Ashwin - A true Son of the Soil!

'Wily', 'Guile', 'Skillful', 'Master Tactician', 'Craftsman', 'Mind Reader', 'Problem Solver', 'Homework'. These are some of the key words/phrases that characterises and symbolises Ravichandran Ashwin the cricketer. When the announcement of his retirement came along in the midst of an intensifying test series, it felt out of the blue and out of the box much like the man himself. 

Ashwin could have easily obtained and right royally deserved a farewell test to be played at home but didn't opt for it. He felt the time was ripe and decided to hang his boots. Ashwin's career especially as a test cricketer reeks splendour in every way and his records speak for itself. He could easily slot himself amongst the greatest 10 test cricketers that India has ever produced. Since the turn of this century, there has been no greater match winner for India than Ravi Ashwin.

The first step to assess the longevity of a cricketer is by determining the number of test matches a cricketer has played. There are less than 100 cricketers since the inception of test cricket to have represented their country in over 100 test matches and Ash is one of those to have this privilege. Getting 500 test wickets is like the greatest summit ever to be achieved by any bowler and Ashwin is just one of 9 cricketers to scale this monumental peak. He will end his career as the second highest wicket taker for India with 537 test wickets behind his idol Anil Kumble. As a bowling all rounder he was also no mug with the bat impressing with a tally of over 3500 runs with 6 centuries to boot. Coming to his core skill of bowling, he is joint second highest with Shane Warne in terms of 5 wicket hauls with 37 and the only bowler other than Muttiah Muralidharan to account for a whopping 10 wicket hauls in a test match on 10 different occasions. He has also been rewarded with 'player of the match' 10 times and is also joint highest ever on the 'player of the series' award which he has received a whopping 11 occasions.

Having mentioned some of his superlative achievements, one also needs to factor few other notable points which perhaps could have made his records glow even brighter. Considering all the entrants into the 500 wicket club, Ashwin was a delayed starter being the only one to don international colours after the age of 25. Thus, he certainly didn't have a head start by any stretch of the imagination and in fact was a late bloomer. It's really rare for a cricketer to make such inroads and strides after beginning their career in a relatively later time frame when considered with other doyens of the game. Another fact to ponder is that despite Ashwin logging over 100 tests with 106 to be precise, he missed about 30 of those especially the one's in SENA countries on account of not being selected. Thus, he could have easily added much more wickets to his tally if presented the opportunity.

One question which keeps pointing against Ashwin is his inability to counter foreign conditions and his potency being potentially negligible in alien territories relative to his supremacy at home. This is again questionable because in reality he never got much of a chance to showcase his potential. In the limited opportunities that he got he did what best he could. And there especially were some really wrong selection calls where Ash unfortunately got the rough end of the stick by not being picked in few very crucial games overseas. It's again not his fault that he was at his herculean best at home conditions and those criticising him as purely a  home surface bully is certainly not vindicated. From times immemorial, batsman and bowlers are said to adopt to certain conditions better and truth be told majority of the greatest cricketers have a better home record than away. His record in India is simply impeccable and he has been the chief architect in India garnering 18 continuous series victories ranging at a stretch across the period from 2013 to 2024 and winning 19 of the total 21 series that he has partaken at home soil traversing over his test career from 2011-2024.

One has to appreciate how decisively and deceptively he exploited his skill sets to get bucket loads of wickets aplenty at home. Left handers especially fell to his trap many a time laid by his clever, cunning and cheeky tricks. He mastered the art of the carrom ball and had the wood over many of the best players through his armoury of excellence. Many a time he has simply rattled the opposition with his flight and guile paving the way for plethora of Indian victories.

Ashwin, the red ball cricketer deserves all the encomiums but it's well worth considering that he also had his moments in white ball cricket. He was part of the ODI World cup winning side of 2011 and also helped India win the Champions Trophy 2013 in England by bowling a terrific under pressure last over to seal victory. One would also fondly remember his leaving the ball stance with 2 required off one delivery and eventually hitting the winning shot against Pakistan in a game for the ages at MCG during the T20 World Cup 2022.

Tamil Nadu as a state and Chennai as a city is known to be culturally rooted and takes super fondness towards the sport of cricket. It's known to be immensely cricket loving and knows to appreciate greatness. The holied turf of the MA Chidambaram stadium has witnessed many a classic over the years. Ashwin himself has been a stellar performer at his home ground accounting for plenty of runs and wickets in the opportunities presented. There have been quite a few cricketers from TN to have represented India in test cricket but Ashwin easily goes down as the finest ever iconic cricketer to be produced from the soil of this land for his long lasting impact and reaching the pinnacle of greatness. It is but yet fitting that he has been picked by Chennai Super Kings at the auctions and will be representing his beloved CSK at the 2025 edition of the IPL. Here's hoping the farewell which he didn't receive in International cricket will yield to rousing receptions and chants of "Ashwin Anna" on his homecoming to Chennai.

Ravichandran Ashwin can truly look back at his achievements with pride and can walk back with his head held high for all the joy he has given to Indian cricket. It's a no brainer that the love he has for the sport will make him associated with it in some form or other with many young & upcoming talents getting benefited from his expertise. Ravichandran Ashwin has been a source of inspiration for cricket lovers all across the globe and with his departure from Indian colors, he can truly cherish by savouring all those memorable moments and reflect upon this 13 year fulfilling career with immense gratification and satisfaction. Go well, Ash!

An astrological perspective on the race to the White House - A tussle to the finish line

The US elections are literally days away and it's really getting heated up. The Republicans look to seize and win back the majority whereas the Democrats who are fielding their replaced candidate are looking to go all the way once again. It's a battle which has started to intensify and there is no two ways about it that history is going to beckon irrespective of the eventual outcome.

Donald Trump is looking to win a second term in 3 successive elections that he is contesting whereas Kamala Harris is vying to become the first lady president of the United States. This is the first time ever that a candidate has been part of the front running for 3 terms in a row and it's the second time that he would actually be taking on a women after successful quelling the challenge of Hillary Clinton back in 2016. Trump also could become the oldest elected President at the ripe old age of 78, a few months older than when Biden became President in 2020. Kamala on the other hand could end up becoming only the second black person to ever hold the prestigious post and perhaps become the only women president the nation has ever seen since the advent of Presidential elections which began way back in 1788 during the time George Washington was elected.

Let us look at it astrologically to dissect insights as to who has an edge in this race for President ship. Though there are multiple factors at fray worth considering, the first major affirmative happens to be that accurate birth times are available of both the competing candidates.

Donald Trump
Date of Birth: 14th June 1946
Place of Birth: Jamaica, New York
Time of Birth: 10:54 (10:54 AM)
Timezone: 4 Hrs West of GMT Day Light Saving

Kamala Harris
Date of Birth: 20th October 1964
Place of Birth: Oakland, California
Time of Birth: 21:28 (9.28 PM)
Timezone: 7 Hrs West of GMT Day Light Saving

We shall now look at their horoscopes from various dimensions be it the potential of the birth chart, the dasha timing of the planetary sequence, transits that will hold fort near to the election outcome date, running year success quotient, the impact of Panchang and so on and so forth.

First up taking a look at Trump's chart, it clearly depicts someone who is power hungry and craving for supremacy. He is a Leo rising Ascendant with the Yogakaraka planet Mars right at the tip of the Ascendant. Mars is a fiery and red hot planet which clearly personifies his character. Since it's also the most beneficial planet for this Lagna, it clearly is a terrific placement to hold. Also his Lagna Lord Sun goes into the most powerful house of the horoscope viz 10th place. 10th is all about power, position, fame and authority. The Sun though being placed in an unfriendly house it gets maximum strength in the 10th and being in a Venusian house, it clearly showcases his focus on reaching the summit. The Lagna is more of the inherent characteristic and with Mars being placed there shows his brash abrasive nature and the Lagna Lord placement indicates one's desires. The chart placements of Donald Trump clearly indicates fire in his belly. It should however be noted that his Sun is very closely associated with Rahu though it has crossed it in the zodiac belt. Rahu by itself also tends to show one's interest in the house which it is placed and in the 10th it again depicts wanting to be at the top and ruling. The planet of money & finance Jupiter is also very placed in the chart in 2nd place from Ascendant, 11th from Moon and 5th from Ascendant Lord Sun. The fact that it's also retrograde adds to the strength. The 2nd and 11th Lord Mercury being placed in it's own 11th house of Gemini gives that additional angle for craze of wealth. On the whole the outline of Trumps chart screams power and wealth in every way you look at it and what's greater in attaining this than being the President of the United States.

As per his planetary sequence he is running Jupiter Dasa currently as per the Vimshottari scheme. He started off his initial presidentship at the start of Jupiter Dasa, then suffered a setback and now again is competing for the post for a third time. At the time of result declaration, he would be running the sub period of Venus within Jupiter. Venus is placed in 12th in an uncomfortable sign for it but is 11th from the Dasa Lord Jupiter. This could indicate desires being fulfilled. Also a Venus sign Taurus happens to hold his Ascendant Lord and Rahu which in a way gains indirect strength. At the time of result announcement, the Dasa Lord Jupiter happens to be on the 10th from Ascendant and 7th from Moon which again showcases a strong factual indication of rise in power. As per Bhrigu Paddhati sequence, Trump will be running his 79th year which equates to 7 in the 12 year cycle. The 7th in general is a strong kendra house and indicates success. The house of Kumbha is also being seen by Mars from Lagna and is also placed 10th from original Lagna Lord placement of Sun. All these kind of shows that time is falling in place and seems to be on his side.

Coming to Kamala Harris horoscope, it's really tricky and quite a pitfall to decode. She is a Gemini rising Ascendant and has Rahu placed right there as a tail wind. The nodes are extremely hard to disseminate and any amount of analysis may prove futile as they can tend to be a mirage than can hoodwink in the opposite direction. Rahu can give enormous amount of success and at the same time is also completely capable of derailing. Rahu's dichotomy is hard to assess but Gemini which is a sign that's said to be favorable for Rahu can be said to be more positive than negative. Her Lagna Lord is well placed in the 5th house but is however combust by a debilitated Sun. 5th house shows one's creativity and inclination but not necessarily power driven. Also the Government related planet placed in a sign of fall does not bode well for the highest placement of power. The 10th Lord of power & hierarchy Jupiter going to the 12th also doesn't give much to write home about. Her 11th Lord of desires though being well placed in the 2nd indicates gains in wealth but again being debilitated gives a tinge that something that she's working tirelessly may end up being snatched at the last moment. The Moon is quite strong placed in the 11th house in Ashwini Nakshatra indicating someone swift and always on the move.

As per planetary sequence Kamala Harris is running the Dasa of Rahu at the moment. She did attain the post of Vice Presidency during it's tenure but whether it can go a step further and give her the ultimate hegemony of President ship has to be wait and seen. One can never discount Rahu and if it gives it can just shower unenviable level of success and power. She would also be running Venus sub period within Rahu and this certainly is a positive because Venus happens to be the most beneficial planet for a Gemini rising. As per transit, her natal 10th Lord Jupiter would be in the 12th sign of Taurus but however from Moon it would be in the 2nd which is beneficial. The roles get reversed with regard to her running Dasa Lord Rahu. It would be in 10th from Ascendant but 12th from Moon at time of announcement of winner. As per chakra sequence, Kamala will be in her 61st year marking 1st year into operation. She has her Ascendant and Rahu both within the 1st degree and at the time of results which is virtually within a fortnight of her birthdate they will be extremely active. Rahu can usurp her to greatness or can end up giving her a steep slide downwards. The Lord of the house Gemini however though placed in 5th is combust with a fallen Sun and may not connote positivity.

Looking at things from the Panchanga elements, there is a similarity between the two candidates as both of them are born in the full moon Tithi of Pournami and also in the same Karana of Bava. Many successful personalities are known to have a full moon birth and also the Karana is indicative of leadership trait. Their Nakshatra's are an anatomy of each other with Trump's Jyeshta being placed in 8th from Kamala's Ashwini. Also these 2 Nakshatra's are said to oppose each other and definitely not a good combination for working together. Kamala is born on a Tuesday whereas Trump took birth on a Friday and coincidentally both the rulers of these days viz Mars & Venus sit in Cancer in their respective charts. With regard to Yoga, Trump is born in Shubha Yoga where Sun attains prominence whereas Kamala is born in Vajra Yoga which makes Moon the planet of importance. Both Sun and Moon happen to be well placed in Trumps and Kamalas chart being housed in 10th and 11th place respectively.

Thus seeing at things from various angles:

Horoscope Potential: Trump seems to ace it here

Dasa Sequence: Advantage to Trump 

Transit in Operation: Better for Trump on the whole

Running Year: A mild fillip to Trump mostly because 7th house is stronger than 1st house

Panchanga Element: Quite neck to neck and evenly matched

Thus, from the outset it looks like Trump holds fort on most cards but however the underlying factor of Rahu can change things drastically. Rahu if it does turn in the affirmative for Kamala can see her horoscope potential getting a huge boost especially with it also being the current Dasa Lord and also the fact that it will be 10th from natal Lagna in transit plus also the fact that Rahu will get activated as 1st year will be running at the time of results. Now whether it works in the positive sense or negative sense we just cannot but have to wait with bated breath and see the eventual outcome. However since most of the factors seem to favour Trump and also the fact that in regular astrological parlance Rahu is generally perceived as more of an illusion and soaked in cynicism, one can expect that Donald Trump will just about be able to pip Kamala Harris to the post of US President in the race to the White House.

India's insipid performance at Paris Olympics 2024

It might be hard going hammer and tongues at a nation who ended up winning 6 medals and came agonisingly close to doubling it's tally but that's just not what the underlying story connotes. A benchmark was set at Tokyo 2020 and expectations were rife that India will emulate the feat and make a few steep steps forward. But instead, it ended up being a horror run when viewed at from the larger picture. In a sentence it can be summed up as being underwhelming, uninspiring and simply not good enough.

In a relative sense, this would mark as India's most poorest showing at the Summer Olympic games. Expectations were running high but they were dashed and the eventual outcome ended up being pretty sub standard to say the least. The whiskering misses hurt terribly badly and adding insult to injury was the fact that the truly deserving never had the luck going their way. Even those who won, it appeared that there were reasons to believe that an extra yard taken could have yielded higher and richer dividends.

As the final curtains drew a close, India which sent 117 participants as part of their contingent finished at a poor 71st place out of the 91 countries that ended up winning medals. It could have been much higher but the complete lack of Gold medals and just a solitary Silver ended up meaning India was pushed to the brim as the tally standings taken into account gives higher priority for the Golds won followed by Silver and only after that the total medal count gets precedence. It was unfortunate because India finished much lesser in the table than countries with hardly a handful of India's population size.

Let's look at the list of those who claimed medals for India in the Paris Olympic Games.

1) Silver - Neeraj Chopra - Javelin

2) Bronze - India Men's Team - Hockey

3) Bronze - Aman Sehrawat - Wrestling

4) Bronze - Swapnil Kusale - Shooting

5) Bronze - Manu Bhaker - Shooting

6) Bronze - Manu Bhaker - Shooting

If finishing 4th was equivalent worthy of winning a medal, then India's list would have usurped significantly on the upside. Let's take a look at those agonising oh so near yet so far 4th place finishes.

1) Manu Bhaker- Shooting 25m Pistol

2) Arjun Babuta - Shooting 10m Air Rifle

3) Lakshya Sen - Badminton

4) Mirabhai Chanu - Weightlifting 49kg

5) Ankita Bhakat & Dhiraj Bommadevara - Archery

6) Maheshwari Chauhan & Anantjeet Singh - Shooting

Looking at those who actually garnered medals, there was still a tinge of disappointment in a few cases where there were hopes of something even better. For instance Neeraj Chopra who won the Gold and brought the country laurels back in the previous edition at Tokyo couldn't repeat the feat and had to settle for Silver. The disappointment was writ large for Neeraj though it's still a commendable feat winning back to back medals in successive olympic games. The Men's Hockey team repeated the achievement at Tokyo by claiming Bronze yet again in Paris. Having said that this was a golden chance missed to win Gold as India came astonishingly close to defeating Germany in the semifinals. They should have actually won that game if not for a plethora of missed opportunities within the box.

With respect to 4th place finishes, it's a clear case of mental fortitude missing and not able to extract the killer instinct in the clutch moments at the final hurdle. There were so many cases of faltering due to nervous frailties getting exposed at the most crucial stages. In the Badminton especially young Lakshya Sen virtually had the semifinal in the bag against the eventual gold winner but a melt down saw him losing focus and allowing his opponent to turn things around. A similar story repeated in the 3rd place finish as well. This could be attributed to lack of experience and being unable to land the killer punch but when it comes to the Olympics it only takes place once in four years and you don't get such memorable opportunities to create history every time. Manu Bhaker who was the out and out starlet of this Olympic games for India having won 2 medals also faltered at the last ditch in winning a third medal which would have been an unprecedented moment in the history of Indian sports.

Lastly one other monumental miss which ended up eventually being the biggest controversy of the Olympics was Vinesh Phogat being disqualified on account of being over weight by as minuscule as it can ever get. This was perhaps the biggest heartbreak moment for India because there was a clear Gold there for the taking. Vinesh was in full momentum after thwarting the defending champion Yui Susaki's unbeaten run of 82 consecutive victories and looked well set on course to register India a Gold medal for the ages. But alas it wasn't to be and it all had to happen just literally hours to go before the final showdown. Unfortunately an appeal for Silver also was rendered negated and she was stripped off without any medal to showcase. It could have easily been a tally of 13 medals accumulated if not for the verdict on Vinesh and if and only if those 4th place finishes could have gone plus one up but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.

India has made rapid leaps and strides as a country to reckon with and is now considered as one of the economic powerhouses in toto with the United States and China. But when it comes to sports especially in the form of Olympics which comprises a number of track & field events India seems to be languishing right at the bottom with virtually countries hardly even visible on the world map overtaking it. This is definitely not something to be proud of and India needs to make major amends if it is harbouring hopes of hosting an Olympic games and wanting to be a sporting powerhouse in the near future. The objective this time was to attain a goal of at least a double digit medal tally but it ended up being way short albeit it was well within reach considering the factors at play. Irrespective of the outcome, bygones are bygones and India needs to introspect and set the ground work in place right away for Los Angeles 2028 to ensure the disappointment does not repeat and it's only onwards and upwards from here on going forward.

When Aasa Kooda meets Tauba Tauba!

The current hot favorites in the reel world happen to be Aasa Kooda and Tauba Tauba. Both these numbers are instantly catchy & peppy causing a rage in the world of socmed. Almost every alternative sound byte comprises either of these two foot tappers and inevitably one tends to get on to their dancing shoes at the mere listen to these bits.

Catching on with the hype, I simply tried to blend or rather meet these tunes on the veena.  While it initially seemed odd to link the two as they happen to be differently constructed, the underlying punch of the dance element made it apt to bring both of these together within the same umbrella. There is also a musical harmony associated as both these numbers predominantly use the notes from the minor scale of the ever popular raga Natabhairavi.

Hence just a random experiment of playing minor bits of both these crunchy crackling numbers which has taken the nation by storm. Hope I am able to capture the essence of these chartbusters to a wee bit at least.

July 14th comes back to haunt and the eerie similarity between 2021 & 2024

There were 3 highly anticipated sporting finales which got played out on the 14th of July 2024 viz

Wimbledon Final - Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz

Euro Final - England vs Spain

Copa America Final - Argentina vs Columbia 

The day was all set and it was imminently clear that it was going to be a sporting extravaganza of epic proportion and a blockbuster of sorts for the sport loving aficionado.

Sporting clashes have happened across different formats and dates earlier on as well. But what really caught the eye and makes this one Sunday special is because it associates itself to a few incidents of the past which ironically played out in the same intervening period but across different years.

Let's traverse back to the exact day of 14th July, 5 years ago in 2019. That very same day witnessed a Wimbledon final and the ODI World Cup cricket final. On 14th July 2024 also we had the Wimbledon Final but instead of the cricket we had the Euro Football final. The common player/team running across both these days were Novak Djokovic and England. In 2019, Novak Djokovic claimed the Wimbledon title in a match for the ages against Roger Federer and the England cricket team claimed the cricket World Cup final in a super over through boundary count in the final against New Zealand which was heralded as one of the greatest ever ODI matches played. 

Both Novak Djokovic and England appeared again on court in the final in 2024 and a victory for both would have made it extra special and a day to savour for eternity for both Novak Djokovic and England as a sports team but alas it was not to be as Djokovic was swept aside by the marauding young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and later on in the evening the England football team were humbled by a mercurial Spanish side. The 14th of July 2019 which bought joy to Novak and the England cricket team bought despair to the same Novak Djokovic and England football team on the 14th of July 2024. It was perceived that Novak almost did the impossible by saving 2 match points on his opponents serve to register a famous victory much to the chagrin of the partisan British crowd who were cheering and egging on Federer to create history in 2019. In a similar vein, it was also felt that the Kiwis were robbed off a World cup title in dubious fashion since the win was awarded to England in controversial circumstances. Both Federer and New Zealand felt dismayed on the 14th of July 2019 but things came back to haunt Novak and England in albeit a different manner by taking defeat off them coincidentally and ironically on the very same date 5 years later. Hence, there were a lot of coincidences and patterns emerging across these 2 dates 5 years apart but the result ended up being completely opposite from one another.

Talking of coincidences, there was one more eerie similarity taking place in 2024 but this time the year in question is related with 2021. The very same 3 sporting events that happened in 2024 also took place in 2021 just 3 days apart on 11th July 2021 and once again there was the common theme of one player/team being weirdly the common link across the 3 major sporting finales. 

Let's take a look at the commonality.

2021 & 2024 Wimbledon Final - Novak Djokovic appeared in both finals

2021 & 2024 Euro Final - England played in both finals 

2021 & 2024 Copa America Final - Argentina took part in both finals

The results however were a mix & match across these 3 years. Novak Djokovic emerged victorious in 2019 but came a cropper in 2024. England football team ensued heartbreak both in 2021 at home and 2024 in Berlin. The Argentinian team emerged triumphant on both occasions beating the home side Brazil in 2021 and winning the finale again in 2024.

Documenting the tale of sporting finales loaded with numerous twists & turns arising across different years resulting in so many weird and varied patterns indeed makes sport so very special and thrilling.

The Fallen has Risen - India's comeback turnaround orchestrated by 3 Crusaders!

India's conquest over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final 2024 has given it's players and fans much to cherish and rejoice with the manner of victory making it all the more extra special. India clawed it's way from a seemingly improbable situation to register a triumph for the ages and one which would be firmly and proudly etched in it's folklore.

Thus ended India's ignominious draught of not winning a global ICC title for over 11 years and not securing a World Cup for 13 years and not claiming a T20 World Cup for 17 years. The margin was as wafer thin as it could get and the way the team fought like terriers to ensure that the team will not be undone yet again on the big stage in a mega tournament final clash marks signs of a truly Champion side and deservedly so.

The team has gone through a lot across the last decade with consistent performances across the board but all to no avail. The slip ups always tended to happen at the most pivotal stage causing heartbreak time and again. It almost seemed as if a curse was cast upon the Indian cricket team as something or other was always preventing them from crossing the finish line. All the talk of 'Its just a matter of time' appeared to be slashed across the backside since the victory was eluding them for far too long to even contemplate a justification of any repute.

The seed of this particular success was however not sown just now. In fact, there is a long inglorious history associated with it which goes back plenty of years where different outcomes of trauma germinated in indirectly influencing this win and making it a dream come true with redemption being obtained in it's truest essence. Though this victory is attributable to the entire squad including the support staff as each and every member contributed in some way or other to make this feat attainable but for 3 of the members viz Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, this achievement means just a tad extra special considering the pain they've gone through to make this happen. These 3 architects projected the path ahead, transpired to make it happen and inspired India's journey to glory. 

First let's transport back to 2022. Rohit Sharma was appointed captain and was the man in charge of leading his side in the T20 World Cup held in Australia along with Rahul Dravid at the helm of things as coach. India won arguably the match of the tournament against Pakistan with a spectacular showing thanks courtesy to a masterclass from Virat Kohli. All these celebrations turned bitter as just a few days later, India came a cropper being pummelled by the eventual champions England on a day in which they were served a royal drubbing. Things got worse for this duo as they again lost the World Test Championship final in 2023 continuing on from their defeat at the same stage in 2021. When it looked like sanity will finally prevail with India claiming a home ODI WC in 2023 especially after being the most dominant team throughout the tournament came yet again a day of utter disdain with a nightmare being unveiled on the most important day as all the efforts put in throughout the tournament yielded no fruit with a really savage blow being dealt in the final against Australia in front of a billion fans.

Let's now map back to 2014 and the T20 World Cup edition in Bangladesh when this unfortunate draught got implanted. India came in as heavy favourites having just won the Champions Trophy few months back in 2013 and were looking to win their 2nd T20 World Cup. They breezed their way to the final only to be undone by an unfancied Sri Lankan side who came remarkably well prepared in the all important final thus putting a dent in India capturing a major title. This horror run endured from then on for the next decade till 2024. One cricketer induced with misery aplenty happens to be Virat Kohli. He was unfortunate not to be part of the winning side in the 2007 T20 World Cup but he has always been the key performer especially when it comes to this format and more so on the biggest stage which is the World Cup. Both in the 2014 & 2016 T20 World Cup editions, he was the stand out player by a country mile but India as a team again diffused at the big stage losing in the finals and semifinals respectively. If the T20 format was his undoing in capturing a victory for his beloved nation, the despair only extended further with Kohli registering the highest ever total runs amassed in any ODI World Cup only to again be on the losing side in the final of the ODI WC 2023.

We will now go a step further way back specifically to 2007. The current coach of Indian team Rahul Dravid was granted the leadership role and expected to take India all the way after the shattering defeat encountered in the 2003 ODI WC final. When India was hoping to go one better, what ensured was the lowest ebb in India's cricketing history as they bowed out in the very first round causing utter humiliation and disgrace. The whole episode was taken so badly that effigies were burnt of the players by the general public. This turmoil and outcry led to Dravid being stripped of the captaincy in what could said to be the lowest point of his career. As a player, Dravid was a class apart and considered one of India's greatest servants but it was indeed sad that he could never be part of a world cup winning side. He did make amends by coaching the U-19 side to a world cup triumph after failing in his first assignment but striking gold on the second occasion. However one always felt that the man deserved a hurrah with the senior Indian cricketing side as well and when the chance came to take the perfect revenge by avenging the loss as a player in the WC final of 2003, the same story unfolded yet again 20 years later in 2023 as a heavily favoured Indian side had it's worst day coming to a halt on that ill fateful day in Ahmedabad. Dravid also decided to quit as coach after this debacle but was coaxed by the camp to stay on for another 6 months till the T20 World Cup 2024 which he reluctantly agreed.

For Rahul Dravid, to end his career as coach by leading India to a World Cup trophy is a perfect testament dedicated to his greatness and mental toughness. This was at the very same Caribbean 17 years prior in 2007 where he went through horror of the highest magnitude as captain of the Indian team in the ODI World Cup. Also in this particular ground Bridgetown, Barbados that hosted the finale, India encountered an abject shameful defeat in 1997 in a test match against the West Indies where they were shot out for a paltry 81 chasing just 120 with Dravid being part of the team and seeing the collapse unfold. Having been witness to so many regrets running across multiple years, this particular victory to give Dravid the perfect send off makes it so extremely emotional. He may brush this off as just another day as part of his duty but this redemption story certainly couldn't have been scripted any better. Witnessing him hold the trophy aloft beaming with pride unleashing emotions of every kind was truly a sight to behold. Similar is the case with captain Rohit Sharma. Anyone in his place could have just capitulated after what happened in the 2023 ODI WC final. But this man made Australia pay by playing a career defining innings against this very same team in this T20 World Cup by knocking them out and eventually leading his beloved side to a glorious triumph. He wanted this championship so badly and one could see how much this meant to him. Lastly for Virat Kohli to cap off his T20 career with a World cup title to go along with being part of the victorious ODI WC 2011 and Champions Trophy 2013 side places him on a special pedestal. He didn't really have the best of World Cups this time around but cometh the moment and cometh the hour, he showed his class by playing a responsible and crucial knock after the initial setback to eventually win the player of the match trophy in his last ever T20 World Cup match for the country.

The events that transpired on that eventful Saturday of 29th June 2024 at Barbados makes one believe that God truly exists as justice couldn't have been served in a more sweeter manner. The 3 visionaries deserved this redemption more than anything else and rightfully so. This also would rank tribute to being one of India's greatest moments in it's rich cricketing legacy and etched in memory as a day to remember for eternity in India's cricketing fortunes.

Cricketing Nostalgia Edition - Test Cricket of 2002, ODI WC 1999 & beyond

We were in the process of disposing off old items in the house when an old notebook running more than a quarter century caught my attention. I was quite fascinated to see that I had documented handwritten scorecard of all ODI matches played during the 1999 World Cup along with plenty of other notes pertaining mainly towards cricket, a bit of movies and some random scripts.

This was much before the advent of blogging came into existence. I recall around the late 1990s and early 2000s, most homes didn't even have a personal computer and it was only around the early 2000s that internet came into existence with the good old net cracker dial up edition which used to take quite a while to connect.

I had also incidentally penned a summarised version of the year 2002 that played out in test cricket chronicling on the major events that took place during the year. I couldn't beleive it myself that I took the pains to write about test cricket decades back when I was a wily teenager hooked on to the sport in a major way. Also looking at penning scorecards from cricket matches noted down from newspapers brings back a lot of vintage memories.

I am producing verbatim my write up of the year 2002 that was for Test cricket and sharing my hand written documentation of the 1999 ODI World Cup match played between India and Pakistan on the 8th of June 1999. A quarter century has passed since these events have occurred and looking back evokes memorable memories growing up in Chennai and falling in love with this wonderful sport of cricket.

2002 - The Year that Was 

2002 will go down in history as one of those years in which bat completely dominated the ball. It was also a year full of world records. Adam Gilchrist obliterated Botham's record to score the fastest double century. In a matter of few days, he found that his own record was broken by Nathan Astle. Incidentally Astle broke Gilchrist's record by 59 balls getting to his double ton of a mere 153 deliveries. Michael Vaughan scored the second highest runs in a calendar year ever with 1481 runs. The record still belongs to Viv Richards who amassed 1710 runs in 1976. If you thought test cricket was boring think again. Sri Lanka's 509 runs scored in a day against Bangladesh is the highest score scored by a team in a day in test history. Also other notable achievements include Inzamam Ul Haq's 329 vs New Zealand which was the highest test score ever by a Pakistani. The score also stood 10th on the all time list. Rahul Dravid became the fourth batsman in test history to score 4 consecutive hundreds in as many innings. Bowlers couldn't make much of an impact but still there were a few important milestones set. Muralitharan and McGrath became the 7th and 8th bowlers respectively to join the 400 wicket club. Muralitharan also equalled Hadlee's world record of 36 five wicket hauls. Shane Warne went second on the all time list for most wickets taken. Sachin Tendulkar joined the illustrious club of all those who have scored over 8000 test runs. He also went past Donald Bradman's record of 29 test centuries. Now he is in second position in the list of most number of centuries scored behind Sunil Gavaskar. For the first time in test history two teams India and New Zealand got bowled out for less than 100 in their respective first innings. In spite of this feat 2002 will be remembered as a year for the batsmen.

1999 ODI World Cup Scorecard - India vs Pakistan (8th June 1999)

The cruelty of Sport - So near yet so far!

India's performance in the recently concluded ICC cricket ODI World Cup was nothing short of outstanding but did it mean anything? The answer is a resounding 'No' as they lost the only and most crucial game of their lives and broke a billion hearts despite playing admirably well right through the tournament beating every team by their wayside.

It was one day horribly gone wrong and unfortunately this had to happen at the most pinnacle point. Sport is cruel because ultimately when years pass by, only the victor would be remembered and whether one likes it or not, the victory team will be etched to Australia.

Australia on the other hand who started the tournament poorly raised their A game come the clutch moments most notably the semifinals and finals. They have done this time and again with their mental fortitude able to turn around any level of extreme pressure when it comes to the knock out phase. Australia haven't necessarily been the best team but they just always rise up when most needed and are undeniably unbelievably good at raising the bar in those clutch moments. 

They are now single handedly the undisputed most successful side in the history of world cup cricket especially with regard to big titles won and no other country lands a distant second. If one includes both the men's + women's combined records in World Cups, it's simply unenviable and doesn't look like being broken for the next century even if they don't happen to win anything from here on in. Such has been their dominance in the sport of cricket.

Coming to India they have been abysmally unlucky when it comes to the crunch moments. This particular defeat exacerbated the misery as it came in front of a jam packed rampaging home audience who were cheering on to end their tournament hoodoo but in eventuality it only compounded the sadness. Since their last major ICC tournament win, there have been 10 world cricketing events with India making the semifinals or finals in 9 of them but they couldn't convert the final outcome even in one of these. Consistency wise they have been the standout team but time and again failed during the inevitable horizon. It's almost become a mental or psychological issue as the team is faltering repeatedly only at the end.

The performance and skill set is definitely there as it could be argued that without it they cannot even be coming thus far every other time. But somehow the disintegration and melt down happens every time when they are just a game or two away from winning the tournament. Cricketing wise India are not the only side who have choked on important occasions but in recent times they lead the pack comprehensively. 

South Africa also have a pretty poor record when it comes to knockouts in ODI World cups. Since their re advent into cricket from the 1992 WC onwards they have lost in semifinals every alternate event ranging from 1992, 1999, 2007, 2015 and now 2023 with a majority of these being agonizingly close. They also bowed out of the 1996 and 2011 World cups in the quarter final stage thus not being able to win a single knock out game so far in ODI World Cups. The five times they made the semifinals, there were no quarter finals in those world cups meaning 7 times on 7 they have lost in the knock out games. Only 2 times in 2003 & 2019 they failed to make it to the knock out stage.

New Zealand on the other hand have also been a perennial short hand in knockout phases. They had reached the semifinals for the 5th straight time in 2023 but not able to even convert one of those into titles. Overall they have been at least into the semifinals on 8 occasions and finals twice in 13 World Cups but still don't have an ODI world cup to boast of.

Another team England who have a pretty poor record in finals turned it around by winning their first final on their 4th occasion albeit in a tied game decided by a super over on boundary count.

Looking at another team sport like Rugby, England have a similar poor record in the finals having won only once despite making the finals on 4 occasions. Ireland which is currently ranked as the best in the world currently have had perpetual heartbreak in the quarterfinals having not surpassed that stage 8 times. It almost seems as if they are cursed from not making it beyond the quarters. France has been another unlucky side losing all 3 finals they have played. The most impressive record however in Rugby happens to be the South African Springboks who unlike their cricketing counterparts the Proteas enjoy an enviable 4 out of 4 wins in the finals making them the most successful side in Rugby history. The All Blacks who are the next most successful with 3 titles have unfortunately lost both their finals to the same South African side.

Coming to football, Brazil has been the most successful in World Cups winning an unprecedented 5 titles. The next on the list is just 3 by Germany, Italy and Argentina. France who have won 2 titles in the last 25 years have also faced heartbreak losing 2 very close finals.

Thus, when it comes to team sports it's not necessarily been the most consistent and best side that has always won it but in fact the team which raises their ultimate game in the do or die crucial knock out stages. Most World Cups come down to winning just 2 matches viz the semifinal and the final and that is where some teams have faltered big time whereas certain sides soak the pressure and have that stone grind attitude to find a way how to win. South Africa in the Rugby World Cup 2023 in fact won their quarter final, semifinal and final each by just one point. Australia's record of 6 ODI titles in a total of 13 played is gut wrenching sensational considering that wins have come across different continents. It would perhaps rank as the greatest ever achievement by a sporting nation though it has to be factored in that only a few countries play cricket and even a lesser few have a stake at the trophy. Brazil's football tally of 5 is impressive though they haven't really come close to winning one in the last two decades.

Harping back to the post, it's ultimately just those tiny little moments that decide the outcome of not just a match but also a world championship. India's remarkable run in this World Cup in addition to their breathtaking form in world events over the course of the last decade hasn't yielded them any eventual final outcome. The luck factor and destiny also plays a huge role as it can be seen that India with a much weaker side of the past were able to spin off 3 major titles between 2007-2013 despite the performances in the other interim events not really being satisfactory.

On the whole it's just the fine margins. To break this long standing curse, it looks likely that luck and destiny also needs to go hand in hand along with the performances to bail the team out on those crunch tense finishes.

Sharing below a list of all ICC World cricketing events held in the men's game from the inception in 1975 with the winners and runner up in each edition. These are considered as the Big 4 tournaments with the ODI World Cup having a history of nearly half a century, Champions Trophy which began towards the end of the nineteenth century looks likely to be discontinued in the near  future, the current most popular T20 World Cup which also gets held every biennial year and the most recent World Test Championship which commenced recently after years of planning.

ODI World Cups
1) 1975 ODI WC - WI def Aus

2) 1979 ODI WC - WI def Eng

3) 1983 ODI WC - Ind def WI

4) 1987 ODI WC - Aus def Eng

5) 1992 ODI WC - Pak def Eng

6) 1996 ODI WC - SL def Aus

7) 1999 ODI WC - Aus def Pak

8) 2003 ODI WC - Aus def Ind

9) 2007 ODI WC - Aus def SL

10) 2011 ODI WC - Ind def SL

11) 2015 ODI WC - Aus def NZ

12) 2019 ODI WC - Eng def NZ

13) 2023 ODI WC - Aus def Ind

Total: Aus won 6, WI & Ind - 2, Pak, SL and Eng - 1

Champions Trophy
1) 1998 CT - SA def WI

2) 2000 CT - NZ def Ind

3) 2002 CT - SL & Ind joint winners

4) 2004 CT - WI def Eng

5) 2006 CT - Aus def WI

6) 2009 CT - Aus def NZ

7) 2013 CT - Ind def Eng

8) 2017 CT - Pak def Ind

Total: Aus & Ind - 2, SA, NZ, SL, WI, Pak - 1

T20 World Cup
1) 2007 T20 WC - Ind def Pak

2) 2009 T20 WC - Pak def SL

3) 2010 T20 WC - Eng def Aus

4) 2012 T20 WC - WI def SL

5) 2014 T20 WC - SL def Ind

6) 2016 T20 WC - WI def Eng 

7) 2021 T20 WC - Aus def NZ

8) 2022 T20 WC - Eng def Pak

Total: Eng & WI - 2, Ind, Pak, SL, Aus - 1

World Test Championship
1) 2021 WTC - NZ def Ind

2) 2023 WTC - Aus def Ind

Total: NZ & Aus - 1

Overall Total Count of Big 4 ICC Trophies
Aus - 10

Ind - 5

WI - 5

Pak - 3

SL - 3

Eng - 3

NZ - 2

SA - 1

It is pretty evident that Australia stands on top of the pile with 10 ICC World tournament victories. They are also the only side to have claimed all the Big 4 titles and have an extremely superior record hold especially in the ODI World Cups.

Australia have actually leap frogged in a big way over the last decade with double ODI trophies, a T20 WC win and also a Test Championship. Australia was 6 and India 5 before the ODI World Cup 2015 and since then Australia have scalped 4 more and raced away to double digit men's world titles. Purely taking finals, Australia have won 10 out of 13 finals played compared to India who have won only 5 out of 12 finals participated.

India on the other hand have been gravely unlucky. Nine times in the last 10 events they have reached the semifinals or finals. If they had at least converted the finals into victories, they would now be having about 9 titles in the kitty but the sad truth is they have not added to the 5 which they did over 10 years ago in the Champions Trophy of 2013. It clearly articulates Australia's big match temperament as they have been absolutely masterclass in finals not having lost a single final in their last 4 shots at the trophy. In today's era chances of winning world titles is much more than the bygone times purely because one has more opportunities. A 3 format player has a chance of a T20 WC and a WTC coming every alternate year. India's golden era of players have records absolutely to be proud of but when it comes down to team sport, they seem to be constantly falling at the final hurdle. There are 3 more chances coming up within the next one and half years viz the T20 WC 2024, CT 2025 and WTC 2025. It's a good chance to add extra titles but its essential that teams like India don't choke in the knock out games and end this unsavory precedent of not winning a singular world title despite being such a formidable and highly competitive side. 

India's 10 year draught in ICC World Cricket Tournaments

India's failure yet again to cross the finish line having bowed out to Australia in front of a jam packed voracious home crowd raises lot of questions and speculations with regard to India's ability to claim victory in major world cricketing tournaments. This unfortunate pattern has been repeating for far too long exposing the frailties and one doubts if it's a psychological issue as a team laden with such strength and skill sets who performs admirably well right through a competition manages to capitulate when it comes to the high pressure knock out games.

It is now a span of 10 completed years since India has won anything of repute with their last major victory coming in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. There are 3 more marquee world events expected to play out within the next one and half years comprising of the T20 World Cup in mid 2024 played in the US & Caribbean followed by the ODI Champions Trophy taking place in Pakistan in early 2025 followed by the 3rd cycle of the World Test Championship in England during the first half of 2025. In this interim period between 2013 to 2023, almost all the Test playing nations have captured a title barring South Africa and Bangladesh. This certainly isn't something to be proud of for a country rich in cricketing culture and heritage.

Let's briefly summarize the big ticket world cricketing events that have taken place since the ICC Champions Trophy in England, 2013.

1) 2014 T20 World Cup - Host Bangladesh - Winner Sri Lanka

2) 2015 ODI World Cup - Host Australia - Winner Australia

3) 2016 T20 World Cup - Host India - Winner West Indies

4) 2017 Champions Trophy - Host England - Winner Pakistan

5) 2019 ODI World Cup - Host England - Winner England

6) 2021 World Test Championship - Host England (Final) - Winner New Zealand

7) 2021 T20 World Cup - Host UAE (India holding Rights) - Winner Australia

8) 2022 T20 World Cup - Host Australia - Winner England

9) 2023 World Test Championship - Host England (Final) - Winner Australia 

10) 2023 ODI World Cup - Host India - Winner Australia

Thus one can see there have been regular major events held almost every year with India having plenty of opportunities but not being able to triumph in any of the 10 events since the last ascendancy coming way back in 2013. Former players, analysts, pandits and fans have been quite raucous with some even calling out for a major reshuffle in the side especially in the T20 format advocating for bringing in more fresh legs and eliminating some of the older folks. 

All this might seem to be a bit too harsh considering the team overall did play some spectacular cricket in the recently concluded ODI world cup with just one off day plunging their fortunes. The criticism may seem to be a bit too far fetched but one thing is pretty clear that people have short memories and it's only the victories that count at the end of the day. Actually speaking it might seem to be a bit of a misnomer but factually speaking India have actually been the stand out team in ICC events over the past decade. They have virtually done exceptionally well in almost all the big events but alas without any silverware to showcase. In majority of the cases, India have just been short of a match or two from winning the whole tournament. The biggest flaw has been that the team has not been able to seize the initiative and have lacked the killer instinct in the must win do or die knock out games. Sadly, India will have to abide with the title of perennial chokers till they get this monkey off the back by actually winning something of repute.

Sharing a brief synopsis of India's performances down the years in the ICC World Events.
2014 T20 World Cup:
India entered the finals and were considered firm favorites to romp home after their stellar victory over South Africa in the semi finals. The final opponents were Sri Lanka, the side India defeated in the 2011 ODI World Cup. The Lankans were firm underdogs but pulled off a spectacular showing in the finals to topple India. India's batting which was clicking match after match grossly underperformed in the final having scored just 130 in the allotted 20 overs having lost just 4 wickets. This was too meagre a total for the Lankans who managed to get there without much of a hassle.

2015 ODI World Cup:
India managed to reach the semi finals without battling a sweat. In fact they were the only unbeaten side along with New Zealand till that stage winning all 6 of their group games along with sweeping aside the Bangladeshis in the quarter final encounter. But when it came to the big match semifinal against the hosts, India came a cropper caving in rather tamely. Australia put up a 300 plus score on the board with India never in the hunt losing by almost a three figure mark.

2016 T20 World Cup:
This was a home World Cup for India and the performance in the beginning was kind of muted. They however stepped up with a closely fought must win encounter against Bangladesh followed by a sizzling closely fought quarter final win over the Aussies setting up a semi final showdown against the Windies at the Wankhede. India put up a score of almost 200 and looked to drive home the advantage but this time the bowling didn't step up when needed allowing the Windies to go surging past the total. This was a great opportunity lost to win a world cup title at home.

2017 Champions Trophy:
Another tournament dominated by India till they came undone pretty badly in the finals against arch rivals Pakistan. India had in fact comfortably hammered the same opposition in the group stage match but when it came to the final, India were totally outclassed losing by a mammoth 180 run margin. India had again come in as the favorites for the final but the manner of defeat was pretty searing to say the least.

2019 ODI World Cup:
This was a 10 team edition with each team getting to play each other and the top 4 teams making it to the semi finals. India finished right on top of the 10 teams and got to play the Kiwis who had finished 4th. India again went into the semi finals as firm favorites but again swallowed the opportunity by failing to chase a reasonable score put up by New Zealand in a rain marred game. The batting totally let them down with the team losing wickets in a heap at the beginning. Jadeja and Dhoni did offer a great fightback but it was too much to claw at and in the end it was a bitter pill to swallow for India. This was perhaps one of the best chances missed by India to claim a World Cup in England since their maiden memorable victory way back in 1983. 

2021 T20 World Cup:
This was perhaps the only time India never really showed up in a world event over the last many years. India succumbed to Pakistan finally in a World Cup match losing their golden run that too in an abject embarrassing manner going down by 10 wickets. In the other must win game against their nemesis Kiwis, India's batting faltered again allowing New Zealand to win easily. Thus, India was knocked out of the tournament before the semifinals and it was quite a major disappointment. The event was supposed to be staged in India but got moved over to the Emirates due to the Covid factor with India still retaining the hosting rights for the event.

2021 World Test Championship: (2019-2021 Window)
This was the first ever Test Championship to have been staged after years of contemplation. The top two sides were to meet in the final and India were placed right at the top with an impressive array of victories in the test format during the window of 2019-2021 including a famous back to back series win down under against the Aussies. India again were tipped as favorites going into the final but again came undone against a methodological and resolute New Zealand side. This was the first world test championship to be conducted and it can be said that India certainly missed a golden chance to go atop the honors board.

2022 T20 World Cup:
Another World Cup and another disappointment. India won the game of the tournament against their arch rivals Pakistan and easily made it to the semifinals again topping their group. But it was an absolute day to forget for the Indians in the semi finals as a marauding England side made mincemeat of India's target barraging past the total without battling an eyelid not even losing a solitary wicket in the process. Australian conditions were suiting the Indian batsman and it looked like something huge was finally coming India's way but alas it was again not to be. 

2023 World Test Championship: (2021-2023 Window)
This was the second time the World Test Championship was being staged and India again found themselves among the top two teams and this time it was a new opponent in the form of Australia who were appearing in their first WTC final. India had just recently defeated the same side in a home test series and would have gone in with some confidence. But some poor reading of the conditions along with blatant selection mistakes cost India the match right on the first day after initiating the opposition into bat. It was again a wonderful opportunity missed through the door as India again earned the tag of being runners up for a second straight showing.

2023 ODI World Cup:
This would arguably rank as the biggest colossal monumental disappointment especially considering the way India had gone right through the tournament literally dispatching, demolishing and decimating all the opponents who had come by their wayside. This time they managed to overcome the Kiwis in the semifinal and taken their win count to 10 wins on the trot. But come the all important final when India went in as clear favorites, the ship sank once again in what was the biggest game of their lives in front of a massive home crowd. The pitch was perhaps the biggest deterrent but once again cometh the moment, India just caved into the pressure and succumbed meekly against an Aussie side who further cemented their legacy as the greatest white ball champions in the history of cricket. This was a complete all encompassing performance with almost not an iota to criticize but it all unfortunately fell apart in the marquee final once again putting an abrupt halt to what had been an absolutely impressive show until then.

India's 3 major world titles in 2007, 2011 and 2013:
India did win 3 major titles viz the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy all within the span of 2007-13. This might sound like a golden period but not many can recall that India faltered big time in all the other world tourneys around that ball park. After winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, India failed to even reach the semi finals in the next 3 editions that took place in 2009, 2010 and 2012. India also failed to muster up at the 2009 Champions Trophy by not being able to reach the knock out phase in continuation to what happened at home three years prior in CT 2006. But what matters is when it really came down to being noticed, India under the astute tutelage of Mahendra Singh Dhoni were able to claim 3 major world events within a short span by establishing to go all the way. A young India did the unthinkable by claiming the inaugural T20 World Cup. India were able to soak all the pressure and raised their game in the crucial stages to win the home ODI World Cup in 2011. India also managed to rake up a Champions Trophy victory by defeating the hosts England in the final in a rain curtailed 20 over game. 

Conclusion:
Thus stats and performance points out that India have not at all been a bad side when it comes to the major cricketing events conducted over the last decade. There have been some exceptional efforts coupled with plenty of individual brilliance but however when it really came to the crunch India as a team have not been able to deliver. It feels like a "Catch 22" situation but India have virtually been just a game or two away from winning almost all the major ICC events. It is definitely an irony that India has not been able to convert even one of those into a celebration. It has to be said that India has been poor when it comes to the clutch and this has happened a little way too often than expected. Nowadays, chances of winning big tournaments are higher for the players as many world cups keep happening routinely unlike the good old days when there was only one ODI world cup scheduled every 4 years. India have had too many one off bad days and every time that has come to haunt at the back end of the tournament unfortunately stalling their progress further. It may be argued that it's just a matter of time but India do have to measure and step up big time in the crucial stages. This current defeat in the home ODI World Cup of 2023 will rankle them no end as just one bad game curtailed their entire array of sterling performance right through the tournament. The pressure is only going to be all the more immense going forward with plenty of things to ponder like handling of senior players and getting the right mix in place for all 3 formats - Tests, ODIs and T20s. Hoping India is somehow able to get the mickey off the back and claim an illustrious multi nation cup victory very soon. It may be an irony but the fact is that consistent showings count for nothing because ultimately what sticks in memory is who wins at the end of the day.

Designated Padas - Special spots to be aware of in a Horoscope

A broad spectrum of a horoscope consists of 12 houses represented by 12 different zodiac signs. However when it comes to dividing a zodiac signs into parts, the Navamsa or the D9 variation adds an extra colour when looked at from the purview of vedic astrology. Each of the Zodiac signs thus are bifurcated into 9 equal parts measuring a zone of 3 degrees 20 minutes making up 108 parts (12*9) in totality.

When it comes to analyzing these Padas, there are certain of them which tend to be auspicious and a few inauspicious. There are different characterizations under which these padas can be slotted into which are pretty important to look at in a horoscope. Some of them also overlap with each other but it's good to note and understand these specific padas as they can be quite useful in the analysis of a horoscope. Many a time we don't tend to reflect on these as they are much in number and quite difficult to keep a tab at. But certainly they can give a divergent flavour when looked at from the lens of a horoscope.

The different padas to be aware of in a horoscope which ultimately yields it's result in the D9 or Navamsa chart are as below:

- Vargottama Amsa Pada

- Pushkara Amsa Pada

- Gandanta Amsa Pada

- Tyajya Amsa Pada

- Duritha Amsa Pada 

- Mrityu Amsa Pada

Let's briefly look at all of the above and understand the specific spots in a horoscope where they occur:

Vargottama Amsa Pada:
Vargottama is used to describe a position where a planet attains the same placement in the main D1 Rasi chart as well as the subsequently derived D9 Navamsa chart. Vargottama is applicable in all the Divisional charts but is particularly looked at with importance in the Navamsa division. As they are placed in the same sign in both D1 and D9, it is said to indicate a harmonious alignment and is a position of strength known to amplify the results. It is said to have a major influence in an individual's horoscope. Though it tends to seemingly connote a position of strength, it needs to be looked at from a broader perspective and with a touch of caution. For instance the Ascendant Lord in Vargottama can indicate vigour and energy for the individual but however the 6th Lord say placed in Vargottama can influence 6th house negative matters which may not always be a good thing. Brihar Parashara Shastra mentions Vargottama as a significant tool in computing strength of a planet.

Vargottama happens in each zodiac sign in a particular part out of the 9 parts. In a movable zodiac sign the 1st part becomes a Vargottama whereas in a Fixed zodiac sign every 5th part becomes a Vargottama and in a Dual zodiac sign, the 9th part ends up being in Vargottama. Hence there are a total of 12 Vargottama Pada's out of a total possible 108 Padas making up the Rasi chart.

Pushkara Amsa Pada:
Pushkara are supposed to be those areas within a zodiac which are said to enhance the qualities of a planet. It denotes nourishment and when any entity is placed in a Pushkara pada, it is said to indicate a sweet spot. Pushkara in Sanksrit means blue lotus and these Pushkara Amsa's fall in special designated degrees that tend to bring growth, luck and auspiciousness. Though some of the major classics have no reference of Pushkara Amsa, Vidhya Madhaveeyam and Jathaka Parijatha do have a passing mention of these.

Pushkara Pada takes place in 2 specific parts in each zodiac sign leading to a total of 24 Pushkara Pada's in total. In a fire sign viz Aries, Leo and Sagittarius it happens to be the 7th and 9th part. For Earth signs viz Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn it is the 3rd and 5th part. For Air signs it is the 6th and 8th part whereas for Water signs it is the 1st and 3rd part. In essence 24 out of 108 total padas happen to be Pushkara Amsa Padas.

Note: Since the topic of Pushkara Amsa was mentioned, it would also make sense to note about the topic of Pushkara Bhaga which are said to be one specific degree in each zodiac sign that are said to be extremely auspicious. Jathaka Parijatha denotes the following degrees to be Pushkara Bhaga for the zodiac signs from Aries to Pisces viz 21°, 14°, 18°, 8°, 19°, 9°, 24°, 11°, 23°, 14°, 19°, 9°. In the book Navamsa Astrology however Pushkara Bhaga degrees are a little different and is believed to be obtained from Poorva Kalamrita and as per this 21° of a fire sign, 14° in an Earth sign, 24° in a Air sign and 7° in a Water sign are said to be Pushkara Bhaga 

Gandanta Amsa Pada:
Gandanta are the junction points which take place in the transition between water to fire signs. Gandanta can be said to be a point of danger and if a planet is placed in the Gandanta zone, it is said to be inauspicious causing negative things to befall upon the path of an individual. Gand means 'knot' and Anta means 'end' which can loosely be translated to as knot being tied that is difficult to unshackle. This is said to be connected at a soul level and hence very deep. It is ideal if no planet is placed in the Gandanta zone and especially that of the Moon as it signifies the mind which makes it difficult to overcome.

Gandanta Pada takes place only in the fire and water signs with the first of the fire signs and the last of the water signs initiating the Gandanta zone. Hence there are only 6 parts out of a total 108 parts which fall in Gandanta. Also in general it is said that only the last two ghatis and the first two ghatis of the Nakshatra falling in water and fire signs respectively to be extremely intricate and sensitive points which when converted in degree terms denote the following span viz:
29° 23' 20'' of Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio to 0° 26' 40'' of Aries, Leo, Sagittarius  

Tyajya Amsa Pada:
There are selective Nakshatra Padas in each of the 12 zodiac signs where planets are said to lose their potency and become ineffective when seated within that designated spot of 3°20'. These are also termed as Poojya Pada that translates to zero point and said to denote a cursed or poisoned space. Hence if any of the planets falls in this area, it can attract negative vibrations and misfortune.

Tyajya or Poojya Pada takes place in one particular pada in each of the 12 zodiac signs. Hence there are a total of 12 Tyajya Padas out of 108. In 4 of the zodiacs viz Aries, Taurus, Virgo and Sagittarius. Tyajya Pada falls in the very 1st pada whereas in 4 of the zodiacs viz Gemini, Leo, Libra and Aquarius, Tyajya Pada falls in the middle 5th pada and in the remaining zodiacs viz Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces, Tyajya Pada falls in the last 9th pada.

Duritha Amsa Pada:
The Nakshatras are said to be divided into 3 groups - Creation, Maintenance and Destruction. The First Nakshatra beginning from Ashwini is Srishti (Creation), 2nd Bharani is Sthiti (Maintenance) and 3rd Krithika is Samhar (Destruction). The sequence is said to repeat from the 4th Nakshatra onwards until the last 27th Nakshatra. The Samhara Nakshatras which are those that occur in multiples of 3 are said to initiate Durithamsa. Any planet placed in Durithamsa is known to be inauspicious and capable of causing trouble, and despair.

Duritha Pada takes place only in the Nakshatras whose star lord happens to be Sun, Rahu and Mercury. These fall in the Earth, Air and Water signs only and Durithamsa is devoid of Fire signs. Though there are 4 padas in each of these Nakshatras, it is only the 3rd and 4th pada that attract the sensitivity of Durithamsa Pada and they happen to all fall specifically only in the zodiac sign of Aquarius and Pisces in the D9 Navamsa chart. Hence there are a total of 18 Duritha Amsa Padas out of 108 Padas (2 in each of the 3 earth, air and water signs).

Mrityu Amsa Pada:
There is also a mention of Mrityu point where it's said that when planets are placed in these spots they can suck the signification and cause a killing effect. There is no much information available of this in any specific text. However these are also being documented for reference purpose.

Summary of Designated Padas:
Listed below is a tabular representation of the specified zones in which Vargottama Amsa, Pushkara Amsa, Gandanta Amsa, Tyajya Amsa, Duritha Amsa and Mrityu Amsa takes place.

Overall Analysis:
From a broad overview we can state Vargottama and Pushkara to be more favorable as compared to Gandanta, Tyajya, Duritha and Mrityu which all indicates malicious effects. There are only 3 particular padas out of 108 which happen to be both Vargottama & Pushkara that happen to be Rohini 2nd Pada in Taurus sign, Punarvasu 4th pada in Cancer sign and Uttara Ashada 1st pada in Sagittarius sign. Likewise there are only 3 particular parts out of 108 which fall in the ambit of being Gandanta, Tyajya and Durithamsa all at the same time and these are Ashlesha 4th pada in Cancer sign, Jyeshta 4th pada in Scorpio sign and Revathi 4th pada in Pisces sign. Out of this Revathi 4th pada alone happens to be a Vargottama pada also and ascertains strength. Ashwini 1st pada which happens to be the next pada after Revathi 4th pada also happens to be Vargottama pada and also a Gandanta and Tyajya Pada but however does not fall into the category of Durithamsa pada. None of the Pushkara Pada happen to be Gandanta or Tyajya Padas however 6 of these 24 Pushkara padas unfortunately end up becoming Durithamsa Padas viz the 4th padas of the Samhara Nakshatras of  Krithika, Aarudra, Uttara Phalguni, Swathi, Uttara Ashada and Satabisha. 2 of the Pushkara Pada also fall into the category of Mrityu Pada namely Krithika 4th pada and Uttara Bhadrapada 2nd pada. Poorva Phalguni 1st pada gathers strength on being Vargottama but however loses its sheen because it's a Tyajya pada and same is the case for Satabisha 3rd pada which gains strength due to Vargottama but is exposed to the cursed Tyajya Pada as well as the harmful Duritamsa Pada.