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Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has been awarded the honorary rank of group Captain in the Indian Air Force in a glittering ceremony held in New Delhi on Friday. Air Chief Marshal PN Naik pipped his uniformed shoulders with the rank and said that Sachin would soon be flying sorties in Su-30MKI, and added that it depends on the master blaster to make him available for this purpose. 

Sachin Tendulkar

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who sets the cricket field on fire with his bat, now wishes to light up the skies by flying a Sukhoi-30MKI, the most lethal fighter jet in the Indian Air Force. 

Sachin Tendulkar has 48 Test Cricket centuries under his belt and has stated that he has no plans to retire from International Cricket in the near future. 

Replying to a question about the fighter plane he wishes to fly, the batting legend said: “I want to fly a Sukhoi-30MKI.”  Read the rest of this entry »

Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir had been summoned to London by Scotland Yard in connection with the no-ball controversy that has erupted during the current England – Pakistan series. They have been interrogated at length and the Pakistan Cricket Board says it will not take any action upon the reports of the media. nor upon the sting operation,  but is awaiting the investigation report from the Scotland Yard. 

The news is absolutely shocking for the fans of Cricket. Why, such a thing happened, was the question in everyone’s mind. Is it endless greed for money at this age? These things were unheard of, a predetermined no-ball in between a devastating spell during the 4^th Test, which the Lords has ever witnessed. Shocking, is the word and rape of Cricket would be no exaggeration either.  Read the rest of this entry »

Sri Lanka beat India by 74 runs in the final of the Triangular Series between Sri Lanka, New Zealand and India played at the Dambulla Stadium on Saturday

Kumar Sangakara

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.  They made full use of the track and Tilakratne Dilshan slammed a chanceless century to maintain the hold of Sri Lanka on the match.

Though embroiled in the no-ball controversy in depriving Sehwag of a century in the previous encounter with India, he had saved his best performance for the last.

He was ably supported by Mahila Jayawardne who rotated the strike very well. These two batsmen posted an opening wicket partnership of 121 runs. This was Dilshan’s third century against India. Read the rest of this entry »

Though Cricket has always been a game of glorious uncertainities and predictions are extremely difficult, India should win the triangular Series Cup against Sri Lanka in the final to be played on Saturday at Sri Lanka.

No, I did not ask Octopus Paul, but they have the capacity to do it even though India’s batsmen, apart from M S.Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, have so far failed in their performance in this tournament.

As of now Dinesh Kartik, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can be said to be the failures of this tournament as they do not have any worthwhile contribution in the matches which have been played so far. Yuvraj Singh’s performance is also under the scanner, even though he had scored a paltry 38 in the match against Sri Lanka.

They are, however getting lot of support and encouragement from their seniors. Read the rest of this entry »

M.S.Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first on a newly laid pitch at the Dambulla Stadium on Wednesday.  New Zealand tried their best to reach the final of the tri-Series, but India were in a victory mode and never relented all through the game, and India beat New Zealand by 108 runs. Batting first they amassed 223 runs, almost half of which were scored by Virendra Sehwag, and then the Indian pacers wrecked havoc on their batsman and budled them out in a meager score of 118 runs. 

Virendra Sehwag

After the loss of four quick wickets, M.S.Dhoni gave Sehwag  the required support by rotating the strike and played the sheet anchor role at the other end, while Sehwag plundered his century. Dhoni and Sehwag put on a 107 runs partnership. Once Sehwag was out, the Indian tail was wiped out quickly by the New Zealand bowlers.

 Sehwag  also managed to hit his 1000th ‘four’ in ODI cricket. New Zealand bowlers bowled very well and took the wicket of Dinesh Kartik with India at no score and Virat Kohli also gave the faintest of nick to the wicket-keeper. Both these batsmen were caught fishing outside the off stump. 

Even though the New Zealand bowlers had managed to capture 4 quick wickets by sheer bounce and quick bowling, it was Sehwag alone duly supported by Dhoni, who gave India a fighting score.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Government of India has approved a 300% hike in the salary of it’s Members of Parliament and still they are not happy. This approval on Friday was followed on Friday, by protests by the MPs that they would not work for in increase of 500% as recommended by the Parliamentary Committee. 

They were expecting a salary of approximately 80,001 per month, which is at least Re. 1/- more than that of a bureaucrat. Simultaneously, the Government has also doubled their perks, but the parliamentarians stalled the proceedings of the Lok Sabha, creating difficulties for the Speaker Meira Kumar to maintain calm in the House. 

The news is, that this hike is being reconsidered and might go up further.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Controversial Six
  
Virender Sehwag  helped India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets and also secure a bonus point to leave each of the three sides with a win at the end of the first round of matches in a cricket tri-series match at Dambulla on Monday.

MS Dhoni lost the toss again, but Kumar Sangakkara’s decision to bat first gave India the chance to bowl under the overcast weather at Dambulla and their bowlers cashed in with their swing on a wicket which had bounce also. Sehwag then manage to save his skin during the early Lankan attack and later slammed which would have been a classic century, but for the controversial six, which sealed victory.

Virendra Sehwag

The start of the game was no less dramatic as the end.  Praveen Kumar rattled the timber of Upul Tharanga with an out swinger off the first ball off the day. Sri Lanka found it difficult to adjust to the attack of Praveen as well as Ishant Sharma under cloudy skies and the batsmen struggled against the swing and deviation off the pitch and the  batsmen found it difficult to negotiate the swing in the damp weather at Dambulla.

Mahela Jayawardene had a brief stay at the crease and was trapped leg before by a Praveen in-swinger that moved back in late. Samaraweera and Sangakara also looked good in patches but went wayward in their application to the task.

Extra pace accounted for Sangakkara who was caught in the deep. Damaraweera was caught at short midwicket off a mis-timed pull. Read the rest of this entry »

 Steven Slater, the Jet Blue flight attendant who quit his job via emergency slide at Kennedy Airport, has given a brute, but essential message to the world that the flight attendants are also human and deserve their ‘due’ place in the Society.

Stevan Slater, the flight attendant who has become media sensation, was released on $2,500 bail on Monday night. He told reporters he was surprised by all the attention his story had generated.

Steven Slater

Agreed, after take-off, your first requirement is to get a drink and nibble. It’s the duty of the steward or the stewardess to serve you because you have paid for it in the ticket, but you have no right whatsoever, to be rude to them.

There he comes, pulling the trolley, with bottles, snacks, disposable glasses and paper napkins, smiling and asking every passenger ‘what would you like to drink Sir/Madam’? He puts a napkin on the make-shift dining table and then puts the disposable glasses and plastic cutlery on it along with the drink of your choice. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a matter of national honor and pride that we are hosting the Commonwealth Games. Going by the media reports the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 has left a blot on the India’s image and a lot will have to be done to save the face of the nation. The allegations of misuse of funds granted for the conduct of these Games speak volumes of the inept handling of the whole affair.

This has even angered Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of England who is furious over allegations of corruption involving a UK based firm in the baton relay of the Commonwealth games launched in London last year.

An equipment which you can buy out rightly for under Rs. Four lakhs is being hired for Rs.Ten lakhs for a mere 45 days? Yes, I am talking about the treadmill suppliers who are being paid only Rs. One lakh for 45 days rent of the equipment and being billed by over a 1000%. A taxi which was available for £ 250 a day in London was being hired for £ 450 a day? Read the rest of this entry »

India beat  Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in the third and final test played at P.Sara Oval Stadium. With this win they level the series and have retained the number one spot in Test Cricket in the world. India were hungry to beat Sri Lanka on their ground since August 1994.

Resuming the chase from Friday’s 53 for three, India lost Ishant Sharma for 4 runs in the morning.

Requiring 257 runs to win, the final day belonged exclusively to VVS Luxman who posted 103* scintillating runs off 149 deliveries to ensure victory for India about ten minutes before tea.

VVS Luxman

Sachin Tendulkar 54 and Suresh Raina 41*  played a sheet anchor role in ably supporting Luxman, who batted like a cool lion despite his back pain. Read the rest of this entry »