Focus

Some of us may have doubts about Warne's ability to bounce back from what would seem like gut-wrenching personal turmoil.
Mark Nicholas has none.

Even to begin to think that the recent shambles in his private life will affect Warne's cricket is to miss the point completely. That shambles will concentrate his mind absolutely. The Ashes will be an escape route. A chance to put the madness and its consequences aside, and to remind his audience of the reason for their fascination in the first place.

Sub-super thoughts

Ok, so I thought the Super Sub rules meant something else. Up until the first one-day, I thought I was clear on the experiment, and believed it meant that a team announces a squad of twelve and then announces its playing eleven once the toss is done.
Of course, this is not the case. A team announces a playing XI, and a Super Sub. The captain then proceeds to the toss and hopes his selection works.

Somehow, I have believed that my misunderstanding of the rule is probably a better way of implementing this innovation. The team announces a squad of twelve and then pulls one guy out after they know if they are batting or bowling. It more or less ensures that a team will use the super sub, thus encouraging whatever spectator interest and ‘increased quality’ that was envisaged to begin with. It effectively means that the team will pick (usually) an additional specialist, depending on their strengths and weaknesses, and so have a stronger overall side.

Sure, it means there is less of a gamble. For those of us who believed that this rule eliminated the charm of the risk that team selection was (with XI players only), I suppose this gamble that a team is required to take works. My instinctive reaction, however, is that the purpose of the Subs, one would think, is to not only increase strategy and excitement, but increase the quality of cricket being played. Allowing the XI to be named after the toss increases the chances of this enhanced quality.

I have to admit I am a little torn here.
My problem with the current implementation is that it is too much of a gamble, and one that is not really necessary. If we are corrupting the old way of committing to eleven players, then we should corrupt it enough. This will probably encourage the bits and pieces players who can come in either way (or, of course, genuine all-rounders who are rare in the game already; if the allrounder is truly world class he will probably be in the eleven anyway) The good thing is that there is at least some lottery element retained, though the success of (of a specialist as substitute) is more dependent on chance than strategic selection.

My only problem with the other way is that there is no gambling at all. It will, however, let us see more specialists at work, and the good thing is that we are likely to see a team with a better chance of defending a total, or chasing it. In all, it will allow for a more rounded team performance- exploiting conditions, and resources, to the fullest.

Tax exemptions

So the Champions Trophy in India next year is finally confirmed, with the tax exemptions being granted.
Mr Mani is grateful.

Rule changes

Want the rules to create more buzz? Involve the public more?
Nick Whittock has some ideas. Fun.

Priceless.
Absolutely priceless, except someone, somewhere, deserves to be flogged....

oye BCCI

I suppose its good I find myself with so many words to choose from. Except its not. I am dismayed, annoyed, frustrated, ashamed and incensed. All at the same time.

As if it was not enough that the Indian Board more or less thrives on machinations within the (dis)administration. Or that nothing matters more to the powers that be than power. Or that these powers have no accountability, and no one to question how they run the body like its their own kingdom. Nope, thats not enough. One has, of course, to live with the fact that the Indian Board is hell bent on making an ass of itself in the international arena, scripting the newest chapter in the Ganguly-ban story.

When will these power games stop? Because thats all this is about- showing everybody how much clout India has in the world game. What clout is this, that is based on such churlish behaviour? What influence is it, that needs to flex its muscles like a school bully?

You are a cricket Board, your responsibility lies to your players, the followers of the game in your region and, above all, to the game itself. Is this the way you choose to uphold the spirit of the game, by laughing in the face of its laws? This blatant attempt to show the world your strength serves aught but to belittle the very game you wish so desperately to control.

And please, do not demean our intelligence by telling us that you are doing the 'right' thing by standing behind, and beside, your captain. This is not a personal attack, that he needs you to fight alongside him. This is not a slur on his character that he requires you to help him erase. It is a law of the game he plays, the very law that you are meant to be loyal to. So don't even try to mask your disloyalty with misguided solidarity.

Don't, because you will only sicken me further.

my previous thought on this, when it first happened.

Charlie Brown

Simon Briggs in the Telegraph

Where Waugh's steely-eyed Clint Eastwood impression was part of Australia's armour, Ponting's round, ingenuous face can make him look like a put-upon Charlie Brown. Saturday was like a typical Peanuts cartoon: Charlie/Ponting ran up to kick the ball, only for Lucy/Giles to whip it away at the last minute.

Weekend, & one-dayers

What a weekend.
Schumacher manages a podium though Alonso still wins and Raikonnen comes in second after starting the 13th position on the grid. But I could hardly be concerned with F1, the number of other things that were happening. The Championships in its final three days, with classic matches in the women’s half as Venus won. Federer is walking on another plane these days. Beating top seeds in the semis and finals, that too in straight sets. The man seems absolutely unmatchable. To crown the tournament (for Indians), Mahesh Bhupathi and Mary Pierce won the mixed doubles late last night. If that was not enough, Saturday was consumed by the Live8 concert, a marvel of conceptualisation and execution.

That it coincided with one of the most amazing matches in recent cricket history, is quite another story, which has been well documented in many places. Suffice it to say that these are the times when doubts are spectacularly dispelled for the disbelievers in cricket’s ability to excite, unnerve and overwhelm in equal measure; and for those who are unsure about following cricket not involving their own nation. This was a game for anyone, anywhere who knows what cricket is. Simply brilliant.

There is some irony in all of this though. In the weeks immediately preceding the introduction of ICC’s new experiments in ODI cricket, the cricket world has gotten to see some exceptional cricket matches like this and this, even more so this and this. And this, of course, crowned a happily unpredictable tournament. But, in all their wisdom, the people in the know have brought in new rules. While I have been sitting with my backside comfortably parked across the ample surface area of this hotly debated fence, I doubt if anyone can debate that these new rules will, at the very least, be interesting. With every surge of resistance that I feel regarding the spirit of the game being violated, I cannot help but think about how the cricket world must have reacted to the advent of the shorter game, the use of a white(!) cricket ball, coloured clothing… I think it might be worth remembering that our first reaction is mostly always to resist change.
Let’s give this a chance- if we let ourselves, we might just enjoy this.

aaargh

It is a tie. i CANNOT believe this.
The finals have ended in a tie. This is insane. I cannot believe I am not watching this.
(Shame, shame.)

I do not know if the Final of any tournament has been tied. INSANE.

the Final

>48 reqd off 42. I cannot believe I am not watching this. damn.

> 24/4. The great hope, KP, has departed. The only hero of the last Ashes, Vaughan, has departed. The openers have gone. All without a whimper. If the summer was due to really start today, England might just be wishing it had not. Sub 200 was not the Australia we know. But this is.

> 183 for 9. England better not lose it from here. Either way, Australia are in some trouble.

> This is unbelievable stuff. Left work at 50 off for 1, came back to 5 down. Proceeded to see the better part of 28 dot balls that included a wicket. 28. That is the most un-Australian thing I have seen in a long time. (besides that match a couple of saturdays ago).

> There you go. England have won the toss and invited Australia to bat first. Overhead conditions, the pitch being covered...everything indicates that Australia could have a tought time if it batting.

If England needed a chance to win this final, they just got it.
(and I think I might be missing chunks of the mtach...ouch)

July 30/ 31. please.

So you have two teams eager to embrace the new rules (bring them on!), get into wat could be an exciting phase sooner rather than later, and you have these people nitpicking on the start date of their tournament.
(irrespective of what any of us think about the 'innovations', surely it is better to dive right in that look for ways to not?)

the Championships

Watching a fascinating tussle between V Williams and Sharapova.
How unidentifiable this is from the women's tennis we saw growing up.
It looks nothing like it.
Nor, in fact, does it sound anything like it.

9th ODI

Australia,while heading for a prety certain win, are still looking scratchy. I am very surprised how they allowed the Bangaldeshis to score 250, given they were 75 for 5. And the opening patrnership, while not looking woefully out of form, still inspires not too much confidence, forget the awe they ususally have been.

Meanwhile, they have finally confirmed that the new ODI regulations will bein place for the Natwest Challenge. Interesting times.

inanity

Bob Willis to Darren Lehmann:
"So, do you think Glenn McGrath will be back in the team on Saturday (for the finals)?"

Um, let's see Bob. He doesn't, you know, deserve to be there. Let's just drop him. (After all, we know what Will calls him)

Shane

Some wonderful articles on Warne around.

They are an odd yet understandable mixture of condemnation and sympathy, admiration and disappointment- much like his life graph has been. As has been the demanding and confusing task of being a Shane Warne fan. One cannot (I, for one) help but admire his greatness when he has a cricket ball in his hand. Off the field, he demands to be cherished, but insists on doing everything he can to make it tough as hell to unequivocally admire him. A fan must, with every statement on his love for the cricketer, add the caveat that his non cricketing deeds are overwhelmed by his bowling achievements. The rare fan might admit to being further attracted by his rogueish deeds, but I suspect a lot of us- given a favourable disposition towards the man courtesy his talent- are entertained by the crazy lifestyle he leads. The power of his cricketing deeds is such that it is easy to find people who are so mesmerized by his genius that they can ignore his ‘social’ transgressions- in fact, be further enchanted by them.

At the most basic level, however, there will always remain the admiration. At this point, it is hard to be unsympathetic. This is a man who has captivated us all many a time-if not all the time- and to have him go through an obviously distressing time in his life cannot be anything but…well, distressing. What will be interesting is how he handles it all. From his track record, you can almost surely expect a fightback (in the larger sense of his life, translating onto the cricket field), though I suppose one must not underestimate the wrench that marriage breaking up can be.

Some excerpts:

from Peter Roebuck's lovely piece

Genius allows a man to inhabit a fanciful world of permanent adolescence. On the field the genius can write his own script. Off it, the magic is lost.

Malcom Conn, with a few anecdotes, on Warne's failings.

Cricket's most successful bowler believes he is constantly attacked by dark forces summoned to persecute him. For Warne lives in a simple world of simple pleasures. There is light and dark, good and evil, black and white.

Trevor Marshallsea on the man who looks for love-too much, and in the wrong places.

What the separation will achieve - apart from peace and quiet for his wife - will be to reinforce the disappointment for so many Australian cricket fans who would so dearly like to love him. The irony is that Warne, insecure despite his achievements, dearly wants to be loved. Sometimes a little too much, as the scandal sheets reveal.

Pints / preachers

The fact remains that sportsmen and alcohol are hardly strangers in the night, and most of the game's mythical booze-ups have involved Australian cricketers. And while such binges are far less common in the new professional era, you'll still spot the odd cricketer at the bar on an evening off, just as you might spy a doctor, journalist or accountant

An excellent perspective on the Symonds affair.

Just when normalcy returned...

Just when things were getting back to normal on the pitch, the ICC figured they had to go and throw the proverbial spanner. The new regulations, if nothing else, are interesting (what a nicely neutral word), and if they do truly start as early as the Natwest Challenge (which I wish they do), we could have some interesting times debating and analysing all of this stuff.

My views on this soon, I hope. For now work consumes, and it is at these times you wonder and marvel at the passion of these people who blog so committedly (not to mention excellently). Of course, most things are not free, and if you have never been (which is well nigh impossible) to Will's site, go there now, and see if you can help the blog out.

Solkar

Indian all rounder of the 70s, Eknath Solkar, has passed away. Most (and definitely this generation) knew him as an outstanding close in catcher (he took 53 in a mere 27 tests), to whom, ineed, many of the spin quartet's scalps can be attributed.

Remembrances here, here and many here.

transition worries

Harsha Bhogle believes that the Australian team goes beyond a couple of losses, but wonders- like many of us- if the transition from the older members of the team to new ones is precariously close to being out of hand.

They will be hoping to stagger the release of their older generation a little better this time. If they wait till the World Cup of 2007, and that in itself might be an optimistic date, they run the risk of having to use a broom.

Mohd Ashraful, fresh from his heroics in the Natwest Series, has credited his time in the Indian domestic setup for honing his skills. Also, SauravGanguly's words seem to have done some good.

Ashraful believes that his batting has become more aggressive due to three reasons: the confidence he gained during his stay in India, the huge expectations back home and, most importantly, his long chat with Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly this year.

5th ODI

> They're back. Believe me, they are.

> This is such slow, attritional stuff. But not the kind you savour in Test match cricket.

> So England are bowling, Vaughan is out, and Symonds and Lee are back. But, um, why is Clarke left out? Any injury? dropped?

age

There is no doubt that this is an ageing, but far from aged, team.

Very well put, in Jim Maxwell's as yet disappointing blog.
I just get the feeling, though, their age will be a hot topic once we are done with this series, irrespective of where the urn travels.

ODI priority?

R Mohan in the Deccan Chronicle is wondering why there is no humour discovered in the Aussie slip ups. For himself he only has this to offer

The better jokes actually came out of the opening of the Shane Warne portrait at Lord’s, when the news was let out of the bag that the artist may have retouched her work because the world’s leading Test wicket-taker was thought to have been portrayed too big Down Under.

...though he does ask a (strangely unconvinced) question about Warney:

I find this quite extraordinary that the world’s best bowler is not turning out for Australia in one-day cricket merely because he thinks he can stretch his multi-million dollar career by sticking to the Test arena, in which he is only 17 wickets away from a magical 600.Quite apart from the huge variety and options that he represents to a captain in the middle overs, his sheer attitude is something the Aussies could do with as they try to pick up the gauntlets after spending some time on the floor, punched by the world’s lowest rated one-day team.

Well, I am not debating (though we could) whether Warne will be an asset to the team or not. But what is "extraordinary" about him leaving the ODI arena? I think it is perfectly understandable, it is his choice, and there needn't be any questioning of the motives.

I am happy Lara, for one, is taking time off from tri-series next month. Seeing how his Test form is, can you blame him?

Sympathy

The Age suggests that there will be little sympathy for an Australian side that loses.
Leaders in any field always have those waiting for their fall, ready to pounce with unabashed glee and bask in the sunshine they have sorely missed, being in the shadows of the best.

Sure, it won’t be any different for this team.But what has been exciting about this last (“disgraceful”) week is that we can expect some good cricket.

We've been spoilt for a long time now. At any given time over the past dozen years there have been five or six all-time greats in the team.

I am not so sure. The number of (nearly) all time greats has not fallen drastically- whether they can perform at their best is the question (if, indeed, it is being asked yet)

Killer Chris

People perceive me as a bit of a gentle giant, but there is aggression in me. I quite enjoy hitting batsmen. I hit Ally Brown on the head against Surrey and that gave me quite a lot of pleasure.

How nice, Chris. We are officially scared now.
From a report where Derek Pringle ponders whether Vaughan missing out today's match is a bad thing or irrelevant.

Bond

This is good news, about Shane Bond. I did not realise tha he is 30 already, though. It doesn;t leave him with much time, which is a pity because he is pretty lethal, so good to watch.

inanity

The first- rather overwhelming- innings has just come to an end, and David Gower is speaking to one of the 2 centurions in the match, Paul Collingwood.

Was there a feeling, after their win against Australia the other day, to teach Bangladesh a few lessons?

Um, and you expected Collingwood to say "Yes, of course, David. That'll put them in their place, those impertinent brats!"

4th ODI

> So ok, they did not manage 400. Not even, 398. Strauss seemd to be tiring, and eventually missed out on carrying his bat by just the one ball. A good couple of overs at the end ensured the Bangladesh would not have an ignominous entry in the record books. As it is, conceding the second largest total ever in ODIs is embarassing enough.

> 350??? Ya right. 30 balls to go. 338. they are thinking of all kinds of records here.
(think of the time KP would have had here!)

>Mortaza is back into the attack with 8 overs to go. What a hopeless task he has in front of him. Will Collingwood get a hundred? Will they cross 350? How much down to earth can you be thrown back in a few hours?

> Trescothick and Strauss launched into the Bangladeshi medium pacers like they were waiting for this warm up match. Because that is what it is looking like. Despite Saturday, Ithink we have seen the last Bangladeshi victory for the summer. One can only hope the surge of beating Australia makes them perform well in whatsleft of their tour.

premature

A one-day cricketing dynasty, it seems, may be coming to an end.

Come now- premature, surely?

Can they handle victory?

John Buchanan after the famous weekend:

...we are now in new territory and, I say this tongue in cheek, England are in new territory, too. It will be interesting to see how they deal with that."

Its good to see he is looking to maintain the Aussie style of throwing everything back onto the Englishmen. I cannot wait for Thursday's match.
And, by the way, I think they can surely deal with victories. Whether they are allowed to keep winning, is quite another thing...but this England team looks nothing near wimpish.

Lists

It is time for some lists. Collingwood's catch has prompted a list of memorable catches. I can never forget Adam Bacher sending Sachin back when he was on a scintillating 169- that hurt. Yuvraj pulled of a ripper against Bangladesh last December, and Vasbert Drakes was pretty unbelievable against Canada in the WC 2003. Rhodes took enough stunners to be confused as to which one you are recalling.

Then there are a couple of lists of upsets here and here . Saturday's is the biggest for me (it is likeJordan-Karthikeyan winning in a face-off race with a Schumacher-Ferrari, which is what the farce last night almost was, by the way- the race, not the win), and Windies losing to Kenya in '96 is probably my first memory of a genuine upset.

And oh, Christopher Martin Jenkins is still reserved and calm about England's famous win, while calling it "the most embarrassing week of their [Australia's] cricket history", his advice is:

Hyperbole must be firmly resisted despite all Australia’s largely self-inflicted wounds and for all the excellence of England’s unified team performance. This was...a much-improved performance by Australia, especially in the field, where they have been so unusually fallible after their two months’ rest from cricket.

...and believing McGrath's bowling "superb" and Watson's "with a cool head" (um, remember his scrap with KP?). Unbelievably though, his unhyperbolic wariness still allows for this statement :

...if Harmison bowls as fast and rhythmically as he did yesterday, England will win the Ashes.

Oh well- the emphasis is mine- and why not. Read it here.

on KP

If I were an Englishman I'd like to whack some of these commentators. They don't, like all commentators(scroll down a bit in the linked post), believe in the mozzy concept. The way they were gushing about Pietersen's innings (while he still played it), was downright unnerving. He gave me no reason to think he'd get out, but they sure did. One that I recall off hand is this from Bob Willis:
"He won't get distracted, he is totally focussed".
That's an invitation for the curse, if ever there was one.

And the other thing I found...well, shall I say a little premature, was the
"these are shades of Viv Richards",
and this was repeated. Oh well, he looked absolutely fantastic yesterday, but that might be a bit much, don't you think?

It would seem otherwise. Mark Nicholas, for one, does not think so.

Of all the cricketers to have illuminated one-day cricket only Viv Richards might have done such a thing, or, at a pinch, Clive Lloyd and Adam Gilchrist.

(Um, There was this guy called klusener I remember, for one)
Again, I think the innings was absolutely breathtaking in its precision and dominance, but slow down guys, slow down with the praise-showering. Nicholas continues:

He hits the ball murderously hard, favours the same leg-side quarters as Sir Vivian but is able to smack the thing down the ground with such venom that fielders barely move a muscle in self-defence, never mind boundary protection.

Please Do Not take the name of someone who is this young in the same breath as Sir Vivian. If not for anything else, for Pietersen's sake.
The thrust of his column though, is pertinent as hell- Australia seem to have lost that aura.

To beat the Australians this weekend an opponent had simply to play better than them. This is easier said than done of course, against such wonderful cricketers, but previously there was baggage to deal with, brought about by the juggernaut of self-assurance that rolls into town with them.

Now work beckons. Though this work, I have been extremely happy to do, surrounded by images and sounds of the Natwest series.

>breathtaking

>2 fours in a row, solanki is run out an they still need 39 to win. 3 wickets in hand.
If nothing else, surely spanking Australian bowlers around the park will give Pietersen a place all his own in the hearts of English fans.....

>Pietresen 43 off 43 balls.
England require 56 of 63.
Make that bloody 51 to the two toned big hitter
and 48 needed off 48
er- 44 of 47...am off to soak it all up

>34/0. 6 overs. a couple of sixes.
normal sericve resumes?

this is exciting stuff

whatever Australia make, though, England will fancy their chances...and more significantly, I doubt Australia will be fully confident of defending it.

oh, my holy...

Oh My God.

49.1 Gillespie to Aftab Ahmed, SIX, slower ball, Aftab picks it up and
       swings it over the midwicket fence.

7 needed off the last over. This is insane stuff.

McGrath to Mohammad Ashraful, one run, 100! for Ashraful.
There you go Will, a hundred for your sportsman's bet...

Bangladesh require another 28 runs with 6 wickets and 22 balls remaining

selling paper

Why would a supposedly leading newspaper like HT print such tripe?
My earlier thoughts on this non- issue are here, when I thought it was unecessarily blown out of proportion to make a nifty headline.

question time

From an interview of Bennet King in the Trinidad Express.

GW: Let's say in a year or two time, there hasn't been significant improvement in the way the team plays, would you consider changing jobs?
BK: What sort of question is that? (Offended by question)...

What is the answer he expected? "Yes, I will be sick of these non performing fools and I will leave them", or "I shall remain here until the end of my days, supporting the players I have grown to love as my own sons"

No, really please tell me what the heck sort of question is that to ask?
via

his mouth is his

As Chappell stressed on the need for the Indian team to focus, one journalist asked him whether the side had earlier lacked it.

"Don't put words in my mouth", Chappell said

I like it

Harsha on Lara

Some of my musings on Lara's recent form are better articulated by Mr.Bhogle:

There seems a new freedom now in Lara’s mind. The conflicts of a brilliant but slightly wayward youth appear to have been erased, the responsibility that seems to replace a smile with a scowl seems easily handled now

and he wonders how Lara shall feel at the end of his glittering (individual) career:

Allan Border and Steve Waugh, two that still stand ahead of him, weren’t quite as gifted, they were like forts to Lara’s horseman, but they played in winning teams. When the record is his, and his alone, even if for the moment, and Lara takes off those dancing shoes, he will ask himself what he would have preferred.

any loss is hard to swallow

A wrap up of the Aussie media's slamming of the team performances, while McGrath is getting tiresome in his verbal attacks. They're just too jaded, Glenn.

Graeme Smith thinks the English can give as good as they get, but he also said a few days ago he believes the Aussies will keep the urn.

concern

So Ranbir Mahendra is concerned about Saurav Ganguly's form? And, um, why shouldn't he be? Its not like he has things like professionalism in the BCCI, television rights or accountability to worry about.

What is really scary, though, is Adam Gilchrist at the crease, if you were to go with the opinion of 26 international bowlers.

MM

Talking of Mike Marqusee, he has a blog. An insightful article there that was recently published in Wisden Asia Cricket (which I miss severely) about his experience watching the deciding test match between India and Pakistan in Bangalore, with thoughts like these:

The economic deregulation of the last 15 years has fostered a cult of success – a non-stop media-promoted celebration of winners. And what many Indians now seem to want from cricket is principally a steady supply of winners, and above all a winning national team. Of course, all fans want their team to win, but dedicated sports fans retain their interest in the game, and their affection for the players, even in defeat.

and also one on Mohali

In England, banners, flags, placards, drums, whistles and klaxons are all banned from Test grounds. Here in India, they’ re essential cricket-watching accoutrements, and they help endow a day at the Test with a wonderfully festive vibrancy. The din is incessant, and prolonged and repeated exposure to an Indian cricket crowd could result in a severe case of tintinitis (the vibrating eardrum syndrome suffered by veteran rock musicians).

Thanks for the pointer, scott.

a perfect series

Mike Marqusee too is looking forward to the Ashes in an interesting article about cricket following in England that salivates at the prospect of the summer thus:

The real excitement...lies in the chance to enjoy a close-fought seesaw contest showcasing skill, sweat and inspiration. Like an ample 19th-century novel, the 12-week Australia-England showdown promises plot and subplot, major and minor characters, a wealth of incident and (if we're lucky) a result that is unpredictable yet somehow just, and in genuine doubt until stumps are drawn on the last day of the final Test at the Oval in September.

He's just described the near perfect series (like this one), but if we get 60% of that I will be thrilled.

Oh my- an update

update: Oh well, the Australians do lose tour matches. They lost in 2001 to Middlesex and in 1997 to Worcester.

Should we temper down the chatter, then? Umm, am not sure- they have still been beaten spectacularly in both matches, and it is this manner of loss that is making us raise questions. First, the batsmen were crushed, and while they are probably satisfied from yesterday,:

There was a worrying sloppiness about the Australians in the field. There were also a shaming number of misfields, culminating in costly slips by Glenn McGrath and Simon Katich on an outfield left greasy by rain.

Thus reported The Telegraph, one of the main reasons for Ponting's anger and embarassment. Meanwhile, though I don't believe this loss is completely inconsequential, the Stumpcam wants all these pointless matches to get out of the way. That's right- bring on the real stuff now! Meanwhile, Warne has his own kind of preparation going on.

Oh my

Oh my.
This is very interesting indeed. Cricinfo refused to load up last night, and here I am now, reading how the mighty-aspiring for invincibility- nothing can hurt us- Australians have been humbled in a tour match, and how. My thoughts are tingling at the prospect that there could actually be some nerves in this team touring the old rivals. Could there? Are the Australians a little edgy coming into this tour? Am I getting as carried away as I believed some other were a couple of days ago?

I think not. My money would still be on the Aussies to retain the Ashes, but that is not the point here. The Australians do not stumble, period. They do not lose even the most insignificant of matches. And they definitely do not lose to county sides in warm up One Day matches. That too, after piling up 342 - three hundred and forty two runs. So what is happening here?
I don't think we can condemn the batsmen retiring after getting in- the idea was to make sure everyone got into some sort of knick. It could, but doesn't, smack of arrogance- after all, they did end up piling on the runs. Yet a bowling attack with McGrath, Lee and Kasprowicz could not restrict the Somerset batting lineup.
Leave aside all the analysis. This one must really be hurting. And these guys are not familiar with this kind of pain.

Kumble & the wave

Hmm, now this I did not know. Don't remember reading about Kumble and the tsunami at all...

"I was at the reception, totally ignorant about what had happened. Our cottage was about 60 metres from the beach and it did get affected, so I consider myself very lucky. It wasn't until we got home and turned on our TV that we realised the full extent of what had happened."

I saw Sky having a chat with him during the match, but by the time I had turned the volume up I had missed most of what he said (now here).

'Warne to cricket fan', no more

The Tsunami match is just getting underway, with Lara leading his team on to bowl to Fleming and Gayle.
But there has been a revelation that is terribly putting off. The great spectacle that some poor/lucky bloke was going to make of himself by facing Shane Warne out in the middle during the innings break, is not happenng anymore. The guy who bid a reported 50,000 pounds to have this honour, it turns out, was a hoaxer.

What a little sh**t.

Read on, gnat

Will you be able to reach the end of this sentence and still actually care what it is that the sentence is trying to say?
Unlikely, if you're from this generation-because you probably have the "attention span of a gnat". Thus opines Martin Johnson while writing about slow death from the frenzy of modern cricket.

Like this on Twenty-20:

It's a bit like cutting straight to the Duckworth-Lewis revised target, but without having to huddle under an umbrella, or watch the motorised whale doing its stuff on the outfield

Or this about changing spectator attitudes:

There was a county match at Old Trafford in the Sixties, with Harry Pilling of Lancashire studiously blocking away on eight not out, when a purple-faced occupant of the members' enclosure threw down his newspaper and shouted: "Bloody hell, Pilling. You're still eight not out in the Manchester Evening News!" Nowadays, if no one's hit a six before 10 past 11, you're more likely to hear a cry of "'ave a go, yer mug!"

Link (free registration required)

Twenty-20

Irrespective of the status of the game (none, really), and irrespective of what this means to the teams per se (very little), 'England beat Australia' has one crucial element that ensures Australia are not going to steamroll the excitement just yet. That element is 'beat'.

So it doesn't matter (surely not to an England supporter) that this match has little bearing, technically, on the rest of the summer. It deifnitely doesn't matter to me. As I see it (I'd like to believe relatively objectively), this adds to the hype, lets us feed off the possibility that Englanda could challenge Australia this season, and we could get to see some hard fought cricket.

Views from all three sides of the fence:
Will is understandably elated, but tries to temper it with some normalcy.
The stumpcam seems more balanced, and the new Ashes blog (which is good stuff if you want to follow this season closely) seems unconvinced that this is a sign Australia's form, but more of its initial lethargy.The gameboys call it a real hiding but end off on a realistic note, while the pundits maintain their silence. Wake up, gentlemen, the summer is upon us!

update: Andrew Miller's unabashed joy is apparent, but what is disturbing is that he seems to think Australia are really in for it this summer. A sample of some of the terms he uses: Exhilirating, , wildest fantasies, extraordinary, and most notably 'surpass all expectation' (that England could well do so) . Over the top? You bet. This is a particularly flippant part:

Forget all the pretence that this performance will count for nothing when the real event gets underway on July 21. England were victorious in their last Test against Australia in 2002-03; they won magnificently over 50 overs in last summer's Champions' Trophy, and now they taken a howitzer to the popgun variety of the game as well. If the secret in Test cricket is to win every session, then Australia have just put in a 34.3-over performance that would have shamed Bangladesh.

Easy does it. Crush Australia similarly in the Natwest Series, and we might be seeing a really driven side. Ponting, of course, plays it down as just an ordinary day that will have little effect on either side.

Shonar Bangla!

Bashar and his boys finally have something to smile about- an actual win. It's not bad at all actually, even if it was not against the best Worcester side possible. A tour win in England still counts for much. Whether, as this bulletin puts it, it could be a turning point for them in this tour, I don't know. Will the (only slight, surely) confidence gained from this take them to an ODI win against Australia or England? I don't think so. Maybe though, just maybe, they could not fall apart as spectacularly in the Natwest Series as in the Tests.

Warne

Atherton has written a piece on Shane Warne, and it makes for interesting reading.

I always felt in a battle against not only a great bowler but a dominant personality as well. The pause and gather at the end of his mark; the slow, measured run-up, the ball dancing to his tune, the inevitable stare once the ball was dead, the knowing smile whether it had gone for four or none, and a well-chosen word or two were all designed to give the impression that it was the bowler who was in control.

This truly is such an integral part of the Shane Warne performance- and it looks to me like that attitude is what the painting at Lord's has captured the best.

The one area where Warne is still incomparable is what I would call his cricketing craft. He is simply the smartest bowler I ever played against, and is still the smartest around. As his physical powers decline, and his genius fades, it is his knowledge, his nous, his competitive instincts and his ability to work out a batsman quicker than anyone else that are keeping his ageing body ahead of the pack.

And this is something I have loved to watch. It is the reason i will come back after ad breaks or other distractions, even if I have missed the other bowler's over in a not so interesting match- to watch Warnre bowl with that glint in his eye. Many years ago, when my interest in cricket turned into some sort of passion, I started admiring Warne. None of that has diminished. It has been complicated by his so called misdemeanours, accentuated by his steely resolve, confounded by his maverick tendencies, but always, deepened by his undying craft.

in a hut...

and we worry that the Windies may not have their stadiums ready in time?
Learn from the Germans, I say!

The India Room, and Sachin

So The Oval is going to have a new stand with an 'India Room' ( to be inagurated by Sachin). Interesting.

It will seat about 160 people, but 160 very rich people I am sure ("well heeled expats" as the report offers). I am interested as to what memorabilia they are going to have there, and what are the technicalities of the 'India Room'- will it accommodate only Indians? (Maybe Will would know)

If you have gone and read the above Telegraph report , you would have read this about Sachin Tendulkar:

Speaking from his Mumbai residence on Wednesday evening, he added: “I realise a role awaits me both at Lord’s and The Oval, but I would have gone even if I had nothing to do. It’s about supporting a cause.” Of course.

Can someone please explain to me what this 'of course' means? Is it, unbelievably, a dig at Sachin? If it is, it's ridiculous, and if it not, it is redundant in the context.

And talking of pointlessness, what is the need for this, in the footnote of the same report:

Sachin hasn’t exactly been following international cricket for the past few weeks, but is aware that Brian Lara is fast catching up. The West Indian had 26 Test hundreds when Sachin got the world record-equalling 34th last December. Since then, Lara has added four to be only four adrift…

The 'hasn't exactly been following...but is aware' (er, well, what do you think?), and the '...' at the end, trying to create a sense of competition...ooohh, I'm all excited now.

Pointless...

...and, awake (on Lara)

Continuing from my previous post, which was a beginning to these thoughts:
Brian Lara’s batting has been sheer magic. It does not seem to matter that the team is crumbling around him (less so, of course, in the Pakistan series), or that age is rapidly demanding some respect. With a typical flash of the blade as his only salutation, Lara is asking age and all other constraints to kindly take a walk, and let him do his what he does best (score boundaries and hundreds).

I find the Fourth Umpire has this to say about Lara’s recent performances:

...what's really startling about this phase of the Brian Lara story is his incredible, almost Bradman-esque consistency. To rack up 3246 runs at 70.57; to score 12 centuries and nine 50s in 27 Tests -- it's an incredible, and incredibly long, run of consistent success.What makes it even more remarkable is the fact that Lara has bucked the trend, and scored these runs as part of a team that has consistently lost almost everything it has played during this period-- how easy can it have been to go out there, innings after innings, and perform in the company of mediocrity.

The question to be asked here is this- the man is now 36 years old. That’s not exactly the prime, even for a bastman (though that was not exactly a question either, but a statement); and while I am not asking for him to suffer a terrible slump and fade away ignominiously, it would be a tad more normal for him just play, well normally. Instead, he is batting like a man possessed, a man who knows that time, despite his overflowing talent, is running short; a man who either has (yet again?) a point to prove, or a man who has no points anymore, only accomplishments. So what’s the secret of his sudden burst of performance?

Secondly, is this despite the team’s mediocrity or because of it? Is he inspired to salvage some pride for his team, or is he scoring by not caring about the burden of team failure that is constantly on him? Is he, in fact, as is being talked about,(and claimed by the likes of Ridley Jacobs and only bothered about his own achievements, now that it seems to late/ too pointless to try and resurrect his team?

Lastly, where would such a discussion/thought process leave Sachin? Most Sachin supporters (and even those who don’t like him too much) have at some point or the other understood that he performed, through the first half- and more-of his career, despite his team. He has always had to shoulder the burden of lifting India from inconsistency and mediocrity. Whether he has done so or not (which is the cause for much debate, needless to say) is not the point here. What is, is how Lara’s recent (ageing) upward trend compares to Sachin’s recent dull phase. ( I say dull because statistically his consistency is still pretty darned good. Except we all know that some spark is missing-if only seen occasionally), and that he too needs a serious shoot upwards in form and performance to finish (ouch!) his career on a high that goes along with his 1989 talent.

As you can see (if you have go this far) this post is pretty unstructured and random. My idea is not to make a statement. I would like to throw up this question, though, and hopefully the teeming masses who read this blog (ahem) might have some answers or views.

sleep tonight, blog tomorrow

Ok. So Brian Lara has gone past the Don, and that is as it was always going to be. Nothing stunning about that. But just look at the way the man is performing off late! This in the middle of his team messing up pretty much anything they tried their hand at, issues regarding him being a team player, losing his captaincy...not to mention the fact that he is not exactly getting any younger.

So how crucial is age in performance. Or is focus, intensity, awareness of the role in the team...is it any of these that is more crucial.
It's late. I must blog on this tomorrow, by when of course, thoughts on this that are brimming in the head would have stuck their thumb out and hitch-hiked their way to some obscure sphere of thought.

bluey

So there you have it. I have been thinkin about it for long, though how this thought process is relevant to you, is your guess.
Umm, I mean I have changed the look. To go with it's freshness is the hope that some of the writing habit will return as well.

Fitness

"Everyone is better than me at something so I have got to stay ahead somehow"
There's an admission, and a show of positive attitude if ever there was one. Who would have thought- Hogg, the fittest in the team.
and WHO would have thought- Buchanan, age 52, fitter than Bracken and MacGill!

Interesting.
Who are likely to be the fittest in their respective teams? My immediate, unpondered-on guesses:

India- Kaif (I think this was specifically mentioned at some point)
Pakistan- Afridi
Sri Lanka- Sangakarra?
Bangladesh- Dav Whatmore ( he can play cricket, the first criterion)
New Zealand- Shane Bond. er, I mean Oram, um-Tuffey...no, Cairns. um make that....Styris?
South Africa: Ntini
Windies: Bravo?
England: could it be Flintoff is the fittest when fit?
Zimbabwe: The one who runs out fastest at the recess bell in school

Glare strips

So we now have Internet evidence of why the already stunning (looking) Chanderpaul further glamourises himself with the riveting marks under his eyes.
Yes, along with his charmingly odd walk, exquisite strokeplay, skillful bale-hammering and terribly appealing spitting, he is now second only to Mandira Bedi in the looks stakes. Sorry, Roshni Chopra.

link via ramanand

4th...er, 1st-5th

Firstly, the first fourth umpire. On second thoughts, standing first in the fourth umpires we know of- Prem Panicker blogs, and I am glad.

Secondly, thank you to Rahul Bhatia for pointing me thataway.

Thirdly, also discovered another Uncut worth biting into. Especially for what it potentially could offer.

Fourthly, 'Fourth Umpire' finally has some credibility (after DD's violent murder of the term)

Fifthly and lastly, I must remember my childhood dislike for numbers and stop this tedious post.

A Red Istanbul, indeed

I missed it, and it seems to have been one amazing match. If you have a final as big as the Champion’s League that features 6 goals, you know it must have been unbelievable. When you know that the 6 goals did not separate the two teams, and penalties decided the day, you cam imagine the drama. When you see that one team lagged 3-zip at half time, you know you should have stayed up at night.
This is one of those areas where I invariably enjoy the pleasures of neutrality. Ok, so I had a soft spot for Liverpool going into the finals, but not enough to sit up and watch the match into the wee hours. AS it turns out, I really should have. Now I must await the replays. To see Maldini (53seconds???!)and Crespo score; Gerard, Smicer and XabiAlonso script a stunning comeback, and then see Milan crumble under the pressure of penalties.

Bah to Wenger, Ferguson, even Mourinho. Benitez is the man.

ps-It is a system I cannot claim to know the intricacies of, but a setup that does not allow champions to defend their crown is surely a flawed one. I thought the shouting about Liverpool's title defence before the finals was a bit prematurem, but surely this win should prompt a rethink.
While the FA ruled themselves out of salvaging the situation a while back, there are still calls galore for a review of the rules, and hope for Liverpool yet.

A quote

Greg Chappell is now india's coach (and we all have something to say about it).

One of the first things we read about him, besides his committment to excellence, are his opinions on apna Sachin. It is interesting to see how the same quote has been interpreted by different editorials. First, what he has said:
"Everyone goes through different phases in their career;...He's been around for about 15 years and most of those 15 years have been extraordinary. He's had some down periods recently. He's had some injuries. He's perhaps had a bit of a crisis about what his role is in the team...";
"I just need to sit down with him and work out where he's at and where he wants to go, what expectations and goals he has. Hopefully I can motivate him and present him with some new challenges."

"I don't think he's ever going to be the player he was...You change. You're a different person in your 30s compared to when you're an 18-year-old. You just have to learn to play accordingly. In many ways you can be better, in many ways you can't be, because you're not as flexible in body and mind as you used to be. There are other things going on in his life that he didn't have as a young player. All he needs is to feel welcome, wanted and to have a meaningful role in the team.
..I'm sure he can bounce back, maybe not to the great heights he reached before, but bounce back and play an important role. To work with a player of that quality will be a privilege and an honour."

Cricinfo's report on these quotes is headlined "I am sure Sachin can bounce back".
Like the report, it is a simple statement of a quote. In fact, if anything, the headline would give you the impression that Chappell admits that Tendulkar is not at his best, but is also sure that he can regain his touch. Effectively, a positive statement.

Rediff's report was headlined(a bit dramatically)"Tendulkar may not regain earlier form:Chappell"
Again, this was just a simple quote turned to a headline, but the impression one would get is that poor ol Chappelli had just rubbed a lot of Indian fans the wrong way by devaluing their Master's worth. Pretty much a negative statement.
They have, since, said that if we (the readers) had thought Chappell was saying something shocking, we may be wrong because of Gaekwad, Wadekar and Mongia's reactions to this.
To be fair, Rediff did not make any statement. But I just believe the way headlines scream out at youwhen you are surfing plays a fair role in your interpretation of a report or, in this case, quotes. Since, they have gone on to make a bit more of an issue of this by asking us whether we think the new coach is being unecessarily harsh:
"Do you agree with Chappell's assessment of the batting genius? Or do you think that the new coach has started on the wrong foot by commenting on India's biggest sporting icon?"

'Batting genius', leading us to on the path that a (foreign, new, unfamiliar) coach is making a statement about or pride and joy, the great Sachin. 'Started on the wrong foot...commenting on India's biggest sporting icon"= how can Chappell start by a (negative) statement about our hero?

The guy made a simple remark which, to me, a lot of people wish a lot of other people would understand about Sachin and Indian cricket- that he cannot be the dominant force of the 90s, his role is different, he has changed as a person etc.

I guess this is a long post to make a small point, but it just seemed that the same quote has been habdled very differently in two different places.

Full

my, I am stuffed
have been eating all these words of mine, you see...
:)

coaching a decision

In a few hours the Committee that ‘interviewed’ the candidates hoping to be India’s next cricket coach are expected to make an announcement. It has clearly and conveniently been stated that the announcement will be merely that-an announcement; it is hoping for way too much to expect anything conclusive to be revealed. Rediff, though, seems to be a little more optimistic. In the same breath that they say June 15 is the deadline, they say the coach may be named today. The BCCI as I know it will announce the coach just before a good night’s sleep on June 15. If not later. (If I have to eat these words, I am perfectly fine and hungry)

Cricinfo’s account of things (the only report I have read thus far) paints a helplessly predictable picture. Delays in the process. One candidate spending about three times the amount of time he was allotted, and another being rushed due to prior appointments (with the PM, no less- mostly about tax exemptions for the Champions Trophy, amongst other things, I am sure. Of course, The Honourable Shri Dalmiyaji was present not only at the interviewing process but was accompanying Ranbir Mahendra to the PMO. Or is Mahendra the one who was tagging along?)

Jimmy Amarnath has been, quite frankly, a bit of a pain in recent times. One had just begun recovering from his singing exploits on Fourth Umpire last month, and now he’s been cooing inanities on the coaching issue- the use of Fair&Lovely to enhance his coachin“I don’t have a laptop, but I have a lap”, and clichés about an Indian coach for the Indian team. Before I sound completely prejudiced, I do not dislike the guy. But really, there is nothing much to suggest (scroll down to the bottom) that he makes good coach material; and the noises in favour of him (made mostly by himself) are sadly for the wrong reasons. As is the biggest pull for haynes- the fact that he knows the West Indies, and we play the next World Cup there. Er- what about Tests, then?

What's interesting is how both sides of the process d the contenders) state that money is not a concern. If that is true, hallelujah for passionate cricket Boards and coaches. (hmmm, why am I not convinced...)
I guess Chappell seems the most likely to get it, though I wouldn't bet my money on anything here. Something in my gut says Moody would do a good job, and is more likely to instill the attitude and professionalism that is the Australian Way, but then- what do I know.

-If yesterday was anything to go by, don’t be surprised if the decision is made an hour or so late on account of faulty air conditioning or something.
-and how come Sri Lanka is waiting for India to complete their process before fixing on their coach?

Madrid, and sport

Ah, a passionate footbal fan returns to the blogosphere.

Though it is more like he has just arrived.

Shane's ton

Warne's got a hundred, and a smashing one at that!

Jolly jolly. This is good. It has been long overdue, and though I have my doubts, he still harbours hopes of retiring with Test hundred under his belt.
Before all that though, he has Strauss and Pietersen to get out, even if it is not much of a challenge for ol' Warney. (that is, iof Pietersen gets to play in the Ashes)

a blot

If people are so jobless, why can't they create a worthwile blog?
(er...stupid question, sorry)
Wankers.
Sania fake

bravo, smith

The Smith- Bravo controversy is really threatening to get nasty (if it is not already).
Both Boards have backed their players in an issue that is supposed to have been resolved by the Match referee's hearing. Apprently not, for Smith has taken this allegation to heart, and is ready to make a fist of it. Which, somehow for me, is in keeping with his gritty, almost squabbly nature that I perceive.
I guess for Smith, where he is coming from, this sort of an allegation is not merely a question of his conduct but raises many more layers that would seem uncomfortable given the racial issue back home. So it is understandable that he get worked up, but as Will points out, why would these guys make up something like this? (well, that's one oway of saying I hope these guys are not making it up)

What I wonder is what he means by "he will take it further"...? Sounds nasty, but what does he plan to do, then?

team stats

South Africa have wrapped up the series, but they are looking at the Antigua match as a possible 100th Test win for the nation.
It made me dig up these basic stats on Test teams (excpet Zim). While nothing earth shattering hides in them, they make for an interesting look-see.

P W L T D W/L W% D%
SA 302 99 106 0 97 0.93 .32 .32
Eng 832 289 240 0 303 1.20 .34 .36
Aus 665 303 176 2 184 1.72 .45 .27
Ind 385 82 127 1 175 0.65 .21 .45
WI 418 148 127 1 142 1.17 .35 .33
Pak 310 95 81 0 134 1.17 .30 .43
NZ 322 57 128 0 137 0.45 .17 .42
SL 149 37 58 0 54 0.64 .28 .36

P-Played W-Won L-Lost T-Tied D-Drawn W/L-Win/loss ratio
W%:Wins (to total)percentage L%:Loss(to total)percentage

Almost inevitably, (and depressingly) India has the highest percentage of draws, and lowest percentage of wins from total matches. Australia is, of course, excellent. Almost the opposite of India in these respects.

>>why do even the basic spaces and tabs disappear when I publish?

searches

Sheesh
How many people end up here through searches for Roshni Chopra....!

Denial

The game's governing body has made a ruling, it has been appealed against, the appeal turned down, and the rules clearly state that is that.
Well, for some people, that is this.

It's just power games to these guys. I can give them this much- Chris Broad does seem to be a bit over-enthusiastic doing his job as schoolmaster...er, referee. But that does not call for such ego-play.
'Jagmohan Dalmiya says it is not over.' Sheesh, you aren't even Pres anymore, jaggu dada.

The Court of Arbitration? Hello? The guy has been fined, warned and has bowled his team's overs really really slowly. Just accept the decision and go back to your power machinations within that fiefdom...er, Cricket Board.

Thank You

Thank you, for bringing to a hitherto constantly controversial job, honesty and integrity. For ensuring that throughout your tenure your motives nor your commitment could be questioned.

Thank you for working tirelessly and conscientously, trying to transform a team of chronic under achievers. For alleviating the pain and, to an extent, controlling the malaise.

Thank you for being supportive of your wards and still supporting their nation. For emoting despite being reserved, and starting to know what the Indian fan goes through.

Thank you for your calm, your quiet drive , your almost paternal disposition. Thank you for helping take this team to the next level, and letting it know it has a long way to go yet.

(And, Mr Wright, sorry for bidding you farewell on such a flat, uninspiring note. )

touched

The inevitabiliy of shame

I feel cynical.
It was instinctively and helplessly that I made certain observations way back in September about the Indian tour to Pakistan (for I had been to Lahore myself), and expressed my concern over our ability to reciprocate what we received there.
I was not ever in the thick of things, nor was I where it mattered-India- to judge to what extent we showered our warmth on the visiting Pakistanis- team and fans. But from whatever I can see, hear and read, my fears were not unfounded.

I cringed when I heard the commentators talking about the bottles in Jamshedpur. And Delhi, yesetrday, was hopelessly putting off. This is the capital of the country, the seat of its political power, the location for a hotly cricket-vist by Pakistan's leader and the venue for the last ODI. Yet who seemed to care that irrespective of the last few weeks, a memorable last day could leave not justa good taste in the mouth but warmth in our hearts, and theirs.
"Oh, what sentimental bullshit," they would have said to this. Cheer, hospitality, sportsmanship,...warmth? Bah!
Let us sit silently as their batsmen play scintillating shots, moan dejectedly when bowlers take our prized wickets, throw bottles in a graceful trajectory towards their fielders.

While I have spoken often about offending grounds being banned from international cricket matches for a period of time, this goes beyond that anger. It is something that leaves me dejected, despairing and hopelessly frustrated. In fact, this post seems so pointless now- mere words, serving no more than to patchily express my disgust at my own countrymen.
Pakistan have come and Pakistan have gone, and I can only cherish my Lahore experiences even more.

thoughts @:
IndiaUncut

non blogging blogger checks in

Work consumes much mind space, and considerable time as well.

The cricket world continues all around, with lots of batting exploits in India, some tight cricket down under-er, some very interesting cricket in the Caribbean that I do not have access to at all (visually), and another world cup final and Indian loss.

Jamshedpur has shamed me again- even if the stone throwing incident was isolated- for this series was always going to be about more than just hospitality in words. As soon as I heard that someone had thrown a stone, I fumed. After the Windies tour, I believed they should simply have been denied an international match for a few years. But these deplorable stadium conditions are yet another question mark for the richest Board around.
Osman Saimuddin writes an interesting piece as a cricket traveller here, though it is more as a traveller than a cricket journalist. But it is what makes cricket (and cricket tours) fascinating for me.
The Tendulkar- Wisden controversy seems really ridiculous, and unless I am totally lost, half the alleged statements have not even been made by Wisden. While Sambit Bal tries to make sense of it all here, there's another attacking and, might I add, biased piece here.

94* and...

aaaarrrghhh.... Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is in some mood to day. It is as if he is out to prove a point to anyone and everyone, and seems very intent on doing do.

Ouch! Another premeditated hit, a six, and it landed sqaure on a cameraman's head. Boy that hurt. At least 10 people around me in different parts of the office went "ooohhh...." seeing the guy getting hit.
The perils of being in a cricket ground.

Viru

Sehwag has just been dismissed, and we can all breathe again. An absolutley stunning innings of 74 off 40 balls, which was sheer murder for the fielding side. I have lost count of the number of times I, or somene else around me, has said "He's mad!"
The first six off Sami was so casual- no respect for the fact that this was the fastest bowler in the series- almost all the shots just rocketed to the fence, except the few exquisite cuts to the third man and flicks on the leg.
Exhilirating stuff.
And now Ganguly dada has come in.

Weekend

Net-less, cable cricket-less weekend, and I missed every ball of the India Pakistan ODI, Hinds and Chanderpauls' great performances, South Africa's shaky start to the series against a not so strong West Indian XI, which it would seem shall be back to full strength (though that has not been too effective off late), and missed the race even though I had the feed at home.

Ganguly jokes (mostly unfunny, few hilariously so) are the highlight of my inbox. Ganguly bashing has, of course, become some sort of a trend- as happens so often with praise, and especially criticism, in India. Trust Sambit Bal to come up with a more balanced (and respectful, I might add) take on the issue.

I finally found out how (or rather, why)the Aussies score the other way around. I had presumed it was the desire to be different and thumb it to the old country, but I guess not.
Another ill informed American take on cricket here, resourcefully found by Mike here.

Both of which combine to remind me, I should find out how exactly they started calling it soccer.

Carib cricket

In a refreshing surprise, the South Africans were jolted into the realisation that they could well have a fight on their hands in this Caribbean tour. Destined to always be the unglamorous hero, Chanderpaul made his way to what seems another doughty hundred, as is his wont.

Wavell Hinds putting up his hand when the team, and West Indian cricket, so desperately needed it is a really commendable act. To learn that he is the Vice Pres of the WIPA just makes it more of an achievment. One can only imagine what sort of pressures and distractions he has been through recently. With the senior pros looking sure to return by the next Test, I hope this entire mess is cleaned up in the best way possible- on the field.