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Banking on bench strength Fitness
Mantra Of Injuries and Opportunities
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Immense bench strength made Australia trounce India in the recently concluded Honda Cup series. This was one area where Indians could never match up with the kangaroos, writes
Abhijit Chatterjee
At a time when even the ICC is having serious doubts whether the 50-over one day game can sustain long-term spectator interest in the face of the ever-increasing popularity of Twenty20, the just concluded seven-match series between Australia and India has proved, if proof was indeed needed, that the 50-over game still continues to hold immense spectator interest. All the matches in the Hinda Cup series were keenly fought and the stands were jam-packed at every venue where the two teams played. Australia, no doubt, proved that they are the top-rank cricket team in the world by winning the series, but the hosts, too, had their moments of glory. While at least two of the games have gone down in the last over of play, the momentum shifted from one team to the other during the course of the series. The pitches and the weather varied from place to place as the two teams jetted across the subcontinent playing one game after another with hardly any rest in between. Adding to the excitement of the series was the unpredictable nature of the two teams, especially India. But the one area where Australian team really scored over the hosts was its immense bench strength, something which India could never match. Even the absence of one key player from the line-up tended to upset the gameplan of the Indians, while Australia in spite of missing four key players when the team landed in India and losing four more due to injury in the course of the tour, were still able to pull off the series with hardly any changes in their plan of play. This is one aspect, which should trouble the powers that run cricket in India and talk of having sizeable bench strength. Look at the way Australia’s new ball bowler Doug Bollinger left an impact on the series. Bollinger has had to show immense patience over the past couple of years after going on Australia’s Test tours to the West Indies, India and South Africa without breaking into the team. The only Test match that he got to play was against South Africa at the SCG this year and before this tour he had played three ODIs in the UAE. This, in short, completed the list of his games for Australia. After bowling very economically at the Delhi match, which India won, Bollinger set the turf on fire at the PCA Stadium in Mohali with a haul of three for 38 and then ripped the Indian batting at Guwahati with a devastating spell of five for 35. He has indeed grabbed his chances and one is sure that in the years ahead one will hear a lot of this Aussie fast bowler. But then Bollinger was not the only Australian who left his stamp on the series. Before the Australians landed in Mumbai, their skipper had gone on record to say that the visitors would win all seven games. That this did not happen was largely due to the individual brilliance of some of the Indians. But the hosts, as has been seen over the years, could never click collectively. If it was Sachin in one match, then it was Dhoni in another or Praveen Kumar in the sixth game, when he saved India from the blushes with some lusty hitting. The final result of the series could well have been different if only some of the Indian players had played to their full potential. The games that India won were largely due to the efforts of one player or the other but there was no concerted team effort to win. But guess it’s no use saying “if only” once the series has ended.
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Fitness
Mantra Pulses and legumes are edible seeds of certain leguminous plants. Commonly used pulses are green gram, lentils, Bengal gram, soyabeans and kidney beans etc. Pulses are called wonder food as they are low in fat and absorb the flavour of spices and herbs, making them fun and tasty to eat. People have been eating pulses for thousands of years and these foods are the main source of protein in many cultures all over the world. Beans and legumes have all the nutrients that are now recognised as important in preventing heart disease, cancer and obesity. They are high in complex carbohydrates; proteins, fibre and they are extremely low in fat. Pulses are one of the sources of protein in the diet, other than meat and dairy products. For vegetarians pulses are a vital part of life and for non-vegetarians pulses offer an alternative source of protein without fat with lot of fibre. Composition of pulses: Pulses supply the same amount of calories as cereals i.e. 350 kcals per 100 gm of dry weight. The protein content of pulses is 20 to 25 per cent, about twice as much as that of cereals, making them the most economical source of protein. The fat content of pulses is negligible; being 1-2 gm per 100 gm. Pulses provide about 60 gm of carbohydrates per 100 gm. Whole pulses are a good source of B complex vitamins. The iron content of pulses is high, being 8-10 mg per 100 gm. The calcium content is between 100-200 mg per 100 gm. besides these pulses are good source of zinc and copper. Zinc is essential for growth and wound healing. Copper helps in the formation of haemoglobin, aids in transport of iron to bone marrow for the formation of red blood cells and participates in energy production. Some whole pulses are also a good source of magnesium, which helps to lower blood pressure. For people who cannot eat or afford meat, soyabean is a good source of protein. It is a complete protein as comparable to animal protein. In addition, soyabeans provide no saturated fat, cholesterol and are rich in fibre and isoflavonoids that help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and improve bone health. Isoflavonoids act as antioxidants, protecting cells and tissues from damage. One specific isoflavonoid, genistein, inhibits the growth of both breast and prostrate cancer cells. The isoflavonoids in soyabeans also act as phytoestrogens, helping to protect older women from cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Soy provides complete, high quality protein comparable to that in animal foods. Soy foods that contains most or the entire bean, such as soya milk, sprouts; soya flour and tofu are the best sources of phytochemicals. Soyabeans can be processed to produce a texture and appearance similar to many other foods e.g. soyabeans are the primary ingredient in many dairy product substitutes e.g soya milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese and cream cheese etc. Soy based infant formula is used for lactose intolerant infants and for infants who are allergic to cow milk proteins.
How you can eat more pulses Pulses can be eaten in different forms:
Fermentation: Fermentation of dal to produce idli, dosa, dhokla etc. enhances its content of vitamins of the B group and decreases the level of phytate, which decreases calcium, iron and zinc absorption and trypsin inhibitor, which decreases the digestibility of proteins. Roasting: Roasting in iron utensils can increase iron content of pulses. Roasting of pulses improves their protein digestibility and protein quality. So a handful of roasted channa is a good option for in between snacks. Cereal pulses combination: A combination of cereals with pulses provide adequate amount of proteins of high biological value. The common practice of eating rice with dal (khichri), or wheat chapattis with pulses is nutritionally sound. Chapattis can be made by mixing wheat flour and Bengal gram flour. Pulses are completely digested and absorbed if made into flour. Pulses flour can be added to soups, vegetable curries etc. Sweet halwa (prepared from roasted moong dal flour) and panjiri (prepared from roasted moong dal and whole wheat flour) can be a good high protein supplement for kids. Even panjiri prepared from Bengal gram flour and gur with less of fat is considered very healthy for pregnant and lactating women. Vegetables and pulses combination: A combination of pulses with vegetables provide adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. Sambhar (arhar dal with vegetables) and dal palak (spinach) is a healthy and tasty combination of vegetables and pulses. Requirement of pulses for an adult: For vegetarians 60 gm (2 medium sized katories) of pulses are required per day. For non-vegetarians 30 gm of pulses are sufficient for the whole day. So if you really want to stay healthy keep on adding a recommended amount of pulses in your daily diet as pulses are not unglamorous or boring food rather it is a wonderful and healthy food if eaten in right amounts in a right way. (The writer is from the department of dietetics, PGI, Chandigarh)
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Of Injuries and Opportunities The Australians have learnt the hard way that the cricket calendar is too congested for the health of players. As many as five members of Ricky Ponting’s touring team had to return home with injuries, and pacer Peter Siddle, the latest casualty, blamed it all on non-stop cricket. Paul Marsh, CEO of the Australian Cricketers Association, thinks the same way, and so do the bosses of Cricket Australia. How relieved Siddle sounded when a news agency report quoted him as saying it was “very pleasing to back with family and friends and sleep in my own bed.” But you don’t have to strain your memory too much to recall how a couple of years ago players had complained of being overburdened by crammed cricket schedules, but seeing there was some quick money to be made in the IPL they forgot all about fatigue. Those unheard of auctions and other ugly innovations breathed fresh strength into the tired limbs of one and all, including the retired players. In fact, they seemed eager to play even two IPLs in a year. What is three hours of work a day if at the end of a few weeks you can go laughing all the way to the bank with your pockets stuffed with a few hundred thousand dollars? What if there were security problems because of a clash of dates with the General Elections. The IPL had to somehow go on, even if it had to be played overseas. A T20 Champions League has now been squeezed into the cricket calendar. There is so much of it that I know of people who don’t even remember who actually won the tournament, played just before Ponting brought his Australians over. No denying that there is indeed too much cricket. Everybody needs a bit of rest; even professional cricketers who make a livelihood from the game need a break. Cricket is no longer the leisurely sport it once was. It is now a fiercely competitive industry, with players not willing to take the risk of missing out on tours for reasons not far to seek. MS Dhoni once opting out of a Sri Lanka tour is a rare happening. Stop whining about too much cricket if players can’t resist the temptation of the megabucks of T20 cricket. Injuries are a part of the game, an occupational hazard. Even the Indian team has had its quota of casualties. Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer and Nehra, to name a few. There is a positive aspect about injuries. The vacancies thus caused present opportunities to players on the brink of international cricket, as Ponting’s series-winning Australians discovered. The series-winning five-wicket assassin of Guwahati, Doug Bollinger, was hardly known till he was flown out as a replacement. Thanks to the vacancies caused by injuries, the Australians now face an embarrassment of riches. |
Immense bench strength made Australia trounce India in the recently concluded Honda Cup series. This was one area where Indians could never match up with the kangaroos, writes
Abhijit Chatterjee
Just look at the way Shane Watson played in the series. A double-digit wicket haul and a solid performance with the bat proved how useful this all-rounder is to the Australian cricket. The Aussies hardly missed their top ranked wicketkeeper Tom Paine, who had had such a wonderful series against England in England but was unable to play after being injured in the Nagpur match. And the pick of the Australian batting was indeed Mike Hussey with an above 100 average after the Guwahati match where the hosts were beaten all ends up. Another Australian youngster who looks to have a promising career ahead is Clint McKay, who left his mark in the Hyderabad match while making his debut with figures of three for 59. 
Germination/Sprouting: Eating sprouts is indeed a very important part of healthy eating. The vitamin C content of pulses can be greatly increased by soaking them in water and allowing them to germinate. The vitamin A content increases appreciably on the third day after germination when the shoots change from yellow to green, probably with an increase in the chlorophyll content. Sprouted pulses are rich in vitamin A and C. The iron found in sprouts is easily absorbed unlike that found in pulses . The vitamin C that is present in sprouts aids iron absorption. Pulses tend to cause gastric trouble because of sulfur content; this can be avoided by germinating process. Germinated pulses have an easily digestible form of carbohydrates-maltose or malt sugar. In sprouts proteins are more available. Half a cup of almost any sprouted seed provides vitamin C equivalent to six glasses of orange juice. So a plateful of sprouted moong chat and salads is a tasty and healthy way of getting your daily dose of vitamins.