Sparsh

I am turning 40 in the next few months. So much has been lost in the debris of time, and yet inscribed in the memories.  It is a travesty that we remember milestones yet forget the simpler times of childhood. I am suddenly experiencing a mixture of melancholy and nostalgia for the old DD serials, movies, and cartoons.  R ooted in memory, these shows have evoked in me the warmth of simpler times. I have renewed appreciation for the value of what was once overlooked or forgotten. For adults who fondly remember the golden age of Doordarshan (DD) in the 1990s, the program lineup was a delightful mix of intellect, comedy, and adventure.   I was  seeing the world through the eyes of a child alive to its sensations, yet protected from reality. I will mention a few DD programs forgotten or less remembered among people nowadays.    One such gem was Gucchhe , which, contrary to popular belief, wasn't an original Indian drama but rather the Hindi-dubbed vers...

India’s cricketing contrasts are stark: a powerhouse at home yet vulnerable in challenging conditions. The recent losses are a reminder that success requires not just talent but humility, preparation, and adaptability. India’s recent cricketing struggles have spotlighted long-standing issues, ranging from batting inconsistencies to questionable strategies. While the Indian cricket juggernaut has often been celebrated for its dominance, particularly on home soil, recent results have raised serious concerns about the team’s direction. 1-3 outcome in Australia is far from surprising; any astute cricket lover who closely followed the New Zealand series could have seen this coming. Tactical Failures Pat Cummins and the Australian team have been successful against India's lineup, it's a testament to their strategic planning and effective execution. One of the most debated aspects of India’s performance was their team selection. The Indian think tank's decision to field 5-6 bowle...

Fantastic performance of the series by the Black Caps. Abysmal India has hit rock bottom as attitudes and defensive techniques stand badly exposed. The recent series against New Zealand culminated in a dominant display by the Black Caps and raised genuine fears of a possible 5-0 whitewash in the upcoming tour of Australia.  The Indian management must make tough, possibly transformative decisions if the team is to regain consistency and success on the international stage.   The Indian cricket think tank appears to have adopted a narrow focus, concentrating heavily on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) while overlooking the importance of the New Zealand tour.  Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah chose not to participate in the Duleep Trophy, and Ravindra Jadeja opted out due to niggle. Even the pitches in the Duleep Trophy were customized for seam rather than spin, leaving Indian Test batters underprepared. Despite India...

This blog doesn't often dabble in technical cricket analysis, because my credentials in the field of technical cricket analysis are somewhat lacking. And I am writing this blog post in a series of posts 7 years after the  New face of Indian Cricket - 4 . The Indian cricket team is on the verge of playing the ODI World Cup, the Test series with England, and then the T20 World Cup, What lies ahead for India as their Test /ODI/T20 side enters a transitional phase? Indian team under Rohit and Dravid has been into a spiral loop of learning in every series and every game. Winning is a habit, as England discovered on their march to the summit, and confidence begets confidence along the way. Losing for the sake of learning, on the other hand, tends to become known simply as losing as the team gets too used to the feeling. Test Team: Retirement is a natural conclusion to a sportsman’s career, even if occasionally the inevitable is delayed.  Rohit, Virat, Che Pujara, and Ajinkya ...

Now is a good time to re-read Tim Snyder's observations and advice in On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century . Here are observations from On Tyranny that seem especially pertinent. 1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do. 2. Defend institutions. It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about—a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union—and take its side. 3. Beware the one-party state. The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnip...