Arignar Anna Zoological Park also known as the Vandalur Zoo, is a zoological garden located in Vandalur, a suburb 31 kilometres south of the city of Chennai, Tamilnadu, India and 15 kilometres from Chennai Airport on GST Road. Founded in 1855, the park was the first public zoo in India. Spread over an area of 602 hectares, including rescue and rehabilitation center, the park is the largest zoological garden in India and it houses more than 170 species of animals. The first-ever safari at the Vandalur Zoo was inaugurated in 2009.

It was the first time I was on a lion safari, with my family. Really excited and thrilled at the start of the day but came back a little disappointed.

A look at the wild buffaloes

The lone Ape!

As it is in peak of the summer, only a few animals dared to come out of the bushes. Others laid back and stayed away from people view. The highlight of the visit is the much anticipated lions safari. The lions weren't roaming free but were behind the cage as usual. May be it's because of the scorching sun or its the way it is designed. Not sure on it... We were travelling in a caged van and lions hardly moved and busy taking rest.

A view from secure van at the lions pride.

I believe the night safari could be much better and a lot more to do for the zoo authorities to lift the standards and basic amenities available for inmates and the visitors.

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This news was on air in the last couple of days and the media were as always ready to jump on this issue. Every national news channel in India was talking about it, pros, cons and was showing comments from past and current international players on it.

What did ICC (International Cricket Council) Say? and Why did they abolish runners?
On June 27th, in the ICC conference held in Hong Kong the committee has decided to go ahead and ban the century old method of using a “runner” incase a batsman is injured or hurt. They have come to this decision as there has been a strong feeling that runners were used not in the right spirit and some batsmen have faked injuries.

What's the option for Batsmen now, who is really hurt?
The injured batsman should either try to run on his own and continue his innings without the help of a runner or should give up his innings, retire hurt.
Another way is to score only in boundaries.. :)

There has been mixed feelings from both past and current international players on it. The most interesting has come from the Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar.

"I would also like to suggest that there should be no water for bowlers at the boundary end. They bowl one over and come to the boundary where energy drinks are waiting for them."

What!!!??!!! Did I hear it, right? I too asked the same...

If a bowler gets injured, he can't continue bowling unless he his fit. I seriously believe the same should apply for the batsmen as well. Not only the bowlers but batsmen do have their energy drinks at the end of every over nowadays in almost every one dayer played in hot & humid conditions. So it shouldn't be compared with the runners for batsmen.

Even without this rule, what happens when the opposition captain refuses for a runner? The batsmen still has to go without runner, right?

Lets ICC make it a rule (may come in to effect from October 2011) and restrict all those batsmen who try to fake injuries as one of their tactical moves to push scores... What you say?

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