STAGGERED EXIT
   Date :04-Apr-2020

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PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modi pitching for a common exit strategy of all States is the right step to deal with the situation emerging after the 21-day coronavirus lockdown period ends on April 14. All the States are facing multiple and diverse pressures while tackling the long lockdown, which is imperative to break the chain of Covid-19 spread. The way all the State Governments have responded to the national challenge underscores the need of a cohesive strategy while dealing with a crisis as big as the coronavirus where lives are at stake. The lockdown has entered the last leg but with each passing day newer problems are arising, especially after the spurt in positive cases due to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi. This makes the exit strategy a complex affair as States will have to first zero in on the hotspots and affected clusters before arriving at a decision to restore normalcy. After dealing efficiently with a critical phase by imposing the lockdown, the country cannot afford a community spread when it is lifted without considering the future dangers. Even if needs some strict decisions.
 
TEST, LIFE NO MATTER
 
the introduction of slam-bang, fleeting formats to spin money and provide entertainment to the fans, any cricket player worth his salt will always put Test cricket on the highest pedestal. A Test cap is arguably the ultimate dream for every player entering the field of cricket. Indian captain Virat Kohli’s emphatic insistence on Test cricket being his favourite format will find resonance in each cricket playing nation, for, Test cricket with all its trials, tribulations, and triumphs is a mirror of life. Kohli terms it as representation of life, where one has to endure the tough periods, give in to the circumstances, and find one’s own opportunity. The longest format encompasses everything that life teaches us -- a early probing against new ball, tight field positions, long and dreary spells, setbacks, chances, triumph and also tragedies. That is the timeless beauty of the ‘Red and White’, something that goes beyond simple adjectives. It is a different kind of romance where a game teaches one to find a parallel of one’s own life.