so InSaf ho gaya... and we tied the test series 1-1 with south africa...
before the series started not many gave chance to team india but ended up saying they could have pressed more to create history... this is as lop sided assessment as one could get...
before the series started... there were customary or shall i say phony talks of bouncy pacy wickets that will test this 'aging' line up... how india will be cream rolled coz they don't know how to play short bowling etc etc... the talks that creates headlines before every series only to melt into oblivion after the series is over...
so how do you feel about the stalemate now...?
would you boast about the fact that south africa with arguably the best bowling attack in the form of life... with the pitches of their liking... could not press matter beyond a point...
that with all the class and pluck... they could not get pass that 'aging' line up in their own backyard...
that india with arguably the thinnest bowling line-up were in a position to actually win the series against the batting line-up that consist of some of the best in business in the comforts of homely conditions...
that despite the goof-up, even before the first ball of series were to be bowled, from the bcci in the form of accepting/finalising such itinerary in first place and selectors doing the icing on cake act with the kind of selection blunders only they can manage and getting paid for it... and yet despite all those hiccups team india not only surmounted the challenges from the opponent but also from a bigger opponent at home... their own board... their own selectors...
south africa had all they wanted to upset indians... but they would or rather should be the first to admit that their best of best was not good enough against the grit of team india... that despite all the requisite armory in their tank they could achieve only a stalemate... to show for their efforts...
if left to me i would say... gautam gambhir's performances on the proteas tour epitomizes team india in all possible ways...
before the start of the series... there were doubts raised about gambhir's technique and temperament...
it was gambhir's first tour of south africa where even the best in business have come short before him... first innings started with 'look what we said'... but by the time tour ended... lots of those doubts were put to bin... step by step... innings by innings...
gambhir emerged with an enhanced and enviable reputation... and so did team india...
how do you feel about the stalemate...?
shared by straight point on Friday, January 07, 2011
curious case of cheteshwar pujara...
shared by straight point on Wednesday, January 05, 2011
since his debut che's (as we fondly call him at bored) case is getting bit curious with his each outing...
his debut innings dismissal was strikingly unlucky...
in his second innings he impressed everybody with his temperament and stroke play and played a decisive knock which helped india whitewash australia...
and yesterday he received the delivery which was almost unplayable...
in between some freak or unlucky dismissals he has impressed pundits and fans alike and shown enough glimpses that he belongs to the highest arena... test cricket... without a decent score to show for the efforts...
mind you, though pujara's average at domestic level is very good, but it is also a factor that he would not have played anything resembling the quality of bowling at display that too overseas at as difficult a place as south africa where even many best at business have come short...
he still has second innings at newlands, capetown to post a decent score to wave off some doubts that might be creeping in the mind of those that matter most... selectors... but given the quality of bowling he will have to counter on the fourth innings at a wearing pitch of a series decider match for who the no.1 team in the world is... one can easily understand the pressure...
at one time he has shown enough promise... but at the same time his honeymoon period might be running off faster than one would like to believe... and given that we won't play tests for quite some time and there is world cup in between where players like raina, kohli, rohit sharma etc can stake claims with their good performances at the world stage...
how many more chances pujara will get if he were to fail again in the fourth innings at capetown...?
