HOT HYDERABAD

I am right now in Hyderabad, sizzling as usual, for the Champions League and it has been a good experience so far. I have met a few players for interviews and will have to stay here till October 24th.

As it happens on any tour, the last few days in the Pearl City have thrown up some very interesting moments. Here goes a few.

Brand conscious

I wanted to buy a packet of Marlboro, but the shop guy right in front of my hotel looked very apprehensive and told only Wills brands are available. Within a few minutes a gentleman standing next to the shop left in his bike, the scene changed immediately.

"Sir, which brand you want...Marlboro, 555, Dunhill or B&H," he asked me enthusiastically. Stunned by the sudden attitude change, I asked reasons for it. "Sir, that man standing next to you was from Wills company and I was not supposed to sell any other brand than it. Now that he is not there I can give you the brand of your choice," he said.

So much for brand loyalty!

Not so Sundara Telegu!!!

Krishna Residency is a nice hotel to stay. Wifi enabled, good food and comfortable rooms. Just one problem, the staff, except the front room guys, do not know any other language than Telegu.

While Telegu is a beautiful language, especially those Karnatic compositions by Saint Thyagaraja, here it has presented me with a lot of hazards. Once I ordered a neembu soda (fresh lime soda), and got neembu and soda separately.

On other occasion I ordered dinner from my room (509) and told the room service guys to deliver it to 202 (my friend's Amol's room), but bill it to my room. I never got the dinner even after an hour and when checked with the room service people, they told me the boy was waiting in front of 509 for 15 minutes for me to open the door!!! Hows that for customer service!

KPL, REPORTING

For the last fortnight I have been busy with covering Karnataka Premier League, and it was quite experience.

I had this apprehension of the event being a no-seller, especially in Bangalore. But, to my greatest surprise, public has turned out in good numbers to watch the local lads sweating it out and Mysoreans have received the tournament with open hands.

Covering the tournament also led my mind to the need for a change in attitude to cover cricket. It is mandatory for an event like KPL, a strictly local affair, and even for domestic tournaments to file a conventional match reports with the reporter focusing just on the happening on the field. He may also dedicate time to compile scoreboards because cards may not be available in websites.

That people may not be able to watch these matches on TV makes it the duty of a reporter to give a detailed account of the on-field happenings.

Do we need to approach international matches the same way? I guess not. This is the age when things move forward in nanoseconds, and then why should reporters go back to the age of steam?

Now every international match has been flashed live on TV with millions watching along with detailed analysis by experts like Ravi Shastri, Ian Chappell etc. So what else a reporter can give new to his reader in his match report apart from the already watched and heard? Is a reporter's time is not precious enough that he can waste it compiling a board, a clerical job. Nowadays, boards of any international match are readily available in web pages like Cricinfo that guys working in desk can compile it, easing the burden on the guy on the field.

A reporter can also use that extra time in searching for some interesting stories. Why can't be we challenge our ability to think beyond the obvious?

To bring that change our respective offices should change their attitude, approaching the game with open mindedness while accepting the inevitable flow of time. Hope it happens.

WATCHING MASTERS AT WORK

There were no hurried movements or panic-stricken escape moves but calculated motions only experts in the job can hope for. The second day of the preparatory camp for Indian cricketers offered reasons why Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are considered masters of their trade, and the alarming gulf between them and the younger generation.

Dravid, first to enter the nets, faced short-pitched balls from bowlers, mainly coach Gary Kirsten, and bowling machine. Never for once the Bangalorean looked ill at ease save one mis-timed pull. Dropping his hands and moving away from the line of danger or tapping the ball to leg-side from back-foot or taking that handsome pull out of the draw, Dravid was in his elements during his 30 minutes stint at the nets.

Tendulkar offered an equally breathtaking sight even in a subdued mood. The Mumbaikar resembled a boxer -- no exaggerated movements, but just enough motions to avoid the oncoming blobs. It was a superb exhibition of technique, composure and willingness to work on to attain perfection.

Even Kirsten could not suppress his delight seeing the two modern day greats dishing out a masterclass in facing short-balls, coming up with occasional shouts of 'yeaahs' and 'good one'.

The nets showed why Tendulkar and Dravid survived so long at the highest level of cricket, conquering many a milestones on the way. Having talent is one thing, but converting God-given abilities into memorable performances needs much more than mere talent. The senior pros' longish outing on a nippy Thursday at the KSCA 'B' grounds proved you need loads of concentration and a mindset to tame the unpleasant to consistently succeed in sports.

Hopefully Suresh Raina, younger to the stalwarts by a good 14 years, will pick up some cues from his senior colleagues display. The Uttar Pradesh batsman's effort against rising balls on the day was a blow to the eye.

The left-hander, once described by former coach Greg Chappell as a progeny of West Indian great Brian Lara, showed his discomfort against balls that whistle past his chest. More than once he was caught in no-man's land while trying to pull, reducing his attempted-stroke into a tame fend. Uncertain footwork and an even more uncertain mind made Raina look like a deer caught in front of headlight against short stuff.

That the Champions Trophy will be held at the pacy, bouncy pitches of South Africa makes it mandatory for Raina to work his way out against short-pitched balls. It is not just a matter of saving his own reputation, but also vindicating the faith the team management has placed on him. Can Raina deliver? Lets hope so!!

THOUGHTS AT 35

So I have turned 35 three days ago. It's a really funny age, if not a little perplexing. You still have one foot on the shores of youthfullness while the need to check the speed of life gradually tickles your brain.

This is not to paint myself as a mature, grey-haired, slightly balding middle-aged man, struggling to cope with the new needs of life. But an effort from my part to look back at my personal and professional life wearing the glass of impartiality.

First let's take a peep at my personal life. All the while it has been a mix of good and bad, though I would like to put more weight on the former. I have been hugely privileged to acquire some wonderful friends along the way -- from my school and college days, during my stay in the hostel in New Delhi, yes they have come from all walks of life.

But my biggest gain has been finding a suitable life partner. I met her in the New Indian Express office in Bangalore, but it was not love at first sight. It blossomed between us some two years after our initial meeting, and I am really happy that I made the right choice. I believe having the right Ms Right has a huge role in the success of your personal and professional life.

I also have been remarkably lucky to have two of the most loving parents and really affectionate siblings, who have contributed immensly to my succes in all my ventures.

Now to my professional life. It has been a rather topsy-turvy trip as journalist over the last 12 years. The years have presented me the fortune of interacting with some nice guys, some wonderful colleagues and, of course, some cheapos as well.

As I said in one of my earlier blogs, I may not be clinging onto the broadsheet for long now as I can feel the need to do something different, face a different sort of challenge, surge in me. Hopefully, things should go as I hope in the next few months.

I have always felt my style of writing is more suited to interviews, features, news features and human element in sports. At times a broadsheet may not be the best place to do it, and may be it is a little too late for me to become straight-jacket writer. Here I should remember a name, without forgetting others who helped me along the way, for telling the importance of approaching my craft in a different way to keep myself fresh as a writer.

Ajay Shankar, my former colleague in NIE, Bangalore and now with a reputed website, has been a positive influence, pointing out the need to view sports, particularly cricket, through an unconventional eye and treating it like a new episode of a drama every day. Well, it is a hard to sell theory on a place, torned by the irresistable clash between new and old, like mine. Admittedly, I could not practice it all the time, keeping in mind the 'style' of my workplace, but the view has definitely broaden my horizons.

It is impossible to dwell upon all aspects in such a short article, but I have tried to give a peripheral and honest view of my professional and personal life. Catch up with you guys soon!

THOUGHTS FROM A SEDATE FORTNIGHT

I have been thinking about changing the look of this blog for a while now. I have taken the first few steps on Tuesday (28-7-2009) by adding one of photos and opting for a new layout. But still a few more things have to be done which I hope to do in the coming weeks.

It has been a rather sedate two weeks as my life travelled through the familiar routes between home and office. The only point of interest has been an offer from my friend -- Greg Landsdowne -- to write in his magazine 'Big Hitter' and hopefully things will fall in place in the coming days.

Writing for a magazine has always fascinated me because it allows you that extra bit of time to work on the stories, something you cannot expect in a daily. The quality of your story, I believe, is bound to increase and of course you can also write about 1500 words, helping to incorporate more ideas.

The biggest challenge of a magazine writer is to think of a fresh angle as you will often be dealing with a subject that has already been written a lot in various newspapers.

I agree that magazine writers may miss the thrill of day-to-day reporting, especially something big happens, or the buzz of bringing out the edition on a special occasion.

Despite all that, I still fancy shifting to a magazine at some point of time in future. By no means I am a perfectionist, but I have been a constant explorer to find ways to improve as a writer and trying to walk away from the trodden path. I might have experienced a few fumblings on the way, but I hope to learn and emerge stronger from those falls.

Hopefully, I can give a new impetus to the process during the next week when I will don my thinking hat to find a story for my friend.

A VALUABLE LESSON

Perhaps, it is not always necessary to interact with great persons to learn lessons. Their mere presence can instill a fresh perspective in you. I had such an experience many years ago, though the frustration of missing an opportunity to meet a well-known philanthropist and spiritual leader still lingers in my mind.

I don't remember the year or day, but it was some 15 years ago that I briefly met, the only time in my life, this pious man with a saintly face and a touching, expressive laugh --Sri Sri Ravishankar.


I would not have remembered that chancy, but highly remarkable, meeting if I would not have gone through one my colleague's blog that was written on the occasion of Guru Poornima.

A staunch devotee of Lord Guruvayoorappan, I grabbed the chance to perform a concert (Carnatic vocal) in the Guruvayooor temple with an elated heart. Never mind it was my 9th concert in front of my favourite deity.


I got a timing of 1 hr 30 minutes to sing from 6 pm, and it was the temple's rush hour. There was nearly 1500 attendees in the mantap (hall) and, by God's grace, I was able to catch their attention. But towards the end of my programme there was a commotion near the left entrance of the stage, and I saw a man clad in white entering the hall and listening the last 7-10 minutes of my rendetion -- the penultimate number was Aparadhamula Norva (Raga-Rasali) and then the customary mangalam Pavamana in raga Sourashtram.

On my way out one of the organisers led me to the person, and he said, "Good, fluent voice. Let the God bless you to keep it alright." My reply was limited to a rather quick and polite "Thanks" before hurrying towards my friends and relatives.

Though it was a very brief meeting, the image of the person was not faded from my mind, and later my cousin, Ramanathan, told who he was. I cursed myself for missing a golden chance to meet a much-reverred individual in detail.

It taught me a fine lesson -- never squander the chance to meet a great personality for you might not a get a second chance.

WATCHING THE MASTER, AND HOW!!

Friday, July 6, 2007. It will always remain a special day in my life. I watched the greatest tennis player in the history, Roger Federer, on that slightly hot London afternoon at the Wimbledon Centre Court . But I also met a man with a golden heart.
The Swiss maestro was playing against Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero in the quarterfinals, but I could not have watched that match without the help of a magnanimous, London policeman.
I was standing outside the gates of Wimbledon waiting for a colleague to get my temporary pass that allows entry into the press box, shopping area and the cafes. After a considerable wait, I decided to take some rest and sat on the pavement. Then I saw an elderly cop approaching me, and the first thought crossed my mind was I did something wrong sitting on the sidewalk. But the 45-something gentleman suddenly pushed something into my hand and said, "Young man go and watch the match. Tough to get tickets these days." He walked off without even giving me a chance to offer my gratitiude.
Still it did not struck me that I had a ticket to watch the matches at the Centre Court. I could not believe it once I realised what I had in my sweaty palms, and without wasting much time I rushed to the Centre Court to catch some action. The policeman could have sold that ticket worth GBP 60 to someone for an amount of his wish. But he chose to give it to me, the bells of St Paul's Cathedral might have rang then.
Back to action. Federer and Ferrero was warming up when I took the seat, and the next few hours I saw the master in two different zones.
In the first phase, Federer was struggling with his shots, and the precision of his opponent. He won the first set 7-6, but lost the second.
The third and fourth sets saw the re-emergence of Federer, the El Magnifico. The Swiss was all fluid grace -- serving smooth and big, unfurling some silky but powerful groundstrokes. It was like watching a Rolls Royce Phantom in full throttle -- all power and elegance with minimum fuss. It was an unforgettable sight, a pure genius in action and such moments make your life as a sports journalist worth the toil. Thank you Roger for a wonderful show.
But it would not have happened for that kind-hearted, but still unknown cop. Thank you sir!

KERALA FLAVOUR

It was during one of those busy match days during the World T20 that my friend Harish Kotian announced to me the news of finding a Kerala restuarant in Nottingham. In fact, it did not surprise me at all since you may find a Malayali food court even in the remotest area of Alaska.
On my return visit to Nottingham, I decided to check the restuarant and it was a short walk from the City Centre. The name itself had a Malayali touch to it, Kayal (it means backwater), and the ambience transported me back to my home state for a moment .
The staff were very courteous and it came as no surprise as many of them were working in Taj Group. My tour-mates Harish, Moses and Neeru immediately liked the atmosphere and what followed was even better.
The food was excellent with real Kerala flavour. It was heartening to see that, for once, a restuarant has not changed the way of cooking to suit the English taste buds. Many Indian eat outs do that mistake, they alter the way of cooking and items are a shame to Indian cuisine. Just for an example, Chicken Tikka Masala is a hot menu in India. But in UK you will get a bland curry mixed with tomato sause and a variety of spices, and what more it is accepted as the national food of British.
So normally, I stick to Mexican, Italian or Greek restuarants where you will get authentic dishes of the respective countries. After all how much change you can bring to Salsa Magic, Pasta or Papas Cronos!!
But Kayal changed my prejudiced opinion about Indian food courts in UK. It made me convinced that you can prepare some really spicy food and still attract a lot of locals. Well done guys!
Their masterpiece is vegetarian/non-vegetarian thali in which your tongue will experience a good number of items in those categories, and all of them carry the aroma of Kerala to some 7000 kms away.
Try it out if you happened to be in Nottingham. You'll love it.
Here goes a sample: Veg thali: Rice, Sambar, Rasam, Upperi (Palya/Puriyal), Avial (assortment of vegetables), green-piece curry (not exactly a Kerala dish), mango pickle, papadam (applam), Mor curry (Mor Kuzhambu), Erisseri (a dish made of raw banana) = GBP 6.50.
Non-Veg thali: Rice, Upperi (Palya/Puriyal), mango pickle, papadam (applam), Kozhi Porichathu (Chicken fry), Kozhi curry (chicken curry), Erachi Ulathiyathu (Scrambled mutton), Meen pollichathu (Boiled fish), and Mutta thoran (Scrambled egg) = GBP 7.50.

MOMENTS OF THE TOUR

Funny moments are part of any cricket tour. They come anytime, anywhere, but the rib-ticklers were at a premium during the just-concluded World T20 tour to England. Perhaps, it also has to do with India's poor outing in the event that cast an all-round ennui among the Indian contingent.

However, here are some of the nuggets that brought a smile and much more on many faces.

1 The unity show

You might need a little background for this one. It was the first press conference of Indians after the report of rift between MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag appeared in a newspaper. We were waiting in the Squash Courts at Trent Bridge for Dhoni to address the media ahead of the first league match against Bangladesh for the customary pre-match press-do, enjoying the drizzle and a cup of Twinings.

We saw the entire Indian team trooping into the cafeteria just behind the PC hall, but still there were no hints of the bomb that was going to explode minutes later. Suddenly, the team members, support and administration staff entered the PC hall led by Dhoni sparking the rumours of an open media session.

"Come on, we cannot manage so many players. 4-5 of them are enough," one of my colleagues told V Chamundeswarnath, the team manager, who smiled wistfully in return. "Oh my God, I have not taken my voice recorder. Have you taken? Who will transcribe all these? How will we share the work?," another colleague panicked.

But it all lasted just 5 minutes as an entirely different episode panned out soon that wiped out the smiles and enthusiasm, and it's too cumbersome to narrate again.

It was my first official day of the tour. I wondered silently, "Will it get any better than this?" Well, it never did.

2 Yuvi-Mahi show

This came immediately after the Unity Show. During a pracitce session couple of journalists including this blogger were engaged in a light conversation with Yuvraj Singh. The left-hander was in good mood while discussing various matters with us, and the session was progressing quite nicely along.

MS Dhoni, who came to the pavilion area for a short break, shouted on his way back to the nets "Don't tell too many things. They will write there is rift between you and me." There were laughter all around, though the chit-chat came to an end, but only temporarily.

At the end of the nets, Yuvi playfully punched Suresh Raina on the shoulders and then yelled at the scribes and TV journos "We are fighting.. we're fighting." Once again peels of laughter echoed at Lady's Bay.

3 Gayle storms in

There were not much to cheer for the men in blue in the World T20. But 15 minutes they spent with West Indian skipper Chris Gayle were certainly full of cheer. During a training session at Lady's Bay, Ishant Sharma, Gayle's team-mate in Kolkata Knight Riders, dragged the Jamaican to Indian camp, and moments of fun followed. Pathan brothers, Raina, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh were seen speaking to Gayle and sharing a lot of laughter -- a rare commodity in the Indian camp on this tour.

Later I asked Gayle what they were talking and he replied, "Man, this Gayle brings a lot of happiness." Nobody could have doubted that!

4. The Simmons effect

Ireland's entry into Super Eight prompted this story idea in me -- interview their coach Phil Simmons. So, I approached my old friend Barry Chambers (media manager of Ireland), the good Irishman was happy to see me and even happier to oblige my request. Here a slight deviation, we went out that night to a pub, and the Irishman was the winner by a mile.

Back to Simmons. I gave ring to him at 930 am, and the first thing I heard was a roar "I am sleeping maaaaan," before the phone got disconnected. I tried him again in the afternoon, but without any luck. The big West Indian called me back when I was in the stadium and I could hardly understand what he was telling amidst the din. But I assumed that he was telling me to meet him at 3 pm at Crowne Plaza the next day.

I arrived at Plaza at 230 pm, and after several rounds of security checks I was ushered to the receptionist. She said the Ireland team had already left the hotel for London, and of course Mr Simmons was asking for a visitor who was supposed to meet him at 1.30 pm at lobby.

I walked into a hotel for my lunch with that old line ringining in my heart -- assumption is the mother of all goof-ups. Though the wordings were slightly different!

5. Flight trouble

The in-flight entertainment system on long trips is a bliss since you don't have to sit and wonder what to do next after sleeping 4-5 hours. But one of the journalists found out it as in-flight no-entertainment system. Mr Gentleman Journalist (he is truly a gent) was very happy after getting a seat upfront that offered a lot of leg space.

But the trouble started soon as he was unable to locate the personal TV screen even after finding the meal-tray. He had to spent the next 9 hrs gawking at the flight's route-map being displayed at the common screen. We were in fits of helpless giggles all the way when he was narrating this experience. When we were able to stop our laughter, one of the fellow travellers asked "why didn't you asked the passengers sitting next you." Alas! There was only one passenger in the row -- Mr GJ.

Alvida London

During the last few weeks I was unable to post on a regular basis due to the hectic nature of the World T20. Before leaving to London I promised to myself of posting on this blog once in 2-3 days (there too some indecision right!!!). But that promise never turned a reality.

Some time to explore London and a trip to Kent were the two good things happened on this tour. In 2007, I was rather new to this city and could not go out much apart from pubs. You don't need experience to hop pubs, just need the commonsense to follow the revellers!

Kent is a beautiful county, lush green lands and peaceful surroundings make it must-visit for any UK traveller. I strongly advise anybody visiting UK to include Kent in their travel plan. You will definitely enjoy the place, else you can ask me to refund the money of Kent trip.

Thanks Aleena for the invitation.

London.. it has to be my favourite place on Planet Earth. It's an amalgam of modern and ancient. The city can at once make you wonder about the progress science has made (take a look at London Eye, the tube system) and dip you into that feathery feeling of nostalgia (visit RAF musuem, Royal Albert Hall, Big Ben etc).

London is a also a city of contrast. The Central London area is so busy with people walking as if the world is coming to an end. Walk into Hyde Park and you will see a striking difference. You can people clicking pictures, sitting on a bench just staring at the river, sleeping in the shadows of bushes as if they have a remote control to regulate time.

I just love London and waiting to comeback here. Till then goodbye!

MALIBU DAYS

Helo Guys!! It has been a while since I posted something on the blog, courtesy the hectic nature of ICC World Twenty20 Championship. Well, here I am again from England and since my last post, a short one at that, from Nottingham I have moved back to London. I will reveal a fantastic discovery towards the end of the post. Good things comes a bit late, right?

The weather here is warmer than Nottingham and you don't exactly need to wrap yourself in three layers of clothing. You just a need a jacket to keep you warm as the temperature shifts between 15-18. Well, that will be considered as winter in India, but here it is summer!! I can't imagine then how an English winter will feel.

One of the most hilarious thing I have seen here is the urgecny of natives to apply sun screen at the first instance they are able to see the sun, though it's a rare sighting. Coming to the working part, it has been pretty hecitc over the last fortnight with matches lined up day after day. There are days when I have to cover two matches a day in the span of an hour. Since India are 4 hr 30 mins ahead of UK, I have to keep the clock ticking in my brain in IST while I am filing the copies.

The hecticness of the tour has, very very unfortunately, curtailed my pub-hoppings something I had enjoyed two years ago. But to be able to catch up with some cousins and old pals made this trip a worthy one. Guys, yesterday was a really bad one for me as West Indies defeated us with ease. What an innings from Dwayne Bravo!!! A real blinder!!

Hopefully, we can beat England and stay in contention for a semifinal berth. But I sincerely believe that we don't have the strength to beat South Africa in the decider (in case we beat England) at Trent Bridge on June 16 as the Proteas are playing some oustanding cricket of late. I hope to be proved wrong, though!

Itz getting late folks, of course for a drink. Here goes the secret I promised earlier. Yes guys, I have discovered the taste of Malibu White Caribbean rum here. Sensational taste and it goes well with cranberry juice and a dash of lemon. You can hear the rap straight from Jamaica!

In fact, me and my friend Moses K had almost zeroed in on Cocabana (a parady of Malibu), but we changed our mind last minute and what a moment it was!! Now we have renamed England as Malibu land.

See ya soon Geyser!

The natives wil

IN ROBIN HOOD COUNTY

Hello guys, finally I am here in the blustery, windy Nottinghamshire waiting for India to take on Bangladesh in their first match at Trent Bridge. The last three days in UK has been quite pleasant and at times adventurous.

I touched base in Heathrow on Wednesday evening after nearly 10-hr flight from Bangalore in a Kingfisher flight, and my wearly limbs instructed me to have a rest in London than dashing to Nottingham on the same day. Listening to my body's appeal, I decided to join my pals Nitin Naik (TOI) and Deba (Mumbai Mirror) at Barryhouse in Hyde Park before embarking on a 2hr15 mins train trip to the Robin Hood county.

The train journey was an exceptionally pleasant one since it revealed the beauty of English country side without the irritating presence of a guide or the hecticness of a package tour.

The first thing to strike you about this town is the weather -- cold, cloudy and windy -- a sharp contrast from London's balmy weather. I have got another five days to spent here, and I hope to sneak in some time to visit some of the places I had missed in 2007.

Holiday Inn, where I am staying, is in the City Centre which is the pulse of this place, and the hotel is surrounded by casinos, restaurants, bistros, business centres, night clubs and shops of various nature. It is quite interesting to see this part of town gradually shedding the cloak of silence and turns into an active place after 8.00 pm local time.

Here goes one curious piece of information as my cab driver, the ever-chuckling Yorkshire-man Atkinson, divulged during our short trip to Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. There is a police case against Robin Hood in the local police station, of course an effort to give further boost to the tales of 'Savior of the Poor.'
Will mee you soon with some more tales from Nottingham. Khuda Hafiz till then!!!

WORLD CUP TIME

It is with great eagerness I am leaving for England on June 3 to cover my first World Cup. I have been on cricket tours before -- longer as well as important ones. But this trip is certainly different in magnitude and importance from the previous ones.
People who have already covered a World Cup told me that the thrill of covering a World Cup can hardly be matched by anything else in my chosen field.
In any sport, World Cup is the ultimate arena to showcase your skill, and the experience of covering matches for the last few years, I hope, will come handy for me. By no means, I am viewing this as a 'make or break' situation, but as any other reporter I want to do well in the finest stage -- something I will certainly cherish when I bid adieu to journalism.
This World Cup is also very special because India will be entering the tournament as defending champions something they have not done since 1987. Hopefully, our guys will make the country proud.
So, it is time to pack my bags and do my last round preparations. I will see you all from Old Blighty, hopefully with some interesting stuff. Keep an eye!!!!

SELF DISCOVERY

The clock had ticked past eight when I stepped into the VFS centre in Infantry road to apply for my UK visa. Even at that early hour (at least for me) there was a sizeable crowd at the centre, and they were of all age groups, from different stratas of society and with different purposes.

But they all wore a common expression -- anxiety. There was this elderly gentleman who tried to strike a conversation with everyone around him, but never could manage to get that anxious look away from the clock on the far end of the wall. Perhaps, waiting for the receptionist to call out his name.

Then there was a couple, probably into their fifties, holding each others hand and glancing all around nervously like a pair of college lovers. All of a sudden the attention shifted to a hefty man who barged into the room, seemingly unaware of the next step and he made a short tour to all the counters in the room before settling next to me. His first question, "Did they called my number?" I couldn't suppress a rather loud chuckle, and the man, whom I am seeing for the first time in my life, gave me an annoyed look.

Amidst all these commotions, a smug thought nestled into my mind. "Hey you folks! There is no need to panic so much. Visa process will take at least a week despite all your frantic efforts. I know it guys.. after all I have been to England in 2007." But I did not have the courage to openly express my thoughts as Adam Sandler did in Wedding Planner.

Finally, my turn came after a nearly 4-hour wait. The agent received me with a huge smile, and after checking my documents he said all of a sudden, "Oh G Unnikrishnan from Deccan Herald?" I felt like the fifth Beatle at that moment for I expected his next comments to be "I have read you a lot and I like your writing.. blah blah..." Any journalist, I am sure, will feel like that and if somebody says differently he/she will be lying blatantly or just pretending to be worldy wise.

But his words interrupted the functioning of my cocky brain. "Since you are going to UK to cover the T20 WC could you please arrange a couple of tickets for my pals in UK?"

Mr G Unnikrishnan, welcome back to earth!

JUST LIKE OLDEN DAYS

I had my first tryst with top-flight tennis in 1985. I could not return to school after the mid-summer vacation since I was recovering from minor fracture on my hand and those few extra days at home helped me to develop an affection for tennis.

Though I did not realise the nuances of the game then, it was highly thrilling to watch players like Boris Becker (making his debut), Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg in action at the famous Centre Court.

Since then I made it a point to watch every Wimbledon, and the most exciting final -- till I watched the one between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in 2008 -- was the title clash between Andre Agassi and Goran Ivanisevic in 1992. Pete Sampras' seven finals were mostly one-sided, courtesy his brilliant grass court game, and I guess only Jim Courier had managed to stretch him in the 1993 final.

The '92 final was a heart-stopper. It was a contest between Agassi's prowess in returning and Ivanisevic's ability to fire aces at will. Finally, the American's all-round skills prevailed in a tense five-setter. Agassi, only man to win all four Grand Slams after Rod Laver, scripted some amazing wins and comebacks in the subsequent years, but I never imagined to see him again in action at the Centre Court after his retirement. That seemed a miracle even beyond Agassi.

But the last Sunday offered a double delight for me as in watching two great champions in action -- Agassi and Mrs Agassi (Steffi Graff) against Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters in an exhibition doubles match. There was some extra pound of flesh around Agassi's waist and his face a tad more chubby. Graff was every inch the same old West German 'wunder kind' -- epitome of feminine grace, though a bit rusty at times with racquet.

Agassi, however, straightaway hit the strides and started the proceedings with an ace down the centre reducing Clijsters to a mere spectator. The American spotted a sheepish grin immediately as if asking the Belgian to stand a few steps back. Then there was those trademark stretch-returns and backhand cross court winners, eliciting loud applause from a packed house as well as from his opponents.

Steffi had her own moments. The great German slapped Agassi on the shoulder after the latter accidentally drove a return to the midriff of Clijsters. Then there was a playful spank on her husband's back and numerous smooches in appreciation of some really remarkable shots. It was as if Henman-Clijsters duo were non-existent at the other end, and it was also a wonderful union of sports and love at the greatest stage of tennis.

A one set singles contest followed between Agassi and Henman, and time seemed to roll back at the Las Vegas man's court as he unfurled some super shots to subdue his English rival 6-4. For me, it was like travelling in a time machine.

DELHI DAYS

It was quite unexpected but heartening to see Santosh Permual's invitation in Facebook. I could not keep regular touch (due to a vareity of reasons) with him since 2002, the year I left Press Trust of India and New Delhi once and forever.
Peru was my office-mate and flat-mate along with Harish, and the years I spent with them will always be counted as one of the most joyous in my life. Peru, hoping to hit it big in economics department, was the most experienced scribe among us while I dreamt of making a name in sports journalism and Harish in the field of court and law.
It is quite unfortunate to say that none of us could exactly realise our dreams in PTI owing to multiple reasons. But the company of each other was enough for us to forget the professional frustrations, and every weekly off day used to begin invariably with Harish's question: Innengane (What to do today?).
The undertone of the question was when to start our drinking session usually accompanied with all the gossips of the week, little mud-slinging etc etc. Unfortunately, digtial cameras and mobile phones with camera were still out of our grasps as we could not capture any of those moments. But they still shine like crystal in my memory.
Here's one gem: Peru was on evening duty in office and suddenly he was seen frantically searching for Mr Panaji after attending the phone near him. Sunday crowd were perplexed by his query and finally Harish attended the phone only to see him rolling in laughter. Actually, it was a call from PTI's Panaji office, and our poor Peru thought 'Mr Panaji' was on the line. Later he told us over a drink that the lady at the other end said in Hindi, "Panaji hei idhar, reporting mein kaun hei?" Our Hindi-Bhooshan understood it as a call for Panaji since in Delhi office 'JI' was suffixed to seniors' name like Dharji, Pathakji etc.
Cut to present. It is a good feeling to be back in touch with a man of golden heart.

THE LITTLE BIG MAN

For Indians, Sachin Tendulkar is the Zeus of that common religion called cricket. A cricketing God residing in Mumbai, and delivers the lightnings of joy and pleasure to millions across the country with his stirring deeds with a willow. Tendulkar enjoys a much similar status around the globe as well.

That world-wide respect and adoration has not gained overnight. It has been build over the years through sheer hardwork and willingness to stretch himself that extra yard to attain perfection.

There is one man who had witnessed that growth from a child prodigy to a great batsman -- former Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath. I had the fortune to listen to 'Mysore Express' detailing the transformation of his one-time team-mate. He cited the example of Tendulakr's innings against Australia in Perth in 1992.

"That was our first tour to Australia and, and we were struggling on that tour. I always felt that one of the main reasons for our scratchy shows abroad is the time taken to adapt to the conditions. Situation was not different '92 also, but one young man was determined to make his mark and he did that in Perth.

"WACA at that time was one of the quickest pitches and Mike Whitney took seven wickets to rattle us. There was a huge crack on the wicket and the ball almost took the head off a couple of batsmen. But this 18-year was batting against Whitney, McDermott and Reiffel like a seasoned pro, scoring runs all over the park. His cut shots were a treat to watch on that day. Though we lost that Test, we were sure that Sachin will one day top the batsmen's chart."

The reminder of his battle with Tendulkar at nets brought a smile on Srinath's face. "Yes, I had some success against him at nets. You have to get him out mentally, and there is no point to wait to find technical flaws in his batting."

Then came the part we were expecting from the beginning -- Srinath's view of Tendulkar the captain. "As a captain he was very aggressive. It was tough to live up to his expectations some times. It had at times led to arguments between us -- of course a bowler has a different view point from a batsman -- but it was always on healthy grounds and for the betterment of the team. For ex. Sachin (a senior in the squad then) was furious after our loss to Zimbabwe in the 1999 World Cup in England, and the fact was that we also did not have the face to show him. I feel he became a lot more mature in his subsequent stints as India captain."

"In the same tournament, he scored a hundred just after the sad demise of his dad, he did that for the team. The two incidents showed his firm character, mental strength and the overall strong personality."

Srinath's 3 favourite Tendulkar moments: 1. Hundred in Perth against Australia in 1992.

2. Hundred in Johannesburg against South Africa in 1992.

3. Hundred against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999.

"There are a lot of memorable one-day hundreds as well, but these three knocks, I believe, illustrates Tendulkar's qualities as a batsman and human being."

It seemed that curtains came down on that evening pretty quickly, but the time spent was worth its weight in gold for it shed light on the remarkable personality of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Thanks Sri!

SIMPLY WARNE

Over the years Shane Warne has memerised fans with his wizardry on the field and amused them with his antics off it. But the first edition of IPL (2008) had offered glimpses of his ability to transform a bunch of relative unknowns into a bunch of world beaters while guiding Rajasthan Royals to title win.

If the three matches (including that rain-hit tie against Mumbai Indians) are of any indication we can see the Aussie great doing some more wonders in the IPL 2. Yesterday, he asked Yusuf Pathan to open the bowling against Kolkata Knight Riders, and it could have been an unmitigated disaster, considering Kolkata have Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum as their openers. But the move paid off as the elder Pathan managed to shackle both the big-hitters with a couple of tidy overs.

Then the leggie hurled the ball to Kamran Khan, Wild Thing (What else Warne will name a rookie!), to bowl the final over, and the young left-arm paceman responded taking the wicket of Sourav Ganguly, ensuring that there was a Super Over.

Then came Warne's another masterstroke. He tossed the ball again to Kamran to bowl the Super Over, and the task of bowling against Gayle and McCullum could have bogged down even the experienced. But Warne goaded his prodigy into bowling a good Super Over that culminated in Royal's win.

So what make Warne a successful leader? A one word answer could be difficult since it is a combination of factors. The Aussie is quite animated on the field, giving vent to his elation and frustration quite frequently. He has to tell a word to each one of his players (forget how much of his English with that Australian twang players can understand), and he is right behind them at every juncture of the match.

The presence of such a strong, supportive leader can instill oodles of confidence in players, especially in youngsters. Munaf Patel has even showed the daring to be a translator while Warne spoke to the youngsters in the side!!!

On a serious note, Warne's display of leadership skills are not limited to big words and press statements. But the leggie, first to reach 700 Test wickets, still spins a web around the batsmen. English batsmen might be praying to Lord Almighty (God in Heaven in this instance!) not to give Warne ideas about an Ashes come back, not even for a little fun.

So when your leader leads by example, there is no way others can take a backward step. Imagine, there was some news about Royals being forced to buy Warne in the 2008 auction, and he has already repaid them with no less than a title.

IPL 2 is still in its infancy, and it remains to be seen how the Royals will fare in this edition. But one thing is sure, Warne will definitely pull out some rabbits out of his hat, and will probably turn them into doves.

STARS NEVER FADE!

What a start! Two of the oldest players -- Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble -- in their ranks conjured a magical performance on a South African evening to give Royal Challengers Bangalore a thumping start to their campaign in the Indian Premier League 2.

For me, their victory over Rajasthan Royals and the display of these two modern day legends is an emphatic evidence of the value of experience even in T20, perceived to be meant for young legs.

In the first match of the IPL 2, it was Sachin Tendulkar's composed fifty played

a pivotal role in Mumbai Indians win over Chennai Super Kings. Even in defeat, it was Shane Warne for Royals and Matthew Hayden for CSK came up with some spirited performances. I know it is too early to make a prediction. But we might see experience stealthly moving ahead of exuberance in this tournament.

Glenn McGrath, Sanath Jayasuriya and Adam Gilchrist could still give youngsters a run for their money. Watch out!

One of the former cricketers shared that opinion with me. "The pitches in South Africa has bounce and movement and in such conditions you cannot ignore the experience of players like Dravid, Tendulkar and Kumble. These guys have performed in different parts of the world over the years. A commonsense approach and ability to adapt is a must any sports, even T20 is not different. These players have those ability in abundance, and I am sure they will play a huge part in this edition of IPL."

But when I interviewed RCB coach Ray Jennings a few months back, his initial days as the team's coach, the South African told me about the role of seniors. That time Ray seemed to be a bit sceptical about the ability of seniors to stand up to the rigours of this furiously paced game.

"My job is to make the seniors understand the significance of fielding, and prepare them for the T20 mindset. I want to be part of this team for a while, and get some good results. It's a challenge for me." So, both the parties -- Ray and the seniors -- have won on the first day.

I hope, they will continue to write more success stories in the coming days. It will not be a victory for RCB alone, but statement from a generation of players who will shine forever like the Pole Star.

HAPPY HOURS

A trip to home town can knock down the barricades that block your memories. I experienced a similar feeling nearly a month ago when I visited my ancestral town, the beautiful Palakkad (Palghat for some) in Northern Kerala.

It's one of the areas where you can witness the pristine beauty of Kerala (see some of the pictures my dear VK Gopakumar mailed me), and some lovely people. I had reached Cochin, my parents live in that City now, after a nearly 10-hour drive from Bangalore with my wife, and after spending two days there we left for Palakkad. The journey till Palakkad, though, presented not many pleasant monents thanks to narrow roads and KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) buses that behaved more like drunken monkeys on the road.

However, once we reached there it was a trip back to the olden days. The change has gripped Palakkad like a glacier, gradual yet inexorable, but thankfully not like a flash flood that alter everything in a jiffy. Hopefully, it will remain the same.

The sight of my ancestral home was exciting and a clear river of memories began to flow in my brain once I stepped onto the rosewood-laden veranda. For a moment, I heard the sounds of my beloved grandpa, who passed away nearly two decades ago, calling me with a lot of affection from the far corner. Once wriggled out of the halucinatory moments, it was time to exchange plesantries to the relatives and of course, for a yummy lunch. The taste of lunch was doubled courtesy two pegs of Royal Salute given by Jai (my cousin brother). Thanks a ton buddy.

After good two hours of sleep, I decided to catch up with some old pals who made my childhood days memorable. Five of us (Jayan, Jagadeesh, Srijith Ambi and yours truly) met near the Kota grounds, reflecting on the days when we played there with not a care for the world and nourished some big ambitions. Those Kota days and evening tryst with cricket have helped me to develop love for that game in me, though never I thought of becoming a journalist then.

Jayos now runs his travel agency -- a far shot from his dream of becoming an MBA graduate and work in a MNC.

Jags owns two car show rooms in Palakkad and Thrissur, and he wanted to enter Civil Services!!!

Sri is now a film and serial producer, and his dream was to join police. No wonder he insists that most of the heroes in his movies and serials should be cops.

Ambi is in Gulf (Swamy was on leave) working as a CA, and never for once he had expressed any ambitions for future during our Kota days.

None of them still believe that I write on cricket and get a reasonable amount every month in my account. In fact, Swamy even asked to show him my pass book.

Sadly, the session lasted just two hours, as I had to make my way back to Cochin. But those two hours gave me immense joy, and that soothing feeling that there are people who care for me -- always.

CAPTAIN COOL

India has successfully completed another series under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, this time against New Zealand. Tuesday (April 7, 2009) will forever be remembered in Indian cricket as the day when Dhoni and his Band of Fearless conquered Kiwiland after a gap of 41 years.

Just imagine, 41 years. PHEW. That number could even be an individual's life-span. After countless forays over the years since 1968, it needed the astute leadership of a middle-class boy from Jharkhand (Those super bikes and other luxuries are rather late entries in Dhoni's life) for India to break the New Zealand jinx.

During one of the press conferences in New Zealand, Dhoni spoke about the team not missing him and that comment could only be out of his modesty. The value of Dhoni's captaincy was obvious when he was forced to sit out of the second Test in Napier with a back spasm. There was something missing in Indian ranks, and that intangible 'something' makes Dhoni an indivisible part of this Indian team.

During India's Sri Lankan trip earlier this year for a one-day series, I had a chance to ask MS about the pressures of handling captaincy in three different formats -- Tests, ODIs and T20.

"The three forms – Test, one-day and T20 – have different demands on a captain. Test is all about endurance and in T20 you have to make frequent changes in quick time, which can be tricky at times. But one-dayer comes in between a Test match and T20. You have to have a plan in place always in one-dayers, and implement them over a period of time."

His words underline the fact that beneath that ever-smiling face and casual demeanour there is a keen thinker of cricket and its intricacies. That is reason number one for his success as the captain of the side.

During the Lankan trip, I also got a chance to ask one of the cricketers about MS' leadership skills. "Bhai, he does not put any undue pressure on you, and gives a lot of space and freedom for us as individuals. He is always available there for a talk or he is ready to put an arm around you when the going is not good for us," he said. Reason number two for MS' success: excellent man management skills.

That skill of him was put to test last year when the word spread about his possible resignation from the post over the exclusion of Rudra Pratap Singh for the last four one-dayers against England. MS tackled the questions with characteristic aplomb during a press do in Bangalore, and made his annoyance clear without pointing his fingers to anybody in particular. Reason number three for MS' success: A cool head and temperament even in the most difficult situations.

During the Nagpur Test against Australia last year, MS allowed Sourav Ganguly, who was playing his last Test, to captain the side for a few overs. Ganguly later admitted that the move came as a surprise for him. It was also an answer to those Doubting Thomasses, who pondered over MS' ability to lead a side filled with ex-captains (Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid), and aspirants for the hot seat (Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh). Reason number four for MS' success: Ability to strike a chord with both seniors and juniors in the side.

The burden of captaincy has not affected his wicketkeeping or batting. Of late, though, the calculated risk-taker with the willow has replaced the brazen stroke-maker of the old. Reason number five of MS' success: Ability to adapt to different circumstances and roles.

Congrats MS for your latest success. But guys, be ready to invent more hosannas for MSD!

DRAVID'S MOMENT

Rahul Dravid is not known for animated celebrations, but on Monday morning he decided to break away from the tradition, kissing the red cherry and signalling thumbs-up to spectators and dressing room after grabbing a sharp chance offered by Tim McIntosh off Zaheer Khan.

It was not just another catch. It was his 182nd catch in Test cricket, going one past Australian Mark Waugh for the highest number of catches -- barring wicketkeepers -- in the traditional format of the game. It was the rightful culmination of a journey that started in 1996 at Lord's, taking the catch of Nasser Hussain off Javagal Srinath. The number is also a tribute to his longevity and desire to excel in all parts of the game even after playing 134 Tests spanning 13 years.

Until the series against England late last year Dravid has gone through a torrid time for nearly six months with the big runs drying up, but the prolonged form-slump had little effect in his fielding. He has taken 14 catches in 10 Tests in 2007 and 20 from 15 in 2008, which is also an indirect testimony to Indian bowlers' improved performance in all conditions.

Dravid's catching at slips is not a visual marvel like younger Waugh neither does he possess the big palms of Matthew Hayden. But Dravid's fine technique, his way of standing at slips is as good as you get in any coaching manual, and sharp reflection, which is amazing for a 36-year old body, helps him to be in the perfect position for the aerial edges off both pacers and spinners.

Rewind your memory to the Adelaide Test in 2004 when he gobbled up an edge to dismiss Damien Martyn off Sachin Tendulkar at slips. Incidentally, Tendulkar is also brilliant at slips, and like Dravid, the Mumbaikar too relies on good technique to take the offerings.

"It is a great feeling for him. He has been there for more than 13 years. He has been outstanding as a batsman and in the slip cordon," Yuvraj Singh said at Monday's post-match press conference.

One who has always wished to be among the best, the latest achievement might have come as a great delight for Dravid. This might just be the inspiration, if he wants any extra, for him to etch some more tall deeds. Waiting for them Rahul!

Hello Friends,
This is my new blog and will keep you updated in the subsequent posts. That's saying in a bit roundabout way that I have got nothing to write today.