West Indies vs South Africa

West Indies and South Africa played out the first game in Northern India of the world cup and it was being played in the capital city of India and the home ground of Delhi trio — Sehwag, Gambhir and Kohli. The same ground which had itself banned from hosting international games in Dec 2009 hosted a match today and did so well. The Ferozshah Kotla, the ground which has its own legacy and has 2 record milestones achieved on this ground : Kumble’s 10 and Sachin’s 35th Test 100 in 1999 and 2005 respectively.

Back to this match, the Windies started off well to race to 1/114 and then losing wickets in “clusters” as Darren Sammy later said and Nasser Hussein said on the air.  Barring Darren Bravo’s 73 and his brother’s 40 none could go onto make a big score as AB did later and that was the difference between 222 and 272.  The likes of Gayle, Sarwan and Chandu failed and there went the Windies chance to stamp the authority over the Saffers.

The Windies were also done in by debutant spinner Imran Tahir’s 4/41 figures in his debut game. He bowled with subtle control and variation, turned the ball square and along side Johan Botha controlled the Windies run making spree. South Africa are taking the spin bowling a bit too seriously when they opened the bowling with Botha and played 3 spinners.

223 was not going to be a score that would have scared SA, but they did for a while when they lost Amla and Kallis early with just 20 on the board, WI sensed some victory but AB jolted them with a fine 100. He knows the ground in and out as he has played 2 IPLs here for Delhi Daredevils in 2008 and 2010.  Smith was scratchy given he was ill and Duminy played a perfect partner to the 4th wicket partnership that saw SA home.

SA remain 2nd on the group behind India on NRR and they now wait another week to play their next game against Netherlands.

Positives for SA :

• Spin bowling especially Johan Botha opening
• Imran Tahir’s promising debut
• Dale Steyn’s late overs burst
• AB Devilliers form

Positivies for WI :

• Darren Bravo’s batting
• Suleiman Benn opening the attack and getting the turn
• Kemar Roach

Besides they have a man called Chandu Paul in their team who doesnt make runs when needed, doesnt pace his innings, yet finds himself in top 10 of every ICC ranking. Weird!!!

Team Preview : West Indies

The team preview excersise is almost at its fag end with just two teams remaining : the 1983 world cup winners and the runners up.

West Indies are the only country after Australia(or before) to have won the World Cup 2 times. But the last of their victory came good 32 years back.  The nearest they came to winning a title after the major upset of 1983 was in 1996 in India  – Pakistan when they choked in the semi-final to lose by 4 runs.

Since then its been a poor story for the once strong team in ODIs.

World Cup History

West Indies were the original winners in 1975 and 1979 when they were at the peak of their powers. They had an unimaginable strong team in Haynes, Greenidge, Richards, Lloyd and the bowlers like Marshall, Garner, Roberts and the Whispering Death Michael Holding.  They were expected to win the 1983 edition too but they lost to India may be due to complacency or may be due to the Indian seamers were too good on that day. May be the Indian hunger to establish itself on world stage got better of them. Since then the Windies reached semis only once in 1996.

Despite of heroics of Viv Richards and generosity of Courteny Walsh, they failed to make past the first round in 1987 in subcontinent and that marked the decline of their fortunes. They were knocked out again in first round in Australia 1992 though they had good team then.  They made it to the semis fumbling and tottering to choke in the end to lose by 4 runs in 1996. 1999, 2003 were sordid affairs and they started off well in their own world cup in 2007 but ended up losing in the super eights.

Current Run Up

Though Chandu feels they can make it this time, but the form has been so poor for them that they have not beaten a test side in last 20 months. They have also lost to a team like Sri Lanka.

They have been bogged down by contract issues, player loyalty issues and captaincy issues. Gayle, Pollard and Dwayne Bravo have refused central contracts thus leaving them to play in cash rich T20 leagues than for the team.

The team not only lacks motivation but also the will power to do good in the international arena.

Team

Gayle, Barath, Chandu, Bravo, Baugh, Benn, Roach, Miller, Pollard, Sammy, Darren Bravo, Sarwan, Ravi Rampal, Russell and Devon Smith

Expectations

Not much, if they are able to get past the quarters they would be akin to winning the world cup. Hoping that they would lose to the strong teams — England, India and SA, they would need to beat all the minnows and hope they turn up on the good side against Bangladesh and only then they would be in the quarters.

India crashes out!! (Would as of now)

Lets brace ourselves for another repeat of England 09. Same mistakes, same players and same team. Some things hardly change. Ravinder Jadeja is awful player, his IPL ban proved it. And he let go of some more chances that came his way. He gave 27 runs off 2 overs totalling 65 runs in 4 overs including 9 sixes.  He dropped catches and then he misfielded.

The pitch was supposed to be damp yet there was no trace of fast bowlers in the attack. Zaheer looked pathetic, something a spearhead would be shameful about.  He has not got a single wicket in the tournament. The bowling reserves for fast bowling looks pathetic. R Vinay KUmar and yet to come Umesh Yadav.  Vinay Kumar does not find trust in Dhoni and Umesh Yadav now turns irrelevant.

Even today Dhoni went in with part timers. Raina, Pathan and Jadeja.  Harbhajan was finished off earlier and played off safely. And then it was run feast for Gayle who played magnificent for 97 runs. Fielding was at its worst.

And when it comes to batting lets not talk about the short stuff. Vijay continues to disappoint and he finds place in Zimbabwe tour, thanks to Srikanth.  Dinesh Karthik finds his place too. Good going Srikanth. Himself being an opener he forgot the importance of a good opening start. In absence of Sachin and Sehwag, the opening for India looks awful. Sachin does not play T20Is, but Sehwag is being missed.

India’s campaign is over. 3/46 in 9 overs.  T20s is not India’s cup of tea anymore when we boast of IPL a so called world beating sporting league.

If Jadeja, Vijay and Karthik are Indian batting future then GOD save Indian cricket.

Matara Mozart

Sanath Jaisurya — the man just doesnt fade away. Another peerless performance today from the ageless wonder. He is to SL what Sachin Tendulkar is to India. Time and again, he is bailing his team out of danger, giving the starts with the bat and ball. So many players came and gone, this man just doesnt fade away. Upul Tharanga and so many partners went with him. Kalu is long happily retired, Attapattu crossed over to ICL, but SJ just goes on and on.

I must say I hated him whenever he hit those nasty hundreds and triple hundreds against us. I overjoyed whenever he went out quickly most notably during the 1996 Semi final. Generations of captains went in. Azhar, Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid and Kumble. Now MS. This man still there.

Take a bow. Take a bow. He along with the GOD are the only links now from the 1980s. Hail them as long as they are around.

Meanwhile SL look good to go to semis at least way they have played. Look good today to win as well since no Gayle today and without him WI just seem a touch better than Holland or Ireland.

India’s Kirris Gayle

In most probability, India’s Chris Gayle (shunning Tests for T20) would be Yuvraj Singh given his attitude and his Test record. If and whenever that happens, we shouldnt be surprised. At least I wont be.

And next to follow the suite could be:

1. Sreesanth
2. Irfan Pathan
3. RP Singh

And Pragyan Ojha could never debut in Tests, not that he would not be selected. Just that he might not find 5 days in the field too interesting and economically viable.

I dont say this on any facts or basis of analysis. But on the hunch and a pattern that goes into this lads way of cricket.

Test cricket wont die so soon!!

Gayle’s comments on Test cricket aint that serious enough to put the future of Test cricket in jeopardy. His comments are pretty insignificant to kick start a debate on the life of Test cricket. Much ado about nothing if you ask me. The Windies greats have gone off the tangent and so has the English media who now have got some canon fodder to write on. Ashes trumpet has been slow and almost non-existent given the way England have been playing all this days, so the Gayle comments have just given them the sound bytes to rant on.

When there are so intense battles like

India vs Australia

India vs Pakistan

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh and

Australia vs South Africa

not forgetting the Ashes, how can the Test cricket die?

Test cricket isnt weak that it would die on some pretty stupid comments from an irresponsible West Indies skipper. When Test cricket survived Bodyline series, match fixing, ball tampering rows of past, then there is no reason why Test cricket wont survive T20 revolution.

IMHO Gayle’s comments are pretty insignificant. We wont be saddened if Gayle retires prematurely from Test cricket, Not even a bit. Thats about it. I dont care much about him. Not at all.

Live updates for KKR vs Deccan Chargers….

So Knight Riders have won the toss and elected to bat. Gayle and mcCool open with Saurav coming on 3. Thank god, he is playing. If bloody Buchanan had his day, he would have sent Saurav back home and next year when IPL returns to India, Kolkattans would have barred Buch’s entry to the city. Ask Chappell.

Fidel Edwards would bowl to his captain. This is a game between 2 teams whose legends have been replaced by 2 bidesi cricketers. Ganguly and Laxman, # 5 and # 6 of the India’s best ever Test team of 2000’s were the incumbents. Cricket is not about the pretty lasses. Its not about oomph or the sex quotient of the Bollywood dumb beauties, but its about the contest bw the bat and ball. Its been the same since ages and would forever remain so. So move over Shetty’s , Zintas and Kaifs.

RP strikes. The skipper is gone. McCullum is gone. Poor dismissal. Oh man. Go away dude. Such a man is the skipper. Sourav comes in. Off the mark……Get going DADA…….We still love you captain or no captain. You are the legend, you will be the legend. Just 2 runs in 10 balls. Good start by Deccan chargers. Gayle getting impatient. Hit and miss. Will RP bring one in the left hander ?

Good 3rd over by Edwards. Almost got Ganguly. And now Gayle cuts loose for first boundary. And a huge six now. Hugest…Gayle starts the fireworks. RP can just laugh and then scoff. Gayle goes for big one and goes. Now its about Ganguly once again. Deccan Chargers looking very intense. Ganguly goes. End of match for me. The coach captain controversy has seemed to have effect on the knight riders. Laxman caught his ex-captain and his batting partner of countless partnerships in the Test team.

Btw with Hodge and Chopra on crease, its turned out to be a yawning game….Harmeet Pappe seems to be a kewl bowler jee. Pragyan Ojha is no legendary spinner. So i dont expect Vettori kinda success for him.