TN seamers set up innings-win against Saurashtra

 

Are you following domestic season; unlikely you recognize this Cricketer !!

 

You may have felt happy knowing that Tamil Nadu beat Saurashtra  -  Tamil Nadu, which typically relies on its spinners to dominate at home, had its pacers to thank this time, as they produced a disciplined performance, taking 15 of the 20 wickets.  All credits to ground staff for making the match happen despite heavy rains in Coimbatore.  It was a lanky debutant who claimed a six wicket haul in the emphatic innings & 70 runs victory. 

For Tamil Nadu, Ranji trophy title has been a pipe-dream save on two occasions : 1954-55 & 1987-88.  They have been runners-up 10 times, the last being 2014-15 season. 

Of the handful of Cricketers from Tamil Nadu who have played for India, there have been very few pace-bowlers (includes medium pacers) starting with CR Rangachari, KJ Gopalan, the fastest from the State Thirumalai Ananthanpillai Sekar, Bharat Arun, Robin Singh, Laxmipathi Balaji, T Natarajan.  So the team’s reliance on spinners that would include Vaman Kumar, Srinivasan Venkatraghavan, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, WV Raman, M Venkatramana, mercurial GOAT Ravichandran Ashwin & Washington Sundar.   There have been players like R Vasudevan who excelled for the State but could not get a chance to play for India. 

Looking back, in Apr 1973 when Venkat led side lost to Wadekar’s Bombay in the finals – the new ball attack was Kalyanasundaram and P Mukund.  In Mar 92, when we lost to Delhi,  it was Diwakar VAsu and Robin Singh.  In Mar 2015 when Karnataka humiliated TN by defeating by an innings & 217 runs, new ball was shared by Lakshmipathy Balaji and Prasanth Parameswaran.                                                           

Going back even further there was this Triplicanite – MJ Gopalan, a double-international.  Morappakam Josyam Gopalan  from the village of Morappakam in Chingleput district, was discovered by C. P. Johnstone, one of the founding fathers of Madras cricket.  He was employed by  Burmah Shell then moved to  Triplicane Cricket Club.  He was a fast medium bowler who moved the ball both ways. In his  first class debut in the Madras Presidency tournament, he took five wickets in each innings.  He dismissed Jack Hobbs   in both innings in match against Vizianagaram; in the second he clean bowled the great man with a leg-cutter that pitched on the leg stump and took the off bail. Against Ceylon in 1933, he took a famous hattrick, the first in Chepauk.  When Ranji Trophy was inaugurated in 1934, Madras and Mysore (now Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) played the first match.  The very first ball of the tournament was delivered by legendary MJ Gopalan.    His only Test match was against England at Calcutta in early 1934. In 1935, he toured New Zealand with the Indian hockey team which enjoyed enormous success.  He missed out Berlin Olympics whence    team captained by Dhyan Chand,   won the gold medal. 

Getting to the present Saurashtra was captained by Sheldon Jackson, who played for KKR, a veteran in Ranji, a reliable batsman, excellent fielder and a wicket-keeper too, he has played for Chemplast in Chennai 1^st division league.  

 

The man at the start is Gurjapneet Singh, aged 25 bowling left arm medium fast, he debuted at Sri Ramakrishna College grounds at Coimbatore against Saurashtra.  Andre Siddarth, Navneet Vora, Paraswaraj Rana & Sonu Yadav too debuted. 

The debutant pacers Gurjapneet and Sonu Yadav bowled out Saurashtra.  Left-arm quick Gurjapneet Singh finished with 6 for 22 in the second innings, while right-arm pacer Sonu Yadav bagged 3 for 29. Tamil Nadu won by an innings and 70 runs, as Saurashtra folded for 94 in the second innings.  Brief scores: Saurashtra 203 & 94 (Gurjapneet Singh 6/21) lost to Tamil Nadu 367 (N Jagadeesan 100, Sai Sudharsan 82, Pradosh Ranjan Paul 49, Jaydev Unadkat 6/61) by innings & 70 runs. Points: Tamil Nadu 7, Saurashtra 0. 

Out of the 20 Saurashtra wickets the seamers took, 15 – including nine in the second innings. These are still early days into the season, but Tamil Nadu are beginning to reap rewards for starting their preparations early. In May, when the whole of India was busy with the IPL, a 19-member Tamil Nadu squad went on a 27-day tour to the UK, where they featured in multi-day and 50-over matches against club sides. Though the IPL regulars were not available, seven of those who were part of the squad for their match against Saurashtra were part of the trip.

 

For a team that is looking to end the Ranji drought with their last title dating back to 1987/88, their job only gets tougher this season. For the next match in Delhi, they will miss the services of their captain R Sai Kishore as also B Sai Sudharsan and Baba Indrajith – their batting mainstays – for India A’s tour of Australia.  Tamil Nadu knows their biggest challenge will commence from Round 2, when they face Delhi at the Kotla. With as many as four away fixtures this time and all in the northern part, without key batsmen in their ranks, it will be a huge test of character. 

Hope TN beat the odds and realize the dream of winning Ranji title again.

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
15.10.2024
 

 

Chennai - it has been raining !

It has rained somewhat heavily and according to India Meteorological Department – Chennai city has received more than 15 cms of rain ! 

Most likely you sang this rhyme in your school days ! - "Rain, Rain, Go Away" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19096 and many different variations of it have been recorded.  The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. It is compiled by Steve Roud. 

There is a short story in the same name too,  by American writer Isaac Asimov. A fantasy rather than a science fiction story, it was based on an idea by Bob Mills, editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, but rejected by him. It was instead published in the September 1959 issue of Fantastic Universe and reprinted in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories.  The story concerns a seemingly perfect family, the Sakkaros, who become neighbours of another family, the Wrights. The Wrights are puzzled at the great lengths the Sakkaros go to avoid any contact with water !  .. .. in climax,  the downpour happens and the Sakkaros are hit by the rain, causing the faces to blur and their bodies to dissolve, leaving only their clothes and sticky heaps. Mrs. Wright is unable to stop her sentence "...made of sugar and afraid they would melt".  [any connection of Tamil sakkarai with Sakkaros !] 

Southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the entire country today, the 15th October 2024, says IMD. Simultaneously, the Northeast monsoon rainfall activity has commenced over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka and Kerala. Yesterday’s low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal became a well marked low pressure area over the central part of south Bay of Bengal at 0530 IST of today, the 15th October, 2024 and persisted over the same region at 0830 IST of today. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a Depression over southwest Bay of Bengal during next 24 hours. It is likely to continue to move westnorthwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts during subsequent 24 hours. Yesterday’s cyclonic circulation over westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh coast extending upto 5.8 km above mean sea level tilting southwestwards with height persists. Yesterday’s trough from centre of the Depression over westcentral Arabian Sea off Oman coast to Comorin area across south Kerala between 3.1 km & 5.8 km above mean sea level has become less marked. 

Rain holiday has been extended for all educational institutions and government offices other than essential services in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chennai and Chengalpattu, for another day.  These institutions and offices will be shut on October 16, according to a statement from Chief Minister’s  office. However, essential services provided by the rescue services department, local government departments, dairy department, drinking water supply department, hospitals, dispensaries, banks, financial institutions, electricity department, transport of vegetables and other essential commodities, transport, Chennai Metro Rail, MRTS, Railways, Airport, petrol stations, hotels and restaurants, and disaster recovery and relief departments, will function as normal. 

According to IEN,  rains triggered by a low pressure area over south Bay of Bengal sunk parts of Chennai and its neighbouring districts even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday announced the onset of Northeast Monsoon activity. Normal life was thrown out of gear in the city as heavy bouts of downpour and spells of showers continued throughout the day flooding the low-lying areas. The initial rains of the season once again exposed inadequacy in the planning of the city. The fact that Chennai has never been a pedestrian-friendly city and the planners had failed to keep people's welfare in mind when they went for big-ticket development projects was once again there to see. Even the arterial roads went under sheets of water for a lack of a proper drainage system. As usual the common people were the ones to suffer.

 

Steve Roud or other index may not be relevant to us – it is always the rainfall in our neighbourhood and how it increases our watertable.  At Triplicane, one looks at the beautiful temple pond of Sri Parthasarathi swami thirukkovil, ‘Kairavini’ – here are 2 photos taken this evening, showing good increase in water level.  

With regards – S Sampathkumar
15.10.2024

  

Heavy rains predicted ! ~ Chennai residents' panic reaction

A rainy Chennai !!  this morning Chennaites wokes up with slight to heavy drizzle and lot of fear in their minds. Yesterday night it rained heavily and   Thunderstorms swept across different regions of Tamil Nadu, including the capital city, Chennai.

 

Before you read further, are you a resident of Chennai, and did you buy many things yesterday !?! 

Amid heavy rainfall and the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) warning for heavy to very heavy showers, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has announced a holiday for schools and colleges in four districts on Tuesday, October 15. The state government has also issued a work-from-home advisory for these areas from October 15 to 18.

 

There is Low Pressure Area over southeast Bay of Bengal; the IMD report reads – the  low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal persisted over the same region at 2330 hours IST of yesterday, the 14thOctober 2024. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and become a well marked low pressure area over central parts of south Bay of Bengal by morning of today, the 15th October. Thereafter, it is likely to intensify into a depression and continue to move west-northwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts during subsequent 2 days. 

More than the weather warning,  weather blogger reports and social media reports created panic among the residents of Chennai with apprehensions of  very heavy rains, measuring up to 40 centimeters, lashing the State  - and this triggered panic buying of essential articles besides people taking other precautions ! 

Most of the city witnessed unusual rush at grocery shops to buy provisions, milk, veggies and snacks and people were buying as if roads would remain closed and they would be cut off for a week or so.  There are reports of residents of the Velachery   parking their cars on the flyovers in the locality and nearby for safety.  

 

Breads, bun, biscuits, milk, fruits, vegetables became premium and  skyrocketed with many groceries turning empty by late evening in many localities.

 

Well, when it rains heavily – birds cannot come out and they would not get their food too !  - the need for buying and hoarding so much of eatables shows the desperate mindset of people !! – that eventually leaves those staying alone and dependent purely on outside food with difficulty and after a couple of days, lot of food waste may get thrown in garbage.

 

Anyway, as there red/yellow/orange alerts – it is better to stay at home and venture outside only when necessary.

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar’
15.10.2024 – 9 am. 

What's the time now ? - do you have a wrist-watch !!

Modern day youngsters may not really understand many a thing – one of that is the importance of watch ~ a wrist watch was a luxury till about 5+ decades ago… only college goers and rich  were blessed with wrist watches!! ~ HMT ruled the roost… the most common Q that one to put to the other on the road was ‘may I know what the time is ?’ ~ now the Q is ‘where are you ?’ [everyone talking on mobile on street and perhaps mostly asking the other person as to where he / she is ?] [ in Cinema, if one were to speak to a girl – Q – what is the time ?] ~ and mobiles have effectively replaced the wrist watches !!

 

Wearing wrist watches were customary – they were to be hand wound, automatic watches were costlier.  MG Ramachandran, Tamil Nadu's former chief minister and founder of AIADMK, was laid to rest at Marina beach in his iconic attire, complete with his fur cap, dark shades, and his famous Seiko watch.  He used to wear watch in his right hand !!   In years to come, believers swore that MGR's watch could be heard ticking from beyond the grave, a sentiment expressed in Vada Chennai movie too !! 

Ratan Tata, an inspirational personality, industrialist,  was known for his massive philanthropic work through Tata Trusts. He invested a significant portion of his wealth in promising new businesses. His calm and balanced demeanor was refreshing to witness. He wore a simple  watch symbolizing  time-tested resilience, powered by the reliable Swiss Ronda 515 Quartz movement. It has a plastic case with a press-on back, with the unbalanced weight providing extra security for the crown. 

At home, have seen some elders have the time in watch set a few minutes faster – that way – one could get a warning they would say .. .. I always wonder whether that will work at all – when one is aware that the clock is running 10 mins or so faster, would not we always reckon that extra time and somehow contrive to be late ! 

Its jingle would proclaim that it is the place that people have been buying timepieces for ages ‘kaalam, kaalamaga makkal kadigaram vangum idam PORR & Sons’.  I remember the day in 1979 when my Grandfather gifted me a HMT watch for getting good marks in SSLC (X Std) examination, bought at this place.    

In Triplicane and in every part of Chennai, there were watch repairers.  On Big Street, as we walked to school, Gopal Watch Company was prominent.   Next to my home at 12 TP Koil Street, there was a watch repairer in a shop admeasuring 14 x 10 ! .. .. in mid 1970s, the old gentleman closed his shop around 9 pm, had a soda at Ganganna mantap shop – went home to sleep for ever.  His daughter opened the shop and sat there for a few days, later to handover it to another watch repairer.  Md Ghaznavi opened a watch shop with nameboard ‘Sandoz Watch Co’ (Ex repairer of PORR or was it Gani ?] – my student days were spent sitting idle in this watch shop and in the two wheeler mechanic shop on the same building [Damu, mechanic].  Both the shops were busy.  People would come with the handwatches, alarm clocks, big wall clocks for repair.  Ghaznavi would open them – the mechanism was intriguing, overhaul them .. .. while Damu would be busy in attending to Lambrettas, Jawas and few mopeds – mostly starting trouble, carburetor / spark plug cleaning, gear / accelerator wire getting cut and the like.

 

Now people either buy smart watches / sport watches or luxury watches – the common ones have gone out of the market. If you're buying a new watch, be it your first or your fifteenth, it'd be good to know what the best new watches on offer are! -  the sheer volume of choice is insane.   

If you want to make a bit of noise about a big occasion, the colour purple is always a good place to start. Watches of Switzerland agrees as to mark 100 years influencing the watch world immeasurably (the luxury retailer has helped to get more watches on more people’s wrists), Ulysee Nardin has rustled up 10 celebratory Freak S 45mm beasts. Few watchmakers are more avant-garde in their designs these days than Ulysee Nardin, whose Freak model (no dial, no hands, no crown) has become something of a modern icon for younger watch brands to aspire to.  You should be prepared to spend a few lakhs on them.

 

Typically, mechanical watches hide their workings under a dial. But the Freak has no dial. Its movement doubles as its minute hand, while the hour hand is a pointer set on a rotating disc that sits under the movement.  The unconventional Freak has neither a big hand nor a little hand. Instead, its one-hour orbital carrousel tourbillon becomes the minute hand, and the hour hand is replaced by a pointer on a rotating disc. A challenging design, but easy to read.

 

Here are couple of advertisements found in Tamil magazine ‘India’ owned by Mandayam family (Thirumalachariyar and Srinivasachariyar) – one about a Gold ring and another Silver watch – in an issue more than 100 years old – photographed from the original issue – courtesy MA Narasimhan, Triplicane.

 

Interesting !

 

With regards – S Sampathkumar

14.10.2024