Kiss, Kick or Slap: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

He is considered the most successful Indian Cricket captain. Naturally. Courtesy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Team India bled some serious blue and won the World Cup this year. And thus, we bow to ya a billion times. But erm, something went totally wrong with the otherwise pretty sharp MS Dhoni. With India doing rather averagely as they tour England, it was rather odd that MS Dhoni decided that after a peculiar run out, an English player should be called back to play.

This is how it went down.

Ian Bell was on the crease playing what is being deemed as one of his finest innings. At 137 not out, the last ball before tea break was bowled to Bell. The ball was hit and it seemed to go all the way to the boundary. At least the fielder, Praveen Kumar, though as much. He returned the ball back to the wicket keeper (Dhoni) who hit the stumps after the batsmen thought the over was done and were on their way back to the pavilion.

Confused? So am I.

Anyway, this confusion caused big time tamasha amongst the fans and umpires. It was during the tea break that Dhoni decided to withdraw his decision and allow Bell back to the crease. In the bargain, India went on to lose the match.

The critics claim that Dhoni displayed an incredible amount of honorable sportsmanship. The skeptics believe he made a grave decision. The fans claim there was no need for him to play Mother Teresa and question the likelihood of an Indian win if this hoopla didn’t take place.

However, the million dollar question is, what would Gabbar have done? Maar diya jaye ke chor diya jaye?


M.S. Dhoni: Kiss, Kick or Slap:

Clean Bowled!

Just today I told a friend on Facebook, who wants to date a guy who can play the guitar, that I officially want to marry one that plays cricket. In all honesty, my immense and intense love for cricket is not new. In fact, I've always loved the sport. My feelings for it however, had really been repressed. But that's in the past, I'm all about the sport once again. Okay so getting back to marrying a cricketer, he doesn't necessarily have to be a professional cricketer but basically one who loves the sport as much as I do and plays pretty gosh darn well. In light of this new found realization, I sat down to think about all my favorite cricketers. The following men have won my heart for various reasons. Hey, I'm not one of those girls who swoon over cricketers who are just absolutely cute and how - na ji na! Play good cricket along with being cute works even better for me. Okay so the gentlemen who have bowled me over and how, here we go.

Bowled Middle Stump: Sachin Tendulkar
If anyone in the Indian team knows how to make my heart beat, it is Sachin Tendulkar. Besides being the best in the world, he also happens to own an amazing personality, a humble heart and a cutesy smile. But what really works for me is some of his best shots. When he hits his classic cover drives, I find my heart pacing until the ball reaches the boundary line. The maestro's late cuts, straight drives and his cut shots make me want to collapse. And it's not because it's a great shot, but the manner in which he places the ball along with immense skill just works wonders for me. Add to that the fact that he bowls one hell of a legspin, and voila, the master blaster can blow you away! A great father and a fabulous husband, Sachin really is one helluva dude.

Caught at Slip: Rahul Dravid

My crush on Rahul Dravid ended the day he decided to marry. Hmph. I've always had a soft spot for "The Great Indian Wall". His genuineness and down to earth temperament won me over the first time I saw Dravid play. While he does take some time to set in, when he's completely in the groove, he is hard to destruct. Dravid is known for being one the most technically perfect cricketers that has graced Indian cricket. His pull shots and cover drives are beautifully timed while his fielding at the slips, he rarely failed to miss a catch. And with a smile like that, he definitely does have his share of share of girls running after him. Myself included!

LBW: Kapil Dev

We all have our favorite veteran cricketing stars. My favorite retro cricketer is definitely, Kapil Dev. My fondness for him began after I realized that the cricketer bared an uncanny resemblance to my late grandfather. And it didn't end there. Their personalities and incredibly humble nature matched too. When talking about his skill, well, jitni tareef karu, utni kaam hai. An all rounder, a fabulous successful captain and a patriot, Dev saab is one man who literally is cricket personified. He exuberates "The Gentlemen's Game" with his polite nature and simplicity.

Googly: Virat Kohli

Currently, this young cricketer is making my heart swoon and how! Whether it's his fiery attitude, his cute smile or his batting abilities, it all just works for me. I only took notice of Kohli very recently, so really, my admiration for him is rather new. However, I really do believe this lad is going far. His fielding is always top notch which is great as he sets high standards for the rest of the team to keep to par and he performed pretty well at every World Cup match this tournament. But more than anything, he's superly duperly utterly butterly cute. Works for me!

Caught Behind Wicket: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Smart. Savvy. Shrewd. Dhoni, India's most successful captain, is one guy who took time to win me over. Everyone was screaming about Dhoni and I would simply yawn. However, his quiet but sly nature wasn't one to be taken for granted. Whether he's captaining behind the stumps or batting on the field, he knows his place in the team and is all about motivating the team. His choice of pronouns must be noted. It is rare that he uses "I" or "him"; it's always "we" and "us". Good call! His captains innings at the 2011 World Cup final did it for me. Dhoni won me over and I was out!

Future pati dev, wherever you are, whoever you are...are you taking notes?

An Ode to Team India

Beloved Team India,

Team India: World Champions!

I love cricket. No wait, I love, heart, pyar, ishq, mohabbat the sport. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, “Roshni is the mistress of cricket!” I'm not your average team India fan. I don't just get happy when team India wins, I cry my eyes out. I don't get upset when the team loses, I find myself sulking for days. I'm not sure what my connection with cricket is. I was all of eleven when my Father introduced me to the sport. We were shopping for my uncles wedding and I found myself surprised to find every store in Mumbai equipped with a television surrounded its employees. I question the infatuation and guess what? It hit me like a googly. I was bowled out, middle stump. After I learned the basics and intricate details, I found myself mesmerized, addicted, obsessed. From then on, I became a team India cricket fanatic following the team through all their tours and even the 2007 World Cup. I knew then, I was hooked for life. It wasn't as though I became a team India fan by default. Yes, I love India, everyone knows that but I genuinely believed (and still do) in the temperament and future of Indian cricket. The talent was (and is) incredible. Like every cricket fan, I too was waiting with baited breath for the team to take home the Cricket World Cup. With every win over the last few years, the team proved more and more, that they deserved it. On April 2nd, 2011, it happened. You, team India, fulfilled the ultimate Indian cricket fans dream: you won the Cricket World Cup on home ground.

As soon as the skipper hit the last sixer out of the stadium, I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. And then I did what I didn't think I would do: I cried. Why I bawled? I'll never know. Maybe it was because of sheer pride for my country. Maybe it was because as a cricket fan, I saw my team, whom I loved and followed for years now, complete a dream that every fan wished for. Or maybe it was just one of those moments where happiness couldn't be expressed in any other way but sheer tears. In fact, it took me a few hours for this reality to sink in before the rona-dona completely stopped.

I'm not sure what incentive you boys went in with. Whether it was for to prove to the world, that you are indeed are the best, or it was to give Sachin the best farewell World Cup or for just for the country. Whatever your incentive, my boys, you played like complete champions. From the first match through to the final, you proved that you really are world class cricketers in every sense of the way and put every critic, who didn't think you lads could do it, to shame.

Like fans all over, I too watched in horror when Dhoni walked onto the pitch ahead of Yuvraj. “What on earth!” I thought. And I'll be honest, I have been skeptical of M.S. Dhoni as a captain. Not because he isn't capable of producing results. No. He is India's most successful captain and has proved it time and time again. His selfless attitude is one that is admirable in every which way. Dhoni's love for his boys and his eagerness for them to perform is beautiful. But it's his arrogance that irked me. However, at the final, he really outdid himself. His decision to come in and take care of the game was one that I’ll never question. What I believed would bring him down, he worked to his advantage. There was pressure but at no point did he display it nor did he crumble. Straight faced he handled it. And then, when it was really needed, the skipper played the ultimate captain’s innings. To you, I owe an apology. In all honesty, this World Cup would have been impossible without you. Captain Cool, you rock!

And how can I forget the one man whom I look up to, admire and worship in the cricket world, Mr. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The joy I felt when I saw you being carried by the team around the grounds, flag and cup in hand, is one that I will never forget. There is and will never be a cricketer like you. You style, grace and humility can never be imitated. And I assure you, not only me, but Indians all over including your team, will agree with me. Sachin Tendulkar, thank you for making Indian cricket what it is today. We love you!

Lastly, while we all sit and go on about the team without giving the man who changed the face of this team: Gary Kirsten. We see so little of him, but it is really the South African coach who turned things around for Team India. The team we see today, a world class team, is only because of him. The whole country salutes you, Gary. Kudos!

I never doubted you Team India. Even when it looked tough out there, I had faith in you boys. And every time you pulled through like true champions. As Indians, we couldn't be more proud of you all. We prayed hard, over one billion of us. We chanted shloks, hymns and prayer beads at every match. And yes, we all succumbed to strange superstitions – staying seated in the same chair for an entire innings if we needed to as we were scared things would fall apart if we moved. But you gave us exactly what we wanted: dhinchak, bindaas, fultoo cricket followed by the biggest jeet, any Indian could ask for.

As I sit to write this piece today, it is April 3rd 2011. A whole day has passed since the victory and it happens to be my birthday. A few weeks ago, I was asked, "What do you want for a birthday present?" My answer: "For India to win the Cricket World Cup." Thank you for giving me the best birthday present any Indian cricket fan could ask for. Nothing could substitute for a better present. Not a diamond ring, not a million bucks, not even a Bollywood blockbuster. As for the party? Well, a party that has been 28 years in the making has to be fab! Ask people on the streets in India who partied like it was millennium.

Men in Blue, M.S. Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, Ashish Nehra, Piyush Chawla, R. Ashwin and Yusuf Pathan, Congratulations! We won!

Love always:
A proud Indian, a Desi girl who loves cricket, vows to Bleed Blue forever and the happiest birthday girl in the world!

Desi Girl Talks Cricket World Cup!

March 12th, 2011:
India vs. South Africa

Today Desi Girl, who adores, loves and breathes cricket, is unhappy. Yes, India did not do too well today and thus, I feel a bit blue (pun intended). South Africa. A beautiful country with a pretty gosh darn good cricket team. But hello, what chance did they stand in front of our maa da laadlas in blue, right? In a pre-match discussion with my father, he said to me, "Roshni, India doesn't need to win this match. They'll still move ahead. Don't stress it." And what did I do? I stressed. Quickly, I then went in search of some consolation and came upon the uber trustworthy Castrol Cricket Index. By sheer research in the form of their fabulous index system, I was informed straight off the bat that India's chances for winning the World Cup was all of...20%. Immediately, I went in research of how both teams have faired with each other in the past. In the bargain, I was given a whole range of numbers which included individual player stats. However, what truly amazed me were the comparison between teams. According to the Castrol Index: Team Performance , India stands on top with an index rating of 395 when it comes to Batting but they fall all the way at number 8 when it comes to bowling with an index rating of 189! And post the match, I would realize how true this index system turned out to be.

Howzatt!

*What a beautiful batting ground it was! Sigh. Nagpur, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, was a party every Indian cricket lover should have attended.

*Sehwag scared the daylights out of us initially! After smacking the ball for a 4 in the first ball itself, he went on to go seriously risky! A few unorthodox hits here and there, he was gearing up for a feisty match. And then, he looked to the sky, chanted a mantra, shed his helmet for a cap and darlings, Viru went on to do what he does so well! Every wide and short ball was smacked around the ground.

*And then, the god of cricket decided he too had to get in on the fun. Sachin then went on to hit 111 of the best runs ever seen. It was a sight for every cricket lover. His straight drives, the sixes and his fantastic running between the wickets was just sheer beauty! Setting the stage and foundation for his team, he did what he does best: played cricket!

*Hello Gauty! I just want to say one quick thing: aapki performance se, Desi girl khush hua! 69 baby! Very very nice. We really do need to see more of ya!

*Steyn Steyn Steyn. All we heard was, "Watch out for him!" I thought, "Che! Steyn ki aisi ki thesi." Uh yeah, the dude went on to kick India's butt! The boys in blue went back to the pavillion one by one courtesy of his bowling numbers: 5/50.

*Holler Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis! Wow! I had no idea how well you lads knew the game. And honestly, 1000 apologies. Great play lads! Fabulous way to set the bar and create a base for your team. Kudos!


*Salute South African middle order! At least you can support your top order batsmen; unlike the men in blue. Enough said.
*If anyone deserves some mention from the bowling attack on the Indian team, it has to be sada Harbhajan. I mean while the rest of our bowlers, well plain SUCK, it was Bhaji who came on to do something worthwhile for the team. Shukriya Bhaji! 

Googlys!

*Sorry but the South Africa bowling, which ranks amongst the top five in the Castrol Cricket Index, was in complete shambles when Viru and Sach came out to bat. Helter-skelter was the word of the day as they fumbled to get our dudes out. Apologies lads, but when our top players come on to the field, this is what happens: carnage! So we understand that you needed to use 7 of your 12 players on the team (wink wink)!

*Damn you middle order! What on earth happened to you? At one point we were 267/1 and then 296 all out! Please explain yourselves.

*Why did Dhoni mess up the batting order? And why was our Power Play lacking oh um, POWER!

*Indian Bowling. Need I say more?

*Nehra taking the last over. Please spare me from explaining my agony watching that particular over. Painful...and how!

Normally, I sit and write a conclusion, summarize my feelings and thoughts. Today I will sit and write a note to the captain, Mr. M.S. Dhoni.

Dear Captain Saab,
Today, I speak to you not as a critic but as a Desi girl who loves cricket. Dude, today your comments post the match were plain disgraceful. The moment you uttered, "We must play for the team and not supporters," I lost respect for you. When did YOU play for the team today? Batao. You played for no one today. Not the team, not the supporters and definitely not your country. Explain the reason behind messing up the middle order? No answer, na? Do you realize every time bechara Sachin comes on to do his thing, play selfless cricket, you and your team never support him. Oh whatever, Dhoni. Today you have proved to us that you are unambitious, uneducated and definitely un-Indian. I'd rather see Rani Mukherjee in her Dil Bole Hadippa avatar along with Bhuvan and his team from Lagaan
Sincerely, a disappointed Desi girl.

India plays West Indies on the 20th of March in Chennai. Sigh. Hopefully some Rajnikant aura will circulate around the men in blue. My recommendation to them is simple: watch Robot. Over and out.

For the Love of Cricket!

Cricket World Cup 2011 has begun! Ectastic and elated, I am of course gearing up for a fun filled 48 days. Needless to say, I'll be sitting and Bleeding Blue as I follow and cheer on Team India. The Men in Blue have a lot to show and tell before all in hopes to bring back the Cricket World Cup which they last won 28 years ago in 1983. No Kapil Dev this time around to captain the team to victory. No siree. Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have to take it upon himself to bring it (and bring it back too while he's at it)!

I've always been a cricket fan (glory glory India!). So this year, I decided to cover Team India during CWC 2011 through my eyes, a Desi girl's eyes, in a segment I've titled: Desi Girl Talks CWC 2011. I promise to be as objective as possible and will shed my bias towards The Men in Blue. You've heard what the boys have to say, now for the ladies!