Saturday, January 31, 2009

Serena Williams Gallops To 10th Grand Slam Win


Serena Williams Of USA won her 10th grand slam by defeating Dinara Safina of Russia at the Australian Open today. The second seeded American thereby reclaimed the world No 1 ranking in the process. She defeated the Russian in straight sets 6-0,6-3 thereby making it a one sided affair. This is her 4th Australian Open title. She has won the titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. Incidentally she also won the women's doubles finals along with her sister Venus Williams yesterday. She was not in the best of form coming into the tournament, but gained momentum as the tournament progressed and peaked at the right time. Although she was the firm favourite owing to her previous vast experience in playing grand slam finals, the match was expected to be a tight affair, but Safina was overwhelmed by the occasion and lost focus when it mattered the most. The whole match lasted less than an hour. Dinara Safina is the sister of Marat Safin.

The eagerly anticipated men's finals between world No1, Rafael Nadal and world No 2, Roger Federer will take place at Rod Laver Arena tomorrow. Rafa had won a marathon 5 set semi final against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco on Friday. The match lasted 5 hours and 14 minutes, thereby making it the "longest match" in Australian Open history. Federer on the other hand had a comparatively easy semi final where he defeated Andy Roddick of USA in straight sets.

Aussies Lose No 1 Ranking!

World champions Australia have lost their No 1 ranking in One Day Internationals after South Africa defeated them in the fifth and final one dayer at Perth yesterday. After winning the toss the South African skipper Johan Botha elected to bat first. South Africa rested their front line pacemen Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini for the dead rubber as a part of their "rotation policy". They were replaced by two debutants Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. South African opener Hashim Amla played a fluent knock to lift South Africa to a formidable total of 288 for the loss of 6 wickets in their alloted 50 overs. A B de Villers and J P Duminy also contributed 60 runs each. For the hosts all-rounder James Hopes scalped 3 wickets while Hilfenhaus took 2.

In reply Australia got off to a disastrous start losing 4 wickets with just 51 on board in under 13 overs. Mike Hussey scored 78 and keeper batsman Brad Haddin scored 63 in a lost cause as Australia were bowled out for 249 in 49 overs. For the visitors, debutant Tsotsobe captured 4 wickets. Hashim Amla was declared the "Man Of The Match".

Australia could regain their No1 ranking when they take on the 4th ranked New Zealanders in the upcoming Chappel Hadlee trophy. However to do so Ricky Ponting and his men have to find a way to hit the ground running as the Kiwis are a formidable One Day outfit.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Sons Of Fortune



Sons Of Fortune is a novel written by Jeffrey Archer. As always the case with Archer novels, this one is also quite good. Archer manages to engage the attention of the reader till the very end. The subtle twists and turns makes the story interesting. As it so often happens in Archer's stories, the pivotal character(s) have a bosom friend to help him. And Archer is at his very best when the story runs into legal battles. The way Archer constructs the arguments and counter arguments is riveting.

It follows the life of two twins Nathaniel Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport who are separated on the same day of their birth. Nat grows up in his parents home and is sent up to Taft for his education where he meets up with Tom. Nat and Tom become bosom pals and continue their friendship throughout their lives. Nat also meets up with Ralph Elliott at Taft who becomes his adversary. Their rivalry continues in adulthood as well. Fletcher grows up in the house of Ruth and Davenport who have a rich family history. He is sent up to Hotchkiss for his education where he meets up with Jimmy, who becomes his best mate.

The story then pans out into their adolescene years when both Nat and Fletcher distinguish themselves in academics. Both of them even fall in love with the same girl during a school game. After finishing schooing, Nat enrolls himself at the University of Connecticut whereas Fletcher signs up at Yale. In the middle of his college years, Nat enlists himself at the army and is sent up to serve at Vietnam. He is then awarded with the Medal Of Honor for his deeds in the war. He then returns to college and meets up with Su Ling who becomes his wife. He then goes to Harvard Business School and becomes a banker. He then starts working in Wall Street. Fletcher meanwhile becomes a lawyer and joins a prestigious law firm in New York.

But after a crash in which the bank loses half a million dollars, Nat is forced to resign from his job. He then joins Tom and starts working in Tom's family bank The Rusell's. Fletcher's career path also changes when Ralph Elliot joins the same law firm in which Fletcher is working. Fletcher then resigns from the firm and takes up politics. He soon becomes the senator. Ralph Elliott also quits the law firm over a scandal and returns to Connecticut.

Fletcher then runs for the Governer from democartic party. His rival from the republican side is destined to be Ralph Elliott, when Nat suddenly jumps into the republican fray with the sole aim of defeating Elliott. Nat seems destined to win his party's nomination when Ralph Elloitt restores to dirty tricks to win his bid. When one his moves results in the death of Nat's son, he vows to take his revenge on him. On the very next day Nat is charged with the murder of Ralph Elliott. Nat enlists Fletcher's help in clearing his name. After clearing hs name, Nat helps in saving Fletcher's life by donating his blood. In the hospital both of them come to know that they are twins. Yet they both decide to face off in the upcoming election. Who will win? No one knows as the result is too close to call. Ultimately the winner is decided by the toss of a coin.

You can also sample the plot of Archer's latest book "A Prisoner Of Birth" by clicking on the title. To read about the plot of his best selling "Kane And Abel" click on the title.

Monday, January 26, 2009

South Africa Clinches Series Win Down Under

South Africa won the 4th ODI against Australia to win the 5 match ODI series 3-1 with one game to spare. After winning the toss, the Australian skipper Ricky Ponting had no hesitation to bat first on a batting paradise in Adelaide. But Australia didnt get off the best of starts with openers David Warner and Shaun Marsh back in the hut with just 17 runs on the board. Skipper Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey led the recovery with Ponting scoring 63 and Hussey contributing 28. Almost all of the Australian middle rder had their starts, but none of them were able to contribute a substantial score as the Aussies folded inside their 50 overs with just 222 on board.

South Africa's chase began on a rampant note with their openers Gibbs and Amla putting on an opening stand of 58. South Africa lost only two wickets before they reached their target with 11.5 overs to spare. A.B. de Villers scored an unbeaten 82 while Amla contributed an unbeaten 80. Earlier de Villers donned the big gloves for South Africa after their regular wicket keeper Mark Boucher was ruled out of the series with injury. A.B de Villers was awarded the man of the match. the 5th and final ODI will be played at Perth on Jan 30.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

NSW and Victoria Enter Champions League

New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria are the two domestic teams from Australia which will feature in the Champions league scheduled to be held this year. The last year's league was canceled after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Victoria also qualified for the last year's proposed event. However Western Australia who made it to the finals last time around failed to qualify this year. In the finals of T/20 big bash New South Wales emerged victorious after defeating Victoria by 5 wickets. They scrambled home off the last ball of the last over.

The major highlight of the finals was the appearance of New Zealand wicket keeper Brendon McCullum in the New South Wales colors. Although he made only 10 runs in the finals, he would be available to play for NSW in the Champions league if his IPL team Kolkata Night Riders fail to qualify for the event. The signing of Mc Cullum by NSW stirred up a controversy in Australian cricketing circles with Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds openly questioning his inclusion. It should be noted that runners up Victoria didnt have the services of their 3 senior players for the finals. Cameron White and David Hussey are representing Australia in the ongoing series against South Africa where as Brad Hodge was ruled out due to an hamstring injury. New South Wales were without the new "boy wonder" David Warner and Nathan Bracken, with both of them representing Australia.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Steve Jobs Out Of Apple For 6 Months


Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc, the popular consumer electronics manufacturer has taken a 6 month medical leave. Chief Operation Officer, Tim Cook will look after the day to day operations in his absence. It should be noted that Steve Jobs has been treated for a rare form of Pancreatic cancer in 2004. He has been losing weight in the recent months which was initially attributed to an hormonal imbalance. There has been no official reports either from Steve Jobs or from Apple regarding his health issues. This has led to widespread rumors regarding his health ranging from the recurrence of his pancreatic cancer to several other illness.

Unlike other major companies, Apple's CEO is also involved in design and development of Apple's products. He is also a highly skilled marketing man who is well known for his showmanship. Apple's health at least for the short term seems to be linked with the health of its CEO. Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.


Apple has been the market leader in music player market with their iconic I Pod ( Along with its many cousins) ruling the roost. Apart from I Pod, the I phone has also been very popular among the consumers. Apart from these Apple also manufactures notebook and desktop computers.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Aussies Pip Proteas


After a nail biter last Friday, Australia and South Africa were involved in another riveting contest today in the second match of the 5 match one day international series at Bellerive Oval in Tasmania. But this time though, the results were different. After winning the toss, South African skipper Botha elected to field first. Australia lost the wonder boy David Warner early with just 17 on board. But opener Shaun marsh and skipper Ricky Ponting consolidated the innings. Both scored half centuries to lay down the foundation for a mammoth total. However when both Ponting and Marsh were dismissed, Australia lost steam and the rest of the batsmen could muster only 53 runs in the last 10 overs, which included 4 overs of batting power play. For the visitors Ntini grabbed 3 wickets while Steyn and Kallis captured 2 each.

In reply South Africa were off to a slow start with just 17 runs coming in the first 7 overs and they lost the wicket of Hasim Amla in the bargain. However, Kallis and A B de Villers joined forces in the 15th over and kept the score card ticking along with minimal risks. Kallis was dismissed in the 35th over, at the end of which the South Africans required 103 runs in the remaining 15 overs. Still very much gettable considering the fact that South Africa had 5 overs of batting power play in hand and still had big hitters like Albie Morkel waiting for their turn to bat. But tight bowling at the death by the Australian pacemen, especially Nathan Bracken, put the skids on the scoring rate and resulted in a flurry of wickets. In the end South Africa fell short by 5 runs.

Australian opener Shaun Marsh was declared the "Man Of The Match". The third one day international will be played on January 23rd at the SCG. It will be a day/night affair.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Two Nail Biters In One Day

Of late there has been frequent murmurs about Twenty/20's gaining popularity and it contributing to the demise of one day cricket (the 50 over format). And this theory has been reinforced by many one sided fixtures being played out by teams. But that was not the case today. Two one day matches were played in the Asia Pacific region today, and both turned out to be cliff hangers.

In one encounter Sri Lanka were up against Bangladesh in what was expected to be an one sided affair. but it turned out to be anything but one sided. After winning the toss the Lankan skipper Jayawardena put the hosts into bat, and they crawled along to 152 all out inside the alloted 50 overs. The Lankans were expected to reach the target easily and claim the prize but the B'desh tigers had other plans. When the Lankans came to bat they were losing wickets in a hurry, and inside 8 overs they lost 5 wickets with just 6 runs to show on the board. Of the specialist batsmen only Sanga was still at the crease and there were bright hopes for the hosts. But Sangakkara and Mubarak hung around and raised the team's fifty. When things were getting better for the visitors, Mubarak was run out. All rounder Maharoof and Sangakkara then took Sri Lanka towards safety. Again there was a twist in the plot when Sanga and Kulasekara departed in the same over. With the required run rate climbing steadily tail ender Murali had no option but to swing the bat. And swing he did. He scored 33 of just 16 balls and Lankans won with two wickets and 11 balls to spare.

The other match was pretty evenly contested with top two teams South Africa and Australia locking horns. After winning the toss, Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting had no hesitation to bat first on a good batting surface at the MCG. With opener Mike Hussey departing early, opener Shaun Marsh and Ponting joined forces and put on 94 runs for the second wicket before Ponting was dismissed. With vital contributions from Shaun Marsh, David Hussey and Cameron White, Australia reached a respectable score of 271 for the loss of 8 wickets in their alloted 50 overs. In reply South Africa got off to a shaky start with their openers Gibbs and Amla back in the pavilion with the score card reading just 36. However Jean Paul Duminy, South Africa's crisis man, on this tour, struck a patient half century to put the chase back on track. Neil McKenzie playing in a one day international after a gap of 5 years (he was in the team as A B de Villers was still recovering from Shaun Tait's blow in the T/20's) also scored a fluent 63 and South Africa were cruising towards their target. But when J P Duminy fell in the 41st over, it triggered a mini collapse and suddenly South Africa were looking down the barrel. But South Africa still had big hitting all-rounder Albie Morkel in their ranks, and he wonderfully capitalized on the batting powerplay at his disposal. He stuck an unbeaten 40 of just 18 balls and took South Africa across the finish line with 3 balls to spare. Giving him company at the non-striker's end was skipper Botha. For his efforts Albie Morkel was declared the "Man Of The Match".

Matches like these, which go down the wire are what that makes one day cricket so exciting and enthralling to watch. It was indeed a bumper day for One Day Cricket. Lets hope for much such close showdowns in the coming days.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Blackle - Innovative Google Search


Almost everyone who uses internet is aware of search engine Google. But how many of you are aware of Blackle?? Based on a calculation it was found that taking into account the huge number of internet traffic that Google takes in per day, huge amount of energy can be saved ( About 750 mega watts a year!!) if Google's interface is black instead of its customary white.

Therefore Heap media from Australia has introduced a search engine with a black interface which provides customized Google search. The Blackle home page displays the amount of energy saved in watt hours. However since this site is not owned by Google, it lacks the various search options available in Google such as image search, news search e.t.c. When a search string is typed in Blackle, the results are dispalyed in a quick time and it provides various other options such as search within the results, search tips e.t.c.

However the energy saving concept seems to work only on CRT (Cathode ray tube) monitors and does not show any appreciable difference in LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors. When contacted for comments Google's response was " 'This is one example of the ways in which people can use Google's technology in innovative ways". Sounds interesting?? Try Blackle and tell your views.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Hussey And White Seal Series Win

Australia defeated South Africa in the second T/20 international at Gabba to take the two match series 2-0. South African skipper Botha won the toss and elected to bat first. The visitors were off to a slow start with just 40 runs on the board by the end of the 7th over and losing two wickets in the process. J.P.Duminy scored an attractive half century and remained unbeaten on 69 of 41 deliveries as the visitors reached 157 for the loss of 5 wickets in their alloted 20 overs. For the hosts, all-rounder James Hopes took 2 wickets.

In reply, Australia were off to a bad start with both the openers Shaun Marsh and the previous match hero David Warner departing early. Skipper Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey consolidated the innings and took the score to 90 when Ponting was run out. David Hussey followed him soon after. But his sibling Mike Hussey rediscovered his touch and joined forces with Craig White to steer Australia to victory. Michael Hussey scored an unbeaten 53 of 33 balls while White was unbeaten on 40 of just 18 balls with 5 fours and a six. For the visitors, debutant Wayne Parnell was most expensive bowler. He conceeded 4 boundaries in the 17th over which sealed the match in the hosts' favour. Mike Hussey was named "The Man Of The Match".

The one day series between the two teams kicks off on Jan 16th at the MCG.

"Matt The Bat" Walks Into Sunset


Australian opener Matthew Lawrence Hayden has announced his retirement from International cricket. The 37 year old opener has been weighed down by the lack of runs in this year's home summer. His announcement follows his axing from the one day and twenty/20 squads. His departure leaves yet another gaping hole in the Aussie ranks.

Known for his brute strength and fearsome stroke play, Hayden dominated the bowling attacks around the world. He currently holds the record for the highest score by an Australia in both tests and one day internationals. He briefly the record for the highest ever individual score in test match cricket when he smashed 380 runs against the Zimbabweans at WACA. This record though was subsequently reclaimed by Brian Lara. His highest score in one day internationals is an unbeaten 181 which he scored against the Kiwis just before the 2007 world cup, thus securing his place for the world cup. His performance in the world cup was also exemplary and was instrumental in Australia winning the third successive world cup.

He was a late bloomer and his test career was patchy at the start but after the test series against India in 2001, his stocks skyrocketed. He was again battling for his place during the 2005 Ashes series, but was ultimately saved by his century in the last test. He was again imposing during the 2007 home summer, and was sorely missed in the Perth test against India which the Aussies lost. He sustained Achilles tendon injury just after the IPL, ( he played for the Chennai Super Kings) and was forced to miss the tour to the Caribbean. His powers waned thereafter and he was never the same force again. He has scored 30 centuries in tests and 10 tons in one day internationals.

He formed one of the best opening acts in test cricket along with Justin Langer, and in one day internationals he was partnered by Adam Gilchrist. Apart from his fearsome batting, Hayden is well known as an outstanding fielder at slip cordon. His departure will result in further depletion of experienced resources in the team. It will be impossible to find an immediate replacement for this battle hardened veteran, but Australia still have a few choices in the opening department with Phil Jacques, Chris Rogers and young Phil Hughes waiting in the wings. Cricket as a whole will be poorer for the departure of "Matt The Bat", one of the true legends of the game. Farewell Matt, you were one of the best. Thanks for the memories.

The video shows highlights of Hayden's 181 not out against Kiwis.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Warner's Dream Debut Crushes South Africa

Debutant opening batsman David Warner struck an whirlwind 89 of just 43 balls to propel Australia to 182 runs in their allotted 20 overs in the first Twenty/20 match against South Africa at the MCG. It was the second fastest half century in the history of Twenty/20's. Warner simply tore into the much vaunted South African attack as all the bowlers including speedster Dale Steyn were battered into submission. South Africa regrouped after Warner's dismissal as they restricted the hosts within 200.

However there were no respite for the visitors when they came into bat as they were reduced to 12/3 in 3 overs as comeback man Shaun Tait and Nathan Bracken bowled fiery spells. Tait's spell was particularly too hot to handle for the visitors as he cranked up pace and had AB de Villers hitwicket. JP Duminy scored an attractive half century but the effort went in vain as there was no support from the remaining batsmen. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 130 runs in 18 overs.

Earlier Warner created history by becoming only the third player to have represented Australia without any first class cricket experience. He was adjudged as the "Man Of The Match". Australia have rested their keeper batsman Brad Haddin and pacer Mitchell Johnson for the match. Vice captain Michael Clarke didnot take the field due to injury. The second Twenty /20 will be played at Brisbane on 13th January.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Angels and Demons - A Riveting Read


Angels and Demons is a book written by Dan Brown. It is set before Da Vinci Code. The book begins with the murder of physicist Leonardo Vetra with the word "Illuminati" branded on his chest. The chief of CERN, Maxmillian Kohler, rings up Robert Langdon, a Harvard university symbiologist, and enlists his help in solving the murder mystery.

Upon reaching CERN, Robert Langdon, Vittoria Vetra (daughter of Leonardo Vetra) and Maxmillian Kohler discover that one of the canisters containing anti-matter specimen is missing. At the same time, a security camera inside the Vatican City shows the missing canister with a digital clock counting down. But the Swiss guards are unable to identify the exact location of the canister. Upon hearing this, Vittoria Vetra and Robert Langdon rush to the Vatican city.

Upon reaching there they find that the conclave for selecting the next pope is scheduled to be held that very day and the four preferiti (the favorites for the papacy), are missing. The duo then meets up Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca (the late pope's closest aide) in the pope's office where they receive a call from an unidentified person who calls himself as "Hassasin" and proceeds to tell them that the four cardinals would be sacrificed on the four altars of science. ( Each altar is a tribute for the fundamental elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water known in the ancient times.) In order to have any chance of rescuing the cardinals and find the whereabouts of the canister, Robert Langdon has to uncover the four altars within a specified time period.

Will the cardinals be saved? Will the Vatican City be prevented from destruction? The story moves at a breakneck pace and is full of twists, thrills and suspense. Dan Brown captures the imagination of the reader and manages to sustain it throughout. The time frame in which the story unfolds is just a single day.

This best selling book is currently being made into a movie with Tom Hanks donning the role of Robert Langdon and Ayelet Zurer as Vittoria Vetra. It is set to be released on May 2009. The trailer can be viewed here.


Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Rock On!! - Really Rockz

Rock On!! is an Hindi movie released in 2008. The story revolves around four boys who form a rock band called Magik in their early twenties, and hope to make a mark in music. However after winning a music competition difference of opinion crops up and they split up.

The scene then shifts to ten years later when all the four of them are engrossed in their respective occupation and lose contact with each other. The singer of the band Aditya, becomes an investment banker and immerses himself totally into his work without finding any time for himself or his family. The drummer KD, looks after his father's business. The lead guitarist Joe is relatively poor(monetarily) and earns his living by performing at weddings. The keyboard player make his living by composing music for ads.

When they are made to meet up by Sakshee, the wife of the singer, they agree to team up again. While leading up to an musical event, they learn that their keyboard player Rob is suffering from brain tumour and is dying. Initially Joe does not turn up for the contest as his wife urges him to go elsewhere to a job which pays well. But after hearing his friends perform the song he composed on the radio, he returns to the band. They perform another song, which turns out to be their last performance together as Rob dies a couple of months later.

This movie makes people to remember their young carefree days and urges them to follow their dreams. The music composed by the famous trio of Shankar-Eshaan-Loy is really excellent and is topping the charts. The film is realy a must watch as it is well constructed and presented. In short, Rock On really Rockzzzz.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

KP and Moores Face Off

England captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores are not gelling well with each other and their internal conflict threatens to create a rift in the English outfit. The relationship between the two has hit a new low last week with KP openly asking the ECB to have an emergency meeting before the team embarks on a tour to the West Indies to discuss the role of the coach.

There was widespread media speculation that all was not well between the captain and the the coach ever since KP assumed the captaincy. The poor performances of the English team in Stanford T/20 and the series in India seems to have created further rift. The non selection of former England captain Michael Vaughan for the Windies tour also didnot go well with KP. If the differences between them are not solved, it will most probably lead to the sacking of Moores.

At a time when the all important "Ashes" series is just a few months away, and the Australian team facing its worst slump in more than a decade, this is probably the worst thing that can happen to the English team. When should be focussing on regaining the "Ashes", they are forced to sort out their internal conflict which will hamper their preparation and focus. And even if both Moores and KP are made to sort out their issues, differences may crop up as regards to the team selection. This is not an ideal scenario to be in. The previous England coach Duncan Fletcher was in hot water due to the non-selection of certain individuals after the last Ashes series in 2006-07. Deja-vu anyone????

Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Fall Of World Champs

The inevitable has happened. As the old adage goes "All good things will come to an end". The Aussie cricket team which has dominated the cricketing world for more than a decade has been brought down to earth. The team which once boasted of world class performers in all the departments of the game is struggling to stem the rot. Their bowling line up, already crippled by the loss of legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath has been rendered leaderless by the injuries to Brett Lee and Stuart Clark. As a result, the team is struggling to dismiss their opponents twice in test matches.

The batting line up which was one of the best in the world is now struggling to put up runs on the board on a consistent basis. The loss of form of opener Matthew Hayden (due to age) and of run machine Mike Hussey has put enormous pressure on skipper Ricky Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke. The loss of talismatic all-rounder Andrew Symonds has not helped the team's cause. The team has been compling moderate totals due to the performance of their lower order batsmen. And this is surely a matter of great concern.

So now that Aussies has been brought down to earth, (They stand to lose their No1 ranking if they lose their ongoing test against SA) what needs to be done to strengthen the team from ground up? To make them the force they once were? The answer lies in inecting youth into the squad and allowing them the time to settle and adjust to the rigours of international cricket. Admittedly the performance level of the team will come down and the team will lose some matches. But this is much better way to build a team for the future other simply chopping and changing the players.

The out of form and ageing opener has to be replaced by young NSW opener Phil Hughes or Shaun Marsh as their have time on their side instead of opting for players who are in their late twenties or early thirties. The spinners Jason Krejza or Nathan Hauritz or Beau Casson should be given an extended run to prove their worth instead of selecting and discarding them at will. And young pacers like Ben Hilfenhaus will get better by having international experience under their belt.

The era of legends has come to an end. Its time to plan for the future and build a world beating team again from the scratch. With the huge talent at their disposal, it is definetly possible. The only question is whether the selectors will be brave enough to do it.