Pray For Japan!

The 9 point earthquake, worst ever in world history, struck Japan on Friday and then came the devastating Tsunami. In mere minutes Japan was reduced to junk, rabble and desolation. But hats off to tremendous technological advance achieved by the tiny country which saved millions of lives.

Suffering suffering and sufferings for the Japanese people. You can see and feel the pain.

The crisis is far from over. With blasts and possible more blasts in the nuclear plants the radiation factor has become a real threat. Fears are expressed like in the case of Chernobyl Nuclear Accident in 1986, but here again the high technological standards of Japan can come to the rescue. Let us pray for the Japanese to tide over the worst ever crisis after World War II.

How helpless are humans before Nature! Up to whatever extent you make progress it can be wiped out in minutes if Nature feels like it and you just cannot do anything about it. So much for the power of mankind! You make nuclear plants to generate more energy because your needs always go on increasing and increasing. But do you know enough to control the Frankenstein hidden behind? Reduce your aspirations greed and needs, O' humans! Learn how to save preserve and conserve. You are all sons and daughters of Nature. Learn to turn to your mother for love and help. At least sometimes!

One more thing. Politics, racialism, religion, business rivalries and idealistic conflicts should not come into play while helping Japan to recover. In a way, helping Japan mankind is most likely to help mankind only in the ultimate goal of saving Mother Earth.

A Thriller India Never Deserved To Win!

Because, from a position of supreme command, an incredible opening partnership, 99th international hundred from a master you got to a situation of 9 overs, 9 wickets and 29 runs. The matter of absolute shame is that you failed to bat through 50 overs yet again after you boast of batting strength and opt for 7 batsmen! After getting into an incredible position with 8.5 runrate you surrender the psychological advantage squarely to the opposition.

And yet, they could have won with 13 needed off the last over. But, the great skipper gave the ball to Nehra, about whom it is not even clear if he is fit or not. And not to Harbhajan who bowled excellent, fielded excellent, involved in catching and run outs and was a live wire on the field.

Time now for Raina to come in, time now for five main bowlers and time now for underplaying so called batting prowess. So far only two or three batsmen delivered in almost all matches. With so many powerful batsmen around batting order shuffling always follows. Why to send Pathan when you have proven batsmen like Kohli and Yuvraj. Somehow compelling them to go for only sixes and fours and sacrificing their wickets. If 360 was unrealistic 330 was immensely possible if they managed to bat through.

Very unfortunate that India is going backwards to a team of individual brilliance and no total effort or follow up. That they nearly won the match was thanks to total involvement of Tendulkar, Harbhajan, Kohli, Yuvraj, Zaheer Khan and substitute Raina. Skipper Dhoni was just nowhere in the match except for doing all the wrong things.

No, this is not the team who can go on to winning the world cup. I had rated them high in my writings praising them for the ability to snatch win from the jaws of defeat and the will to win. But now I have changed my opinion as the team has gone into regressive mindset. Prove me wrong!

True to the tremendous hype about this India-South Africa league encounter the match indeed was a thriller going down the wire all the way.

Team India Hiccups Into Quarter Finals!

India win by five wickets with more than 13 overs to spare. But Netherlands made them labor for the win. Not convincing Team India! Top celebrated batsmen fell in heaps. Thanks to Yuvraj Singh who stars in both of the last  wins.  There are questions all the way...

If unfit Nehra could be tested then why not test the  sitting spinner Ashwin as well. If you are not giving him a chance against the minnows when you are planning to cap him or not at all. Chawla is hardly doing anything except being Dhoni's favorite. Sreesanth was dumped for just one bad spell that too in the very first match and was also rewarded with rebukes. That aggressive fellow has a lot to contribute to Team India's fortune or how would you know if not tested at all. Why the same standards not being applied to Chawla too? Or is the thinking other way round? First ensure QF birth and then go on with the experimenting! Meaning you want to experiment against the likes of South Africa and West Indies! While whole of India knew Team India would easily make it to the QFs how come the Indian skipper himself had all the doubts! And,don't you know at the QF stage you need just one match to get knocked out of the World Cup!

Things are not looking good. Experiment or no experiment Saturday's match against SA will be crucial for proving Team India's credentials, if any, and the performance in that match will set the future prospects in a meaningful perspective. It's not that you have to win the World Cup, there cannot be any compulsion. But you must give it a serious try utilizing all your talent and expertise available. You must never leave scope for regrets after the event is over.

This is the biggest cricketing event of the world, Realize it and keep the personal likes and dislikes on the shelves. Answer all the questions with your unquestionable performance. Time is running out!