India's T-20 Squad

MS Dhoni (capt & wk)
Virender Sehwag
Gautam Gambhir
Yuvraj Singh
Suresh Raina
Yusuf Pathan
Dinesh Karthik
Ravindra Jadeja
Zaheer Khan
Praveen Kumar
Ashish Nehra
Harbhajan Singh
Piyush Chawla
Vinay Kumar
Rohit Sharma

Though most of the big shots pick themselves, there are few selections that is surprising.

I don't know how many chances will Rohit Sharma get? Robin Uthappa or Manish Pandey or Virat Kohli should have been picked.

The selection of Piyush Chawla looks baffling..I would prefer to fly with Pragyan Ojha.

Vinay Kumar deserves the chance and he should make use of it.

Selectors should have waited for another week or 2 to pick the team as IPL is throwing up talents such as Saurabh Tiwary, Rajagopal Satish, Ambati Rayudu.

Hayden unveils Mongoose in style

File under "Sights I Never Expected to See": Matthew Hayden clobbering bowlers all around an international stadium with what looked like a baby's brass rattle in those paws of his. Here's introducing Matt the Bat, now with a longer handle, aka the Mongoose bat.

For the uninitiated, the Mongoose is a something of a miniature version of a normal cricket bat, but it has two distinguishing features: the handle is as long as the blade and the splice, which normal bats have in the blade, is built into that handle to guarantee a clean hitting surface on the bat. Its USP - if you've been following events in the build-up to the IPL - is that it essentially allows a batsman to hit harder and further without changing the way he plays. On the basis of what Hayden achieved at the Feroz Shah Kotla today, the Mongoose suits Twenty20 to the T.

Its short, stocky frame - the base is reportedly five centimeters - allows for sweet timing and that was as evident as crystal. The first sign that Hayden, after two poor games, was roaring back in to form came in the second over when he slammed three boundaries in four balls.

The Mongoose made its debut in the second ball of the fourth over, after Hayden had already muscled some good shots with his normal blade. He's has always wielded the bat like a club, but here was Hayden with a big handle and small blade. To the naked eye, the Mongoose looked silly in his bear hands. In fact, at first it just didn't look right. Surely he would mishit one, inside-edge one onto his stumps, fail to reach out to a spinner, or be caught short of his crease while putting in a dive? None happened.

The first shot Hayden played with the Mongoose was a letdown. He went for an ugly heave and got a streaky single to the leg side. You can't time a cricket ball at pace with that toothpick. Then Rajat Bhatia came in to the attack for some military medium stuff, only to feel the full effect of what Hayden and his buddy could do. Bhatia to Hayden was never going to be a key contest, but this was too one-sided. Hayden swept four to fine leg, slammed a straight six, tickled another off the pads for four, and slogged four to long-on. Bhatia was nonplussed.

Right, so this thing can do a bit, you started to think. But what about against spin, when the pace is taken off and the pitch plays a bit slow and low? The answer came all too soon, as Tillakaratne Dilshan was called on for some offspin in the eighth over. Hayden was back at his furious best: Dilshan tossed it up and the punishment was immediate - three sixes stung Delhi and sent the crowd into raptures. The second was a mishit but still soared into the stands. You marveled at the distance the ball travelled after it struck the blade of the bat.

The Mongoose didn't restrict Hayden in any way, as you might have expected it to. What it lacks in reach, it more than makes up for with effect. Length balls were swatted over the infield nonchalantly; those that hit the edges ran away to fine leg or third man; two balls that came off the toe end sped past extra cover; those that hit the sweet spot just disappeared. A low full toss from Dirk Nannes - and it's for this specific delivery and the yorker that the Mongoose could prove to be most crucial - was sent speeding past short fine leg.

The Mongoose didn't require Hayden to change his grip or style, but it did allow him to smack the ball harder and further. It was the perfect remedy for Hayden to strike form and Chennai to canter home. On the evidence of what we saw this evening, its power really is phenomenal.

Watching Hayden in full flow is one of the more delightful viewing experiences today, his brute force and style elevating him above many currently active hard-hitting batsmen in international cricket. But watching him with that little thing in his hands was something else. Cricket has traditionally been averse to change and innovation, but watching Hayden bludgeon both pace and spin around the park, you cannot help but wonder - will the Mongoose make its way onto the international scene?

In 1983, Tony Montana blasted through a door firing his automatic machine gun and screaming six words that went on to become part of cinema lore - "Say hello to my little friend!" Twenty-seven years later, a man who has already etched his name cricket's history with a pivotal role in how openers approached the game unveiled a small piece of willow that threatens to further revolutionize batting. Talk about creative mojo.

A.R.Rahman & S.Tendulkar - Icons of our Lifetime

Sachin And A.R.Rahman - Icons of our Lifetime

I know there are many people here who does not want Sachin to be compared with anyone else.. People... I am not making any comparison here.. I am just wondering how the runs of Sachin and the music of Rahman has influenced myself and millions of others....

These two icons have always influenced my life someway or the other... I go crazy about both of them.. They are two inseparable names in my world...

What Sachin is doing withe bat Rahman is doing with his music.. There are quite a few similarities between them too...

--> Both of them become famous during the 90's.. Many people who become fan of Sachin during the 90's also become fans of Rahman.

--> How they stood out from others?
ARR: First to bring digital touch to Indian music and compose fusion that no one else dares to think off.
SRT: First to explore the first 15-over restriction, score centuries at bouncy, tough tracks like Perth

-->As time moved on:
ARR: Stopped producing blasting music, instead delivered Classical melodies like Taal, Swades, Bose, Meenaxi and Tehzeeb out of maturity.
SRT: Stopped going over the top to bowlers, instead played exquisite drives and late cuts and produced innings with a lot of maturity.

-->Character similarity:
ARR: Shy towards media and lets his keyboard answer his critics
SRT: Shy towards media and lets his bat answer his critics

-->International attention:
ARR: Admired by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Micheal jackson (who wore a t-shirt having Rahman’s photo on it) and many other international music reviewers who want him to compose for Hollywood films.
SRT: Adored by the man himself the “DON” Bradman and Mike Atherton(who compared Sachin to W.G.Grace) and a never ending list of Australian, English, Kiwi, WestIndian players.

-->Records:
ARR: 4 national awards, 17 filmfare awards, his music sold 210 million copiesaround the world (more than Britney and Madonna put together!!) and success rate of 80%+ album sales in Indian movies.
SRT: I need another ten pages to fill this up!!!

--> Popularity:
ARR: Has a huge fan following in India and in south he is a demi-god and captures the imagination of NRI’s throughout the world
SRT: According to a survey, he is the most popular man in the Country edging out the Prime Minister and Shah-Rukh-Khan. He is popular even in places like U.S where the game is not that popular (featured in an exclusive article in an American sports magazine)

--> Duplicates:
ARR: Has a duplicate called Harris Jeyaraj who not only copies ARR’s music and composing style but also his hairstyle and way of speaking in interviews.
SRT: Virendar Sehwag, a natural duplicate of sachin with looks and batting style similar to him

-->Where will they end up?:
ARR: Probably will put India into the world map of music and create records which upcoming Indian M.D’s can’t even dream of.
SRT: It would probably take an android or a special species of human being to erase his record in Cricket. Will always be remembered as the greatest ever batsman of modern era.

But at times i used to think, who is better than the other.. Is it Rahman for his heartmelting music or Sachin for his skills and passion he shows for our country..?

Whenever i had sad times i used to put my music player on and play some Rahman songs in it.. I still remember a day when i went to beach alone at noon....and sat in the hot sand listening to Newyork Nagaram song again again and AGAIN!! When Rahman won the oscars i thought " Ahh he has bought glory to our country.. And Sachin should win worldcup for us likewise.. "

But then a single innings of Sachin and the character which he shows would change my point of view!!! And the feeling he gives me while batting like he did in hyderabad is unexplainable... Believe me.. I got goosebumps atleast ten times while he was displaying his character and skill.. I thought after the match "This knock is equivalent to ten Oscars.. What else do we need from him" I got the same feeling when i heard Rahman singing Vande mataram.. Awesome!!

The same passion which Sachin shows in cricket, Rahman shows in music.. Both of them are not doing it for money.. They are doing it for the passion they have towards our country!!!

JAI HO!!!

Will it divide or unite....

For a concept that went so far as to bring international cricketers together, the IPL, through no fault of its own, faces the prospect of being a vehicle that will ultimately cause friction rather than harmony. I post this blog piece today, deliberately timed so it gets published before any decisions have been made and diplomatic wrangles occur.

It's clear that security issues will continue to affect the IPL in years to come, regardless of how this year's event pans out. The relocation in 2009 to South Africa, prompted by security issues involving the national elections in India was managed admirably, making the best of a difficult situation. The 2010 situation is a bit more serious because it has the potential to reduce the international flavour of the tournament that makes the IPL such a unique dish. Sure, even if some international players pull out, the event might yet be a modest success, bolstered by patriotism and India's domestic strength but regardless of the brave spin that may be put on it, it will lose some of its lustre. No sense in denying that.

If it comes to pass that players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England withdraw, the risk is that it will create an East-West divide that will take many years to repair. And that will be the ironic legacy of the IPL if it does turn out that way: what started off as a global event may descend into a Cold War drawn along traditional and predictable lines. There will be accusations of cowardice and double standards, of plotting to steal World Cups and of the supposed arrogance of cricket's major powerbroker. One can only hope that the cricketers themselves will be spared the pain and vitriol that will inevitably flow from all disappointed stakeholders.

Already, there is innuendo that the Australian camp is divided. The ex-players are apparently keen to make the event, spurred on no doubt by advancing years and the promise of a last golden handshake. Let's not pretend otherwise - despite all the talk of great challenges and being part of a global event, it ultimately boils down to money. Plenty of it. An IPL without the big cheques would simply not be on the radar of these retired warriors.

The current Australian players are reputedly less keen, weighing up a long career in Australian cricket against the promise of a quick but uncertain payout. They are not in that much of a rush to make their fortunes and one can understand their reluctance to risk their safety when time is on their side. What makes this clash unique is that it will eventually come down to a question of whether the various player unions can exert enough influence over a membership that also includes ex-players who are essentially beholden to no one but themselves. If the advice is that they should not attend the IPL, how can they enforce that ruling on any 'retired' player who wants to act independently?

Next year's World Cup question is a bit easier to resolve because it involves playing for one's country and that will mean that the decision will be taken by the respective governing bodies, thereby not putting the players in the invidious position of making the call themselves. What is clear though is that it is patently ridiculous for any government, in any country, to offer guarantees and assurances of safety. If it was that easy to guarantee such a fluid concept, why can't everybody do that across all walks of life, not just for cricketers? I mean, how does one ever claim on such a ridiculous guarantee?

Perhaps the answer is for all parties to take the emotion and guilt out of the whole situation and genuinely leave it up to the individual's discretion with no threats or talk of lifetime bans or blackballs. All that sort of loaded comment does is to create guilt and resentment when none of this is really the fault of the IPL or the players. It's a function of the world we live in where terror threats are seen as a legitimate way to push a political cause. India is not alone in facing this problem but she should not view it as a personal betrayal if some cricketers make a personal choice based on their own family circumstances.

And that's pretty well what it boils down to. Some individuals are less risk-averse than others, some are less fazed by terror threats than others and no one deserves censure or praise for making a personal decision. It's really no different to any other risky job. It's up to each individual to decide whether the risks are worth the rewards and make choices accordingly. The IPL is not about representing your country with pride - it's purely about being a highly paid entertainer in a commercial venture. So let's hope they take the nationalistic jargon out of the diplomatic posturing and just treat it like any other job offer. Weigh up the risks and rewards, consult with your family and do what's right for you. It need not be a national insult or cowardice or any other loaded value judgement. Whatever the decision, let's hope it doesn't become a divisive issue that splits the cricket world across the cultural divide. The game is not big enough to survive that sort of pettiness.