Well, this is the 'Big' match.. India vs Pakistan. The champions trophy so far has made for good viewing in it that it has been an even contest between the bat and the ball with the pitches offering help for both seamers and spinners. India play their first game today against arch rivals Pakistan. Needless to say, this is a crucial game for both the teams in such a short tournament. The last time they played in SA was in the 2003 World cup game which India won convincingly. Pakistan could boast of a bowling attack that included Wasim, Waqar, Akhtar. Now though, they dont have the 'stars' but Gul and Aamer are a good pair. With Asif likely to make the cut, they definitely have the better fast bowling attack. But again, Pakistan have always faltered at the big stage when it comes to matches with India. I feel its Pak's bowling vs India's batting line-up which will decide the match.
I feel the key palyers to watch out for will be Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for India. Pakistan definitely have the firepower in their bowling which could put more responsibilty on these two Indian batsmen. It ll be interesting to see if the youngsters like Raina, Pathan can cope with the bounce in SA. Another key player who could announce himself on the big stage tonight could be the youngster Umar Akmal. He has shown tremendous temperment in the recent matches against Lanka. He looks a great prospect for Pakistan and what better way to announce yourself than in an India-Pakistan encounter. Lets see what this match has got in store for us.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
New look Harsha, Old SA worries
They are calling this tournament the 'test' of the ODI format. It was pleasing to see the crowd at the supersport park, Centurion for the first game of the CT. I strongly feel the 50 over format requires greater skill and determination than the bang bang version of the game. This is the format which exposes the weaknesses/shortcomings of a team or a player. I think the key is to be able to sustain your performance for longer durations. A perfect example is the NZ team which seems to do better as the format gets shorter. Lets see how this CT impacts the 'fate' of the ODI format. I hope better(cricketing and not entertainment) sense prevails.
Coming to the first match between the hosts and the Lankans, SA looked rusty yesterday. Perhaps coming after a long break from int'l cricket, they were left looking for answers to Dilshan's onslaught. But the more worrying question for them, i feel will be their problems with the spinners.
They had not had a look at Ajantha Mendis before this game and as if it was playing on their minds, Smith was foxed by the first delivery bowled by Mendis. Their hopeless record against Shane Warne has often been spoken in the media. Warne reminds me of his favourite bunny Daryll Cullinan and his poor fate. I remember, in a one-day series between the Aussies and the proteas, Cullinan invariably happened to come in at a time when Shane Warne was being brought into the attack. Poor Cullinan dint have any idea of Warne's magic. After falling to Warne continuously without scoring much, Hansie decided to send him as an opener in a game so that he gets settled by the time Warne comes in. It was a funny sight when Mark Taylor brought on Warne for the opening overs and Cullinan could only smile.
Yesterday though, Mendis was probably playing on their minds. The pair of Smith and Kallis was looking splendid in their array of shots. I always enjoy watching Kallis bat. He is such a treat to the eye. A batsman like him makes you want him to go on and on even if you are not supporting his team. That is how perhaps you win fans all over the world. But Kallis ( like Dravid) always seems to succumb to the pressure of scoring quickly. It is rare when he actually gets out to a good bowl or the bowler earns his wicket. Well, it was a good match to kick start the series but pity it had to be disrupted by rain. The Lankans won by the D/L method and made a strong case for a berth in the semis. SA will have to bounce back against the kiwis who are always a threat when it comes to multi-nation tournaments.
Meanwhile, have you noticed the new Harsha Bhogle, after his hair transplantation. Have a look.
Coming to the first match between the hosts and the Lankans, SA looked rusty yesterday. Perhaps coming after a long break from int'l cricket, they were left looking for answers to Dilshan's onslaught. But the more worrying question for them, i feel will be their problems with the spinners.
They had not had a look at Ajantha Mendis before this game and as if it was playing on their minds, Smith was foxed by the first delivery bowled by Mendis. Their hopeless record against Shane Warne has often been spoken in the media. Warne reminds me of his favourite bunny Daryll Cullinan and his poor fate. I remember, in a one-day series between the Aussies and the proteas, Cullinan invariably happened to come in at a time when Shane Warne was being brought into the attack. Poor Cullinan dint have any idea of Warne's magic. After falling to Warne continuously without scoring much, Hansie decided to send him as an opener in a game so that he gets settled by the time Warne comes in. It was a funny sight when Mark Taylor brought on Warne for the opening overs and Cullinan could only smile.
Yesterday though, Mendis was probably playing on their minds. The pair of Smith and Kallis was looking splendid in their array of shots. I always enjoy watching Kallis bat. He is such a treat to the eye. A batsman like him makes you want him to go on and on even if you are not supporting his team. That is how perhaps you win fans all over the world. But Kallis ( like Dravid) always seems to succumb to the pressure of scoring quickly. It is rare when he actually gets out to a good bowl or the bowler earns his wicket. Well, it was a good match to kick start the series but pity it had to be disrupted by rain. The Lankans won by the D/L method and made a strong case for a berth in the semis. SA will have to bounce back against the kiwis who are always a threat when it comes to multi-nation tournaments.
Meanwhile, have you noticed the new Harsha Bhogle, after his hair transplantation. Have a look.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Here we go..
Hi all.. so we are all set for the cricketing extravaganza in Champions trophy. I will use this space to bring out my feelings/remarks/comments about the game in general and the champions trophy in particular. This may make for a relaxed reading for those who come back home after a tiring day at the office [:)] We shall try to live the moments of the 2-week long journey the teams will go through. I will try to come up with interesting analysis of the matches. Let me just start with "my favourites" for the tournament.
Well, they are sure going to shed that tag (chokers [:)]) this time. The hosts South Africa are the ones who i feel will get this one in their bag (which rather seems too empty). They sure have the team to do it. One has to realise that they consistently make it to the semi-finals of the ICC tournaments, which is a great feat. Lets just see how it goes for the proteas and the rest of the teams. So, relax and enjoy the cricketing feast. Lets hope this is a great tournament. I will come up with more thoughts soon..
Cya
Well, they are sure going to shed that tag (chokers [:)]) this time. The hosts South Africa are the ones who i feel will get this one in their bag (which rather seems too empty). They sure have the team to do it. One has to realise that they consistently make it to the semi-finals of the ICC tournaments, which is a great feat. Lets just see how it goes for the proteas and the rest of the teams. So, relax and enjoy the cricketing feast. Lets hope this is a great tournament. I will come up with more thoughts soon..
Cya
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
