Monthly Archives: September 2009

Will Reena realise her dream? Is there a Good Samaritan around?

September 13, 2009
Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu

Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu

I do not know Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu yet. Come to think of it, I was not able to speak with her properly when she called me and have left some mails from her unanswered. And now when I am trying to reach her, she is in London, on her way back from New Zealand where she had gone to train for a fortnight.

From her mails, I know Reena is a 38-year-old freelance outdoor instructor from Darjeeling and has settled in Delhi. She is an experienced mountaineer, leading several expeditions in the Himalaya. She is on the verge of becoming the first Indian woman to visit South Pole as part of the Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic Expedition this year.

For all that, I do not know Reena yet. For all that, I believe in her dream and I believe in her desire to pursue that patiently, relentlessly. I am sure she will realise it. Read more »

Kapil’s call sparks thoughts on humility

September 12, 2009

The phone rang almost as soon as I completed a show on All India Radio where I was a guest, answering questions during the supper break in the Compaq Cup match between India and New Zealand on a hectic Friday. “Can I also ask you a question?” said the distinctively deep voice, whose owner answers to the name of Kapil Dev.

Kapil Dev remains forthright as ever

Kapil Dev remains forthright as ever (Photo courtesy: Laureus Academy)

I have always valued feedback – criticism and appreciation – as being essential to any communication and hearing from Kapil Dev was a humbling experience. The immediate feeling was not of elation that India’s only World Cup winning captain called but of satisfaction that the show was being heard and elicited feedback.

“I also call Rakesh-saab,” he said during the conversation, alluding to former India leg-spinner Rakesh Shukla who was on the show called Kaun Banega Vijeta? To hear a man who had played 131 Tests for India without ever missing one on fitness grounds use the respectful saab for a man who played but one Test match in 1982 was, simply stated, delightfully humble.

Kapil Dev seemed to have the time and we got into a discussion about how he would even today stand up respectfully in the presence of his seniors and about how such traditions are handed down in the dressing room. I have seen Mohammed Azharuddin rise from his seat and stay on his feet until Sunil Gavaskar who arrived later sat down.

“Bishan-paaji will always be Bishan-paaji for me… never Bishan,” Kapil Dev said of his first captain Bishan Singh Bedi. “I cannot think of any other way. We have been taught the importance of respecting our seniors, even if we have some differences of opinion once in a while. Read more »

Walking back 15 years to cherish a magical moment

September 11, 2009
Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar: Does the picture need a caption at all?

The Indian cricket team starts a long season now with a game against New Zealand in the Compaq Cup in Colombo on Friday. And while it will begin without either of the familiar pair of the left-handed Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag walking out to start its innings, there is no real reason to panic.

Sehwag’s recovering from a shoulder surgery while Gambhir aggravated a groin injury at nets and is winging his way back home. A certain Sachin Tendulkar returns to one-day internationals after missing the tour of the West Indies in June-July and will open the innings with Dinesh Karthik, who did duty in the four-game series in the Caribbean.

Tendulkar’s overall career has been too glittering to recount here and it will suffice to say that he has opened the innings in each of the last 41 ODI games he has played and has scored 1837 runs at 47.10 runs an innings – higher than his career average. And, because we tend to forget, the New Zealand attack was savaged for 163 runs in his last knock.

Of course, thanks to the return of pace duo Daryl Tuffey and Shane Bond from the ICL fold, the New Zealand attack can be more competitive than when it hosted India in March. With the quick bowlers hitting the right areas on the sluggish Premadasa Stadium track in the opening game, scoring freely was not an option for the batsmen either. Read more »

My tweets

Error: Twitter did not respond. Please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.

Calendar

September 2009
M T W T F S S
« Aug   Nov »
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930  

Switch to our mobile site