while i leave more illustrious blogger friends to review this match and series in particular...i would like to remember this series as the pre-view of things to come...
for the first time team winning with 2-1 is facing more questions than answers...
that their 'best' spinner was almost not required to bowl in fourth innings consistently...
that their 'best' tear away fast bowler was not asked to bowl in perth...
that when hayden did not played in one match they collapsed and could not recover...and lost a match at the venue where they thought win was as assured as FD with the govt. bank...
that almost a second strung bowling attack made them dance in crease their opposition team was supposed to...
that they can also wilt in pressure and look as listless as they looked in field in later part of series...
that they dropped as many dollies in this series as they have not in all these years...
that they now can not take 20 wickets even on their friendly 'perthy' conditions...
more than that they should be scared of had Lee being any sort of bowler he was in not so distant past in terms of bowling and physical fitness...what would have been results...
while this is truly a tribute to Lee...its shuddering thought for CA...
they have so many questions to answer to...
that they lost it completely in the end was shown in their post series presentation ceremony when they did not even deemed it fit enough to call upon guys on whose very names the series was played...the trophy was named...
i do not know the where abouts of border but certain gavaskar was not too far away...
but things have been like this for them...
on other hand india even with 2-1 down in the series looked like team in ascendancy...
that they have finally started to come together as 'team india' rather than bunch of star players...
that their young bowlers were not overawed by aussie team...gave them the taste of their own medicine at their 'own den' augers well for the future of indian team in bowling department...
that they have finally started to get their team combinations right thanks to come back men like sehwag...pathan...
that we are zeroing on good pool of players who can compete at highest level without bothering about reputations...
that they were finally able to bury the tag of 'soft travelers' deep in 'perth'...
that team who don't run well between wickets...don't field well... cant save those 30 runs on field cant convert ones in to twos...twos into threes...is not even as physically fit...can compete with the team which does these things day in day out...then imagine if we start doing just that...
if only we can sustain the momentum...look to keep on working on weaknesses...we can surely give it a shot to being no. 1...
what you say??
reflections of this series...
shared by straight point on Monday, January 28, 2008
Son is better than Father...
shared by straight point on Thursday, January 24, 2008
is all i can say at this moment...
if only sachin would have listened to his son's advice seriously in 2007...but better sense prevailed in 2008 and he was out from that '90s zone' in two strokes...
he has around 40% stake in the total goes to show his dominance today...
india will be heaving a sigh of relief...coming from dooming 4/156 to 5 /300 odd...i am saying it particularly coz india have this habit of following great win with very ordinary performance on the field...recent SA tour is the case in point...
if only laxman played that pull shot...
and what has happened to aussies...its seems that as if they are behind in this series...
first gilly caught sleeping...and then gilly snorting had its effects on hayden...its to their credit that they still managed a smile...
ricky will be tearing his every disappearing hairs...
sehwag out on no ball goes to shows the consistently pedestrian umpiring in this series where they cant even pick the no balls...the very basic of umpiring!!
dhoni seems to have taken the form of dravid very seriously...i wonder if he is already eying that slot...he seems to go nowhere and should buy a drink to haydy for being there at this difficult time...coz otherwise india would have been in very precarious position...
its not that we are out of jail now...a fine spell tomorrow from lee & co. can be the difference between 330-340s score and 400+
...special mention of Lee...
no words can be enough to describe the transformation of this guy....Lee....
from going for bowlers infamous double hundred in last oz series to spear heading the attack relentlessly in this series...without even compromising on pace...is nothing short of remarkable...how silently but assuringly he has slipped in this role...is tribute to his mental toughness as well his physical fitness...his efforts with the ball deserves all credit and praise...
i would go on to say that Lee is the difference between aussie and indian team in this series...and i am not exaggerating...
Whats wrong...
shared by straight point on Monday, January 21, 2008
...with most of us actually...
why we cant see the reasons...why we cant see beyond geographical boundaries...
why we cant see why ganguly got dropped...are we watching different game?
even in tests one could hear the grunts of bowlers...seeing ganguly escorting the balls to boundary...seeing a run getting converted into twos and twos into threes...same when he was running between wickets...but only in reverse...
he was always like this...they will argue...
but the difference is that when we can somehow ignore these in tests (though i am not advocating it...) but in ODIs where the difference of win and loss is getting narrower...when the series will be played in oz...with arguably the biggest grounds...where boundaries and sixes are not going to be as easy to score as elsewhere...where you can not be hidden in the field...infact in all probability will be exposed...what options selectors were left with...
if not for anything we must give credit to selectors for not getting carried away by our perth win and awarding berth-on-perth performances...as a goodwill gesture...
it would have been suicidal...
without even going in for young vs old theory...never have been a team india selection where the statement is as clear as this...that other than the primary skills...secondary skills are as important if not decisive...
what one expect from selectors now on is consistency...and the guts to go on with this vision...not panic at the drop of hat...like last time what happened in SA...be prepared to face...to embrace some defeats at the expense of re-building the nucleus of ODI side...
coz for me...the best symptom of any organization going wrong is when it starts embracing populism...
Gladiator India !!
shared by straight point on Saturday, January 19, 2008
Its all very easy to say lets forget debacles...lets look ahead and forget what happened in past...move on..lets regroup...and start a fresh...lets not get dejected and focus on what lies ahead...
and its another thing leaving all things behind and winning at Perth...
this is the win which makes you value old virtues bit more...
the old virtues of 'winner win despite all adversities'...when everything is stacked against you...your self belief and hard work always pays...that winners don't look at misfortunes as excuses to crib upon...they take them in their stride and WIN...
and what a win India!!
...when nobody gave you any chances...when nobody booked fourth and fifth days tickets fearing waste of money...you had other ideas...
its arguably the greatest test win for india...coming from 2-0 behind...coming after worse that could have happened...at the 'real home of oz'...WINs never tasted better...
there are other issues to discuss...but thats for another post...
lets savior this moment...this win...and join hand in applauding India...and lets which ever part of world you are from not come in the way of true appreciation...
meanwhile...
to the atheist, start finding a place to move to India...
and soulberry...you owe me a drink now...see i am not yet fully drowned by this win...
to symond...
what a moment...'the luck' chose to desert you...
and finally...
"eik aur karega....haan karoonga"
(kumble asking ishant...will you bowl another over? and ishant saying yes will bowl)
you guessed it right, the best moment for me of todays play was how young ishant made veteran ponting finally surrendering his wicket to him...
whats your moment...??
hail the sailors...
shared by straight point on Friday, January 18, 2008
india take a bow...
take a bow to a man...
we all loved to thrash...we kept him under constant surveillance...we all conspired to keep him out for flamboyant guy...we hanged an axe over his throat and yet he kept on playing...he never laughed at his detractors...he never swayed fists in anger after accomplishing a task...he kept on doing his bit silently...and today too he did just that...without any air of arrogance...fake punches in air...his innings...his contribution today...which goes beyond the runs he scored for india... could well be the difference between india winning or loosing...he, arguably, is one of the best fourth innings batsman if not the best ever...
ladies, gentleman and uncles too...
his name is VVS Laxman...
at the same time lets not forget what another come back kid today did for india...
We-r-Fan Pathan...
his efforts were no less today...from being dusted to death as finished article...he has fought his way back against all odds...against all adversities...and how...what a platform he has chosen to mark his return...he has re-surfaced as breath of fresh air...and rekindled our hopes...
whatever be the outcome of this match lets just praise them...
FISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.....
shared by straight point on Thursday, January 17, 2008
if you don't know already this is the sound of air blowing out from perth baloon...
we were promised of lots of chin music...were asked to wear dancing shoes for this 'hot' track...but look who is dancing now...the shoes are well there but somehow the destination is changed...
just before the match started when everybody wrote india off... i was discussing with my friend soulberry that india becomes far more competitive, than people would like to admit, on pitches which offers some assistance...the same happened at scg and now it has happened in perth too...
if only our tail wagged for one more over (despite all that happened at scg) things could have been different...mind you theres lots of cricket still to be played but its better feeling when you are on top with 1-0 scoreline than 2-0 against you...
way to go india!!
SCG PIE and the sound of willow....
shared by straight point on Tuesday, January 15, 2008
had it been like back to back test matches we would have been saved of from lots of s@t..so i think that there was so much gap between scg test and waca also contributed to the non sense happened (and still happening) on the behest of journalism, media reporting etc...where everybody had his share of scg pie...and even today we can hear the resonances...
how i am etching to hear the sound of willow hitting the ball...the theatrical appeals...the chin-music...it almost seems like eternity...when we last heard it...i tried to 'adjust' my mind by seeing movies...but could not as i was missing the real drama...
so if we have forgotten 'the sound' amongst all the mayhem...that same sound will resume from tomorrow onwards...as they say...let the show begin...
...fasten your seat belts folks...the 'pacy' drama is about to unfold...
Saving Private 'Yuvi'
shared by straight point on Thursday, January 10, 2008
first of all let me thank uncle for including me in his final x1 as a young-angry-man...sorry mr bachchan, this title belongs to me now...
its indeed an honor uncle!!
now enough of pleasantries...back to business...
uncle made very valid point today in comments that even against club standard bowling yuvi (and Sehwag) could not score...and failed...
although i was more disappointed with sehwag coz he looked his usual good till he was out in the way he gets out...although must add that catch was just superb and on his day the ball would have went flying past slips to third man boundary...
but on second thought i got going for yuvi...
what happened to him?
in not so distant past he could not do anything wrong...till recent he was proclaimed to be in the form of his life...yours truly put a strong case of including him in final x1...and got my wish too...
but i don't know what has changed so much in this short period...
you cant blame pitches for sure...mcg and scg pitches were more like subcontinent pitches...with different address...
so what happened??
he looks all out of sorts...the way he is fielding...they way he is carrying himself on the field...i will ask deepika if he is different off field too but till then...
he seems disinterested...the intensity is simply not there...the sense of responsibility that the whole balance of the team was shifted to accommodate him...the focus...the purpose in batting...nothing seems to come to fore...why the same blade which used to send the ball out of park at will...has transformed into one which struggles to even touch the ball as if it will explode...
i am particularly worried coz when the fab four will retire in not so distant future...he is one of the guy who is supposed to be the core of team...
is he oblivious to this fact...or he simply don't want to take responsibility...or he can take us this far only with all his talent and abilities...was the confidence shown in his abilities was misplaced...is all investments made on him by india will yield only this much or there is twist in the tale...
any answers??
Pick your team...
shared by straight point on Wednesday, January 09, 2008
back to cricket...the way we used to discuss it...in not so distant past...remember??
amongst the rumor that india team management is still not happy of this truce...and hope that perth test will be played...i think team india have some problems in their backyard too...
of picking the right team. after the hindsight of two tests they must have come to know about what should be their batting order and what bowlers will they pick...hopefully...
so here is my team in this order...
sehwag
dk/dravid
vvs (coz i am still not convinced of dravid's form and convinced of lax's)
sachin
ganguly
dravid/dhoni
pathan
kumble
harbhajan
rp
ishant
i believe that whatever are the conditions we should field our best bowlers...and hence the selection of harbhajan...i think its no coincidence that wasim was called/asked to see pathan and him saying that pathan has re-gained some pace and in swing movement...adding his previous experience of bowling in australian conditions and batting depth he provides to the team gives him advantage over pankaj singh and vrv...besides i wont field two rookies after so much happened and the pressure cooker scenario of perth...
the only thing is whether they will drop dhoni or play dk...although i guess that dhoni's day has still not come but i would like team management to field dk...coz manner of all dhonis dismissals (except last one) were like beaten for pace and perth being pacier wicket i would bet my money more on dk than dhoni to succeed...
what is your team??
Moving on...
shared by straight point on Tuesday, January 08, 2008
i thought to stop writing till the oz tour is over...i was deeply heart to see what all was happening in the name of cricket...and so on...i could not stand to see what happening to the game i love so much...
i have another confession to make (sorry dinnie, i did not mentioned it before)...
i am what i am bcoz of cricket...not exactly the same way as you might start thinking...let me explain...i come from very humble background...and when i decided to join IT as my career the biggest hurdle before me was english...(which is still today)...i was able to truly learn about this language by watching cricket...listening the commentary...the discussions on tv before or after the matches...the interviews of players...the passion of cricket showed me the way...from muttering words to the confidence of actually speaking...to many it may seem not as arduous as it sounds to you but for me it was something...today i am running an export firm and talk and deal with people across world...
before you accuse me of promoting myself, i wanted to share this little secret so that you can understand how i must have been feeling...
but then i thought what means more to me...my love for cricket or my hate for these uncompetitive umpires...referees...my passion for cricket or the 'passion' shown by aussies at SCG...and answer was simple...
so i decided to move on...i am in no illusion of sort that peoples were holding their breath for my next post...but anyway...here i am...
coz, i was taught at very early stage that...
"when the debate is about who is right rather than what is right...never debate..."
and for aussie team (and friends)...may this win should not discourage you...
.
shame !! utter shame !!
shared by straight point on Sunday, January 06, 2008
or what you would call it...if there is better word...please don't hesitate to express here...i promise...all comments however explicit will be retained...
its an utter shame that this test match will be decided not by the skills of teams but the white men...in my entire life span of seeing test match i cant remember so many wrong decisions going against particular team...its almost as if they are on mission...
if india goes on to loose this match i will give men of match to these two gentlemen...
also i don't understand that why criticizing umpiring is taken on similar terms as criticizing australia...as some of our australian friends seems to react...
as i said in my previous posts we will see enough shockers in this series than in entire year...why these umps pee in this pants and sh@@t when the appeal is made against or in favor of aussies...
and what about some of appeals the replays of which are shown now...where is the much talked about game spirit...do the champs have to resort to this low??? look at ponting's appeal...
can we decide next match on perth at toss please???? head australia wins...tail we loose...
its over i cant write more...
i have been tagged
shared by straight point on Saturday, January 05, 2008
by dinnie so here are my five secrets...
- I have been problem child for my parents in a way that they really had to snatch me from the jaws of death to life so many times...once i was hit badly by polio in my childhood and its nothing short of miracle that i am not only alive but can walk straight and run without any hiccup...then a simple wound turned so bad that my left leg was about to be amputated which was not eventually...in first year of college chicken pox turned so bad that everybody left hope of seeing me again and again miracle happened...you must be wondering that i fell ill very badly but on contrary i keep very well health wise...its just that if something happens to me it happens in extreme...
- after so many miracles happened to me i should have been firm ethicist. more into 'stars' and 'pooja path' type...firm believer of religion etc...which surprisingly (to me also) i am not...i don't believe in any of it...i believe in 'karma'...i believe god is nothing but your conscience...
- i used to play cricket and was opener and off spinner...but due to that polio hit leg i could not run that fast so i used to get so much flak from my team mates...my teachers etc...but i tell you i was damn good opener so they did not dropped me from team...but for the same reason i could not move on to play competitive professional cricket and thats a big regret i have from life!
- i can not be satisfied by being in one condition only as far as career or profession goes...something in me is very uneasy which just not let me settle in to one thing for over a period of time...so i was edp manager at one time to center manager in education institute other time...opened my web consultancy firm to now into exports...but surprisingly i am very stable in any relationship...
- i can be very unforgiving...in relationships i.e....a friend is a friend no question asked...but if i see my investments of sentiments in relationships are not worth it then that person just simply seize to exist in this world for me...
....i can already feel loads of weight slipping out of my chest...its very nice feeling and sincere thanks to dinnie for presenting an opportunity to do so...
...now allow me to cherish this feeling for bit more...
Which side are you??
shared by straight point on Thursday, January 03, 2008
this post was initiated in response to my friend ottayan's post of brad hogg saying that human element should be maintained...
first of all let me say, its very easy to say lets keep human element there when that 'human element' is not affecting you...there was one decisions against pointing and he was fuming like anything...where was human angle then??? and i am yet to see him being asked to report much like yuvraj but thats another matter altogether ;-)
anyway to come to point...
there was old time when we took fielders word for not touching boundary lines...for close catches...umpires word for run outs etc...and now we don't...
now, we spend endless time to see whether the rope was touched...no umpire today gives run out decision directly...does that effects umpires credibility when he refers upstairs?? i think it affects more if he don't?? isn't it?? so it means technology already creeping in...it also shows that we have changed with times...
the same doubts were raised when those referrals were okayed...but still we moved on with them and game has not changed much bcoz of them...its still a battle between bat and ball...
but, you cant have best of both world...it takes just one or two replays to see whether batsman is nicked it ala symonds...or there was inner edge for LBWs ala ponting...that the ball pitched outside leg stumps for LBWs...why on earth we can not reverse them...before player leave the field...this will most certainly take far less time than we spend on seeing the boundary lines replays...and it will most certainly not affect the credibility of umpires when they will refer it??? what if third umpire does it suo motto...???
why not start it in lets say T20s or bilateral ODI series to see the impact...when we can have that ridiculously implemented super-sub rule and more ridiculously scrapping it while it required just one fine tweaking...then why we can not implement these in as i suggested in T20s and/or bilateral ODI series...
its can not be plain coincidence that umpiring standards are getting downwards by the time...i mean who are interested in this career while more lucrative assignments are awaiting in media...with big screens installed in virtually every stadium now...i see them standing naked infront of world and amongst players in the park...and this isn't a good sight, is it?...what respect they would get from players when they can clearly see these howlers in big screens...leave alone the audience world over?...and yet we assume that they will not be affected by it...that they will keep on giving good decisions...are they robots who don't feel anything...?? so isnt it will be a worthy exercise if we do something which will be a step towards elimination such scenarios...
first step ICC can take in right direction is by not nominating buckner for any matches now onwards...its understandable why this old man is dragging himself but why ICC is letting him is beyond me!
which side are you?? letting these umpires handing us howlers everyday or steps to avoid these howlers??
have your say...
Umpires Thrash India !!
shared by straight point on Wednesday, January 02, 2008
or what you would call it???
i am sulking big time...
if playing with aussies is the toughest task...what would you say when umpires lands their support and then third umpire too joins the party???
if they were embarrassed by giving ponting out (he was out before too but does that matter) they made india pay big time for their own laxities and how...
the buckner is becoming 'the burner' specially with india...he has gone past his use by date too long ago and i still don't know when ICC will SEE it...
these type of decisions are becoming quite a regulatory...players are punished for showing even semblance of dissents but when on earth we will make umpires as accountable as players is remained to be seen...i hope i see it in my lifetime...
here was a team who after the thrashing in first test was clawing his way back into this test with aussies on mat at 130 odd for six wickets and we were in for some good contest...thats when umpires decided to have their impact on this game...its not as if india did all things right (later about that)...but when on earth we will see a fair contest between BAT and BALL which is what cricket is all about???
i am still sulking...
