Fact And Fantasy

After India lost the 3 super eight matches in sequence, I almost lost track of the series, when by chance I happened to watch the SA Vs Pak semi-final match. For obvious reasons, I wanted SA to win. Moreover the fact that, there have been several occasions when SA stays unbeaten throughout the league matches and loses a knock out game sympathetically to exit the tournament, made the game a little more interesting.

When I started watching the match, it was the end of the Pakistan innings and we were 5 supporters of SA watching the chase. All of us agreed that the target presented was not really tough to get at, not easy though.

When the South Africans came in to bat, the following is the train of facts and fantasy that came in.
Facts:
Kallis and Smith came in to open the batting.
Fantasy:
With Kallis opening the batting, it’s going to be tough for the Pakistanis.
Facts:
Score: 1/40 (5.5 Overs) Smith gone and Gibbs coming in. Not a great start. Kallis didn’t really click and he slowed down his rate of scoring.
Fantasy:
Smith is not in form. But If Gibbs strikes, the opposition is finished.
Facts:
Score: 2/46 (6.6 Overs) Gibbs gone and AB de Villiers is walking in. Run rate is not in any case sufficient.
Fantasy:
Hmmm....Anyway the South African batting line up is very strong and long. Its AB D now....he’s going to smash the ball around, with Kallis hanging there.
Facts:
Score: 3/50(8.3 overs). AB D is walking out and Duminy coming in with the run rate still deteriorating
Fantasy:
Duminy is the guy who struck for the Mumbai Indians. He is the guy for the day.
Facts:
Score: 3/69(12 overs). Duminy couldn’t do much and the required run rate climbing drastically. SA is tending to lose the game.
Fantasy:
South Africa still has got chances with Kallis still around. (Back to square one)
Facts:
Score: 3/83(14 overs) Kallis and Duminy just hanging around and Fawad Alam to bowl
Fantasy:
This is the over. If SA strives to get 3 sixes, they will be through.
Facts:
Score: 4/111 (17.1 overs, 39 required of 17 balls) Kallis walking to the pavilion and Morkel gearing himself.
Fantasy:
Morkel is a dangerous man. He is capable of scoring huge boundaries which in turn will change the stature of the game.
Facts:
Score: 4/121 (18 overs, 29 required of 12 balls)
Fantasy:
2 sixes in this over and the SA will be back. (The batsman at the crease is no longer significant)
Facts:
Score: 4/127 (19 overs, 23 required from 6 balls)
Fantasy:
4 sixes and SA will win with 2 balls to spare.
Facts:
Score: 5/133 (19.3 overs, 17 required from 3 balls) Morkel is walking out, doesn’t matter who’s next, Duminy is on strike
Fantasy:
3 consecutive sixes and SA will play the final.
Facts
Score: 5/136 (19.4 overs, 15 requred from 2 balls)
Fantasy:
Pakistan will bowl a no ball and SA will be awarded with a free hit and the 3 consecutive sixes will still work.
Facts:
Score: 5/140 (19.5 overs, 11 to win from 1 ball)
Fantasy:
Is there a possibility of 2 consecutive no balls?
Facts:
Score: 5/142 End of Game
Consolation:
SA lost by 7 runs. India lost only by 3 runs in the last super eight match.

Flight Hungama

It was a Sunday evening and I was at the airport for a flight changeover. There wasn’t much time left at the airport, but I was wondering how I am going to spend the next 4 hours during the flight. I got into the aircraft and finally settled on my seat beside my cousin after a big lot of confusion created by the attendant there in finding the place. Then came the announcement instructing passengers to keep their seat belt fastened and switch off the mobile phones and other electronic devices. The aircraft moved for a while and then halted, but there was no indication of taking off for some time. While everybody was wondering what the problem was, there came the second announcement instructing to keep the mobile phones switched off. This time the announcement was repeated twice.

And now, the guy sitting in front of me got a call and was happily chatting with his wife (I thought) in his (mine as well) mother tongue. I was just wondering if he ever understood any of the 3 languages in which the announcement was made, or atleast did he bother to. My cousin and I made an effort to get his mobile switched off, so did the others around. Finally he stopped talking, though am not sure if he switched it off. But I was relieved that the aircraft was taking off now.
All was well for the next ten minutes, after which we could hear the same guy talking again. I looked at my cousin and he at me and we laughed together. Then we settled down eating our noodles silently, while the talking still continued. I went off to sleep after that and was then suddenly awakened by a well known Tamil Number. It was the same guy again, playing the song on his mobile in high volume. One of the ladies who had put her kid to sleep with great difficulty revolted and he stopped the music, but his mobile was not switched off. I wondered if he really knew how to switch off a mobile phone.

Now the next thing guy was upto, was to open up a can of bear in a non smoking and non alcoholic flight. The flight that I was travelling was a so called budget flight, so the crew won’t bother to walk through, except to serve a glass of water or to check the seating position before takeoff or landing. But now a member of the crew came to him and snatched the can and took away his boarding pass (didn’t know how that helped)

Almost time to land, the announcement to fasten the seat belt was back and I could hear several ‘clings’ at the same time. When I looked up from my seats, I found the guy had got up from his seat and was walking to and fro in the middle of the aircraft.

An Expensive Mistake

As any other day, I was passing by the other side of the department. An empty seat caught my attention and for a moment, a lean, ever smiling figure solving network issues on the phone flashed across my mind. Then suddenly I realized I will never ever see him in my life again. Yes, he was the poor victim of a ruthless car accident.

Drunken Driving with over speeding caused the death of a young boy and for no fault of his own.

Drinking for pleasure may be considered personal right. But drunken driving is just not that. Every nation has its own laws against drunken driving. But it is inevitable that the law cannot do much after the irrecoverable damage is done.

It’s normal to say people learn from their mistakes. But drunken driving is too expensive a mistake to commit.

P.S: The message that I am trying to convey by this post is not new and it has been brought out several times as chain emails, articles or by word of mouth. We hear about several similar cases, but when witnessed personally we realize the significance. I am just hoping that this post might enlighten somebody or other who takes a chance of visiting my blog.