Trukz

Just started playing this game and seems like a good one.

Trukz

Try it out.

The bores.

It was the 12th of March 2006, placements were on at IIMB. Placements are usually like a chaotic job fair where candidates jump in and out of interviews and superbly manage to switch between how consulting is the ideal career for them to how they are exactly cut out to make money for the ibank they are interviewing for. Sometimes people end up telling Citibank how it would be the greatest honour of their life working for StanC. Yeah - you get the picture - a high stress situation for all involved. That day I was through with my first round processes for HUL (the company that eventually picked me) and was waiting for an interview with P&G ( first being told that i was not on the shortlist - they had lost my form - then being told that they would interview me - then eventually not being interviewed at all)

In between all this, I was hearing news of the Australians having piled on 434 in 50 overs at the Wanderers. Looks like another thumping win for them we discussed and rushed on to the next process. Till Gibbs took control , till Smith badgered out 90 in 55. Till suddenly it seemed as if it was a match on.

When the last 10 overs started, the placements were already secondary - Recruiters, candidates, trackers, company volunteers were all in the TV room - watching South Africa - create history - willing them to win. Willing Kallis to get out, willing Van der Wath to get those runs. Cheering every boundary as if it was India beating Pakistan in a world cup. An apocryphal story goes that one of our batchmates was called in for an interview with GS India and he told them to wait as SA charged up against the Aussies. And when they chased it down we all cheered wildly.

And it was so out of character for the South Africans. South Africans are supposed to be the most boring cricket team ever - clinical cricket minus of passion. And yet there they were launching the best offensive ever. Creating conditions to have a bunch of Indians - some of us under stress of placements - waiting there and cheering them on.

South Africans continued to choke after that match - notably in the T20 WC against India and in the WC in the Windies. But for that one match the bores of international cricket had the world on their side.

Perhaps its what Graeme Smith brings to the game. The unbridled aggression and passion for a win, for proving people wrong. And that is exactly what he set out to do on 20th Dec 2008. A record run chase in the 4th inning v.s the World No.1 Australia in their own backyard at Perth.

And outstanding century at the top and with support from everyone else, the South Africans yet again had most of the non - Australian world cheering for them. As yet again they dragged themselves out of their boring mode to a interesting team that could breathe passion into the game.

First the 387 chase at Chennai and now 414 at Perth - this has been a fantastic week for Test Cricket. Outstanding stuff.

A slow demise

We all knew that it was around the corner - just a matter of time that it had to happen. Afterall the body could only take so much abuse. Yes the best patchup possible was done to prolong the lifetime but even then, one could unmistakably sense that the end was nigh. The bandaging could only do so much after all.

Some soft hearted people could not bear to look at the sight and suggested euthanasia, but our hero, the companion of the aforesaid was unwilling - An old warhorse he said, Will go down fighting he said. Irreplacable he said. In the past he (our hero) had chosen better versions and let go his earlier faithful companions but this time he was not about to fall into the same trap he said. That they would be together till death do them apart.

Some scoffed at such indulgence, others simply poked fun, some had sympathy - some mooted the idea of gathering funds to ensure that the situation was taken care of but eventually the hero stood alone by his companion.

The kindhearted ones amongst us, hoped that the end would happen altogether, quietly without much struggle but then such wistful thinking never really comes true does it ?

We then finally received a message saying "Guys, my phone is upset with me and refuses to work on any mode apart from loudspeaker. Hence i wont be able to take your calls"

Unfortunately, the phone was dying a slow death - because in truth perhaps our hero was too miserly to let it die with dignity and honour and outright buy a new one. But no - it had to drag on and on till finally it would stop working even as a pager.

But sigh - who dare argue with one's boss especially so close to appraisal time - so we now only sms him instead of speak

Here is attached a pic of the phone in slightly happier times - when it was only bandaged up.




This we believe was the drunken night which got the phone to this condition in the first place