IPL STATS

Now that the UAE leg of the summer special in cricket, IPL, has come to an end, let’s check out some highlights from that phase.

1. KXIP became the first team and George Bailey became the first captain to win the first 5 opening matches of the IPL. This was primarily due to the impressive batting display by Maxwell and Miller, the luck that followed Maxwell and the amazing bowling display in the last two matches. Just like Harsha Bhogle had tweeted after the game against SRH, “if you sent Maxwell to fight an army with a feather, he would vanquish them with this luck!!”

2. KXIP created an IPL record of chasing down the highest score when they made CSK’s 205 look diminutive in their very first outing. They eclipsed the previous best of 193 by CSK against KXIP. Sweet revenge?

3. KXIP became the first team to win 8 matches in a row in the IPL considering all the season so far. It is the best ever sequence in IPL history. They eclipsed the previous best of 7 matches in a row by RCB (2011) & CSK (2013).

4. CSK reached the milestone of winning the most number of matches in T20 by any team with 74 wins when they defeated SRH in their last match in the UAE leg. They are followed by MI and Somerset with 66 and 65 wins respectively.

5. RCB scored the first ever below 100 score of the season when they were bundled out for 70 in their match against RR. The match saw the 42 – year old veteran Pravin Tambe take 4/20 in his allotted 4 overs which is the record for the best spell by the oldest ever cricketer in the IPL, way ahead of Brad Hogg’s 2/31.

6. The closest finish in this edition of the IPL so far was the penultimate match at UAE when RR and KKR battled it out in the super over. James Faulkner produced an amazing 19^th over and took the best figures by a birthday boy with 3/11, which ensured that the match went down to the wire. The super over too was tied but due some quick thinking by Steve Smith, RR won by the more number of boundaries formula. RR had 18 while KKR had only 14 to their innings. The other close finishes were: KKR won the match against RCB due to the super man catch of Chris Lynn by 2 runs, which was the closest finish in terms of runs. RR won against SRH and DD won against KKR by 4 wickets. Both games witnessed the closest in terms of wickets left. RR defeated SRH and CSK defeated SRH with 3 balls remaining which was the closest in terms of balls remaining.

7. MI became the first team to lose more than 2 games at the start of the season in their pursuit to defend their title. They lost all the 5 matches they played. They are the only team not to win a single game at the UAE.

8. Gautham Gambhir, the skipper of KKR, achieved the dubious record of scoring the most number of ducks in the IPL with 10 to his name right now.

9. Lakshmipathy Balaji of KXIP became the first Indian bowler to claim all the 4 foreign players in the same match.

Will the shift to the homeland change fortunes for MI? Will this affect KXIP’s run? Will this see a change in for all other teams too? Let’s relish in waiting and watching the entertainment unravel in its own true colours

-       -  Vadhiyadevan.

A DAY OUT IN JAIPUR

                           A trip to the North Indian states during the winter season is a complete pleasure ! Come lets travel through Jaipur , Delhi and Agra exclusively for the next three weeks. These prominent tourist destinations are mainly famous for their monuments which have been built with amazing architecture and mindblowing interiors. This week’s complete story is on a day out in Jaipur.

                        The journey started from Chennai central in Rajdhani express to Jaipur. We a group of ten people went on a trip to the North Indian states during the 2011 Christmas – New year eve. On our way to Jaipur, in the train we met with a political problem, where the people in big groups sat in the railway tracks and blocked the way. So the route was changed, thereby the already one and a half day train journey was elongated to two and a half days. So the very start of the trip was itself quite thrilling but spending two and a half days in train during a trip was sick too .One person I would like to mention here is the one who served us food in the train. He was a very enterprising person who did his work with full dedication and passion. That’s when I realised one thing, that good habit and life lessons can be learnt from any random people whom you come across in your life. When the train was about to reach Jaipur, he swiftly changed his uniform into casual clothes with his hair perfectly tucked in  and little powder applied on his face. He totally resembled some old bollywood hero. So he is one person whom I can never forget whenever I think of this trip.

 

                      Once we got down from the train, we went in a cab to our place of stay and checked into our rooms. Within an hour, we got ready in total winter clothing because the place was that cold ! Then we started our day with hot idly, pongal, sambhar and some chutnies. After the breakfast we got into the cab and went on mountains to the Amber fort. The moment we entered into the fort we were bragged to buy the puppet kind of raja rani dolls which were really cute. They demanded a starting price of Rs.200 then they finally gave it for just Rs.50, worth its price. It still hangs in my room window ! Renowned for its combination of Hindu and Mughal architecture, the Amber fort is located about 11kms from main Jaipur city. The citadel was the seat of the Kachhawa Rajputs who ruled Amer before the capital was moved to the present day Jaipur. The intricate carvings, mirror and precious stone works on the walls and ceilings of the fort are marvelous. The fort is connected with Jaigarh fort through fortified tunnel which was built for the royal family members and others during the time of war to escape.The most entertaining part of this fort is the elephant ride.

                          On our way back to the main city Jaipur, we saw the Jal mahal – a palace located in the middle of the Mansagar lake. One of the main reason for us to stop there was for the camel ride. I still feel bad for having taken the cameras along with me when I went on the camel but still I don’t have a single picture  that captured that moment..sigh…For lunch we went to Darg restaurant, the very entrance of the place had people playing traditional instrumental music and drums and the place of dine was so beautiful with a centre circular grace and we were seated around the stage. That day’s lunch was perfect which brought in the flavours of Jaipur with its music, dance and yummy food. Then the whole of that evening we spent wandering along the local streets and admiring its beauty !  Jaipur has been popularized with the name “Pink city” because of the colour of the stone exclusively used for the construction of all the structures. This pink colour has a history. In 1876, the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria visited India on a tour. Since pink denotes the colour of hospitality, Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the whole city pink in colour to welcome the guests. The tradition has been sincerely followed by the residents who are now by law compelled to maintain the pink colour. One always falls short of words while describing the bounteous charm that the city captivates the visitor with its culture, architecture, traditions, art , jewellery and textiles of Jaipur that have always charmed the travellers. It is one city that even after modernisation still holds to its roots and values.

                          There is something in the atmosphere of Jaipur that brings joy and delight as soon as you set foot in the city. The pink colour of the city brings out romantic charm that bounces every heart. If you haven’t got a chance to experience the royalties of Jaipur then plan your trip right away !

-N&N

Eccentrix Desk

I think most writers would agree that maturity in writing can be defined in terms of what one choose to write on/about and how one actually articulates their thoughts on that subject. So, it is my own personal belief that this week Team Eccentrix has come up with an issue that shows how well they have matured as writers in these past few months. 

Generally, when we talk about love, it is thought that it is the matter of the heart and is never meant to be what-you-call-it, disillusioned with logic. But there is so much more to this “affairs of the heart” than we actually know about it. So, N&N has set on a path to unmask all its dirty secrets along with its hidden treasures on this week’s absolutely scintillating Cover Story on “Unmask”. Check out to know whether you actually know yourself clearly.

Chennai Ponnu , for weeks on her column has been bringing you all the beautiful stuff about city life that urbanites like us just love. But, all coins have two sides don’t they ? This week she explores the city and its one nagging nuisance, the continuous “honk-honk” noise that actually threatens to make us all crazy. Check out her column to know more about this growing pain in the ahem-ear?

Kinitos is back with an excellent review on the latest hot smartphone from the Sony Mobiles, the Experia ULTRA T2. To know whether it is a worthy addition to the Experia Clan, check out what Vandhiyadevan has to say about it in Kinitos.

Rearview Mirror has been entertaining all you auto-maniacs by talking about the rides and the wheels of the most coveted Superheroes of all times. But hey, it is time for some futuristic talk. Don’t imagine robotics , but it is much simpler. This week Nova is writing about Fuel-cell Cars which promise to be the “in thing” pretty soon. Get to know all about it here, so that you can say “You liked fuel-cell cars before it was cool”!! 

Last but in no way the least, how can we not have our Tragánisma Arithmoús column be about our very own Master-Blaster who had his birthday this week ? So, yeah to know all the teeny-tiny facts, about this great legend, check our weekly Cricket column by Vandhiyadevan. Team Eccentrix wishes paaji a very Happy Birthday.

Hope you enjoy reading this issue.

See you next week.

Adios!

Team Eccentrix.

HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS

Alright now, it’s time for a little tech-talk. This week we will be looking at a technology that holds plenty of promise for automobiles in the future.

            As we all are aware of, fossil fuels are finite by nature – and, therefore, they will run out at some point of time. Focusing on the industry, we people cannot imagine a life without automobiles. The freedom they provide combined with the passion they inculcate in most of us mean that they rely on them heavily. But the fossil fuel problem is very evident from the ever rising price of fuel – an issue that’s letting down economies and consumers all around the planet.

            For a long time now, companies and governments have been working on a technology that offers most of the benefits of fossil fuels, without the limitations of course. At the heart of this technology are Hydrogen Fuel Cells. What differentiates fuel cells from conventional technologies is the fact that the cells use Hydrogen for energy production. Here’s it how it goes: When Hydrogen mixes with oxygen, it produces a chemical reaction that generates energy within the cell, which is used to charge a high capacity battery that in turn powers electric motors connected to the wheels.

            Now that might sound similar to electric cars, (remember the Audi E-tron with four electric motors – one for each wheel?) but the difference is – since Hydrogen is stored onboard in a high pressure tank, it allows the fuel cell powered car to cover distances similar to a conventional powered one. Secondly, since refueling Hydrogen is almost as quick as refilling petrol, no extra time is spent replenishing the vehicle’s range. Thirdly, the by product. This is the most significant advantage of fuel cell cars over conventional ones. Combining the two elements that produce energy in the cells creates water (H2O). So, the only emissions that a fuel cell car produces is water – making it one of the most environment friendly means of transport. Fourth, perhaps one factor that is so much in favor of fuel cells, is that their efficiency hovers around the 60% mark, which is a massive jump from internal combustion engines that have an efficiency of 20 – 25% at most. This means that for the same amount of fuel used, a Fuel Cell powered car can do almost three times as much work as a traditional car.

            But, there are significant challenges before the technology can be commercially viable – the first of which is producing Hydrogen in the first place, a process that’s still in the development stage. The other challenge is to safely store Hydrogen. Unless stored in a safe, pressurized container, Hydrogen is highly volatile and could be dangerous. Third is that for Fuel Cell vehicles to work there would be a need for parallel storage and distribution network similar to the one that exists for petrol pumps. And since this would be needed on a global scale, it’s a massive task (with estimates putting the cost of this above $500 billion), which most stakeholders are reluctant to commit to.

            Multiple conglomerates have been at the forefront of Hydrogen vehicle development, with Honda, BMW and Mercedes-Benz being some of them. In fact, in Los Angeles, a pilot project has seen a few Hydrogen pumps already set up.

            Fuel Cells hold massive promise for clean, environmentally friendly motoring in future, but there’s still much work to be done before we can expect to see these machines out on our roads.

Source: Internet

-         Nova