India - d country where Politics is the reason behind all the blunders..

What do we mean when we say what we do about our country?
There are N number of words that we often see, use in our day to day life..
Words Liek "Governance, Supereme court, Judicial system, Politics, Power etc etc.."
Taking a sneek peek on these words what do they actually mean (not dictionary meaning, but from Ron;s dictionary)

Governance: 1) The word used by politicians fed up with bureaucrats. 2) The word used by civil society fed up with everybody. 3) The word used by people who wish they were living in China.


IN ancient polities political disorder used to be best measured by linguistic disor der. In the Mahabharata, a sense of moral vertigo is induced by no one knowing quite what key moral terms mean any more.
Thucydides conveys a sense of political disorder and chaos by telling us that words themselves have lost all meaning. Confucius thought that a well-ordered society required "fixing names."
On that measure most of the key terms of our political Constitution arenowprofoundlydisordered.The traditional associations of those wordsdon'tmakeanysense;butthe new ones are not fixed. Perhaps the path to moral clarity lies through first recognising and fixing meanings. Only then can we understand that we are in the midst of a new constitutional regime, where old words need new definitions.

Let us begin with our constitutional order.

Office of the prime minister: The weakest office in the cabinet.

Cabinet government: Each minister for himself or herself.

An opposition party: A party guilty of exactly the same things it accuses government of.

Federalism: A system of government where the Centre takes credit for growth and blames the states for poverty.

MemberofParliament:Marginal players in the system, whose sense of worth depends upon major pandemonium.

Supreme Court: The only office whose majesty cannot be redefined.
(Any redefinition risks incurring a contempt petition.) Office of the governor: Like an imperial regent in princely states.
Can meddle if necessary.

Civil liberties: Something you might just get -if you can have Ram Jethmalani as a lawyer.

Coalition politics: When there is always some other party to blame.

Separationofpowers:Wheneach branch of government thinks it can do the other's job better.

Then there are two curious words associated with government. These are curious because they mean themselves and their opposite. Is it a coincidence that they are used in connection with our government?
The first is scheme: both a benevolent government project to help the people and something conspiratorial.Ingovernmentthetwomeanings unite to make benevolence a conspiracy. The second is sanction: it can mean "giving permission" or "reprimanding." When sanctions are given or refused, which speech act is being undertaken?
Then there are some new words that signal political change; words that promise a new revolution and imagine new utopias.

Governance: During revolutions, new slogans are coined. "Power to the People!", "Liberty!" and so on. Now our war cry is "Governance!" Fourteen prominent citizens have even petitioned the prime minister to take this seriously. A powerful revolutionary slogan, inevitably, has several meanings. It poses a real semantic challenge. Is it a noun or a verb? Is it a problem or is it a solution?Isthereapathtogovernanceor is governance the path?
But here are some competing definitions. 1) The word polite company uses when it doesn't want to directly blame the government fornottakingdecisions.2)Theword the PM uses to explain why he cannot take decisions. 3) The word usedbypeoplefedupwithpolitics.4) The word used by politicians fed up with bureaucrats. 5) The word used by civil society fed up with every body. 6) The word used by people who wish they were living in China.

Independent institutions: Ano ther revolutionary re-imagining o our institutions. What form o government does it mean? 1) Where people have the illusion tha they can bypass politics. 2) Where people want to duck the question "Who guards the guards?". 3) Where the solution to a breakdown in every institution is to create another one. 4) One which bureau crats and judges love, since they ge more power.

But perhaps we should no complain. After all, all utopias are fuzzy and vague. And seriously, can there be a more energising war cry than "Governance"?
But we don't just have an emerg ing utopian political imagination.
Even some of our old institutions have taken on new roles. Consider: Income tax department: The department that raids individuals when the media does not do a good enough job producing gossip about film stars.

Central Bureau of Investigation: The agency the Supreme Court trusts, just because the court is monitoring it.

Civil society: That part of the establishment that does not like the establishment but is too afraid to come out on the streets.

Ministryofdefence:The ministry that defends India against its greatest enemy: not Pakistan, not China, but corruption. No decision, no corruption. Weevenhaveaneweconomicsto go with a new political system.

Inflation: The only economic phenomenon that government can blame on the weather.

Public-private partnerships: More efficient rent-seeking arrangements between the public and private sectors.

Interest rate: The thing the RBI has to fiddle with when the government closes off all fiscal options.

Inclusive growth: The kind of growth that gives the government an excuse to launch more schemes that it claims it has no capacity to implement.

Free market: When government discretion and tariffs are sold on the market.

Then there are serious redefinitions of major political challenges: Kashmir: The place the BJP needs to plant a flag when it is bored with other problems.

Northeast: The place where ethnicityandelectionsaresynonymous.

Maoism: The political phenomenon that the Trinamool thinks will be easier to fix than the Railways.

Thelistcouldgoon.AfterallIndia has arrived at the world stage. It must have a new global vocabulary.

Strategic thinking: The decision we take when we have given ourselves no options.

This list is admittedly incomplete and random. More skilful linguists could come up with deeper and profound changes. Our language is breaking under the weight of our political and economic innovation.
We are talking at cross-purposes because we don't know whether we are using words in their old or their new meanings.

Since language is an inherently social enterprise we will all have to contribute to the reconstruction of our language. But how can one possibly make sense of our times, when words and institutions lose all theirmeaning?Inutteringthem,we conjure up merely unmeaning shadows of their former referents.

ZEN.... art of expressing LOVE u!

There was a time guys used the “I love you” routine all the time, to get girls to bed. I used to be that way too, until I found being honest felt sexier. The truth is sexy! So, instead of saying “I love you” like a breathless teenager and hoping she’ll melt and let you sleep with her; I think it’s best to leave love for later, if ever, and just say what’s on your mind. And you’ll see, there is nothing more arousing than a blatant stating of basal intentions – loud and lustful.

I used to think they wouldn’t like it; and just up and go. And not without reason too. For I remember the time long ago when I told a girl that I liked her breasts, and she all but left, displeased, if not disgusted. Times are different now. We live in a totally different age, sexually. Even the plainest Jane is getting her Tarzan; and they’re up to some pretty wild stuff, I’ll bet. And so it’s actually not uncool, ceteris paribus, to tell a girl you want to have sex, if that is precisely, and honestly, what you want. That will drive the both of you crazy, and if followed up by prompt, as promised, action, you’ll be riding the big waves of the sexual high seas, instead of paddling around in the sophomoric shallows.

But it’s not like I’m telling anyone anything new – it’s all been said before. Only now, it’s being shouted from the mountaintops, as opposed to whispered in covert confidence. Sex is in the air everywhere now. And every girl wants to be a tigress in bed for her man. And men, for their part, are being the raging cavemen women want. That goes for those that are married, in relationships, and the single prowlers alike. After all, they don’t call it the concrete jungle for nothing – it must make animals of us all, somewhere!

So the next time you’re trying to get to home base, dispense with the lovey-dovey drivel. Take that lust by the horns and look it in its bloodshot eyes. Say what you want to do, and say it again. Be steadfast and committed to your desire and its fulfillment. When done with samurai-esque zeal, with a layer of predatory patience lurking beneath, she will ultimately accept her position as prey with a geisha-like equanimity, even as she goes wild during the act. She will ravage you; and respect you.

Yes, this is the zen of sex. There is no time for untruths. Yet there is great mystique. There is no time for fear, yet there is great breathlessness. Such is the tao of doing it right. Once you’re beyond the courtship and the cutlery, just sweep everything off the table and go to it with your bare hands and bared fangs. She’ll love it. And maybe it will be she that says, or rather roars, I love you!

250 years on, Battle of Panipat revisited

The doyen in the field of military history, Dr Srinandan Prasad underscored the importance of this field. According to him, wars are an acid test of the economic, social, technological and moral strength of a nation. On the other hand the result of wars affects all fields of human endeavour. History of nations can well be understood as history of its wars. On this score other than the exception of Shivaji and Ranjit Singh, Indian history is a succession of military defeats.


The events of January 1761 were momentous and had its impact for the next century and a half. The freedom that Indians lost was only regained in 1947. It is an event that needs to be studied and remembered even after 250 years since modern India again faces a similar Af-Pak threat.


The invasion of Nadir Shah of Iran in 1740 forced the Marathas to consider the strategic importance of Punjab. The Marathas were at the same time also involved in fighting in the south in Karnataka and against the Nizam whose capital then was at Aurangabad. Both these theatres of war were on an average 1,000 miles away from Maharashtra. The 1750s saw them over stretching in fighting in far flung areas.

The discord with the Rajputs meant a loss of potential allies as well as a secure base close to Delhi. The loyalties of various Mughal nobles were always suspect as most of them disliked the overlordship of the Marathas. When the Marathas took on the might of Abdali, the King of Afghanistan, it was a decisive moment in the Indian history. The Marathas not only had the plans to defeat Abdali but also wanted to move on to Bengal to reduce the growing British power there.


The Marathas had committed several policy blunders in the preceding years. Right from the time of Shivaji, friendship with Rajputs was a constant in Maratha policy. But in the 1750s, they got involved in the internal fights of the Rajputs and played one side against the other. Maharaj Surajmal Jat was a staunch Maratha ally. But when he demanded to be made governor of Delhi, the Marathas preferred the Nawab of Awadh, Shuja ud Daulla. His 50,000 strong cavalry was thought to be a greater asset. The fact that he was Shia and wary of Sunni Afghans, made the Marathas rely on him. But in the event Abadali lured him to his side by invoking Islamic solidarity.

The Sikhs under various 'Misals' (fighting groups) were similarly well disposed towards the Marathas. But the overconfident Marathas ignored them. Thus at Panipat, the Marathas who were fighting for India, nearly thousand miles away from their home base, found themselves lonely and friendless. Faulty Maratha diplomacy was largely responsible for this mess and the blame goes directly to the Peshwa or the prime minister of the Marathas.

On 14 April, Sadashivrao Bhau left Poona on his way to Delhi with the bulk of Huzurat or the Peshwa's army. The fighting strength of the army was around 50,000. Nearly three times that number also accompanied as followers. Most of the experienced soldiers like Mehendale, Samsherbahadur, Winchurkar, Pawar, Gaikwar of Baroda and Mankeshwar went with this force.

A major addition was the French-trained infantry of Ibrahim Khan Gardi that had a strength of 8,000 men armed with the latest French-made rifles. Gardi had an artillery park of 200 excellent guns and also war rockets. Many Goans, Portuguese and some western mercenaries manned the artillery. In May and June on reaching Agra, Malharao Holkar and Jankoji Shinde joined the Maratha army with their cavalry. By the time the Marathas reached Delhi the strength of their army had swelled to nearly 2 lakhs.

It was a confident Maratha army that embarked on this venture. The Maratha war aims were to re-establish their domination in Delhi and deal with the Afghan threat. In addition the Peshwa had also instructed Bhau that after settling Delhi, he was to proceed to Bengal to reduce the British power there.

The Marathas were treaty-bound to come to the aid of Mughal Emperor. In Delhi itself however the Marathas had very few friends. Most Mughal courtiers resented the Maratha domination and some like Najib Khan were instrumental in inviting Abdali.

In a similar way, in 1739, it was the Mughlal politicians that had invited Nadir Shah of Iran. Nadir Shah made no distinction between the Hindus and Muslims in looting and walked away with the Mughal Emperor's peacock throne and the Kohinoor diamond besides other goods worth Rs 100 crore. Despite this past, the hatred of Marathas proved stronger than common sense.

Abdali had invaded India not merely for loot but dreamt of establishing Afghan supremacy in place of the Mughals in Delhi. In this the Rohillas, people of Afghan descent living north of Delhi were fully on his side. The local support to Abdali was to prove crucial in the end.

On August 2, 1761, the Marathas entered Delhi and captured it after only slight resistance.

Between August and October 1760 negotiations continued between Abdali and the Marathas. Abdali wanted control over Punjab right upto Sirhind. The Marathas were not prepared to concede the rich province to him. All this while the Afghan army remained across Jamuna while the Marathas remained at Delhi. In October the Marathas marched north of Delhi and reduced the fort at Kunjpura to dust. Qutub Shah, the Afghan general defending the fort was killed so were nearly 10,000 Afghans. Qutub Shah's severed head was paraded by the Marathas in vengeance for the death of Dattaji Scindia.

Abdali was shaken up by the loss of Kunjpura and the bitterness generated by Qutub Shah's death made peace virtually impossible. While Bhau was thus engaged in the north, on October 25, Abdali crossed the Jamuna near Bhagpat and located himself between the Marathas at Kunjpura and their rear in Delhi.

Bhau had initially planned to advance further north and get in touch with the Sikhs. But the move of the Afghans caught him by surprise and he turned back towards Delhi. On reaching the plains of Panipat, he found his path to Delhi blocked by Abdali camped to his south. The opportunity to attack the Afghan army while it crossed the river had already passed. The Maratha army entrenched near Panipat, blocking the road to Afghanistan. Govindpant Bundele, a Maratha general with long experience in the north, was allotted the task of cutting off the supplies of Abdali.

The two armies entrenched themselves in the vicinity of Panipat, the Marathas blocking Abdali's route to Afghanistan and he in turn blocked the Maratha route to Delhi and down south. A war now became inevitable. In the initial period the Marathas were successful in cutting off supplies to the Afghan army and appeared to be in a better position.

On December 17, Govindpant Bundele, the experienced general in charge of procuring supplies to the Maratha army, was killed in an encounter. After this the Maratha supply position deteriorated rapidly. All the valuables in the camp were collected and sold to get food. The countryside around Panipat was dominated by Muslims of Afghan descent further complicated the problem of supplies for the Marathas. Soon the horses of the famed Maratha cavalry began dying of starvation. Bhau's essentially sound strategy of waiting for Abdali to attack his entrenched position and then destroy him with his artillery failed due to the problem of logistics.

The Marathas were unwise to carry a large number of non-combatants including wives along with them. This proved a severe handicap as it not only slowed down the movement of the army but also put extra burden on the supplies. A large part of the fighting strength had to be diverted to protecting the camp. The Maratha morale was however still very high and an attack in December offered the best hope. This was not to be and Bhau waited till January 14, 1761. Finally he was forced to battle as the Marathas could take the starvation no more and begged him to finish the agony once and for all. It was this army weakened by starvation that fought the decisive battle of Panipat.

On January 14, the Maratha army in a huge square formation began slowly moving south towards Delhi. The aim of the Marathas was to fight through the Afghan army to Delhi and safety. The Marathas battle array perforce had to keep a sizeable number of troops to guard the rear. The Marathas had formed a rough sphere with guns in front defended by infantry and cavalry. The aim of this formation was to keep the guns free to engage the enemy.

While Ibrahim Khan and his trained Gardis were familiar with these tactics the cavalry oriented Maratha armies of other generals were not. The ferocity of the Maratha attack in the early phase was such that the Afghans reeled under it and began running away. The Maratha artillery and rockets took a heavy toll of the enemy. It was at this juncture around mid-day that confusion occurred when the dismounted Maratha cavalry troopers left their position and masked the fire of guns. This proved fatal and Afghans regained their footing.

At this time a bullet hit Vishwasrao, the eldest son of the Peshwa. Bhau at this stage lost his cool and left his elephant and joined hand to hand combat. Rumours of leader's death set panic wave in the Marathas. At this crucial moment, Abdali unleashed his reserves of 12,000 chosen cavalry that attacked and broke the centre of the Maratha army.

A near victory now turned into a rout and Marathas began running in the direction of Delhi. A fearful slaughter took place and the Marathas were completely routed. The Afghan casualties were also very heavy and soon after the battle Abdali quickly left for Afghanistan.

On his way his army suffered heavily due to the attacks by Sikhs. In battle of Govindwal the Sikhs rescued many Maratha prisoners who were being carried off to Afghanistan as slaves. Many widows never came back and instead married Sikh soldiers. Many Marathas instead of coming back to Maharashtra went to the hills of north and settled there. In all the Maratha losses were put at 22 generals and nearly 1 lakh soldiers. The estimated population of Maharashtra at that time was around 80 lakh and it was indeed a heavy blow and flower of the youth of one whole generation perished at Panipat.

There was scarcely a home in Maharashtra that did not lose at least one member of its family at Panipat.

The battle of Panipat was a turning point in the history of not only Marathas but whole of India. A British historian writing about this battle has opined that but for this defeat' whole of India would have been 'Marathaised'.

Panipat was the first major battle that Marathas fought with reliance on artillery and fire-arms based infantry. The defeat at Panipat discredited this form of war and Maratha armies again reverted back to cavalry mode of fighting. The Maratha faith in efficacy of guns was shaken up so thoroughly that in many future battles with the British, they never hesitated to abandon the guns.

The Maratha defeat at Panipat can be primarily attributed to their failure to harmonise the cavalry mode of warfare with the drilled infantry and artillery based set piece battles. This problem was to plague the Marathas for long time to come.

Politically the Maratha loss was not felt for very long as they soon recovered and re-established themselves at Delhi. The Marathas however never again attempted to control Punjab and their western frontier remained on the Sutlej river for a long time. The Sikhs were other beneficiaries of the battle of Panipat. The weakened Afghans could no longer hold Punjab and soon a powerful Sikh state came up and ruled from Lahore.

The Marathas fought at Panipat for a national cause. Their failure to defend India left a deep psychological impact on them. The ideal of Hindavi Swarajya and aim to dominate the entire country was given up.

Panipat inculcated a kind of diffidence in the Maratha psyche that brought in defeatist mentality when it came to a really great contest. The tendency now on was to retreat in good time rather than risk everything on an uncertain prospect. This caution that can be seen in many later day battles can be directly traced back to the happenings at Panipat. Panipat was a major national trauma and never again were the Marathas to repeat the daring feat of Bajirao the first and his dash to Delhi. Most post Panipat wars fought by the Marathas were defensive wars. The offensive spirit of the Marathas was the biggest casualty at Panipat.

The disaster of Panipat took place mainly due to bad politics on part of the Marathas. The lessons from Shivaji's time were forgotten and Marathas fought simultaneously both in the south as well as in the north. Half the Maratha army was in south when the life and death struggle was being fought at Panipat. The Rajputs were alienated, the Jats spurned and Sikhs underestimated. With even one of these as allies, Panipat would never have taken place.

Unfortunately this lesson was never learnt and even in the fight against the British the Marathas fought alone except in 1804 when Holkar took the help of Jats of Bharatpore and defeated the British

The Kite Runner - not from novel but from heart..!!

Oldies rue ebbing interest in kite-flying even as rooftops get cluttered with communication devices


Ihave always considered flying a kite magical.The feeling starts when the wind first tugs and hauls the kite into the air.Sometimes its gentle and you release the string slowly,letting it slip through your fingers.At other times,its stronger and the wind sweeps the kite away like it does a bird,lofting it higher and higher.And your spirit flies with it and stays with it as it traverses spaces defined by the string.It is a communion that only a kite flier understands and appreciates.All else is of no consequence as you connive with them and sail your paper bird.As a child,Ive seen the spirit of kite-flying in numerous cities around the country.In season and during the kite festival,Kolkatas wide open spaces and roof tops come alive with warring clans of fliers hoisting their kites into the blue,Lucknow is lavish with tradition and style,Kanpur becomes like the wild west with rooftop fliers v i r t u a l l y c o m - ing to b l o w s,Mumbai is pure madness and Ahmedabad paints her skies.And Pune We had a whole tradition here, says Cyrus,a veteran kite flying champ with well grooved palms.Wed get together,a lot of us friends,and even make our own manjha.Some of us even made our own kites.Then there was a guy whod bring reels of bidhan manjha from Lucknow and Calcutta.Roy,thats what his name was.Fell off a roof while flying a kite and broke a leg.But he never gave up.None of us gave up.Wed bunk school and hit the open spaces and fly our birds.Black and white makora kites were the in thing then.Of course nowadays you say makora and no one knows what the hell you are talking about.To decorate the kites,theyd use glass marbles to make small patterns on the paper.
Theres wistfulness in his voice because he misses those days.
Thats all gone now.Not because we are busy at work and making money and rushing about the place,but because there is hardly any sky left.Try to get on to a roof to fly a kite and see what happens.Most roofs are a mess.Cables,antennas,dishes and other technological claptrap clutter the place not forgetting all these towers that stand out like watchtowers in a jungle or sentry towers in a prison camp... all because everyone nowadays wants to be connected to the world,connected to whats happening everywhere else.No one seems to have any time to spend with themselves to be connected to themselves.They dont realise that kite flying gives you that opportunity.It connects you to those spaces of freedom within yourself.

A prudent man overlooks an insult (Story bout how people live in Pune)

In this tolerant city how can one be insensitive to little ruffians who play some pranks


Youre getting paranoid, Altaf declared in his inimitable manner,leaning back in his chair,folding his arms across his chest and pasting a supercilious smile on his deadpan face.He thrives on playing the role of The Wise One and prides himself in being always a seeker and a learner.He arrived in this city nine years ago with a backpack,a small suitcase of clothes,four cartons of books,no job and a big smile.In two years,he had settled into a job,got himself a wife,a decent little apartment in Aundh and a group of friends with whom he started the Wisdom Club.They meet for two hours on the first Friday of every month and talk about all the gyaan theyve picked up from living in this city.I remember attending one of their sessions and marvelled at how they psyched themselves into seeing goodness around every corner.Some of them came up with the usual chicken-soup type of pick-me-up anecdotes whilst others were more reflective.Anyway,to get back to the point,there we were sitting in one of those aquarium-type coffee shops that the city is now blessed with and I had been holding forth on how my missus and I had been insulted by a group of brats from the neighbourhood.They had absolutely no right to be rude, I said a g i t a t e d,considering all I did was stop t h e m from uprooting the telephone connection box outside our gate.The fault was theirs.Not ours.And I was merely intervening.
But the tone you used wasnt the right one for sure.Thats why you got that sort of reaction.
What sort of tone should I have used There they were,a gang of ruffians from the local bustee,with wooden rods,crowding around the small,blue metal box which until then had been minding its own business on the side of the road.When I asked them what they were doing they ignored me and continued to pummel the unfortunate thing and attempt to yank open its locked door.So I bellowed a couple of invectives which halted them in their tracks for a few moments.When they discovered where the reprimand was coming from,they turned their attention to us and began to do a sort of war dance hopping about and whooping and waving their arms and brandishing their weapons.The frenzy was unbearable.What right had those little mobsters to insult us that way I asked,out of breath with agitation.
I dont think you should be considering what they were doing, he said,but reflecting on your responses.
What do you mean I wanted to know.They were behaving like little ruffians.
And you were behaving like a typical stiff-necked bossy prude without any patience and devoid of sensitivity.
My dear friend, I reacted,If you were in my position you would have thrown stones at them.
He ignored my comment and continued to pursue his own line of argument.They were just boys from deprived families who were bored with nothing to do and nowhere to play.They live in a bustee which offers them no inspiration whatsoever.So all they were doing was physically venting their boredom and frustration.And you and your Mrs came along and were offended by their behaviour and tried to remind them that they are living in a civilised city and are breaking the rules.And how did you do that By treating them like stray dogs,shooing them away.Did you try to talk to them
Talk to them You must be joking. I finished my cup of coffee and reached into my pocket for my wallet.I had had enough of his gyaan.
We live in a large-hearted city, he said quietly,a place that constantly forces us to reflect and learn.It expects us to be tolerant,to be inclusive.Kids in your colony have enough space to play in,but the others the ones youve been talking about dont have that sort of luxury.They didnt choose to be born into that situation.But they are now here and are struggling to make sense of it.And you and your Mrs turn up...
I left him babbling,paid the bill and walked out because I couldnt answer him

The Khadoos Indian (Cricket)

In Mumbai’s cricketing circles, being khadoos is a highly respected trait. The Hindi word literally means stubborn in an Ebenezer Scrooge sort of a way. In a cricketing sense, it means not giving your opponent an inch; being single-mindedly focused on winning, becoming bruised, battered and bloodied in the bargain, but holding on to that inch, and if you still must perish, do so with your pride intact.

Tendulkar’s 146 in Cape Town typifies what Mumbai’s cricketing mandarins have been talking about all this while. Those who saw him face Dale Steyn’s first over on Day 2 would swear he had no idea what the ball doing. Having dominated the best part of 21 years of international cricket, Tendulkar was made to look like a novice by Steyn.

But he hung on. The series hinges on this hundred. He knew it. Despite the repeated humiliation of not being able to get bat to ball, despite the non-stop chatter from the bowlers and close-in fielders, he focussed on the next ball. India were not about to go down on his watch. He was khadoos. Whatever the result in Cape Town, the talk about this game many years from now would be about how Tendulkar survived Steyn.

The hundred was hardly a typical Tendulkar hundred in which he dominates bowlers out and out. It was more Steve Waugh at work than Tendulkar. He was lucky to survive an LBW against Paul Harris; he was lucky an edge didn’t carry to Mark Boucher, and he was lucky Steyn was swinging the ball out so much it was impossible to get an edge most of the times. Tendulkar would not score a uglier hundred than this.

Each time he beat him, Steyn simply smiled and walked back. In his own words: “There’s no point wasting energy bowling at (Sachin). You focus on the other guys.” There can be no better compliment for his efforts.

Steyn’s out-swing on Day 2 bordered on the unplayable. Swing alone is potent; but late swing at 90 miles an hour with great accuracy is a whole other challenge. It is the toughest examination of your eyesight, reflexes and technique. Your brain works overtime trying to anticipate the trajectory of the next ball.

Give these hostile conditions a historical backdrop: India’s losses at this venue in 1996 and 2006, the fact that this could be Tendulkar’s last chance to help India win a Test series in South Africa, and that Sehwag and Dravid have failed to deliver in this series. It all boils down to this innings, this inch that Tendulkar didn’t give away.