IPL 2009 - FINALS

HELLO,

LAST YEAR WHEN RAJASTHAN ROYALS WON THE IPL2008, SHANE WARNE WAS SAID TO BE THE BEST CAPTAIN THAT AUSTRALIA DID NOT HAVE.
THIS WAS POSSIBLY CORRECT AS HE HAD A CONSISTENT WIN RECORD. HE WAS NO DOUBT SUPPORTED BY THREE FABULOUS PLAYERS - SHANE WATSON, SOHAIL TANVEER AND YOUSUF PATHAN. THIS YEAR HE DID NOT HAVE THEM BUT HE WAS ABLE TO GENERATE EXCITEMENT AND HOPE TILL THE VERY END. HIS ABILITY TO BRING ORDINARY PLAYERS TO PERFORM AT 200% OF THEIR ABILITY AND A NEVER SAY DIE ATTITUDE DOES MAKE HIM THE APT CANDIDATE FOR THE TITLE 'THE BEST CAPTAIN A COUNTRY NEVER HAD'.
HE IS A COLOURFUL CHARACTER AND HAS LIVED LIFE ON THE HEADLINES.
ANOTHER CANDIDATE WHO HAS ALWAYS LIVED IN THE SIDELINES BUT HAS PROVED THAT HE IS ANOTHER CANDIDATE FOR THE TITLE IS ANIL KUMBLE. WITH SEVEN WINS OUT OF NINE MATCHES HE HAS SHOWN EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FACT THAT IN IPL2008 THEY WERE AT TH BOTTOM OF THE LADDER AND IN IPL 2009, BEFORE HE TOOK OVER, THEY WERE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, HIS LEADERSHIP IS WORTH PRAISE.
ADAM GILCRIST IS AOTHER PLAYER WHO WILL VIE WITH THEM FOR THE TITLE. AFTER ALL FROM NO8 IN 2008, HE HAS BROUGHT THE TEAM TO THE FINAL IPL 2009 ON THE STRENGTH OF HIS OWN PERFORMANCE. HE IS TRUELY A LEADER WHO LEADS BY EXAMPLE.
ONE PERSON WHO SAW HIS HALO SLIP A BIT IS MS DHONI. HE LOST A FEW MATCHES ANDTOOK SOME DECISIONS WHICH CHANGED THE COURSE OF MATCHES AGAINST HIS TEAM. THREE CAPTAINS WHO PROVED THAT THEY CAN NEVER BE GOOD AS CAPTAINS ARE SACHIN TENDULKAR, YUVRAJ SINGH AND VIRENDRA SEHWAG.
TOMORROW WE HAVE THE FINALS AND RP SINGH, ANDREW SYMONDS, GIBBS, OJHA AND ADAM GILCHRIST HOLD THE KEY FOR DC WHILE ANIL KUMBLE, RAHUL DRAVID, KALLIS AND ROSS TAYLOR ARE THE KEY PLAYERS FOR RC.
NOW THAT MY TEAM RR IS NOT IN THE FINALS, MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN.
BEST WISHES TO BOTH TEAMS,
MANOJ

Van Gogh - The Genius

Hello,
Earlier I wrote that I was attacked by a sense of madness every ten days and waited for the inspiration to hit me. Then on the eleventh day realized how normal I was. I thought I could never
be as insane as Van Gogh.
Disappointed I did a little more research on Van Gogh and lo behold! What do I find - he was normal till very late in life.
I do have a chance then is it not?
Thanks to wikipedia I am hopeful once again.
Regards,
Manoj

LEFT EARLY FROM OFFICE - LEARNT SOMETHING

Hi,
For the first time in three years we had a major power outage at office today. Work cam to a standstill. With everything on computers we could do nothing but sit around waiting for power to come back.
Finally, one hour before the office closure the Chairman sent a message that we could leave. Almost everyone left and I was amongst the first to leave.
So what did I learn - Well I learnt that I no longer like writing on paper with a pen. The computer allows you so many neat corrections while writing and even at a later stage/date, but when you write on paper no such corrections are possible. You cut and scribble on top and on the margins. Later when you try to read what you wrote you dislike the scribbling and miss the neatness of the computer.
I wonder how maybe just five years back I was writing pages without corrections. Has my thinking become complicated?
Best wishes,
Manoj

SECOND INNINGS - REINCARNATION OF MOHAMMAD AZHARUDDIN

HELLO ALL,
YESTERDAY WE SAW THE WIZARD OF THE LEG SIDE - A MICHELANGELO IN THE MIDST OF HOUSEPAINTERS, START HIS SECOND INNINGS ON A DIFFERENT PITCH.
VERY RARELY DO PEOPLE GET ANOTHER CHANCE IN LIFE. SECOND CHANCES ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BASICALLY GOOD. WITH AZHAR MY GUT FEELING THAT HE WAS SUCKED INTO THE MATCH FIXING.
HE CONTINUES TO SHOW RISK TAKING ABILITIES BY PUTTING UP HIS T SHIRT COLLAR ON NATIONAL TELEVISION AND I AM SURE HE IS STILL SUSCEPTIBLE TO QUICK GET RICH SCHEMES.
AZHAR IS THE GUY WHO HIT THREE CENTURIES ON THE TROT (AFTER DEBUT) AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FOURTH IF HE HAD A MORE MATURE PLAYER AT THE NON STRIKERS END AT EDEN GARDENS. I WAS THERE AT THE GROUND THAT DAY AND SAW HIS FACE DROP WHEN HE WAS BERATED BY MOHINDER FOR TRYING TO PLAY AGGRESSIVELY AFTER REACHING HIS FIFTY.
TWO SENTENCES WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE ETCHED IN MIND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AZHAR ARE 'MIYA, CAPTAN BANOGE?' ASKED BY RAJ SINGH DUNGARPUR AND 'MAINE MATCH BANAYA' REPORTEDLY TOLD BY AZHAR AFTER HE WAS ACCUSED ON MATCH FIXING.
A NOTED CRICKET WRITER ONCE SAID, "IT'S NO USE ASKING AN ENGLISHMAN TO BAT LIKE AZHARUDDIN. IT WOULD BE LIKE EXPECTING A GREYHOUND TO WIN THE LONDON DERBY!'
BRAVO AHZAR ON YOUR 100TH TEST MATCH. LET US HOPE YOU HIT CENTURIES IN YOUR SECOND INNINGS AS WELL.
BEST WISHES TO MY HERO OF THE LEGSIDE
MANOJ

Who is Van Gogh

Van Gogh is a genius.
People have used several adjectives for Van Gogh. Most of the times he has been called insane. But just imagine can an insane person create the pictures he did? Did he not show that he had full control over his senses when he drew the beautiful creations sitting on the window of the mental asylum? People say that a person who cuts off his own earlobe can be nothing but insane.
If being insane means able to open up one's mind so be it. If being insane means being able to see what others ignore or do not see, then so be it.
He is one person who came closest to his creator and saw the creations just like him.
By God, he was a genius.
Best regards,
Manoj