Silly M(a)id-on

WARNING – Longer than usual post. Very frequent uses of the words “Incredible”, “awesome” and other similar ones. Clichés abound. Fangirl makes an appearance too.

Hmm.. so where should I begin this one?

I’ve spent the last few hours going over the last over of the Final and the “aftermath” if you will, on youtube. Again, and again, and again. And each time, the euphoria remains. Each time my heart swells up. Each time I see a Harbhajan or Yuvi with moist eyes and I get how much it meant to them. The incredible hug Tendulkar gave Dhoni and Yuvi. I’ve never seen him this animated. The lap of honour with Tendulkar and Kirsten on the young ones’ shoulders. What did Virat say? “Tendulkar has carried the team for 21 years. I think it’s time we carried him on our shoulders”.  Yes, Virat. You can say that again. Incredible.

I gotta say though. When Tendulkar edged that Malinga delivery, I had that sinking feeling in my stomach. This cannot be happening. We aren’t going to collapse again, are we? Another 4 years’ worth of wait? No, this cannot happen. A tiny part of my brain reminded me that my team had faced such tricky situations in the last couple of years, and handled it really well. What do I say of what happened after that. Writers better than me will explain how that innings was built by Gambhir and Virat and then Gambhir and Dhoni. I will only say this. Gambhir, in my book, deserved the man of the match as much as Dhoni did for this win. Just sayin’! Not complaining! The adjudicators could have given it to Sreesanth for all I care. As long as the trophy was given to Dhoni .

Let me just briefly jot down my thoughts on a few players in this team and their WC performances (in order of their batting) –

Viru – I find it incredible that a player like Viru has such an amazing Test record. He is just a slightly better version of Afridi for me in ODIs. But even so, a quickfire 35 from him can really dismantle a good bowler (like what happened with Gul). Makes it easier for people coming in after him.

Tendulkar – I have no words for this guy. Enough has been said. Rest assured I’m glad he has a WC gold medal for himself.

Gambhir –  This guy. This guy has nerves of steel. Mostly. On the rare occasion when that steel is melting away, he runs himself out in the ugliest manner. But otherwise, his presence on the batting crease gives me the sort of peace of mind that Dravid used to once upon a time (i.e. when he still played ODIs).

Virat- He is 4^th on my list here, and he should never ever bat lower than this number. You hear that Dhoni? I complained when he wasn’t sent out at #4 against England. I had my head in my hands when the same happened against SA. But Dhoni realised his mistake in good time, and all was well with the world. Virat is my hope for the future of Indian cricket. As long as he keeps his attitude in check. Don’t ever let me see that arrogant smirk on your face, Virat!

Yuvi – Was ranting to a friend a few months ago about how it was so painful to watch someone so gifted like Yuvi, so disinterested in his game. For someone who used to be an incredible fielder, to watch him move about listlessly on the field..it wasn’t a good sight at all. Whatever has reignited the fire in his belly, I hope it stays for years to come.

Captain Cool – Dhoni, dear Dhoni. Oh my dear Dhoni. Saved his best batting for the end, didn’t he? Everything we associate with his brand of batting. All those characteristic shots. That mad running between the wickets. Did I say Gambhir has nerves of steel? Well, this guy right here has nerves of Titanium (I hope I have my chemistry right here…don’t correct me if I am wrong. It’s ok. I make a living out of software stuff, not chemistry ).  The format allowed him a little leeway to test a few of his hypotheses and he made good use of it. Got the batting order and batsmen right (good decision to drop Yusuf, like I pointed out in my previous post). Almost good enough with the bowling line up too. And also discovered how the team was messing up with the Powerplays and worked that chink in the armour out. All in all, a job well done! And there are 2 distinct images of Dhoni I’ll take away from this tournament. One, that look of calm in his eyes as he hit that 6 to seal the match. And two, that giggling teenager at the press conference after the match! Gawd Dhoni, what was that all about??

Raina – He came in a little late but he showed his captain, and the team and us what we all were missing before he came in – electricity on the field that ends up lifting the standards of others in the team too. And an innings of a finisher that is aggressive enough, but lasts more than 5 balls. He played his part to perfection.

Zak – The unofficial bowling coach. The “Anil Kumble” of this team. Dhoni’s go-to guy. The guy to toss the ball to when things are happening. The guy to toss the ball to when things are not happening. The joint highest wicket taker of the tournament with an average under 18. ‘Nuff said.

The Team – They only lost to SA. And that wasn’t a loss handed over the plate either. They were part of the toughest group. They had an incredibly hard path to the finals. Beating Australia and Pakistan is no joke. They stuck together. Someone was always at hand to do what was needed. Whether it was an innings of calm that was required, or a cameo. Whether India needed some wickets ASAP or they needed to stem the flow of runs. The fielding lifted towards the end too. I mean if you see Nehra flying about, you know there is something special going on on the field. This was the culmination of years of hard work. By the team, and their support staff too. Which brings me to…

Gary Kirsten – To you sir, I can only say Thank you. Thank you for giving my team 3 years of your life, away from your country and family. Thank you for building my team and doing everything you can to make them believe. You’ve given us the number 1 ranked team in tests. You’ve given us the number 1 ranked team in ODIs. You’ve given us the World Cup. I shouldn’t ask for more. I am incredibly sorry to see you go. Best wishes for your future endeavours.  If I could, I would give you the Bharat Ratna. Uh, would you mind coming back to give a “handover” of Project Team India once we have a new coach?? Please? Pretty please??

Nope, I’m not done yet.

I had to walk halfway to get to Southall yesterday coz the roads were all cordoned off. With an injured foot to boot. But it was so worth it. The fireworks, the naarebaazi, the flags, the vuvuzelas, the march on the Broadway. Southall screeched to a halt on Saturday, as did other parts of London (I’ve heard it was not possible to get out of East Ham train station after a while). The cheers went on even on public transport, no consideration for fellow non-Indians on board. The Met Police might have anticipated something like this, but I’m sure even they would have been surprised by the extent of it. Who knew there were so many noisy Desis around, eh?

I should mention the Sri Lankans too. They were worthy opponents. Mahela played a sublime knock. I was really surprised to note his final strike rate was over a 100. Never realised when the gears shifted to such an exent. And more than the Akhtars and the Aussies, I feared Malinga. And he did give us a glimpse of why he is feared. Those 2 wickets would have given millions of Indians a queasy feeling, including yours truly. Those yorkers, man, how does he do that will such regularity?? I guess the pressure got to him at the end, but nothing should take away from his achievements. And what about Murali the Magician. You either call him a master craftsman, or a chucker. There is no middle ground. I chose the former. And I will always remember the sheer joy on his face everytime he got a wicket. Jumping about like a little child. His last match ever did not do justice to the calibre of the man. He wil surely be missed, and not just by the Lankans.

Final thoughts – My dad has his ’83 story. I finally have one of my own too. And be sure of one thing. I’ll watch re-runs of this match till every detail is etched in my brain. And I’m going to bore my kids and their kids, the other people’s kids with stories of how we won this World Cup.

It was a 28 year wait this time around. One gets the feeling that the wait will be much shorter for the next one.

To all you Team India fans who’ve been with the team through thick and thin, enjoy and savour this victory. They’ve done it!!

Mumbai Ka King Kaun?? INDIAAAAAA……..

India’s loss, Somerset’s Gain?

Should Kartik be in the Test team instead of Ojha/Mishra or, dare I say, Bhajji?

Bhajji has the best bowling figures (RPO-wise).

Yuvi got a couple of wickets.

Rohit Sharma is (and probably will remain) the highest scorer for India.

Yes…it’s one of those matches…

Yes, that combination still works!

59/5 off 48.3 overs..not too shabby..

India remain #1..and all is fine with the world for now…

And you, Mr. Amla…MUCH RESPECT sir..hats off!

More later,

Ciao.

Shiv Sena is still bent on not allowing Aussies in Mumbai. I knew this would happen. I’m sure no one in BCCI knows how to use PowerPoint. So it is not a surprise that they were not able to give Thackerey uncle a convincing presentation.

Deccan Chargers warn of boycotting the IPL as their “home” matches are being moved to Mumbai and Nagpur because of the security situation. The move was decided on despite assurances of full support from the authorities and the Telangana Joint Action Committee.  Trying to make sense of this development in conjunction with point 1 made me a little dizzy initially. Now I am just amused and waiting for IPL’s response.

The first thing I saw when I woke up today was that Steyn went for more than 4 runs an over. BWAHAHAHA

In November, NC wondered why Bhajji’s sister did not get married instead of Gambhir’s. She has obliged now. And Harbhajan has ruled himself out of the first 2 Saffa ODIs. Better late than never I say. Ha!

Let’s get The Preview bit out of the way first.

Sri Lanka arrive in India after a gap of four years with thoughts of opening their test account there. On the other hand, Indians probably have revenge on their mind, after Ajantha Mendis messed with the heads of their world class batsmen last year, and sent them to a 2-1 defeat. The other issue that keeps coming up of course is the number 1 spot on ICC rankings…which is a bit much because regardless of who wins this series, South Africa will surely pound England later in December and reclaim their #1 spot. But that’s ok. There is test cricket on the menu finally, and India is playing..after what seems like an overkill of T20s and ODIs, what more could I ask for?

A few things have changed since these 2 countries played each other last. Ganguly and Kumble no longer represent India at the International level. Vaas doesn’t play for Sri Lanka anymore. Bowling well and taking wickets has become incidental to Harbhajan Singh..his primary role is that of a batsman now. Sangakkara is showing a lot of “aggression” on the field these days, so unlike the “gentle, mild-mannered Sri Lankans”. And Mendis seems to have lost his mysterious aura, so much so that he doesn’t find himself in the team every now and then.

It should be an interesting series. As Sangakkara said, there are reputations to be made. The bits that interest me are all related to India (yeah, I’m pretty one-dimensional like that)

Will Dhoni show the courage to give Harbhajan the boot finally?

Will Yuvraj cement his place in the test side?

Will Tendulkar enter the 21st year of his career with a good series?

Will Sehwag and Gambhir shrug off their indifferent ODI form and shine?

Will Dravid do well?

Will India’s pacers find their bearings?

Will M&M be mauled? (Yes please!!)

We’ll know pretty soon.

Onto Match 1, Day 1 then..aka The Review.

From 32/4 to 385/6, Dhoni must be a relieved man. By the time I got up today, India’s score was around 120/4. Not the greatest of starts, but I was quite pleased to see Dravid’s half century then. Didn’t realise until much later just how big a hole India had dug for itself earlier in the day, courtesy them being generous to another debutant some newbie with like the longest name ever….honestly guys..you have got to stop doing that!!

(Update – Just got to know that W’s debut match was in 2007, against England..Thanks NC)

(And dear Mr. and Mrs. Welegedara. I know it is probably none of my business, but…Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanga Welegedara…seriously??)

Dhoni and Yuvi must be pleased with their effort. They both needed that. I was surprised to learn that this was only Dhoni’s second Test century, and that too after a gap of almost 4 years. Hmmm..chalo, der aaye, durust aaye. (Better late than never)

With Bhajji’s ability to hold the bat (5 of his 7 50s have come since 2008), I suppose 450 should be gettable at the very least. That should be a decent enough 1st innings score. I don’t know how helpful the pitch will be for bowlers tomorrow and the day after so let’s see how the Indians fare on the field.

So then, are you ready for the Yahoooo yet??

Saving India the blushes today, and in some style, was THE MAN..with a very confident innings, a SR of more than 70 and hitting a 6 too! Could my Monday GET any better?

Days like these make me want to go back to school/college days when it was so much easier to just take a day off and sit glued in front of the telly on match days. I can probably see highlights after I get back from work, but it is not the same as watching it live. Sigh…I’ll soothe my soul with this stuff in the meantime…

SP @ Bored

Cricinfo

Trevor Chesterfield @ Cricketnext

Trying hard not to get carried away, but please RD, could we have some more?

(RANT ALERT)

I have been in hiding for the last 24 hours. I had to…after the hiding India got. So, the last 24 hours were spent in Denial. That was Stage 1.

This is Stage 2.

You wanna know why you lost the game yesterday, India? You wanna know why?? Here’s how it happened-

- Going in with  3 seamers when the pitch is declared to be a graveyard for fast bowlers? Bad idea. Leaving out Mishra in the bargain? Even worse.

- Dhoni said in the after-match interview “I have never seen so many runs scored backward of point.” (Malik scored a LOT of runs in that area) Really Dhoni? So it didn’t occur to you to put a fielder there for that?

- Yusuf Pathan -> 56/1 and 5 runs. ‘nuf said. Try Nayar. How much worse can it be? You might get a pleasant surprise due to his novelty factor.

- Harbhajan Singh -> 71/1 and 13 runs.  Try Mishra. Seriously.

- Gambhir -> Did the groin inury affect your brain too, Gautam? Basics man, basics…

- Kohli/Raina -> Someone forgot to tell you I guess. You are playing in an ODI. That’s right. O-D-I. One Day International. Repeat after me….One…Day….International. There you go. Remember this for tommorow. Try and “construct” an innings. You cannot blast your way out of trouble here always.

-Dravid -> That was your chance to be the hero. The saviour. And you blew it! Repeat after me….One…Day….International. Geddit?

Losing to Pakistan in an ICC event…and now SA is out of the tournament…sheesh!!

Stage 3.

All is forgiven if you beat Australia tommorow. I’ll help you. I’ll stuff my fantasy team with Australians even if that means using up all my transfers.

Didn’t I say that I don’t think India will go far in this tournament in my last post? Well, I take it back. Now I want India to qualify for the finals. And Pakistan too. And I want India to win the Cup. So there.

Perhaps deservingly.

India lost this match on all counts IMO…bowling, fielding and batting.

First up, bowling. A team at 100/3 at the end of 15 overs should not have been allowed to get to 153 in the first place. Let’s see who gave how many runs in the last 5 overs -

16th over -Ishant – 13 runs
17th over – Jadeja – 8 runs
18th over – Bhajji – 10 runs including 5 wides
19th over – Zak – 12 runs
20th over – Bhajji – 10 runs including 5 wides again!

I had a very bad feeling about those free runs given away as wides, as I am sure did a lot of other people. It helped England cross the psychological 150 run mark and ultimately proved decisive in the narrow margin of victory they got.

Fielding now. Was it just me or did England seem to score 1s and 2s with a lot of ease? Again, there seemed no urgency in India’s fielding. It looked like they were just going through the motions.

The batting. Oh, the batting. Perhaps there was a grand plan in sending Jadeja in at 4. That did not work out all that well. He was looking so lost out there. His mom should give him with lots of milk and almonds to build up his strength ‘coz his shots seemed to go nowhere. He undid all his good bowling effort with that innings. And got a lot of abuse from me in the process. I have never wanted an Indian wicket to fall so badly. By the time Yuvi, and then Pathan came to the crease, perhaps there was just too much to do.

One thing England need to be commended on is their bowling effort. They picked up on Indian batsmen’s weakness with the short ball and exploited it to their full advantage. They were the better team out there today and they won. It is indeed a shame that India did not work on this aspect after their last game.

One thing that kept coming back to me was how everyone seemed to agree that the reason why India won the cup in ’07 was because they were fearless. They were extremely confident in themselves and backed each other up to win from improbable situations. That quality seemed missing in this tournament.

Life as an Indian cricket fan is never easy. For me it is more difficult ‘coz my next favourite are the eternally choking South Africans. Sigh. It’s not looking so good for me….

Oh, this is depressing!

India have themselves to blame for this. Aweful batting effort. Just aweful! Dhoni’s gem(!) of an innings has already been called. But for some late gutsy hitting by YP, Yuvi and, well, Bhajji, the scorecard would have been a bigger eyesore.

One did get the feeling that 150 would be a competitive score. And when Simmons’ wicket fell, I still thought we had a great chance of winning. But Bravo and Chanderpaul took it away in style! Credit where it is due, I would have enjoyed their batting if they weren’t playing against India. The main problem areas for India remain bowling at death and fielding. If a couple of easy run out chances would not have been missed, WI could have been pushed a little bit more.

Anyhoo, it’s Mission England next. Perhaps they will just fall apart and save us some trouble? They have played their part in this competition by qualifying for the Super8′s. Don’t they need some extra practice for the Ashes or something?

P.S. Was Chanderpaul’s stance, when on strike, a little wierd or have I just not seen him bat for a while?