tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50042422011-12-15T08:10:19.588+05:30Deconstructing the gentleman's gameSameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.comBlogger1151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-17356194175739024172008-06-15T01:20:00.004+05:302008-06-15T01:42:23.103+05:30

An irrelevant series or not, the Indians let their guard down and allowed a Pakistani team, revitalized by an email from PCB chief, into the final contest. The edge and ruthlessness that Indians displayed in their league matches was inexplicably missing and they missed chances, bowled uninspiring spells and batted without commitment. And in the end, the determination of the Pakistanis saw them

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1174542874374552292007-03-22T10:34:00.000+05:302007-03-22T12:24:34.386+05:30

For India, the good news from the Sri Lanka V Bangladesh match is that Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by a whopping margin of 198 runs. This has caused Bangladesh's Net Run Rate (NRR) to drop down to -2.004. Lets see what this means for India.Of course, India has to win against Sri Lanka in order to feel fairly secure about qualifying for the next round. But the pressure of scoring a big win

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1174372341298708892007-03-20T12:39:00.000+05:302007-03-20T13:02:21.313+05:30

When India bludgeoned 413/5 against Bermuda, there was very little doubt about the fact that the defeat against Bangladesh rankled them. The Indians had to make a statement, not just to their irate fans but also to themselves... a statement of their obvious talent and superiority. And that they did! And in style too.However when the Indians came in to bowl, they looked a wee undercooked! Zaheer

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1174304353341592752007-03-19T14:34:00.000+05:302007-03-19T18:13:21.566+05:30

If you look at the India V Bermuda match in isolation, it's a complete mis-match, if ever there was one. However, given the context in which India will start the match today, it assumes greater significance.To put it simply, India needs to win this match and win it so comprehensively that it's Net Run Rate or NRR (which is currently languishing at -0.14) gets a healthy boost. Only then can the

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1174274650551351032007-03-19T09:32:00.000+05:302007-03-19T09:54:10.563+05:30

It was a sad way to go. Alone in a hotel room, in a foreign land, with the shame of defeat hanging over the head. Certainly not the death that should befall anyone.His passing only serves to remind us that beneath all the hoopla and the bluster around cricket, cricketing rivalries and indeed the importance of winning, cricket is still just a game. We forget this from time to time and it's a shame

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1174190298918863642007-03-18T10:00:00.000+05:302007-03-18T10:28:18.930+05:30

In their loss to an exuberant and bold Bangladesh side, the Indian team (flat and knotted up with tension) created possibly the worst possible scenario for themselves in Group B!Looking at the remaining matches in the group, one cannot help but notice that India's path to the next round has become difficult... almost impossible! Lets look at a probable scenario with the following results...India

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1174103741535245352007-03-17T10:12:00.000+05:302007-03-17T10:25:41.546+05:30

Watching Gibbs go for six sixes in an over was fascinating. I was dropping off to sleep , on and off, when he went for the feat. Three sixes into the over, it was clear what he had in his mind. The last two balls by Dan Van Bunge were deliveries that one wouldn't associate with being hit for sixes (especially in the direction that Gibbs hit them towards). But having decided to go after the record

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1173814086555369812007-03-14T01:39:00.000+05:302007-03-14T01:58:06.566+05:30

Some people might say Pakistan restricted West Indies to 241 in their first match, but given the fact that West Indies scored 58 runs off the last five overs, one would really have to say that Pakistan let West Indies get away to 241 after flattering to bundle out the West Indians under 200.West Indies will have to blame the 'almost selfish' display by Chanderpaul who scored a 63-ball 19. Lara,

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1173792033951834332007-03-13T14:03:00.000+05:302007-03-13T19:50:33.966+05:30

Hosts West Indies take on Pakistan, at Sabina Park (Jamaica), in the opening match of the 2007 ICC World Cup tournament. And it promises to be a cracker of a match.West Indies have been in pretty good form lately with their top-order batsmen in good form, the warm-up match debacle against India notwithstanding. Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Samuels seem to be at their prime. Gayle in good form makes

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1173687764036959202007-03-12T13:29:00.000+05:302007-03-12T14:52:44.050+05:30

Ladies and gentlemen... boys and girls... I am proud to present to you.... Fantasy Selector!!This contest is kinda like Super Selector... only simpler and intelligent. With your team selector hat securely in place, select a team of 11 players to form your team. Unlike real team selection, you are not restricted by the number of batsmen or bowlers. Just go ahead and select 11 players from all the

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1173520364526055572007-03-10T15:18:00.000+05:302007-03-10T15:22:44.540+05:30

I cannot make up my mind about India's last warm-up match against West Indies. Should I exult at Indian team's new-found potency in batting, bowling and fielding? Or should I feel embarrassed at the ease with which the hosts were overpowered? Or should I feel disappointment that India did not get enough practice against a team that one expected to put up a better fight than a bunch of Dutch

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1173335635684581192007-03-08T10:57:00.000+05:302007-03-08T12:03:55.696+05:30

At the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, a refreshing departure from tradition has been the fact that teams are playing warm-up matches amongst themselves rather than with club or invitational teams. While these warm-up matches are inconsequential from an actual contest point of view (and are indeed not even officially classified as ODIs), they do give an opportunity for the players to get some

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1173290016223011242007-03-07T23:00:00.000+05:302007-03-07T23:25:14.000+05:30

Hello dear readers. It's been a long time since there has been any activity of any sort here. And the abruptness with which posts stopped is always a shame. The reason for my absence has been the gradual build-up of work-load from my day job. In this period of silence on this blog, I have had to travel to the land where the gentleman's game was born. Unfortunately, the closest I came to cricket

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1167727214093648932007-01-02T13:41:00.000+05:302007-01-02T14:10:15.396+05:30

With the third and final Test about to start in a few minutes, the Indian team management has sprung a surprise... not by dropping Sehwag or Jaffer, but by retaining them for yet another match despite their poor application and commitment at the top of the batting order!At the same time, Munaf Patel comes into the side after an ankle-injury layoff, with VRV Singh having to sit out even though he

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1167413058766946712006-12-29T22:24:00.000+05:302006-12-29T22:54:18.776+05:30

Rarely have India managed to overhaul a total in the fourth innings to win a Test match. And to add to the situation, this Indian batting side, though formidable on paper, is woefully out of form at the moment. So with 316 to get with 8 wickets in hand... and about 60-65 overs to face (because weather eats up about 25-30 overs everyday!), an Indian win in the second Test at Durban is too much to

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1167211576618009232006-12-27T14:45:00.000+05:302006-12-27T14:58:05.593+05:30

The 71 runs that the last two South African wickets cost the Indians have all but erased the good work by the bowlers late yesterday evening. 328 is a good score by South Africa considering how flaky the Indian top order has looked in recent times. So the Indians will have to bat extremely well to assert themselves in this Test Match.With Kallis out of the side, the South African bowling seems

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1167153266687754782006-12-26T22:25:00.000+05:302006-12-26T22:44:26.700+05:30

At the end of the first day of the second Test match at Kingsmead, Durban, India would have felt mighty relieved at being just two wickets away from wrapping up a resurgent South African innings.Smarting from the defeat in the first Test match, the South Africans denied the visitors any advantage by presenting them with a slow without without much grass. This in itself was a major victory for

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1167126114726028482006-12-26T12:26:00.000+05:302006-12-26T15:11:55.106+05:30

England are in a right mess, make no mistake about it! They've capitulated yet again... after a fairly decent start to their innings. From 101/3 to 159 all out is a sorry procession that speaks volumes about the lack of spine in this English side. One has seen such pathetic batting by the English far too often. So much so that "an English collapse" could so easily be a metaphor for a dramatic

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1166438410977520422006-12-18T15:54:00.000+05:302006-12-18T16:10:10.993+05:30

There! ... it is done!India have finally won a Test Match in South Africa. It's a 123-run victory over an opposition that indulged themselves into believing that the Indians would be easy meat. However, India won the match by playing some good, solid cricket. The Indians were, by far, the better team in the contest in all the departments of the game. Yes... even the Indian fielding was on par

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1166426392348939352006-12-18T12:05:00.000+05:302006-12-18T15:34:28.436+05:30

Patience and discipline. These are the keywords that have marked the Indian performance thus far, in the First Test Match of the 2006-07 Indian tour of South Africa. Batsmen showed these qualities in ample measure right from the word go, on a doctored pitch that was difficult to bat on. Sourav Ganguly, making a comeback to international cricket, displayed a keen sense of discipline as he

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1166267455136533922006-12-16T16:18:00.000+05:302006-12-16T16:40:55.146+05:30

The morning session of the second day of the first Test match was marked by Sourav Ganguly's grit and VRV Singh's audacity. And later when the Indians came out to bowl, the impeccable seam position that the Indian pace bowlers presented meant that the South Africans went in for lunch rattled and thoroughly on the back foot.I think full marks ought to be given to Sourav Ganguly for the application

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1165897967617314142006-12-12T09:23:00.000+05:302006-12-12T10:02:47.636+05:30

A week's vacation turned into a much longer hiatus. But better a hiatus than pointless ramblings!So what's making news these days in the world of cricket... ?The return of the old guard in the Indian Test team makes it clear that the selectors have taken a somewhat dim view of Chappell's ability to turn things around with the team of his choosing. However, a point to be noted here is that this is

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1163854727970132962006-11-18T18:23:00.000+05:302006-11-18T18:28:48.023+05:30

Posts on One-Day Mataram will be on a none-to-lower side all of next week as I take a long-awaited vacation to Singapore.Hope the Indian team can do a good job in South Africa in the first few ODI matches while I am away.See ya all around!! :-)

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1163788993968543382006-11-18T00:09:00.000+05:302006-11-18T00:26:58.706+05:30

B Manoj Kumar and Mohammed Shaibaaz Tumbi, two 13-year old school-boys from Hyderabad, have managed to eclipse a record set by Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli in February 1988. They scored a world-record partnership of 721 runs off 40 overs to break the 664-run partnership record set by Tendulkar and Kambli. But then, you know that already! The news has been all over the media. These two (

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1163589016723502532006-11-15T16:33:00.000+05:302006-11-15T16:40:16.743+05:30

Rahul Dravid is obviously trying to put up a brave face when he talks about fast, bouncy pitches being well suited for stroke-making. It's obviously a ploy to instill confidence in his top order batsmen who have had a wretched time on home pitches. But at the same time, he should take it easy. Repeating the same sentiment in every interview shows a sense of bravado that tries to hide the fear of

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1162966387534970562006-11-08T11:42:00.000+05:302006-11-08T11:43:07.546+05:30

Did Damien Martyn push/shove BCCI president Sharad Pawar? Is the Indian media (and subsequently politicians, ex-cricketers and the public) justified in raising hue and cry over the incident? Does this require a formal probe by Cricket Australia so that the "guilty" can be "brought to justice" or even an apology?Of course not!!What Damien Martyn did was just a reaction of a jubilant player

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1162786630406065492006-11-06T09:38:00.000+05:302006-11-06T09:47:10.416+05:30

During a dinner with friends, last week (last Tuesday to be precise), I had declared that it would rain during the final of the ICC Champions Trophy. Looking up at the cloudless skies, my friends had laughed it off.And sure enough, during the final match yesterday, thunder and lightning heralded an unseasonal shower that interrupted the match. And I gave my "I-told-you-so" grin! ;-)When I

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1162714569166528722006-11-05T13:17:00.000+05:302006-11-05T13:46:09.183+05:30

Under-prepared wickets, dewy outfields, weak teams, half-empty stands, doping scandals, ICC-BCCI war of words... the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy had all this going against it and more!And yet... it all comes down to this day. The day of the finals! And say whatever about the playing conditions or off-field controversies, what we have today are the two best teams of the tournament competing for the

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1162536731238763672006-11-03T12:17:00.000+05:302006-11-03T12:22:11.250+05:30

Just before the start of the second semi-final between South Africa and West Indies, I wrote...South Africa have won the toss and decided to bat first. Hmmm... interesting! They aren't afraid of the tremendous form of the West Indian top order!! Interesting indeed!! And it did turn out to be quite interesting. South African calculations turned out to be completely off the mark as the mighty West

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1162459433580957312006-11-02T09:39:00.000+05:302006-11-02T14:53:53.630+05:30

New Zealand lost their Champions Trophy semi-final match to Australia, but they certainly did not lose face.At 35/6, NZ looked poised to make an ignominious exit from the tournament. But a calm and efficient Daniel Vettori stemmed the rot and almost single-handedly raised visions of a possible (or you could say, impossible) upset. His 103-run partnership with an unusually restrained Jacob Oram

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1162272745345726782006-10-31T09:49:00.000+05:302006-11-01T09:41:45.813+05:30

The colonel hath spoken!Vengsarkar's approach to selection seems no-nonsense and aggressiveDilip Vengsarkar has played a cracking shot with a straight bat. His no-nonsense and aggressive approach to cricket was stamped all over the selection of the ODI team to tour South Africa. The frankness with which he has admitted that there is no exceptional talent in the country, which could walk straight

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1162191796310175402006-10-30T12:29:00.000+05:302006-10-30T12:33:16.323+05:30

I am sure I am not the only one who finds parallels in the Indian defeats at the hands of Australia, at the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and the ICC World Cup Finals 2003. Both the games featured good innings by Damien Martyn for Australia and Virender Sehwag for India. Both the matches saw Sachin Tendulkar failing to put up a meaningful score even though his form was good leading upto those two

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1161933422517139102006-10-27T12:45:00.000+05:302006-10-27T12:47:02.536+05:30

In the end, it looked much more exciting than it actually was! Agarkar's late burst could do little to reverse the dwindling fortunes of an Indian team that just did not seem motivated enough to win. The match was, in fact, lost earlier in the day when the Indian batsmen failed to put a high price on their wickets, gifting them away by committing some embarrassingly basic errors! And these errors

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1161849814254798662006-10-26T13:29:00.000+05:302006-10-26T14:15:17.563+05:30

When India played their first match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006, the tournament was just beginning (minnow matches notwithstanding). After defeating a flat English side, it's been a long break for the Indians. In the meanwhile, there has been plenty of action in the tournament. Sri Lanka, one of the pre-tournament favourites, is out after suffering defeats at the hands to two teams in green.

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1161438345145095372006-10-21T18:56:00.000+05:302006-10-21T19:15:45.160+05:30

When the English openers, Ian Bell and Andrew Strauss, managed to get England off to a slow and steady start against Australia at Jaipur, it seemed as though the English team had learnt a lesson from its inept batting performance against India at the same venue a few days back.Reaching 83 without loss was creditable. In the process, they managed to make the Aussies look ragged in the field. But

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1161232341638042782006-10-19T09:42:00.000+05:302006-10-19T10:02:21.656+05:30

It's a piece of trivia that will make for an interesting quiz question some years down the line. Vinayak Samant, Mumbai wicket-keeper, took the field for West Indies, for about 2 overs, in the Champions Trophy match against Australia on October 18 2006. Not having enough fit players in the squad and with Brian Lara suffering from a bad back, West Indies were down to 10 men in the field when Suru

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1160999710338866802006-10-16T17:24:00.000+05:302006-10-16T17:25:10.353+05:30

When India played England yesterday at Jaipur, no one expected Rahul Dravid to put the English in to bat on a seemingly flat batting track. Now, with the advantage of hindsight, I'd say it was a brilliant decision. Not because the English team managed to collapse like English teams of a few years ago. But because the decision was based on an accurate reading of the pitch, the composition of the

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1160373131695242182006-10-09T10:03:00.000+05:302006-10-09T11:22:11.706+05:30

Two matches into the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy tournament, a couple of things are apparent. The first one is that the empty stands bear a stark contrast to the billing of this tournament as a mini World Cup. The second thing is that if ICC is going to include minnows like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, they'd better not call this as the Champions Trophy. In fact, the first point I made, is the direct

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1159339944057874052006-09-27T12:21:00.000+05:302006-09-27T12:25:57.993+05:30

After looking jaded and out-of-sorts in their DLF Cup campaign, Team India and it's coach are being panned for too much experimentation and too few results and almost no imagination.Fair enough, I say! Nothing succeeds like success or fails like failure. If Chappell's way had continued to produce results as it did for the first half of his tenure so far (India was winning nearly 76% of its ODI

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1158733212841563432006-09-20T11:29:00.000+05:302006-09-20T17:30:33.506+05:30

With a do-or-die situation arising, as usual, for India... the fifth match in the DLF cup has started off with India choosing to bat against the West Indies.The match is being played on the pitch used for the first round of matches. The one that Indians expressed their displeasure about. It seems to have a ridge or a trough running across it which tends to cause unexpected bounce, mostly on the

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1158583054723885162006-09-18T17:42:00.000+05:302006-09-18T18:07:38.820+05:30

Is Sachin Tendulkar back? Or is it too early to call?Of course, Sachin is back! One may have been right in questioning his comeback in other circumstances. But when a guy coming back to international cricket carries his bat through the innings and in the process manages to show the world what it's been missing for the last 6 months or so, I think questions about comeback should be laid to rest.Of

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1157609158213756742006-09-07T10:37:00.000+05:302006-09-07T11:35:58.303+05:30

Three years ago, well... actually closer to four, I started One-Day Mataram with my good friend Abhijeet. The two of us had been involved in writing about cricket within a group of like-minded friends for a long time before that. In the pre-blogging days, this group, named TEST-ing Times, used to interact over emails. During the 1999 cricket World Cup, we had run a small contest within this group

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1071560746855354592003-12-16T13:15:00.000+05:302003-12-16T13:16:58.170+05:30

India has done it!! After a 22 year wait, India scores a win over Australia on Australian soil. Victory doesn't come sweeter than this!! And what a way to win! Dravid and Agarkar, the two men who played the biggest part in this historic test win were at the crease when the winning runs were scored. How apt! Moreover, one cannot forget the contribution by VVS Laxman. His century in the first

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1070431986035618502003-12-03T11:43:00.000+05:302003-12-03T11:44:00.483+05:30

Continuing with the psyching out strategy that Australians employ on visiting teams, Shane Warne warned that Ganguly will have to face a lot of chin music on the tour of Australia. Knowing Ganguly's weakness against the short-pitched stuff, it looks certain that Ganguly would be subjected to lot of bouncers that would have him hopping all over the crease. His brief stints out in the middle during

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1070353022210323102003-12-02T13:47:00.000+05:302003-12-02T13:47:55.466+05:30

Australian leg-spinner, Stuart McGill has fired the first salvo of challenge at Sachin Tendulkar by claiming that Lara is better than Sachin. "He ( Tendulkar ) is certainly a huge challenge but if you speak to most of the spin bowlers around the world, Brian Lara is the one." And the response from Sachin Tendulkar, I expect, would be in the language that he so loves to speak - the language of the

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1068541225307753512003-11-11T14:30:00.000+05:302003-11-11T14:30:50.170+05:30

Srinath quits international cricket "I have decided to retire. I will make a formal announcement later in the day," Srinath said. I think the time was right for him to quit. After a fantastic World Cup, he's going while he's still fairly at the top of his game. And I'm glad for that. It would've been sad if he had chosen to let his career drag along like some other cricketers have done over the

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-1068128372273203912003-11-06T19:49:00.000+05:302003-11-06T19:49:50.716+05:30

Powered by some inspired performances all throughout the tournament, India win Asian U-19 cricket championship. The greatest gain from this tournament was the emergence of Irfan Pathan, the 19-year old fast bowler from Gujarat. Incidentally, Pathan was named the "Man of the Series"!! Irfan Pathan has aleady started dreaming about playing for India, against the Aussies in the forthcoming series,

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-912687642003-03-24T13:54:00.000+05:302003-03-24T14:01:14.000+05:30

The Top20 'Most Valuable Players' of the World Cup As per our own points system, here is a list of the top 20 performers of this World Cup Sachin Tendulkar - 604 Adam Gilchrist - 595 Chaminda Vaas - 518 Andy Bichel - 501 Virender Sehwag - 453 Glenn McGrath - 438 Ricky Ponting - 425 Sourav Ganguly - 424 Muttiah Muralitharan - 392 Brett Lee - 392 Darren Lehmann - 384 Aravinda De

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-912632292003-03-24T11:15:00.000+05:302003-03-24T13:43:16.000+05:30

Contest Results Our contest was a very close affair and was decided literally by a couple of balls. When the Australian innings ended Faizan had moved around 50 points ahead of Dipali (team - 'Invincible') because of Ricky Ponting. But by the end of the match, Dipali had covered the points up with Sehwag, McGrath and Yuvraj picking up vital points for her and in the end she won by a paltry 13

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-912295762003-03-23T22:40:00.000+05:302003-03-24T12:51:16.000+05:30

Pulverizing Punter Ponting pips Proud Prince First of all hats off to the Aussies, they batted like true champions. I think the decision by Ganguly to field first was the correct one but the opening bowlers had an awful day. They pitched the ball a bit too short early on, exactly where Gilchrist likes them. Damien Martyn played wonderfully and set the stage up for a wonderful finish by Ricky

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-912271132003-03-23T21:33:00.000+05:302003-03-23T21:39:53.000+05:30

Australians are World Champions! The Aussie "Shock and Awe" blitzkrieg knocks off the Men In Blue.

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-912145272003-03-23T12:05:00.000+05:302003-03-23T12:05:26.373+05:30

The final match is just under a couple of hours away, but the butterflies in the tummy just refuse to subside. Can only imagine what our players must be feeling now. Each person I meet has a different opinion about how the Indians need to go about it today. The passion shared amongst everyone here is to be seen to be believed. While some feel, our openers should go hammer-and-tongs as they did

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-912122152003-03-23T11:00:00.000+05:302003-03-23T11:04:54.000+05:30

GO INDIA!!

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-912115612003-03-23T10:44:00.000+05:302003-03-23T10:44:21.123+05:30

Sachin Tendulkar is Man of the Tournament at ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has secured the prestigious Man of the Tournament award at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. Tendulkar's two points from the semi final with Kenya, where he scored 83 and took two wickets, were enough to establish an unassailable lead of four points over Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. He has now

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-911805022003-03-22T20:37:00.000+05:302003-03-22T20:37:35.686+05:30

It started out with fourteen teams. Over the last month and half, we've seen these teams slug it out amongst themselves. First round followed by the Super Sixes and then the semi-finals. All the stages have seen some great matches and some surprising results. Things have not often gone according to the script as some of the mighty giants of international cricket have fallen by the wayside. There

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-911775152003-03-22T18:52:00.000+05:302003-03-22T19:05:01.000+05:30

What should India's strategy be for the finals. Should India play Kumble instead of Mongia, given that the wicket has a bit of bounce and that the Australians haven't really been comfortable against quality spin bowling ? In case India wins the toss, do you think batting first would be the right thing to do ? Should the Indian openers go all out and attack the Aussies in the first 15 or

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-911744712003-03-22T16:19:00.000+05:302003-03-22T16:24:43.000+05:30

Hi all, On the eve of the biggest day in the cricketing calender, here's a view of how the Tigers match up with the Kangaroos as per the points secured in our own unique little contest ... Team Australia has 3881 points in all, while Team India has secured 3707 points in all, just a measly 174 points between the two giants. Man for Man now (considering the XI most likely to play tommorrow) .

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-911017802003-03-21T09:22:00.000+05:302003-03-21T10:29:02.000+05:30

"Captain Clueless" played "Master Tactician" as he clinically plotted Kenya's downfall in the second semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2003 at Kingsmead, Durban. It was the most thoroughly professional performance by the Indian team in this World Cup. There have been victories over Pakistan, England and New Zealand which have evoked more passion among the Indian fans, but if ever there was a Indian

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-910433572003-03-20T11:57:00.000+05:302003-03-20T11:57:26.746+05:30

80 percent chances of rain in Durban Local weathermen predict that there will be constant showers at Kingsmead in Durban, today. But they also predict that the rain gods will relent by tomorrow morning. So, all is not lost yet. Even if the match is washed off today without 25 overs being bowled on each side, it'll be replayed tomorrow. But if 25 overs are completed in each innings, then it'll

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-909897852003-03-19T19:17:00.000+05:302003-03-20T09:06:32.000+05:30

Hi all, Another point for discussion ... We all know Adam Gilchrist 'walked' even though he was given NOT OUT by the umpire. Someone in the Set Max team of commentators mentioned that he was so disappointed by the result of his attempted sweep that he did not even look at the umpire and hence missed the fact that the umpire actually negated the appeal. Arjuna Ranatunga went upto the extent of

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-909304112003-03-18T22:01:00.000+05:302003-03-19T11:57:53.000+05:30

Match Report: Australia Vs. Sri Lanka (Semi-Final 1, Port Elizabeth) In the end, it was a no contest, really. Sri Lanka can only blame themselves for the situation that they found themselves in when the rain came at Port Elizabeth. They played good solid cricket for the first half of the match in which they had the Aussies under the cosh. But, when they came out to bat, they looked every bit of

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-909087652003-03-18T12:27:00.000+05:302003-03-18T17:28:08.000+05:30

Match Preview: Australia Vs. Sri Lanka (Semi-Final 1, Port Elizabeth) After all the action on and off the field in the past month since the innaguration of the ICC World Cup 2003, it has finally come down to the last three matches... the only real knock-out phase of the tournament. It is all down to Australia, Sri Lanka, Kenya and India to slug it out in the next few days to decide who will be

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-908360482003-03-17T09:53:00.000+05:302003-03-18T12:27:32.000+05:30

Brett Lee has promised to unleash a special delivery called the 'spit rock' against Tendulkar, should Australia and India meet in the finals of the World Cup on Sunday. He said that his brother and former Australian all-rounder Shane Lee taught him how to bowl the 'spit rock'. Apparently, 'spit rock' is nothing but a reverse swinging delivery... like the one that has been perfected by the likes

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-908013602003-03-16T18:26:00.000+05:302003-03-18T12:26:59.000+05:30

Just a check on how various teams are doing in our contest. The top spot is claimed by Dipali Kanwadkar's seemingly aptly named team - 'Invincible', which has a substantial lead of 93 points over its nearest rival in Chandra Babu's team - 'Dare Devils' . The rest of the group seems tightly packed with Faizan Choudhary and Parag Acharya, whose teams, 'Faizan XI' and 'Winners' respectively,

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-908006362003-03-16T17:52:00.000+05:302003-03-16T17:55:12.000+05:30

Hi all, With the group stages done and dusted and the knock-out stage beckoning, it is time I suppose we take a look at the top performers in this Cup so far (as per our own little points system). Sachin Tendulkar - 524 Adam Gilchrist - 475 Chaminda Vaas - 466 Andy Bichel - 435 Glenn McGrath - 378 Muttiah Muralitharan - 374 John Davison - 369 Shane Bond - 356 Aravinda De Silva - 343

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-907670722003-03-15T22:31:00.000+05:302003-03-15T22:31:23.233+05:30

Hi all, I am writing this post after the Kenyan innings, I must say that they have done well in not getting bowled out and showing ample resolve and steel to post 174 against this Aussie line-up. McGrath had commented prior to the World Cup that the Aussies would want to win it unbeaten, well, this being the last game before the knock-out stage, they would have done exactly that if they win the

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-904069922003-03-09T22:55:00.000+05:302003-03-09T22:55:12.826+05:30

Now that the first round of Super Six matches has tken place, let us take stock of the situation. Let us see how the teams have performed in their matches. Australia: Australia played Sri Lanka in their first match and looked every bit the champion team that they are. They showed why they have performed so well over the last few years. Racking up a huge total of 319 against the Sri Lankan bowling

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-901722842003-03-05T18:11:00.000+05:302003-03-05T18:11:41.763+05:30

A point for discussion! Faizan has asked a pertinent question Are we seeing the end of English cricket with Nasser Hussain's exit from the helm. Was the fan right in calling Nasser as disgraceful. Who will succeed Nasser?Let the discussions begin!

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-901691342003-03-05T16:14:00.000+05:302003-03-05T16:26:49.000+05:30

Analysis of the Super-Six stage : The points carried by various teams from the group stage. Australia - 12 points Kenya - 10 points India - 8 points Sri Lanka - 7.5 points New Zealand - 4 points Zimbabwe - 3.5 points Assuming the two relative minnows, Kenya and Zimbabwe, cause no real upsets ... what we have is Australia, India and Sri Lanka through to the semis while the fourth spot would be

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-901669752003-03-05T14:51:00.000+05:302003-03-05T14:54:49.000+05:30

Hi all, The group stage is all done and dusted now. Here's a look at the Top20 performers so far. 1. Sachin Tendulkar* - 418 Highest number of runs scored 2. Chaminda Vaas* - 404 Has taken the highest number of wickets + contributed with the bat lower down the order 3. John Davison - 369 Formed half the Canadian team on his own and had a dream world cup 4. Herschelle Gibbs - 335 Was in very

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-901157902003-03-04T21:01:00.000+05:302003-03-04T21:01:14.890+05:30

Hi all, Unfortunately, rain has decided the supersix spots in both the groups. Obviously the main host, South Africa would feel heartbroken while both the smaller co-hosts Kenya and Zimbabwe find places in the top 6 teams of this World Cup. What does this result mean to our contest ? Well, South Africa not qualifying has meant many of us would miss the services of 3 players. Team Super Power

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-900486742003-03-03T19:13:00.000+05:302003-03-03T19:13:31.546+05:30

Now, this is taking a turn for the comical! On the eve of a crucial Pool A match against Zimbabwe, the Pakistani players are at blows among themselves instead of sitting down to chalk out a strategy for the do-or-die match. The incident, which occurred during a football match, was witnessed by reporters and photographers. Tempers flared when Younis Khan challenged Inzamam-ul-Haq for the ball. The

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-899956292003-03-02T17:52:00.000+05:302003-03-02T17:52:45.140+05:30

It's me again, with the top 20 performers (from all the players) at the end of Week no 3. (includes all the points for the first 36 matches - upto the Indo-Pak game) 1. Sachin Tendulkar - 418 2. Chaminda Vaas - 392 3. Wasim Akram - 290 4. Herschelle Gibbs - 290 5. John Davison - 282 6. Glenn McGrath - 272 7. Andrew Flintoff - 271 8. Virendra Sehwag - 254 9. Sanath Jayasuriya - 254 10. Muttiah

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-899664242003-03-02T02:08:00.000+05:302003-03-02T02:08:26.123+05:30

Exorcism Complete !!! The ghosts of the New Zealand tour which seemed to have plagued the Indian batting have finally been laid to rest. Bishen Singh Bedi had said after our victory in the Natwest Trophy and the good display in the ICC Champions Trophy that, this team was peaking at the wrong moment. His words seemed to be coming true after watching the disappointing loss to West Indies at

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-898845252003-02-28T10:55:00.000+05:302003-02-28T11:10:41.000+05:30

Possibilities in Pool B With West Indies taking on Sri Lanka today, it is a good time to look at the possible qualifiers from Pool B into the Super Six. The upset win by Kenya over Sri Lanka and the fact that New Zealand forfeited four points to Kenya has thrown open a host of possibilities. I came across the following analysis by S Rajesh at wisden's site. Makes a wonderful read, so read

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-898413742003-02-27T20:55:00.000+05:302003-02-28T09:58:11.000+05:30

Sultans of Swing !??! My belief in the theory "There's extra swing when the lights are on" (especially after the Eng-Pak game) made me feel very happy that Ganguly had called correctly at the toss. Moreover, when the Sachin-Sehwag show was on, I was ecstatic as I couldn't help imagine the perverse pleasure I would have in seeing the English chase nearly 300 (maybe more) in 'swinging' conditions.

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-898289022003-02-27T15:12:00.000+05:302003-02-27T15:12:18.796+05:30

Match Review: India Vs England ...the team batting second will have to face the daunting task of negotiating a fast, swinging ball, under artificial lights. This is what I had said in my preview yesterday. And yes, the lights were artificial, the bowling was fast and the ball swung... though only in the minds of the clueless English batsmen, as they were brought to their knees by one of the best

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-898285542003-02-27T14:58:00.000+05:302003-02-27T14:58:39.873+05:30

Hi all, The Top 5 on 26/02/2003 1. Ashish Nehra - 128 (One of the finest spells of swing bowling I have ever seen. 10 overs 23 runs 6 wickets) 2. Andrew Flintoff - 109 (Another good spell 2 wickets @ 1.5 rpo + 64 in 73 balls + 2 catches ... truly an all-round performance) 3. Rahul Dravid - 75 (A decent innings of 62 in 72 balls + 3 catches) 4. Shane Bond - 72 (3 wickets @ 3.3 rpo + 2

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-897568682003-02-26T10:10:00.000+05:302003-02-26T10:20:24.000+05:30

Match Preview: India Vs England "This is actually a no contest!", I said on this morning while talking on air with my favourite RJ Malishka on Win 94.6 FM. "The Indians are gonna kick some English... ummmm.... ", I stammered... having been requested not to use "ass" on air. "Posteriors!", Malishka completed the sentence for me! I guess, reading the lines above, you know where my loyalties lie...

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-897059632003-02-25T17:19:00.000+05:302003-02-25T17:29:18.000+05:30

Hi all, I'm back to meet the popular demand of publishing the Top 13 list among all the players selected by various teams in our own little contest !!! 1. Herschelle Gibbs - 290 2. Sachin Tendulkar - 258 3. Muttiah Muralitharan - 224 4. Lance Klusener - 217 5. Brian Lara - 210 6. Sanath Jayasuriya - 193 7. Wasim Akram - 188 8. Wavell Hinds - 187 9. Andrew Flintoff - 162 10. Ramnaresh Sarwan

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-897031562003-02-25T15:36:00.000+05:302003-02-25T15:41:24.000+05:30

Hi all, Its your friendly statistician again !!! It certainly feels good to be back in action after a bout of flu over the weekend !!! Sorry for not posting the 'Top 5s' over the last couple of days. I feel it is a good time to take a look at the Top 13 among all the players as per our own unique points system !! These points include all games till close of play yesterday - 24/02/2003. 1.

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-896037782003-02-23T22:34:00.000+05:302003-02-23T22:34:46.226+05:30

It was really, as Peter Roebuck says, A firework lighting the skies. Jon Davison played the innings of the day and his lifetime when he blitzed the fastest century ever to have been scored in a World Cup match. He scored the century in just 67 balls with the help of 6 towering sixes to go with his 8 boundaries. And I must say, I was privileged to watch him play!

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-895874722003-02-23T12:16:00.000+05:302003-02-23T12:16:50.106+05:30

Match Preview: India Vs. Namibia Last time around, when I wrote a preview for an India match, it was India taking on the world champions, Australia. And, unfortunately, Indians proved to be cannon-fodder for the strong bowling that the Aussies have. The much-vaunted Indian batting line-up wilted under pressure as they were skittled out for a paltry total. I do not expect the same to happen this

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-895552542003-02-22T22:15:00.000+05:302003-02-22T22:15:15.510+05:30

Tendulkar, Sehwag will open against Namibia. There will be no change at the top of the Indian batting lineup in Sunday's match against Namibia. It will again be the Master partnering the explosive Virender Sehwag. I think this is the right move, especially against minnows Namibia about whom Ganguly has already predicted, "Namibia can't beat us". The Indian team, with its new mantra of "Now or

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-895546922003-02-22T22:00:00.000+05:302003-02-22T22:00:02.526+05:30

Did Shoaib bowl the fastest ball? The Speed Gun at the Newlands recorded Shoaib Akhtar as having bowled the fastest ball ever hurled across 22 yards of a cricket pitch in the Pakistan-England match Saturday afternoon. 161.3 kilometres per hour of blistering pace. Or just over 100 mphNow, at 161.3 Kmph, it was the fastest ball ever recorded in the history of modern cricket. But was it the fastest

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-894964102003-02-21T19:41:00.000+05:302003-02-21T19:41:42.786+05:30

Chris Cairns cuts lip in a bar brawl. More than half the New Zealand team was involved in a bar brawl outside a nightclub, in which Chris Cairns was assaulted and subsequently he suffered a cut lip. Read more about it here

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-893789652003-02-19T23:24:00.000+05:302003-02-19T23:24:54.286+05:30

Was this necessary?? During the presentation ceremony after the Indian win against Zimbabwe, Saurav Ganguly was asked by Sanjay Manjrekar about the "huddles" that were seen in the field today after every Zimbabwean wicket fell. To this Ganguy replied saying to the effect of "We realise we don't get much support from outside, we gather around and support each other". Now this was perfectly

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-893770992003-02-19T22:43:00.000+05:302003-02-19T22:43:04.410+05:30

Indian 'bat' themselves into possible trouble! The already battered Indian team may find itself in a new controversy, with the match-referee for the India-Zimbabwe tie reportedly finding the bats of skipper Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag "broader" than the prescribed limits. Match referee Clive Lloyd is believed to have checked the bats of players of both the teams and found at least seven of

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-893765572003-02-19T22:30:00.000+05:302003-02-19T22:30:55.490+05:30

Top 5 'point winners' on 19/02/2003 1. Prabath Nissanka - 92 points ('wrecker-in-chief' for Sri Lanka today 4 wickets at 1.7 rpo) 2. Ronnnie Irani - 82 points (12 runs in 7 balls + 3 wickets at 3.75 rpo) 3. Zaheer Khan - 78 points (13 runs in 9 balls + 2 wickets at 3 rpo + 1 catch) 4. JB Burger - 75 points (85 runs in 86 balls) 5. Andrew Flintoff - 72 points (21 runs in 24 balls + 2 wickets at

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-893086462003-02-18T20:41:00.000+05:302003-02-18T20:41:41.300+05:30

Some bits of news from South Africa... and some questions! Indian coach John Wright says " As of this point in time, my thinking is that Sachin Tendulkar should open. I also believe that Virender Sehwag should be used to the maximum possible, which means he should open."But then he also says, "It is of course the captain's prerogative to decide the batting order."So... does that mean our Captain

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-892932492003-02-18T13:24:00.000+05:302003-02-18T13:24:09.203+05:30

Some pearls of wisdom(??) from the mouths of Captain Clueless and Vice-Captain WallI have never seen Indian batting line-up play like this. I am a bit worried.Sourav Ganguly We understand your disappointment but no one is more disappointed than us. The World Cup is not over and we urge you to keep showing the faith you have shown all these years. All is not lost and there are four more games to

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-892374792003-02-17T18:53:00.000+05:302003-02-17T18:53:54.566+05:30

Top 5 players (on 16/02/2003) 1. Wasim Akram - 122 points (20 runs in 14 balls + 5 wickets at 3.11rpo) 2. Stephen Fleming - 105 points (classy innings of 134 runs in 132 balls) 3. Herschelle Gibbs - 105 points (another great innings of 143 runs in 141 balls) 4. James Anderson - 82 points (4 wickets at 2.5 rpo) 5. Ian Blackwell - 77 points (2 wickets at 3.7 rpo + 22 runs in 11 balls) Best of

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-892296822003-02-17T14:17:00.000+05:302003-02-17T14:17:12.073+05:30

�You�ve just dropped the World Cup, mate�. For almost four years now, Steve Waugh's legendary words have haunted Herschelle Gibbs. Gibbs had failed to pouch Steve Waugh's catch in the 1999 World Cup. After the reprieve, Waugh went on to score a match-winning 120 not-out. On Sunday, 16th February, Gibbs took a giant step towards redeeming himself, when he blasted the New Zealand attack to all

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-892224912003-02-17T10:40:00.000+05:302003-02-17T10:40:48.793+05:30

While I don't always agree with Prem Panicker's anti-Ganguly-as-captain postures, his latest column, Captain clueless, on Rediff, makes a lot of sense. It's a good read. I really do wish that Ganguly stops being pig-headed and does not continue to use the World Cup as the tournament to come back in form by hitting his way out of trouble.

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-891836872003-02-16T18:20:00.000+05:302003-02-16T18:20:12.193+05:30

The top 13 players amongst those selected by various teams in our own little contest (upto 15/02/2003) 1. Sanath Jayasuriya -- 169 points 2. Lance Klusener -- 162 points 3. Herschelle Gibbs -- 140 points 4. Ramnaresh Sarwan -- 115 points 5. Muttiah Muralitharan -- 100 points 6. Ricky Ponting -- 95 points 7. Jason Gillespie -- 92 points 8. Harbhajan Singh -- 92 points 9. Mark Boucher -- 85

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-891831252003-02-16T17:50:00.000+05:302003-02-16T18:10:40.000+05:30

The top 13 players of the week (upto 15/02/2003), how many of them does your team have ???? 1. Chaminda Vaas -- 174 points 2. Sanath Jayasuriya -- 169 points 3. Andrew Symonds -- 162 points 4. Lance Klusener -- 162 points 5. Craig Wishart -- 160 points 6. Scott Styris -- 150 points 7. John Davison -- 146 points 8. Herschelle Gibbs -- 140 points 9. Gary Kirsten -- 120 points 10.

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-891824102003-02-16T16:56:00.000+05:302003-02-16T17:58:54.000+05:30

The top 5 'point winners' on 15/02/2003 ... 1. Thomas Odoyo - 112 points (27 runs in 42 balls + 4 wickets at 2.8 rpo) 2. John Davison - 98 points (31 runs in 32 balls + 3 wickets at 1.5 rpo) 3. Jason Gillespie - 68 points (3 wickets at 1.3 rpo) 4. Brett Lee - 52 points (3 wickets at 4 rpo) 5. Maurice Odumbe - 50 points (26 runs in 19 balls + 2 wickets at 4.55 rpo) Three games on the 16th, be

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-891817222003-02-16T16:05:00.000+05:302003-02-16T16:09:12.000+05:30

Sigh !!! Australia vs India, touted as one of the matches of the tournament, turned out to be a damp squib as the Indian batting failed to reach the potency levels prior to the NZ tour. The batsmen maintained their 'consistency' in not being able to bat the full fifty overs as most of the dismissals were self-inflicted. I really wanted Ganguly to elect to field first once he had won the

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-891268172003-02-15T09:21:00.000+05:302003-02-15T09:30:03.000+05:30

Match Preview: India Vs. Australia One of the biggest matches in the preliminary round of the World Cup 2003, will take place today. It'll be played, at Supersport Park in Centurion, between the defending champions, Australia and India. Australia and India have had contrasting victories in their previous matches in the tournament. While Australia overcame a shaky start to trounce Pakistan by over

Sameerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05180127231158085662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5004242.post-890972862003-02-14T21:47:00.000+05:302003-02-14T21:48:10.000+05:30

Hi everyone, A very interesting article posted on rediff.com by journalist Faisal Shariff. Gives a beautiful insight on what actually happens in the nets and the strategies employed by teams before a match. Definitely a must-read .

Abhijeetnoreply@blogger.com0