m magazine

ISSUE

VOL

MARCH 2011 `100

6 3

THE

G SPOT

Gautam Gambhir on why he almost quit cricket

Exclusive interview and photo-shoot

WORLD CUP CRICKET SPECIAL

+Interview: Bear Grylls’ survival skills Fashion: Summer strokes Tech: Samsung Galaxy Vs Apple iPad Travel: Italy on a Ferrari

FINAL COVER M#46.indd 62

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March 2011 > contributors > mail call > from the editor

[contents]

044 GLUG

Whiskey coctails Departments

018

> THE STYLE OBSERVER 018

So hot right now: Relaxed tailored look, Printed bottoms;The Roster: Tighten your belts; Focus: Bling show; First bite: Dragon on a platter; Cheat that look

> THE HUB 050

Jukebox: Sound Check

052

Flick Show: Best sports films

054

Bookends: New arrivals

> GIZMO STREET 110 112

112

115 116 117

Come to the table(t) Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 Vs Apple iPad Just launched: Reviews of Sony Vaio YB and HP Officejet pro App vault Free applications for your phone, PC and more Tricks & treat How to get push-mail on your phone Browser Bloggers’ Park and Wired Wide Web

> REGULARS 030

M Girl: Fiona Thomas

042

Opening shot: Aditi Rao Hydari and Franz Harary

On the cover

056

India 2020: Cyrus Sahukar

Gautam Gambhir

132

LAST LAUGH: Between lip & cup

Photographs by Ashish Shah Styled by Rakhi Biswas Gautam wears OFFICIAL ICC NAVY BLUE POLO BY REEBOK

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GREEK#47.indd 106

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[fashion]

034

M RECOMMENDS 7 Style mistakes to say no to 130

STOCKISTS

118

MERCURY RISING F t stiff Forget tifffandd stuffy. t ff B Be your swish, i h stylish... t li h and edgy self this summer

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[featu ures]

074 ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP SPECIAL

062

“I was told several times I would be out of the team if I did not perform”



Caught and bowled: At stake: the future of one-dayers



And the world changed forever: 11 mantras that changed cricket



10 for 2011: Fool-proof strategies to win the Cup



Whole in one: Column

by Suresh Menon



The pitch and the toss: Spot-fixing in cricket



Howzatt!!: Updated glossary of cricketing terms

Exclusive interview and photo-shoot with Gautam Gambhir 058

102

AGAINST ALL ODDS

RED HOT

Bear Grylls, host of Discovery Channel’s popular show, Man Vs Wild, on why he always finds himself tethering on the edge, fighting for survival

Andrea Levy invites you to a unique travel experience: criss-cross the Italian countryside and soak in the best of the country’s breathtaking landscapes and architecture while driving another of its icons, the Ferrari cars from his collection

contents#46.indd 4

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Contributors 13 1 3 1

9

1. Aaditya Walia // fashion stylist [Style Observer; page 018] 2. Tanvi Madkaikar // photographer [M Girl / 7 style mistakes to say not to; page 030 / 034]

5

3. Stephen Marshall // Dewar’s global ambassador [High Way; page 044] 4. Bijoy Venugopal // freelance writer / blogger [Sound check / Cricket glossary / Last laugh; page 050 / 100 / 132]

2 10 1 0

14 1 4

5. Sanjiv Nair // freelance writer [Film flicks; page 052] 6. Sudha G. Tilak // freelance writer / blogger [Bookends; page 054]

6

7. Alam Srinivas // senior journalist [Interview: Gautam Gambhir; page 062]

3 11

8. Ashish Shah // photographer [Gutam Gambhir shoot; page 062]

15 7

4

9. Suresh Menon // sports writer [Caught and bowled, and column; page 074 / 094] 10. V.Krishnaswamy // sports writer [And the world changed forever; page 078]

12 1 2

16 1 6

11. Binoo K. John // VP (Content), EC Media International [10 for 2011; page 090] 12. Murali Krishnan // senior journalist [The pitch and the toss; page 096] 13. Ashish Bhatia // tech guru [Come to the table(t) / Just launched; page 110 / 112]

8

14. Nimish Dubey // tech enthusiast [App vault / Tricks and treats; page 115 / 116] 15. Zahid Javali // freelance writer [Blogger’s Park; page 117] 16. Ashish Chawla // photographer [Mercury Rising; page 118]

contributors#46.indd 2

3/1/2011 3:24:21 PM

Mail Call Patrick French gave us an unbiased and panoramic view of India in his interview with Soutik Biswas in your February issue. It is sad that most Indians tend to have biased views and fail to see the real picture. We open our eyes to only that which we want to see, and don’t give much credence to what the mind desires.

French’s expressions were honest and this is where we need to learn. Indeed, we have our good points, just as there are flaws. But what is important is that we look at our flaws as points that we need to improve. Simply hoisting the national flag and bragging that we are true Indians will never help. It takes a lot more from the citizens if our country were to change. It is imperative that we introspect on our weaknesses and thrive on our strengths. To this end, I congratulate French for telling us so poignantly who we are. He may have opened his eyes while looking at India, but, more importantly, he gave us a reason to rediscover ourselves. Self praise is not always welcome and this is why we need foreigners to give us their views. At least, it gives us a chance to discover what we may have missed.

Ravinder Kumar, Pune

What a fabulous issue. It was awesome to see Gul, my absolute favourite, on the cover. Being a keen fashion follower, I enjoyed the Style Observer. But the Gul article was the by-far the best. After a long time, I read a nice, frank and straightfrom-the-heart interview. You should have named it Dil Se. Just a suggestion though. The font size of your magazine is way too small and it strains the eyes.

Also, the women feature – talking on men – is passe. C’mon, a magazine like yours doesn’t need such cheap thrills. Leave it to the rest!

N Shekhar, e-mail

It was an unbiased opinion from 18 beauties about what they hate in men.

But the fact that you decided to print their thoughts also proves that men in our country are open to a platform where they can be stripped to their basic emotions. I wonder why none of the so-called women’s magazines ever give a chance to men to put forward their point of view.

The world believes that women can do no wrong, that it is always the man’s fault. Indeed, it takes courage to open your mind to views from the other side.

This is what makes reading M so fascinating. Truly, life can be a bitch and someone has to be the dog. Males are being bashed around and they are still being very sporty about it. Please keep up the open forum and give the fairer sex every chance possible to unleash their thoughts through you. Without sounding sarcastic, I must say that at least now they must be feeling relieved to have an avenue where their thoughts too are being heard, and appreciated.

Anil Melwani, Pune

FORM IV (see Rule 8) 1. Place of Publication 2. Periodicity of Publication 3. Printer’s Name Whether citizen of India If foreigner, state country of origin Address 4. Publisher’s Name Whether citizen of India If foreigner, state country of origin Address 5. Editor’s Name Whether citizen of India If foreigner, state country of origin Address 6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners and shareholders holding more than one percent of total capital

New Delhi Monthly S.P.Taneja Yes Does not apply S-21, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110020 S.P.Taneja Yes Does not apply S-21, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110020 Amitabh Taneja Yes Does not apply S-21, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110020 Owner.

Images Consumer Media Pvt. Ltd. S-21, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II , New Delhi -110020 Shareholder: Images Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. S-21, Okhla Industrial Area , Phase - II , New Delhi -110020

I, S.P. Taneja, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the Sd/best of my knowledge and belief.

Dated: 1st March, 2011 S.P. Taneja

mail call#46.indd 2

LETTER OF THE MONTH As I go through the February issue of M, I admire your courage in featuring Gul Panag as your cover girl. The Hindi film industry is so crowded that only the truly talented can carve a niche for themselves and survive in the face of stiff competition. I think Gul Panag has earned her place in the industry only because of her sheer talent and never-say-die attitude. Thank you M for a complete coverage: It was a great interview, complimented by some wonderful pictures. I must also congratulate you for having the courage to feature a ‘nonmainstream’ actor on your cover and be different from the clutter. Now I hope more celebrities will come out and express themselves as honestly and openly as Gul did. For me, she even scored over the gorgeous Ushoshi.

Vibhor Goel, Nagpur

The Letter of the Month receives a voucher worth `5000 from John Players John Players, the menswear fashion brand from ITC, offers a complete and vibrant wardrobe of work wear, casual, party, denims and outer wear for today’s fashion conscious youth.

The collection comes in an exciting mix of colors, playful styling and incredible fits. The brand, personified by youth icon - Ranbir Kapoor, is available across the country through a nation-wide network of over 280 exclusive stores and growing 1200 + MBOs & leading large format stores.

We want more mail, please. Bouquets, brickbats, an article/interview you’d like to see featured, a burning topic or two you’d like to comment on: Direct it all to feedback@imagesfashion.com

3/1/2011 3:26:13 PM

/from the editor Equating cricket with religion comes easy to us Indians and you’d hardly find any agnostics in this billion-plus nation when it is about the gentleman’s game. If you are a faithful reader, you’d know that we at M are big sports fans (pull out our June 2010 issue if you wish). No, we are no fanatics. Its just that we are into hyper-hobby mode this month with our Cricket World Cup special. Mind you, it is going to be very loud for the next two months: A perfect storm of sorts that promises to continue into April as well with IPL 4 kicking-off soon after some captain has led his team to the ultimate prize in cricket. Heroes will fall, replaced by their worthy successors; sports euphemisms will as much be part of our character as the detrimental effects of the constant tightrope walk between hope and heartbreak.

We skip the predictable rant against performances, the whys and wherefores... the what ifs in this issue.

Its a boggling exercise and we leave it to the others.

Instead, we celebrate values that shine through in sports: unflappable courage and sportsmanship; stubborn determination and discipline; and above all, single-minded dedication.

Now you know why we have Gautam Gambhir on the cover? Because, without doubt, his is a tale of discipline and application, the very attributes that today embody his batting. If Sachin Tendulkar is the god of cricket for whom nothing is impossible, it is men like Gambhir who offer the much-needed sobriety and clarity, even unflappability, every time he comes out to bat. He may not be your typical pathfinder. But a trailblazer he truly is. An unlikely hero who will be an important cog if India were to turn the wheels of fortune and win a World Cup 28 years after Kapil’s Devils achieved the unthinkable.

And just in case you belong to the miniscule minority of agnostics, we have the regular mix of stories inside that all of you have come to appreciate. We have the best of fashion you can tap in for the looming summer months, the must-avoid style mistakes, whiskey cocktails, gadgets... and yes, travel. The breathtaking Italian countryside through the windows of another of the country’s icons: the Ferrari! Enjoy the issue.

amitabh Taneja

GREY STRIPED SUIT, SHIRT BOTH BY CANALI// TIE BY H20// POCKET SQUARE AND HAT BY TIE RACK LONDON//BLACK SHOES BY CORZETTI Photograph : Ashish Shah

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editor-In-Chief amitabh taneja editorial advisor r s roy

executive Editor bobby john varkey director (planning) anjali sondhi bureau head nivedita jayaram pawar (mumbai) sr. fashion stylist carlton desouza fashion stylist rakhi biswas creatives art director azad mohan sr. photographer vipin kardam Asst. photographer deepak malik photo coordinator kamal kumar publisher s p taneja business development vice president harjot singh luthra assoc. vice president - circulation anil nagar general manager - advertising bindu pillai (mumbai) assoc. vice presidents & regional heads waseem ahmad (mumbai), piyali roy (kolkata) sr. manager - advertising tushar verma (delhi) sr. manager - circulation rp singh (mumbai) managers - advertising nayan shetty (mumbai), anirban sarkar (kolkata) manager - events and promotions deeba mushtaq mir manager - circulation r parthasarathy (bangalore) deputy managers - circulation ranjeet yadav (delhi); operations rajesh kumar (delhi) executive - advertising sneha sinha (bangalore) production general manager manish kadam manager manoj soni services general manager - logistics rajeev mehandru general manager - customer relations hemant wadhawan subscriptions rajesh kumar sr. executive - logistics shambhu nath images consumer media pvt ltd delhi: s-21, okhla industrial area phase II, new delhi - 110 020 t: +91-11-40525000, f: +91-11-40525001, email: info@imagesfashion.com mumbai: 1st oor, bharat tin works compound, off marol military road, opp. borosil glass works, andheri (e), mumbai - 400 059 t: +91-22-42567000, 29200043/46, f: +91-22-42567022 email: waseem@imagesfashion.com bangalore: no. 523, 7th cross, 10th main, (jeevanbhima nagar main road), h.a.l. 3rd stage, bangalore - 560075; t: +91-080-41255172 41750595/96, f: +91-080-41255182 email: info@imagesfashion.com kolkata: 30-b anil roy road, ground oor, kolkata - 700 029 t: + 91- 33-40080480, email: piyali@imagesfashion.com All material printed in this publication is the sole property of Images Consumer Media Pvt. Ltd. All printed matter contained in the magazine is based on information from those featured in it. The views, ideas, comments and opinions expressed are solely of those featured and the Editor and Publisher do not necessarily subscribe to the same.

Printed & Published by SP Taneja on behalf of Images Consumer Media Pvt Ltd; printed at International Print-O-Pac Limited, C/4-11 Phase II, Hosiery Complex, Noida 201301, and published by SP Taneja from S-21, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110020. Editor: Amitabh Taneja In relation to any advertisements appearing in this publication, readers are recommended to make appropriate enquiries before entering into any commitments. Images Consumer Media Pvt. Ltd. does not vouch for any claims made by the advertisers of products and services.

The Printer, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the publication shall not be held for any consequences in the event of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers.

Copyright Images Consumer Media Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited. All disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only. M does not accept responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.

For subscription related queries, email: subscription@imagesfashion.com. Visit us at www.m-magazine.in.

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The Style | informed. in STYLE |

Compiled by Aaditya Walia

BOTTEGA VENETA

SANCHITA AJJAMPUR

SO HOT RIGHT NOW

s light as it can get, zero weight your style with the A finest fabrics of the season such as cotton, fine linen and silk seersucker developed especially to keep it cool when the temperature outside is soaring.

Indulge in a parade of tranquil silky clothes in sailor stripes and see-through fabrics to give yourself a relaxed tailored look.

The trick for a sure-shot winning look? Stimulate your wardrobe with pastel hues and combine them with conventional navy and white. Transform that formal jacket of yours by adding a touch of understated accessories like scarves and leather slippers.

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

CANALI

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3/1/2011 12:11:11 PM

Observer

FASHIONWISE NEWS MARCH 2011

GUCCI

FASHION ETC# 46.indd 19

CHRISTIAN DIOR

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

GAURAV GUPTA

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

3/1/2011 12:13:29 PM

The Style Observer

ETRO

EMPORIO ARMANI

SO HOT RIGHT NOW

he new look for this season? Ditch the distressed, washed denims and say T yes to printed bottoms. The trick is to keep it subtle and get it right. Prints like tye-die, camouage, polka dots make a mark this season. Pair these printed lowers with solid tops to make it work the way you want them to be.

EMPORIO ARMAN

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MARCH 2011

ETRO

CUE

PAUL SMITH

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The Style Observer

PAUL SMITH

CORNELIANI

THE ROSTER

Tighten h your Belts B

ine detailed woven belts give a fresh appeal to the classic day wear outďŹ ts. Brighten up your look by Fadding a dash of colour, stripes, even blocks with canvas belts. Wear the suede ones for the classic denim look and casual leather for a brunch or any such occassion. Take the usual part of the ensemble to be the highlight of the look.

CANALI

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

PAUL & SHARK

GUCCI

DIWAN SAHIB

ETRO

022 | MAR MARCH AR RCH CH 11 1

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MARCH 2011

CHRISTIAN DIOR HOMME

CHOPARD

FOCUS

CANALI

Bling Sh Bli Show

ext time you go out for a do, make sure you sport the right accessories to add that extra class.

N Check out these hot-selling homme accessories. Go minimal with gold and silver stud rings and bracelets.

If you want, you could add those leather bands to the bare wrist to keep it stylish.

PIAGET

CHRISTIAN DIOR HOMME

PIAGET

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The Style Observer The Boss Tees off

op German golfer, Martin Kaymer T is HUGO BOSS’ new ambassador. Ranked third in the world, 26-year-old Kaymer teed-off in BOSS Green to defend his title at the Abu Dhabi Golf championship earlier this year. The brand is also developing a new collection in conjunction with Kaymer: it will bear his name and be available at the HUGO BOSS online stores. “I’m delighted to be with the brand. It is synonymous with excellent quality and fashion innovation. It can also look back on a long golfing tradition,” said Kaymer.

TOP STUFF

For your eyes only F What’s the nub: Limited-edition Ferrari eyewear in memory of the famous triple win in Daytona. It was 40 years ago that the Maranello House introduced the Ferrari 365 GTB4, known as the mythical “Daytona”.

What’s on offer: It is covered with 18 carats of gold, with fine details in real leather on the temples and sides of the lenses. These limited pairs are contained in a brown leather case and placed in an exclusive lacquered wood box, enriched with a commemorative logo of the Ferrari 365 GTB4. The eyewear retails for `10 lakhs.

Walk Free What’s the nub: Nike’s new football shoes, Libretto What’s on offer: Inspired by the Italian word “Libero” (meaning Free), the Libretto is the next evolution of Nike’s CTR360. Its features include a revised control area in the instep that is seamlessly composed of two sections: a soft pad with TPU that adds friction to help reduce the ball’s spin, and a hard rubber that helps with quick, accurate passing; EVA sockliner which is die-cut to provide cushioning and support to help reduce stud pressure; and lightweight TPU outsole with optimised stud placement that provides structural reinforcement and traction for optimal comfort and stability.

Sport a new Look What’s the nub: Van Heusen’s sport-inspired casual wear, Van Heusen Sport. The range adds a dash of fashionable modernity to the iconic 60s Ivy League ‘day chic’ look and blends American sport fashion with Italian aesthetics.

What’s on offer: The line is made up of soft shirts, fineknits, laundered chinos and easy-to-wear semi-lined jackets in washes designed to give you a completely different drape. The range also features fine sporting elements to round-off the sporty look. Impeccably crafted inside out, these garments are designed to look as good as new even after repeated wearing and washes.

Available at exclusive Van Heusen stores, the shirts are priced between `1399 and `1899; trousers between `1499 and `1799, knits between `899 and `1199, and jackets are priced at `2999.

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MARCH 2011

THERE

are plenty of ways to check time. You can glance at your cell phone, your MP3 player or your laptop.

But if you are a watch connoisseur who appreciates the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into creating a high-quality timepiece and believe that watches are not just a functional way to tell time, but also an exciting representation of who you are as an individual, this one is for you. The Watch Bar at Breach Candy, Mumbai, is the place to head to if you insist on being noticed. It’s a watch boutique with a difference (you may have guessed it by the name). Sure they carry class apart brands such as Backes & Strauss, Bvlgari, Cartier, Franck Muller, Girard Perregaux, Graham, Hublot, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Parmigiani and TAG Heuer. But it’s not just the watches that will take your breath away but the setting too of the ‘bar’ is worth a dekho.

WATCH this space

How about sipping on a selection of fine teas, coffees and classic mocktails while you contemplate between a Tag and a Jaeger? The red, black and silver interiors along with the black chandelier, stone table top and plush rug whisper sophistication. Lounge music plays softly in the background as ‘watch tenders’ bring you your selection from the watch windows. It’s all very glamourous and oh so sexy! So if you are in Mumbai, feel free to drop in and explore what they have to offer - you’ll be glad you did. This newest watch stop counts dozens of celebrities and persons of note as clients, and it is not difficult to figure out why.

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The Style Observer

MARCH 2011

FIRST BITE

DRAGON ON A PLATTER

by Nivedita Jayaram Pawar ow this one is a perfect antidote to a torturous work week. If you are in Mumbai and planning N a dinner out with a group of friends, each of them

overwhelming. It’s these details that keep you going back for more. Order the clay pot rice (Rs 189): a heaping plate of grilled fragrant Jasmine rice spiked with vegetables and chances are very good you will go home with dinner (read leftovers). If there’s one dish that I’d go out of my way to try again, it’s the Braised Lamb Hotpot (Rs 399). Cooked in its own juices and then tossed with 5 spice it just melts in the mouth. If you can brace yourself for an onslaught of bold spicing and plenty of fire go for the Sriracha chicken chilli (Rs 349).

with their list of favourites from the menu, head straight to China 1. Tucked away in a non-descript lane off Link Road Andheri, this newest entrant to the city’s restaurant scene has got many things right.

Among them, good cheer and great food.

The setting

The decoration seems to have abruptly stopped at the waiting area which looks attractive with its Oscar-like steel figurines. Inside, white walls decked up with a spray of purple and bamboo shoot décor set the stage for a gathering of friends, a first date or a business lunch. It seems more practical than pretty.

At lunchtime on a Tuesday, China 1 bustles like a Hong Kong market and is packed to capacity. The food comes out faster than you can turn this page.

A multitude of servers and managerial types hurry around with all the importance of a presidential detail. Eavesdropping is easy (almost impossible to avoid, actually, in the closely placed tables).

On to the food

The good cheer flows as freely as the dim sums in cane baskets. No matter how many of these you eat, you still hanker for more. Good on its own, the dumplings blossom with the addition of fresh chilly flakes in honey sauce at the table. But the dish that really ignites the palate is Vietnamese Basa (Rs449).

Steamed with ginger, garlic, lemon juice and soya the stabs of heat and spice are pronounced but not

Facts

G–05, Morya Landmark 1, Plot B-25, Off New Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai 400053 (Landmark: Lane opposite Infinity Mall) Tel: 022 42723333 Meal for two: Rs1200 (without alcohol)

The heat isn’t so searing that you can’t appreciate the nuances of everything else that has gone into the recipe. And even if you feel as fat as a tick for having stuffed yourself, you will find it nearly impossible to say no to a bite of steamed coconut rolls stuffed with bitter chocolate (Rs 129). Everything about the dessert is irresistible.

What we liked

The vegetarians have a lot of options not just in the dishes but also in the method of cooking. Unlike a typical Chinese restaurant where fried is the norm, here you can have them sautéed, stir fried or pan fried. China 1 is a busy restaurant, but it’s watched over by a band of servers. Food is doled out food with frequent smiles and pampering touches.

And just when you are about to exit, a server comes with the leftover jasmine rice you forgot at the table.

These are little thoughtful details that help separate China 1 from its more single-minded brethren.

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4/7/2011 1:02:49 PM

Jordan Strauss/Getty Images

The Style Observer

FASHION ETC# 46.indd 28

Dave Annable at the Bud Light Hotel Playboy Party in Dallas, Texas

3/1/2011 12:17:49 PM

MARCH 2011

Cheat That Look ur pick this month is Dave Annable’s casual look at the O Playboy party at the Bud Light

Hotel in Dallas, Texas, last month.

Why? Because our experts say this is one simple yet super smart style that is sure to get you noticed anywhere.

If you are creative, take the look a notch higher. We used a sky blue linen shirt. You could use any pastel shade or even small checks. The other essentials? A self-coloured slim tie (black, dark blue or charcoal are safe and work with most shades); dark slim fit jeans; suede loafers in natural shades; and a fine lightweight knitted jacket (it could be plain or checked. But if you wear a check shirt, keep the jacket plain). Keep the sleeves down or gather them up depending on the place you are being noticed.

Photograph Tanvi Madkaiker Styling Carlton Desouza & Sania Momin Hair and make-up: Anjali Noronha Model: Emile (Elite model management) Location courtesy: Kino 108

BLUE LINEN SHIRT BY ARMANI COLLEZIONI AND SLIM TIE BY POLO RALPH LAUREN, BOTH FROM THE COLLECTI0VE // CHECK KNIT JACKET AND JEANS BY ZARA // SUEDE LOAFERS BY TRESMODE

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

Fiona Thomas Photographs by Sumeet Ballal

Interview: Nivedita Jayaram Pawar Styling: Carlton Desouza & Sania Momin Hair and make-up: Elton Fernandez Model: Anima Creative Management

That was a really sexy shoot. Can’t believe you are an accountant from Australia.

Yeah. That’s the fun part of modelling…it allows me to unleash a sexy, wild side of mine which accounting doesn’t.

Do you starve for that figure?

I do anything but starve; I’m an absolute foodie! I try not to overindulge, and eat healthy whenever possible. But I think exercise is the key to staying in shape.

We hear you are a cocktail of Indian, Sri Lankan and Australia influences.

I used to call myself Sri Indalian when I was younger. My Indian and Sri Lankan heritage has shaped my personality in terms of family values, food, dress, traditions, celebrations and customs. Being born and brought up in Australia exposed me to a very multi-cultural way of life and I wouldn’t have had it any

PRINTED STOCKINGS BY LECOANET HEMANT

M GIRL#46.indd 30

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INTERVIEW

other way. The combination of my ethnic heritage and Australian upbringing has given me a very unique perspective and view of the world.

Australian…so are you sporty.

Sport is in my blood. I grew up swimming, cycling, playing netball, softball, tennis and the occasional game of golf.

What does it take to charm Fiona?

Substance and humour. I am attracted to a man who can make me laugh and keep me engaged in a conversation.

Younger or older men?

More than age, maturity is what appeals to me. In most cases this means older men.

Your kind of man?

Tall, dark and handsome… someone who is very sure of himself without being overly confident. I like a man who is intelligent, genuine, loyal and caring.

Indian men…

COMPLICATED. Indian guys date one type of girl but when it comes to who they will settle down and marry they want a different type of girl purely based on family pressures or what society expects.

The best thing about being in the fashion world.

Getting to be apart of a world that not everyone is privy to. Seeing what really happens behind the scenes is exciting and meeting such a variety of people in this industry keeps things interesting.

What looks awesome on a man?

Stubble on a guy is incredibly sexy.

BIKINI BY ANSHITA ASNANI // CUT WORK DRESS BY LECOANET HEMANT

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And awful.

Speedos! Unless you’re an Olympic swimmer or a Calvin Klein model, just don’t do it guys… seriously What’s your drink?

A screwdriver. Anything with vodka usually or a nice glass of red wine Cook together or take away.

Cooking together is a very intimate thing for me. I love a man who can cook, it’s a complete turn on The most romantic meal you have ever made.

A few years ago I made a lovely Italian dinner for Valentines Day for me and my man. It was such a romantic dinner with beautiful wine. For dessert, it was yummy soft chocolate centred muffins. Perfect evening!

Time for dessert, what will you have?

I have such a sweet tooth it’s not funny! My absolute favourites are fresh hot jellabies, crème caramel, pavlova, cheesecake, kheer and chocolate fondue with fruit salad. I’m salivating just thinking about them…

Who’s hot right now?

Johnny Depp. There’s just something about him that oozes sex appeal. He’s got that “don’t give a damn” attitude that makes him that much sexier.

What are you reading currently?

Lady Gaga’s autobiography and I find it absolutely intriguing. She’s had a very exciting life and I love reading about the journey she has taken to get where she is today.

What’s on your bedside table?

A lamp, my mobile phone, hand moisturiser, my glasses, a couple of magazines, my current novel and a notepad and pen.

What do you wake up in?

In this heat I sleep in a singlet and underwear.

It’s just too hot for anything else!

You believe in making the first move?

No, I prefer a guy who takes control of the situation and initiates things.

One thing a man should never do.

Talk about exes. We just don’t want to know.

Even when we ask, we still don’t want to know, trust me.

And one thing a man should never tell a woman.

That she’s put on weight. It’s dangerous territory. If she has, then she knows and doesn’t need to be told How can a man woo you?

I like to be surprised and swept off my feet.

I am attracted to a man who is chivalrous

and romantic but doesn’t take things too seriously. I can be wooed simply by a man’s confidence and sense of humour. A guy who can make me laugh as well as make me feel special and loved is heading in the right direction Live in relationships…

Help a couple to see if the relationship can withstand the test of time. You find out a lot about a person by living with them that you wouldn’t otherwise know.

Has a girl ever made a pass at you?

Once, but I was at a gay bar so it was understandable.

Your greatest indulgence?

Shoes, bags and jewellery. I believe a woman can never have too many of these things and a man can never buy her enough of them.

Are you a high maintenance woman, like you look?

I’m actually a very simple girl at heart and don’t need a lot to stay happy. But I do enjoy being surrounded by beautiful things. I am not high maintenance… my fiancé may think otherwise though!

A quirky thing no one knows of you?

I’m an organisation freak and constantly writing lists. I’m a bit of a nerd at heart and have 5 cats at home. So I’m the crazy cat lady in the making…

Have you ever broken the law?

Parking and speeding tickets are as far as I have gotten with law breaking.

Any interesting tattoo on you?

I’ve been contemplating one for the last couple of years but I’m extremely indecisive so it just hasn’t happened. I’ve decided on the tattoo. I want 2-3 small cat paw prints, but I just can’t decide where to get it. I’m tossing between the wrist, ankle or top of my foot.

You are shocked by?

Ignorant, insensitive and rude people constantly shock and annoy me.

The craziest thing you have done for your partner?

I think I’ll keep that one a secret ;) The sexiest part of a man’s body.

His eyes, I believe you can be seduced simply by looking into a person’s eyes.

Lastly, how would you describe yourself?

I’m carefree and come across as shy at first meeting. I’m bubbly and always laughing, a bit ditzy at times, incredibly indecisive and love cats. I love my personal space and being alone, but also enjoy the company of friends, a good night out, shopping, travelling the world. I am a true romantic.

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INTERVIEW

COTTON DRESS BY ELA FROM BOMBAY ELECTRIC

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

M RECOMMENDS

Style

Mistakes to say no t o STAY AHEAD OF THE CURV EXTRA TOUCH FOR AL E AND GIVE YOUR PERSONALITY THAT L THINGS DAPPER. RE AD ON FOR OUR FAIL-FREE GUIDE FO R A LOOK YOU WOULD LOVE TO ROCK Photographs by Tanvi Madkaiker

Styling: Carlton Desou za & Sania Momin Make-up & hair: Anjal Model: Emile (Inega Mo i Noronha del Management)

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M RECOMMENDS

1 Match your belt and shoes Never mix the colour of your leather! If you are wearing brown shoes, get a brown belt of the same shade or one closest to it. It’s the same with black: Black shoes = Black belt.

BLACK SUIT, `54,200; BLACK SHIRT, PRICE ON REQUEST; STRIPE TIE, `7200 ALL BY HUGO BOSS // BLACK BELT BY ZARA, `1790 // BLACK FORMAL SHOES BY TRESMODE, `4990

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2 Pay attention to your shoes Clothes, they say, make a man. But his shoes too say a lot about him. Remember, there are prying eyes on you, judging you for your attention to detail by the shoes you sport. Get rid of your dirty, tacky shoes now. When it comes to a good pair of formal shoes, the simpler the better. We suggest you invest in a good pair of shoes rather than shirts or pants.

BLACK SUIT BY ZARA, `13,580 // LIGHT BLUE SHIRT BY DANIEL HECHTER, `1999 // BLACK LEATHER SHOES BY TRESMODE, `4990

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M RECOMMENDS

3 Backpacks at the office You may be going to the gym before or after work or carrying your laptop and files with you.

Never mind. Carrying a backpack when you are all dressed up just ruins the look. If you need something to carry your gym clothes, buy a nice looking gym bag (there are lots of options) or carry a smart leather messenger / laptop bag for your files etc.

DARK BLUE SHIRT BY WILLS LIFESTYLE, `2399 // PINK CHECKED TIE BY ZARA, `1790 // NAVY BLUE TROUSERS BY WILLS LIFESTYLE, `2199 // BLACK LEATHER LAPTOP BAG BY KARL LAGERFELD FROM THE COLLECTIVE, `28,000

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4 The collar When you don’t wear a tie, your shirt collar tends to flatten under the lapels of your jacket and this looks tacky. While choosing a shirt, make sure that the collar is firm. It should frame even with the top button open or use collar stays, they are little pieces of plastic that fit under the collar, most shirts have slots for them.

PEACH SHIRT BY DANIEL HECHTER, `1999 // BLACK BLAZER BY HUGO BOSS, `39,400

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A well-fitted suit shouldn’t box at the shoulders, sag at the waist or flop at the ankles. When buying a suit, keep going down a size till its uncomfortable, then go up a size and pay up. Have the trousers altered to you length (waist to floor without your shoes). Style tip: When you wear any formal trousers, always match the colour of your socks to the shade closest to the trousers.

M RECOMMENDS

5 The ill-fitted Suit

GRAY SUIT BY ARMANI COLLEZIONI FROM THE COLLECTIVE, `2,25,784 // SHIRT BY TED BAKER FROM THE COLLECTIVE, `4000 // BLACK LEATHER SHOES BY TRESMODE, `4990 // TWO-TONED TIE BY KARL LAGERFELD FROM THE COLLECTIVE, `5000

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6 Socks with Sandals Now, this has become a universal truth. Well, almost. Whether you are 55 or 25, you can never get away with this faux pas. If you are feeling a little chilly, wear shoes. And if you really don’t want to, then get a nice pain of leather flip-flops, but please make sure your feet are clean and nails cut.

CHECKED SHIRT BY DANIEL HECHTER, `1999 // DARK BLUE DENIM BY ZARA, `2590 // LEATHER SANDALS BY TRESMODE, `3490

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M RECOMMENDS

7 Your jeans Never wear your jeans on your stomach. It looks even worse if you tuck-in your shirt / T-shit. Don’t wear them too low either: No one wants to see your tighty-whities! It shouldn’t be too tight or too loose either. A good pair of jeans sits comfortably on the hips, has a straight fit, without any fake fades. You don’t need to iron jeans but if you must, never with a front crease!

DARK BLUE DENIMS BY ZARA, `2790 // CHECKED SHIRT

BY HUGO BOSS, `15,700 // METALLIC BLUE SNEAKERS BY TRESMODE, `4990

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3/1/2011 12:35:04 PM

{

Aditi Rao Hydari

{

on her film Yeh Saali Zindagi, kissing on-screen and her new co-star, Ranbir Kapoor.

THE BEST COMPLIMENT SHE GOT FOR YEH SAALI ZINDAGI One guy told me: ‘I walked out of the movie with a schoolboy crush on you and an inherent desire to protect you from everything bad.’ There’s one more. Somebody said: ‘I think you possess the most delicate, almost intangible mix of beauty and vulnerability. I fell in love with that elusive element.’

HER DIRECTOR, SUDHIR MISHRA He is magic in chaos. Wherever he goes, it’s chaos, but out of that emerges magic.

I adore him.

HER ‘RECORD-BREAKING’ 22 ON-SCREEN KISSES Firstly, that number is a gross exaggeration.

Secondly, I play Arunoday’s wife and the kisses go with her characterisation as a young, passionate woman. Wouldn’t it be more natural for a young couple in love to kiss rather than sing songs and shake their hips?

I don’t have anything against love songs, but Sudhir sir was attempting a realistic film.

Neither Arunoday nor I had any hang-ups about the kissing scene.

HER NEXT FILM, ROCKSTAR I was initially considered for the lead, but it didn’t happen. It does bother me a bit, but I am excited about my role in the film which is a bit like Rani Mukherjee’s in Veer Zaara.

It has range. My role goes through three phases – from a young girl to a person who is completely immersed with her work to a woman who balances both her emotional and professional side. Ranbir Kapoor is the hero and I am the one connecting him with the audience. It’s a very strong part. A director like Imtiaz Ali brings out the best in you.

HER ATTITUDE TO LIFE I have a positive attitude to life. But yes, there are times when I feel like saying yeh saali zindagi. When I move to Mumbai after spending time in Delhi with my mother and family. And yes, I feel like saying it when I see a movie and tell myself I could have done a much better job of it.

(As told to Rachana Trivedi, Bollywood News Service )

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{

Franz Harary the world-famous magician on his vanishing tricks and other illusions

{

HIS ABILITY TO VANISH...

ANYTHING I can make anything vanish. But the question is not if I can. Rather, I ask myself if I should at all. There are precious icons in the world and it is wrong to touch them. As an entertainer, I am conscious of my place in the society and I am sensitive to cultures and beliefs.

MAGIC IN INDIA I have seen some amazing magic on the streets of India. Most of it goes largely uncredited. Sadly, the magic you see from Indian magicians is not Indian – it is western.

Magic in India stopped evolving thousands of years ago. I don’t know why. I have met many Indian magicians and seen their passion.

Now it is time to transcend this energy into new Indian magic! I know of one Rajkumar, a magician in Delhi. He has unified all the magicians in the area and single-handedly done more to forward magic in your country than anyone else. His place is a kind of real life Hogwarts.

WHAT MAGIC MEANS TO HIM I eat, sleep and breathe magic. My creative process begins when I wake up every day.

The subconscious activity starts involuntarily.

Magic is in my pulse. By definition, magic is anything outside the laws of physics as we know them. But then, all of us have our own personal definitions. To some, it is a rabbit from a hat. To others, it is a rainbow. To me it is the understanding that all of us can do impossible things if we are determined. My shows are a reflection of this belief. If you enter the theatre, it should be with only one idea that you hold real magic in your own hands. My magic is a living animal with a life of its own. Every time you see my show, new things form and reveal themselves.

GLAMOUR OR DRAMA No question, it is drama. More specifically, it is emotion driven by creativity. Glamour is not even on my radar. It happens by accident, but it is largely driven by the world in which I work. My magic is a product of decades’ concert designed industry. Having worked with Michael Jackson, Madonna and Justin Timberlake may have rubbed off more glamour than I expected.

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IJHI XBZ Coctail recipes by Stephen Marshall Dewar’s global ambassador Photographs by Vinod Aggarwal Styled by Azad Mohan

“I often challenge my bartenders to make me a cocktail that suits my mood. After a back-breaking day of work, I usually have a few Darjeeling coolers, made from the best ingredients of two countries – Dewar’s 12-year-old from Scotland, shaken with honey, and the best tea from the hills of Darjeeling, served over ice. Post dinner, drinks at clubs involves sacrificing a bit of Martini extra dry vermouth for a very dry Vodka martini: Just wet the ice with martini and serve it bone-chillingly cold with 3 olives. If I am sure of the bartender’s prowess with bitters, I love a great classic called the Negroni: Stir Bombay Sapphire, Martini Rosso and Campari, and serve it on the rocks with a slice of orange. On a hot summer day, though it sounds strange in India, I refresh myself with a simple whiskey mix, best with Dewar’s white label poured over lots of ice and topped with ginger ale. And whenever you are enjoying drinks with friends, don’t forget to raise a toast to their good health. Like they say in my country, ‘Slangevar’ ( slan- jey- varr).

DEWAR’S DARJEELING COOLER INGREDIENTS 60 ml 90 ml 1 spoon 10 ml

Dewar’s 12-yr-old Strong Darjeeling tea Honey Sugar syrup

METHOD Make strong black Darjeeling tea.

Add all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into an old-fashioned glass with ice and garnish with an edible flower or an orange

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DEWAR’S HIGHLAND WARMER INGREDIENTS 60 ml 60 ml 60 ml Two Three 5 ml

Dewar’s white label Spiced warm apple mix (Apple juice) Water Cinnamon sticks Cloves Lime juice

METHOD Add all the ingredients in a pan and bring to boil. Add cinnamon powder and castor sugar to taste. Rim the glass by rotating it on an orange slice and then in the cinnamon sugar mix. Tap it lightly to get excess off. Add Dewar’s in the glass. Place a slice of orange and cinnamon stick in the glass. Pour the warm apple mix (120 ml-150 ml) in the glass. Stir and serve.

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THE HUB

DEWAR’S D & G INGREDIENTS 60 ml To top

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METHOD

Dewar’s white label In a tall glass, add the Dewar’s white Ginger ale label. Fill with ice and top with the Lime wedge ginger ale. Squeeze in one wedge of lime. Garnish with a wedge of orange.

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BACARDI MOJITO

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INGREDIENTS

METHOD

150 ml Bacardi superior Four Lime wedges Two spoons Castor sugar Twelve Mint leaves 5 ml Lime juice 5 ml Sugar syrup Crushed ice Soda

Lightly muddle the mint and sugar with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass until the sugar dissolves and you smell the mint. Squeeze the lime into the glass, add rum and shake with ice.

Strain over cracked ice in a highball glass. Top with soda water, garnish with mint sprig and serve.

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THE HUB

BACARDI EL PRESIDENTE INGREDIENTS 30 ml 20 ml 10 ml 20 ml

Bacardi Superior Martini rosso Grenadine Triple sec Angoustra Bitters

METHOD Chill a Martini glass. Add all the ingredients in a Mixing glass with lots of ice and stir well. Double strain into a Martini glass laced with a few drops of angoustra bitters. Use an orange twist to garnish the drink.

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by Bijoy Venugopal

NOW PLAYING

The Other Roger Syd Barrett An Introduction to Syd Barrett Harvest/ EMI/ Capitol, 2010 Price: `350

Barrett, who died in 2006 of pancreatic cancer, was bitterly asocial. He shrank away from the pressures of celebrity and took refuge in LSD, a habit that conspired with his emotional brittleness to drive him to the brink. After he left the band in 1968, Pink Floyd replaced him with guitarist-vocalist David Gilmour, who had gone to college with him and Waters.

S

omeone said that insanity is innocence perfected. Few artists represent that truism more vividly than Roger Keith Barrett. Ever since he slipped into oblivion, Syd (as he was known to the world that idolised him) has been a rubber-stamp for the mystery embedded in the music of Pink Floyd, the band that he founded in 1965 with Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. The bluesbesotted Barrett is credited with coining the band’s name (after short-lived aliases such as Sigma 6 and the Screaming Abdabs) from the names of American bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

Barrett resurfaced in 1970 with two solo albums – The Madcap Laughs and Barrett.

Five years later, while Floyd was recording “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” for the album Wish You Were Here (1975), he appeared unannounced in the studio, overweight and with shaven eyebrows. When Waters asked what he thought of the song, Barrett replied that it sounded “a bit old”.

The band dedicated the album to him.

Gilmour ensured that Barrett (who went back to being known as Roger) continued to receive royalties from his work with Pink Floyd. When he died aged 60, the recluse left nearly £1.7 million to his siblings. Despite his brief career, Barrett was a hero to contemporaries such as David Bowie and Paul McCartney.

Barrett’s prodigious touch as guitarist and lead vocalist is enshrined in Piper At The Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd’s first album

REWIND

Die-hard Diva Marianne Faithfull Faithfull – A Collection of Her Best Recordings Island Records, 1994 Price: Unavailable

I

n these woebegone times of charademongers such as Lady Gaga, few listeners stray towards a dimly glowing jewel in the attic called Marianne Faithfull. Some know that she had a dalliance with Mick Jagger in the 1960s (she tried on every Stone for size before sticking to Mick). Others deem her a death-defying celebrity junkie who shared her bed with

released in 1967, on which he wrote nine out of 11 songs including “Astronomie Domine”, “Matilda Mother” and “Interstellar Overdrive”. He also essayed three singles -“Arnold Layne”, “See Emily Play”, and “Apples and Oranges” – which are included in this 2010 memorial compilation. With a booklet of lyrics illustrated by Storm Thorgerson, the genius behind the stunning visual art of Pink Floyd, it packs 18 digitally remastered tracks, all of which have been overseen by executive producer Gilmour.

“Arnold Layne”, about a transvestite who steals women’s undergarments, made the UK Top 20 despite being banned by Radio London. “See Emily Play” shinnied up to No. 6. The compilation includes shining gems of songwriting including the singalong “Bob Dylan Blues”, “Effervescing Elephant”, “Gigolo Aunt” and “Love You”.

Though Barrett distanced himself from Pink Floyd, he inhabited the band’s music.

His spectacular deterioration inspired “Brain Damage” from The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). Subsequent albums from The Wall (1979) to The Division Bell (1994) were haunted by the spectre of insanity. Barrett personified every image described in “Crazy Diamond” – genius, legend, raver, madcap, martyr... He was the other Roger, the original piper at the gates of dawn.

men and women alike. And trivia hunters are aware that her great-uncle lent his name to masochism.

Despite her aristocratic roots, Faithfull’s childhood was lost to parental neglect and frail health. While attempting a career as a folk singer, she met Andrew Loog Oldham, manager of the Rolling Stones. In 1964, she performed a song written by Jagger and Keith Richards, which barged into the charts.

“As Tears Go By” launched Faithfull, then not yet 18, into the London social circuit.

Delicate and childlike, singing ditties like “This Little Bird” and “Summer Nights”, Faithfull became a sensation. Her marriage to artist John Dunbar in 1965 disintegrated

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JUKEBOX

PAUSE

Carnatic Crossover Susheela Raman Salt Rain Narada, 2001 Price: `395

Nadu, she later moved with her family to Australia. Her mother sent her to learn Carnatic vocal from an Indian teacher.

In 1995, she travelled to India to learn Hindustani vocal from Shruti Sadolikar.

Returning to England, she sang with the British-Asian band Joi. In 1997, she began working with guitarist Sam Mills, who had collaborated with the Bengali singer Paban Das Baul on Real Sugar.

O

ne muggy morning in August 2002, I interviewed Susheela Raman on the balcony of a charming little house in Kotachi Wadi, an East Indian enclave near Mumbai’s Charni Road. Big-boned and dusky with a deep, husky voice, her hair coiffed into a gigantic afro, she looked imposing.

And though she wore her newfound celebrity status lightly, everything about her announced that she was destined for the big time. Raman was then 29. Born in England to parents from Thanjavur, Tamil

when she took up with Jagger after her child was born. Entangled in the Stones’ bohemian bubble, Faithfull smoked pot and got hooked on cocaine. During a muchpublicised drug bust, she was discovered at Richards’ home wearing only a fur rug and – if the canard-spinning tabloid press is to be believed – in a compromising position with a Mars bar.

She hit the dope to cope with the dizzying pace of Jagger’s career and the contrasting stagnation of her own. In 1970, they fell out.

She lost custody of her son. Anorexic and addicted, she survived on a public-funded drug programme. By the late 1970s, Faithfull was living on Soho streets, her dulcetlike voice eroded by cocaine and chronic

One night in 1998, Raman dreamed of a song she had learned many years ago, a Tyagaraja kriti in Telugu called “O Rama”.

“That music had been asleep inside me,” she said. For three years, she and Mills explored the compositions of the Carnatic Trinity – Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastry – searching for songs to reinterpret. It was a marketable idea, for the World Music milieu had not experienced anything like it since Sheila Chandra flirted with ragas in the 1980s. It was also a radical one, certain to incense purists.

“Mamavatu”, a devotional kriti, was included on Gifted, a Real World anthology that also featured Chandra and Sadolikar, in February 2000. Later that year, Mills and Raman recorded Salt Rain with a multi-ethnic ensemble including vocalists Sandhya Sanjana (of the fusion group Divya) and the Kenyan singer Ayub Ogada (who sang

laryngitis. It didn’t seem like an opportune moment for a comeback, but in 1977 her feisty album Broken English shocked the words out of a press that had written her off.

Produced by the talented Steve Winwood, it unshackled her folk persona and cast her in a modern punk-meets-New Wave mould.

Entering the Top 100 in the UK and the US, it rode on heavy shock value. “Why D’Ya Do It?”, an electrifying disco-punk anthem of sexual jealousy, contained references to oral sex that left nothing to the imagination.

Women workers at a pressing plant walked out in protest.

Faithfull reinterpreted John Lennon’s

“Kothbiro”, which appears in the film The Constant Gardener). Accompanists Vincent Segal (cello), Manos Achalinotpopulos (clarinet) and Aref Durvesh (dholak, tabla) enriched the mix. From the delicate, lulling beauty of “O Rama” to the strident femininity of “Maya”, the album retained the fecund earthiness of Raman’s vocal style set to refreshing acoustic instrumentation.

Her rendition of the Sherman Brothers’ “Trust in Me” (sung by the python Kaa in Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book) was slinky and sensuous. She breathed new life into Tim Buckley’s maudlin classic “Song to the Siren”.

Salt Rain won Raman the Best Newcomer Award from BBC Radio 3 and was shortlisted for the 2001 Mercury Prize. Raman and Mills have since married and remained a strong team, releasing Love Trap (2003) and Music For Crocodiles (2005). In 33 1/3 (2006), she “re-imagined” tracks by Bob Dylan, John Lennon, The Velvet Underground and Jimi Hendrix. Mira Nair used two of her songs in her 2007 film The Namesake.

As she walked me to the door after our interview, Susheela Raman handed me a copy of Salt Rain and asked with undisguised earnestness: “Do you think your friends will like this?” Well, she is no longer unsure.

“Working Class Hero” and Dr Hook’s “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” in her new voice – a wheezy, businesslike rasp that told equally of indelible pain and phoenix-like resilience.

It was the mood of albums to come. This 1994 compilation reprises those tracks and the touching but unsentimental “Guilt” and “Times Square”.

Since Broken English, Faithfull issued 13 studio albums including Horses and High Heels, which released this January. She has also notched up an arthouse reputation as actress and diarist.

If you haven’t ever heard Faithfull, this compilation is a fine introduction to the diehard diva. Lady Gaga can go back to her egg.

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by Sanjiv Nair splendid taste in selecting TV shows.

M Factor: If imitating Michael Corleone in

board meetings is getting a little stale, give Douglas Jardine a try. Nearly as intimidating with complete non-reliance on Italian expletives.

launch an expedition to hunt the ball down. At the end of it all ‘The Other Final’ is a glorious montage to the essence and purity of a sport and the sheer joy and happiness it can bring.

M Factor: Watch this to reminisce on the

football you might have played as youngsters. Also to have an ‘idiot’s grin’ on your face which will never leave during the entire duration of the film.

3 Offside

(Iran) (2006)

(Director: Jafar Panahi, Cast: Sima MobarakShahi, Shayesteh Irani, Ayda Sadeqi, Golnaz Farmani and Mahnaz Zabihi)

1

O

Bodyline

(Australia; Miniseries) (1984) (Directors: Denny Lawrence, Lex Marinos, George Ogilvie and Carl Schultz, Cast: Gary Sweet, Hugo Weaving, John Doyle, Clleen Fitzpatrick and Paul Chubb)

A

n Australian production, this 10-episode mini-series dramatised the controversial 1932-33 English Ashes Cricket tour of Australia. It chronicled the rivalry between the legendary Sir Donald Bradman and the notorious Douglas Jardine, captain of the English team and the man often maligned for the bodyline technique of bowling he urged his bowlers to employ during the series.

Though factually lopsided, in its archetypal depiction of the English as ‘win-at-all-costs’ bigots and the Australians as right-spirited, morally upstanding sportsmen, the show is arguably one of the best celluloid representation of the game till date.

Brilliantly shot with production standards far ahead of its time, it is little wonder that most of the crew went on to enjoy glittering careers subsequently, some of whom like Andrew Lesnie, cinematographer of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and I am Legend among others, are goliaths in world cinema. The cast was just as talented and to provide a realistic feel to the matches, most actors including Gary Speed, who played the role of Sir Donald, were cricketers of some repute themselves.

Hugo Weaving, however, in the role of Douglas Jardine was untouchable. His pitch-perfect diction and practiced derision galvanised his powerhouse performance as the unscrupulous anti-hero of the show.

To most of us the show is also reminiscent of a time when our very own DD displayed

The Other Final

(Netherlands) (2003) 2 (Director: Johan Kramer)

A

Dutch documentary filmmaker, Johan Kramer, frustrated at his country’s inability to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, sets about the endeavour to organise a football match between Bhutan and Montserrat, the nations with the lowest FIFA ranking in the world.

His endeavour concludes in a football match that is a glowing testimony to the game’s ability to build bridges between communities and nationalities. The match was played in the morning on the same day as the 2006 World Cup final. Hence the title ‘The Other Final’.

ffside is as much a poignant depiction of the disheartening and irrational state of women’s rights in Iran as it is a hilarious and heart warming sports flick. Accurately capturing the passion and (sometimes misplaced) bravado of a typical football fan, the film narrates the story of a group of young women who masquerade as young boys in an attempt to enter a stadium to watch a match. The quintessential catch however lies in the country’s legal system which bans women from entering football stadiums. The plot feeds off the lack of a credible explanation for the idiosyncratic law as the bored soldiers imprisoning the women are drawn into amusing debates over its pragmatism which perpetuate the inexplicable nature of the law.

Shot with a handheld camera which provides the movie with the feel of a

The documentary chronicles the efforts of Kramer as he sets about the daunting task of organising the match - sending faxes to the respective countries, getting requisite paperwork and permissions in order along with recruiting the personnel for the execution of the final game with each incident having its own calamitous and comical outcome. The documentary also doubles up as a brilliant travelogue as Kramer shoots his own ill-planned trip to Bhutan via Amsterdam, Bangok and Kolkata. The final game is reminiscent of local football games, in which the games have a disjointed feel and the chaos and clamour of the spectators often spills into the ground itself.

In one of the scenes, the ball is lost in the underbrush next to the field which delays the game as players and referee alike

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M Factor: Beautiful Irani women and football. Thank us later.

5

4Mou Ye Chi Sing

(City Without Baseball) (Hong Kong) (2004) (Director: Lawrence Ah Mon, Cast: Ron Heung Tze-Chun, Leung Yu-Chung, Yuan Lin, John Tai Ji-Ching, Monie Tung Man-Lee)

C

ricket as a sport which enjoys an unrivalled fan following in the subcontinent remains obscure in most of the world with people being unaware of the existence of cricket teams even within their own country. Mou Ye Chi Sing is an insight into the lives of the players of a similar team, albeit through the sport of baseball a sport which thrives in the US but is a fairly unknown commodity in Hong Kong. The resident baseball team therefore are loners by choice, stimulating free thinking and non conformity through the isolation their choice of sport brings about in their lives. Loneliness, existentialism and homo erotica are omnipresent themes within the film as it tries to capture the inert super human courage within them, a

by-product of their lifestyle. All the actors are actual members of the Hong Kong National Baseball Team and appear as themselves in the film. Director Lawrence Ah Mon, who has traditionally been fascinated with and tried to capture Hong Kong’s underground sub-cultures through his previous films, beautifully canvases the difficult content of Mou ye Chi Sing. Full frontal nudity ensures this film is not for the squeamish.

schoolgirl outfits. And provides due respect to the brother soul that runs within those who sport an Afro! Go figure.

Banchikwang

6 (The Foul King) (South Korea) (2000)

M Factor: Wannabe uber-cool loner? This

film can serve as an excellent ‘How to’ manual.

Wōtā Bōizu

(Waterboys) (Japan) (2001)

(Director: Shinobu Yaguchi, Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Hiroshi Tamaki, Akifumi Miura, Koen Kondo, Takatoshi Kaneko and Kei Tani)

A

THE HUB

documentary, the film is crammed with moments of reticent humour. Offside also benefits from a glut of exceptional performances especially from the lead actor Sima Mobarak-Shahi. Jafar Panahi’s minimalist filmmaking style, however, is the key to the brilliance of this film.

No filmmaker has ever mastered the propinquity of documentary filmmaking and married it so convincingly with the restrained and focused rage he or she feels at the inexplicable laws and restrictions which govern modern day society. Surprisingly enough, his cinema is still bloody entertaining. The movie went on to win the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival among several other awards

student and aspiring swimmer is forced to gain tutelage under a teacher of synchronised swimming.

When the teacher leaves, the motley crew of the swimmer and his young male cohorts pursue their training under a dolphin instructor. The young underdogs, through a series of hilariously choreographed and sometimes downright slapstick situations, eventually turn out winners with a grand performance in the swimming pool of a nearby girl’s school. If all of that made absolutely no sense; well then, mission accomplished and job well done. It was never meant to. Waterboys is a completely maniacal film in the truest vein of Japanese comedy. This is the purest and most enjoyable form of ‘leave-your-brainsat-home’ fare. Sample this for instance: A lot of the training is conducted on the popular Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine, which FYI is an inexplicable obsession amongst youngsters of most south east asian countries. The effervescent nature of the film however does not sully the brilliant performance of the cast and the chemistry between Satoshi Tsumabuki and Hiroshi Tamaki, the two lead actors, is explosive to say the least. Generous helpings of harmless erotic innuendos and pop culture fetishes are made sporadically through the short 90 minute runtime of the film.

(Director: Kin Ji-woon, Cast: Song Kang-ho, Park Sang-Myeon, Go Ho-Kyung)

D

ae –ho is an inept bank clerk who, as it would seem, is the object of his boss’s aggravation.

Banchikwang starts with this premise and director Ji-Woon kim’s ‘slice of life’ style of shooting is instrumental in generating a genuine sense of empathy from its audience members for the character of Dae-ho. The subsequent chain of events however, are a paradigm shift from the initial sense of normalcy as he transforms into a villainous pro wrestler known as Banchikwang or The Foul King. His nocturnal indulgence in wrestling begins to impact his life as it begins to fuel sudden outbursts of misplaced bravado at his day job with hilarious consequences. One of Kang-ho Song’s earlier performances, he shows glimpses of the genius in his self effacing and controlled portrayal of the psychologically conflicted Dae-ho.

Interestingly enough, inspite of the over the top concept the film portrays it never succumbs to clichés - Think Wes Anderson of Bottle Rocket and not Jack Black from Nacho Libre.

M Factor: A wise man once said that ‘Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are’.

This movie brilliantly drives home that point.

M Factor:

Slapstick comedy and lots of Japanese girls in cute 053 | MARCH 11

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by Sudha G. Tilak wife, thus beginning a long line of Bourbon descendents in India. Jean’s lone and surviving descendent from the long line of Bourbons is Balthazar who lives in Bhopal.

India Calling

Anand Giridhardas Harper Collins Pages: 316 Price: `499

it. Along his way he chronicles the economic changes, the cultural churning, the impact of globalisation, the contradictions and interesting personal narratives of people on the move, etching a difference, the dynamism of India’s youth straining against the old, tradition and taboos, modernity and emancipation.

Danny Boyle: In His Own Words

Before we accuse him of turning a white man’s gaze on the sub-continent, Giridhardas astutely brings in his family’s history, his boyhood memories of India, of the old and the new, of change and the constant. Praise for the debut book has been profuse.

B

Raja of Bourbon

By Michel de Grece Roli Books Pages: 196 Price: `237

M

ichel de Grece is a writer of primarily historical novels and is a descendent from the Romanovs and is a member of the royal family of Greece.

I

nternational columnist and opinionmaker Anand Giridhardas’ latest book on a country in flux says, ‘India was erupting in dreams. It was the dream to own a microwave or refrigerator or motorcycle.

The dream of a roof of one’s own. The dream to break caste. The dream to bring a cellphone to every Indian with someone to call. The dream to buy out businesses in the kingdom that once colonized you. The dream to marry for love, all the complicated family considerations be damned. The dream to become rich. The dream to overthrow the rich in revolution.’

Much like his columns that bring in new perspectives, fresh insights, Giridhardas has been observing current trends and changes in a rapidly moving India in his non-fiction, India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation’s Remaking.

The book opens with Giridhardas making his way back to India and travelling through

The Raja of Bourbon is a historical and fictionalised narrative of Jean de Bourbon, nephew of Henry IV, the first Bourbon French king in the 16th Century. While historians have earlier traced the line of Bourbon descendants in India, genealogists are still divided about many of them.

However in this novel, Jean is well and alive, embarking on a series of journeys. To escape plots to assassinate him, Jean sets sail on a journey full of adventures. He travels amidst excitement and experiences from France to Egypt and Ethiopia to arrive on the shores of India. It is 1560 and Jean lands in Madras, then to Bengal and finally at the court of the famous Mughal emperor Akbar, where he eventually won over the emperor with his own courtly manners and bearing and eventually landed a post in the court and married an extended member of Akbar’s Christian

By Amy Raphael Penguin Pages: 384 Price: `699

ritish cult director Danny Boyle raised a lot of curiosity in India, post his 2008 Slumdog Millionaire indie film. Amy Raphael’s biography of the filmmaker tells the interesting tale of Boyle’s early days in Lancashire, England. Born into a working-class Irish Catholic family, Boyle studied drama, rather than pursue religion. His 1995 debut Shallow Grave was a commercial success and with Trainspotting Boyle was hailed for giving a fillip to British cinema. Slumdog Millionaire brought him a slew of Oscars.

Amy Raphael’s biography through Boyle’s own words and through a series of interviews introduces us to the speaking voice of Boyle during the period while making 127 Hours. His restless energy, his flitting ideas of wondering how a bridge was built liking Mumbai’s suburbs and the lives of those who made homes under the construction fascinate him as he promises to return to Mumbai for further cinematic material. His little regret of not yet making cinema from a woman’s point, or his methods of handling crowds while filming in Mumbai’s populated mess make for interesting insights.

Raphael has pretty much stood back and let Boyle do the talking in the biography. Boyle is clearly articulate and his conversations are laced with humour and sharpness to them that makes his voice command instant listening.

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and shades and in the pithy deliveries in his comic-book speech bubbles.

Mirza Waheed Penguin/Viking Pages: 308 Price: `499

S

ocieties in flux and turmoil throw up compelling voices that break through the discord and violence to make sense of the anarchy. Kashmir is a valley that has been brutalised and bloodied for over half-a-century. Here young men, with full lives ahead embrace martyrdom, violence, witness horror of organised armed

works on the delicate balance of simmering discontent, loss, betrayal, longing and bleakness. His narrative is inspired and the plot doesn’t slacken the pace. At its core it’s a story with a heart, where humanity and violence meet, convinced to unearth empathy.

Harappa Files

By Sarnath Banerjee Harper Collins Pages: 216 Price: `499

G

raphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee’s third work doesn’t seem to have lost its bite.

He revealed his irony and wit and his pet landscape of history of a distant past and its validity even today in his first two works, Corridor and The Barn Owl’s Wondrous Capers.

forces and combat alongside terror groups, grieve deaths and lament homelessness.

The recent crop of contemporary voices emerging from the Valley, be it Basharat Peer, Nadeem Aslam, Mohammed Hanif has another voice for company, that of Mirza Waheed to express thoughts on a troubled people and through fiction or essays.

Waheed works as the editor of BBC Urdu Service and The Collaborator is his first work of fiction. Waheed treads the treacherous ground of India-Pakistan conflict. The story begins as the 1990s break, the civil war and border tension spreads and reaches Nowgam, a remote village on the border.

Indian soldiers and militants are locked in combat and from his sleepy village four teenage boys cross the border to train to fight a war, not of their own making, leaving behind boyhood pastimes of cricket, Bollywood songs and mirth.

Amidst the violence and anxiety, Waheed

In his third, The Harappa Files we are taken to the fortress of babudom, or The Greater Harappa Rehabilitation, Reclamation and Redevelopment Committee. The GHRRRC, if you please, is seated solemnly at a large government-issue table of no particular location, but easily recognisable for its frightening familiarity. Around this table in an unnamed city sit seventeen retired bureaucrats of the Commission, each Thursday, after office hours with a peculiar assignment to catalogue a society’s changes.

The mission seems to raise suspicion of other secret agendas which its author reveals as the work progresses. Will it, as neurotic government and some post liberalised economies work on the premise of suspicion and collective neurosis and police its citizens by invoking dangerous clauses of legalities for control over the individual’s freedom and choice is a worry that seems both contemporary and valid.

THE HUB

The Collaborator

Standing My Ground

By Matthew Hayden Harper Collins Pages: 402 Price: `599

O

n-field attacker, Aussie style is what Matthew Hayden was on the cricket green. This biography brings to life one of cricket’s most celebrated and successful batsmen in the world in his own words. Written with a charming candour and a sense of humour Hayden begins with his commitment to being a Catholic, but following it up with a caveat that he’s no saint. At the first stroke he comes to the crux of contradictions that ruled him, a faithful believer who swore and sledged on field. A giant of a player who could intimidate and be easily dubbed as arrogant, yet he is a mate for life, a caring husband and a committed family man, a mean cook and proudly Australian too.

For those who like their cricketing gods up close and personal, this biography is written in a confessional style with disarming sincerity. Be it of his need to be in ‘control’ on field and his typical aggression and gigantic caring he bestows at home, as his wife vouches for, Hayden does so with a brutal frankness. It is a read that tracks not just Hayden’s childhood but also and his growth as a worthy sportsman of contemporary cricket and memorable games.

Banerjee uses the twin aspects of his graphics and comic-book dialogues to comment on a society and its people’s past and probable future too. As India’s first graphic novelist, Banerjee’s has successfully managed to use the new medium for social comment and interpretation without trying hard. His observations are intuitively wry and mocking and he brings about the graphic novel’s sinister and conspiratorial aspect into play both in the depth of his illustrations, the grimness of his taunt lines 055 | MARCH 11

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A special series of essays

HUMOUR

by Cyrus Sahukar VJ, Actor

A film and TV comic, Cyrus Sahukar pushed the boundaries of humour in films such as Delhi 6 and Aisha, and in his avatar as Semi Girebal on TV. He ventured into showbiz as VJ for MTV and carved a niche for himself with MTV Fully Faltoo and a spoof on former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu as Piddhu The Great among other very popular shows.

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I

ndians have a very interesting sense of humour. Often, you’d find that the funniest people are off the camera.

You go to any city, or even a village, in our country, and you would invariably bump into a funny uncle who can effortlessly regale you with his wit. Yet, somehow, the representation of humour in our country is rather absurd; we haven’t given the funny man his due. In films, superstars enacting comedy roles mint crores of rupees, but comedians doing the same stuff will never get the same importance.

The only actor in India who got out of this stereotype was Mehmood. To some extent, I would blame the medium for this; and part of it lies with those people who are still doing the same stuff. I have a friend who still does an impersonation of Ashok Kumar. If you do that, what do you expect?

This is why I always try to get out of doing what is easy. For example, after playing Semi Girebal on TV, I could have done a series of spoof shows and all of them would have been sold.

Fortunately of course, things are changing for comedians now.

Ten years from today, we will have a wide variety in the comic entertainment served to us. I’m not saying that comedy will be either more subtle or more in-the-face.

I don’t think you can compartmentalise comedy into good or bad. What I am saying simply is that we will have more variety which means there is much more comic material for comedians to perform and the audiences to watch.

for so many years. We have loads of talent in India but the biggest hurdle is the need to ‘play safe’. We make what pleases everyone. I never trust a person who people define as “Oh, he’s sweet”. If you are always trying to please everyone, then there is something wrong (in your persona).

If you look at what is happening abroad, jokes are made on everyone – from the peon to the President. But here in our country there are many restrictions There is a list of 2000 things which you cannot say – you cannot say anything about a known person or 500 people will come to beat you. Also, 98 per cent of the time, people don’t get the joke – I remember hosting a live quiz show with a co-host and we said, ‘If you get the answer right, we are giving away our parents; you can have them.’ There was pin drop silence! Also, the great Indian ego has to go; but, fortunately, people are able to take a joke on themselves. When we were doing Semi Girebal, we also did a spoof on Karan Johar. He was in the same studio for some work and we were a bit worried. We told him about it and he said ‘Make as much fun as possible of me’. People in the right places giving a thumbs-up is great.

I find it sad that we are still stuck to the punchline. Comedy in the future will be based more on reality, rather than on strange-looking people. Also, we must completely do away with canned laughter.

Recently, I was watching a documentary on the representations of comedians in the US – earlier he was the idiot who would slip on a banana skin. He grew up to become sarcastic. Soon, he evolved into being more real.

Over the years, the comedy movement has spiralled into many things and so have actors. There are so many big-ticket actors today who started off with comedy. Think of stars such as Kevin Spacey, Robin Williams etc, and the first thought that comes to your mind are the hilarious roles they essayed at the beginning of their careers.

The trouble is, today, we are caught in the old form of comedy.

We are still stuck to the punch line and that is sad. I see dark comedy creeping in big time very soon in the future. I can see someone making a fantastic mockumentary. Comedy will be based more on reality, rather than on strange-looking people.

Also, I feel, canned laughter should be just done away with.

I also see someone becoming an Internet star from India.

Today, everything is on the net. The Internet will become a huge player in the years to come. I’m not saying it will wipe out TV, but it will be a great source for new talent. This is already happening – Russell Peters became a star after someone posted his video on the net; otherwise he has been around

Sexual jokes will always be popular. But I am looking for a person who makes a mistake and tries to cover it up – it provides fodder for humour. We have to realise that people take time to get acclimatised to a different style of comedy. Some of the biggest comedies in the world like The Office were slow starters in the first season.

Humour is going to be the most important need of the future. More than humour, we need a sense of humour. It helps to talk about the truth in a funny way – without matters getting too antagonistic or people beating each other up.

Secondly, most of the problems that urban India is going to continue facing are psychological – stress and depression – humour is a good way to deal with life and its accompanying issues. Ironically, I find that people in the comedy business are often unhappy because they are always picking on the basic truths of life; and in the process the comics themselves get very worked up. Ten years from now, I see myself performing either in films or on TV but I would also be writing, directing and creating shows, not necessarily with me in them. I’m writing a film currently. I will also do stand-up comedy.

I’m a complete comedy addict. If I spot a comic person I will walk across the room to be with him/her, rather than spend time with a cool person or a good looking person. Humour will never go out of fashion; you can have a trend for action or romantic films but people always want to laugh. If you are a fairly good comedian, you cannot be out of work.

(As told to Jigar Shah,Bollywood News Service)

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“My SON wants to be an

ACCOUNTANT...

that’s encouraging”

n Vs W Bear Grylls, host of Man Vs Wild on Discovery Channel

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Interview by Bobby John Varkey

IT’S A LONG LIST

OF GROSS THINGS AND IT’S A VERY SHORT LIST OF GROSS

THINGS

THAT TASTE NICE.

A former British Special Forces commando, adventurer, TV host, motivational speaker, philanthropist, father... you can’t get a more complicated cocktail than this. It’s a combination as amazing as the places you visit. What keeps you going?

I would say it is my motivation to be out there that keeps me going. Some of the places I have been to are unforgiving, not particularly pleasant places to be in. After all these years, the only key to survival is your enthusiasm. You have to keep that energy up.

And how do I keep my motivation? Honestly, there is no alternative. The alternative is not to have it, and it just suddenly makes the whole world and everything much harder when you’re like that. So I kind of get my work head on, of just really going for everything and being ambitious and enthusiastic, and make sure I’m going to get out of these places in one piece.

You broke your back at three places in a parachuting accident over Mount Everest when you were with the British Special Air Service. Only two years later, at 23, you entered the Guiness Book of World Records as the youngest Briton to climb Mt. Everest. Then Man Vs. Wild happened and

FEATURES

you became an international TV star and a best-selling author. How did the idea for the series come about?

Discovery Channel approached me a few years ago after I had done a show in the UK on what it’s like to join the French Foreign Legion. I had signed up with a camera crew and did their basic training.

Discovery Channel asked me if we could do a show where I am dropped in the middle of nowhere and they film what I do to survive. Actually, in the beginning I said no three times because I didn’t want to be a TV host. I was doing my thing, busy with my expeditions. The negotiations continued with the channel and they convinced me they were not looking for a TV host. Rather, they just wanted to film what I do in a hostile place, the good, the ugly, the muddy, my failures, successes... everything.

I discussed it with my wife and we decided that I should give it a shot. It was really funny and since then, I’ve never felt any sort of pressure to make it all look smart. I’ve never been afraid of showing it when it all goes wrong. And, I don’t try and think of all of the people watching. I just think of the cameraman and me, and telling him what he needs to do to keep all of us out of trouble.

You’ve eaten everything... from scorpions to porcupines, skunk, camel intestines, goat’s testicles to tarantula and raw sheep heart. Would you say survival in some of the most inhospitable places in the world depend a lot on how adventurous you are with your diet?

Honestly, it’s a long list of gross things and it’s a very short list of gross things that taste nice. I’ve learned not to expect survival food to be tasty.

Survival food is all about things that give you the strength to get out of a sticky situation. I would never have any of these with beer at home.

Scorpions taste really horrible when eaten raw.

They leave a terrible gooey taste in your mouth. So it was a big revelation for me to understand that it doesn’t always have to taste disgusting. If you burn it and char grill it enough, it’s like a bad barbecue.

Sheep eyeballs too at -40 degrees?

Lots of things gross me out. I’m certainly not one of those who relishes eating yak eyeballs or goat testicles. But it is all part of survival. It is about leaving your prejudices behind and doing whatever you need to do to stay alive. I do end up eating quite a lot of terrible stuff. But, I think the raw goat testicles was the first time I actually threw up after eating something. I’ve had frozen yak eyeballs after we killed this big yak in Siberia, a lot of live snakes, a lot of massive grubs – the size of a child’s hand... camel intestines, the fluid from the camel’s intestines, camel fat from its hump... it’s

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I’M CERTAINLY NOT ONE OF THOSE WHO RELISHES EATING YAK EYEBALLS OR GOAT TESTICLES. BUT IT IS ALL PART OF SURVIVAL. IT IS ABOUT LEAVING YOUR

PREJUDICES BEHIND

AND DOING WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO STAY ALIVE.

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You’ve been to some of the most inhospitable places in the world, were on the edge while filming in Scotland, got hurt in Antarctica. Have you ever been in a situation where you were ready to throw in the towel and let fate take over?

I thrive off of those situations. I love doing that. I’m ambitious for the show. I want to keep pushing the boundaries. This is my kind of arena, really.

That’s a good feeling. It happens because we’re lucky enough to be able to access some seriously wild and remote places. But it is also because we have such a good back-up team which gives me the confidence to push the boundaries. I am always confident that if anything goes wrong, if the alligator actually gets hold of me, I have a good set of men behind me who will bail me out. That’s a confidence which keeps you going.

Take us briefly through what it takes to film an episode of Man Vs. Wild. Surely, each step you take is thoroughly researched and rehearsed, with fool-proof reconnaissance. It is impossible to instinctively know what is good or bad. No? I used to do loads of research. But as the show has gone on and we kind of do more and more of them, the honest answer is that I go home and just crash out with my family. I just want to have as much family time until that last minute before I go again.

But then once I go, I kind of again get into that zone. We have a couple of days when we arrive where we go through all of the local stuff in the area, all the nasty animals, good plants etc. I get a really good briefing on all the local conditions, and the search and rescue plans. So I’m really wellbriefed before we actually sort of jump into these places.

You say that whatever you do is about challenging your limits to take a road that “leads to life”. It is about finding a challenge, and overcoming it the right way. But why at all do something that endangers your life, whatever the passion?

Have you ever thought of doing something less risky for the sake of your wife and kids?

It’s difficult for my family because I’m away a lot and there’s a certain element of risk you know in the job I do. But, Shara and I met when I was still in the army and I think she’s kind of lived with that danger a lot in our life together. I just don’t tell her a huge amount about the danger. I try and focus on the good times and then get back straight into normal life. We don’t talk a lot about what’s happened when I was out there. You know she sees it sometimes on the TV, but at least she knows that I’m safe at that point. But my kids, on the other hand, want to hear all the stories.

FEATURES

sort of a long list. But it is all a key part of survival.

Ultimately if you’re going to self rescue, you need movement, and movement requires energy. So you need to eat.

Do your children follow your footsteps? We read somewhere that you recently saw your son drinking his own pee...

No, they’re going to have a proper job. You know, my older son said to me the other day he’s going to become an accountant, which is really good news.

So that was encouraging. No, I definitely don’t want them to do what I do. I think they’ve got much more brains and they’ll do something much more sensible. My dad always used to say, you’ve got to follow your dreams, and look after your friends and that was what life was about for him. I really want to encourage my kids to do that, but hopefully their dreams will be safer stuff.

So what happens in a dire situation where you are teetering on the edge?

When I’m in a dangerous situation, I think of my faith and that’s an important part of my life and it’s been an real backbone through a lot of different expeditions and all through my time with the military as well. I also think of my family and I think what best can I do to get out of here and those are all big driving factors.

Any place you think is far too dangerous even by your standards.

Probably Siberia during winters. Everything becomes very hard. The real extremes, whether it’s super hot or super cold, your margin for error gets reduced dramatically, and it’s just hard. It’s just unforgiving.

Would you say that much more than making your viewers look at your adventures with awe, it is also about educating them in survival skills, and instilling a never-say-die attitude.

Yes. I mean, you know sometimes I put a little bit of extra edge onto it. It may be a bit more for me, but 90 per cent of it is what every day you know anyone can do in a situation. And a lot of getting out of difficult situations is about thinking clearly and not rushing in the headlong and panicking and – remember, you act incoherently every time you panic. So a lot of it is about taking time to think through a situation, using common sense, improvising, and then getting on and doing it.

If you look at it, there’s no magic in any of the things I do. It’s all common sense. It’s all about telling you to improvise and that’s such a key part of surviving disasters.

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Exclusive interview and photo-shoot with Gautam Gambhir

by Alam Srinivas

Photographed by Ashish Shah Styled by Rakhi Biswas

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COVER STORY PRINTED JACKET, BLUE SHIRT BOTH BY H2O// BLUE PRINTED KNITTED TIE BY ZARA

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GREY TRACKSUIT, GREEN V-NECK T SHIRT, FOOTBALL, WHITE SHOES ALL BY REEBOK EA7 COLLECTION (COLLABORATION OF REEBOK AND EMPORIO ARMANI)

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During the photo-shoot, as he cribbed about having to wear white sporting shoes (he likes them to have some other coluor), categorically and emphatically refused to wear a hat, and smiled only when prompted several times, it became clear that Gambhir was not the usual cricketing celebrity. He was down-to-earth, shy, and aware that he has to behave decently with others. If you compare him to his team mates in the Indian dressing room, he doesn’t have the flamboyance of Yuvaraj, in-your-face attitude of Bhajji, macho-ism of Sehwag, coolness of Dhoni, or the sheer charisma of Sachin. He seems like another cricketer, and like the several hundreds of them before him, who will play for his country but shall be forgotten by most within a few years of his retirement.

Let us carry this comparison a bit further. If Sehwag is like a grenade without a pin, Yuvaraj a rocket launcher, Dhoni a tank, and Sachin a heat-seeking missile, then Gambhir would be dubbed a machine gun (necessary and efficient when it comes to a crunch). The left-handed opening batsman would probably remain the most under-rated cricketer of his time.

Scratch the surface, spend a couple of hours with him, and you realise that the image is all wrong.

The real Gambhir is a totally different personality.

He is intense, passionate, angry, and tenacious.

Most important, he is the quintessential comeback kid in the mould of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone in Rocky I, II, III, IV and V).

At every momentous stage of his cricketing career, from the age of 14 till now, he has always bounced back with that ‘knock-out’ punch.

Stepping out of his crease to face the crises “I was the highest run-getter in domestic cricket before the Under-14 World Cup. I missed it (he wasn’t selected for the Indian team). Then I was the highest run-getter in the domestic season before the Under-19 World Cup, when Mohammad Kaif was the captain. I missed it (he wasn’t selected again). And I was not selected for the 2007 World Cup (ODIs), when I thought I should have been in the team. So, my cricketing

COVER STORY

T

he boyish face, the slightly-crooked, but rare, smile (many would dub it a smirk), the next-door neighbour kind of a feel, and the oh-so-average looks. Even if you have seen him a hundred times on the LCD screen, it would take a second (could be a third too?) look to convince yourself that it was Gautam Gambhir who had walked into the room. One can lose him among the dozen others present there.

experiences about the World Cups have been bad.”

It hadn’t been easy for Gambhir. As he reminisced about his past in this exclusive interview, you realise that there had been more downs than ups in his cricketing career. “I was told several times that I would be out of the team if I did not perform, be it in the school, club, or the state team.” Even at the highest level, he got the same hints when, during his Test debut against Australia in November 2004, the former pace bowler, Glen McGrath, almost made him his bunny (or kangaroo).

“I still remember the Headingley (Leeds) match, which was the fifth ODI against England (in September 2007, days before the T-20 World Cup), where I was informed that this was going to be my last ODI if I did not perform. I managed a fifty.” He scored 47 in the next game – and survived. But before that, in early 2007, he was shockingly excluded from the ODI World Cup team. And it was luck that helped Gambhir to scrape through into the T-20 team within a few months.

Sill everyone, including the media and cricket experts, criticised the selectors for his inclusion in the T-20 team. They thought he wasn’t good enough to play at the highest level. Unluckily, in the second high-profile match that India played against Pakistan, he scored a duck (the first game that India played against Scotland in the tournament was washed out). As Gambhir puts it, “Then there was more talk that I should not have been in the first 15, let alone the first 11.”

The third game against New Zealand was a crunch game for him. “I thought this was the make-or-break match for me. This is where it really counts. If I have to continue with my international career, this is the one that matters.

By God’s grace, I got a fifty in 28 balls. From there on, I never looked back. In the finals against Pakistan, I scored 75 runs.” With three fifties in the first T-20 World Cup, Gambhir was the highest run-getter in the tournament, which India won.

Just to silence his critics further, in the next 13 Tests, Gambhir scored eight centuries; it included the 137 he made in ten-and-a-half hours against New Zealand at Napiers to save the game for the country. Within a year of the T-20 World Cup, he had become the must-include player in all forms of cricket, be it Tests, ODIs, or T-20. He reached a peak, when his opening partner, Sehwag, called him the best opening batsman India has had since Sunil Gavaskar. Gambhir was on a cricketing high.

One has to admit that each time someone wrote

“SINCE I WAS ALWAYS

STRUGGLING FOR MY PLACE IN THE TEAM, CRICKET WAS

NEVER FUN FOR ME. MY ENJOYMENT WAS NOT IN PLAYING, BUT IN SCORING ENOUGH RUNS. IT WAS ALWAYS A LIFE-AND-DEATH

SITUATION FOR ME AND, OVER

TIME, I GOT USED TO IT. THAT’S WHY I AM SO HARD ON

MYSELF.”

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COVER STORY GREY STRIPED SUIT, SHIRT BOTH BY CANALI// TIE BY H20// POCKET SQUARE BY TIE RACK LONDON//BLACK SHOES BY CORZETTI

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Gambhir’s cricket obituary, he stepped out of his crease with aplomb, panache and character.

Each time, he hit them out of the park. The only time he was truly down and out was after he was left out of the ODI World Cup. For several weeks, Gambhir did not look at his bat, or went to a cricket ground. In those days, when he was alone and his international career seemed over, he seriously thought if he should quit cricket.

“I felt it was the time to do something else. But when you are sitting alone and thinking about it, sometimes it is a blessing in disguise to have lesser options. I thought that if I did not play cricket, then what would I do? Also, if I left cricket, I would be called a softie and people would think that I had given up simply because I wasn’t selected for the World Cup. That is when I said to myself that this was the time to dig deep, and do some soul searching.

“I HAVE NO DOUBTS ABOUT MY CRICKET.

SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO LEAVE THINGS TO DESTINY, AND YOUR CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITIES. IF IT IS

“I decided that even if I never played for India again, I would continue to score runs in domestic cricket. If you ask a batsman what gives him the maximum happiness, the answer is always going to be ‘scoring runs’. It is not about being selected for a team, but about performing for a team, even if it is only in first-class, and not international, matches. Tomorrow, if I score a century in a Ranji Trophy game, I will be happier than playing for India and not scoring runs.”

A new Gambhir GOING TO BE MY in the making LAST GAME, IT IS GOING TO BE MY LAST GAME. SO,

WHY SHOULDN’T I GO OUT AND GIVE IT MY BEST SHOT.”

Once Gambhir picked up his bat again, the rest, as they say, is history. But the experiences in 2007 made him a different person. “When you are down, your character comes to play. That is when your mental abilities and temperament get tested. If you can bounce back, it gives you confidence, not only as a cricketer but as a

human being as well. If you can do it in cricket, you can do it in normal life too. Cricket will end one day, but what I have learnt will remain with me throughout my life.”

This attitude reflects in his game today. Each time he walks out to bat for India, he knows that he has been in tough situations, he has got out of them and, therefore, he can do it again. “I have no doubts about my cricket. Sometimes you need to leave things to destiny, and your confidence in your abilities. If it is going to be my last game, it is going to be my last game. So, why shouldn’t I go out and give it my best shot. If there is no shortage of effort, results will follow, if not today then tomorrow.”

You can sense this emergence of a new Gambhir as you see him step out to a fast bowler and hit him over mid-off, or go on to his back foot to pull him over mid-wicket. Do you remember the cavalier manner in which he scored 150 not out in 137 balls in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Kolkata, just over a year ago, as India successfully chased a target of over 300 runs? Or, can one forget his two centuries in successive ODIs against New Zealand at Jaipur and Vadodara in December 2010?

However, there are a few things that Gambhir hasn’t been able to change. At some subconscious level, the bitter events of the past still affect his game and play on his conscious mind. He still takes too much pressure on himself; he takes too much blame on himself if his team loses and he hasn’t scored runs in the game. In a sense, he is pushing himself so much that he has stopped enjoying the game.

“If you are a kid, say 12-13 years old, you just want to go out into the ground and have some fun.

But even as a child, I could not do that. Since I was always struggling for my place in the team, cricket was never fun for me. My enjoyment was not in playing, but in scoring enough runs.

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COVER STORY

ON REEBOK ZIG SONIC

“Zig SONIC is a fantastic

technology and I have been training with these shoes for a long time. It has enhanced my training ability and made me tough. It has extra cushion for that extra comfort.

This technology is going to be a big success. As a sportsman, you want something that can enhance your performance and fitness. This has really done it for me.”

WORLD CUP FAN GEAR T SHIRT FOR INDIA BY REEBOK // ZIG SONIC, OFFICIAL REEBOK ICC TRAINER FOR WORLD CUP 2011

GAUTAM GAMBHIR.indd 69

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THE PRICE OF BEING GAMBHIR Gautam Gambhir’s annual

sponsorship income could be much less than many of his team mates such as Sachin Tendulkar, M.S. Dhoni or Virendra Sehwag.

Let’s acknowledge it, Gambhir does not have the face to launch a hundred (or thousand in the case of Sachin) ads. However, as a player, he is as valuable as any of the other three. In fact, some may think he is worth more. This was evident when the country figured out the real price of Gambhir as a player. It is $2.4 million, or over `11 crore. This was what the Kolkata Knight Riders paid to buy Gautam Gambhir during the recently-concluded IPL auction.

If one goes by the facts on paper.

KKR valued him to be more expensive than Sachin, Dhoni or Sehwag. But that hasn’t affected Gambhir. “For me, representing an over one billion people or the tri-colour is the biggest honour.

Going by the kind of passion Indians have for the game of cricket, money does not make any difference. It is about how you feel for the game.”

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COVER STORY PRINTED JACKET, BLUE SHIRT BOTH BY H2O// BLUE PRINTED KNITTED TIE BY ZARA//BLUE DENIMS BY BEVERLY POLO

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But almost immediately, Gambhir adds that the fact that he has played cricket for such a long period should be an indication of some sorts. No one can be there at the top for so long without enjoying the game, even though it may be in some perverse and hard manner. After all, sportsmen/women, including cricketers take a lot of pride in playing and performing for their country.

India’s tryst with 2011 World Cup In the last two ODI World Cups, India has been considered among the best teams, but it faltered – in 2003, it lost in the finals to Australia and, in 2007, it fared miserably. India’s experience of playing in the two World Cups in the subcontinent – in 1987 and 1996 – hasn’t been too good. Under M. S. Dhoni’s captaincy, India has not done well in other multilateral tournaments.

Apart from winning the first T-20 World Cup, where India was the underdog, it lost out in the next two. The same was the case in Champions Trophy, held in South Africa.

Still, India has the best odds to win the 2011 World Cup, followed by South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka. “One can never predict a favourite in these tournaments. The ODI World Cup is an unpredictable format, where a few overs

COVER STORY

It was always a life-and-death situation for me and, over time, I got used to it. That’s why I am so hard on myself. “In the past few years, I have tried to change this habit. But what has been a part of my character for the past 16 years cannot be changed in a space of one or two years. In another way, the old habit helps me in the present; it prevents me from taking things lightly, becoming complacent and taking things for granted. Also, the team has given me a responsibility, and there is also a responsibility that I take to represent my country. It does not allow me time to enjoy the game.”

going in favour of the batting or bowling side can change the fortunes in a particular game. I have never said that India is the favourite as I am more practical than emotional. I think we have a good side, but we have to play to our potential.

We also need a bit of luck.”

In the same vein, Gambhir adds that if India loses, the entire team should be willing to take the blame. “May be, the 11 in the previous competitions were not good enough. In the T-20 World Cups, we played badly and there is no shame in accepting it. In the Champions Trophy, we were far below par. But the guarantee is that we gave more than 100 per cent.”

What works in India’s favour is that the current team has performed consistently over the past three years; after all, you don’t become the No 1 Test side and No 2 ODI side without the performances to back you. During the recent tour to South Africa, where India has been hammered in the past, the team played well despite narrowly losing the ODI series.

“The most important thing will be to gel together as a unit. One person cannot win you the Cup. Sometimes, the small contributions make a huge difference. A century may not be that important as scoring 20 runs, when the team needs it most.

Taking a wicket at a crucial stage can help a team win than taking 3-4 wickets. If India can take the crunch situations and turn them around in its favour, if the team can keep its calm under pressure, it will help. For, there will be times in the World Cup when the team will be under the boiler and a lot of pressure will build up.”

We just hope, India will somehow find the safety valves in such situations, and win the Cup. We have the team, we have the captain, we have the pitches, and we will have over a billion people cheering the players. But will Team India do it this time, 28 years after 1983? Who knows? Well, even Gambhir did not give us a straight answer on that one.

THE WORLD CUP IS AN

UNPREDICTABLE FORMAT. A FEW

OVERS HERE AND THERE CAN CHANGE THE FORTUNES OF A TEAM. I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT INDIA IS THE FAVOURITE AS I AM MORE

PRACTICAL THAN EMOTIONAL. I

THINK WE HAVE A GOOD SIDE, BUT WE HAVE TO PLAY TO OUR POTENTIAL. WE

ALSO NEED A BIT OF LUCK.”

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O

nly 18 one-day internationals had been played before the first World Cup in 1975. This is a startling pace of evolution compared to World Cups in other sports that came into being after decades of international matches. It is also at variance with the chief characteristic of the game in general, which embraces change slowly, almost reluctantly.

Review the footage of those matches.

Bowlers had one simple intent – to keep the ball out of the batsman’s reach; the latter’s response was similarly onedimensional – to smash the cover off the ball. Not even scratch games with hastily drawn teams in our backyards is played that way any more.

In the inaugural tournament, Sunil Gavaskar batted 60 overs for 36 runs as if to prove a point. What that point was nobody knows, but it included disdain for the new format. In fact, disdain was the prevailing attitude among Indians then and remained that way till 1983 when, quite unexpectedly, they won the Cup. Overnight, indifference and disdain

Caught B WLED The 2011 edition of the Cup has the responsibility of erasing the memories of the over-priced, over-long 2007 tournament. More importantly, it has the responsibility to create an atmosphere in which the format itself can survive. With Twenty20 cricket and IPL ready to take over ODIs, this could be the last World Cup as we know it.

By Suresh Menon

turned into a desperate passion.

One-day cricket was Test cricket by the same means.

It wasn’t an extension of the older game, merely a compression of it. But two strains emerged from the World Cup of the 70s – the importance of fielding, so brilliantly demonstrated by Viv Richards in the 1975 final when he ran out three Australian batsmen; and the importance of keeping wickets for the ‘slog’ overs.

Australia did in 1975 what they were to do in later Cups – focused on taking wickets.

It seemed a revolutionary concept then, and it seems a revolutionary concept now.

Perhaps because the emphasis is usually on keeping down the runs instead. Yet, even through the years when India lost to Sri Lanka (who were not yet a Test nation), and had only one win, against lowly East Africa to show for their two campaigns, one trend was emerging which would be picked up only decades later. The role of the spinner. It wasn’t fashionable yet, but Bishan Bedi and S. Venkatraghavan were pioneers in a sense.

The World Cup really came into its own only in 1983, the year India beat the West Indies twice, the more crucially in the final. Bits-and-pieces players attained respectability, and went from being redundant to becoming vital. Pinchhitter Krishnamachari Srikkanth had announced his arrival the previous season although at the World Cup he was more sober. Kapil Dev led by a combination of instinct and personal example.

Srikkanth’s top score in that 1983 final, 38, took 57 deliveries. It was considered a swashbuckling innings. Today he might be dropped for slow batting if he maintained that rate.

That one triumph changed the face of one-day cricket, and not just as a tactical game on the field. It opened the financial floodgates in India; colour television that had just entered the country the previous year at the Asian Games ensured that every victory was viewed in many hues.

A new audience evolved in the subcontinent that was to sustain the world game. It was suddenly cool to like one-day cricket. Victory had removed its stigma as a bastard child of the game played by Grace and Ranji and Bradman. That 1983 win was as important to India as it was to world cricket.

Had the West Indies won again, it might have killed the sport as competition. India, already unhappy at the new form, might have turned its attention elsewhere.

Victory was a historical necessity. Every

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That win also meant that the World Cup began to travel. It came to India four years later, and was won by an

emerging Australian side under Allan Border.

All the previous theories had to be discarded on the slower, lower pitches of the subcontinent. The heroes were not the big hitters or fiery bowlers; they were the innovative Australian bowlers like Steve Waugh, later to be caricatured as the dibbly-dobbly bowlers who took the pace off the ball, forcing the batsman to sometimes reach for it and at other times to slap at it without getting into position.

By 1992, the Packer changes of a decade-anda-half earlier were incorporated in Australia and New Zealand. Coloured clothing, white balls, night matches and a strange rain rule (not Packer’s idea, and before the equally incomprehensible DuckworthLewis system) brought in all the excitement. Pinch hitters came into their own;

and so too did innovative captaincy of the Martin Crowe variety. Cricketers were finally beginning to think out of the box.

Yet, the team that experimented the least and stuck to the tried and tested methods of Test cricket won the tournament. Pakistan were unaffected by the prevailing atmosphere. In Wasim Akram they had the bowler who made the difference, and in Imran Khan the captain who kept everything within the box, so to speak. The final continued to be about taking wickets and scoring runs, not denying wickets and denying runs.

CRICKET WORLD CUP

change in the one-day game flowed from that, although since we are closer to the Kerry Packer cosmetic changes, that series tends to get the bigger credit for establishing the one-day game as a watchable, marketable entertainment.

Four years later, Sri Lanka brought to their cricket a combination of intelligent hitting (Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva were outstanding), and the ability of most of their batsmen to bowl.

They became both the emotional and cricketing favourites despite ending India’s aspirations on a fiery evening at the Eden Gardens. In the final, they took on Australia and turned them around.

In England three years later (to get the World Cup back on the four-year cycle from 1975 following the southern hemisphere tournament five years after 1987), Australia brooked no opposition.

Rahul Dravid might have emerged the best batsman, but Australia were the superior team. Were the beginnings of match-fixing first sighted here? There were a couple of upsets – a year later all upsets became suspect when it was realised that these were planned and manufactured and had nothing to do with the spontaneous flow of sport.

By the time the World Cup came to South Africa, India had gone 20 years without playing a final. The possibility of advertisers losing interest and money being directed elsewhere was a real one. After all, who would want to buy toothpaste from a losing team? And buying toothpastes and cars and adhesives had kept

A SENIOR BOARD OFFICIAL SAID THAT THE FORMAT WAS TWEAKED

SO THAT INDIA AND PAKISTAN REMAINED IN THE TOURNAMENT

TILL THE QUARTERFINAL AT LEAST. WHETHER THINGS HAVE BEEN FURTHER TWEAKED SO INDIA PLAY PAKISTAN IN THE QF OR LATER FALLS IN THE REALM OF NAUGHTY SPECULATION.

THE FORMAT IS INDIA’S REAL HOME ADVANTAGE, AND NOT THE

FAMILIARITY WITH WICKETS, GROUNDS OR WEATHER.

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Against all odds, it was an India-Australia final; not so surprisingly, Australia won.

Ricky Ponting’s outstanding century settled the issue long before the Indian batting crumbled. Australia’s outcricket throughout was outstanding. They took wickets, held catches and scored runs at will. It has always been their way, and they stuck to their strengths.

All-rounders who could slide in and out of situations, changing them around with one spell of incisive bowling or a phase of sustained hitting or a brilliant catch or throw treated television viewers to the greater possibilities in the game.

Total cricket – something hinted at by the Sri Lankan team that won in 1996 – was refined. It was an experiment Greg Chappell brought to India when he took over as coach, sending a bowler in at number three or making surprise changes just so everybody knew everyone else’s job. It was rather like a youngster being asked to work in the various departments of a company – finance, marketing, production, HR for the experience and the understanding of the big picture. It worked for a while and then collapsed.

By the time the World Cup came to the West Indies in 2007, it had become bloated, unwieldy, poorly organised and the greed began to show. Australia won again – they have won 23 matches in a row since 1999 – and deserved to, although Sri Lanka had their supporters from around the world.

For one, no neutral fan likes a monopoly, and Australia had begun to dominate in the manner of the early West Indies. And for another, the Sri Lankans brought to the game a combination of creativity and innocence that was charming. It was 1996 all over again, but with a different result.

The pressure on the 2011 Cup is great.

It has the responsibility of erasing the memories of the over-priced, over-long 2007 tournament. More importantly, it has the responsibility to create the atmosphere in which the format itself can survive. With Twenty20 cricket and the IPL ready to take over the limited-over version of the game, it is possible that – despite the hosts of the next two editions having been chosen – this could be the last World Cup as we know it.

The International Cricket Council’s refusal to learn from the 2007 debacle when the tournament went on for 46 days, have given us a 43-day tournament which, for the first month is entirely meaningless.

Till March 23, the teams will be battling it out mainly to decide which of West Indies or Bangladesh go through to the quarterfinal. India, anointed as favourites,

CRICKET WORLD CUP

cricket in the world humming.

can afford to lose three games and still qualify. In other words, the first 42 matches are largely inconsequential.

Then come the quarterfinals (knockout).

This situation was brought about by the thoughtful work of the officials who realised that if India exit early, the financial losses could run into millions of dollars. A senior Board official has said with startling honesty that the format was tweaked so that India and Pakistan remained in the tournament till the quarterfinal at least. Whether things have been further tweaked so India play Pakistan in the quarterfinals or later falls in the realm of naughty speculation. The format is India’s real home advantage, and not the familiarity with wickets, grounds or weather. India, South Africa and England should qualify from Group B, leaving the West Indies and Bangladesh to fight it out for the fourth berth. In Group A, it is quite straightforward, with Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka expected to qualify.

The great advantage of playing the World Cup in the sub-continent is that teams like Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand will not be under the kind of pressure that India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh will be. In 1987, the tournament was won by Australia who came to India as the underdogs, with Ashes defeats behind them, and thus nothing to lose. They gained in strength and confidence with every match played.

Likewise in 1996, Sri Lanka were the outsiders (and still the only hosts to win, although the final was played in Kolkata). Each time India were the hot favourites, and each time they lost in similar circumstances, a combination of poor captaincy and panic-driven batting leading to their downfall. Both times they fielded first on winning the toss, which was not the smart thing to do.

More than who wins or loses this year, it will be interesting to see how much the game has evolved. Has the 50-over game reached its strategic and tactical limit, a plateau from where nothing more creative or challenging can be extracted?

If so, then there is even greater possibility that the format is likely to have its funeral here. The ‘challenge’ of the power play which is being made much of is just a question of familiarity and common sense. Some captains know how to take advantage, others see it as a necessary evil.

But that by itself is not enough to prolong the format if nothing fresh emerges.

One way or the other, then, whether the format thrives hereafter or finishes here, the 2011 World Cup will have a significance denied to its predecessors.

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1975

No speeding, please: Traffic cop Viv Richards runs out Australia

I

f ever a fielder deserved to be the Man of the Match, let alone a final, it was Viv Richards in the first World Cup final on June 21, 1975. In those early days of limited over’s cricket, a fielder was more an embellishment than a necessity. But that summer evening on the year’s longest day, Richards gave a whole new dimension to the art of throwing and sowed seeds for an art that would become an integral part of limited over’s cricket.

AND THE

changed WORLD FOREVER

by V. Krishnaswamy

Later in his career, he would be known for destructive batting, but in the 1975 World Cup, Richards the batsman, was conspicuous by his absence – a paltry 38 runs in four innings for an average of 12.66. It was the lowest among all West Indian batsmen that World Cup. Below him were only Andy Roberts, whose only batting display in that edition was an unbeaten 24, which helped West Indies avert a defeat against Pakistan, and Lance Gibbs, who in his only match did not bat!

Yet it was ‘Traffic Cop’ Richards who thwarted Australia’s title bid. First he ran Alan Turner out with a direct hit. Then Greg Chappell, who had a mix-up with brother Ian. The final nail in the coffin, as it were, was when the elder Chappell himself was sent back by a Richards special. ‘Chappell I’ pushed to the left of Richards and started for a run; seeing Richards he stopped; Richards fumbled and Chappell ran again. Richards swooped and sent a side-arm flick to Lloyd, who took the bails off and the Aussie skipper, way short, kept running towards the pavilion. And West Indies kept running towards the Cup.

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Photograph: Bob Thomas/Getty Images

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1983

A big heart is the best mantra, a la Kapil Dev

H

e had saved India from a certain defeat with the 175 not out against Zimbabwe. And then in the final against two-time defending champions West Indies, India had just put up 183 for the Clive Lloyd’s giants. Kapil’s plan for his team – Fight it out and give it your best!

Photographs: Getty Images

Krish Srikkanth hooked a vicious bouncer from Andy Roberts for a six and then went down on his knee to square drive Roberts to the Tavern boundary for four. Seven fours and one six in an innings of 38, which was to prove the highest score of the final. Still Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding had done well to bowl India out for 183, a total that should have been a breeze for the imperious Windies, armed with a weapon of mass destruction called Viv Richards.

Then Balwinder Singh Sandhu, long before Shane Warne, bowled the greatest of all deliveries in World Cup cricket. Early in the innings he bowled an in-swinger that Gordon Greenidge shouldered and realised only too late that it was coming in. Greenidge had his shoulders up and the ball swung in to clip the top of the bails. It was the most famous non-shot of all time!

Still Richards was there and with the target being so paltry, he would not be able to get a second successive century in a World Cup final – he had smashed one against England in 1979.

Madan Lal, the kind of a bowler for whom the term Military Medium Pace was coined, induced Richards to mistime a hook over mid-wicket. The ball wildly swirling in the air and Kapil Dev was trying to go for it. No one at Lord’s or anyone else watching it anywhere in the world, ever imagined Kapil would get to it, let alone hold it.

Kapil ran back and stretched himself back over his shoulder and reached for the ball. And held it! Richards gone.

India marched ahead as West Indies caved in for 140. Kapil holding the trophy on the balcony of Lord’s – quite easily the greatest moment in Indian cricket, maybe Indian sport itself.

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1992

‘Bird-man’ Rhodes brings aviation into cricket

I

f Viv Richards’ deadly arm spelt doom for Australia in 1975, Jonty Rhodes in 1992 created magic moment that turned fielding into a subject of art. It was only his first World Cup and he marked the match with a run out of Craig McDermott of Australia. But it was later in the tournament that Rhodes shot into fame at Brisbane.

South Africa made 211 in 50 overs and Pakistan’s chase was reduced to 36 overs by rain and their target was brought down to 194. Inzamam-ul Haq, then a newcomer spotted by the imperial Imran Khan, was at 48 and he was in the company of the Khan himself with Pakistan 135 for two. The ball went towards Rhodes, who ‘flew’ in from backward point, pounced on the ball and then proceeded to race down Inzamam to the wicket.

And then he took an unscheduled flight – with the ball in his hand Rhodes dived into the wicket and broke the stumps. Inzamam was run out and Pakistan stumbled from there on and finished at 173 for 8 and South Africa won by 20 runs.

The moment had been frozen for posterity.

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 1992

Stodgy Greatbatch metamorphoses into a ‘pinch-hitter’

I

n November 1989, Mark Greatbatch occupied the crease for 14 hours through days and faced 485 balls while scoring 146 not out and saved Australia from certain defeat in what may have been one of stodgiest innings to save a match. Three years later in the World Cup the same Greatbatch gave birth to the idea of a pinch-hitter, which in time has gone on to a new level.

In the third match against South Africa, Greatbatch was picked in place of the injured John Wright. Faced with a none-too-tough task of scoring 190 in 50 overs, Greatbatch opening with Rod Latham, gave the concept of hitting a new dimension. The duo put on 103 runs in the first 15 over and won by seven wickets with 15.3 overs to spare. Greatbatch made 68 in 60 balls with nine fours and two sixes.

The date, ironically February 29, a date that occurs only once every four years, just as such innovations turn up only once in a long while. In the next few matches, the concept was repeated with great success and India was among those facing the brunt of his savage attack. He made 63 in 77 balls against West Indies and 72 in 77 balls against India, besides 35 in 37 against England and 42 in 67 in the last league match against Pakistan.

But in the semis, he was outdone in his own trade by Inzamam. But that’s another story.

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DJ Imran mixes eighties with the nineties; Inzi arrives

T

he 1992 World Cup was an edition of innovations. Martin Crowe used spinner Dipak Patel to open the bowling and turned the once-stodgy Mark Greatbatch into the game’s first successful pinchhitter, but none mixed it better than Captain Imran Khan. Even as these innovations stared everyone in their face, Imran looked at getting his team to play in a structured manner.

That modus operandi: Make 150 in the first 35-40 overs and then smash the daylights out of the opposition in the last 10 overs to get to 250-260.

Then Imran would by turns toss the ball to pacer Wasim Akram and leggie Mushtaq Ahmed to bowl the

opposition out instead of containing them. Simple! But in the 1992 semifinal, the on-the-roll New Zealand made 263 and Pakistan chasing it were streets behind needing 123 in the last 15 overs. Imran at No. 3 made 44 in 93 balls and the combative Javed Miandad 57 in 69 balls. Then came Inzamam. He made 60 in 37 balls with seven fours and one six, before he was dismissed – run out, how else! Kiwis were shell-shocked and Pakistan won with six balls to spare.

CRICKET WORLD CUP



1992

Next the final against England: Inzamam, Wasim and a flurry of extra resulted in 99 in the last 10 over to take their team to 249. Then Wasim Akram broke England’s back with Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis snared in two successive deliveries to make it 141 for six. Despite the tail wagging and Neil Fairbrother putting up a fight, Pakistan won by 22 runs. Captain Khan’s picture of raised arms with the World Cup is by far the best visual to have emerged from Pakistan

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 1992

Check the weather and be friends with God

I

t was South Africa’s return to the World Cup and they seemed to be doing alright. Apartheid had been put behind and the likes of Allan Donald, the ‘Greased Lightning’, and the ‘Birdman’ Jonty Rhodes were the new hope for the South Africans. They beat Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe and reached the semi-finals.

England made 252 for six in 45 overs, after the match on account of rain was reduced by five overs. As the sky darkened, South Africa were still in with a great chance as they needed 22 runs off 13 balls and Brian McMillan

with 21 off 21 balls at the wicket.

Then it became unreal. It rained for precisely 12 minutes and the umpires conferred on to reduce the overs. The giant electronic scoreboard first said 22 off seven balls and then it said 22 off ONE ball. The rules then used were “Highest scoring overs” and that paved for the complicated Duckworth-Lewis Rule. To-date there is confusion on what the right target ought to have been or what would it have been if D/L was used then.

At the same World Cup, rain saved Pakistan from defeat against England after being bowled out for 74. Rain washed away the second innings and the match was abandoned as noresult, giving Pakistan two valuable points that took them into the semifinals at the expense of hosts Australia.

Pakistan, thanking God for that reprieve, went on to beat England in the final and win the World Cup.

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CRICKET WORLD CUP

 1996

Jayasuriya and Kalu pinch-hit till it hurts from both sides

M

artin Crowe sowed the seeds in 1992 and Arjuna Ranatunga reaped the benefits in 1996. What Mark Greatbatch – and to some extent Rod Latham – did for New Zealand, the Sri Lankans sent two middle-order batsmen, Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana, out to open and indulge in over-the-top hitting, the likes of which had never been seen before. With the field drawn in for the first 15 overs and batting on a flat wickets in the sub-continent, Jayasuriya and Kalu attacked from both ends, unlike the old cricket dictum – while one player attacks, the other player keeps the wicket intact.

What Jayasuriya and Kalu did that summer while winning the World Cup for Sri Lanka may well have been the preview to what we see in T20. Their skipper Arjuna Ranatunga backed them fully, for even in the event of a failure by the openers, he had a line-up that included Aravinda de Silva, Asanka Gurusinha, Hashan Tillakaratne and Roshan Mahanama apart from Ranatunga himself.

It didn’t always work, but even the two or three times they succeeded, it was enough to spark off a new line of thought in limited over’s cricket. Still Jayasuriya made 221 runs at a strike rate of 131-plus and Kalu made 73 runs at a strike 140-plus. That gave Lanka the electric start they needed.

In future, teams would begin to use such a strategy in 50-over and T20.

It was Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, and then Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag in India, and for Australia it was Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden; and in West Indies, it was Chris Gayle and anyone else!

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 1999



Pay attention to your maths teacher, before you play cricket

Africa gasping. But Klusener began his assault. When Steve Elworthy left, it came down to 16 with one wicket left. Paul Reiffel could not hold on to a bullet-like shot from Klusener and then it was nine from the last over. Fleming bowled the last over and they were full length yorkers, both smashed to the boundary by Klusener. The scores were level. Klusener so cool till then began to show tension and he pulled one to mid-on and Donald at the non-striker’s end was almost run out by Darren Lehmann.

I

t could go down as the heaviest penalty ever for a not paying attention to your maths teacher!

South Africa playing Australia in the semi-final at Edgbaston seemed to be stuttering and stumbling, but yet reached the gate. Alas, they were stranded on the line, unable to cross it. South Africa did well to bowl out Australia for 213. But chasing that was not all that easy. They were reduced to 175 for six in the 45th over and in that Shane Warne had bowled a brilliant spell which saw him snare Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten and Hansie Cronje in the space of eight balls. In walked Lance Klusener.

Soon Shaun Pollock was dismissed by Damien Fleming and Glenn McGrath castled Mark Boucher to leave South

Another perfect yorker and Klusener mishit it and set off for a single. Donald kept watching the ball and then in the confusion, he dropped the bat and started running. Mark Waugh at mid-on flicked the ball to Fleming, who scared that he might miss the striker’s end, rolled the ball to Adam Glichrist.

As Donald ran towards his end, Gilchrist picked the rolling ball and took off the bails. The match was tied and the South Africans did not realise till a few minutes later that Australia had moved into the final on a better net run rate. Klusener had done all but failed to get that last run!

Photograph : Popperfoto/Getty Images

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Straight and narrow at start; McGrath is smart at death, too

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ine and Length is the name of his book and Glenn McGrath bowled that perfectly. Like the pinch-hitter, a bowler good at start becomes brilliant if he can control the flow in the Death Overs, too. McGrath, who holds virtually all major bowling records at the World Cup, showed that to deadly effect against West Indies in a group match in 1999. Predicting before the match that he would sort out Brian Lara, he did just that.

CRICKET WORLD CUP

1999

Australia needed to beat West Indies to progress to the Super Sixes and McGrath promised a five-wicket haul.

The belief and the pressure he put on himself and the opposition was amazing. West Indies were bowled out for 110 and McGrath had five for 14, including Lara, who actually came to face McGrath’s hat-trick ball after dismissing Sherwin Campbell and Jimmy Adams. Lara survived but left a little later to a superb delivery that angled on the middle stump and clipped the top. In 14 balls he had taken three top batsmen. He came back later to add another two for a fiver.

In 39 World Cup matches, McGrath had 71 wickets at the best strike rate of 27.5. Twenty six of the 71 wickets came in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies. One of the only four bowlers to have taken five or more wickets in a ODI twice, his best was seven for 15 against Namibia in 2003. He played four World Cups and was part of the three winning teams in 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Wasim Akram, too, was a fine bowler at Death through his World Cup career, which fetched him 55 wickets.

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1999/ 2003

Art of finishing as crafted by ‘Pyjama Picasso’, Michael Bevan

T

he final goal of any match is to win it. Simple as it sounds, there is nothing tougher to achieve, when faced with a situation like needing 70odd runs to win and your own team’s score being 135 for eight. That standout innings was Michael Bevan’s 74 not out in the company of Andy Bichel, who a few hours earlier in the same game had taken seven for 20, against England in the 2003 World Cup. A loss would not have knocked Australia out, but winning from such a state

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did convince all Australia were nearinvincible.

Bevan, whom his skipper Steve Waugh called the ‘Pyjama Picasso’, reveled in such situations and almost always delivered. Never the most attractive batsman to watch, nor the biggest of hitters, but he was the most effective when it came to delivering the goods. Arjuna Ranatunga and Javed Miandad had more in-the-face combative attitude, but Bevan won more matches. He was a key player for Australia in both the 1999 and 2003 World Cup-winning teams. That Bevan was the ideal man to finish the job is more than amply demonstrated in a statistic that shows him 67 times unbeaten in a total of 232 onedayers he played. Another even more impressive stat: Bevan was not out 25 times in 45 of Australia’s successful run chases in one-dayers!

3/1/2011 1:52:51 PM

CRICKET WORLD CUP

2007

Even if you are not fit, stay alert

D

wayne Leverock of Bermuda is as unlikely a cricketer you will ever see. Living above a curry house in Bermuda, he is by profession a policeman, who also drives a prison van. Nicknamed ‘Sluggo’, he tipped the scales at 20 stones (280 pounds) and is by far one of the heaviest players in international cricket. But on that day against India, Bermuda were in focus, soon after having beaten Sri Lanka in a major upset.

In the day’s second over bowled by a 17-year-old debutant Malachi Jones, the first ball just outside the off-stump was gingerly prodded at by opener Robin Uthappa. The ball flew way to the right of Leverock who was standing at wide first slip. Had he thought, Leverock would have realised he had no chance. But he just flew to his left and in the manner of a huge jumbo he launched himself at the ball, which stuck to his right hand.

So stunned was he that Leverock ran all over and blew kisses to the crowd and soon had a big fan following despite India plundering 413 for five in 50 overs against them and Leverock himself going for 96 in 10 overs.

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TIMES 2011 Strategies to win the

WORLD CUP

By Binoo K. John

y fingers are flying over my new Apple Mac desktop (one Tetrabyte memory and a 27 inch screen making it seem I am working on a movie screen), unable to contain its joy at being invited

by M magazine to reenter a field one had left wide open for the novitiates to strut their stuff. So as well give them all the big funda: Ten strategies for the World Cup. Any Indian on the street can tell you this.

But M chose me. Hey Hey!

M

and television anchors to earn a living.

After all, there are only six or seven big cricket playing nations and so about a 100 watchable cricket players. But a huge industry keeps these 100 players going.

It is a clear case of one billion chasing one hundred. In India itself, there are over 500 cricket reporters and editors trying to earn a living by interpreting the game so few people in the world play with any amount of interest, conviction or expertise.

Often it seems that cricket is more for theoriticians, armchair critics, journos

Cricket is totally unathletic. It is dominated by the most unspringy of

people (Rahul Dravid, Daniel Vettori), captains of each team are meant to know to an extent how the Duckworth Lewis system, a complex method of calculating average runs per over scored, works, pot-bellied men like Arjuna Ranatunga have lifted the World Cup panting like a bitch in heat, another pot-bellied slip fielder from a Pacific island who played in the last World Cup, fielded at slips and heaved himself like an injured pachyderm to take a catch (now used as a promo for this World Cup), batsmen who have had to run 60 or 70 singles in a day have taken the rest of the season

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CRICKET WORLD CUP

Photographs : Getty Images

No run-outs Don’t go for cheeky singles. Or for casual singles. Go for cheeky hits to the boundary. Risky singles should start only when the chase gets a big tough. But the bigger scorer among the duo out there must refuse all risky singles. Those lost runs can be made up later. off to recuperate, ankles are twisted, the pectorals stretched, the hamstring torn, all by just a leap and as a matter of routine.

Half of today’s cricketers will not be able to lift the basic minimum weights which I saw the paraplegics lift in the justconcluded Commonwealth Games.

One of India’s best known cricketers, the late Dilip Sardesai (whom many of our giggly TV experts would not have heard about), took the cake for this. Once laggardly chasing the ball that was directed to the boundary at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sardesai realised that the

batsmen had already run four before the ball and he reached the boundary, and he prevented the fifth run by kicking the ball over the fence. In cricket, mind often scores over matter. The most well-known laggard, Inzamam-ul Haq, who is rated one of the best batsmen to have played the game, was dreaded by his batting partners because he would run them out.

No wonder that this game is the passion of the most unathletic of races on the world, the South Asians, all three of whom have won the World Cup, giving these nations a false sense of physical

attainment. The fourth, Bangladesh, will surely catch up. I believe that the good race can be run only by superior athletic tribes. I was not all surprised to see the Indian soccer team being given a lesson in sport, stamina and skill by the Japanese and Australians, vastly superior athletic peoples in the just-concluded AFC soccer tournament. But in cricket we can run them down.

So welcome to the World Cup of the differently abled. Actually, the pitch is also a drawing board. So captains read this before you take the field next time.

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2. So, hit out and get out No Dravidian (the person, not the race!) strategy. No walls. Open the floodgates of courage and daring. Every batsman, or rather every player going out to bat must hit a six or a four as minimum qualification to be considered for the next match. In an ODI, only two or three will have the time to score above 50. The rest will have to chip in with at least 75 per cent of the runs with this strategy.

3. Treat all bowlers alike

Difficult to do this, but don’t give some bowlers special status. Bring them down to earth. With one sixer. That’s it.

4. Chase every ball

Don’t give up chasing till the ball has crossed the boundary. Indian fielders give up running after the ball much earlier than fielders of athletic nations like Australia.

5. Avoid too much nets

Most cricketing injuries are caused at the nets because various things are tried out, fast bowlers bowl super fast etc etc.

Opt for nets only on the morning of a match. Focus the mind, breathe free.

Keep up the camaraderie in the team even after a surprise loss.

Remind everyone that this is a sport.

Don’t rotate strike

Another big cliché favoured by Sunil Gavaskar. Why rotate the strike with a cheeky single. Only two batsmen will have the time to score really big.

They should be selfish, keep the other guy out and hit merrily. Yusuf Pathan is a good example of this. Treat the non-striker as a non-striker.

Don’t worry about his score.

Worry about yours.

6. Run them out

Just as unnecessary and close singles should be avoided, try to trap the other team into taking singles and run them out.

Fielders at deep and mid regions should deliberately fumble with the ball to force the batsmen into a run and trap them. There will be numerous such new strategies in the WC. But always beware. Don’t persist if it doesn’t work.

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CRICKET CR C RIC ICKE KET W WO WORLD ORL RLD CU C CUP UP

8. Treat sixes like fours

Maybe, list the bowlers off whom sixes can be scored. Batsmen like Gautam Gambhir who step out easily should be told to go for the big one.

9. Select utility players

Only two specialist bowlers. India has to treat Harbhajan Singh, the third bowler, as an all-rounder with targets given for runs to be scored.

10. Dump the cliché

Cricket, as I said earlier, is the fantasy of the arm-chair critics and the couch potato. No wonder it is full of clichés, mostly unscientific.

One-day cricket is made for batsmen. For example, there is no limit to the number of overs a batsman can face, but a bowler can’t bowl more than ten. (Why can’t at least one bowler in a team be allowed to bowl unstopped?)

Don’t worry about cloud cover, grass on the pitch, velocity, angle of turn, Duckworth, left-arm spinner or right-arm military medium.

Slam-Bam, give me the cup Mam!

Conclusion:

Though everyone is willing India to win the cup, it is quite unlikely. Reasons are many: Sachin Tendulkar is playing for immortality. M. S. Dhoni has too much pressure on him which would have eased if Robin Uthappa (or Parthiv Patel) who can keep wickets was in the team in place of Suresh Raina who has been sorted out or Piyush Chawla who will be sorted out.

Media will go berserk, due to the large number of reports and critics trying to make a killing (like this reporter). Too many players in the Indian team will be playing with an injury scare. That means 50 per cent of them gone. On Indian pitches, Munaf Patel will be easy meat.

So big problems here.

MY FAVOURITE TO WIN THE CUP IS SOUTH

AFRICA. DESPITE THE MEDIA MYTH THAT THEY ARE CHOKERS.

REASON: HASHIM HAMLA, JACQUES KALLIS, DALE STEYN AND MORNE MORKEL.

AND IMAGINE IF

GRAEME SMITH HITS FORM.

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11 MEN ON A

DARK HORSE Before the 1983 World Cup victory, Indians behaved as if one-dayers were a pimple on the face of real cricket, one that would disappear quickly. But June 25 changed everything.

1983

might have been just another unmemorable year for India.

The monsoons were good and the Congress government, in the timetested manner, took credit for it. There was communal violence in Punjab and Assam. The former would lead to the assassination of Indira Gandhi, who was prime minister then. She was head of the Non-Aligned Movement and host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet – talking shops invested with great prestige in a country whose influence in world politics was negligible. The year was unmemorable, but for one event that changed sport, changed cricket, and changed the way middle-class Indians saw themselves.

In the half-century since India had made their Test debut – on June 25, 1932, on the same date and at the same venue where they would lift the World Cup in 1983 – the maharajahs and the nawabs had gone, to be replaced by collegeeducated Brahmins, the backbone of the middle class. But already the next phase was beginning to reveal itself.

The inspirational captain of the World

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Photograph: Getty Images

3/1/2011 2:12:07 PM

by Suresh Menon

Before the World Cup, India had played only 40 one-day internationals in the decade or so that the format had been around. “We didn’t take the game seriously,” said India’s first ODI captain, Ajit Wadekar, “We had no idea of field placings or tactics.” Indians behaved as if one-day cricket was a pimple on the face of real cricket, one that would disappear quickly.

This attitude was exemplified by India’s best batsman, Sunil Gavaskar. In the 1975 World Cup (60 overs a side), after England had made 334 for 4, he batted through the innings to remain not out on 36. Had he been dropped from the team then, or had he voluntarily pulled out, India’s approach in the early years might have been different. His attitude affected the team, the officials, the media.

Supporting the one-day game was seen as a sell-out.

Yet, ironically, it was Gavaskar who played the most significant innings in the pre-1983 era; one that was to fill the team with self-belief, and lead to India’s most important victory before the World Cup. In the previous season, the Indian selectors had made one of those inspired moves for which they were criticised at the time but which shone like a beacon of common sense in hindsight. They named Kapil Dev captain of the one-day side.

Under Kapil, India beat Sri Lanka 3-0, and lost to Pakistan 1-3, but the nucleus of a team took shape. It was a team built on the dual skills of the all-rounder, and a team that understood the importance of the medium-pacer.

In the 1970s, spinners like Bishan Bedi and Srinivas Venkatraghavan had focused on claiming wickets; now the medium-pacers borrowed from England’s strategy and concentrated on keeping the runs down. In those two series, Kapil was assisted

by Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath, Balwinder Sandhu, Roger Binny and Sandip Patil. It was the attack that won them the World Cup. On March 29, with the World Cup 72 days away, India beat twice champions West Indies in Berbice, Guyana. Gavaskar made his first 50 in 52 balls, Kapil Dev made 72 off 38 balls and India 282 for 5 in 47 overs. Madan Lal dismissed Viv Richards for 64, and Ravi Shastri had three wickets as the West Indies finished with 255 to lose by 27 runs. But the statistics of that win were not as important as the impact it had on a team that thought the essence of one-day cricket was simply to turn up and go through the motions.

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COLUMN

Cup-winning team, Kapil Dev, was neither collegeeducated nor Brahmin. A generation or so later, Mahatma Gandhi’s India, the one that lives in the villages, would push into the background Nehru’s India of the cities, and international players would emerge from Najafgarh, Rae Bareilly, Bharuch, Palarivattom, Aligarh, Jalandhar and Ranchi.

When Kapil Dev led against West Indies in India’s opening match of the 1983 World Cup, bookmakers’ odds on India were 66-1. But this was a different team psychologically. It was a team that was confident under a 24-year-old captain who was almost un-Indian in his self-assurance. Seven of the players in the final were in their twenties.

There had been no conscious call to youth, but this was a new awakening, a reappraisal of longheld beliefs.

Only two people believed India could beat the odds. Former Australian captain Kim Hughes, who thought India were “dark horses”, and the late Sunder Rajan, who writing in the Times of India predicted an Indian win. Neither had much to go by. India had lost a match at the previous World Cup to Sri Lanka, then not yet a Test-playing country, and their only victory had been against East Africa.

While the team was creating upsets in England, the fans back home were transfixed in their drawing rooms, before shop windows, in offices, clubs and anywhere a television could be accommodated. Colour TV had come to India the previous year with the Asian Games in Delhi.

Suddenly it all came together – television and live telecast from distant fields, an audience hungry for action, a significant victory, and the awareness of the marketing possibilities – and the first steps towards India’s domination of world cricket were taken. Among those who had tuned in was future India captain Rahul Dravid, then ten years old. “I remember watching that final in Bangalore,” he recalled. “That win inspired a lot of young kids to take to the game.”

From no-hopers to world champions is a huge leap, and led by Kapil Dev, India took it almost casually.

Soon they won the Asia Cup in Sharjah and the World Championship of Cricket in Australia. But that was only the immediate fallout. Just as the players made that huge leap, so too did the fans (and the BCCI). One-day cricket went from being dog’s dinner to emperor’s feast. There’s nothing like an international victory to ease the path towards acceptance. History was merely repeating itself with the win in the World Twenty20 last year.

But 1983 was the turning point. Soon the World Cup moved out of England. Within a decade England and Australia lost their veto power, and after the second World Cup in the subcontinent, Jagmohan Dalmiya became the president of the ICC. When, having made 33 in 28 balls Viv Richards lofted Madan Lal in that 1983 final, the cricket world stood still. Kapil Dev took the most significant catch in India’s history. From that moment, the world rearranged itself so India would emerge as the game’s superpower. Cricket would never be the same again.

WHEN KAPIL DEV LED AGAINST WEST INDIES IN INDIA’S OPENING MATCH OF THE 1983 WORLD CUP, BOOKMAKERS’

ODDS ON INDIA WERE 66-1. BUT THIS

WAS A DIFFERENT TEAM

PSYCHOLOGICALLY.

IT WAS A TEAM THAT WAS CONFIDENT UNDER A 24-YEAR-OLD CAPTAIN WHO WAS ALMOST

UN-INDIAN IN HIS SELF-ASSURANCE.

THERE HAD BEEN NO CONSCIOUS CALL TO YOUTH, BUT THIS WAS A

NEW AWAKENING, A REAPPRAISAL OF LONG-HELD BELIEFS.

3/1/2011 2:12:09 PM

Ptoss

THE

ITC H

and the

Corruption in the gentleman’s game is not going to stop any time soon. Will this World Cup be a game-changer?

Not by the looks of it. Already, betting estimates for this edition is expected to be more than $6 billion. Murali Krishnan, a Delhibased journalist and broadcaster who has chronicled corruption in cricket for over a decade, looks deeper.

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CRICKET WORLD CUP

F

or all those hoping that corruption in cricket was a blight of the past, the suspension of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif by an International Cricket Council (ICC) tribunal last month demonstrates the spectre of fixing is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

Butt was suspended for 10 years, five of which were suspended. Amir was banned for five years, while Asif was suspended for seven years, two of which are suspended in the ruling. British prosecutors announced that the trio would face criminal charges over their part in last year’s spot-fixing scandal, specifically over their actions in the fourth cricket Test against England at Lord’s. Their millionaire agent Mazhar Majeed, 35, who is accused of accepting £150,000 to fix the actions of players, was also charged with conspiracy to cheat bookmakers.

Was this the strong message the ICC wanted to send out? Was this enough?

Proving their guilt in a criminal trial would not be easy. While there have been a number of cricketers who have come forward and stated they have been offered bribes to throw games, such as former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, finding documentary evidence to back up these claims is near-impossible.

Pakistan’s troubled cricketing history is littered with examples of corruption, intrigue and sleaze that have brought the game and the nation into disrepute. A quick sampling: Life bans meted out to Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman, the Justice Qayyum report on match-fixing, Presidential pardon to Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar’s constant fight against fines and bans, Mohammad Asif’s alleged drug offences, Shahid Afridi’s ball-tampering, Kamran Akmal and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan under the scanner over matchfixing allegations, the alliance of former captain Javed Miandad’s son Junaid with India’s most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim’s daughter Mahrukh, and finally, cricket’s biggest whodunit — the murder mystery of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer during the 2007 World Cup. Cricket has known about the serious threat from corrupt gambling for over a decade now. Yet the 097 | MARCH 11

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ICC and it anti-corruption wing, the Anti Corruption Security Unit (ACSU) are either astonishingly inexperienced or unwilling to confront the dangers that continue to dog the gentleman’s game. That has been the case in every murky episode that has hit international cricket in recent years. A flurry of inquiries which then drifts to a disturbing silence before another scandal engulfs the game.

Since cricket’s darkest year at the turn of the millennium practically destroyed the sport, when South African captain Hansie Cronje was implicated for his part in a match-fixing scandal with bookmaker Mukesh Gupta, cricket’s authorities have worked hard, and in tandem, to gradually re-build the sports’ reputation for honesty and integrity. Many had expected that cricket had been purged of the taint of match-fixing and betting syndicates after the King‘s Commission in 2000 when cricketing boards around the world got their act together by slapping fines and handing out life bans to cricketers.

True, to a large extent many cricketing boards got their act together. But that strategy to purge cricket from corrupting influences was more based on deterrence rather than punishment. And as Mazhar Majeed demonstrated in a sting operation orchestrated by the News of the World (NOTW), a bigger threat persists. Spot fixing. It is the latest big threat to the world of sport. Experts believe gone are the days of match-fixing with camera lens chasing every move of players and bookies. Spot-fixing is an easier tool to make money as it involves relatively lesser risk and lower stakes. In spot- fixing, one ‘hot’ player may be won upon by the bookie to do the needful and rake in the ill-gotten proceeds.

IT’S ONLY COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANTIAL

With sums of up to $250 million wagered on highprofile cricket matches in the sub-continent, the Indian gambling industry has often attracted the interest of the nation’s criminal underworld. Betting estimates for this edition of the World Cup – the biggest so far – is expected to be more than $6 billion, say punters. And already bookies and punters across India have taken their positions. From swanky five-star hotels of the Middle East and Africa to the chawls of Mumbai and other 2-tier cities in India; they are looking to make a killing. “Every World Cup has seen some lesser-known team spring a surprise.

And the bookies expect that this World Cup won’t be any different. The maximum money is lost by the punters when any minnow team beats a very strong team, either in the preliminary round or in the later stages of the game,” a top bookie told M.

EVIDENCE THAT ONE IS LEFT WITH TO TAKE THE STORY FORWARD, Just cast an eye back on that fateful night at the ESPECIALLY WHEN upscale Pegasus Hotel in Jamaica on 18 March 2007

SYNDICATES ARE

TIED UP WITH THE UNDERWORLD. AND THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN PEEL. IS THE ICC REALLY

SERIOUS ABOUT INVESTIGATING DUBIOUS ACTIONS ON THE FIELD?

when Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer met with a gory end. That was the day Pakistan crashed out of the WC tournament. Bookmakers at that time were offering odds of 8-1 for Ireland to beat Pakistan. And Woolmer was planning to write a “warts and all” book. The conjectures and speculations swirl till date!

At other times, criminals will run a bookmaking operation themselves; alternatively, they will seek to boost their ill-gotten wealth by betting with the

illegal bookies. Using a global network of fixers, these criminal gangs often attempt to influence only small sections of a match – so-called “spot-fixing” – but will use their inside information to cash in on fluctuations in the betting market.

Despite Haroon Lorgat, the ICC’s chief executive, claim that his organisation took a “zero-tolerance approach” to corruption and would do “everything” to ensure that World Cup 2011 is clean, there aren’t many takers for his bold assertion. Simply because a decade ago when the cricket world was rocked with players admitting they had conspired to “throw” matches for cash, authorities promised to root out the corruption and keep the game honest.

It is only when an investigation like that of the NOTW surfaces that one realises that corruption is still very much prevalent. How many more such sting organisations does one need to show that it is still up and running? As the Central Bureau of Investigation’s former joint director, K. Madhavan who investigated match-fixing in 2000, pointed out, “Corruption in cricket unfortunately does not leave behind a paper trail.”

It’s only compelling circumstantial evidence that one is left with to take the story forward, especially when syndicates are tied up with the underworld.

And the unfortunate part is there is only so much you can peel. Despite being armed with a battery of investigators who have had the best resources at hand, were ACSU officials aware that key Pakistani players had been in contact with people associated with sports betting before the team left for England?

Is the ICC really serious about investigating dubious actions on the field?

There are many more cricket whodunits in the recent past that have merited closer examination by the ACSU. But the unit has failed to tell the cricketing world why these incidents happened. Take for example the controversial Sydney Test of 2009-2010 where Pakistan was in a match-winning position when something unimaginable happened. Just when everyone thought the match was in the bag for the Pakistanis, Australia reeled off the last 5 Pakistani wickets for just 36 runs. Or, should we say Pakistan gifted them?

Kamran Akmal had dropped four sitters behind the stumps in that game while also failing miserably with the bat. The incident came under immediate scrutiny from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). But as has been the wont of the PCB, it has always been in a denial mode. Celebrated cricket writer Gideon Haigh has put it succinctly: “Pakistan is unable to host inbound tours, and the possibility of it rejoining the comity of cricket nations seems more distant than ever. They’ve barely been in Test cricket for quite a lot of the last three years, they didn’t play a test match at all in 2008. Their players are unable to participate in the Indian Premier League.”

It is a different matter that the world governing body was, however, left red-faced after Pakistan opener Yasir Hameed reportedly claimed that the SCG Test was rigged and players involved in the corruption had pocketed $ 3 million for the staged loss. Or, for

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CRICKET WORLD CUP

that matter, take the first Asia Cup ODI at Dambulla in 2010 against Sri Lanka where Mohammed Aamir had his pads on and was waiting for his turn when he was spotted speaking on his cell phone! It was shocking to say the least as cricket dressing rooms clearly prohibit players from using mobile phones.

The ICC did nothing about it despite the glaring evidence shown repeatedly on television around the world. If that wasn’t enough, what has happened to the incident in September 2009, during a pro40 match against Durham, Essex cricketers Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud?

Were these three incidents also pointers to spotfixing? All this brings us to the big question. What needs to be done to cleanse cricket of corruption and those seeking to corrupt it? Whether the ICC’s current tough stance is a deterrent to cheats, however, is open to question. Its ACSU has been largely unthinking, if not official. Moreover, as a loose federal structure, the ICC is often at odds with some of the more powerful cricket boards, and fails to be truly effective in its governance, especially in matters of corruption.

Before Hansiegate in 2000, the betting market underworld was notorious, setting up a majority of international matches and their influence was so overpowering that most of the players stayed tightlipped. But times have changed. The fact is all you

need right now for bookies to operate is cellphones, an Internet connection and a television. And they do it in many places. They do it sometimes in hotel rooms, farmhouses, even in their friends’ houses and it’s entirely structured and very professional. When Pakistani middleman Majeed was caught on camera accepting 150,000 pounds or manipulating events within a match between Pakistan and England, he claimed to be working for Indian bookies.

Considering that India is the motor that drives world cricket and according to estimates accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the game’s global revenues, many are not surprised by his claim. Investigators regard India as a hotbed for betting syndicates and match-fixers. Authorities have been shocked by the latest incidents and the revelation comes at the end of perhaps the most disturbing period cricket has seen, ahead of the showpiece event. But they also know the problem of corruption in cricket will not stop any time soon. This is partly because the risks are minimal and fixers do not leave behind a paper trail.

INVESTIGATORS REGARD INDIA AS THE HOTBED FOR BETTING SYNDICATES AND MATCH-FIXERS.

AUTHORITIES ARE SHOCKED BY THE

LATEST INCIDENTS AND REVELATIONS. BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THE PROBLEM OF CORRUPTION IN CRICKET WILL NOT

STOP ANY TIME SOON. THIS IS PARTLY BECAUSE THE RISKS ARE MINIMAL AND FIXERS DO NOT LEAVE BEHIND A PAPER TRAIL.

What is the need of the hour is forceful action from cricketing bodies, federations, coaches, the media and watchdog bodies to ensure the game is not sullied further. Corruption in cricket is never going to be banished, it will always be there. It probably might not exist in the hugely prevalent form it was in the late 90s or the early 2000. But it will always continue to exist.

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Howzzat?!

An updated glossary of the incredible game

by Bijoy Venugopal

Bitch Report: When players exchange notes about their nocturnal activities.

Bouncer: That no-nonsense Lothario at the bar who makes sure you pay up even though you pretend to pass out after your team has lost the match.

Chucker: A much-reviled and ridiculed bowler, usually hailing from a South-Asian country, who is hounded throughout his career and made to undergo demeaning tests to prove his worth. After retirement, he is called upon to coach the very side that persecuted him.

Commentator: An out-of-work cricketer who is paid an astronomical sum of money to whine on live television about how the game was so much better in the good old days, usually because no one at the bar can suffer him anymore.

D/L Method: The official rain gods of cricket – M/s Duckworth and Lewis – have exerted enormous influence on the game of cricket without ever having played it. On rainy days umpires who don’t want to get their feet wet consult the rain gods and promptly award the match to the losing side.

Doosra: When a maiden on the field is worth two in the sack. Warnie should know a thing or three about that.

Duck: When a batsman stoops to take evasive action against a fast bowler’s lethal weapon.

Flanneled Fool: An archaic term of endearment for a guy who spent five days fielding at long leg.

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to what was always a man’s game.

Googly: The practice of searching for bowling lessons on the Internet.

3/1/2011 2:16:00 PM

Benefit of Doubt: A relic of a time when umpires were treated as people rather than as fixtures representing electronic surveillance devices. A batsman was said to receive this benefit when something occured while the umpire was preoccupied with picking his nose, or wondering what his wife was cooking.

Hawk-eye: A technology that turns viewers into umpires and umpires into idiots.

Match-fixing: A synonym for cricket in Pakistan.

Oval: What the score looks like before a match has started.

Power Play: One side’s right to bludgeon

the future of a match through a giant television screen, leaving two lazy umpires, twenty-two players and about fifty thousand spectators to snack on their fingernails.

Sledging: The practice of singing the national anthem of Australia, now sung in the regional languages of all cricketing nations.

Tea: A dark, refreshing aromatic brew consumed

Snickometer: An advanced hearing aid for umpires that can intelligently tell the difference between the sound of a ball leaving the bat and the same sound expertly mimicked by the wicketkeeper clicking his tongue.

Test Match: Five consecutive days of trying a

another, exercised when spectators start yawning.

Spitfire: A fast bowler whose fiercest weapon

Reverse Swing: The art of teaching an old

is his mouth. Usually sent in to improve the opposition’s run rate so that spectators get ample value for money.

ball new tricks.

Third Umpire: An unseen force that decides

Ball-tampering:

When Shahid Afridi takes a snack break.

in order to spend an afternoon of Test cricket in a wakeful state. television viewer’s patience.

Wrong ‘un: A term of endearment used to describe players whose shenanigans have embarrassed their sides. Candidates include Hansie Cronje, Shane Warne, Sreesanth, Andrew Symonds and pretty much the entire Pakistan team.

Sticky Wicket: Humid weather conditions in the subcontinent that cause a nervous visiting batsman’s shoe-soles to adhere to the pitch.

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Red H o t

For several years Andrea Levy, an entrepreneur working in the field of tourism, offered his guests a unique travel experience: designing a holiday that gave them the best of Italy... from breathtaking landscapes to inspiring architecture.

And all this at the wheels of the Italian dream par excellence: the Ferrari cars from his collection. As an ardent lover of this iconic brand, Levy selected these jewels of automotive design to represent the stylistic evolution of the Italian sports car. With more than 120 stunning photographs, Red Travel – Toscana in Ferrari is an exciting journey through the 50 most beautiful places in Tuscany on board of 10 different Ferrari models (including 458 model), each one captured by exciting images and accompanied by technical specifications. The volume originates from a five-year long field study and is an exhaustive and thorough work that can surprise even those who already know everything about Tuscany.

The book also gives the reader practical directions on all 50 places chosen: province, altitude, population, distance from the main Italian tourist towns, as well as their GPS positioning.

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Castiglione glio one ne D D’orcia ’orc orcia The most famous monument in the municipality of Castiglione d’Orcia is certainly the tower of the Fortress of Tentennano. The fortress was always a strategic settlement for the sentries guarding the Val d’Orcia, between the ninth and 14th centuries. Another important fortress is Aldobrandesca. The Piazza Vecchietta square is situated in the heart of Old Town and the Town Hall within the palace of the town is a fresco of the Sienese school (Madonna with Child and two saints) from Rocca d’Orcia.

Other monuments include the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena and the parish of St. Stephen and Worthy. ce: S Sien iena ie n na Province: Siena GPS: 43°0’19,44”N 11°37’1,56”E 9,44”N 11° °37’1,56”E Altitude: 540 m (1,772 ft) Inhabitants: 2,483 Distances in Km (miles) from: Firenze: 121 km (75 miles) Roma: 180 km (112 miles) Milano: 435 km (271 miles)

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Massa Marittima Massa Marittima was founded by the Etruscans, like many cities in Tuscany, and is located in the Colline Metallifere. Its history, therefore, is closely linked to the copper and silver mines nearby. Its origins are wounded by mystery – traces of an human settlement of the Bronze Age has been found on its outskirts. During the Etruscan period, the zone was known for the wealth of its mines. Historians call the city ‘Massa Veternense’ of Roman Age. After this period, the settlement remained at the borders of the history at least until the ninth century, when it became the center of the Episcopalian power, thanks to the transfer of the Bishop’s Main Seat from Populonia. Massa Marittima is known for the beautiful San Cerbone Cathedral, Palazzo Comunale, the Fonti surrounding the famous fresco of Abundance and the Palazzo of Podestà.

Beyond the New Town, the city is famous for its buildings dating from the XIII century: the complex of San Pietro all’Orto, St. Augustine cloister, Tower of Candlestick and Fortezza Senese.

Province: Grosseto GPS: 43°2’60,00”N 10°53’37,68”E Altitude: 380 m (1,247 ft) Inhabitants: 8,820 Distances in Km (miles) from: Firenze: 124 km (77 miles) Roma: 238 km (148 miles) Milano: 403 km (250 miles)

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Chiusdino Chiusdino (almost 2,000 inhabitants) is located in the province of Siena. An interesting medieval village perched on a hill in the Colline Metallifere (Metalliferous Hills) 564 meters above sea level, it overlooks the Val di Merse. Archeological studies suggest that during the Lombard era, between the seventh and eight century, there was a small castle on the hill of Chiusdino. In the 12th century, there was a war between the Republic of Siena, the Counts of Gherardesca of Frosini and the Bishops of Volterra to whom the castle belonged. In 1230, Siena prevailed and Chiusdino became a stable possession of the Sienese Republic.

One of the main attractions in Chiusdino is the magnificent and evocative ruins of San Galgano Abbey. Tourists flock the city every year to take part in the Balestro del Girifalco, the Tuscany Fotofestival, Opera Square.

Province: Siena GPS: 43°9’20,16”N 11°5’6,72”E Altitude: 564 m (1,850 ft) Inhabitants: 1,991 Distances in Km (miles) from: Firenze: 96 km (60 miles) Roma: 252 km (157 miles) Milano: 387 km (240 miles)

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HOT WH HO HOT W WHEELS HE EE ELS LS

Montalcino Montalcino is situated on a high hill between the valleys of Ombrone and Asso rivers at 564 meters above sea level. The landscape is characterised by stark rolling hills, marked by winding roads lined with dark cypresses and fortified towns. But among the most important features are the numerous acres of vineyards from which some of Tuscany’s most esteemed red wines are produced, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. The climate and nature of the soil also favours the cultivation of olive groves, producing an excellent olive oil with a refined taste. Mushrooms, truffles, pecorino cheese, salami and honey crown the gastronomic offer of Montalcino. Other than the magnificent 14th-century fortress, Montalcino is known for monuments such as the Palazzo Comunale or dei Priori (14th century), the Church of Sant’Egidio or Sienese (1325), the gothic-Romanesque church of Sant’Agostino (14th century) with the Seminary and the Diocesan Museum, the Church and the convent of San Francesco, the Hospital of Santa Maria della Croce and the Castellana Source. Of interest are also the city walls with its six doors. The Cathedral of San Salvatore is instead a modern church built in 800.

Province: Siena GPS: 43°3’33,12”N 11°29’26,16”E Altitude: 567 m (1,860 ft) Inhabitants: 5,278 Distances in Km (miles) from: Firenze: 110 km (68 miles) Roma: 196 km (122 miles) Milano: 408 km (253 miles) 107 | MARCH 11

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HOT WHEELS

Pienza Pienza, Pope Pius’ II birthplace, is located high on a hillside. Meant to be the ideal Renaissance town, Pienza comprises such beauties as a white stone cathedral, Palazzo Piccolomini with its fine courtyard, Palazzo Borgia, a graceful Piazza. In the center of Pienza is the fabulous Piazza Duomo with the beautiful altar, special tributed to its architect and sculptor Rossellino, and watch the baptisimal front. The interior of the Duomo is a gorgeous decoration, simple but rich, with beautiful paintings from the Sienese school. Originated from 1459 and finished in a record three years’ time. On the south side of the square stands the cathedral, on the east side the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s Palaca), on the west side the Palazzo Piccolomini, while to the north is the Palazzo Comunale (1463), with a charming loggia. Pienza offers so many charming stores where you can buy leather handicraft, bijoux, soaps and… pecorino, an Italian cheese made from ewes’ milk.

Province: Siena Altitude: 491 m (1.611 ft) GPS: 43°4’43,68”N 11°40’44,04”E Inhabitants: 2,190 Distances in Km (miles) from: Firenze: 127 km (79 mi) Roma: 182 km (113 mi) Milano: 417 km (259 mi)

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Come To The Table(t)

Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000

Price: `36,129 http://is.gd/8cdpQ6

by Ashish Bhatia

SPECS 1GHz Cortex A processor, Android 2.2, 512MB RAM, 16/32GB storage, expandable upto 32GB, 3.2MP rear camera, 1.3 front camera; Adobe Flash support, multi-touch.

DIMENSIONS At 7.48x4.74x0.47 inches, the Tab holds the definite portability advantage.

WEIGHT At 380 gm, it is almost half the weight of the iPad. If you are a motormouth, you’d say it is just perfect for you.

SCREEN The 7 inch TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels is bright and vibrant.

BATTERY Battery lasts for about 7 hours and recharging is relatively fast.

Overall Since it is almost half the size and weight of the iPad and other 10-inchers, it is much easier to carry and even fits into a coat pocket. The Galaxy Tab is one of those products you won’t mind holding for extended periods, like, for instance, while reading or browsing. So using it while on the move – in a car or bus, or strolling

around – it is much easier. Expandable storage (upto 32GB) helps beef up the lower-end model. The twin cameras, ability to make phone calls and send SMSes, GPS, and Abobe Flash support are the Tab’s advantages. Yet, even though it seems better specced, the overall user experience of using the current version of the Tab

is not as good as compared to the iPad. The Android 2.2 OS itself is not a tablet OS at all, unlike the iPad’s iOS4.2. Whatever applications you use on it are larger-screen versions of Android phone apps. And this is its downside. Yet, if all you are looking for is a gadget that supersizes your smartphone, this is it.

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GIZMO STREET

Apple iPad Price: `27,990 onwards http://is.gd/Kbcf42

SPECS 1GHz Apple A4 processor, iOS 4.2, 256 MBRAM, 16/32/64GB storage, multi-touch.

DIMENSIONS At 9.56x7.47x0.5 inch, it is a heftier proposition to lug around.

WEIGHT Since it is 680 gm (Wi-Fi) or 730 gm (WiFi+3G), most people either need to hold it in both hands after a few minutes of use, or keep it in your lap or rest it somewhere.

SCREEN The 1024x768 resolution, 9.7-in LED IPS (In Plane Switching) technology display offers much better viewing angles. It also scores with its LED backlighting.

BATTERY It may take longer to charge, but the iPad outlasts its officially rated 10 hours of juices. No USB charging with a Windows PC is possible.

Overall The iPad scores over the Galaxy Tab with its far more reďŹ ned tablet operating system and a burgeoning plethora (almost 50,000) of native (specially written to take advantage of the iPad platform). Add to that the over 2 lakh iPhone apps that can also run on the Apple table and there’s

already more out there in every genre than you hope to sample in an entire lifetime! A bigger screen makes for better viewing and IPS (In Plane Switching) technology gives it better (178 degrees) viewing angles than the Tab, GPS (only in 3G models). The iPad also outstrips the competition when it comes to

multi-media rich content. While it may not be convenient for phone-like, two-thumbed typing, text input is far more accurate on the iPad. Success in the market has also ensured that there is an ever burgeoning number of accessories and add-ons in the market for this device.

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by Ashish Bhatia

> Sony Vaio YB Price: `26,990 www.sony.co.in SONY VAIO YB IS THE CURRENT FLAGSHIP OF AMD’S NEW FUSION LINE OF PROCESSORS, OR APUS AS THE FRESHLY MINTED MONIKER GOES. An APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) is a new genre of silicon from AMD that couples a CPU with a dedicated GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) so that they both sit on the same die. This is to efficiently cater to today’s ever-increasing number of graphics and multi-media intensive tasks.

The Vaio YB thus is blessed with not only a dual core 1.6GHz AMD E-350 processor, but also Radeon HD 6310 graphics. This enables it to deliver stutter-free high-definition (HD) video with high frame rates, smooth playback, and sharp images. You can actually play a first-person shooter video game like Crysis on it without any blips. And this despite the fact that it is a budget ultra-portable notebook priced below 30K. However, a fallout of that trimmed price tag is the paucity of RAM. You only get 2GB of it, with Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit. Even though it looks somewhat netbookish in appearance due to the diminutive form factor (and will often be mistaken for one), performance-wise, the 1.45 kilo YB can thrash any netbook. Technically, you’re not even supposed to compare it to one. But we’re just saying....

As a mainstream, full-featured (sans optical drive though), entry-level laptop, it is very good

at handling everyday computing tasks. Further, it delivers excellent graphics for a machine of its class – well justifying the HDMI out port you’ll find on it. Apart from this, there’s a VGA out, three USB ports, a memory card reader, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, as well as headphone and microphone jacks. No cutting corners here. The YB’s glossy 11.6 inch screen supports 1366 x 768 pixels and produces eye-popping and vivid hues.

The glossy screen is a lot less reflective than other laptops. Sadly, the audio emanating from the built-in speakers is subdued and tinny.

The laptop’s build is handsome and the quality faultless. The pushed back chicklet keyboard – albeit smaller than some of the other 11-inchers in the market – is fairly comfortable to type on.

Some of the all-flat keys, like the right Shift is noticeably smaller. Tactile feedback from the keys is limited. The chassis and palm rest remain cool even after hours of use. The trackpad supports multitouch. No, it doesn’t come close to the promised 7 hours of battery life. In real world use, you can only manage to eke out about 5 hours with normal brightness and WiFi switched on.

This slick looking notebook is available in attractive pink, silver and green. If a netbook is what you’re in market for, we suggest you stuff your wallet with little more cash and make a beeline for the YB. If an entry-level laptop is what you are planning for, take a long and serious look at this one here and save some moolah. It’ll make an ideal travel mate, for sure.

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GIZMO STREET

> HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus e-All-in-One Printer A910g www.hp.com Price: `26,999 IGNORE THE FACT THAT IT CAN PRINT, COPY, SCAN AND FAX DOCUMENTS IN COLOUR. Don’t look at its relatively small footprint, auto-duplexing feature, 802.11b/g WiFi capabilities and 50-sheet automatic document feeder. Even forget about its 4.3 inch color graphics display touchscreen and omit direct photo printing off a USB pen drive, memory card or PictBridge cameras prowess.

print” status message via email – or feedback to indicate a glitch in the remote printing. Sounds mighty hunky dory, don’t it? Frankly, it is. Once you have managed to figure out and setup the printer, that is. While it is not at all complicated, initialisation can be tedious enough to make one sit and watch one’s nails grow.

Let’s just look what this inkjet all-in-one’s ePrinting aptitude is all about. It won’t take rocket science to figure out that the ‘e’ here signifies an email-capable device. And that means you can use the Web to securely print documents (Word, text, spreadsheet, PowerPoint, PDF etc.) or photos (JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG and GIF) remotely – from wherever on Earth – as long as the printer is hooked into the Internet. All it involves is sending an e-mail to the printer’s unique e-mail ID (which could meraprinter@hpeprint.com).

Brush aside the obvious Windows PCs, Macs, laptops and netbooks, you can even print off your smartphone, iPad or tablet.

Officially print speeds are rated at up to 35 ppm (pages per minute) for black/white in draft and up to 34ppm in colour. In actual printing it these speeds and lower depending upon the actual contents (text and image mix) of a particular document. Printing quality at 1200x1200 dpi is good. Yes, bold serif typefaces in small point sizes text tend to smudge a bit. Borderless colour printing (4800 x 1200) on special photo paper is very good with bright, brilliant eye-popping hues.

Scanning output is very satisfactory for office needs. Duplexing (automatically printing on both sides of a sheet) via the ADF (automatic document feeder) feels somewhat slow but what the heck, it’s saving you a lot of paper, isn’t it. And don’t forget, its WiFi connectivity too will squirrel away a pretty penny in networking costs as well.

And haan, in case you’re wondering, no special software needs to be installed at the sender’s end for ePrinting. You’ll even receive a “successful

Small businesses and those with buzzing home office walas, the HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus is a solid investment worth considering.

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by Zahid H. Javali

CELEBRITY DATING NETWORK

LOVE THAT WINE

CelebrityDatingNetwork.com y g

www.lovethatwine.co.uk . o et at e.co.u

WHO can seriously pretend that good looks are not important to dating? So if you know what your dream date should look like, this website will find her for you. Celebrity Dating Network uses a special technology to conduct a new, hyper visual kind of search. The engine searches worldwide for that face you’re looking for. The new patented system allows ordinary people to meet and date actual celebrities. And it allows celebrities to meet and date other real celebrities. You can use the engine to search for someone who resembles the great love of your life. Or to date someone who looks like your ex. Finally, a dating website that gives you what you need.

HOOAH 4 HEALTH www.hooah4health.com 4

WANT to get fit and healthy but don’t feel like going to the gym? Why not go and use the greatest fitness and health resource in the world – the US army. No kidding. And you know what?

It’s free. Hooah4Health has everything you need: fully-illustrated weightlifting instructions, old time PT (press-ups, sit-ups, tablemakers, etc), and solid advice on healthy eating and developing a positive mental attitude. From tips on how to stay sun wise to creating an ideal computer work station, it’s packed with advice you’d always wanted but didn’t know where to look. The site asks you to exercise, eat right, sleep well and embrace life. How do you stack up?

WINE. You love it and we love it. But these folks are real enthusiasts… and they know what they are talking about. The reviews and information they provide are honest and unbiased.

The team publishes thousands of reviews from everyday wine drinkers along with information on over 10,000 wines available on UK shelves, and thereby the rest of the world. The site includes a powerful search feature for finding wine by colour, country, supermarket, price, occasion and food type. Be sure to get the right wine… for every occasion. This site introduces you to wines from around the globe and how to taste them like an expert.

HELP WITH PCS www.helpwithpcs.com p p

YOU like your PC when it runs fast. And this website will tell you how to make it happen. Forget the long and tedious explanations. It will tell you how to defragment your hard drive and delete temporary files, a must to keep your machine running efficiently. It will tell you how to clean your mouse, monitor and keyboard. Plus handy tips and tricks for FireFox, Internet Explorer and Outlook Express and buying advice for laptops, desktops, external hard drives, printers, monitors, speakers and MP3 players. It even has game cheats for Tomb Raider, Delta Force and Midtown Madness. Not to mention, freeware and shareware that you can use and re-use.

AL DAILY

www.aldaily.com y

‘ROBERT Ludlum died in 2001, but has published five thrillers since.

Literary fingernails grow even as the writer’s corpse rots in its coffin.’

That’s how stories begin in this part of cyberspace. It’s the arts and letters daily, a website that has links to the finest in the worldwide web, a reservoir of all things important and all things cool (19 newspapers, 84 magazines, 70 columnists and 36 book reviews at last count). Once you get hooked to it, you will not associate the Internet without it. If you are looking for vignettes on life that will add to your IQ, this is your best address on the www.

114 | MARCH 11

WEBSITES AND BLOGS#46.indd 114

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GIZMO STREET

by Nimish Dubey

SEESMIC

STICK CRICKET

HANDCENT SMS

A SINGLE app to keep in touch with

ONE of the most addictive cricket games finally comes to the iPhone. Stick Cricket has built a cult following for itself by its amazingly simple interface – you play the role of a batsman who has to hit the ball to all parts of the ground. You do not have to worry about bowling, fielding or running between hits. Your sole concern is to put wood to leather with devastating effect, which really depends on your timing – you can only choose which side of the wicket you want to thump the ball. Sounds simple? It is. And with real players’ names, decent graphics and good sound, it is perfect for a quick five minute slog in the park.

Get it from: iTunes App Store Works with: iOS devices (iPhone, iPod touch)

ANDROID phones might be the

and manage a whole host of social networking sites including Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Ping.fm, Foursquare and Google Buzz, Seesmic is one of the most versatile social networking applications around. All you need is a Seesmic account and well, you will be able to access your social networks from a variety of devices ranging from smartphones to computers. You even have the option of downloading an application to your computer, your handset (features vary depending on the handset, though) or just running it from within a browser – how is that for versatility? And it all works very smoothly indeed, letting you access most of the features that you use on social networks, saving you the need to keep multiple websites open in the background.

Get it from: http://www.seesmic.com/ Works with: Windows, Mac OS,

rage in the markets right now but their messaging applications generally leave a lot to be desired, often showing messages in a relatively dull format, with very few customisation (read “change look and feel”) options. If you are among those who wants a bit texting and MMS muscle on their Android handset, then try out Handcent. It only gives you a variety of options of displaying text messages, but lets you easily allot different ringtones, LEDs and message display styles for different people. You can even choose from a whole new pack of fonts if you want your messages to look really different. SMS will never look dull again, although you might have to put up with the odd crash from time to time.

Get it from: Android Market Works with: Android devices such as Motorola Milestone, LG Optimus One, Samsung Galaxy range, etc.

GOOGLE GOGGLES

LIBREOFFICE

YET another augmented reality browser, you might say, that lets you get information about a place by simply pointing your phone’s camera at it. Well, Google Goggles is that, but is also one of the more versatile apps in that category. Of course, it lets you get information about an object or monument when you click a picture of it through the app. But what it also does is act as a translator – you can click the text of a language you do not understand and can get it translated into your language – and a card reader, letting you save contact information by just clicking on a visiting card. It might not seem as versatile as the likes of Layar and Wikitude, but it does score in terms of speed and simplicity, especially when you do not have 3G connectivity!

Get it from: http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/ Works with: iOS devices (iPhone, iPod touch), Android devices like the Motorola Milestone and the Samsung Galaxy Series

FOR most people, office suites are synonymous with MS Office and its superb collection of MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint apps for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, respectively. However, all this goodness comes with a price tag. Just in case you want most of the features and functions (well, the ones you use most anyway) of the MS Office suite without paying anything, try Libre Office. It is a totally open source productivity which includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing app and a database and costs nothing more than a download. Yes, it does not look half as elegant or flashy as MS Office, but hey, it is free and what’s more, it works very well indeed with almost complete compatibility with MS Office file formats.

Get it from: http://www.libreoffice.org/ Works with: Windows, Mac OS, Linux 115 | MARCH 11

APPLICATIONS#46.indd 115

3/1/2011 2:52:06 PM

by Nimish Dubey

MAIL

Emoze

GET PUSH

FOR

ON YOUR

FREE PHONE TALK OF “PUSH MAIL” AND CHANCES ARE YOU HAVEN’T LOOKED BEYOND THE ICONIC BLACKBERRY RANGE OF DEVICES, best known for their QWERTY keyboards and e-mail prowess. And for good reason. For a while, push mail, or the ability to get mail on your handset the moment it arrived in your inbox, was largely restricted to BlackBerry devices. But that was then. You can now keep track of your mail from your handset even if it is not a BlackBerry. In fact, in some cases you do not even need a smartphone to be able to do so. Best of all, you can do so without having to pay a penny. Sounds too good to be true? Well, just try any of the three services here and get ready to be surprised.

Easily one of the most powerful free push mail service providers, Emoze is notable for its ability to work on most mid-segment and above phones, irrespective of the operating system.

And it supports all popular Webmail services such as Gmail and Yahoo!Mail and once you get the settings, it can also be used with your office mail account. Using it is as easy as downloading and installing the application and entering your username and password in most cases. You can send and receive mail, view attachments, and even view mail in HTML format, all with minimum fuss and no payment beyond your normal GPRS charges. There’s more. You can also access some of your social networks such as Facebook and Orkut using Emoze, although this feature is not available on all handsets. The service does have the odd hiccup from time to time (we once found ourselves sending multiple copies of a mail to a person), but still it is, by far, the best free push mail option around.

Get it from: http://www.emoze.com/en/index.asp

Gmail

More than 7GB of storage capacity, a wonderfully intuitive interface and of course, the famous Google name – small wonder that Google’s email service has been growing by leaps and bounds since it was launched a few years ago. And now, you can access your Gmail account on your handset too, and also get push notifications. There are two ways to do it. If you prefer the complex option, configure your smartphone to receive Gmail by entering Gmail settings (obtained from the Forwarding and POP/iMAP section under “Settings” in Gmail).

But if you are a stickler for easy options, well, all you need to do is download the Gmail app, which will give you access to Gmail in all its conversation mode glory and even allow you to view attachments. But be warned. Downloading and uploading the attachments could be a trifle problematic, read slow, sometimes.

Get it from: http://www.google.com/mobile/mail/

Nokia Messaging

This one is strictly for Nokia S60 smartphone users, but then there are quite a huge number in themselves. Nokia’s Messaging service is totally free and gives you access to up to ten mail accounts with support for the likes of Yahoo! Mail, Google Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, Nokia’s very own Ovi Mail and POP/IMAP accounts. There is support for viewing, sending and receiving attachments, viewing mails in HTML mode (although this feature does not always work very smoothly) and best of all, is extremely easy to set up – in most cases, all you need is your username and password to get started. It runs unobtrusively in the background and in most cases, integrates smoothly with your phone’s messaging service. If you have a new Nokia, chances are that it would have come preinstalled on it. If it did not, grab it, for if you do not, you are missing out on a lot.

Get it from: http://email.nokia.com/

116 | MARCH 11

HOW TO#46.indd 116

3/1/2011 2:32:12 PM

GIZMO STREET

by Zahid H. Javali

STUCK IN CUSTOMS

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL

www.stuckincustoms.com

www.digital-photography-school.com .d g ta p otog g ap p y sc oo .co

TRAVELLING is all about celebrating the differences. And what’s the fun if you haven’t captured all those visitations for posterity? Here is where Trey Ratcliff does it with High Dynamic Range photography. If HDR is sounding like Spanish to you, he also has an award-winning HDR tutorial on his site, to make it within your reach. The result is a hyper-realistic, almost dreamlike picture like his pictures you see on the site. His images are represented by Getty Images and he has been featured on the BBC. No wonder, this site has become the #1 travel photography blog on the internet with around 350,000 visits per month, including one from Trey’s mom.

PRO BLOGGER www.problogger.net p gg

FROM how-to tips on digital photography and sensible advice on buying cameras and equipment to post production tips and tricks, this site has it all for professionals and amateurs alike.

Not to mention, a platform for you to upload your photographs and open it up for some constructive criticism by fellow photographers. Welcome to Digital Photography School, a site run by Darren Rowse that offers simple tips to help you get the most out of your camera. It’s a refreshing cyber school with no classes, no teachers and no exams. Just ask each other questions and watch how the photographer community has captured the world for posterity.

WORK AWESOME http://workawesome.com p

IF you are a keen blogger or want to be

SOONER or later, we get bored

one, this is the place to start. From candid posts like ‘31 days to building a better blog’ to ‘blogging for dollars’, the site is peppered with interviews from bloggers who are making money through their daily rants and reviews. But, of course, everything boils down to what’s in it for the reader. So if you choose to blog, remember that you have to offer tips on how you have been successful at whatever you do. If your blog is insightful, entertaining, stimulating, humourous, futuristic, intriguing, problem-solving, opinionated and gives the reader a sense of belongingness, it could add more zeroes to your bank balance.

with our jobs. Awesomeness becomes conspicuous by its rampant absence.

Here is where this site brings together writers from around the world to help you be great at work. Awesome, to be precise. From tips on what relationships can teach us about the world of work to creating win-win situations, these are tips you can chew over before you put them into effective practice. For example, don’t choose a job as an accountant if you hate numbers. Don’t take a gig in customer service if you’re not a ‘people’ person. Follow this site to enhance your output at work and create a career that you can fall in love with.

BE BETTER GUYS

http://www.bebetterguys.com p g y

WANT to be stylish, respected and sophisticated? Follow this site by David Boris and Brian Joyner. One-time waiters, they are today making a living out of writing and public speaking. Taking the lessons learned from their parents and years of reading men’s magazines, working as successful executives, leading popular bands, and blending it with their own dating and living experiences (good, bad, and oh so ugly), the duo offer guidance, tips, and suggestions on how to be a better guy. From matching ties with shirts to keeping your feet presentable to understanding the basics of wine, it’s all out there. Informative, simple and humorous.

(Zahid H. Javali is the co-author of Mind Blogs 1.0, a paperback that is pioneering a new art form – converting a blog into a book.

If you are a blogger and want your piece to figure in the book’s sequel, visit mindblogs1.wordpress.com) 117 | MARCH 11

WEBSITES AND BLOGS#46.indd 117

3/1/2011 2:28:22 PM

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118 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 118

3/1/2011 2:35:52 PM

MERCURY RISING Blaze your way through this summer and nail that perfect head-to-toe look for a new season. Forget stiff and stuffy. Be your swish, stylish... and edgy self.

Photographs by Ashish Chawla Styling: Rakhi Biswas Hair & make-up: Kaajee Rai Models: Andy (karma Models) Pranav Singh (Elite Model Management) Location courtesy: Jindal Corporate Center Bike courtesy: Fire Fox bikes (tel: 09810529291)

119 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 119

3/1/2011 2:35:59 PM

BLACK-AND-WHITE ZIPPER DETAILED JACKET BY AMIT ARORA // WHITE SHIRT BY CADINI // TIE BY H2O // FRAMES BY EMPORIO ARMANI FROM SEVENTEEN ARCADE

120 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 120

3/1/2011 2:36:21 PM

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121 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 121

3/1/2011 2:36:29 PM

122 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 122

3/1/2011 2:36:33 PM

METALLIC GREY SUIT BY H20 // SHIRT BY GAURAV GUPTA // HAT AND POCKET SQUARE BY TIE RACK LONDON // TWO-TONED SHOES BY ROHIT BAL // FRAMES

BY EMPORIO ARMANI FROM SEVENTEEN ARCADE

123 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 123

3/1/2011 2:36:44 PM

BLACK SATIN JACKET BY ROHIT BAL // PRINTED SHIRT BY ASHISH SONI

124 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 124

3/1/2011 2:36:47 PM

LIGHT GREY SUIT BY UNIT // DENIM SHIRT BY ZARA // BLUE LOAFERS

BY ALBERTO TORRESI // FRAMES BY EMPORIO ARMANI FROM SEVENTEEN ARCADE

125 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 125

3/1/2011 2:36:53 PM

LEATHER JACKET BY ZARA // ROUND NECK T-SHIRT BY CANALI // GREEN DENIMS

BY BOGGI MILANO // SHOES BY ALBERTO TORRESI // LEATHER HOLD ALL BY H2O // FRAMES BY MARK JACOBS FROM SEVENTEEN ARCADE

126 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 126

3/1/2011 2:37:01 PM

YELLOW CORDUROY SHIRT BY BOGGI MILANO //GREY WAISTCOAT BY ZARA // DETAILED PANTS

BY H2O // BROWN LOAFERS BY ALBERTO TORRESI // HAT BY TIE RACK LONDON

127 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 127

3/1/2011 2:37:04 PM

THREE-PIECE SUIT BY BURBERRY //GREY SHIRT AND TIE BY H2O// HAT BY PAUL SMITH

128 | MARCH 11

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3/1/2011 2:37:06 PM

129 | MARCH 11

FASHION FEATURE# 46.indd 129

3/1/2011 2:37:16 PM

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Tel: (011) 46060955 ALBERTO TORRESI Select city,saket,New Delhi.

Tel: (09639003292) >>BURBERRY DLF Emporio Nelson Mandela Marg Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46529850 Bangalore: (080) 41738825 www.burberry.com BOGGI MILANO DLF Promenade,Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46075612 www.boggi.it

LEATHER JACKET BY ZARA // ROUND NECK T-SHIRT BY CANALI // GREEN DENIMS

BY BOGGI MILANO // SHOES BY ALBERTO TORRESI // LEATHER HOLD ALL BY H2O // FRAMES BY MARK JACOBS FROM SEVENTEEN ARCADE

stockists#46.indd 130

3/1/2011 2:43:33 PM

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Tel: (011) 29521517 DLF Emporio, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

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Tel: (011) 46152725 www.tie-rack.co.uk

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stockists#46.indd 131

131 | MARCH 11

3/1/2011 2:43:39 PM

LAST LAUGH

F

or the last few weeks, some of my friends and relatives have become inordinately pious. On weekends and holidays, they put in one hundred per cent attendance at places of worship, chanting prayers ad nauseam. They spend office hours stealthily alt-tabbing between browser windows, wire-transferring funds to Tirupati, Shirdi, Vailankanni and Ajmer.

out the stops and lining up our vain hopes for another improbable victory.

Statisticians are having wet dreams about it but here’s the rub: Apart from Tendulkar, who burst on the scene in 1989, what has India contributed to the Great Game since 1983?

Since tobacco is no longer kosher and alcohol is reserved for after-parties, we proudly uncorked the cola wars, palming off entire tournaments to the manufacturers of fizz. We replaced the esteemed wisdom of umpires with the half-assed speculative logic of commentators, some of them with turbans.

We blew the whistle on match-fixing only to discover how badly we needed our fix.

Coconuts by the kilo have been shattered at temple altars, cows have been overfed to diarrhoeic ends, sacred fires have been tended with ghee, sandalwood and other aromatic flammables. If the gods haven’t noticed yet, they must be crazy.

Something’s got to give. But don’t forget, this tamasha has been going on since Kapil’s Devils pulled off the unimaginable in 1983. The ensuing excitement cost us the Olympic gold in hockey that we had always taken for granted.

With the passage of time, our one-eyed frenzy for the laziest and most unathletic of sports (if you leave out golf and foosball) has only become more deep-rooted.

We shrank the game by 30 overs, auctioned players like cattle at the Sonepur Mela, and made a tournament of it. Within a season we proudly demonstrated our gift for making all that phantom money disappear.

We imported cheerleaders and exported Indian-made foreign liquor. We outsledged the Aussies and got away with calling them monkeys (not without reason – that continent badly needs another species of primate) and dragged their mothers into the fray. We made millionaires out of morons, and television stars of the rest. We built a crony empire at cricket’s administrative apex and exported the lucrative model to Third World countries that previously had no time to play the game.

Lest you forget, it’s been 28 years since the Cup came home. After that shocker we pulled off at Lords, we assumed that history would fall into the bad habit of repeating, that the tables would turn at our whim. Thus encouraged, we took to rearranging the odds, playing musical chairs with the permutations, and greasing the palms of the gods until all of heaven became one gigantic oil slick. The bribing didn’t stop – after all, we wrote the book.

Look what we have done. We allowed an uncomplicated colonial pastime (of lily-white masters whipping Gunga Dins) to deteriorate into – among other things – an anti-apartheid statement, a politically correct parlour trick, and consequently, a game of such repressed, unnatural gentlemanliness that it was destined to collapse on its face. Just what did the ICC think it was. U2?

True, the International Cricket Council throws the third most spectacular gala after FIFA and the International Olympic Committee, but that charade only serves to obscure the fact that cricket merely keeps the Commonwealth together. Why, to date, neither the Olympics nor the Asian Games has cared to embrace it.

Even kabaddi has seen better days.

To add equal parts insult and injury, Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have made our 1983 party eminently forgettable – most people have lost count of how many times the Aussies have won the World Cup. Though Team India – then not even known as the Men in Blue – has had little to crow about for nearly three decades, it has not stopped us from pulling

Ironically, it was only when Bollywood started playing cricket that Americans sat up and noticed. Of course, they still declined to part with an Oscar. Ouch.

Between

lip& cup

by Bijoy Venugopal

Send us your feedback at feedback@imagesfashion.com

Uh-huh, 28 years of canvassing and still no World Cup. Dhoni wants to win it for Sachin, Sehwag wants to win it for his mother, and Sachin, predictably, wants to win it for god and for the country. The BCCI bosses want to win it for the sponsors. Everyone else just wants a lifetime of endorsements.

The ICC, which under its current leadership is pretty much a synonym for the BCCI, is also taking no chances. Having placed us in a group without Australia, it has strewn our gladiators’ march to the finale with plenty of skirmishes with the minnows.

The astrologers, the game’s real bookies, aren’t backing out either. They contend that the Men in Blue will contest the final with a South Asian neighbour. At their behest, Sreesanth has been inducted into the playing eleven. Just to ward off the evil eye.

Now, even the gods don’t stand a chance.

132 | MARCH 11

M SUTRAS #46.indd 132

3/1/2011 2:49:59 PM