Yes, the title does refer to the carnage that began less than 24 hours ago in Indore. In fact, after watching the post match conference of the 3rd ODI between India and West Indies, I had a sense of deja-vu. Prior to the India v Bangladesh curtain raiser of the 2011 World Cup, Sehwag had made ominous pronouncements of a revenge game. He backed it up with a 175 that seriously threatened Sachin's 200*
When Sachin scored his maiden ODI double ton, every Indian and most cricket fans would have told you that the most likely batsman to dislodge Sachin from the top of the highest ODI innings list was the Nawab of Najafgarh. I thought Sehwag would do it in that game against Bangladesh. It is due to this obvious sense of inevitability that Sehwag's double ton yesterday was received with mostly acceptance than surprise. That holy list of highest ODI innings looks more and more like an Indian batting line up!!
Personally, after watching Sehwag's honest and determined words at the post match presentation of the 3rd ODI, I strongly felt West Indies had it coming. Sehwag and India were smarting the end of India's unbeaten run in home ODIs and Sehwag was on the money in suggesting that a non-performing top order is eventually going to cost a match no matter how many rescue acts the middle order pulls off.
Well, the West Indies did have it coming but they did not help themselves by being shoddy on the field. Sehwag does have a deflating effect on the opposition and weak opposition tend to fall apart in the field when Sehwag summons his 'kolaveri'!!
Sehwag on fire seems to induce panic, then mistakes in the fielding and finally a sense of resignation. Once Sehwag had gotten his hundred, the West Indies seemed to be resigned to the fact that a mammoth score was on and it was pointless to resist. It is only this mental disintegration that could possibly explain Sammy's dolly drop when Sehwag was on 171. Credit must be given to the West Indian bowlers though - they did not give up and kept creating chances and running in hard but then when you are in deep, a meter or a mile more do not matter.
Undoubtedly, Sehwag and Gambhir's return to form augurs well for India's tour down under. It sets up a mouth watering contest and yet again, the Indian contingent, especially the bowlers are heading for a very important tour, quite unprepared. Without the requisite conditioning, expect a further spate of injuries to the already bare Indian fast bowling cupboard!! With Sehwag and Gambhir finding their old touch, the batting seems all set to click but the bowling may yet let India down.
Whatever happens, I hope the tour begins with Sachin's ton of tons on Boxing Day!!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
One of those rare celestial alignments at Lords'
The mind-numbing euphoria of India's World Cup victory is long gone. The long afterglow of victory is a distant memory. The IPL acted like a gatecrasher on India's WC triumph party. It was followed by a dour sojourn to the Caribbean. India should have remained unbeaten throughout and should have won all the three tests. Neither good omen came to pass.
Then the Indian squad gathered at the home of cricket. In a few hours, they will be walking out onto the home of cricket to play the 2000th test of all time. It will the 100th test between England and India. Felicitations and ceremonies have been planned. The stage is set. The occasion is taken to a whole new level by the men in white involved.
There has been a lot written about the Indian triumvirate. It started out as a quintet - the big 4 and Jumbo - then Sehwag made it a league of six extraordinary gentlemen for a brief time. Like all great things, six were pruned to four and oddly enough, the youngest of India's golden generation remains unfit to make it a measly triumvirate - a far cry from a heady six!
But, what a triumvirate it is - Sachin, Rahul and VVS. It seems they have 99 test hundreds between them - Sachin has 99 international hundreds of his own and is still searching for that elusive name on the Lords' honors' board. All this imminent theater on the backdrop of an ambitious England outfit out to dethrone the World Champions.
For cricket connoisseurs and romantics alike, this must rank as one of the rarest occasions in cricket history - almost like one of those rare celestial events that can be witnessed from earth - maybe a supernova!
Pundits and fans alike are waiting with bated breath but it would be unwise to lose perspective. India have started the tour predictably - a horribly chalked out schedule with a harried practice match and the most insipid of performances that would put any international outfit to shame.
Still, we love this Indian team! We want them to do well. Indian fans think in a strange manner - yes, they would like to see India maintain the number one rank but they love India for the fact that they make lions of rats - the Indian team can make a test with Bangladesh seem as interesting as a test against Australia. The Indian team has an uncanny knack of leveling the playing field. Which is why the Indian fan always stays hooked!
Which is why, the Indian fan may forgive a loss to the West Indies but will demand a victorious performance at the best theater of cricket - I don't mean just the 2000th test but the series as a whole. As a thumb-rule, India will struggle at Lords' - India always struggles in the first test of a series - Indian fans always like a fightback story. Nonetheless the theater will be at its most vibrant at Lords'.
If India manage unscathed at Lords' we will be in for the most glorious month of cricket. This series shares a lot of omens with the Australia v India series in 2007 - one of the more acrimonious series in recent times. I certainly look forward to hostilities in the forthcoming series but I hope the omens only go so far - I hope the omens do not preclude the results. For all the furor of that ill-fated Aus-Ind series, India still lost it 2-1.
This time around, I would like to see Sehwag come back in the third test and win the series for India, not salvage it!
O India, May the fours be with you!
Then the Indian squad gathered at the home of cricket. In a few hours, they will be walking out onto the home of cricket to play the 2000th test of all time. It will the 100th test between England and India. Felicitations and ceremonies have been planned. The stage is set. The occasion is taken to a whole new level by the men in white involved.
There has been a lot written about the Indian triumvirate. It started out as a quintet - the big 4 and Jumbo - then Sehwag made it a league of six extraordinary gentlemen for a brief time. Like all great things, six were pruned to four and oddly enough, the youngest of India's golden generation remains unfit to make it a measly triumvirate - a far cry from a heady six!
But, what a triumvirate it is - Sachin, Rahul and VVS. It seems they have 99 test hundreds between them - Sachin has 99 international hundreds of his own and is still searching for that elusive name on the Lords' honors' board. All this imminent theater on the backdrop of an ambitious England outfit out to dethrone the World Champions.
For cricket connoisseurs and romantics alike, this must rank as one of the rarest occasions in cricket history - almost like one of those rare celestial events that can be witnessed from earth - maybe a supernova!
Pundits and fans alike are waiting with bated breath but it would be unwise to lose perspective. India have started the tour predictably - a horribly chalked out schedule with a harried practice match and the most insipid of performances that would put any international outfit to shame.
Still, we love this Indian team! We want them to do well. Indian fans think in a strange manner - yes, they would like to see India maintain the number one rank but they love India for the fact that they make lions of rats - the Indian team can make a test with Bangladesh seem as interesting as a test against Australia. The Indian team has an uncanny knack of leveling the playing field. Which is why the Indian fan always stays hooked!
Which is why, the Indian fan may forgive a loss to the West Indies but will demand a victorious performance at the best theater of cricket - I don't mean just the 2000th test but the series as a whole. As a thumb-rule, India will struggle at Lords' - India always struggles in the first test of a series - Indian fans always like a fightback story. Nonetheless the theater will be at its most vibrant at Lords'.
If India manage unscathed at Lords' we will be in for the most glorious month of cricket. This series shares a lot of omens with the Australia v India series in 2007 - one of the more acrimonious series in recent times. I certainly look forward to hostilities in the forthcoming series but I hope the omens only go so far - I hope the omens do not preclude the results. For all the furor of that ill-fated Aus-Ind series, India still lost it 2-1.
This time around, I would like to see Sehwag come back in the third test and win the series for India, not salvage it!
O India, May the fours be with you!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
FINALLY, my own story!
"Kapil ran a mile and caught Richards", "No one imagined India could win", "A bunch of no-hopers ended up as World Champions" ....
I have heard an account of India's greatest sporting triumph before April 2, 2011 recounted from multiple sources. My father's generation has reveled in letting us know how it felt to be World Cup Champions in 1983. Every time I listened to him, I had this yearning to experience it for myself. In 2007, when India won the T20 World cup, I thought I would be satisfied but then, the disappointment of the Carribbean World Cup was still raw. I can unequivocally say that I knew then that it is the 50 over cup that really counts. Yes, there was all that celebration but deep down, I knew - The 50 over cup is 'The Cup that Counts' - I could have given the WC2011 organizers that tag line four years ago!
Curiously, the 1983 Champions reflected the psyche of the nation that they hailed from. India was still finding its feet as a global force. Indians were unheard of or underdogs in most vocations that they were exploring. The triumph that lifted a nation reflected the bristling drive of ambition that fore-shadowed the emergence of a economic giant in the next 20 years.
28 years later, the nation needed another triumph to reflect the changed national psyche. It is ironic indeed that a sport like cricket is the only reliable barometer of Indian nationalism. It is the only pursuit that projects India as a nation. Politically and socially, India exists as multiple nations with fracture lines of regionalism, religion, class and culture. It is only in cricket triumph that Shah Rukh and a street dweller rejoice with indistinguishable joy.
Yesterday night, we did see identical celebrations within and outside the Wankhede. Maybe the suits were absent, but the body-painted revelers' joy on the streets was far more cherishable than the joyful applause of the suited VIPs at the Wankhede.
Now, lets have a look at the actual match - It was worthy of a final. India were the favorites (notice the contrast with 1983!!) but Sri Lanka almost pulled it off when the Indian chase was reeling at 31 for 2. It was a final contested but two teams with relatively weak fast bowling attacks. Sri Lanka were touted to be the better fielding side and India by far the better batting outfit. As the game panned out, a few issues were set right.
For once, the over-rated opening partnership of Dilshan and Tharanga felt the pressure of the final and went on the over-defensive. Sri Lanka paid a 30 run penalty for their nervous start. Looking at the first five overs of the Sri Lankan innings, I thought it was a good toss for Dhoni to lose (albeit in a farcical manner what with the double toss!!) Both Zak and Sreesanth started well but Sanga showed his class by dismantling Sreesanth with two gorgeous fours. The Indian fielding was outstanding and they 'lifted' themselves as Dhoni so wanted them to. Watching the Indian fielding effort, I felt they saved about 30 runs and I felt the Sri Lankans would struggle to match the Indian fielding effort. As it panned out, my hunch turned out to be correct.
For most of the first half, we were blessed to watch an exquisite ODI innings by Mahela. It was, simply put, a 'Touch of Class'. Mahela's knock reminded me of some of Sachin's centuries - no slogging, just pure batsmanship. Some would question Sreesanth's selection but I reckon Ashwin would have struggled as much against a classy Mahela. There was pace and bounce on the wicket and Dhoni's call was correct given the technical nous of the Sri Lankan batting against spin. In the latter half of the innings, the Indian bowling wasn't bad, Mahela was just too good and so was the pitch - it had true bounce and was coming on quite nicely. Whenever a lower order bat like Perera comes in and hits Zaheer through the line, you just know that the wicket is true and not stopping.
At the half way stage, given how the wicket was behaving, I felt 275 was tough but achievable. However, when Sehwag was dismissed, I was nervous and then Sachin went at 31. Strangely, I felt calmer at that moment. All the expectation was lifted. Sachin was gone and if India were to pull it of, it had to be the next Gen!
Kohli and Gambhir were exceptional in playing risk free cricket at nearly 6 runs an over. Then came the man - Dhoni. The comment of the day was by Ravi Shastri. Shastri identified Dhoni's calm and determined look as the biggest threat to Sri Lanka. When Shastri said it, I was thinking exactly the same thing. I wasn't surprised when Dhoni walked in. In fact, I knew he wouldn't let two left handers face off against Murali if he could help it. Again, it was a move backed by sound cricketing logic as Dhoni has demonstrated throughout his career - that the move came off is solely due to the character of the man.
As they say, Cometh the hour, Cometh the man. Gambhir wasn't a surprise - he is the understated giant of Indian cricket and reminds me a lot of Justin Langer who quietly compiled his runs in the shadow of his more limelight-hogging teammates. Dhoni, however, was Da Man - he was not quite the surprise package since he has the most enviable record against the Lankans but he hasn't been in his pomp in this tournament. He has never looked out of nick and it wasn't a surprise at all to see a reprise of his Captain Courageous act.
All said and done, it wasn't the mammoth run chase but the manner of it that makes this India's greatest triumph. We heard the "We played like Champions" comment repeated in the presentations and I feel it was an apt description. Sri Lanka were gallant but India were nerveless and epitomised by the two men who were there at the end - Dhoni and the Prince - Maybe the prince is now ready to be king after all!
As for me, I can now declare - WE ARE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS - More importantly, I now have my own cricket story to tell - I know now what it feels to win the World Cup - The Cup that counts!
I have heard an account of India's greatest sporting triumph before April 2, 2011 recounted from multiple sources. My father's generation has reveled in letting us know how it felt to be World Cup Champions in 1983. Every time I listened to him, I had this yearning to experience it for myself. In 2007, when India won the T20 World cup, I thought I would be satisfied but then, the disappointment of the Carribbean World Cup was still raw. I can unequivocally say that I knew then that it is the 50 over cup that really counts. Yes, there was all that celebration but deep down, I knew - The 50 over cup is 'The Cup that Counts' - I could have given the WC2011 organizers that tag line four years ago!
Curiously, the 1983 Champions reflected the psyche of the nation that they hailed from. India was still finding its feet as a global force. Indians were unheard of or underdogs in most vocations that they were exploring. The triumph that lifted a nation reflected the bristling drive of ambition that fore-shadowed the emergence of a economic giant in the next 20 years.
28 years later, the nation needed another triumph to reflect the changed national psyche. It is ironic indeed that a sport like cricket is the only reliable barometer of Indian nationalism. It is the only pursuit that projects India as a nation. Politically and socially, India exists as multiple nations with fracture lines of regionalism, religion, class and culture. It is only in cricket triumph that Shah Rukh and a street dweller rejoice with indistinguishable joy.
Yesterday night, we did see identical celebrations within and outside the Wankhede. Maybe the suits were absent, but the body-painted revelers' joy on the streets was far more cherishable than the joyful applause of the suited VIPs at the Wankhede.
Now, lets have a look at the actual match - It was worthy of a final. India were the favorites (notice the contrast with 1983!!) but Sri Lanka almost pulled it off when the Indian chase was reeling at 31 for 2. It was a final contested but two teams with relatively weak fast bowling attacks. Sri Lanka were touted to be the better fielding side and India by far the better batting outfit. As the game panned out, a few issues were set right.
For once, the over-rated opening partnership of Dilshan and Tharanga felt the pressure of the final and went on the over-defensive. Sri Lanka paid a 30 run penalty for their nervous start. Looking at the first five overs of the Sri Lankan innings, I thought it was a good toss for Dhoni to lose (albeit in a farcical manner what with the double toss!!) Both Zak and Sreesanth started well but Sanga showed his class by dismantling Sreesanth with two gorgeous fours. The Indian fielding was outstanding and they 'lifted' themselves as Dhoni so wanted them to. Watching the Indian fielding effort, I felt they saved about 30 runs and I felt the Sri Lankans would struggle to match the Indian fielding effort. As it panned out, my hunch turned out to be correct.
For most of the first half, we were blessed to watch an exquisite ODI innings by Mahela. It was, simply put, a 'Touch of Class'. Mahela's knock reminded me of some of Sachin's centuries - no slogging, just pure batsmanship. Some would question Sreesanth's selection but I reckon Ashwin would have struggled as much against a classy Mahela. There was pace and bounce on the wicket and Dhoni's call was correct given the technical nous of the Sri Lankan batting against spin. In the latter half of the innings, the Indian bowling wasn't bad, Mahela was just too good and so was the pitch - it had true bounce and was coming on quite nicely. Whenever a lower order bat like Perera comes in and hits Zaheer through the line, you just know that the wicket is true and not stopping.
At the half way stage, given how the wicket was behaving, I felt 275 was tough but achievable. However, when Sehwag was dismissed, I was nervous and then Sachin went at 31. Strangely, I felt calmer at that moment. All the expectation was lifted. Sachin was gone and if India were to pull it of, it had to be the next Gen!
Kohli and Gambhir were exceptional in playing risk free cricket at nearly 6 runs an over. Then came the man - Dhoni. The comment of the day was by Ravi Shastri. Shastri identified Dhoni's calm and determined look as the biggest threat to Sri Lanka. When Shastri said it, I was thinking exactly the same thing. I wasn't surprised when Dhoni walked in. In fact, I knew he wouldn't let two left handers face off against Murali if he could help it. Again, it was a move backed by sound cricketing logic as Dhoni has demonstrated throughout his career - that the move came off is solely due to the character of the man.
As they say, Cometh the hour, Cometh the man. Gambhir wasn't a surprise - he is the understated giant of Indian cricket and reminds me a lot of Justin Langer who quietly compiled his runs in the shadow of his more limelight-hogging teammates. Dhoni, however, was Da Man - he was not quite the surprise package since he has the most enviable record against the Lankans but he hasn't been in his pomp in this tournament. He has never looked out of nick and it wasn't a surprise at all to see a reprise of his Captain Courageous act.
All said and done, it wasn't the mammoth run chase but the manner of it that makes this India's greatest triumph. We heard the "We played like Champions" comment repeated in the presentations and I feel it was an apt description. Sri Lanka were gallant but India were nerveless and epitomised by the two men who were there at the end - Dhoni and the Prince - Maybe the prince is now ready to be king after all!
As for me, I can now declare - WE ARE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS - More importantly, I now have my own cricket story to tell - I know now what it feels to win the World Cup - The Cup that counts!
Friday, April 1, 2011
FINAL-ly..... the final!
If a cricket fan were to undergo sensory deprivation for an year and, at the end of it, be given the information that "at the business end of a multinational tournament, India had beaten Australia and Pakistan back to back", the fan's question (while battling fatigue of course!!) would be - 'What silverware did India win?'
Yet, as far as WC2011 is concerned, the fan would be wrong. India are just in the final, up against the team with the best "performing balance" in this tournament. To assess the strengths of both teams going into the final, let us recap a little bit more ...
My pre-tournament favorites were South Africa due to their excellent all-round form and balance. However, their most important skill seems to be lacking between their ears and I, along with many millions more, was proven wrong in backing South Africa. I had predicted that Australia would not make it to the finals because I thought India would clash with them and beat them in the semis. As it happened, India hastened their departure, a stage early!
Given the quarter final clashes, my favorite for the final was an India v South Africa clash. When South Africa lost to NZ, I firmly believed we would have a Ind v SL final in Mumbai. After South Africa, the team with the next best balance for playing in the subcontinent is Sri Lanka (with Angelo Matthews or Perera in the playing eleven). It is for this simple reason that I put Sri Lanka as slight favorites (55 to 45) against India in the final. As always, there's more to my assessment that mere team balance, but I feel its the balance that best encapsulates my assessment!
For starters, Sri Lanka have knocked India out of world cups on two occasions. One of them was the gut wrenching, heart breaking semi final at the Eden Gardens in 1996. The other, more recent one was the group clash in 2007. In addition to this, India have been beaten by Sri Lanka in finals such as the Asia Cup final. Right now, they have three quality spinners who have that extra dimension called mystery to their bowling.
Of course, the Indian batting will not be mystified by Murali or Mendis. Herath, on the other hand will be a slight mystery to the Indian batting because, I don't think the Indians have faced him in the last couple of years. Having seen how the great SRT failed to read Ajmal in the semis, I am a little worried by the Sri Lankan spin attack. Who can forget that famous match when Murali skittled the famous Indian batting for an abysmal 54?
Now for the permutations - If Sri Lanka do not play 3 spinners and choose to go with Malinga, Kulasekara and one of Matthews or Kapugedera, India will be happy because that will mean - no Herath and hence, no novelty for India.
Both India and Srilanka have struggled with a quality 2nd and 3rd seamer. The good thing for Sri Lanka is that their 2nd and 3rd seamers are better batsmen than their Indian counterparts which lends the better balance to Sri Lanka.
India, for their part, need to decide their combination after looking at the pitch. Seeing the NZ vs Sri lanka match, I feel, 3 spinners including Yuvi is the way to go. I would risk Piyush Chawla over Ashwin because a leg spinner is the only bowler that Sri Lanka do not have. If Piyush is ready to open the bowling, he could play!
I know what I just wrote sounds a bit blasphemous but Dhoni is known for his blasphemous masterstrokes as captain. Ultimately, the game will come down to the composure of captains and their charges. Both captains are evenly matched with Dhoni starting to become just that shade more attacking than Sanga and this is good news for India. When it comes to the teams, I must say, that middle order wobble against NZ and India's composure on the field against Pakistan tells me that India, as a whole, have the edge in handling pressure and nerves.
The Toss and Match Dynamics
Given that India has not played in the new Wankhede, I reckon, Dhoni would do well to lose the toss! If India bat first, they will have the opportunity to put the match out of Lanka's reach in the first half itself ala Australia in 2003 and 2007. If Lanka bat first, they will have this privilege against a weak Indian new ball attack.
My player pick
Sehwag treated the opener against Bangladesh as a revenge match from the 2007 world cup. If that is so, he should remind himself that it was Sri Lanka who actually eliminated India in that world cup. I am sure he will treat this final as another revenge match. For this very simple reason, I pick him as India's player to watch. He has the ability to put the game beyond Sri lanka and help SRT en-route to his maiden world cup triumph. Moreover, Sehwag has the experience of big runs in his previous World Cup final in 2003.
The Bottom line
As I wrote at the beginning of this tournament, the silverware belongs to the team that wants it a wee bit more. I still hope my heart wins over the mind and overcomes slightly skewed odds to help me declare on the 3rd - We are world cup Champions!!
O India, May the fours be with you ..... always!
Yet, as far as WC2011 is concerned, the fan would be wrong. India are just in the final, up against the team with the best "performing balance" in this tournament. To assess the strengths of both teams going into the final, let us recap a little bit more ...
My pre-tournament favorites were South Africa due to their excellent all-round form and balance. However, their most important skill seems to be lacking between their ears and I, along with many millions more, was proven wrong in backing South Africa. I had predicted that Australia would not make it to the finals because I thought India would clash with them and beat them in the semis. As it happened, India hastened their departure, a stage early!
Given the quarter final clashes, my favorite for the final was an India v South Africa clash. When South Africa lost to NZ, I firmly believed we would have a Ind v SL final in Mumbai. After South Africa, the team with the next best balance for playing in the subcontinent is Sri Lanka (with Angelo Matthews or Perera in the playing eleven). It is for this simple reason that I put Sri Lanka as slight favorites (55 to 45) against India in the final. As always, there's more to my assessment that mere team balance, but I feel its the balance that best encapsulates my assessment!
For starters, Sri Lanka have knocked India out of world cups on two occasions. One of them was the gut wrenching, heart breaking semi final at the Eden Gardens in 1996. The other, more recent one was the group clash in 2007. In addition to this, India have been beaten by Sri Lanka in finals such as the Asia Cup final. Right now, they have three quality spinners who have that extra dimension called mystery to their bowling.
Of course, the Indian batting will not be mystified by Murali or Mendis. Herath, on the other hand will be a slight mystery to the Indian batting because, I don't think the Indians have faced him in the last couple of years. Having seen how the great SRT failed to read Ajmal in the semis, I am a little worried by the Sri Lankan spin attack. Who can forget that famous match when Murali skittled the famous Indian batting for an abysmal 54?
Now for the permutations - If Sri Lanka do not play 3 spinners and choose to go with Malinga, Kulasekara and one of Matthews or Kapugedera, India will be happy because that will mean - no Herath and hence, no novelty for India.
Both India and Srilanka have struggled with a quality 2nd and 3rd seamer. The good thing for Sri Lanka is that their 2nd and 3rd seamers are better batsmen than their Indian counterparts which lends the better balance to Sri Lanka.
India, for their part, need to decide their combination after looking at the pitch. Seeing the NZ vs Sri lanka match, I feel, 3 spinners including Yuvi is the way to go. I would risk Piyush Chawla over Ashwin because a leg spinner is the only bowler that Sri Lanka do not have. If Piyush is ready to open the bowling, he could play!
I know what I just wrote sounds a bit blasphemous but Dhoni is known for his blasphemous masterstrokes as captain. Ultimately, the game will come down to the composure of captains and their charges. Both captains are evenly matched with Dhoni starting to become just that shade more attacking than Sanga and this is good news for India. When it comes to the teams, I must say, that middle order wobble against NZ and India's composure on the field against Pakistan tells me that India, as a whole, have the edge in handling pressure and nerves.
The Toss and Match Dynamics
Given that India has not played in the new Wankhede, I reckon, Dhoni would do well to lose the toss! If India bat first, they will have the opportunity to put the match out of Lanka's reach in the first half itself ala Australia in 2003 and 2007. If Lanka bat first, they will have this privilege against a weak Indian new ball attack.
My player pick
Sehwag treated the opener against Bangladesh as a revenge match from the 2007 world cup. If that is so, he should remind himself that it was Sri Lanka who actually eliminated India in that world cup. I am sure he will treat this final as another revenge match. For this very simple reason, I pick him as India's player to watch. He has the ability to put the game beyond Sri lanka and help SRT en-route to his maiden world cup triumph. Moreover, Sehwag has the experience of big runs in his previous World Cup final in 2003.
The Bottom line
As I wrote at the beginning of this tournament, the silverware belongs to the team that wants it a wee bit more. I still hope my heart wins over the mind and overcomes slightly skewed odds to help me declare on the 3rd - We are world cup Champions!!
O India, May the fours be with you ..... always!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The clash of Styles
The IndoPak match that will start in a few hours will, undeniably, be the biggest sporting event in the subcontinent in the last four years (at least!!). Opinions, conjecture and predictions about the match have been diverse and partisan. Personally, I have already made the claim in my last post that, despite a close match, India will win comfortably in the end.
Although dew wasn't a factor in India's quarter final, by all accounts, it will play its part in Mohali. No matter how many wetting agents are used, the dew will quicken-up the wicket and make it difficult for spinners. With overnight rain, there is every chance it could get cloudy in the evening and the ball may zip and skid under lights. Such events will favour the better bowling side i.e. Pakistan - to what extent, is anybody's guess.
The toss, therefore will be tricky - captains have to decide whether to take a punt on the dew or make a decision based on handling pressure. The safer strategy seems to be to win the toss and bat first in an eliminator like this.
Team selection is another tricky issue - Afridi has to make a call on Shoaib which is more of a distraction to the team than a uniting factor. Dhoni could pull some fast ones by reverting back to Chawla or Pathan or even Sreesanth but it seems unlikely that he will change the playing eleven that won against Australia - it would still be a masterstroke if Dhoni plays Sreesanth in place of Munaf.
The match itself will be high-octane, nervy and fast paced. Undoubtedly, the team which is better led and better managed will triumph.
Now, that brings me to the deciding factor in this match - the captains and particularly, their contrasting captaincy styles. The reason I left writing this preview so late, is because, most writers have correctly identified this match as a clash of captaincy styles and left nothing more for me to say!
Dhoni's calm, calculating approach should help him to make the correct close calls on the field better than his "always on the edge" counterpart. Dhoni's personality should help him and his team cope better with big-match pressure. With Afridi's explosive remonstrations on the field, his team is as likely to be spurred on to great things as it is likely to buckle under its captain's gesturings, admonishings and constant displays of adrenaline (like that shot he played in the Pak-Australia match).
Still, Dhoni for all his calmness, has been far from perfect in this tournament. For starters, his bowling plans resemble a scavenger's scrounge for survival. Dhoni, at times seems to make bowling plans to escape a hiding rather that take on the opposition. His horses for courses policy was pretty late in identifying that Ashwin needs to be in and Nehra and Chawla need to be out. Dhoni's batting has not fired yet, but he would argue that he hasn't really had a fair go with his batting in this tournament.
However, Dhoni did take great strides towards perfect captaincy against Australia. He was always on the hunt for wickets than being restrictive and will have to summon the same spirit if Pakistan bat first today. Given a bowling attack with just "3.5 bowlers", it has been Dhoni's wont to scrounge on the field but now, its time to exert pressure even with his under-par bowling attack.
With the passive-aggressive leading style of Dhoni and the flamboyant and maniacal leading style of Afridi pitted against each other, today's match will come down to which style helps their respective teams to cope better with pressure. We may still witness a couple of pivotal moments that decidedly swing the match.
Afridi seems to be reading too many reports in the media and watching too much TV to be upset by some of the comments in the Indian media. In his turn, he, along with his team-mates have been obliging the media with many opinions and aspirations. Simply put, Pakistan, as a team have talked themselves up before this match. Such chit-chat with the media betrays their big-match nerves and it seems that Pakistan, as a whole, seem incapable of treating this game as just that - a game. They seem likely to put themselves under undue pressure to excel and in the process, self-destruct. Of course, that's the last thing on my wish list - I want to watch a great and close game.
Barring an upset, India should prevail. Behold, the cup is just two good evenings away!
O India, May the fours be with you .... always!
Although dew wasn't a factor in India's quarter final, by all accounts, it will play its part in Mohali. No matter how many wetting agents are used, the dew will quicken-up the wicket and make it difficult for spinners. With overnight rain, there is every chance it could get cloudy in the evening and the ball may zip and skid under lights. Such events will favour the better bowling side i.e. Pakistan - to what extent, is anybody's guess.
The toss, therefore will be tricky - captains have to decide whether to take a punt on the dew or make a decision based on handling pressure. The safer strategy seems to be to win the toss and bat first in an eliminator like this.
Team selection is another tricky issue - Afridi has to make a call on Shoaib which is more of a distraction to the team than a uniting factor. Dhoni could pull some fast ones by reverting back to Chawla or Pathan or even Sreesanth but it seems unlikely that he will change the playing eleven that won against Australia - it would still be a masterstroke if Dhoni plays Sreesanth in place of Munaf.
The match itself will be high-octane, nervy and fast paced. Undoubtedly, the team which is better led and better managed will triumph.
Now, that brings me to the deciding factor in this match - the captains and particularly, their contrasting captaincy styles. The reason I left writing this preview so late, is because, most writers have correctly identified this match as a clash of captaincy styles and left nothing more for me to say!
Dhoni's calm, calculating approach should help him to make the correct close calls on the field better than his "always on the edge" counterpart. Dhoni's personality should help him and his team cope better with big-match pressure. With Afridi's explosive remonstrations on the field, his team is as likely to be spurred on to great things as it is likely to buckle under its captain's gesturings, admonishings and constant displays of adrenaline (like that shot he played in the Pak-Australia match).
Still, Dhoni for all his calmness, has been far from perfect in this tournament. For starters, his bowling plans resemble a scavenger's scrounge for survival. Dhoni, at times seems to make bowling plans to escape a hiding rather that take on the opposition. His horses for courses policy was pretty late in identifying that Ashwin needs to be in and Nehra and Chawla need to be out. Dhoni's batting has not fired yet, but he would argue that he hasn't really had a fair go with his batting in this tournament.
However, Dhoni did take great strides towards perfect captaincy against Australia. He was always on the hunt for wickets than being restrictive and will have to summon the same spirit if Pakistan bat first today. Given a bowling attack with just "3.5 bowlers", it has been Dhoni's wont to scrounge on the field but now, its time to exert pressure even with his under-par bowling attack.
With the passive-aggressive leading style of Dhoni and the flamboyant and maniacal leading style of Afridi pitted against each other, today's match will come down to which style helps their respective teams to cope better with pressure. We may still witness a couple of pivotal moments that decidedly swing the match.
Afridi seems to be reading too many reports in the media and watching too much TV to be upset by some of the comments in the Indian media. In his turn, he, along with his team-mates have been obliging the media with many opinions and aspirations. Simply put, Pakistan, as a team have talked themselves up before this match. Such chit-chat with the media betrays their big-match nerves and it seems that Pakistan, as a whole, seem incapable of treating this game as just that - a game. They seem likely to put themselves under undue pressure to excel and in the process, self-destruct. Of course, that's the last thing on my wish list - I want to watch a great and close game.
Barring an upset, India should prevail. Behold, the cup is just two good evenings away!
O India, May the fours be with you .... always!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
That's not choking, that's Suicide!
Alas, South Africa have done it again - snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Pundits from every single vocation pursued by mankind relish in rambling about the mind and its toughness. Personally, I find such ramblings too overbearing and presumptuous in a "I told you so" kind of way.
However, now that we have witnessed two run chases within 24 hours, its very apparent that the mind is indeed where contests are won... and lost! Yesterday, India, as a whole showed better temperament and especially Yuvraj and Raina showed exemplary mental toughness. South Africa should have seen that match and taken inspiration from it rather than watching their own performances in knock out games.
Honestly, I am shocked, so I am not sure how to censure South Africa. They were my favorites to go all the way (like many million cricket fans) but with every claim of South Africa being favorites, I always had that unsaid rider about their tendency to c***e (That is now officially a swear word in South Africa)
Many will say the Kiwis were brilliant and had more than their fair share of luck. The Amla dismissal was freakish. The Kallis catch was surreal and the overall fielding was other-worldly. The attacking captaincy was inspired but then such things always happen in crunch games. New Zealand did everything a side defending a modest total would do. South Africa just had to do everything a professional team chasing a modest total would do - go about it in their well-drilled, methodical and metronomic manner. Yet, somehow, they let their minds interfere with the chase.
I still can't believe South Africa lost. It is with this sense of disbelief that I sign off on South Africa until the time comes when they have some bloody minded men to go with the bunch of super-skilled boys that they have right now.
However, now that we have witnessed two run chases within 24 hours, its very apparent that the mind is indeed where contests are won... and lost! Yesterday, India, as a whole showed better temperament and especially Yuvraj and Raina showed exemplary mental toughness. South Africa should have seen that match and taken inspiration from it rather than watching their own performances in knock out games.
Honestly, I am shocked, so I am not sure how to censure South Africa. They were my favorites to go all the way (like many million cricket fans) but with every claim of South Africa being favorites, I always had that unsaid rider about their tendency to c***e (That is now officially a swear word in South Africa)
Many will say the Kiwis were brilliant and had more than their fair share of luck. The Amla dismissal was freakish. The Kallis catch was surreal and the overall fielding was other-worldly. The attacking captaincy was inspired but then such things always happen in crunch games. New Zealand did everything a side defending a modest total would do. South Africa just had to do everything a professional team chasing a modest total would do - go about it in their well-drilled, methodical and metronomic manner. Yet, somehow, they let their minds interfere with the chase.
I still can't believe South Africa lost. It is with this sense of disbelief that I sign off on South Africa until the time comes when they have some bloody minded men to go with the bunch of super-skilled boys that they have right now.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Titanic clash indeed!
Normally, I do not write post match views on any cricket match that is not a final. However, yesterday's match between India and Australia was worthy of one even if it was just a quarter of a final. Hence, I am breaking my self imposed protocol and reliving India's triumph in cyberspace.
For one thing, the dew didn't play a part at all and my gut feeling that India would prevail without dew did turn out to be right. Midway through the match, I felt Australia were probably 10 runs above par but the sheer class of the Indian batting made such speculation pointless.
Simply put, it was a nerveless and well planned chase. Execution was good for the most part barring a frenetic 15 minutes when two well-set Indian batsmen seemed bent on gifting the Aussies an early Easter Egg. Fortunately for India, the batsmen seemed to realize that Easter was still a good month away.
My pre-match performers did play their parts. I did expect SRT and Yuvi to play pivotal roles. Sehwag was a bit disappointing but Gambhir and Kohli made up for it. Ashwin deserves a special mention with the ball and on the field with good support from the bankable Bhajji and Zak.
Yet, my most fulfilling prediction was not an Indian performance. I firmly felt Captain Ricky would bounce back like a cornered tiger and he truly demonstrated how a legend is created and sustained. He has spent the last decade creating a legendary status as one of Australia's all time greats, next only to Bradman; he spent three hours yesterday to make sure that his legend will be recounted over and over again in cosy bars and campfires. He left his indelible mark on the game and on its marquee event by demonstrating true Aussie-style, workmanlike batsmanship (ala steve waugh albeit with a lot more batting class)
Had it not been for Captain Ricky's batting, we would have had another one sided quarter final. The onus is on me to make a comment on the second semi-final - everyone's dream game - IndoPak.
At this stage, I feel it will be a tight contest but India will win comfortably in the end. India will be battling their own big match nerves, if any, but so will Pakistan. India's superior overall skills should see them through comfortably.
I would have really liked to see India playing both Sri Lanka and South Africa en-route the prize but alas, one can't have everything in life. For now, I only wish India good luck on the 30th and hope to catch them on the 2nd at Mumbai.
The Prize is indeed, nigh!!
For one thing, the dew didn't play a part at all and my gut feeling that India would prevail without dew did turn out to be right. Midway through the match, I felt Australia were probably 10 runs above par but the sheer class of the Indian batting made such speculation pointless.
Simply put, it was a nerveless and well planned chase. Execution was good for the most part barring a frenetic 15 minutes when two well-set Indian batsmen seemed bent on gifting the Aussies an early Easter Egg. Fortunately for India, the batsmen seemed to realize that Easter was still a good month away.
My pre-match performers did play their parts. I did expect SRT and Yuvi to play pivotal roles. Sehwag was a bit disappointing but Gambhir and Kohli made up for it. Ashwin deserves a special mention with the ball and on the field with good support from the bankable Bhajji and Zak.
Yet, my most fulfilling prediction was not an Indian performance. I firmly felt Captain Ricky would bounce back like a cornered tiger and he truly demonstrated how a legend is created and sustained. He has spent the last decade creating a legendary status as one of Australia's all time greats, next only to Bradman; he spent three hours yesterday to make sure that his legend will be recounted over and over again in cosy bars and campfires. He left his indelible mark on the game and on its marquee event by demonstrating true Aussie-style, workmanlike batsmanship (ala steve waugh albeit with a lot more batting class)
Had it not been for Captain Ricky's batting, we would have had another one sided quarter final. The onus is on me to make a comment on the second semi-final - everyone's dream game - IndoPak.
At this stage, I feel it will be a tight contest but India will win comfortably in the end. India will be battling their own big match nerves, if any, but so will Pakistan. India's superior overall skills should see them through comfortably.
I would have really liked to see India playing both Sri Lanka and South Africa en-route the prize but alas, one can't have everything in life. For now, I only wish India good luck on the 30th and hope to catch them on the 2nd at Mumbai.
The Prize is indeed, nigh!!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Prince and the Dew
In spite of the title, this post is about cricket! The Dew refers to the presence or lack of it in the second half of the day-nighter quarter final between India and Australia which begins in about five hours at the Motera in Ahmedabad, India.
The Prince in the title refers to the eponymous Yuvraj Singh who, I reckon, will play a pivotal role in about five hours time! The big question of course, is who will prevail, who will face off against a confident Pakistan outfit in the semi final at Mohali.
Its late March and the festival of Holi has been celebrated. Holi heralds the summer in India and with that, dew in the late evening should be absent. However, the facts belie such expectations. If there is dew, no matter how well the fielding side dry the ball, the pitch will quicken up and given a dearth of express bowlers in the Indian line up, dew will make batting easier should Australia chase an Indian target. Even a target of 320 isn't safe!
If India bat second chasing around 300, it will be a cracking contest given that Australia do have 2 quality fast bowlers and a mercurial Shaun Tait who will find an added zing with dew around and the ball staying a touch low.
If there is no dew at all, or the dew comes in too late to matter, I reckon, India will pip Australia to the finish line, no matter what.
Enough said about dew; lets talk about the Prince! The Prince should have been king by now, but alas, a string of injuries, a not-so-fancy attitude and other conspiring factors have kept the throne from the prince - the throne of a cricket great that is!
That being said, there is a pivotal battle to be won today. If the Prince leads his side to triumph today, he will stay to battle another day. The throne is just 3 games away and he is in decent form with both bat and ball to make a telling impact on the outcome of this world cup. His captain believes in him, has stood by him during the leanest phases and now its time for Yuvraj to repay his captain's faith.
There are other gladiators of course, on both sides. There is that demi-god called SRT who is still searching for that elusive triumph in a world cup; then there is that maverick Sehwag, the warrior Zaheer and the belligerent Harbhajan. On the other side, there is that legend who answers to the call of Captain Ricky. All is not well with Ricky. He looks rusty for runs but super fit, he tries to project assurance but his charges keep slipping every now and then, his future as captain seems threatened. The cornered tiger metaphor seems apt on Ricky right now!
Its a very difficult battle to predict, what with so many variables and warriors. With so many heroes around, this match runs a close parallel with the Trojan war. Who's who, is anybody's guess!
O India, May the fours be with you, all the way!
The Prince in the title refers to the eponymous Yuvraj Singh who, I reckon, will play a pivotal role in about five hours time! The big question of course, is who will prevail, who will face off against a confident Pakistan outfit in the semi final at Mohali.
Its late March and the festival of Holi has been celebrated. Holi heralds the summer in India and with that, dew in the late evening should be absent. However, the facts belie such expectations. If there is dew, no matter how well the fielding side dry the ball, the pitch will quicken up and given a dearth of express bowlers in the Indian line up, dew will make batting easier should Australia chase an Indian target. Even a target of 320 isn't safe!
If India bat second chasing around 300, it will be a cracking contest given that Australia do have 2 quality fast bowlers and a mercurial Shaun Tait who will find an added zing with dew around and the ball staying a touch low.
If there is no dew at all, or the dew comes in too late to matter, I reckon, India will pip Australia to the finish line, no matter what.
Enough said about dew; lets talk about the Prince! The Prince should have been king by now, but alas, a string of injuries, a not-so-fancy attitude and other conspiring factors have kept the throne from the prince - the throne of a cricket great that is!
That being said, there is a pivotal battle to be won today. If the Prince leads his side to triumph today, he will stay to battle another day. The throne is just 3 games away and he is in decent form with both bat and ball to make a telling impact on the outcome of this world cup. His captain believes in him, has stood by him during the leanest phases and now its time for Yuvraj to repay his captain's faith.
There are other gladiators of course, on both sides. There is that demi-god called SRT who is still searching for that elusive triumph in a world cup; then there is that maverick Sehwag, the warrior Zaheer and the belligerent Harbhajan. On the other side, there is that legend who answers to the call of Captain Ricky. All is not well with Ricky. He looks rusty for runs but super fit, he tries to project assurance but his charges keep slipping every now and then, his future as captain seems threatened. The cornered tiger metaphor seems apt on Ricky right now!
Its a very difficult battle to predict, what with so many variables and warriors. With so many heroes around, this match runs a close parallel with the Trojan war. Who's who, is anybody's guess!
O India, May the fours be with you, all the way!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sreesanth Should Play
I am penning this during the innings break of the last league game of WC2011. India have been bowled out once more within fifty overs and its beginning to feel a bit embarrassing now.
Its likely that the Indian bowling will defend a score of 268 but whatever the result, Sreesanth must be brought back for the knockout games if India are to prosper. Dhoni seems oblivious of the presence of Sreesanth in the squad but its time for him to overlook Sree's antics and realise that he is the only seamer other than Zaheer who is capable to taking wickets.
Its likely that any second seamer chosen, will go at six or more an over but amongst Nehra, Munaf and Sree, Sreesanth is the only one who seems to pose a wicket taking threat to the opposition.
If India are to go far in this competition playing only four bowlers, Dhoni would rather have four wicket taking bowlers that one dibbly dobbly medium pacer like Munaf or a woefully out of form Nehra.
May India win!!
Its likely that the Indian bowling will defend a score of 268 but whatever the result, Sreesanth must be brought back for the knockout games if India are to prosper. Dhoni seems oblivious of the presence of Sreesanth in the squad but its time for him to overlook Sree's antics and realise that he is the only seamer other than Zaheer who is capable to taking wickets.
Its likely that any second seamer chosen, will go at six or more an over but amongst Nehra, Munaf and Sree, Sreesanth is the only one who seems to pose a wicket taking threat to the opposition.
If India are to go far in this competition playing only four bowlers, Dhoni would rather have four wicket taking bowlers that one dibbly dobbly medium pacer like Munaf or a woefully out of form Nehra.
May India win!!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Associate Problem
"To be or not to be" allowed is the question when it comes to Associate member participation in international cricket tournaments. The Australian Cricket Board and the ICC are not very popular with the associate members for their strong stance in curtailing the playing field to 10 teams in the 2015 World Cup.
Although the move may seem harsh on the associate members, it makes a lot of business sense. The ACB, unlike the BCCI, does not have an inexhaustible trove of sponsors. Moreover, there are far fewer sporting arenas for international cricket down under as opposed to India. Simply put, the ACB cannot afford to see more than 50% of the matches being mismatches and being watched by a handful of patrons in arenas like the MCG that seat more than 100000.
Of course, there are a couple of ways around this. Firstly, the ICC could make the World Cup a 16 team tournament with 4 groups of 4 each with the top 2 qualifying to the next round. In the next round the 8 qualifiers could be put in two groups of 4 with the top two in each group playing the semi finals. That would bring the total matches to 39 and still allowing more teams to participate.
From an economic perspective, the cricket boards could agree to host some group matches on club grounds. This is not something new. Before cricket started rolling in the big bucks, international matches were held at club grounds. If you don't believe me, check the ground where Kapil Dev made his epic 175* in the 1983 World Cup. Given modern broadcasting requirements, moving camera equipment to small grounds could be a hurdle. This, is however a logistics issue and not a technical hurdle. If the club grounds are chosen in and around a metropolis (Melbourne for example has a whole lot of such grounds like the one India played their warm up match on their last tour down under), the production teams could still move to and from such smaller grounds (India played their warm up at an oval with moderate stands and less than a couple of kilometers from the MCG!!)
Even small club grounds could have temporary tents set up for patrons and bring the cost of hosting the match down to a fraction of hosting it in a place like the MCG. The players' match fees could be footed by their respective boards with the ICC taking care of paying the Associate members' teams. In this way, the host nation could survive a whole lot of mismatches during the tournament from a monetary perspective.
The other risk is that of having a test playing nation being upset by a minnow at the group stage. Now, that might be a big threat when you have groups of 3 (ala 2007 World Cup) but with groups of 4, the risk is significantly reduced. With group matches starting simultaneously (ala Fifa world cup), every match could be afforded a reserve day in case of natural calamities.
Although the move may seem harsh on the associate members, it makes a lot of business sense. The ACB, unlike the BCCI, does not have an inexhaustible trove of sponsors. Moreover, there are far fewer sporting arenas for international cricket down under as opposed to India. Simply put, the ACB cannot afford to see more than 50% of the matches being mismatches and being watched by a handful of patrons in arenas like the MCG that seat more than 100000.
Of course, there are a couple of ways around this. Firstly, the ICC could make the World Cup a 16 team tournament with 4 groups of 4 each with the top 2 qualifying to the next round. In the next round the 8 qualifiers could be put in two groups of 4 with the top two in each group playing the semi finals. That would bring the total matches to 39 and still allowing more teams to participate.
From an economic perspective, the cricket boards could agree to host some group matches on club grounds. This is not something new. Before cricket started rolling in the big bucks, international matches were held at club grounds. If you don't believe me, check the ground where Kapil Dev made his epic 175* in the 1983 World Cup. Given modern broadcasting requirements, moving camera equipment to small grounds could be a hurdle. This, is however a logistics issue and not a technical hurdle. If the club grounds are chosen in and around a metropolis (Melbourne for example has a whole lot of such grounds like the one India played their warm up match on their last tour down under), the production teams could still move to and from such smaller grounds (India played their warm up at an oval with moderate stands and less than a couple of kilometers from the MCG!!)
Even small club grounds could have temporary tents set up for patrons and bring the cost of hosting the match down to a fraction of hosting it in a place like the MCG. The players' match fees could be footed by their respective boards with the ICC taking care of paying the Associate members' teams. In this way, the host nation could survive a whole lot of mismatches during the tournament from a monetary perspective.
The other risk is that of having a test playing nation being upset by a minnow at the group stage. Now, that might be a big threat when you have groups of 3 (ala 2007 World Cup) but with groups of 4, the risk is significantly reduced. With group matches starting simultaneously (ala Fifa world cup), every match could be afforded a reserve day in case of natural calamities.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Its ON!!
My last post sounded a warning to India about their World Cup opener. I felt, like many cricket pundits that the opener was more than a banana skin for the pre-tournament favorites, India.
However, I hadn't counted on Virender Sehwag treating this game as a revenge game. If I had known that, I would have never been so naive to sound out my warning to India. Now, that apocryphal banana skin has been dumped where it belongs - in the dust bin. Bangladesh have been appropriately down-sized as far as their tournament aspirations are concerned. Its a long tournament and Bangladesh still look good to make the quarter finals at the expense of West Indies or even England.
India still proved that their major handicap in this tournament would be the lack of an out and out strike bowler up front with some pace! It is for this very reason that I do not see India as my favorite to go all the way. Yes, India will make the semis along with Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Pakistan are the dark horses in this tournament but they are too mercurial to make my principal semi final line-up.
I am going to hang my neck out and make a bold prediction - Australia will not make it to the finals. They will falter in the semis. I know this prediction may come back to haunt me but I just feel, the Australia batting no longer evokes fear and inevitability in their opponents. Moreover, Australia no longer have a Warne to win them games from hopeless situations (ala WC96 semi final and WC99 semi final). I will not overlook their loss to India in the warm up match - that loss was most un-Australian as losses go - even if it was only a warm up! The team that could lose such a match, even in practice, does not seem likely to go all the way.
The team with the best balance is undoubtedly, South Africa. However, the Proteas have often flattered to deceive but this time, with a good spin attack (Johan Botha and Imran Tahir), I reckon, the Proteas to be the favorite to win the cup.
My money for the bowler of the series is on Brett Lee while the batsman of the series is more open to debate. Amla could be the one or even Kallis. I do hope, SRT will play some more memorable innings as he has so often done in bygone world cups.
Undoubtedly, I want India and especially SRT to win the cup. I would give anything to see a World Cup medal adorning the neck of my favorite cricketer, SRT. However, the mind does not agree with heart - cold logic suggests that India are extremely batting heavy - they have the weakest new ball attack amongst all the test playing nations.
From a team balance perspective, I expect the Proteas to go all the way. However, cricket, like any other sport is not pure skill and silverware isn't amenable to sporting logic. The silverware ultimately rests on the shoulders of those that want it most. It is that unsatiable hunger for the ultimate prize that finally claims the prize. Based on the evidence of the opening game, the Indian team seems like one on a single minded mission - to correct the wrongs of the last two world cups.
Undoubtedly, every other team is equally driven to win the trophy, but the initial evidence suggests that India just want it a wee bit more!! Ultimately, I hope my heart triumphs over the mind and the sheer support of more than 1 billion hearts brings triumph to India in WC2011.
However, I hadn't counted on Virender Sehwag treating this game as a revenge game. If I had known that, I would have never been so naive to sound out my warning to India. Now, that apocryphal banana skin has been dumped where it belongs - in the dust bin. Bangladesh have been appropriately down-sized as far as their tournament aspirations are concerned. Its a long tournament and Bangladesh still look good to make the quarter finals at the expense of West Indies or even England.
India still proved that their major handicap in this tournament would be the lack of an out and out strike bowler up front with some pace! It is for this very reason that I do not see India as my favorite to go all the way. Yes, India will make the semis along with Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Pakistan are the dark horses in this tournament but they are too mercurial to make my principal semi final line-up.
I am going to hang my neck out and make a bold prediction - Australia will not make it to the finals. They will falter in the semis. I know this prediction may come back to haunt me but I just feel, the Australia batting no longer evokes fear and inevitability in their opponents. Moreover, Australia no longer have a Warne to win them games from hopeless situations (ala WC96 semi final and WC99 semi final). I will not overlook their loss to India in the warm up match - that loss was most un-Australian as losses go - even if it was only a warm up! The team that could lose such a match, even in practice, does not seem likely to go all the way.
The team with the best balance is undoubtedly, South Africa. However, the Proteas have often flattered to deceive but this time, with a good spin attack (Johan Botha and Imran Tahir), I reckon, the Proteas to be the favorite to win the cup.
My money for the bowler of the series is on Brett Lee while the batsman of the series is more open to debate. Amla could be the one or even Kallis. I do hope, SRT will play some more memorable innings as he has so often done in bygone world cups.
Undoubtedly, I want India and especially SRT to win the cup. I would give anything to see a World Cup medal adorning the neck of my favorite cricketer, SRT. However, the mind does not agree with heart - cold logic suggests that India are extremely batting heavy - they have the weakest new ball attack amongst all the test playing nations.
From a team balance perspective, I expect the Proteas to go all the way. However, cricket, like any other sport is not pure skill and silverware isn't amenable to sporting logic. The silverware ultimately rests on the shoulders of those that want it most. It is that unsatiable hunger for the ultimate prize that finally claims the prize. Based on the evidence of the opening game, the Indian team seems like one on a single minded mission - to correct the wrongs of the last two world cups.
Undoubtedly, every other team is equally driven to win the trophy, but the initial evidence suggests that India just want it a wee bit more!! Ultimately, I hope my heart triumphs over the mind and the sheer support of more than 1 billion hearts brings triumph to India in WC2011.
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