Time Out

LIFE8217;S A BEACH BUMPARTHIV PATELA beach holiday, and some fun and games. That sums up the team8217;s youngest member8217;s summer brea...

LIFE8217;S A BEACH BUM
PARTHIV PATEL
A beach holiday, and some fun and games. That sums up the team8217;s youngest member8217;s summer break. The entire Patel family spent a couple of weeks in Mauritius, where Parthiv tried his legs at surfing. 8216;8216;I also watched a whole lot of Hindi movies with my friends,8217;8217; says the 19-year-old. He also worked out at the Motera stadium, besides playing in a charity match for Baroda Ranji player Kedar Chavan8217;s ailing daughter Kaveri. If there are any regrets, it8217;s not being able to appear for his Board exams. 8216;8216;I thought the state government could have done something about it,8217;8217; he says. But take the exams at the cost of representing the country? That8217;s a no contest.

MOVING HOUSE 8211; I
IRFAN PATHAN
He has been shifting, too, from the landmark mosque where he lived for the past 19 years to a swank new building in less hectic environs. Not that he gets much time there 8212; the young man is busy travelling the length and breadth of the country, making appearances and keeping his fans happy. Now, can he continue doing that over the next six months?

MOVING HOUSE 8211; II
ANDREW LEIPUS
For the long-serving suffering Indian physio, the summer was a time to make plans, both personal and professional. His wife Sue, a senior official in a top travel agency, has been transferred from South Africa to London, so it was time to put 8216;8216;the bits and pieces together8217;8217;. Press him a bit, and he confesses, 8216;8216;I had a really good time, planning the new house.8217;8217; Now, to planning some careers.

I CAN, ICON DO IT
RAHUL DRAVID
A couple of awards, and some debate and discussion. For the Indian team8217;s most eloquent speaker, it was all in a vacation8217;s work. He flew to Dubai to take part in an ESPN Star Sports discussion on Indo-Pak cricket with teammate Anil Kumble and Pakistan Cricket Board CEO Rameez Raja. Back home, year-long exploits won Dravid the Hero Indian Sports Academy Awards. But it was the MTV Youth Icon Award that crowned a summer well spent. Considering that he beat the likes of Ratan Tata, Amitabh Bachchan and Amartya Sen, Dravid is characteristically modest: 8216;8216;I am no icon.8217;8217; Slightly louder was the statement 8216;8216;I do not want to keep anymore.8217;8217; Could you say that again please?

MEALS TO GO8230;
SAURAV GANGULY
Sana and Saurav8217;s, those were the Maharaj8217;s two summer romances. Sana is Saurav8217;s two-and-half-year-old tot, and Saurav8217;s is an even newer baby: a restaurant on Park Street, Kolkata, that will have something for both foodies and fans. Says wife Dona, 8216;8216;Usually Saurav devotes all his time at home to Sana, but during this break he has had to spend a lot of time to the restaurant, meeting people, visiting the site.8217;8217;Ganguly also made it a point to work out regularly at the gym in Eden Gardens. Perhaps the sole reason why the cricketer and his wife could honour all the nemantannas invitations that they did.

ZAK ATTACK
ZAHEER KHAN
As soon as the mercury rose, the Srirampur lad beat the heat in the best way possible: By playing county cricket in Surrey. He picked up two wickets with his first two balls, but this just wasn8217;t about improving his skills. The man was sulking at being displaced by Balaji and Irfan Pathan. 8216;8216;The media doesn8217;t give me any credit,8217;8217; he reportedly complained. Griping obviously doesn8217;t suit him, because soon afterwards, his hamstring played up and Zaheer was back in India. And what do you know, the media was all gush over his first ramp walk at the Lakme India Fashion Week. Friends again, Zak?

FAST-CAR MANIA
SACHIN TENDULKAR
After a quiet family birthday, it was time to plan an European vacation. Topping the list were 8216;normal8217; things: Shopping in a supermarket in Wolverhampton and watching the German and British Grand Prix live, but of course. And other not so 8216;normal8217; things, such as visiting the McLaren base in Germany at the request of champion racer Kimi Raikonnen. That did trigger a few rumours about his Ferrari connection, but he was back to encouraging his favourite F1 team at the very next race. Oh, he also finalised plans for his next restaurant Sachin8217;s, in a north-eastern Mumbai suburb, Mulund. Which gives rise to the question: What on earth will the third one be called?

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GRADUATION DAY
VIRENDER SEHWAG
What a year, and it8217;s just half way through. It was thought the 309 wonder could do no wrong, when he decided to get married 8212; and sent out rude invites to the media. If that wasn8217;t gauche enough, he tied up with the Switzerland Tourism Authority to cash in on his own honeymoon.Typically, all it took was one appearance to win back all the fans he had lost. 8216;8216;Maa, main bhi graduate hoon,8217;8217; he declared to tumultous cheers as Jamia Milia Islamia gifted him his graduation certificate.

HAIR-RAISING HABIT
Harbhajan Singh
The wily off-spinner is back to his hair-raising ways. At the Lakme India Fashion Week, he stole the spotlight from his colleagues, even the so-hot Irfan Pathan, with his nonchalant style and casual ponytail. By the end of the vacation, he was making 8216;hairy8217; news again 8212; by opening a beauty salon in association with celebrated stylist Sylvie in Chandigarh. It8217;s called Sylvie8217;s. We think 8216;Bhajji8217;s8217; would have worked just as well.

Contributed by Chandresh Narayanan, Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay,
Ajit Bezbaruah and Swati Mazumder-Bhan