Aussies loose their aura

Few moments from now SA would become 1^st team in 17 yrs to beat Australia in Australia. Good achievement. But a bit unfair too. This Australian team is weak, jaded, tired and unsure of its domination. The batsmen aint clicking, the senior players aint ready to go and the bowling attack looks club standard with injuries to Lee along with his marital troubles. Clark is injured, Johnson looks the only bowler who can take wickets consistently. Unfair becos it was India who ran through the Aussies close 2 times down under and were Bucknored every time in Sydney. 2004, it was Steve Waugh and Bucknor who took the test away from India and then in 2008 it was again Benson and Bucknor who with their shocking decisions closed the door on Indians.

Its unfair for India that a team from nowhere comes and wins the series in Australia whereas we should have been the team who should have got the honors. We always have run close to Aussies in their prime in 2001, 2003, 2004 and then in 2008. When they had the likes of Waugh brothers, Langer, Martyn, Gilchrist, McGrath and Warne, we gave them close fight barring 1999. Yet due to either umpiring decisions or due to some other reason we couldn’t finish them off in their own backyard.

And now with chokers Safs walking away with the credit, its unbearable for a pro India fan to digest this. May be time for gulping some Hajmolas to digest the rubbing. May be its time for Australian selectors to be ruthless and cut the feathers of over aged players, strip Ponting of the captaincy and show the door to Symonds, Hayden. Find a fast bowler and find a spinner who has 5-10% capabilities of Warne. No part timers like Hauritz or White. A full fledged traditional spinner.

Aussies end their supremacy tonite with a defeat in MCG, which perhaps would also see SA as # 1 team in the world. For me not, its INDIA. We didn’t play Bangladesh 4 times, we didn’t win against any meek opposition. Wins against Australia 3 times, England and South Africa counts much. Blip in SL was a distraction of the vision to be the BEST in the world. Come end 2009 we shall right be there. On the top in all forms of the game.

A long Good Bye For hayden

Time to say Good bye Haydos......

Thanks for the memories and thanks for the entertainment!!

For us you would always remain the flesh in the eye for robbing us of the 2003 World Cup....

SL snubs Pakistan too ??

That’s what you call double catastrophe. After royale Indian snub, most likely Lankans are also planning to drop Pakistan in lurch……All cos Arjuna Ranatunga was sacked. Good idea right now for Pakistan would be to have a domestic cricket tourney with ex-international players led by Shoaib Malik, the ICL dump led by Inzamam Ul Haq and terrorist team led by anybody out of LeT or Huji or any militant organization flourishing in Pakistan………

.Srilanka is unlikely to tour Pakistan with authorities reconsidering the decision of sacked Cricket Board Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga to support India's stance of not touring that country following the recent terror attacks in Mumbai

"We follow a pro-India policy. We know the circumstances in which the Indian tour to Pakistan was called off. The tour (of Sri Lanka to Pakistan) is unlikely," top sources said.

When contacted, Sri Lankan Sports and Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge said he would hold discussions with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the issue. "We are reconsidering the decisions taken by Arjuna Ranatunga," Lokuge said adding that the Foreign Ministry would also be consulted on the proposed tour.

And this is not worse, ICL and IPL are also planning to dump Pakistani players out of their leagues…..So no cricket for them!!! All their bloggers could do is have a wishful thinking of a fight between Sachin or Dravid and Dhoni or Yuvraj………….

GOD save Pakistan cricket and may it provide some relief to the beleaguered PCB with some decent cricket………May be invite BD for a Test series or Zimbabwe for an ODI series…..

India in 2008

The Indian season for the year 2008 is over. It has been a great year for India in both forms of the game. ODIs and Tests. The world champs in T20 lost the only game they played in Australia. Luckily there was no rush to put in more T20Is in the home series against England and Australia.

The best moment in ODIs came when India won the CB series in Australia in March 2008 with Sachin Tendulkar scoring a 1^st hundred in Australia in ODIs and 3^rd of the tour. Never before any Indian team had won the tri series in its 30 years of existence in Australia. What made it more pleasant was the fact that this was the last version of the CB series. And India would always remain the champs. Beating Aussies in their own backyard perhaps began their slide in Tests. May be, may be not.

If that victory wasn’t enough, the even sweeter moment came in November 2008 when India beat Aussies 2-0 in home series for the first time. Aussies suffered their heaviest loss in 26 years and were snubbed out totally. India lost the services of Anil Kumble and Saurav Ganguly. Sachin Tendulkar had a great run in Tests and ODIs in whatever games he played. Rahul Dravid suffered a slump in the form before making a steady 136 in Mohali which could prolong his career. Laxman ’s love affair with Aussies continued with 2 100s against them, including 3^rd in Sydney and one double in Delhi.

Dhoni ‘s captaincy entered a surreal honeymoon, Yuvraj Singh flattered to deceive for most part of the year until the tour game in Hyderabad vs Australia when he scored a 100 and since then never looked back scoring back to back 100s in Odis vs England and 2 50s in Tests. Young guns in ODIs were flop and it was left to the experienced hands of Viru, Dhoni and Gambhir to achieve the success in ODIs. Bowling attack looked rock solid with Zaheer and Ishant Sharma developing into a very strong bowling unit, best in years India had after 1996-97 when Srinath and Prasad achieved lot of success in England and South Africa. Zaks and Ishant excelled in Sri Lanka, though didn’t have wickets to show up. Ishant had a great tour of Australia with Ponting falling to him consistently. Zaheer managed to win MoM and MoS awards including one today vs England. He not only did mark a great comeback out of injury, but also played a role of senior pro to perfection. 3 short of 200 wkts in Tests and 200+ in ODIs is very good achievement for this lanky fast bowler.

Viru’s 319 in Chennai against SA, Saurav’s 87 in Kanpur, Sachin ‘s 103 vs England, Dravid ‘s 93 in Perth, Viru ‘s 201 in Galle and 151 in Adelaide, Laxman ‘s 100 in Sydney along with Gambhir ‘s amazing run of consistency were the batting highlights in Tests. Opening partnerships in Tests never looked like an issue and after years of round the clock chipping with opening partnerships ,India found one great pair in Gambhir and Viru.

The man of the year for Indian cricket has to be the Delhi lad : Gautam Gambhir who scored 1000 runs in both forms of the game and excelled against top opposition – Australia and England. No cheap wkts for Mishra and Bhajji, no BD series for India to come in next few years, no fear of life in Pakistan, India must look forward to a great 2009 with the World T20 coming up in England followed by a tour of NZ – the only place where India is yet to win a test this decade (given NZ composition a 2-0 win should be a possibility) and home series against relatively easier oppositions like SL and WI should be easy cake walk……

India deserve to be ranked 2^nd in world in both forms of game, alas the rankings favor SA who after beating BD 4 times of 4 this year sit on # 2 slot in the Test rankings. And they are rightly so.

Why no usage of flood lits for Mohali Test ?

To avoid all this why didn’t the BCCI and ECB opt for usage of flood lights when BCCI knows that in winter the mornings in North India are foggy and cold. Plus the sun sets early.

10.20am Latest news, the umpires will look again in 10-15 minutes time. The light isn't good enough yet, but it's slowly getting better. The players are out in the middle preparing. So it's still a waiting game.

10.15am Still waiting for a word on the start time, it doesn't look like we'll underway at 10.30 like yesterday. I will try and bring you news in a moment.

10.05am The fog continues to lift, albeit slowly, and we still don't have a start time. A few players out on the outfield warming up, but with plenty of layers on as it's quite chilly.

9.50am "I don't understand why England has given up and will now be playing for a draw??," says Saurabh. "Understandably their position is not the best, but wouldn't fighting and playing to win the game will be a way to go?" Indeed, they were odd comments from Pietersen but it's refreshing, in a way, to here an international speak the truth. He didn't sound best pleased after his lbw decision, either.

The future world order........

No no no. Africans dont deserve it. Aussies have to be humbled just by Indians. Nobody else. They cant be # 1. We have to be there. We have humbled Aussies consistently -- even when they were strongest in the world, even when they are on decline. Safs are chokers and today's win might improve the image a bit, but then the world beaters tag has to be with us.

We are the best in the world and the rankings should show up. Even if it doesnt we would still feel to be the BEST. Bring on anybody. We would beat them hands up. Be it Lankans now in India or Windies or NZ (the next 3 to tour India)...And yes no minnows please.

India
Australia
England
South Africa

The future world order........

Rahul Dravid makes it....A Hundred!!

Go march on MAN. Get back the runs, get back the coveted title. Get back the groove. Get back the Elite. Get back the spree of hundreds and treat us with your silken drives....

Might not be pretty, may be its scratchy or lucky, the runs matter, the 2 or 3 figures matter, no one would remember if you got 40 and if it was very fluent or if you got a 140 and it was a scratchy. All matters is the contribution you make to the team's cause and the conditions you bat in. Many times you might not score runs as you might like, but you might neutralise the bowler on fire or the pitch's tricks....

Dont know if Dravid would carry on after Mohali and would retire on a high. Dont know whats in his mind. He has been a changed man after the 2007 World Cup failure. Skipped the captaincy after a hughe high of beating England in England 1-0 after 21 years. Since then he has lost his place in ODIs, struggled in Tests and since last 2 Tests suffered huge loss of form.

And then there you go....Hundred for Dravid....26th of his career, 4th against England, 2nd of the year. One of my wishlists come true....Now next a big partnership with SRT -- the next :)

Way to go RD......Congrats for the 100 and carry on!!!

Dravid saves his career

A slow 150 ball 50 perhaps helps Dravid save his career for at least a tour. This should give the man some confidence.

He should carry on tomorrow, forge a big partnership for 3rd wkt with his favorite Tendulkar, score a career boosting 100, hit back at the critics and ask them to fuck off.....

The TEST batsman of year for India has certainly been Gautam Gambhir who began his revival from Lanka series, when all other big shots failed. 3 of the 4 hundreds coming against likes of Australia and England in 4 Tests is no mean achievement.

He is one find of the year for India in both forms of game.....Rock on Gauty!!!

Great Leveller and 4 Batsmen on decline..............

Cricket is a game of great leveler. If a day you fly high, the next day in a test match you are back to ground. That’s what happened to Viru Sehwag. If he set up the historic Indian chase on 4^th day of Chennai Test, then today he fell for 0. A harsh irony indeed.

4 Strugglers are occupying the crease right now in different parts of world. They are :

1. Rahul Dravid

2. Mathew Hayden – has fallen. Perhaps has also fallen for last time. Is that the end of the Big Matt ?

3. Ricky Ponting – Duckling in the first innings : )

4. Jacques Kallis – Made a 63, but never looks intimidating against top class teams.

4 of this millenium’s prolific batsmen on their way out.

Tidbits all round the cricketing world

So finally the tour to Pakistan has been called off. That was just a formality. I have been a vociferous supporter of this even before 11/26.

Some things never change......in context of pure cricketing sense. All around the world....

Dont agree, have a glance :

1. Dravid's failures. Once a wall ran out of runs and we ran short of brickbats for him. Now the latest buzz is that he would be batting down the order. Laxman for # 3 ?




2. South Africa would be perennial and eternal chokers. They would always speak high about their preparations, their plans, talk absurd of somebody being informer n spy to them, their pace attack, their ambition to go # 1...When it comes to deliver the talk on the field when it matters the most, they choke. 234/3 to 243/8.




3. English media. Anything English is too good for them. Chauvinistic even in modern age. Living in feudal times. Anything scored against England would be huge for them. Be it Smith's 154 in Edgbaston or 103 by Tendulkar in Chennai (Athers calls Madaras)...India vs Australia wont matter much to them. A win and they feel they are ready to take on the Aussies only to end up 0-5.




4. Sri lanka 's eternal love for minnows. If ODIs with Zim when they were embarrased in last 3 ODIs were not enuf, then now what follows a Test series with BD and a tri series with Zim as 3rd team :). They scrapped England tour, agreed for BD tour...meaning more cheap runs and more wkts for M&M. hell, Mahela even bothers to speak to motivate his team against BD.....Wonder has SL confidence came down to this level ? I hate M & M. They pushed Saurav and Anil to retirements.


5. Dilip Vengsarkar's tounge. Continues to remain loose and suffer verbal diaorrhea. Now he questions awarding Mohali the 2nd Test. And he also put a ? on exclusion of some Rahane and Dhawal Kulkarni from Mumbai for central contracts. Ok dude, you love Mumbai cricket but then there should be a criteria to judge the players on quality. Just cos a player hails from your state, he should be given a contract ? Will you accept me in your academy ? I am from MH and have worked in Mumbai for 2 years....Ok if not Mumbai then in Pune, i hv been here for 4 years now........Deal ?

Michael Johnson is the new BOWLER who has now come of age for Australia. Can he step into the mould of McGrath ? Time will tell. But then the signs are omnious....

WI is playing NZ and nobody is bothering.

If there is one team which has been the team of year in every form of game in 2008, then it is INDIA. Wonderful results all the way except SL loss. Victories, home and away. What more you need ?

भारत का क्षीण होता स्पिन akraman

दिलीप प्रेम्चंद्रण ने भारत के क्षीण होते स्पिन अक्रामन के बारे में एक सटीक टिपण्णी लिखी हे । अनिल कुंबले के संन्यास के बाद भारत का स्पिन आक्रमण अपनी धार खो रहा हैं। किसी को यह अस्चर्या नही होना चाहिए यदि मोहाली में भारत ३ तेज गेंदबाजो के साथ मैदान में उतरे।

हरभजन अपने जिम्मेदारियों को निभा पाने में असफल रहे हैं। उनकी बल्लेबाजी निखर रही हैं, परन्तु उनकी गेंदबाजी में २००१-०३ जैसा पैनापन नही रहा हे। पिछले ४ सालो में उन्होंने सिर्फ़ २ बार किसी मैच में १० या अधिक विकेट लिए हैं। कुंबले के बाद हमारे पास विश्व स्टार का कोई भी स्पिनर नही हे और यदि हरभजन अपने कर्तव्य को ना निभा पाए तो इससे बुरी बात नही हो सकती क्युकी २००१ के उद्भव के बाद उनसे काफी उम्मीदें लगे जा रही हैं।

अमित मिश्रा को परिपक्व होने में थोड़ा समय लगेगा। इशांत और ज़हीर के रूप में हमे २ टेस्ट गेंदबाज मील गए हैं। विदेशी दौरों पर तीसरा तेज़ गेंदबाज खिलाये या फिरकी गेंदबाज खिलाये, इस सवाल से धोनी को २-४ होना पड़ेगा। और उस परिस्थिथि में हरभजन का बहार बैठना उनके मनोबल के लिए घटक होगा......

History in Chennai

It was a history of sorts created in Chennai today. Perfect man to do the honors. A Mumbaikar and an Indian to do the honors to give us a joy after 11/26. Test cricket won, the spirits of cricket won and so did England too in coming back and playing their best cricket ignoring security issues.

Close to full crowd in last 2 days, the Test cricket won. Nobody spent a tear on cancelation of Champions League. The test cricket returned in the venue of the country which has seen classics like 1986 Tie test, 1999 Test against well Pakistan, 2001 against Australia. And defying the weather and terror threats out of Terroristan the Chennai crowd won once again.

Having being outplayed for 4 days, Indians bounced back in style to win the Test match. This is the pinnacle. Doesnt get better than this. Indians defied the 4th innings jinx, the turning pitch, menacing Flintoff, dangerous Swann, turned Panesar to Warne and won the Test in style.

Yuvraj was the stand out in the 4th innings. Not only he sealed his place for a while in the XI, but also showed sense of urgency after Laxman fell. Indians are fast becoming the supreme Test playing country and they would be the worthy replacement for Aussies as # 1.

And this was set up nicely on day 4 by Virender Sehwag and helped in the morning by good knocks by Gambhir and Laxman, followed by Yuvraj Singh.

But the man who did it today was nobody but Sachin Tendulkar, the GOD of Indian cricket. He was being pressurised to retire post Lankan series. Since then he has hit 3 100s in 5 Tests in India. He was having supposed bad 4th innings record, doesnt play in crunch situations and he is selfish.

The man dedicated this 100 to Mumbai victims. So little and irrelevant is cricket before what happened in Mumbai, but the man rose above the grief and showed the way to the world. I salute the man for his excellence. I know critics (read bloggers) would still raise some doubts and point to flaws of his innings, but then who bothers. Tendulkar is GOD and he has shown it today by his excellent 100, which could be his BEST.

Dhoni led the team, but it was again a team effort. Himself and Bhajji in batting in 1st innings, Zaheer and Ishant in bowling in 2nd innings, Ganbhir, Viru, Yuvraj, Laxman in 2nd innings....Team effort....

Well done Indians and you have made us proud once again, a momentary relief from the immense pain of 11/26. More stuff for the neigbhours to bark on.

We rock, India rocks and so does England. For their spirits, for their resilience and for their love of Test cricket.

English Media on Day 5

English media cannot leave its typical attitude, the rants on the Ashes and the quality of innings of Sehwag played. Here is the media trail :

David Hopps in Guardian

All that planning, all that concentration, all that toil. England had labored for nearly four days to force an impregnable position in the Chennai Test and then along came Virender Sehwag. In his wanton presence, all logic was lost, all outcomes were imaginable. Now anything is possible. England set India 387 to win in a notional 126 overs, a fourth-innings total far in excess of anything achieved at the Chidambaram Stadium. It should have represented absolute security, but Sehwag the batsman is consumed by disobedience. He responded with 83 from 68 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes. India, 131 for one at the close, need 256 on the final day. England's bowlers, Andrew Flintoff apart, were mugged. If Sehwag played like this at Lord's, a shirt-sleeved constable would probably stroll on and serve him an Asbo for rowdiness in a public place. Someone should have told him that the one-day series is over. Such is Sehwag 's reputation that England stationed their best fielder, Paul Collingwood, at third man for the uppish carve. On 26, he hacked through Alastair Cook's hands at gully, the place where Collingwood would normally have been standing. Over-theorizing perhaps.

Sehwag 's disorderly magnificence was entirely out of keeping with an enervating first two sessions in which England moved somberly towards a declaration. Andrew Strauss and Collingwood completed immensely worthy hundreds, all temptation was eschewed and India indulged in shameless timewasting. Harper made a few efforts to chivvy things along, but the umpires generally looked impotent.

Lord Snooty Mike Atherton in Times Online.

Will he ever learn to look at non English stuff with praise and with a neutral’s eye ?

If Test cricket is about sending messages to the opposition, and to a large extent it is, then India and England spent the fourth day of this game sending each other mixed ones. A typically meandering third-innings performance from England contrasted with the most thunderous message of all, which came towards the end of the day from the frenzied blade of Virender Sehwag. His blistering assault on England's bowlers means that both teams return today in the knowledge that all results are possible.

An Indian victory remains the least likely, given that they will have to make more runs to win in the fourth innings than anyone has made in India before, and 232 more than any team have chased successfully in Madras (Chennai). With only seven wickets falling yesterday, a draw is still a possibility, although India do not enjoy batting in a defensive manner. This may play into England's hands since wicket-taking opportunities are more likely to present themselves against batsmen taking a chance or two.

That India have been sucked into a run chase at all today is solely down to Sehwag, who blazed away in exhilarating fashion, so that by the close India had managed to reduce their deficit by 131 in a little under a session's worth of batting. Sehwag fell 17 short of what would have been one of the most brilliant of Test hundreds, but his failure to reach three figures, perishing leg-before while trying to paddle-sweep Graeme Swann to fine leg, should in no way diminish his achievement. There were two other hundreds to celebrate, but Sehwag played the innings not just of the day but of the match.

He played with glorious freedom, unconstrained by the situation, the reputation of the bowlers and the pitch, at one end of which the topsoil is completely worn away. England's batsmen had managed two boundaries throughout the afternoon; within 15 balls, Sehwag had found the rope six times. The merest hint of width outside off stump saw the ball skimming through the arc between backward point and third man, mostly along the ground, and once all the way over the rope for six. If England's plan is to bowl short and wide at Sehwag, it needs revisiting.

To restore some sanity, he acknowledges Indian crowd’s petite for the Test cricket :

Test cricket is a remarkable game because of the speed at which things can change and until the mid-afternoon slackness, England were in total control thanks to an epic performance from Strauss, who added another hundred to his burgeoning collection, and a typically doughty century from Collingwood. Strauss's second hundred of the Test occupied 394 minutes, giving him more than 12 hours at the crease in total. Without match practice for two months, he is making up for lost time. He became the tenth Englishman to score two hundreds in a Test and the seventh to do so against India. It was a feat of extreme endurance and high skill and rarely can he have played better than he did from lunchtime on the first day onwards. The “Little Master” Sachin Tendulkar thought so, too, offering a handshake in congratulation. High praise indeed

Simon Wilde in Times Online says Sehwag is most exciting player on plant just cos he scored runs against England possibly defying them of a sure win.

OPENING the batting in all forms of the international game has to be one of the toughest jobs around. It must take a tremendous mental toll tailoring your game to the many situations these different formats throw up and the recent emotional problems of Herschelle Gibbs and Marcus Trescothick bear testimony to this. Unsurprising, then, that there is something slightly unhinged about the way Virender Sehwag, India's 24/7 opener, goes about his business. He certainly plunged England into shock as he tore into their bowling. Sehwag has not so much pushed the envelope containing the rules on how to open the batting as punch it to shreds. His great gift is synthesis of approach. One minute he is batting as you would expect someone to bat in a Test match, the next he has flicked a switch and has gone into one-day mode, or rather one-day mood, and every ball looks set to end up in the stands.

Earlier this year, on this very ground, Sehwag spent most of the first day of a Test against South Africa batting as though he were in the first powerplay of a one-day game, and raced to the fastest triple- century in Test history. He beat the previous record by a cool 84 balls, so it was something of a Bob Beamon moment. He is also the owner of three of the seven fastest double-centuries in Tests. Like Trescothick and Gibbs, Sehwag has had his ups and downs. He went through a bad trot in one-dayers in 2004 and spent most of last year unwanted in Tests. You could pick a pretty good World XI from people who were not playing Test cricket this time last year, given that Andrew Strauss (this game's twin centurion) was left at home while England were touring Sri Lanka, and Andrew Flintoff was still in the rehab room.

Now, the idea of leaving out Sehwag seems like an act of lunacy. Apart from his huge effort against South Africa, he also made important runs in the series against Australia, but unarguably his finest innings of the year was a double-century in Galle when the rest of the Indian batsmen could make neither head nor tail of Ajantha Mendis. Sehwag 's risk-taking approach seems contrary to his modest background. Raised in Nafargarh, a satellite town of Delhi, as the son of a storekeeper, he might be forgiven for adopting a thriftier approach to his day job. Yet it is actually the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, middle-class children both, who calculate every risk three times over before taking it.

But Sehwag now deserves to be properly recognised for what he is: since the retirement of Adam Gilchrist, the most exciting batsman on the planet.

Intriguing Day 5

Virender Sehwag has set up the day for India to go and capitalize the start. 256 runs needed to score the win and its close to 2.8 runs per over. We have stroke makers in the team with an exception of Rahul Dravid who is now being touted as a night watchman than a WALL. His failures are beyond comprehension. I just couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Sehwag wasn’t given out when he was not. Match over in 3 hrs ?

Gotta make sure we keep runs coming and not bog down. If runs freeze, the chances for victory would freeze too.

Go India Go!!

Pakistan Cricket Board’s unwillingness to guarantee the safety of the players.

The Indian cricket team will not be touring Pakistan early next year but one of the major reasons, apart from the Indian government’s stance in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, was the Pakistan Cricket Board’s unwillingness to guarantee the safety of the players. The PCB had informally made it clear that the security situation in Pakistan was "unpredictable".

Well-placed sources said the Pakistan Board was simply unable to offer convincing arguments to hold the series and had, in fact, been quite candid in its appraisal of the security environment in Pakistan. "There does not seem any way in which security at any of the hotels or even venues can be considered foolproof. The PCB is not very keen on a tour," sources said.

Yet they want us to tour them ? And be a victims of terror on their land too.

Go or not to GO ?

Will Rahul Dravid hang on or retire at the end of the serieS ?

Two Bad decisions

…In an over make a career out of Swann and perhaps might end career of a GREAT WALL………..

Chennai Test, Day 1

As I predicted that this is the test going the Lord’s 2007 way, it came true. After Strauss was dismissed (then and now) England collapsed. 164 for 1 to 229 for 5. Big guns like KP, Colly and Bell failing putting the onus on Freddie and then on Prior to salvage the team to a respectable score.

350 should be a decent score. England were defensive. Hell they scored at a rate of 2.5 runs an over. Just like what Aussies did and see what happened to them. For India too, once the openers are gone, there comes a tendency to slow down and that where the opportunities arise and the floodgates open.

4 more mins to go for 2^nd day s play to begin @ Chepauk. Thank god, no rains till now.

Harbhajan got it right in saying England were defensive. I mean its of no use to be circumspect and cautious in the start to go to 1/164 and then end up the day @ 5/229.

Chennai Test, Day 1, 1st session

The test match got underway in Chennai albeit to scare attendance and zero chances of rain with sunny clear skies. Perhaps heavenly omens for the Test match to happen. Now that it has happened, the wicket played to its true nature off late. Batting beauty with no leeway to the bowlers. England got off to slow start, cautious. 67 runs in 27 overs, with nothing flashy or significant to write about. Bowlers rotated, but no success. Mishra brought in late, something which happens regularly with Dhoni as skipper. Even in Nagpur after the Mohali heroics, the Harayana lad was brought in late. Not much difference though, not that he is a great bowler as of now and would turn it around like Mendis. Has gone for 49 runs in 10 overs. Well that’s not pretty much like AK. AK in his prime until late last year would hold back to runs if not wkts on a flat track. But this lad needs a turner to get a wicket on. That’s why we need a leggie who doesn’t turn the ball much. May be we have been pampered and spoiled for choices after 19 years of Anil Kumble flavors and 619 wkts.

The Test match is shaping like the Lord’s Test 2007 when England got off to flying start only to lose way later in the day and before being Zaked and RP’ed on day 2. Strauss was the man then, as is now. He came from wilderness in the Lord’s and so is now. So is history going to repeat itself ?

Besides what is the use of a flat track ? Its further going to kill the game of cricket in the country. England going strong on 1/138 just half way through the day. The over rate is pretty much decent with 14.x overs per over. Better than what Ponting managed entire month of Nov and Oct or even now.

Cricket resumes in the country

A min more and the first ball would be bowled in the country shocked and ripped by ghastly terror strikes. And amazingly or to my horrors, the mind is still stuck in the 11/26. And the game is not untouched by the happenings either.

9.25am The two teams line up for a moment's silence to remember the tragic losses of the Mumbai attacks

Everything being written about cricket in India post 11/26 involves a mention of the event. The way security has changed, the way the crowds would be keeping away from the game, the way the English have come back to play the Tests, the way IPL and money factor was attributed to the return, some murmur in the neibhouring lands about the double standards over the cricket in India and Pakistan. Everything has a mention of 11/26.

Imagine what Sachin Tendulkar would be going through, a city in which he was born, brought up and lived his life in, was attacked and he must be for sure having one part of his mind in the Mumbai events. So even if we see a below par Indian performance nobody should blame the team. Given the situations, the mood and mindset is just not there.

But since the game has resumed and we being the religious followers of the only ‘TRUE RELIGION’ of INDIA, lets support it in whatever way we can. But it would be very difficult for us to look solely on cricket and not the backdrop of the events. Just too tough. Imagine the mindset of cricketers, one eye on the ball and other one outside the stadium.

God Bless the INDIAN cricket, INDIAN terrain and the country along with its proud citizens.

Let the spirit of humanity and the game resume and triumph …..

Preview to the 1st Test : India vs England

India vs England begins in 2 days and talking from fresh cricket perspective with no backdrop of 11/26, the favorites are India to win fair and square.

Expected scoreline : 2-0 (if no rains in Chennai) or 1-0 (if Chennai is rained out) to India.

Key players to watch for :

From Indian perspective :

1. Yuvraj Singh : needless to mention that this might be a last chance for himself to establish on the Test level. A fair run is essential to be granted to the maverick southpaw.

2. Rahul Dravid : Critics are out to get him. His send-offs are written and just a matter of time they are rolled out in anticipation of a possible retirement announcement. However, this blog supports him to the core and is hopeful that he would bounce back rock solid and hard to the critics. Write him off @ ur perils.

3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni : First Test series as full time captain. No Ganguly and no Kumble. First series in 20 years when India goes to a series without Kumble (excluding his injury breaks) and onus on MSD how he handles Amit Mishra as Anil ‘s replacement.

4. Virender Sehwag : Back to what he does the best. Hammer the bowlers. Primary reason for 5-0 washout in the oDIs, but was overshadowed by majestic hundreds by Yuvraj. Except for one game gave starts in all 5 games. Is one of the top scorer in Tests this year (beside Graeme Smith). A hundred or 2 in the offing.

5. Gautam Gambhir : Back after the Test ban, he would be back on his favorite spot. In form of his life, much depends on the starts he and Viru provide in every innings. Easily on the road of being India’s best opening pair EVER.

From English perspective :

1. Kevin Pieterson : England s captain and best batsman. Got form late in ODIs but made little difference in Cuttack. A lot would depend on the man if England are to show up a good performance out here. Lot of responsibilities off the field too dealing with the security issues.

2. Freddie Flintoff : Back to full fitness (?) and amongst the top 3 batsmen of the England team. First change bowler and a hard hitting batsman at 6 or 7. Would be key with both bat and ball for fortunes of England in the series.

3. Ali Cook : A man who has not hit a single six in international cricket career so far would have lot of responsibility to give a good start to the team with Andrew Strauss. Back in the country where he was rushed to the Test debut 2 yrs back, he would be eyeing few runs in his belt before of course England’s bread and butter series against Aussies begin.

4. Monty Panesar : England win or lose, lot depends on his performance. A lot of promise was showed in his debut in the same country 2 yrs back and with SRT as 1^st Test wicket, would be keen to resume his battle with Tendulkar and Dravid. Would be interesting to see how he balls to Sehwag. If he is able to keep runs in the check and take wkts, he would have done a world of good to his expectations.

Chennai is a spoil sport venue this days. Its been 6 years since a game was played with a result in Chennai (WI, 2002). Since then owing to rains or flat tracks, the games have either being drawn or abandoned. Thanks to the security issues and the ongoing tussle between the BCCI and CAB, Kolkata missed out on hosting the test match.

And with concerns over Mohali too, it would be interesting to see where the second Test is held. Delhi could be one option, Kolkata wont be any, Bangalore could be third.

Let cricket begin with no mention of 11/26. No statements, no over the top opinions on separating terror from cricket, no pointings to the fragile Indian mindset right now and god sake no equating with the country lying in the north west of us. A silence on 11/26 from cricketing point of view is needed. We don’t need to listen what Indian cricketers or English cricketers feel. We must thank England for the resumption of tour in the wake of crisis and security concerns. And for now lets get on with the game. Lets get on with our RELIGION. The one factor that binds entire country and unites it.

Gentlemen PLAY!!!

responsibility of India to tour Pakistan ?

Any post on this blog on cricket in Pakistan is skipped. May be for being politically correct or avoid any controversies. Whatever it is, i find it a bit two edged sword. If somebody other than me writes anything on Pakistan, opinions are penned. Me is skipped. Is it wrong to term or voice my opinion on the current happenings. i feel may be this is a case of saving readership as many Pakistani bloggers visit Indian blogs. Whatever it is, it is a bit disappointing. Leg Slip or cricket files or well pitched -- have openly shown insensitivities on the 11/26 bombings or though they pretend to be sporty blog, they in fact are open forum for anti-Indian rheoteric. I am no political blogger, but as a citizen of this country ripped apart by TERROR, i find it tough to co-relate to them. Tough for me to accept any cricketing ties with them.

It will be the first step towards showing the world that neither the Commonwealth Games nor the World Cup in 2011 needs to be in danger of being taken away from India. Perhaps mixed with the relief will be somewhat warmer feelings towards a neighbor whose cricket has suffered because no one wants to go there.

If India understand the frustration of being an outcast and the joy that comes with acceptance, then they have a responsibility to tour Pakistan next month. Things might change between now and then, but in principle at least India must accept that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Suresh Menon speaks for the responsibility of India to tour Pakistan.

This is a very flawed argument to support the tour Pakistan, which is a terror strife country and is directly accountable for the Mumbai attacks. Several reports, evidences suggest that Pakistan trained and sent the 10 terrorists to carry out 11/26 bombings in Mumbai. We don’t have any responsibility to a country which binges on hatred and spite for us. We cannot be playing cricket with them in their own dynamic militant backyards in an age when a bomb can go off anytime anywhere. More chance of that happening in Pakistan than anywhere else.

In the past bombs have went off outside Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore stadiums – 3 of the supposed venues where India was to play.

There is a lot of difference in the security situation in India and Pakistan. India is a global hub of financial booty for cricket. Pakistan has neither money, nor team to back itself. All it has is AK-47, bombs and free to use terrorists. Why do we need to go and play there ? The players or the reporters home and away, who equate India and Pakistan in same bracket, joke around.

FYI, I am in anguish, anger and despair post 11/26. Cannot expect sane, logic and restraint in this crisis situation. So I would always say NO to any cricket between us and them. Not that my view matters hugely to anybody, but this is what I feel. The outrage and the pics of 11/26 are still afresh and to go and read some fanatic Pakie bloggers justifying the attacks or questioning the claims of terrorists from Pakistan adds fuel to fire. Its an open and shut case. What evidences they are talking about ? Have they ever acted on so many evidences we have provided ? We have told them the brand of lingerie the men behind Mumbai bomb blats (1993) wear, the exact co-ordinates of the terror camps in their own land, yet they speak of no evidence. We cannot play any friendly or unfriendly contests on the 22 yards field.

Cricket is bACK!!

Welcome back England and cricket resumes in an united, aggreviated and angry INDIA.

Elite Eden!!

What an average Pakistani blogger thinks about India as a country and its religion, its cricket and its people including Muslims is evident right here --->http://legslip.com/2008/11/29/ind-pak-cricket-zindabad/

Move aside Wankhede, Chepauk, PCA, Chinnaswamy....When it comes to the tradition and history of cricket in India none other than EDEN GARDENS in Kolkata deserves the limelight. That for you, is the BEST cricket stadium in the country and one of the best in the world in line of MCG and Lord's.

Thanks to the tussle between Jaggu and BCCI regime, the premier ground is yet again barred of the international cricket. Why should Mohali host a 2nd Test in a season ? It would have been a good idea to keep the Nagpur test in Kolkata to bid farewell to its most prodigal son and country s best left handed batsman in his home town. But thats BCCI for you......

Eden garden shud ASAP return back to the international cricket scenario. Jaggu or no Jaggu!!

Pujara not in, Badrinath not out YET!!!

Inclusion of Badrinath over Pujara is a headless chickened stuff and outright example of bias, favoritism, quota system and chauvinsm!! Chief Selector and Badrinath happen to be from same state. And bigger question is what has Badrinath done to be in the squad and what has Chets Pujara not done to be in the squad ? Hitting 3 triple tons in a season half way mark is not enuf for him to be in the team ?

If not then whats sufficient ? Giving away the chances, making 0s, 2s or single digit scores ? Or hailing from the same state from the chief selector ? This is outrageous. Similar to Jaffer when he got aplenty of chances when DBV was chief selector.

Thats narrow minded with no heads applied to the decision. A lot like PCB's Ijaz Butt.....BEsides that the squad is on the expected lines.

Mumbai Marches for Victory over Terror and so does India....

Get on with the GAME!!!

There is cricket or there is no cricket. If you wish to come to play us fine come. Most welcome. No insensitivities please.

And if we dont want to play in your country fine. We wont and we dont want to. Stop clubbing us with you. We aint like you. You thrive on hate, violence, terror. We prosper on peace, love and inaction!!

Stop verbal diaorrhea.

Who bothers ?

Strongly reacting to reports linking Mumbai terror attack to Pakistan, former skipper Rashid Latif on Monday said their cricketers should boycott the IPL and ICL even as pace legend Wasim Akram felt the sport could be a platform to dispel the growing tension between the countries.

Rashid said he was appalled by the manner in which Indian media and government functionaries had tried to implicate Pakistan in the Mumbai attacks.

"What happened in Mumbai is wrong but Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. And it is so unfair the way they are trying to drag us into this incident," he said, adding clear message has to be sent to India that Pakistan was not prepared to accept blind accusations.

"Our players must pull out of the IPL and ICL and send a clear message to the Indians. As it is I have a feeling very soon the extremist elements in India will try to stop our sportsmen and artists from working in India," he said.

He also advised the Pakistan Cricket Board to stop pleading with the Indians to send their team to Pakistan.

"If they can't come to Pakistan then we shouldn't also go there for any cricketing activity. The security situation is the same in Pakistan and India," he said.

Rashid also said if England went ahead with their Tests in India it would show double standards on part of western countries who refuse to tour Pakistan due to security concerns.

Any doubts that he needs psychic treatment ? And as if Yousuf and others are really leaving ICL ? I am sick of this Pakistani rants and blackmailing with the tour. Who needs to tour them and who wants them here ? Stop this kid's play guys. Show us you guys are grown-ups. And not sissy babies.

Bloody Hell

http://www.hotklix.com/?ref=content/152704

Indian army a joke ? Really ? Or is the gentleman kidding out of cynicism ?