Mumbai Diary: Monday musings

Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Watson and mentor Rahul Dravid.

Watto mentor Rahul Dravid is!
Rahul Dravid is a perfectionist. He showed this in ample measure during his playing days when he meticulously worked out his runs with the perfect strokes, and he's now exhibiting his brilliance as mentor of Indian Premier League outfit Rajasthan Royals. Everyone at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday saw RR's Shane Watson slam the Kolkata Knight Riders' bowlers all across the turf, scoring a fine century (104 not out in 59 balls). But few would have noticed the all-rounder training hard with mentor Dravid for almost an hour before the start of the match. Monday Musings was at the East Stand, in front of which Dravid and Watson were sweating it out.

Dynamic: Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Watson and mentor Rahul Dravid. Pic/Sameer Markande

The former India captain threw down a number of deliveries for the Aussie to play straight back at him - along the ground - and Dravid applauded. Then, after about 20 minutes, Dravid asked Watson to go big, and right enough the next few throw downs were smashed straight back over Dravid's head and into the distance. At the end of the session, Watson promptly walked up to his team mentor and thanked him for the interaction that eventually saw the Australian hit nine fours and five sixes for his century.

Fair deal from this cop
ONE of the complaints that women first-class train passengers have about the police who are posted for security, is that the cops do nothing about second-class ticket holders who freeload in the first-class carriages. The police generally do not interfere in intra-passenger squabbles, so people are by now accustomed to having their space usurped, unchallenged.

So it was a pleasant surprise the other night when we were travelling late at night in the local, and came across a woman who was stretched out on the padded seat, catching 40 winks. One of the first-class passengers asked her to get up, but the supine lady refused, saying she was unwell. And lo and behold, the policeman on security duty turned around and asked the lady if she had a first-class ticket.

Turned out she didn't, as suspected. So she was asked to move to the second-class compartment at the next station - and with her, a few others were "evicted" too, as the policeman asked everyone to show their tickets or passes.

When one woman protested, he calmly said, "I am just doing my duty."

Well, it may not strictly be under his purview, but the first-class passengers were mighty pleased, as there is a considerable difference in the first- and second-class fares.

Ditzy Definitions: Fitness Trainer

One who lives off the fat of the land.

For a chuckle
Q: How did the bee get to school?
A: On the school buzz.