In Formula 1, two flints indeed start a fire!

It’s been an interesting Formula 1 season thus far. Despite the fact that Mercedes, led by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, have dominated 6 out of the 7 races, one can argue the fact that the season is still quite open.  However, Mercedes’ unprecedented dominance is not what makes the season stimulating. We’ve had teams dominate F1 in the past. It’s not something that is new. The Ferraris, the Renaults, the Brawns, the Red Bulls, etc have all been there done that. What makes this season one to watch right till the end is that it’s yet again encouraging the “whether F1 is a team sport or not” debate in probably the most intriguing manner possible.

Ever since the inception of the sport and the controversies that came along with it, there have been numerous discussions about the same. Generally there is always this one team every season that has to deal the frustrating problem of managing two “hotshot” drivers. However, with the events that conspired at the Malaysian Grand Prix at the starting of the season and those at the recently-concluded Canadian Grand Prix, one can safely arrive at the conclusion that this season there definitely is more than one team that is facing this conundrum.

 Interestingly, when the current season started, people thought (nay believed) that the team this season bound to be faced with “team-order issues” is going to be Ferrari. And who can blame their thinking. Fernando Alonso teaming up with the ‘Iceman’ Kimi Raikkonen would make any F1 fanatic jump up and feel that it was just a combination waiting to explode and cause chemical chaos. After all, it was Alonso’s arrival that proved to be the catalyst in Kimi’s leaving Ferrari in the first place. Both can be cocky and neither would settle for being designated as the “number 2” driver. Both drivers have statistics that speak volumes about their illustrious careers in F1. And the cherry that tops it all off is the fact that they both were racing for a team called “Ferrari”, whose history when it comes to teamwork is quite “brilliant” in itself. But, the 2014 season painted a much altered image of what one had in mind.

Enter Mercedes - the team that dominated the pre-season testing with their hybrid engine technology. The team knew clearly that this technological advancement would put the Silver Arrows right at the top. They knew that this was going to be their season to lose. And worst of all, Hamilton and Rosberg knew that they’ve been blessed with a car that could make them start dreaming again. Hamilton, who won the 2008 drivers’ championship by a single point, would surely want to bask in that glory again. And of course Rosberg, who we all know is one the most hardworking drivers on the circuit, would surely like to get a taste of being called world champion. Hence, back came the problem. Who was going to be No. 1?

 See the thing with Formula 1 “teams” is that they actually intend to function as a team to win championships by exploiting individual talents. Therefore, every team that has a limited budget would always designate their two drivers as No. 1 and No. 2. The No. 1 driver of course would be given the better car, would be given more attention and would be the “hero” for whom the No. 2 would have to always make sacrifices. And that is where every team is faced with the moral dilemma of who’s what.

No team on the face of it would come out openly and say that “X” is the No. 1 driver and “Y” is No. 2. It is unethical, immoral and quite frankly illegal to some extent as well. What they do on the other hand is to pull off certain strategies and make it sound like it’s a “team order” meant for the benefit of both drivers. For instance, at the Malaysian Grand Prix this season Williams driver Felipe Massa was clearly told on the radio to let his teammate Valtteri Bottas, who was just one spot behind and on “better tyres”, pass ahead because apparently Bottas had a shot at overtaking the driver in front of Massa.

So let’s get one thing straight, shall we? Team orders in Formula 1 are clearly meant for creating a pecking order between the drivers in a team so that they don’t run the risk of not finishing their individual races or end up colliding with each other. What cannot (or rather should not) be done is to camouflage drivers preferences/designations with team orders. When the drivers are out there racing, it’s every man for himself. They need to worry about the drivers’ championship and the team needs to worry about the constructors’ championship. What cannot be (and again should not) be done is the team worrying about the drivers’ championship. Because that is where priorities are set and predilections are created.

Let’s take another example and come back to the point I made earlier about Ferrari having a “brilliant” history when it comes to team orders. At the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix Rubens Barrichello, who had led the race for majority of the laps, was ordered at the very last lap on the radio to let teammate Michael Schumacher pass in order for Schumi to have a better chance at competing for the drivers’ championship. Thinking about the situation objectively, it would have in no way hindered Ferrari’s position in the constructors’ championship had Barrichello won the race. It would still have been a 1-2 finish for the team. And therefore, this event clearly brought out the driver designation theory in open.

Another appalling incident happened at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when Renault implemented the “team order” loophole to order Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash his car as the same would then result in a safety car being called on the track and would in return allow teammate Fernando Alonso to cruise through to victory without having anyone bothering him for overtaking. Nowadays, however, the thing that is of concern is that it is the drivers who want to be in control. They are no longer listening to these “team orders” because everyone is insecure beyond limit and almost every driver feels the only reason why the team is passing a certain order is because it, in some discreet manner, is favoring the other driver.

 And that is where the 2014 Formula 1 season comes into play with its captivating happenings. The recently-concluded Canadian Grand Prix was probably the most enthralling of all races this season. It was event-packed and full of drama ever since the five lights went out. As usual Mercedes led the rest of the pack with its impeccable driving. Rosberg was leading Hamilton and Mercedes were all set to bag their seventh 1-2 finish on the trot. However, somewhere around the 30-35 lap some interesting events started to churn up.

Mercedes, who quite frankly have been struggling the whole season with handling Rosberg and Hamilton, issued a “genuine” team order that politely asked both drivers to not exert too much pressure on their cars and save energy for ERS implementation. The order was perfectly in line with the rules as it focused on the team’s benefits and not the drivers’. But the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry that had been waiting to explode ever since the qualifying fiasco at the Monaco Grand Prix proved to overshadow the authority. As a result, Hamilton had to retire at the fag end with a brake snag while Rosberg ended up surrendering his number 1 spot to Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Keeping in mind the famous saying that goes “it takes two to tango”, the problem does not just lie with F1 teams issuing driver-specific orders discreetly in the form of “team orders”. The problem is much more beyond that. It goes as deep as the teams being helpless in front of the drivers. It goes as deep as the teams feeling the need to favor a certain driver so that his image can bring in the moolah. And it goes as deep as the team encouraging this great drama that promotes the sport in a more enchanting manner. The question remains though – whose ‘flint’ are you on?

Why Rafa can never reach Roger’s greatness

If there’s one thing that really gets a debate started in the tennis fraternity, it’s the ardent topic of who’s the better player – Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. And seeing that I’ve written Federer’s name before Nadal’s, one can easily make out who I’m going to side with. It’s plain and simple actually. When it comes to handling tennis, no one does a better job than Federer.

I know what the Nadal fans might be thinking at this stage – WTF is this guy talking about? Nadal has a better head-to-head record against Federer; he’s on 13 Grand Slams titles and has all the chances in the world to go past the propitious number of Federer’s 17; and of course who can forget that Nadal was the youngest player to have completed the career Grand Slam.

Top all of that with the fact that Nadal’s grit is probably the most ruthless on the circuit today and he, without a shadow of a doubt, is an epitome of a defensive tennis player. It’s really strange to bring a “football” terminology into the sport of tennis but no one can argue with the point that to win a point once against the Spanish Matador, one has to win the point 3 times.

Also let us not forget that Nadal did make one of the most impressive comebacks in the sport last year when he went on a title-winning spree to bag eight titles, including the French Open and US Open, after an injury lay-off of seven months. However, keeping all of the above facets in mind, the element that is of essence is that he is starting to show signs of cracks in his armor.

And that is where the answer to the whole “who’s the greatest ever” squabble starts taking shape. Because, as a rule of thumb, the thing that matters most in a sport that is as grueling and gruesome as tennis is fitness. Therefore, a tennis player can be said to be an embodiment of greatness if he/she can maintain a perfect blend between the playing technique and fitness.

Consequently coming over to Rafael Nadal’s pattern of playing, it is clearly visible that he struggles with injuries and has always writhed to implement the desired balance that creates a tennis player’s character. In fact the world no. 1 has spent quite a lot of time being strangely disoriented, and that too on a surface that he’s been given credit of dominating like none other.

Let’s start with the Barcelona Open, shall we? I can’t call myself an expert but when a man who has won the French Open a record 8 times falls victim on clay to a player like Nicolas Almagro (No offence to Almagro. For what it’s worth, he’s been in good knick lately) it is a matter of concern. But let’s give credit to Nadal on that one. He could have been jet-lagged or something.

But then came the Monte Carlo Masters. Another clay court tournament, another Spanish opponent, another reprehensible exit for Nadal. This time the honour of being called the “Nadal-slayer” went to David Ferrer. A worthy opponent perhaps for Nadal to be losing to. Losing to a top-10 player is possibly a little less shameful. (Seriously no offense to Almagro)

Soon after, Rafael Nadal perhaps was given some solace when he lucked out at the ATP Madrid Masters. A laborious defence for his title gave him little consolation as the “elusive” victory came at the expense of Michael Chang’s latest prodigy Kei Nishikori being forced to retire in the final. Oh and before I forget, Nishikori did manage to win the first set before his back gave out.

I guess the Nadal-bashing is becoming a little too much considering after all that he is the world number 1. The world’s best player at present as some might like to delicately put it. However, let me remind those Nadal loyalists the forlorn truth that I still have not pointed out the worst. Because what followed Madrid Masters was a record shattering that was just waiting to occur.

Nadal’s loss to world number 2 Novak Djokovic at the ATP Rome Masters final marked the first time since 2004 that the Spanish Matador failed to win three clay court clashes in the same calendar year. There’s always this heated discussion when it comes to comparing the power games of Nadal and Djokovic; but Djoker clearly showed that he intends to dethrone the king.

So, having said all of that, now comes the time when I start putting things into perspective. The point that I was trying to make by pointing out Nadal’s recent results is that there is an interesting point that needs to be perceived. That point is that 27-year old Rafael Nadal is struggling more than the 32-year old Roger Federer when it comes to “handling” tennis.

For instance, if Nadal had never been born, Federer would have added 7 more Grand Slams (4 French Opens, 1 Wimbledon, 2 Australian Opens) to his extraordinary number of 17 thereby taking his record to a staggering 24 Grand Slams. However, the same can never be said about Nadal. In fact, Federer had won 15 Grand Slams by the age of 27 as compared to Nadal’s 13.

Secondly, a record that will stand the test of time and can never ever be touched by Nadal is the dominating fact that Federer has played 23 Grand Slam semifinals in a row. The closest that anyone is to that astounding number is Ivan Lendl, who reached 10 in a row. Therefore, to put it in years, Roger Federer reached atleast the semis of every Grand Slam for six straight years.

Leaving aside the semifinal pointer (which is probably an understatement of the term “consistency”), Federer stamped his name in the record books at the ongoing 2014 French Open when he set the indomitable record of being the only man in the history of the sport to have played in 58 consecutive Grand Slams. Meanwhile, Nadal’s consecutive streak at present is that of four.

Now that I’ve started with Federer’s mettlesome records I guess it’s going to be very hard to stop. Mentioning records like holding the world no. 1 spot for 302 weeks and holding it for 237 weeks straight won’t even make sense as Nadal is not even close to that unsurpassable figure. To top it all off, for 3 straight years the Swiss Maestro walked home with 3 out of the 4 Slams.

Another record that will cement my claim of Rafael Nadal never reaching Federer’s greatness level is that FedeX till date remains the only tennis player is history to have been seeded number 1 for three consecutive Olympics when he competed at the 2012 London Olympics. Not that it’s worth mentioning, but Federer (then 30) also managed to win the silver medal there.

Hence, If I was to sum it all up in possibly the shortest manner plausible, Roger Federer’s immaculate discipline when it  comes to handling his body for sustainability and his passion for creating an impeccable blend between his majestic inventions and his vintage techniques is what leaves Rafael Nadal miles and miles behind on the “greatest-ever bandwagon”.

There’s no doubting the fact that Nadal is a great player. In fact, his stupendous records speak volumes when it comes to establishing his aura as a fighter. But let’s get one thing straight shall we? Rafael Nadal is, was and will always be second to a phenomenon called Roger Federer.

Steven Gerrard: Captain Courageous, Loyalty Personified

It was a cold and wintry November night in 1998 when a lad named Steven George Gerrard made his professional football debut for a team burdened with glorious purpose. At that time in the world, little anyone knew that they were witnessing history. Little anyone knew that he would go on to become an epitome of allegiance. And little anyone knew that “Gerrard” would become Liverpool’s heart and soul.

I believe I say this with the consent of everyone in the football fraternity, even those who are remotely related, that if there’s anyone on this planet today who rightfully should, nay deserves to, win the Premier League title, it’s Steven Gerrard. And the only thing that led me to this bona fide conclusion is Gerrard’s undying dedication and the manner in which he passionately wears his heart on his sleeve.

When Liverpool edged Manchester City 3-2 last night to take a gigantic step towards their first League title since 1990, no other emotion in the 45,522 capacity Anfield stadium expressed the jubilation and exuberance better than that of Steven Gerrard’s. The tears that rolled down his cheeks signified drops of passion and certainly proved how much Liverpool and that elusive EPL title mean to the skipper.

Winning a Premier League title is no doubt a colossal achievement. But the reason that it would be extra special for Liverpool to win the title this season is that it, in addition to ending the Merseyside club’s 24-year long wait for exaltation, would indeed be a fitting way of commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy where Gerrard’s 10-year old cousin was among the 96 who lost their lives.

The manner in which Steven Gerrard and Liverpool have been playing this season portrays a clear killer instinct and a rock-solid intent to lift the trophy. While Brendan Rodgers has transformed the Reds into a club that is brimming with counter-attacking confidence, Gerrard himself has been in the form of his life. His presence in midfield is indispensable, his passing is immaculate and his aura is breathtaking.

And I speak for all Liverpool fans when I say that we always witness something really remarkable whenever we’re graced with the presence of Stevie G’s charismatic aura. The greatest example to prove that Gerrard’s indomitable spirit is unconquerable is the inspirational UEFA Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul when the Reds scored three goals in six minutes to turn around a 0-3 deficit.

Of course who can forget the stupendous goal that the Liverpool skipper hit earlier that season in the dying minutes of the Champions League Group Stage match against Olympiakos that propelled Liverpool into the knockout stages. Both instances corroborate just one plain and simple fact – when the world tells you that it can’t be done & all hope is lost, Steven Gerrard gives us a reason to dream and believe.

Ever since Gerrard became Liverpool captain in 2003, he has carried the club on his shoulders through the thick and thin of times. He has juggled the highs and lows that the Reds have faced with impeccable ease. And the fact that clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Inter Milan failed to deter his cherished loyalty speaks only volumes about this legendary Anfield hero’s character, zeal and perseverance.

In his gleaming career, Steven Gerrard has lifted the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Champions League Trophy as Liverpool skipper. But the ultimate prize that every club professional dreams about is the League title and it is something that has eluded him. However with Liverpool and Stevie G being forces to reckon with this season, the crowning eminence of the EPL title is just a matter of 360 minutes away.

FIFA U-17 World Cup: Indian football's date with glory

The FIFA under-17 World Cup is the first of numerous great things that are inevitably bound to happen to Indian football.

To read more check out my article in The Times of India..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/FIFA-U-17-World-Cup-Indian-footballs-date-with-glory/articleshow/31676477.cms?

Shiva Keshavan - The Lone Ranger Indeed..

Five-time Olympian Shiva Keshavan, who is the first Indian to compete in luge at the Winter Olympic Games, said that India as a country needs to be more ambitious than being obsessed with cricket.

In an interaction that I had with him on the social media site Twitter, Shiva using his Twitter handle @100thofasec replied "we need to be more ambitious :)" when he was asked about his thoughts on the fact that India is obsessed with cricket.

Luger Keshavan, who finished 37th at the recently concluded Sochi Winter Olympics, said that more opportunities need to be given to youngsters with respect to competing in other sports.

He tweeted: "giving attention to cricket is ok but we need to increase the number of sports to give more opportunities to youngsters" when he was asked whether he feels that Indians pay cricket too much attention.

Keshavan has represented India at five Winter Olympic Games and feels content at just having the opportunity to represent the country at the highest level.

When he was asked "Do you feel bad that you don't get as much respect and acclaim as much as you deserve?" the Manali-born athlete replied: "No I am already quite happy just to be able to compete for India."

Being able to represent India has always been Keshavan's utmost priority and the Indian Olympic Association's ban was indeed hard for the Luger to swallow.

When asked about anything that he could change about the IOA, he tweeted: "Only sportspersons to vote and hold office in IOA and sports federations."

Keshavan, who won gold at the Asia Cup in Nagano, Japan in 2011, also said that the venue was special to him as he made his Olympic debut there during the 1998 Winter Olympics.

He tweeted: "my first olympic games in Nagano. Everything was a surprise for me then" when asked with the question "If you could go back in time and re-live any Olympic moment, which one would it be? And Why?"

Keshavan, who set a new Asian track record at 49.590 seconds in 2012, has been promoting the cause of winter sports in India and feels that Abhinav Bindra is without doubt India's greatest Olympian.

When asked with the question "Who do you think is India's greatest Olympian?" he replied "Got to be @Abhinav_Bindra."

Team England's Left Flank Conundrum..

Well, it’s been too long since England won the FIFA World Cup. I wanted to write the phrase “last won” but refrained from doing so considering the fact that the Three Lions have just one title to their name. And that too in 1966 in their own backyard, which can’t help but exude the sad truth that it might actually take another hosting to win the prestigious trophy. And with 2018 and 2022 going to Russia and Qatar respectively, this indeed is a sign of grave concern.

Let’s take a minute and analyze the problem that we have on hand. It’s not that England lack quality players. Oh No. They have players who can challenge even the best on any given day. They have players who play in the supposedly the “greatest league in the world”. They have players who have the unsung ability to go face-to-face with any challenge that is thrown their way. They have players who shake the world. Too much “biased” praise you say? I guess you’re right.

But talking in an earnest frame of mind the problem is not with the players. The players actually put in their best. The fact that they’re not challenging enough to face a fortified team like Spain, Germany, Italy or even Uruguay for that matter is a completely different problem all together. The problem is that the English team does not have players to match the positions on the field. To put the predicament more subtly – England’s left flank is completely handicapped.

 Looking at the situation objectively one can easily make out that it’s a classic case of flooding too many players on one flank and thereby leaving the other flank completely desolate. In the present day scenario, England has Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend, Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling and Man United’s Wilfried Zaha at their disposal to fill in the right flank. However when it comes to filling in the left flank, the team’s choices are pretty scarce. Options include Adam Lallana (Lone Ranger), Ashley Young (No Form) & Stewart Downing (No Impact).

We have 6 very talented players who are fighting for one position on the field. And on the other hand there aren’t enough players to even support the left side, let alone stabilizing it. Southampton’s Adam Lallana has been the greatest thing to have happened to English midfield ever since Joe Cole. But let’s get one thing straight shall we? Lallana cannot win things on his own. He needs backup. And on that front all he has is Young and Downing – neither of whom is in any form.

The permutations and combinations to fill that “elusive” void on the left-hand side have been going on for ages now. But all sincere efforts have gone in vain.  There are two things common between Kevin Keegan, Sven Goran Eriksson, Fabio Capello, Steve McClaren and present England coach Roy Hodgson – first is the exasperating detail that they have all poured their heart out in trying to build/develop a player for that left flank; second that they have all terribly failed.

Now I’m no expert when it comes to team formation or chemistry, but when coaches go to the extreme extent of playing world class midfielders like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard on the left just for the sole purposes of filling that void, then something is appallingly wrong with the team. Also, call me a cynic but I draw the line between intelligent insight and immense idiocracy when dynamic strikers like Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen are “pushed” to the wings.

And probably the greatest impalement in England football history occurred when Paul Scholes, who without a shadow of a doubt was the greatest midfielder of his time, was literally pressed on towards the left touchline to incorporate the enterprising Gerrard-Lampard combination during UEFA Euro 2004. None the less England was knocked out of the tournament. And quite frankly that seems to be the story every time that England plays a match. As a football fanatic, I’m literally on the edge of my seat grasping my sweaty palms with chewed up fingernails just hoping that the opposition does not see the exposed left hand flank.

But unfortunately they always do. Be it a minnow team like Chile or a prodigious team like Germany, every team always exploits the fact that England is completely “Shite” on the left flank. Therefore, in addition to a dedicated left winger, what’s indispensable for the Three Lions at this point of time is to find a coach who can create a left winger out of the existing lot, if not find a new one. On that note, a certain example of a Joe Cole and a Jose Mourinho comes to mind.

What Mourinho will undeniably go down in history among the England fans for, besides being a ruthless character who likes to win at any cost by creating stupendous strategies, is that he created Joe Cole out of nothing and made him indispensable for the England football team. Cole was the greatest thing to be running on the left flank ever since the days of Steve McManaman. If only Cole had not been injury-prone, he could have been an undying star.

No one can forget the immaculate volley that Cole hit from 35-yards against Sweden in the group stages during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. England fans especially cannot forget that match for two reasons. One was the desirable and prudent fact that their answers had finally been answered on the left flank front. Finally there was a perfect blend between a player and a position. The other was the horrifying injury that Owen suffered that would eventually end his career.

All in all, it’s high time that a change be implemented. It’s high time that ambidextrous players like Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck, Townsend and maybe even Jack Wilshere be exploited more in order to expand their horizons for the future. Maybe a new coach with better strategies and a face that is not always “yawning” needs to be at the helm of things. The 2014 FIFA World Cup is just months away; But at this stage, with England being in the group of death along with Italy and Uruguay, the only discomfiting thing that fans can be disturbingly certain about is that England is going to return home sooner than expected.

The King is Back..

Apart from the fact that Stan ‘the man’ Wawrinka won his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open this year, if there was one thing that any person who is even remotely connected to the sport of Tennis had to vouch for at this point of time - that thing would be the definite fact that people at Melbourne Park got to witness something really special at the hands of Roger Federer.

In addition to him showing shades of his vintage self that personified someone who dictated terms on the court, he also portrayed a side of his playing capabilities that everyone on the tennis fraternity thought was lost. The class act manner in which the 17-time Grand Slam champion manufactured points with majestic brilliance proved without a shadow of a doubt that the 32-year old still has what it takes to win a Grand Slam.

Federer indeed can bounce back after his Australian Open show. He has a new racquet, a new coach and best of all a new attitude towards handling the game he considers to be most close to his heart. He’s enjoying the game more now, he has a disciplined regime and as always his spirit is an epitome of ‘never-say-die’.  Somewhere down the line everyone, even Federer, wanted that person to return. And that’s what happened at the Australian Open.

The ease with which Federer overcame the challenges thrown by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray was nothing short of breathtaking. Whether it was his insane slices, his genius fake shots or his ridiculous inventions that left his fans spellbound and gasping for more, Roger Federer was able to pierce millions of hearts with his stupendous serves and his mesmerizing game-play.

Federer may have lost the battle when he bowed out against Rafael Nadal in the semis, but one thing that can be said with utmost certainty is that the Swiss Maestro is ready to win the war in the long run. Because Fedex in the true sense is and will always be an embodiment of grace, the king of tennis and the incarnation of a living legend.