American Elections and Begaani Shaadi

 A little more than a week to go for the US Presidential elections. If polls are to be believed, Joe Biden is all set to become the President. But a week is a long time in politics and more than a week is still longer. 

Last time in 2016, I didn't vote for  President, as I liked neither Trump nor Hillary as the choice was between a Crazy vs Crook. (However I like Hillary's husband Bill as I believe he was a good President). This time I had no second thoughts when I cast my vote using mail in ballot, as the choice is between a Crazy and Crook vs Democracy. (though I believe Trump will narrow carry my state of Georgia, a Republican stronghold unless a pleasant surprise awaits me).

Yet I am bit nervous as the ghost of 2016 still hunts me when Trump beat Hillary beating all expectations with a surprise win. This time he could have easily replicated his victory from last time, probably even bettering last Presidential election. But the COVID-19 put a spanner on wheels of his reelection campaign.

Love him or hate him, one must admit Trump is an effective communicator whose short, targeted sales pitch works for him - at least with his base who still cling to him. His approach is to blitzkrieg his opponents, branding them as man of low energy (Jeb Bush) and Little Marco (his opponent Marco Rubio in 2016 Primaries whom he ridiculed for his short height and beyond). It worked splendidly for him, as he went on to destroy his opponents one after another in the election year 2016.

But Coronavirus is not Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or Joe Biden who can be branded as Low energy COVID, Little COVID. The little, rather microscopic COVID has proved a far more resilient opponent as US COVID-19 count is inching towards 9 millon and still counting. He can't brand it as Sleepy COVID, as he brands Biden as Sleepy Joe, as virus  has put 224,000 Americans into sleep permanently. COVID-19 is not debating with him on the stage. If he loses it's not Joe Biden or Democrats who defeated him, it will be Coronavirus, stupid.

The American elections are closely watched and followed in rest of the world, including my motherland India. It's another thing to follow the American Elections, but this time I am surprised it has taken a partisan turn in India. Some of my close friends back home tried to pursue me to vote for Trump. I have an open mind, so gave them a patience hearing before politely declining to do so, as I have my own mind.

Yet some of them became openly antagonistic to me, a few even turning belligerent for me not voting for Trump. Their simple logic - I am not a patriot if I don't vote for Trump. Wish patriotism and foreign policy were as simple as that. Patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel and I am not a scoundrel. One

doesn't have to be a Modi-Trump duo supporter to prove one's patriotism. 62% of Indians didn't vote for BJP and more Americans voted against Trump in 2016 Elections (he lost the popular vote to Hillary and got elected due to the Electoral college system). I strongly believe those Indians as well Americans are patriots.

Secondly, some tried to cajole me to vote for Trump with their misplaced belief that he is more pro-Indian than Biden. Dear Trump supporers - No American President is pro India, or anti India. They are pro-American. It includes your truly, Trump too. Trump may speak critically about Pakistan now (what Trump speaks need not be taken seriously anyway), but if needed he can mollycoddle Pakistan. George Bush, immediately pampered Pakistan on the aftermath of 9/11. Bush was a fellow Republican. Trump has'nt declared Pakistan a terrorist state and still the official position of United States on Kashmir is it's still a disputed territory.

Sorry, my Trump fans back home. There is absolutely no harm in following American politics, or any nation's politics for that matter. But it's not imperative to get overtly partisan. One doesn't need to be the famous ABDULLAH in BEGAANI SHAADI MEIN ABDULLAH DIWANA (No need to dance in someone else's marriage party). This about this. During an General Election in India will you like somebody from Nigeria soliciting your vote for the Congress Party because Rahul Gandhi is perceived being close to Nigeria ? I don't think so.

The Art of Killing Gullis- Bluff master

 Childhood memories die hard, so also our imagination from childhood days. The legendary English Poet William Wordsworth once say - "Child is the father of man". During our young days we imagined and fantasized a lot in different hues and the those given a shape could make dreams come true. Sometimes creative imaginations can lead to innovations.

I spent a good part of my childhood and youth in the government quarters in BJB Flats in Bhubaneswar. Every afternoon we played gully cricket and gathered near a culvert to solve all the problems of the world. It was called GULLI KHATTI (Light hearted nonsense gossips) culture in the city, where boys would cluster around culverts (cemented structures on the cross roads of drains, originally meant for drainage of storm water, later clogged and ending up being youth activity centers). 

There was this guy in our neighborhood who used to be a champion in "Killing Gullis" (telling make believe stories) whose imagination was way ahead of the time. He once told us in the summer of 1984 about his elder brother - "AMA (our) so and so BHAI (Bhai) whistles once to start his bike and twice to stop it. Apparently he imagined keyless, remote operation using audio signal in an age when use of remote control for operating vehicles was strictly fantasy. We heard it patiently, challenging ourselves from erupting into laughter.

But his GULLIs went way too far when he boasted about the "thief catching trap" his brother invented. One night his genius brother fitted the trap to his bike and slept peacefully. Next morning he found someone who came to steal the motorcycle stuck to it like a fly stuck on the glue, or a mouse stuck inside a mousetrap. His benevolent, broad hearted brother let the thief go, but not before punishing him to do 100 sit ups by holding both his ears cross handed and then extracting a solemn promise from the burglar to steal again.

It didn't stop there. He had enrolled himself in NCC (National Cadet Corps) which was also alluded to as National Singada Kangali (National Samosa Salivaters) - for many joined NCC for free "SINGADA" provided after a rigorous session of parades. But because of his excellent march pasts and high decibel utterances of "SAABDHAAN" (Attention), "BISHRAM" (Relax), ( "Left, Right, Left... Left, Right, Left..", his instructor decided to take him to next step - to teach him flying using a single engine plane.

He boasted of flying past the top of the Lingaraj temple, the tallest object within several miles of radius of our locality. As his time pass, he touched the flag atop the temple every time he passed by. (There was no apartment buildings in city of Bhubaneswar those days to challenge the height of Lord Siva's abode). He promised us that one day he will land his aircraft in the middle of cricket field, but our dream of seeing him doing that never came true.

We couldn't but admire his confidence as an impromptu "Gulli Killer". He had this uncanny ability to coin one story after another and narrate them to us. Now that we his imagination on remote starting vehicles come true, one day we will see a "thief trap" to catch car thieves - vindicating his imagination.

The era of dull draws

 Over the years Test matches have seen more results and far less draws. Many of those even don't go into the 5th day. Not to mention, a good number of draws are due to weather related interruption rather than huge amount of runs scored.

Some of the dull draws which I still remember, is India playing Pakistan in Jaipur test of 1987 - the test match is remembered as the venue for Cricket diplomacy initiated by General Zia Ul Haq, the military dictator of Pakistan. The match ended in a draw, with Ravi Sastri taking more than an hour to move from 99 to 100. India lost that 5 match series 0-1, with the rest 4 tests in that series ending in draw.

This was not such an isolated series. Most of the test matches held in India since late 1970s ended in draws. The first and foremost is the 6 match series in 1978 at home against a 2nd string West Indian side (most of the tourist's stalwarts were playing for the Kerry Packers), ended in India winning the series 1-0, the rest 5 of them ending in draws. Following season in 1978-79,  both the 6 test match series in held in India against Australia and Pakistan ended with India winning 2-0, with rest of the tests ending in tame draws. Only 2 out of 6 matches ended with results. Now a days it will be a miracle if 2 tests in a 6 test series end in a draw - unless hampered by rain.

The 1981-82 six test India tour by England ended in the host country winning the series 1-0. I remember an English batsman Chis Tavare, who will go to sleep on the wicket, stonewalling the bowlers. In the Madras test I remember both Tavare and Gooch opned the innings. Tavare was still batting in his 20s when Gooch finished his century.

India at home then was mostly led by Sunil Gavaskar, who seemed more interested in accumulating statistics and preferred defensive cricket to eke out narrow wins while letting most tests run into action less, result less matches, ultimately at the cost of spectators who were robbed off value for their money.

The home test series in India against the visiting Pakistan in 1983 ended in an all test draw. Only the indomitable West Indies, a force to reckon with those days scored a 3 test win in a 6 test series they played in India in 83-84. The English tour of India in 1984-85 was slightly better - in the sense that the 5 test match series ended with England winning 2-1. It was for the first time, after almost a decade more tests were decisive than ended in a draw in a series played in India. (Only exception were the rookies Sri Lanka who got the test playing nation status in 1982 and lost the one match test series to India the same year).

Interestingly, it was the same visiting English team which won the 5 test match series 3-1 back in 1976-77, partly due to the Indian skipper Bisen Bedi who preferred to have sporting wickets rather and was less interested in statistics oriented dull draws.

Dull draws were not just a monopoly of tests played inside India. Pakistan had its fair share too. But they always got fired up against India at home, winning their home series against their eastern neighbors by 2-0 in a 3 test series (1978) and 3-0 in a 6 test series (1982-83).

Test matches played in Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies had their share of draws, though a whole lot compared to India. It can be attributed to bouncy tracks in Australia and West Indies, and swinging, green turfs of England and New Zealand. South Africa did not enter the Test playing scene until 1992, where far lesser number of matches ended in a draw.

So what can be attributed to the gradual decline in the number of test match draws ? Fast and foremost reason is the change in the batting style after the advent of limited over cricket, 50 over series followed by 20 overs T20 games. Batsmen are more committed to front foot and lack patience for a long stint at the wicket. The motto now is, hit out or get out, which has spilled over to the test matches.

Second reason is the improvement in quality of wickets in India. They are no more dusty, brown tracks of 1970s and 80s. The outfields are far greener, the fielders don't hesitate to dive to field better, resulting in more catches and run outs which contributes to end of the innings sooner than it used to be before. Not to mention - it has made test cricket more attractive and no one is shedding a tear or miss those good ole days of dull draws.