The importance of being Rahul Dravid

He has been the backbone of the Indian Test side since making his debut against England at Lord's in 1996. 15 years on and at 38 years of age, Rahul Dravid still remains India's most reliable batsman as he proved with his unbeaten 103 in the 1st inning of the 1st Test. We take a look at the achievements of the man who is too modest to even acknowledge them. 

During his knock of 103 not out in the 1st inning against England at Lord's, Dravid surpassed Australia's Ricky Ponting as the 2nd highest run getter in Test cricket and is now only behind Sachin Tendulkar.

 

 

Dravid, who had 12,314 runs from 153 Tests at an average of 52.40 before coming into the match, overtook Ponting's 12,363 runs in 152 games. He was also the second Indian batsman, after Tendulkar, and the third international player to reach 12,000 runs in Test cricket. Of the 32 tons Dravid has scored before this game, India have not lost the match 31 times and off these, the team has gone on to win 14 matches. In those 14 matches Dravid's average is an astounding 202.09.

Dravid also holds the record of having taken the most number of catches in Test cricket. He had taken 203 catches prior to this match and is the only player to have crossed the 200 mark. He is the first and only batsman to score a century in all ten Test playing nations.

 

 

 

 

He has also been involved in more than around 85 century partnerships with 20 different partners and has been involved in 19 century partnerships with Tendulkar - a world record. In 2004, Dravid was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Dravid was awarded the ICC Player of the Year and the Test Player of the Year at the inaugural awards ceremony held in 2004.

Real beauty of God’s own country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By early June the southwest monsoon breaks and there are three months of wind and water with short spells of sharp, glittering sunshine that thrilled children snatch to play with. The countryside turns an immodest green. Boundaries blur as tapioca fences take root and bloom. Brick walls turn mossgreen. Pepper vines snake up electric poles. Wild creepers burst through latent banks and spill across the flooded roads. Boats ply in the bazaars…- does not render the unspeakable beauty of Kumarakom, aren’t the aforementioned words enough to lure you to the most beautiful place in Kerala (arguably)? 

 

 

Strangely, it had been raining all these four times, maybe, to make me realize that the beauty and majesty of Kumarakom are at its best during monsoon.

Houseboats are big barges with five-star amenities –air conditioned bedrooms with contemporary bathrooms, modular kitchens that prepare the choicest Kerala-style food, home theatre and whatever else you want. Some of them have as many as five bedrooms, some have conference halls and some are even double-storied.

Every here and there you see a fisherman, hounding for Karimeen (pearl spot). The boat captain excitedly explained to us four different methods to catch a pearl spot fish and how clinically they do it. Interesting!

At the prow of the houseboat sits Sreehari, 15, after whose name the boat is named. He doesn’t just share his name with the boat, but he owns it! The young guy too has his share of knowledge to impart – about Tiger Prawns, another taste of the Kumarakom. He flashes his torch into the water, toward the stone wall of the canal’s side and I see two small bulbs flashing between two stones. And he says those are the eyes of a Tiger Prawn. Wow!

The above photo was captured at mid night 11.40 pm with the help of light from lightening.

It may be the company of boatmen, the palatable Karimeen (pearl spot) fry, mouth-watering tiger prawns curry, a bottle of chilled beer from the boatmen’s icebox, a romantic night with your other half, or the cruise across the Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom guarantees you something to cherish for a lifetime.


This article was written and photo by  Clint Thomas

5 gadgets you need to own now

1.The Desktop  
Many would advocate that laptops are the way to go. But for a real man? We think not. Size does matter. Why confine Photoshop to a 13-inch screen, when you can edit your photos on the glorious 27-inch screen of the iMac, along with Apple's Magic Trackpad, which is 80 percent larger than the one found on a MacBook. Or you could opt for the quad-core HP Touchsmart 610, where your entire screen is one big 23-inch, high-def trackpad.
 The 27" iMac  Rs. 79,900/-

2.The Tablet
Whichever one you choose, you should know that a good tablet can keep you entertained no matter where you are. Perhaps it's too early for them to replace newspapers in the john, but the tablet (iPad 2, Xoom, PlayBook, take your pick) is waiting to revolutionise the way you read, watch and even work.
The iPad 2  Rs. 22500
 
3.The Smartphone
It might be Wi-Fi enabled reader, but some men don't own smartphones. It's hardly a new phenomenon, but the battle lines are getting clearer, and those not in possession have been found lacking in combat. These days, being caught without a Wi-Fi and 3G enabled, dual-core packing, multitasking capable device is like being a fisherman without a boat; you can do your job, but the possibilities are kinda limited.
Motorola Atrix (One of its accessories turns it into a netbook!)  Rs. 25000




4.The Console
Every man needs a place where he can even the score. Enter: the PS3. We'll take our revenge on the boss in the comfort of our homes, while blowing away enemy forces in the exclusive to PS3 title: Killzone 3. Or don Superman's cape and kick some superhero ass in the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, for n00bs) DC Universe Online.
Microsoft XBOX 360 4GB  Rs.14,990
 
5.The LED TV
Twenty-one inches just don't cut it anymore. Neither does a TV that doesn't look magnificent even when switched off, or offer full HD viewing when on. LCD TVs are old, and Plasma TVs are practically ancient. LED is definitely the way to go for a true connoisseur of the visual arts. Plus, they're undeniably cool. To fully appreciate these high-priced, high-def beauties, pair them with a Blu-ray player (aka, your PS3), or an HD DTH box,
Samsung's UA55C8000XR (All three Ds: LED, HD and 3D)  Rs. 260,000

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/technology/5-gadgets-you-need-to-own-now-121052&cp

Britons may soon fly cars

A flying car which usually finds its mention in children books or animated cartoon movies, may soon become a reality in Britain. Aviation experts are saying a flying car could be in regular use in Britain within five years after a model was formally approved by US authorities. The $250,000 Terrafugia Transition is a two-seater aircraft, which has a top speed of 115 mph, a range of 500 miles on a tank of fuel and requires just 20 hours training to fly. The car, at the touch of a button, takes just 15 seconds for its wings to fold up automatically and the power to be re-routed from the propeller to the rear wheels. It can then be driven at up to 65 mph and will comfortably fit in a standard size garage. 'It's like a little Transformer,' said Terrafugia founder Carl Dietrich, referring to the children's toys that were turned into a blockbuster movie franchise. Although aimed primarily at buyers in the US where there are plenty of airstrips and 600 'fly-in' communities - Boeing 707 owner John Travolta being the best-known fan - more than 20 Britons have already declared an interest in the carbon-fibre vehicle.