And God rewrites the record books – 200*

People often wonder why I address this man as GOD. He has given me many reasons to do so – and today was another one of them.

I almost cursed Dhoni for the first time in my life when he did not give Sachin strike in the 49th over and then threw kisses when he did not push Sachin for the 2nd run at 49.2 overs! Thank god for that.

For someone who took 79 matches and 5 years to get his first hundred in ODIs, Sachin has never looked back! 46 centuries in ODIs accompanied by 47 in tests – I expect he will get to another 100; that of his international centuries this year at the rate he is going. He has 5 this year already – 4 in tests and 1 in the ODIs.

He has got tantalisingly close to the coveted mark 186* against NZ in 1999 and then twice in the last year: 163* against NZ when he retired hurt and 175 against Aus.

Today he was all the class, elegance and timing we associate with the beauty of batting. He did not thrash the bowlers – he just belted them gently. Such was his powerful timing that he kept playing the cat and mouse game with the fielders. Till the ball hit the ropes the fielder was given hope that he could stop it, he would chase all the way only to be exhausted and find the ball smiling at the boundary ropes. Sunil Gavaskar has always claimed he loves such shots – the ones that tease the fielder. Sachin played them plenty today

Square cut, cheeky third man fours, cover drive, on-drive, shots through mid-wicket and off the square! There was not an area he left uncovered. The bowlers bowled a good line yet he placed the ball where he wanted to. Sachin played like he is 17 today when he is approaching 37.

The energy, the exuberance, the hunger amazes me – I’ve just entered my 30s and I often feel totally phased out! The guy is a perfect role model. And despite all the madness, the money, the crazy fans – the man remains unfazed. He remains his simple self, the Marathi Mulga from Sahitya Sahwas in Bandra. His middle-class Maharashtrian roots still strong. His commitment and dedication unparalleled. The more you speak of him , the less it is.

I feel blessed – to have been born in his era, to have witnessed this phenomenon – to have watched him play since his debut in 1989 till date. So many moments, so many smiles.

Today the commentators kept harping about SA having chased 434 in 2006. I did not need them to remind me of it – I had seen the match live. Often these TV commentators lose sight of important things. I would not have cared if SA would’ve chased down 402 today – all that I cared about was  that no batsmen on their side got to 200. Today, India’s victory was not important – Sachin’s record was. Period. I was being selfish and it was well justified – cause Sach is indeed GOD and Sach is indeed our life!

P.S: My Kodak Moment of the Day was : Virat and Raina taking a bow to the GOD from the dressing room – they will need all his blessings if they wish to emulate half his deeds in the future.

In 30 different ways, He said I LOVE YOU

This post was picked for Blogadda's Tangy Tuesday Picks

I’m not a romanticist – that is MDH’s domain. He more than makes up for my shortcomings. Last Friday was my 30th birthday and it was Mahashivratri so I was fasting. Add to it that he had his major office event; so it was next to impossible for him to arrange anything for me. Hence,we postponed all celebrations to the next i.e this week.

MDH is known for his innovative surprises – I’ve not heard of similar ones from the numerous couples I know. My guy friends hate him cause their wives pester them after hearing my stories. 7 years since we started dating and 5 years of marriage - I wondered what this guy would do this time. So here goes the story. It’s a long long post - but this time I’ll be quiet and let the pictures do all the talking.

I was packed off to a surprise ride in a Limousine with 3 of my best friends here. When I returned home with them – the door opened to this! A rhyming clue preceded each gift.

The house is all set with my 30 gifts:

The clues and the gifts begin:

• No.1: Personalized leather wallet
• No.2: Our new LCD
• No.3: 2-hour ride in black Cadillac limousine with my terrific girl gang in Dubai – 4 of us

• No.4: My favourite chocolate – Cadbury Dairy Milk which he got on our every single date

• No.5: Mobile cover – Cause I seem to lose this all the time

• No.6: A snap of me with my girl gang in Dubai – They are my soul sisters and we 4 rock!

• No.7: Junk/Imitation jewellery

• No.8: Tome and Jerry CDs – I love these two :-)

• No.9: 5-star mini-bar yummmmmmm

• No.10: Gems – minis M&Ms – fills up my empty stomach anytime;-)

• No.11: Fridge magnets with funny/sarcastic sayings – Both my refrigerators are loaded with them, yet I need more;-)

• No.12: Doritos chips – my weak point.

• No.13: My latest craze – eye-liner pencils

• No.14: The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes – Need I say more?

• No.15: Office desk supplies – to keep myself organized

• No.16: About 200 odd articles of Harsha Bhogle & Peter Roebuck – Special thanks to our dear friend RS who took the pains to compile them!

• No.17: A frame that tells the meaning of both our names and our personalities

• No.18: This a bit unbelievable still not recovered – a star registered with my name in the Libra Constellation in the sky forever!

• No.19: My addiction – Bejeweled 2 – He bought me the deluxe version and is loaded on my comp!

• No.20: A 3-d snap of us two etched in a glass piece – for eternity

• No.21: Saree – I think is the most beautiful piece of clothing ever designed. My friend’s AM’s fine taste helped.

• No.22: Salwar suits: The next best;-) Again AM helping MDH – she is too good.

• No.23: My Panda: After my tiger Jenny:-)

• No.24: An addition to my cricket collection – ‘The One Who Will’ Biography of one of my favourite players Steve ‘Tugga’ Waugh. I know someone who will be jealous for this gift alone!

• No.25: A DVD writer to go with my swank new HP mini

• No.26: Our names written in the Egyptian hieroglyphs on the Papyrus Paper

• No.27: My favourite TV cricket series - The DVD of BODYLINE

• No.28: Handmade greeting card. My school friend AJ gave me one every year; until she moved to USA. I was craving for one in this world of e-cards – and he did one for me :-)

• No.29: Is my small dream – thinking about it and it will happen sooner than later . Need to get the name right!

• No.30: A Solitaire ring and pendant – this one was the biggest surprise!

So you do understand that I’m at a loss for words. The preparation, the planning, getting my friends involved – I’m stunned, absolutely stunned at how much someone can love. And also feel blessed for being surrounded by such lovely people – all our friends who helped MDH to make this special – they live in Dubai and all around the world. I cannot thank them enough. DV, DK, AM, RS, DD, SK, RK – special thanks to you all!

This has been my best birthday ever – talk about welcoming the 30s with a bang!

P.S: If you need help to surprise your spouses – drop in a line and I’ll get MDH to consult. He will not disappoint!