Women’s match ends in a draw, Kodagu XI defeats Virajpet XI Kodava Hockey Academy President Pandanda Kuttappa is seen hitting a silver hockey ball with silver hockey stick to mark the inauguration of Thathanda Hockey Namme-2014 at Virajpet in Kodagu yesterday. ( Picture right ) shows women in action.
Virajpet :
The exhibition hockey match organised as part of the inauguration of Thathanda Hockey Namme-2014 between SAI Mysore and SAI Kodagu women’s teams ended in a draw with both teams scoring two goals each.
In the other match played between Virajpet XI and Kodagu XI, Kodagu XI team defeated their opponents convincingly by 4-2 goals. The specialty of the tournament is that the organisers have introduced the new rules and regulations which the Hockey India will be introducing from Sept. 2014. Accordingly, Own Goal and Golden Goal have been removed.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / April 21st, 2014
Nidhi Subbaiah may have moved to Bollywood but she is still known here as the Pancharangi girl.
The bubbly character she played in Pancharangi follows her wherever she goes. Nidhi shares that as an actress, she has never really planned her career.
Whatever has happened and is happening is all by chance, she quips.
“People ask me what my next project is and I say I don’t know. They’re awestruck and wonder why this answer but that’s true. I don’t plan anything and simply take things as they come,” says Nidhi.
A Mysorean, Nidhi lives and works in Mumbai.
She shares that she is now more than comfortable with the City and slipped into the ethos and the culture pretty well.
She made her acting debut with Abhimaani in Kannada and later did Anna Bond.
And before she knew it, she was hand-picked to play the lead in Ajab Gazabb Love.
“I was shooting for Anna Bond in Spain when I got a call from a friend in Mumbai who said that I had been chosen for Ajab Gazabb Love and that I had to give my dates immediately. It was a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety. But that film gave me a good break,” she recalls.
Nidhi thinks that her strength lies in her ability to easily adapt to situations and roles.
“I want to dip my fingers into as many varied roles as I can which is what I have done in all the projects that I’ve worked in so far. In Vara, I played a quiet character. It was the opposite in ‘Krishnan Marriage Story’ and I played a extrovert in Pancharangi. Thankfully, I have been remembered for most of them,” she notes.
Work has always come to Nidhi. She recollects that she has never been in a situation where she has had to go looking for projects.
“I’ve never been pushy to bag as many projects as I can. And I have no regrets for the many projects that may not have come my way. I don’t take myself too seriously. I take things as they come,” reasons Nidhi.
Nidhi has been listening to a few scripts in Kannada and she says that she is likely to approve at least two or three projects.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Metrolife / DHNS – by Nina C. George / April 21st, 2014
Coorg is all about coffee./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Celebrating the bliss of Coorg with all its splendour
Kodaimelanadu or Kodagu or Coorg: the name itself conjures up images of verdure — gushing cascades, babbling brooks, green hills, gorgeous dales, gurgling rivers all together flaunting the munificence of Mother Nature. Oh! Add some coffee plantations. A compulsive coffee drinker like me cannot find a better place than Coorg for a sip of delight. After an hour’s drive from Mysore, our chauffer announces that we are entering Coorg.
The scenery is mesmerising. The winding roads take you through a maze of greenery. At every labyrinth, you meet a collage of colours which explode into shades of green, brown and yellow. The roads seem to have no particular destination. They just lead you from one part of paradise to another. As we squint though the green fabric, we pass plantations of coffee, cardamom and pepper which merge with forests, foliage and fauna. There are no villages, no people, no shops, and no cars. We deliberately slow down to take in the moment. It is an ode to nature. No wonder it has been attributed the sobriquet ‘Scotland of the East’.
Coorg is all about coffee with a fair amount of cardamom and pepper thrown in. As we drive in, the sylvan surroundings hit us. Our destination is Siddapur. After following the Orange County signage the car finally enters the resort. After a short break, we decide to take a tour of this secluded paradise. The whole district seems a tree shadowed coffee estate, dotted with a few market places with speedy bars, pork shops and elegant vegetable displays.
As we travel, we learn more about coffee: its history, its getting smuggled into India and the difference between arabica and robusta. There is an overwhelming feeling of seclusion. From a distance you can spot a coffee pod, but it is difficult to spot your immediate neighbour. All this time, I am in a clicking frenzy to capture the intricacies of nature.
Coorg is a paradise for bird-watchers and accounts for nearly 25 per cent of the avian population of the State. Our guide announces the names of each and every bird. At times he replies to their calls in a simulated tone. After spending a few hours, trying to know the avian diversity of Coorg, we head towards the splendid Abbey Falls. Tucked away between private coffee and spice estates, Abbey Falls offers a splendid backdrop for a weekend picnic. As one makes one’s way past stocky coffee bushes and tall trees entwined with pepper vines, the falls make a sudden and dramatic appearance as they cascade down into limpid pools to join the river Kaveri. A combination of unprecedented rain the previous night and the steep path make the trek difficult. An army of clouds envelopes the hill, a sight worth beholding.
I try out some Kodava food on my way back to the resort. The central dish of Kodava cuisine is meat, with a fine underpinning of rice. I taste the irresistible pandi curry, a subtle pork dish, cooked well by adding a local fruit, Kanchampali. This mouth-watering dish represents the specialness of Kadava dishes and is hard to find outside Coorg. The dry spices are roasted before grinding them, giving a toasty flavour to the thick curry. I return to my luxurious cottage after having a refreshing tour of the place. It is dark now, and the sky is clear. I step out of my room and walk towards the woods, on a stretch of road with no artificial light. The moon shines brightly and the trees are laden with millions of fireflies; the woods seem decked up for some fat Indian wedding.
This is my first trip to the Western Ghats, and I very enthusiastic to discover them. Next day, at six in the morning, I spring from my bed to go deeper into the mist laden, verdant hills. Murthy, our guide ushers us through a forest which abuts the resort. It is Dubare Reserve which encompasses an area of 50,000 acres — the home of the pachyderms. Majestic rosewood, teak and other hardwood tree species stand around us like sentinels. Giant parasitic vines (that uncannily resemble monstrous creatures) are swathed around large banyan and other trees in a macabre bond. The forest keeps getting thicker and more enchanting. Walking fearlessly in the forest, brushing against the small vines and lopping branches out of the way, eyes constantly hovering to spot any wild animal, marking the footmarks of the elephants — turns out to be the most enchanting leg of the trip. The coracle drifts on the green waters, gauging the moods of the river and the pristine surroundings. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
We walk down to the Kaveri, the river flowing unmindful of the inter-State row over her waters. We take our seats on a coracle, to drift on the green waters, gauging the moods of the river and the pristine surroundings. “Sir, apart from this beauty, Coorg is gifted with a very rich history,” says our guide, adding, “The British gifted coffee to Coorg. The first estate was established way back in the 1850s by an Englishman John Frawler. Along with coffee, pepper abounds here, growing as a vine allowed to climb the shade trees. Coorg pepper is considered to be the best in the world, sir.”
He then tells us about the invincible Kodava people. “Coorgis are said to be descendents of the Greeks. Neither Tipu Sultan, nor the British could conquer this land.”
Coorg has a long history of battles. The Madikeri Fort is a living testimony to that. Built first as a mud fort by Mudduraja in the last quarter of the 17th century, it was later rebuilt in granite by Tipu Sultan who named the site Jaffarabad. In the North-east corner at the entrance are two life size masonry elephants, while a church stands in the south-east corner. The fort offers panoramic views of the city from its walls. The centuries-old Madikeri Fort with its stone ramparts also houses a prison. Among the other architectural treasures that Coorg boasts is the Omkareshwara temple built by king Lingaraja in 1820, in a mosque-like style, with an impressive central dome and four minarets, which are surrounded by Basavas, or sacred bulls. On the top of the dome sits a gilded ball with a weathercock.
Another splendid place to see is the Raja’s seat. It is a small pavilion with a garden surrounding it, offering a view of the green valley below. As the legend goes, the kings of Coorg spent their evenings here along with their consorts. The spectacular view from here of the melting sun, parrot-green fields and the far stretching mountains will take one’s breath away. We return to the Orange County Resort, a little break from this oasis of tranquillity. The last Kodava dinner by the lake under the bright sky is waiting for us: a luxurious setting created by candles, stars and sounds of silence. The next day I insert a packet of aroma rich Coorg Coffee in my luggage. As for the greenery, it is etched in my thoughts, to recollect in the days to come.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Travel / by Aakash Mehrotra / Delhi – April 20th, 2014
Chinappa dominated the second game before Grinham fought back in the third. (TOI Photo) Richmond :
Joshna Chinappa of India ended a career-long losing run to Australia’s former world champion Rachael Grinham when she upset the top seed in straight games to win the inaugural $10,000 Richmond Open.
World No.21 Chinappa beat her 16th-ranked opponent 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 for the first time in six meetings to bag her ninth Women’s Squash Association (WSA) tour title at the Country Club of Virginia on Saturday.
With the victory, Chinappa also avenged her defeat of the Texas Open last week when she lost to the 37-year-old Australian in just 24 minutes.
For Grinham, it was the 65th final appearance since making her first tour final back in March 1998 while it was the 16th final for the Indian.
Tournament spokesman Kristen Lange narrated the final. “Starting the first game, Grinham came out swinging, firing her way to a 6-2 lead – however Chinappa surged back through consistent play to level the game off at 6-6,” Lange said.
“From here it was a battle to 11, with the lead oscillating between the two players until a couple unfortunate mistakes gave Chinappa the first game,” he said.
Chinappa dominated the second game before Grinham fought back in the third.
“The start of the third game was once again all Chinappa as she quickly sailed to an 8-2 lead. Never one to be counted out Grinham fought her way back to 8-8, however it was a case of too little too late as Grinham made three critical errors to give Joshana her first win over the courageous Australian,” Lange added.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> More Sports / PTI / April 20th, 2014
The glorious credentials of Kodagu, one of the smallest districts in the State, appears to be on the wane, and the land of Kodavas is literally fighting to maintain its existence in many ways.
Kodagu was a Part ‘C’ State, one of the 10 such regions carved out after the country got Independence, before its merger with the then Mysore in 1956. The others were Ajmer, Cooch Behar, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kutch, Manipur and Tripura.
Different scenario
As a State, Kodagu had proved that smaller States could ensure all-round development. The current scenario is different. People cry foul over the “imperviousness” of the elected representatives and the powers that be in terms of attention to the district’s development.
Rapid urbanisation, cash crops being affected by diseases, fluctuating prices of the crops, poor road and power infrastructure, lack of clarity on land tenures, and destruction of forests on the pretext of development haunt the people. Drinking water and regular power supply, telecommunication network and transportation facilities, educational institutions, anganwadi centres and hospitals in villages are still a far cry. Monsoon brings its own misery to the district. None is sure whether or not the next Member of Parliament representing Kodagu (which is part of the Mysore Lok Sabha constituency) would be available to sort out the district’s problems. “Look at the state of roads from Hunsur to Gonicoppa,” said P.T. Bopanna, veteran journalist who has focussed on the issue of lack of development in the district on his web portals.
Politicians cannot remain oblivious to the problems Kodagu is facing, K.G. Ajith, a resident of Madikeri, said. They ought to pay attention and be held accountable, he said.
In 1952, elections were held for the 24 seats of the Coorg legislative body amid stiff opposition to the merger plans. The Congress won 15 seats and Independents (opposing merger) won nine seats. C.M. Poonacha of the Congress became the Chief Minister and K. Mallappa was the Home Minister. Under various circumstances Coorg was merged with the then Mysore in 1956.
Merger
The merger followed the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission led by Fazal Ali. All through the Poonacha regime, the relationship between the government and the people was exemplary and cordial, according to C.M. Ramachandra, the former Chief of Bureau of The Hindu in Bangalore.
In 2008, the Delimitation Commission merged parts of the Somwarpet Assembly constituency with Madikeri and Virajpet constituencies, reducing the number of Assembly segments in the district to two. The reason attributed was low population figures.
After being with the Mangalore Lok Sabha constituency, Kodagu was included in the Mysore Lok Sabha constituency.
The Codava National Council led by N.U. Nachappa, which launched a struggle some 22 years ago, has diluted its demand for a statehood to Kodagu. The council now seeks an autonomous status for Kodagu within Karnataka. “The CNC will restore the glory of Kodagu,” Mr. Nachappa said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by J. Jeevan Chinnappa / Bangalore – April 20th, 2014
Actor Bhuvan Ponnanna and Harshika Poonacha walk the ramp along with designer Jayanthi Ballal in city last evening. Mysore :
The sharp showers last evening did not deter the enthusiasm of fashion lovers who gathered at Jayachamarajendra Golf Club here yesterday to witness the fashion show organised jointly by Fashion Designer Jayanthi Ballal and Country Inn.
The catwalk and sashaying of lissome models was delectable to watch. The combination of male and female models attired in black dress received a good applause by the discerning gathering of fashion lovers of city.
The star attraction of the show was actor Harshika Poonacha and Bhuvan Ponnanna who came on the ramp together. The models comprised college students from city and Bangalore.
Most of the fashion shows usually play western tunes to enthuse the models during catwalk. To beat the monotony, old Hindi songs were played during the ramp show to arrive at a new trend without compromising on glamour and glitter.
Speaking on the occasion, Harshika opined that compared to Hollywood and Bollywood, a good platform was rarely available in the South for fashion shows despite the presence of promising models here. She commended Jayanthi Ballal in hosting a good show opening vistas for upcoming models.
Addressing the gathering, Jayanthi said that she has been arranging fashion shows for the last three years in city to provide a platform for budding models and fashion designers. However, she opined that the people of city were still a bit conservative and situation should improve gradually. She said that it was heartening that some parents were willingly encouraging their children to participate in fashion shows. She reiterated that it was a wrong notion that modelling and fashion shows would drive youngsters astray.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / April 20th, 2014
Since I last shared snippets of my old lady life with readers, it’s been a month of charming and also sad events. While these happened at different times and in different places, the common factor was that they all related to books, a topic on which as everyone knows, I can natter on till the monsoons arrive.
I attended the book reading of my friend Dr. Latha Muthanna, who has produced a quaint and most enjoyable translation of her mother’s memoirs originally written in Kodava dialect. Very simply and honestly told, she let on to us that some of her huge family in Coorg were aghast at her frankness and questioned whether certain things needed to be mentioned? She however was quite firm about painting the whole picture and the result was “Lopamudra’s Daughter: Memoirs of a Kodava Lady.” It is the kind of book you’d like to have at your bedside, to calm your psyche after an overdose of thrillers. I tend to read thriller after thriller till something forces me to stop.
At the reading, while Latha was fielding questions from the audience, I was struck by the fact that doctors often make excellent writers. Offhand I can name at least three who have written best-selling novels — Abraham Verghese (Cutting for Stone), Robin Cook with a long list of thrillers, and Kalpana Swaminathan, a surgeon in Mumbai whose ‘Lalli’ series of murder and mayhem has become immensely popular. Despite their famously bad handwriting, doctors churn out pretty readable stuff, wouldn’t you say? And going back in history, can we forget Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes?
A couple of weeks ago we were privileged to host Aroon Raman, bestselling author, who talked about his latest book ‘The Treasure of Kafur.’ The select audience at the Sankalp Central Park Library was treated to a splendid history lesson complete with slides and a riveting commentary on the life and times of medieval India and the reign of Akbar, when the action of the story takes place. While there are not many Indian authors today who deal in magic realism [defined by Wikipedia as “what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe”], Raman has no qualms about introducing talking animals, magic healers and such, to create a pretty marvelous tale of adventure and romance. I definitely will be waiting for a sequel, as the story has ended at a critical juncture.
By now many things nice and not so nice have been said about the late Khushwant Singh, man of letters, historian, celebrity sardar, a man whom you either adored or viewed with dislike. I thought he was great. He never minced words, his vision was crystal clear and whatever his political views may have been, he was a captivating writer. It takes courage in India to write about taboo topics, and he just went right ahead, never giving a damn about what critics thought, always with a wicked gleam of irreverence in his attitude. Khushwant Singh’s readership is a broad spectrum, from those who just pick up his compilations of jokes to read on journeys to those who read his collections of short stories and novels. On the serious side, his history of the Sikhs and his biography of Maharaja Ranjit Singh are profound works.
A friend of ours from Muscat had sat in a goods train on piles of gunny sacks, and travelled from Jalandar to Lahore as a refugee in 1947 when she was eight years old. Spending the rest of her life in Lahore, she yearned always to visit Jalandar once again but now in her seventies and confined to her wheelchair she felt it was no longer possible. We attended the launch of her autobiography organised by her son who lived in Muscat. At the launch she requested us to get her a copy of Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan which she had not found anywhere in the bookshops in Lahore. So we did get her a copy much to her delight and she read it with great emotion, as though her own life was being described.
So there we have it — the new authors who will go a long way; and the sadness of the passing of a literary giant who left his mark on Indian writing for always. It so happens that I have with me some books written by modern authors like Anthony Horowitz and Sebastian Faulks. They are based on characters we know and have loved over the decades. While Horowitz has written a Sherlock Holmes mystery called The House of Silk, Faulks has written Jeeves and The Wedding Bells, bringing back to life the inimitable creation of PG Wodehouse. Can the masters be successfully imitated? Are the stories the same in quality? You might be surprised.
[e-mail:raolalitha@hotmail.com]
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / April 20th, 2014
If you live in South India and want to get away for a weekend, or live in North India but have gone through all the hill stations close by (lucky you!) and want something different, Coorg is a very interesting option. Budget or luxury, you’ll have plenty of options if you want to spend a weekend in Coorg. So we did a test run for you, as it were, and here are the top tips to keep in mind.
First of all, if you like a road trip and don’t live too far away, drive down to Coorg. Be warned, though – it might seem very easy on Google maps, but it can get confusing and convoluted. Also, you have absolutely no sense of direction but a knack for planting the seeds of doubt in those who do, like yours truly, you should definitely keep quiet as you try to find your way to the highway exit from Bangalore. Your companion will thank you later, instead of fuming for hours.
If you live too far away for that, fly or take a train to Bangalore and hire a car for the weekend. Apart from the really nice drive, with conveniently located fast food places for rest room breaks and snacks, you’ll be glad to have your own transportation once you are in Coorg.
Now, for the luxurious among you, there are a few resorts in Coorg, the loveliest of which is probably the Taj Vivanta. It is quite steep, though, so it is much cheaper to opt for a home stay, then drive to the property for a day trip and enjoy the view from the lobby. It’s an excellent drive there, with countryside just begging to be described as ‘idyllic’, and the lobby deck will make you feel as if you’re standing on a cloud on a slightly overcast day. If you decide to splurge and stay there, you don’t need our help at all. They will take care of everything, and you will need a stupendous amount of will power to leave the property at all.
If you are more the home stay kind, there are plenty of really nice ones to choose from. Silver Brook Estate is one of the nicest, though you will have to book in advance. They’re one of the first choices for everybody, for a reason. Gowri Nivas is another one with most basic amenities, and Honey Pot Homes is set in a nice property and will give you some kind of a keepsake when you leave. We got a coffee mug with a nice honey bee logo on it. Whichever you choose, you can be assured that they will give you as much information as they have and help you with whatever they can.
Our top tip for packing if you’re a budget traveller: Take a few thin cotton towels that dry quickly. You will not get unlimited supply of linen, and with the humidity in Coorg, the lovely, fluffy ones will not dry in a day. Using damp towels for your evening shower when it gets quite bracing is not fun.
There are lots of places to see, most of which involve driving uphill and, in our case, deciding that taking our shoes off and getting our socks damp was too high a price to pay for a look inside a temple that, let’s face it, is probably not that different from the last temple you saw. But the tea and instant noodles at the little shops once you do reach these temples are quite worth the drive, not to mention the views. If you like touching clouds and walking through them, it’s quite the experience. Tala Cauveri and Raja’s Seat were our picks.
Abbi’s Falls is a popular attraction, but if you have to choose, we’d recommend you pick another one. A park that gets extremely crowded has been built around it. Ask at the home stay for the waterfall that will be the nicest spot at the time you’re there. They will be glad to tell you. Make sure you get a map and follow it carefully, though. You won’t find anybody to ask the way after a while, and when you do, they’re likely to be lost tourists too. Yes, that happened.
Pencil Bylekuppe, near Kushalanagar, into your itinerary. It’s one of the largest Tibetan settlements in the country and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Spend a few hours at the monasteries and the temples to find some real inner peace. If you like fake football junk, you’ll find plenty of shops around that sell them (unless you support Fulham or something, then you’d have to be very lucky to find anything). If you like cute clothes, you’ll be thrilled with the selections there, too – you can get a boutique look at a slight fraction of the price.
For the non-vegetarians, we recommend making time for a second trip to get a second helping of the food. Momos, authentic Chinese food, steamed buns – in fact, go on a diet before you set off. You’ll pile on a few pounds in a couple of days and they’ll be worth it. Stop at the market there and ask for some erma – you’ll get some potent, flavourful Sichuan pepper.
Before you leave Coorg, buy spices, honey and vanilla, and some coffee if you’re a caffiend (caffeine fiend, you know it if you are one). They’re of excellent quality, and as long as you store them properly, they’ll last you ages. Our last tip: on the drive back, don’t get lost again. Maps are your friends. Don’t judge us, you can benefit from our mistakes!
source: http://www.theindianrepublic.com / The Indian Republic / Home> The Indian Republic> Lifestyle> Travel / by Sarah Abraham / Thursday – April 17th, 2014
The voting was peaceful in Madikeri and Virajpet Assembly constituencies which come under Mysore Lok Sabha constituency. While Madikeri recorded 73.84 per cent voter turn out, Virajpet recorded 70.04 per cent thus registering a total voting percentage of 71.94.
The voting was peaceful without any untoward incidents. The voters have decided the fate of the 15 candidates including H Vishwanath of Congress, Prathap Simha of BJP and Chandrashekaraiah of JDS. The counting is scheduled for May 16, at Mysore District Centre.
The voting was brisk in almost all polling booths at morning and in some booths voters turned out afternoon. Madikeri observed drizzling at 2 pm, but it stopped soon after 20 minutes without disturbing the polling process.
Voters stood in long queue to excersice their franchise at Madikeri, Onachalu, Moornadu, Virajpet, Arji, Ammatti-Kaarmaadu, Siddapur, Nelmahudikeri, Vaalnuru, Nanjarayapattana, Kushalanagar, Somwarpet, Guddehosur, Suntikoppa, Kambibaane, Chettalli and other areas. Senior citizens took help from others to cast their vote.
First time voters were happy after exercising their franchise. They showed their fingers marked with ink to media persons.
In Dabbadka polling booth, the voting was delayed by one and half hours because of some problem in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). The staff had to change the EVM to start the polling.
In Madikeri, the stores and complexes were closed and the city wore a deserted look. One of the resident of city said that because of awareness programmes, the turnout was good.
As it was government holiday and some private companies also declared holiday, the voters’ turnout was good. People came from far away places to exercise their franchise, he said.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS, April 17th, 2014
Former India player has undergone an amazing transformation Robin Uthappa (second left) practises with the Kolkata Knight Riders’ team at the Shaikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium. — KT photo
Robin Uthappa is not just looking leaner and fitter, he is also in a good mental space. Ever since the dashing opener, who went on a 10-day break to Belgium last July, before returning to India and hiring former India batsman Pravin Amre as his personal coach, there has been an amazing transformation in the Karnataka batsman. Yes, the ruthlessness in still there in his batting, just that there is more discipline and a price on his wicket.
Uthappa went through a whole make-over in his bid to make a comeback into the Indian team. And the road towards that began with a trophy-laden domestic cricket campaign with Karnataka and continues with the seventh edition of the IPL which begins on Wednesday.
Uthappa, who began with Mumbai Indians before moving to Royal Challengers Bangalore and the now defunct Pune Warriors, will be parading his wares for the Shahrukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) this season.
Uthappa, who made his ODI debut against England in April 2006, and had scored 86 in India’s win, last played an ODI against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final in Karachi, in July 2008. He made his T20 debut against Scotland in the T20 World Cup in Durban in September 2007 but that match was abandoned. His last T20 was against South Africa in Johannesburg in March 2012.
Uthappa felt that his time out of the Indian team has helped him learn a lot. “It has been challenging for sure. But I have been able to embrace difficult times and learnt from it because it has brought me where I am today and helped me grow not just as a cricketer but also as a human being. Trials and tribulations helps one grow and I have used it in a very positive way. I think I have grown and matured a lot,” Uthappa said.
There might be a massive waiting list for a slot in the Indian team but Uthappa said he still had age on his side. “I’m not that old. I’m only 28. Thing is I started at the Under-19 level and you guys have seen me for so long that you think I’m old. I’m only 28 and it would be good to be back in the team and be part of the set up. It is about putting runs at the right time and if you can contribute to the team. I’m very happy that I have been able to contribute to the teams that I have played with because that becomes meaningful and that’s when you are valued and you value your performances. And people begin to trust you and put that faith in you,” he said.
Uthappa was pleased with the domestic showing. “As a team, Karnataka created history. We won the Ranji Trophy. We won the Irani Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. No team has done that in domestic cricket in India. We all feel a lot of pride. It has been good and satisfying to be a meaningful contributor to those victories. So, very satisfied with the way things are going,” said Uthappa.
Karnataka won a seventh Ranji Trophy title before lapping up a fifth Irani Cup against the Rest of India. They also won the Vijay Hazare Trophy where Uthappa accumulated 536 runs, including three centuries. Uthappa repeatedly mentioned discipline which has helped him transform into a better cricketer.
“It has been a journey over the last couple of years. I have just got more disciplined with my food. I have become more disciplined towards the sport. I got a bit distracted because of some personal issues. But then, common sense prevailed. I got in line with my goals. It took a bit of time,” he said.
Uthappa felt that the strong showing has put him back in the reckoning for a return to the Indian team. “It is pretty clear for me. I played for India ‘A’ last year. I scored a 100 and I was in the reckoning. Unfortunately, I had an injury and it took me 10 weeks to be back. I played six games of the Ranji Trophy. But I came back and was able to contribute to the team.” Uthappa said. “I have changed a lot on my technique. I value my wicket a lot more right now,” he added.
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> Sport Home> IPL 2014 / by James Jose (james@khaleejtimes.com) / April 13th, 2014
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