tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37438891583403176662011-11-28T05:13:24.057+05:30Saumil Bhukhanwala, has interests in software &amp; user interfaces, publishing, photography, travel and sports. He has published a Cricket Book with Chess Concepts. <br> He also runs a travel comapny for magical trips to SE Asia and publishes photographic guides + java/xml/rails tools planning a trip.saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-53998010063323301692010-05-12T17:59:00.002+05:302010-05-12T18:09:53.830+05:30

Anand won a QGD-Lasker (playing black) against Topalov, in round 12of the World Chess Championship 2010 Before it all began in Sofia, Bulgaria- the home turf of Topalov, the challenger, there were doubts whether an aging Anand would retain his world chess crown. Topalov surely wanted to exploit the age factor (and the fatigue of the road journey due to the volcanic ash flight delays) as he

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-8969586375543830042010-04-26T03:04:00.000+05:302010-04-26T03:04:59.490+05:30

Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Superkings, DY Patil, Mumbai Apr 25, 2010 Chennai have won their first IPL T20 title, after having a tough time this year with MS Dhoni missing a few matches. They have been the most consistent team in the past 3 years, making it thrice to the final four, and twice to the finals, although they have never been the best on the league table (strange, but they usually have

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-43507020158174477922010-03-22T15:07:00.001+05:302010-03-22T15:14:32.678+05:30

Gilchrist, Yusuf Pathan and Sehwag can be pinned? What about Jayasuria? It is interesting that a format such as T20, which is made for those who play the game in only one way- destructively- has pushed bowlers to work out lines to pin them and force false shots. In T20, scoring runs at a strike rate of 170%+ is destructive. And if you cannot knock out Gilchrist, Pathan or Sehwag in this format,

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-36057028086435098372010-03-21T06:32:00.000+05:302010-03-21T06:32:48.443+05:30

Anil Kumble was (is) a positional style bowler- strategic rather than a tactical one (in chess terms). He essentially makes bowling plans which keeps batsmen out of their comfort zone- typically by choosing a length which is not natural to the batters, backed by field placements which look defensive, but are well calculated and induce intent in the batsmen. Converting a batter's intent into

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-47782710119049164022010-03-18T15:05:00.000+05:302010-03-18T15:05:17.079+05:30

Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2010 Mumbai Indians Bang it in at Kotla Over the last few years, Tendulkar has played many memorable innings in all formats of the game. In a country where fans love records, and pundits keep pointing out that it is not about records - yet, nonetheless quote records when analyzing - it is often that many classy knocks get forgetten. 1. India vs Australia

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-52137584777912632752010-02-25T02:51:00.000+05:302010-02-25T02:51:46.315+05:30

2nd ODI, India vs South Africa, Gwalior, 24 Feb 2010. Sachin Tendulkar became the first player to reach 200 runs in ODI history, against a strong South African bowling attack. Some advanced footwork lessons from the masterclass... It was a great day to win the toss and the pitch looked just perfect for batting as the ball came on to the bat at a comfortable height- not too low, not too high.

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-2338264177405973732010-02-17T03:17:00.001+05:302010-02-17T03:26:15.906+05:30

Fatigue due to the amount of Cricket played, is affecting Test Matches. Bowlers are getting tired but they are not being helped by fielders for sure. Pakistan had a horrible time in New Zealand and then in Australia. They dropped Watson and Katich on Day 1 of the series. Then it was Hussey- thrice by keeper Karmal Akmal, in the second match- which was supposedly in their pocket. Then in the dead

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-55612174162058154122010-01-26T00:02:00.000+05:302010-01-26T02:25:24.472+05:30

This is the list of links and concepts from my last post some of which are already ready for an Apple Tablet and those concepts which can shift paradigms with more gestures and 3D for the UI and 3D FX within documents too-3D and RealismTimes RSS Reader Apple's GUI Patent of 1995 Magic Cap OS Headspace LiteBee Docs TimelineVR Shopping and in-app upgradesiVerse Comics OpenDoc-like parts/drag-drop

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-38604817684577782162010-01-24T04:39:00.001+05:302010-01-24T05:36:39.613+05:30

Apple's secretive approach is more like poker or bridge, where the others are left guessing. But concepts of chess (where the pieces are visible), can also be applied. We can anticipate natural advances to their core technologies of both the iPhone and the Mac, since a tablet- it better be so on 27th Jan- is in between.Gradual positonal advances and tactical game changing experiments are imminent

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-50352524671088136872009-11-15T03:52:00.001+05:302009-11-15T03:52:15.338+05:30

sending @messages to Lists?, Info page for each list, @messages to #tags rather than users, following #tags rather than just users...Twitter recently added lists as a feature to enable users to group tweets from selected persons for a specific purpose. For instance, my interests are in technology, publishing, sports and travel. It obviously helps if I can, at times, 'listen' to a subset of tweets

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-55189108459702033322009-11-10T03:14:00.002+05:302009-11-13T05:05:51.300+05:30

In chess terms- it is actually about a major prophylactic option, which could have put India in strong positions but they missed.India were expected to beat an Australian side which was depleted, at home. Like many others, I too felt that the Aussie bowling would not last out 7 games with too much reliance of seamers and only one spinner- Hauritz- who was good but not lethal for sure.There are

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-24931111955540912502009-11-01T05:28:00.002+05:302009-11-13T02:30:04.354+05:30

India vs Australia, 3rd ODI 2009, New Delhi Indian lead 2-1The Kotla Pitch in New Delhi, as usual, was slow and low with an uneven bounce. Ponting won the toss and batted first. He mentioned 225 as a par score and it turned out that it was a fair call, as India had to work hard to get there. In a surprise move Ponting opened and put momentum on the board. He was perhaps right in opening, as this

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-25427403013000520402009-10-25T20:36:00.002+05:302009-11-13T02:32:41.298+05:30

The last time Tendulkar played Australia in a big series, was in the CB Series, Australia 2008, where India won 2-0 in the finals. Tendulkar scored a hundred and a ninety in both the games. Today, after Australia posted 292, they knew that a run-a-ball effort, which Tendulkar is perhaps the only player in world cricket to achieve without risk taking would dent their chances. After quite some time

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-81747856469098658582009-10-25T19:42:00.001+05:302009-11-13T02:36:11.239+05:30

Australia vs India 1-0, 1st ODI 2009 (7 match series) Australia managed to put up a very strong 292 after batting first in Vadodara on a slowish surface. India dropped chances from Ponting and then Hussey made the most of their second batting powerplay towards the end of the innings. Chasing about 300 runs in an ODI has never been easy. The bowling side knows that they have margins favoring

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-65653626066446945522009-10-19T01:21:00.000+05:302009-11-13T02:38:03.801+05:30

Posted in context of a Wall Street Journal Article suggesting removal of Women's Titles in Chess and reigning World Women's Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's strong response against it. Here is an excerpt of my Preface from Dot Chess-The Cricket in Between (2007)- where this topic is touched upon.I have always wished for a credit rating system in every sport which allows us to recognize

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-13680636042861481702009-10-12T03:35:00.000+05:302009-11-13T02:39:15.381+05:30

5 points that ebook gadgets will need to address to be viable alternatives to print.A blog debate at nytimes about whether our brains like ebooks, has some excellent views across the history of reading, and if humans were meant to read at all. For instance, Plato disliked reading because it was apparently a 'new' distractive medium. Incidentally, I just bought an audiobook of Plato's Republic (

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-26169428715184196752009-10-10T05:12:00.001+05:302009-11-13T02:40:59.936+05:30

So the buzz is that Android sales (OS for handhelds, from Google) may tip the iPhone by 2012? Sounds like a Mac vs PC debate. Well sort of, but the Mac debuted in 1984, when PCs had already been pushed by IBM with DOS. However, Apple was in the Personal Computing business earlier than the PCs and was already the pioneer to beat. So there is some similarity here, but this time1. The iPhone is

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-6699138907235375522009-10-08T07:07:00.001+05:302009-11-13T02:42:23.908+05:30

We can have tablets from 5x7 inches (personal) to 2 feet (tables at work/library/copy center) if required. Scalable iTablets! They only have logic for touch and display and if feasible networking.iPodTouch 64Gb has more speed and space than Mac minis and iBooks just few years back... It is slimmer than iPhones, so if docked into tablets, overall thickness will be acceptable. To begin with Apple

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-88300201712300332192009-10-08T04:04:00.001+05:302009-10-08T04:33:26.314+05:30

In 1999 my iMac was 233Mhz, had 128Mb RAM and 12Gb space.I also had a Powerbook Duo laptop in the early '90s, with a dock (monitor, keyboard, mouse no CPU). The laptop was grayscale, but when docked, it became a desktop Mac with thousands of colors.. when done, eject laptop like a floppy... and go.2009: iTablet or iMac or whatever, can perhaps be sold in different form factors, at low cost- just

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-23957456994768521272009-10-06T02:20:00.001+05:302009-11-13T02:45:05.865+05:30

ICC Champions Trophy 2009 Finals New Zealand won the toss and batted first. Australians who have a great reputation of exploiting the dot-ball dilemma of the first innings (when a team bats first, they do not know the target- so the price a batting team pays for dot balls is not known- yet some strike rate is needed being an ODI and wickets are key since some decent total is also needed). So

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-49155830778821054492009-10-03T17:10:00.001+05:302009-10-03T17:10:48.008+05:30

Ricky Ponting, is known for his reflexes and flamboyant style of smacking short as well as fuller balls off the front foot. However, in the last few years bowlers have also developed weird type of dot-ball plans ranging from bowling with a scrambled seam, slower cutters and wobbly short balls. This art of mixing things up with seemingly innocuous balls has been further promoted by the rise of T20

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-41902624340164421612009-09-18T03:14:00.001+05:302009-09-18T03:14:14.887+05:30

My Open Water Dive Coursewith Scuba Cat, PhuketSept 1-4, 2009When we first published our Phuket & Phi Phi travel guide (this book is out of print few years since the tsunami), I have been doing fun dives (Discover Scuba) but mainly have been snorkeling around in Thailand and Indonesia. Since this is my work, I have to mix meetings with other photo targets with many other aqua activities.Finally,

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-26857251979954811052009-09-18T02:06:00.001+05:302009-09-18T02:09:05.903+05:30

This is very welcoming news indeed- Sachin Tendulkar has proposed ODI cricket to have 2 innings of 25 overs each, so that the toss would not be a very big factor, especially in day-night games. He got this idea during a Sri Lanka match few years back, which was washed out due to rain, but Sri Lanka had already batted (and on the spare day as well). But India could not complete a minimum of 20

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-13660001573661066282009-06-21T15:41:00.001+05:302009-06-21T15:41:54.092+05:30

Electric kid has done it for India- winning the Indonesian Open Badminton Super Series- and a major tournament the first time ever for India. Incidentally, she had lost to an Indonesian in a power vs balance battle in the Olympics 2008, Beijing.I missed it, but will catch up on Neo Sports later- hopefully they will show it again...What a triumph for her family...SaumilMumbai, 21 June 2009

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-67445804382758656052009-05-25T03:07:00.001+05:302009-05-25T03:07:58.271+05:30

Banglore v Deccan, Finals, IPL 2009Nobody can predict outcomes in sport, but as I had posted yesterday-"I can tell you that Gilchrist will not be playing his natural game- he will have to earn it. I reckon that he will not be getting balls to cut and pull, but will have to fetch them from outside off or be forced to slog them off the front foot." - saumilzx...from my post after Bangalore won the

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-85951581588263576842009-05-24T02:23:00.001+05:302009-05-24T02:23:02.296+05:30

Yes, there is someone who can read spin wizard Muralidaran. Unfortunately, it is not a batsman, but an umpire! Simon Taufel is the amongst the best in the business for sure.In today's gripping semi finals of IPL 2009 (Bangalore vs Chennai), Murali was required to weave his magic to try to get a few wickets as Bangalore were chasing a moderate target of 147 with many wickets in hand.Murali was

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-57107547240689991852009-05-24T01:40:00.001+05:302009-05-24T01:40:29.936+05:30

Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super kingsIPL 2009 Semi FinalsAnil Kumble, who not too long ago was criticized and almost forced into retirement for his 'defensive' captaincy- has proved a point or too, to his detractors by humbling the mighty batting line-up of Chennai Super Kings. And he did that by a containing strategy rather than tactical punches, as characterized by Shane Warne's

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-17032263523149408612009-05-23T02:15:00.001+05:302009-05-23T02:15:00.784+05:30

After the IPL is done with, I will be releasing reports on the Mumbai Indians performance in this IPL (losing after being second on the net run rate?), and then later on T20 Cricket itself- perhaps an eBook, but hopelfully at least a screencast.Subscribe to my RSS Feed to be notified! Keep the mails coming...SaumilMumbai23 May 2009

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-39418815116576825062009-05-23T01:34:00.001+05:302009-05-23T01:34:07.944+05:30

Delhi Daredevils v Deccan ChargersIPL 2009, First Semi FinalsDelhi had the worst start possible losing Gambhir and Warner for ducks in the first over. However, Sehwag and Dilshan rode their luck (3 chances and half a dozen edges) and counter attacked to revive the situation - 83/2 at 10 overs. That was a platform which Delhi would gladly take considering their poor start. But they failed to push

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-50780241962808585482009-05-16T21:43:00.001+05:302009-05-16T21:43:12.966+05:30

Mumbai Indians v Chennai Superkings, IPL 2009second encounterSo Mumbai are out of the IPL 2009 (they still have a 5% chance of making it, Bangalore(v Delhi, Deccan); Punjab (v Deccan, Chennai); and Rajashtan (v Delhi, Kolkata)- all lose both their games and Mumbai win against Delhi)...However, todays game sums up Mumbai's performance in this IPL. They played well again, but lost too few wickets

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-12949449065921705612009-05-15T01:21:00.001+05:302009-05-15T01:21:28.345+05:30

Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2009second encounter (first match rained out).... 6 runs of 9 balls with 4 wickets in hand, and yet Mumbai lost! Sachin Tendulkar addressed the fact that Mumbai Indians were not using their batting resources as well as they should in the short 20 over format. Today, he sent Bravo (who smacked them brilliantly in the last match) and Takawale (their keeper) to

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-84633184492599058182009-05-14T04:37:00.001+05:302009-05-14T04:37:40.119+05:30

Mumabi Indians v Kings XI Punjab (second encounter, IPL 2009)Mumbai have second time dissected Punjab for under 120 in this IPL. Having lost the first time, and also observing they have often only lost a few wickets and yet lost games- Sachin Tendulkar made an unexpected change, by pushing Bravo up the order (Jayasuria has been good in patches, but even on his good day his strike rate has been

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-34142707850256242262009-05-11T01:57:00.001+05:302009-05-11T01:57:11.988+05:30

Mumbai Indians v Bangalore Royal Challengers, IPL 2009(second encounter)Mumbai made 157 for 2 with well constructed knocks from Jayasuria, Rahane and Duminy. Since Tendulkar was out for a duck, it was a fine recovery, but after about 12 overs- it seemed that they did not go for bigger shots. Perhaps, their last few losses had dented their confidence a bit and the reality was that this pitch was

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-78465068374704989712009-05-09T03:21:00.001+05:302009-05-09T03:21:10.858+05:30

Mumbai really need to give luck/flukes a chance.As I have said, there is ample room or rather a mandatory need to explore luck and flukes in T20- which unfortunately the big brand Mumbai batters are way to organized to perhaps stumble upon. Surely, there needs to be adequate method (play constuctively or as per situation), but most teams are using half their side while batting. Many teams-except

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-65274784501132005482009-05-09T02:33:00.001+05:302009-05-09T02:45:34.415+05:30

Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2009Whose idea was it today to make so many changes? I am afraid, Sachin would not come up with this Ronchi-Duminy opening and himself at number 4, especially with other fringe players being bowlers. This was the poorest bit of cricket planning, I must admit -as a Mumbai/Sachin admirer- that I have seen a long time. (even if Jayasuria was tired a bit and

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-73323552866081727842009-05-09T01:18:00.001+05:302009-05-09T01:18:37.013+05:30

Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI PunjabAfter the Chennai had spanked the bowling to all parts of the ground in a rain reduced 18 over match, Punjab had a daunting task to chase 180 odd at 10 an over.Katich was an unexpected starter in this chase, and did superbly to chip a few over fence on both sides of the ground. But when Yuvraj stepped in, the asking rate was 12 an over. Something which perhaps

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-73025766822737883932009-05-07T01:52:00.001+05:302009-05-07T01:52:52.496+05:30

Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers (second encounter)IPL 2009This is the second chase of a moderate total that Mumbai messed up. After losing Jayasuria and Tendulkar early, Pinal Shah -who was expected to bat sometime- finally did and pushed the rate for them. He was organized and innovative as well to flatten out the moderate strike rate of 25 runs over a run-a-ball.Eventually needing about 47 in

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-37304270638515614112009-05-04T17:11:00.001+05:302009-05-04T20:40:02.633+05:30

Mumbai Indians vs Banglore Royal Challengers, IPL 20093 May 2009Just reiterating the fact that T20- there is a chance that a side may not play itself in. Mumbai Indians recovered from 3 early wickets, very well indeed- to post a competitive 149 but losing only 4 wickets. But since Tendulkar and Duminy were out early, it was perhaps not easy to slip in pinch hitters like Harbhajan or Zaheer, as

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-72746902097905962502009-05-02T02:41:00.001+05:302009-05-02T02:44:23.014+05:30

Looks like Sachin Tendulkar has answered portions from my last post (Mumbai are not getting their doze of flukes, which is perhaps necessary for a T20 format) about inserting a tactical component to just push the strike rate- using guys who may get you runs in an unsound manner.Today, against Kolkatta, Mumbai Indians did produce many more fuzzy scoring shots- starting with Tendulkar- who bottom

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-18735201350586388592009-04-30T04:39:00.003+05:302009-04-30T04:43:30.466+05:30

Today the Mumbai Indians lost their second game of the IPL 2009 to Kings XI Punjab, failing to chase 120 in 20 overs on a sluggish track. The previous loss was against Deccan Chargers chasing 169. In both matches they were well within reach and fell short by a few runs.The good news is that they are finding the right combination and are now batting clinically, with roles well defined. Tendulkar,

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-87336167224524575002008-12-21T22:25:00.007+05:302009-01-01T05:02:59.936+05:30

2nd Test, Inda v England 2008, MohaliListen to this blog?England captain Kevin Pietersen is back in the news for his switch shot (where he takes guard right handed but switches to left-handed while playing a shot). This is usually a sweep and although it can be easily confused with the reverse sweep, it is a conventional sweep of a left-handed batsman.Should this be allowed? From an innovation

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-15383614697842239482008-12-18T01:30:00.007+05:302009-01-01T04:55:11.397+05:30

Hi friends,I will be provided automated audio productions of my blogs and views as podcast XMLs.My first podcast is the version of my recent blog about the Chennai Test and Tendulkar's performance.For the podcast URL:Bookmark Cricket PodcastSince this is based on text to speech technology, you might often get inflection issues and varying pronunciation of proper nouns. Yet, I believe the audio is

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-14360528416580756412008-12-15T23:23:00.012+05:302009-01-01T04:57:06.358+05:30

Listen to this blog?India have won the first test against England, creating history by chasing close to 400 runs in the 4th innings. Prior to the start of the series, analysts had pondered over the fact that India was at World number 2 spot in Test Cricket, after defeating the Aussies 2-0. However, a Test series loss in Sri Lanka, and a drawn series against South Africa (at home), indicates that

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-63150902827650364972008-08-18T23:51:00.014+05:302008-08-19T23:47:57.535+05:30

The great in any sport are great because they are in masterful control of their art and versatile as well in the subtle variations as and when needed. Most Olympic events by and large are dominated by specialists- as every medal that is up for grabs usually demands total commitment for a decade or two. To be hopeful for a medal, I guess athletes have to focus on a specific event- be it a sprint,

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-30420708188797400452008-08-14T01:37:00.003+05:302008-08-14T02:34:59.600+05:30

Exhibition of Power and Balance on a Badminton Court.Indian Badminton sensation Saina Nehwal lost in the quarter finals of the Beijing Olympics to Maria Yulianti of Indonesia. It was high quality badminton and looked like a classic rivalry of Saina's power shots vs Maria's simplicity of balance. Saina had her chances as she led 11-4 in the final set (earlier in the first game she was 20-16 up,

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-73970621410058622442008-08-12T20:39:00.004+05:302008-08-12T21:13:08.629+05:30

Ajantha Mendis has mesmerized everyone in the current Sri-Lanka win over India in the Test series. Before the series began, many including myself had doubts if he would succeed in Tests, as he looked like a bowler who could do many nice things without a stock ball. I have mentioned in the earlier blog that surprise bowlers with a lots of little tricks will be common, as T20 and shorter versions

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-90272395302089215182008-07-15T19:31:00.005+05:302008-07-15T19:39:39.772+05:30

With limited overs format becoming more dominant, bowlers who can wobble the ball or do unconventional things, will succeed. As a batsman, before you sort them out, you are gone- as strike rate dictates the intent.The Chinese, never short of puzzles and mind games, are know for sneaking in fringe and awkward players in World Table Tennis Championships (in the early '80s the forehand and backhand

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-49293911548783341572008-07-15T02:15:00.003+05:302008-07-15T02:29:43.828+05:30

I have always maintained that the commercial fallout of the internet and B2C in the 90s was not due to 'revenue model' issues. It was the interface, stupid! And the interface is not just a point and click thing- it about the way you interact with the machine to accomplish tasks- or rather avoiding those cumbersome things that you should not be doing, which undermine the very 'reach-out' advantage

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-50670615614420313712008-07-06T23:38:00.001+05:302008-07-06T23:41:21.892+05:30

Google is releasing Android, an open source platform for handheld devices. They will not manufacture devices but will license it to vendors. Sounds like the Apple v Microsoft days of the '80s. iPhone will have an advantage of tightly integrated interface with the phone/pda to create a product(s) which is sleek and easy to use, whereas Android will try to be ubiquitous but every vendor will close

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-43176842575997073592008-06-03T02:06:00.007+05:302008-06-03T03:10:39.879+05:30

Part 2 of 2Mumbai Indians- only team since Windies in 80s to dominate in India without a spinner?!After that Harbhajan incident, it meant that Mumbai Indians would have a bowling attack without a top-quality spinner for 11 of their 14 matches. It is no wonder, that Tendulkar had to try Chitnis, because he knew it that deeper into the tournament, you cannot play in India without a spinner. Did it

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-86351516779177684472008-06-03T00:52:00.010+05:302008-06-03T02:19:29.566+05:30

Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab were on top of the league tables. Punjab just had the best skill sets- largely due to Shaun Marsh's magical entry into world cricket along with many other stars However, it was Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians who sorted teams out during bowling, to get decisive results in their favor. This is not surprising since Warne is a bowler renowned for his prowess

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-12689187041627808992008-06-02T18:06:00.019+05:302008-06-03T00:40:21.439+05:30

The IPL T20 knock outs are over. Thankfully Rajashthan won as they deserved to after the league ended. But to conclude a tournament where a team plays a league with 7 others (14 matches; home/away) with just a knock out semis and a final match is quite ridiculous. It has been that way in cricket since the World Cup began and it is that way in other World Cups such as soccer. (The Australian Tri

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-43688834071268420032008-05-14T17:22:00.010+05:302008-05-14T18:29:52.786+05:30

Privatisation of cricket is here to stay in a big way. The Indian Premier League has succeded in creating 8 teams of market value. Now cricketers will know what responsibility and accountabilty are, is what all are saying- since so far they reported to national and state governing bodies, who perhaps accept defeat or lack lustre performances as part of the game.But the private owners also have to

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-67788208573215423402008-05-14T16:22:00.003+05:302008-05-14T17:05:06.960+05:30

Delhi Daredevils did a brilliant job to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to 133 in 20 overs. Just over 6 an over is not difficult in T20. In fact the only way to lose from here would be if Kolkata could run through the top order (especially since Delhi has a weaker middle order).If the opposition has only one or few ways to win, howsoever improbable they might be, it is best to remove those options

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-1201530347314332512008-04-23T15:24:00.005+05:302008-04-23T15:57:11.941+05:30

Kolkata Knight Riders v Deccan Chargers at Kolkata - Apr 20, 2008Deccan Chargers were all out cheaply for 110 and failed to even complete their quota of 20 overs. The pitch was breaking apart and the ball was turning and seaming. It is obviously difficult for a team batting first on such a track, as most teams would like to set targets of at least 150-160 runs in any T20.Kolkata struggled as well

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-22756185334450528482008-03-03T00:00:00.003+05:302008-03-03T00:35:13.173+05:30

Tendulkar has done it. An ODI hundred in Australia, and India winning the first ever final of a tri-series in Australia. Both Hayden and Tendulkar made the most of conditions- a slow track but with consistent bounce. But as we all know batting requires luck, because even on a good track, one error is all that is needed to go back to the pavilion. Just take a look at three moments in the match

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-75348273494069279052008-02-26T01:14:00.009+05:302008-02-26T02:57:03.401+05:30

Who were the openers who have made an impact on the CB tri-series in Australia so far? (as of first 10 games).Australia (6 matches till rubber is live)Adam Gilchrist: 0, 61, 0, 118, 15, 6 (16 in dead rubber)Hayden: DNP, 42, 25, 4, 13, 23 (54 in dead rubber)India (7 matches, not qualified yet)Tendulkar: 10, 35, 44, 32, 5, 0, 2Sehwag 6, 33, 11, 14, DNP, DNP, 17Gambhir opened twice: 34, 15Sri

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-67217509238588898002008-02-24T20:03:00.009+05:302008-02-28T01:16:22.967+05:30

India have lost the CB Series 10th ODI- to Australia, in Sydney. The media have got it all wrong again. Whereas batsmen- senior or junior can falter due to split second reaction time of shot making, the media and management have time to get it right.1. The media missed out why our bowlers gave away in excess of 300 in the first place, when Sydney is a spin friendly track. Your chances are reduced

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-52646444622905797102008-02-23T00:49:00.015+05:302008-02-23T02:19:39.757+05:30

Now that the auctions are through and guys have been bought over, the focus is now on discussions of how it will impact the future of the game (of Cricket, that is).1. Is all this money good for cricket?Money is always a necessity for any activity- so there should be nothing to complain about this fact. But can some journalist please conduct a discussion of how it will help, the various aspects

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-30950629030528742722008-02-04T01:59:00.000+05:302008-02-04T02:21:24.610+05:30

Good introductory books, as in Chess (Capablanca, Nimzowitsch), Math-Logic (Russell, Godel) or Physics (Stephen Hawking), work well with online resources such as the Wikipedia. The printed book actually helps you keep a tab on the hyperlinking on the web resource, since classics are always well organized in their chapter sequence and will include the key or mandatory points which a reader must

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-65342606033675560822008-01-24T00:29:00.000+05:302008-01-24T01:09:34.727+05:30

Firstly, I stand corrected about the team selection at the Perth Test- where most expected that India did not have enough benchstrength in the pace attach. Irfan Pathan proved everyone wrong, and rightly deserved the man of the match for his swing bowling and valuable batting. However, as mentioned the bouncy track did not do much harm to the Indian batting- as defensively you do have scope to

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-37267338529483233382008-01-19T02:06:00.000+05:302008-01-19T03:06:11.792+05:30

Robert James Fischer, one of the greatest Chess Legends of all time has passed away. Just would like to post a blog in his honour. Besides, being a tactical genius in regular chess, he also formalized Random Chess. I have written some comparisions about symmetry of skills in various different sports, in my book Dot Chess-The Cricket in Between. Cricket is asymmetric, since one side bowls and the

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-19395854695753614352008-01-15T20:28:00.000+05:302008-01-15T20:57:21.904+05:30

After the Sydney saga which went beyond cricket, we can finally look forward to Perth tomorrow- and hopefully the interest will be about cricket.Everyone is talking about the pace and bounce of Perth. Most current Indian team members have not played a Test here (except Tendulkar), so it sure will be a test with Aussies expected to bowl with 4 seamers.There are some interesting prospects though:1.

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-87939313343575791922007-10-12T03:06:00.000+05:302007-10-12T04:08:10.045+05:30

So India were bowled out under 150 runs under 40 overs. Australia have been doing this to teams in the first innings, but the Indian batting just was not up for it today... it can happen against the Aussies...So when Australia came to bat, Dhoni started with Harbhajan- just to cut the pace, exploit the dry pitch and take early wickets to try to defend the low score. If India were to win or make

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-86979647959524111942007-09-21T02:15:00.000+05:302007-09-21T04:41:46.791+05:30

India have just made it into the T20 Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals.Since I written about Chess in Cricket (Tests/ODIs)- the theory for the 20 over format is still to be developed. It is the beginner's mind- as Zen followers would perhaps call. Yes shorter versions are possible but...So is this format a valid competition or just a circus of sorts? Well, there are many ways to answer this and as I

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-51128819807884590862007-09-10T01:15:00.000+05:302007-09-10T01:54:33.382+05:30

The 'final' match at Lords has concluded with India failing to post a good score.However, this is not the equivalent of a 'finals' of a tournament, because the 7th match, although a must-win for both sides, was an avoidable-must win. This is quite different from finals as in other tournaments as it has to be played as such. In this case, both sides missed chances to finish the series prior to the

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-11149974743876863662007-08-15T01:28:00.000+05:302007-08-15T01:55:51.708+05:30

On a recent TV review on NDTV India, Virkam Chandra and his colleague commented that the Safari Browser in the iPhone was implemented in a revolutionary manner with pinch zooming and crisp rendition. They however felt that the lack of copy paste was a serious ommision- perhaps a lapse on Apple's part.Well folks, as it turns out most webpages are as such copyrighted material and owned by the site

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-80434022836956021102007-08-14T06:04:00.000+05:302007-08-14T06:23:58.393+05:30

So what was the difference in the end? Both bowling sides had inexperienced fast bowlers who bowled really well - not scary or fearsome- but with hard work and passion. Zaheer Khan and Anderson deserved their reward of the Man of the Series for each side. However the difference came down to a few factors:1. Openers- for a change the Indian flag was flying higher than their opponents in this

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-62252202117330838872007-08-11T13:00:00.000+05:302007-08-11T13:49:13.017+05:30

So this is a flat track and Tendulkar for the second consecutive time in test matches, comes in to bat after 40 overs and more than 175 runs on the board. Sounds like the ideal platform to cut loose? Sure, in normal cases that would be true- but here is how the calculations work out:1. In approx 50 overs, India are 200 for 3 with Tendulkar and Ganguly batting. On this pitch, a score of 400 will

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-84337895773915471802007-07-28T02:55:00.000+05:302007-07-28T02:58:42.784+05:30

This is in response to cricinfo article:http://blogs.cricinfo.com/cricinfoselect/archives/2007/07/flabby_in_the_middle.phpOur middle order is still the best we have. We are paying a heavy price for neglecting the opening situation as a 'pair' for few decades now. Did we ever hear of a great batting team which did not not know who will open on the eve of every series? Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid and

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-8582691492351278402007-04-29T16:48:00.000+05:302007-04-29T17:08:40.642+05:30

Turns out that everything between the Australians and Sri lankans was more or less the same- decent bowling from both sides, but nothing special, and lots of light-gray shots and top edges from both as well. The difference was Adam Gilchrist who demonstrated his clean hitting with only about half a dozen unintended mis-hits (acceptable by modern standards).Was the Gilchrist caught and bowl chance

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-81140208399074679282007-04-28T14:45:00.001+05:302007-04-28T14:51:47.159+05:30

World Cup: Cricket Dot ChessAus-SL Finals will take off in a few hours, in Barbados...1. Australia have a batting line-up wherein all players can keep a high strike rate, and they have about 3-4 batsmen who can give volume of runs as well (Hayden, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey). Sri Lanka has a split- Jayawardene can provide a volume of runs at moderate strike rates; Jayasuria and Sangakara have strike

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-34077004597101843862007-04-26T05:20:00.000+05:302007-04-26T05:33:26.054+05:30

Firstly, I have to clarify that I am not a fortune teller and I cannot predict what someone else will do or attempt to do. We can at best anticipate possible scenarios. (see Apr 25th blog)Unfortunately for South Africa, they fell to Australia's first inning bowling of ODI.. Yes, I had indicated that Australia can restrict under 150-170, when bowling first and why it happens is clear in my book.

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743889158340317666.post-33771544613581492082007-04-25T04:08:00.000+05:302007-04-25T12:12:02.989+05:30

Track it here and on my website: www.saumilzx.comSri Lanka have just won the first semis. My points/questions for South Africa-Australia semis (today) are still on my site but I include them here. Australian batting in the semi-finals has failed in the last three World Cups, only to be bailed out by their bowlers. However, here are some issues to ponder about.... it is the knock-out phase...1.

saumilzxnoreply@blogger.com