Cricketers I liked Watching

This includes some that I could not watch, because TV had not come in. I don't really watch it now, so many would be older guys..

Prasanna and his off-spin. I was fascinated by his bowling, perhaps because I tried it without much success.

Eknath Solkar and his amazing catches that won several matches. I have seen some photographs where he was almost horizontal.

Kapil Dev, for his positive body language, and rhythm in bowling.

Jayasuriya, for his fearless batting. He turned many matches around.

Ranatunga for his captaincy. They beat Australia to win the World Cup under him.

Wadekar, for his captaincy.

West Indies fast bowlers for their fearsome stuff- there were many like Holder, Roberts, Garner, Holding, Marshall..they won all the Test series for around 15 years.

Jonty Rhodes for his fielding.

Azhar, and Laxman for their batting with smooth, silky strokes.

Dhoni for his captaincy.

Returns and Ink on Your Face

All the current events have me in a tizzy.

In this era of ball point pens, where do you find ink to blacken faces with? Is it a ploy of the ink manufacturers to increase their sales?

With respect for authors returning their hard-won awards, you can only return it once. Where does that leave you once the next earth-shaking event happens?

Putin bombs the hell out of some terrorists who have been ruling some parts of the world. Is he trying to showcase what hell looks like?

Is the Bihar election worth winning? I mean, can anyone actually govern it even if he wins?

Where are Radhe Maa, Indrani, and all other attention grabbers of last week? Can we bring them back?

Will he, won't he? This is not about Salman Khan's marriage. But about Dhoni resigning from the team, and becoming a commentator.

Approaches to Life- Learning from Cricket

I used to play cricket in school. Until a few years ago, I was also a regular cricket-watcher. Now, I am an occasional watcher, mostly an hour of any match which interests me in one day is enough. But it can certainly teach you a lot about life and how to approach it.
For ease of understanding, I have tried equating different approaches with current cricketers. I am quite sure equivalents can be found among past cricketers too.

The Sehwag Approach: In old cricketing lingo, this is called the hit out or get out approach. It is good if it works, and enjoyable for the spectators-not always for the player. A carefree attitude, and living in the present moment are the hallmarks.

The Dravid Approach: Somewhat stodgy, appears boring at times, but it works. A person who slogs it out, unmindful of criticism, knowing that the team's goals are paramount. In life, a guy who slogs it out for the family may be an equivalent.

The Laxman Approach: A sort of via-media between the two approaches above. There is a tendency to play your shots, and also a high chance of bringing them off, unlike the Sehwag approach. Finnesse, rather than brawn, achieves the objective in this case. A balance between team's requirements and personal freedom, and also a willingness to never say die. For me, one of the greatest innings ever was the Eden Gardens double century against Australia played by Laxman. What a spirit!To paraphrase an old cigarette ad, 'Smoothness was never so satisfying'.

The Dhoni Approach: This has more to do with leading others, motivating others, giving space to others, and not trying to bask in the glory of everyone else's achievements. We all see around us people who can advice when needed, withdraw when not needed, and give others the credit whenever they can.

The Srisanth Appproach: This could be described as "Apne Pairon Pe Kulhadi" which negates the inherent talent that one has, by sheer lack of focus and application. Vinod Kambli would be an earlier example.