Cricket: Review India vs England

I think this would be one result that both the teams would accept, unwillingly. The two teams converged to the result courtesy some excellent play some poor effort by both the teams at different times. You know you have seen a magnificent knock when Tendulkar’s ton is worthily over shadowed. Andrew Strauss cut and swept his way to a brilliant 158, sad he could see it through.

Batting too good, bowling too bad.

You cannot win a marathon with legs tied. If be pack our batting order with batsmen then we should back to get to any score. Dhoti winning second toss is succession was his consecutive win of tosses, a rarity in recent past.
I wonder having packed sides with batting first, you would want to chase because you know the bowling is week. I mean we scored 338 and the match got tied courtesy a poor finish. We didn’t even completed our quota of over and last seven wickets went for 33 runs. The highest point of the game for Indians was when Tendulkar raised his bat to a fighting century after that it was pretty a spiral downwards till the point Zak trapped Strauss leg before.

Bowling attack consisted of three and a half bowlers.

Indians have traditionally had weak bowling attacks. We are now compelled to use filling bowlers to make ends meet. But going with four bowlers where each bowler can bowl maximum 10 overs is stretching optimism that bit (delta) too much. If a bowlers have an off day you are doomed and if you are defending a sub 250 score then prayers will get you more results then acts on the field. This is where Pakistan are so good, have always found to play 6 bowlers at times 7, and at least five of them having ability to bowl their 10. It is a huge advantage. South Africa too invariably have more than one all rounder. Aussies have been anomaly where they field four really specialist wicket taking bowlers, with very good fielding, the dearth of fifth bowler is hardly felt. Poms have various kinds of batting and bowling all rounder, Collingwood, Bresnan, Wright Broad. If these four play, we can expect at least 35 overs from them and ability to score 100 runs run at run a ball. Invaluable.

Flat, flatter; flattest.

Place the words pitch, bowling, skill, appropriately in the preceding sentence. I would place it a flat pitch, flatter bowling, flattest skill. I mean how many cover drives did we see Strauss playing against all the combined bowling. I don’t remember more than three. He was fed with deliveries, which he kept either cutting or sweeping, taking the slip of the equation. The fielding placement was done in a manner, which encouraged both stroke play and singles. Zaheer bowled perhaps the worst opening spell of the season. He was feeing batsmen on both sides of wicket, preferably short obliging what batsmen set their eyes for. It was incredulous. Bhajji is approaching 400 test wickets, no mean feta, off all people Bhajji should now that best chance for him to get wickets is extending an invitation for batsmen to drive him through the covers, it brings in the LBWs, bowled, edges, caught behinds. The most shots I remember seeing off Bhajji were cut and sweeps no invitation offered to play the drive, Chawla finding his way back had ideal opponents in Poms, any other side would have ensured Chawla hit out of the attack. I mean imagine same bowling attack and we bowling fist against teams like Pakistan or South Africa the top teams in this competition. There are reasons beyond this it is an observance that the muscle in the bowling won more matches then magnificence of batting. Sachin Tendulkar’s whole career bears eye wtiness to this fact. The cricket matches are won by restricting the opposition and taking wickets is the only way to do that.

Batting order need a rejig.

Gambhir, Kohli or Pathan much be dropped to make way for another bowler, the problem is which bowler will replace them and bowl line and lengths with discipline and claim wickets or put pressure to ensure wickets at other end. Pathan did make a century in South Africa but for him to be effective he must come when there are 12 to 15 ovrs where he can get in. The finish role will have to be done by Dhoni coz Yuvraj is also off the boil, with the best form seem to have deserted him. But I hope this 50 is welcome return to form for Yuvraj following couple of ordinary seasons.

Tendulkar’s ton out shone.

Strauss superlative effort out shone a very good Tendulkar century. There is little doubt that if Sachin bats 40-45 overs he would get a century. His century was full of attacking stokes though the start was slow but early caution was packed off to the winds when Collingwood was walloped two sixes in an over and Swann saw two huge sixes sailing over to the leg side off consecutive delivers, Tendulkar was turning the tide and time for his team. There were useful contributions from Sehwag and Gambhir and Yuvraj. He was thoroughly out shone by Strauss who displayed a commanding presence and hunger to score big runs. He shepherd the innings for as long as he could and it had to be superb delivery from Zaheer to bring an end a superb innings.

Cricket: Preview India vs. England

Roll up your sleeves, dig in the flag masts, get the vuvuzelas out and get your throats primed for harrowing echoes. India hosts England in a crucial world cup tie at Bengaluru. Hello World Cup. Let the rain be away while the game is being played. England will look to pull the rug from India's feet while India would look to stamp their authority over England. A match on a Sunday makes for delightful viewing, but then all matches barring one that India play are on a weekend so thank you to the organizers.

Sreesanth induces helplessness.

Sreesanth is too earnest a “tryer”. He was touché unlucky though against Bangladesh. He averages 16 per wicket for his ten wickets against England. Dhoni does back his team but then will he get in two spinners for English, who are known for their weakness against swing, seam and spin. He may not make it to the playing eleven. It’s a hope more than a guess. India one would accept with a tacit nod isn’t fool proof. But Dhoni seems to have it control at most times, so that’s cool. Sreesanth is trying to hard but he may come off on his own in some match and lead the charge. I am sure that won’t be happening anytime soon in the near future.

Man for Man contest.

I am looking forward to Chawla vs. Pietersen, Broad vs. Yuvraj. I hope Luke Wright and Tim Bresnan play, they along with Collingwood would offer a lot, we talking for say 25 overs of bowling and batting at a decent rate. Pietersen would look to make some impact in the game. I hope Trott doesn’t go under the radar, he remains virtually un-noticed and doesn’t seem to be an impact player but if you look at the game history and traditions number three and four are one of the crucial batting slots, best stoke players in the history have occupied that slot. So Trott remains the key. Ian bell is always threatening to come but the threat is as potent as white clouds sending down a spell of incessant rainfall. Zaheer will try to get a left handed opening batsman, the opposition’s captain Andrew Strauss. I am not sure Dhoni vs. Prior would fit this billing.

England bowling looks balanced with Broad, Anderson looking to use pace and swing. Swann looking to turn. If Indians corner Swann early they will pull a huge advantage towards themselves. There is a case for sending Pathan early just to have him a look in, wonder if Dhoni would switch roles with Pathan. Yuvraj is way of the boil and needs to make it count on the field and with the bat. The bat has been silent, for some while now but a fluent hitting Yuvraj can find centre stage among the four hitters, Dhoni, Pathan, Raina and himself.

The two teams would be looking to touch 300 runs. I for one think only one ball should last 50 overs that will even out an advantage which the batting team seem to have. I mean seeing bowlers smacked for 10 an over is no joy, especially if are own bowlers seem to have mastered the art of leaking runs at the death. Indians death bowling is an area of major concern; it may cost us a crucial match. Nehra had bowled an awesome spell in 2003 and shot out England after Sachin had hooked, line and sinker Caddick out of the park for a huge six. England have pressure of sorts, don’t know how well they have prepared but its been a while since they have done well in ODIS, they come as defending champions of a tough T20 format but then the ODIs are a different format and things cannot be super imposed. England way want to go beyond the semis and wining this match in India would set them into a right tone and rhythm and loads of confidence.

Bengalluru gets two-two matches.

I think the mad rush for tickets is justified, lathi charge, one cannot say. Bengalluru got lucky with two cricket matches. I mean if Eden has already hosted a match it could host one of either Netherlands or England match there. It is a shame that there is no India match there. This is what happens when political big wigs slug it out in a centre of a sports field. It is one of the uglier episodes of Indian cricket which is being swept under the carpet. You know who are the big wigs and for once I wont take names, but people slugging it out have to do with top jobs in BCCI and ICC and this is a delta more than a mere coincidences. The world delta was learnt which struggling with calculus in maths while it meant slightly more/less one understood that slightly less/more is a big deal. But then there is no love affair/romance then with maths and at times cricket. Both are alluring, both excite and reflect life both are insatiable and you want more even if you had enough.

On the other most front.

The national games went without trace, The Athletes who have done us proud in CWG and Asian games were missed, I didn’t even get a whiff off it and I am kicking myself for it. But then when cricket is on, people in offices delay board meetings,road are deserted and people ump up and down in front of the Telly as the match has its twists and turns.

May the best team win. May we all say a good match befitting a big game.

About: Revolution on life support

The entire crisis in Egypt, people shouting Revolution, calling for a changed of government, rolling of head (metaphorically or literally) made me wonder, how long do Revolutions last? Do revolutions last at all? Do they deliver the sweep changes for which the seed of revolution germinated? Equality and Liberty are for all to cherish but turns more people sceptic and suspicious, seed of next revolution may be. Does revolution brings these values to the people whose tears of agony turned the battleground red

There have been many a revolutions in the recent memory and some in the annals of time, set off new trends and set of policies, underlining the fact, the more the things seem to change the more they remain same. There was more than one revolution where violence was the flag bearer and the foot soldier.

The din after the damn bang

The famous revolutions of history books, The American Revolution bought freedom but not equality until the near past, American Civil rights movement was perhaps as old as the American Revolution, but then racial segregation was a fact for more than 50 years. It leads to American civil war, another revolution in the making but segregation persisted until the 1960s. It is well documented less known, least discussed. However, it is amazing; the land of freedom and hope was not the same for one definite set of people.

The French Revolution helped us differentiate breads and cakes, other profound movement towards meritocracy lead to Napoleon seizing power, ending the republic, fuelling Napoleons ambitions, Napoleonic wars ensued, which ended with Little Corporal banished to a tiny island, at more than an arms length from
France.

The dark 19 century saw colonization increase disparity among human race to a new nadir, a whole crop of revolution took seed. The sub-Saharan economies became an icon of social inequality, gross disparity, and poverty, not to be confused with GDP though. The words crime, ill health, substance abuse, and genocide slipped into the keywords column.

Russia another sub continental size country saw the worst of Anarchy in last 100 hundred years, known for its white and red revolution punctuated by KGB and Siberian prisons, forced labour. It lead a front in cold war, as tension exchanged hands between communism and capitalism. The communism fell with the Berlin Wall and capitalism dived blind after stocks markets pulled rugs, carpets, socks and stocking beneath. I wonder if we are as good as our competition. Russia finds itself ruling oligoarchy. After a very unstable and chaotic rule under Yelstin, Putin is helm of affair as the President, the Prime minister and the Duma of Russia.

The sublime sub-continent.

In the neighbour hood, violence and injustice prevails in the name of ideology. If one observes Pakistan and Bangladesh, a stable state needs more then just a common religion to forge ahead. Pakistan remains feudal and principles of Qaid-E-Azam have reduced to dust by his grave. A secular democratic peaceful Pakistan is shattered with every bomb blast and bullet that takes lives. Bangladesh is either about Mercedes or the footpath. But to their credit remains less sectarian, perhaps they have a language which is more common as another identity beyond religion, unlike former West Pakistan which has more feudal and reaping poisonous weeds of violence which it sowed, that too on the own turf..

India freedom struggle looks more intriguing with every passing year, especially against the present backdrop. I mean how cool was convincing the rulers to leave and grant freedom. There was a revolution movement almost a century earlier but then “why should I?” typifying our cultural DNA, looking for personal gain rather than social improvement mar many things which “could have been.” The systemic sycophancy and greed, amalgamated with poor leadership are fast eroding democratic values. The Indian judiciary seems to be working on principle resembling the Future Continuous Tense of English grammar. It is increasingly use by the guilty, inept and corrupt to protect them as Law takes its own (unguided, unchartered) course. Accountability is resembles a round circle. All other policy such a foreign policy, inter-national relations, our own opinion about or won brethren are topics which we don’t think much, parochial regionalist ambition are high on priority lists though. Long live Revolution.

Red Star and little red book

China meanwhile continues to leap forward but then keeps forced labour, unknown human right abuse, not so honest party by the side, like it take it. The fruits of power are enjoyed by the few, the social awakening simmers fuelling despair, but then the iron fists seem to have more than just absolute control. The Chinese leaders have talked of being more democratic, all has to be seen.

It interesting how things unravel in Egypt and will the revolution live long enough to see people meeting their aspirations. Let us all brew storm in tea cups.