Pop cricket

Ah. India and Pakistan.

Off it, they are cricket's Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. One, pure monied trash, influential for no other reason than having too much of it, the other straight-up trailer trash, cricket's true basket case. They are tabloid fodder, stumbling from one front page to another: religion, player factionalism, spats, coaching intrigues, politicking, doping and even possible murder.

yes, am back (from some travel).

St. Patrick's day

I did not particularly want Pakistan to lose, but which neutral doesn’t like a fairy tale like win for an underdog that’s showing oodles of spirit and fight? Despite everything, I fear 2 easy points loom ahead for all the six teams playing Ireland in the Super 8s. But- it if it was ‘just’ an upset I would have been ok with that. Pakistan getting knocked out of the World Cup is just plain….weird.

Kya, yaar.

…and Osman Saimuddin vents. I feel for him.

Mar 17

191 is not going to be that easy to defend, moderately promising pitch nothwithstanding.
aargh.

meanwhile, it a great St Patrick's day for the leprechaun army. Not so good for the pakistani brethren.

trim

Rameez Raja has got a haircut. Praise be the lord.

understanding and obstructing

So the YogiBear says he can’t say much because he is bound by ICC regulations. He then promptly proceeds to say as much as he could on his dismissal yesterday, and the ‘larger picture’ which he believes it is part of.

I am not even sure whether I should go into this right now, but by writing that article (or crediting it with his name), Inzamam has done the very thing he claims to have advised his boys to not- make an issue of his dismissal. More so because he seems to be bothered as much with his dismissal per se, as with his belief that the Indians have acted in a spirit that does not belonging to the great gentleman’s game.

One gets the impression that his outburst (for this is what it must classify as) is borne more of frustration- after Faisalabad and Peshawar, he seems to be at a loss at understanding the laws of the game he plays. Sorry, Inzy, that’s nobody’s fault but yours. As is the fact that yesterday, you were strolling a couple of feet out of crease when the ball was still in play. Add to that your words questioning the sense of fair play in the opposing captain and his boys, and you’ve just made a hat-trick of goofups in the space of a day.

It was so cool...

listening to 'Kajra Re' play in the stadium at Karachi during the lunch break- crowd cheers, whistles and all.
Truly.

pakistan...

What a lovely entry on the pakistan tour diary here. Nothing revelatory or spectacular, but lovely nevertheless. it reminds me of these musings of mine....which i have a sudden urge to pen down again...but not at this time...maybe tomorrow...

over a grand for 7. whoa.

What an astounding pile-up of runs, and what astounding batting performances for me to completely miss! Sheesh.
Like the blitzkreig from Afridi (and lesser from Akmal) and the foundations laid by Yousuf and Younis, Sehwag and Dravid's innings have been on a eminently forgettable strip, but a lot of the batting we have seen is memorable despite that. To come out nearly 700 runs behind against your arch rival and its excellent bowling attack and pound it to dust thus (yes, yes what a sodding pitch this is) is an amazing display of will, strength and skill. Especially considering that bit of mess that the team and its peripheral issues are in right now...

test bat

I don't need to get into the absurd rates the Pakistanis scored at yesterday, and now the Indian openers have chugged along at over 5 an over. Hats off to the adventurous spirit of their blades, but really- what the heck sort of pitch is this anyway? test cricket? Nah, just test the bowlers...

Moments

Sachin Tendulkar just got out to Afridi, and Pakistan need to only to complete the formalities now. I can't help but nod my head unhappily, yet appreciatively at the fight and intensity this Pakistani team has shown. Sort out the Shoaib thing once and for all (either way) and this could be truly be a turning point for this team.
Right now though, I shall sit back and wallow- looking at a series win squandered.
aaarrgh.

100th

Here's a particularly hitting-the-nail sort of tribute to Inzamam. How he only suggests, does not assert; how his softness and his domination are one and the same.

And he plays his 100th Test today. Hope it is not too memorable for him!

Two teams

Two teams with batting lineups that are managing to pull off some good scores. Two teams that are not bowling anywhere near as well as they would like to.
India has a decidedly better attack on paper, but they haven't been able to bowl as effectively as they would like. Without looking hopeless, they have made hardly a dent on the Pakistani battibg.

Again, the Indian batting is expected to perform, and it has been (more or less). Whats changed the mood of the series around is the fact that pakistan have seemed ready to show up at the crease, and make a difference. After their dismal (and quite spineless)batting Down Under, this is the biggest surprise, and one thatis at the crux of this series becoming closely fought. Day 3 coming up, and the Pakistanis could find themselves in agreat position if they manage to continue yesterday's batting form.

Mohali ending

Pak lead by 198. over 3 hours of play to go. 4 wickets in hand.
will they set a target?

4.35pm here
Akmal finally gone. 37 overs to go, 3 wickets. Tthere's only the slimmest of chances, the match really does look mostly dead now...
But what a fantastic fighting knowck from the keeper. after 10/3 and then the subsequent departure of Inzy and Youhana, who would have thought they would be able to make it this far. Razzaq killed his natural game completely and hung in there but hats off to Akmal for an innings that had plenty of shots and ensured, through its scoring rate, that they never felt bogged down.
Will we (again) look back on the slow progress post Sehwag and wonder if we let the initiative go there?

If all encouragement forced in a result...

So. 200 odd run lead, and we're all out. I learnt, depressingly, last night of Tendulkar's dismissal. 6 short of a hundred. Painful. Very painful.
Here we are then. 1st test. Day 4. Pakistan has 5 and a bit sessions to bat out or less to hammer out some (lots of runs) and challenege India. Doesn't look likely though. Rameez Raja has already declared that a draw for Pakistan from here would be like winning the test. Huh? and the scorecard would read what exactly then?

But admittedly, losing from here should really not be an option for India. Go Balaji!
-and as I wrote that, believe it or not, he got Taufeeq Umar in his first over!

and thats 13/3 , and a few moments after that, 25/3. Exhilirating stuff.

during session 1
Century #9. to go with 8 fifties and an average of 53-odd after 32 Tests. Who would have thought, this seemingly slam-bang impulsive stroke player would be the success he is and the run machine he seriosuly threatens to be in the long(er) term. He has stated his mind is set on batting through the day, and looks good. I can hear Sanja Manjrekar saying "what does Sehwag mean by a big one after all", and going on about Sehwag. Remember, he is the best Mozzie this side of Australia.

yeow. The umpires just took 6-7 mminutes to figure what ball to replace the old shapeless one with. It was alike a group gathering out there. DD of course grabbed the opportunity to mollify their sponsors for the ads they cut with a lot of ads here.

Mohali Day 1

Lunch
Honours even at lunch, I would think. Taufiq Umar departing just before the break would leave the Indians feeling buoyed, but a shade under 100 in the first sessison on a pitch meant to favour the bowlers isn't too bad. The core of experience is at the pitch now, and theirs will be a crucial partnership. Could well decide if Saurav's decision at the toss is judged as attacking or defensive.

At the start of play the ground seemed surprisingly not full. I am waiting for the ground reports- how many Pakistani fans, mixed stands or not, the little stories.Why do I get the feeling I may be expecting too much...

Dull?

Never a dull moment.
The Sena is already whining about Pakistan playing in Delhi (pray why are you only making a big deal of them playing in Delhi and not elsewhere?).
The PCB threatens legal action claiming the whole 'Pakistani cricketer raped an Australian' bit was the figment of some Aussie imagination.

Meanwhile, South Africa and England continue their good series. Already ( though I dont know what the South African press or public's take on this is), I believe South Africa have redeemed themselves much better than was expected of them. With rain playing spoilsport, a 2-1 scoreline won't be such a bad one, while 3-1 will be very disappointing yet not disastrous (though in keeping with what I predicted!)

Stephen Fleming- what happened to him??? I did not see the innings, but his thrashing of a bowling attack that included Warne and Murali sounds like an absolute stunner. What a pity it dos not have ODI status (and why should it). I guess this was not an ICC recognised XI, and that is meant to explain why it is not 'official'. Spare me...I just do not agree with this.

I do miss the surfeit of cricket on TV though- there is none here in Singapore, and though I work at ESPN StarSports now, weekends are still strangely empty.

Look out for that spark

Like I said, I have been erratic, and promise to be so for some more time.
(I wonder who's noticing, but heck- don't hurt saying it!)

Some exciting cricket is in prospect tomorrow onwards. First the Australian summer will hope to actually hot up against Pakistan, and then the English and South Africans take each other on. Both the visiting sides have had a torrid time in tour games, but for both that is unlikely to change the pre-tour predictions and chances.

Pakistan, famously, are unpredictable. It is unlikely there is any other adjective used with such frequent consistency for any other team as this one for these guys. The series is unlikely to have any scoreline besides 3-0, barring the weather. Yet, Pakistan is one of those teams (nesides your own) who you don't mind watching despite knowing they are most likely to lose. In fact, their losses often conceal thrilling spells of cricket and dazzling bursts of passion that get lost in the scoreline. Those few periods of excitement are always worth waiting for, just that you never know when they will hit and you- and you might miss them just as easily. All talk Shoaib can still serve up some spectacular bursts of raw speed and destruction, though who knows if he will. His spells will hold the key- first up, and the reverse swinging second/third spells. If he is ineffective in all of these, the others will be hard pressed to put the Aussies batting under any sort of pressure.

England, on the other hand, are likely to win despite their tour loss- at least on paper. They probably have the most backers (and justifiably) for the second best team in the world tag. Not without good reason. Harmison and Flintoff are going to be key men in the series, and the batting lineup shood come through moe often than not. No one looks a sure shot for a glut or runs in the series, but as a lineup they should come through. Kallis, Smith and Co. will be happy to be back in home conditions facing predominantly pace bowling on familiar tracks. They will suddenly loook far more complete than they did In India, but whther the bowling can back them up enough is yet to be seen. i would guess England winning 3-1 or something. It is a long tour, though, and the poms could tire. Especially for the seven ODIs to follow. But that's a while away.

Closer still is the second test at Chittagong, with little likely to change the pattern of Bangladesh cricket. India should win again, and win big. Of some interest will be the possibility of any more records. Oh well, let see. It is a boring December season for India, while there will be few more sparks (or at least, more weighty if predictable sparks) around the holiday season elsewhere.

ps- Rhodes doesn't want to be the fielding consultant at the India NCA. What a pity. He wants to "take a break from cricket and learn the ropes in the corporate world", he says. Though he 'hastens to add that he does not rule out cricket coaching'.

Round up

Not been writing too much have I?

20:15, IST
Time for some catching up. Between Diwali and Id, in the midst of the Diwali firecracker smoke and Kolkata haze, celebrating the Platinum jubilee of the Indian Cricket Board, and in a steaming cauldron of 90,000 people or thereabouts, Pakistan won. In fact, they not only won, but did so comprehensively. First thing in the morning there was speculation whether dew would play an part in the match. Well, it was Kolkata, it was Dada’s home ground, and he would know if it would be significant enough for him to not bat first. Or so they thought.

It was possibly the most sedate and withdrawn I have seen Sehwag bat. It was as if he was in a trance, struggling to break free from the spell and get back to getting on with it, as he does. At the other end, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar showed flashes of the SRT of old. I was tempted to pen my thoughts that at the very time, but had to settle for a later post.

Truth be told, once the second innings got underway, Pakistan never seemed like they were out of it. Much as the commentators tried, they could not convince (at least me) that there was a good chance Pakistan would not make it. In fact, there were times (even after the return of the young man who must find himself the Butt of many jokes) that they said things like "Pakistan still have a chance" and "Anything could happen here". Ya right. Thanks for the insight, Messrs Jackman and Manjrekar.
The latter had a pointless exchange with Rameez about the shawl gifted to him by the BCCI in the break as one of the former Pak captains- inane attempts at humour. Imran Khan continued on his "Inzamam is one of the best of his time" tangent. Grant him the consistency- it has been years he has maintained this.

The Zimbabwe rebels have given up. I don't suppose that is going to make any real difference, and anyway I doubt it has been done with that aim in mind. It is a tired, defeated, hopeless and possibly cost induced move that will do little to get Zim cricket anywhere near normal, but will serve to finally (unsatisfactorily) bury the whole issue. Oh, well.

Rashid-everyone is a cheat-Latif and Moin Khan are both pretty much out of international cricket now. Though you never know with Pakistani cricket, it is unlikely they shall return, and I think that is a good thing...

Australia v NZ is underway, and I haven't caught a ball of the action, even on the highlights package (I'm assuming there is one this part of the world?). I wonder why they say that Warne bowled in pain. I thought this was the fastest broken digit recovery in recent history- and if he hadn't recovered, then why is he playing? Kasper, almost routiney referred to as the Renaissance man, took another bunch of three crucial wickets. I really do not see Blee getting alook in some time soon, though it is worth a wonder how Kasper has, indeed, had such a late revival. But what a revival it has been, and in both forms of the game. While it shows amazing resilience and determination, it is symbolic also of a common trait in the Aussie side. The fight for places is so intense, the quality of domestic cricket so high, and the hunger for a Baggy green so acute, that every chance that is made available to fringe players is grabbed with all limbs available. As a result, a large number of the comebacks and debuts seen in the team are of an above-average quality. Hence you have the Clarke v Lehmann v Katich sort of situation. Grrrr, lucky them.

The chucking issue really has blown out big time, and while I have nothing freshor insightful to say about it, I must say it is appalling that the governing body of the game has such clout to be able to make the process of giving clarity such an ambiguous affair. Not only has no one seen the report, but the only worthwile revelation made from it (with no details) is a sensationalist one, possibly set to make things worse.

And then, the South Africans are here. Kanpur is round the bend, and hopefully so is a turn in Indian fortunes. They came precariously close to being embrassed by the Board Presidents XI, and despite the recent performance (or lack of it)India must go in as favourites. But, more on that later.
For now, it is good night.

And oh, I just started A Corner Of A Foreign Field, and am a little submerged in work again.