Almost the perfect recipe

250-260 pitch
2 spinners
Ashwin in
Raina in
......that was almost the perfect recipe for India. It is our home ground. So, it is not, by any means, illegal or unsporting to make pitches that suit us. Featherbeds donot suit us, neither do green tops. I am not saying we cant win on those pitches. But the Mortera wicket was ideal for us against Australia. It is the ideal wicket for us to play against most teams except for may be SriLanka. Should we meet the islanders in Mumbai, a green top may be the order of the day for us.

Indian bowling is badly exposed on featherbeds and this was brilliant from the Indian thinktank (if indeed they asked the curator to prepare this kind of wicket). Playing 2 spinners, playing Raina for Yusuf(as we were not able to bat 50 overs in previous games) were again good decisions. The only worry now for India is Munaf Patel. Did we really need him? I guess, the answer was no today.

But looking ahead to the Pak game, the Mohali pitch has traditionally has had something in it for the quicks and we will need Munaf there (though there is still some doubt if he qualifies as a 'quick'!!) Quite ironic, if you think that a few years back he was India's fastest bowler!! (http://www.canadiandesi.com/read.php?TID=736)
The reason Munaf is playing is that he is more economical than Sreesanth and Nehra. He was our 4 bowler today, bowled 7 overs for 44 runs without picking up a wicket. In the Windies game he was our fifth bowler, and bowled 5 overs. Now I would assume that the logic behind not playing Sreesanth is that we can't rely on him completing his 10 overs, given his erratic nature (of bowling!). But between these, Sreesanth is definitely more of a wicket taker. He is more likely to produce the 'magic ball' to give us the break through. So, if Munaf is only bowling 5 over spells, why not play Sreesanth?? That is something for Kirsten, Dhoni and co to think about.

Everything else looks good for us. I cannot see Pakistan defeating us. I know the "cricket...game.....glorious.....uncertainities" but Paki batting is too weak.

Kamran Akmal, Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah, Umar Akmal, Afridi, Razzaq. I really cant see this batting line-up score more than 250 consistently. Umar Gul is their only bowler that will really concern India. I cannot see Afridi picking easy wickets against our batting the way he has against the likes of WIndies, Canada and Kenya.

Unless something dramatic happens, India should beat Pakistan pretty comfortably........

Off we Go the West Indies Way...

West Indies kick started the World cup with a convincing 54 run victory over Pakistan. Surely I lost a bet yesterday as I was sure that Pakistan would win.

It was heartening to see the awesome atmosphere in the ground and it just suited the Windies team as the Home Support added to the Victory celebrations. Jamaica sizzled in all colours and it just the refreshing breath that World Cup wanted after a rather dull Champions Trophy last year.

The West Indies innings was entertaining one with Samuels and then Dwayne Smith hitting some nice blows to Pakistani Spinners. Even Lara and Sarwan chipped in.

Pakistani innings was going nicely with Inzy and Youhana playing well but when they fell and Kamran akmal too got out in the dreaded over for Pakistanis then Shoaib Malik was stranded alone.

I won't say that West Indies are the favorites but surely they are capable of huge upsets and with the Home support behind them it surely is going to be a joyride.

Techonarti Tags: World Cup, Cricket, West Indies, Pakistan

Sobers declares WC 2007 open

One of the biggest event of the world and the most religious festival for the Indians has officially started with Legendary Garfield Sobers formally declaring the competition open
Nine independent states from the West Indies will host 51 games involving 16 teams, including defending champion Australia. The competition will last for 47 days leading up to the final on April 28 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Over 2000 singers, dancers and performers, including several of the Caribbean's top reggae and dancehall performers, participated in the opening at the new stadium close to Montego Bay on the northern coast of Jamaica. Against a red, gold and green backdrop, reggae singers Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Isaacs, as well as contemporary performers Sean Paul and Shaggy, entertained the crowd of around 10,000 and the squads of the competing nations.

Chris Dehring,

CEO of the event, said fans at the ICC CWC would see "the world's best cricketers competing against the backdrop of the most blessed place on earth".

Technorati Tags
worldcup2007 Cricket WestIndies

Speaking Cricket

Last week I was at home for my holi vacations and watched some TV there and found lot of cricket talks going on. Its not a different site in India with news and other channels roping in ex-players and experts for their shows.
One channel has roped in experts from Pakistan: Imran Khan , SA: Barry Richards, India: Ajay Jadeja and from Australia also. They were discussing what strategies should India use in their games of Super 8's to defeat the biggies Aus and SA and other teams also. In the end they were asked to rate India's chances of victory against various team. To my surprise every body gave 9 out 10 chances to India's match against England. I don't know why they thought so probably because of England's week bowling.

Other channel was interviewing the Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar and poped out the news of selection of various players despite selectors disapproval of them. Sehwag was one of them Vengsarkar said he was selected only on request of Dravid. Ohh great , since when do the captains have got the right to select players. Kumble was the other one.
In john's autobiography Indian Summers I came to know what happens in a particular selection meeting, how selectors argue to get a player from their zone selected.

Another channel were questioning Niranjan Shah about the Vengsarkar's statement. He questioned the chief selectors right to give such comments in public.

Two channels NDTV and CNN-IBN were interviewing forgotton and again revived like a pheonix player Saurav Ganguly. I couldn't control my happiness when I heard his desire of becomming the coach some time later in his life. I used to dream of dada becoming a selector then BCCI chief after some years and taking revenge for what happen to him last year.But dada don't need that now he has come much stronger and proved once again why he is idol of many persons around the world. Dada has proven the quote of Mohammad Ali

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines and the gyms out there on the roads long before I dance under those lights."

His hard work dedication and love for cricket and faith in himself has helped him come back even stronger. I wish dada to become the second player after Geoff Marsh to lift the cup as a player and coach , for that India need to win the Cup this WC.
Dada we are proud of you!!!

Greg was also being interviewed by another channel and he gave a punch line Let's do it guys.

Nike ad and other products endorsed by cricket celebrities was also getting aired regularly and new songs encouraging Indian team to lift the cup were taking bigger air time in the music channel shows.

After so much talking cricket ... Lets watch Indian Juggernaut roll in West Indies

3 days to go

Let's do it team

Technorati Tags
Cricket WorldCup07 WestIndies India

USACA Suspended from ICC

Few days back Giri posted a nice article on the professionalism of americans in cricket. I was hoping that if this sort of professionalism continues we will soon be watching USA playing cricket with the test playing nations. I was dreaming of USA winning the 2016 20Twenty WC.

But my hopes were dashed when i read that International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA). USACA was suspended for its failure to meet the deadlines for adoption of its constitution and holding of elections.

Malcolm Speed, the ICC Chief Executive, said that the USA's suspension

"occurs at a time when many objective observers strongly believe that the game in the USA is sufficiently strong to warrant USA being included in the ICC Cricket World Cup which commences this month"

which emphasises the frustration many must feel in the USA.

This is a big jolt to the ICC's hope of entering the big market of USA . There were even news of staging a tournament between India and Australia but that couldn't be solemenized as there is no stadium of international standards in USA.

USACA will now not receive the annual ICC grant that was expected on April 15 and will be withdrawn from the World Cricket League Division 3 Series to be held in Darwin, Australia in May and relegated from that division. WI cricket board has been appointed to monitor the progress of the game and request a suitable time for the removal of the ban

"The ICC hopes this measure will serve to focus minds within cricketing circles in the USA, that sense will prevail and that all those with the good of the game at heart will come together and take control of this unfortunate situation."

I hope for the growth of Cricket ban on USACA will be lifted soon



Read More

• Yahoo News
• Herald Tribune
• The corridor

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World Cup -2007 Semifinalists

Would you believe it aussies are on a four match loss streak.

Aussies have now got used to scoring 300+ runs and losing the match. This happened at the wanderers when SA chased the mammoth 434 and yesterday it was black cats who made record of the second successful chase , scoring 337 with 8 balls remaining. Kiwis thereby won the Chappell-Hadlee trophy with two successive victories, last one was 10 wicket thrashing of world champions.
Aussies are really missing the services of ponting, gilchrist , injured symonds and lee. Aussies have a huge chance of avoiding the 3-0 whitewash as NZ's strike bowlers Shane Bond and Daniel Vettori will be unavialable tomorrow as they have sustained minor injuries.

These defeats have really opened the world cup wide. England is on a revival string after winning the CE trophy. India is back roaring though at home. West Indies will be a potent contender for the cup. We can't forget the lankans though they lost the series in india but they were without Vass and Murli. As usual kiwis will be the dark horses. South Africa are at all time high rankings of 1. We cannot forget the pace attack of Pakistan

Its very difficult to guess the semifinalists. But still i would take a wild guess

• South Africa
• England
  
• WestIndies
• India

Readers also give there guesses , lets see who is the closest at the end.




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worldcup2007 Cricket

Finally something on Cricket

Ayn Rand's Classic, Atlas Shrugged starts with a curious enquiry ”Who is John Galt?”. Whenever any foreigner comes to Indian and if by chance he got to see a cricket match or watch a news channel or even got to read any Newspaper the first question he will ask is ”Who is Sachin Tendulkar”. He is the one, whose elbow creates more news and tension than Indonesian earthquake, his lack or runs made entire country to go in mourning as if some ex PM has expired and his Century gave us immense pleasure which can’t really be described in words. In short he is the most loved son of this soil or GOD of Indian Cricket.

But last few years has been really difficult for Sachin. Ageing body never really gave him any chance to get into rhythm, and then a difficult tour of South Africa further compounded his misery and finally our special mentality of creating a Tsunami out of Ripple from anything even remotely connected with cricket made his position even more untenable. The situation has reached to an extent that critics were asking for his head with News channel (I am really frustrated by these damm channels) airing that it is the end of road for Sachin Tendulkar. Now its not that he is irreplaceable but the question is whether he is still adding value to the team or he has become a burden to the team.

For me his value to team is immense infact we can’t even quantify it, his mere presence on the field galvanizes the whole team. He is some one who is above petty politics and everyone looks towards him as a source of inspiration. Just imagine the kind of pressures that guy faces, the roar when he comes on to bat and the death signifying silence when he got out. It’s true that he has changed his batting style but I think it’s more because of team needs, when you have players like Dhoni Yuvraj and Sehwag why did you need someone to go out and do bang bang, in a team of so many stroke players you need someone to play a stabilizing act, and Sachin does that quite admirably, still maintaining a strike rate of above 80.

Now coming to India-West Indies series, which for me has really acted like a blessing in disguise? How???

First of all we won the series, and winning always gives you confidence and momentum which you like to carry forward. Secondly it has given us the lot clearer picture of our world cup final team with the only worry being that enigma known as Virendra Sehwag, for me he has to be in the team, he is match winner who in a very short span of time can change the whole face of the game upside down. The thing team management can do is to play him in middle order. I know this will result in sacrificing either Dinesh Karthik or Irfan Pathan, but in West Indies it will be better to have 3 part time spinners rather than playing one out of touch all rounder. Thus the team with 6 batsmen 1 wicket keeper and 4 Bowlers will my ideal team for the Cup with the trump card being the spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh both of whom I think will be difficult to get away on the slow and low Caribbean pitches.

And one last thing don’t forget to miss this year Ranji Final which after a long gap will see two full strength star studded sides battling it out for the top domestic honors of the country. And then there will be one heck of a mini battle between two pillars of Indian Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly.May the best one wins (no Bias)


Tech Tags
Sachin, Tendulkar, Cricket, India, WorldCup07, WI