An adrenaline rush of the tsunami-kind, tempers flaring all over the place, blood pressure & heart-beat rates zooming every second & hope, belief, prayers ubiquitous all around: Wednesday , the 30th of March, 2011 will go down in cricket folklore as the dream-turned-reality knockout punch: INDIA vs PAKISTAN. World Cup Semi-final.

Yes, it just does not get better than this. The ultimate cricket-nirvana moment is all set to engulf Asia in particular and the whole cricket world in general when these two arch-rivals lock horns in Mohali. Infact, as soon as Yuvraj Singh dethorned the down-and-out Aussies of their cherished WC crown with that blazing boundary in Motera, the whole of India has been overwhelmed by the sheer thought of the upcoming “mother of all matches”!! Such has been the scale of excitement that the complete social network (Facebook & Twitter) will do well to double-check the power of its servers on this holy day!

The Rise in Price of match tickets will put the all-time-bullish Sensex to shame & after Black Caps, it’s the Black tickets which are the IN thing :P Mohali Mohalla is the cynosure of everyone’s eyes now!!

This God-sent matchup became a possibility after the Kangaroo-killers Pakistan took the stuffing out of Carribean Calypso with a thumping 10 wicket victory led by the ‘bowler’Afridi & 'batsman' Kamran!!

The Mini-finale also lived up to its expectations to produce the most electrifying & intense encounter in Ahmedabad to end the 12 year WC reign of Aussies; despite a determined knock by Punter!! The “UV-Raina” effect soaked in all the pressure to produce a scintillating partnership that shocked the Kangaroos to the core. If playing Raina instead of Yusuf was a MSD master-stroke, then Yuvi’s 4th man-of-the-match effort was the most special of them all: confident, courageous & sublime! This match will also be remembered for some absolutely brilliant performance in field & excellent bowling show by India barring “The Munaf”!

And then came the Oscar-winning knocked out saga of the “Choker in the pack”!! Kiwis ensured that S.A. continued their date with “Knock-out horror shows” with another shocking batting collapse reminiscent of what they managed against England in their group tie! The Kiwi flight was complete and there was no case of “Black Caps Down”!!

The Asian Roar was complete with the most emphatic display of dominating cricket by the inspired islanders!! Such was the extent of the 10 wicket thrashing that their most premier bowler became a “Black Swan” in a completely Straussed-out English side… & to top it all, the neutral cricket fan was even devoid of another English-directed thriller!! However, the curious case of “Yardy-depression” will always intrigue me here..!!

So after more than a month of exciting cricket, the crowning destiny is just 3 matches away for the chosen one!! But before that, it’s with bated breath that die-hard MIB fans await Wednesday, the 30th!!!

No, this is not about Steven Spielberg's next mega-hollywood project; which as a matter of fact is known as ‘Super 8’! For, ‘Super 7’ can be referred to as the series of high intensity & hyper-emotional cricket matches that are destined to take eight nations in particular and most of the world in general to the ultimate Oscar of cricket: The World Cup Crown!

Despite the all gung-ho Irish blood throughout and Bangladesh’s world cup record-breaking 9th wicket saga to stun TRP shooters & neutral cricket lover’s delight: England; it still turned out to be yours truly top-8 that finally did make it to the quarters! However, with certain glaring shockers in the positions indeed… As 10-man Pakistan finally finally halted Aussie juggernaut despite the presence of the one-who-should-not-be-named donning wicketkeeping gloves again… And MIB finally had an almost convincing win with its best bowling effort to date against Windies; courtesy: the Un-Chawla effect!!

Here’s my take on Super 7:

1.Green rule all the way: Despite the nature of its unpredictability, despite “him” in the team and despite a still fragile batting-line up; Pakistan should prove to be just too hot for the minnow-slammers Carribean. A WC Aussie conquest should be their absolute confidence booster!

2.The Mini Finale: Rightly termed-so by the Aussie coach, this could be the Superman encounter in Quarters; especially if Chawla-effect comes back to haunt MIB (remember warm-up match). However, if Ashwin-ism continues & Super-Sehwag is back to match fitness, there is no reason why MIB cant pull this one off! And here’s hoping that batting powerplay nightmares are finally over for once & for all.

3.African Safari rolls on: The only thing standing between Proteas and a semifinal appearance could be the Pallakele Plunderer: Ross Taylor!! But there’s also lot more to this tricky contest: the choker-savvy credentials, Vettori’s tweakers, Villiers injury and ofcourse the recent Black Caps resurgence!! But its definitely Advantage Africa here.

4.Inspired Islanders: One thing can be taken for granted – England will keep its flawless record of producing heart stopping thrillers intact. Everything else, however, is flawed when the case in point is England. For how can one explain this fact: England is the only team in quarters not to have lost to any other team left in this WC!!! And it’s the same bunch of eleven that went down to both Ireland and Bangladesh!! Home advantage, in-form captain & great all-round bowling: this could well be the recipe of Lankan success!

5.The Numero-Uno MATCH: Nothing has, nothing can and nothing will ever beat the awesomeness of India vs Pakistan match in WC!!! And MIB has never ever lost to its unpredictable neighbours in a WC encounter!!

6.The Revenge Match: All those who remember Boucher’s fist pumping in that unbelievable tie that led to S.A. end in WC’03, will know that Proteas would seek revenge in this colossal match-up! However, Lankans may not require any luck to get the better of Proteas this time around.

7.Glory Glory.. MIB!!! If it is indeed an India vs Sri Lanka WC final; rest assured it would be a battle of nerves between two very evenly matched sides. “Preparation can only take you thus far, after that you require a leap of faith”. How I wish :) :)

Fingers Crossed… Let the Super 7 begin…

338, 338, 327 & 329: And to think I had to watch my only live WC match in Delhi and not the new ‘Mecca of heart stopping cricket’: Bangalore!!

The 2011 edition of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ has reached an 8.0 on Richter scale after witnessing two of the all-time greatest matches’ ever played in history of the game.

The jaw-dropping fastest WC ton laced with 19 hits beyond the boundary-line in a 50-ball fury from Kevin O’Brien toppled the Englishmen and caused the first major upset of the gala event! Considering the Bob Woolmer case after Irish victory over Pak in ’07, I really hope all is well with Andy Flower in the coming days? Group B has indeed come alive.

And this is after ‘yours truly’ went through a complete roller-coaster emotional ride during the historic TIE on the same flat track earlier. From watching the GOD on top of his powers in a majestic display of sublime stroke play during his 120 in MIB-338 to being amazed & perplexed at the same time by Captain England masterly 154 and clueless Indian bowling. And finally dazzled by a mercurial Zaheer and last ball’s single (sigh-of-relief) in English-338.

Pak’s stunning win over the Lankans, Aussies confident start of their defense which keeps Ponting still unbeaten as their WC captain despite his off-field LCD woes and Malinga’s sensational hat-trick against a completely lost Kenyan side keeps Group A alive and kicking too!

Early days into the mega-event but few teams already need to get their thinking cap on:

MIB needs to do a thorough introspection to rekindle the belief and become a once decent bowling unit again. Maybe play a specialist bowler extra! Even the fielding has hit rock-bottom with dropped catches and frequent fumbles: Buck-up guys!!

If there is a team which requires an even greater turnaround in their bowling & fielding performances, it surely is England! But first they need to start believing in themselves again especially after the Irish Shocker!

The defeat to Pak may just bring out the best in the Lankans: how I would love them to halt the Aussies juggernaut finally!! South Africa has begun well and now start firm favourites against the English!! Afridi-led Pak is looking dangerous already & Black Caps need to pull up their socks for the big fights ahead.

As for now, its time to savour the delight of the exquisite Irish Bailey!! Will they be able to continue their killing spree, only time will tell? But MIB will do well not to underestimate them on the upcoming Super-Sunday clash, especially: MIB bowling vs Irish batting promises to be a really interesting affair!

De Ghuma Ke :)

Its been 27 long years… When Kapil’s Devils gate crashed on the Caribbean party, inflicting a catastrophic defeat to avert a hat-trick of titles for the calypso brigade, and henceforth achieving the miraculous feat: THE WORLD CUP trophy!!

Six tournaments later & history is yet to repeat itself! From hitting the final lap in 2003 to the disgraceful first round exit in 2007, the Indian cricket lovers have seen it all besides the Cup itself. So when the Cricket Mahakumbh opens for the 10th time in the ‘Country of GOD’ with the sport as the Religion, prayers & tempers will reach their ultimate zenith during 19th Feb – 2nd April.

Predicting ‘who will’ & ‘who will not’ do well in such a pressure cooker event is way beyond even Nostradamus genius; but then what’s the fun if this is not done? So here we go:

The Party-crashers: Bangladesh; led by the inspirational Shakib Al Hasan with the very talented Tamim Iqbal as his deputy, are no longer pushovers especially when it comes to competing on the big stage. Add to that home advantage & the mercurial Ashraful and this confident bunch is more than capable of making it to the knockout round. Will they deliver remains to be seen?

Zimbabwe, Ireland & Kenya can also boast from their historical record in WC, but expecting them to go past the first stage will require some serious hara-kiri. I doubt it this time. Gut feeling maybe?

8. Caribbean Anti-Calypso: Despite Double Bravo’s and dangerous Pollard in their ranks, Windies will need the experience of Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Gayle to assure entry into second stage. After that, May God Bless Them?

7. Its All 'Black Caps': The fact that Newzealand is still to name their final 15 for the Cup really sums up the downfall of the once very dangerous outfit! The side plunged into its lowest ebb after suffering humiliation by the hands of Bangladesh recently. Can Vettori-men turnaround their sagging fortunes and make a distinctive mark this time? Maybe Not.

6. The Phoneix Englishmen: They rose from the Ashes to devastate the Aussies in tests, but were beaten fairly and squarely in ODIs. However, with in-form players such as Trott, Bell & Anderson under Strauss fine captaincy, can they finally finally deliver at the biggest stage of them all? Watch out, they just might this time!

5. The Unpredictable Neighbours: Their build up to the mega event has been typically Pakistani style! Surrounded by all possible controversies over match-fixing, player bans, captaincy issues etc. on one-hand and playing some brilliant cricket to outlast the Kiwis on another! The unpredictability of ‘which Pak will show up’ makes them the most dangerous team, yet again. Will Afridi, Misbah and company do a 1992 encore? Conditions will favour them: Remember Remember!

THE BIG FOUR!

4. Agent Smith’s Proteas: The Quintessential Chokers and Perennial Under-achievers! Recent performances suggest that South Africa is fast shedding this woeful image, however, WC is going to be their ultimate acid test. With Kallis & Amla; in their best forms of their lives, Smith does have a balanced side capable of beating anyone on their day and going all the way too. But, hasn’t this been their curious case last time & before & before…….? Kallis is the Key!

3. The Enigmatic Islanders: Sri Lankans have reasons to believe that they ought to be second-time lucky. Its Murali’s last world cup, Sangakkara is in top gear both as batsman and captain, in batting they have the perfect mix of dashers and technique; in bowling of spinners and pacers; the home advantage too! However, Will Inconsistency and lack of match-practice taboo their shot at glory this time? They don’t have the likes of Aravinda De Silva, Ranatunga & Jayasuriya from their 1996 crown, nobody even closer!

2. The Unstoppable Kangaroo-force: Aussies might be a little messed up right now: Ashes humiliation, Captaincy woes, Injury problems etc. But its near impossible to separate the world cup crown from them, even the mere thought seems utopia. 4 times champions and last 3 in a row: do we need to look any further! So will the champion team crusade to another ‘path of WC glory’ in typical juggernaut style or have times indeed changed a lot recently to trigger chaos? Experience & Confidence: both are scarce for the Aussies this time!

1. Numero Uno ‘Men In Blue’: We have the GOD playing for arguably the very last time at WC stage, We have the Home Advantage & We have billions of hearts praying day/night for the dearest & most precious jewel: “The Pursuit of World Cup Happyness”..!! And then we have MSD at the helm, unarguably the best top order batsmen at present, Zaheer & Bhajji hitting top form off late and a highly improved fielding unit. But most important of all, what this team possesses in abundance is the unflinching belief in its capabilities to go all the way this time, come what may! The GOD a.k.a “Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar”: Its Time for you to take centre-stage and add the ‘only thing’ and the most ‘important thing’ in your CV. For next-time may well be too late! So will the Men In Blue keep their date with immortality on 2nd April, 2011? Hope is a good thing and no good thing ever dies. Ever.

MIB – JUST DO IT!

Let the Games Begin :)

Munna: a typical dhobi in the morning & a secretive rat-killer in the night.. his intriguing liking to Sai.. slowly but steadily developing into love & the overwhelming confusion subsequently.. and in the background – his family & Arun!

Sai: an investment banking consultant from the States on a sabbatical in Mumbai.. her one-night-stand with Arun & the longing/desire for a lifetime relationship.. her interest in Munna triggered initially due to her passion for photography in ‘the maximum city’ and in the end due to his pure heart!

Arun: a painter, a loner, a widower.. his tryst with Yasmin through those precious video-tapes & the ensuing emotions ranging from astonishment to happiness to extreme sadness.. his unwanted escapade with Sai followed by attempts to set things straight.. and the majestic painting!

Yasmin: a beautiful & haunting portrait of a small town girl from U.P., married to a cheating husband in Mumbai.. her attempt to stay in touch with her brother Imran through stories told via video tapes.. and the devastating end!

Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries) is the story of these four people living in Mumbai and their intersecting stories which are a part and parcel of life in the maximum city. The inaugural directorial venture by Kiran Rao grows on you minute by minute and then leaves you introspective as well as retrospective of the city called Mumbai and the diaries of its inhabitants.

Few of the scenes are bound to take your breath away:

The extreme shock on the face of Munna, when spotted by Sai during his rat-killing chronicles in the night..

The tear(s) in Sai’s eyes, when Munna gives him the address of Arun’s new place..

The utter despair & horror that engulfs Arun while coming to reality with Yasmin’s end..

Yasmin’s happiness while shooting the first tape for her beloved brother & the unimaginable distress with which she says “Mujhe maaf kar dena” in the end..

Aamir Khan Productions has scored another perfect 10, with its fifth movie, just like it did with the other four: Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Peepli Live! There has always been a group of critics which have not found alignment with these four movies in the past and that is quite understandable. However, the widespread flak and the degree of criticism faced by Dhobi Ghat has left me atleast, absolutely shocked and bewildered! And to think that it has come from the most unexpected quarters saddens me even more! Yes, it’s a pity that on one hand, we tend to condemn the Indian cinema of producing only commercially viable movies and its inability to match the high standards so often set by Hollywood, while on the other hand, when presented by a real piece of art and cinematic brilliance: we hate it with all our angst!

Being a Mumbaikar (for almost 18 months) and having experienced the highs and lows presented by the maximum city myself, I could perfectly relate with the Mumbai Diaries and which is why I admired this 95 minute spectacle so much! Why most of other Mumbaikars could not do so, is really besides my wildest dreams! And for all those who think that the movie’s entry as the official selection for the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival’10 was due to Aamir Khan’s presence and nothing else, need to do some serious introspection!

For this movie is not about a Aamir Khan, but all about raising a toast to the maximum city “Mumbai”!