Test Cricket's amazing turnaround in Dec 2016 - Conceding over 400 and winning

The number of times a team has lost by an innings after securing 400 or more in the first innings in 140 years of test cricket from 1877 to 2016 before Dec'16 - Just 2 times

The number of times it has happened only in Dec'16 - Thrice with England being victim twice at Mumbai and Chennai and now Pakistan at Melbourne.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the 5 match series, India were looking to seal the series against tourists England. One would recall that England was the last team who had in fact managed to defeat the home side in Indian shores. After the first test which ended in a tame draw, nothing much was going right for the visiting side. In the 4th test at Mumbai, England won the toss and managed to post a significant total of 400. India however overhauled this target and posted a much higher score of 631 thanks largely to a scintillating double ton by Kohli and also hundreds for Murali Vijay and Jayant Yadav. England were never really in it trying to address the huge deficit of over 200 runs and ended being bundled out for 195 giving India an innings victory. Ravi Ashwin was the spin demon capturing 6 apiece in both the innings. Coming to the last test of the series in Chennai, England were looking to salvage some pride. They again won the toss and put up a very respectable total of 477 which looked unlikely for them to lose this test, but India came blazing back and usurped their total and went on to post a mammoth 759. Karun Nair became the second triple centurion and KL Rahul was unlucky to miss out on a well deserved double hundred by agonisingly falling one run short. England were just looking to hang around and save this test when out came Jadeja who spun a web around the English batsman to take career best figures of 7/48 to seal India a remarkable victory which looked extremely unlucky at one stage. 

On the other end of the fence in the boxing day test match between Australia and Pakistan, the visitors put up a commendable show after opting to bat first posting a total well above 400 thanks largely to a supreme double century by opener Azhar Ali who remained not out till the very end. Australia however hit back sharply posting over 600 with multiple contributions by their batsman. A lead of almost 200 seemed too daunting for the Pakistanis who capitulated in the second innings to fold up for a score of 163 handing Australia a win by an innings.

Thus, just in the month of December 2016, Test Cricket saw a record never seen before of 3 matches where teams after conceding over 400 came back to win the test match. In almost 140 years prior, this had happened only twice and just in one month this feat occurred on 3 occasions. 

This is the reason I absolutely adore test cricket. It continues to evolve and you always have surprise elements and it all happens within the realms of the tried and tested tradition. This game and format never really ceases to amaze.

ஏழிசையாய் - A Kaleidoscope in Kambhoji!

I have always been fascinated and gone on a trance listening to this composition. The way the symphony reaches a crescendo from 2:00 onwards leading to Abhishek Raghuram rendering ஏழிசையாய் at 2:18 is like opening the doors to the celestial abode of heaven. Never heard such a beautiful transition and the way it seamlessly moves from western classical to Indian classical is simply sublime.

If you observe, the symphonic piece is in the 4 beat cycle (4/4) and switches unobtrusively to the 3 note thalam (6/8) within the flash of an eyelid and it all happens serenely without diluting the essence one blotch. The percussion bits add to the delight and the way Abhishek goes back and forth in Kambhoji is so joyous. The subtle phrases adds colour throughout establishing the beauty of the raga. The manner in which the song connects to the Pallavi of Aezhisayai, the wondrous chiaroscuro invoking the fusion and the clarity of thought in doing all this leaves you spellbound. And that signature ending traversing backward across the octave and then going frontal to give the finishing flurry is like the icing on the cake.

There are masters in Western classical music and pioneers in Indian classical music but simply no one virtually blends the two so effortlessly with nonchalant ease bringing out the virtuosity of dimensions like Ilaiyaraaja. Truly an International treasure belonging to India. 

Flower Drum - Vegetarian Chinese at its real best!

After enticing crowds down the years with it's vegetarian chinese cuisine in Egmore, Flower Drum opens shop now in Adyar. It is located in the Mahatma Gandhi main road and is perched in the same complex which houses ICICI bank.

There aren't any restaurant's serving a full on vegetarian chinese cuisine anywhere in the city. It's a given in most places to have Indian chinese stuff thrown in the mix but Flower Drum is perhaps the only one purely serving deep dish vegetarian chinese and also Thai food.

Having never tried their Egmore outlet, this was my first tryst with Flower Drum and I must say I was quiet impressed. Most of the bases were covered ensuring we had a lovely fine dining evening.

The menu is pretty elaborate and they have 4 sheets containing a Dimsum, drinks, kulfi and the main menu comprising of the food. Options are plenty and most of the items we had on the day seemed faultless.

The Dimsums were steamed well and went along nicely with the 2 types of sauces. And it was enjoyable having the broccoli and the cottage cheese version too along with the usual tried and tested veg based one. On the mocktail side, we tried a couple and won't really claim it to be their forte but nevertheless a good foil to have along with your food. The Pistachio broccoli soup in a Thai coconut avatar was pretty good but the spicy corn soup lacked a bit of the bite and seemed to be a tad too spicy. All the starters be it the corn, potatoes, mushroom, cauliflower and the panneer had the ammunition going for them with the flavouring in chinese style doing them a whole lot of good.

For main course we tried the plain rice with the yellow thai curry. We went on the offside here with the yellow curry being a little off on taste. We expected it to be a milder version of the green flavoured one but somehow it didn't sit well with us. However parity was restored on the Chinese front with the decorative Changai Noodles. These were flat and curried along with an abundance of veggies. More of the chopsuey kind but the gravy on the noodles was much more than expected and it was a perfect dish to have stand alone without any extra side dishes.

On the dessert front, we were served the Drum fruits with ice cream. This was basically a bowl of fruits embellished with strawberry ice cream. This was nothing radical and taste was on expected lines. However what really took us by surprise was the Ice Katchang. This was the show stealer of the evening. Dressed up in a kaleidoscope of colors this ice based ice cream with the essence of condensed milk had a riveting taste to it. It was almost as if the best was reserved for the last. Very unique in presentation and taste and needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Overall, it was a very satisfactory meal. The ambiance gave a nice feel. The round emclosed sofa's went well in the surrounding and dim lights are always fancy and that was the case here too. The music playing though seemed a little out of place for the setting. The service was fair. It seemed a little slow at times but nothing really worth complaining about. Flower Drum has put a step in Adyar and it looks like the footprints are going to be imprinted firmly in the days to come. The place is most ideal for family dining and lovers of Chinese food.

5 years of Andrum Indrum Endrum - Ilaiyaraaja Live in Concert

5 years ago on this very day Wednesday 28th Dec 2011, a musical tsunami swept us all away and it was such a privilege to soak in the droplets of the rain of sound. Each one of us who were present at Nehru Indoor Stadium experienced an evening to remember for a lifetime.

We were all swaying and dancing internally to the tunes being performed by the magician along with his sterling orchestra and troop of singers. That enakku ariyama mesmerising feel was just too much to take with the music captivating the siege of people assembled to witness this spectacle.

The introduction of Raaja entering in singing Janani Janani, the acoustic brilliance and the 3 hand tap thigh beat of Paruvame, violin virtuosity unleashed in Sundari Kannal, the legend Balamurali Krishna at 80+ enthralling the stage with the Reeti Gowlai based Chinna Kannan Azhaikiraan, the full octane energy blast of Madai Thirandhu to just name a few memorable moments. We didn't even mind KJ Yesudas missing the Charanam in order to hear the mind boggling repeat interlude of Poove Sempoove (napaasai max) and that most cherished moment of witnessing the 3 legends born in the 1940's IR, SPB, KJY sharing the stage together to perform Kattu Kuyilu from Thalapathi was epic goosebumps. It was one astonishing musical concert and when SP Balasubramanyam ended the show symbolically with Ilamai Idho Idho at 12 in the night, that was when it hit us that we were privy to one of the finest musical event's performed in Chennai.

I have attended plenty of concerts before and after but nothing even falls within a patch of 'Endrendrum Raaja'. The way the music unfurled on that day was marvellous and it was truly a blessing being there. It was almost 5 hours of musical hysteria and most of the audience were in sheer disbelief to know what hit them.

Raaja's music will always be a constant in life but being there experiencing live unadulterated pristine music right from the soul of the heart is an all together different experience. Kudos to the team for pulling off this great musical heist. You just didn't want this soiree to ever end. A redux of 5 years since the day the musical avalanche blew us all away. 

Pakwan - Articulately rich and royal veg fine dining experience!

Pakwan, since it's inception has been garnering rave reviews about it's food and that was enough reason to rouse the curiosity button of my taste buds. So when I heard about an invite coming my way, there was palpable excitement to grab this opportunity with both hands.

Pakwan is shrouded in T Nagar in the quiet lane of Kuppuswamy street which is off Bazullah road. You need to be a little cognizant with regard to the directions. Once you enter you are greeted with a royal ambiance encapsulating the surroundings. We were given the special room which was all lit up and beautifully decorated. It had the aura of a mughal empire and the vintage palace charm certainly seemed regal in it's appearance.

The food in simple parlance can be described as spectacular. We were literally fed a largesse of variegated items and virtually every one of the dishes made our mouths glee with ghee. Just the aroma of colors and flavours will have you hooked in and once you start laying your bites it becomes a ravenous feast by itself.

We began with a melange of mocktails which came in all iridescent colours. They had all sorts of assorted mix and match of flavours and among them the orange chaska which is an orange drink with a tinge of chilli ignited the tongue in glorious fashion. The pink hot lips was a refreshing drink and the milk based shakes also set the tone tingling the excitement. The kaleidoscopic swirl of drinks set us up for more wondrous stuff to follow.

Next up was the soup side of things. The tom yum soup was good and so was the creamy fungi broth. But what really opened the floodgates was the delightful Dal Palak shorba and the Badami shorba. I simply couldn't have enough of these 2 soups. They just had a riveting essence in them making it quite addictive. Never has a soup gotten me craving so much ever before.

Once the liquid layer of the radar got amicably done with, it was time to hit the solid state of affairs and first up were the starters. The one thing which got us all aroused were the Panneer Dum Anari. They were soft rolled up golden yellow pieces of panneer with a stuffing inside which just melted jocundly in the mouth. The chilli tikki were of the cutlet types and went well with the green chutney. The french fried type sesame potatoes with a twang of sweet chilli sauce was another winner. And for the Italian twist we had a Fungi balls with a lovely chilli mayo dip and a baguette covered in abundance with cheese and brocolli. As special request we also got served their loosened spring roll kind cheese kurkure which was remarkable with cheese oozing from those brownish tubes.

There were further condiments in the form of a palak kurkure chaat which had crispy spinach pieces garnished with curd, namkeen and green chutney and 2 fares of salads viz mexican corn and insalata caesar salad. The salads didn't appease much. They were just as how they should be but being taken on a journey ride of rich and sumptuous delicacies, the salads seemed a bit subaltern in relation to the stuff unfolding adjacent.

The main course was another breath taking feature. We had a bunch of Indian bread with jhalandri mushroom, panneer multani masala and Dal Pakhwan for company. The side dishes were marvellous especially with just the look of the pannner evincing a smirk of excitement and the black dal simmered in an buttery aromatic gravy was dal-icious. Also had a little shot at their biryani creations which seemed flavorful and rich in taste. On the Italian front, we got a Pakwan delight pizza which was scrumptious and dancing along with a bountiful blush of cheese. And also we got the baked macaroni with brocolli which again was baked to perfection containing inset pieces of brocolli and olives not to forget a gregarious coating of that melt in the mouth cheese.

We rounded off proceedings with a motley of desserts comprising of the Indian Malpua and Lichi rabdi which were so creamy and totally slurp material. And on the western side were delivered strawberry panacotta and a glass of Banofee. These felt a little short compared to the scintillating taste of the sweets from the North of India. And for ice cream we were treated to a ravishing cold scoop of pan ice cream signalling the end of one of the most sterling meals I've had in a really long time.

The service was immaculate. It was probably the most organised dinners I've ever been to. Everything was conceptualised in advance from the menu for the day with the seating arrangements to the number plates. The food was ready well on time and the meticulous planning bowled us over. Food apart, we really felt the hospitable white glove treatment in all it's splendour.

The rates are not being considered as this was over an invite. But let me tell you that for the offering in store, Pakwan will give you ample satisfaction. They are also soon to launch specially designed buffets which will be a great addition especially for the corporates.

There are few restaurant's serving vegetarian only cuisine that can talk the talk and walk the walk when it comes to the spread and taste of food on display and Pakwan certainly is one in this esteemed category. For me personally, Pakwan can be considered the torch bearer if you're looking for an articulately rich and royal veg fine dining experience.

Remembering JJ!

There are some personalities who travel parallel along your life in an unobtrusive way but you can never really take away your presence from them. JJ was synonymous in my life in some form or the other and she has always remained an integral part in the news from as far as I can remember. There was an indomitable spirit about her which was reassuring and she infused that pride in you that you have a leader who is highly intelligent, brave and waxed eloquent in her speech.

Her life is a learning lesson for the number of challenges she faced till her very last breath. I see people everyday bloating about paltry achievements, here was a woman who braved a male dominated society and knew how to take the bull by the scruff of the horn with no fear whatsoever. The rich and the powerful trembled with fear of this lady who made it to the top of the perch all by her very own from literally scratch.

Hers was a checkered career with plenty of ups and downs and she was designated by God to be a truly 'special' one. You may have loved or hated her but it was simply impossible to ignore her. She will forever be remembered in the annals of Indian history but it's just unimaginable to think she is not going to be amidst us anymore.

There was, is and will be only one Jayalalitha. The only way she can be replaced is by taking a re-birth. All sorts of eulogies will be enshrined about her but it doesn't take out the fact that she will forever be missed. A cultural icon and a legend, we can be pleased for living in Tamil Nadu during the life and times of this lioness Amma Jayaram Jayalalitha.

Abyssinian - The Ethiopian Culinary Adventure!

The restaurant market in Chennai has evolved tremendously in the last couple of quinquennials. When once anything beyond South Indian cuisine was considered a luxury, it has spread it's arms to cuisines across India and extended it's range globally to a diverse portfolio of cuisines from Pan Asian, Italian, Mexican, American, Russian and a host more. The oeuvre has widened further with the introduction of Ethiopian food from the African continent. This is like really a landmark step in opening of boundaries and a shot in the arm for the food exploring lovers of the city always on the prowl looking for something radical and off the cuff.

Abyssinian is a part of a troika of restaurant's in Venus Colony down the Poes Garden alley sharing it's footing space with brothers in arms Meena Tai (Maharashtrian cuisine) and Batlivala & Khanaboy (Parsi cuisine). It's located in a small room on the upside with a seating arrangement of around 20 pax. The place is intriguing in it's surroundings with capsules of Ethiopia captured via it's interiors. Most of the stuff have been directly imported from the land of Africa to ensure that the essence of Ethiopia is encapsulated. You have portraits of traditional Ethiopian hermits depicting the wide ranging cultures, armoury and weaponry used in wars, wide ranging Christian cross symbols showcasing the predominant religion, big sized traditional instruments, story boards highlighting folklore telling stories of King Solomon, Queen Sheba, origin of coffee and the like. The lamps are ingrained with drawings of it's tribes and you even have a board consisting of the script of the Ethiopian language 'Amharic'. If you subtly notice even the mild music playing along in the background are the rustic folk tunes from the Ethiopian diaspora.

Ethiopia emphasises on communal harmony and eating together. Along those lines is how the concept of Abyssinian works too. People congregate in large sets coming to eat from a single plate. This characterises the bond of friendship and loyalty and this whole coming together as one is termed as 'Gursha'. The entire plate is spread over with a large flat pancake bread called 'Injera'. Rolled up pieces of injera are kept on the edges of the plate and on the middle are stacked right royally with plenty of food items to be eaten along with the pieces of the Injera. For the layman, the Injera is like an intermittent version of a dosa cum appam. It resembles a Neer Dosa mildly in texture and softness. And the ideology of the food is based on the platter fare where a series of different curries are laid out for you to pick and choose with your Injera and eat along with your respective folks. A platter is usually for 4 people and can extend based on the size but the key takeaway is that this is a one of a kind bonding and eating experience which is really interesting. Another feature worth noting is that Ethiopians do not use utensils and all the eating work is placed exclusively for the hands to do it's job.

As we were a bunch of 4 veg denizens, our large plate was festooned with a beguiling potpourri of veg curries comprising of different spices and flavours. There was the 'Dinch Wot' which is a curried potato enhanced with berbere and spices, 'Yedinich Alicha' - a stew of potatoes and carrots. (This incidentally resembles the similar curry I have with my curd rice), 'Yatakilt Wot' - a curried vegetable stew of cauliflower, carrot, potatoes, cabbages and the like, 'Yeduba Wot' - pumpkin curried and simmered with spices, 'Indubay Tibs' - Sauted mushroom with essential ingredients, 'Fir Fir' - pieces of injera crushed and tossed up with spices (you can relate this to your kothu paratha), 'Shiro' - powdered chickpeas stew flavored with spices (somewhat akin to paruppa mixed with rice in local households). We also got the traditional version of a slightly spicier Dal served along. It was an absolute delight to consume the pieces of injera with the galactic spread of curries. The unique feature about it was that each of the curries were different in their own way with aromatic spices and flavours. The best of the lot was the curried potato which was simply sensational and so was the fiery lentils which seemed pretty addictive as a combination with the softish Injera. And additional condiments were laid out in the form of 'Ayib' - a mild cottage cheese to top along in order to reduce the spice content a notch and the 'Mitmita' which essentially is the spicier version of the cottage cheese consisting of birds eye chilli peppers, cardamon seeds, other spices and salt. A dollop of this is to enhance the spice quotient. Also in the fray was the 'Awaze', a raunchy spiced olive oil and berbere dip for that little extra for you to customise your food.

The main course apart, we did begin proceedings with 'Thej' which is the official drink of this land. It consists of honey, sugar and water and is fermented in closed circles to remove the bacterial element. It tasted very similar to wine sans the kick element and were served in a tube kind of glass to ensure the flavors dissipate at the bottom. In the soup section, we got to slurp the 'Adengare Shorba' which is a light soup comprising of kidney beans along with onion and tomato. The presence of kidney beans was stimulating and it felt like a really home made boiled soup. The starters foray had Mandasi with Abe. The Mandasi were in the nature of your usual bhajji but the twist was it had Ajwain and heavy hitting garlic flavour. The Abe is a dip made with coriander and green chilli. The two of em tangoed beautifully and went jocularly well with each other. In the dessert draw, we were served 'Kita' a flat bread infused with honey, a 'Nech Azmud cake' - a sweetened essence cake but which lacked the sweetness and didn't appease much and the 'Sweet Sambussa' which were spring rolls inset with sweetened carrots, dates, nuts and honey. The Sambussa was luscious and has the necessary ammunition to give your sweet tooth a delightful workout.

We ended our sojourn with the highly rated Ethiopian coffee. This was truly a mind blowing experience. You are supposed to have this black coffee with butter and a pinch of salt and sugar and for accompaniment you have popcorn to boot. This decoction was certainly invigorating and I've never tasted a coffee anything like this before and it truly stole the show. It was all class and finesse and the most perfect way to signal the end of a traditional wholesome Ethiopian veg meal.

The decor feels a little uncomfortable and the seating is low but heck you want to ignore that as they have accustomed it as per custom. Feels a little odd when compared to the usual fine dining places but infusing the culture of Ethiopians usually sitting in low kind of stools makes it apt and you really wouldn't mind it. The service was exemplary with all questions put forth being answered in a detailed manner. It is a good sign to see the staff being well aware about the place and even with the timing of the dishes they were spot on bringing the stuff in regular interval with no delays whatsoever. The price point appears seemingly high but their signature Messob's (sharing plates) are for 4 people and considering that seems par for the course. Even otherwise shelling out a little extra buck for this Ethiopian escapade is certainly worth it.

The erstwhile Ethiopia was formerly called Abyssinia and that's how the restaurant gets it's name. Also there is an interesting connection between Ethiopia and India as the 2 countries used to trade in spices centuries ago and spices form a major feature of the cuisines of both these countries. I am a complete abecedarian when it comes to do with anything relating to the history of Ethiopia but visiting Abyssinian was quite an educative and enlightening event as I got to know many interesting facts not only about the cuisine but also about the history in general.

In essence, it was truly a remarkable experience not only getting to consume Ethiopian food but also taking cue of it's culture and tradition and chalking out a similar experience in a virtual hinterland like Chennai which has no tracings whatsoever to do with Ethiopia and it's environment. It was such a unique and one of a kind episode which I'll remember fondly. The experience in toto was truly self affirming and rewarding. Abyssinian brings to itself a distinctive dimension and it's a restaurant I strongly recommend all passionate food lovers to explore.