Tendulkar weighed down by heaviest of milestones

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Sachin Tendulkar stood on the brink of batting immortality only to retreat, plunging a milestone-obsessed country into depression and triggering a debate on his vulnerability against the pressure of expectation.

Six runs shy of a record 100th international century, Tendulkar's usually impeccable shot selection deserted him on a placid pitch at his home Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

The 32,000-seat venue sported a forlorn and empty expression on the first two days of the third West Indies test as the tourists piled up 590 runs, but the ground became more densely populated on Thursday before it was packed to the brim on Friday morning in anticipation of the milestone.

Tendulkar whetted the Mumbai faithful's appetite too, upper-cutting Fidel Edwards for a six to waltz into the 90s but the landmark century was to elude him yet again.

Paceman Ravi Rampaul banged in a short and wide delivery, hardly the deadliest ball Tendulkar has faced in his two-decade-plus career. Trying to punch it, Tendulkar opened the face of the blade and edged it into the welcoming hands of skipper Darren Sammy at second slip.

A short groan echoed around the stadium before being replaced by an eerie silence as Tendulkar hung his head, sighed and trudged back to the pavilion.

Many believe it was pressure, and not Rampaul, which accounted for the 38-year-old 'Little Master'.

After all, this was the second time he fell in the 90s since scoring his 99th international century in a 50-over World Cup match against South Africa in March.

Since then, Tendulkar has hit six half-centuries -- two in one-dayers and four in tests -- but has been unable to add to his 51 test and 48 one-day centuries.

Twice previously he came close but fell leg before on both occasions.

Tendulkar, who has scored more than 33,000 international runs since his 1989 debut in Pakistan, was nine short of the 100-mark in the Oval test in August when he tried to play across the line and was dismissed by Tim Bresnan.

In the second innings of the Delhi test against West Indies earlier this month, Tendulkar, batting fluently on 76, attempted a pull shot and was dismissed by a skidding Devendra Bishoo delivery that caught him plumb in front of wicket.

Six fifties in 16 innings since his 99th international century notwithstanding, there is a growing feeling that Tendulkar is finally showing signs of a pressure many thought he was immune to for a majority of his career.

BOGGED DOWN

Former team mate Sanjay Manjrekar wants Tendulkar, who has grown selective with his one-day international participation, to play and get the century in one of the five ODIs against West Indies before India travels to Australia.

"India wants Tendulkar relaxed and confident (in Australia). He should play the one dayers, get that monkey off his back and go to Australia with a free mind," Manjrekar told Neo Cricket channel.

"(Rahul) Dravid and Tendulkar will be key for India in those conditions against Australia."

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni does not buy into the theory that the milestone has bogged down a batsman used to shouldering the expectation of a cricket-crazy country of 1.2 billion.

"If you are talking about the gentleman, the expectation has always been the size of Everest," Dhoni recently said in Delhi.

"Whatever he has done so far... right from the first two years of his career, he has been a star.

"If he comes onto the field and does not score 50, people think he has not scored. It's something he deals with each and every day.

"Any individual who comes close to any milestone... somehow it takes more time than usual. I think it's just round the corner. We just need to wait."

Tendulkar himself has dismissed the hype, terming his 100th international century as "just a number".

The fans, however, feel otherwise.

Many of them had no hesitation in praying, in vain, for India to follow-on against West Indies so that Tendulkar had another shot at the milestone on a batting paradise of a pitch.

Sharad slap unites Indian politicians

New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) In a rare show of unity, political partiesFriday spoke in one voice, 'strongly' condemning the assault by a Delhi man on union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and vowing to fight against 'anti-democratic' forces in the country.

Cutting across their ideological and political differences, MPs demanded the government punish Harvinder Singh who slapped Pawar Thursday to protest rising food prices and corruption.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is the leader of the Lok Sabha, moved a resolution condemning the act after Speaker Meira Kumar expressed 'unequivocal disapproval of taking recourse to violent and undemocratic means to express disagreement'.

Earlier, when the Lok Sabha met for the day, several members walked up to Pawar's seat in the front benches to express solidarity with him.

Moving the resolution, Mukherjee said people could have divergent views, 'but resorting to violence cannot be accepted in any democratic country'.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj agreed and said: 'We condemn this. We have differences with the government on policies but there is a way to express difference. Violence is no means.'

She praised Pawar as a 'polite' politician who has 'never hurt anybody with his words'.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav said some 'lumpen elements in our country' were trying to destroy the democratic fabric of India.

'There are undemocratic forces behind this. We politicians serve the people 24 hours a day. But an environment is being created in this nation to create disbelief on politicians... If this is not stopped, it will curb our hard-earned freedom,' he said.

Basudeb Acharia of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said incidents like this were 'dangerous for democratic institutions. This is an insult to democracy.'

Leaders of various political parties, including the Shiv Sena, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also condemned the attack and asked the government to severly punish Pawar's attacker to send a message that anti-democratic forces would be curbed in India.

'The government should think of severe punishment. A unanimous decision will send a strong message to these elements,' Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandopadhyay said.

Shiv Sena's Anant Gangaram Geete said the attacker 'should be punished so that others get lessons'.

Members also condemned Anna Hazare's comment on the attack on the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader.

Reacting on the incident, Hazare, who has for long held politicians responsible for much of the ills of the country, had said: 'Was it only one slap?'

Gurudas Dasgupta of the Communist Party of India (CPI) said in the house: 'Hazare is very wrong.' The social activist also came under attack from Samajwadi Party and BSP leaders.

The house also condemned the way the media played up the incident.

'I don't appreciate the electronic media repeatedly showing how he was being slapped. You are sensationalising the issue. Let's not publicise the incident which should be condemned. The house should take note of this also.'

However, the unity in the house didn't last longer. Opposition protests against the government's decision to allow 51 percent foreign equity in the retail sector erupted as soon as the MPs finished speaking, forcing adjournment of the house for the day.

Court issues notice to CBI on Sukh Ram's plea

New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to the CBI on jailed former telecom minister Sukh Ram's plea against his conviction and five years' rigorous imprisonment given by a trial court on corruption charges.

The former minister approached the court for relief on the ground that the trial court had wrongly convicted him and he was suffering from health problems.

Sukh Ram's counsel Arvind Nigam said: 'The trial court's order should be set aside as it has wrongly convicted him. It has not even gone through some documents while awarding jail sentence.'

He added that the trial court has convicted his client merely on the basis of 'speculation'.

Taking note of Sukh Ram's submission, Justice Suresh Kait issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its response by Monday.

The court also sought Sukh Ram's medical report on his plea for suspension of sentence on health grounds and old age.

Eighty-six-year-old Sukh Ram, who held the telecom portfolio in the P.V. Narasimha Rao-led Congress government, was convicted Nov 18 for taking Rs.3 lakh as bribe to award a cable contract to a telecom firm in 1996.

He was handed out five years' jail term by Special CBI Judge R.P. Pandey Nov 19 for misusing his official position and was immediately taken into custody and sent to Tihar Jail. The court also imposed Rs.4 lakh fine on him.

This was his third conviction on graft charges.

'Kolaveri' crosses 4 mn mark, Big B hooked on to it

 'Kolaveri Di', already a rage, seems on a record breaking spree. In less than a day, the song has got more than a million hits on YouTube and so far has registered 4,052,189 hits.

The promo of the song was released on YouTube Nov 16 and spread like a viral, thanks to its funny, nonsense Tanglish (Tamil-English). On Thursday evening, the song notched up to 3,020,014 hits on YouTube, and suprisingly the count spiralled to 4,052,189 by Friday noon.

Amitabh Bachchan is going gaga over the foot-tapping music and says he just can't get enough of the song sung by Tamil star Dhanushfor his film '3', which is being directed by his wife Aishwarya, the daughter of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. The song has been composed by 18-year-old Anirudh Ravichander.

''Why this Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di' .. Ahh...just not leaving the lips and the mind and the system...such an endearing experience. Brings a smile and laughter and rhythm instantly to the face... get to YouTube, type Dhanush and Kolaveri Di... its his latest song that has become a rage all over,' Amitabh posted on his blog Bigb.bigadda.com.

'Dhanush, son-in-law of Rajinikanth, a young brigade superstar in Tamil Cinema married to Aishwarya, Rajini's daughter...its lovely. 'Kolaveri...' Tamil for rejected lovers rage, in a sweet way...now getting used as verbiage in almost any walk of life, social, political...every where!! tremendous,' he posted.

The Bollywood megastar is so impressed by the song that he even posted a few lines praising the song on his Twitter.

'This 'Kolaveri' is veri veri endearing .. just not leaving the sound waves in the mind-u... what-a what-a what-a do-u,' tweeted Amitabh.

Sonam will remain special to me, says Shahid Kapoor

'I think Sonam is a wonderful looking girl and she looks very simple and innocent. This is the reason why dad (actor-director Pankaj Kapur) was keen to cast her in 'Mausam'. In her upcoming film ('Players'), she is looking wonderful. I think she is always a special actress because I did 'Mausam' with her which was special to me,' Shahid told reporters at the Colgate Maxfresh party.

Despite link-up rumours, Shahid is single ever since he broke off withKareena Kapoor in 2007.

Some reports even claim he is commitment phobic. But the actor responded: 'That I am commitment phobic? No, I am not commitment phobic. I don't react to most things.'

The 30-year-old, who has hits like 'Vivah', 'Jab We Met', and 'Kaminey' in his kitty, seems to have become selective about movies as he had only one release this year.

As for new projects, he is currently working in Kunal Kapoor's film 'Teri Meri Kahani' along with Priyanka Chopra and Prachi Desai

Poor Uttar Pradesh farmers branded as Maoists, says Rahul

Lucknow, Nov 25 (IANS) Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday accused the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh of branding poor farmers as Maoists for protesting forcible acquisition og their lands.

'Whenever the poor farmers demand their rights, the officers of Uttar Pradesh government brand them as Naxalites,' Gandhi told a gathering in Siddharthnagar district, some 250 km from Lucknow.

Referring to his visit to the twin Bhatta-Parsaul villages which witnessed police-farmers clashes earlier this year, the Gandhi scion said: 'When I went to meet the farmers there to know about their problems, the government officials told me they were not farmers, but Naxalites.'

The Congress leader Tuesday embarked upon a five-day mass contact programme ahead of the state assembly polls early next year.

Top Marine spends Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

The U.S. Marines' top general, James Amos, sprinted up and down the Helmand River Valley in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, visiting frontline Marines at nine remote outposts to shareThanksgiving and applaud their gains against the Taliban in a region where al-Qaida hatched the 9/11 plot a decade ago.

Traveling mostly in an MV-22 Osprey, the hybrid that flies like an airplane and takes off and lands like a helicopter, Amos began shortly after daylight and finished 14 hours later — and, improbably, managed to confront just one turkey dinner.

At one point the 65-year-old Amos referred to his unusual daytrip as the "Bataan death march," a reference to the gruesome forced march of American POWs in the Philippines during World War II.

Amos shook hands with hundreds of Marines, all veterans of tough fighting in Helmand Province, which has been a focal point of the U.S.-led strategy to counter the Taliban and other insurgent groups. The Marines have vastly improved security in Helmand over the past year, but with President Barack Obama having ordered 33,000 U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan by next September, the prospects for sustaining those gains are uncertain, and the subject of debate at home.

At each stop Amos struck similar themes in pep talks to his Marines: they are coming close to winning, and when the Marine Corps leaves Afghanistan it will shift its focus to the Pacific, where he said "a whole lot of opportunities" will await a Corps no longer bogged down by land wars in the greater Middle East. He also said Thanksgiving is a time for Marines to reflect on "the unique fraternal bond" among men and women at war.

Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael Barrett, the top enlisted Marine, who accompanied Amos, said that for most troops Thanksgiving was just another day at war — until they finished their work.

"Then they'll have a meal of a lifetime," he said.

The feast was finally set for Amos when he arrived after dark at Camp Dwyer, the southern-most stop on his trip. He helped heap plates with roast turkey, baked ham and prime rib — with all the traditional fixings — and then sat amongst the troops to finish it off.

Amos said "Happy Thanksgiving" at each Marine outpost, but the troops did not seem in a festive mood — at least in the presence of their commandant. The business of war does not take a holiday. When he asked the Marines what was on their minds, they asked about the future of the Corps, the latest of Washington's stalled budget debate, the possibility of seeing some of their retirement benefits go away, and internal Marine issues.

Some conveyed a sense of confidence that Afghanistan would soon be behind them.

At Combat Outpost Hanson, one member of the 3rd battalion, 6th Marine Regiment asked, "Who do you want us to fight next, sir?" Amos said he did not know, but he reassured the Marine that there would be no shortage of security crises in the years ahead.

At Combat Outpost Alcatraz, in Sangin district where fierce fights against the Taliban have waned only recently, the top overall commander of the war, Marine Gen. John Allen, joined Amos for a pep talk to several dozen Marines.

Allen said Marines will "go home under the victory pennant," but he stressed that the struggle to degrade Taliban influence and build up Afghan security forces — in Helmand and throughout Afghanistan — is far from over.

"As big as this is, and as hard as it has been, we are going to be successful here," Allen said. "We're going to win this. We're going to liberate these people, we're going to set this country up to be a free country in one of the toughest regions in the world."

There are now about 97,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. All are scheduled to leave by the end of 2014.

Amos clearly relished the chance to see so many combat Marines, but his trip was no joy ride. His itinerary was a closely-held secret, and the aircraft on which he flew was heavily armed.

As a CH-53 helicopter lifted off from a barren field across a dirt highway in the northern Helmand village of Puzeh, with Amos and part of his entourage aboard, a bearded special operations Marine quipped, "Cross your fingers." And then, as the chopper rose above a billowing wall of powdery dust, the Marine added, only half jokingly, "Whew! Getting the commandant shot down at your (outpost) would not be a good thing."