Yesterday, Indian news channels were buzzing with the India's win over Australia at Mohali. Just move from one channel to the other and one will find a panel of experts discussing the win and of course, the VVS.
On NDTV India, Sunil Gavaskar and Ajay Jadeja were doing the honors. Sunny, though at his sarcastic best when taking on British and Aussie commentators; looked a bit subdued. i think, the part of the damp sunny was the not so fluent anchor, but the presence of Jadeja was affecting Sunny too. Jadeja -- Someone who speaks his mind without much laag-na-lapet (approximately means ' With no value Addition on aesthetics')
Jadeja has been with NDTV for more than a year now, and most of the times I find him very accurate with his predictions. In the recently concluded Sri Lanka Test series, in the second match when all the experts , Indians and others alike, were saying Sri Lanka has chance, that too during the lunch break discussion; Jadeja pitched a very non-ambiguous stance in India's favor.
I even go a step further, i believe, if the match fixing incident would not had happened Jadeja would prove to be a good captain too. What do you say ?
This country misses Ajay Jadeja or does it not ?
shared by Anil Singh on Wednesday, October 06, 2010
new poster boys... vvs laxman... ishant sharma...
shared by straight point on Tuesday, October 05, 2010
first there was spell from ishant and then vvs laxman decided to cast his own spell on aussies...
so move over vvs-dravid... vvs-ishant is the new classic poster...
very very selfish laxman...?
shared by straight point on Thursday, July 22, 2010
the batting or to be precise farming of strike from vvs laxman has been very strange in this test... though he has done it earlier but this galle test takes the cake... as if he is hell bent on giving every opportunity to murali to achieve that magic figure of 800 wickets...
when the more accomplished batsman is at crease batting with tailenders one would assume that the former will take the lead and farm the strike as much as possible... muck like hussey who is master at the art of batting with tailenders...
now there are two schools of thoughts one says that take every run which is available and trust tailender to do the job... another, like me, thinks that irrespective of what the personal belief you as a batsman may have... keep the team interest in mind and optimize every opportunity specially when one is saving the tests where occupation at crease become much more important... sometimes it does not take anything away from you if you play for your mate...
one instance from this match comes to my mind... when yuvi came to the crease it was clear that only few overs of the day were left... we all know that yuvi, specially in early part of his innings, does not play spinners that good... it was clear from the gestures of umpires that the next over, due to be bowled by murali, is most probably going to be the last over of the days play... but yet laxman showed no inclination to take the lead and play out murali instead...
now one can come up and say that if no.6 batsman can't play out last over of the day then he should sit out which is perfectly reasonable... but as a part of the team... one must sense these little things... as these small little things adds up to the final tally... who knows if laxman played out that over from murali things could have been bit different for team india today... knowing that two front line batsmen will be at crease followed by dhoni...
we all know about the dosti of sehwag and gambhir... and in one interview gambhir categorically said that when he would feel the pressure or would not time the ball as good as he would like... or struggle against particular bowler... viru will take the cue and play out that bowler or made him stand in non-striker end to let that phase pass out... no wonder they share such level of camaraderie and respect for each other...
now one cannot expect the same level of camaraderie from ever member of the team but the point is same as i said earlier... it does not take away anything from your game or reputation or your so called personal belief if you play for your mate...
as i was writing this mithun got out and laxman took the single off first ball of murali to expose ishant sharma for full over after doing the same with mithun for a while... one wonders...
you are out mate...
shared by straight point on Wednesday, January 14, 2009
with matt hanging his bat for good...india too is staring at one big possible retirement of dravid...
as next test series not gonna happen before march...there's still some time left for dravid, selectors and we the fans to ponder over his looming retirement...
though it seems laxman has already declared him out before we or more appropriately selectors can...
its getting 'gambhir'...
shared by straight point on Wednesday, November 05, 2008
i don't wanna defend gambhir here...he deserves every bit of punishment he has got...
but the point i want to initiate debate on is...that...of late it has become like a ritual to settle whatever grudge they have with 'the bully' bcci this way...
gambhir is just a what we say a 'mohra'...in this game...
and i am least surprised with the swiftness of appeal decision taken by ICC...though there are still more important and urgent issues lingering since ages...which needs no further elaboration...
the satisfaction of scoring some brownie points is greater than settling those issues...and i don't wanna deprive them the joy of this 'moral victory'...
never mind that...
the crying pussy watson after referee himself admitted was the one who provoked gets away with...if we can call it a fine...
never mind that...
johnson after abusing non other than VVS (the rare breed of gentleman left in this 'gentleman' game) without any provocation was not even reprimanded...gets away with it...
mind you i said abusing not sledging...there by sending message its ok to be abusive...
...and
punter after clearly showing dissent with umpire decision (and its not one off incident as far as punter record goes) gets into argument with batsman and holds the play 'against the spirit of game'...but we are yet to hear a word from what they call referees...
...and these are just the examples from this series only...
the call is yours...
PS
did i said...gambhir is the highest scorer of this series and is the consistent pain in the @ss of ozies...? oh...never mind that... ;-)
VVS warning...
shared by straight point on Thursday, October 30, 2008
do not attempt these stunts at home...
or play ground near you
IPL Vs Cricket
shared by straight point on Thursday, February 21, 2008
So the bidding is over...and we are seeing lots of smiling faces around...some are surprised (ponting, macgrath) some are stunned (symonds) and some are simply overwhelmed...
for purist there are concerns of invasion of oodles of money...its effects on cricket we all love...some are concerned about shifting of power base to subcontinent or more aptly india...there are uneasy, but i dare say helpless, voices who are ranting about how india controlling world cricket through money...
but overall i am not overtly concerned...
for two things...
first, when everybody was falling over each other for his share of ipl pie there was one one outstanding almost unreal gesture from vvs of refusing to be an icon so that hyderabad team has more budget to bid players...its takes courage, the character to stand out from rat race...somehow i feel cricket will be in good hands and that game will take care of itself...
another was Manoj Tiwari's story...
i read somewhere that when he heard his 'sold out amount' he was simply numb for some moments and when he regained his composure he said he would like to build a house for his parents who struggled all through their life to put them in english medium schools...
tiwari is not alone...there are lots of players who have come from very humble background and seeing their dream are coming true...its not as if that playing for india was anything less...but so much money overnight is something else...you do need money as well to realize dreams to life...
so i am happy...coz first ICL and then IPL have done their bits to realize so many dreams...
but i am concerned too...about cricket...no...robotic cricket...
with so many players from different zones and countries (not necessarily from their own as ishant will be playing for kolkatta while he is from delhi) will be playing with each other...and emphasis will be on all aspects of game...batting...bowling...fielding...we will see players becoming as uncle from cricket with balls says PROBOT...
are we assembling a line of PROBOTS...??
coz every body will be playing same cricket...no flair of a region...no flair player...just simply plain robotic cricket...
do you share my concern?
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...
