Archive for the ‘Delhi’ Category
West Indies vs South Africa
- Spin bowling especially Johan Botha opening
- Imran Tahir’s promising debut
- Dale Steyn’s late overs burst
- AB Devilliers form
- Darren Bravo’s batting
- Suleiman Benn opening the attack and getting the turn
- Kemar Roach
Msd keeping
Questions
Dangerous Pitch at Kotla!!
Delihi ki Chandi
Biraat Kohli
An effort to clean up DDCA
Sunil Dev, the official who not so long ago was charged on match fixing (2000s when he was manager of often touring teams) has fired a salvo at Sehwag that he just wants to have his cousin in the team.
Thats what always happens in the country. Any issue when raised for good is nipped in the bud and cover firing is done to save the ass.
Sehwag has a mettle in Delhi cricket. He is default captain of Ranji team. When he doesnt play for India, he captains Delhi. He is like Sachin Tendulkar to Delhi. Jaitley has rightly appealed for calm and may be they would meet to find some solution.
For now the Delhi’s Indian players have joined the coup against DDCA and it might take a while before the issue is resolved. I dont know if this was a right time to take over the issue given the season is about to start and the cricket administrators in the country mostly are ASS. So expectation of maturity would be futile on behalf of DDCA officials.
If this revolt cleans up the DDCA now famous for corruption, it would be a good jab done by Sehwag.
Right now Delhi has 4 players in the national team — Sehwag, Mishra (he plays for Harayana but is a Delhi lad), Gambhir, Nehra and 5th one Ishant Sharma. Count in Kohli and it makes 6.
Sehwag should ensure he takes the matter to logical conclusion and doesnt give in the middle.
Delhi ne bana di Opening Jodi
Red letter day for Aussies
Just imagine if Aussies fold up soon tomorrow then it would be their worst defeat in years. never mind we hold the record for Post War heaviest defeat to Aussies (1998 Kolkata Test, Azhar classic). I was amazed to see how Aussies folded up without a fight. Are they Aussie clones or some duplicates ? Tough to imagine Aussies in this situation. They began the run chase in super style with Hayden attacking Zaheer with a positive intent. 42 in 6 overs was a bit of alarm that may be they could give a scare to us, but then Ravan Bhajji did the trick very well supported by Ishant Sharma (getting bunny Ponting again)
Earlier in the day MSD, Sehwag and Gautam did a stupendous job in setting up the target and they came out with a positive intent right from the word go. Ponting was defensive, spread out fields and no Lee till lunch :). Sehwag got a 90 on his 30th dubbay and Gambhir got a well deserved 100. Must rank amongst his best innings on highest level. Dhoni too played a typical ODI innings with singles and boundaries…Aussies were sedate in the field and missed the experience in bowling attack. They have to get one quality spinner sooner than later…
India couldnt get a wkt in last 90 mins of play and thats where they missed their captain. One wicketless test doesnt make him a bad bowler and no doubt he would be back for Delhi Test. Mishra is a good replacement for AK and for now sure he got to wait not more than few months to be stepping to huge shoes of AK. 4th Delhiite to play in team after IS, VS and GG. No wonder Delhi are Ranji champs much to the dismay of Mumbai, who now boast of a single and greatest selection in team.
Tomorrow could be a red letter day for Test cricket with a possibility of heaviest Australian defeat in ages and that could begin slump for Aussies after 13 years on top….Amen!!!
Irani Trophy Review Day 1,2, 3
The RoI has set a target of 378 to win for Delhi. And that’s a formidable total, which didn’t quite look possible at the end of day 1 when the team was shot out for 252. Despite Sehwag heroics in Delhi’s first innings, RoI bowlers did a good job to take a 75 run lead which came in handy in the second innings. And after Dravid saw off the threat from Ishant Sharma, the 75 runs were always going to hurt Delhi in long interest of the game.
People might have different ideas about Dravid’s contribution to the RoI, but he was the difference between a target of below 300 and the current one of 378. Rest of the batting around him except MSD collapsed around him, so in a way RD stands vindicated and that gives a message that he is not finished and he ‘s got lot to offer to the India’s test fortunes. For Delhi Ishant Sharma in both the innings and Nanda in 2nd innings were the exceptional performances. And that sounds alarm bells for Australia as Sharma managed to get lot of bounce and pace on a benign wicket. Bangalore, Mohali would for sure offer more bounce and help to seamers than this Vadodara pitch.
Dravid made valuable contributions of 46 and 69 to the RoI batting and was instrumental in forging partnerships with Jaffer, Badrinath who disappointed, Laxman (will he be under scrutiny?) and Dhoni of course. He saw off the threat of Sharma who troubled him in 1st innings. And that’s the difference between a good batsman and great batsman. You wont fall for the same bowler again in the same style.
For RoI Munaf Patel was the standout performer along with Zaheer Khan who got Gambhir early and now critics have started baying for Gambhir’s blood after an indifferent SL ODI series and the first innings failure out here. Proves that how fragile are the critics who need top performance, but forget to note that they come across as a headless chickens. 4 wkts for Munaf in my opinion complete the resurrection of the bowler who promised much but fell out ultimately to the demands of international cricket more to his laidback attitude than the talent. I feel he s got back his pace and also the zip and fire is back in his belly.
And if there were any slim chances for Delhi to win the IT, they are gone with Zaheer Khan nailing Virender Sehwag. Does that also mean that Virender Sehwag should be kicked out of the Test team (0,37 , 43, 3) ? Tough task , somebody got to stand up and perform.
Standout performers :
Delhi :
Ishant Sharma
C Nanda
RoI
Rahul Dravid
Munaf Patel
Zaheer Khan
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
While writing this post Delhi need 369 more runs to win with 9 wkts in hand and little over 2 days of play remaining. I am sorry to say but the critics , journalists, Rakhi Sawant’s cousins and bloggers baying for Rahul Dravid’s blood have got to shut their mouth. A possible RoI win in the store 🙂