Rohit Sharma, and a list of unfortunate centurions

Rohit Sharma joined Tillakaratne Dilshan to become only the second cricketer to record two scores of 150 or more in losing causes, after his unbeaten 171 went in vain in the opening One-Day International (ODI) against Australia in Perth on Tuesday (January 12). We take a look at a list of big scores that unfortunately didn't end up on the victorious side. 

Charles Coventry 194* vs Bangladesh, Bulawayo, 2009

Zimbabwe's No.3 equalled Saeed Anwar's then 12-year-old record for the highest individual score in ODIs, with a scintillating 156-ball effort but with the 37 being the next best score, Zimbabwe could only manage 312 in 50 overs. Tamim Iqbal then struck a brutal 154 as Bangladesh cantered to a win with more than two overs to spare. Coventry's record lasted all of six months as Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score an ODI double-hundred in February 2010. 

Matthew Hayden 181 vs New Zealand, Hamilton, 2007

Australia's burly opener was looking to nail down a spot in Australia's contingent for the 2007 World Cup and powered his way to a 166-ball 181, an innings that included as many as 10 sixes. Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson had the hosts wobbling at 41 for 4 in the chase before Craig McMillan and Brendon McCullum scripted an unlikeliest of turnarounds to chase down 346 with three balls to spare, sealing a 3-0 sweep of the Chappell-Hadlee series. The defeat notwithstanding, Hayden used the innings as a springboard for great success, ending as the World Cup's top-scorer. 

Sachin Tendulkar 175 vs Australia, Hyderabad, 2009

Cameron White's lower-order blitz after Shaun Marsh's century took Australia to a daunting 350 in the fifth ODI, a total, which in 2009, was still one that the team batting first would win nine times out of 10. Then Sachin Tendulkar conjured up one of his gems. He scored half the team's total and by the time he was dismissed, on 175, attempting a cute paddle-sweep, India needed only 19 runs off 17 balls. Unfortunately, the follow-up batsmen could only manage 15 and Australia triumphed by three runs.

Rohit Sharma 171* vs Australia, Perth, 2016

Rohit Sharma began 2016 in sparkling fashion, easing himself to his ninth ODI century against a new-look Australian attack comprising Scott Boland, Joel Paris and Josh Hazlewood, before going into overdrive in the death overs. His unbeaten 171 helped the visitors post a daunting 309. No team had chased down more than 274 for a win at the WACA in Perth but that wasn't going to deter Steven Smith and George Bailey. The duo slammed tons in a 242-run third-wicket stand as Australia cantered to a win.

Robin Smith 167* vs Australia, Birmingham, 1993

England feared the worst when Australia asked them to bat on a cold, damp morning in Edgbaston. Within no time, Craig McDermott accounted for Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart. Robin Smith, batting at three, then conjured one of the best innings by an England batsman in ODI history. His 167, studded with 17 hits to the fence and three over it, remains the highest individual score in ODIs for England. But unfortunately, Mark Waugh's elegant 113 and Allan Border's unbeaten 86 helped Australia chase down 277 with relative ease.

Ricky Ponting 164 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2006

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The greatest match of them all. When Ricky Ponting's 105-ball 164 propelled Australia to 434 in the bilateral series decider, all hopes appeared lost for South Africa. Faced against a near-impossible task, Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith threw the kitchen sink at the Australian attack and pulled off a great heist. Gibbs outscored Ponting with a 111-ball 175 but shared the player of the match award with the Australian skipper. Hard to separate two innings of such an incredibly-high level.

Tillakaratne Dilshan 160* vs India, Hobart, 2012

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara scored hundreds in a double-century stand as Sri Lanka flayed the Indian bowling attack in a crucial tri-series clash. Dilshan's unbeaten 160 took Sri Lanka to 320, a total India had to overhaul in 40 overs to keep their chances alive. Virat Kohli then enhanced his then-growing reputation as a chaser of totals - his 133 off 86 helped India reach the target under 37 overs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan 160 vs India, Rajkot, 2009

Another Tillakaratne Dilshan century ended in heartbreak as India clinched a nerve-wracking run-feast in Rajkot by three runs. A Virender Sehwag century and fifties from Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni had propelled India to 414. Not one to give up without a fight, Dilshan stitched mammoth stands with Upul Tharanga (67) and Kumar Sangakkara (90) as Sri Lanka slowly but steadily, moved into ascendancy. When Dilshan got out in the 40th over, Sri Lanka needed just over 70 runs with six wickets in hand. Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra produced great spells at the death as India eked to victory.

George Bailey 156 vs India, Nagpur, 2013

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When Australia travelled to India for a seven-match ODI series in late 2013, captain George Bailey was in imperious form. In the sixth game of the series at Jamtha, Nagpur, MS Dhoni, looking to stay alive in the series, decided to field first and watched helplessly as his bowlers were carted all around the field by his opposite number in a 113-ball essay that was laced with 13 fours and six sixes. Bailey's innings propelled Australia to 350 but the visitors weren't feeling all too comfortable. Virat Kohli, who had hunted down a 350-plus total earlier in the series, put on another masterclass and his unbeaten 66-ball 115 took India home with three balls to spare.

Kyle Coetzer 156 vs Bangladesh, Nelson, 2015

Kyle Coetzer gave Scotland hope of registering their first win in a World Cup when he scored a pleasing 156 off 134 balls against Bangladesh in Nelson during the 2015 World Cup. Coetzer's propensity to hit through the line over the infield on the off-side helped his team post 318. Unfortunately for Coetzer, Scotland's inexperienced bowling attack couldn't reign in the Bangladesh's big guns and fifties from Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib-Al-Hasan helped the sub-continent nation overhaul the target with two overs to spare.

Hon. Mentions: Chris Gayle 152* vs South Africa in Johannesburg, 2014 and Rohit Sharma 150 vs South Africa, Kanpur, 2015

Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or over Cristiano Ronaldo & Neymar

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player for the fifth time.

The 28-year-old Argentine had 41.33% of the vote, with Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo (27.76%) second and Barca's Neymar (7.86%) third.

Either Messi or Ronaldo, who became a three-time winner last year, have won the past eight awards.

United States midfielder Carli Lloyd, who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final, won the women's award.

England coach Mark Sampson was beaten to the women's football coach of the year award by USA boss Jill Ellis, who was born in Portsmouth.

Messi's 2015 in numbers

• 61 games, 52 goals and 26 assists.
• A goal every 101 minutes and an assist every 202 minutes.
• Best minutes-per-goal rate - 80 - of anyone scoring a minimum of 10 goals across Europe's top five leagues during 2015.
• Directly involved in 49 goals in La Liga - 34 scored and 15 assists - which was the joint-most with Ronaldo in 2015 across the top five European leagues.
• Scored in all six club tournaments in 2015, as Barcelona won five of them.

Past Ballon d'Or winners
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo	2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo	2007: Kaka
2012: Lionel Messi	2006: Fabio Cannavaro
2011: Lionel Messi	2005: Ronaldinho
2010: Lionel Messi	2004: Andriy Shevchenko
2009: Lionel Messi	2003: Pavel Nedved

Ballon d'Or - world player of the year

Lionel Messi extended his record haul of world player of the year awards with his fifth after winning the treble - La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League - with Barcelona in 2014-15.

Portugal captain Ronaldo, 30, scored 57 goals in as many games in 2015 - including a record 16 in the Champions League - but that was not enough to win him Ballon d'Or number four.

Barcelona striker Neymar, 23, was the first Brazilian to finish in the top three since Kaka won the 2007 award.

He scored 45 goals in 62 games and is joint top scorer in this season's La Liga with 15, level with team-mate Luis Suarez.

"It's a very special moment for me to be back here on this stage, winning again another Ballon d'Or after seeing Cristiano win it," Messi said.

"It's incredible that it's my fifth, much more than anything I would have dreamed of as a kid."

5 famous Hollywood franchise films we want to see Irrfan Khan in

 Irrfan Khan, who'll be celebrating his 49th birthday this Thursday, appeared in two Hollywood franchise films - 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and 'Jurassic World' and made us extremely proud. It is almost like we can say that the actor is India's most successful export to Hollywood.

Let's take a look at some famous Hollywood franchise films we would like to see him star in...

#1. James Bond:
Yes! We would like to see the cult Indian actor play James Bond in the staggeringly successful and famous franchise film. Irrfan has got the perfect quotient of style, sophistication and intelligence required to play the debonair hero. The actor can fit in any given role and make it his own. He is that impromptu though.

#2. Pirates Of The Caribbean:
If there is any Indian actor who can play the brave pirate ruling on the seven seas, it's none other than Irrfan Khan. Though Johnny Depp has created a niche by playing the rum-soaked buccaneer hero, Irrfan Khan is probably the only Indian actor who has the capacity to outplay the role.

 #3. Men In Black:
If Barry Sonnenfeld decides to make another installment of the American sci-fi comedy action spy series, Irrfan Khan would be apt choice to fit in alongside Will Smith and Tommy Lees Jones. The franchise created magic with its earlier films - be it Will Smith's charisma or the theme song to linger long on and Irrfan would certainly add on to the entertainment bonanza.

 #4. The Fast And The Furious:
Though Ali Fazal did a small stint in Fast and Furious 7, we would like to see Irffan in a parallel lead along with the other star cast. The cast has a commendable ethnic diversity and Irrfan will expand this diversion. Every actor in the film stands in their own light and that's the kinda film Irrfan would look good in.

 #5 Hunger Games:
It's remarkable how quickly the film has become a worldwide favorite film series owing to the humongous success of the franchise. We would like to see Irrfan in the film series and know how he can add to the adventure of the film.

10 Signs Your Child May Have Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger's syndrome is a neurological disorder in the family of autism spectrum disorders. Because every child exhibits a different set of symptoms, there is no precise checklist of behaviors that must all be present for a diagnosis. Instead, there are many behaviors that may be signs of Asperger's syndrome. Here we've rounded up 10 of the common behaviors to watch for, as shared by moms whose kids have the condition.

1. Fixation on One Activity
Many children with Asperger's syndrome are preoccupied with a single or a few interests and focus on them for hours on end. As Circle of Moms member Karen R. shares: "The most common report from every parent I know . . . is that their kid fixated on something (their cars, their blue toys, their books) and played or attended [to] that thing for an outrageously long time."

2. "Little Professor" Speech
"Typically a child with Asperger's sounds like a little professor," shares one Circle of Moms member, Sheila D. "They tend to have advanced verbal skills, but due to the autism aspect of the syndrome they might seem fixated on a topic that they want to talk about all the time." Children with Asperger's syndrome may also speak more formally than usual for their age or prefer talking to adults.

3. Difficulty Reading Social Cues
Social difficulties are another key sign of Asperger's syndrome. Reading body language may be hard, as well as taking turns or holding a conversation. As Eliana F. shares: "Group work at school is also hard for him, as he does not understand waiting his turn or accepting others point of view." Similarly, Colleen notes: "My son is very social, but he doesn't engage in two way conversations. He just talks and talks." As a result of their social difficulties, children with Asperger's syndrome may seem isolated from their peers.

4. Need For Routine
"Structure plays a big part in our lives now," shares Wendy B. Like many children with Asperger's syndrome, Wendy's granddaughter needs routines. "Otherwise it is very confusing for her. So shower is at 8:30 p.m. Bedtime is at 9:30 p.m. Breakfast at 8:30 a.m., lunch at 12, supper at 6. You get the message, very structured. If I want to take her shopping, I start telling her a few days ahead - that way, it doesn't upset her, but we still follow the same routine."

5. Emotional Meltdowns
"My boy tends to have meltdowns when he gets overwhelmed," shares Circle of Moms member Ylice. She's not alone: many children with Asperger's syndrome can't handle routines or plans going awry. Amanda B. describes it as an "inability to control emotions when things are 'out of order.'" 

6. Lack of Empathy
Another sign of Asperger's syndrome is a seeming lack of empathy for others. Jennifer B. explains that her daughter "has no clue that people around here have feelings or wants and needs. She's kinda like in her own little bubble as far as that goes. She can be totally aloof, in the clouds."
7. Can't Understand Speech Subtleties

Some people with Asperger's syndrome have a hard time understanding speech tone, pitch, and accent. As Alice D. explains, they may take words very literally and be unable to understand sarcasm or jokes: "He doesn't get jokes and things like that - he can't tell if someone is kidding or if they are being serious."

8. Unusual Body Language
Other signs of Asperger's syndrome include unusual facial expressions or postures, and either staring a lot at others or avoiding eye contact altogether. Dana W. relays of her brother with Asperger's syndrome: "He would never ever look people in the eyes."

9. Delayed Motor Development
From handwriting to riding a bike, poor or delayed motor skills of many kinds could be a sign of Asperger's syndrome. As Kim F. shares of her son, who was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in the second grade, "He was not athletic and had poor motor skills. Couldn't skip, gallop etc."

10. Sensory Sensitivities
Many children with Asperger's syndrome have heightened sensory sensitivity. As a result, they can be easily overstimulated by certain sensations, whether it's strong lights, loud noises, or textures. Jennifer B. notes of her daughter: "Even now she doesn't like wearing some fabrics because of the way they feel. There are some sensations that she just does not like! Certain sounds, touches, etc."
If you think your child may have Asperger's syndrome, many readers say that the best path is to get an expert's evaluation as soon as possible. And don't be discouraged! As Sheila D. wisely advises: "It is typical to be scared and nervous, but a diagnosis of Asperger's is not the end of the road for your child. It is a tool that will help you to help your child navigate a very different path than his 'neurotypical' peers. Find a local support group. Get informed, and be the best mom you can be."
The preceding information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

Allah Rakha Rahman

Allah-Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, musician and philanthropist.

Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India in a middle-class Tamil Mudaliar family. His father ,R.K.Shekhar, was a film score composer and conductor for Tamil and Malayalam films. After his father's death when Rahman was nine years old, the rental of his father's musical equipment provided his family's income.
Ha accompanied the great tabla maestro Zakir Hussain on a few world tours and also won a scholarship at the Trinity college of Music at Oxford University.

Rahman was introduced to Qadiri Islam when his younger sister was seriously ill in 1984. He converted to Islam (his mother's religion) with other members of his family in 1989 at age 23, changing his name from R.S.Dileep Kumar to Allah Rakha Rahman

Rahman met one of India's most famous directors Mani Ratnam. Rahman played him a few of his music samples. Mani loved them so much that he asked Rahman to compose the music for his next film,Roja then his music is going on and get so many awards like ACADEMY AWARDS, two GRAMMY AWARDS, a BAFTA AWARDS, a GOLDEN GLOBE, four NATIONAL FILM AWARDS, fifteen FILMFARE AWARDS and thirteen FILMFARE AWARDS SOUTH.Rahman's body of work for film and stage has given him the nickname of "THE MOZART OF MADRAS"and Tamil commentators and fans call him MUSICAL STORM.

Rahman has been bestowed with the "PADMA BHUSHAN" and "PADMA SHRI" , two of India's highest national civilian awards, recognizing his contribution to music, in addition to several other awards including 4 Indian National Film Awards and 28 Filmfare Awards, India's leading recognition for films. he has also been conferred with honorary doctorates from the Trinity College of Music, Aligarh Muslim University, Anna University and the Middlesex University.  He was also named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, in 2009.

Allah-Rakha Rahman is married to SAIRA BANU and has three children : KHATIJA, RAHIMA AND AMEEN.   

I’m just beguiled by Irrfan Khan’s magic eyes: Tom Hanks

Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks believes his 'Inferno' co-star Irrfan Khan has a physicality which is very endearing.

Hanks is returning in the shoes of Symbologist Robert Langdon for another adventure in director Ron Howard's big screen adaptation of Dan Brown's 'Inferno' where the Indian star, 48, will play the role of Harry "The Provost" Sims, the head of a mysterious organisation, the Consortium.

"I'm just beguiled by his magic eyes. He has a physicality to him that is so specific and endearing," Hanks said about Irrfan at Sony's press event in Cancun, Mexico.

The 59-year-old actor was yet to shoot his scenes with Irrfan while promoting the movie in Mexico last June but he was all praise for the Indian star.

"We're a bit frustrated because I have a number of very huge scenes to work with Irrfan, but we haven't gotten to them yet and, as it is now, we've done, I don't know, six or seven scenes with him and he's only had one line to say. So, I wonder if he can actually string together more than a few phrases. I'm confident that he can, but that will remain to be seen," Hanks said.

The director, however, assured fans that Irrfan has important scenes in the movie.

"We've done a few scenes where he does nothing but talk. Tom just hasn't been in those yet," he said, to which Hanks quipped, "Yeah, I call those, 'days off'."

Howard said Irrfan had specifically asked about Sims role when he first spoke to him.

"His value is his artistry. He's a tremendous actor and I've been a fan for a long time. And when I spoke to him about the movie, he specifically asked about the role of Sims.

"Now, Irrfan does not fit the description of the character as written in the book, but his case for himself, his creative ideas about playing Sims completely won me over and he's an absolute pleasure to work with and incredibly intelligent," said Howard.

The movie will release on October 14 this year.

Sony Pictures India recently released a picture of Irrfan and Hanks together.

Hanks and Howard have previously worked together on 'The Da Vinci Code' as well as Brown's 'Angels and Demons'.

'Inferno', as the name suggests, revolves around Italian poet Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy". In the film, Langdon is racing against time to solve the mystery hidden in Dante's poetry to save the world from a deadly artificial plague.

The movie also stars British actress Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, Omar Sy and Sidsey Babett Knudsen.

New Substance Is Harder Than Diamond, Scientists Say

Until recently, diamond was the hardest known naturally occurring material. But a new physical process applied to carbon has uncovered a substance that a group of scientists say is even harder.

Researchers at North Carolina State University say they have developed a technique for creating a substance they are calling Q-carbon, which represents a third phase, or distinct form, of carbon alongside graphite and diamond.

The discovery could have many applications, notably in the fields of medicine and industry. But Jay Narayan, the lead scientist on the study, has made one claim about the technique that is certain to turn heads.

“In 15 minutes, we can make a carat of diamonds,” Mr. Narayan said. A carat is 200 milligrams.

The process of creating Q-carbon — which involves concentrating a very short pulse of laser light onto carbon — can produce minuscule synthetic diamond “seeds,” which can yield gems.

While the amount of diamond is tiny compared with the yield of traditional industrial techniques, the process can be carried out at room temperature and air pressure, the researchers say, meaning it could be easier to reproduce on a large scale than other methods, including one that has been drawing interest in Silicon Valley known as chemical vapor deposition.

But Mr. Narayan and his colleagues say the potential for creating synthetic gemstones pales next to possible applications of Q-carbon, which the researchers said is magnetic, fluorescent and electroconductive.

The technique used to create Q-carbon, which was pioneered over the summer, was described on Monday in the Journal of Applied Physics. A tiny laser beam is trained onto a piece of amorphous carbon for 200 nanoseconds, heating it extremely fast. The spot then cools in a process known as quenching, creating Q-carbon.

It isn’t known whether the substance exists in the natural world, but Mr. Narayan suggested it could be present in the cores of planets.

Wuyi Wang, the director of research and development at the Gemological Institute of America and an expert on diamond geochemistry, said that while he would like to confirm the findings himself, “if they are true, it will be very exciting news for the diamond research community.”

He added that the journal is “quite credible” and he “pretty much trusts what they say.”

André Anders, the editor in chief of the journal, echoed Mr. Wang’s excitement, as well as his note of caution.

“This is one of those ‘wow’ papers,” he said. “I put a sticky note on the manuscript that said ‘pay attention to this one’ before the peer review even happened. But the second thought I have, and this is the scientist in me, is that I’m always skeptical.”

Mr. Narayan described possible uses for Q-carbon in creating synthetic body parts, improving tools like deep-water drills, and producing brighter, longer lasting screens for televisions and cellphones.

Casey Boutwell, who works on commercial licensing for scientific discoveries at the university’s office of technology transfer, said he was bracing for strong interest in the technique. “We don’t know exactly how this can be best applied, and we’re excited to get the market’s input,” he said.

Neil Krishnan, the director of technology platforms at the Swedish industrial toolmaker Sandvik Hyperion, called Mr. Narayan’s discovery “extremely interesting.”

“I still think it’s at a nascent stage for us to consider it a competitive threat per se,” he said. “But it would definitely be a new technology that we’d be interested in.”