Sachin's Retirement - The Stupidest Question Post World Cup 2011

Just as the euphoria of winning the World Cup is settling down and someone who has played such a huge role in this scheme of things is addressing a press conference comes this stupid question. Are you thinking of retirement? Why would anyone who has seen him bat, field and bowl with such intensity and commitment in the past few days ask such a question is what beats me. Is there something missing here? Is that a question to ask now? Is your whole idea of a press conference a place to make the celebrity feel uncomfortable, defensive? I would dearly love to know who this great stalwart is who asked this question at this time. Really. If there was an award for inappropriate and mediocre behavior, this takes the cake.

Let me put this in perspective. I find that our cricket journalists and the viewing public behind them are obsessed with this retirement thing. The moment a new prodigy comes on the big stage, they seem to be eager to predict, if not, manipulate the retirement as soon as they can. Why this obsession with retirement in certain areas - specially cricket? I think many players in the earlier eras might have retired early because of these mistaken notions and ideas spread by these journalists whose knowledge of the game is minimal - few have played the game at first class cricket. 99% are really not qualified to cover cricket. And to make up for their short fall in knowledge they ask banal questions like this. Does anyone ask you to retire Mr. journalist because you wrote a couple of bad pieces? You seem to do that for years and years. Do politicians retire, dancers, artists, writers..anyone before their prime? The only indication is of performance and that many of the people in paid jobs take for granted - they do not retire even as they do not perform!

I find it intriguing. Firstly there should really be no place for mediocrity in such important press meets. The propriety and the sanctity should always be maintained in the aftermath of such a huge event, when someone of such stature is addressing you. This is a question one can ask in a one off interview when one is reflecting, recounting on a more personal basis. This conference was a stage to celebrate, to find out the way we can also excel, we can also be at our best after twenty grueling years, we can also counter people who have written us off and come back and play like a commoner, challenge yourself to be as good as everyone else and not pass off as the senior pro because you can bat well. This is where Sachin is truly great because unlike many of his seniors who have slacked off in their later years and grew flab around their middles once they knew they were big enough to take things for granted, he has always challenged himself to the limit, not because he wants to prove a point, but because he genuinely wants to contribute to the team's good. In fact in a team where the younger players have some girth around their middle (Yuvraj, Zaheer, Harbahjan, Sreesanth, Sehwag all showed some signs of adding weight), he looks tremenddously fit.

There is no reason to ask the question. There is no need for eager television channels to flash news as 'Sachin evades question of retirement'. It just shows how some sections of our people have not learnt discretion and propriety. In his current form few can match his contribution to this side. But more importantly I now believe that he has earned himself the right to go when he wants to and not when someone else wants him to. I say this not because I am one of those delirious Sachin fans but because I feel that he will be the first one to step down once he feels that his contribution to the team may affect the team's performance by even one notch. If he had listened to doomsday predictions of he should retire and hung up his boots instead of chasing his dream of winning the World Cup, we might not have won this World Cup. By being there, by constantly showing the way and surely by sending signals of how desperately he wanted to win this Cup, he raised the spirit of the youngsters and that's what did the trick. Remember, almost everyone in the tam said this was for Sachin.

Sachin is good enough to play on for as long as he likes. And for guys who are contemplating the question, there should now be a law which allows the security men to chuck them out of the room. He has earned himself some peace from this kind of irresponsible haranguing. If you have nothing better to do, learn from him. If you cannot do that leave him alone and stop trying to put ideas. Thankfully he is as good a judge of questions and the mischief behind them as he is of cunning deliveries - and he leaves them alone.

2015? Who knows? Only he does. All he has to do is make up his mind and once he makes up his mind, he puts enough energy behind it to make it happen.

And Now it's Airtel Digital - Awful Customer Service

As with so many things these days we get something that is attached to another thing which you really don't want. But since they are giving it away anyway you take it and then you wonder why you did. So I got a Sony tv that messed up a couple of my days because everyone was acting and behaving like its the first time they handled tv's. (Or is it just me?) But anyway, Sony had a offer with it, a Airtel HD digital connection for three months so we can all enjoy wonderful HD stuff from Airtel on our wonderful new tv. It all looked delicious!

Soon as the Sony chap told us we were to deal exclusively with Airtel for the second part of the deal we looked up the coupon and to figure that out. It had a scratch card part which hid a number and then you take this information and maybe some info about the Sony tv and get your account recharged for some 1000 bucks. It's simple 1) call toll free 2) go to website or 3) go to any local airtel office or dealer and get it recharged. So we tried option 1 and this was a particularly difficult toll free where no one would answer and the phone would mysteriously get cut off after a couple of exchanges. Then we got on the net and did almost everything except that the payment gateway, for some unknown reason, did not process the transaction. Sick of all this we decided to go to the friendly neighbourhood dealer. There were hundreds of them, only they were phone dealers and not digital tv guys. Digital tv guys were hard to fin, two consumer durable shops, big ones, said they had no recharge facility and by then we had floated far away from home. We found a regular airtel office and hoped they could help us but they also directed us to two options. One a shop further down the road and another, a phone number of a dealer who would come home and do it all. Of course the number of the dealer would not work. So we searched high and low for this dealer, found him, paid the money and forgot to take his number because we thought it was all under control and all we had to do is call airtel and they'd come swarming all over like in the Videocon ad and fix it up.

The airtel toll free lady said the account was zero. Please go and check with the dealer. Now dealer is six kms away and we just came back. Dealer had carefully omitted his contact number in the receipt, toll free does not have his number and the airtel website has o number. Sick to the core and cursing ourselves for not taking down his number, we got a friends to go and get his number. Upon consenting to speak at his own time, he kindly let us know that it had some problem with the system and once the charge is credited he would sms. Of course we gave it up. But sms came and then we called the airtel toll free and this time, there is no answer. We sent an sms or something and they were to call which they did not and by now we were quite comfy with the whole thing and forgot about it over the weekend.

Today, we finally got it all together. Call went through, person picked up, all recharge etc in place. He confirmed that it was all good and we could expect someone to come over and install the dish on the 8th! I mean the recharge is done on the 2nd, the order confirmed on the 4th and the installation is on the 8th. I cannot believe that they take that long - or is it just because it is part of this scheme? I nodded philosophically. I only wish they don't show me so many Videocon DTH ads on tv about their lightning fast service. Makes me want to reach out. But what the heck - it is probably me!

And tell you what, if you are not blogging, start doing it right now and spill it all out about such experiences. Believe me, it gets it out of your system and also puts some feedback on the internet for customers and the service providers!

India's World Cup Lessons - Leadership From Dhoni

This goes to all leaders I guess be it in the political arena, the corporate job, school cricket team or even at home. Much will be discussed and analysed of Dhoni's captaincy in the days and years to come because rarely has one seen a leader of such remarkable cool and clarity. But to go back to some snatches of what I have heard and what I saw and read, these are things that Dhoni teaches by his acts.

• Believe in your team and the resources available - and back them fully (bowling Yuvraj as a frontline bowler is unbelievable)
• Delegate jobs, roles and responsibilities to teammates clearly - and don't fret your head after you have done it (it's their job, Gautam's job was to stay till the end)
• Play for the higher goal and be clear about that to everyone - in this case they played for the country (players must realise that they are playing for the country and not for the crowd)
• Stay in the present, not in the past or the future (this team did not make the Super 8s last World Cup and also fared badly at the T20 World Cup so they had to get over that)
• Take the pressure off the team - right from day one he has said that India was favourites but anything could happen, it's just a game
• Made each one back and trust each other - how they did it is a mystery but they did get everyone to take on another's responsibility if they did not deliver on a given day - Raina, Kohli, Zaheer, Gambhir, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Sachin - everyone did it for the team when there was a crisis
• Made them play as if their lives depended on it - another great mystery from a side that looked ragged and patchy, cometh the big day and they all fell, into place like some clockwork - Raina, Yuvraj and Kohli fielded like tigers, Zaheer bowled the best first spell of the tournament possibly nad Gambhir, Dhoni and Kohli took away all Lankan hopes clinically. Somewhere he managed to make them all aware that they were all equally responsible for winning the Cup
• Stepped up his own game when needed and led from the front, batted through the pain barrier
• Accepted his mistakes

An intriguing quality of Dhoni is that he is quick to give merit and blame wherever concerned. Not the sort who says, I will take all the blame when it goes wrong and share all the credit. He shares both blame and credit. He also appears, like he said, to be rooted in the present. In which case, he would already have moved on from the World Cup frenzy to other things in life!

Zorba the Greek - Magnificent Read

This book is a one of a kind. It is unusual, has great depth and fantastic characters and makes you wonder every now and then at the questions it poses. It is something you read, stop, and then chew on it, stare into the far skies, assimilate what he has said and then continue reading again. I started reading this sometime ago, and plodded through it for a long time now, mainly because it is written in a style that is alien, different, and also the character Zorba changes colours by the minute, making it difficult to get a hold on him. You never do because Zorba comes and goes of his own will.

Zorba the Greek

'Zorba the Greek' written by Nikos Kazantzakis is an intriguing story of a Greek who has seen the world. An ageing workman who knows many skills, has seen many places, worked in different places, met many people and most importantly who has figured out through his own diverse experiences in this world, his heart's rhythm. He joins the narrator, a sensitive writer, a man of books and someone who is seeking to find answers to his own life on an expedition to Crete where they start a lignite mine. Zorba convinces the narrator that he can make the best soup and has worked in a lignite mine before. Intrigued by this strange man, the narrator picks him as his assistant and so starts this wonderful journey where Zorba lays bare his soul. And what a soul - vibrant and courageous, full of love and life.

Zorba is a man who has cut off his finger because he felt that it was obstructing the playing of his santuri, his beloved instrument that he plays only when he feels that it is ready to play. He is a man who can never see a woman (the female of the species) in distress and who thinks that it is a sin to deny a woman who wants intimacy. And he has known many women, widows, married women, young girls and he loves and cares for each of them in the same intimate way as he does his santuri. He is a man who believes that a man can express himself best when he dances, and dance he does, like the devil, his whole body getting into the act until the entire story is told. Zorba has fought wars, murdered men, raped women and has figured out that there is nothing like fighting for one's country if all it means is killing an innocent in its name. He believes that god and devil are the same. He believes that we are this way because we do everything by halves and not once do we do anything fully as the god desires us to. Zorba believes that there are three types of men and they are distinguished by what they do with the food they eat - whether they waste it in sloth, or convert it into work and good humour or the best kinds of all, who do the work of god. Zorba fights a mob that wants to kill a beautiful widow alone, without caring for his life, cares intimately for the old, haggard Boubolina, his new girl friend who unfortunately dies, but in happiness knowing that Zorba is around, builds the cable car in an effort to make money for his 'boss'. Zorba eats, drinks, sings, dances, makes love, laughs and cries (I can cry in front of men boss, but not in front of women because it hurts them) like every man wishes he could. And this is only so much I can write, he is much more, a great multi layered character of the kind you would not meet. He is the man one reads of in fables, a creation that the author has delivered with great care. There may not be another of such depth and energy, so full of life and ideas and so much love and laughter.

It is a magnificent read. But take your time. Imbibe it. Keep your pen ready for each time Zorba speaks, he speaks such profound stuff in such simple words, in such lyrical manner that you want to go back to it. There is no other way to reproduce it - those words that the author has used are the only words that make sense. It is a sensational piece of work work - one that no one else can write. Once you read it you will always have Zorba by your side, always. Hugely recommended.

India Wins the World Cup - Fascinating Win

India proved the much better prepared team and dug deep into its much vaunted talent and showed incredibly high desire and intensity to lift the World Cup No team that can field the way the Indians did, bowl the way they did for most part and most importantly bat the way they did after being down 31-2 can lose. It was fascinating to watch as they rebuilt on the shoulders of young, fearless and gutsy players who were so focussed on getting their hands on the Cup. This was a chase worthy of a champion team that truly deserved the World Cup. India proved and emphatically, that they are the World Champions by far. This was no fluke. This was a champion team that performed to its potential or something close to that. And when this Indian team performs to its potential, nothing can stop it.

It had been frustrating to watch their scratchy performances in the early stages. It has been equally fascinating to see it rise to the peak it did as a unit. Several times the players and their exceptional leader have said words of rare brilliance and clarity. "We back each other fully", "We play for each other", "We visualised holding the Cup one year ago" and some many more that I forget. This is what team work is about and full marks to the Coach, the selectors, the players for putting everything else aside and doing it for themselves and for their country. Today, the way they rose, no team on earth could have beaten them.

Sri Lanka can well and truly go back satisfied that they had given their best. It was not even a close game. Everyone knew once Gautam and Virat Kohli settled down to handle the pressure and run the ones and twos that this match was pretty much over. Ajay Jadeja said that by the 17th over he knew that there would be no more hiccups. It was just the way the two youngsters rebuilt the innings that showed the determination, the desire to win today - come what may. Gambhir excels in these situations and you can see that combative spirit in him every time India faces a test. The tougher the challenge the grittier he becomes. In the T 20 World Cup certainly, in several games for India after that and in this unbelievable knock in the World Cup final, this young man of rare grit and courage, and of exceptional talent, played what was to me the innings of the match. Not as silken and as good looking as Mahela's class act before but for sheer guts and gumption and application, this rises above both Mahela's and Dhoni's knocks for me. The only flaw, a tired and out of character stroke that cost him a World Cup final hundred. But Gambhir's 97 is worth 25 hundreds in inconsequential games! The 'man of the match' to me, this young lad, a true soldier of India.

One cannot forget the contribution of Virat Kohli, the youngest and already one who matches the fire and determination of the seniors, this Delhi batsmen batted like he had no nerves. He is another one to watch out for in the future because he will fetch many wins for India. He played flawlessly with Gambhir and added crucial runs and blunted all the Lankan hopes - batting seemed the easiest thing to do when they were there picking ones and twos at will and the occasional boundary. If Dilshan had not pulled of that unbelievable catch off his own bowling Kohli was on the way to a long inning. One of the best visuals of the final to me was that of his disappointment at having got out, he angrily hit himself on his pads in an agony that showed in every part of his body, that he wanted to stay there till the end was clear. That visual showed his immense desire to win and that is very satisfying. The ex- captain of the Indian Under 19 team not too long ago is known to be a fighter, a leader and he is used to winning. In the presence of these almost God like cricketers who played today he will bloom into something bigger and brighter. Indian cricket is in good hands.

Dhoni said another of his great statements before the match - we are in the present and not in the past and future. And so he remains. Despite the admitted error of having played Sreesanth (the lucky charm of Indian cricket) instead of Ashwin, an amazing inning of Jayawardena and a late charge that cast doubts on the chase, he was there effecting a brilliant run out of Kulasekhara from behind the stumps, marshaling his resources and then promoting himself over Yuvraj, Dhoni lived dangerously, taking big risks and ensuring that they paid off. Here is one guy who takes risks but he puts in enough work behind the risk, they are not airy fairy risks because he has a clear thought and reason why. Dhoni appears to do only things he believes in, not for public consumption, and his prime mantra then is to keep it simple. Which the whole world knows is the hardest thing to do. His innings was brilliant under duress but he has always been that sort of a player, one who comes to the crease with a clear idea of his role and responsibility and does not normally go back without fulfilling it. And until the ball soared well over the fence, his eyes did not lose the focus nor concentration, and then he allowed his body to relax and he twirled his bat in his typical flamboyant fashion and broke into a smile. Unlike many role models of the day Dhoni believes in letting his huge achievements speak for him, lets his work do the talking and showing the world that it is indeed about 'doing' things - not about talking about them.

Sachin's amazing commitment lifts the team in every department and his fielding showed the way just as his batting did all through the tournament. Not once was he found out to be the grandad of the team - in fact several youngsters must have upped their performances after seeing him. Yuvraj as always a match winner came into his own - most surprisingly with the ball. I cannot believe that he got 15 wickets! His batting was destructive as ever. Raina made a huge difference as he adapted quickly, showed remarkable composure and responsibility in the toughest position of all - the No 7 position. His fielding was outstanding in the final. Sehwag destructive as always, clear and articulate in his thought as he is with the way he treats the ball. Zaheer magnificent as always, a huge reason for this win, a he got important breaks, put every batting line up in check and control, got crucial breaks with his canny bowling. Munaf bowled well within his limits and one saw an extra step in his fielding as the intensity of the team flowed through him. Harbhajan as always puts pressure in one way or another, mostly by his very combative presence. Ashwin, Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla and anyone else I may have forgotten - take a bow. You guys deserve to be champions and no praise can be too much.

One wonders at the quirks of fate. Praveen Kumar, a natural selection for the one day squad, injures himself before the team selection and is replaced by Sreesanth who already has one World Cup win under his belt and several more other famous wins in his patchy career. Praveen will come back and play creditably for India in other games, hopefully his name will figure in one World Cup too. He can take inspiration from Sachin who held out so long and possibly threatened the Gods of the World Cup to play the World Cup until he wins one - in the face of such single minded focus no force on earth can hold.

But coming back to us who have to go back to their daily lives, this team has given much. Yes, the team and its players will all amass great fortunes and fame and will forever be heroes. What happens to the fans who saw, who cheered? The youth who take so much pride that they send long sms's, mails, burst crackers, and just go crazy. We, the rest of the Indians, the rest of those in the World, must go back and reflect. Yes, this is the way this team has done it. They have prepared well. They have put aside individuals and performed like a team. They trusted one another, be it form one region or another, one religion or another, and backed one another fully. They had lofty goals. They played for each other. They rose above criticism and kept their focus. They planned ahead and prepared ahead. They stood up as a team when the chips were down. They   broke bones, spewed blood and got drenched in sweat - and tears as we saw. They scraped their shins, forearms, dived in the air without a thought of injury and rushed against the hard ball. They played to their potential when it counted, conquered their demons. And mostly they did for the common cause of the team. That was clear. Almost everyone dedicated the win to the team and the bigger team - India.

They have shown the rest of us the path to excellence, the route to that smile on their faces, the riches and the fame. Take your pick - but walk that path of excellence and preparation that this team did. The path of self belief, of trust and playing for a larger cause. The path of courage, of dreams and of rising above the ordinary. If there is one lesson we can learn from team India it is this - and this goes out to everyone from the highest office to the smallest, the youngest to the oldest - if they can do it, you can too. Start now and chart your own path to glory and one day the rest of the team, the country, will applaud for you too!

The World Cup Final - May The Best Team Win

The India versus Sri Lanka final seems heavily loaded in favour of the hosts. Not only do we have a very strong batting line up but an experienced one as well. If there is a chink, it is that it is likely to fall in a heap in tough moments. The bowling is highly experienced too. However there is not much variety and it does not seem  like it has settled down yet. The only one who has looked consistently good and dangerous is Zaheer Khan which is precisely why one must write off Zaheer for this match and look at other options. Only when the others do well can Zaheer be effective in the final because the opponents will have a plan to tackle him. Like Umar Gul, he must not feel the pressure of the responsibility of the bowling spearhead. So I would spare him and tell him that he is okay and he can do what he does normally and the others will do their bit. Munaf will plan, Harbhajan and Ashwin will play ad Yuvraj will likely make up the other option. A bit thin but I'd rather go with this than have Sreesanth. The fielding is still patchy and nothing can be done about it - hold your catches and give it your all will be the motto.

The Sri Lankans batting looked very brittle against New Zealand which makes them suspect if they bat second.. In fact I think whichever team bats second will have a tough time if they are chasing 270 plus. India, because it somehow has this habit of collapsing in a heap for inexplicable reasons and also because the Lankan fielding side and bowling sides are good. One brilliant catch, an unplayable delivery and a few tight overs and the match can turn on its head. For Lanka, batting second will always be a nightmare because they do not seem to have the  appetite for it - after the first four - I would actually bring it to the first three Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakarra (Tharanga still has not shown his appetite for the big matches). Lanka could well bat themselves out if India holds its chances without doing anything extraordinary. Something like the Pakistan match where the batting did more than the bowling to get out.

But then this is not about the teams on paper. India has had enough preparation, experience and all things pointing in its favour. But it cannot sit back and hope for things to fall in place which it could very well do. It will have to make things happen. India has to attack, seize the initiative and win the cup. Because Sri Lanka
will not give it easily. And the same goes for Sri Lanka which will have to play attacking cricket to win this match. Whichever team does that extra bit, cameos, lightning knocks, short and effective bowling spells, inspired fielding and some sensational catching - only that team will win. The one that has more bruises, more sweat should win this game. This is not for the waiter. this is for the one who can attack and prise the Cup from the other.

Both teams have that capability and it remains how they go about it. I would like Sachin to go hammer and tongs along with Sehwag and forget about that hundredth hundred for the time being. It is a typical choice the devil gives - glory of hundredth hundred in a World Cup final or just go and play on like the devil for the team's cause without another thought. Sachin can still destroy the opponent bowling and he, if anyone can, has the capability to pile on that initial pressure from which Lanka will find it difficult to recover. For me it is always that audacious quickfire 50, 60 that Sachin scores that sets the momentum for a big win for India because then the others seem to regroup well around him. Anyway, my bet is on the  team that bats first!

Sony Customer Care - Disappointing Performance

So what use is a blog if one cannot crib about customer care and get it out of the system And I have several. So I have decided to cleanse my inner self by pouring it all out - my dealings with customer care guys. To start with, all these MNCs that go around acting like they are all professional and have everything under control. I prefer the corner stores to these any day because they are at least honest or they send the chap with a cutting plier in his back pocket (and not a well dressed English speaking lad who probably earns more than I do). And with corner stores you don't expect them to deliver anyway so its a delight. More importantly one does not need to suffer the MNC attitudes and phone calls. Today's MNC in focus is Sony!

So there is a Sony television set that needs to be installed. (Sony, not the friendly neighbourhood Soni or a Somy, whom I can excuse.) I opened the papers, saw the instructions and called the toll free line, expecting everyone to be as excited as I was. Unfortunately they were not as happy as I was. After some pressing of buttons 1, 2 and 3, I was told by a slightly distant and condescending tele operator at the toll free line (the kind of a tone that a typical PSU Bank clerk has when you ask where to submit and what to write and on what, the kind that feels that you have left most of your grey cells in some faraway place) that installation will be done in 48 hours. I plead shamelessly - hey, please, could you do something and get your pals to install it for tomorrow's game- India versus Pakistan. Ms. Condescending does not have feelings - she merely repeats - "we will install it within 48 hours". If you have an India-Pakistan match go to hell, we are not really bothered, what we are bothered about is our 48 hours. "Is there anything else sir" (quick buddy, we need to move on). I asked hesitantly if they have some deal they are advertising about some free Airtel HD connection. Oh that will be answered by the correct department sir, please hold on while I transfer you to the department where nothing-of-what-they-say-makes-sense. I endured another short ordeal about the deal, another condescending voice that told me something that made no sense and I hung up thanking them so profusely for talking to me and indulging me in the midst of whatever urgent work they are doing.

After 47 hours no one came nor called. I assumed that they would have a team that monitors time - 46 hours, 47 hours, 47.5 hours - go, you know being a high tech company etc. Also afraid that the busy installation team might have lost my number I decided to give that dreaded toll free number a try again, having got my nerves under control again. This time one lad picked up the phone after the mandatory checking of your knowledge of 1,2 and 3, the numbers which you have to press for English, for tv's and some other option. This must be some kind of a filter to knock off half the calls from people who cannot use the numbers 1,2 and 3. Automatically disqualified!

Now this new lad started off promisingly, 'I understand your concern sir,' he said. I asked him why they gave me these precise 48 hours as if they have teams tracking each minute before they installed the tv? My match had already gone anyway but was there any sense in giving me these precise times and raising my hopes? He was angry and I could hear that. How dare you speak against the systems and procedures of our great corporation? 'Sir,' he said menacingly. 'I understand your concern. I am made a strict reminder for the service centre and they will approach you. As I can see, 48 hours is not up yet.' Perceptive chap! I told the lad that I know for sure nothing will happen within the sacred 48 hours and that he need not get all uppity about it. Just get on with it and also stop telling me you are concerned about me because you are not. Nothing will happen within 48 hours! The lad put the phone down in a huff when I said there was no redressal for me except call these numbers and chat with people who either said they understand my concerns or spoke to me like I was in my kindergarten. Of course huff in their parlance would be a low voice that says 'Would there be anything else sir?'

After this call, I went off for a cold shower to cool off, and then a call came from the service center from a young lady. She asked me if I was the owner of the said tv. I said yes I was. She asked me if the demo installation was over. I said no, and asked her why she called? She seemed disappointed that the tv did not install itself in 48 hours and said doubtfully that she would send someone over for the demo installation - is it okay if I send someone over after 2 more days i.e. (a full 96 hours plus after the tv landed at my home). I told her politely that it was not ok because the final was on tomorrow and there is no point if your guys swarm my home after the final is over. She instantly got concerned about my concerns and said, most unconvincingly, that she would send someone over the next day. As I write I am still waiting of course.

See, if it were a Soni, I would be sitting there with him in his shop until he came home. He would be over instantly knowing that I was one of the few customers he had. We would have had chai and discussed why some tv's are unnecessarily expensive because Dhoni advertises for them and they have to pay him crores to spill some sweat all over the tv. Whichever way I would have been spared this ordeal of having some upstart telling me that he or she is concerned about my concern and that precisely within 48 hours they will condescend to descend on my abode. I like the Domino guys that way - if they don't come here in their half hour - they give me the pizza free! I'd be happier if the guys at Sony were honest and said - we will come when we deem fit and until then, please stop bothering us. We're not such a big company for nothing! And so we wait, and wait and hope something happens in the next 14 hours 48 minutes before the final!