India records its 65th 300+ score – another record.. what is a safe score to defend in a One dayer ??

Do you know of the match – when SM Gavaskar, SS Naik, Ajit Wadekar, GR Vishwanath, FM Engineer, Brijesh Patel, Eknath Solkar, Abid Ali, Madanlal, Venkatraghavan, Bedi alongwith RD Jackman made their debut ?

To some who have been following all matches, this may not be new… limited over cricket has always been fascinating and in India, people have been keenly watching the Deodhar  Trophy – the 50 over competition between South, North, Centra, East and West Zones.  The tourney is named after Prof DB Deodhar and was introduced in 1973-74 season – South Zone won that year.  Remember in 1980-81 Deodhar match at Chepauk, Thirumalai Echampadi Srinivasan shred to pieces West bowling scoring a masterly 129 outclassing Krish Srikkanth, and eventually getting selected for that tour of Australia – Newzealand… that was an innings of class written all over.

Limited over matches (60 overs; 55 overs and now mostly 50 overs matches) are exactly 40 years old.  When it rained and the third Test at Melbourne was a near wash out, officials decided to have a limited over match of 40 overs each (8 ball over) and thus the first ODI was played on 5 January 1971 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  Australia won the game by 5 wickets.  Cricket has travelled a long way… generating great enthusiasm and interest amongst cricket lovers..  it has been subjected to many refinements and renovations regularly with 2 balls per innings from either ends, being used now.  Also the fielding restrictions have been in place for quite some time and have been subjected to frequent alterations.. the present Powerplay rule states that apart from the initial 10 overs, the second and third block of powerplays may not be taken so as to commence earlier than the 16th over nor be completed later than the 40th over.

The game is increasingly shifting towards  batsmen.. often it is said that crowds come to watch batsmen score runs – I have always believed that a good match need not be a ‘high scoring one’ all the time..  Cricket is all about, good thinking, smart field placements, pick up and throws, direct hits, run outs, good catches, judgments, deft field placements, good bowling be it pace, swing or spin as also batsmen – it is after all a team game and one can excel in any of the departments – not necessarily a batsman scoring a century of more runs.. 

For long scores of 220-230 were considered good enough to defend and scores of 250+ were considered – sure win totals.. at times, teams chasing would easily give up if they were to score at 5 + at the start of their chase…….  Not any longer…….. perhaps amply demonstrating the growing influence of willow over leather.. now scores of 300 + even are not considered good enough.. In the pre-match interview in WC 2011 Finals, Kumara Sangakkara quipped that only 350+ perhaps could be considered safe totals in India against India…

Though some countries upped the ante and scored 300+, India was late.  Their first score of 300+ came 22 years after their first One dayer. That was on 15^th April 1996 at Sharjah when India batting first made 305/5 and won against arch rivals Pakistan. 

Much water has flowed ever since…….. now on 20^th Oct 2011 by scoring 300 at Mohali against England, India made another history of records… it was our 65^th score of 300+ and now India stands on top of that list. 

Span	Mat	Won	Lost
1974-2011	788	388	360
1996-2011	65	52	12

Of those 65 – the country-wise break-up (Major ODI playing Nations) is:  Australia 6; Bangladesh 2; Sri Lanka 13; England 9; New Zealand 5; West Indies 5; Pakistan 11 and South Africa 4.

Of these 65 300+ scores, India has won 52 times, lost 12 and tied one.

16 of these scores have come when India batted second i.e., when they have chased scores of 300+ made by their opponents.  Of these 16, Indians have won 11 matches is creditable.  Representing their recent form, 51 of the 300+ scores have come after Dec 2001 and 30 of them in matches played after 2007.  This year 2011 alone,  India has 5 – with 4 of them coming against England in the series that ended now and in the series at England when we toured there recently.

The heavy bats, strategies, smaller grounds and will, determination and  stronger minds have changed the way Cricket has been played !!

It was on 13^th July 1974 at Headlingley, Leeds, England – the first One day match for India against England that those in the first para made their debut.  Quite surprisingly, India made a very good score though they did not last the quota of 55 overs.. they were all out for 265 in 53.5 overs.  Brijesh Patel with 82 off 78 balls with 2 sixers and 8 fours was the top scorer; Wadekar made 67 off 82 with 10 fours.  India lost that match by 4 wickets probably due to inexperience. John Edrich made a 90. Bedi was hit for 68 – 11-0-68-2; Solkar bowled well – 11-1-31-2.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar. 

prepared on 27.10.2011 circulated on e-mail.. and posted on blog now...

fodder scam .... and fall from disgrace of politicians - not by conviction but by loss of power

We have heard of many scams, speak, debate on them, till next one gets unearthed and slowly forget them………. How many of us still remember Bofors, and Fairfax…. !!  ~ one has lost track and wonders how many cases have been taken to logical end and how many got convicted ?

Anniyan [literally Stranger] had a great theme – conceptually it was the guilty being punished… through the character of an innocent and honest lawyer.  One powerful dialogue penned by the Great Sujatha became an instant hit – but remembered more of a comedy… it was - “Anju paisa thiruduna thappaa? (Is stealing of five paise is wrong)” ~ it is not that 5 paise but the act of stealing and the impact is not that of that single act – but that of attitude – when lakhs of people all steal 5 paise – the effect is manifold and corruption is the biggest disease that afflicts the Nation.  

Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, goats, sheep,horses, chickens and pigs ~ they are not costly and generally are available locally in most villages……….that a fodder scam has now made the Nation abuzz is something to ponder !!  ~ the scam had its origins in small-scale embezzlement by some government employees submitting false expense reports, which grew in magnitude and drew additional elements, such as politicians and businesses, over time, until a full-fledged mafia had formed.  It dates back to many eras……. Reportedly in  1985, the then Comptroller and Auditor General of India, T.N. Chaturvedi, took notice of delayed monthly account submissions by the Bihar state treasury and departments and wrote to the then Bihar chief minister, Chandrashekhar Singh, warning him that this could be indicative of temporary embezzlement. This initiated a continuous chain of closer scrutiny and warnings by Principal Accountant Generals (PAGs) and CAGs to the Bihar government across the tenures of multiple chief ministers (cutting across party affiliations), but the warnings were ignored in a manner that was suggestive of a pattern by extremely senior political and bureaucratic officials in the Bihar government.

It surfaced or blew out of proportions in Jan 1996 as ‘fodder scam’ when Deputy Commissioner Amit Khare raided offices of animal husbandry department, seizing documents showing syphoning of funds by non-existent companies in the name of supplying fodder. In March 96, Patna High Court directed CBI to probe the scam. Supreme Court upholds the order ~ and after 17 long years two former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad and Jagganath Mishra along with 45 others have been  convicted by special CBI judge Pravas Kumar Singh.

It is stated that the Fodder Scam involved the embezzlement of about  9.5 billion from the government treasury of the eastern Indian state of Bihar; spanned many years, and allegedly involved numerous Bihar state's administrative and elected officials across multiple administrations of the Indian National Congress and the Janata Dal parties. The corruption scheme involved the fabrication of "vast herds of fictitious livestock" for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured. Besides the magnitude and duration of the theft, the scam was and continues to be covered in Indian media cited as extensive nexus between tenured bureaucrats, elected politicians and business people.

Now the news is that a special CBI court in Ranchi pronounced all 45 accused, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Member of Parliament Lalu Prasad, guilty in the Chaibasa treasury case of the Rs. 950-crore fodder scam. The Chaibasa treasury case that relates to the withdrawal of Rs. 37 crore is one of six fodder scam cases in which Mr. Prasad is an accused and the first in which a verdict has been pronounced. Mr. Prasad may now face an imprisonment of minimum three and maximum seven years when the sentence is announced on October 3. Of those sent to jail, former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra was later admitted in the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences after he complained of some health problems when he was lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail. Besides the politicians there are Administrative officers, suppliers among others.  “The timing of the verdict is unfortunate. Since the court will remain closed from October 5 to 25, we will not even be able to appeal for bail for our leader Mr. Prasad,” said an RJD general secretary while waiting at the court.

Newspaper reports suggest that of 64 cases in the 1996-fodder scam, 53 were litigated in Ranchi and trials have been completed in 45 cases so far. One Investigation officer is quoted as stating that there is no street in Ranchi where we have not attached property bought from funds from the fodder scam; meanwhile, the prosecution is expected to finish examining witnesses by November in another case related to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 96 lakh from Deogarh treasury.

Laluji has had his moments under the Sun ~ his illustrious political career has set it appears now – by a crime that has dogged fro 17 years.  It is a collection of forces that has contrived to deny him his aspiration for another term – the conviction, the jail time, and more have acted to his detriment.  

Many have risen from dust to rich by dubious methods and not all may be convicted or jailed …. But this could prove detrimental and drive a fear psychosis at least in some who are still in power. The politics of patronage enabled a certain kind of blatant corruption that the 21st century Indian, eager for income not hand-outs, will no longer forgive. To some, it is not entirely about corruption – it also denotes what happens with loss of power.  The man now is a fallen politician now ~ there have been some who dangled closer, were convicted yet could scrape through.  Lalu had been to jail before in the mid 1990s, but then he was at the peak of his political power. The Government of Bihar was effectively run from jail. The fact would remain that politicians do not  fall from grace not when they are convicted in court- it is not irony but interesting as more events would unfold………

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

1^st Oct 2013.

ever heard of Govt shutting down ..... US does and that is news !!!

Have you ever heard of  ~ ‘furlough’ – it is a type of leave… !!  - people crib that things do not move – it is tough in making the bureaucracy act and all……….. but have you ever wondered of a situation when the Govt machinery comes to a standstill….

There is news that ‘US begins government shutdown as budget deadline passes’ ~ it was earlier reported that US Congress must agree to a budget by October 1. If it cannot, the federal government will shut down.  For most of the world, a government shutdown is very bad news - the result of revolution, invasion or disaster. Even in the middle of its ongoing civil war, the Syrian government has continued to pay its bills and workers' wages.

In Indian democracy as also in Europe, the Parliamentary system ensures that the executive and legislature are controlled by the same party or coalition. Conceivably, a parliament could refuse to pass a budget proposed by the prime minister, but such an action would likely trigger a failure of the government and a new election. US is different – for leaders of one of the most powerful nations on earth to willingly provoke a crisis that threatens to suspend public services and decrease economic growth, then, is astonishing to many. American policymakers "are facing the unthinkable prospect of shutting down the government as they squabble over the inconsequential accomplishment of a 10-week funding extension", In the United States, however, government shutdowns - or the threat thereof - have become an accepted negotiating tactic, thanks to the quirks of the American federal system, which allows different branches of government to be controlled by different parties. It was a structure devised by the nation's founders to encourage compromise and deliberation, but lately has had just the opposite effect.

In U.S. politics, a government shutdown is a situation in which the government stops providing all but "essential" services. Typically, federal services that continue despite a shutdown include the National Weather Service and its parent agencies, medical services at federal facilities, the postal service, armed forces, air traffic management, and corrections (the penal system). A government shutdown is similar to a lockout in the private sector.

A federal government shutdown causes a large number of civilian federal employees to be furloughed. Military personnel and essential employees are not furloughed, but may not be paid as scheduled.  A ‘furlough’  is a temporary unpaid leave of some employees due to special needs of a company, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole.  The exact details of which government functions would stop during a shutdown is determined by the Office of Management and Budget.

It is reported that the partial shutdown became inevitable after the Republican-led House of Representatives refused to approve a budget for next year. A midnight deadline passed without agreement despite a last-gasp appeal by President Barack Obama. More than 700,000 US government workers face unpaid leave with no guarantee of back pay once the deadlock is over. Republicans have insisted on delaying President Obama's health care reforms as a condition for passing the budget. Shortly after midnight, President Obama tweeted: "They actually did it. A group of Republicans in the House just forced a government shutdown over Obamacare instead of passing a real budget."

On Monday afternoon, the Democratic-led Senate voted 54-46 against a bill from House Republicans that would have funded the government only if President Obama's healthcare law - dubbed Obamacare - was delayed for a year. The US stock market dropped amid fears of political deadlock, although analysts say serious damage to the economy is unlikely unless the shutdown lasts for more than a few days. "The American people don't want a shutdown and neither do I," House Speaker John Boehner said, but added that the healthcare law was "having a devastating impact... Something has to be done". The defence department has advised employees that uniformed members of the military will continue on normal duty, but that large numbers of civilian workers will be told to stay home.

The US budget year ends on September 30 and the nonpassing of budget makes Govt kneeling down to a halt. A three-week shutdown would slow the economy's annual growth rate in the October-December quarter by up to 0.9 percentage point, Goldman Sachs estimates. It could be disastrous if the gaps are not plugged. . What if Congress can't agree to raise the cap in time? It could be disastrous. According to analysts, there will be high volatility and dollar could further weaken …. Not sure whether that is good news for the Rupee. 

The solace is that ‘Govt shutdown is not the first of its kind’ and that it is the 18^th since 1976 in US.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

1^st Oct 2013.

Tributes to a great freedom fighter - Mangal Pandey

Dear (s) ....

Today ‘19^th July’ is a very special day in the annals of the Indian history – a day to remember for all those who love the Nation.

Love and devotion to motherland is the basic quality all individuals need to possess.  Life is born, sustained upon and from the land on which we live. We were brought into life by birth and keep on going by the land on which we live. If we are living a comfortable life today, it is all due to the tireless, selfless efforts of thousands of martyrs who sacrificed everything in their life for us.

All along, the British & the historians preferred to call it the ‘Revolt of 1857’ – which to us is the First war of Independence.  Today marks the death anniversary of the man eulogized as the man who who single-handedly started the 1857 uprising.  Perhaps sons of cow belt soil would remember the movie  - Mangal Pandey - The Rising (The Rising - Ballad Of Mangal Pandey)  and the hero of the movie.  Alas the real hero is not so well known. 

Mangal Pandey was a Bengali soldier of the 34th Native Infantry.  He was arrested, sentenced to jail and a military court sentenced him to death.  They set the execution date to April 18th but they killed Mangal Pandey on April 8 because the Britishers didn’t want to wait too long.  Mangal Pandey was thus the first freedom fighter and martyr of the 1 st War of Independence. The Doctrine of Lapse, issue of cartridges greased with animal fat to Indian soldiers – most of whom were vegetarians (cartridge wicks had to be plucked out with the teeth before hurling them), introduction of British system of education and a number of social reforms had infuriated a wide section of the Indian population who rose in revolt all over the country.

Mangal Pandey was born in  village of Nagwa in district Ballia Uttar Pradesh on 19th July 1827 and sacrificed himself for the Nation when he was not even 30.   The village in which young Mangal opened his eyes was Surhurpur—a small sleepy hamlet, which still retains the dusty rustic look, that speck of golden grime, the wont of Awadh, distinguishing the region from the more greener pastures of east UP. Divakar Pandey, Mangal’s father actually belonged to another village — Dugvaan-Rahimpur in Faizabad Tehsil.  Mangal Pandey entered the east India Company Bengal army in 1849. He was 22, a tall lad, lean and well built. Village anecdotes paint him as a man 9 feet tall—this excusable exaggeration however conceals the truth. The peasants recruited by the Company as Sepoys were mostly unusually tall—so much so that during the 1857 wars Scot Highlanders were brought over especially from Britain to match Sepoy strength and height. Local perceptions played a great part in victory or defeat—the natives considered Sepoys invincible.

Earlier there was another uprising at Vellore and bloodthirsty force was used to quell that  mutiny—then Barrackpore, the scene of Mangal Pandey’s defiance faced a serious crisis in 1824-25. Sepoys in their hundreds shot in the air, killed a section of their officers and deserted en masse.  They were quelled with iron fists.  Then in 1857  struggle erupted.  Mangal’s act of defiance did not enthuse the other sepoys instantaneously. Pandey injured two British officers before a sepoy, Sheikh Paltu, held him from behind.  Mangal Pandey then tried to shoot himself but only superficially injured the bulging muscles of his chest. He was disarmed by Major-General Hearsey, tried and executed on April 8.  It was only a month later that the Mutiny broke out at Meerut on May 10. The next day the rebel sepoys marched to Delhi and entered the city through the Rajghat Gate. Until September, the sepoys held control of Delhi after an orgy of bloodshed.

Though Mangal Pandey did not have any connection with Delhi as such, he was nevertheless hailed as a hero in the city and in Meerut, where a temple commemorates him. Every sepoy who had rebelled in Delhi and elsewhere was dubbed "Pande" by the British troops and their retaliation was termed "Pande-bashing", just as even Indians in Britain these days are among the victims of "Paki-bashing". A temple on the Ridge was nicknamed the "Pande Quarter" after it was taken over by British troops.

The general Order of the Commander in Chief (virtually a judgment) read "armed with sword using words tending to incite men of his regiment to turn our and join in resistance of lawful authority - striking and wounding lieutenant"  .... " Court orders to suffer death by being hanged by neck until he died"

Surprisingly enough, Mangal Pandey was a forgotten entity until 1957, when the centenary of the Great Uprising was observed. Fifteen years after that a temple was dedicated to him in Meerut.  The fact of the matter is that India knows very little about her first hero. Documents are scarce and mention only the outlines; the Indian literary world, and books on 1857, have ignored him; there is a major dispute about his place of birth and origin; and it is only now that a film has been made.

SALUTE OUR MOTHERLAND AND REMEMBER ALL THOSE PATRIOTS WHO  LOST THEIR TOMORROW FOR OUR TODAY.

With great regards - S Sampathkumar.

PS :  Circulated to my group of friends through e-mail  on 19^th July 2008 and published on my blog now.