Test at Antigua ~ Ajay Ratra's maiden century and Anil Kumble bowling with broken jaws

In the first Test (test no. 2207) against West Indies, India is in a comfortable position 302/4.  Virat Kohli unbeaten on 143; Shikhar Dhawan made 84.  Kohli joins Kapil Dev and Rahul Dravid as Indian Captains making centuries in WI.  Before you read further, do you the Indian wicket-keeper, (retired last year)  who made a century against WI but went on to play only 6 tests and 12 ODIs ? 

There were times when teams feared touring West Indies – and many players career ended because of such tour.  In 1970-71, Dilip Sardesai’s career was seemingly closing.  He hit 212 at Kingston and made 642 in that Series but was outsmarted by the arrival of the compact little master Sunil Gavaskar who made 774 runs in that single Series and changed the way Indians batted.

This Test is played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.  The new venue, built in time for the 2007 World Cup,  has stands named after Curtly Ambrose and Andy Roberts.  Statistically, 15 consecutive Tests in which West Indies haven't beaten India, starting from their tour of India in 2002. India have won eight, and seven have been drawn. India are the only team West Indies haven't beaten in a Test since October 2002.

Antigua, also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the West Indies. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations in Nov 1981. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish, its  economy is mainly reliant on tourism, with the agricultural sector serving the domestic market.

English Harbour on the south-eastern coast is famed for its protected shelter during violent storms. It is the site of a restored British colonial naval station called "Nelson's Dockyard" after Captain Horatio Nelson.  Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson,  was Senior Naval Officer of the Leeward Islands from 1784 to 1787 on H.M.S. Boreas. During his tenure, he tried to enforce the Navigation Acts. These acts prohibited trade with the newly formed United States of America. Most of the merchants in Antigua depended upon American trade, so many of them despised Captain Nelson. As a result, he was unable to get a promotion for some time after his stint on the island. The Americans were at this time trading with the islands, taking advantage of the register of their ships, which had been issued while they were British subjects. Nelson knew that, by the Navigation Act, no foreigners, directly or indirectly, are permitted to carry on any trade with these possessions.

Antigua was one of the very first nations to legalize, license, and regulate online gambling and is a primary location for incorporation of online gambling companies.  In 2006 the United States Congress voted to approve the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which criminalized the operations of offshore gambling operators which take wagers from American-based gamblers. This was a prima facie violation of the GATS treaty obligations enforced by the WTO, resulting in a series of rulings unfavorable to the US.

The Guns for Antigua scandal was a political scandal involving the shipment of Israeli-made weapons through Antigua to the Medellin drug cartel in Colombia. The affair was exposed by the Louis Blom-Cooper Royal Commission, following the discovery that several murders in Colombia had been perpetrated with Israeli guns that had been shipped through Antigua and were ostensibly for the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, which is equipped for free by the United States.

In May 2002, Sourav Ganguly led Indians played WI led by Hooper.  Wasim Jaffer 86; Rahul Dravid 91; Sourav 45 made runs.  VVS Laxman made 130; the young Ratra in his maiden tour made unbeaten 115 with tail for company.  India declared at 513/9 – but had to bowl all its 11 [yes, the keeper Ajay Ratra too bowled an over] in a meandering draw as WI declared at 629/9 with centuries by Carl Hooper, Shiv Chanderpaul and Ridley Jacobs. The test is remembered for Anil Kumble bowling with his face bandaged. Kumble sent down 14 consecutive overs and became the first bowler to dismiss Brian Lara while bowling with a broken jaw. He was due to fly back to Bangalore the following day for surgery, and as he said, "At least I can now go home with the thought that I tried my best.

Batting at No. 7 (Ajay Ratra at No. 8 made a century), Kumble was hit by Merv Dillon. He spat out blood but batted on for another 20 minutes. The series was poised 1-1 and this was the fourth Test. India declared at 513 for 9. Test was drawn, Kumble reasoned about his bowling  "I didn't want to sit around" !

Ajay Ratra has retired.  Ratra last played a first-class game in 2013 for Tripura. Ratra,  made his international debut in 2002, played six Tests and 12 ODIs for India. His maiden Test century against West Indies made him the fifth-youngest Indian player and the youngest wicketkeeper to score a Test hundred.  He was just 20 and it was only his third Test, but later the summer proved to be cruel as he lost his place in the Test side to Parthiv Patel, and in the one-day side to the appointment of Rahul Dravid as keeper in the quest for balance. Ratra was part of the Indian under-19 team that won the Youth World Cup in early 2000, and the following season, he captained them to victory over England in a home series.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

22^nd July 2016.

Photo credits : cricinfo.com

hype .. neruppuda ! 'Kabali' release - plane, postal cover and special leave !!!

There is so much of hype – the actor, Rajinikanth isn’t just a name, but an emotion for the fans. Kabali, the most anticipated film of this year, slated to be released across worldwide, in more than 4,000 screens, in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, the demand for its tickets is showcased to be unprecedented. The kind of euphoria and hooplah — the Tamil industry has not witnessed in the recent past! [have we not heard the same dialogue for Baba, Enthiran and …]  Rajinikanth’s Kabali is all set to release on July 22 and box office is predicting that it will do over Rs 100 crore box office collection in first three days of release. This is over and above the Rs 200 crore that the film has reportedly made with various corporate deals and sale of its music and satellite rights. The Rajinikanth starrer is releasing in over 5000 screens all across the world, including 400 in the US.

Long before the invention and usage of templates – there were specialists who used to tutor writing a leave application - ‘as I am suffering from fever’.

People do stay away from work – a long absence would sure affect the workplace and in some critical / key positions, even a shorter duration could spell trouble ! ….. there are various types of leaves- generally it is perceived  that employees of Govt and PSU enjoy many types of leaves and in most Private companies, the leave is very restricted – even the available ones would lapse as bosses may not sanction leave and then leave balance could get truncated with the closure of year………………… Here are some types of Leave : – Casual leave; Earned Leave(Privilege leave) ; Sick leave; Maternity Leave, Paternity leave, Bereavement leave; leave for election duty; leave to appear as witness; Additional Casual leave and more…..…..  Once at the famed Eden Gardens, veteran curator Prabir Mukherjee proceeded on a medical leave and termed the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) decision to sideline him for the third Test between India and England as an “insult.”  Reports suggested that Mr. Mukhejee, who has been preparing the pitch of the stadium since 1985, shot a letter to the CAB seeking  a “medical leave”

In the start of the 1980s, the hi-class ticket (at Devi Paradise, Saffire, Satyam etc.,) was Rs.2.90….but one had to stand in serpentine queues unsure of getting a ticket….that was thrilling ! 

  

Rajnikant, Vijayashanti starrer Mannan released in 1992 was a great hit.  It was a remake of the 1986 hit Kannada film Anuraga Aralithu starring Rajkumar. In one of the scenes, Rajni and Goundamani would take leave from factory on a false pretext, stand in queue buying ticket for Chinna Thambi on its 175^th day…. the 1^st man was to receive a gold chain and the 2^nd a golden ring….. winners Rajni and Goundamani would be startled as the prizes would be given in the hands of Vijayashanthi, to whom they had lied and had come to the movie……..

Not sure, how your HR is going to react to this – there are reports in social media that Companies (mostly IT & ITES)  have given their employees the day off on Friday so they can attend screenings of a new film starring Tamil cinema superstar Rajinikanth. They say it is to avoid people calling in sick, turning off their phones or simply failing to turn up for work. In Chennai and Bangalore, some companies have declared a holiday on Friday and given their employees free tickets for the film. One firm said it had declared a holiday to "avoid piled up leave requests to the HR department". A Bangalore-based company said it did the same to "avoid sick leaves, mobile switch offs and mass bunks".

Private Companies are entitled to taking decisions and declaring leave – still, this is hyped, but one fails to understand this decision of Postal Department.  The Department of Posts is to bring out a ‘Special Carried Cover’ to mark the special aircraft that will fly fans from Bengaluru to Chennai on July 22 viz the day of Kabali movie release. The Karnataka Postal Circle and Chennai City Region of the department have joined hands with Air Asia for the initiative !!  (what !!!) The Special Covers, which are usually described as ‘Philatelists’ delight’, from the Postmaster General Bengaluru will be addressed to the Postmaster General Chennai City Region. They will bear the postmarks of Bengaluru and Chennai airport post offices. Whenever a new flight is launched, some special covers are also transported on it and they have their own philatelic value. The Air Asia aircraft is the first cine flight in the country flying exclusively between Bengaluru and Chennai to help fans watch the first day, morning show. That makes the carried cover more memorable.

So wat you doin.. .. tomorrow ?

Regards – S. Sampathkumar

21^st July 2016

Jumping off the plane ~ Senkottai ..........Die Hard !!

John McClane (born 1955) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series. He is portrayed by Bruce Willis. He is known for his sardonic one-liners. 

There are many Arjun starrers with patriotic tinge.  “Paadu Paadu Baratha Panpadu” was a nice melody sung by KS Chitra to the music of Vidhyasagar,  in the movie ‘Sengottai’ – the Arjun starrer.  In the movie  Sengottai (Red Fort) released in 1996  Arjun, plays the role of a honest Police Officer.  Towards the climax, the hero would be escorted by villain’s henchmen in the plane, he manages to escape from the plane – by  ‘making the henchman fall subconscious, jumps out from the plane that is about to ascend the skies, lands on the tarmac’ then is there in time to find the sniper high on a balloon, shoots him and saves the Prime Minister delivering the address at Sengottai.   

While some heckled the plot, it is not entirely unthought-of in tinseldom.  In Die Hard (2), released in 1990, directed by Renny Harlin starring Bruce Willis as John McClane, something similar occurs.  It was  adapted from Walter Wager's novel ‘58 Minutes’. The novel had almost the same premise. A cop must stop terrorists who takes an airport hostage while his daughter's plane circles overhead. He has 58 minutes to do so before the plane crashes. McClane is waiting for his wife to land at Washington Dulles International Airport when terrorists take over the air traffic control system. He must stop the terrorists before his wife's plane and several other incoming flights that are circling the airport run out of fuel and crash.  McClane hitches a ride on a news helicopter that drops him off on the left wing of the mercenary plane and he blocks the ailerons with his jacket, preventing the plane from taking off.  One of the villains succeeds in knocking McClane off the plane, but not before McClane knocks open the fuel hatch. After takeoff, McClane uses his cigarette lighter to ignite the trail of leaking fuel, which races down the runway to the wing, ignites the rest of the fuel and destroys the jet, killing those villains on  board.   The passenger planes, still circling in the air, use the lighted trail to land, and McClane and his wife are reunited.

Such things can happen only in Cinema, or so, one thought ! ~ until this report on MailOnline was read.  A passenger on board a Jet Airways flight opened the emergency exit and leapt onto the tarmac in a worrying security breach at Mumbai Airport in India. Jet Airways’ Chandigarh to Mumbai flight 9W469 had landed around five minutes earlier before a 30 year old  man, who has been named locally as Akash Jain, sprang into action.

He is reported to have opened the emergency exit in the middle of the plane, and jumped 15 feet down onto the tarmac.  After jumping, the man made his way to the terminal and out of Mumbai Airport.  Worryingly, he was directed to the terminal by a staff member working on another flight. He then made his way into the terminal and out of the airport.

Mid-day  reported that Jain jumped off the plane at around 3.05pm, and by 3.16pm he was caught on CCTV leaving the airport. Shocked passengers alerted Jet Airways staff on board, but by the time they had reached the exit Jain was walking to the terminal.  Investigations are ongoing as to how the passenger managed to exit Mumbai Airport after leaving the plane. Speaking to news site Mid-day, airport officials have reacted with anger as to why it took Jet Airways staff 35 minutes to notify security.

The plane, a Boeing 737 flight had 144 passengers and five crew members on board.  The Airline reportedly did not give any response to newspapers.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

30^th Mar 2015.

Enga ooru Madrassu ~ athukku ivanga thaane addressu ! - good people of Chennai

Whether one likes it or not – Movies do create strong impressions ! often they do portray places in a different perspective .. .. .. Madurai is often seen one with sickles [arrivals] and angry villagers; North Madras [Vada Chennai] shown as one with dadas clashing all the time.  The movie ‘Madras’ starring Karthi, directed by the now in news Pa Ranjith painted walls red – as the storyline revolved around the wall in Kasimedu area – groups fighting throughout to gain control over painting picture of its leader leading to many deaths !

visitors at Marina on Kanum Pongal day

Chennai aka Madras, often referred as Cultural capital has many relishing features.  A thing of beauty is a joy for ever ~ and one such is ‘Marina beach’ known for its  pristine beautiful sandy shores – running  from Fort St George to Besant Nagar. This beach has a long history,  conceived in 1884 and christened by Mount stuart Elphinstone Grant-Duff, the then governor of Madras – the beautiful beach  is famed for the  ambience and rich eco system though it  stands a lot polluted now.   On the road side, many stone statues, some of them installed during the Tamil World Conference adorn the area.

Early morning the famous Marina beach offers intriguing things.  There are young, old, fast, slow, and varied people indulging in chit-chatting, eating and drinking the various health drinks ! that are sold on pavements.  You can see people walking, walking fasting, jogging, sprinting, skipping, doing physical exercises, yoga, laughing out loud – more – all law unto themselves – thinking and spreading that these are the passport to good health. You can hear the sea, the sound of waves  and nearer – the  waves jumping and touching the shore and then submitting themselves to the shore but trying to comeback to conquer again ! would be very interesting sight  – One  can see monstrous  ships anchored in the middle of sea, some fishing boats and Sun coming out as a red ball from the Sea – all great sights to behold.  To those given to enjoying Nature, the morning at Marina  provides innumerable things like morning birds, dogs – stray, and owned – local and foreign breeds of various sizes; posh cars; bi-cycles; vast expanse of sand and more…..

Long back the great Sujatha wrote a short novel titled ‘Marina’ – the plot was woven around misdeeds of a wastrel son of a rich father – it described the shady night time of beach haunted by spoilt rich who get into unadulating crime…… the climax would reveal not who the killer was but there was no murder at all -  yet the spoilt-broth in a poetic justice would get arrested for some other crime !

In the evenings, Marina is different !  Over the years, lot has changed – the ‘radio beach’ no longer exists – behind the Kannagi statue stood ‘Seerani Arangam’- the Thilagar Thidal place on which so many meetings were held.  Opposite to Presidency College, there was a promenade – a  radio kept on a pedestal, people would gather around to hear ‘maanila seithigal’ – the news in Tamil. There used to be many shops selling sea-shells, conches, and more – and of course lot of food ~from cut mangoes, sugarcane juice, murukku, thenga-manga-pattani-sundal and bajji shops [a particular shop run by an old lady – mami bajji shop  was a great hit] -  free water booth maintained by Rajasthani Youth Association, the Mail van that used to collect letters at Marina in the evenings till 06.30 pm, Public library ……………..and….. the aquarium ~not a big one, rather small one – having some 30 odd water tanks and not many exotic fish – have seen star fish, star tortoise and seahorses among other things that went missing !!!

Perhaps what has not changed is ‘the people; the vendors and their good-heartedness’.  Being a long beach, there have been isolated instances of crime and  trouble too .. .. yet, people do exhibit helping tendency and good-heartedness.  Now read this report in Times of India, Chennai edition of yesterday. 

Representation pic of a seller at Marina beach

A woman tea vendor on Sunday handed over to police a bag containing 45 sovereigns of gold jewellery worth around `9.5 lakh, two cellphones and `10,000 she had found near her shop on the Marina. The gold and cash were later handed over to the family of Tondiarpet resident Anwar Khan. Amudha, the 28-year-old Chepauk resident who found the bag, won fullsome praise from east zone joint commissioner of police Manoharan and deputy commissioner V Balakrishnan.

“The sense of satisfaction and appreciation I received from the police after handing over the valuables to the owner are worth more than anything else,“ Amudha said later. She said she knew what people losing such large amounts of gold jewellery underwent. “I hail from a porr family and I can understand their suffering,“ she said.

Police said Anwar Khan had come to the Marina along with a group of relatives who had arrived in the city from Rameswaram. After taking in the sights at a lot of places in the city, Khan and the others decided to go to the famous sands in the evening. After spending a lot of time enjoying the sights and sounds on the beach, the family decided to go home and got into a car. As he was about to start the car, Anwar Khan realised that the bag containing the jewellery the family was carrying was missing. A sense of panic set in and all of them fanned out on the sands, searching for it in the darkness. Finally, accepting the fact that someone may have taken the bag, the family lodged a complaint with the Anna Square police.

As they were waiting at the station, Amudha arrived with the bag. She was on her way home from the beach after locking her tiny shop when she found the bag.

The song in the film ‘enga ooru Madrasu, naanga thane addressu’ was a hit – more impressive was its portrayal in a Malayalam FM channel during Chennai floods – they used the song depicting Chennai as the resilient place, people standing tall to help those in distress – a very positive jibe.  You may like to hear it once, if not earlier heard. Here is the youtube link. :    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny2KgOM93m8

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

20^th July 2016.