GauravBlog Logo

A Lion’s eye on the Bulls and Bears

“In India, companies may fall sick, but promoters rarely do!”

Gaurav's Blog

Categories

March 2011

ICC World Cup Cricket 2011 Semi Finals at Mohali….India did not Win it !…Pakistan lost it !

You simply cannot replicate the Stadium Atmosphere & Experience in your Living Room or anywhere else !

My Son and Nephew, who were at Motera too and saw the Aussies being thrashed by India in the World Cup QFs,are over the moon at the Mohali Stadium tonight….”Paisa aur Mehnat more than vasool !”…….India now have beaten Pakistan in the World Cup 5 on 5….Pakistan had never lost to India at Mohali before in any Cricket match….that was till today !

Methinks India did not  win it !…rather Pakistan lost it !

India set Pakistan 261 to win with left arm pacer Wahab Raiz taking a brilliant 5 for 46 in his 10 to restrict India which at one time looked like crossing 300…what also helped Man of the Match Sachin for his 85 and India’s cause is the slipshod fielding…butter fingered Pakistanis dropped Six catches !…four of the Little Master !…most were dollies !

All that Pakistan has to do was to take it easy at 5 runs an over…..but their veterans Younis Khan and Misbah let them down !…they batted as if they were playing a Test Match ! ….Younis Khan scored 13 of 32 while Misbah left it for too late and was there till the end and scored 56 of 76 helped by some big hitting a bit too late….all the other main batsmen played to deceive…some simply threw their wickets needlessly going for crazy shots

Inexplicably Pakistan did not take batting Powerplay when they were six down and Captain Afridi and Misbah were the last recognised pair at the crease…Afridi has been the most wicket taker in this World Cup but his batting has not been much too talk about

Indian Bowlers are peaking…today only 5 bowlers were used that were meant to be used to bowl out Pakistan for 231 in the 50th over…they all shared two wickets apiece…Sachin may have got the Man of the Match Award but Sehwag’s blistering 38 of 25 in the beginning and Raina’s unbeaten 36 of 39 at the end set up the 261 for Pakistan to chase…Also four time Man of the Match Winner in this World Cup,Yuvraj made amends for his first ball dismisal on his homeground by taking two important wickets in his ten overs…Even surprise choice Nehra over Ashwin took 2 for 33 in his 10…his tenth over was the Innings 47th in the batting Powerplay…he gave just two runs and took a wicket in it ! 

My observation is that only one team was playing to win out there on the field today…and they did…both did play in good spirit and there were some lovely chummy moments between the men in blue and the men in green on the field today in front of the PMs of both countries  read more

India set Pakistan 261 to win in the World Cup Semis at Mohali

At one time India looked like it will set Pakistan a tough 300 + target….their Bowlers got them back into the game restricting India to 260 for 9 in 50 with left arm seamer Wahab Raiz taking a brilliant 5 wicket haul…trapping Sehwag and Dhoni LBW,squaring Kohli up to be snapped up at Point and bowling Yuvraj first ball with a full toss swinging ball

At 30 overs we were @ 170 for 4…..then for the next fifteeen overs not a single boundary !…Tendulkar may have scored 85 but he was dropped Four times ! and given out LBW,only for a decision reversal and then Pakistan claimed a stumping,but replay showed he was grounded….as Shoaib Akhtar was not given a  chance to play perhaps Wahab was inspired by Afridi’s faith in him to produce this spell

However despite Wahab bowling brilliantly for his five wicket haul methinks the wicket is slowing and Dhoni may have misjudged this by picking pacer Nehra for spinner Ashwin  

Interesting game now…261 to win…challenging total on a slowing wicket but Kamran Akmal has just driven the first ball from Zaheer for four………

….let’s hope our bowlers win us the day  when our batsmen were at sea against the Pakistan bowling…dew factor expected to make the ball talk a bit

Indiaaaaaaa ! India !…Indiaaaaaaaa ! India !….No Excuses for No Work tomorrow !

“Indiaaaaaaa ! India !…Indiaaaaaaaa ! India !”….No Excuses for No Work tomorrow !

“Sachin ! Sachin !….Sachin ! Sachin !”

Ofcourse I want India to win…..but I don’t want a Close match…we should thram Pakistan at Mohali tomorrow….coz I don’t want my heart to go too much ‘dhak dhak’ nor do I want to pull my hair in frustration !

….strong memories emerge of my cricketing life in Bahrain while I was with a leading Global Audit Firm….Cricket is my passion and I have captained school and played for my colleges ….so when I got an opportunity to play for the leading Indian Club in Bahrain in the 1980s,I was thrilled…every Friday we had matches and  believe me they were extremely competitive..we had Clubs and Teams that were predominantly  either Sri Lankan,Indian,Pakistani or English….and a few players had represented even their country or states……and so we all played to win on matting wickets…. and whenever we clashed with the top Pakistani Team there were fireworks…even violent behaviour at times…it was War out there !…and I vividly remember how we beat them in one Final and I was instrumental in the win….the first time in 17 years that we had beaten them in the Sadiq Cup,a tournament that they themselves conducted !….. our Club was kept open all night  for celebrations !….later we were rewarded with trophies and cups and gifts and even gold coins by leading Indian businessmen and even felicitated by the Indian Ambassador…and once when we were winning in some other Final,the Pakistani supporters simply could not accept this situation and so hundreds of them simply converged onto the field while the match was being played !….the Cricketing Council,dominated by Pakistanis,adjudged both teams as joint winners !….I remember I was the bowler when the crowds invaded the field and  Murtaza Ali Baig, the brother of ex India Cricketer,Abbas Ali Baig leading me aside when fights with stumps and bats  broke out and telling me to merely be a spectator…a lot of our Club Team constituted members of the ‘Thattai Bhatia’ community……. they fought back when provoked…..was aghast at this unsporting and unruly and violent outbursts from Players and spectators…on top of the blatant umpiring bias we had to contend with !….too many negative emotions pent up cross border…sad !…should not be so….    read more

Why Sachin will not be able to score his 100th 100 at Mohali in the World Cup semi-final when India meets and beats Pakistan……

This is why Sachin will not be able to score his 100th 100 in Mohali this Wednesday when India meets and beats Pakistan in the World Cup Semi-Finals ! 

Afridi  :  “Hum Sachin ko kissi haal mein 100 nahin banane denge!”

Misbah :Magar hum kaise rokenge ? Woh to gajab ke form mein hai..”

Afridi : “Hum under 100 all out ho jayenge 🙂 “

Marine Drive out of bounds this Sunday evening as Dawoodi Bohras celebrate the 100th Birthday of their Spiritual Head Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin

The Spiritual Leader of the Million Strong Dawoodi Bohra Community,Sydena Mohammad Burhanuddin being honoured on his 100th Birthday in a Procession down Marine Drive in South Mumbai this Sunday evening,March 27,2011….A Sea of atleast a lakh of Dawoodi Bohra men and Women and Children…the Men resplendent in their traditional three piece White outfits with a white and gold topi  while the Women in their decorative rida that distinguishes them from the traditional and simple black burkha clad Muslim Women

These are mobile shots taken by my son,who was practicing with his Rock band at a band member’s residence right in the middle of Marine Drive…he had reached early at 5pm unaware of this later evening procession and Marine Drive being closed for it

My wife too was unaware and  was stuck in a horrendous traffic jam because of this Procession…the whole of Marine Drive was out of Bounds and vehicles were being diverted through Marine Lines…she returned in a foul mood cursing that there was no forewarning ,either in the Press or on TV Channels or even through Notice Boards at leading road arteries and the big junctions that lead to Marine Drive,that  Marine Drive was  closed for vehicular traffic this evening for this Procession & Celebration…and it’s been a hot day in Mumbai today…so the Heat adds to the Heat of the Moment !

….I have warned her that tomorrow,Monday,March 28,2011, and it has been announced,the same Marine Drive is going to witness a security drill ahead of the World Cup Cricket Finals at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday,April 2,2011

….and tomorrow and dayafter too the Garware Clubhouse at Wankhede Stadium will also begin distribution of the Tickets for the Finals for those who booked and paid for them earlier in the month

Come Saturday,April 2,2011…Come the Finals…… and all roads will lead to the Wankhede Stadium on Marine Drive in South Mumbai….quicker to walk to the stadium…advisable to begin the walk early morning for the day/night game so as to be early in the Q waiting to get in …so you don’t miss the toss or atleast the first ball that will be bowled at 2.30 pm….am taking it that India is making it…….

Cheers !    

Good Shepherd Church,Versova,Mumbai…Warm and Blessed Morning addressing them on the Union Budget and Equities

Interesting,Warm  and Blessed Morning today at the Good Shepherd Church at Versova in Mumbai……

…….was invited by Captain Mascarenhas to address the Bombay Catholic Sabha on the Union Budget and Equities…..was to address them for 45 minutes to an hour followed by a Q & A Session….had prepared a special presentation……. landed up doing a two and a half hour session…..warm crowd…eager to know how to read the Budget…how will it actually impact the common man…..the problem of subsidies….one gentlemen demanded to know as to why should foodgrain subsidies be given when we have tonnes rotting in our warehouses and open grounds and we are even importing……. and the savvy among them wanted to know if there was any corelation between the Sensex Market Cap and the Total Market Cap !……many even shared some of their thoughts and experiences…many were concerned with the Wealth Tax stipulations in the new Direct taxes Code that will be implemented from April 1,2012….many wanted confirmation that Gold and Silver remain good Investments…and should one go for the ETF Option in them…….

…….showed them how the rising quantum of Corruption is playing havoc…corelated quantums with the challenges of Fiscal Defcits and Subsidies and the overhang of the Damocles Sword of rising Inflation,Interest rates and Oil Prices….

…covered in more detail Non Plan Expenditure….prominently Food,Fuel and Fertiliser subsidies…..Disinvestment…..FDI and FII Investments…..Fiscal Defict and how it is being Financed…..GDP and Inflation……GDP and Market Cap….GDP and Savings….GDP and Tax Revenues……GDP in absolute terms and in Sector wise Growth rates…. and some more

….played out the Sensex Story since inception building up a case for Investment in Equities….spoke about showing statistics ,the turbulent and challenging 2008 to 2010 period and how Equity Schemes of Mutual Funds have not been your friend…..allowing the FIIs to dominate….in fact the dependence on their flows to determine Liquidity,Sentiment,Momentum and Market Valuation ! 

…..explained the difficulty of implementing effectively and honestly the new basis of  distribution of subsidy directly in cash to those Below the Poverty Line…how will you identify those BPL ?….most do not have Bank Accounts….the Unique Identification Authority of India,under ex Infosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani, has started issuing UIDs…these carry five parameters that include biometrics..eye scan and fingerprints…but not Income Levels….UIDAI has now been asked to assist in creating a BPL Card too    read more

Scroll to Top