recently a side got out to 88 runs and had it not being the ineptness of the team that bowled them out... the match would have been over in 2 and a half days...
yesterday another team came close to get bowled out to even less... it didn't... yet even after the bad light stoppage and a wicket keeper standing as 12th man for opposition team... the match could still be over in three days...
i saw as many as seven fielders in the slip cordon and wicket taking was not an event anymore... run making was...
cut to ssc...
the wickets were at premium there... the premium was so high that captains... even before bowlers... stopped thinking about purchasing them and let batters collect as many freebies as possible... how high the premium on wickets was can be proved by the fact that... one captain... sangakkara was seen having sweepers on even for no.10 and 11 batsmen... yet some call him attacking captain but that's beside the point...
on one pitch batsmen were there to just go and edge it to the gleefully waiting seven slip fielders... and on another fielders were employed as far from batsmen as possible to stop run making...
while in both cases there was just no competition between bat and ball... yet its only the ssc pitch which draws the criticism...
so correct me if i am wrong... it can be safely concluded that yawning draws on five days on flat pitches are test match killers... but a lottery of a pitch where 'who can pitch ball straight to get wicket'... where 'match' is as good as over in almost half days allotted for 'test'... actually saves the test cricket...
let's have a ball then...
shared by straight point on Saturday, July 31, 2010
i value centuries in odis more...
shared by straight point on Monday, November 23, 2009
...than the centuries on these roads that is prepared in the name of test cricket these days... on which any tom dick and harry can come with a bat in his hand and sleep walk to a test century...
test centuries can not come cheaper than this... so pardon me... but these days i value 100s in odis more coz though the pitches remain same... at least there is some added pressure to score/chase runs unlike tests...
so congratulation paul collingwood... you made my day yesterday...
though i would still settle for a three test series in which first two tests are played on batathons and then for the last test match they prepare a green mine field or a dust ball (according to 'home' advantage) to balance out things in favour of bowlers...
like batsmen... bowlers too have rights to be given tracks where they can run thru oppositions like hot knife in butter... specially after toiling endlessly on these roads... to boost their egos... and averages...
lets pretend for the sake of test cricket...
shared by straight point on Thursday, November 19, 2009
somebody in the powers wakes up and do the lip service on test cricket health time to time... to make us believe that its still alive...
they talk about the threat to the tradition of test cricket is from a new born like t20... then they look deep and talk about the threat is coming from ipl... basically they blame all and sundry and go back to their rooms thinking they have done their deed and watch a thrilling t20... to entertain themselves... and if they plan to sleep peacefully... a test match...
i too used to believe test cricket is alive... but then i woke up and found its corpse lying in front of me... broadcast live on tv near me... though some don't believe and still go to grounds to actually see it lying dead in front of their eyes...
do you still believe what you see these days are the 'test' matches in real sense...?
its basically a stage to massage the egos of pretenders in the name of batsmen to swell their averages and heads on 'deadliest' strips... coz moment the ball start to do the talking you see these 'test' matches closing in two and half days or at most three days...
i sometimes wonder why not they play with bowling machines on these 'sporting' tracks... at least it will be convenient and consistent...
why make humans in the name of bowlers toil for five days aimlessly when the similar results can be achieved from employing bowling machines without much fuss and sweat...?
the matches will run full five days as usual... so the interest of broadcasters who buys the rights in eye popping figures... sponsors too who put lots of money on the telecasts that we sometimes see free of cost to watch a five ball over... and so will be the interest of in-stadia advertisers more than ever... good money will be raised which can be pumped to save ailing test cricket... making it win-win situation for everybody involved in the game worrying about its health and its tradition...
and the cycle will be completed...
go son... you deserve to play on a road...
shared by straight point on Saturday, August 22, 2009
go son go...play on...on a road...
where you can plant your front foot forward...and play on up knowing that ball is not going to deviate even a millimeter...go there...play on them till the cows come home...without fear...
bowlers are there to help you serve dollies coz anyway we have clipped their wings...they won’t be able to do much...
go beef up your records son...so fans and pundits alike will applaud you as next bradman...
if in between you come across pitches offering semblance of assistance to insignificant creatures like spinners and pacers...
if in between you happen to face a bowler who against all norms develops a ball that catches you off guard...
do not forget to make noise about it...contrive to ban him and if the banning of bowler is not possible...do not give up son...ban the delivery which is bothering you at least...
how dare they challenge you in your holy pursuit for attaining bradmanesque figures...
its your right...its your world...
its for nothing you are born with a silver spoon in mouth...and a bat in hand...
inspired by - pitch causes a dust storm...
are your batters better than mine...?
shared by straight point on Monday, March 09, 2009
this seems to be the mantra of playing short version of game these days…
the boundaries are getting shorter…where even tailenders fancy their chance to tonk front line bowlers almost at will…and less said about pitches the better…
all in the name of providing great spectacle…
we are made to believe that this is the type of matches spectator wants to see…by ‘protectors’ of game…by ‘producers’ of game…
but ask any cricket fan…what he/she wants to see…
the maximum no of sixes scored in a day where bowlers are there to make up for the numbers…
when batsmen will have to earn their runs...
when bowlers too look forward to bowl their quota of overs…
when its battle between bat and bowl and not between your bat and mine…
when hitting six can really be called ‘skill’ and not just putting bat on ball in air…
the answer will be simple…
we want to see the battle…not slog fest…
we want the worth of time and money we invest and we want to see a cricket ‘match’…
are we asking too much...?
PS:
the most succinct post on the state of affairs in new zealand...
