COVID-19 – Where do we stand, what we have done & what we should be doing!

Image courtesy: The New York Times article labeled 'The Coronavirus: What Scientists Have Learned So Far'

COVID-19: An Indian Perspective 

To begin with I would like to clarify, this article is not written by an medical expert. This article is more sort of a compilation of different dos’ and donts’ published across press media by our respected doctors and health experts. As we progress in time, new developments can override the existing observations. In the meantime, the best we can do is to follow the advice of these experts.

A. Where do we stand?

·        A figure of 6 lac reported cases, testing nearing to a crore, overall test positivity rate touching to 7%.

·        Reported cases does not translate to actual cases, so be assured the actual number of infected people is much above that.

·        All the metro cities (i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai & Kolkata) are well over the national average in terms of positivity rate.

·        We won’t see any peak, instead there will be a high plateau (in terms of number of cases).

·        Vaccines are still in development stage; many have reached in human trial phase. But it will take well more than a year to have it within the reach of common man without making any special effort.

     B. What we have done?

·        The government imposed lockdown, economic activity dried up, but it was crucial though, we bought time to fight this virus. It also, lessened the probability of death, as today we are more aware how this virus behaves, than we were three months back. (e.g. earlier impression was that the virus only multiplies cell in the lungs, now we are aware of its clotting nature as well. These findings give doctors better control while handling severe cases).

·        People of the country, by and large strictly followed the lockdown. But instances during unlock phases haven’t been that encouraging, it appeared as if government imposed lockdown for their own interest. Just remember it was always for us.

·        People of the country has panicked & overwhelmed the already fragile health care system. And this actually brings us to the point of our next segment What we should be doing to avoid future miscarriage of our health care.

    C. What we should be doing?

·        On day to day basis we should be following the checklist of MIDAS.

M- Wear Mask;

I- Stay Indoors if it’s not essential to go outside

D- Ensure social Distancing at populous and work place

A-     Stay Aware, updated with the developments related to COVID-19

S- Sanitize everything you can (remember soap solution also acts as sanitizer)

·        Taking cue from the MIDAS, this article is going to focus on making ourselves Aware  of this diseases beahviour (as experienced till date).

·        CASE 1: Being Asymptomatic

o   On being exposed to COVID-19, if you are infected yet not showing any symptom.

o   Treatment/ hospitalisation not required.

o   Just remember one can still infect someone else while being asymptomatic, although contagiousness level might be less (again no concrete proof for the same). Hence do follow MIDAS.

·        CASE 2: Pre-symptomatics or mild cases

o   This is subset of symptomatic, more of an early phase of symptomatic but severity level being mild.

o   Symptoms like loss of smell or taste, cough, fever & body ache.

o   Hospitalisation not required. Medication just to manage the fever and body ache. Tele consultation can be done.

o   Duration of symptom will last for 2- 3days.

·        CASE 3: Symptomatic moderate

o   Extension of case 2 symptoms topped up with shortness of breath brings you here.

o   Requires medical attention- not necessarily in hospital. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) definitely not required.

o   Oxygen supply required to the patient. Portable oxygen concentrator is one of the solution to it.

o   Practice of Pronation can be beneficial and may avert the requirement of aggressive medical treatment. [Pronation is exercise of lying flat on belly, which allows to open the air chambers at back of lungs, providing more oxygen to your blood].

·        CASE 4: Symptomatic severe

o   Continued shortness of breath in symptomatic patients turning into abrupt requirement of ventilators.

o   Requires intensive treatment, as ventilator breathing requires direct connection with windpipe of human body & machine operation demands expert technician.

As we have gone through the four different cases, lets see what number speaks for them. It is expected that for every 1000 infected cases, 3 to 4 will land up to CASE 4, 15 to 20 will experience CASE 3, while the rest will be restricted to CASE 2 & CASE 1.

So its’ prudent for CASE 1 & 2 people to take care and preserve the limited resource of healthcare facilities for CASE 3 & 4 people. In fact there have been examples of Dharavi (Indias’ largest and densely populated slum) & state of Kerala where hyper-local response and context driven strategy¹ has helped in non-escalation of the situation.

Given the population of our country being so large it is quite natural that the absolute number of reported cases of infection, recovery & death will be very large compared to any other country in the world. The more prominent question should be at what rate?

Note 1: Context driven strategy is governed by the widespread check of oxygen level saturation in the blood. Based on the results, sorting and segregation being done. People with less oxygen level in the blood (general cut off 95%, severity cut off 90%), being tested and treated accordingly.

Sources: The Hindu,The Indian Express, BCG reports

UP & CLOSE

Because nobody knew how far we will go,

To pluck the emotions, that resided in those woods.

Because nobody knew how close we were,

To see that smile transpiring into laugh, echoes filling endlessly. 

We were fire, we were wind,

We never frayed of banter and grind.

We glided along the air that breathe,

We were embroidery, full, wreathe. 

Because everbody knows how far we can go,

To settle the equations of all these years.

Because everybody knows how close we are, 

To vanquish that anger and recalcitrant tears.

Because nobody knows... .

99,200 sqkm on sale!

Dear Justice Markandey Katju

Your interim report to Supreme Court (an excerpt) reads:

..In Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ there was a character called Queen of Hearts. Whenever she sees anybody, she shouts “off with his head”. When someone said what about first issuing a charge-sheet, holding a trial and giving a verdict, she replied “all that can come later, first off with his head.” I regret to say that the Supreme Court bench as well as Lodha Committee have behaved like the Queen of Hearts. ..

When I read this I get the impression that you are certainly one of those professionals who has a good habit of bringing practical examples in their explanation with a touch of humour. In your illustrious career, this nature of yours might have a helped a lot- to become more of a cogent. Many would have acquiesced to the masterstrokes you have and have been playing, but then that is concerned with your profession and you have full right to do so.

Sir when I google your name, I see the box on right- a man with peppered hair and then your very unqualified sale offer of states of Union of India. Sir I would like to confirm, was that really you! Because that remark almost pushed me in the state of stupor. You appeared such a profligate that even Mr. Mallya would feel shy of himself.

You said Pakistan could get Kashmir if it was ready to take Bihar as well. If this was humour, then let me tell you, circumstances are not so to entertain this joke of yours. Sir there are various Stand Up comedians who have brought such similar instances in their act. So if this was an attempt to bring some indigenous humour it was a fail, atleast for the youth who find all this ‘just for laugh’ on YouTube on regular basis. Yes you might have impressed your 65+ cadre. Secondly, your role in society is not to act so lame and somnolent. And certainly there is not going to be any ‘Comedy Nights with Katju’ in near future.  

 Thirdly, why Bihar? So your conscience says that the state of Bihar is of almost no value. Not only that you tried to highlight that the state is in such a negation that when you attach it with another even the seeker would think of having the deal. Sir it’s not your mistake, I understand you just re-casted that sordid feeling, with which this state has been seen, ever since independence. The same repetitive recitation has led to credence in the mind of Bihari’s themselves that their state is in a bad shape. And this mentality is degrading Bihar.

Sir if the idea was to offer a bad deal so that there is no deal. Then the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh comprising Lucknow (your birthplace) wasn’t a bad idea at all. Most of the government policies fail due to burden of population… I hope you got the hint. Less people easy management. If not that you could have given Punjab- an addicted state with almost equivalent ‘gunda raj’ by politicians. Or maybe the barren state of Rajasthan with hardly any population bordering Pakistan, ensuring easy transfer. Talking of crime Haryana and Delhi NCR would have given a good deal. Sir if I continue like this almost all Indian states will stand a fair chance to get into the deal of yours, but why only Bihar.

Sir by enumerating these problems I have no intention to ask for the substitution of state in your joke. My request is to eradicate the rancour that settles down there in your heart towards the state of Bihar and stand with solidarity.

In your following posts you rightly said of ‘cheer-haran’ with Bihar. The state resources has been leeched, there is a whole act of buccaneering going on. But we Biharis are very polite and subservient, we won’t go to UN for this. We believe in trouble shooting not trouble creating and hence stand for nation with full integrity and fraternity.

Sir through your humour you asked for something impossible. From morning till evening, in office to market you are surrounded by Bihar. Ponder over it, this joke might bring laugh on the face of few but that won’t last long either. We need you to act as one of the tutelary of this nation, not as any other vagabond college boy!

All the best for your case with BCCI against Lodha panel.

With all this I feel Mr. Nitish Kumar will say that I am trying to become the ‘mai baap’ of Bihar, sitting at home.

BEING LOST

With the sliding of hand

Every second passing by;

Felt drown in whirl of sand

Away from commotion, he lie.

Thinking of past in cubbyhole

Cloying the mind with stories

Still perplexed, though life rolls

Writing another allegory.

Unknown about offerings of life

Every past, surrounds as fetter;

Fighting with own strife

Head & eye down with deter.

Strolling in woods of dreams

Long ago heard those paean;

Stuck like stucco, nothing that gleams

Every hope turning barren.

No vibraton passes through

Air which envelopes, is callous

Leaping over present, which is true

No oomph, an empty canvass.

Neither waits for compassion

Nor lured by worldly shimmer

Keeping away from close liasion

Heard & felt those cluck & tremor.

MOMENT WITH FEATHER

These dark clouds

Looks in hurry

One of the teddy's ear

Just hung over.

A piegon's grown up feather

Falling from high above

Performing a swing up and down

Settles into the window groove.

The breeze blew past

Tickling these feathers

Asking them to come with

Adamant! just enjoys the tickle.

They have turn windy

Tearing the white apart

Can feel those exertion

On soft hairy creature.

She wants to fly

Stuck in those iron grooves

An intense blow directed at the root

She is free to move.

She sways with the wind

Does an airy somersault

Ah! the wind is gone

She falls wightless

Again! dingling and turning...

Wishing a goodbye

There she fell...Again! started swaying

Like the pollen in field

As the wind blew.

ONGC GT 2013: It happens!

22nd June 2014

A normal dawn here in Mumbai. Thanks to these examination, our generation is able to see it.

Lot of fuss being created about the examination, paper leak and sectional cut off. Well on my part things are clear and I don't feel there is anything to bother about, as in the advertisement there is no mentioning of sectional cut off, though interview will have a separate cut off. And as far as paper leak is concerned authorities are there to look at it, hopefully they are no way near re- examination till now, many speculating in a positive sense that the paper was changed (if so). 

After getting all these clear, there still remains the biggest fuss about answers. I don't have the tendency to do it, but this time I am doing it, just going against the conventions of my blog. 

Answers that I will be discussing is of Mechanical only, and '*' mark are those which are doubtful, rest is correct to best of my knowledge. Here it goes:

1. Critical path- longest time

2. Scheduling technique for one to one matching - Assignment method

3.  Models that include - Mathematical models*

4. Dividing quick assets- Acid test ratio *

5. Body subjected to ... maximum normal stress - 1400 MPa

6. NOT goal of knowledge base system - increase of response time.

7. T = I alpha

8. Critical extent of fire damage- confusion between Wind speed or all the options

9. Zero value of resultant- Equilibrium 

10. Steel bar free to expand - No Stress

11. Bolt of uniform strength- the shank is turned down to a diameter....

12. Enlarge a hole- Boring

13. NOT charac of good info- Info must reduce certainty

14. Young's Modulus - (C)

15. Inventory refers to- Stock

16. Force per unit length - Surface tension

17. Reduce instrument error- 10 to 1 *

18. Magnitude of polar modulus- strength in resisting torsion

19. Full annealing - (C)

20. Neutral axis of beam - zero

21. MIS constraints - Manager

22. Projection weld - Resistance welding

23. Flow ratio of Francis - 0.15 to 0.3

24. Orthogonal cutting- 2-Dimensional 

25. Effect of output rise- average fixed cost falls as long as output rises

26. Term Operation Research - 1940

27. NOT depreciation - Land

28. Minimum molecular weight - Hydrogen

29. Oxy fuel welding - Acetylene * maybe LPG 

30. Pelton wheel - Tangential Impulse

31. Couple produces- Rotational motion only

32. Pabs= 26.03 bar

33. Gauging sections- Limit gauge*

34. Simple Pendulum- increases by a factor of 1.414

35. Stress reversal without rupture- Endurance limit

36. Specific speed - 82.4rpm

37. Four basic configuration- Spherical/ Polar

38. Incandescent light bulb- 10% *

39. Industrial axiom - most accidents are caused by unsafe behavior

40. Isothermal - Boyle's Law

41. Velocity factor of gears - 0.75/(0.75 + v^1/2)

42. Transient conduction - varies with time.

43. Cam used to minimise jerks- Parabolic *

44.  m+n-1

45. File that contains important info- routing file * or item master file

46. Flywheel - storing up energy

47. Degree of freedom in a structure - no idea

48. Ability of a material to resist fracture - Toughness

49. Hazard which .... minor injury- CAUTION 

50. Rotameter- flow rate

51. Furnace- 0.1 m

52. Man stands on weighing scale- more than true weight

53. Operation research - decision making

54. Transfer of heat by molecular collision- Conduction 

55. Purpose of safety stock- control the likelihood of a stock out due to the variability of demand during lead time.

56. Spare parts inventory- VED analysis 

57. Perpetual Inventory- Every Production run *

58. Arc is covered by a layer of flux- SMAW

59. Delta iron- between 1400 to 1539

60. Austenitic stainless steel - 18% Cr 8% Ni

61. Graphite iron- Grey CI

62. Biomass as a fuel- WOOD STOVE

63. Electromagnetic pulse welding - 1967

64. Specific gravity- 0.8

65. Action of external forces - Forced closed pair

66. New product design- User friendly system *

67. Evaporative cooling- Air is cooled and humidified

68. FMS- Mid variety mid volume

69. VOLTAGE- pressure applied to move electron in circuit

70. Three S- Standardization, Simplification and Specialization 

71. Complete balancing- Primary and secondary force polygon must close *

72. Basic feasible solution- m+n-1

73. Discontinuous chips- Brittle

74. I centre- n(n-1)/2

75. Heat exchanger- 0.58

76. NOT an element of feedback loop- Not to evaluate effectiveness *

77. MSD- Musculo Skeletal Disorder

78. PERT- Programme Evaluation and Review Tech.

79. Cylinder - mr^2/2*

80. Natural convection - Grashoff number

Coming to the aptitude part , i feel that relation question has two correct answers both B and C. Odd one out was completely out of frame, INVEST: SAVING:: PLATINUM : METAL most probably. Then 'impossible to work with', lives, is living or may be has been living. The ,the the 

Compiled- collected, in on, some advantage, assiduous- diligent, deciders- competitive exam, balanced diet- sustain energy levels, flying colours triumph, 68521, I and II are alike, VNVITVMXB, (B) figure, (n^3-n^2)(2n-1), 18, 190%, 23:30, 1, 60, 4 min, 13.4 %, 16 2/3%, 3:2, 64 mins, 0 (as the number is 74488248 which is exactly divisible by 72). That manager question I felt like manipulating the customer that the registration of the car has been delayed. 

So these are the answers which I think are correct except those * marked to the best of my knowledge, for GK questions just hover a bit on Google and you will find it, though you could have done the same for technical part too, but GK answers are much obvious and easily available. 

I won't speak of cutoff because I have given it for the first time, but there should be two question which should be checked firstly, that of Power and Distance unit, if the attempt is wrong for these two, I feel the OMR should be stacked out of the competition. 

Enjoy and cheers :)

For G K answers can visit  ONGC GT 2013 GK Answers

ONGC GT 2013:It happens contd.

Just for ease :

1.What does Entomology study Insects 2.Who was founder of mauryan empire chandragupta 3.When was Sahitya Academy established 1954 4.Santosh Trophy is related with Football 5.Best Film Award in Filmfare Award 2013 Barfi 6.When was Indian National Congress Founded 1885 7.What can be maximum Strength of Rajya Sabha 250 8.Who laid the foundation of the Indian National Movement along with the formation of Indian Association at Calcutta in 1876 Surendranath Banarjee 9.Who was founder of Khilji Dynasty Jalaluddinn Khilji 10.Who was Author of Bhramar Geet Surdas 11.Who has been named as All India Football Federation Player of 2013 Sunil Chhetri 12.Which soil is also called as Regur Black Soil 13.Kohima is capital of Nagaland 14.Who is author of Godan Munshi Premchand 15.Who was chairman of Drafting Commitee of Contituent Assembly B r Ambedkar 16.Baba Budan Hills are famous for Coffee 17.Where is Manas Tiger Reserve Assam 18.Where was Winter Olympics 2014 held Sochi 19.Largest State Areawise Rajasthan 20.Ankaleshwar is famous for Petroleum 21.Sahitya Academi Yuva Puraskar 2013 in Konkani Yogani borkar 22.Sharda Act is Related to Child Marriage 23.Merlin Award is Given in the field of Magic 24.First Atomic Plant in India Tarapur 25.Chairman of NABARD Harsh Kumar Bhanwala 26.Who elects Lok Sabha Speaker Members of Lok Sabha 27.Winner of macau open badminton 2013 PV Sandhu 28.Balaghat Mines are Situated in Madhya Pradesh 29.Author of Devdas Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay 30.Who was worshiped by Indus Valley Civilization Indra or pashupati not sure bcoz i found both in different books so lets leave that on ongc 31.Who invented X-rays William Rontegen 32.When was Vijaynagar Kingdom Estd. 1336 33.What is unit of Power Watt 34.In Which century Chola Kingdom Declined 13th 35.Hardest Part of Human Body Enamel 36.Birth Place of Munshi Premchand Lamhi Uttar pradesh 37.Sahitya Academy Main Award 2013 Mridula Garg 38.What is Unit of distance meter 39.When was Bengal Partitioned 1905 40.CV Raman was given Nobel in 1930

2014 April 6th (Diary Excerpt)

6^th April 2014

Morning full of positivity with whole night filled with all the memories. Today feeling after coming out of the bed was none less than one we have after watching a blockbuster movie full of action, drama, suspense, romance and comedy at large. My morning air is in complete sync with old melodies and I am just writing this diary for an accord…. ‘Chalte Chalte yunhi koi mil gya tha… mera yaar chalte chalte…’

Till now I have not been able to quantify by how much life has changed since last week with two back to back results, though reactions from people around me, faculty and relatives just give a feeble signal of change, I will have to wait to get amplified version of it. I won’t say I am satisfied with my performance but yes I am happy. The lily will be out of calyx in few days’ time.

Now while writing this I have realized how variegated life is, at one moment it gives you things you want but slowly seeps out something, always hiding the utter nature of hers. “You walk, you run and again walk, move ahead far and far but always punched back and way back into the time with memories and moments whirling around you.”

Today as soon as the sun turns orange on west I will be leaving this college campus for last time as student (though will remain a student always in the institution called life) and I am getting the same feeling which I got when I left Doon after my tenth grade. Though people and institution changed, the way I lived life with all of them remained same. And in return what I got was always on the better side, can’t compare actually.

Wherever you live the interaction is dual classified. One is within family and then rest of the community comprising of friends and relatives. So when it comes to the former term, a name strikes called ‘CLUB 93’.What should I say now! Well it would be complete injustice to enumerate what we did together since those introductory first semester till date (will continue to do so), in these few paragraphs. Even those photographs and videos won’t be enough I must say. It all started with unprecedented trips & celebrations, continued with jokes, night walks, pranks, dance, biking, adventure, pool parties, cricket matches, chill in train, failed attempt of getting drunk, unending discussions & madness…… all support, love, care, brotherly fights accepted from heart.

It’s getting too long for today and more than that I am choking…

Few things I will miss badly short cricket matches, after dinner walk per metering the admin and hostels, forcing people to sit on the ‘pahari’ (buffer) to admire the beauty of sunset, road behind hostel on lake side, major project and yes pranking with strangers (to mention in bus from Mawli to Dabok)…..

India will win today MSD will play a great knock, just because I am travelling and I won't witness it live.

Mumbai is waiting. 

CAG MANTHAN VOTING

Kal ki aawaz hai kamzor

Chalta hai kisi aur ka zor

Padha likha kar

Swasth bana kar

Bharat ka kal tu roshan kar!

Aa karien Aa Karien 

Milkar Shor!

Kamzor na parey mere Manthan ki ye dor....

Every time now and then we blame our politicians for this country's worsen situation and why not? But have you ever thought of doing on your part. If not you, we have done it. Support us! through your precious votes. Support us, to put your voice at national stage. We will make sure that every vote gets justified. This time it won't be a waste.

The links are as follows:

(1) For improving the quality of primary education in India
http://indiancag.org/manthan/entry/falcons

(2) For electoral reforms http://indiancag.org/manthan/entry/impeccable-reformers


(3) To realize the growth potential of North Eastern States
http://indiancag.org/manthan/entry/rudraksh

You have to click 'vote' on the tab below the presentation not the one at top.
Ensure that once you have voted, total vote count appears at the same place and the tab will turn green, otherwise re try 2-3 times ;)

This is not a spam.
Voting procedure is very easy, it's just that you should vote using your any of the social networking website i.e. Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
There is a orange tab written VOTE you have to click on it and go through a simple two step process.

PLEASE VOTE AS EVERY VOTE WILL MAKE US STRONG!

p.s. It might happen that the voting server may be down so you can try to refresh the page, or try after sometime.
EXPECTING A STRONG SUPPORT!
THANK YOU. :)

THEY HAVE GROWN UP!

With the wake of the time,

Along morning bird's rhyme;

They have changed...

A lot and broad...

Tiny twigs, with many around

Allowing the sun rays to pass them by

Felt afraid they will fall by

Supported with old dead log.

With passing of time...

They have changed...

Like a human child

Into the wild.

Gardener's love filled within

Inching up with lazy grin;

Oh! They left it...

Now they are free.

Yet not full on their hold

A gust with it's mightness

Ready to carry them along

To my surprise they resisted it!

With passing of time...

They have changed...

Up like a teenager

Carrying a savour.

Few summer past monsoon

Searching their roots under noon

Twigs have turned too muscular

Leaves are denser and greener too.

Now they are prudent of their own

Provides shelter to many chirp-ons

Beneath I am, writing this ...

With the passing of time...

They have changed...

Like a human child

Into world's wild. 

Everything (it) ends in silence !

From big to small

Everday's crawl

A priest's chant

Dimunitive lant...

It all ends up in silence!

A flute playing among dust 

No one to fill the air;

Thirsty is it's neck

Wriggling to get wet

So unfortunate it is!

A brook so young in hills

Flaunting it's rage in Himalayan chill;

Meet it's equanimity in plains

Approaches the deltus slain

Ending up it's journey...

The dawn was never so young

Accompanied with chirping decibel

Rose pink skies has lot to offer 

It will change with time's rebel

And here comes the dusky dusk...

Everything (it) ends in silence

Even we lifeless and empty;

It marks strength and guilt

With many more stories to be built,

It's the greatest truth and it will end up too! 

"The water in the vessel is sparkling; the water in the sea is dark.

The small truth has words which are clear; the greatest truth has great silence."

-Rabindranath Tagore

Emptiness

Whenever alone it comes by the side

Breaking all feeling and emotion 

Makes you everything hide

It make life an elision.

Stultifies more and more

Carves a desolate out

Embosses a cancan into a old matinee tout;

It's a dark calyx 

Never come under it's shadow

It steal maverick person 

With an elm yet to grow.

Using a halter, to lead

Staining the cambric with it's dark deed

Writes an idyll full of desolation

You become an easel 

With no artist around 

Halyon you were

Loomy you are;

It surrounds! 

HAD IT BEEN 20

“When you win you needn’t to explain when you lose you should not there be to explain.” 
-Hitler

Many things in life start getting importance, if not importance then at least an unforgettable story, for which you never thought much off. College cricket is the one of those for me.

13^th March 2013
Semifinals of the cricket league (spanned over two semesters, for first time it was). This prolonged spanning resulted in few changes in the format of the tournament as well as many changes in the form of players in there. Talking of my own form at first I was a bit slow on footwork maybe because of the chilling winter but as the winters faded they improved. Apart from those, a good knock in the city just before the semis lifted the confidence and it was brimming up and up. 

In the practice, was feeling comfortable against all balls except a few which drifted towards leg. We had sessions of practice not with our own team but with the players of opposition too. Well speaking of opposition, I just wanted to say that this semi was a final before final.

Everything was well set, was determined to win and had the potential too. And suddenly comes the twist, at the very beginning, that due to some unprecedented reasons the 20-20 format has been curtailed to 16-16 (big hand of cricket politics I must confess). It shook me at first, at that time only I felt the plot was lost. Braced myself up and the team and thought that okay! No problem it’s going to be the same for both the team, though it wasn’t. I mean how come we can have tournaments where league matches and knock outs have different span. To be very frank this was my 21^st tournament of life and 3^rd of this college but never saw such things.

Let’s see how it proceeded.

Now being an active member of the club, I was having the role of doing markings and linings of the ground with some other members. Just a day before our semifinal, another decider was to be played so we had to the marking a day before. Under the scorching sun with handkerchiefs around the mouth with dark spots of sweat on it, we were on our job. I was thinking of something in mind and soon it happened when it came to lining of pitch with the remark “take 19(in metres)” instead of 20.5 metres. After few instances of argument, even I thought let them be happy and how much it will affect and settled in for 19.5 metres.

The D-day arrived, as usual my team captain kept waiting the opponent for the toss. He has got some serious traits of Nadal and Ganguly in doing that. Don’t know whether it’s a trick to play with the patience of the opponent when stakes were so high or just a habit. To be honest I as a captain never did so and has been rewarded for those punctuality by winning every toss! (Well I am exaggerating here, I have lost a few but those can be counted). As I said captains are rewarded for their punctuality and hence the opponent won the toss and elected to bat first. I was happy at that time because I love to chase irrespective of the pitch conditions. And this pitch of our college has hardly favoured batting second (another one).

It was time to make team hurdle, to discuss and few words of motivation. Well for me it was simple don’t make them play those 16 because from my past experience I always believed that our opponents were an excellent bowling side but not that good at batting, if you make them struggle a bit they will struggle hard at large. I was confident that our bowlers will do it, but as I have already mentioned that things were at high stake and these situation makes you nervous, though I wasn’t so (don’t know why, usually a bit of it helps you). A sudden change of body language did happen one of the bowler remarked “we don’t have to take wickets just get the dot balls.” On hearing that in my mind I was like what the f**k, cmon!!offence is the best defence and that too against a medium ranged batting side you are bound to attack and attack hard they don’t even get time to realise what happened but it was all nervousness that was taking the game away from of us. Innings started and opponent were going at a descent pace, but as already mentioned that they were not a strong batting side as their bowling was and hence chances erupted at the early stages and later too, but it was series of blunders that left us with nothing more than regretting. After a mixed game of play largely dominated by our opposition they posted a mammoth target of 150 in 16 for us. What was interesting to know is that my analysis about our opposition proved very accurate they were 8 down and around 3 to 4 easy chances were dropped. And most of the cricketers out there can understand what dropping chances at any stage of match do to the course of match. In the given scenario I projected of 80-90 all out.

It was innings break, I was preparing my mind with some unwanted fuzz going around (there I felt that we need a dressing room very badly or atleast some segregation from spectators). I just said to the two openers “just attack” I will manage at back, giving them confidence to hit hard. This time they didn’t disappointed me and it was attack from the very first ball, with six we started. They continued the momentum and you can get the idea of how strong we were against such an excellent bowling attack- the best of our college. We hurried into 60s in just 6 overs bowled without any loss of wicket and any shot played in fuss. Everyone was excited and the worst part was even I was. 

With around the score of 90s by the end of 11^th over we were cruising and then first wicket fall. I know it slowed a bit but..what could have been done. After the fall it was my time to go out there and live up to the expectations. I always loved to play in these situation where you need to hit at least two on every ball. During my game stay in Delhi, I used to do this job more often from opening till the end. But in college team most of the time I played a role where I take time to settle and then get the run over the par rate. I was excited and this anti nature played the trick. Off the very first ball I was thinking of hitting boundaries, and the situation demanded it too. Coincidence was that I was facing the bowler which I have practiced the most in the nets during this semester (Frankly speaking this I came to know after the match, at that time I was so much concentrated on ‘hitting’ thing that I didn’t even realised who the bowler was!). Coming out of the crease I tried to cut a good length delivery, nicked it and got out. It was all blank and black. And soon we lost it. Surrounded by pain and a numb feeling. I looked up in sky, smiled and said “Once again” and left for post match proceedings.

19^th March 2013

Tomorrow morning I have my minor exams. It’s been exactly a week after. I don’t want to give explanation to anyone for what happened a week before. But people out there demand, and I rarely respond to those but a remark from the guard of our college “Mein aaya tha wahan par dekhne ke liye, lekin aap to pehle hi ball pe out ho ke chale gaye” followed by a moment of complete silence with a smiling face made me realise if not to everyone but atleast to myself I need to. It was that 20 which actually made the difference if I look into way behind the actual stage where it all happened. I won’t say result would have been different, but I have learnt, things which you consider insignificant turns out to be more significant many a times.

By looking up in the sky it was not God for me, it was life’s vastness; which made me realise that never leave the feet off the ground, every time I will do it, I will be pulled back to struggle and achieve once again from a new beginning.