India shines in Quarter finals.

What a match it was yesterday 24Th March 2011.

India played against the invincible Australia, champions in four world cups.
Ricky Ponting the captain who has lead his team successfully on three occasions in the past.
It was nerve racking and a tough game for the Indian team to surpass the mighty Australians.
Australia batted reasonably well with Ricky Ponting scoring 104 runs, a really good captain’s innings. True leaders are the ones who lead from the front and motivate their team, and Ponting did just that.
He showed grit, good and firm attitude and a determination to win.
Australia scored 260 for 6 wickets in 50 overs.

This was followed by India, the going was good until the first wicket fell at 44 that of Virendra Sehwag.
There was a hush in the stands, and India recoiled back with Gautam Gambhir coming in at 2 nd position.
The going was good between Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir, and Sachin lost his wicket at 94 runs on the score board. He had played well scoring 53 runs and completed 18000 runs in One Day Cricket , and this was his 94Th Half Century.

The trouble for India started with wickets falling in regular intervals, and in 93 runs India had already lost 3 more wickets. India was at 187 for 5 wickets.
The Australians are known for their intimidationary tactics on the field and they never give up easily.
There were times when we thought that India would not make it as the run rate had dropped and Yuvraj Singh was at crease with Suresh Raina.
For Suresh Raina it was a first ever experience against the mighty Australians in the World cup. The pressure could be seen on his face as he faced the onslaught of the Aussie bowlers.
He kept his calm and gave support to Yuvaraj.

Yuvi had the grit, calmness and determination to play a very sensible cricket which kept India going though slowly but firmly.
Australia had tried everything but could not break the formidable partnership of Raina and Yuvaraj.
It was a crucial game and Yuvaraj had the nerve to remain there till the end and maintain the run rate and eventually helped India win with five wickets in hand and wound up the game in 47.4 overs.

The Indian side owes its victory to Yuvaraj who bowled well with 2 for 44 and scoring 57 not out. He has completed 10000 Runs in One Day Cricket.
India enters into the semi finals, would be facing the fiery Pakistan and let’s hope India does it once again.

If it's to be it's upto me

If it’s to be it’s up to me.

Very often we face challenges in life and we are at crossroads of life where we ought to decide the course of action to be taken.
Life is full of challenges and it is never smooth sailing.

All of us have been watching the foot ball World cup matches.
This got concluded just yesterday night with Spain beating Holland 1 nil.
What a match it was.
Spain could not score the goal in the first 90 minutes.
The game went for extra time of 30 minutes and then the Never Say Die Spain managed to get a goal.
If you see the teams both Holland & Spain were underdogs and have never won a World cup.

Big and Great Teams like Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France, and Italy were heavyweights and have won the cup previously.
Italy was the champions in the last World cup defeating France.
What happened in the matches?
Brazil was humiliated by Holland, Germany defeated the Great Argentina by 4 Goals. France and Italy former champions were not in the reckoning at all in the second round.

Where were the giants of yesteryears, all fell of like nine pins by new teams which were not even considered by the football loving fans to be in the reckoning for reaching the second round leave aside winning the cup?

What is that which makes the difference between well established teams and teams which were not known.
Well established teams had a huge responsibility and they were overshadowed by their glorious past, and they were nervous of losing the games.
Consider the teams who did not have a chequered past, they had nothing to lose and hence were not nervous to perform.

See the great Players like Fabregas, Thierry Henry, Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Christiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Lionel Messi most of them did not score goals, though they may have contributed to their side’s win.
Mueller of Germany, Sneider of Holland, Diego Forlan of Uruguay, were top scorers. Mueller was a name not heard before the world cup, this young man just 20 Years old has won the Golden Boot award.Sneider was not in the reckoning at all.
What great games these players played, they outperformed the veterans.

We often wonder whether experience is everything in our lives.
I don’t think so, as experienced players have not performed very well.
What is that makes a player perform and shine.
Merely experience cannot bring about the magic though it can give some insight into the game.
What matters is the grit, attitude and the will power to excel.
This plays a great role in our lives.

Next time you find that you are in a difficult spot don’t lose hope, have the courage to face it, beat it, and keep your attitude to win and then it would happen.

Whatever you vividly Imagine, Ardently Desire, Sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon would definitely happen.

Lastly it it’s to be it’s up to me.

If You think You Can, You Can but If you think You Can't then You Can't.

In life one encounters numerous problems, but the ability to overcome these problems are within us.

Remember if one gives up soon and stops trying, then there is no hope for solution.
Take the case of a cricket match.

All of us love the game of cricket. The IPL is on in India and eight teams are vying with each other for the trophy.

Rajasthan Royals was the First season winner followed by Deccan Chargers in the second season.

In the third season, Rajasthan Royals had already lost first five games and were down and under.

This did not deter them from having hopes.

The next five games have been won by them and they are a force to reckon with.
Take the case of the game held between Rajasthan royals and Deccan Chargers on 05.04.10.

Rajasthan Royals had batted first, scored a meager 160 runs in 20 over’s and the opposition Deccan Chargers had come in to bat.

Deccan has the best of Players like Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, and Rohit Sharma.
The Deccan team came in to play and lost valuable wickets and was at one stage 56 for three.

Things looked glum; they were struggling to get runs. Rohit fought valiantly and was taking the score towards the winning moment.
It was his will power and confidence that kept him going. However his team mates could not sustain the onslaught of a good bowling by the Rajasthan Royals.

Shane Warne showed his captaincy his never say die attitude despite Rohit playing so well, brought him luck.
He changed his bowlers so well and placed his fielders at strategic spots so that the catches could be taken easily. It looked as if the game was being orchestrated by him and he knew exactly where the ball would be hit by the batsman.
The wickets started tumbling. The fielding was excellent and the run out of Harmeet Singh was too good to believe.
The score was inching towards the Royals target; there were only two runs and three balls.
The last batsman Mr. Ojha came in to bat, and struck a low pitched ball of Trivedi and the catch was taken at the boundary by the fieldsman.

There was joy everywhere for those who supported Royals; the team was exuberant and lauding Shane’s captaincy.

It was Shane’s efforts in mobilizing his boys, his directions, his decisions, and finally his bowling that did the trick.

Shane’s bowling resulted in 4 for 20 runs, remarkable for 40 Years old cricketer.
It was any day a Deccan riot to be unfolded with great batting stalwarts but at the end despite a poor score, Royals managed to win.

That’s why we say If You think You Can You Can, but If You think you can’t, then God help you.