Team India are the reigning World Champions in ODI Cricket.
We also have the World No. 1 Test Team since over a year.
IPL attracts more eyeballs than most of the International series.
Rahul Sharma and Sreenath Aravind have bowled with promise.
Ambati Rayudu and Paul Valthaty have enlivened the proceedings.
Shane Warne believes Rohit Sharma is a Master in the making.
Tendulkar is still hungry for runs and Dravid isn't finished either.
Virat Kohli is batting well and shows guts as Captain of men.
Sehwagging reached epitome before he was shouldered out.
Gambhir is taking both Captaincy and his name too seriously.
Ashish Nehra continues to recover from one injury after another.
Yuvi continues to prove he is a different player in Indian Colors.
Munaf bowled well till he lost his head and match to Amit Mishra.
Sreesanth excels as Sreesanth and bowls 5 good balls in an over.
Bhajji hasn't slapped Sree and called Symonds a Gentleman... Man !
So much happening and Mumbai Indians choking before the Finals !
So much of action, fun and excitement has not really excited me. Why ?
Why am I dormant compared to my normal over-talkative standards ?
Very often this happens to me during those never-ending ODI series.
Every single IPL season, I have felt it as it comes to the business end.
Tendulkar may be God to millions and many who don't believe in God.
Sehwag may be the most destructive batsman in all forms of Cricket.
Gayle may have redefined the IPL Batsmanship taking it to a new height.
I realized something today. I am going through a trough in Crickinterest.
I realized today that I am missing something, rather missing someone !
Fortunately I know what to do when I feel so low on Cricket Adrenaline...
I just watch THIS !
Post Script: I can sit through an entire day and then through the night watching VVS bat with the tail in tow than suffer some of that 'Cricket' played by the likes of Sunny Sohal and Manish Pandey; the Masters of Inelegance !
SPun Doctor
Also blogs @ http://diehardcricketfans.org/category/contributed/govind-raj-shenoy/
Showing posts with label Sreesanth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sreesanth. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Best IPL Knock I have seen !
Some Factistics [Factual Statistics]
Pitch playing a ripper and Sreesanth bowling almost underground.
4 down for 2 in the second over and later 35 for 3 in the seventh.
7 team-mates scored 61 runs of 75 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Take out 33 from 20 by Pathan and Britt during slog and it becomes 28 from 55 balls.
The ball managed to cross the ropes only twice from the other end when he batted.
All other batsmen together managed 9 fours and 5 sixes of 188 balls scoring 173 runs.
He got out at his team score of 132 but not before making 80 runs of 47 balls.
5 scintillating sixes and 8 fabulous fours at a strike rate of 170 [10 RPO].
People might say a lot of things. They might talk about Valthaty and Gayle.
Kohli holds the orange cap. Sachin the most consistent. Many have fired.
Rohit has played well too and David Hussey hit the longest six so far.
He was honest and accepted his team was suffering because he had failed to fire.
And in spite of a bad shoulder and a worse pitch, he needed to fire !
Delhi languishing at the bottom of the table needed the Captain for resurrection.
Harsha Bhogle tweeted Yuveraj and Sehwag are better India players than IPL players.
He was right. Well, mostly. Somehow Sehwag prefers the bigger stage to ignite.
The partisan crowd at Kochi didn't realize how fortunate they were today.
They have witnessed one of the rarest of the rare Gems today on a tough pitch.
In conditions like this where their own team has lost 20 wickets for a total of 187 runs...
And the de facto Fact - QED:
Virendar Sehwag's 80 today is easily 'The Best' IPL knock I have seen so far !
I rest my case !
SPun Doctor
Also blogs @ http://diehardcricketfans.org/category/contributed/govind-raj-shenoy/
Pitch playing a ripper and Sreesanth bowling almost underground.
4 down for 2 in the second over and later 35 for 3 in the seventh.
7 team-mates scored 61 runs of 75 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Take out 33 from 20 by Pathan and Britt during slog and it becomes 28 from 55 balls.
The ball managed to cross the ropes only twice from the other end when he batted.
All other batsmen together managed 9 fours and 5 sixes of 188 balls scoring 173 runs.
He got out at his team score of 132 but not before making 80 runs of 47 balls.
5 scintillating sixes and 8 fabulous fours at a strike rate of 170 [10 RPO].
People might say a lot of things. They might talk about Valthaty and Gayle.
Kohli holds the orange cap. Sachin the most consistent. Many have fired.
Rohit has played well too and David Hussey hit the longest six so far.
He was honest and accepted his team was suffering because he had failed to fire.
And in spite of a bad shoulder and a worse pitch, he needed to fire !
Delhi languishing at the bottom of the table needed the Captain for resurrection.
Harsha Bhogle tweeted Yuveraj and Sehwag are better India players than IPL players.
He was right. Well, mostly. Somehow Sehwag prefers the bigger stage to ignite.
The partisan crowd at Kochi didn't realize how fortunate they were today.
They have witnessed one of the rarest of the rare Gems today on a tough pitch.
In conditions like this where their own team has lost 20 wickets for a total of 187 runs...
 |
| Resurrection Man ! |
Virendar Sehwag's 80 today is easily 'The Best' IPL knock I have seen so far !
I rest my case !
SPun Doctor
Also blogs @ http://diehardcricketfans.org/category/contributed/govind-raj-shenoy/
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Victory has many Fathers; Let them all be !
Victory has many Fathers; Let them all be !
Disclaimer: This is my most serious post ever. I have never been so serious. No, not even while I was waiting for my daughter's arrival through a complicated Cesarean section 12 seasons ago. I am so very dead serious because I am seeing a good chance of winning 'A Cup for Mr. Tendulkar' is going up in smoke thanks to a few rectifiable factors. So I am making a serious attempt to find a way of of the mess.
I have often been accused of trivializing the serious issues with my mirth. It hurts but what else can one do when the team one adores continues to play like idiots when it matters the most.
Let us take stock. India are No. 1 side in Tests and No. 2 in ODI format. They won the T-20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 when none expected them to. They white-washed New Zealand recently with an under strength team. They also played pretty well without the bigwigs in the recently concluded ODI series in South Africa before going down 3-2.
But what happens to India when an ICC event comes up ? It perhaps isn't Team India that turns up. It must be some other team. You, Me and Hum don't know this team. This is my inference. Why do I think so ? Let us understand what is happening.
Captain not so Cool
Why does the Cool go Captain Fool during ICC events. His fixation with certain players and dislike for some others has cost us dear. It was His Highness Ravindra Jadeja during the T-20 World Cup. It happens to be Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel this time.
Why does Dhoni want Munaf to bowl at death ? It invariably means instant death for the team. Munaf doesn't have the pace. He can't reverse swing and he bowled his last yorker about 9 years ago and that too accidentally.
Batting Disorder
Dhoni also is experimenting too much with the batting line up. It is fine if and when it works. But we saw it went wrong not once, not twice but thrice. Why do you want to upset the rhythm ? Well, Dhoni should know better. Both Virat and Yusuf stand undermined in confidence. If we want to win from here, Virat should bat higher and that means higher than Gautam.
Gambhir is capable of switching gears quicker. Hence he should be made to understand the importance of batting at No. 4. Yusuf should never bat before Yuveraj. He perhaps gets complacent when he knows there still are Dhoni, Yuvi and Virat in the pavilion waiting to bat. Best of Yusuf has come when he has batted with back to the wall with only the tail to follow. Let him carry on with his brand of Cricket.
Power Play Problems
Time and again, things have fallen apart during the Batting Power Play. This happened in the 5th ODI in the South Africa series. Yusuf Pathan was indulging in savage hitting with a spread out field scoring 8 -10 runs an over without breaking much sweat. Then they took BPP and Yusuf fell promptly. India collapsed against England and then were decimated by South Africa. Why is it so happening ?
The answer is simple. We have a batting line up full of gigantic Egos. Left alone, they have the capabilities to clear any ground in the world. When the batting power play comes into action, somehow our boys think they have to hit every ball and score may be 100 runs from those 5 overs. And thus we end up getting all out from unbelievable positions.
So what do we do ? Simple again. Tell the boys, "Never bother about the Batting Power plays. When you have wickets in hands, runs will come. Don't throw your wicket." Sehwag and Pathan can be excused to a little extent for being impetuous but not others. Against England, Yuveraj and Dhoni got out in back to back overs playing injudicious shots and India were bowled out for at least 20 - 25 runs short of what would have been. Against South Africa, Sachin and Gambhir fell in back to back overs and that turned the tide.
Reverse Swing
Like it or not, Asian teams did well with reverse swing in the past. But now, all other teams have picked up and are in fact doing better. Taking BPP once the ball starts to reverse has proved counter productive. Even England lost the plot against India during BPP against Zaheer Khan's reverse swing.
What is the solution ? Take BPP earlier. If we have wickets in hands with batsmen in good nick, take BPP soon after the 15 overs. Then play those overs just like the first 15 overs. What are the benefits ?
1] Sachin / Sehwag or Sachin / Gambhir or Sehwag / Gambhir or Gambhir / Kohli pair can manage to score about 30 - 35 or even 40 runs from these overs without much risk. The wickets will be in hand for the final assault.
2] When the ball reverses, we are not compelled to take BPP. The opponents will not be risking close in fielders to prevent singles during this period even if the ball is reversing. This gives an option for settled batsmen to rotate strike and strike big when you get an opportunity. Four singles and a boundary can still get you 40 runs from 5 overs between overs 41 and 45. But with lesser batsmen at the crease, bowlers like Steyn and Malinga can become lethal. So earlier they play the BPP, better it will be.
3] 2 overs each lesser from bowlers like Steyn, Malinga or Gul during the death means that much lesser problem. Fast bowlers and reverse swing will not be so lethal without the field support and when in form top order batsmen at the crease. This is what happened when Ross Taylor caned the Pakistan bowling.
Middle Over Crisis
Like the middle age crisis, Team India faces middle over crisis. Sachin and Gambhir inexplicably slowed down during middle overs. It isn't possible to bat in fifth gear all the time. But keep it in fourth or at least third during middle overs. When a run rate of 8.5 RPO drops to just about 6.5 during middle overs, it allows the opponents to regroup. Allows lesser bowlers to squeeze in a lot of overs. And thus we end up with a lot lesser runs than what could have been.
Team > Individual Milestones
The 'Mantra' should be to keep the runs trickling. Personal milestones should have no roles and only the interest of team should matter. It was annoying to see Yusuf Pathan's generosity when he slowed down to allow Yuveraj to reach his 50 against Ireland. Just imagine if India get knocked out of the tourney in a tight tie for fourth place with England. It will be remembered that India lost the cup in a bid to give one of their players a World Cup record. Duminy will tell us that is not done by South Africans.
Bowling Woes
As of now we are unlikely to find a drastic solution. I was right from the beginning criticizing the selection of Nehra, Munaf and Chawla. I would have preferred any three from Irfan Pathan, R P Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha and Sreesanth.
The troika I mentioned bring down the stock of the team thanks also to their fielding and absolute lack of batting. Whatever might have been his problems in longer version of Cricket, Irfan has done well in shorter formats and is a wicket taking bowler. Praveen Kumar is a loss, but he isn't exactly a Steyn or Malinga.
No use crying over split milk. What can we do with the available stock ? Bring back Sreesanth and give him some confidence. The Captain needs to back all his players. Not the selected ones like Chawla. Bring in Ashwin. He is a wicket taking bowler and can bowl at death or slog. Forget about bowling becoming one-dimensional. It is not. Bhajji and Ashwin are totally different bowlers and Pathan is the non-spinner who keeps things tight.
Squeeze in 10 - 12 overs from Yusuf and Yuveraj but keep faith in main bowlers. Sreesanth and not Zaheer is the best exponent of reverse swing in India. Bowl him in 4 spells of 3, 3, 2 and 2 overs like Steyn does. He just needs some support. Can we expect that from Dhoni ?
Fielding the Best 11
Well, they showed some commitment while fielding against Saffers. If we keep Munaf and Nehra out, one third of the fielding woes are solved. Shield Bhajji from mid-off and mid-on. Keep Sachin in the Third man and Bhajji in the mid-wicket / square leg. Zaheer is another slow mover who can be shielded in the fine-leg. Virat at point adds to the pressure. And we can frequently bring in Raina to cover up for slow movers.
So finally I would go in with...
Sehwag
Sachin
Kohli
Gambhir
Yuveraj
Dhoni
Yusuf
Bhajji
Ashwin
Zaheer
Sreesanth
If we still don't win, we will have two new scape-goats: Sreesanth and Ashwin. Makes no difference. Let them be !
If we go onto win... Victory has many fathers; let them all be !
SPun Doctor
Monday, March 14, 2011
Saffer ke baad Geet : A Musical Tribute to Team India !
After the Saffer debacle on Saturday, a lot of Indians are furious. Unjustified and justified depending upon why one is angry. The Team has suffered a defeat to Saffers in the Safar of this World Cup. But are we justified in castigating them ? No and Yes !
NO: If one is angry simply because India lost, that is not justified. It was just a game and a close one at that.
YES: If you are angry at the semantics after the match, that is reason to be angry with Dhoni and Co; Dhoni especially.
 |
| Hum Honge Kaamyaab Ek Din ! |
Here is an interesting post on BCC!. From here, one thing lead to another and I have dedicated songs to all our Players.
This was inspired by my friend Balram Cheruparambil. He started with dedication on Facebook. I have made some changes from his original status according to my choice. But I am indebted to Balu for the inspiration.
So here we go as we sing along for the sake of Team India !
[He is right now at the top of the heap and is busy with Upar Cut]
[How long and how much can he endure ?]
Gambhir: Mai Zindagi ka saath nibhaata chala gaya !
[One who goes along the tide]
[He doesn't know which is his number in the batting order]
Yuveraj: Saree Duniya Ka Bojh Hum Uthate Hain !
[Bat, bowl, field and then carry his weight. He is doing everything]
Dhoni: Hum Bolega toh Bologe ki Bolta hai !
[He talks, people say he is talking. He doesn't talk, people say, look he has nothing to say]
[He walks to the Crease with a desire to be martyred]
[His stock might be low, but not his spirit]
[He is stressing to Dhoni about his stature in the team as Un-expendable]
Zaheer: Akele hain chale aao kahaan ho !
[To any bowler who can bowl / restrict runs / pick a few wickets !] Is Kumble listening ?
[He is out there with a 'Gift' for the batsmen; as a bowler and as a fielder]
.
[Has bowled some deadly death overs in the past. One bad day and he is Public Enemy No. 1. Not fair]
Sreesanth: Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe !
[Public admonitions, fines and bench; nothing can change him]
[We can't even be angry with the lad. He just doesn't know he is making all Pareshaan]
[The most successful Indian spinner of recent times has no takers in the team]
The Theme [Team] Song for Team India and Supporters:
And finally...
Gary Kirsten: Hum to jate apne gaon, sabko Ram Ram Ram !
[He will sing this song to India after the World Cup]
SPun Doctor
Friday, February 25, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
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
Saturday, February 19, 2011
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
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
Sunday, February 13, 2011
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
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
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
Friday, January 7, 2011
Square and Fair : InSaf Well and Truly Done !
Square and Fair : InSaf Well and Truly Done !
A Progress Report of India - South Africa Series
InSaf well and truly done !
Finally if we look at the whole series...
South Africa scored 1669 runs losing 44 wickets with an average of 37.93
India scored 1558 runs losing 53 wickets with an average of 29.40
South Africa scored quicker, bigger and won their win by an Innings at Centurion.
Team India scored slower, smaller and managed to Square at Durban by 87 runs.
So why do I say InSaf was done ?
Let us take a look at Player Report cards.
Team India Report Card
Zaheer: He is India's Champion bowler and did 'InSaf' to his billing and the faith his team had in him. Never forget the Durban second innings partnership with VVS.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Sachin: India's best player in the series contributed very little when they won. Still played a major role and continues to rule.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Laxman: Whenever India win, this Man has to be around. Centurion was a disaster. But I will remember his knock on final day at Capetown because only 'He' played Cricket. All others batted to kill 'Test Cricket'.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Gambhir: Proved me wrong. Has stronger character than his more famous partner in crime. Overcame his 'Short-coming' with real guts. Forget averages, he was one of the main reasons the series ended 1-1.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Bhajji: Return of the prodigal. For all the panning, he has bounced back as a bowler in this series. Batted well when mattered.
Rating: 7 / 10
Dhoni: Another feather in the crown for Captain Cool who has not yet lost a Test Series. Batted perhaps his best in a long time; especially the first 50 runs at Centurion is why Dhoni is Dhoni.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Sreesanth: Lackluster at Centurion, he was real hot after that. Deserves all accolades for the Smith and Kallis dismissals at Durban. Make no mistakes, curb his aggression and you lose a wicket taking bowler.
Rating: 6 / 10
Pujara: Again forget runs and averages. Che is much better than his returns. Persist with him. And when was the last time we saw a run-out like that of Tsostobe at Durban ?
Rating: 4.5 / 10
Ishant: Was steady after Centurion debacle. But could have been better.
Rating: 4 / 10
Vijay: Got to play in the most difficult match. Deserves better for his grit. Better than Raina on any day in Test Cricket.
Rating: 3.5 / 10
Sehwag: Disappointing. Threw his wicket away almost all the time. Centurion would have been different if he had not played 2 out of 2 bad shots. His cameo at Durban second innings was worth much more than those runs. But playing like Dravid at Capetown was unpardonable.
Rating: 2 / 10
Dravid: Collingwood gone. Did he talk to RD before that ? For me, Dravid is a stumbling block for Team India. Sorry Great Man, but your time is long over.
Rating: 2 / 10
Raina: Save the future India Captain. Tigers can wait. He needs a break and a shoulder and some gumption. If Gambhir can, so can Raina.
Rating: 1 / 10
South Africa Report Card
1] Kallis: He was all over the place except when Sreesanth bounced him with a beast. The Player of the series deserving.
Rating: 9 / 10
2] Steyn: Easily the best bowler in the world today. Couldn't have bowled more or better without risking breakdown. Practically it was series between Steyn and India.
Rating: 9 / 10
3] Boucher: Turned the Capetown test around with his aggression in second innings. He is a top performer in tough situations.
Rating: 6 / 10
4] Amla: The hometown jinx continues to haunt. Made merry at Centurion, but was just okay after that. Still the man in form. But failed at crucial times.
Rating: 5 / 10
5] de Villiers: Future Saf Captain dominated when his team was on top. Bad decisions included, he could not raise the bar when India started bowling better.
Rating: 4.5 / 10
6] Tsotsobe: Troubled Tendulkar. Was unlucky often. Took a stunning catch and was mostly ordinary.
Rating: 3.5 / 10
7] Smith: With or without Zaheer, India mostly have got better of Saf Captain. Except for the first test, he was ordinary, and just better than Sehwag. Lost out to Sreesanth and then went wimp.
Rating: 3 / 10
8] Morkel: Bowling in really helpful and familiar conditions, he was not very impressive except for the fag end. Anyone would've picked up wickets at Centurion day-1. Ishant was better.
Rating: 3 / 10
9] Prince: Was patchy, but better than Petersen. More a Pauper than a Prince. Would find it tough to make it into a decent batting line up except Saf.
Rating: 3 / 10
10] Petersen: Was worse than his partner after the Centurion. The Saf openers were the reason for India's come back. Thanks both you guys !
Rating: 2.5 / 10
11] Harris: Was ordinary but for some good balls. India perhaps have exorcised the left arm spin ghost.
Rating: 2.5 / 10
Look at the individual ratings.
India had more players performing above 5 / 10 than South Africa.
For Saffers, it was all about Kallis and Steyn with all others making special appearances Post-Centurion.
For India, Zaheer, Sachin, Laxman, Sreesanth, Bhajji, Dhoni and Gambhir did the Star Turn at different stages.
Average rating point for India: 5.27
Average rating point for Saf: 4.63
The final result was Square and Fair !
S-Pun Doctor
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Random musings after two Murdered Tests !
After two immensely forgettable Tests with New Zealand, what have we got to remember, learn and carry home ?
Indian Cricket is so very complex: Quite like Harbhajan Singh's Technique. You can never say Bhajji lacks technique. But neither can you you say he has it. Just like Team India. You can't say they are No. 1 Test Team. You can't say they aren't No. 1 either !
They always play on level ground: They play every opponent at their level; that is the opponent's level. Never expect Team India to crush weaklings. Never expect them to capitulate easily against the best. There will be a fight. Nothing less, nothing more.
Why is the Indian middle order confused ? Answer is simple. First Jatman Viru Sehwag goes out and bashes everything in sight as if he were Dharmendra and the bowlers, the baddies. And then Rahul Dravid comes out with his brand of Gandhigiri and refuses to hit anything ! No wonder Dhoni, Raina and even Sachin look lost in the middle.
The Great Indian Run Rate: India have over the past 3 years maintained a better run rate compared to all other teams in Tests. What is the secret ? This has been partly explained above. Sehwag wags to attain a strike rate of 100% or an average of 6 RPO. Dravid lags and attains a strike rate of 25% or about 1.5 RPO. The other confused lot fall in between at 42% or 2.5 RPO. Thus India manage to keep the total scoring rate above 3.3 RPO.
The All Rounders problem solved: Bhajji is the answer to India's long standing prayers for a Batting All-rounder. Sending him to bat at No. 8 is a master-stroke. India's middle order actually starts here with very competent batsmen like Zaheer, Ojha and Sreesanth to follow. And just think of it, Ishant Sharma is not even playing. What an embarrassment of riches.
Suresh Raina finally has arrived as the Bowling All-rounder. So what if he has got more wickets than the runs he has scored of late ? Anyway we now have two genuine All-rounders !
Taking responsibility, Indian style: Whenever Team India are in trouble, someone or the other stands up to be counted. The 'Someone' is Laxman and the 'Other' is Harbhajan Singh !
This series is not about the 50th Century: Whom are they trying to fool ? Every member of the Team is so preoccupied with this number, they have actually forgotten there is a Test series going on. Anything else happening out there is an irritant. No wonder the Kiwis have taken flight after being grounded by Bangladesh !
Bhajji: People threw brick-bats at me and I used the bricks to construct Milestones in Mohali and the bats to score two centuries !
Gambhir: I owe my performance in this test to Viru and Rahul. While Viru went on like Viru, nobody noticed me. Those who did notice, thought Rahul batted left handed at the other end.
Dravid: I am relieved now because there is someone to take over my mantle now. I was totally confused while I watched Gambhir bat. I often felt I was out there in the middle and batting left handed.
Sehwag: New Zealand is an ordinary team. It is just that some of us are wasting too many four balls. I have to make up for everyone including Sreesanth. I would prefer if Bhajji comes out to bat at No. 3 and Rahul comes out only if we have to face follow on.
Raina: I play my natural game as Dhoni has asked me to. What if they keep three men on the boundary ? I can always come back and play the next innings or the next or the next...
Laxman: I enjoy playing under pressure. I am forever indebted to my team-mates for providing me with ample opportunities to do so. It is such a pleasure, almost like sitting inside the pressure cooker used by my Mom to prepare idlees. What if you are steam cooked practically every test ? Idlees do taste Delicious !
Dhoni: We have to accept we have not batted well and our bowlers have tried their level best to match the batsmen. Our fielding can be better and the wicket-keeping particularly needs some improvement. Overall though I am satisfied with our performance. You win some, you draw some and you can always drop some catches.
McCullum: Bhajji inspired me to go for the Double Ton. If he can score two hundreds in two innings, I can score two hundred in one innings. Impossible is nothing !
Vettori: We have come back strongly after the Bangladesh debacle. Aussies lost 2-0 in 2 Tests in India. So we are better than them now. I believe my new born baby deserves all the credit for this.
And last but not the Least !
Curator: I hoped I will be remembered as the man who prepared the pitch on which Sachin Tendulkar scored his 50th Hundred. Alas, Everyone else scored here except Sachin !
S-Pun Doctor
Indian Cricket is so very complex: Quite like Harbhajan Singh's Technique. You can never say Bhajji lacks technique. But neither can you you say he has it. Just like Team India. You can't say they are No. 1 Test Team. You can't say they aren't No. 1 either !
They always play on level ground: They play every opponent at their level; that is the opponent's level. Never expect Team India to crush weaklings. Never expect them to capitulate easily against the best. There will be a fight. Nothing less, nothing more.
Why is the Indian middle order confused ? Answer is simple. First Jatman Viru Sehwag goes out and bashes everything in sight as if he were Dharmendra and the bowlers, the baddies. And then Rahul Dravid comes out with his brand of Gandhigiri and refuses to hit anything ! No wonder Dhoni, Raina and even Sachin look lost in the middle.
The Great Indian Run Rate: India have over the past 3 years maintained a better run rate compared to all other teams in Tests. What is the secret ? This has been partly explained above. Sehwag wags to attain a strike rate of 100% or an average of 6 RPO. Dravid lags and attains a strike rate of 25% or about 1.5 RPO. The other confused lot fall in between at 42% or 2.5 RPO. Thus India manage to keep the total scoring rate above 3.3 RPO.
The All Rounders problem solved: Bhajji is the answer to India's long standing prayers for a Batting All-rounder. Sending him to bat at No. 8 is a master-stroke. India's middle order actually starts here with very competent batsmen like Zaheer, Ojha and Sreesanth to follow. And just think of it, Ishant Sharma is not even playing. What an embarrassment of riches.
Suresh Raina finally has arrived as the Bowling All-rounder. So what if he has got more wickets than the runs he has scored of late ? Anyway we now have two genuine All-rounders !
Taking responsibility, Indian style: Whenever Team India are in trouble, someone or the other stands up to be counted. The 'Someone' is Laxman and the 'Other' is Harbhajan Singh !
This series is not about the 50th Century: Whom are they trying to fool ? Every member of the Team is so preoccupied with this number, they have actually forgotten there is a Test series going on. Anything else happening out there is an irritant. No wonder the Kiwis have taken flight after being grounded by Bangladesh !
Then some 'Random' acceptance Speeches...
Bhajji: People threw brick-bats at me and I used the bricks to construct Milestones in Mohali and the bats to score two centuries !
Gambhir: I owe my performance in this test to Viru and Rahul. While Viru went on like Viru, nobody noticed me. Those who did notice, thought Rahul batted left handed at the other end.
Dravid: I am relieved now because there is someone to take over my mantle now. I was totally confused while I watched Gambhir bat. I often felt I was out there in the middle and batting left handed.
Sehwag: New Zealand is an ordinary team. It is just that some of us are wasting too many four balls. I have to make up for everyone including Sreesanth. I would prefer if Bhajji comes out to bat at No. 3 and Rahul comes out only if we have to face follow on.
Raina: I play my natural game as Dhoni has asked me to. What if they keep three men on the boundary ? I can always come back and play the next innings or the next or the next...
Laxman: I enjoy playing under pressure. I am forever indebted to my team-mates for providing me with ample opportunities to do so. It is such a pleasure, almost like sitting inside the pressure cooker used by my Mom to prepare idlees. What if you are steam cooked practically every test ? Idlees do taste Delicious !
Dhoni: We have to accept we have not batted well and our bowlers have tried their level best to match the batsmen. Our fielding can be better and the wicket-keeping particularly needs some improvement. Overall though I am satisfied with our performance. You win some, you draw some and you can always drop some catches.
McCullum: Bhajji inspired me to go for the Double Ton. If he can score two hundreds in two innings, I can score two hundred in one innings. Impossible is nothing !
Vettori: We have come back strongly after the Bangladesh debacle. Aussies lost 2-0 in 2 Tests in India. So we are better than them now. I believe my new born baby deserves all the credit for this.
And last but not the Least !
Curator: I hoped I will be remembered as the man who prepared the pitch on which Sachin Tendulkar scored his 50th Hundred. Alas, Everyone else scored here except Sachin !
S-Pun Doctor
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
India Won !
India drubbed Australia by 7 wickets and saved the Indian fans a lot of stress and heartache !
If Mohali was won on an Oxygen cylinder, Bengaluru was a 'Smoother Delivery' !
2-0 is better than 1-0 and certainly much better than 1-1. Thanks Laxman !
"I don't like to count. I score and let others count": Sachin Tendulkar continues to grow up and nobody can help it !
Vijay finally has arrived. Gautam Gambhir should watch his steps !
Sehwag failed to cross 50 in a Test for the first time after 11 tests.
Incidentally this coincides with his tongue wagging more than the bat !
Pujara has arrived. Che is here to stay !
Thanks Rahul for being 'The Wall' for all these years !
But I think it is time to say Dravid RIP [Retire In Peace] !
Raina needs to rein in his ODI and T-20 shots in Test Cricket !
Dhoni can do nothing wrong, including promoting Che today !
Bhajji the Batsman failed. Bhajji the bowler fared better !
Ojha is not Bedi, but we will settle for Ojha because he doesn't call Bhajji a Chucker !
Zaheer is an 'Old ball' and is better with the Old Ball ! Dhoni revers him !
Sreesanth still has the fire in the belly. But not much in the new ball !
Laxman was smiling like a sage at the post match celebrations, and why not ?
Ishant Sharma gets his confidence back when he sees a certain Mr. Ponting in the opposition.
He deserves an applause too !
Kudos to Gary Kirsten, his support staff and his wards !
A wholesome Victory for a Team that looks more like a Number-1 Test Team now !
If Mohali was won on an Oxygen cylinder, Bengaluru was a 'Smoother Delivery' !
2-0 is better than 1-0 and certainly much better than 1-1. Thanks Laxman !
"I don't like to count. I score and let others count": Sachin Tendulkar continues to grow up and nobody can help it !
Vijay finally has arrived. Gautam Gambhir should watch his steps !
Sehwag failed to cross 50 in a Test for the first time after 11 tests.
Incidentally this coincides with his tongue wagging more than the bat !
Pujara has arrived. Che is here to stay !
Thanks Rahul for being 'The Wall' for all these years !
But I think it is time to say Dravid RIP [Retire In Peace] !
Raina needs to rein in his ODI and T-20 shots in Test Cricket !
Dhoni can do nothing wrong, including promoting Che today !
Bhajji the Batsman failed. Bhajji the bowler fared better !
Ojha is not Bedi, but we will settle for Ojha because he doesn't call Bhajji a Chucker !
Zaheer is an 'Old ball' and is better with the Old Ball ! Dhoni revers him !
Sreesanth still has the fire in the belly. But not much in the new ball !
Laxman was smiling like a sage at the post match celebrations, and why not ?
Ishant Sharma gets his confidence back when he sees a certain Mr. Ponting in the opposition.
He deserves an applause too !
Kudos to Gary Kirsten, his support staff and his wards !
A wholesome Victory for a Team that looks more like a Number-1 Test Team now !
S-Pun Doctor
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Breaking Views !!!
We have a million 24X7 News channels in all languages doing ‘Breaking News’. So opinionated are the people running these shows; they often come across as if they are ‘Breaking Views’ !
We just have to take a look at the Maha Siddiqui - Shoaib Malik – Sania Mirza episode and the overkill on prime-time news channels.
Finally the well-wishers and some Muslim Politicians have helped solve this deadlock to pave way for a happy Wedlock for ‘Our’ Sania with ‘Their’ Shoaib. Some channels went to the extent of predicting an improvement in Indo-Pak relations and even a lasting remedy to the Kashmir thorn. Some views indeed !
But there sure must be some story in this whole story of Ayesha – Maha vs Shoaib Malik drama. When we have so many people airing views and making Nano-pixels out of this story; why should this Blogger keep quiet? So here we go… Breaking Views !!!
The Inspirations!
Ayesha aka Maha Siddiqui is an obviously Indian girl brought up on Manmohan Desai movies. So her version of the story has a 20 year old Shoaib Malik coming up to her with the missing ‘Hair Pin’. Doesn’t it look similar to the Amitabh Bachchan – Parveen Babi hand-kerchief scene from the Desai potboiler ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’? So it was here their life took a ‘Hair Pin Bend’ according to the Indian Girl !
Shoaib Malik is a Pakistani boy who allegedly grew up on pirated discs of Abbas - Mastan movies starting from Baazigar. This is quite evident in his side of the ‘Story’ of the beautiful Ayesha Siddiqui and the overweight matronly looking Maha Khala - Apa. He has once again proved how naive these Pakistani boys really are ! They somehow never grow up there. Look at Shahid Afridi, he still remains 25, even as his eldest daughter is getting ready to elope with an Indian boy at Dubai !
The Aspirations !
This only goes on to prove one thing, both Ayesha aka Maha and Shoaib are pretty good at spinning; I mean the yarn ! Shoaib was reported for ‘Chucking’ the ball early on in his checkered career and underwent rehabilitation.
Today he stands banned for one year by the PCB on charges of ‘Chucking’ matches. But all this hasn’t stopped him from ‘Bowling’ Maidens over ! Just take a look, Ayesha Siddiqui, Maha Apa, Sayali Bhagat and now our own sweet little Sania; the list keeps growing like the tantrums of Sreesanth !
The Hard Truths !
Neha Dhupia was once famously quoted, “Only Shah Rukh Khan and sex sell”. The IPL and the ‘Not so Idiot Box’ have left even ‘My Name is Khan’ of SRK an also ran movie. Sex still sells but in spells. Hence the Bollywood is in serious trouble today. Perhaps we can save Bollywood by clubbing Cricket, Cinema and Sex together !
The Remedy to be Directed by Modi !
Cricket these days comes with an overdose of SRK and all those Bollywood babes from Preity to Shilpa to Deepika to Sameera. Kartina Kaif gets more footage than Mohammed Kaif during Cricket matches, thanks to IPL. Do we need any more proof ? Just marry Cinema to Cricket, but of course under the able Dictatorship oops Directorship of Lalit Modi !
The Un-boundary Script !
The view is getting wider and wider; in fact wider than the 140mm grin of Lalit Modi. An over-popular but under-achiever Tennis Star with looks to beat the Bollywood beauties, an out of favor former Cricket Captain of our neighboring country and an overweight, overambitious and stardust struck girl from the Deccan Chargers land; what a dizzy cocktail; A DLF Maximum !
The Mini-Screen-Play !
To further spice things up, we have Sayali Bhagat an intimate friend of Shoaib Malik. This has prompted the ‘Imaginative’ channel people to launch a new series for the season 3. After ‘Rakhi ka Swayamvar’ and ‘Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’; we have a new gala reality show to be titled Shoaib Indian Dulhaniya Le Ayenge to be anchored by Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi. Rakhi Sawant has consented to add weight to the show !
The Producer and the BIG Picture !
If these channels are so smart, how can Bollywood lag behind ? They won’t like to be compared to Preity Zinta’s King’s 11 Punjab after all. So Abbas – Mastan duo have already come forward with a multinational project to be shot in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Australia, USA and Wimbledon. Warne R Brothers are likely to finance the movie with money earned from the flourishing underwear business !
And the Title:
The movie will be released on 1 April 2011 during the IPL-4 season ! The filming is expected to begin soon after the 15 April 2010 wedding and will have to wind up before Shoaib completes his one year ban. It will star Maha Siddiqui, Ayesha, Sayali Bhagat, Sania Mirza and Rakhi Sawant in the lead with Shoaib Malik in and as...
Sab ka Malik Ek Hai !
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