And now the biggest game of the group B, the marquee game and much hyped game of the tournament which was in the news all way around since Jan end. The build up to this game was awesome. It came to the limelight when the game got shifted to Bangalore after Eden Gardens was not ready. Then a couple of days before the spectators got a police baton hit in the lineup to the tickets. And then it was the ICC displeasure over the tickets fiasco and the typical English media rambling on how failing is the world cup organization.
But what to follow was nobody's guess. India were expected to stream roll the opposition on basis of form and history in the country and abroad.
Sehwag living dangerously to a slow start by Tendulkar to missed 3 chances in the first over -- it all happened in the first few overs of the game. What followed was a superb batting display by India until 46th over when the scoreline read 3 / 305.
India looked set to go till 350 or even more. Tendulkar made record 5th World cup 100, Gambhir showed form, more importantly Yuvraj played a free flowing innings and the myth about Swann and Anderson was busted.
All till Tim Bresnan came back in the attack. What seemed like routine dismissals trying to hit the ball into the stands turned alarming when the rest of batting collapsed to 338 from 3/305. To add injury to the salt, the last run Zaheer and Munfa ran was short and in the end that was the difference between the tie and an Indian victory. Full credit to Tim Bresnan to take 5-for on a flat docile wicket.
Indians were confident of a victory when they came out to bowl because no other team had chased 338 in a world cup and in India. What transpired was shocking and something that exposed Indian bowling. Fielding of course. The bowling was bad no doubt, but English batsmen were lucky too. The balls when they were beaten, raced to 4s. When Strauss failed to pickup a Chwala googly, it ran to boundary.
What to say of the shocker UDRS decision which in the end was match turning one. What if Bell was ruled out LBW in that review when he was on 17? Would still England have come close to a win? Still a match winning almost partnership would have ensured later? None knows, but for sure one fact is clear UDRS is flawed and India have been on the recieiving end of it most times, so they are right in reluctance to use and oppose it the way they have been doing.
The bowling was ridiculously inept, the ball showed no signs of turn the way it did on that warmup game evening vs Australia. The same lad who took 4 that day was pastered yesterday.
It took a Zaheer master class to take 2 on 2 to bring India back into the game when the match looked well lost and people had started leaving. And then the English collapse started. We were singing the songs of English being the new chokers and the fact that England dont know how to win a ODI as they are content with the Ashes.
Collingwood, Bell, Strauss, Prior and Yardy were dismissed soon and it seemed formality for an Indian victory. But Swann and Bresnan had other plans. They hit 2 sixes in that Chawla over and then Ajmal Shehzad hit Munfa for a 6 off 3rd ball. That brought Eng back to the game.
Strauss played a untypical English ODI innings, they had forgotten to play ODIs off late but yesterday's Strauss 100 was their best and that outclassed Tendulkar's 120. How many days does it happen?
India got out of the jail and are still undefeated. They have 3 points and are on the top of the table. England are due to play Ireland next and then South Africa. I'd bet England win both games and India play Holland and Ireland next. So it would be a touch and go between this 2 teams to occupy the top slot and play NZ in the QF.
India has to get its bowling attack worked up and the fielding improved. Agree with Dhoni that bowling can be improved. India has not got the worst bowling attack like it showed up on that night, yes there is a scope of improvement and easy 2 games should give the bowlers some confidence ahead of key clash with South Africa and West Indies. Munaf Patel is certainly not the right man to bowl the last overs. But unless India doesnt play 3rd seamer in Nehra, the options available for the skipper is limited.
Harbhajan Singh needs to find that belief as a strike bowler. Zaheer was awesome in last spell, but he has to be the same through out the game. Munaf has to be completed bowling before the end overs and Chawala if he plays again, he needs to be confident.
India needs a bowler who has pace and consistency to take wickets. Sreesanth has pace, but he has a lot of flair for drama, leaking runs and antics something we dont want. Nehra is unfit and Ashwin is good to play for IPL. Ishant Sharma has not yet come good in the ODIs, so the options for India in One days in fast bowling are very narrow and deplete. Praveen Kumar is out injured.
No point in pessimism and abusing the team. The same team has got us victories in away conditions, home conditions. And there is no reason why they cannot. They need some good games with the ball and they need wickets. They need some luck which would ensure that when they beat the batsman, the balls dont run to the boundaries or they dont get bad deals from the umpire or the UDRS.
The batting has to be on top and it is actually. Given the easy nature of games ahead, Pathan can be replaced with Raina at 7 to give him some confidence and ensure he is match fit for crucial games ahead. He is a better bowler than Pathan and of course a better fielder. Given the flexibility Indian batting lineup has below 3 or 4, Raina can be accomodated in the batting lineup at the expense of Pathan or resting some crucial player in the next 2 games.
This game has setup a good advert for the 50 over game and set up fascinating contest later this year in England in both tests and ODIs. One of the best ODI games in recent times even though the wicket was horribly flat and useless.
