Buried Down Under

From the winning the World Cup 2011 to loosing the Border-Gavaskar trophy, the Indian cricket team has seen it all within a span of one year.  The team which was showered with financial rewards and trophies is being given strong backlash in India after loss in Perth test match. Even the Australian media has harshly criticized Indian team by calling it“useless rubble” led by a “passive captain”. Is this team really worthy of being ranked no 2 in tests?  Did India win the World Cup because of home advantage? These are the questions lingering in the minds of cricket enthusiasts.

At the start of the tour, people were expecting India to steamroll the inexperienced Australian bowlers and win the series for the first time in Australia. This series was much hyped because of Sachin’s 100^th century.  After a disastrous England tour which India lost 4-0, BCCI had taken some corrective measures and kept some practice matches ahead of the Boxing Day test match in Melbourne. A lesser known cricketer Ed Cowen hit a century in the practice match and got selected for the MCG test match. Ed now you know whom to thank when you retire.

The MCG test match got underway and the Indian batsman were dancing to the tunes of Australian bowlers. India’s famed batting line-up produced another spineless display to crash to an embarrassing 122-run defeat and handed Australia a 1-0 lead. Dhoni gave an excuse that they are poor starters and would produce better results in the next test match.

The situation got much worse in Sydney. India gave in to the disciplined bowling by Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle and lost by an innings and 68-runs. Australia had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. Michael Clark was declared man of the match for his unbeaten innings of 329.

You think this was worst then you have underestimated the clumsiness of Indian batsmen. The Australian bowlers were too hot and fierce to handle. The match finished within 3 days!  None of the Indian batsman were able to stand up to the Australian bowlers. The Indian strong middle order consisting of Sachin, Dravid, Laxman were expected to deliver the goods but they have let down in a big way. Talks about them retiring are already doing the rounds.

Now what do we expect from Adelaide Test match starting from 24^th January? Can Indians save themselves from another whitewash? We need to wait and watch. Hope they can at least carry on the match until 5 days to keep the sponsors and broadcasters happy.

Art of Writing

Ever wondered what would have happened if there were no formal communication between Romeo and Juliet? Would this greatest love story ever taken place? They stayed far away from each other and had to use written form of communication to convey their feelings. Through those times till the present age of digital marketing, the importance of art of writing has been on a steady rise.

Written communication plays an important role across all corporate sectors. Whether it’s dealing with clients or internal employees, you need to communicate your ideas with the right set of words to avoid any clashes. All contract papers, legal documents, business proposals need to be properly documented and signed to prevent breach of faith between any two parties.

A career in writing is also a viable option for the current generation. Gone are the times when a writer was supposed to write only books. With the advent of online advertising, the companies need writers to promote their products on the internet. There is a growing demand for technical writers to create technical documentation such as online help, user guides etc. Companies are always on a look out for good instructional designers to create online courses with clear and informative content.  In addition there are myriad of career opportunities in writing such as copywriting, proposal writing, content writing, SEO etc.

What makes writing doubly important is that it is the only portable and permanent type of communication. It makes your thinking visible and expresses the kind of person you are. It promotes your ability to pose worthwhile arguments and questions on different web portals. Writing allows you to step into readers shoes and think from his perspective.

Thus from movies to poetries, from great books to the finest news article, writing has helped to unleash human thinking and creativity.