At tea on the second day of the ongoing test match between India & Australia anyone would have assumed this match to be a cakewalk for India. With 550 runs on the board and VVS Laxman looking on 160, it was clear that India was planning on batting only once on the Kotla wicket. Yet here we are on day 4 with Australia not only avoiding the follow-on but also looking to bridge the 200-run gap and quickly too. This match is one battinng fest - 4 days, about a thousand runs scored and only 13 wickets taken so far in the match. All this on a pitch that's supposed to favour spin bowling. Talk about ironic!
So what went wrong? Australia batted beautifully, no doubt about that and it didn't help that Kumble was out of the field more than on it and when he did come, he was nursing a nasty injury. But what made the difference was that even with the pitch deteriorating and the ball spinning wildly, India lacked the killer instinct. Was it missing intensity or lack of ideas, there just wasn't a moment in this match where India could take quick wickets.
A couple of days back, it was so easy to say that this match will only have two outcomes - a draw or a win for India. Now, however, it's anybody's game. The odd thing is, India didn't even bowl too poorly. Although yes, there were a few half chances, especially Clarke's lofted shot that just grazed the top of Ishant Sharma's hand. Clarke was on 21 at that time. Perhaps, the score would be much different if India had got him then. Well we'll never know will we?
The upshot of all this is that it has been an interesting test match although as an Indian fan, I was rather hoping India had wrapped this match up (with an innings defeat if possible). Now, unless India manage a miraculous victory out of this, this will be remembered as an australian victory (even if they draw the game). We'll have to wait and see how this match affects the game of the two teams in the next test. This was supposed to be the decider - looks like this one's just a prelude. I think I'd better stay tuned in - the best is certainly yet to come!
Showing posts with label Kumble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kumble. Show all posts
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Reactions of an irate fan!
Well, we really played like footballers or hockey players who are suddenly thrust into a cricket field and asked to play cricket. Granted this is a typical reaction to an Indian loss, but heck! How else do you react?
Talk about being caught on the wrong foot. What was the last three days about? It certainly wasn’t cricket, least not from the Indians and it's not like they can say it was unknown conditions or adjusting to the weather. This is home turf for crying out loud! And we lost by an innings and 90 runs in three days!
I am a huge Kumble fan and he is, according to me, one of the finest cricketers there is but we’ve seen better judgement from the man. He really wasn’t fit enough to play and that showed not just in the way he played but also in the way the team played – an unfit captain is not exactly a good motivation for a team. Of course, there was a fair bit of experience in the side, which should, ideally, have taken on the mantle, so to speak. To give credit, Ganguly did give it a shot in the second innings and Pathan gave it his best in both the innings, he just ran out of partners. And I refuse to talk about the bowling. Like I said, not having Kumble at his best was bound to hurt our chances.
Of course, we shouldn’t discount the efficiency of the Proteas. It was like the two teams played on different pitches. The Indians batted on one that seemed bowler friendly, and the South Africans on one that was batsmen friendly. Dunno whether it was the brilliance of the South Africans or the mediocrity of the Indians. Perhaps both.
As for Gary Kirsten, a pretty uninspiring start. But I guess this is like medicine, you get worse before getting. Pardon me, that wasn’t me guessing, that was me fervently hoping!
Of course, I am also hoping all this distracted playing from the Indians has nothing to do with a certain star-studded event that’s about to start in the next couple of weeks! If so, we may as well hand over the trophy to the South Africans for washing us out!
Prove me wrong please!!
Talk about being caught on the wrong foot. What was the last three days about? It certainly wasn’t cricket, least not from the Indians and it's not like they can say it was unknown conditions or adjusting to the weather. This is home turf for crying out loud! And we lost by an innings and 90 runs in three days!
I am a huge Kumble fan and he is, according to me, one of the finest cricketers there is but we’ve seen better judgement from the man. He really wasn’t fit enough to play and that showed not just in the way he played but also in the way the team played – an unfit captain is not exactly a good motivation for a team. Of course, there was a fair bit of experience in the side, which should, ideally, have taken on the mantle, so to speak. To give credit, Ganguly did give it a shot in the second innings and Pathan gave it his best in both the innings, he just ran out of partners. And I refuse to talk about the bowling. Like I said, not having Kumble at his best was bound to hurt our chances.
Of course, we shouldn’t discount the efficiency of the Proteas. It was like the two teams played on different pitches. The Indians batted on one that seemed bowler friendly, and the South Africans on one that was batsmen friendly. Dunno whether it was the brilliance of the South Africans or the mediocrity of the Indians. Perhaps both.
As for Gary Kirsten, a pretty uninspiring start. But I guess this is like medicine, you get worse before getting. Pardon me, that wasn’t me guessing, that was me fervently hoping!
Of course, I am also hoping all this distracted playing from the Indians has nothing to do with a certain star-studded event that’s about to start in the next couple of weeks! If so, we may as well hand over the trophy to the South Africans for washing us out!
Prove me wrong please!!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Cricket on Sale – what’s your bid!
It’s been a disgusting day and only threatens to get worse. If you really like your cricket, then I am sure you’ll have been as sick as I have been watching news flashes all day.
Dhoni bought for highest – Chennai 6 Cr. Hayden bought for 2 Cr. Kumble base price – 1 Cr highest bid – 2 Cr. Preity Zinta’s Mohali bought Kumara Sangakkara for 1.8 Cr. Need I say more? I have grown up watching some of these icons. I wouldn’t even dream of referring to their cricket cards (the small postcard thingies you get as freebies) in such a derogatory manner and here you have newshounds making them sound like brothel pick-ups. I very nearly parted with my lunch when I read the news flash on Kumble and Gilchrist.
What’s the point of this? Are we supposed to be impressed with the monies involved? Are we supposed to get orgasmic about the oh-so-marvellous union of Bollywood and Cricket? Perhaps we should all cheer the EPL clone for the game of cricket. I suppose there is a population that is applauding this appalling auction of some of the finest cricketing talent of this century - a bid n win game on cricketing legends.
As somewhat of a traditionalist I am quaking at what it will do for the game. To me a Gilchrist or a Hayden will remain an Australian and I am not going to enjoy watching them don a Chennai or Bangalore cap. So much of watching cricket is culture. To me, each of these nations has its bearing, way of playing, attitude all of which is integral to the functioning and game of that individual nation. Perhaps this will become as legendary as EPL (English Premiere League), but I for one am not holding my breath. I am hoping this is some bizarre nightmare that I’ll hopefully be jolted out of.
Dhoni bought for highest – Chennai 6 Cr. Hayden bought for 2 Cr. Kumble base price – 1 Cr highest bid – 2 Cr. Preity Zinta’s Mohali bought Kumara Sangakkara for 1.8 Cr. Need I say more? I have grown up watching some of these icons. I wouldn’t even dream of referring to their cricket cards (the small postcard thingies you get as freebies) in such a derogatory manner and here you have newshounds making them sound like brothel pick-ups. I very nearly parted with my lunch when I read the news flash on Kumble and Gilchrist.
What’s the point of this? Are we supposed to be impressed with the monies involved? Are we supposed to get orgasmic about the oh-so-marvellous union of Bollywood and Cricket? Perhaps we should all cheer the EPL clone for the game of cricket. I suppose there is a population that is applauding this appalling auction of some of the finest cricketing talent of this century - a bid n win game on cricketing legends.
As somewhat of a traditionalist I am quaking at what it will do for the game. To me a Gilchrist or a Hayden will remain an Australian and I am not going to enjoy watching them don a Chennai or Bangalore cap. So much of watching cricket is culture. To me, each of these nations has its bearing, way of playing, attitude all of which is integral to the functioning and game of that individual nation. Perhaps this will become as legendary as EPL (English Premiere League), but I for one am not holding my breath. I am hoping this is some bizarre nightmare that I’ll hopefully be jolted out of.
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