Three is not enough

Vettel got there by the barest of margins. A topsy turvy race ultimately left just three points between him and Alonso but eventually the best man won. Seb has had the most victories in the season by far and was crowned the deserving champion. His belief through a broken floor, a poor start and a pit stop gone wrong was what brought him his third title in a row. He joins Schumacher and Fangio to have achieved that feat and is now exalted to the status of an all time great in motorsport. And he is still 25. If you were a betting man, the odds against him breaking Michael's all time record would be quite low but then this is a sport where men put their lives on the line and father time is the only one who can tell whether the German can better his compatriot. Schumacher has declared his retirement for the second time and this time it should be for good. His comeback has been far from spectacular and being the legend that he is, its good to see him not sully his reputation any further. Given that the Mercedes car lacked the speed that could put him on the podium, it was hard to see how he could have a better run with an older body next year. Hoping for a similar competitive season come 2013.

Ever heard of the doctor being delivered his own medicine. The Indian cricket captain would be wondering what struck him and his team at the Wankhede. The former Northants spin twins wrecked such havoc that the famed Indian batting line up rolled on the same dust bowl that was designed to grind the English. You don't find a better tale of tables being turned on unsuspecting marauders. There are a few sitting ducks in the Indian line up but the selectors won't name them so for their own skin. Does someone still think he is on the top of his game and hence would be selfish in retiring now? Indian players and selectors are deemed soft and you don't need to look much further than this thrashing and its repercussions to see why. I am sure when Dhoni said, a series between two top nations in the Test cricket ought to be close, he was joking. This when South Africa played out of their skins to save a match that was as good as lost. Their are rivalries and then there are farces, you decide which one played out in Mumbai and Adelaide.

Too many Cooks...a delicacy

Alas, we just have one at the English top order. I am inclined to compare the performance of the Indian team when they visited the old blighty last year. Only one man showed some heart there and he now adorns the commentary box. The English have come here in the midst of loud shouts of redemption and have already showed far more gumption that one expected them to. Andy Flower may be one reason for the difference but for me Alastair has had a bigger role to play. He doesn't have the range or timing of some of his hyped team mates but what he lacks, he more than compensates with the sense he has in the middle of his ears. He doesn't hop around like a cat on hot bricks and neither does he go berserk the first ball he faces. He goes along his work like an iron smith with a few small tinkers and an occasional flourish that in time builds a master piece. He leads by example and there can't be a better way to lead. He has 21 test centuries at 27 and should deservedly score 50 if he keeps fit. May be the BCCI can have him on contract the next time they step outside the sub continent. That should certainly help them salvage some pride from a team that currently seems to have none.

Novak ended the year on a high with a classic demolition of Roger at the O2 arena. His father's ailment didn't stop him from conquering the title that is widely considered the fifth slam. His mental strength is stuff of legend already and with the physical tenacity that he displays, his days at the top of the men's game are far from numbered. Federer's light keeps burning bright and is a testimony to his effortless style of play that he still bumps shoulders with guys 5 or more years younger to him. Waiting for the Aussie Open to set the stage alight again. Would Rafa be back in the mix? Only his knees can tell.

F1 returned to the US on the circuit of the Americas after a hiatus of 5 years. Red Bull claimed the constructor's title as was expected. While Hamilton had the chequered flag, Vettel and Alonso claimed the other podium spots to keep the world championship alive. The title race goes to the wire in Brazil and its not for the faint hearted to bet on the result. Seb has a good lead and should be the favorite to become the youngest triple world champion but stranger things have happened in motor sport. Lets have the track on fire.

Iceman in the land of sand

Abu Dhabi sprung the eighth different F1 winner this year. While most eyes would have been on the championship contenders Vettel and Alonso, Kimi inherited the lead from a hapless Hamilton and drove through the checkered flag with consummate ease. He did no harm to his "iceman" reputation in dismissing comments from the pit with a nonchalant "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." He held off Alonso and in that showed that he still is one of the better handlers of the wheel on the track. The difference between the top two in the world championship race is now down to ten and it is almost certain that we won't know who will wear the crown till the season ends in Brazil. Lotus would hope that this gives the whole team a lot more belief and results in the coming season. The constructor's title is almost in the Red Bull bag with the gap between them and Ferrari being 82 with only 86 on offer. There were first turn incidents as usual with the Force India lead man Nico colliding with Bruno Senna. The team has been in middling form this season and with the principal in dire straits with this flying ways and Hulkenberg departing, it would take a miracle for them to better their performance next year.

The stage is set for the year end ATP tour finals at the London O2 arena. With Rafa being a casualty of struggling knees, the rest of the field is gearing for some top notch action. Murray and Novak are in the same group and would renew their rivalry that is starting to look like the one to replace the Federer-Nadal duopoly. Roger is the two time defending champion and would hope for some more success in the dusk of his incredible career. Do any of the others stand a chance? Tsonga and Ferrer have upped their games and are always contenders but their minds are still a tad behind the big four when it comes to the clinch. Round robin format always offers a little bit more drama and hopefully this year end tussle would be another cracker.

The BPL is again shaping into a two horse race with the red devils and the blues going neck to neck. MU carved out a facile 2-1 win over the gunners with RVP on target against his former club. Chelsea need to maintain the steam to avoid getting upstaged by the other Manchester power houses. Arsenal are again having an up down season and unless Wenger loosens the purse strings, its difficult to see how he can challenge the big boys.