Correction and Sports News

Cricket

Sorry. It seems I have made a blunder in one of my earlier posts. The cricket test series consisting of India vs. West Indies has NOT YET ended. I had reported it had ended in a draw as I had thought that it was the best of three series. Apparently, it is a four test series. So, with the first three tests not yielding a result, anyone can still win the series. At the end of the first days play, India was 200 all out. Although it is still anyone's series, the West Indies have a slight edge at this point. I think India deserve to win this series simply because they outplayed the Indies in three games IN the Caribbean. Regardless, this is a test match and not of much importance to me. I prefer one-dayers. Still, I thought I should correct myself.

" Jerome Taylor's 5 for 50 helped West Indies dismiss India for 200 on the first day in Jamaica"

© AFP From: Cricinfo

In other cricket news, England is playing Sri Lanka in a five match ODI series. Sri Lanka has won the first four matches. The last remaining match is to be played on July 1st. Surprisingly, the matches are being played in England. It seems unbelievable. This is a team (England) that beat the Aussies in the Ashes last year. There are only two or three new faces on the England team but the big names are still there except for Vaughan. Is it only the lack of Vaughan's presence that is making such a great impact. I don't buy that! Kudos to SL. They must be playing great.

FIFA
Italy beat Ukraine 3-0. Germany beat Argentina via penalty kicks after they were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time. Germany will now play Italy in the semifinal on July 4 at 3 P.M. (EST). Thus, so far two out of four of my predictions have come true! Here are an expert's predictions on ESPN. He picked Brazil, Portugal, Italy, and Argentina as winners in the quarterfinals. The two remaining quarterfinal matches take place today.

Italy's Luca Toni scored two goals against Ukraine.

NBA
The NBA has introduced a new game ball. This in only the second change made to the ball in the NBA's history. The last change was over 35 years ago. The new ball will be in play in the 06-07 season. The ball was revealed from the mysterious Black Box that David Stern had created a stir about a few days ago. The new ball, produced by Spalding, is made of a microfiber composite material that provides for more material coverage, better grip, and moisture management. The old ball was made of leather.


In Heat news, Jason Kapono's contract for next season was secured by Miami. Coach Pat Riley noted "We will definitely keep Jason. I don't think there is a better 3-point shooter in the game." While I may not completely agree with the statement, it seems like a good move for now with the Heat not having a pick in the draft lottery this year.

Does spelling matter?

Tomato? Tamato? Does spelling really matter? Well, it depends. If you are an English student or a student in an English classroom, then it does if you want to excel or if you care about your grade! Otherwise, spelling really doesn't matter for general reading purposes. Here's a spelling research:

It Happens ONLY in India...

Here are a few pictures from an e-mail I was forwarded with the subject line: It Happens ONLY in India...Of course, I have added in some of my own commentary. :)

Coca-Cola: The 10-liter pots! Indian consumers don't like 2-liter bottles. It cheaper to buy in bulk.

Colgate with a new Ayurvedic formula: Your teeth may decay eventually, but we GUARANTEE a fine smile even when they are gone.

MasterCard. Priceless? No, penniless! :(
IBM: The power to innovate. Buy NOW, and get out special offer: That's right- a month's worth supply of apples.

Nike...need we say more?

Innovative Sales 101
Indian Railway: The comment on the picture itself is fair enough.

What happens when you try mixing English and Hinglish...
Bureaucracy/Red Tape.

NBA 2006 Draft

Fresh Faces

You can find the full list of picks here. Surprisingly, it wasn't Adam Morrison, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Tyrus Thomas who was the number one pick. It was Italian player Andrea Bargnani. There were many deals. Many of them were to trade picks, like Chicago trading the second pick to Portland for the fourth pick AND Viktor Khryapa. You can read about the main deals here at ESPN. While I don't know about Bargnani, I think Morrison will be fine, having lead the NCAA in scoring this year, under Jordan's guidance with the Bobcats, and Thomas should satisfy the needs of the Bulls. After all, the Bulls can't count on getting Ben Wallace from Detroit. Detroit will try its best to keep Big Ben and rightly so. The chemistry of the Pistons, despite their poor showing in the playoffs, is very well set. Notably, also the Pistons have the last pick in the draft and are looking for "hidden gold." Most sports commentators haven't hesitated to note that there is no Lebron or Dwyane in this year's draft.

Miami, meanwhile, didn't have a pick in this year's draft due to previous deals such as with the Lakers in acquiring Shaq. It will be interesting to learn about Miami's roster as the summer heats up, but the main thing that matters is that Wade signs a new extension contract. I would prefer it if Zo comes back because he is the best backup center in the league. It's also nice to know Udonis will be back, as he is Miami's Big Ben. By that I mean he brings great energy with him to the floor and provides some good defense. I would also especially like to see Posey back because of his toughness in defense and perimeter shooting although he can improve a lot. Antoine is necessary in that he helps take some of the burden off of Wade in getting to the basket but he is not very consistent at it. Paton is getting old but he did make "clutch shots" in the final. Will he be able to maintain that? Yes, I know he is a veteran, but I have my doubts. Jason Williams is going to have his knee surgery and his ability in the next year would depend on his recovery. Also, he has been slow in transition but then the knee surgery might just help improve him. If his knee does get better and helps him in his transitions, then I would not mind seeing him again. You can definitely expect the bench to get more minutes in this upcoming year from players like the Andersons, Doleac, and Kapono.

Because there is no Wade in this draft and because we won't see Wade play for a few more months, here are a few videos which you can enjoy from YouTube:

Dwyane Wade Mix
(watch the play at 1:56) Also it's mixed to Remember the Name by Fort Minor -the official song of the NBA playoffs in 2006- so it's sweet.


Top 10 plays from 2006


Here are some additional YouTube D-Wade videos:
Dwyane Wade 2003 Draft
Turn It Up

The Dude also has one additional D-Wade video on his site that I don't have here, but it's like he took the idea right out of my head because I have been meaning to do this for a week. He beat me to it though. Well, keep in tuned for additional NBA info., FIFA Updates, and other random posts.

FIFA News Update

Quarterfinals Predictions

The two final teams that are to play in the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals emerged today. They were France and, of course, Brazil. France beat Spain 3-1. Brazil beat Ghana 3-0. France looked in control after the game was tied 1-1 once they scored their second goal. As for the Brazil vs. Ghana game, although Brazil were the favorites, I expected Ghana to put up a better show after watching them in the past couple of games. However, I still think they were a great team and that they just had a bad day. They were the only African team still playing. Even though I wasn't able to watch that game, I heard Ghana created plenty of opportunities but they were all close and never turned into a goal. As for Brazil, once again Ronaldo scored a goal; it was his fifteenth. That's a world cup record. Before this Game, Ronaldo was tied with the German Mueller for fourteen goals each. Now two South American and six European teams remain.

Here are my quarterfinals prediction:

Germany vs. Argentina on June 30th @ 11 A.M. (EST) - ESPN
Both teams are great. However, Germany made it to a last year's world cup final. They are known for their defense. After their opening match, they have yet to concede a goal. On the other hand, Argentina has been playing great, but it has all been against inferior teams.

Prediction:

Germany. Notably, Germany is playing IN Germany. I do not see them getting out in the quarterfinals this easily.

Italy vs. Ukraine on June 30th @ 3 P.M. (EST) - ESPN2
This one doesn't seem too hard to predict. But there are always surprises so who knows. Italy beat Australia, and Ukraine beat Switzerland. From my analysis, I don't think Ukraine has a shot in the quarterfinals. After watching Ukraine play Switzerland, which I admit was a very boring game, I do not believe either team would have survived in the quarterfinals.

Prediction:

Yep. You guessed it, Italy.

England vs. Portugal on July 1st @11 A.M. (EST) - ABC
This one is hard to tell. A friend stated, "If Ronaldo doesn't play, Portugal won't win," and, "They (Portugal) are in a lot of yellow card trouble." Meanwhile, England has Beckham but they don't seem to be playing to their potential. England needs to play better defensively. And with two players out, things are looking bad for Portugal.

Prediction:

England. Unless England fails offensively.

Brazil vs. France on July 1st @ 3 P.M. (EST)
This one is perhaps the hardest to predict. Brazil has Ronaldo. France has Zidane. France is starting to warm up. But so is Brazil. It's exciting to see Brazil play, and the fact is they can play better and they have the highest scorer in world cup history on their side. That's always a plus. Also, there are only two teams from South America remaining. It would be nice to see at least one other non-European team in the quarterfinals.

Prediction:

Brazil. Tough call.

ESPY Awards

The NBA Finals may be over but South Floridians can continue the celebration through more awards. Vote for D-Wade, Miami Heat, and/or Pat Riley in the ESPY awards. ESPY stands for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly. The awards will air on ESPN on Sunday, July 16, at 9 P.M. (EST). D-Wade has been nominated in two categories: Best Championship Performance AND Best NBA Player. The Miami Heat are nominated in the Best Team category. Pat Riley is nominated for the Best Coach/Manager Award. Dallas fans can vote for Dirk in the Best International Player category. There are 39 overall categories.

From: U.S. Olympic Team
The ESPY awards will be hosted by Lance Armstrong.

A Size Comparison of Heavenly Bodies

Do you ever ponder the big questions in life? Who are we? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Exactly what is our significance in the universe? Well, I can't answer all of those for you. But a forwarded e-mail that I got might just answer the last of those series of "big questions" for you.

Here we go...feel good?

How about now?

Feeling like an ant?

Feel like a cell now?

Like an atom?

Hope that answers your question.

Perhaps some insight...About Me!

Silly me...

It occurs to me that I never did a formal "first blog" for introductory purposes. I meant to, but perhaps I just forgot, especially with the NBA finals going on. I am a fellow human being (more specifically, a hooligan teenager...for now) from the muy caliente South Florida studying at the Univserity of Michigan- Ann Arbor. My purpose in creating this blog is to simply hone my writing skills, discuss random matters (as they occur into my head), get feedback from interesting people, and keep track of life.

So pretty much, randomness is the theme. If there are ANY questions, suggestions (think helpful or productive), opposing opinions or such feelings, feel FREE to comment. As the title states, it's all about living, learning, and loving.

A random, interesting blog that I came across recently was The Bestest Blog of All-Time. At this blog site, the author proposes a good business idea: He will add your blog into his Link section, if you add his blog onto your link section. The author, Bobby Griffin, calls it a win-win situation. And I agree. It seems like a great way to generate readers and get feedback.

So, if you have come across my blog, like it and find it funny, amusing, intelligent, or just plain amusing, tell your friends, bookmark it, or place it in your link section at your blog or website. I will return the favor as long as your website seems appropriate (meaning not illegal, offensive...etc.). Just let me know by leaving a comment.

Let the fun begin...Enjoy!

Not ALL rich people are greedy...

Well, well. Here's proof that not all rich people spend their money on unnecessary materials. Nope. Not all rich people are Paris Hilton. No, not all rich people waste their wealth on lavish parties and thousands of dollars worth of articles of clothing. Some people are different. And thank God for that.

From left: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett.

"I'm not an enthusiast for dynastic wealth, especially when the alternative is six billion people much poorer (than we are) having a chance to benefit from the money."
-Warren Buffett.

The second richest man in the world has chosen to donate most of his money to charity. The majority of the donations will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) charity foundations in the world. The reason he chose to donate to the Gates Foundation rather than distribute the wealth himself was because he felt that he was not well prepared to distribute the wealth in fundamental areas and issues, whereas the Gates Foundation is well known for their infrastructure and various fields and issues of development. Basically, the issue was of efficiency and that of well-acquaintance with the needs of the world- matters which the Gates Foundation has a good infrastructure for. The complete article is available at CNN.

Cricket News and Round of 16 Update

India vs. West Indies Test Series in W.I.

From: BBC Sport: Cricket

After losing to the W.I. in the one-day series 4-1 in a very disappointing fashion, the three match test series has ended in a draw. The picture above is of Dravid and Laxman celebrating their century stand during the second innings from the last test. One thing is clear from the test series and that's that India was CLEARLY the better team. The Indies survived barely to a draw by one wicket in the first test. Then rain bailed them out to what seemed to be a certain loss in the second test. And now, even after pinning down India in the first innings of the third test, India came back to draw the game with the Indies leading by less than 100 runs when time ran out. India must, however, be getting valuable experience with the pitches in the Caribbean for next year's world cup. However, the world cup is in one-day format, and it was disappointing to see India lose the one-day series by a 4-1 margin. On a positive note, three of those games were one ball away from being in India's favor; also India was incorporating a lot of youth into its roster to infuse them with experience rather than using all the usual big guns. On a negative note, West Indies are a relatively young team (barring three main players) and India should have still won that series as they had more than ample weapons in their arsenal with Dravid, Sehwag, and Yuvraj. It was more disappointing to see India lose it abroad while just getting in the rhythm by beating Pakistan in Pakistan and England and Sri Lanka at home. They are still not as ruthless as the Aussies. While on the subject of the Aussies, I do believe they are finally starting to look vulnerable after losing the Ashes earlier, a loss to Bangladesh on a one-day match, and then losing the one day series down in South Africa in the final match of that series which was praised by many as the greatest one-day match ever played.

Round of 16 Update

From today's two matches, two more teams have emerged for the quarterfinals- Italy and Ukraine. Italy beat Australia, and Ukraine beat Switzerland. They will play against each other on June 30th, @ 3 P.M. From my analysis, I don't think Ukraine has a shot in the quarterfinals. After watching Ukraine play Switzerland, which I admit was a very boring game, I do not believe either team would have survived in the quarterfinals. The Swiss, surprisingly, went out as the only team to not have given up a goal in regulation time so far in the World Cup. After a tie game between Ukraine and the Swiss after regulation time and OT, the match came down to the best of 5 penalty kicks. Ukraine missed the first, and then made 3 successive (none very impressive) goals while the Swiss were unable to sink even one goal in the net.

Prediction from the Italy vs. Ukraine game to be played on June 30th @ 3 P.M. (EST):

Yep, you guessed it, Italia.

Useful Cell Phone Tips.

Here are three not very well-known cell phone tips. Please note that the third tip is for Nokia cell phone users only. Sorry.

1) Emergency number
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out
of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial
112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency
number for you.

Interestingly ...this number 112 can be dialed even while the keypad is
locked. Try it out.

2) Locked the keys in the car? Your car has remote keys?
This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you
lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are home, call someone on your
cell phone.

Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the other
person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the phone on
their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your
keys to you.

Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can
reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the
doors (or the trunk).

*Note: The next tip is for Nokia cell phone users only.*

3) Hidden Battery power
Imagine your cell battery is very low, and you are expecting an important call and
you don't have a charger. NOKIA instruments come with a reserve battery.

To activate, press the keys *3370#, your cell will restart with this
reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This
reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

Heat's secret bowl revealed and FIFA News

The Secret Bowl Unveiled...

During the course of the playoffs, there was much talk of a mysterious bowl in the heat locker room. After they won the championship, the contents of the bowl were finally made known. And, not surprisingly, it was something of sentimental value. The image on the top reveals the bowl, which during the playoffs was cloaked away with "Don't touch" signs attached.

Shaq had this to say: "A lot of people wanted to know what was in that little bowl in the locker room. It was a bunch of cards that said 15 strong. A bunch of pictures of us and our family, a bunch of pictures of us hanging together. It was a very tight knit group. This was the real definition of team."

The picture on the top was obtained from the NBA's Miami Heat Scrapbook page. Meanwhile, ESPN has an article about the current status of Miami's roster. The article it titled Heat likely to defend title with different roster. The Heat would have had the 26th and 56th selection in the draft, but those picks were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, respectively.

FIFA World Cup News

From: FIFA

For those of you who are unaware, there is a football world cup going on at the moment. It's ONLY the world's biggest sporting event. Here's the World Cup Bracket. Currently, the round of 16 is taking place. This will eliminate eight teams and lead to the quarter finals starting June 30th. Since India did not qualify to play in the world cup and the USA is already knocked out, I will be cheering for Brazil instead because it is an exciting team with perhaps the most passion; also, I have several Brazilian friends and neighbors. Interestingly, the one time in history that India did qualify for the world cup, they could not appear. Under the history section of Football in India, it notes that India qualified for the 1950 World Cup but could not play as the team at the time played bare feet, which was against regulation. Currently, only four teams have secured their position in the quarter finals in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The schedule for the quarter finals is as follows:

June 30th, 11 A.M. (EST): Germany vs. Argentina.

June 30th, 3 P.M. (EST): Winner of Italy vs. Australia VS. winner of Switzerland vs. Ukraine.
The winners will be determined June 26th. The first match will take place at 11 A.M. (EST) and the second match at 3 P.M. (EST).

July 1st, 11 A.M. (EST): England vs. Portugal.

July 1st, 3 P.M. (EST): Winner of Brazil vs. Ghana VS. winner of Spain vs. France.
The winners will be determined June 27th. The first match will take place at 11 A.M. (EST) and the second match at 3 P.M. (EST).

Baby Got Bible

Baby Got Bible...

Think you are clever? Try This...

Below are four questions. Answer them instantly. You CAN'T take your time. No pencil or paper! OK? Here we go:

Question 1: Here's some tricky math. It must be done in your head only. Do NOT use paper, pencil, or a calculator.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it.

Now add another 1000.

Now add 30.

Add another 1000.

Now add 20.

Now add another 1000.

Now add 10.

What is the total?

Question 2: You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

Question 3: If you overtake the last person, then you are....?


Last Question: Mary's father has five daughters. Four are named Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?

Answers

Answer 1: Did you get 5000? The correct answer is 4100. Don't believe it? Check with your calculator.

Answer 2: Did you answer first place? If you overtake the second person, then you take his place. Hence, you are second.

Answer 3: Did you answer second to last? Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST person?

Last answer: Nunu? Nana? Nene? NONO! Of course not. The fifth daughter's name is Mary. Read the question agian.

Miami Heat are the NBA Champions...

The motto on the right is Wade's. The motto for the heat was: Fall down two times. Get up four! Folks, although I am laaaaate in posting this, but in case if you haven't already heard, the Miami Heat has won its first NBA Championship in its 18-year-old history. Not many people gave the heat any chance after the first two games. Heck, many people didn't even believe after the series shifted out of Miami after game 5, expecting them to lose both road games to the Mighty Mavs. But, there is always something about the underdog. They have hunger and passion. Most importantly, I think the team had experience. That's what the veterans bought. And that was also what the Mavs lacked. Although I am not a fan of Gary Paton, he made some clutch shots. Dirk failed to show up for the majority of the series. Actually, scratch that. He tried. The credit here should go to Udonis Haslem, the local hero for Miami. Excellent defense and rebounding. Also, a lot of people are complaining about the officiating, the Jerry Stackhouse issue from Game 5, and various other matters. To these people, I suggest reading the MiamiSportsDudes Final Thoughts.

WOW...I don't think the situation can be explained any better than how The Dude has explained it. Of course, being Miami fans, bias is likely to creep in somewhere, but it's also quite clear than many people under-rated the Miami team. Miami with D-wade looking for his 1st championship, along with Alonzo and the other veterans, Shaq wanting to deliver on his promise, and Riley being a more experienced coach (with age comes wisdom), the Heat just had more heat than the Mavs to get rid of the obstacles. However, many people keep talking of the overtime Game 5 where they say although that was a foul, the refs shouldn't call it in that kind of a clutch situation where apparently they are suppose to "let the players do their thing." Also, they argue that they didn't have Stackhouse in game 5 and that while his foul was flagrant, it wasn't worthy of suspension...Nevertheless, that's not in the hands of the Miami Heat but the League.

As for me, I actually was at the AAA watching game 6 with some friends and several thousand Heat fans while the team played in Dallas. It was my first visit to the arena, and I loved it. After we won, people went crazy. It was probably a 10 block party next to the arena. Cops and media everywhere; people dancing and screaming; cars honking and parked everywhere and everywhere. I was in my friend's car and stood out from the sunroof sporting Wade's jersey as I screamed, "We are #1...Dwyaaane Waaade." When the team wasn't playing, the tickets were only $5. It was definitely a different feeling cheering in my room all by myself compared to cheering with thousands of other people.

In other Heat news, the city of Miami held a parade on Friday, June 23rd. Although I wasn't able to visit due to other engagements, I did catch some random glimpses. Notably, Tuesday, May 16, was labeled by both the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Broward County Public Schools as White Hot Heat Day! Rather amusing.




As for next year, the players that I would like definitely to remain on the roster are: Alonzo, Shaq, Haslem, Posey, and I guess Wade might be nice. Wade was ONLY the MVP of the Finals. Regardless, I do think these athletes earn a ridiculous amount of money. For example, they expect to sign Wade for a $75+ million contract for a few years worth of an extension contract with the Heat. I believe 5-6 figures would provide a comfortable earning for almost any household. Well, this is it for now. Keep tuned in for circket news, football news, and various random issues that might be worth noting. Adios amigos.

Where there is a Will, there is a Wade...

Ladies & Gentlemen....the Miami Heat have become only the 2nd team (after the Detroit Pistons of 2004) to win all 3 games at home since the NBA finals went to a 2-3-2 format.


From: farlane

The main difference in those 3 games: D-Wade averaged more than 30 points per game. Transcendent was the adjective one blog used. The Heat now lead the series 3-2. Who would have thought it after they were down 0-2 just a week ago. Many thought they would get swept at that point. When game 3 looked all but over, I still watched through to the last minute and boy, what a surprise I got. And now here we are. However, a tougher task lies ahead of them. They must win one more game, and it MUST be in Dallas. Sounds easy right now after the won 3 straight, right? Well, they haven't beaten the Mavs IN Dallas in the last 4 years! So, whatever they have accomplished now (as much of a miracle as it may seem) was only taking care of what they absolutely needed to (and that was to win at home) after being down 0-2. I think they should be able to win the Finals now though. However, I disagree with the fact that the Heat have the momentum now. First of all, Dallas is going back home. Secondly, Stackhouse will be back for game 6. Third, with DJ back as a third center, the Mavs now have 18 fouls to give on Shaq. If anything, it becomes harder now for the Heat.

The unsung hero of the series for Miami so far- Udonis Haslem. I believe this guy is to the Miami Heat team what Ben Wallace is to the pistons fans. He brings a lot of energy with him and his hustle keeps us in the game at vital moments. He rebounds very well, and has kept Dirk in check. His offensive shooting percentage is his only down-fall, but I will overlook that at most points for his effort and energy. The Heat must stick to their team-playing ways if they are to win at Dallas. Regardless of how many people thing the Miami Heat are a one man team in D-Wade so far, I disagree. Every player is VITAL. D-wade just happens to be the best of them. :) On that note, apparently Dwyane Wade has a song titled Flash (his nickname) after him. Well, it's late so that's it for now...Latooor.

Game 3 NBA Finals 2006 & Cricket News

Yesss, the Miami Heat have come back in the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavs in a spectacular fashion by one of my favorite players, Dwyane Wade, who got me interested in the NBA to begin with. He was incredible with 42 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and only 1 turnover all the while battling a knee injury from the third quarter. If Miami is to win this series (although the chances are bleak, but I am a believer and who doesn't like rooting for the underdog?) it will be all about Dwyane Wade. Dirk for the mavs is a great player, but he is also over 7 foot. You really gotta give Dwyane his props. Haslem is now officially one of my favorite players for Miami Heat. Gary Paton, regardless of his game-changing shot, is yet to make an impression on me as a senile player. Shaq might have made those clutch free throws, but he can't be off the hook that easily; he had 7 turnovers. He needs to play better, period. I say that because he says he wants a legacy, but legacies aren't written with the performances he is churning out at the moment.

Notable quote from D-Wade: "It's like I say, everything happens for a reason, but the reasons ain't always right."
I thought it was hillarious.

In other news, India is back to its game of defeating champions and losing to minions. After beating Sri Lanka, England, and Pakistan, they came out and found a way to lose to a young and inexperienced West Indies team in the ODI series 4-1. However, it must be noted that India was too playing and experimenting with young players making their debuts and whatnot. And it was comforting to know that 2-3 games that they lost were lost only in the final over and weren't blowouts. They are doing extremely well in the tests, but luck is working against them and the rain Gods are on the side of the home team so the test series still hasn't yielded a win for either team. Can't wait till the world cup in 2007.

Well. That's it for now. Go Heat! Hope D-Wade's knee gets back to 100%.