There is life outside cricket too: Dhawan

The line between a bad shot and a good one is thin. If it goes to the boundary it is hailed as good. If it travels to a hand then, obviously, it is bad.

Shikhar Dhawan views it differently. For him, it is just a shot. “The end result is the remuneration for your effort,” he smiles. It does. It can stall the team’s progress or propel his reputation high. It is all subjective.

“Sometimes you have to play cross-batted and take smart risks. I always back my shots. I know this particular shot gives me runs. It can also cost me my wicket.

“I have to accept it because only I know what is best for me. It is not that I am irresponsible because I get out playing shots,” said Dhawan, prepared to give his best on Australian pitches.

He does give the impression of nonchalance on being dismissed. “No. That is not me. I try to hit the ball by stepping out. I do it to unnerve the bowler.

“I like to make an impact with aggression. Rohit (Sharma) and I approach the task in a similar manner. But people say we appear lazy. We are not casual and certainly not reckless.”

Shades of Virat Kohli?

“I admire Virat for his self belief and amazing fitness. We look up to him. He is so grounded despite fame and success.”

For Dhawan, with four Test and eight One-Day International centuries, the important thing is to stay fit.

“My basics are strong and I know my preparations are also strong because I work on my skills all the time. You can’t do this unless you are fit. People miss this point.

“They mostly look at results and not the effort. I am improving and believe me I am at peace with the world. I laugh away my failures because that is the best way to deal with them.”

Philosophical world

When you delve deep, Dhawan lets you into his philosophical world, a zone where he is on his own, analysing his best and worst, joy and pain, anger and composure.

“When I get angry I used to speed on my bike. Slowly I realised the necessity to control my thoughts and anger. I don’t react to unpleasant gestures anymore. I have practised this art of remaining calm.

“I have learnt to be thick skinned if I have to excel at the crease. I have to let negative energy bounce off. It is true that cricket teaches you tolerance. I have learnt it.”

That sensational debut, 187 at Mohali against Australia, not a false stroke, not a frame of hesitancy, is vivid.

So is that weak moment when he got out second ball to Clint McKay at Visakhapatnam in an ODI in 2010. For the next 19 ODIs he just watched the play from outside.

“The pain of zero was replaced by the 187 against the same team. It has been a long journey and I have come to accept it as part of life. The beauty lies in adapting. Fine-tuning is necessary.

“Long career can be possible only with strong body and I concentrate on personal training, proper nutrition, meditation and look for inspirational quotes. At the crease deep breathing helps me tackle pressure.”

On a concluding note, Dhawan (30) analyses himself, “I criticise myself, appreciate myself; I am my best friend. I love cricket, but then I have learnt that one can be in love and still be detached.

“If I am dropped from the India team I can’t allow it to bring me down. It will hurt big time but then there is life outside cricket too.”

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S. Africa, England seek return to success

England will begin its bid to knock South Africa off the top of the test rankings without its attack spearhead after James Anderson was ruled out of Saturday’s first cricket test at Kingsmead with an injury.

Anderson played a limited role in England’s warm-up matches after complaining of stiffness in his right calf, and on Thursday it was confirmed that he would not be risked for the opening match of a four-test series.

“Of course it’s disappointing when you lose the spearhead of your attack but I think it’s just a real slight niggle and the management decided it really wasn’t worth the risk in the first test,” Broad said of Anderson’s injury.

“He’s disappointed but with the strength in depth we’ve got in this group it’s not a hammer blow to us.”

Despite the loss and its low ranking of sixth, England can go into the series confident of its ability to take advantage of a wounded opponent, with the Proteas smarting from a 3-0 defeat in a four-match series in India.

That defeat highlighted South Africa’s stuttering transition following the retirements of Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, with their replacements struggling to find their feet at international level.

The series loss cut South Africa’s lead at the top of the International Cricket Council’s test rankings from 19 points to four, ahead of India, and a series defeat to England would see it lose its top ranking to either India or Australia.

Although England beat Australia 3-2 to regain the Ashes earlier this year, a 2-0 series loss to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates followed.

“Having played a lot of cricket I know that the conditions they faced in India were so different to what we’re going to face here,” Broad said. “Those wickets were designed for the Indian spinners, but it would be a surprise if they were facing spin after five overs here.”

Alex Hales will become Alastair Cook’s eighth opening partner since these two sides last met in a test match more than three years ago, and will face a fearsome challenge on his test debut after Dale Steyn was passed fit.

“He’s been a handful for those of us who have had the misfortune of facing him in the nets,” South Africa captain Hashim Amla said of Steyn.

Steyn missed South Africa’s last three tests in India with a groin injury, but will return to lead an attack that will feature Morne Morkel, spinner Dane Piedt, and either Kyle Abbott or Kagiso Rabada.

The second test starts at Newlands in Cape Town on January 2, and will be followed by further matches at The Wanderers and Centurion.

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AIFF urged to take action against FC Goa

Match commissioner A.K. Mamukoya has asked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to take necessary action against FC Goa for their "unreasonable, undisciplined and bullish” behaviour after their 2-3 loss to Chennaiyin FC in the finals of the Indian Football League (ISL).

Mr. Mamukoya, in his report, mentioned that three Japanese referees were threatened with physical assault by FC Goa staff and players from the substitute bench.

“Immediately after the final whistle, many substitute players and officials led by Rajesh Malgi, Equipment Manager of FC Goa, rushed to the referee, surrounded him and scared him with physical gestures,” he wrote in his two-page report.

“Seeing this, which was unexpected and without any reason, myself and fourth official rushed to the rescue of the referee from Japan. Referees group (from Japan) were still abused in filthy language and were threatened with physical assault,” he added.

FC Goa co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar claimed that Chennaiyin FC marquee player Elano Blumer had elbowed him and caught his neck, but the match commissioner hit out at the Goan team for ganging up Chennaiyin FC captain, Elano Blumer. He also condemned the behaviour of Mr. Salgaocar and AIFF vice-president, Shrinivas Dempo.

“While Chennaiyin FC was celebrating their victory close to centre circle, there was another incident in front of FC Goa technical area. I have seen one player of Chennaiyin FC Elano Blumer was surrounded by many players and officials of FC Goa who were pushing him. He somehow came out of the melee and ran to join his team,” he said.

“It was chaotic scene all around. Top officials of FC Goa like S Dempo and Dattaraj Salgaocar who I know for long associated with football should have calmed down the situation instead became part of the undesirable atmosphere,” he mentioned.

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Three Hyderabad youth detained on suspicion of joining IS

The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Saturday detained three young men from Hyderabad, who were suspected of trying to leave the country with the intention of joining terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS).

The officials said the detentions were made at the request of the Telangana ATS.

"We were informed by our counterparts in Telangana that the trio would be at the Nagpur airport on Friday morning, to try to board a flight out of the country, and were asked to take them into custody. We detained them at around 5:30 am and handed them over to the Telangana ATS," said an officer with the Maharashtra ATS.

The officer added that all three youth were aged between 20 to 25 years.

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Indians harassed in Saudi return after harrowing experience

Three youths from Kerala, who were allegedly physically tortured by their Saudi employer, returned to their home state early Saturday from Saudi Arabia.

The plight of the three came to light after a Whatsapp video of a Saudi employer allegedly beating them with a wooden plank surfaced. Kerala government and External Affairs Ministry had intervened to help them.

As the trio arrived at the airport here in the wee hours, their relatives and friends welcomed them.

Baiju, Abilash and Vimal Kumar had been taken to Saudi Arabia by a placement agency a couple of months back after promising them job opportunities.

21-year-old Abilash told reporters that he had taken loan to build a house and had hoped that employment abroad will help him clear his loan fast. However, that was not to be.

Their relatives said it was a relief seeing their near ones back safe.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier stated in New Delhi that the three men had been given police protection and the matter was being followed up.

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Arrival of stones triggers tension

The arrival of a fresh shipment of pink sandstone in the premises of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Ayodhya, after a gap of eight years, purportedly for the construction of a Ram Mandir, has got the temple pot boiling once again.

On Sunday, two truck-loads of pink sandstone from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district arrived at the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas Karyashala, the premises of the VHP, pushing the administration on alert.

Mahant Nritya Gopal Das of the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, a VHP-run trust, then performed a “shila puja” on the stones.The VHP, on its part, saw as routine what the Samajwadi Party, the BSP and the Congress saw with consternation as a likely attempt to polarise the State that goes to polls early in 2017.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said he has directed senior officials, including chief secretary Alok Ranjan, to take steps to maintain law and order and communal harmony in the State, while keeping a tab on rumour-mongering elements. “The matter is in the Supreme Court and the State government is bound to obey its order,” Mr. Yadav said.

While Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari hit out at the VHP for “remembering Lord Ram only when elections approached”, BSP supremo Mayawati said it was the responsibility of the Samajwadi Party government to maintain peace and communal harmony. On record, State BJP leaders maintained distance from the issue, but in private they said the Ram Mandir issue would be “crucial” to the party’s 2017 campaign.

“The time has come for the construction of a grand temple at the birthplace of Sri Ram. We waited for long. With the Modi government in power, we have got positive signals that the Mandir would be constructed,” said Mr. Nritya Gopal. Though the VHP did not issue any date, the right-wing organisation said it would intensify its stone transferring drive in coming months.

VHP joint-general secretary Surendra Jain told The Hindu that this was in response to a call made by Sants a year back. “There were fewer stones than required; so they are being brought in. We need more stones for a temple whenever we can construct it. We have asked the Centre for a law to facilitate the construction of a temple,” he said.

About 2.25 lakh cubic feet of stones are required for the temple, of which half has been already stored at the VHP headquarters in the temple town, the outfit said. The VHP has claimed that the stones were donated by Hindus across the country. Work at the VHP karyashala had stopped in 2007 when the supply of the stones from Rajasthan came to a halt. “That supply is restored now. Till the stones are collected, how will the mandir be constructed?” asked VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma, describing the new shipment as “routine.”

However, in confidence, VHP and BJP leaders admitted that the issue would be further raked up as the polls near, but cautiously as not to hurt the image of the Narendra Modi-led Centre.

“We have had to answer many questions. Definitely, it will be crucial (as polls approach). But things would be done cautiously,” a senior BJP leader said. While the administration has stepped up security and the situation is being closely monitored, locals flayed the VHP for trying to fan communal tension. The oldest litigant in the Babri case, Hashim Ansari, 94, urged Prime Minister Modi to bring an end to the ‘shila pujas’ and “provocative statements” from the VHP leaders.

“Those performing shila pujas have no regard for their religion or the law of the land,” Mr. Ansari said.

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Ford in talks with Google to build self-driving cars

Google is said to be in talks with automaker Ford Motor Co to help build the Internet search company’s autonomous cars, Automotive News reported, citing a person with knowledge of the project.

The contract manufacturing deal, if finalized, is expected to come during the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas during the first week of January, Automotive News said. (http://bit.ly/1MsCGQ3)

Declines comment on speculation

A Google spokesman told Automotive News that the company would not comment on speculation, although Google officials confirmed that the company was talking to automakers.

Earlier this year, Google began discussions with most of the world’s top automakers and assembled a team of traditional and non-traditional suppliers to speed efforts to bring self-driving cars to the market by 2020.

In June, Google began testing tiny, bubble-shaped self-driving prototype vehicles of its own design on public roads around Mountain View. The company has also started testing self-driving prototypes in Austin.

Seeks to make it a stand-alone business

“Google is expected to make its self-driving cars unit, which will offer rides for hire, a stand-alone business under its parent company, Alphabet Inc, next year,” Bloomberg reported earlier.

Ford, although lagging behind most competitors, ramped up its pace to develop self-driving cars earlier this year and said it would expand advanced safety technology, including automatic-braking, enabling hands-free operation of cars under certain conditions by automating such basic functions as steering, braking and throttle.

This was to be included across its global line-up over the next five years.

Reuters could not independently reach Ford Motor and Google for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

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