The Common Man Speaks

Srinath’s Titan Cup performance is proof that stats don’t show the real picture

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Javagal Srinath has been one of the best fast bowlers to have played for India. The pacer was always ready to give his all whenever the team needed, irrespective of the conditions and the format. He is the second highest wicket taker for India in one-day internationals (ODIs) with 315 wickets.

But the bowler had an unusually unbelievable record in the Titan Cup in 1996. For those who are too young, the Titan Cup was a triangular series played between India, South Africa and Australia in India. Surprisingly, Australia failed to win a single match in the entire series, where each team played each other thrice. So, India and South Africa reached the finals.

The proteas were in terrific form all through the league matches; winning all of them comfortably. However, SA somehow couldn’t chase India’s total of 220 in the final and lost the title to the hosts.

But something unusual about the Titan Cup popped up into my memory recently. It’s about Javagal Srinath’s performance with the ball. You would be stunned to know how many wickets he took in the entire tournament.

As strange as it may sound, the bowler could pick up only 1 wicket in the entire series in which India played a total of six matches, including the final. He played all six matches and opened the bowling in all of them.

Javagal Srinath

Generally, one would attribute bad performance for such a record. But that was not the case with Srinath. I remember the pacer bowling with dedication in every match of the series. In fact, this info about him picking just 1 wicket is hardly known because he never faced any criticism for it. Rightly so because he bowled well in the series.

In most of the matches, he bowled economically and didn’t make it easy for the batsmen. This helped bowlers from the other end pick up wickets. But instances of putting pressure never get a mention in scorecards.

The one wicket Javagal Srinath took was in India’s second last match against Australia in Mohali. It was an important one of Michael Slater, who was out leg before wicket. The match was an unofficial semi-final for both the teams.

Also read: Forgotten innings: Lance Klusener’s 99 w/s Sri Lanka in the final

We have heard a lot of cricket experts or commentators say that statistics don’t show you the real picture. Javagal Srinath’s performance in the Titan Cup is a shining example of it. There are days when even the greatest of spells don’t yield results. This is where it gives a feeling that luck also plays a role to some extent in the sport.

But despite this, it would be wrong to say that Javagal Srinath had a quiet tournament. He made up for it with the bat. He was the hero when India was struggling to chase a modest score of 215 against Australia in a league match and were 8 down. Srinath saw India home with some fine support from his Karnataka team-mate Anil Kumble.

Back then, it was an era of pinch-hitters and Srinath was India’s most favored one for that role. In the league match against South Africa at Rajkot, Srinath top scored with 53 runs [his highest score] after coming one down as a pinch-hitter. Not many would have expected him to be India’s highest scorer in any match.

While writing this, another major example of stats not being the ultimate truth comes to my mind. Rohit Sharma scored a mammoth 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014. Nine years earlier to that, Sachin Tendulkar scored 98 against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup.

The score of 264 is way more than 98. Yet, Tendulkar’s innings is held in much higher regards than Sharma’s.

I am sure there are many more such examples.

Additional reading:

One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

Forgotten spells: When Srinath rattled South African batting order singlehandedly

Decoding Mirzapur 2’s POST-CREDIT scene (SPOILERS alert!)

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Having a post-credit scene is in vogue in the west but the idea is currently taking baby steps in India. So, when the makers of Amazon Prime Video’s Mirzapur season 2 kept a post-credit scene at the end of the last episode, hardly anyone of us saw it since we never anticipated it.

The show’s cast member Vijay Varma, who plays the dual role of the twins Bade and Chhote, had to enlighten or spoon-feed us about it on Twitter for us to realize it. As soon as he revealed it, people rushed back to the finale of the last episode of Mirzapur 2 to have a look at it.

SPOILERS ahead

The post-credit scene in Mirzapur 2 comes minutes after the ending credits start rolling. The scene features Varma sitting in his office toying with a ring on his finger. The ring falls from his hand and Dadda (Lilliput), from the adjacent room, addresses him as ‘Bade’ and asks him to bring some files.

Explanation of the scene

After going through various comments on social media, it is found that there are people who haven’t understood the scene.

Mirzapur 2 poster

As we know, Varma plays the double role of twins Bade and Chhote. Bade is called so because he is five minutes elder to Chhote. Bade is married while Chhote isn’t. During the ending moments of the final episode, we see both Bade and Chhote getting shot. But we are not told whether both die or one of them survives or both survive.

The post-credit scene makes it clear that Bade is dead and Chhote is impersonating as Bade. He wasn’t merely toying with the ring. He was struggling to play with it on his index finger like Bade used to do [thank you Mandar Dalvi for this bit in the comments]. As he is unable to do that, he keeps it away so that his bluff doesn’t get exposed.

This should bring back memories of a moment in one of the earlier episodes where Chhote impersonates Bade and succeeds in fooling the latter’s wife.

Also read: Difference between film journalism and entertainment journalism

We now realize that that moment had plenty of relevance!

Needless to say, this obviously means that there will be the third season of Mirzapur in which Chhote will play an important role.

Additional reading:

Fact check: Was Deepika Padukone paid Rs 5 crore to attend JNU protests?

Reaction to Tanishq ad reveals THREAT to the very idea of India

14-year-old Marian Gherasim becomes the youngest T20 int. player

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Romania’s Marian Gherasim has become the youngest player ever to play an international T20 game at the age of 14 years and 16 days on 16 October. He made the record when he played the second T20 of their bilateral series against Bulgaria at the Ilfov County ground.

Gherasim broke the record of Kuwait’s Meet Bhavsar who had made his T20 debut against Maldvives at the age of 14 years and 211 days in January last year. [See the list of youngest players to debut in T20 internationals HERE]

Gherasim is a medium fast bowler who also bows off spin. He didn’t bowl on his debut match. But he did bowl 3 overs in his second match the next day and picked up 1 wicket by giving only 22 runs. [See the scorecard HERE]

Marian Gherasim
Marian Gherasim flanked by his teammates Pavel Florin and Cosmin Zavoiu [Photo courtesy: Paval Florin on Facebook]

Ramesh Satheesan, the captain of Romania, spoke about him during a discussion in the Facebook group ‘Die Hard Cricket Fans.’ He said, “He’s been with us ever since he was 10, developing his cricket under the watchful eyes of our national coach. Multi talented guy, bowls perfect off spin nowadays with loop and spin. [He] mixes leg spinners in between.”

About the wicket he took, Satheesan added, “He’s also the youngest to have taken an international wicket I believe that too that of the opponent captain; with a perfect loop and beating the batsman in flight.”

Astonishingly, Gherasim was also a part of the Romanian team when he was 12 years old but those matches didn’t qualify as international matches.

Gherasim is the youngest of the three brothers. His eldest brother Laurentiu made his T20 debut with the team at the age of 16 last year.

Sharing how the Gherasim brothers started playing cricket for them, Satheesan added, “Their house is very close to our cricket ground in this village called Moaravlasie and every time there’s a game happening in the ground, these lads used to visit us and started played casually. That’s how the fascination started.”

Also read: One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

Reaction to Tanishq ad reveals THREAT to the very idea of India

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The recent advertisement by Tanishq Jewelers gives a heartwarming message of unity in a country that is divided by various segments. In other words, it speaks about peace and harmony among two different communities.

So when the makers of the advertisement are forced to pull it down for this very reason, for showing the India penned in the Constitution, it speaks volumes about how ideas about secularism and religious harmony have come under serious threat in the last few years.

Just imagine – an ad is pulled down for giving the same message its constitution promotes… Let that sink in!

In this period, I have come across countless comments on social media where people mock secularism. Those who believe in it are looked down upon as criminals. To quote a couple of real examples, one Right Wing troll once asked me in a What’s App group whether I have improved or am I still secular.

Not so long ago, a friend faced ouster from his housing society’s What’s App group after being ‘accused’ of being secular. Let this sink in too!

These are the same people who always claim to be most patriotic. Either they don’t know or are pretending not to know that the very idea of India is based on secularism, which is promised by the Constitution of the country.

Tanishq

And since they are clearly not following the basic idea of India mentioned in the Constitution, how on earth can they proclaim to be deshbhakts?

It won’t be right to say that these are just paid or professional trolls who spend most of their time writing toxic posts and targeting people who don’t agree with their dangerous views. Unfortunately, such people are now found in our close friends, relatives or even in our homes.

I am sure all of you must have witnessed people from your close circles not only sharing communal posts in What’s App groups but also justifying them. There are a set of people who are paid to promote such stuff but there are many others, like our near and dear ones, who are doing it for free!

The ones who fall in the latter are more dangerous because they are not doing it for any monetary reward. They are doing it simply because they believe in such toxic ideas. It’s becoming more and more clear that education only makes you worthy of being employed. It doesn’t guarantee you not walking into the communal trap laid by the political class.

Also read: How Kangana’s comments exposed FAKE patriotism of these people… again

Therefore, the response to the Tanishq ad with such a pure message can’t be a co-incidence. It is a result of what all is transpiring in a lot of minds in recent years, including the educated class.

It just proves yet again how hatred and bigotry are slowly becoming the new normal.

But all such incidents have also made it clear that these toxic trolls get panic attacks at the very mention of secularism or harmony between two faiths. Hence, this should encourage us to do things that irk them the most.

Let’s keep sharing not only the Tanishq ad (see below) but also other videos and posts that promote what they fear the most – unity!

Jai Hind!

Additional reading:

‘Anti-nepotism’ brigade has created a TOXIC atmosphere online

You might be triggering DEPRESSION in someone without even knowing it

Forgotten innings: Lance Klusener’s 99 v/s Sri Lanka

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South Africa’s Lance Klusener was one of the most exciting all-rounders to have played the game. Those who witnessed his start and rise in the 1990s would mostly agree that he deserved to play many more matches for the Proteas.

Although he was a good pace bowler, Klusener was mostly known as a batsman who can smash just about anyone when he is in form. This is more so since some of his best ODI (one-day international) innings came under pressure situations. It would come as a surprise to many that he batted at number 11 when he started his first-class career as a bowler.

Klusener became a star in no time after his debut in 1996. But his popularity increased after his antics with the bat in the 1999 World Cup, despite South Africa not lifting the cup.

Who can ever forget his histrionics in the semi-final of the WC against Australia where he almost took his side to their first World Cup Final ever? Even after more than 20 years, the result of the match continues to hurt me, although I am not a South African.

But maybe because his 1999 WC heroics are so popular that one of his best ODI innings is forgotten. It came in the final of Golden Jubilee Cup in Lahore in 1997. The series was organized in as part of the celebration of Pakistan’s 50 years of Independence and was also known as Pakistan’s Independence Cup.

Lance Klusener
Lance Klusener (File photo)

It was a quadrangular series between Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and West Indies. It came as a surprise to me to not see India being a part of a ODI series taking place in Asia.

Sri Lanka and South Africa reached the final played on 8 November at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium as both the teams won three and two matches respectively in the league stage. Pakistan won one while West Indies lost all the three matches in the series.

Sri Lankans were a much bigger threat in that era but they could score only 209 for 7 in their 50 overs with not a single batsman going past the score of 32. South Africans were in great form in that series and it felt they would cruise to the target. But that wasn’t to be.

The Proteas were in a spot of concern when they were 71 for 3 [the idea of sending Pat Symcox as a pinch-hitter didn’t work] and 109 for 4. But Klusener, who came in at number 3, kept the innings alive for the South Africans when wickets were falling at the other hand. The other batsmen were getting starts but they weren’t able to capitalize on it.

Klusener batted one-down in the series to get some quick runs. It wasn’t different in the final as well. The left-hander started hitting boundaries as soon as he arrived. But when the team kept losing wickets, he changed his role and controlled his aggression to see his side home.

To see a hitter like him showing maturity and responsibility is what makes this knock a highly memorable one for me.

Also read: Forgotten Innings: Nayan Mongia’s historic feat v/s Australia

It is unfortunate for any player to get out at 99. I was disappointed when he was caught and bowled by Sanjeeva D’Silva on that score. But I remember him telling Ian Chappel in the post-match presentation that he was glad to see his side home in the final.

The video of his speech is not available. In fact, there’s only one 11-minute poor quality video of that match shared on YouTube (seen above). But it’s good enough to revisit, what in my opinion, is one of the best ODI innings by a South African.

Looking back at the Klusener of that era today, I can only imagine how destructive he would have been in the T20 version of the game today.

Additional reading:

One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

Forgotten Spells: Srinath’s match-winning 6 for 21 v/s South Africa

One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

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Contrary to today’s times, the 1990s saw a battery of fast bowlers around the world that would trouble some of the best batsmen of that era and played for a long duration. The list of such bowlers would be incomplete without the mention of Pakistan’s great Wasim Akram.

Although there were the likes of Glenn McGrath, Counrtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Allan Donald, Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath, my personal favorite was always Akram. More than his pace, it was his skill of moving the ball on any surface that used to fascinate me. Who can forget his two wickets in two balls in the 1992 World Cup Final?

In 104 test matches, Akram took as many as 414 wickets at an average of just 23.62. He took a staggering 502 wickets in ODIs (one-day internationals) with a similar average of 23.52.

The bowler had plenty of memorable moments on the field in his career spanning around 17 years. But unfortunately one of his greatest achievements [if not the greatest] is forgotten. In fact, I haven’t heard about it in various cricket discussions I have had in my life, both offline and online.

Akram was one of the rare bowlers to take as many as four hat-tricks in his career. Two each in tests and ODIs. The only person above him is Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga who has taken five [all in white ball cricket].

(See the list of all test hat-tricks HERE)

Wasim Akram bowling

This article is about his test hat-tricks which are highly significant. Akram took his first test hat-trick versus Sri Lanka in 1999 at his home ground in Lahore when he dismissed Romesh Kaluwitharana, Niroshan Bandaratilleke and Pramodaya Wickramasinghe.

In the same year against the same team at Dhaka, Akram got another hat-trick when he sent Avishka Gunawardene, Chaminda Vaas and Mahela Jawavardene back to the pavilion in a matter of three balls.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. The two hat-tricks Akram took were in two consecutive test matches. Hence, he is the only bowler in the history of world cricket to take two hat-tricks in two matches back-to-back.

Watch both the hat-tricks in the video above

All of you who are reading must have had hundreds of cricket discussions in your life. How many times have you people discussed about this feat by Akram? This would be interesting to know.

As far as hat-tricks are concerned, the only bowler to have had a bigger achievement than Akram was Australia’s Jimmy Matthews. He took two hat-tricks in two innings of the same match against South Africa way back in 1912.

The two matches in which Akram took two hat-tricks were a part of the first Asian Test Championship. The Lahore tie was the league match while the final happened in Dhaka. The other team in the series was India, which couldn’t reach the finals.

Also read: Forgotten Cricket Moments: The real Lagaan match at Brabourne Stadium

Despite the first of its kind triangular test tournament, the Asian Test Championship isn’t remembered as a memorable series. The second Asian Test Championship of 2001 [played between Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh] is even less remembered with India not taking part in it.

Maybe because of the low key nature of the tournaments, Akram’s incredible feat has been forgotten over the years.

Additional reading:

Forgotten spells: When Srinath was on a hattrick THRICE in one innings

Forgotten innings: Nayan Mongia’s historic feat vs Australia

5 questions on the ongoing DRUGS probe in Sushant’s case

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The Sushant Singh Rajput death case was handed over to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) after continuous demand for the same was raised by his family and a large section of the population.

But soon after that, the chaos in media and on social media have left many of us confused as to where is the whole thing headed. It makes me wonder whether all that is happening is actually related to Sushant’s death.

These 5 questions are lurking on my mind these days:

How SSR’s death probe got transformed into Bollywood drugs scandal?

It all started with the aim of giving justice to the late Sushant by handing over his death case to the CBI. So far so good. But as soon as the NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) got involved, the focus completely changed from #JusticeToSSR or #SSRMurder to exposing the drug racket in Bollywood.  

Those noisy news channels that were shouting murder just a fortnight ago are now only aiming at exposing the drug nexus in the film industry. In a latest update, Sushant’s family itself is unhappy with how the focus has changed ever since the drug angle cropped up.

Why only female actors being named?

It is strange to see only female actors’ names cropping up in the drug investigation. Are drugs taken only by leading ladies of the industry? What do the male stars use? Glucon D? None of the noisy news anchors are finding anything fishy in this.

Drugs probe in Sushant case

What is the final aim?

With the speed at which one actress after another is being called up for allegedly consuming drugs, it leaves us wondering as to what is the final aim of all this. If they continue reading private chats of actors, more names are expected to crop up, which will be a never-ending process. So where is it supposed to end?

How do these screenshots reach news channels?

A former director of the NCB said on a news channel that the anti-narcotics agency is expected to try and catch the main peddler from the names of film stars that come up in the investigation. But what they are actually doing is leaking chat screenshots to the news channels, so that they can carry out tamasha every night.

People don’t seem to be questioning how every screenshot, which is an evidence, is being handed over to the news channels. We can understand if they get leaked once or twice, but daily?

Also read: ‘Anti-nepotism’ brigade has created a TOXIC atmosphere online

Who exactly is on drugs?

In the last few days, we have regularly seen visuals of reporters banging the shut windows of various actresses’ cars and repeatedly asking if they consume drugs. They clearly know that their voice would be hardly audible and they won’t be able to hear anything in case they get an answer.

What took the cake though was one reporter screaming and forcing her driver to overtake Deepika Padukone’s car, whose windows are shut, and asking the actress in the highest pitch possible, “Kya drugs leti hain aap?”

Well, who appears to be on drugs here?

Additional reading:

SSR case: Why is KARNI Sena forgiven & shown respect?

Forgotten spells: When Srinath singlehandedly rattled South Africa

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Indian cricket can’t boast of many fast bowlers who bowled really quick and played for a long duration. Javagal Srinath was an undisputed leader of India’s pace bowling for years. Cricket fans who started following the game in the 1990s have fond memories of him.

But somehow his best spell in test cricket hasn’t been discussed much and it seems as if it has been forgotten.

Srinath started his career in the early 1990s and made a mark in India’s tours to Australia and New Zealand during that period. He changed his bowling action a bit early in his career, making it not as high arm as it was earlier. But that didn’t affect his quality of bowling. He soon became India’s strike bowler.

One of Srinath’s impressive bowling spells during his initial years

Srinath was someone who enjoyed hitting the deck and using the bounce to full effect. Most of his deliveries came inside the right-handers which weren’t easy to handle. At times he used to fox the batsmen with balls that left the right-handers.

This particular feat of his came in the 1996-97 season. India was all set to play a three test series against South Africa. This was right after the Titan Cup which India won by defeating SA in the final. The first test was at Ahmedabad.

Javagal Srinath

It was a low scoring match where batsmen had to work hard. India batted first and scored only 223 with not a single batsman reaching 50. It looked as if SA would be bundled out on a score much lower but Fanie de Villiers had other plans as he scored a fighting 67 to take South Africa to 244.

India fared worse in the second innings and were 124 for 7 at one stage. But the debutant VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble showed some fight and helped the team reach 190.

This was the first proper test series I followed as a child. I wasn’t pleased with this ‘new player’ Laxman in the first innings. In that age I was quick to judge and said he has no future. But he made me eat my words in the second innings when he scored 51 in extreme pressure and I was glad.

South Africa were given a target of 170. As the Indian players went on to the field, not many would have thought that Srinath was all set to deliver the most defining moment of his career. Being a fourth-day pitch in India, it seemed the spinners will take the bulk of the wickets if India has to win.

But Srinath delivered from the word go. In the first over itself, he reduced SA to 0 for 2 when he got Andrew Hudson and Daryll Cullinan off successive balls. I remember going mad with excitement as those were my initial days in test cricket and I had never seen a side being 0 for 2. [As I write this, I remember England were 0 for 2 this week against Australia]

Srinath returned for his second spell when the opposition was 96 for 4. He reduced them to 96 for 6 as he again got two wickets [Dave Richardson and Jonty Rhodes] off two balls.

There was more to come though. In his third spell, he bowled Allan Donald and Paul Adams off successive deliveries to finish with tremendous figures of 6 wickets for just 21 runs. [See the whole scorecard HERE]

It is too rare to see a bowler being on a hattrick thrice in one innings. In other words, whenever Srinath got a wicket in this innings, he got another one in the next ball itself.

Forgotten innings: Nayan Mongia’s historic feat vs Australia

The rare feat coupled by the fact that he singlehandedly won the match for India makes me wonder why this effort isn’t spoken about much. In fact, I have never read posts about this spell in any of the cricket groups on Facebook and I wonder why.

Luckily, there is this little video below which has captured all his wickets in the innings.

Srinath’s career too has fared an almost similar fate in terms of remembrance. He hardly gets a mention in a discussion on the best Indian players. When he played his last test match in 2002, he was the second highest wicket taking fast bowler with Kapil Dev being the first.

Additional reading:

When Australia played against Australia in this World Series

Dhoni could have scored more 100s but…

Yuvraj Singh’s 3 heroic TEST innings that have been forgotten: See videos

How Kangana’s comments exposed FAKE patriotism of these people… again

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One Bhakt was ill since last few days, so he hadn’t kept track of any news. Mr X decided to have some fun with him.

Mr X: You know, Aamir Khan compared Mumbai with Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Pakistan

Bhakt: WTF! Such a ba***rd! How dare he say such a thing for the city that gave him name and fame! I always felt these anti-nationals and traitors should be thrown out of India and be united with their ilk in Pakistan!

Mr X: Lol. Thoda masti kiya tere saath. Actually Kangana Ranaut gave this statement. See here (shows his mobile)

Bhakt (shocked): What!!!

Mr X: I will be sharing this conversation on Facebook. I will attribute your reaction to Kangana. Chalega na? (Starts typing on FB)

Bhakt (tensed): Arre wait!

***********************************

The above conversation is imaginary but it is based on the real ideologies of Bhakts, whose fake patriotism has once again got exposed. Last week, Kangana Ranaut compared Mumbai with Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and, later, with Pakistan. This triggered anger among the people from India and outside.

However, there was no outrage visible from Bhakts on social media. These are the same people who consider themselves more patriotic than anyone else. They slam any film star raising a voice on an issue India is facing left, right and centre and ask him or her to leave the country and migrate to Pakistan [their biggest fantasy].

Kangana Ranaut Bhakts

Compare Kangana’s comments with that of Aamir Khan where he quoted his wife Kiran Rao merely suggesting that India has become unsafe. All hell broke loose and the actor was lynched on social media for months to come. There was a demand from Bhakts to boycott every Aamir movie in the future.

But somehow they didn’t troll Kangana, whose comment was much more alarming than that of Aamir. The answer to this is simple – she is a die-hard fan of BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party]. Plus, the place she criticized is in the state which is not ruled by BJP.

Time and again we have seen Bhakts criticizing and being okay with criticizing a state which is not ruled by their favourite party. The biggest example is how they indulge in all types of name calling to Kerala, a state where their party has been struggling to find any landing.

But this isn’t the biggest hypocrisy of Bhakts. Their fake love for the country was exposed last year when BJP leader Pragya Thakur hailed the death of the late ATS (Anti-Terror Squad) Chief Hemant Karkare at the hands of terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 attacks.

Also read: Kangana’s war against Shiv Sena v/s SRK’s: Similarities and dissimilarities

Here was a politician openly applauding a terrorist for killing an officer who laid down his life while fighting for the country. But she wasn’t trolled by Bhakts or their IT Cell or the loud-mouthed anchor who shoves the party’s ideology down your throat each night. The same anchor who is allergic to the very mention of Pakistan.

Somehow, the patriotism of Bhakts goes on a sick leave if a supporter of their favourite party gives a derogatory comment against India.

Remember this the next time they slam any famous personality for allegedly hurting their patriotic sentiments.

Additional reading:

SSR case: Why is KARNI Sena forgiven & shown respect?

Expecting MIRACLES from CBI in Sushant case isn’t smart