(1)    Ricky Ponting – (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.

(2)    While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.

(3)    While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.

(4)    UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.

(5)    All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACISM only.

(6)    MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advice only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.

(7)    NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA . This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.

(8)    THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING – “THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET” more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.

These rules will clarify better to the all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA

•  Dhoni promoting himself up above Yuvraj
• Flintoff’s pep talk with Yuvraj 

At the end of the day, it was a great night for millions of Indians in India and abroad. But spare a moment for young Stuart Broad….just in his second season into international cricket. His reaction after the fourth ball of 19th over tells all. Agony written all over his face. I feel what he would have gone through at that moment.  

Similar experience I and you have gone through. last year, when in an inter-division match of our company, a guy hit 4 sixes of my over. Whatever the spectators and did after that, all these thongs I felt were directed at me. Even when two people laughed, I thought they just cracked a joke around me. That was the situation. Normally, in such a situation, very few would come and spare some nice words to such a battered bowler.  It almost happened, before the fourth ball of the 19th over as the entire England team converged to give advice to Stuart Broad. And after the fifth and sixth deliveries, no one, save for Darren Maddy, I think, who had a word of comfort for him. Surely in the interval, England players would have talked to him to raise the sinking spirit of such a young man. But the best of soothing words for Broad came from none other than Yuvraj, who said, “As a batsman it’s a great feeling, but as a bowler it’s not a good day obviously. You’re trying your best and it’s just not your day. Everyone has a bad day and I’m sure he (Broad) will have good days too.” At the end of the day, it’s a game after all, which is what Yuvraj seems to be saying to Stuart Broad in this picture. 

The following table provides you the web links through which you can reserve bus tickets, online. Few sites require registration before one could book tickets. ONLINE reservation facility is provided by bus operators, and by third parties (independent agents). In third party sites, we can compare services (especially ticket fare and timing) from different operators on a same route. Most of the sites accept credit and debit cards, and few sites accept ITZ cash card, as well. 

Links to Service Providers’ Websites

If I have missed out any other sites, kindly leave it as comments.

The buses have many passenger friendly features including

 - Tilting the bus on left or right side and increasing the height of the bus according to the requirements. (volvos need this to run on our roads )

- The suspension would also ensure jerk-free travel for commuters

 - Physically-challenged and elders can board the buses with their wheel chairs.

 - provision for wheel chairs to be fastened with the seats.

 - LED scrolling boards will also be in place in the front, rear and sides of the vehicle for route information.

 - Automatic doors in the front and rear with sensors, provision for laptop connection and mobile phone charger, channel music system and public announcement (PA) system to give information to passengers will be the other attractions.

So Chennaites can go for a rock on these buses. The idea of the state government is to bring the people travelling by their four wheelers to the buses, thus reducing the number of vehicles on road. The coming months will tell, whether the government succeeds in this.

There has been a wide outcry against Reliance Fresh outlets surfacing across the country.
The general opinion is that the outlets affect the livelihood of small vendors. That’s true. But why people prefer Reliance Fresh Outlets against the small shops in the neighborhood market.
It’s not the cozy environment…but there is no need for bargaining. But when we approach a small retailer, always he bounds to say an exorbitant price for vegetables or fruits.
Last week at MGR Nagar Market, a small retailer asked three rupees (Rs.3) for a lemon, do you believe this….. People bargain at, and take the same for Re.1.. but no such hassles in Reliance….
so it’s no doubt people swarm a Reliance Outlet…. from lower middle class to the affluent in the society………

Also Reliance’s latest addition DELIGHT is really a delight, offering a range of non-veg items, including fishes, prawns, mutton, chicken…. here again, I found a difference of Rs 20 for a particular variety of fish (Sangara, don’t confuse this with Sangakara) from the near by market.

So there is a need for a change in the attitude of the small-time retailers, then people will comeback to this…

It’s been two years since I came from Hyderabad, till now I haven’t come across a single hotel serving the authentic Hyderabad Biriyani including the one near Ethiraj College. These days lot of hotels in Chennai flash attractive signboards saying HYDERABAD BIRIYANI. To my disappointment, i never had Hyderabadi biriyani nor Chennai Biriyani in these hotes. Even some Andhra Hotels serving Hyderabad Biriyani in Chennai are huge disappointment. Recently a new Hotel near T. Nagar bus stand was opened exclusively for Hyderabad Biryani, and my goodness, it’s horrible.

So my search for Hyderabadi biriyani continues in Chennai. The following is what I am searching for…

If you guys find this in any restaurant serving in Chennai, do informe me.

In recent times, IRCTC has done a good work – from setting up food kiosks in railway stations to managing Pantry Cars at some of the major inter-city (IC) trains and long-route trains.

But the most remarkable achievement for me is the online reservation facility being offered by this organization at www.irctc.co.in which has made train ticket booking, a hassle free affair. Gone are the days people waited for hours at reservation counters, more often than not setting aside some productive hours for this task. This online ticket reservation facility comes handy while booking tatkal reservation, as when we stand in the queue the odds of getting a tatkal ticket on some of the famous trains like Pandiyan or KK Express are less.

But the other day, when I decided to use this facility, to my greater shock, I found this site was closed for maintenance on a Sunday. By the time, I reached the nearest reservation counter, alas it’s too late. Tatkal Quota itself moved to Waiting List. I cursed for being more tech-savvy that day.

Otherwise the site is too cooooooooooool.

So next time you propose for a trip by train, why don’t you try www.irctc.co.in

NOTE: for logging on you need to register (hardly it’ll take two mins in a 256K line) and you should have credit/debit card

Happy Journey

A blog, by the name of a movie, which got 11 oscars. Not bad though. benhur.wordpress.com

Here we go….