and emotionally important.  Whether it is real may become a bigger debate. From a scientific viewpoint, luck is generally not treated as a mysterious force. It is a way of describing the personal experience of probability and chance—sometimes called “probability taken personally.”

Richard Wiseman’s four principles of luck explain that people can often increase their experience of good fortune through their attitudes and behaviour, rather than simply waiting for fate. 1. Maximise chance opportunities;  2. Listen to lucky hunches (gut feeling); 3. Expect good fortune - Try even when success is uncertain; 4. Turn bad luck into good. Lucky people do not deny misfortune, but they try to manage it constructively.  

Wiseman’s idea is: Create more opportunities, listen thoughtfully to intuition, expect favourable possibilities, and respond to misfortune with resilience. He is  not claiming that people can control every random event. Rather, these principles help people notice more possibilities, act more effectively, and convert some apparently unlucky situations into better outcomes.

Moving away in Chennai and perhaps in many other cities too – it is not uncommon to   see vagabonds/ itinerant vendors moving around selling some items of forest. Have seen some buy so called aphrodisiacs too !! but mostly items are bought for wearing inside talisman that are expected to bring charm and luck and they include – skin of deer, fox skin, hair of fox / horse / elephant; nails of lion / fox / tiger  ..; and horns of animals. 

On that day back in early 1980s – a man with so many parts of indescribable trees – roots, dried leaves and more .. .. and some skins, nails, horns,  body parts of animals – came along.  He came near sat near the mechanic who ran a shop in TP Koil Street and started analyzing him – saying that he is having a turbulent life, a troubled  past and tough times ahead – enough to unsettle / shake the  man to ask what he should do  .. ..   

Then he started reeling out solutions of atonement that will work as sure remedy !  .. .. and .. .. and slowly – opening many of the small packs, he showed a small thing claiming it to have great expiatory properties of warding of ill-luck – can you imagine what ?  - it was touted to be the ‘horn of a wily fox’ ! – never ask whether a fox has horn ? – this man had already fallen into the trap and eventually a deal of Rs.450 was struck – understand that Rs.500 was more than the monthly income of most of people walking around on the road at that particular moment !!

I knew what happened to that man later in life – and that is not part of the story !! – any way we believe in good luck charms and getting up to see a good one is always our wish.  This morning my wife woke me up telling that there is a beautiful visitor – we rushed to our terrace to see this beautiful peacock perched high on the water tank – it remained nonchalant for nearly 20 mins and posed still and as it flew away in a jiffy, could take one neat good photo too. Taken at Vasavi Parthas Apartment complex, Venkatrangam Street, Triplicane, Chennai 600 005

That made my day – more than seeing a Peacock in the morning – for me it is photographing a rare visitor to the concrete jungle of Triplicane !!   luck is what happens by chance; good luck is chance that benefits you.

Good morning Peacock – you made my day !! lucky that you waited long enough posing for some photos  and then gave one chance in  flight too !!

Regards – S Sampathkumar
30.8.2026

Cormorant gets out of water !!

 

Wings of determination!

Neither fully afloat nor yet airborne—the Cormorant lifts itself from the water, wings spread wide, scattering droplets and gathering momentum.

Nature reminds us that every rise begins with effort! Photographed at the precise moment when water, wings and will came together.

Chow chow !! கத்திரிக்கா கத்திரிக்கா குண்டு கத்திரிக்கா

 

கத்திரிக்கா கத்திரிக்கா குண்டு கத்திரிக்கா

 

எந்த கடையில நீ அரிசி வாங்குற

உன் அழகுல என் உசுர வாங்குற

உம்மை எடை அளவு பாக்கணும் பாக்கணும்

உச்சந்தலைக்கு மேல தூக்கணும் தூக்கணும்

 

Most likely you have heard this song from Duet !!  Ever heard of Chayote (Sechium edule) – you have eaten it !! 

Are you a connoisseur of food ! – how good is your culinary skills – can you identify this (popular!) vegetable !! without seeing the photos and reading the post in full with just the clues ? 

here is a photo of what is called as ‘Bangalore Kathirikkai !’ or Chow-chow.  Chow Chow belongs to the squash family.  In Tamil Nadu, we make koottu of most gourds  - with chow-chow, we make vegetable curry, koottu  or a thuvaiyal and call them a delicacy.   

The foundation stone for  glass house of Lalbagh was laid  by  Prince Albert Victor, heir to the Prince of Wales and was called the Albert Victor Conservatory, but now known as the Glass House. The man behind the idea of the Glass House was John Cameron, Superintendent of Lalbagh. Cameron had a background in botany and had trained at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, then the centre of botanical research in the world.  Lalbagh’s first known plant census, done in 1861, recorded 1033 species. In the first six years that he took charge of Lalbagh, Cameron managed to introduce an average of 160 new plants every year, it is believed that Cameron introduced chow-chow and now we know it as Bengaluru Brinjal.

 
Interesting !
 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
29.8.2026

 

 

the rise !!!!! ............ and the deeeeeeeep fall of a famous Pakistani !!!

 

 

Every individual strives for name and fame ! but life in phases can be far different ~the story of a Man who conquered many things but is now languishing in jail with poor health !!  -  It is turmoil in our neighbourhood Nation that shows animosity all the time, a Nation that shares land borders and chequered history !  ..

I remember that Pongal Test in 1980 at Chepauk when Pakistan  toured India.  The star Batsman Zaheer Abbas failed miserably, getting out to Roger Binny many a times;  some Pakis claimed that to be result of black magic ! .. .. Sandip Patil debuted and we so eagerly looked forward to his making runs – glaring at him in the net practice before the commencement of the Test.  Sunil Gavaskar was to make 166 and Kapil bowled so well – a 7 wicket haul in the 2nd  essay ensured a comfortable 10 wicket victory for India.  Imran Khan ran in long and hard and bowled fast – took 5 wickets too – those days there were rest days the 4th  day -  18th  Jan was a rest day.  Years later, in Feb 1987, Imran captained Pakis and scored a ton, which was overshadowed by a brilliant 123 laced with 18 fours and 2 sixers by local lad Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

The fast and fiery Imran Khan  made his Test debut against England at Edgbaston on 3 June 1971, aged eighteen. It was hardly the arrival of an instant superstar. In a high-scoring draw, he made only five runs and returned figures of 0 for 36 from 23 overs. He was raw, not exceptionally quick and still searching for an effective bowling action.  After this solitary appearance, he remained outside the Test team for nearly three years.  

The 1982–83 home series against India represented one of his bowling peaks: he took 40 wickets in six Tests and overwhelmed a formidable Indian batting side. He was appointed Pakistan captain in 1982 and  led Pakistan to their first Test-series victory in England in 1987.   

In 88 Tests, Imran scored 3,807 runs at 37.69 and captured 362 wickets at 22.81. He captained Pakistan in 48 Tests. The 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand provided the defining chapter of his cricketing life.  Pakistan began disastrously, winning only one of their first five matches. They were dismissed for 74 by England and escaped defeat only because rain caused the match to be abandoned. Then they reached Finals.   England were bowled out for 227, giving Pakistan victory by 22 runs and their first World Cup.

On 25 April 1996, Imran founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf—PTI, meaning the Pakistan Movement for Justice.  His early political career was largely unsuccessful. PTI failed to win a seat in the 1997 election. Imran entered the National Assembly only in 2002, while his party remained electorally marginal. Critics dismissed him as a famous cricketer without an effective political organisation. PTI emerged as a major national force in the 2013 election and formed the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Imran then led prolonged protests alleging electoral malpractice and projecting himself as the principal opponent of both Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and the Bhutto-led PPP.  PTI emerged as the largest party in the 2018 general election. Imran won all five National Assembly constituencies that he contested and became prime minister in August 2018.

His rise was nevertheless controversial. Opponents alleged that Pakistan’s powerful military establishment had helped weaken his rivals and create favourable conditions for him. His relationship with the military—initially regarded as an important source of his political strength—eventually deteriorated. In April 2022, after coalition partners and some PTI legislators withdrew their support, Imran lost a parliamentary no-confidence vote. He became the first Pakistani prime minister to be removed through that constitutional mechanism.  He survived a shooting attempt; arrests, protests and numerous criminal cases followed. He was imprisoned in August 2023 and subsequently convicted in several cases involving state gifts, corruption and other allegations. Imran and PTI maintain that the prosecutions are politically motivated; Pakistan’s government and authorities reject that claim.

Now,  Imran Khan, aged 73, is alive and back in Adiala Jail, but there are genuine concerns about his health—particularly his eyesight.  He was reportedly diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO)—a blockage in a vein carrying blood away from the retina. This can cause sudden or progressive loss of vision and, if severe or inadequately treated, may leave permanent damage.  The Pakistani government and prison authorities dispute this description. They say his eyesight improved after treatment and was “almost normal.”  

Because of these conflicting accounts, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that he be examined at Shifa International Hospital by a multidisciplinary medical panel. He was taken for assessment  but returned to prison after a much shorter hospital stay than his family and PTI had expected. The detailed clinical report has not been publicly released, reportedly on grounds of medical privacy. His sons now say that isolation is affecting even their normally strong and composed father, causing agitation, anxiety and palpitations.

The wheel has completed a circle and now Imran Khan is facing arguably the biggest challenge of survival not in political career perhaps in life itself. 

Today comes the news that the  PCB has made a formal complaint to Sky Sports after the broadcaster aired an interview with the sons of former prime minister and captain Imran Khan during the lunch interval on the first day of the Lord's Test. Cricinfo understands the PCB considered the option of Pakistan not taking the field after the break in protest. Former England captain and current Sky Sports broadcaster Mike Atherton conducted the interview, in which Imran's sons Suleiman and Kasim Khan expressed concern about the health of their father, who has been in prison for three years, and said they feared for his life.  

Last week, 22 former captains, including Atherton, wrote a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to ensure Imran receives proper care in prison. The letter included captains from India, Australia, England, West Indies and New Zealand. It was a follow-up to a previous letter 14 captains had written in February, one that received no reply from the Pakistan government.

Before concluding you must read to understand how Pakistan treated the man who perhaps was the first proponent of the State !!

Choudhry Rahmat Ali [1897 - 1951] is credited to be the earliest proponent of the creation of the state of Pakisthan. He is credited with creating the name "Pakistan" for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia and is generally known as the originator of the Pakistan Movement.  Rahmat Ali's seminal contribution was when he was a law student at the University of Cambridge in 1933, in the form of a pamphlet -  "Now or Never; Are We to Live or Perish Forever?", also known as the "Pakistan Declaration".  

But as it would dawn, sadly after the creation of Pakistan, Ali returned from England in April 1948, planning to stay in the country, but his belongings were confiscated and he was expelled by the prime minister  Liaqat Ali Khan. In Oct 1948, Ali left empty-handed. He died on 3 Feb 1951 in Cambridge "destitute, forlorn and lonely".  The funeral expenses of insolvent Ali were covered by Emmanuel College, Cambridge on the instructions of its Master. Ali was buried at Cambridge City Cemetery.  He is all but forgotten in the "country he coined".

Regards – S Sampathkumar

28.8.2026

 

red brick building of Triplicane

 

~the famous  red brick building of Triplicane  - the architectural  wonder

the Great Education Fort that shaped thousands of students ..

the Hindu High School, Big Street, Triplicane. [taken in 2019]

just as news : this complex now houses Elementary School, Matriculation  & State board Higher secondary schools !!

thenga maanga pattani sundal ~ Marina beach !!

 

வங்க கடற்கரைக்கு காற்று வாங்கவும் கடல் அலைகளை ரசிக்கவும் வரும் கூட்டம் அதிகம்.

 

மெரினா பீச்சின் சுவாரஸ்யங்களில் ஒன்று - தேங்கா மாங்கா பட்டாணி சுண்டலும், அது சுற்றிவரும் தமிழ் வார இதழின் பக்கமும்.

 

ஆங் !! கதை கேளு, கதை கேளு !!

 

(சென்ன பட்டணம்) உருவான கதை கேளு !!

 

வங்க கடலில் வந்த குடும்பினி நம்மை அடிமையாக்கின கதை கேளு !!

மாட்டு வண்டி சாலையிலே ~ bullock carts at Pandavapura !!

 

மாட்டு வண்டி சாலையிலே,  கூட்டு வண்டி.. போகுதம்மா

கூட்டு வண்டி.. உள்ளுக்குள்ளே கூண்டுக் கிளி வாடுதம்மா

bullock carts at Pandavapura, Karnataka

likely you have heard and enjoyed this good melody  of Illayaraja !!- are you sure ??

 

This pic was taken a few years ago at Pandavapura … the song is from movie – Vedam Pudithu, released in 1987 starring Sathyaraj, Amala, Saritha  .. ..directed and co-written by Bharathi Raja

Contrary to popular thoughts – that came at a time when Barathiraja had a rift in relations with Isaignani and chose to have little known Devendiran as the music director.

Regards – S Sampathkumar

27.8.2026

Water flow !! ~ ~ ~ Uriyadi !!

 

How water flows !!!

 

A river flows with the patient, sustained force of gravity; this water flies with the sudden, targeted force of human action.

Water in a river ordinarily flows as a broad, continuous body under gravity, moving from a higher level to a lower one. Its force is distributed across the river’s width and depth. Even when the surface appears calm, the current may carry considerable momentum; in rapids and waterfalls, the steeper gradient concentrates that energy and makes the flow turbulent.

The water in this Uriyadi photograph is different. It is not a sustained natural current but a brief, concentrated jet created by human force. Water released rapidly from the narrow mouth of the vessel is directed sideways towards a particular target. Its energy is concentrated into a small cross-section, so it strikes sharply rather than pushing continuously. As it travels through the air, the compact stream breaks into sprays and glistening droplets; on meeting the boy’s body, its momentum is suddenly dispersed.

Interesting !

Regards – S Sampathkumar
25.8.2026

See ! - appreciate and be happy !!

Even in a life riddled with troubles, life  presents golden opportunities.

See, learn, , appreciate the good things  and be happy ! Other option is – be upside down, lament, criticize and fid fault !!

thoughts of ‘Aasami sirippu sinthanaiyaan’

24.8.2026

A lone horse on the streets of Triplicane !

 

"ஒத்தையிலே பெண் குதிரை நிக்குதய்யா !  தனியா, தனியா !!

 

Horse  is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. It is an odd-toed ungulate mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. Humans domesticated horses and needed them to perform a variety of duties.  There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors,markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior. One type of horse-powered work was the hauling of heavy loads, plowing fields, and other tasks that required pulling ability.

Horses have featured elaborately in Ithihasa, History, movies and more …  Other than my self-professed love for elephants, the horse that used to go in front in the Temple procession at Thiruvallikkeni was also a hit...  there have been horses at the temple, mostly white majestic ones – have heard from the erstwhile keeper Velayudham that it was a colt retired from racing !

Here is a different version – a horse appearing suddenly on a busy Triplicane road, [Singarachari street near Gangaikondan mandapam market]  taking people by surprise !!

"ஒத்தையிலே பெண் குதிரை நிக்குதய்யா !  தனியா, தனியா !!  " என்பது 1984 ஆம் ஆண்டு வெளிவந்த 'நல்ல நாள்' திரைப்படத்தில் இடம்பெற்ற   பாடல். மலேசியா வாசுதேவன் மற்றும் எஸ். ஜானகி  இசைஞானி இளையராஜா இசையில் பாடியிருந்தனர்

Unlikely you have seen or remember this movie that  tells in a flashback that the father of Chinna Durai is assassinated by the father of Kaali. Chinna Durai takes revenge, kills him and goes to prison leaving his mother and sister to see him leave.  Furious, Kaali promises to kill Chinna Durai on his way out. However, Kaali meets Chinna Durai's sister, Shenbagam. She wraps her heart to marry him knowing the story, that he is looking for Chinna Durai, who is his brother protecting him from murder.

Nalla Naal (transl. Good day) directed by R. Thyagarajan and produced by Thevar Films was released in 1984 and perhaps did not do well. . The film starred   Vijayakanth, Thiagarajan, Nalini and Viji.  

Regards – S Sampathkumar

24.8.2026

டெலிபோன் மணி போல் சிரிப்பவள் ~ Bangladesh down under !!

 

டெலிபோன் மணி போல் சிரிப்பவள் இவளா....

மெல்போர்ன் மலர் போல் மெல்லிய மகளா....

டிஜிட்டலில் செதுக்கிய குரலா எலிசபெத் டெய்லர் மகளா

சாகிர் ஹுசைன் தபலா இவள்தானா.... சோனா.. சோனா..

Likely that song rings a bell and you imagine seeing Kamal & Manisha Koiralla dancing !!  and start thinking of Australia.

For Cricket fans – if it’s a 5 test match series [especially Ashes] – tests would take place, at WACA, Perth;  Melbourne; Sydney; Gabba, Brisbane & Adelaide. Traditionally the Boxing day test on 26^th Dec would be played at Melbourne.  

Likely you are following Bangladesh tour of Australia and the improbable win that happened in First test.

Bangladesh's bowling has been their most impressive department in the last five years. It was time that their batting stepped up on the big occasion. And step up they did in the historic win in Darwin, which will be remembered as much for the contributions by Bangladesh's batters as their bowlers. Bangladesh were playing their first Test in Australia in 23 years, and in it, thoroughly outplayed the hosts for a nine-wicket win.

Bangladesh's 426 in the first Test, batting out 138 overs, was their third-longest innings outside the subcontinent. It underlined their domination after the Bangladesh bowling attack had dismissed Australia for 198 on the first day. The batters secured a 228-run lead to set Australia back further; the hosts couldn't cross 300 in their second innings either, and the target of 57 they set became a mere formality.

Australia have the best pace attack in the world, even if an ageing one, with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Batting against them, the Bangladesh line-up continuously took good decisions, led by a century from opener Tanzid Hasan, and fifties from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto as well as Mehidy Hasan Miraz.  .. and it was a historic 9 wicket win for Bangla.   It was their first Test win in Australia in only their third attempt, although they were playing a Test in the country for the first time in 23 years. Bangladesh had beaten Australia in a Test at home nine years ago.   

The win is a huge moment for Bangladesh, especially in a year when they missed the T20 World Cup for political reasons.  Hasan Mahmud taking nine wickets in the match, and Tanzid Hasan scoring his maiden century was complemented by Mehidy Hasan Miraz's half-century and five-wicket haul later in the game. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto starred with the bat, and as a captain too.

Now Aussies have made a strong comeback ..  bouncing back and leveling the Test Series with an innings-and-51-run win in under two days. Mitchell Starc led the onslaught with his fourth 10-wicket haul which made it the second-shortest Test on Australian soil.  Starc finished with 10 for 51, as Nathan Lyon wrapped up Bangladesh with two quick wickets shortly after tea. Having being bundled for 64 and 95, it became the first time Bangladesh got bowled out for under 100 in both innings of a Test, while Australia's 210 is the fourth-lowest total in an innings win.  Shoriful grabbed career-best figures of 7 for 47 in a match that will otherwise be remembered for Starc's haul that made it an otherwise forgettable game for Bangladesh.

On a different note, the way Bangladesh are treated – the tests are not played at Brisband, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne or any other centres.  References to the Gabba, which will be demolished after the 2032 Olympics, had never been far away as Great Barrier Reef Arena became the 12th venue to host men's Tests in Australia

The first test was played at Marrara Stadium, Darwin -  (known under naming rights as TIO Stadium),  a multi-purpose stadium in the Darwin suburb of Marrara. Darwin   is the capital and largest city of the Northern Territory, Australia.  Lieutenant John Lort Stokes of HMS Beagle was the first British person to encounter Darwin harbour on 9 September 1839, 51 years after the first European settlement of Australia. The ship's captain, Commander John Clements Wickham, named the port after Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who had sailed with them both on the earlier second expedition of the Beagle

This second test which Bangla lost badly was played at - Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, a multi-sports complex located in the Queensland city of Mackay. It includes multiple ovals for Australian rules football and cricket, and facilities for athletics, tennis, croquet, basketball and table tennis.  Harrup Park was owned and developed by the Mackay Cricket Association in the 1940s. It was named after Mr A. L. Harrup, the president of the association at the time, and the main ground was named after the vice-president, Ray Mitchell, who was also one of the people who bought the land for the development.  Mackay   is a city in the Mackay Region on the eastern or Coral Sea coast of Queensland, Australia

Bangladesh's prospects had taken a big dent in their first tour game after they were rolled for just 54 to lose by an innings and 38 runs against a CA XI in Darwin with left-arm quick Campbell Thompson claiming 8 for 25.

The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy gun", "Chicago typewriter", or "trench broom") is a blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun invented and developed by Brigadier General John T. Thompson, a United States Army officer, in 1918. It was designed to break the stalemate of trench warfare of World War I, although early models did not arrive in time for actual combat. The weapon was also sold to the general public. Because it was so widely used by criminals, the Thompson became notorious during the Prohibition era as the signature weapon of various organized crime syndicates in the United States in the 1920s

Now the song at the start ‘Telephone manipol’ from Indian movie was a red herring, though it mentioned ‘melbourne’ – the one that appears in view is famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.  

Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.8.2026

 

 

Saransh Jain, 33, debuts for India at Colombo

 

Test no. 2633 got off to a start this morning at   Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo – with India winning the toss and opting to bat first !

A post on debutant Saransh Jain – but before you proceed – can you connect :  Yadavindra Singh, Dhiraj Parsana, Dilip Doshi, Sandeep Patil, Ashok Malhotra, Pranab Roy, Arunlal, Rakesh Shukla, Narendra Hirwani, WV Raman, Sadagoppan Ramesh, MS Dhoni and few more others !!! 

Winning the toss, Shubman Gill had no hesitation in batting first, and his counterpart Dhananjaya de Silva conceded he would have done the same. For Sri Lanka, Kamil Mishara takes his first steps in the Test side on the back of some scintillating recent form, albeit in the white-ball formats. Pasindu Sooriyabandara has also been given an opportunity to avenge his golden duck in the first Test, where he entered as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal. India meanwhile have made just the one change, with the speculation finally confirmed that debutant offspinner Saransh Jain   replacing Kuldeep Yadav.  

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced that Kuldeep Yadav missed selection for the second Test against Sri Lanka due to an incomplete recovery from a viral illness, though he remains eligible to take the field as a concussion substitute if needed.  [the latter coloured part is eerie !]

India was hailed as land of spinners –  there was the  famous quartet Bishan Bedi, Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Venkatraghavan spinning out opponents  – there were the likes of VV Kumar, Doshi, Shivalkar, Goel, Hans, Dhiraj Parsana, Ramnarayan,  Shukla, Raghuram Bhat and more – who could not make the cut over the dominance of the quartet and Ranji matches were ‘bowler-dominated !’

If one were to make a list of Off-spinners who donned Indian cap, that will include :  Ghulam Ahmed; Nirode Ranjan Chowdhury; Jasu Patel; V. M. Muddiah; E. A. S. Prasanna; S. Venkataraghavan; Shivlal Yadav; Gopal Sharma; Arshad Ayub; M. Venkatramana; Rajesh Chauhan; Aashish Kapoor; Nikhil Chopra; Sarandeep Singh; Harbhajan Singh; Ravichandran Ashwin; Jayant Yadav; Washington Sundar and … now - Saransh Jain

Saransh Jain  a consistent performer for Madhya Pradesh, the allrounder is coming off his most productive Ranji season is considered to be a handful against a left-hand-heavy Sri Lanka side.

Saransh Jain is a 33-year-old allrounder from Madhya Pradesh who bowls offspin and bats left-handed. In 54 first-class games, he has scored 2223 runs at an average of 31.75 and taken 188 wickets at 27.30. He has also featured in 67 List A and T20 matches but red-ball cricket is his strongest suit.  Son of former first-class cricketer Subodh Jain, Saransh has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket over the last few seasons. He is a late bloomer: he made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2014 but came into the limelight only in 2022. Having played just eight first-class games until then, he starred in the knockouts for Madhya Pradesh, taking 13 wickets and scoring a half-century to help his side clinch their maiden title.

The latest Ranji Trophy was his most productive season: he scored 518 runs at an average of 57.55 and took 30 wickets at 20.43. It came on the back of a successful Duleep Trophy campaign. Playing for Central Zone, he scored two half-centuries and took 16 wickets in two games to be named the Player of the Series.  

For this Lankan tour,   Washington Sundar was unavailable for selection for the first Test due to a hamstring injury. The presence of several left-hand batters in the Sri Lanka side meant the selectors wanted an offspinner in the squad. Jain happened to be in the right place at the right time. Earlier this month, he was in Sri Lanka for an India A tour.  In the first test, India played   Ravindra Jadeja,  Kuldeep Yadav & Manav Suthar.   

Remember the bespectacled Dilip Doshi playing against Kim Hughes Aussies.  Dilip Rasiklal Doshi,  was one of only two Test bowlers who played in their first tests after the age of thirty, yet went on to take 100 wickets, the other being Clarrie Grimmett.  Dilip Doshi, the slow leftarm spinner with spectacles, was born in Rajkot in 1947, debuted in 1979 when he was 32+, went on to play 33 Tests and 15 One dayers.  Having waited for so long, he didn't waste any time in making his presence felt. With figures of 6/103 & 2/64 he was India's best bowler in that debut match.  He performed well in a One dayer at Australia too and won Man of the Match.

Yet Dilip Doshi was not the oldest debutant – it was  Rustomji Jamshedji —@ 41 years 27 days in Dec 1933 against   England at  Bombay Gymkhana. The left arm spinner played in a solitary test taking 3 wickets.  

All the best to Saransh Jain !

Ans to the Q at the start : the list of the players (there are some more) who started their Test Career at Chepauk ground !!  

With regards – S Sampathkumar

23.8.2026