Cricket: Hosts win series.

I think my snap needs an update.

I wont read much into last two series which India won. They may have between a decent and a ordinary team but there is not much home to right about. There is an obvious delight that Ganguly has made a "come back" then again he has to repeat it again in World Cup perhaps all over again. I am not considering India as the most likely team that will win the world cup. The Men in Blue winning the world cup looks anything but optimistic. The team to foray are New Zealand (NZ) South Africa( SA) Pakistan (Pak), U don't need to put in Australia coz they have all the keys and key players to world cup. This is what makes them a good defender. Lets hope they do.

Yesterdays match.

It was the decider, the last ODI for India before they go for calypso World Cup. The media made it the match .... that wasn't quiet there. India won the toss, and elected to chase. It is a for gone strategy now that if India wins the toss they will invariable chase. The hype about India match is not quiet there as it was a year back, owing to some ordinary performances. One could easily exchange ordinary by shocking, the point is they did not win not only that they lost no opportunity to resign at every encounter. It was truly awful.

Sri Lankan first innings.

The amazing inconsistent bowling of Agarkar is nothing short of phenomenon. I don't think it is a smart idea to get him to start the innings first up. He is a great first change bowler and they must bring him on only after the first dozen of overs or so. He started with Jayasuriya licking his lips and wanting to just do what he does best, whack the leather of the Indian bowling, he almost succeeded till he played a rash shot and Utthappa control his emotions and held on to a smart catch. Then a couple of more wickets. Jayawardene the Lankan captain is so hell bent on innovations that he is busy innovating ways to get out. He comes in too late down he should be two down and let things revolve around Attapattu.

Chamara Silva found himself in a weird position he along with Tillekratne Dilshan helped SL back on the track and build moment towrads a very good total under the circumstances. They were obviously helped by the lack of some lack lustre. Harbhajan needs to grind in a bit and has to be taken more seriously. Dravid could throw him a challenge by brining him early may be first change. Lankan may have profusely thanked Harbhajan and Agarkar to help build momentum to set a good target.

Indians could not reigning in the momentum even after taking wickets and they have to find ways to control the scoring rate other wise they will find themselves on looking down the barrel just before the cannon is about to fire.Chamara Silva gutted it out and dealt in boundaries only nearing a maiden ODI century he thanked almighty and may have prayed to get to play Indian attack more and more. Indians were set the target of just under 260. The Lankans managed a very very good rate even after the top order was gutted manly due to over ambition rather than brilliant bowling.

Indians begin the Chase.

Sehwag opened with Ganguly and Ganguly retired just before the over was completed. Robin Uthhappa take guard and started essay one more slam bamb and whack to all parts of Vizag the hook against over styled and much hyped Malinga over long leg for six was a tremendous hit. He set the pitch on fire by smashing fours all over the ground and racing to a 33 fall fifty. I think he needs to prune in on his shot making. The thing which would have made Virender give an acknowledging smile. If I were Sehwag I would have looked at Utthappa very closely and see what he does with his feet.

Let me explain. All sports are about balance, the indoor one as well as out door once. Balancing is crucial to Mechanical Engineering too. anyways we may not dwell much into ME. The point being good work while batting helps in balance depending upon the shot which is chosen to play. A good balance means the head and so the eyes are static position and power or timing or both could be control when playing.
If Jayawardene is hell bent on innovation then Sehwag seems to go a step further and may be file a patent to get the copyrights for his dismissal. He would have cried as there was a century in the taking. It would have boosted his confidence but at least for now he is on boost of over confidence and a cavalier attitude. Man U are not indispensable.

Then there was a little spurt of wickets but the cartwheeling of wickets stopped when Prince of Kolkatta and Prince of Indian batting came together for chasing the target. The two left handers just turned the table on its head and blasted every bowler out of the attck with the very flambouyant Bhandara being creamed all over the place. Tendulkar would have taken couple of notes down out here. uvraj is simply brilliant in domestic conditions, even though he may be a little suspect of his spin playing abilitie, but there was no serious challenge offered. The only offer was to hit boundaries as they went of barging ahaed like a storm and India vistory seemed "well with in range". Yuvraj not wanting to drag the match to long hit four fours and asix all in one over to script home a good series win for Indian something they may have taken lot of heart from but it still does not convince me if they can script a WC 2007 win.

-x-

Aussie let things slip just at wrong time.

Well well well as I sit an write the second edit I gladly read on rediff that Aussies are no more the Number ones. I mean I don't want to shrug it off and be mean. The Aussies have been truly great and One has to give up parochial feeling and just watch them play. Each of the defeat they have had is actually a tribute to how they play. If some team has to beat them, the Aussies make sure it is a superlative performance of the team of the player or both. If one wishes to chalk out a few names in the last 5 years of so then names like Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan, Dravid (at times :) ) then Lara, Flintoff, Pietersen, Bond and MacMillan come to mind.

There is no doubt that these players are one in a generation player and they do cherish beating Aussies. These are a few more players but as of now not on my mind. The Aussie have been great models on consistency and they play hard ball. The things have not ben so rosy in ODI arena this year and things may change and Aussies may not go into WC 2007 as favourites and actually pull of the Cup. They can always do that but now teams are making note of few points and hope fate will be in their favour.The key players are missing but one may have imagined Aussies defending 337. They could not and atleast for now Kiwis must savour the moment coz David has slain Goliath as off now.

Review of Chappel-Hadlee series.

I love cricketing traditions. The naming of series after former players like Border and Gavaskar trophy and things like those are a very rich tribute to the former greats. The Aussies went to NZ with an ordinary performance in the tri series and Fleming and co may have already had their P-D-C-A sheet ready.

A Bond or the Bond? anwyasy Bond blew them away in the first ODI as Aussies were skittled out for 148 (One hundred and forty eight only) it may have been a fluke but then NZ romped home with a steam rolled ten wicket victory. It was first time in history of Aussie cricket that they lost by 10 wickets.it was first time in 22 years that Kiwis manged a first wicket partnership of over 100. Lou Vincent amazing.
The second match saw the Aussie romping 337 runs of the kiwis and plundered Kiwi bowling in the death. Hussey who has been so very good did all the damage and the worst was to follow. The Aussies set 337 to win.
The chase begin in bizzare fashion as early wickets feel before a partnership was strung together to make a base to launch an assault.

The Aussies were assault by a burly on and off MacMillan who just struck thunder bolts and Fulton managed to be calm and composed and did well to rotate the strike. Then McCullum who is perhaps the best finishers of the game hooked McGrath into the stands and bought NZ a famous Series win.

The Aussies will go favourites in the wold cup but the aura of invincibility will be missing.