Tie is a Tie is a Tie !

Tie is a Tie is a match that's Tied,
Don't know how many have died !
Zaheer ran one and a three quarter,
Never seen anyone half smarter !

Dedicated to the Great Indian Bowling Team that made this result possible !

Give them a total in excess of 350 and they will manage to scrap through.

Give them a total in excess of 330 and they will manage a Tie.

Give them a total of par 300 and the Captain can blame the batsmen.

England's batsmen from 7 to 10 made 48 runs of 30 balls between them belting 3 sixes.
India's 7 to 10 made 14 runs from 14 balls and still managed to run one short.

The way Indian lower order batted and ran was plain disappointing. When the Umpire signaled Zaheer Khan as short as he ran himself out like a blind mouse, I had told my Cricket crazy Mom that 'This Run" might well become the difference in the end. Am I the New Cricket Prophet ?

But Dhoni's decision to bowl Piyush Chawla in the 49th over, was Stupid. A bowler would be able to fire down flat would have done a better job. Sehwag, Pathan or even Yuveraj should have been the choice.

Munaf Patel's last over proves once again why he is a liability when it comes to death bowling. For once, I missed Nehra.

In spite of all this, if this match ended up as a Tie, England's fielding has to be blamed. They were far below their normal standards. Are they experimenting with KP as opener at the wrong time ?

The final Analysis:

In the end, Tie is a fair result only because neither of them deserved to Win !




SPun Doctor

Pakistan Favorites !

Cricket needs Pakistan and that is a Cricketing Gospel. They did all they could to create some drama in the match. They were brilliant and then pathetic. There were stupid run outs, dropped catches, missed stumping and 29 extras. All typically Pakistan; but win they did finally. And once again they have kept a World Cup record intact. Sri Lanka have never beaten Pakistan at the Cup.

All the feelings behind the drama were expressed in one moment of sheer fun when Umar Gul put his tongue out even as he was heaving a sigh of relief when Kulasekara hit a full-toss straight to Umar Akmal at long on. The ball well went... Umar se Umar tak !

Gul had a bad match, but Afridi trusted him to bowl the last over and he did well. Kakmal was good, bad and ugly in the same match, many times over. Still, this team seems to be bonding well. Yunis Khan is playing the pivotal role and he looks rock solid. And Shoaib Aqthar has never looked better.

Misbah-ul-haq and Yunis Khan are forging a formidable middle order. With Umar Akmal, Afridi and Razzack to follow, they can be a handful. That Ukmal guy has some cheek. After completing the Kulasekara catch, he actually walked very close to the boundary rope, as if to taunt the vociferous Sri Lankan crowd. And Afridi mock-slapped him.

Coming to Sri Lanka, why are they hiding Malinga ? They seem to stagnate once into middle order. Chamara Silva top-scored, but was perhaps the reason for the stagnation.

This World Cup promises to be the Cup of the Leg Spinners and I am not complaining. It was another Pakistani in South Africa colors who has made life worth living and Cricket worth watching. Is Dhoni watching ?

Afridi has now proved he can do wonders when entrusted with responsibility. First it was the T-20 Win in England and now he seems to be gearing up for the World Cup. He delivered every time they needed a wicket, including the wicket of his counterpart Sanga. And let us not forget he can bat a bit.

Pakistan are warming up and they can still improve and that is worrying for the opponents. But can they maintain the tempo till the end ? I hope not, because I want India to win.

But if India don't win, I would prefer Pakistan to win ! Now I am prepared to be roasted by Indian friends for this comment ! Pakistan is my second favorite team and they always will remain, in spite of fixers. We can't let the talent they manufacture there to go waste.



S-Pun Doctor

Do Dhoni Chaar and other World Cup Resolutions !

After my mind spoke, here I am letting my heart to walk the talk. Walking is good for the Heart !

Like every Indian, I want India to Win the Cricket World Cup 2011. Let it be for anybody; Kapil's Devils, Sachin Tendulkar, Gary Kirsten, Golandaaz or anyone including my patients.

But there is that proverbial thin line between the Cup and the Slip. Can India give the slip a slip and bring home the Cup ? I hope they can on 2 April 2011. But for that to happen, some sacrifices have to be made and some resolutions. So here we go...

Gary Kirsten: Should tell his boys, "I ain't going nowhere". Gauty will be relieved.

Sachin Tendulkar: Can do a huge favor to entire nation by declaring on National and International media, "I am not retiring before 2015 World Cup". This will unburden Viru, Bhajji and all of Men in Blue.

Virendar Sehwag: Every time he bats long, he should get out in the 48th over. This will inspire him to bat all fifty overs at least once in his life. Imagine the quantum of effect this is going to create.

Gautam Gambhir: Should remind Viru of the 'humiliating losses' India have suffered to each of our opponents so that every match will be converted into 'Revenge Match' ! And by chance if we haven't lost to any team, remind him of 'Anticipatory Revenge'.

Virat Kohli: He is looking quite resolute now. Any more resolution may end up in dilution of the perfect picture.

Yuveraj Singh: Should take Yusuf Pathan's promotion as a personal slight and prove again, "Yuvi is the Biggest Dick of them all".

Mahendra Dhoni: Must stop snubbing Sreesanth in public and start flying the 'Helicopter' instead. He also should remember "Do Dhoni Chaar" is possible when it comes to pace - spin combination [2+2] > [3+1].

Suresh Raina: Should bide his time and pounce on an opportunity if it comes.

Yusuf Pathan: Should concentrate on trimming the beard whenever he gets an urge to talk big. Winning from any position will take care of itself.

Harbhajan Singh: Should leave restricting job to Munaf and Yuvi and go for the wickets in the middle overs. 10-0-52-3 is much better than 10-1-39-0.

Zaheer Khan: Recollect first season, wicket of Steve Waugh and bring back the Yorkers.

Munaf Patel: Should try his best not to convert ones into twos and twos into threes; for the opponents.

Sreesanth: Pray to Guruvayoorappan and St. Antony of Kaloor everyday to save career from going the Agarkar way.

Ashish Nehra: Keep people in the dark about injuries. It will force Dhoni to play [2 + 2].

Piyush Chawla: Should look at Tahir Imran. If a Pakistani leg spinner can win matches for Saffers in India, an Indian leg spinner should do better playing for India in India.

Ravichandran Ashwin: Take inspiration from Sunil Valsan. This will be his Cup without breaking sweat !

Indian Fans: Should remember this Cup isn't about Sachin Tendulkar. This perhaps is India's best chance to overcome a lot of jinxes. So chill out and enjoy Cricket without hyping. But knowing India's fallibility in the Finals, be prepared to be fooled the day after 'All Fool's Day' !






S-Pun Doctor

Appam, Guruvayoorappan and Sree's anth

Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Indian Dressing room. 3:00 PM, 23 February 2011. Closed door meeting of Team India with Gary Kirsten and his support staff.

The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit has installed secret spy cameras in all the dressing rooms. We have managed to watch this sensational video, thanks to our contacts with some bookies who have grabbed the contracts to install these cameras.

We sincerely regret our inability to provide the actual video due to copyright issues. Before anyone posts the video on Youtube and the BCCI deletes it, here it is; the commentary of the entire meeting "deferred live".

Gary, Dhoni, Sachin, Viru, Gauty, Bhajji, Zaheer and Yuvi sitting on comfortable chairs at the center of the room arranged like a thirty yard circle. Raina, Virat, Munaf, Chawla, Yusuf and Gary's support staff can be seen gracing an outer circle of chairs, like the boundary ropes.

Ashwin is loitering around outside the outer circle without knowing where he was supposed to sit. He has a cup of piping hot coffee in his left hand. He is all ears and hence the coffee is still waiting. Are we missing someone ?

Gary: Okay, everyone on board. Everyone can express opinions here. All of you are opinionators. But nothing goes outside. So let us start. We can't take England batting lightly. They chased down 293 in spite of opener KP never opening up.

Bhajji: Gary Paji, honestly none of us have expressed any opinions on Bored or anywhere else. All that is totally fabricated by some strange guys called Vibheeshan and Golden Jazz. Looking at these names, they are likely to be Sri Lankans who want to divide our united unity.  I have asked Sachin Paji to talk to Malinga about this. If I come across these guys, I will cut those hands off.

Gary: Alright Bhajji, we all know you are such a team man and you will never write a report like that.

Yuveraj: What report ? Bhajji can't even SMS properly. Saala report kya likhega ?

Gary: Enough is enough, everyone falls in line...

Munaf Patel suddenly wakes up from his slumber and asks, "Gary, did you say Munaf is Munaf ? But I maintained good line and length"

Dhoni: Exactly, we have to maintain line and length and keep them below 234 odd if they bat first. And Sreesanth should keep quite. As long as he is not messing up with certain things, it is fine.

At this juncture, Ashish Nehra limps in with a toothy grin and joins the outer circle. He declares, "I am fit for England, I want to screw them again. This time not 6, I want 7"

Sachin, asserting that he too is fit again, "What do you think is a good score if we are batting first ?"

Viru: 175...

Gauty: Abe team ka total pooch raha hai, tera nahin...

Zaheer: It looks like a turning track. 250 - 260 kaafi hoga. Chawla bhi toh hoga !

Viru: Theek hai, theek hai. Sreesanth nahin hoga toh theek hai. Waise baaki ke 75 - 85 kaun banaayega ?

Virat: Viru Bhai, you can't score 175 in every game...

Viru: Why not ? I want to play 50 overs. Last time out hogaya, toh iss baar poore pachaas hazaar, I mean poore pachaas overs khelna hai...

Gary: [Cutting short Viru] It isn't important who scores how many, we need a team effort...

Pathan suddenly stands up and yells, "What team ? I can win any match from any position..."

Yuveraj: Saala 2 century kya lagaya aur lambi lambi baat karta hai... Ek over me 6 sixer lagaake dikha. And then turns to Dhoni and asks, "Mahi, woh Broad ka bachcha Broad khel raha hai kya ?"

Dhoni: Yuvi, your role in the team has been redefined. You have to do a little bit of everything, batting, bowling and fielding.

Yuveraj: What do you think I am doing now ? I am bowling more than bit, I am batting very little, and fielding a little too.

Raina: What fielding ? I can do much better. The last time you dived in to the swimming pool, all the water splashed out. You can't dive now...

Gary: No fighting please...

Dhoni: Exactly, it is alright to pick up small issues with opponents till a certain level. But you should not create problems for team mates. Sreesanth should maintain discipline, as long as he is not crossing certain lines, it is alright. I am missing Street smart Obama, I mean Pehelwan PK. What we have got instead is an over-smart Appam. What can we do ? Injuries are part and parcel of the game...

All this while feeling like an orphan, Sreesanth is sitting at a corner and watching again and again his 5-0-53-0 spell against Bangladesh.

He grunts, kisses his lockets with all those religious symbols, draws an imaginary cross over his chest and then swears to himself, "Oh Guruvayoorappa, I too want a revenge match. Please let Bangladesh qualify for Semi-Final and I want to beat them and break that Kayes' head"

Meanwhile Yuvi wants to prove a point to Raina and dives right over Raina's head and lands heavily on Sreesanth. Sree in turn goes cartwheeling and bangs his head to the LCD television monitor and is knocked out cold. A part of the LCD monitor goes black.

There is utter chaos and someone shouts, "Pour some water on his face". In the pandemonium, Chawla does what he thinks is best suited [to himself]. He snatches the cup from Ashwin and pours all the hot coffee on Sree's face and trips Nehra with his legs and Nehra too lands with a thud and has injured his hamstrings again.

Dhoni: See, I had just warned him and here he is. Kabhie nahin sudhrega. He has damaged the LCD monitor and now Nehra is injured and will not be able to take 7 wickets against England. I think we have to report this to the Match Referee. Australia and Ponting can do whatever they like, but we are not like them.

Sreesanth is recovering from daze. Wiping off the coffee from his face and neck, Sree grumbles, "But Dhoni Bhai, what did I do ? I don't even know what hit me. Was it an Earthquake or did the roof collapse ? And why am I smelling like Indian Coffee House waiter ?"

Yuveraj takes offense and yells, "Look Appam C, I am not that heavy as you are insinuating", turns to Dhoni and moans, "See, how derogatory he is talking about me..."

Sreesanth: Wait, wait Yuvi Paaji wait, I didn't...

Yuveraj: Dekho dekho, baar baar mere weight ke baare me bol raha hai...

Dhoni: Yes, yes... It is very difficult to control Sreesanth. We have tried our best to reform him. But how he has smashed the LCD monitor, broken Nehra's long leg and hurt Yuvi's senti mentals. We can't tolerate this anymore. Sreesanth has crossed all the certain lines and now he has to be punished. I am going to call a press meet at 7:30 PM !

Sreesanth: Ende Guruvayoorappa rakshikkane ... !




S-Pun Doctor

World Cup Early Favorites : Mind Speaks !

I am not at all happy writing this post. But when I feel like this, I have to.

Will India triumph on 2 April 2011 ?

My Heart wants to say "Yes", but the mind screams "NO" and silences the heart !

Why ? Let me give my reasons why other teams stand better chances.

This World Cup is like a Marathon Race. It is quite long, as long as some of my posts. The last team standing on the podium will be the one with the maximum endurance. And India don't look like they possess it.

Let me explain why I rate the chances of India lower than other teams.

1] South Africa: For me, they are the favorites this time. They have played good amount of Cricket and almost all are fit. Their Batting might is perhaps second only to India. But they have the best bowling army with enough ammunition to exploit any conditions. Bowling and quality of fielding will make the difference on Subcontinental pitches. So they start as favorites.
Key Players: Kallis, who else ? Steyn and Amla.

2] England: Forget Ryan ten Doeschate. Forget 6-1. That was a team drained after the monumental Ashes win. England will be a different team at the WC-11. They too have a fabulous batting line up, perhaps third strongest. But it is the bowling and the Swann factor that will make the difference. They seem to find ready replacements for any injured bowler. So, they are my second finalists.
Key Players: This could be ODI Swann song for Peitersen and Paul Collingwood !

3] Sri Lanka: Their middle order is nowhere near that of India or South Africa. But the 'Big Two' seem to deliver most of the times when it comes to ICC World Cup. But what makes them hot is the sheer quality and variety of their bowling attack. No team can boast of having every type of bowler except the Lions. How the middle order fairs will decide their fate in the knock out stages.
Key Players: Malinga and Murali.

4] Australia: Forget ThrAshes. Forget practice matches. Aussies are a different team in ODI Cricket. Absence of Mussey will hurt them. Else I would have put them at No. 2. They have two vital players, Watson and Lee and they will leave a big impact on WC-11. And never discount Ponting. Bowling is much better than India and that gives them the edge.
Key Players: Shane Watson and Brett Lee.

5] Pakistan: Cornered from all sides thanks to match and spot-fixing and players not mixing; Pakistan nevertheless is a team on the accent. They play their best when they are pressed hard. Bowling looks impressive even though a tad erratic. But if they can bowl out teams after conceding 25 wides, who cares ? Yunis Khan will be the fulcrum of this low on experience but high on Adrenaline Team.
Key Players: Any one from the 11 !

6] India: Batting card looks like a dream. But bowling causes nightmares. Sreesanth can win and lose matches single-handed. More often he manages the second. Ashish Nehra does not inspire enough confidence either. Munaf had a decent outing against Bangladesh. But can he bowl as well defending 270 ?

Bhajji doesn't really know his role in the team. Is he supposed to control runs or take wickets ? Zaheer can be fit and unfit even before you can pronounce the name Isha Sharvani. And then the Yuveraj Singh issue, is he a batsman who can bowl a bit or a bowler who can bat a bit ?

It is 'All is well' for Men in Blue when at least 2 of the top 4 score big. But that doesn't happen everyday. And there lies the problem. When the Top order falters, India lose the plot. So, for the miracle to happen, Sachin, Viru, Gauty and Virat should fire in every single match. Will that happen ?

If India have to win in spite of all these short-comings, Zaheer and Bhajji will have to deliver consistently and big time apart from the Top order !






S-Pun Doctor

Ponting is Right !

In spite of his great batting deeds, in spite of his 3 successive World Cup wins and in spite of his place in the pantheons of the 'All Time Greats' of Cricket; I have never really liked Ponting.

Well, almost all Indians have reasons not to like him. The caning suffered in the 2003 World Cup Final being just one of them !

Most of the times, I have scoffed at Ponting and his rantings. But not this time.
What he said is absolutely true.

Minnows have no place at the World Cup !

The ICC should seriously think in this direction and thankfully they already have if the reports are to be believed. But I am against having even 10 teams. There should be only 8 teams, just 8 and no more.

But isn't this injustice to the associate members ? This could sound so on face value, but it is not. There is a way out. This is how we go about it...

The Main Event should have only 8 teams as it was till 1987.

Each Team will play another team once and the Top 4 will qualify for the Semi-Finals.

The Final should be a best of 3 affair to test the endurance and the ability to bounce back.

Top 6 Teams qualify to play main event based on overall ODI rankings 12 months prior to the main event.

There should be a First round of qualifying tourney involving teams ranked 7 to 20 in the format that is being played now at this Cup.

Let this be held in different countries and the ICC should support the event. This tourney can also be called Plate Division World Cup or something like that.

Both the finalists will get to play the main event.

This will mean the minnows will get to play more matches between themselves and also get to play 2 - 3 teams from the Test playing group. The competition will certainly improve.

Fear of relegation can lead to an improvement in the Test Playing Nations Group too.

Imagine India, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa or even Australia being relegated to the qualifying tourney. That will hurt the egos and can inspire stiffer competition.

A Test playing nation missing out on main event is a possibility. When that happens, it will act as a wake up call to that team and an incentive to the one that pipped them.

What happened yesterday [20 February 2011] was just not Cricket.
It was massacre, slaughter, annihilation, decimation, humiliation and anything you like !
Let us not suffer more of those insufferably lopsided Sundays.
Who will watch them ? Just who will pay to watch Canada playing Kenya in India ?



S-Pun Doctor

Length does matter !

A Question for Cricket Enthusiasts, especially Indians...

Who was the person most responsible for India's big total [370 / 4] at Dhaka ?

A] Virendar Sehwag ?
B] Virat Kohli ?
C] Team effort ?
D] Shakib Al Hassan ?

All have roles.

A] You don't score 175 every day, especially in ODI World Cup.
B] His 100 was faster that that of Viru.
C] But for Sreesanth, everyone did their share. The team did do well.
D] Winning toss and inviting the strongest batting unit to bat first.
    [Well Ganguly has company from across the Eastern border]

But the real answer is...

E] Rubel Hossein !

Okay, don't scoff at me. Agreed the 21 year old was the most economical Bangladesh bowler and seemed to have kept Sehwag quiet early on. So why ?

Look at this: Sehwag was peppered with short pitched bowling by Rubel and Co. He almost bowled only that stuff to Viru. This actually infuriated Viru and made him more determined. He cut his 'Upar Cut' off and decided to bat almost 50 overs. It definitely made the difference.

You can't keep Sehwag from Sehwagging. You just have to get him out. If he bats more than 40 overs, he will score big. You are not likely to get someone out to a short ball when he just keeps ducking and knows the bowler can't go on and on with that stuff.

Bowlers will have to device new strategies with Viru and also with Team India. Pathan has already showed this and against better bowling attacks. What worked in 2007 and in T-20 World Cups till last year seems to have run its run. Time to change the length, because length does matter !







S-Pun Doctor

Team India: Dhaka Dhamaka !

Revenge of the Blue Brigade; Well done with some minor hiccups !

Sehwag: Has never minced words. From Ordinary Test side to Revenge match, he talks like he bats and bats like he talks. Absolute Sehwagging ! Looks and sounds great when it works. Now he wants to bat longer and perhaps through the innings. Some serious stuff but augurs well for Team India.

Sachin: What was he thinking when he started that run ? He was shaping up better than Viru at that stage. Well, little big man, save your best for the big matches.

Gambhir: Looked good till he was undone by one that kept a shade lower. He will have to bat longer when the big two have an off day.

Virat: Century on World Cup Debut was waiting to happen for the most competent batsman to arrive since Dravid. Amidst all the Sehwagging, Virat completed a century in lesser balls than Sehwag.

Pathan: Had very little scope to go ballistic. Fielded as if this was the final. Got rid of Bangladesh Captain when he was going great guns.

Yuveraj: Pulled off a brilliant catch to dismiss Tamim and kept the bowling tight. Is he going the 'Up the Anti [e] - Ravi Shastri' way ? Shastri arrived as a bowler but retired as a tired and rusted Opener. Yuveraj arrived as a batsmen second only to Sachin in talent and will probably retire as a tired and frustrated left arm pie chucker.

Dhoni: The way he slaughtered New Zealand bowling must have given Sehwag the kick. Viru must have thought, "WTF, even Dhoni is hitting like this, so why not me ?". Kept his tryst with toss. We wouldn't mind a bit if he loses 9 out of 9 as long as India win matches.

Bhajji: He was by far the best bowler tonight. Don't look at the score card. He kept things water tight after the Sreesanth nightmare.

Zaheer: Yellow hair and some flair. Even when his partner was getting caned, the Khan kept things under check. Experience helps. Remember it was his first over that sunk India in 2003.

Munaf: Munaf is Enough. I eat my words. He was really good, damn good. If he keeps things like this most of the times, I am ready to suffer his fielding and all else.

Sreesanth: The eternal bad boy was chosen ahead of Ashish because of his speed. Faster he bowled, faster he was thumped to boundaries. Let us not be too critical. He was swinging the ball well. It just wasn't his day perhaps. But it is almost certain that Dhoni will go back to his trusted Nehra and I wouldn't fault him if he does so.




S-Pun Doctor

5 Greatest Events in Indian Cricket : My Take !

"Winning the World Cup in 1983, against heavy odds, was a huge achievement; perhaps the greatest in the history of Indian Cricket"

 Sachin Tendulkar - 17 February 2011.

5:27 Moment in this video changed everything for Indian Cricket and forever so. Still one month short of attaining teenage; I woke up on 26 June 1983 with sweets being distributed and a festive mood all over.

I faintly remember how it all went then. It was good, the sweets too were. All the talk and back slapping of the elders was fun. But today I am quite sure of what it must have been. Nothing before and nothing since-forth can lay claim to the title 'Greatest Moment in Indian Cricket'. Never !

Cricket was just a game in this country till then. When we look back, Cricket as a religion was born on 25 June 1983. It found 'The God' about six years later on 16 November 1989. No other individual has ever fired the imagination of a nation and I don't know if anyone ever can do it again. Not likely in my life time.

As we wait for the the tenth ODI Cricket World Cup to begin tomorrow, here is a look at some of the momentous moments in Indian Cricket. This strictly is my view and is open for dissection. First and second moments, I already have mentioned. So let me start from No. 3.

3] The Benson and Hedges World Championship in 1985: For want of Youtube videos of the Final, I have provided this link of the all important Semi-final, famous for the Kapil Dev - Vengsarkar partnership that lifted India from the grave. This win was special for the way it was achieved.

India were clinically efficient and maintained a clean slate as they bowled out every opponent on the way to final. This was also special because the then Gen-next of Indian Cricket; Shastri, Srikkanth, Azhar, Siva and S. Vishwa gelled well with Gavaskar, Mohindar, Kapil, Madan, Binny and Vengsarkar. It was special also for the way Sunny managed to lift a divided and demoralized team to glory.

4] T-20 World Cup in 2007: Dhoni and his boys were never expected to win. Like Kapil's Devils, they too were underdogs. But the spirit shown by this virtually second string team lead them to a memorable win. It perhaps began 'Here'.

There are so many wins; Some Memorable, Some Special and Some Sensational. But for me, something that happened away from the playing field qualifies for a slot over here. We all know the Internet has taken over the Planet Earth. So many Cricket blogs have spawned the Internet including this one.

We do have some extremely good individual or team blogs. Greyblazer, Shridhar, Som, Vidooshak and Golandaaz Opinionators, Strawberry Fields and many more. I enjoy all these wonderful blogs. But Cricket is a Team Game and when a Team has a collection of the best of the talent, that naturally becomes the finest !

5] For the quality of the stuff exhibited, the clarity of some of those elegant strokes, and for all those illustrations; there is but 'ONE' Cricket Blog that has enthused me the most.

Just look at the Team...

Like IPL, they might play for other teams too, but they are 'Here' and that counts !

1] Straight Points.
2] Naked Cricket.
3] AweSome Doosra.
4] Homer.
5] The Achettup.
6] A Bisht.
7] Cricket minded Poorna.
8] Mahek.
9] Ankit and Ankit !
10] The Half and Half, Mister and Missus Cricket Couch.
11] John
And the OTHER team members !

They have given us 'Che' and KhufiaBaaz.
We also got the first native born Comic Strip Hero, the Jatman !
With all this, you simply can't be bored on the Bored ! 

BCC! is 'One of the finest things' to have happened to Indian Cricket since 25-6-1983 !
I rest my case.

PS:
Hope Team India manage to make it a 'Sixer' the day next to All Fools Day this year !




S-Pun Doctor

Maheadlines in the times of World Cup !

Weird things do happen in Cricket. They just keep happening. More so during the World Cup.

He wasn't even thought of as a WC probable before the South Africa ODI Series.

4 wickets on an apology of a track and Dhoni has warmed up to Piyush Chawla.

In a batting card that reads: Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuveraj, Pathan, Dhoni, Bhajji and Zaheer Khan...

"This is what we hear": Chawla needs to contribute with bat too: Dhoni

What about Yuveraj, Raina and Dhoni himself ?

Dhoni aka Mahi is the Head of Team India. Hence whatever he utters becomes Maheadlines !

We are living in weird yet exciting times.

We can expect more and more Maheadlines...

Yuveraj needs to take 5 wickets more often

Sachin needs to score more ODI centuries than anyone

Pathan needs to win more matches from any position

Sehwag has to improve his strike rate while batting 50 overs

Ashwin is too tall for a spinner, he needs to get shorter

Munaf has to cut down on speed while bowling and running

Zaheer has to lead from the front and then back too

Sreesanth shouldn't open his mouth to appeal or even to eat Appam

Gambhir needs to bowl his leg-spin more regularly

Virat should improve his wicket-keeping skills

Nehra's teeth need to visit a Dentist before the Final

Raina needs to change his gear [Does it mean the CSK gear ?] 

Bhajji should remember he hasn't scored an ODI Century

And...

I think I must give more tips to my team-mates





S-Pun Doctor

Cold facts from the Warm-up game !

*

Some interesting and random sub-plots from the warm up game.

What looked like a cake walk turned into choke walk for the Aussies.

The match looked all but over at Australia 118 / 1 in the 22 over.

But as was quoted by Yogi Berra, "It ain't over until it is over !".

13 people played for India on Sunday the 13th February.

One bad-boy [Sreesanth] welcomed another bad boy [Ponting] in a manner that suited both.

Australia couldn't warm up enough in the cold wintry Bangalore evening and collapsed like Pakistan. The Pakistani Umpire must have felt at home.

Krejza continues to pick the wicket of Sehwag when he least looks like doing anything on field.

Raina and Yuvi continue to compete with each other and we still don't know who is behind.

Chawla has at least for the time being, proved me wrong and put Yuvi and Raina in serious trouble.

If pitches continue to behave this way throughout the Cup, it might be 2 + 2 + part-timers for India. Nehra and Sree will have to fill in the second seamer's slot.

Yusuf Pathan will retire with more sixes than fours, singles or twos at the end of his career.

It looked as if Johnson had started the walk back even before Bhajji bowled the ball. He was very close to the boundary line when Dhoni removed the bails.

Ponting's slog sweep was neither a slog nor a sweep. It almost looked like a swog sleep or whatever.

Michael Clarke makes a better Captain than a batsman if that is any consolation.

Virat Kohli is good. But he still isn't Dravid or Laxman. Neither in the slips nor with the clips [of the hips].

Munaf Patel did a huge favor to us. We knew he'd be cannon-fodder on Indian pitches. Thankfully he proved that well before the curtain-raiser.

Mitchell Johnson again bowled twice as many wides as all the Indian bowlers together.

Australia bowled more than 4 additional overs thanks to wides.

In fact not only Johnson but Hastings, Lee and Dussey out-wide-balled India.

And to think I was one of the very few Indians who didn't get to bowl today because Aussies folded up in 38 overs.

Ashwin and Nehra won the match for India. The 44 runs the No. 10 / 11 scored was the difference.

Australia's part-time spinners appear to be better than the main spinner.

India's lower order looks better than the middle order [which is still in South Africa].

And finally, a sensational scoop, breaking news and revelation all put together...

Sachin and Zaheer are India's secret weapons being hidden from the opponents.



S-Pun Doctor

Blah Blah Black Sheep !

2005-06: Virendar Sehwag wanted to score the first double century in ODI Cricket. He hasn't gone past 150 ever since. Even when he was on the verge of a 100, Randiv or Sehwag himself have denied him the coveted mark.

If not for Anil Kumble's insistence he would not even have played down under in 2008 and a great talent would have ended up in oblivion.

In the meanwhile, another man reached the summit without making any noise.

2011, after just 3 knocks worth remembering in international Cricket , Yusuf Pathan has done This !

"I can win matches from any position"

Confidence is when your actions speak for yourself. Arrogance is when words overtake your actions !

Blah blah Black sheep,
Can you play ball ?
Yes Sir, Yes Sir,
Better than them all !
One for the Leader,
One for the name,
And one for the big boy
Who lives high on fame !

I don't know if Yusuf Pathan really did all this blah blah. It is perfectly possible the wily interviewer has put those words into the mouth of Pathan. Not as proficient in English as his better equipped half brother, Yusuf has been given leading questions to do all this talk.

Rediff and many others in the E-media have always done this hyping that has only harmed Indian Cricket and nothing more. The question is, why do they do this ? Is someone really paying them to do this ?

I have read somewhere that Yusuf doesn't listen to many people and goes by his own judgment. He is believed to be close to a few people and will trust and do only according to what his core group thinks. That is fine. But if this ill-conceived sham of an interview was in accordance with his confidantes, then he should change his think tank for better.

Yusuf had told somewhere else that "I hit only those balls that are in my area". Well, most of the 'balls' in this piece of stinking journalism were basically way outside his area. He should have left them alone. Some of them were so wide and now he has been caught on the third-man boundary.

When arrogance shouts, performance is bound to go mute. Yusuf should shut up and let his bat do the talking. He still is one bad shot away from being dropped. Dhoni had kept him out favoring Vijay and Nohit Sharma soon after that epochal hundred against Kiwis. Dhoni can do it again to keep Raina and Yuvi in.

Hope our big man from humble origins doesn't get carried away by this big hype. This isn't the time to lose who could really be our triumph-card. He can indeed win matches from very difficult situations. But it looks better on field than on some hits-hungry portal.

Hope the Electronic Media leaves our Cricketers alone to play Cricket !

S-Pun Doctor

Sree No Evil, Here No Evil !

Sreesanth: Bridle Him but Don't Smother Him

The so called Enfant Terrible of Indian Cricket is back. Back through the back door. I am not complaining.

But am I happy ? I am, I am. Not because Sree is from my adopted town Kochi. Not because I like Sree. But because, this World Cup needs Characters.

We will miss Symonds. Hayden, McGrath and Nel too will be missed. Dada has retired. We don't know when Show Pony Shoaib Aqthar will break down. Ponting isn't sure either. Asif and Amer stand no-balled. The lacuna created by the retirement of Warne is tough to be filled.

I just don't see any characters. Same Dhoni, Strauss, Tendulkar, Dan, Sanga and Binga; all talking goody goody nothings. How boring it all could have been ? It just isn't fair to expect Bhajji and less than a handful of people to entertain us when the going gets too serious.

So welcome Sree, we are happy for you. I feel bad for 'Pahelwan' Praveen. He definitely is our best new ball bowler. But Sree isn't far behind when the seam is in line and his head too is fine.

I hear a lot of noise about his temperament and tantrums. But I really feel all this is a little too overblown. Andre Nel, Glenn McGrath, Javd Miandad, Allen Donald and many others including our own Bhajji have behaved much worse on field. But only Sree gets all the bad press and negative vibes even from his own Captain.

When he was slapped by Bhajji during IPL-1, Bhajji got the suspension but Sree got all the bad publicity. Some people even went to the extent of rejoicing the episode. Ishant Sharma has been much more expensive but only Sreesanth's economy rate becomes an issue of prime time debate. Totally unfair.

Never consider me a supporter of bad behavior. But a little bit of aggression on field by an Indian bowler goes a long way in restoring the balance. The balance in favor of our beleaguered batsmen, who have been accused 'Flat Track Bullies'.

I have always believed Indian batsmen are exploited with 'short pitched barrage' by opponents mainly because our own bowlers don't give it back as well as they get. Just see the result when Sree bounced out Kallis with a beast at Durban. That aggression is what we need.

Aggression he indeed brings in tonnes. Dhoni reprimanded him when any other Captain would have patted him. Sree got the goat of Smith and then his wicket. He demolished the myth that only Indian batsmen were weak against bouncers. And what he got in return ? A public admonition from his Captain.

Hope Dhoni will be smarter this time. Sree is a passionate Cricketer who wants to take wickets and win matches for his country. He has done well in recent times in all forms of Cricket. He needs the support of his Captain and his Country. Bridle him for sure. Rein him in to certain extent, fine. But please don't smother him.

Allow him to breathe and he could be breathing fire. We need the fire and the passion !




S-Pun Doctor

Beyond the Deadlines : Vasachari's Mantap !

There was this famous incident that became a local legend in our small town of Karkala decades ago. It remains a point of reference even today.

A rich man's daughter was getting married. The Bridegroom and his party were to arrive from a nearby village in the morning on wedding day. The small community didn't want to compromise on quality and status. It was a matter of prestige. So the preparations were going on with a lot of  fanfare.

The bride's family wanted the 'Mandap' or 'Pandal' to be erected by none other than the expert carpenter of town, 'Vasachari'. He consented and started work the previous day. He had assured the completion of work in time. Next morning, he was still fixing a rod here and driving a nail there even as the groom's party arrived.

In the din of receiving guests and honoring them, the brides family altogether forgot the 'Work in progress'. But our man was dedicated to the core. His work went on and on and on even as the marriage ceremony began and was duly solemnized after prolonged rituals lasting over 6 hours.

Later in the evening, at the time of 'Bidai' or 'Farewell' ceremony of the bride; people noticed Vasachari and his disciple still working on the Mandap. He was just about giving finishing touches to his master-piece. When told that the function was long over; he reacted, "Well, my work too is over".

After this incident, if the preparations for any event got delayed; people started telling, "Oh yet another Vasachari's Mandap in the making !"

First we had CWG fiasco and now the Eden tragedy. The media would like us to believe India always manage to get into the hall of shame. But is this really so humiliating as is made out to be ?

I would say no, a Big NO !

This simply is a trait for us. Like it or leave it, this is what we are. The problem with us is that we hate to reach anywhere ahead of schedule. For the rich and the famous, that is below dignity. For small people like me, it is a way of life. Just like guzzling beer for the Aussies and worrying about the human rights of terrorists for Arundhati Roy.

But why ? Why do we hate to be early ? We all know the big people will be late. So we have to wait and wait really long. We also get caught in traffic. And never discount problems like the premature delivery of a she-buffalo in the neighborhood.

In spite of all the hurdles and hiccups, CWG went according to schedule and was a success. So it would have been with Eden if only the ICC had shown some patience. Alas, ICC is not IOC and Shashank Manohar isn't Kalmadi. Neither is he Lalit Modi, and that is unfortunate.

I cannot but suspect some politics in this. Is it to spite the Dalmiya group that the Pawar-powered ICC disqualified Kolkotta ? We still have to recover from the Dada snub by IPL. Anything is possible !

But coming back to our culture and nature, working till the last moment and even beyond is indeed our style. Starting from a simple annual day function at a Primary School to the AICC meeting at Delhi and the CWG, the preparations have to go on till the curtains go up.

What worth is any event that is not botched up in the beginning but ends up "All is Well" ? We love to overcome problems, hurdles and mutinies. If there aren't any, we love to create them and then triumph over them. Like Vasachari, we believe in working irrespective of deadlines.

Will Eden get a chance ?




S-Pun Doctor