'Big Daddies' complete a hat-trick

Australia won an unprecedented third successive World Cup in Barbados on April 28th to reconfirm their status as one of the best teams ever to play ODI's. The way they have won this WC without ever being challenged and not once threatened has been quite unbelievable. All talks about this being the 'most open' WC ever turned out to be a farce. It is now 29 games since they lost a ODI in a WC. Once again on the big stage, an aussie player raised his hand to be counted. Here is a toast to them.

Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath...all true legends who bowed out in style, on a high. There are legends who win 3 WC medals in their cricketing careers, and then there are media-created legends who get paid for the amount of time spent at the crease, enjoy super-stardom, walk the ramp between games and bask in the public and media hype. Still wonder why some of the sub-continent mortals don't get a respected farewell?

Cricket is a game of uncertainties. But not when the opposition is Australia. Anyone betting on the kangaroos pouching a 5th successive WC in 2015?

The most bedaubed Indian wedding ever

The media ingeniously coined it 'Abhiwarya'. The speculation and build-up to the 'W' day seemed to go on for ever and ever. Who would be invited? Would Salman Khan or Vivek Oberoi be present at the wedding? Will Aishwarya Rai now be called Aishwarya Bachchan? Will she quit acting after marriage like her mom-in-law Jaya?

Honestly, does anyone care how many kgs of jewelery will adorn that frail frame of Aishwarya? Or whether Amar Singh will be one of the hosts of the marriage? Or whether Aishwarya married for the Bachchan name and the Rs. 7000 cr fortune?

Seriously, what's the deal about 2 ordinary people doing the 'saat-pheras'? Why do websites have to run specials like this on them?

This when atrocities continue in parts of our country and the burning issue of quota system continues to stymie our progress.

The kangaroo march continues

Australia thumped, actually no, annihilated New Zealand by a small matter of 215 runs to complete their Super 8's with a clean slate. It was the most brutal of thrashings you will ever witness. Thrashing minnows or 2nd rung test teams like Eng, WI or India is one thing, but this effort to dismiss NZ - a world cup favorite, was special.
Match home

What's with Matthew Hayden? This time 12 months back, he wasn't even part of the ODI set-up. Today he blasted his 3rd 100 of the WC and 5th in his last 11 matches. Stunning.

NZ and SL might have thought by resting their key bowlers, they could surprise Australia in the finals, but on today's evidence they will probably need a gun.

Well done Australia. You are now 2 steps away from an unprecedented 3rd World cup. At times such as this, I wish I was born in Sydney instead of Ahmedabad. Just what will it take to stop these awesome folks?

Bloodbath on Virginia Tech campus

A deranged 23 yr old South Korean student opened fire on a Monday morning to leave 33 people dead on Virgina Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA before shooting himself. The first shooting incident was reported at 7:30 am when, according to reports he shot his girlfriend after an altercation. At 9:15am, he opened fire in the engineering building to leave scores dead before shooting himself. This is the worst case of shooting on a US campus, eclipsing the events that took place on the UT Austin campus in the 60's.

Totally barbaric and absolutely deplorable. It is difficult to understand the mind of a mass-murder. There is no motive behind his actions, no hatred towards any particular person or group, no rhyme or reason. Terrorist activities are universally deplored, but when a university student opens fire and kills people, one can only sympathize, feel angry, frustrated and sorry.

P.S: 2 people of Indian origin died in this tragic incident. Prof. G V Loganathan who was with the Civil and Environmental engg dept and Minal Panchal, a graduate student from Mumbai. CNN-IBN mentioned her orkut profile

May their souls rest in peace.

introspection

Worry about funding. Worry about internship. Worry about converting internship to job. Worry about family. Convert internship to job. Worry about thesis. Worry about India's world cup chances. Worry about net run-rates. Worry about other match results going a certain way to favor India's progress. Worry about defense. Worry about H1-B visas. Ponder over a possible dark future if things don't go to plan. Worry about thesis presentation. Worry about turning 25. Worry about not having a bandi.

What a life!