tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203775732024-03-19T09:51:33.234+05:30college, cricket and crapblogging 'bout my generation.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-19304572895953504792011-12-16T22:47:00.000+05:302011-12-16T22:47:11.365+05:30Goodbye Europe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
'I'm going home.'<br />
'— a sharp lad with a bit of experience of the world could – <b>what</b>?'<br />
'I said I'm going home,' repeated Twoflower.<br />
'What home?' said Rincewind, astonished.<br />
'Home home. My home. Where I live,' Twoflower explained sheepishly. 'Back across the sea.
You know. Where I came from.'<br />
'Oh.'<br />
There was a pause. Then Twoflower said, 'You see, last night it occurred to me, I thought,
well, the thing is, all this travelling and seeing things is fine but there's also a lot of fun to be
had from having been. You know, sticking all your pictures in a book and remembering
things.'<br />
'There is?'<br />
'Oh, yes. The important thing about having lots of things to remember is that you've got to go
somewhere afterwards where you can remember them, you see? You've got to stop. You
haven't really been anywhere until you've got back home. I think that's what I mean.'<br />
Rincewind ran the sentence across his mind again. It didn't seem any better second time
around.<br />
'Oh,' he said again. Well, good. If that's the way you look at it.'<br />
<br />
-from 'The Light Fantastic' by <a href="http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/">Terry Pratchett</a>.<br />
<br />
Goodbye Europe!</div>Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com6University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany50.9264504 6.926083950.9164419 6.9063429 50.9364589 6.9458249tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-71189349058059599592011-09-02T03:27:00.000+05:302011-09-02T03:28:29.751+05:30I'm shipping up to CologneThere is a short story by Ruskin Bond whose details I have largely forgotten. But essentially it is about an Englishman who meets an elderly Indian and they soon start chatting about England. They soon start talking about the natural beauty of the country and of how the people from different parts each have their own different perspectives. The Indian seems to know a lot about the country, often more than the Englishman; however at the end it is revealed that the Indian has never stepped foot outside his own country and all his knowledge was from reading countless books about England.<p>
The story resonated with me at some level. Since a young age, I was fascinated with all the different countries in the world. I knew the capitals of all of the countries in the world and spent hours poring over the big globe in my house, trying to learn as much as I could about the world. Even today, I love watching travel shows; the endless variety of cultures, geographies and the people themselves still fascinates me. Yet, I had never actually been to any of these places. I was like the elderly Indian from Ruskin Bond's story, a plethora of arm chair knowledge, but without any personal experiences.<p>
So now is a good time to set the record straight. For those who do not know, I will be spending the next academic term as an exchange student at the University of Cologne. For me, the exchange programme was one of the key attractions of an MBA from an IIM, ever since I first heard about the programme from Abhishek Nagaraj. And now the dream has become a reality. If all goes according to plan, I would have visited around 15 countries by the end of the year, spending more than three months studying European culture, history, geography and hopefully a bit of management studies as well.<p>
Today, I finally start my Europe trip. It promises to be an amazing journey, and I plan to make the most of it. And I plan to post about my journeys on a regular basis, as well upload a few pictures. And for today, I will begin the trip with a bit of travel advice from Douglas Adams. It seems quite fitting to pay tribute to him, afterall the idea of the Hitchhiker's series came to him while back packing through Europe. So like a good traveller, I shall remember where my towel is, and also remember the two words written in large friendly letters on the cover of a remarkable book.
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Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-73447259967170462032011-08-06T18:56:00.002+05:302011-08-06T19:53:41.052+05:30Mal Loye - the lost Sehwag.I had <a href="http://collegecricketandcrap.blogspot.com/2007/02/my-new-cricketing-heroes.html">first blogged</a> about <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-india-2011/content/current/player/16362.html">Mal Loye</a> back in 2007, when Sehwag was prolific but probably not a contender for 'great' as he was averaging below 50 at that time. For some reason I expected Loye (and Uthappa to a smaller extent) to do what Sehwag did. However, both of them failed where Sehwag succeeded, and in Loye's case, more's the pity. <p> Loye made his first class debut way back in 1991, when Atherton was yet to become captain and England were probably at their lowest ebb ever. However, Loye was continually overlooked for a spot in the team, although he came close on more than one occasion. This was before Jayasuriya, or even Greatbatch had popularised the top order slog. So Loye was probably a victim of England's preference for the dull over the spectacular. Another example could be that of <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/9246.html">Ali Brown</a>, an equally aggressive cricketer, who although made his debut in 1996, deserved to play more than 16 ODIs (and no tests, just like Loye).<p> Maybe Loye was ahead of his time, maybe England made a big mistake by not seeing his potential. Or maybe he just didn't prove himself at the highest level. In any case, looking at the recent warm u game India is playing against the Northants, it is good to see that Loye has already reached 84*, while Sehwag scored just 8. Maybe that can be of some respite to a good cricketer, who unfortunately never got the chance that he deserved.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-79053435518765334562011-05-21T01:42:00.010+05:302011-05-21T04:00:12.103+05:30Goodbye WarnieI truly became a Cricket nut back in 1996, with the World Cup being held for the second time in the Indian subcontinent. And like most kids my age, I cheered for Sachin through both of his centuries, went wild with glee after India's victory over Pakistan and almost cried along with Vinod Kambli in the semis. However around the same time, I also picked up a liking for an Australian leg spinner who soon became my cricketing hero. The man in question, was obviously Shane Warne.<p>Like all childhood heros, its hard to quantify what exactly it was that attracted me towards Warne. Maybe it was his bowling style - he just seemed to casually walk to the crease and effortllessly send down balls which even the finest of batsmen would find hard to handle. Or maybe it was his on field demeanour - he was always full of energy and couldn't be kept out of the game for long. It could even be his looks, or his success, but for some reason, I was well and truly hooked. Warne was my hero. I started bowling leg spin and even imitated his action. I tried to read about him as much as possible. I even had his poster in my room; no Sachin, no Azhar, only Warne. Years later, my family shifted to a new house and I had to leave the poster behind. That was probably one of my life's biggest tragedies.<p>In 1996, I was a smart little kid who knew all his Cricket statistics and freely shared my Cricketing knowledge with whoever I could find. Today, I might have grown up and forgotten some of the stats, but I still talk a lot about Cricket. In '96, Warne was a prodigious turner of the ball, was amazingly accurate and had a sharp Cricketing brain which was the biggest reason for his success. Today, he might have lost a lot of his turn and some of his accuracy, but he still is one of the best thinkers in the game and this is what makes him him truly great. Nobody expected Warne to be such a major force after his surgery, not many thought of him as good captaincy material and nobody expected his team to succeed in the first IPL. And yet he did. That's what made him special - he was a conjurer. He did not bother with the mundane, he only dealt with the special.<p>Which is why when I first heard about his retirement, I knew that I had to be there. I had never seem him play, and the thought of not watching my hero play even once was simply unbearable. So I went to the Royals' last game against Mumbai. The Royals were already out of the tournament, they were, to use a cliche, playing for pride. But all that did not matter to me, I was there just to see him play. And I was not disappointed. My eyes were always on him, right from the moment he stepped out for warm up. I saw him bowl, and I saw him take a wicket. I saw him on the field, always busy, talking to his bowlers and fielders all the time. And I saw him celebrating a victory with his team, for one last time.<p>I stayed back till the end since I wanted to listen to him speak. I tried to get as close to the post match ceremony as possible. But as it turned out, the audio coverage was for TV viewers only, so I never could find out what he said in his last post match speech. Yet, I stayed back, hoping that he would probably take a farewell lap. But that was not to happen. Soon after the ceremony, he started walking across the ground, away from where I was, and towards the opposite end. And as I saw him slowly walk away, it finally started to sink in. I would never see him on a Cricket ground again. All those hours spent happily watching him play tricks on the opposition batsmen, they had come to an end. This was it. I started to walk out of the ground, trying to come to terms with a Warne-less world. And by the time I turned around catch a final glimpse of him, he was already gone.<p>To borrow from Sir Arthur C Clarke, I stand now at the turning point between two eras. Behind me is a past to which I can never return. The childhood of my Cricketing life has come to an end. Goodbye Warnie, the last of my childhood heroes, you will be sorely missed.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-63056158895331394432010-12-01T05:50:00.006+05:302013-02-15T23:45:47.160+05:30Rewind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just spent the last two hours going over the whole IIPM - JAM mag saga that erupted five years ago. Although I had read quite a bit about it earlier, there was much that I had missed. And this where it all started - the original article in JAM.<br />
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Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-2705070194870770412010-11-24T21:07:00.003+05:302010-11-24T21:13:07.466+05:30Has England's time come?<a href="http://www.cricketdiaries.com/2010/11/24/has-england%E2%80%99s-time-come-an-ashes-preview/">This</a> is my first article for Cricket Diaries. Hopefully, there shall be more to come.<br /><br />As the title suggests, this one is regarding the Ashes.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-29639138467960059952010-09-09T17:45:00.003+05:302010-09-09T18:10:46.320+05:30Presenting the Indian GPThe FIA recently <a href="http://www.deccanchronicle.com/sports/india-fast-lane-host-f1-2011-075">announced</a> that the Indian GP will be a part of the 2011 Formula-1 season. This is great news not just for all motorsport fans in India, but also for all Formula-1 fans in the world.<p> That is because a new feature that will be unique to the Indian GP will be launched at the race by the FIA: the race will have 'mamas' (traffic cops) standing at various locations on the track. They will randomly stop cars and then ask the drivers for their licenses, PUCs, insurance papers and NOCs for the cars (as the cars are not registered at the local RTO). The driver who can pay them off quickest and reach the finishing line first will win the race.<p> The FIA believes that this new feature will help attract more viewers to the sport, which is already suffering from various problems like reduced viewership numbers and the presence of drivers like Lewis Hamilton. Also, the FIA is hoping that <a href="http://www.f1pulse.com/news/modi_lets_off_steam_in_monaco/news-2010-may-news_20100517_109/news_article.aspx"> "One day F1 too will have IPL following"</a> and has hence decided to appoint Lalit Modi as the 'Traffic Commissioner' for the Indian GP.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-54969876368307497412010-08-16T22:04:00.005+05:302010-08-16T22:25:28.614+05:30When should a match truly 'end'?Keeping aside the discussion about whether Randiv delberately overstepped or not (which I think he did), another technical problem raised by the rules is the incongruency in the number of balls faced by Sehwag and the number of runs he scored. He was on 99 from 99 balls before the infamous no-ball, and the final scorecard shows him at 99 off a 100 balls. So if the ball counted (as all no-balls do), then the runs scored off it should also count. However, because of the rule saying that the match ends when the target is reached, the ball was counted but the runs weren't. There is obviously a problem with the rule here.<p> I think the main reason why this problem is coming up is because of an artificial end point brought about by the no-ball. So the match ended while the ball was yet to reach the batsman. I really wonder why the MCC would create such an artificial cut-off point for a match. It's not as if it causes great pain to the statisticians to record the runs scored off a no-ball. Separating the ball bowled from the runs scored off it is like making an entry to one side of a balance sheet without changing the other - it is definitely wrong!<p> This 'end of match' rule has led to some funny scenes in cricket. I distinctly remember watching a batsman hitting the winning boundary and then shouting at the non-striker asking him not to cross over so that he would get all 4 runs instead of just the one needed to win. Again, in this case, the match ends if the batsmen cross and while the ball is still on its way to the boundary creating an artificial end point.<p> I agree with the general purpose of the rule which is aimed at preventing batsmen from running for more runs even if the match is over. But in the case of no-balls there is a clear contradiction. Maybe the MCC should consider adding an exception to the rule in case of wides and no-balls. That would bring an end to the cases of poor sportsmanship such as the one we saw today.<br /><br />P.S: A similar discussion was also going on at the Cricinfo <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/sl-tri2010/engine/current/match/456663.html">commentary page</a>.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-78786333471424706772010-07-24T03:06:00.004+05:302010-07-24T04:02:18.977+05:30Quizzer of FortuneI guess all quizzers have a bit of the mercenary streak in them: no one can claim to have attended quizzes only due to the quality of questions without ever considering the monetary benefits involved. I am no different, I have spent the four years of my college life in Pune as a quizzing mercenary. I have attended quizzes in god-forsaken places like Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering, just for the money. And I have attended some terribly organised, lower than school level quizzes for the same reason. <p> But that was back in college. Once I started earning, the money was no longer such a great motivator and I realised that there were better things to do in life than attending <s>silly</s> quizzes. So I abandoned the mercenary approach to quizzing and instead decided to attend quizzes solely based on their quality. Unfortunately, this came to an end last month. <p> WIMWI has some very good quizzers, but the number is still quite low for such an institute of national repute, the reasons for which I will discuss sometime later. As a result of this dearth of quizzing talent, there was not much competition when I decided to turn up for all the quizzes (and other fun activities) being conducted in college. And this led to the strangest of results, as listed below.<p><br />My performance at quizzes (not the study related ones)and other such activities in WIMWI:<br />1. Marketing Quiz - 3rd.<br />2. General Quiz - 2nd.<br />3. Word Games - 2nd.<br />4. Pot Pourri - 1st.<br />5. Finance Quiz - 2nd.<p> Those of you who know me well know about my comical ineptitude at (and great dislike for) anything that comes close to being a business quiz. So my performance in the Marketing and Finance quizzes must come as a great surprise, although in my defence, my success in the Finance Quiz was mostly because I had happened to read about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Leeson">Nick Leeson</a> when I was framing questions for Chakravyuh. Also I had never previously participated in any kind of word games, yet I came 2nd. As for Pot Pourri, I seem to be pretty good at this, as I maintained my 100% win record (the only previous victory was at Tata Motors with Abhishek and Yash Marathe). Before coming here, I would never have dreamt of attending a Marketing or a Finance quiz, and yet I was attending (and winning) these quizzes. The mercenary quizzer within me is surely staging a comeback. I guess its just a side effect of being in college.<p> Its been more than a month that I have been here, and there have been many memorable, blogpost-worthy moments in that one month. I hope to keep posting regularly, but for now I have to leave, for a have a Sports Quiz to attend. (insert evil laugh here)Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-9878743151979660162010-06-16T15:46:00.005+05:302010-06-16T16:11:15.881+05:30I'm shipping up to AhmedabadThis is an update on a lot of events that have happened of late.<p>Actually there was just one major event - I secured admission to the <a href="http://www.iimahd.ernet.in">Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad</a> for the Post Graduate Program 2010-2012 batch. All other events were just celebratory reactions to this one. This means that I will be spending the next two years of my life in Ahmedabad and it also means that my blog's title is no longer incorrect. Just remember that from now on, when I write 'college' I mean WIMWI and not COEP.<p>I do hope to write new posts on my blog regularly, since there will be a lot of interesting blog-worthy things happening in college. For starters, our Time Table for the first two 'slots' is already out - and it includes a screening of the movie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ek_Ruka_Hua_Faisla">'Ek ruka hua faisla'</a>. I'm beginning to like it already.<br /><br />Notes:<br />1. WIMWI is a nickname for IIM A and stands for Well Known Institute of Management in Western India.<br />2. An academic year at WIMWI is divided in to 6 'slots'. Each slot has its own subjects and an examination as well.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-10563745206736154522010-05-25T23:25:00.006+05:302010-05-26T00:00:37.125+05:30The Towel Day QuestAs you all know, today (May 25th) happens to be <a href="http://www.towelday.org/">Towel Day</a>. Those of you who do not know this can stop reading now. <p> I was home all day and hence was spared the questioning looks that people give to those of us who are roaming around with a towel. Later in the evening, I was explaining to my Dad the significance of Towel Day. My Mom overheard this and said something to the effect of "Oh, that explains why there were Towels put up on display at the Reliance Fresh store". Needless to say, I was stunned. Remember, this is Nashik, and not some large metro. I didn't even expect that the people here would have heard of DNA, let alone celebrate Towel Day. This was just too good to be true. So I decided to go and check it out for myself.<p> The problem was that time was running out. Although the Earth wasn't about to explode, it was almost time the store shut down. Thankfully, I reached just in time and was able to take this pic right at the moment the shutters were coming down.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm8N7YG2e79DoXd_De_mu7nZtX_h42FljuCBz7HmbHeUjoNJ9yFC0PNeazV19CM5rtA0qj7aS66a4y_58X07LvhL9e78NkoIeYYCYuDPko-bJGhYV8ilWdiLt7RelCQtt7XhE/s1600/DSCN0984.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm8N7YG2e79DoXd_De_mu7nZtX_h42FljuCBz7HmbHeUjoNJ9yFC0PNeazV19CM5rtA0qj7aS66a4y_58X07LvhL9e78NkoIeYYCYuDPko-bJGhYV8ilWdiLt7RelCQtt7XhE/s320/DSCN0984.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475270915129155938" /></a><br /><p> It was true. In the front display of the shop, facing the main road, I could see four towels that were put on display. This was highly intriguing, so I went inside the shop and asked a few people why they had put towels for display. Unfortunately, since it was closing time, I couldn't get a definite answer, although one member of the staff told me that they were up for sale. However, one of the supervisors did mention that the display was put up only today morning.<p> So it might well have been just a great coincidence. But I would like to believe that somewhere in some parallel universe, a Reliance Fresh store manager wanted to celebrate Towel Day and the <a href="http://hhgproject.org/entries/wsogmm.html">WSOGMM</a> led to a similar idea popping up in the brain of the Reliance Fresh Nashik Manager. Whatever may be the reason, it was the froodiest Towel Day ever!Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-26765725136798606372010-04-25T04:28:00.006+05:302010-04-28T00:35:07.619+05:30Faster PussyCAT, Kill KillI guess it's about time I put in my 2 pence worth of CAT wisdom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Prologue - Once upon a time in Nashik... and Pune</span><br /><br />Most of my schooling was done in Nashik. It was there that I gave my 10th and 12th Standard exams. After my 12th, I desperately wanted to get out of Nashik. Thankfully I got into College of Engineering, Pune and took admission in the Electronics and Telecommunication department.<br /><br />I was decent at academics, with a CGPA of 8.13. However I was never really that interested in electronics, so an electronics or software related job wasn't something that I really wanted. An M.S. was out of question, so I decided to go for an MBA. Quite honestly, the amazing packages that IIM grads were getting was the major reason for this. Also, after visiting IIT B during Mood Indigo, I always felt bad that I did not make it to an IIT. It was then that I decided that I would do my MBA from an IIM and nowhere else. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chapter 1 - Fear Proof</span><br /><br />I joined IMS Pune for CAT 2008. This was because they had a special Apex batch where they would club together the best of students who would be taught by the best of faculties. I really learned a lot here. The faculty was pretty good and the classes were very useful as the level of questions was pretty high as compared to the ordinary classes. I was also performing well in my Mocks and was pretty confident of cracking CAT. Maybe I was over confident. Hence after getting a job in a software company, I did not give the entrance test of any other high paying 'core electronics' company, as I was very sure that I would be joining an IIM the next year. I wasn't even planning on writing any other MBA entrance test. Heh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chapter 2 - From Dreams till Dust</span><br /><br />I took the CAT on November 16, 2008 - what turned out to be the last paper based CAT. I thought I had done pretty well and went to my class looking for answers to the questions. It was there that I realised that I had screwed up DI. Not a major screw-up, but bad enough to ensure that I wouldn't get a call from IIM A or IIM C. Realising this, I took the XAT just to have more choice. And sure enough my predictions came true. I had just 1 call - IIM K. And yeah, I also had an IIM L-ABM call. XAT went well and I had an XLRI BM call as well. Things were starting to look up.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">My CAT 2008 score:<br />VA: 99.8 %ile QA: 96.5 %ile DI: 93.67%ile Overall : 99.59%ile<br />XAT: 99.97%ile</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chapter 3 - Interviewer Basterds</span><br /><br />My IIM K interview was bad. I barely answered anything and was out in no time. However my IIM L ABM interview went well. It was a bit of a joke really, I convinced the interviewers that I had an uncle who owned a winery in Nashik because of which I wanted to study ABM. My XLRI interview was good, and I was hoping to get through. Then came the results: XLRI reject followed by IIM K reject. I was stunned. I felt like a complete failure. I still remember that day- my dad had called to console me and I was about to cry in the middle of the street. For the first time in my life I had failed at something that I had worked so hard for. I didn't check my IIM L ABM result till a few days later. And I had made it, I had converted my call! However, by then I had decided that I would take the CAT again. A lot of people advised me to join IIM L - arguing that the placements were similar to the main course. But an MBA is like a marriage - you do it only once. And I didn't want my MBA to be in Agri Business Management. My Sir tried to talk me out of it - saying that there's no guarantee that I could crack the CAT again. However, deep inside I knew for sure that I would crack it the next time. After all, the CAT & I had some unfinished business. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chapter 4 - Grindhouse</span><br /><br />I started studying for CAT 2010 with all earnestness. I joined Byju Sir's classes. I really had fun in the classes and they helped boost my confidence. I also started working. Thankfully, the rigours of the job were never such that I didn't get enough time for my studies. However, I skipped everything else - the endless parties, movies etc etc that my office gang would go for. I had just one goal - cracking the CAT. The best part about studying for CAT was that I loved doing it. Therefore I rarely felt bored by studying, this helped me study more and helped increase my confidence. I was confident about myself this time and nothing could shake my confidence - not the shift to an online pattern, not my moderate Mock CAT scores and not even the fact that a lot might depend on the type of questions that I would get. I knew I would get through irrespective of that. So I wrote my CAT on 7th December 2009. It went well and I was hoping for the best.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chapter 5 - True Brilliance</span><br /><br />28th February, 2010: I was home. The result was declared! But I couldn't access the site. Finally my friend got through, and he mailed me my result. I saw it - 99.99 %ile. I had done it! I was rolling on the floor, laughing in disbelief and joy. I had nailed the CAT!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">My CAT 2009 score:<br />VA: 99.80 %ile QA: 96.95%ile DI: 100 %ile Overall: 99.99 %ile</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chapter 6 - Natural Born (IIM)Student</span><br /><br />I had 5 IIM calls - BLACK. Also had 2 FMS calls. Hence I was roaming all over for my GDs and PIs. Some went well (C,K) some were ok (L) while some were bad (A,B,FMS). But all this while, I felt good. I knew I was going to make it. Also, I had learnt a lot more about an MBA. It was not just a means to obtain a fat package - it was much, much more than that. I came to know more about what students actually do at the IIMs, how their life is and how an MBA makes an impact on their lives. And I really wanted to be a part of it. And I knew that I deserved to be a part of it. Almost as if it was meant to be.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Epilogue - Joka Crown: </span><br /><br />April 25, 2010: I have converted both my IIM C calls. No other results have been declared, but I am more than happy with what I have. I will be starting my MBA journey soon at one of India's best colleges - the dream has finally come true. The year long wait, the efforts put in, the countless Mocks, my rejecting IIM L ABM - it was all worth it. I have finally done it. All it needed was a strong self-belief, sharp focus, great will power and a lot of fun while studying.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Update: I have also converted my IIM Ahmedabad call and I have decided to study there and not at IIM Calcutta.</span><br /><br />P.S: I would like to thank a few people who played an essential part in my CAT success - my parents, my brother Rushikesh, Sneha Das, Byju Raveendran, Sandeep Kaushik, Kiran Joshi and Joel Xavier.<br /><br />Also I got by with more than a little help from my friends - Abhishek Nagaraj, Harsh Ketkar, Aditya Gadre, Yashovardhan Tamaskar, Chaitanya Salunke, Ganesh Pawar, Rishikesh Baviskar, Smit Gade, Ashish Metkar, Apoorv Vaidya, Avinash Kunder, Mahesh Hase and the Boat Club Quiz Club. <br /> <br />P.P.S: Never mind the names of the chapters. Or the name of this post.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-41150918871365934072010-02-24T23:25:00.004+05:302010-02-25T01:11:04.073+05:30He finally did itA lot of people may not feel that Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman that Test cricket has ever seen. However, he is, by a long margin, the greatest batsman that ODI cricket has ever seen. He has scored more runs and notched up more centuries and fifties than anybody else. He has made the format his own - this is a format where he can single-handedly win matches for India and not have to worry about minor issues like his team-mates' performances et al<p><br />However, for many years what was lacking was a really big innings from him. For a long while his highest score was the 143 he had scored against the Aussies at Sharjah. He then scored a 186 against the Kiwis, which till today was his highest score. However, he never seemed to score the really big hundreds. The tide started changing in 2009, when he made two 150+ scores, including that tragic 175 against the Aussies at Hyderabad. However, something was missing - and that got added today.<p><br />It is only fitting that it is Sachin who becomes the first batsman to attain the holy grail of ODI cricket - scoring 200 in a single inning. ODI cricket owes a lot to India in general, and Sachin in particular. He made the format immensely popular. His mere presence would fill out the stands. And through ODIs, he took the game to the smaller cities in India which could never host Test matches - the Cuttacks, Indores and Jodhpurs. So it is all the more appropriate that he would score his double century not on the hallowed turf of the Eden Gardens, but at the Captain Roop Singh stadium in Gwalior instead. <p><br />Although I did not see his entire innings, I managed to see large portions of it. My favourite part was during a Dale Steyn over when Sachin had scored around 120 runs. Now this was a bowler who is widely accepted as the best fast bowler in the world. He has run through many strong batting line-ups, including the Indian one. But today all that Steyn could think of was containment. And that too with more than 15 overs left. So no good length deliveries which he would try to swing away from the bat. Every ball he bowled was full length. However this didn't stop Sachin from scoring. He literally danced on his tiptoes before hitting a full length ball from outside the off-stump to the square leg boundary. And then, just for fun, did it again two balls later, this time hitting it to the mid wicket fence. He was literally toying around with the bowling and the look on Steyn's face gave it all way - there was nothing he could do to stop Sachin.<p><br />Possibly the best image of the match was a poster held up in the audience. It initially read 'Sachin, we have come to see you score a 100'. After Sachin's century, the guy added a '+ 100' to the text. Never, in his wildest dreams, would he have imagined how prophetic that amendment would turn out to be.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-23300894365458353802010-02-09T01:01:00.003+05:302010-02-09T01:13:53.072+05:30No one holds the bat the way I did<a href=http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/447187.html?cmp=viral>No one holds the bat the way I did</a><br /><br /><br />Makes me wonder whether Mr. Graveney used to play a different game. <p> Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-23355945134421146412009-12-19T02:30:00.004+05:302009-12-19T03:57:15.493+05:30Benn, Johnson and HaddinSuleiman Benn has been handed a two ODI ban while Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin have been fined for the untoward incidents that happened recently in the Perth test between Australia and the West Indies. And after watching the incident, I really feel that the decision is a bit unfair. When Benn and Johnson bumped into each other while Johnson was trying to get a single, it was a very natural collision. True, it was pretty silly of them to get into such a muddle, but I believe that's all that it was - a silly, comical event. Even the commentators had a laugh about it while watching the replays. If it was left at that, all of this would have been no more than a minor blip on the radar.<p> But Haddin's reaction really escalated the incident. He had no reason to point his bat at Benn. Benn had been annoying the Aussies throughout the series with his antics and most would say that he had it coming. But what Haddin did was simply unacceptable, especially since he wasn't even directly involved in the incident. And Benn's subsequent theatrical gestures, along with the language that he used, really made things ugly. And all this happened right in front of the Billy Bowden. The first incident was an accident and couldn't have been avoided. But what happened in the middle of the pitch during the overs break was a sheer disgrace. The Umpires should have stopped it from taking place. The days of school Headmaster-like Umpires are long gone, but the Umpires still have the responsibility of maintaining discipline on the field. And needless to say, they utterly failed in it.<p> So Benn has been banned for bringing the game into disrepute, which is perfectly understandable. But Haddin's crime was no less (if not more) in intensity. He definitely instigated Benn to react and is as much to be blamed as Benn himself. Johnson was innocent and has been let off with a small fine; but Haddin has gotten off very lightly. This sends the wrong signals, for the cricketers responsible for stirring up such unfortunate events should not be able to walk away without severe punishment.<p> Speaking of bringing the game into disrepute, the broadcasters must also be charged with the same crime. When Benn and Haddin were having a verbal battle right under Bowden's nose, it could all be heard on the stump mike. The stump mike is placed to detect any noise that may be created when the delivery is being played, so that edges can be recorded. It must be switched off immediately after the ball is bowled. But it was kept on for much longer, as a result the foul language being used could be heard by everyone watching on TV. It is shameful that the broadcasters are themselves damaging the sport that they are seeking to promote, just for the sake of a few TRP points. It is unfortunate that Cricket's broadcasters seem to be causing the game great harm by their detrimental policies. Sadly, it is also true.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-83715625031576241592009-11-05T22:55:00.002+05:302009-11-05T23:09:55.116+05:30Why is Jadeja in the Indian team?If Dhoni doesn't believe that Jadeja can last the final few overs of close run-chase, and that too in the company of Sachin Tendulkar who is already on 150+, and sends Harbhajan in ahead of him, then why on earth is Ravindra Jadeja in the team? Surely Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan or Virat Kohli could do much better. Or is it necessary to have a so called all-rounder in the team just to maintain "balance"? In that case compare Jadeja's performance with his Aussie counterpart - Watson scored 93 and took 3 wickets. Out of the two teams out there, in the morning one of them was struggling to find eleven fit cricketers who are good enough to play international cricket. Unfortunately, it seems like that was the Indian team and not the Aussies.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-84926824969152922002009-10-18T22:10:00.001+05:302009-10-18T22:12:29.828+05:30Heh. See <a href="http://www.cricket.mailliw.com/archives/2009/10/18/cricinfo-readers-love-a-bomb-scare/">this.</a>Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-56217429454146840662009-10-17T02:37:00.003+05:302009-10-17T02:42:41.474+05:30A question to the blogspot team<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SLmPp7XJJLA/Stjht6Vm07I/AAAAAAAAABU/78ZqwfKqJtw/s1600-h/scooters1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SLmPp7XJJLA/Stjht6Vm07I/AAAAAAAAABU/78ZqwfKqJtw/s320/scooters1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393308732646413234" /></a><br /><br />When was the last time anybody labelled his post as 'scooters'?Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-75094566924227022262009-10-17T02:02:00.002+05:302009-10-17T02:36:49.747+05:30Dravid droppedIt must be said that the recent selection committees of the BCCI have been much better than those of yore - when settling personal grudges and putting the cricketers in their place seemed to be of a higher priority than selecting the best possible squad. However, the committee still manages, from time to time, to make a selection (or non-selection that just defies all logic).<p><br />I was <a href="http://collegecricketandcrap.blogspot.com/2008/01/mr-vengsarkar-how-could-you.html">greatly bemused</a> by Sourav Ganguly's omission from the ODI team some time ago. I guess the same can be said about the Rahul Dravid saga. Firstly, I was greatly surprised when he was picked. The BCCI seemed to be following a 'young blood please' policy when it came to selection for the ODI team. It seemed to make sense, keeping the 2011 World Cup in mind. And Dravid was widely considered by many to be beyond his prime, especially in ODIs. Yet, they decided to pick Dravid for an extremely meaningless tri-series in Sri Lanka and the subsequent (more meaningless?) Champions Trophy.<p><br />And Dravid managed to turn in solid performances in both the tournaments. He played a vital innings (despite playing as an opener) in the final against Sri Lanka an also played well against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. Despite all of this, he has been dropped. And Virat Kohli has been retained. The same Virat Kohli whose only major contribution has been a slow, laboured half-century against a greatly depleted West Indies attack. The only plausible explanation could be that the selectors wanted someboy with a good technique to play in South Africa and now just want someone who can hit the ball hard since the series is in India. But in any case, it is extremely unfair to both Dravid and the youngsters who have been picked ahead of him. I guess it's about time Indian Selectors started having more faith in the players and also some respect for them. Dravid has been a loyal servant of Indian Cricket and such treatment does not befit him.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-89811162487776770842009-08-27T01:31:00.004+05:302009-08-27T01:51:48.749+05:30Filmon ke is 'Vishal' desh mein, Kaminey 'Gulzar'fuperb, fublime, fpectacular, ftaggering, ftunning, ftately, furpaffing, fenfational, fomething elfe, ftartling, ftrange, fupreme, fumptuouf, fplendid, fwank, fpotleff, fpirited, fmart, fnazzy, fwell, fuperior, fterling, fplendorouf.<br /><br />fort mein : fau prateefat paifa vafool!Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com72tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-7002821860911906942009-08-23T00:19:00.002+05:302009-08-23T00:41:30.818+05:30Obeisance to The Great OneIt's that time of the month when I start singing praises of The Great One and give my monthly obeisance to Him. Now I am not someone who would ever need to read Shane Warne's profile, since it would not contain anything new. But this <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/8166.html">Cricinfo profile</a> written by Christian Ryan makes for a very good read. He crisply summarises a brilliant career about which volumes of text has already been written. And it was written much before Warne guided the Royals to a famous victory in the inuagural IPL. <p> My favourite part comes towards the end when he claims that the world never fully appreciated Warne's genius and that his legacy shall grow with the passage of time, much like Bradman's. And I completely agree with him on this one, we always have a habit of revering the old heroes but somehow fail to treat modern day legends fairly. Warne is 100% certified legendary material and maybe fifty years on, the world shall truly realise his genius and place him on par with Bradman as the greatest aussie cricketer of all time.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-53142799513476129432009-08-22T23:48:00.003+05:302009-08-23T00:08:35.130+05:30Go Pommie Go !I have been a great fan of the Australian Cricket team for a long team. I firmly believe that they are in a major way responsible for the revival of aggressive test cricket, scoring at more than 4 runs per over regularly. But the Aussie team that I lovingly cheered was the one which had a <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/8192.html">supreme warrior</a>, a <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/8189.html">stylish and free-scoring batsman</a>, a <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/5390.html">butchering wicket-keeper batsman</a>, a <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/6565.html">miserly fast bowler</a> and of course, a <a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/8166.html">legendary blonde tweaker</a>. The current aussie line-up not only lacks such all-time greats but also seems to lack the aussie fighting spirit as shown by their recent grumbling during the ashes. <p><br />Hence, throughout this ashes series I have been supporting the English, hoping for an upset victory. And today, that victory is only 10 wickets away. So for one last time, Go Pommie Go!Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-3617884216161706432009-08-04T23:17:00.005+05:302009-08-04T23:43:15.841+05:30While reading today's ToI, I came across the following headline:<br /><h4> <a href="http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIPU/2009/08/04&PageLabel=17&EntityId=Ar01704&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T">Windies salvage some pride against Bangladesh </a></h4><br />If someone who had lapsed into coma a year or so ago was to suddenly come back to life again, he would have definitely thought that the publishers had inadvertently jumbled up the names of the two teams involved. How I wish that were true. I am not against Bangladeshi cricket, but seeing the decline and fall of a team which was once the most dreaded in the world makes me feel very sad indeed. I sincerely hope that West Indies cricket regains some of it's lost glory and returns to it's world beating ways soon.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-76433530242996123332009-08-04T01:01:00.003+05:302009-08-04T01:15:14.363+05:30<a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/416823.html">This</a> interview of Andy Atkinson, the ICC's pitches manager, makes for a very interesting read. Not only is it a good analysis of what role the pitch should play in Cricket, it also sheds some lights on one of the most forgotten and hidden arts in Cricket - the art of pitch making.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20377573.post-28920468581999638202009-08-03T23:47:00.003+05:302009-08-04T23:44:31.738+05:30BCCI and the dope controversyA lot of discussion has been going on about BCCI's refusal to agree to the conditions listed by WADA for compliance with their drug testing standards. This time, I must say, I do feel that BCCI is not totally wrong in taking a stand, whatever may be it's reasons for it. But the problem here is that non-compliance would severely dent the game's reputation in the global arena and that is something that should be avoided at all costs.<p>Traditionally, Cricket has not had too much trouble when it comes to dealing with performance enhancing drugs. Maybe it is because of the fact that for a cricketer, good technique, unwavering concentration and mental toughness are more important than bulging biceps or long lasting lungs. The very fact that Cricket is a comparitively leisurely sport with brief bursts of high activity might make it more resistant to the lure of high performance drugs as compared to sports like athletics or wrestling. But then again, this may be because the drug doctors haven't got around to making drugs specially designed for cricketers. Or maybe we just haven't heard of such drugs yet. <p>This does not mean that steroids won't help a cricketer at all. Fast bowlers seem the most obvious candidates for taking performance enhancing drugs, and the case of the Pakistani pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif provides credibility to this belief. But even other cricketers might benefit greatly from such artificial boosts. It will definitely come in handy for players wanting to extend their playing careers, especially considering the amount of Cricket being played and the added incentive of being able to play in more editions of the IPL. That would be a double blow for the game as not only would it make Cricket a game full of cheats, but also might stall the progress of younger and more exciting players.<p>We should be thankful that Cricket, at least till date, hasn't had its image tarnished by any major doping controversy. Maintaining this clean image should definitely be high on the priority list of the game's administrators. But what needs to be realised is that the BCCI is neither anti-testing and nor is it trying to cover up anybody. It is just being reasonable. I personally agree with their statement that providing the whereabouts of the cricketers for an hour everyday for three months seems not only dangerous from the security point of view but also highly impractical. Hence their great reluctance in accepting the all the conditions listed in the contract. <p>However, deciding not to sign the contract with WADA may have grave long term consequences for Cricket with regards to its inclusion as an Olympic discipline. Now that we have a variant of the game that makes it easy to produce results in a short timespan and also provide great entertainment for the audience, it seems that we may finally have a vehicle that may help us attain our Olympic dreams. And that is a chance that the ICC cannot afford to miss.<p>The WADA controversy is treacherous territory for the ICC and it should tread carefully lest it finds itself in a big mess if it does not do so. But with a little diplomacy, it should be able to soothe all the warring parties and hopefully arrive at a conclusion that is for the good of the game.Aniket Khasgiwalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535563767928827126noreply@blogger.com0