zardari and palin

interesting video on the web

STOCKS AND LIFE

When stock markets celebrated new year with gusto, who could have thought that within days all dreams will tumble…and in less than a year, the valuation will come down to less than a half!

Anyone predicting this ghastly scenario must have been termed a buffoon…a rotten pessimist who did not deserve to live as a thinking human being.

Now, the mankind must be convinced, more than ever, about the fallibility of their castles built on arrogance and misplaced beliefs.

The operation of stock markets is no different from life – daily ups and downs. Sometimes there are significant movements upward, but one can be rest assured that downward journey is on the cards.

On the rosier side….if there is a downward journey, it may also turn out to be a stepping stone towards a more robust jump to the top.

A jump which may be `staying and solid’, if not `spectacular and gravity-defying’ One lesson which life can take from stock markets.

There is no rock bottom in an average life…as much as there is no summit.

Energy, not excuses, will help Mumbai More

‘’Losers always have excuses, winners always have energy.’’
Who said these immortal words very recently!
If one recalls, it was great Sachin Tendulkar, a winner all his life, in one of the advertisements aired during the IPL tourney.

Sachin is a prove match winner with loads of energy. And he did play a great knock yesterday worthy of highest accoladess. It was remarkable the way he matched traditional strokeplay with slam-bang format. Pity that Mumbai had to lose despite such tremendous fightback. It was indeed a beautiful game of cricket where the team which held its nerves best in the final stages, won. Yuvraj ‘Jhonty’ Singh kept his cool, and propelled his team into the semis.

That is why one can not understand this sudden rush to blame Suresh Shastri for Mumbai’s defeat. Even before Shastri had delivered each of his judgments as third umpire, the knowledgeable commentators on telly had ‘’agreed in advance’’ with him. They were never shocked by any of his decisions, and if some one gets a shock now (be it Mumbai team management, or just Tendulkar), it can only be termed a case of sour grapes.

Surely, the beauty of that one hell of a contest should not be marred by some unnecessary controversy. With reports of criticism coming from the great man, it can only put the umpires under some tremendous pressure. Something surely not good for the rest of the tourney.

All the three matches yesterday (including the Champions League final between Red Devils and Chelsea) went to the wire. It was a veritable treat from 4 PM on Wednesday to three AM on Thursday. Chennai were Bangalored, Mumbai ran themselves out, and Chelsea were done in by destiny. In all the cases, matches could have gone either way.

In jest, Losers too had energy, and lots of it. Just that they lacked the most important thing needed to win. A little dose of good luck.

Vijay Mallya is right, and wrong!

‘’At the end of the day, people need to understand that the IPL has a corporate side to it, and a very definite corporate side. It is not at all cricket in the traditional sense.’’

Vijay Mallya is right here. It is not traditional cricket with reasonable money for cricketers. Mind-boggling salaries and exorbitant prices have been paid to purchase sides and franchises are probably right in demanding positive results. It is like old India-Pak rivalries where captains invariably got a sack after a poor result. Only that it is corporate pride, rather than the nation’s prestige, which is at stake.

Then Mallya is also one of those one billion Indians, who are much smarter than the selectors in terms of picking their dream eleven. At times, he can be smarter than the likes of Charu, Dravid, Sachin, and Harsha in picking his men (after all, Mumbai Indians are also not faring too well despite three in a row while no-hoper Jaipur are on top).

The real problem with this format is that even the best can fail in picking a successful eleven. Else the likes of Marsh and Watson would not have been getting peanuts compared to some of the biggest names who failed to deliver. Probably Mohali and Jaipur would still have been struggling to be among the top four, and not sitting so comfortably, had these two not delivered. Compare that to the likes of Symonds (who would have been expected to win all the matches for his team) and Ponting (who failed so miserably). Even Ishant Sharma, the find of the season and good for all formats, has not been the kind of influence his team would have liked him to be.

So here Mallya goes horribly wrong in blaming Dravid and Charu. Probably, the problem was in strategy. The team needed stabilisers in the middle and attacking batsman at the top of the order as in yesterday’s game. The way they approached their match against Mohali, in a very aggressive mood before that unfortunate and bizarre dismissal of Misbah ul Haq , showed what all was possible.

Then the team also went by reputation. It is not very easy to have the likes of Kallis, Jaffer and Kumble warming the bench. But then difficult decisions have to be taken to ensure a judicious mix of attacking and defensive play. Invariably, there are situations in the middle of the innings when teams need to consolidate. You can’t always be attacking, even in twenty20!

But the biggest mistake Mallya has committed is by publicly airing his disapproval of the way team was selected and shaped up. That seems to have further demoralized an already bruised side. He may be right in what all he said, but the timing was certainly not the right one. With his rapid-fire statements, he has turned sympathy into indignation. No wonder that a headline in Mail Today aptly described the sorry spectacle as ‘’Cry Baby Tycoon blames others for his IPL Team’s losses’’. The flamboyant Tycoon does need to learn a few things from Mukesh Ambani, who must have talked to his team privately after a string of initial losses.

Why IPL Needs Dedicated Space in Cricketing Calender

Let me start with a joke seen recently on net before coming to cricket:
A husband and wife were having dinner at a very fine restaurant when this absolutely stunning young woman comes over to their table, gives the husband a kiss on the cheek, says she'll see him later and walks away. His wife glares at him and says, 'Who the hell was that?
'‘Oh,' replies the husband, 'she's my mistress.'
‘’Well, that's the last straw,' says the wife. 'I've had enough, I want a divorce.
'I can understand that,' replies her husband, 'but remember, if we get a divorce it means that you don't get any more shopping trips to Paris, no more wintering in Barbados, no more summers in Tuscany, no more Ferraris and Lexus's in the garage and no more yacht club. But the decision is yours.'
Just then, a mutual friend enters the restaurant with a gorgeous girl. 'Who's that woman with Jim?' asks the wife.
'That's his mistress,' says her husband.
'Ours is prettier,' she replies.
Now, the joke may not be in very good taste, and a poor reflection on the materialist world, but one can surely find some uncanny similarities with cricket.

Let us assume that the Husband is BCCI, Wife is Traditional Cricketing establishment/purists, and Mistress is IPL Twenty20. The joke perfectly fits into the way cricketing equations have been shaping up. After over three weeks of mindboggling response, it now seems a must for the traditional Cricketing establishment to learn to live with the IPL peacefully. It has become important for them to have a dedicated space in the World Cricketing Calender, which can be used by the IPL and other such tournaments, which may be planned the worldover during this period.

It is highly unlikely that (taking cue from BCCI’s successful foray into the shortened version), other boards the world over will let go of such opportunities to start similar leagues in their own countries. And in all likelihood, few more leagues (Especially in Australia and the UK), could hand out very good financial returns (like in IPL), and the money can then be ploughed back into the traditional cricket.

With a dedicated window, every one will be happy in the long run. Boards will get money, players will get the opportunity to gain more, and viewers will have a veritable treat to look forward to every year. It will be a win-win situation without compromising with the morality of the original joke!

Bangalore Out of IPL

It was extremely disappointing, almost annoying to see how Bangalore were committing hara-kiri yesterday.

A target of 130 in 16 overs was not very stiff by any stretch of imagination but the way they grafted and grafted, before letting loose when it was too late, finally confirmed one’s doubt that they never belonged to this format. Luckily for Charu, he was not there to take the blame this time round!

As of now, Dravid’s vanquished warriors will probably need to win all of their remaining six matches to have any hope of reaching the semis. But that will also mean setting some sort of tournament record as no team so far has managed to win that many in a row, though King’s eleven Punjab need one more to accomplish this feat.

To be realistic, Bangalore look completely out of sorts and at the moment, the battle for semifinal looks to have been restricted to seven teams. Mallya can relax and concentrate on Formula one. IPL title is out of reach.
My First IPL Match
Meanwhile, watched my first match as ‘spectator from the stands’, and not as a journo covering a battle. It was between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings at Ferozshah Kotla yesterday.

What a match and what an ambience! One refreshing change from the past tests and ODIs at Kotla is that the families are coming in such big numbers to watch the 40-over carnival. It has well and truly become a family outing with one seeing some many groups of ‘girls only’, cheering and clapping after every ball.

Reasons:
- Kotla is much cleaner now with functional toilets
- No boring moments mean people have that much less time to pass comments and harass the fellow spectators
- The format reduces the waste of time, allowing executives to pack up their office bags in time for the match. Female executives, so much concerned about their office work, can now do both the jobs on a given day.
- Last but not the least, the music and the cheerleaders, including Bhangra troupes and bands, usher in the festivities never seen before on India’s cricket grounds. Families just love the feel and the colour splashed all around.

The arrangements for the match were impeccable and ladies were feeling much secure coming to these encounters. These are great times for cricket indeed.

As Charu Packs his bags...

It is not surprising that the sack came. The more surprising thing is that it took nearly three weeks for the first KO blow to come!

Poor Charu. only if he had watched the telecast of few Bangalore matches, he would have seen the ‘clinched teeth smile (!)’ of owner Vijay Mallya with his team perennially occupying seventh or eighth place.

But he is not likely to be alone. Prasad is already inching towards the exit door and the way this Premier League is shaping up, expect few more dismissals (from some other franchisees too) by the time the winners jump atop the podium.

From purely the business point of view, the main reason for the success of top shots like Mallya and Mukesh Ambani is that they are much more concerned with the overall policy making and efficient delegation. They select top pros and expect them to deliver. Take as much resources as you want, but deliver: That is their mantra, time-tested and sureshot roadmap to success.

Charu (along with Dravid) failed to deliver a team which could succeed. It looked more suited to 120-120 format, than 20-20! That diluted the Brand Royal Challenge beyond permissible limit, which could never be acceptable to Mallya. Even the replacement choice, Brijesh Patel, shows the vengeance of a seething Mallya, than some well thought out plan. After all what can Brijesh Patel do as CEO, which Charu could not have done! If Royal Challengers start winning after this shocking change of guard, it will more be incidental!

Mumbai are in a smiliar state of dismay and despair. Now, if one of pre-tournament favourites lose few more, one can expect some similar turmoil among their ranks. After all, did not a big Reliance functionary on cricket controversies programme on NDTV, say that their target was at least reaching the final. As of now, even a semifinal spot looks woefully out of reach. The richest Indian in India will certainly not like it.

In fact, one can expect more and more bad blood between the owners and the players/management as tournament gets into the business end. As Shahrukh famously said a few days back ‘’failure is not an option for me, or my team.’’ Though the evergreen hero might still take it sportingly if Nightriders fail to deliver, same can not be said of many other franchises who have too much pride, or money at stake.

Hum Chloremint Kyon Khate hain!

What is life without some humour. And a spectator did manage to find it in an encounter involving Mohali and Knight Riders few days ago.

The reason for the slap Sreesanth received (as shown in a banner held by him) was not related to cricket in anyway (Well, that is news!).

Actually, Sreesanth received the slap because, during the handshake, he had the audacity to ask Harbhajan ‘’Bhajji Bhai, hum chloremint kyon khatein hain (Dear Bhajji, why do we have chloremint).

Coming to that match, it also showed why Twenty20 will continue to capture the imagination of the nation for years to come. After losing their top-five for 50, KKR’s never looked part of the match up. Still, it could not be decided in favour of Kings Eleven Mohali until just two balls remained! That is the thrill of this instant cricket.

So far, 24 matches have taken place (six involving each team) and there has been just one encounter where a team looked finished even before the second innings started. And that was the 24th match involving the Mohali outfit and Super King’s Chennai, where Tanvir’s brilliant spell on a batsman friendly track decided the match in the first innings itself. In all other encounters, things could have gone either way until the last few overs.

Even two-weeks into this format, boredom has not set in. Every thing is boisterous. Right from the first ball to the last strike. Batsmen chancing their arm at every opportunity, Cheering spectators, and cheer leaders – all have combined to make it a thrilling spectacle.

Meanwhile, the performance of Indians (as skipper) is along the predictable lines in this format. While Dhoni, Yuvraj and Sehwag are on top with some remarkable leadership and imaginative display, teams lead by Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly have been struggling. It clearly shows where our future should be headed!

God Bless Twenty20!

Despite the tremendous success of Twenty20 cricket – highlighted by the September World Cup, confirmed by the ICL, and then reconfirmed as a smashing hit by IPL, there are still people believing, and trying to force others into believing, that this version trivializes cricket!

They cry hoarse about the decline of their beloved cricket, played in traditional way. Suddenly, even ODI cricket has become a traditional fare, whose ’’imminent demise’’ has to be bemoaned in every possible way.

They decry that the like of Vijay Mallya and Mukesh Ambani, and their big corporations, are out to enslave this beautiful game.

Take a break mate. And use some common sense. Even before IPL came, big corporations were controlling cricketing stakes the World over. Wills, Sahara, Pepsi, Coke – these are not your neighbourhood kirana stores after all!

And when was cricket without its share of glamour Sir. Who were the subcontinent girls dying for in cricket heydays of 70s and 80s – Mudassar Nazar or Imran Khan, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar or Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi!

As Mandira Bedi said in one of the programmes, stars were always present in such big number at places like Sharjah to watch the ODIs, then called pyjama cricket. Only that they are paid much more now to be brand ambassadors, with few even mustering up the courage to buy teams.

Those who have witnessed their cricket from close quarters, understand that in course of time all forms will survive. Test Cricket did not die because of ODIs, and Tests and ODIs will not die because of Twenty20.

Rather, Twenty20 will help batsmen discover and master few more strokes, which will enable increase in scoring rate in all the versions.

Besides, this version has created so much more employment opportunities for some promising cricketers.

Gony is no longer a badly spelled Dhoni and God Bless twenty20 cricket for that!

Three Cheers for Cheer Ladies!

In one of HT's supplements today, one saw Kareena Kapoor (hogging one full page) wearing nothing more than what some much more gorgeous Cheer Ladies have been wearing at most venues of the IPL

Wonder what the Moral brigade, which is after the lives and livelihood of the IPL cheer ladies, has to say on the Tassan ad.

Just seeing the juicy supplements of various newspapers (still considered the bastion of media conservatism and noble values) will provide with much more voyeuristic masala than all the antics strung together by the ladies flown in from many parts of the globe.

Hence, one can only describe as pathetic the attempt to take out cheer ladies from the IPL venues. Probably camera angles make them look vulgar at times, but how they are to be blamed for that. Having cameras focus more on their face, and some long shots will do the trick.

IPL is a combination of star power, glamour, and cricket, with cricket taking precedence but star power and glamour not too far behind. Those who do not like it, can simply switch off their TV sets and go for their routine Tests and ODIs. But first, they also need to instruct their newspaper wallah not to give daily supplements, which often has starlets wearing far less than what we have seen in various matches.

As far as politicians are concerned, this moral conservatism looks nothing more than opportunism to settle some political scores.

Cricket's biggest revolution!

Having watched the IPL for last one week, I am getting more and more convinced that future belongs to this version only. Reasons why IPL will be a hit in India, and further promote twenty20 worldwide are.

1) Slam bang is the approach in today’s modern life and the format slips in really well. Then, one does not have to miss office or school to make it to the ground in time.

2) A three-nation tournament (one match against each team followed by the final) can start on Saturday Morning and end on Sunday evening.

3) If TRPs for the initial part of the IPL are indeed what TAM is making us believe, it seems the men are finally getting control of the remote even when mega K serials are on. However, if ladies too are chiping in along with cartoon-crazy kids to see the matches, that shows the real triumph of the format.

4) It provides a unique level playing field. Countries like Holland, Scotland etc will have near equal chance of beating some of the middle level teams. Just one good knock can make such a big difference as shown by some of the IPL matches. It will help promote the game globally as time consumed will be less that two football matches one after another.

5) The Indians are mad only for fours and sixes. One glaring example is that they are not prepared to accept a pitch like the one at Eden, which produced one of the most thrilling low scoring matches. The format provides massive hits in abundance.

6) Like in movies where quintessential villain changing his profile and helping heros at times draws biggest applause (Amjad Khan in Love Story or Pran in Zanzeer), in cricket seeing the Pakistanis and the Australians helping out Indians, and celebrating along with them is a real boost to the sport, and the relationships.

So IPL has unleashed a monster for the other versions, but a messiah for the have nots of cricket. It has shown that twenty20 is the most viewer friendly format ever produced.

Mahanama's Pathetic Show!

To the millions of meek, pliant and spineless character which inhibit this world, there is one more addition – Roshan Mahanama.

Why blame the ICC? As long as there are people like Mahanama to serve its interests in safeguarding the supremacy of a chosen few, it will get away with anything it wants.

Match referee Mahanama’s comments (in his report to the ICC) on a ‘substandard’ Kanpur pitch are all the more disturbing as he belongs to a country (Sri Lanka), which has won most of its battles on tailor-made home tracks with the help of Murali. Imagine the state of Lanka cricket (their win-loss record) if they had to deal with bouncy tracks at homes as well.

Probably Mahanama has forgotten that on a ‘substandard, under prepared pitch’ South Africa had upper hand on most of the first two days and but for a fighting last wicket stand in India’s 1st innings, the eventual outcome could well have been different.

Even on a so called ‘perfect pitch’ of Ahmedabad, the match was over in three days. Then why blame the pitch at Nagpur? Playing on an under prepared track too requires a different kind of skills, which South Africans lacked in the end. Period.

It must be understood by all and sundry that preparing same kind of tracks will take away the home advantage and make the game very dull. It will take the fun out of the game. Imagine a world where all women were blonde! But people like Mahanama, with their playing careers over and refereeing at the mercy of ICC, will forget all that for a cosy job and some quick bucks.

Existential Dilemma (From my other blog spiritualsolace.blogspot.com

To understand the nature of this world is really tough. So our response to it is often confused and varied. Sometimes it (the world) attracts us like a real magnet. And at times, one desires to renounce anything and everything.

This dialectics between affinity and revulsion defines our very existence. Generally our moments of triumph mark our affinity, while revulsion usually comes after some really painful events. Though it is not a set rule, but generally this is the way it is. Only saints can enjoy a feeling of revulsion (renunciation) in their moments of triumphs. But they must surely be on the verge of extinction in today’s world.

The best way to live should be by enjoying both the states of existence. But there is nothing better then enjoying your moments of despair. That only can be done by counting one’s blessings. What’s a bloody life without its share of trials and tribulations. Is not that the reason why rich and famous often perish in pursuit of thrill and adventure? Too good is too bad at times.

If life is understood as one small stretch between two infinite existences which one is not yet aware of, it can be led in a much better way. Unfortunately, most people are too much obsessed with the present to lose the very sight of the pleasure that must come along with it.

Intrigues for fast bucks and cozy life, as well as their insecurities, dominate their existence, which can spoil the very idea of a perfect life.

A life time of Ten Days!

Remember April three? It was just ten days ago, when everybody was gunning after the Indian cricketers, lambasting them for a meek surrender at the Ahmedabad greentop. http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/04/just-one-bad-day.html

Today, after a commendable show in the last two days when they fought against all odds – loss of toss, loss of Kumble, a very good start by the South Africans, and a very dismal start by their own openers – things have changed so much! In few minutes from now, they will be fighting a battle, which once seemed lost for all practical purposes. Just ten days, and four playing days was all it took to get them back to where they belong to – the very top.

If the visitors manage a reasonable batting score, South African can still win this match and the series. But if it is anybody’s game now, it is only thanks to some stupendous display by India. They would certainly have been out of the equation but for tremendous bowling by Harbhajan, Ishant and Chawla, and some gritty batting display by their middle order spearheaded by Sourav Ganguly.

In the process, India also showed the world that they can come back from any situation. They may not yet be the World's best team (they still need the winning consistency of South Africa and Australia), but for an average Indian fan who wants his team to fight till the very end without caring for result, they are a special bunch. Our sentimental number one.

Just One Bad Day

Each one of has one bad day in office once in a while, and this Indian team is no exception.

It is not that suddenly this bunch has become a gathering of cricketing novices. On the contrary, most of them are cricketing greats whose records and accomplishments will be fondly remembered decades after they are gone.

So it was amusing to see/read/hear so much, and so scathing, criticism of the team for just one bad session of batting. They were dubbed the greenhorns on a greentop while their Series victory in England on seaming tracks, commendable performance in Australia especially the win on Perth’s bouncy track, and authentic win over Pakistan was conveniently forgotten. The problem was not with criticism, but with the overdose of it.

To be fair, after the World Cup this team has lost just one test series (courtesy the likes of Bucknor and Benson) and won a rare tri-series and a twenty20 world cup. So one disastrous day was always in the offing and it came at Ahmedabad.

Today, a Harbhajan delivery hitting Kallis stumps without dislodging the bail symbolized India’s plight more glaringly than ever. A team, with all the greatness at its disposal also needs some luck, and a few umpiring decisions, to make it count. India never had that in this test and that is the crux of the matter. It is not just the pitch.

Approaching tea on day two, with South African leading by a good 300+ runs, only one result looks likely. Unless Weather intervenes in a big way.

Do not blame it on Sachin's absence

With just two wickets to go and lunch still half-an-hour away, it does look disastrous. But it will be most unkind to South Africa to suggest that the absence of Sachin Tendulkar has got anything to do with India’s massive collapse on the Indian Soil. He could have suffered the same fate as the rest of the specialist batsmen. After all, all the score that India had made at Chennai had come without a single run from the blade of this world’s premier batsmen. If’s and buts never solve the cricketing zigsaw.

Not only the South African bowlers looked to be in great rhythm today, but they were also helped by some misjudgments from the Indian batsmen. Of the first six batsmen, only Jaffer and Dravid were authentic dismissals. Laxman was a victim of his own poor judgment, Dhoni failed to keep his head, and bat, down, while Ganguly and Sehwag just played on to the outbound deliveries.

As the situation stands now, there is a real danger that South Africa may bat India out of the match by tomorrow evening (if they survive that long). But looking at the positives, India have one additional bowler and with five-men attack, they might be able to restrict the visitors to a manageable lead.

As things stand now, India can only hope and pray that the South Africans too suffer from the same series of misjudgments, which plagued them today morning. They will certainly need some luck as bowling alone may not be sufficient to get them back into a match, where result looks a certainty after less than a session of play!

India Selections and Global Warming!

There was a very interesting item in the Times of India today, which talked about the potential of laughter towards increasing global warming. That’s a rather grim warning, especially to those who take interest in, and tend to give some serious thought to the BCCI selection policies.

One can still not stop laughing, and contributing to the global warming, when thinking about Kaif coming in place of Tendulkar in the Indian team (unless the idea is to promote the stock of Kaif and his team just before the prestigious IPL). He may have been doing well in the domestic cricket, but when you are looking forward, it appears to be a big step backward.

Leave aside a waiting Yuvraj (the natural replacement if India still go in with the same batsman-bowler combination), there have been batsmen like Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir, who have done wonders in the last few months in international cricket. They should have been rewarded first.

But more importantly, with talks already on about having five bowlers on Indian pitches, it would have been prudent to include a bowler to have more options just before the final selection. So that was an opportunity missed.

The only positive of having Kaif as of now is that if India chose, they can afford to go in with an additional bowler without too many protests. Probably, the selection was also made keeping that in view.

A Bull Even in Bearish Phase!

What a pity. Sehwag deserved to break Brian Lara’s record for his sheer audacious stroke-play and remarkable confidence. Still, to be counted among the holy trinity – other two being Bradman and Lara – as the only cricketers to have surpassed 300 runs twice should be counted as a truly historic event in Indian cricket.

For last seven years, Sehwag has represented the breed of new Indians. Prepared to take career-threatening risks to promote that very career. He has been bullish all along – whatever be the stakes, whatever be his stock, and whichever be the opposition.

Strange that this man averages above 50 and still finds criticism coming his way after every few failures. Contrasts this with someone like Fleming, who finished his test career averaging just 40 and still gets more respect for his technique. Come on, technique is a very vague concept in modern day cricket, which has become all about scoring runs. Crowd come to watch Chauke, Chakke, and not one good leave after another. Dravid played his part yesterday, but was never appreciated. One only has to see three quick wickets falling today morning to assess his contribution. But that is today’s cricket, and Sehwag fits in perfectly.

Agreed that Sehwag has scored most of his runs in conditions tailor made for batsmen. But then one must also not lose of the fact he was almost pushed into opening just to break into a batting side which boasted of stars like Tendulkar, Dravid, Sourav and Laxman. And one must not forget his two great series in Australia including the one in 2003-04, when he opened with such distinction with Aakash Chopra.

One must acknowledge that Sehwag has done what even a great like Laxman could not do -- open with success. That will be the best way to appreciate what makes him what he is.

Just think of India in this match without Sehwag. Probably South Africa would have been batting this time, and thinking of what target to set for India on the fourth evening. He stole that satisfaction.

It's the moment that matters

Breathtaking assault by Virender Sehwag, a man who averages a remarkable 50 in tests despite not being a natural opener. He just plays his natural game, because he knows of no other way of surviving.

No amount of praise can be enough for this man for taking the fight back to the South African Camp. It speaks volumes about a player’s temperament and commitment, if he can play a knock like this after fielding for over five sessions in Chennai’s soul-sapping heat.

If the South Africans thought they could out-pace India, probably they had not seen the videos of India-Australia battle. Sheer pace no longer terrifies the Indians. Bouncers are contemptuously dispatched to the thirdman or fineleg. Only a nagging line and length with reasonable pace can numb their mindset, and here the visitors must be missing someone like Shaun Pollock.

Lack of quality spinners on Indian tracks is another major disadvantage. May be, the Proteas can also think of approaching the future contests with five specialist bowlers.

The pitch may be dead as dodo, and South African attack toothless, still facing a first innings target of 540 can be scary for any team. India, to their credit, never allowed the opposition to get to them – either yesterday evening, or today morning. There was no place for fear. That should gladden the hearts of their supporters. The Indian fans, as they are, want fireworks even in a dull draw. Else there is no point thronging the stadiums, or watching on telly. Players like Sehwag ensure just that and, in the process, take the game beyond the realm of results.

Amla ka Hamla!

It was a very calculative effort and Indians were well and truly floored by an amiable adversary who (unlike the Australians) chose to let his bat do all the talking.

Hashim Amla is somebody you never expect will explode into your face. And he did not. A grafter par excellence, he just waited for poor deliveries and on a non-receptive pitch with a tiring attack, there were enough of them.

This ‘Amla ka Hamla’ was something India least expected. They could never have anticipated before the 1st innings began, that their biggest scourge will be a soft-spoken South African, whom Sreesanth had, literally, shown the door during the last tour.

The Protea innings was a terrific tale of small little partnerships. It was remarkable that none of the first six wickets, as South Africa crossed the reasonably safe mark of 500 on any wicket, fell one after another. Even the fastest consecutive dismissals of McKenzie and Kallis were nearly 14 overs apart! None of their partnerships in reaching 500 was of less than 40 runs, and it showed in the final result.

India do have their task cut out for now. Last 10-15 overs today should be the key to survival. With South Africa bowlers all buoyed up, the contest is going to be mighty interesting. Indians are good enough to recover, but a lot will depend on how openers negotiate the might of the Proteas.

Openers Open what looked like a Shut Case post-Australia

Remarkable first wicket partnership of 132 from South Africa. It may have done at least two things.

First, it will have definitely settled the South African nerves for the rest of the series, and given them confidence that they can, once again, take on India in India (Remember the 2000 series loss which had ended India’s 13-year-undefeated streak at home!). The battle at hand is real. Now India will have to get past the Proteas before taking on Australia later this year, if they are to stake real claim to the number one ranking. They have the talent in all the departments, but, for now, also have a very gritty opposition in South Africans.

Second. It may have also shown the necessity of going in with five bowlers in conditions as testing as Chennai's. In fact, in the subcontinent the team is better served with five batsmen-five bowler formula. The sixth batsman may or may not be able to score any runs, but an additional bowler will almost surely take some important load off the top-four choices.

To be fair to the Indians, it is not that their bowling was all at sea against the South African opening pair. The threat was very real in the first few overs and with little bit of luck, both the openers would have been back quite early. Somehow, even the best of deliveries simply failed to find the edge. But this very failure may have set the series beautifully. A crumbling South Africans in the very first session at Chennai would have surely found it very difficult to recover. But after such a great start, one can surely expect some electrifying contests in the days to come.

Cows, Cricket and honesty

In a remarkably candid remark, recently retired Adam Gilchrist says he felt like a cow when he was auctioned in the Indian Premier League.

The remark, made in mid-March,
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1156178
came up as a snippet in ToI again today. As link to a comment from ICL’s Inzamam, berating the auction.

IPL is all welcome. It is a tremendous initiative and remarkable financial success so far. Never has a domestic tournament with foreign participation galvanized the cricketing world so much. But one still feels nauseated, thinking of that auction which had reduced players to the status of commodities. It is not that they are not, but it was made so open, and glaringly evident!

Hopefully, some better way will be found out in future of distributing players with matching remuneration, but without the auction.

Meanwhile, a very interesting column appeared in papers today, where former skipper Sunil Gavaskar has talked about the recent ICC elections, hockey debacle, and hypocrisy in the cricket and hockey world.
http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/sports/news/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1053332&_EXT_5_groupId=14
It is a must read for any sports lover.

Terrific Tendulkar

Whatever happens from now on -- and even if some brilliant Australian batting goes on to subdue the gallant visitors -- India have proved a point. The whole world now acknowledges that they are indeed serious contender to the Australian crown. What a turnaround after the World Cup disaster last year!

If some attributed their superlative show in the first final to law of averages (after all, losing eight out of eight finals would have been cruel mathematically!), they have been proven wrong.

While Youth has been a big factor in these triumphs in recent times, the exploits of Harbhajan and Tendulkar had a great deal to contribute to them. These two players took two major factors out of the equation. While Bhajji took anger out of the equation (by managing it well) and galvanized the whole team, Tendulkar took nervousness out of the Indian system with some audacious strokeplay.

On Sunday, it needed a great deal of character to bowl at Symonds and Hayden after what all had happened, and Bhajji did show the stuff he is made of, in the first ODI. But for his twin strikes, India would have still been ruing about the mountain they did not climb. But his strikes ensured a manageable chase, and then came Tendulkar!

While some authentic strokeplay has always been the hallmark of Tendulkar, it were his ariel exploits towards the point and thirdman regions (both on Sunday and Tuesday), which made a complete mockery of the Australian attack and gave heart, and much needed impetus, to the Indian batting.

Hopefully, all critics (including myself) have been silenced forever. We better be. Every time Tendulkar has been criticized (and he did deserve some of it in 2005 and 2006 for failing to measure up to his lofty standards), he has hit back in style.

It is not that criticism was always unjustified. But soon after, Tendulkar’s bat has made every critic eat crow. Be it Ian, Manjrekar, some monthly wage earning journalist, blogwriter, or free-lancer.

After today’s performance, whether it leads to an eventual series win or not, we must all shut up. Let Tendulkar retire as and when he wants to. Even if he wants to play till 58, he must be allowed. Men in blue seem to have become addicted to his presence and an electrifying knock from him has the potential to lift up everybody in the Indian team.

At the time of writing this post, Tendulkar is still few runs away from making his second consecutive century in Australia. If he makes it, it will be another remarkable feat from a remarkable man.

One debate settled for now

The astonishing collapse of the Lankans thanks to some extremely disciplined and intelligent bowing by Praveen Kumar may have settled one debate at least, if India (and they must) make it to the final today itself.

The Indians will surely be going in with five bowlers for the best of three-tussle, unless they suffer an unexpected batting collapse today and reach the finals only courtesy an Australian win over Lanka.

That is perfectly logical too. Going by the way this series has gone, low scores have dominated the scoresheets of all the three sides, with just two 270+ scores possible in the series so far.

So it makes sense to continue with five-bowler policy to ensure that the Australians are not allowed to get away with their free-flowing ways. If they make runs, they are virtually impossible to chase.

And how an effective fifth bowler (Praveen Kumar today) can change the complexion of a game! At 72 for one after 14 overs, Lankans looked unstoppable. And at 93 for seven after 26 overs, the same side was looking so miserable.

The only debate now will be the batting composition. Sehwag may not have delivered in the ODI series, but so have some other senior batsmen. Tendulkar has so far failed to reach a fifty while Yuvraj managed just one, though a match-clincher against Sri Lanka.

The pressure is going to be far less today and with Sri Lanka not likely to go much above 100, the do-or-die battle may have fizzled out, providing an opportunity, at least to Tendulkar, to get back to his Test Series’ form. A fifty from him today will make India feel little more secure going into the business end of the CB series, a tourney they have never won.

We did not go for big bucks in the IPL, but we can play!

Can’t reproduce the exact words but it was a very interesting observation made by Ravi Shastri just after Australia had crossed 100 at a terrific rate of 7.7, with the loss of just one wicket.

The former Indian skipper could not have been more on target. Gilchrist may have failed to live up to the early promise, but Ponting and Hayden ensured that his good work (initial blitzkrieg) was not wasted, as they launched into a breathtaking assault on the Indians.

From such position, Australia seldom lose their way. That is the hallmark of champions. But that precisely will be India’s challenge. To first restrict them to a chasable score (something under 300), and then go for it. After all, they look to be the only real challengers to Australian supremacy as of now. It will also be a big chance for Sehwag to prove that he is a must-in for the rest of the matches.

Meanwhile, if one recalls, Dhoni had said after India’s loss against Australia last week that the best thing about Munaf was that he did not think much and, so, bowled according to the field!

If one did not realize the significance of the statement then, the message must have been loud and clear today. Aggression in ODIs is 'bowling good line and length with reasonable speed'. Going wayward is a sure shot recipe for disaster.

As of now, the way the Australians have batted it seems they had a point to prove. One fears that by the end of the day, they will have proved it.

Commodification is complete!

It was unnerving, almost frightening, and at the same time amusing to see the pricing war going on (courtesy various channels). Kaun Banega crorepati contest of different nature was on, and, as widely anticipated, all the big stars had turned crorepatis by the end of the first few rounds of the contest. Shah Rukh was just one of the anchors in an event, unprecedented in India in terms of scale and novelty. However, some of the crorepatis may still not be smiling, as, without cap, they are perceived to be much more.

Coming back to the auction. Mercifully, only the names were auctioned and stars were not there in person. Else it would have been like the dark medieval ages, when the man in charge of auction will describe the various features of a product, and then allow the moneyed ones to take charge.

Though the players (already millionaires) hardly fit the description of an ancient slave, but parallels are unmistakable.

Looks like, the commodification of our star-studded, cricket system is complete. The ones we always applauded for their commitment to the country, will become rich man’s toy. When Zee had come in with ICL, one did hear money versus country! Did not we?

Meanwhile, one saw an angry Modi on stage (beamed live/deferred live), constantly feeling disturbed by cell phone wielding journos trying to give feedback to their offices. But that is a momentary feeling. He has done a job. One may not agree with the moral aspects of bidding in this gentleman’s game, but in commercial terms, he has turned out to be a genius.

Personally, I am not sure if the move is going to succeed in the long run. Some amounts could drastically come down in the coming years. The fun of seeing some greats in action is nothing compared to the patriotism, which even a contest between India and Zimbabwe generates.

Probably the better thing would have been to assign money for each star, and design a system of lots to ensure a fair distribution of teams.

Too late now. Describing this milestone event, Bindra called it 'exciting and wonderful drama' on telly. That sums it up.

There is a limit to human need, but not to human greed

Mahatma Gandhi once said somewhat similar words, when talking about the virtue of satisfaction.

And that is precisely one has come to realize when one hears about players' opinion (real or imaginary) on the money on offer (after bidding) in IPL.

That is why, reading Anand Vasu’s story in HT was such an eye opener. He calculated that some players could still be getting close to Rs 10 lakh per game, or an almost 500 per cent increase from what they are paid to play for India in an ODI (2.2 lakh)!

Imagine ten lakh per 150 minute of cricket! At least three of these players will be the ones who had no role to play in Indian’s twenty20 triumph, but will benefit from their iconic status (Icons certainly they are, but not of twenty20 version) .

Still there were calls to have no cap on bidding amount! Predictably, big groups which stand to gain most, are behind such campaign. And why not? If they have made such big bids, they would like their teams to be packed with all superstars, leaving crumbs for the smaller franchises. They do not like to get beaten. Never in business, and cricket is big business.

Mercifully, they have not succeeded as it could have killed the league in its very first year. After all, nothing is more injurious to the health of the game than seeing one or two teams winning almost all their games.

By putting cap, it has been ensured that some sanity has been restored to the proceedings. Hopefully, this arrangement will not be tampered with for next few years.

By investing more in their teams' training, and getting best possible support staff, the serious ones (read big corporates) can still call the shots. What IPL needs is big time cricketing investment, and not just investment in cricketers. They will be serving cricket more by seeing that.

To round it off, in a country where 1/5th of the rural population still survives on Rs 12 a day, some people getting 83333 times more (at Rs 10 lakh per game. Even one lakh per game will make it 8333 times more!), and still hoping for more can be quite sickening.

Today's result was a writer's delight

First of all, a miracle happened. Another match became a possibility in this weather marred tournament! Things looked really bleak this morning and nothing could have been a bigger letdown than getting up at 4.30, and waiting endlessly, only to see the match going the same way as the first two matches of the series involving India.

Second, a virtual twenty20 encounter had its share of some excellent performances. It was a treat to watch Jayasuriya’s pyrotechnics, Rohit Sharma’s tremendous stroke-making abilities, and a superb knock from Dilshan to ensure that Sri Lanka finally earned some winnings points!

Third, the series is still alive and kicking. It would have possibily become a two horse race, had Sri Lanka failed to chase a reasonable India target, made modest by the weather thanks to further cut down in overs. Two consecutive defeats at the hands of Australia and India would have put some serious question marks over their ability to come back and hit the track again.

As for India, one can expect mild criticism from experts after this ‘let down’. Mild because Indians were the victims of weather to a large extent. Of course, another ‘failure’ for Yuvraj to ‘survive’ (though this time he was in a no-win situation) will renew the calls for bringing back the original replacement (Tiwary), or some fresh opportunity for Raina or Karthik.

The Indian bowling, after such a splendid show against Australia in both the matches (rain curtailed as well as the one which completed its full course), could come under some scrutiny for sure. And why not? That is editor's prerogative.

As for most of those who are compelled to watch a series just because it is part of their profession, it is always better to be watching something alive and kicking. Lankans ensure that today.

Their clinical show at Canberra has renewed the hope that this tournament has the potential to go down to the wire, before the final countdown begins. That certainly augurs well for the rest of the cricketing journey this season.

India must leave its obsession with World Cups

Peter Roebuck is to writing, what Ian Chappell is to commentary. No holds barred comments, and no taking sides (One could also include Sunny and Bishan here). They speak from the heart, without being too diplomatic, and at times get barrage of criticism from every quarter. The duo represent the ultimate in media, both in terms of integrity, and extremely valuable inputs.

Now, it was very interesting to read Roebuck’s views about 2011, which somehow escaped the attention of most of the media.

While commending India for being on the right track with its ODI side for the competition, he also said that ‘’Much has been made of the need to build a team for the 2011 World Cup. That is foolish. It is unwise to be thinking about an event so far away.’’

The comments could not have been more timely. If one just concentrate’s on winning matches consistently, it automatically improves one’s chances of winning such tournament. Basically, preparing for future is just a hogwash. It tends to become an alibi for failures. You select players, appoint coaches, with a view to win something good three years away!

Here Roebuck adds ‘’An awful lot can change in a week, with injuries, losses of form, new faces, ten-over cricket starting and so forth. Goodness knows how much might alter in three years!’’

In such a fast paced sporting world, three years is a lifetime indeed. One may not have Tendulkar and Sehwag to open, and one could well be grappling with newer combinations. Just compare the ODI side in early 2005 with the one we have playing today, and you will know.

But the most important thing Roebuck emphasizes is that ‘’It is foolish to place so much emphasis on a single tournament. The All Blacks tend to think only about the Rugby World Cup and as a result usually freeze when the time comes. Instead India must set out to win as many matches as possible.’’

Did not we see that in World Cup 2007! Frozen footwork and numb stroke play due to unreasonable expectations. So much of hype followed by muck on our idols after they crashed out. India could have done better without so much pressure.

So cricket administrators will do well to pay heed to what Roebuck has to say. Do not do so much of advance planning. Winning more and more matches is much more important, than a trophy, which is put on display just once in four years.

LIFE GOES ON (followed by all the links in Test Series Sydney Onwards)

‘’In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life. It goes on’’

Mercifully, I read this quote by Robert Frost in the Times of India only after the match had been called off yesterday. The whole tension was over and everyone was back to their life. Only life, and the way people went about doing their jobs, mattered and not cricket anymore.

The same must be true of the Indian Cricket Team as well. Anticipating massive criticism in the press and visual media for sending so many ‘’Debutants in ODIs in Australia/Debutants in Australian ODIs’’, they must have closed their eye and ear to any clamour of call back Sourav, call back Dravid. It was important for them not to listen to the pearls of wisdom if life were to, in Frost’s words, go on.

True, India will suffer immensely without these two. At times one has to stand and weather the body blows, which Dravid is eminently capable of. And at times, one has to show resolve and class needed to succeed at this level, and against this kind of foe, which Sourav has demonstrated time and again.

But then, one has to make do with whatever one has got. To be fair to ‘’batsmen debutants in ODIs in Australia’’, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, and M S Dhoni did reasonably well before they got out.

Tiwary failed miserably but then when you are attempting to counter Brett Lee’s speed, any traces of Jet Lag can be lethal.

When even the most accomplished and experienced of Indian batsmen had failed in Melbourne Test, we had called it an inevitable result due to the failure to have a few quality matches before the Test Showdown. Then why not now. Forget the second innings of Sydney, but at Adelaide, all the experience could have come to naught but for Sehwag’s scintillating century.

Before commenting on the unseemly dismissal of Uthappa in the first ODI, one will also do well to recall his unbeaten 47 against England at Oval, and a similar score against Australia at Mumbai, which earned India unlikely wins, against all odds.

Give them some time. If it was unfair to leave Sourav out, it will be equally unfair to bombard the Indian team with such criticism after their first fifty50 encounter (Twenty20 was just a practice match considering race row had marred all preparation). We have never won a tri-series in Australia and the occasions we have won, can only be counted on fingers. With or without the experienced players!

below are LINKS to stories posted in January beginning Sydney Test.

Mr Fix It, and Roebuck's Rebuke
Losers in Race Abuse Fiasco
From Gallows to Glory
BE POSTIVE
Pressure is a Privilege
With so many left handers in the Australian side.....
One wishes to see a happy India, not unhappy one o...
What an Indian fan/writer wishes to see by the en...
India were bold, but not bold enough
Possible combinations if India play five bowlers
The timing could not have been worse!
I STILL DO NOT HAVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE WIN...
After Bucknor, Benson's experience...
Prey Turns Predator
As Australia begin their reply...
Sehwag's terrible miss on day of Irfan's hits
Do not get despondent, we still lead by a whopping...
India lead the series by eight to seven
India have Australia by the scruff of the neck
The best ever quote on Kumble
A sullen, forlorn Bhajji, whose bunny was stolen a...
How were you dismissed Dad!
As they go into day two, Points India must not los...
Muddai lakh bura chahe to kya hota hai!!!
WHAT I DID followed by WHAT NOT TO EXPECT FROM PER...
What not to expect from Perth's encounter
Kumble, and the essence of Indian spirit
They have come to watch my batting,not your umpiri...
'If India have to get in Sehwag, this is the time'...
India had to chose between dishonour and war
Time to Talk Cricket, and the opening combination
Wisdom prevails as Spirit of Cricket Wins -- ICC r...
Three ways to Save the Tour
Kumble is no angel, but.....
Unusual defence
See the link below on what we anticipated on Day ...
97 per cent in favour of tour being called off!
Were umpires acting under a brief
Bucknor is our man of the Match
The Wheel that squeaks!
What Bucknor Stands for!!!
Team for Perth should have Sehwag, Karthik, Pathan...
As anticipated, India grimly fight to 'live anothe...
India will fight to 'live another day' as Australi...
Yuvraj scoring with Deepika is BAD publicity!
Harbhajan has gone mad!
What did you do Bhajji!
Neutral umpires are fine but...
India leading by THREE HUNDRED RUNS at Sydney!
52 RUNS IN NINE INNINGS! ...
Tremendous run-rate, but honours even
The feminine side of Gilchrist!
Obeservations that VVS made
A hundred worth their weight in Gold
Rerouting Buch's advice.....
Tales of Blind men in Indian Print Media Today
Salim, Aur Tum kuch kar bhi kya sakte the! (Salim,...
Forget about an explosive start from india
A series that ended in five days thanks to outrage...
Sensational Daylight robbery at Sydney....
Aussie Grit; Deaf Bucknor
Prophetic Ponting!
Ridiculous decision on half use of Technology
This Sickening Cricket Addiction!!!!!!
Sehwag Left out of India Team?
Buch's free advice to struggling India
Sehwag-Dravid Combo finds one more supporter

Mr Fix It, and Roebuck's Rebuke

"Just fix it then," Ponting was understood to have said when emotions flared, says a report.

What else can a hapless skipper do. Too much of monetary loss for Cricket Australia staring at their face. And with a face saving alibi in Hindi abuse M…K, it would have been prudent to entertain a verdict, which could save the tour.

A win for Harbhajan and Tendulkar, but India must not celebrate. They did overplay their card, and invited worldwide criticism for being big brother. May be they did not charter a private plane in case Bhajji was banned, but the rumours were allowed to circulate for far too long to ensure an impact on the eventual verdict.

It is high time for the Indians to pay heed to the words of Roebuck, who has slammed them for crude, naked aggression, just as he did when Ponting was slammed for converting the Australian team into a ‘’pack of Wild Dogs’’. Then, we read that with glee. Now we should do it as sober people, as we reflect back on how the things shaped up.

Aggression must be used prudently because power has a tendency of getting into the head. A very strong tendency. If I still remember correctly, two days back Jadeja on NDTV DID NOT entertain the thought of cutting on the tour now. And why not? What India may have gained after Sydney with their aggression, they may have lost with that streak of stubbornness after Adelaide.

It is not to say that Bhajji was guilty. He may have genuinely uttered a Hindi abuse, which could have been heard as Monkey by Symonds. After all, our ear are always attuned to receiving what we strongly believe in. But then was it disclosed to Procter? Or was it just an afterthought to ensure that the credibility of both the sides does not suffer?

Then, the incident happened on Day three of Sydney. Two days should have been sufficient for host broadcasters to hand over the stump mike proceedings to Procter. Probably, hearing on Harbhajan could have been delayed for few more days.

It is funny that Bhajji’s past record of ‘disciplinary infractions’ was not given to Hansen. Did Hansen ask for such record before the proceedings took place. Any judge is expected to do that.

And if he did, but ICC failed, then it reflect very badly on their competence.

And if ICC lied on Harbhajan’s past record, the whole thing becomes even more murkier and serious.

Just to add in Jest, if Monkey was M..K, then was Big, actually Pig! And Again heard incorrectly! Indians can have fun talking endlessly about it, but the Aussie surely won’t enjoy.

Losers in Race Abuse Fiasco

ICC: Made lots of noises, but failed to back them with words. Their match referee for Sydney was too incompetent, or biased depending on how strong one feels about the whole affair.

Broadcasters: For their failure to give Stump mike proceedings in time for action. They had full two days to do that before the first hearing

BCCI: Threat the first time was legitimate, the second time it looked overplayed. That is why so much criticism now. They could have been little more subtle about withdrawal.

Harbhajan: If he did not tell Mike Proctor that he had indeed abused Symonds, and not racially abused him. And abusing someone's near and dear ones on the field is equally nauseating!

The only winner was media. One can bet that TRPs must have touched the stratosphere between Sydney and Perth!

From Gallows to Glory

For a person with just casual acquaintance with cricket, the recent test series against Australia can broadly be divided into four phases

Australian dominance
In the first test at Melbourne, the Australians were all over us and the way they had fielded and bowled, it looked the end of the world for India.

Though former Australian skipper Ian chappell praised the Indians for not allowing the Australians run up to really huge totals in excess of 500, India batsmen let down their bowlers by failing to cross even 200 in any of its innings . The massive 337 run defeat thanks to inept batting in both the innings was something India could have done without. The challengers looked just another of those hopeless pretenders to the Australian crown.

Indian fight back strangulated by Umpires
Bucknor justifiably got the axe after Sydney but the damage had been done with Australia 2-0 up. India could at best draw the series now.

Contrast this with day one when Australia were reeling at 134 for six. It was a glorious opportunity indeed, but Bucknor saw no edge, heard no edge. And when Indians batted in their second innings, again he saw what he wanted to see. Not to mention that he had an ably ally in Benson.

After Sydney collapse, everything looked doomed. Glenn McGrath even predicted a 0-4 whitewash, and for once no one really disagreed with the Australian great. The Indians looked too demoralized despite winning the battle for removal of Bucknor, and a suspended sentence on Harbhajan. They were, after all, headed for Perth, where no visiting team had won in last ten years. To fans, Indian team heading back home after racism controversy was not such a bad idea after all.

Inspired selections help India claw back
The entry of Sehwag, Irfan, and Kumble winning the toss turned the form book upside down at Perth. Sehwag ensured a solid start, Irfan delivered with both bat and ball, and Indian fielding looked like coming to terms with the vastness of the Australian fields. Hunters, for once, looked hunted as unthinkable happened at Perth. For a moment, it looked even better than Kolkatta 2001, even though both are incomparable, landmark wins.

Honours even
India may have lost 1-2 after drawing at Adelaide, but the honours can only be said to be even at the end of such a grueling campaign. They made Australia crawl and suffer on the first three days, so much so that their scoring rate became a matter of fun for Sehwag. And then he rubbed it in with an excellent, match saving knock of 150 plus.

Considering the arena, the circumstances, and some shoddy umpiring, the Indians can celebrate tonight as if they have won a series. After all, it could also have been 0-4!

BE POSTIVE

Yesterday evening, when Sehwag was asked about the only two possibilities remaining in the test, of Australia’s win and a draw, he refused to entertain the argument that India were out of the match as far as winning was concerned.

Today, just 24 overs bowled by Australia in a session controlled by Sehwag, and run-a-ball innings (from 31 overnight to 100) showed what he meant. There was a time when over 30 runs in the morning session, scored by batsmen, had all come of Sehwag’s blade. That happened when Dravid got injured, and went out, and Tendulkar looked intent on defending for some time, and justifiably so.

The century was simply tremendous, and came in circumstance most mentally testing.

It may have finished the match in the 1st session itself. With India leading by over hundred runs, only a collapse bigger than Sydney can ensure their defeat now.

For the first time in his career, Sehwag reached a three-figure mark in the second innings. That should help him and his fans believe that he is not a Lion in the 1st innings, and Lamb in the second.

If only he had played at Sydney! After Mauling at Melbourne, there were calls from Steve Waugh and Ian Chappell to include him in the test team for Sydney.
http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/sehwag-left-out-of-india-team.html

But coming from the Australians, many believed it was a part of their mental disintegration strategy.

In the hindsight, not playing him in the 1st two tests was an opportunity lost. An opportunity to at least draw the series.

Still, today's knock should stand him in good stead for the challenges ahead. For now, it may have stolen away Gilchrist's farewell present!

Pressure is a Privilege

That is what Billie Jean King had written to Maria Sharapova in a text message before the Australian Open final. May be, that helped Sharapova squeeze her large frame out of a tight corner, when she was trailing 4-5 0-30 in the first set.

And that is what India will need to remember when they get up tomorrow morning and gear up for the battle to save the test. A result not foreseen by many commentators. Dean Jones too, till yesterday, was only discussing the possibility of a draw or India’s win.

It may be a bit premature to discuss that possibility of survival right now at lunch time, but the possibility is real indeed considering the inability of the umpires to muster up the courage to give even the most glaring of leg before decisions. Nearing the business end of one of the most competitive of series, the umpires too seem to be playing safe, and why not! One can only say that they have decided to award LBWs only in the rarest of rare cases.

Australia, if they end up today day with a lead of around 125 to 150, may even declare overnight to put the top order of India under pressure.

Scares of Sydney revisited? Well, they will if India try only to defend. They will have to fight with uncluttered mind as they go about the business of saving the test and hope that the umpires maintain the consistency, with which they have refused to give leg before decisions. Sehwag took a potshot at Australian slow scoring rate on Saturday saying ‘’they are scared.’’ Now, India will have to show Australia how to score on day five as a purely defensive approach could be suicidal.

The most disappointing factor has been, as Gavaskar said, the very very disappointing bowling. Strange things have happened in this test. India crossed 500 with six regular batsmen, and may have failed to put brakes on Australia reaching over 550-600 for the first time in the series. Though things could have been little different had RP not been ruled out little too early.

Meanwhile, Sania Mirza will be looking to create history in an hour or two from now. For once, tennis will upstage cricket with India’s chances looking much brighter in Melbourne, than at Adelaide!

With so many left handers in the Australian side...

…..and rough marks outside their off stump leading to unpredictable bounce, it makes sense to give Sachin Tendulkar much more bowling post lunch. He is definitely a big leg spinner, and a spinning delivery with disconcerting bounce from those marks can, at times, be more lethal than Harbhajan’s outgoing deliveries which a left hander can easily leave. Wasim Akram just now said that Harbhajan should go over the wicket to make batsmen play more. Meanwhile do read the post just below on what India should do on day three, posted yesterday. http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/one-wishes-to-see-happy-india-not.html

One wishes to see a happy India, not unhappy one on Day three

-- Do not worry, be happy, even if Australian top order clicks. Unless Australia make in excess of 600 runs, they can’t hope to win this test. Realistically speaking, the only winner right now look to be India. So the worst case scenario, as of now, is a 1-2 result. Even that should be quite acceptable to the Indian public considering the way the visitors have fought back in this most exciting of series with blood thirsty warriors. Meanwhile, India did achieve some of its objectives today.
http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-indian-fanwriter-wishes-to-see-by.html

-- We are playing this match with eight bowlers (Ganguly, Sehwag and Tendulkar included), just like we played the match with eight batsmen (Kumble and Harbhajan included!). So, India must strive to make all their resources count. At times, as we saw at Perth, a big or potentially lethal partnership gets broken by the most underrated of bowlers. India would not have been able to win Kolkatta without Sachin’s three crucial strikes in 2001.

-- Whatever be the situation, put Harbhajan and Ishant from two ends when Ponting is on crease. The best time to get him is early on. One casting a web around him, and the other making him jump with his steep bouncy stuff, should be a sight to behold.

-- Harbhajan says agar pata hota ki aage kya hone wala hai to out na hota, 100 bana leta (Had I known what is going to happen next, I would have not missed out on a hundred). Well, quite a philosophical statement. One must take a leaf out of Bhajji’s book, and enjoy the glorious uncertainties of this series. The wicket is good and an acceptance that Australians can also come up with a big score, will help India plan their winning strategy better.

What an Indian fan/writer wishes to see by the end of Day Two

India sitting pretty on a 400+ score. If India can manage that, it will surely have quite a few Australians anxious, and thinking. Shall we then call it Perth scare revisited?

A double century for Tendulkar will be a fitting tribute to his exploits on the Australian soil for last one and a half decade. He is still a long way away. But even if the great man does not achieve that, just by reaching closer he will have done the Indian cause a great deal of good.

The Indian tail to wag a little, just as they had done in the crucial second innings at Perth, and the 1st innings of Sydney. Nothing bothers a batting side more than a stubborn tail wagging.

Five bowlers to work their magic like five Pandavas. The whole press in India has gone berserk advocating for more ammunition to make it 2-2. Now their job is to get cracking when they get their chance sometime tomorrow.

Nothing will give India more satisfaction than the Australians looking at their watches and praying for the day to end. They are undoubtedly a champion side, but right now the momentum is well and truly with the Indians.

India were bold, but not bold enough

Still they managed to have a good first session courtesy Sehwag, which augurs well as of now.

While opting for a five bowler attack in this do-or-die battle was a bold move, a makeshift opener in Irfan meant they were not bold enough to sacrifice a batsman for an opener in Karthik.

http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/possible-combinations-if-india-play.html

Irfan may have done exceptionally well as nightwatchman at Perth, and in ODIs at number three under Greg, still opening the batting is not his cup of tea. And it was found out very soon. To succeed in Australia, you need reasonably good opening partnerships. Still, 34 runs for the first wicket, mainly courtesy Sehwag, did give India some kind of a launch pad.

However, the bold approach to go with five bowlers means India can feel they have a chance even if they manage a score around 300 on a ground where a team batting first normally scores above 400.

Five bowlers, all of them genuinely proving to be strike-bowlers, do provide more variety and depth to arrest the Aussie momentum at any stage. Just imagine Harbhajan and Ishant bowling in tandem to Ponting. Your bunny, or mine!

One also feels good about Sehwag. Despite Dravid’s failure to get going on one of his favourite grounds, Sehwag's blitz ensured a respectable lunch time score. And his inclusion proved that ‘’it is better late, than never’’. Below are two stories advocating Sehwag’s inclusion before Sydney encounter.

http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/sehwag-left-out-of-india-team.html

http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/sehwag-dravid-combo-finds-one-more.html