Friday, December 21, 2012

Plenty of Match-Experience Under the Belt Now

Disregard the fact that the stadium would take nearly as much time to reach from Navi Mumbai as from some of the pretty common areas of Pune and that it takes 20+ minutes to walk from the parking to the gates.
Ignore the fact that stands, with a capacity of over 3600 each, had only one toilet with 5 urinals.

Then your experience at the Subrata Roy Sahara stadium will be damn near perfect.

The stadiums first T20 international, was between India and England. I discovered Pune would be hosting this match quite by chance. I was checking out the ESPNCricinfo App and I scrolled down a bit too much on the fixtures screen than I'd intended to. The word 'Pune' caught my eye. More importantly the date, 20th December, exploded little balloons of confetti inside my heart. I'd be returning from my final semester in college to this. Brilliant.

So people were gathered, tickets were booked and anticipation was allowed to be built.


 New Stadium? What? Where?


The stadium, quite a new addition to the city of Pune, lies in the village of Gahunje. You don't need to know this bit of trivia but it makes for a handy opening sentence. The old Nehru Stadium, which was a common name for almost every public place before Rajiv Gandhi took that honour, was no longer good enough for matches. The last match there, in 2006, was one of the 3 1/2 million matches we played with Sri Lanka in the 2000s. The stadium was now, too much
inside the city, too close to crowded areas and with far too narrow roads around it. It became a logistical, spectatorial and almost everything-ical nightmare.

So the new one, built with the patronage of Subrata Roy Sahara, the eternal sponsor of the Indian cricket team, and the owner of the Pune franchise of the IPL, was supposed to be built for the 2011 World Cup. And living up to the expectations of all, the stadium was not completed on time. Surprisingly, or not, it was ready for the IPL this year.

With a capacity of over 50000, full bucket seating for all, wide staircases, wide aisles, ample spacing between rows and a completely unhindered view of the ground - the stadium checked out on all the good things.




But as with any event in India, security and traffic posed two huge questions.

1. When do we actually need to leave to get there?
2. Can we carry mobile phones?

The answer to the first question, as suggested by the Pune police, is a healthy 3 hours before the match. I'd say 3 hours is more than safe. If you can get into the parking lot about 1 hour before the match then you will be seated in your seat about 40 minutes later. And it doesn't take more than 30 minutes to get to your parking spot once you come near the expressway. So I'd say 2 hours is about the minimum time before the match you should leave from home (I live on the opposite end of the city, so you get the idea).

The long walk to the stadium takes you past the main gate. Our timing was damn perfect as we saw the Indian team bus pull in to the stadium. We could see the Yuvraj Singh in the front, a pair of huge headphones on. The crowd roared and waved their flags as the bus pulled past us.

The answer to the second question, as suggested by the Pune police in the newspapers, is NO. As you will see below, that is not quite true. We were quite perplexed by this question, actually. A few blogs helped me out. They all said they were allowed to carry one with them during the IPL matches. Camera's were a strict no but phone were OK. And what about phones with cameras?
So we decided to take a shot and carried our phones to the gates anyway. To our relief, the security didn't give a second look at our phones. So the answer to that question is a Yes.


 What You are Not Allowed to Carry


What we were not allowed to carry with us was water bottles, cameras (as per the rules, it makes no sense though, I know) and any bags. Small bags were allowed with women. They pulled the sticks out of our flags. There were two friskings separated by a long walk to our stand. The queues at the entrances to the stands moved quickly enough. In fact, no where was there any blockage or hold-ups of any sorts. There were okay-ishly long queues but they moved with rapidity. This was due to the fact that entry was granted by a bar code read of your tickets.


 What You Get Inside


Once inside, there was a decent amount of food being sold and the rates were not too bad. Water was free. Burgers, Two Samosas, Two Wada-Pavs each sold at Rs. 50. Dominos pizza was available. Coke, chips, Biryanis and plenty other things were also being sold. You have vendors doing the rounds with all these so you don't need to ever leave your seats.


 The Ground


Now what strikes you first, as you climb the short flight of stairs and the ground first comes into view, is that this ground is very very pretty. The bowl shaped stands, the towering grand-stand on one side, the lush green field drenched in the floodlights, the beautiful Western Ghats in the distance and a glorious red sun setting into it. From our seats in the North-East stand, it was a picture a worth a million.




It's a smallish ground. About 70 meters on all sides. Good for T20 cricket I suppose. Also good for viewing as even from the highest seats you get an excellent view of the action. The pillar-less construction means you don't have any obstructions. The floodlights are built for HD television, so the lighting is bright.

We saw the two squads warm up on the field. The English team certainly looked more athletic and sprightly. They did some sprints, a few sessions on the practice wickets and a bunch of running exercises. The Indians did some exercises lying down, a bit of jogging on the field and some catching practice.



The seats were a mixed-bag. They're comfortable, wide and sturdy. But a little too high from the concrete below them. Most people had their feet hanging and over three hours, that does get a bit difficult. There were some arguments over people being on each other's seats but the atmosphere was friendly and exciting.


 Pee-Pee time, Not a good time


The urinals, as I said before, were woefully inadequate. 5 stalls to service 3000+ people is quite an absurd thought. There was such a rush towards the end that people resorted to peeing on the walls inside the urinals. The women's washrooms were probably cleaner and neater because they were empty. My guess is there were not more than 300 women in that stand.


 The Match


The match was a good one. I guess that was because we won. But also because it was quite entertaining. Alex Hales ran away to a fifty before I could upload a picture on Facebook. Now my GPRS connectivity was weak. But at a strike-rate of 160, which is the highest for an English batsman against India for 50+ scores, it was a great knock. Along with Luke Wright, they were at 81/1 after 9 overs, looking set for a 175+ score. Then came Dhoni's 7th bowling change, the man with the golden arm, the pie-chucker (who also eats a fair share of those pies, judging by his size) Yuvraj Singh. Quite nonchalantly he bowled 4 overs for 19 runs and picked three wickets. Suddenly, the innings went from top gear to hand-brake. England added 68 runs in the last 10 overs. Final score - 157/6.

As I discussed with the turbaned Englishman behind me in the long queue at the urinals, 157 is the kind of score which makes it difficult to call a match. It only takes a spell of 8-10 good balls to change the course of the innings. It happened in the first one, a Yuvraj over was the spell that did it. It could very well happen in the second.

For a brief moment in the Indian innings, it looked as though that might happen. In the 5th over, Bresnan got both Rahane and Gambhir to hole out. The Indian run-rate went from 10+ to about 7.5 in two overs. But once again, Yuvraj was there to set things right. 18 runs of a Danny Briggs over restored the balance towards India. By the time he holed out in the 10th over, the asking rate was just over 6. With Raina, Dhoni and Jadeja still to bat, that wasn't going to be much of a challenge. India cantered home with 13 balls to spare.



The Experience


Brilliant. On a scale from 0-10, I would rate it 8.5. I have been to matches in the Wankhede and I have been to the MCG. The Wankhede barely offers you space to swing an arm. The MCG intimidates you with its sheer size. The Pune stadium does the role of a comfortable stadium for a small city with style.



The tickets for the this match were expensive. Our stands, which happened to lie in the deep mid-wicket/third-man/cover/fine-leg region, depending on the batsman's dominant hand and the end he was on, were priced at Rs. 2000 per ticket. All other expenses included, this trip cost us each about Rs. 2500. I guess there will be more cheaper tickets for the IPL matches which would certainly drive the expenses down significantly.


So when the IPL comes along in a few months time, do go for a match.
It makes for a very good weekend activity.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

How to have fun in Goa for less than Rs. 200

If there is one thing you do not want to do as a college kid then it must be spending money, atleast too much of it. It hurts to take out those little blue and green things with a smiling picture of the father of our nation. Having your college located in a touristy place makes this act all the more painful.

But we are in college. And we need to have fun.
And the most fun you can have while not wondering about your financials has to be a trip to the Dudhsagar waterfalls.

I have been there twice. Each time, we spent less than two blue Mohandas Gandhis.

The 10 kilometer trek does two things.

1. It drains the energy out of you and makes you feel parts of your feet you never realized existed.
2. It draws you towards the pool below the falls like a child to an ice-cream truck.

The Water:

The Pool - it makes you wonder
Such is the appeal of the cold waters of the pool, that you lose all your inhibitions, don't give a thought about the shape of your body, the bits of flab hanging about, and strip down to your lowest level of comfort to get into it.
As you dip your toe into the chilly water, you feel a shiver up your spine. Your feet, still aching from the walk, tingles. As you lower yourself into the pool and find yourself a rock to stand upon, you let out a groan of relief. The buoyancy feels great.
Then, as you go further in, your testicles freeze. For a brief moment, time is suspended and you stand there, half inside, letting the chilly water swamp you. Then the moment passes and you get comfortable.
Now, you take deep breaths and go further into the pool - inch by inch - feeling daggers tear into your skin - by this time realizing that 007's fight in those icy waters in Skyfall would have been impossible.
Finally you are neck-deep in the water. You float lightly, your toes propping your head just above the surface.
To complete the occasion, you take a deep breath and submerge yourself. You come out feeling fresher and your thoughts seem clearer than before. Suddenly, all the tiredness and pain are gone.

The Trek:

The Trail - Gets rockier and steeper as you approach the fall
The trek itself is a lot of fun. The only not too good part of the trek is the fact that the trail is also the route taken by the Jeeps. There are small stretches where you have to stand on the very edge of the trail, over a considerable drop behind you, to let the huge vehicles pass. They are noisy, raise a lot of dust and are full of tourists taking pics of almost everything, including the trekkers. Fortunately, they are just punctuation in an otherwise epic and rewarding journey. And as a plus point, they are often full of very good looking (read hot) Russian females. :D

The route goes right through the thick forest. The trees around the track provide a comfortable shade which makes the walking easier in the climate of Goa. The sounds of the forest are very pleasant. Birds chirping, leaves cracking underneath your feet, the slight breeze stirring the leaves and occasionally, something slithering behind the thick bushes.
The views from the trail are captivating

Then there are the small streams which you cannot avoid getting wet in. Varying from ankle to knee deep, when you come along one towards the latter part of the trek you welcome the cold waters. The pebbles and small stones massage your feet too, making the next few hundred meters easier to walk.

The Food:

Our Lunch Spot
More specifically lunch, which was a modest affair. But the long walk whets your appetite to the point of gluttony. So even the simple meal we had carried with us - two large loaves of bread, a bottle of jam, a jar of cheese spread and a pouch of ketchup - was done in a matter of minutes. We pampered ourselves with paper plates and disposable spoons and set about to make the tastiest lunch ever. We lavished the sweet and citrusy jam and the creamy cheese on the bread. I even mixed up the two. It was brilliant. We happily munched on it, while enjoying the music of the waterfall and the view of the pool and those aforementioned Russians in it. :D

The Return Journey:

The return trek is the toughest part of the day. Obviously, after having walked so much and having had such a great dip in the pool and having eaten one of the best meals of your life, you don't want to ever leave the place. But you are on a deadline. So you haul yourself and tear your eyes away from the falls and start trotting back. This time, the pain kicks in faster and you realize about 15 minutes into the journey that the next 9 kilometers are going to be your toughest.

As always, on the return journey, we take a detour, about one-third into the way, onto the railway tracks. Oh wait, I forgot to mention this. The tracks go right above the fall. It's another exciting thing to watch, a train chug by way above over the falls. So yes, we get on to the track. Now, the tracks are a tougher thing to walk on. Firstly, the adjacent sleepers are placed too close to each other while the alternate ones are too far to pace yourself. Secondly, the sides of the tracks are filled with stones for. Walking on them is no easy task either. But the track route is about 500 meters shorter than the trail. And since we are on a deadline, we decide to take it. Besides, it's fun to walk beside a train. You suddenly admire an engine's immense power and see a kind of beauty in its simplicity.

The first time, we had a good vendor show us a shortcut to a point where we can join the tracks, saving us atleast 20 minutes. This time, we had no such luck and when we got to the tracks we were pretty much in a fix. We had to walk the fastest 7000 meters of our lives on this terrain to catch our train from the next station.

Or we could flag down a train and board it to the next stop.
Which was what happened. Well, atleast four of managed to do so.

Our ride back - read on for the story behind it.
A goods train pulled by and stopped at the signal we were waiting under. Eight young guys with backpacks, looking ragged and slightly unruly, politely asked the driver of the train if they could board it. I'm not too surprised that he said no. So we stood aside and let the train go, literally 1 feet away from our noses, and as the rear guard cabin pulled up, we once again asked the guard. He said yes, but only to two of us. But another guy, already on board, also hitching a ride in the back told us to board anyway. About this time, the train gained speed again. Two of us ran and caught it. The guard seemed perturbed. But the stranger pulled those two on. By the time we realized that we can catch it, we were nearly 100 meters behind. Two more of us ran. And did catch it. As I held on to the handle, feeling it pull away from me, I put my faith in my legs and jumped. And managed to slip my foot into the step. The stranger held out a hand and pulled me over.
We sat there on the floor, watching the forest rush by, feeling the wind and marveling at what we had just done. We thanked the stranger and got off at the station twenty minutes later.

On the train we learnt, by overhearing his conversations, that the stranger was a poacher returning from a kill.

Eventually, the rest of the guys made it back just in time to catch the train back to Vasco.


Not many people trek to the place. Both times, we were the only ones doing it. But I'd say you should do it atleast once. At the end of the day, you will be exhausted. Especially if you are a bunch of lazy, unfit engineers like we are. When you get back, you hit your bed hard and sleep one of the soundest sleeps of your life. The next day your body hurts - your shoulders feel rusty and your feet seem heavy. But you feel happy. You have loads of pictures to see, relive and share. And the best part, you have a story to tell to everyone.

The rail bridge - The falls can be seen from any south bound train from Madgaon.
The falls become visible only towards the very end of the trail.
It is a thing of beauty.

The Expenses:

As promised, this trip is low on investment and high on returns. A measly Rs. 20 is the cost of the train tickets. Tickets to the fall cost Rs. 20 per person. Camera tickets extra. Carry rations like we did. It's the best thing to do. What we had was for a grand total of Rs. 300, split 8 ways. Add to it one or two bottles of coke or water (Rs. 50 for two cokes) purchased before the trek and the cost of the dinner (Rs. 60 per person) we had back in Vasco (at Kashi Dairy - cheap food, good food, fast service and loads of butter on and in everything, perfect way to end the day) made it probably the most rewarding experience we have ever had Goa.

For a total of Rs. 190 per person. Talk about inexpensive now.

How to get there:

The Vasco-Kulem passenger train, which leaves from Vasco at 7:30 in the morning and leaves back from Kulem at 5:15 in the evening is the beast way to get there. The ticket costs Rs. 10 one-way, and the route from Vasco to Madgaon is very scenic, over the beaches of Majorda and Cansaulim. And on holidays, it is not at all crowded. The 10 kilometer trail begins a short way from Kulem station. The locals will tell you that the trail is closed to walkers. Ignore them. Jeeps are available at the beginning of the trail. We never bothered to enquire the rates.

Dudhsagar is best visited from about October to May. The falls are dangerous and travel is a strict no during the monsoon season. The pool has whirlpools sometimes and it is dangerous to go too deep into it, even if you are a good swimmer. Wear a pair of sturdy and comfortable shoes, with a good grip, that doesn't bite you even the slightest. You might want to remove and carry them across the streams to prevent them from getting wet. Or you can simply walk across wearing them and not mind your feet squirming and squishing inside. The trek can also be done in floaters if you are comfortable walking over uneven surfaces in them.

Friday, November 16, 2012

A Small Donation

I donated Rs. 100 to Wikipedia.

This time there is no personal appeal from its founder, Jimmy Wales. Nor can you see the face of one of the several authors or editors peering down from the top of your browser window. This time the message is directly stated in bold letters across a green banner at the top.

"Wikipedia is non-profit, but it's the #5 website in the world. With 450 million monthly users, we have costs like any top site: servers, power, rent, programs, staff and legal help.
To protect our independence, we'll never run ads. We take no government funds. We run on donations: 100 rupees is the most common, the world average is about 1500 rupees.
If everyone reading this gave 100 rupees, our fundraiser would be done within an hour. Please help us forget fundraising and get back to Wikipedia."

I certainly would have donated more, if I could have.
Amongst some other things, Wikipedia has probably had one of the greatest impact on mankind.
It has become the go to source for billions of information seekers world-wide on any topic under, on and above the sun. And we all use it, several times a day. To gather facts, to get the news, to see the pictures, to know history, to settle arguments and to learn something new.

The concept of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", one of the integral parts of Hindu philosophy, suggests that the whole world is a family. You would imagine in a family that one seeks the wisdom of the elders. Not unlike that, on earth today, we seek Wikipedia for knowledge. It gives a new meaning to the words, "pass on your teachings". And the people who write and read Wikipedia  and edit it for accuracy, who are essentially millions of people across the world, are the ones that truly make it a global family.

My donation is disproportionate to my usage of the site. But I feel proud and happy to have contributed in a small way to one of the most wonderful inventions of mankind.


Friday, May 25, 2012

Rafa's Smurf Issues


Straight out of the Smurf's play-pen

Missing the 'Super' are the Kings


The victorious Chennai team after IPL-3
After their clinical demolition of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final of IPL4, Ravichandran Ashwin of the Chennai Super Kings said that they have always strived to be the Manchester United of IPL.
There is certainly basis in his claim. Despite the stellar proportions that arise when you compare the history of the two leagues, both Chennai and the red side of Manchester have been one of the most successful and reliable teams in their respective leagues. In the four editions of the IPL gone by, Chennai have never failed to reach the semi-final/play-off stage. And everyone knows everything about Manchester. And while it is true that some of Chennai’s campaigns have been roller-coaster enough to send Doug Bollinger back into hair treatment, they have always been a tough squad to beat.
And they, like Manchester, are one of the sides which (to put it like Laxman Sivaramakrishnan) always give some of the best “Citi Moments of Success”. From Dhoni’s uppercut to his mandible after a fierce onslaught against Punjab to lead them to the semis, to Ashwin’s “Gayle of the first ball” in the final last year, they have the right to claim IPL as “namma territory”.
But this season, the squad looks far from the side that went undefeated at home last season. Sure Faf du Plessis is in stellar form and is regularly anchoring the innings from the top, but the rest of the batting line-up looks surprisingly shaky. Their bowling attack looks venom-less and friendly. There is almost no one in it who can surely be relied on.
A part of this lack-luster squad is due to unavailability of Mike Hussey and Ben Hilfenhaus, both on duty for Australia in the Caribbean. And the other major blow to them was the loss of their stalwart, Muttiah Muralitharan. Much has been said about Chennai’s success revolving around their retention of their core squad and the loss of Murali reflects that squarely.
The third reason would probably be the loss of the Midas-touch of their captain, M.S. Dhoni.
MSD needs to find his "instincts" again
MSD’s spidey-sense, his inner-eye, his seer like instincts seems to have suddenly vanished after the last IPL. Suddenly he is being subject to criticism from all quarters for his uninspired field placements, his irresponsible batting and for poor management of his players. While the tour to England was an understandable fiasco, the trip Down Under was not supposed to be what it turned out to be. Even the most die-hard Indian fan found no words to explain what he was seeing and much blame was directed squarely on the erstwhile Charmed Captain. And given that the Chennai team is built pretty much around their captain, this does not suit well with the men behind the team.
This season is far more open than the previous editions. Even though we are less than half-way in, there is no clearly strong team (there seems to be one clearly weak team though). Every team has had good displays in all departments but the consistency is lacking – which makes for interesting scenarios but is a poor advertisement for the IPL.
Manchester United is on course for another Premier League crown this season after spending most of it behind their rivals Manchester City. It remains to be seen if Ravichandran Ashwin’s claim will be justified.

Monday, March 26, 2012

NASCAR or Formula One – That is the Question!

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea if this is even a big debate or not. But if the blokes of Top Gear, from a recent episode, are to be believed, then this is certainly worth a good tempered discussion.

It does have all the elements that should contribute to a good debate. The common man versus the upper class, American vs European (mostly) or even rugged vs sophisticated. This is NASCAR vs Formula One.

F1 at Silverstone/NASCAR at Daytona
(Click to Enlarge)
NASCAR is one the most popular forms of "Stock Car" racing. This means all the cars you see there are production cars which have been customized for racing. But the customization isn't rocket-technology. Most cars are devoid of much technology and the influence of computers. There is a roll cage for safety, a spoiler and a bumper for some down-force and two strips of metal on the roof to induce drag in the event of a roll-over. It's man with machine in it's most primal form.

Formula One on the other hand is racing with cars made for racing and racing only. They are closer to a Eurofighter jet on technology and aerodynamics than to what we would generally call a car. Everything from fuel consumption rates to tyre pressures are sensed and monitored via computers. Even the steering wheel would seem as if out of a NASA laboratory. It's a display of extreme engineering for sport.

So now that we know the cars, what is it that these cars are capable of doing?

Your average Formula One car will give you a top speed of around 370 kmph. It goes from 0 - 100 kmph in 2.2 seconds. The top speed of a NASCAR vehicle is about 360 kmph and 0 - 100 in about 2.6 seconds (according to some sources but this is not a commonly available figure as NASCAR car's don't generally stop.)

A NASCAR race is fairly straight forward. 500 miles of gasoline powered action on an oval track which is about 2.5 miles long. So that translates into 200 laps of going round and round. Now while that might sound boring, this is how the entertainment is supplied. Firstly, there are around 40 cars in a race. Secondly, no braking and crazy speeds mean racing is literally bumper to bumper. Collisions and crashes are fairly mainstream. And thirdly, the races are more unpredictable than the performances of Chelsea FC.

A Formula One race on the other hand is far more complicated. The circuits firstly have turns in both directions. So the drivers need to actually do several practice sessions just to commit the track to their memory. Next, there are several strategies to decide upon. What tyre to start with, how much fuel to begin with, should we have a lighter car and take an extra pit stop and what not. Finally, all this boils down to which driver can make the best use of what he has been provided with to produce the best result.

So what do all these point at?

You get to see "all" the action in NASCAR. The circuit being oval, you can see each point on it from wherever you are on the stands. Further, the event itself is far more interactive with its fans, who have a chance to get a ride on these cars. In fact, NASCAR is one of the largest spectator sports in the US.
In comparison, given the nature of the track, you get to see action only once in about every minute in a Formula One race. You need television coverage to see the race from all the points. And unless you have seats in a stand with pit lane visibility, you aren't going to get much variety in your entertainment either. Also, unlike NASCAR, there no way apart from TV coverage that you can keep track of who is at which position even though the grid hardly goes through much turmoil during a race.

But Formula One races are global. They have fans and audience across several countries and the races are broadcast to almost every nation in the world. NASCAR is by it's very essence, an American pursuit. And finally (and this I think is one of the strongest points in favor of Formula One), an F1 car is, absolutely unanimously, SEXY. It's curvy and sleek and has a sweeter sound to it than any other machine in the world.

NASCAR is more spectator friendly. You will certainly get more entertainment here than in a Formula One race. But the introduction of DRS and KERS technologies have seen a rise in the number of over-takings than ever making Formula One much more friendlier to watch than before.

If unpredictability and the sound of metal on metal is your preference, then NASCAR is where you should be headed. If you are a person of sophisticated qualities with an eye for the finest, then Formula One it is for you, but only on TV.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Greatest Ever


When we think of champions of tennis we are likely to think about Perry, Budge, Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Sampras, Federer and Nadal in the men’s game and Goolagong-Cawley, Billie Jean King, Graf, Navratilova and the Williams sisters in the women’s game. Those who have a keen interest in the game might even think about someone like Pancho Gonzales.
But chances are that most won’t think, even if they are aware, of Esther Vergeer.
Esther Vergeer serves at the 2011 Australian Open
For those who are not aware, here is her fact file:
20 Grand Slam singles titles – 9 Australian, 5 French and 6 US.
20 Grand Slam doubles titles – 7 Australian, 4 French, 3 Wimbledon and 6 US.
14 consecutive year end championships, 1998 – 2011.
World No. 1 since April 1999.
And she is on a 444 match winning streak.
Esther Vergeer has become the most dominant athlete on the planet at her chosen sport – Wheelchair tennis.
After a surgical mishap that left her without the services of her feet, Esther Vergeer was introduced to sports as a part of The Netherlands rehabilitation schemes for the paraplegic. She received coaching in volleyball, basketball and tennis. She became a professional basketball player, even representing her country in the European championships, before switching to full time tennis in 1998. The results were immediate – she won her first major and her first year end title in that year itself. By early 1999 she reached the World No. 1 spot; a spot which she hasn’t left since then.
Her dominance in the sport is overwhelming. In her 20 grand-slam wins, she has won 5 finals in a double-bagel, some of them against former World No. 1 players. Her overall record in singles in 666 wins against 25 losses. She has only lost one match since 2001 and the only reason she hasn’t won a major since 2002 is because she was either absent, or the event was not held.
The sports-persons community has certainly acknowledged her.  She has won the prestigious Laureus Awards, twice and every year since 2000, the International Tennis Federation has honoured her as their World Champion.
Credit also goes to the Dutch rehabilitation program. One look at some of the top athletes across various sports for the disabled, or just tennis for that matter, is sufficient to observe that many are from the Netherlands – this isn’t a coincidence. The program is specifically designed to rehabilitate those who developed a disability due to an accident into sports. The scheme provides specialized training, equipment, physiotherapy and most importantly, the motivation needed for someone who recently lost the services of a part of their body. An accident of the sort that happened with Esther could have easily shattered anyone, let alone an eight year old child. This scheme does the wonderful job of motivating via sports, something every country should draw inspiration from.
Esther Vergeer said during the 2012 Australian Open (which she won of course, double-bagel) that she always thinks her streak of 444 match wins will come to an end soon. Whether it remains intact or not, she is undoubtedly on of the greatest athlete of all times.

The Battle of Tasmania


This one was actually written in February, during the CB Series in Australia. Was published on Sportskeeda first.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is not often that Lasith ‘Slinga’ Malinga gets taken for 24 runs in an over. Indeed, he is so adept at strangulating the life out of an innings, especially in the shorter form of the game, that most sides adopt the tactic of playing him out to avoid damage. Even the mighty Chris Gayle, who is so imperious against every other bowler, looks quite meek in front of Slinga. You must respect him, for your toes sake.
But Slinga is human and is prone to lapses in his performances just like any other fast bowler, albeit much less frequently. And such an instance was yesterday. In the scenic cricket ground in Hobart, Tasmania, Slinga stuttered. He was subsequently dismantled, rearranged and made to look absolutely ridiculous in what was the most dramatic of run chases. It was not a cliff-hanger of a chase, nor was it a roller coaster ride towards a nail-biting result. Such was the intensity of India’s chase that the only question being asked as the inevitable result approached was whether the Lankans, especially Slinga would be able to pick themselves up for the remaining match against Australia, which they need to win to qualify for the finals.
Can I dig a hole here and hide in it?

In some ways, this innings by Virat Kohli was quite similar to the Desert Storm match. When Sachin blew away Sharjah and handed Australia a 101 lesson on how to utterly disrespect a bowling attack, India ended up short in that match. They only managed to qualify on Net Run Rate. The circumstances of this match were similar. After a usual lack-lustre display by the Indian bowlers complete with their trademarked “Get back into Form, My Friend” tactic, which Kumar Sangakkara was very grateful for, and which Dilshan doesn’t really need, Sri Lanka posted 320 for India to chase in 50 overs. They had to do it in 40 to stay in the tri-series.
This is where the difference lies, between the current Indian side and the team of the 90s. Sachin scored 143 out of India’s total of 250, while chasing 276 in 46 overs. Yesterday (Tendulkar was still there!) every batsman was involved. The openers put on 50 in 6 overs, setting up the chase. Then Gambhir and Kohli built on that platform while maintaining the required rate with a combination of good shot making and opportunistic running between the wickets. And finally, the IPL side of Kohli and Raina took over as they went from 215 after the 29th over to the target in the 37th over. Those were 9 overs of systematic belligerence. The highlight of which was the 35th over. Kohli got to his hundred with a couple to deep mid-wicket, and then reached 122 by the end of the over – a flick six, square of the wicket on the leg side, three boundaries past the fine leg fielder and a lofted drive on the off side. And when you have to pull Slinga out of the attack, you know you are in deep trouble.
Virat Kohli has mastered the art of The Chase.
Kolhi and Raina remained unbeaten, adding 120 runs in 55 balls for the 4th wicket. Another point to be observed in this innings was that the Indians never lost two set batsmen very quickly. Even though the Gambhir-Tendulkar partnership lasted only 3 overs, Gambhir had already chugged along to 17.
And this match also in a way reflects the Lankans’ fortunes since the World cup, which also happens to be the post-Murali era. Their batting isn’t a cause for worry but that is only half the match won. They really have no ace bowlers apart from Slinga and if he doesn’t fire, their bowling can be easily domesticated.
As for India, this match does not signify their return to the levels of the Gary Kirsten era. But it could be a turning point. India will never be at ease with its bowling unit overseas, it seems. But Kohli has yet again proven his mettle in the chase. He said in the post-match press conference that they were treating it like two T20 matches, which is a remarkable strategy. All that is missing for him is the same sensibility while batting first and the same intelligence in test cricket. And this applies for them all.
For the time being, Sri Lanka have to gather their wits and put Malinga back together in one piece, as they head to the MCG for their survival in the tournament. India meanwhile, can finally afford some peace. And go shopping!

Federer claims record-equaling title at Indian Wells


Federer wins at Indian Wells
Federer defeated Isner 7-6 6-3
Roger Federer claimed a record equalling 19th Masters Title after defeating American John Isner in straight sets 7-6 6-3, in the final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Rain and wind once again made their presence felt in the proceedings as heavy cross court gusts tinkered with the player’s games. Federer who flourished in similar conditions yesterday against Nadal adjusted well to the conditions and won a majority of his first serve points. Isner too managed to tackle the wind and backed up his serves with good ground-strokes to keep the match on serve.
Play was halted at 3-2 in the first set due to rain. When it eventually resumed the sun was shining and the conditions started to improve.
Isner was the first to gain break points but failed to convert all three of them. Federer’s first break point of the match was also his first set-point, but Isner pulled out a rocket serve to force a tie-breaker.
Having played two exceptional tie-breakers against Djokovic a day before, the second of which included hitting seven consecutive first serves, Isner had a tremendous chance to claim the set. He claimed the first mini-break too, but gifted it away immediately and handed the break to Federer. Federer double-faulted at 5-4 to bring things back on level and had another set point at 6-5 on Isner’s serve. But a shanked attempt at a passing shot by Federer, which Isner left, only to see it land on the baseline, gave Federer his fourth set point. He claimed the first set 7-6 (9-7) with an unreturned first serve.
In the second set, both players started serving well but Federer was clearly at greater ease with the situation than his opponent. After six quick service games in 18 minutes, Federer made the initiative and created a couple of fantastic passing shots to break Isner to 15. He remained solid on his service game, dropping only one point in four games, while claiming another break to clinch the set and the match in 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Isner’s magnificent run this week will see him rise to the top 10 for the first time and certainly earn him more respect. He made a strong case as a potential top American on tour. For Federer, the win fetched him a hefty $1 Million. But more importantly, it also fetched him his 73rd title, a record equalling 19th title at the Masters and 1000 precious ATP ranking points.
On to Miami!

Roger vs Rafa: The 28th Helping


A typical Federer vs. Nadal match is not unlike an exquisite dish you would expect in a fancy restaurant. That rich and succulent tennis these two serve made of those delicately put together points, a combination of good-old fashioned finesse with bold and conspicuous strength, all topped with a generous dressing of brilliance.
In short, it makes your mouth water.
However, their most recent offering was closer to street food than to fine dining – tangy and unpredictable, yet brilliant and enjoyable.
After close to four hours of delay due to rain in the Californian desert of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the venue for the 28th instalment of this contest, when the match finally got under way, it was under very tricky conditions – gusty winds and a chilly temperature of around 12° Celsius. And generally, variable conditions are something Nadal enjoys more than Federer. This is illustrated by both Nadal’s success in rain affected matches and Federer’s in indoors.
The start was a déjà vu from their last match in the Australian Open. Federer racing to a 3-0 lead and Nadal catching up to make it 3-3. But even in these opening rallies it was evident that something in the Rafa machinery was not functioning properly. Federer on the other hand, seem unperturbed by the conditions. Serving with a first-serve percentage higher than in the rest of the tournament, he was able to blaze away winner after winner with ease. In the next three games in which Federer won 15 out of 20 points, including a chaseable drop shot at set-point, to clinch the set 6-3.
Having passed through one déjà vu, many Federer fans might have been fearing another one in the second set, given what happened in that match in Australia. But their worries were short lived. Federer carried his first-set form into the second and Nadal carried his woes. A terrible sounding forehand and a moan of a serve, both of which barely reached the net gave Federer an opportunity to go up two breaks of serve, surely enough to settle the match for good. Nadal held on in that game from 15-40 down, but was broken the next time he had to serve, giving Federer his first chance to serve for the match.
But if there ever was a match in which Rafa did not put up a resistance then you are making things up. With what was, surprisingly, only his 2nd, 3rd and 4th forehand winners of the match, Nadal broke Federer and completed his hold to ask Federer to serve again for the match. Once more he went ahead to a 15-30 lead before the drama turned all the way up.
After bringing the scores to 30-30, the crowd witnessed one of the best rallies of the match, in which control switched almost after every two or three shots. Eventually a net-corded back hand set the ball for Nadal to play a cross-court backhand which pulled Federer wide on his forehand setting up a short ball for Nadal to dispatch cross court for a clean winner. Only, it struck the net cord and stayed on his side. It started to rain and play gets halted at Match Point. Both players were asked to sit while the chair-umpire examined the court for signs of slipperiness. After a few minutes of mopping the lines, during which the players and the crowd were twitching and buzzing loudly, play resumed. And in one swift motion, Federer fired his 6th ace of the match to clinch victory in 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Back in the final for the first time since his third title here in 2006, Federer will face-off against John Isner. The tall American shocked the entire tennis world by defeating World No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic. Already assured of a top 10 place, victory in the final will make him the top ranked American, surpassing Mardy Fish. Having defeated Federer earlier this year in a Davis Cup tie, his odds are certainly good as he looks to stop the Swiss from claiming a record-equalling 19 masters titles and claiming his first.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

All for a Week


Roger Federer could be aiming for the World No.1 spot as he plays in Rotterdam this week.

Tonight, for the first time since 2005, Federer will be playing at the ABN AMRO  World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. Is this a tactic to help him reclaim the World No.1 ranking? Federer’s relationship with that coveted top ranking has seen some roller-coaster times the last few years.
2009 was an incredibly dramatic year for Roger. There was the emotional breakdown in Melbourne, the dream run in Paris, the suspense in London and the astonishing anti-climax in New York. By the end of the year, he had won the Career Slam. He had won the most Grand Slams in the history of the sport. He had become the greatest of all time. And crucially, he was back as World No. 1, inching ever closer to Pete Sampras’s record of 286 weeks atop the ATP rankings. Federer had the right to claim 2009 as one of the best tennis seasons ever.
However, Federer’s not-so-glorious run in 2010 threatened to derail his mission to break Sampras’s record of most weeks as No.1. A string of patchy performances meant that half-way into the second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open, Federer had to necessarily win his quarter-final match to go ahead of Sampras.
Of course, that was famously not to be. Rafael Nadal won the French Open and reclaimed the No. 1 spot and left Federer agonizingly short of the record. Having spent 285 weeks at the top, Roger must have surely felt the pinch of being stopped just one week short of the record.
Then in 2011, Novak Djokovic gave the word ‘dominance’ a whole new meaning, and for the first time since he began playing at the top, he started consistently defeating both Roger and Rafa. By the end of the year, tennis had a new World No. 1.
So now in 2012, though by no means done and dusted, Federer finds himself more than 5000 points behind Djokovic. He is still No. 3 in the world, with Nadal being the other player ahead of him. With age not being on his side and the top two being so highly consistent and dominating, all the factors are against him making another run for the top. But Federer does want to get back to No. 1. And he seems to have discovered a way to narrow the gap.
At the ATP-500 level tournament in Rotterdam, his toughest opponents will probably be Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro. Which means Federer has an excellent chance of winning the tournament and eating a bit into the lead that the top two have over him. This is, seemingly, a pretty good tactic. Federer’s effortless style allows him to play plenty of matches and tournaments without subjecting his body to much stress. In contrast, the two players ranked above him put in so much hard work into each match they play that having more tournaments on their schedule would be almost kamikaze.
Although a few extra tournaments probably won’t be sufficient to close the huge gap between Federer and Djokovic-Nadal (at best, he can accumulate around 1500 points through these small tournaments), it is certainly the best way forward. If he can combine a good run here with some victories in the Masters 1000 tournaments or the Slams, then could come within snapping distance of Djokovic and Nadal. Of course, for that to happen, what will also have to necessarily happen is for one of these two let up at some point in the season. Djokovic has a monumental 8800 points to defend for the rest of the season, while Nadal has around 5500 points to guard, so a tiny slip-up from either could push them back quite a bit.
In all of his interviews, Federer has made it apparent that he is still hungry for achievement. He is determined to get to the top. With the Olympics, which are being held on his favorite hunting ground (Wimbledon) also on his schedule, 2012 could well end up being Roger Federer’s year. And if that does happen, he will almost certainly have conquered that one last week in his bid to overtake Sampras.
As I said before, don’t miss this year for the world!