Sri Lanka Vs West Indies: ICC World Cup T20 Final Tomorrow!

In the first semi final of the ICC World Cup T20 2012 Pakistansurrendered meekly to allow Mahela Jaywardene to lead his team into the fourth Final of ICC limited overs tournaments including that of against India in World Cup-2011 and in T20 World Cup in 2009 without a title. Now, in this final Mahela has another chance at home to make Sri Lanka victorious. In the second semi final Australia were swept away by Gaylestorm last night in Colombo. An incredible performance steered West Indies to meet Sri Lanka tomorrow in the Final in Colombo.

After the intense race between Indiaand Pakistan to reach the knockout stage it was an absolute anticlimax with Pakistan lacking both intensity and purpose. Their bowlers, as usual, did a good job again to restrict Sri Lanka to just 140 in allotted 20 overs. A little application in batting could have seen Pakistan edge past Sri Lanka into the final despite the slow and sluggish pitch. But their chase was a disaster from the word go. In fact most of the Pak batsmen fell to casual and careless shots. They have now disappointed their fans on two major counts—not reaching the final and winning the title, and, losing to India. The Scorecard:

West Indies was revelation of the hidden power inherent within the team. Of course, with Chris Gayle around they are capable of having a blast anytime anywhere, but what they did to Australia last night was beyond any kind of prediction. Starting a little carefully after winning the toss and electing to bat West Indies launched a brutally professional attack on Australian bowling hitting more sixes (14) than boundaries (13) and piling up the highest total of the tournament at 205/4 in allotted 20 overs. Gayle hit 75 off just 41 balls and for the most significant part was supported equally belligerently by Samuels (26 off 20), Dwayne Bravo (37 off 31) and Kieron Pollard (38 off 15 balls including 3 huge sixes in the last over). The Australian reply was pathetic with West Indiesopening with spin and getting success immediately. Wickets fell in heaps except for a frustrated 63 off 29 balls by skipper Bailey. Except against Pakistan the Australian top three batsmen made the victories too easy for them and maybe the dependence on them misfired in the end against a bulldozing West Indies. Shane Watson—the most natural choice for the player of the tournament got finally got demolished. The Scorecard:

Interestingly the buzz among the Indian cricket fans has been that Australiaplayed to lose against Pakistanto keep India out of contention, and therefore they cheered West Indies yesterday shot by shot and jeered Australiawicket by wicket. Maybe Australia’s cruel demolition of Indiain the Super Eight group encounter was also responsible for such kind of behavior! Apart from this India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni continues to be under the hammer for all his tactical blunders and wrong decisions.

Sri Lanka defeating West Indies soundly in the Super Eight group encounter notwithstanding the Final tomorrow would be the farthest from a predictable match even on slow Sri Lankan pitches. If Gayle gets going again the ‘slowness’ of the pitch would transform into a ‘race track’ and with sound support by other explosive batsmen as witnessed last night West Indies stand a terrific chance to win a title after long years—this final being their first major success after six years. Sri Lankabetter be wary of the Caribbean. West Indies on their part must control the unpredictability factor and continue from where they left last night.

In all, cricket fans across the globe can expect to enjoy a competitive and exciting encounter this Sunday.

Mitali: The Trauma of Losing a Sibling

Maybe I lied to her when I used to reassure her that she was going to be alright and was going to resume her life in some measure of normalcy in the future years; maybe all my gestures/expressions were false when I used to run my fingers across her forehead or embrace her on occasions when she was able to move around a bit; and maybe all my exhibitions of love care and responsibility were exposed as superficial when I failed to turn up in Delhi where she along with my mother were treated during September-October, 2022 (my mother Urmila Chakravarty was also diagnosed with dental cancer the same month the same year as she was) and when all the members of my parental family and the in-laws converged. Since that fateful day in August, 2022 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer to that disastrous day of March 6, 2025—the day my younger blood sister Mitali (Mainu) Chakravarty Sarma (November 2, 1963—March 6, 2025) passed away in the wee hours in a hospital in Guwahati after giving a bra...

Release of Book 'Randomized: A Dozen Short Stories'!

The fourth collection of stories titled 'Randomized: A Dozen Short Stories' by Chinmay Chakravarty has been released on Amazon KDP just now! This collection, short stories in a lighter vein plus with mild satire like the previous collections, has been published in both the E-book and Paperback formats. The links are given below: International: Click Here ! India: Click Here ! Other collections of short stories by the same author: The Cheerless Chauffeur and Other Tales(2021)--Notion Press. Funny and Fishy Tales(2022)--KDP. The Weirdos(2022)--Ukiyoto Publishing. All books of the author are available on Goodreads, apart from Amazon and other outlets! Have a look!

Kolkata: Cancel the Commerce of the Durga Puja Carnival!

Yes! We ask why shouldn't the pure Commerce show of the Durga Puja Carnival in Kolkata be canceled in view of the worsening medical crisis? For how long this cruel irony of continuing the worship of the Mother Goddess and continuing to torture/kill the Mothers in human forms going to continue? Greed, limitless greed of humans! Dear God! This time Goddess Durga came in a cradle which in itself implies ominous times, and further, the tithis from Mahasaptami onward came mixed in such a way that you get three days of worship, technically. Yet, the greedy and selfie-social-media-crazy crowds of 'devotees' were still not satiated, descending on the Puja pandals in uncontrollable hordes for as long as seven days, and to pander to their greed and to have the maximum of business, most of the Puja organizers disregarded the tithi break-up completely and have been celebrating Bijoya Dashami or the Dussehra well into Ekadashi, the eleventh day! They expect the hordes to descend tonigh...