DLF IPL 2011: Match 32 (DC v/s KTK)

Now, there are few moments which are bound to be captured. Especially, when you see the best bowler in both ODIs and Tests being hit to boundaries and on the contrary, the bowler with the lowest skill set possible - Ishant Sharma, has picked up 5 wickets in just three overs. I never thought of writing about this match after I saw the first innings. Deccan Chargers, as usual, were not able to deliver anything special and ended up with a very average score of 129 in their 20 overs. I was pretty much sleepy throughout the innings, with usual stuff going around. 

I was just bored with CSI:Miami episodes, when I went to the other room to sneak a peek on the score-card. Within those few micro-nano seconds, I believed the score to be something like 25/0, 15/0 or at worst 20/2 etc. But, I couldn't believe my eyes and was about to pinch myself when I saw bottom left corner of the TV screen. It was 6/5. Now, when you know Dale Steyn is there in the bowling attack with likes of Ishant Sharma, Manpreet Gony etc, I would expect it was him who ruptured the Kochi balloon. I was just out of one shock, and I suffered another blow when I came to know it was our very own Ishant Sharma. Yes, the same bowler who was hit for the maximum number of fours in the previous season. The same bowler who was the perpetrator behind KKR's most of the loses. His figures were 5 wickets for 6 runs in 3 overs- Incredible indeed. 
There is nothing more to speak of after 6/5, but I am amazed by Ravindra Jadeja's effort under those conditions to prevent an early collapse of the whole batting. Not only this match, he has transformed himself very nicely in this new season. After seeing his own team mates lifting the precious cup few weeks earlier, he has realized the importance of his form in IPL. Even, few of the notable commentators were praising his shots and confidence oozing out of each shot. He certainly has developed some muscles under the skin. Kochi were bowled out for 74, a good recovery from 6/5 and 11/6. This loss would hurt Kochi both point-wise and net run rate wise, especially when so many teams are tied at the same points. This season may soon, turn out to be a race of run rates. We just need to wait and watch, where the tide turns in the coming matches.

DLF IPL 2011: Match 31 (CSK v/s PWI)

Yah, I can understand, same teams again, so early, but this is not the first time it happened. The same thing happened with Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. Both the matches were won by KKR. Anyways, returning to the match, it was totally one sided. Pune lost 4 quick wickets for the third time this season, but today Yuvraj was looking way more positive than the last encounter. He hit some nice shots, and in general, timed the ball nicely. Nobody other than Yuvraj, created any impact. Chennai bowled nicely and restricted Pune to 141/6 in their 20 overs.

Second innings started off in a balanced way with Chennai losing Mike Hussey early. But, Murali and Badrinath held the innings nicely, and maintained a steady flow of runs from both ends. Pune bowlers and fielders never seemed to be eager enough to save the runs, and this helped Chennai to raise their run rate at par with the required run rate. In the middle overs, there was a genuine appeal for caught behind against Badrinath, and I personally felt that there was a definite nick but the umpire was adamant despite synchronous appeal from the bowler and the wicket keeper. The commentators didn't delay in showing the fair play award table, where Chennai was second from the top. Towards the end, some good hits by Raina secured the game for Chennai and they were home comfortably. Chennai won by 8 wickets, bringing them to the second spot on the points table just behind Mumbai Indians.
Overall, the game was boring throughout, and didn't cause any adrenaline rushes or heart-beat stops.

Scribbling 3: Work from Home - Boon or Bane ?

Now, if I show the title of this post to any one of my friends from my previous company, he/she would not hesitate to give me a nice kick on my butt. Well, I will not deny, I am a big fan of "Work from Home". Even in my present job, I have worked from home more days than from office, primarily because the office is too far, it accounts for 4 hours in daily transit, and which is a complete waste of time and energy. Also, being a start up there are only 3 people in India right now, one of whom is the office manager and not a part of my team as such.

Right now, the job is in the training mode, getting acquainted with the tools and softwares. Hence, the place of work is not something that matters much. 

But when we speak in general about work from home, is it really a good thing or it is a curse in disguise? Let's look at some of the pros and cons of "Work from Home". 

PROS:

1. No time wasted in getting ready for office, travelling etc

2. No need of carrying tiffin, eat hot home made food.

3. No rush at the end of the day, to catch the bus before time, or exiting before the traffic goes nuts

4. You can sing and work- put on some loud music and work while in full pumped up mood.

5. No tension regarding being in the same desk all the time, one can always take a breather, go to the balcony for some fresh air, watch some TV or even a movie if there is no such work apparently.

6. If you are alone at home, then you can work more than your counterparts at office as no one is going to bug you with small office talk.

7. If you feel very tired, you can always take a power nap in between for half an hour, which will completely recharge you for the tasks ahead without any guilt of being caught napping at your desk.

8. One can manage the time and prepare for competitive exams such as GMAT, CAT etc

CONS:

1. One obvious disadvantage is - out of sight, out of mind. If you are always away, people may forget you, and this may hurt in the year end reviews

2. The manager will not be able to see your work properly- if you are working very hard and doing a lot of tasks, then the manager will not be able to appreciate it on your face

3. Lack of general discipline in life, as there would be no restriction on dress code, or office conduct

4. No team work feeling

5. One can miss some random unplanned team lunches

This is what, comes up in my mind right now, the readers can feel free to take any stand and provide more points under any category. On a personal note, I belong to the first group, unless there are lots of hot girls in the office.

DLF IPL 2011: Match 30 (DD v/s RCB)

Being a cricket fan, I cannot neglect IPL altogether. Well, it is more like a break from my continuous and monotonous internet sessions. Today, like yesterday, there is only one match. Delhi Daredevils meet Royal Challengers Bangalore today at Delhi. After the reshuffling, I am still getting used to the new team groupings. Earlier, when I heard RCB, Rahul Dravid used to sub-consciously come into my mind, but now I have to think of Chris Gayle instead, who made an amazing comeback in the last match against his previous club (KKR) after not being bought at the IPL Auction. Well, I am still biased towards Mumbai Indians, which is in fact the team which has the highest auto-correlation co-efficient among all the other teams.


Well, coming back to the match, I have just one phrase to describe it - A simple pendulum with damping oscillations. The match swung between two teams many times. Starting with the Delhi innings, it was going good even after Warner fell, but some good fielding and bowling put the brakes on the run and Delhi just managed to touch the 160 run mark. Pathan hit a few sixes at the death but not without wasting too many deliveries. The last match played on this pitch produced a very high scoring match - DD scored 234 and Kings XI also managed to score 200 odds in their chase. Today, the pitch had lesser amount of grass, and hence the ball didn't skid as it did in the previous match. At the half way stage, the match looked evenly balanced, but with the knowledge that Gayle was going to open at the other side of the half, no one was willing to put his/her money on Delhi yet.


Second half, RCB were off to a fantastic start despite looking a wicket early. Kohli was timing the ball superbly, and was later joined in by Gayle, after his dormant start. RCB were cruising along nicely at the 8-9 over mark, when Gayle fell down to a nice bouncer by Hopes. Just a few deliveries later, Ab de villiers was run out by an unbelievable direct hit from the deep by Warner. Kohli was played on after that, and suddenly the RCB camp was running for water. But, after a lean phase of 14-15 runs in 5 overs, Saurabh Tiwary and Vettori played some nice shots to bring down the run rate close to 6. But the tension was far from over, when two wickets fell very quickly putting the pressure back to RCB. Well, finally with some bad bowling and uninspiring field placements, DD gave away the match to RCB, who easily managed to bring the boys home.


A good match, and also an important win for RCB, who are now 2nd in the points table with 8 points just behind the Mumbai Indians. Well, personally I didn't care who won, but I wanted the Indian players to perform well. After all, it is INDIAN Premier League.

Scribbling 2:Confessions of an Internet Addict

Yes, I am an internet addict. I spend more than 15 hours on net daily. Well, my job forces me for 9 hours or so but the rest is all me. I spend most of the time watching online TV series one after the other. I recently finished with Flash forward. It was an awesome series, but the ABC channel didn't renew it for the second season. It was hardly one day after I finished with two seasons of V ( an alien invasion based TV series ), which was fine but with an ending so abrupt and odd that it left me thirsty for more suspense thriller type series', I started with CSI:Miami today, although I wanted to start off with the original CSI, but couldn't find the online episodes for it, well at least for my region.

It is not that I didn't try anything else. I thought to myself - what else can I do? Nothing stood apart by the Cost-Benefit analysis, so I am stuck with the TV series option. The effect of internet has been such that I have been wanting to learn cryptography, martial arts, spying, swimming, and what not, all at the same time. Seeing the amazing lives of the FBI, CIA, NSA agents, I am just eager to feel the same. I even searched for Internet Addiction on Google and Wikipedia, and found out that the only remedies that exist are Self-Control and Psychiatric help. Being an inherent lazy person, I don't find any reason to move from my seat when clearly internet is able to provide me with almost every human emotion possible. 

I noted down few possible ways of curbing my internet use:

1. Internet timer - Keeping a clock right beside me to track the time of internet usage

2. Load the necessary pages all in one go and them switch off the router, disconnect the cable and sit somewhere else - far away from the source of the internet

3. Involve in learning something that doesn't require sitting in front of a computer (ex: guitar, keyboard, singing, martial arts, yoga, photography)

4. Go out very often to smell fresh breeze of air and feel that you are an alive human being

Though right now, I am not taking any drastic steps, but I believe this blog will help me more in curbing or at least directing my internet habits to productive directions.