Chak De India !!!

Dont get me wrong by watching the title of the thread. Its just not about movie. It really is about India. It is always about India for me. "100 mein se 80 beimaan-phir bhi mera bharat mahan !!!".

Lets talk about movie first. It is a good movie. It is a movie from always RICH Yash Raj joining show the truth Shimit Amin. I loved Ab tak Chappan, It was more glorious than RGV's Dark Movies. One of the most beautyful thing about "Chak De India" was it wasnt much hyped movie, even when the movie starts, It shows, What is the current situation as far as Hockey is concerned in India. For Some Punjabi and Muslim Families, Hockey is more than a religion.

The other best part of the movie, is the reality shown. When India team reaches to the Australia, the kind of facility that they see, not even half of them are available in India. But Wait a minute, I guess this script must have been got written in the early 90's. I think as far as I know even Bombay Gymkhana has better service arrangement for Hockey and I am very sure, For National Team Practise and everything, it gotto be better, Can Someone check the facts before making a movie !!!

The Comment from the villain of the movie, that Cricket is Cricket and Hockey is nowhere near to it, is a FACT. In fact the Origin of Hockey came into when Middlesex Cricket Club players wanted to keep themselves fit enough and motivated during the winter season in the last 1700's. India had a so called big name, in Hockey winning the world cup only once. You want to blame Cricket, Oh Wait, Blame Kapil Dev, The moment he scored the first ever century for India against Zimbabwe and won the world cup in 1983, Hockey was gone, long gone.

Cricket has much to cheer about as Dravid and his team won the Test Series in England. Big Boost ...What a joke !!!.

England did not had Harmison, Jones, Hogard, Flintoff. In fact to be honest, they were having their second line bowling line up, It was pure Luck that Rain saved the First Game for India. Luck also played crucial when India won the toss both the time. In Second Test Match when India won the Toss and put the English Batsmen's on the backfoot. England got out below 200 and India won the game. In Third Test Match, We had a Flat Pitch, India again won the Toss and batted for first two days to make sure that Draw is a possible result. Dravid ensured that Draw is the only possible result when he batted for 12 runs in 96 balls.

Many of the Cricket Pandit has criticized Rahul's Decision of not enforcing Follow-on. I actually Support him there, As a captain, you take a look at your bowlers, They have just bowled 100 overs. Pitch had nothing to offer, With What Courage you go upto them and ask them to bowl another 120 overs? What if during that 120 overs, England just manage to get the score 100 +, and India is 11/3 chasing it, Would you take that Risk ??? I wont and So is Rahul so, Well-Done.

However, I would tell him one thing, Rahul. No Captain can win you matches and neither support of the players, when your captain score 12 runs in 96 balls. Specially the manner in which you scored those runs. You are the best batsman in the Indian Line up, (ya ya , Sachin Supporters would kill me, but Rahul is a better test match batsman than Sachin Tendulkar) and you got no right to look more than ordinary with playing defensive and defensive struggling shots.

Enough of Dravid Bashing. Time To Praise, the Man of the Tournament, Zaheer Khan. Awesome Come back. He swung , He Pitched up the ball, and more importantly, he bowled at the correct area of the pitch. Venkatesh Prasad, is giving some good tips, for sure.

One of the most critical decision came for Dravid, when he preferred, Team Man Kumble before the team itself. India scored about more than 600 runs in the First Inning, There was a time, when any captain would atleast think of Declaring. Specially when he looks at the scoreboard and see, the RECORD in the makings, No one has scored the century, yet the team score is 600. Shall I declare??? and Then You see one of your best team mate, Kumble, around 70 not outs, Chance of him getting the 100 is a possibility. The Person who has given 17 years of his life to Cricket, Never scored a century.

Tough Decision, Team First or Team Man First??? Finally, I support Rahul there also, Good Decision, you gotto go with the Team Man First. Plus I never believe, you have any reason to declare in the First Inning. Unless you have scored 1000 runs, I wont declare in the 1st Inning. Specially when you know, you are going to get the all 5 days of play and you are 1 up in the series.

Finally, Celebration Time, India will celebrate her 60th Birthday of freedom.

Lets End this, with JAI HIND !!!