Indiana Jones and Kingdom of Crystal Skull

If this is your first Indiana Jones adventure, and you had not watched Raiders of Lost Ark or Temple of Doom or even Last Crusade, chances are you might like it and even enjoy it. Yeah like my friend who was watching the movie with me, was whooping with delight. On the other hand, myself just felt cold at the numerous scenes in the movie. Call it the Generation gap. Or maybe the fact that Raiders of the Lost Ark, the very first Indiana Jones adventure and the best one, would always rank among my favorite movies. I hated Temple of Doom, while Last Crusade was pretty good, but for a botched up climax. Clearly this is a series, where none of the sequels have been able to match up to the first one, and the latest installment just confirms the fact.

The Story

It is the year 1957, and Dr.Indiana Jones( Harrison Ford) is now an aging 50 plus and no longer young and dashing. The movie starts off with a group of Russian soldiers led by Col Dr. Irina Spalko( Cate Blanchett in a hideous wig, and a thick Russian accent) forcing Dr.Jones and his partner George Mc Hale(Ray Winstone) into leading them to a crate that is believed to contain the remains of an extra terrestrial creature that crashed a decade back in the New Mexico desert. The crate is located at a US secret military base in Nevada called Hangar 51, basically a kinda Govt warehouse which contains all sorts of secret artificats, including the Lost Ark. Jones try to escape, but he discovers he is double crossed by his pal George, who is on the Soviets payroll. Anyway there is an escape scene, including a nuke blast, a rocket sled. And then for sometime we have a bit of McCarthyism politics comming with Jones under the scanner by the Feds , as his pal is a Soviet agent. In order to avoid being fired by the university authorities, Dr.Jones, goes on a leave of absence, and runs into Mutt Williams( Shia LaBeouf), a bike rider sporting a Marylon Brando jacket and hairstyle. Mutt informs Dr.Jones that his old colleague Harold Oxley( John Hurt) has disappeared somewhere in Peru, after he had discovered a crystal skull.

So off to Peru,go Dr.Jones and Mutt, where they discover that Oxley was locked in an asylum, until he was kidnapped by the Russians. In his cell, they discover the clues to the grave of Francisco De Orelanna, a Spanish conquistador, who went missing while seeking the mythical city of Akator, also known as El Dorado. Indy and Mutt, go to the grave and discover the crystal skull, which basically resembles that of the native Indian tribes. The Russians want the skull, as they believe that it comes from an alien life form and has great pyschic power. And so Indy and Mutt, are again captured by the Russians, and at the camp, they meet Oxley and Marion Ravenwood( Karen Allen), Indy's ex lover and Mutt's mom. And oh yeah in a pretty Bollywoodish twist, Indy comes to know that Mutt is his own son. And so we have a series of adventures including a chase through the jungle, armies of killer ants, vehicles falling over waterfalls, and finally the temple containing the treasures. What happens is best seen on the screen.

Like all the other Indiana Jones movies, this too has a lot of eye popping action sequences, to pump up the adrenaline, including a bike chase in the University campus, a long chase between Indy,Marion,Oxley, Mutt and the Russians through the jungles, we also have Mutt and Irina doing a sword fighting on moving vehicles, the amphibious vehicle in which Indy and co are travelling falling down 3 waterfalls, Indy and Matt entering the grave, Indian tribes comming out of hiding places to attack Indy and co.

However the much hyped sequence of the killer ants attacking looks pretty fake and artificial. Give me the snake pit any day. Also the opening sequence is nowhere half as exciting as it was in Raiders of Lost Ark. Indy escaping from a rolling boulder in Raiders of Lost Ark, was thrilling, because it was chillingly realistic, here his attempts to escape from the Russian soliders on a rocket sled, looks plain cartoonish. But where Spielberg loses the plot majorly is the climax. Honestly this has to be one of the most dud climaxes ever filmed. It is exciting, you have special effects, rocks falling, fires and all CGI stuff, but at end of it, you feel like asking what was all that about.

In fact that is the major failing of Kingdom of Crystal Skulls, it simply does not know what genre it wants to be. Spielberg tries to mix up the good ole action adventure genre with a Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and even tries to add a touch of 2001: A Space Odysey. Both Spielberg and Lucas, seemed to have got carried away by the action and CGI, that they have not choosen to take care of the script and screenplay. The movie just keeps lurching from one point to another. In fact it seems more like a collection of action sequences rather than any coherent plot or story. And the editing sucks badly. Some of the action scenes just keep going on and on, until you desperately want to cry Stop. Looks like the editing department was sleeping on the job here. Spielberg got the action, the pacing, the atmosphere, the look right, sadly he forgot the basics here. Honestly this decade has seen Spielberg losing it a lot. Barring Munich and to an extent Minority Report, most of his other movies have been big disappointments.

Another area where the movie fails majorly is characterization. The earlier series worked not just because of Indiana Jones, but even the side characters, whether it was Indy's Egyptian friend Sallah, or the sinister looking Major Toht who has the headpiece diagram burnt into his hand or even Amrish Puri's tantric Mola Ram character. Here most of the other characters are pretty much sketchy. For eg the main adversary Col Dr. Irina, looks like a relic of old B Grade Hollywood thrillers, with her false wig and a thick accent. Also considering the fact that she falls from waterfalls, is attacked by ants, and is always fighting, her hair do never seems out of the place even once. Neither does Indy's amnesiac colleage Harry Oxley, evoke our sympathy or even humour. He is so plain irritating, and just keeps mumbling. And as for the sidekick and Indy's son Mutt, his smart alecky nature, makes you want to smack him right in the face.

Inspite of his advancing age, Harrison Ford, still does pretty well as Indiana Jones, and is sprightly enough in the action scenes. Karen Allen, is still as sexy and as attractive as she was in Raiders of Lost Ark, inspite of touching 50. Cate Blanchett however is a big disappointment as the villianious Dr. Irina, with her hemming and hawing. Instead of evoking any menace, she just ends up plain irrritating. And her thick Russian accent does not make matters any better. And so is John Hurt as Harry Oxley, who looks perpetually lost and confused.

The Chronices of Narnia:Prince Caspian

Welcome to the world of fantasy, the world of Narnia again in The Chronices of Narnia:Prince Caspian. The second in the Narnia series, based on the books written by C.S.Lewis, this takes off from where the first one had left. The movie begins with the wicked Telmarine ruler Miraz(Sergio Castellito), on learning of the birth of his son, conspiring to kill Prince Caspian(Ben Barnes), his nephew and the rightful heir to the throne. The Prince is however rescued by his mentor, Dr. Cornelius, a wizened old professor, and runs away to the forest where he is pursued by the King's soldiers. In the woods he stumbles across two dwarves Trumpkin(Peter Dinklage) and Nikabrik(Warwick Davis), and a talking badger Trufflehunter. In the scuffle Trumpkin is captured by the Telmarine soldiers, while terrified by the outcomme, Caspian, blows the magic horn, Dr.Cornelius had given him.

Meanwhile in London,1941, the Pevensie Children, Peter(William Moseley), Susan( Anna Popplewell), Edmund( Skandar Keyes) and Lucy( Georgie Henley), are trying to adjust to life in real world, after their return back from Narnia in the first adventure, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Peter especially is finding it hard to adjust after being the king of Narnia, while a grown up Susan, has to fend off advances from besotted young lads. Edmund has become more mature, after his adventures in Narnia, while Lucy the youngest of them all, remains the most open minded. The sounding of the magic horn pulls the Pevensies back into Narnia again, as they are waiting for their train in the subway. Where the wardrobe was the means by which they were transported into Narnia in the first adventure, here it is the subway.

In the meanwhile, Nikabrik wants to kill Caspian, as he is a Telmarine. The Telmarines led by Miraz, had ruthlessley executed most of the Narnians, with the result that many of them have gone into hiding in the deep woods. Trufflehunter however feels that having blown the magic horn, Caspian is the one who could lead them to their freedom. Caspian meets the Narnians at the Dancing Lawn, and is surprised, as he led to believe that they have become extinct. A swashbuckling mouse called Reepicheep offers his services along with his friends. Though the Narnians are sceptical about a Telmarine leading them, Caspian manages to convince them, that if they help him in regaining the throne, he would bring about peace and stop persecuting the Narnians.

Trumpkin is taken away to be drowned by the Telmarines, but is saved by the Pevensies. After proving to Trumpkin that they indeed are the Kings and Queens of Old, they set out to find the other Narnians. They encounter Prince Caspian, and are taken to Aslan's How a huge underground hall, where most of the Narnians are hiding in exile. Will Prince Caspian and the Pevensies be able to defeat King Miraz and his huge army? Do the Pevensies again go back to their real world? Will Aslan, the wise talking lion, come to their rescue like he did in the first edition?

Well do watch the movie to find out, which includes among other things a pair of double crossing nobles Lord Glozelle(Pierfrancesco Favino) and Lord Sopespian( Damian Alcazar). As also a subtle romantic track between Prince Caspian and Susan. And yes both Aslan, the Lion( voice of Liam Neeson) and the White Witch( Tilda Swinton) making appearances. In comparison with first edition, which was more like a kid's fairy tale, the second one is a bit darker in content, and more adult. The opening sequence where the King orders Prince Caspian to be executed and his escape from the castle, is brilliantly shot in a creepy dark tone. Also the King's castle has a dark, foreboding atmosphere around it, which lends an eerie tone. Another pretty much dark scene is when a were wolf and hag along with the dwarf Nikabrik, force Prince Caspian to offer his blood to the White Witch, in order to set her free, by cutting at his hand. Even the underground hideout has a distinctive Gothic style atmosphere to it. You could still watch this movie with your kids, but be warned some of these scenes could be a bit scary.

However director Andrew Adamson, counterbalances this gloominess, with some wonderful characters, the most memorable one being Repicheep, a sword wielding, swashbuckling mouse, who keeps thrusting his rapiers into the enemy's feet. Part Puss in Boots, part Tom and Jerry, Repicheep and his army of fighting mice, could create the most memorable kids character in recent times. If your kids do love this movie, it would be in large measure to the character of Repicheep. Another interesting character in the movie is the cynical dwarf Trumpklin, who aids the Pevensies and Prince Caspian in the battle. Also making up the ensemble of characters are a family of Centaurs and a Minotaur soldier. The Pevensie kids are also more rounded and more defined in their characters here.

The biggest letdown however has to be Prince Caspian. For a swashbuckling prince seems to be more dependent on the Pevensies and the Narnian's, to secure his throne, and somehow does not seem very exciting at all. Nor does Ben Barnes listless performance help. The actors playing the Pevensies do their roles well, but the best is Georgie Henley as the cute Lucy. Sergio Castellito is menancing enough as the wicked king, though nowhere close to Tilda Swinton as the Witch.

The attack on the King's castle and the final battle scene are brilliiantly shot, and worth the price of the ticket. As also some of the special effects, especially the scene where the River God rises to drown out the Telmarines, in a scene reminiscient of the sea closing over the Pharaoh's troops in the Ten Commandments. The music score, and the cinematography are first rate, expected in a Hollywood movie. So inspite of some darker moments , i would still recommend this movie to be seen, even by the family. If you are looking for a fantasy filled entertainment, this is really worth a watch. Only thing do not compare it with Harry Potter or Lord of Rings, because this is distinctly different. But i think this should be a succesful movie franchise soon enough.

Chickamagalur

Karnataka is a state that has been overshadowed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu, when it comes to tourism. And that is sad considering that it is one of India's most diverse and beautiful states. It is a state where history lies beneath your feet( Mysore,Hampi, Badami) and a religious aura pervades the air( Dharmasthala,Shringeri) . It is a state where culture(Mysore) and modernity( Bangalore) co exist. And few states in India have its natural diversity, be it the unspoilt beaches of the Canara region, the thick forests of Malnad and Mysore or the hill resorts of Coorg, K.R.Hills and the cascading waterfalls of Jog, Gokak. Add to it the forts,castles and monuments of North Karnataka, and you have a place which is truly a tourist paradise. Add to it a friendly and hospitable people who are highly knowledgable, and a pleasant weather, except for N.Karnataka. Unfortunately except for the Bangalore-Mysore circuit, tourist infrastructure in the rest of the state is very poorly developed,and neither does it have an extensive road and rail network like Tamil Nadu.

One of the more underrated places in Karnataka has been Chikmagalur. Situated in the foothills of the towering Baba Budan Giri range in the Western Ghats, the place is also called as "Poor Man's Ooty" due to it's pleasant climate and laid back lifestyle. Chikmagalur covers the Malnad area in Karnataka, a thickly forested hilly and plateau like area. This place takes it's name from a Kannada word meaning "Town of the Younger Daughter", from the legend that this place was given as a dowry to the younger daughter of the local chieftain Rukmangada. The twin town adjoining this is Hiremagalur Or "The Town of the Elder Daughter". In Indian history,Chikmagalur is often identified as the birthplace of the Hoysala Dynasty. As per legend, Sala the founder of the dynasty killed a tiger here, which is also the symbol in the Hoysala flag. The Amriteshwara Temple in this area was built by legendary Hoysala king Veera Ballala II. The area is however more famous for it's coffee plantations and along with Coorg, constitutes the Coffee belt of Karnataka. According to legend, coffee was introduced in this area by a Muslim sufi saint Baba Budan in 1607 AD, who bought the beans from Yemen, on the way back home after his pilgrimage to Mecca. The hills surrounding Chikmagalur are named in his honor in fact. In 1978, this place shot into worldwide fame, when Indira Gandhi won the bye election from here, and made a comeback into Parliament after losing from Rae Bareily in 1977.

The major attraction of Chikmagalur is the Baba Budan Giri hills located to the north. Also called as Chandra Drona Parvatha, this place has the tallest peak in Karnataka, Mullayangiri, at a heightof 1930 m above sea level. Located around 16 km from the town, this can be reached by a long winding road, narrow at place, but which does give you spectacular views of the Western Ghats. On the way one can also touch the Seethalagiri peak named after the saint Sidhi Seethalaya. Mullayanagiri itself contains 3 caves dedicated to 3 holy saints or siddhas. There is no road going up to the peak,and one has to trek for half an hour to reach there. But it is worth it. On a clear day, one could even see the Arabian Sea in the distance. The Baba Budan Giri Dattatreya Peetha is a holy spot revered by both Hindus and Muslims alike,though of late unfortunately this place also has fallen place to sectarian politics. The Darga is dedicated to the Muslim Saint, while the Datta Peetha is located in a cave here. In fact the rites of the Datta Peetha dedicated to the Hindu God Dattatreya,is conducted by a Muslim fakir. This spot is also famous for the Jathra or Urs, which is attended by large number of Hindus as well as Muslims. The Manikyadhara waterfall close to this site, is worth a watch especially for the pearly effect it gives when the water falls down. There are many trekking routes in this area which could be arranged too, the most popular being the one to Mullayangiri and Baba Budan Giri.

55 Km north of Chickamagalur is Kemmanugundi or also popularly called K.R.Hills. Located at a height of 1434 m, this hill town is relatively calm, unspoilt and has a lovely climate, which makes it the perfect spot for relaxation. Famous for the waterfalls of Kallathagiri and Hebbe. It is also the retreat of the Karnataka Governor, and one can get spectacular views from the Raj Bhavan here. The Horticulture Dept maintains some lovely Gardens out here, and the Rose Garden is famous. This area is also pretty good for trekking and a lot of routes branch out from here. However there are not much lodges here to stay, and one has to make a prior booking in Bangalore for the Horticulture Dept Guest House. Wildlife lovers could visit the sanctuaries of Bhadra around 38 km from here, this place also has Jungle Lodges and Resorts Lodge here and is famous for the birds. Bhadra is also a Project Tiger reserve, and has a good collection of wild animals too.

The Kudremukh National Park is again another worth watching site, famous for it's Lion Tailed Macaque. Shringeri,which is 90 km away from here, is famous as the site of the Saradamba Temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. The Vidyashankar Temple built by Vidyaranya Swami, the patron saint of the Vijayanagar Empire, is another famous one here, in the Hoysala style. The Sharadamba Temple is maintained by the Shringeri Sharada Peetham, founded by Adi Shankaracharya in 820 AD. This matha also maintains the Yajur Veda.

Chikmagaluru is worth a visit for its diverse natural beauty, and lovely climate. One could cover Chikamagalur and the Baba Budan Giri Hills, or the other option is Chikmagalur-Kemmanagundi. Problem is neither the town nor the districts have a proper road network. If you are trying to reach from Bangalore, you could take the route from Bangalore-Kadur-Chickmagalur via Arsikere or a longer route via Hassan-Belur, but the average time is around 5 1/2 hours. There is no train going there, so one would have to get down at Kadur from where its a 45 minute journey by Road. I would still recommed the road journey any time, though the drive itself is not that comfortable. Also there are a number of private lodges and resorts in the Chickmagalur to stay. So i would advise you to explore this beautiful area, it is worth it.

Karwar

It was the year 1916, when Rabindranath Tagore, was having a sojourn at the place. So entranced was he by the sheer natural beauty that he remarked "The sea beach is certainly a fit place in which to realise that beauty of nature is not a mirage of imagination, but reflects the joy of the infinite and thus draws us to lose ourselves into it." The story goes that this inspired him to pen his first drama also. The place in question is Karwar, one of the most beautiful and unspoilt sea side resorts you find in India. Karwar itself is the headquarters of the Uttara Kanara district, one of the most beautiful and verdant places in India. While it shares its border with Goa, it is bounded on the other sides by the districts of Shimoga, Udupi, Belgaum and Dharwar, and the Arabian sea on the West Side. The area is overwhelmingly upper caste dominated with Goud Saraswat Brahmins, Daivajna Brahmins and the Havyaka Brahmin community, comprising the major chunk. Some of the more popular people from this region are Ramakrishna Hegde( the former CM of Karnataka), the actor brothers Anant and Shankar Nag, Girish Karnad( though born in Matheran, he is basically a Konkani Brahmin), Amrita Rao( also Konkani Brahmin) and also many famous writers. The common surnames found in this area are Bhat, Hegde, Desai, Joshi, Kamath, Naik, Hebbar to name a few.

Karwar town has a sizeable population of Konkan Marathas, Bhandaris and Havyalik Gowdas. And also a strong Muslim, Christian community. During ancient times, Karwar was a port of trade for the Arabs, Dutch and Portugese. It was a part of the Maratha empire, before being ceded over to the British after the end of the Anglo-Maratha wars. In 1862, The British made it the district headquarters, and it was a part of the Bombay Presidency. After the states reorganization in 1956, the area came under Karnataka, but the Marathi-Konkani influence is still dominant. Konkani and Kannada are the main languages here. In fact there are more Konkani and Marathi speakers than native Kannada speakers in Karwar. What makes Karwar one of the most beautiful places is the topography of the town itself.

Bounded on one side by the Arabian Sea, and other side by the towering ranges of the Western Ghats, it has a breathtaking beauty to itself. Especially during the sunset and sunrise. In a way Karwar town, exemplifies the whole Uttara Kanara region itself. The district itself is split into two parts, the coastal plains, along the Arabian Sea, and the Malnad region, which has the woodlands, forests and mountains. And that makes this place a veritable treasure trove of natural beauty. While Karwar is accesible by road and is located on the Konkan Railway, i would recommend the 160 Km road trip from Hubli or even from Belgaum, which takes you through the lush verdant landscape covered with hills and valleys, as also some of the thickest jungles. This is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the place.

The Kalindi River flows through Karwar town into the Arabian Sea and the place where the river meets the sea is a must watch. The Kali Bridge which is located at this point, is one of the town's major attractions, and people congregate here to witness the sunset and sunrise. It is one of the most beautiful experience, not just the sunset, but also the sun rays, painting the imposing Western Ghats bordering the town, in different shades of light. The Devbagh beach is one of the most beautiful, unspoilt beaches in India, which has not yet fallen to the ravages of tourism. Karwar is not a tourist hotspot like Goa, and has a more serene, laid back atmosphere. But that itself heightens the beauty of the place. The solitude and quite atmosphere is really soothing for the soul.

Apart from Devbagh, the other famous beach is the Rabindranath Tagore beach named in honor of the poet, who spent some time there. Karwar also has a lot of other famous places to be seen in it's vicinity. Yellapur which comes on the Hubli-Ankola road, has two beautiful waterfalls Satoddi and Magod. Yellapur is also the place where one turns towards Karwar while comming from Hubli. Kumta which is 60km down South of Karwar has a number of lovely unspoilt beaches, Gokarna being the most famous of them. Apart from being a beach Gokarna, is also a famous Saivite place of worship, famous for the Siva Temple here. Another worthwhile place is Dandeli , 117 km from Karwar, famous for its wildlife sanctuary. Sirsi is famous for the Marikambika Temple, while if you are the adventurous kind, you could try out Siddapur, from where the Jog Falls is a mere 20km away. Bhatkal has the Solesvara Temple built by the Chola rulers, while Murudeshwara has the tallest Shiva statue, as well as the tallest temple Gopura. Gokarna and Murudeshwar have the legend about Ravan obtaining Shiva's Atma Linga, and the Gods using Lord Ganesh to ensure that Ravan did not have possesion of it.

Though not a tourism hotspot like Goa, Karwar and its surrounding areas, need to be explored for their sheer natural beauty, the temples, the forests and the pristine unspoilt beaches. My suggestion would be to take the road trip from Hubli, and using Karwar as the base, explore the surrounding areas. There are a good number of hotels and resorts in that area. Karwar town itself takes hardly a day to go around, so after finishing it, you could either make a trip along the coast to Gokarna, Murudeshwar or to Dandeli. The other option would be to hit it out to Yellapura for the water falls or much better to Siddapur which could cover the Jog Falls as well as the surrounding trekking routes.

IPL V- Kings prevail over Indians

An excellent thriller yesterday, with enough twists and turns, going right down to the wire, that sums up the Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians match yesterday at Chepauk. Though both teams were more or less balanced, Chennai had the advantage with Hayden, Hussey, Dhoni, Oram any one of whom could tear the attack apart. And in balance Mumbai had Jayasurya, Pollock and Robin Uthappa.

Bhajji won the toss and inserted Chennai in. I think the only reason i could reckon with this was of the dew and moisture factor. At best of times Chennai resembles a sauna, and during summer, it is like sitting in a gigantic pressure cooker. And we saw that too, as bowlers struggled to grip the ball, many times it slipped from their hands. And the heat was just energy sapping. Even bowlers like Murali and Pollock struggled to come to terms with the ball. And it was advantage batsmen. Parthiv Patel in his inimitable style continues to flatter to deceive, as he hit 3 4's before edging one to the keeper. Hussey the hero of the match against Punjab, was all deceived by one that came in from Nehra, and at 39/2, it was fairly even stevens. Hayden and Raina put on a 100 plus partnership to get Chennai to a position of strength.

Hayden seems to have a special liking for Pollock. He had earlier hammered him in a World Cup match, and he did the same today, taking him apart. Though Hayden biffed and hammered his way, for me it was Suresh Raina's that was the far better innings. Excellent placing, elegant shots, superb running between the wickets it was really brilliant. Raina later fell while trying to clear the field, and it was Dhoni's turn to come to crease. Though he and Hayden put on a 51 run stand, i really felt that they showed no urgency. Hayden especially seemed to be playing more for himself. With Pollock totally off color, the rest of the Mumbai bowling was plain mediocre. And that is what i could not understand Bhajji's tactics, Sanath Jayasurya's slower offbreaks work perfectly well in this kind of match, and he is a very tricky kind of bowler. Why was he not used at all? Neither did Bhajji try to bowl himself much either. Sachin's absence was clearly being felt here. At the end Chennai Super Kings set a target of 209 in 20 overs.

Mumbai started off badly with wicketkeeper Ronchi run out and then Jayasurya holing out, and the score 30/2. Uthappa and Pollock attempted to repair the damage, with the former playing a brilliant innings of 43, before he was castled by the bowler Gony. This tall strapping Punjabi bowler was first rate, bowling superbly. Whoever said that T20 is all about batsman? Pollock fell soon, and when Dwayne Bravo departed to a stunning catch by Jacob Oram, it was 130/5 and after a couple of balls Khote also departed with the score now at 141/6 in 15.3 overs. With most of the batsmen back in the pavilion, and an asking rate creeping up to 15, it seemed like a total rout on the cards for Mumbai.

But then as you say that in cricket, the match aint over till the last ball. Bhajji was a failure as a captain, but as a batsman he showed that he can still fight till then end. And yes another hero came on to the center stage now Abhishek Nayar playing one of the best innings under pressure. Brilliant placement, cheeky running, clean hitting, superb innings by this young lad here. And most important he refused to give up, he made Chennai sweat hard. Murali was taken apart, and so were Jacob Oram and local boy Amarnath. What looked like a walk in the park for Chennai was now becomming a down to the wire affair. 45 runs were put on, the hitherto relaxed atmosphere was now becomming tense, the Mumbai dugout which earlier looked totally dejected was now on its feet. And then Bhajji holed out in the deep and the crowd roared their approval. 20 runs off 2 overs still needed.

Abhishek Nayar refused to give up and clattered the bowlers at will, Dhoni's smile was gone. Last over, 14 runs needed. Joginder's first two balls went for 8 runs, the target was down. It was any one's match, and to make matters worse, a no ball and a free hit. However Ashish Nehra spoilt the chance given, and Joginder pulled it back. Chennai Super Kings won by 6 runs, Mumbai however was not disgraced, they lost with honor. And Sachin's return could prove critical. Dhoni now seems to have become an expert at winning these kinda close matches, the T20 final, the CB series final and now this match. As also Joginder Sharma, who is doing what Steve Waugh used to do for Australia earlier, the ice mean in the death overs specialist.

IPL IV- Discharged by the Devils

One is a master of the line and length, renowned for choking the batsmen and getting them out. Another is a young tyro whose action is modelled on the former, and who takes pride in being called the next of that ilk. Glenn Mc Grath and Md.Asif, two bowlers, with a similar kind of action, both of whom have a reputation of being Uncle Scrooge when it comes to giving runs. And when both of them are on the same side, one can just imagine the plight of the opposing batsmen. Add to that Fervez Maharoof, who manages to choke batsmen with his straight line and length.

When the 3 came together for Veeru's Delhi Daredevils, the Deccan Chargers, filled with stroke players like Afridi, Symonds, Gilchrist, found themselves in a total choke. VVS found himself castled by one that came in, Gilchrist played on to the stumps, Venu Gopal looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he played and missed, before Maharoof put and end to his misery. Symonds threatened, and fell, Afridi fell before even threatening, and Deccan Chargers found itself totally discharged. The recovery was led by a youngster who played no fancy or flashy shots, just simple intelligent cricket. Rohit Sharma, take a bow, we knew he had the talent, we saw that in T20 and in the CB Series. And today he revealed that he had a mature cricketing brain, as he built up the innings intelligently and then exploded in the last 3 overs, including a 26 run over off the otherwise impressive Maharoof.

Actually it was only in those last 3 overs that Deccan Chargers seemed to be playing a game. Two teams were playing, but Deccan Chargers was certainly not one of them. Its array of stroke players and glam boys found themselves totally stiffled and choked by McGrath, Asif and Maharoof, and even the other two bowlers, YoMahesh and Bhatia. The fielding of Delhi was spot on, with balls rarely reaching the boundary. And had it not been for Rohit Sharma's brilliant knock, they would not even have reached that stage. The strategy seemed to make no sense at all.On what grounds was Venu Gopal Rao sent as an opener? He totally looked like a fish out of water in T20, and makes me wonder how he was even selected.

And their defence of the total was as listless. While Vaas did put in an effort to choke the runs, the others were not as impressive for sure. The only success they had was when R.P.Singh got Gambhir out to a nothing shot. And of course the biggest blunder was dropping Sehwag. It is simple, you drop Veeru, you are asking to get massacred. And a massacre it was, as Sehwag played a blinder of an innings. And no it was not just about big hitting, it was an intelligent knock with excellent placings and good running between the wickets. And of course the icing on the cake, when Veeru hammered Symonds for 30 runs, talk of getting a taste of one's medicine.

After Punjab, Deccan is the next hyped up team to disappoint in IPL. Maybe they could take a leaf out of Delhi's book. Veeru's team does not have any glam boys or stars apart from Veeru himself. What they do have is the ability to get the basics right. Bowl the right lines, stop the runs, place the innings intelligently, run well between wickets and build partnerships. When you win two matches consecutively by a margin on 9 wickets, that means you are getting the basics right. In the first match it was Gambhir and Dhawan, and here it was Veeru and Dhawan. Shikhar Dhawan certainly seems to be the next best bet for India along with Rohit Sharma. And their bowling attack is something any captain would die for. And Sehwag has been doing a good job as a captain too. One thing the IPL has proved ruthlessley, it is not glamor or marketing hype that wins matches, it is simple good old fashioned cricket.

IPL III- A Major Upset

The IPL received a major boost on Monday night, when unfancied Rajasthan Royals upset the fancied Kings XI Punjab. This was exactly the kind of match that was needed to rubbish the critics and nay sayers. At the beginning of the match though Punjab was an overwhelming favorite filled with stroke makers like Yuvraj Singh, Sangakarra, Jayawardene, Hopes and bowlers like Brett Lee and Sreesanth. On the other hand Rajasthan Royals was led by an ex player Shane Warne, and most of the players were has beens like Shane Watson, Darren Lehmann, Mohd Kaif, no one really gave them a ghost of a chance.

And when Karan Goel& Kumar Sangakarra started off in blazing fashion, for Punjab, it appeared to be a rout on the cards for Rajasthan. Munaf Patel however pegged it back, by yorking Goel. Punjab also did not reckon with the Old Fox Warnie. Though he has retired from the game, and been out of action for quite some time, that has had the least effect on good ol Shane Warne. He first dismissed Sangakarra with a return catch, then had Jayawardene stumped by Kamran Akmal, and got Hopes with an lbw to leave Punjab reeling at 4-73. Ah the Good ole days when Warnie ran circles around the batsmen, what a sight it was watching him again.

Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan then repaired the damage with a 63 run partnership, Yuvi hitting the ball fluently and sending it over the ropes quite often. Just when the stand was assuming dangerous proportions, Warnie again gets Yuvi out with a plumb lbw and Pathan also falling in quick succession, Rajasthan Royal is back in the hunt. It is only a quickfire 24 off 11 balls by Piyush Chawla, that takes Punjab to a competitive target of 166. Incidentally Irfan's brother Yusuf played on the opposing side for Rajasthan Royals, making it a rare match in which it was bhai vs bhai.

Rajasthan Royals started off none too comfortably with Kaif, Yusuf Pathan falling. Kamran Akmal hit around for some runs aided by dropped catches, but he ultimately fell to hopes. It was then left to an unlikely pair of Aussies to turn things. Darren Lehmann was a has been, while Shane Watson had been in and out of the Aussie national squad. However Watson played a brilliant innings first anchoring it to safety with Lehmann in a stand of 51. When Lehmann fell with score at 99, it was still a distance for Rajasthan. Watson however found company in Raveendra Jadeja, and the pair put on an unbeaten 69 runs to take Rajasthan Royals to a victory none would have even expected. Jadeja scored a quick fire 36 giving good support to Watson who was just brilliant with some wonderful hitting and placing. So ultimately the Aussie pair of Warne and Watson was responsible for this upset. And now with Younis Khan, Grame Smith likely to join Rajasthan Royals, it aint one of the pushovers any more.

Punjab Kings however must be concerned after their second straight loss. In spite of having a star studded line up in bowling and batting, they have just not been able to hit the right spot. And also luck has not been their way with dropped catches and close appeals being turned down. All in all the match was of good competitive nature, being a touch and go affair for most of the time. There was some good batting and bowling from both teams. The fielding however was awful, with catches being dropped by both sides. And will some one tell Sreesanth, that its high time he starts to speak with his ball rather than the mouth. All in all the IPL is wide open now, and looks like any one's game. And me of course will root for Namma Bengalooru, and Bangalore Royal Challengers.

We have the Thakatthu---- Victory is Namma Hakku.