Great win for India - Team India which saw almost everyone chip in their unique styles.
Especially outstanding efforts by Dinesh Kartik and Zaheer Khan! Great contribution by Saurav, Sachin, Jaffer, Laxman, Kumble and RP Singh!
Finally it was a team effort which saw this victory come India's way - and deservedly so.
Rejoice !!!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Taufel and Tendulkar
Everyone is talking how unfortunate Sachin Tendulkar was to miss out on yet another century when he was wrongly given out by Simon Taufel. More so when Taufel himself admitted it being wrong.
For me, it brings out three points:
1) If Taufel understood his mistake while seeing it on the big screen when Tendulkar was walking back, why did he not call Tendulkar back - like they had earlier called Pieterson back at Lord's?
2) What about so many other instances in the same innings when Tendulkar was out, but not given out ?
3) Even if Taufel would have called Tendulkar back and it would have been justice for the batsman, what about the instances when a player is out but not given out due to an umpiring error? Can the bowler also claim for similar justice?
This glorious game, sadly, is not perfect because it allows for these errors and mistakes to rule and decide the fate of the game being played.
That is why it is utmost important for those in governance to give more freedom to technology and to stop treating umpires as if they are gods. Someone at the top has to understand that umpires are human and if the umpires can take help technology, it will benefit the game in the long run. Why is it that umpires get away with their mistakes when players don't? The point is not that players should also get away, but that there should be no mistakes. That should be the aim of ICC.
Till the time this knowledge dawns upon them or they do something about it, there will be missed centuries, lost games, and god knows whether it is true, but fixed matches too!!!
For me, it brings out three points:
1) If Taufel understood his mistake while seeing it on the big screen when Tendulkar was walking back, why did he not call Tendulkar back - like they had earlier called Pieterson back at Lord's?
2) What about so many other instances in the same innings when Tendulkar was out, but not given out ?
3) Even if Taufel would have called Tendulkar back and it would have been justice for the batsman, what about the instances when a player is out but not given out due to an umpiring error? Can the bowler also claim for similar justice?
This glorious game, sadly, is not perfect because it allows for these errors and mistakes to rule and decide the fate of the game being played.
That is why it is utmost important for those in governance to give more freedom to technology and to stop treating umpires as if they are gods. Someone at the top has to understand that umpires are human and if the umpires can take help technology, it will benefit the game in the long run. Why is it that umpires get away with their mistakes when players don't? The point is not that players should also get away, but that there should be no mistakes. That should be the aim of ICC.
Till the time this knowledge dawns upon them or they do something about it, there will be missed centuries, lost games, and god knows whether it is true, but fixed matches too!!!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
India in England - First Test
Hi All, mercifully, my employer has re-opened the rights to blogger website (as a probable measure to reduce the side- effects of the peanuts (I mean increments) that came out last month) and I can breathe (blog) again!
Yes, I know - it feels like the birds can fly, Govinda can dance and rivers can flow again!
Hum-ho! OK! Back to cricket!
Where shall I start after such a long break? OK - Let us start with the first test with England that was completed (!) yesterday.
To sum it up, England were hard done by the rains - they deserved to win fair and square. And obviously, there were more take-aways for England than for India
Takeaways for England -
1) James Anderson - Amazing bowler, why he was out of playing 11 for such a long time is a mystery. England's bowling line up should be ideally - Harmison, Flintoff, Anderson, Sidebottom, Monty.
2) Monty Panesar - Improving continuously and impressing everyone with his attitude
3) Matt Prior - Good Wicket keeper, Better Sledger and still better as a Batsman - will go a long way to play for England
4) Kevin Pieterson - England's best bet to survive and do well in World Cricket - Rightly the next leader for England -> My take - KP = 2 times Yuvraj Singh in his best form.
He was busy hammering Kumble all around Lord's , while our 'masters blasters' struggled against Monty.
5) England almost won - without Flintoff and Harmison!
Takeaways for India-
1) Rain is always not a spoilsport. - Good revenge for India - I am still not able to forget how Cullinan and rain thwarted Indian win (and spirited Kumble bowling) on SA soil years back - and so this feels good.
2) R P Singh - bowled really well (on a bowler friendly wicket)
3) Dhoni - Sensible batting - shielded the tail enders as much as he could - please note that this trait was / is never seen before in Indian cricket.
4) Dinesh Kartik - the guy has a spunk - thankfully, sense prevails sometimes in Indian cricket corridor and he is in the team.
As far as the much famed Indian line up(!) goes, this is my take:
Another point to be noted in this match was coming back from being dead of KP - a reversal of decision. I fully support this and hope that it should be a norm soon. However, similar facilities should also be provided for the bowlers who feel that they are served injustice at times.
Justice should prevail in this glorious game - at the cost of anything and everything!
Off to Trent Bridge now, for another match at the mercy of weather I'm told.
Yes, I know - it feels like the birds can fly, Govinda can dance and rivers can flow again!
Hum-ho! OK! Back to cricket!
Where shall I start after such a long break? OK - Let us start with the first test with England that was completed (!) yesterday.
To sum it up, England were hard done by the rains - they deserved to win fair and square. And obviously, there were more take-aways for England than for India
Takeaways for England -
1) James Anderson - Amazing bowler, why he was out of playing 11 for such a long time is a mystery. England's bowling line up should be ideally - Harmison, Flintoff, Anderson, Sidebottom, Monty.
2) Monty Panesar - Improving continuously and impressing everyone with his attitude
3) Matt Prior - Good Wicket keeper, Better Sledger and still better as a Batsman - will go a long way to play for England
4) Kevin Pieterson - England's best bet to survive and do well in World Cricket - Rightly the next leader for England -> My take - KP = 2 times Yuvraj Singh in his best form.
He was busy hammering Kumble all around Lord's , while our 'masters blasters' struggled against Monty.
5) England almost won - without Flintoff and Harmison!
Takeaways for India-
1) Rain is always not a spoilsport. - Good revenge for India - I am still not able to forget how Cullinan and rain thwarted Indian win (and spirited Kumble bowling) on SA soil years back - and so this feels good.
2) R P Singh - bowled really well (on a bowler friendly wicket)
3) Dhoni - Sensible batting - shielded the tail enders as much as he could - please note that this trait was / is never seen before in Indian cricket.
4) Dinesh Kartik - the guy has a spunk - thankfully, sense prevails sometimes in Indian cricket corridor and he is in the team.
As far as the much famed Indian line up(!) goes, this is my take:
- Yes they were great.
- There are times when everyone fails to a wonderful delivery, a situation, a mistake, opposite captain's / bowler's acumen etc., and so did they at times.
- Overall, they have served Indian cricket well - for years together.
- They have changed over time - their strengths, their thinking, their objectives all have changed in the years that have gone by - but we have not changed - our expectations still remain the same - that we, a nation in cricketing despair, will be saved by these armoured knights on white horses - they will save the game for India, they will destroy the opposition so on and so forth
- The only thing to do is accept what they themselves have - they are not what they were before.
- Yes, they were brilliant and gifted cricketers and that gift will show on occasions - but consistency? Sorry mate, consistency has shifter her residence now.
- Let us stop expecting that Tendulkar / Ganguly / Laxman / Dravid will save us anymore. They will come and try their best, but sadly, their best is not so good anymore. Tendulkar's dismissal to Monty in second innings was - yet again - a sad one for me. For a batsman at his level, getting LBW to an arm ball - is somehow not digestible. But this is where our digestion power needs to change - because this is a common thing now - we will need to digest such failures from these one time greats - till they retire gracefully (!) or are asked to retire like Kapil Dev.
- So my amigos, let us not start dreaming after yet another century by Ton-dulkar, another miraculous knock by That-man-Laxman, another aggressive century by Dada and another display of dogged defence by the Wall. - let us applaud the knock it deserves, but let the expectations not start coming out of your pocket again - put them and lock them up. Open them for someone like a KP or a Karthik or a Chawla, but not for the ones that ruled once.
Another point to be noted in this match was coming back from being dead of KP - a reversal of decision. I fully support this and hope that it should be a norm soon. However, similar facilities should also be provided for the bowlers who feel that they are served injustice at times.
Justice should prevail in this glorious game - at the cost of anything and everything!
Off to Trent Bridge now, for another match at the mercy of weather I'm told.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Chandu and Chandru!
Two men who are rocking the cricket world are Chandu and Chandru!
Chandu - Chandu Borde
Chandru - Chanderpaul
While the former is shining merely because he has been thrust into a position of paramount importance to the hungry curiosity if 100 million people, the latter is doing what he does best - bat in test cricket! Second consecutive century against the England and he is truly rocking !!! Chanderpaul has become the 'Last Man Standing' of WI after Lara's retirement!
While I stand in awe in front of Chandru's square drives and flicks, I only pity Chandu for what he has become from what he was in his heydays....
Chandu - Chandu Borde
Chandru - Chanderpaul
While the former is shining merely because he has been thrust into a position of paramount importance to the hungry curiosity if 100 million people, the latter is doing what he does best - bat in test cricket! Second consecutive century against the England and he is truly rocking !!! Chanderpaul has become the 'Last Man Standing' of WI after Lara's retirement!
While I stand in awe in front of Chandru's square drives and flicks, I only pity Chandu for what he has become from what he was in his heydays....
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Cricket Won!
West Indies lost to England on the final day.
But all was not lost.
Chanderpaul played one of his most tenacious and fighting knocks, Fiedel Edwards showed that speed and fire still exists in WI bowlers and DJ Sammy had a dream debut.
Importantly, both teams played really competitive cricket, and Monty and Cook continue to impress.
More importantly, it was a loss despite which WI team could hold its head high - for the fight and spirit the entrie team showed.
Most improtantly, the game of Cricket won too, after a long time!
But all was not lost.
Chanderpaul played one of his most tenacious and fighting knocks, Fiedel Edwards showed that speed and fire still exists in WI bowlers and DJ Sammy had a dream debut.
Importantly, both teams played really competitive cricket, and Monty and Cook continue to impress.
More importantly, it was a loss despite which WI team could hold its head high - for the fight and spirit the entrie team showed.
Most improtantly, the game of Cricket won too, after a long time!
No, Thanks.
Wow! This feels so goooood!
This is how the story went!
Long time ago, in the land of "MoneyGetsYouEverything"there lived a king named Sharad.
He had a daughter - a princess who went by the name / adjectives of "Beautiful Cute Cuddly and Intelligent" - let's call her BCCI to shorten the long name.
The princess was not only like the adjectives her name went by, but she was also pompous and arrogant. She simply had to have her way as did Sharad.
They decided that she needed to have a new groom - the title to the groom was that of 'The Coach' for some funny reason.
Mind you, this was an era when a mariage lasted maximum 3 years and BCCI had her grooms before and the last marriage she had with the world renowned groom Chappell, left a sore taste in her mouth and she needed a replacement, and a fast one at that.
They started sailing worldwide to find suitors for BCCI. It was an unspoken fact that the suitor who took up the job would be rewarded in huge amount of money.
Bride's important uncle Rahul suggested the name of hitherto unknown 'Graham Ford' saying he is the best of the lot.
BCCI decided to listen to the uncle since it was important in those days for a marriage to succeed that the groom had to get along very well with the bride's uncle.
They had other proposals of well known deserving candidates, some domestic ones who had put up their hands for so long that the hand now looked longer than their entire height!
But King Sharad and BCCI decided that she would marry Ford.
They announced the wedding in a worldwide media campaign.
Uncle Rahul was very happy.
BCCI was happy.
Sharad was delighted with the match.
And then, the bomb dropped on them.
Graham Ford simply said "No, thank you."
(I imagine that there was so much egg on the face of King Sharad that he asked the responsible Rahul to clean it up personally. )
The story ends here.
I am happy that someone gave it back to King and BCCI like never before.
This is how the story went!
Long time ago, in the land of "MoneyGetsYouEverything"there lived a king named Sharad.
He had a daughter - a princess who went by the name / adjectives of "Beautiful Cute Cuddly and Intelligent" - let's call her BCCI to shorten the long name.
The princess was not only like the adjectives her name went by, but she was also pompous and arrogant. She simply had to have her way as did Sharad.
They decided that she needed to have a new groom - the title to the groom was that of 'The Coach' for some funny reason.
Mind you, this was an era when a mariage lasted maximum 3 years and BCCI had her grooms before and the last marriage she had with the world renowned groom Chappell, left a sore taste in her mouth and she needed a replacement, and a fast one at that.
They started sailing worldwide to find suitors for BCCI. It was an unspoken fact that the suitor who took up the job would be rewarded in huge amount of money.
Bride's important uncle Rahul suggested the name of hitherto unknown 'Graham Ford' saying he is the best of the lot.
BCCI decided to listen to the uncle since it was important in those days for a marriage to succeed that the groom had to get along very well with the bride's uncle.
They had other proposals of well known deserving candidates, some domestic ones who had put up their hands for so long that the hand now looked longer than their entire height!
But King Sharad and BCCI decided that she would marry Ford.
They announced the wedding in a worldwide media campaign.
Uncle Rahul was very happy.
BCCI was happy.
Sharad was delighted with the match.
And then, the bomb dropped on them.
Graham Ford simply said "No, thank you."
(I imagine that there was so much egg on the face of King Sharad that he asked the responsible Rahul to clean it up personally. )
The story ends here.
I am happy that someone gave it back to King and BCCI like never before.
Monday, June 11, 2007
News Around The World During My Small Sabbatical!
While I was on my home-coming hiatus- a lot of things hapenned in the world of cricket and here is my belated take on them:
1) Kevin Pieterson : KP has stomped his feet to show his genes of a Royal Bengal Tiger, a real one. To me, he is a superior version of "Yuvraj Singh in full flow".
1) Kevin Pieterson : KP has stomped his feet to show his genes of a Royal Bengal Tiger, a real one. To me, he is a superior version of "Yuvraj Singh in full flow".
2) Dhoni : Back again on domestic pitches! Yawn...
3) Cook : Consecutive and impressive centuries - A Tiger in his own den or will he be here for good?
4) Afro-Asia cup - A wate of resources, time and money.
5) SRT won another man of the tournament - I am not impressed, though. We all know that he has years of cricket left in him - the question is how will he like to play it? Like an old man, or like a young Jayasuriya at 38?
6) West Indies are back to where they truly belong as of now minus Lara - in a rut. This is a challenge for them to be back where they once belonged - unfortunately, no one is puttign the hand up to take them there - only plus has been debutant Sammy's amazingly impressive 7 wicket haul. The question that will be answered tomorrow will be "Can Chanderpaul's fighting knock help them win a match they so desparately need?" Let's wait and watch the only real cricket being played around the world today!
7) Mohammad Ashraful should be renamed Mohammad Delightful - he is the Andy Flower of the Bangla team.
8) What will it take for Habibul Bashar to retire from playing cricket?
9) Graham Ford is appointed as India coach. I think that there is no better time to take over as India's coach - heck, even I 'd put a hand up to BCCI for the job - things simply cannot get any worse! Seriously, appointing Ford is a good move, captain trusts him (but Ganguly trusted Chappel too before Chappel 'took over', didn't he?), his record asa coach has been good and it is simple truth than you need not be a good player to be a good coach. For those who want to know what a coach can achieve in terms of miracle, please watch 'Coach Carter'! But of course, coaching a team of 'bloated-super-egos and billioniare-superstars' is another ball game all together. Anyways, I give a thumbs up to BCCI for choosing Ford over Embury.
10) Maninder singh is in some crisis - let's leave him alone in his personal life - we have nothing to do with it.
11) On a small non-cricketing aside, Nadal was delightful yesterday - he clearly outplayed the great Federer. Also, the young Lewis Hamilton continues to win hearts and make strides! Alonso this time has a real fight. My favourite driver of last seasons, Kimi, alas, has been down and out this season.
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