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Saturday, July 31, 2010

IND-SRI TEST SERIES - SECOND TEST


DAY - 1

After an embarrassing loss in the first test match, India were furthur jolted by the loss of Gautam Gambhir ahead of the second test match, though, it may prove to be a blessing in disguise as Gambhir has hardly shown signs of the phenomenal form he has been in for the last couple of years. Yuvraj Singh also misses the test match and Suresh Raina gets the opportunity to make his test debut in what should be a batting paradise according to the curator and in the absence of Muralidaran and Malinga, which is a disappointment as latter was a treat to watch in the first match, Raina should be able to make merry.Yuvraj would certainly have fancied his chances against the likes of Randiv and Mendis, though, any batsman should be capable of leaving his mark in such conditions. Sri Lanka decided to have a bat, winning the toss yet again.It became clear at the start itself that the pitch might behave in a dual manner.Ishant Sharma proved to be a disappointment yet again.He hardly seems to understand the fact that short of a length bowling is not what you should be doing in batting friendly conditions where the pitch just has nothing to offer.He troubled Ponting with this line in Australia, where pitches support the bowlers putting in the efforts and, for a brief moment, hassled the Sri Lankan batsmen in the previous match, only becaus the pitch is known to possess some demons from third day onwards.He has to learn to pitch the ball up a bit, perhaps just ahead of the good length area, making the batsmen play most of the times.Else, it wont be much use getting him to play in the sub continent.Mithun bowled very well, given the conditions, after a rusty start.Dhoni, arguably, made a mistake by giving Sharma his sixth over.Perhaps,he wanted batsmen to attack Sharma and result in their own downfall, not an ideal way to approach the game but, possibly, you have no other choice with a bowling line up such as this!Ojha was introduced from the other end and he continued his ordinary stuff.Mithun had some rubbish to offer when he changed ends and Dilshan cashed upon delightfully.

India were forced to have a deep midwicket or a deep point or a sweeper cover right at the start of the innings, an indication that this pitch really is a batsmen's delight and a viewers sour.
Cricket fans would love to see far more competitive wickets.Except Ishant, no one bowled bad enough to make a test match look like a one day game! (Ojha cannot be reprimanded for his bowling;that's the best he has to offer!)To ruin the fun and to the relief of Indians, Dilshan got out off Ojha's bowling, who should consider himself extremely serendipitous to have him.What followed was a serene run of play till lunch, with Sri Lanka consolidating on the start and Indian spinners hardly looking like they could get wickets on the batting bliss.I think Dhoni did really well to start with Mithun and Sehwag, the two best bowlers so far in this test match, after lunch.
Dhoni had an inside out field, which he normally does in such circumstances.Sangakkara took chances on more than a few occasions but as a classy batsmen, one has the license to go after mediocre bowling on such a pitch.No surprises that batsmen made racket on a dull cricketing day, lightened up only by the sportsmanship and comaradie between the two camps (Dhoni and Paranavitarna had a laugh during play) and a couple of "ooohs" and "aaahs" from the Indians.

Harbhajan bowled a very wide outside off stump line, perhaps wanting to intice the batsmen into playing a false stroke to the dislike of Dhoni who removed him from the attack and introduced Sehwag who, unexpectedly, continued with the same line.Dhoni tried all his options in the quest for a wicket, giving Raina a bowl, but to no avail.The highlight for the next few overs was the superb fielding by Tendulkar and Raina and an edge, a rare site, by Sangakkara off Mithun before the two batsmen reached their centuries.To their credit, they did well to capitalize on the conditions as it is very easy to get carried away and miss the opportunity to score big.
Once again, against the run of play, Paranavitana got out to a dolly from Ishant.On these kind of wickets, one requires either express pace of Shaun Tait or magicians like Shane Warne.India had none and hence, Sri Lankan batsmen continued to ride comfortably.The prosaic day's play ultimately came to an end, perhaps to the greater relief of viewers than the players.


DAY - 2

India began the day hoping to get some quick wickets on a placid track. Perhaps, an inspirational and adrenaline drived spell would have helped.Instead, Mithun and Sharma did just the opposite, much to the viewer's dismay and the run fest continued,Raina's fielding being the only bright spot for India.Sangakkara and Jayawardene simply toyed with the toothless,listless and unmotivated Indian bowling.Ojha was given some special treatment in his 29th over by Sangakkara, rightly putting him in his place.Sangakkara reached the 200 mark not long after, a fabulous display of shotmaking and a lesson on how to capitalize on such situations.If anyone deserves to be dropped from the team at present on basis of fitness and fielding, it has to Harbhajan after Yuvraj! Harbhajan, once again, performed poorly in the field, looking a tired mess!

Finally,Indians got a break when Sangakkara edged a Sehwag delivery to Dravid, departing for a well made 219, though he looked set to amass 300.The only mentionable points after this wicket are Mithun's terrible fielding, Mahela racing to his century,Sri Lanka's ploy to get a four every over by cashing on the rubbish Indians had to offer,the run flow and the agony a viewer was destined to by watching this match.The only points of discussion or speculation was the score deemed fit by Sangakkara to declare at and weather the Indian bowlers could score more centuries than the Sri Lankan batsmen!Gratefully, the toil ended with the wicket of Jayawardene, once again, not earned by some special bowling as Sangakkara decided to declare at a mammoth 629!This match certainly looks headed for a tame draw or a possible Sri Lankan victory, provided they could stop a stellar Sehwag show.

Indians started the run chase with Sehwag giving them the perfect start by profiting from the short stuff Sri Lankan pacemen had to put up for sale.To be fair to them, the pacers did well by putting in some effort and coming hard at the Indians on such a placid track.Wickets is what Sri Lankans need and thats what their bowlers were looking for but perhaps, they just overdid the ploy of bowling short and hence, failed to trouble the Indian openers as the wicket hardly helped them in their pursuit. Sehwag raced to his fifty, bringing back the memories of the historic test in Chennai against England where he providid a similar start in the fourth innings and India went on to win.He and Vijay saw the day off in style, the match looking poised for a certain draw with the famous Indian batting to follow.


DAY - 3

Another day of the test match began on what has looked like a smooth road instead of a pitch so far! Matthews brought in some variety by bowling slower balls at regular intervals.Fernando almost got Vijay by a good yorker, an inside edge saving the latter.Sangakkara did well to introduce Mendis early, though he continued with Matthews at the other end. Other than this, it was all about batting and the run fest, now being enjoyed by the Indian batsmen.Mendis troubled Vijay on more than one ocassion and also induced a false stroke from Sehwag only to be dropped by Samaraweera.On a pitch where wickets are like finding a case of gold,this mistake could have proved to be really costly for Sri Lanka.It was not to be as Sehwag fell trying to keep his unique,yet bizarre record of reaching the milestones with a maximum.On a pitch where he could have easily tucked in and attained greater milestones,he fell one short of a hundered!Fernando bowled wicket taking deliveries, concentrating on short stuff and yorkers but was unable to trouble the batsmen much,owing to his lack of pace.Mendis finally got Vijay off a googly as a result of which the two legends were, once again, together at the crease.The treat did not last long as Dravid was found plumb in front off a Randiv delievery, missing out on a chance to cash in.Sri Lankans almost got the prized wicket of Sachin in the very next over when a edge fell short off Sangakkara.

After lunch, India started batting in a tricky situation as a couple of quick wickets could have seen them battling for survival in this test match.After a quiet run of play, Sangakkara was back! Having done nothing substantial in terms of his captaincy so far, he decided to come to the party by removing Mendis from the attack.
He did well to introduce Prasad but should have continued Mendis from his end.Prasad got the bowl to reverse, an attribute that has always elluded the Indian bowlers.Laxman looked uncomfortable through out his innings, edging the ball quite a few times off various bowlers.Every now and then, infact, too often, something seems to get inside Sanga's head and infest it! He removed Prasad, who looked like getting a wicket and continued with Randiv at the other end.Giving both his pacemen a bowl at the same time or atleast bringing Mendis back into the attack would have harldy done his teams chances any harm.Tendulkar was dropped by Prasanna, another error by a Sri Lankan fielder which is unusual and unbecoming of them.Little did anyone know that this time, the mistake shall have devastating consequences as far as Sri Lankans are concerned.Mendis was brought back, courtesy Sangakkara, and it immediately resulted in the fall of Laxman's wicket, ringing the danger bells for India.

Randiv was continued after tea, the reverse swing not being utilized at all by Sangakkara.With Raina at the wicket, Fernando would not have been a bad option.Instead, he decided to remove even Mendis from the attack!!Tendulkar decided he had enough of Randiv and unleashed an array of strokes against the helpless bowler.Dilshan was introduced into the attack while Randiv was persisted with.Sangakkara is fast becoming the best learning lesson for all cricketers on how a captain can effect his teams fate!Every now and then, Raina rushed down the track, though it paid off (Wonder how foolish he would have appeared had he got out attempting one of his lofted shots!).By the time Raina had made his fifty, Fernando was introduced into the attack though he disappointed with some off target bouncers.One certainly missed Malinga here!Tendulkar and Raina saw off the days's play, much to the relief of the Indians.

DAY - 4

Hardly surprising the viewer, Sangakkara started things off with Randiv.Fernando's bowling was just like off guided missiles from a fighter plane! He was hardly hitting the target and hence, robbed the viewer of the Raina-short-stuff fun!It was a good move to get in Prasad instead of Dilhara but a foolish ploy to continue with Randiv at the other end.Prasad failed to impress as he hardly tested Raina with short stuff.To be fair to the bowlers, its extremely difficult to get results out of dumbo of a pitch!Raina reached his maiden test century and the run fest continued.He was certainly helped by two major factors-The batting pitch and off target bowling form Fernando.Next, Sachin Tendulkar was hit on the helmet by a Prasad delivery which did not bounce as high as the former expected.For Prassad, this should be a moment to savour!Randiv got the bowl to hit Sachin's pads a couple of times in quick succession but, otherwise, hardly looked effective.Perhaps Sri Lanka, with nothing to loose, could have attacked the batsmen by placing more fielders in catching positions.

Post lunch, it was the familiar and sad site of Sachin struggling with pain after a long innings.He stretched, perhaps a bit too much for his body to sustain, against a wide Mendis delievery.Finally, the partnership was broken with Mendis getting Raina and the viewers getting to see three fielders round the bat of Dhoni! Dhoni seemed to be completely pissed off due to the hard toil he had to endure in the field while Sri Lankans made merry! The follow on saved and the match headed for a draw, he decided to launch into the Sri Lankans!
Sangakkara! How can you possibly keep him out of the game?? Now,once again, he removed Mendis from the attack!!Dhoni attacked Randiv, though the latter shall be feeling deprived of a special treatment!
Sachin Tendulkar made further inroads into the record books with his fifth double hundered! As ever, more than the records, it was about his team as he anchored the innings to get India out of trouble, once again!To play (oops! to bat) at such a pitch is not a difficult task but to get your act together when your team needs it and to do so time and time again is certainly a special effort.

Tendulkar was out ,to Dilshan, in the third over after tea. Harbhajan, once again, did not bother to trouble the scorers as he made an early exit, perhaps a bit too early!India, were once again, in danger of being bowled out before they could think of a lead. It was not to be as a run-out chance of Mithun was missed and Sangakkara just had a couple of close-in fielders for him!
Bringing fielders in to prevent Dhoni from taking a single off the last ball was perhaps the best move Sangakkara made in this test! Dhoni decided to settle down, considering the situation.Mithun was beaten several times in his edgy innings but still appears a far better bet than most of the Indian bowlers when it comes to batting.
Dilshan made sure he gets the opportunity to crack a lot of jokes at his bowlers once the match was over as he got Dhoni's wicket with superb fielding off his own bowling!Next,Sri Lankans missed an easy run-out chance off Sharma before Prasanna dropped a difficult chance presented by the same batsman.Mithun decided he had had enough of the sedate batting and lost his stumps to Mendis, trying to fetch himself a boundary.It was a site to laugh at, seeing Ojha, perhaps a dangerous batsman in the books of Sngakkara, to be surrounded by just three fielders!Indian bowlers made sure they did not have to bowl today as the "test" match continued.

DAY - 5

Its amazing how human brain works! I have tried hard not to find faults in Sangakkara but he hardly fails to seek attention! Randiv and Dilshan were bowling to the tail-enders along with Mendis, who was removed from the attack for a brief spell of play.Randiv was persisted with even after drinks break.This match surely stamped Randiv as a guy with a lot of patience as he did not retaliate once with his skipper who seemed to want his arm off its socket!Finally, Fernando was introduced and the innings was over, though, to the dismay of the viewer, it was just the second innings of the match!
Sri Lankans came out to bat with Ishant and Mithun ready to let out their frustration! It was good to see them trying hard to bounce Sri Lanka out though the deliveries needed to be more accurate.Ishant's habit of overstepping is turning to be a permanent problem.He needs to work.Indians have certainly found a weakness in Dilshan in the last couple of series.Unlike most of the batsmen,he suffers from a unique and obscure problem of possessing a weaker leg side play! He is mostly found wanted when bowled at the pads or while facing short stuff.Once again, he fell to a short ball from Mithun,trying to pull it.Mithun looks a very good prospect, provided he continues to work and improve.India got a couple of wickets and finally, the turmoil ended (Talking about fans more than the players!)

One has to talk about Mahendra Singh Dhoni.This is what he had to say about his medium pacers "But still they were up there when it came to pace. They were bowling at decent pace."Dunno who he was really talking about! Indians hardly touch the 140 kmph mark and if Dhoni really feels they bowled quick, he needs to be woken up!
"It's not the first time we are playing a Test match or a series where we haven't been able to get the batsmen out. So I don't think it's a big worry." Well, i dunno what bigger worry he has to neglect this. To be fair to Dhoni, it is not in his capacity to produce fast bowlers for India! Its the system that is flawed and needs to be corrected.Dhoni was spot on in mentioning, though indirectly, that his bowlers needed to bowl slower balls and bouncers more regularly and that India lacked a spectrum of bowlers to choose from.Dhoni should just get a little more aggressive while giving his speech!Perhaps, he is afraid of recieving a reprimendation from the board just as Gambhir recieved it during the IPL!

On a serious note,one wonders why to watch the game of cricket in the world of football and tennis after seeing such a dull match! You hardly find a dismal moment in the other games due to the surface they are played at.It is immensely wearisome to see a match such as this.In this modern era where T-20 is taking huge strides and has become an instant success among the fans, test cricket needs to be made more exciting by preparing better conditions.Such matches are hardly welcome or appreciated.ICC ought to look into the matter and act strictly.Sometimes,i wonder the role of ICC! What major steps has it taken to improve the standard of cricket??Wonder what Paul, the Octopus would have predicted for this match!!Thankfully, he is involved only in football and for his own good, has nothing to do with such cricket.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

IND-SRI TEST SERIES - FIRST TEST



DAY - 1


Finally, it was cricket time after all the hype of Muralidaran's retirement surrounding this test match.Sri Lanka will feel content and happy after their incredible batting performance on the opening day.Sangakkara, rightly, decided to bat first on a pitch which has always been partial against chasing teams.Indian medium pacers were expected to exploit the moist conditions and make early inroads. Ishant Sharma ,who opened the attack for India, was despondent and infuriating.Barring a couple of deliveries, he presented the Sri Lankan batsmen with gifts they willingly accepted.He simply bowled rubbish and his no ball problem must be giving the Indian captain a headache.Ishant should still feel lucky to return with an economy rate of 5.64 at the end of day's play as the situation could have been far shoddier had Dilshan, who looked to be off color, capitalized on the garbage he had to offer.

In stark contrast to his senior partner, debutant Abhimanyu Mithun bowled superb line and lengths.Neither does he has the accuracy of Glenn Mc Grath nor the speeds of Brett Lee or Shane Bond, but he bowled a nagging line that gave Paranavitana plenty to think about.He got Dilshan with a splendid bouncer that surprised Dilshan completely.But Indians failed to make the most of the break as their was no support from the other end.With Harbhajan suffering from an injury that hassled him throughout the day, Sri Lankans kept the Indian bowling completely at bay.Pragyan Ojha was ordinary as usual and was negated by the Sri Lankan batsmen with the utmost ease.He hardly looked threatening and consistently offered freebies to the batsmen.

In the absence of a genuine all-rounder and Harbhajan struggling for fitness , India had to depend on the likes of Sehwag and Yuvraj.Sehwag was given the bowl and was extremely lucky to get the wicket of a settled and ominous looking Sangakkara.The bowl was one of the worst he delivered today and Sangakkara failed to deposit it over the ropes.Paranavitana was beaten quite a few times and didn't look to be at ease throughout his innings.He had a century to his name by the end of the day but it certainly was not one of the best.On the other hand, Sangakkara looked comforable and played a fantastic knock, though he was given a second life by Dhoni, who spilled an easy chance off Sehwag's bowling.With Jayawardene, who has proved to be India's nemesis more often than not, at the crease and Samaraweera and Mathews to follow, Sri anka shall be eying a total in excess of 500, provided the weather does not play the spoilsport as it did today.This match certainly seems to be headed for a draw or a possible Sri Lankan victory as Indian bowling seems incapable of getting 20 Sri Lankan wickets.The pitch is looking beautiful to bat on and India seem to be having a long second day on the field unless something miraculous is in store for us.Weather permitting the entire match to be played,for now,the wish of the Sri Lankan cricket fans to bid Murali a grand farewell by winning this test match is certainly on.

DAY - 2

Weather made its presence felt as the complete day's play was washed out.Hopes for a result have been diminished further and the match seems to be headed for a tame draw.Sri Lankans, Muralidaran in particular, shall have there fingers crossed, hoping for sunshine tomorrow.Indian batsmen, on the other hand, will breathe more freely as the pressure, if any, to save the test match should be off now.


DAY - 3 (SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN THE UPDATE FOLKS!! TECHNICAL ISSUES)

After a grim second day, the sun shone down at the Galle as the battle between the asian cricketing giants resumed.First ball of the day from Mithun to Paranavitana gave an indication that great application shall be needed from batsmen to stay at the wicket.The biggest relief for the Indian team shall be to see Ishant back in some form.Though the conditions were certainly favoring the bowlers,yet Ishant bowled with a venom unseen in the recent past.He was stupendous with his lines and lengths and bowled regularly in the corridor of uncertainity, a line that gave Ricky Ponting some sleepless nights.Mithun looks to be a good bowler, the inswinger being his stock ball.It remains to be seen how long he can continue with the good work.He needs to improve on his consistency with line and length.Rahul Dravid, one of the best slip fielder ever the game has seen, dropped a regulation catch off Mithun's bowling, though it hardly proved costly.There have certainly been a few instances in the recent past where Dravid has made a mess of simple offerings and he would certainly know that.Dhoni removed the fast bowlers just when they were looking menacing but it was a good decision as the new ball was due soon and India,sans the luxury (perhaps,a necessity in the modern game) of a fast bowling allrounder, had to give rest to the two pacers.Harbhajan looked far more comfortable and reassuring than he looked on the first day. He slowed things down beautifully, tossing the ball up and inticing the batsmen regularly.Ojha is ceratinly not a test bowler.He is simply unable to hassle the batsmen and looks completely ordinary.Murali Kartik, who has been doing well in county, may well be a better option.

A rare mistake, one which may have a huge impact in the eventual outcome of the game, was made by Dhoni after lunch by not introducing an in form Ishant straight away.He brought him back just for one over and then Ojha was given the bowl, which was poor on Dhoni's behalf.Jayawardene, the keeper, hardly looks capable to play test cricket.He is impatient against the spinners and looks commonplace against fast bowling. To be fair to him, Sri Lanka might have been looking for quick runs, hoping for a result in their favor and hence,he went after the bowling.Herath and Malinga were certainly not in the mood to fiddle around for sure.They took the attack to the Indian bowlers.Indians should consider themselves unfortunate not to get these two out early as there were many plays and misses along with a few edges and might have dearly missed Kumble,who was known to run through the tail quickly.For Sri Lanka, the duo proved to be lucky as Sri Lankans needed quick runs and thats exactly what they got.Herath did play some brilliant shots on the dollies Ojha and Sehwag had to offer him.Thankfully,Dhoni removed Ojha from the other, a move that resulted in immediate results.

Great sportsman spirit was shown by the Indians, who formed a guard of honour for Murali as he came out to bat.Unlike Glenn McGrath, who improved his batting at the fag end of his career, Murali showed he had hardly tried to weild the handle as once again, his own style of batting was on display.Sangakkara should have declared earlier considering the weather, giving his bowlers more time to get the famous Indian batting line up in a spot of bother.He decided to play it safe, perhaps too safe, and the onus was on the Indian batsmen to end the game with a comfortable draw.This was not to be the case as they decided to give viewers their money's worth by making the game more interesting than it was expected to be.Gambhir fell to a shot he plays extremely well and might consider himself unlucky.Rahul Dravid looked to be at his defensive best.But, just like his slip fielding, his running judgement seems to have cheated him.There have been far more incidences of him being involved in run-outs recently, something he is expected to work on.
The second biggest positive for India, after Ishant's form, was the restraint and application Sehwag showed at the crease.Given his patience levels,it was nice to see fewer blood rushes and more diligence from him.He saw through the hostile Malinga, who was exceptional,fast,furious,intimidating and at his menacing best to say the least.Sangakkara made his presence felt as he introduced Herath ahead of Muralidaran, though the former did not disappoint, and removed Malinga from the attack.Sehwag and Sachin looked to dominate Muralidaran once he was on, which is an excellent ploy against Murali under normal circumstances but given the situation and the history of the pitch, a bit more discreet shot selection was required.Tendulkar fell for this and this left India in a precarious position.
Laxman was beaten quite a few times by Murali and the onus shall be on him,Sehwag and Dhoni to avoid the follow on.

DAY - 4


Sangakkara was back at his captaincy best from the word go!Opening with Mathews and Welegedera is logical only in Sangakkara's book.Then, he started mixing the bowlers as if to count how many support bowlers he had to Malinga and Muralidaran! Neither of the two premium bowlers started the proceedings which was inexplicable.And as if Sangakkara wanted to completely stamp his authority on the match, he introduced Dilshan ahead of Muralidaran!The bowling changes were such it looked like Sangakkara had a problem remembering the guy bowling at the other end!He should certainly be thankful to his lucky stars as Sehwag was very unfortunate to be out off a poor delivery from Welegedera, who has done nothing worth in this match to earn a wicket. Under the circumstances, better shot selection was expected off Laxman, who left India stranded in the middle.Yuvraj played his shots irrespective of the situation and that how he has been playing test cricket barring a couple of good, patient knocks.Atleast having someone like Rohit Sharma, who is sound technically (though suffers from the habit of gifting his wicket away to lazy shots) instead of a Suresh Raina or a Yuvraj, who is struggling for form and fitness,would have made more sense.

To Sangakkara's credit, he remembered Murali was in the team and finally,decided to give him the bowl!Muralidaran bowled short stuff regularly but took the vital wicket of Dhoni with a beautiful delivery.Yuvraj was also done in by Murali who then bamboozled the tailenders.Harbhajan needs to reset his ambitions.It was a poor and grotesque shot under the circumstances for someone dreaming of a test hundred.If he plays like this,he has a long way to go before he realizes this dream.The Indian innings folded in mere 65 overs and a better performance was expected in the second innings.

Gautam Gambhir,known to perform under such situations, failed to deliver this time around.He fell to an unnecessary prod outside off stump and has certainly lost his touch of previous year.Sangakkara was adamant to make an impact to the game as he continued with Welegedera and his rubbish stuff.He introduced Herath instead of Welegedera only to bring him back from the other end, removing Malinga!Malinga was majestic in his performance and only one word could strike your mind while watching him- Wow!He bowled with purpose,giving his all,was a delight to watch and luckily for Sehwag,got him off a no ball.Sehwag exhibited better shot selection by his hugely high standards, though, he once again fell to Welegedera playing a shot away from his body with Jayawardene pulling off a brilliant catch.The first thing that struck you when Muralidaran was introduced into the attack was the number of overs bowled.In both the innings,Muralidaran was introduced just after the 16th over,which leads to a speculation of Sangakkara or Muralidaran being superstitious.
Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar-The two names,already written in golden letters in the Indian cricket history,were once again,in the middle trying to save the match for their country.Dravid,arguably the best No.3 test batsmen ever, was as strong as a fort.His defence was as good as ever seen and his concentration and patience levels are a lesson for youngsters.Both the legends,who define the essence of test cricket and have a penchant to enchant viewers with their imperial batting , were at their best and a joy to watch.Such sites shall certainly be missed in the coming days.They negated Muralidaran extremely well and were hardly beaten in thier innings.On the way,Dravid became the holder of a unique record of having faced more balls than anyone in test cricket!Also, he became the second(first technically correct!)batsman to reach the 9000 runs mark at No.3 position in test cricket.The battle between the three cricketers,holders of all significant test records barring Bradman's average, was fascinating to watch.

Sangakkara returned to offer more,if he possibly could!He had only two catching men to Dravid off Murali.With India under fire and the batsmen looking to play out time,he should certainly have attacked more.Matthews started the proceedings after tea which was a shame.Perhaps Malinga was not living upto his captain's expectations of giving his 100% as he gave a 110!!Matthews was persisted with and Muralidaran was removed from the other end to introduce Dilshan!What seems to Sangakkara a great move is opposition captain's delight! Then,if he could possibly dish out more,he continued with Dilshan at one end,bringing in Herath at the other.To keep Malinga out of attack for so long was a big mistake.

The move of the day and perhaps of the match by Sangakkara to bring Malinga on produced immediate results.Malinga was outstanding and hostile.His performance has been unbelievable throughout this test match.He got both the big guns to give Sri Lanka a huge advantage at the end of day's play.Laxman has failed to read Muraidaran throughout this match.Yuvraj was once again done in by Murali.He has certainly harnessed his talents lesser to play well against the likes of Murali consistently.It shall certainly require a very very special(VVS) effort from India to save this test match.The onus,now, is on Laxman and Dhoni,an obscure combination!Whereas Laxman is an artist with the bat, his elegance and classical batting a treat to watch, Dhoni is someone who does not believe in the text book style of batting and yet is highly effective.India shall certainly be hoping for rain to interrupt play while Sri Lankan fans shall be optimistic of a victory and back Muralidaran to take a couple of wickets.

DAY - 5

India started the last day starring down at defeat and hoping against hope for a miraculous performance by their skipper and VVS Laxman.Sangakkara, thankfully, attacked right from the word go and introduced Malinga first up.Malinga continued his menacing ways and the match was as good as over,weather permitting,when he got Dhoni in his very first over.Harbhajan was,once again, a big disappointment as far as his batting is concerned.A test match is like a fermented food product; one has to wait before the efforts result in a delicious delicacy!
Getting runs was as significant as staying at the crease but the shot selection Harbhajan displayed against Muralidaran was simply abominable to say the least.As expected, he became Murali's 799th victim.Sometimes,cricket seems to be the least understood game by none other than cricketers themselves!!VVS Laxman, a player who shall be remembered for his artistry and elegance, took a single off the first ball of 65th over,leaving the difficult task of facing Malinga to Mithun.Mithun just about survived and Sangakkara offered India with some relief as he took Malinga out of the attack,perhaps,to make it easier for Murali to reach the 800 wickets landmark and hence, was for once,justified given the strong condition Sri Lanka were in.

Laxman continued to bat mindlessly as singles were taken regularly between the first three bowls and hardly any of the last delivery by him.Mithun did exceedingly well to play out Muralidaran, though he did take some risks.For some time, Laxman looked to be the tailender as Mithun took most of the strike, especially to Murali!He looks to be a fine option to be considered as a bowling all-rounder, provided he contionusly works at mantaining and improving his bowling and patience standards.Finally, India faced the results of Laxman's brainless batting as he exposed Mithun to Malinga as he could just face one delivery or perhaps, missile!
Laxman continued his voyage to make this match historic by giving Muralidaran ample chances to get his 8ooth wicket,now exposing Ishant to the old warhorse.Perhaps,the team management or the skipper could have sent in a message so as to remind Laxman of his prowess as a batsman.Sangakkara was also obdurate on leaving no stone unturned to stretch this match as long as possible as having a long on to Ishant Sharma suggests.Also,in his eyes,Malinga is not capable of bowling more than four overs at a strecth! Welegedera was handed the bowl after lunch to fecilitate Murali at the other end to find that one more delivery fatal for the batsman.


Even after lunch, Laxman continued to take singles of the first ball of the over which shows the lack of apllication on his part and the lack of interest in the game on part of the coach and the skipper.After all,what are coaches for?? Kirsten should have talked about this with Laxman and perhaps,Dhoni and the senior members like Sachin or Dravid too could have a word with him.
On the other end,Sangakkara continued to puzzle the pundits by just having two close in fielders while Ishant was on strike facing Muralidaran.Wasn't Mainga not given a bowl to help Murali reach the historic landmark?Ah!Sangakkara is in a league of his own.I am sorry to say this but finally,Laxman "the tailender" got run out and most inexplicably,Malinga was introduced into the attack as if Sangakkara wanted to show his commitment to the team's cause after a whole day of favoring Muralidaran.Malinga continued to bowl with venom.Professionally speaking,thats the way to go but morally speaking and considering the situation,Welegedera could have continued from the other end.After all, throughout the morning,Malinga was hardly given a substantial spell.Sangakkara hardly seizes to amaze and once again, nonsensically and illogically, he removed Malinga after just one over.And even more bizzare was still having just two fielders round the bat,even when Murali was bowling! And as if to show his class as a captain, he had three close infielders for Ojha! Oh dear!Well, no more of Sangakkara rubbish shall be mentioned now folks!!Ishant Sharma looks a far better blocker than a bowler these days.If he can mantain some consistency in his bowling, he can prove to be one of the best blockers alongside Hoggard and Gillispie.

Finally,the wait was over.It was,perhaps,the most dramatic ending after Bradman's and one which ended on a positive note.Muralidaran got the 800th wicket, the last wicket of the Indian innings!Personally, i have never been a great fan of Muralidaran.Perhaps, it was for his good and generous attitude and his mental strength to be able to face all the controversies about his action and move on with a smile on his face more than his cricket that fate destined such a dramatic and happy ending to his test career, signalling to the like of Ponting(who is ridiculously compared to Sachin Tendulkar) that humans with a positive frame of mind shall always have a upper hand.

Sri Lanka made short work of the chase, the highlight being the unintentional hit Harper recieved at square leg from Dilshan! Ishant failed to impress and really needs to work on his no ball problem and Brett Lee would not be a bad person to talk to and take advice from.He also needs to work on his consistency just like Mithun.It was all too easy in the end for Sri Lanka, who drubbed India by a dominant and comprehensive ten wicket win even in a rain hit match.The most disappointing aspect from India's point of view was Harbhajan's performance, even though he had fitness issues.India will take heart from the fact that the tail showed some resistance in batting,though they really need to work on their bowling as such!As for Sri Lanka,it was a fairytale ending for their hero and idol,Muralidaran.Its time for them to celebrate, to salute the one guy who made most of their victories possible and to savour the moment.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

IND-SRI TEST SERIES - PRACTICE MATCH


DAY 1 -

Once again, the level of Indian cricket or perhaps, the lack of it, has been exposed.In the absence of Zaheer Khan, who has
proved to be the backbone of Indian fast bowling in test cricket and the erratic and wired Sreesanth, India find themselves in the familiar position of being dependent on batting and batting alone to rescue them. Ishant Sharma has shown how well he has utilized the break from international cricket. He delivered ten no balls in the practice game against Sri Lanka Board President's XI.His no ball problem seems to be indefatigable and seizes to elude him.Amit Mishra had a golden opportunity to prove his worth in test cricket and make a statement.Instead, he chose to take things lightly and went on to deliver eleven no balls which is delinquent, especially for a spinner.Pragyan Ojha was far too expensive for the team's liking.For giving someone a chance who was consistently inconsistent and at times, did not make it to his IPL team playing eleven this season, selectors deserve some special appreciation! Munaf Patel is a person who seems least interested in discipline or for that matter, cricket itself.It may be argued that he has come as a replacement for the injured Sreesanth. This just shows the lack of reserves or bench strength in the bowling department.Sans Zaheer, India have struggled to find a consistent fast bowler (oops! medium pacer) at the test level after Javagal Srinath.

Sri Lankan batsmen,sans Sangakkara and Jayawardene, made a mockery of Indian bowlers,amassing more than 400 runs in one day.Batsmen like Thirimanne and Kandamby sent a strong signal to their selectors,making the most of the occasion.Its time,once again,for the batsmen to come good and redeem some pride of the current world's number one test cricket team.

DAY 2 -

For a change, Indian batsmen decided to play the role of our bowlers, just to see how it feels like! Sehwag continues to play the only way he knows. Practice matches are a time when you have the opportunity to try out the untested. He should learn to spend some time at the wicket for times when the team needs to save a test match or has to see through a tough spell of swing bowling. Going bang bang is the way to go in the main matches under normal circumstances if you have legends like Dravid,Sachin and Laxman to follow but as an opener, Sehwag must learn to stay quiet at the wicket, say for the first ten overs,when the going gets tough. The hottest example of this at present is the victory of Spain at world cup.Controlled aggression is what pays else the world cup would have belonged to Brazil or Argentina!

Gautam Gambhir is far from finding his form. The Sri-Lankan team wanted to see more of him, dropping him three times, an unusual affair, but he was not in a mood to please them!Dravid was batting after a long lay off from international cricket and given his class and reputation, he is expected to be back in the groove soon. In his glittering career, Sachin has been incorrectly given out leg before wicket innumerable times.Ironically, he has expressed his displeasure at the challenge system, that works so effectively in the game of tennis.Yuvraj Singh played the rear guard action and notched up a scintillating century.He was positive right from the word go, taking on the spinners, including Mendis.Still, his capacity to stay at the wicket when required to do so should be under scrutiny as it would have been a big blow to his chances of cementing a place at No.6 in test side had he got out trying to hit one of the bowlers out of the park.Dhoni decided he wanted some more rest before taking on the responsibilities and went out cheaply.In case the follow-on is enforced,the onus shall be on the Indian batsmen to perform and return to their usual role.

DAY 3 -

The decision by Sri Lanka Board President's XI not to enforce the follow on and bat on the third and last day of the practice match was a very good move, both strategically as well as professionally.This decision not only denied the Indian batsmen to get back into their rhythm but also provided Sri Lankans an opportunity to see how well their batsmen perform when needed to score quick runs in the second innings to put the opposition under greater hassle.Thirimanne made the most of the occasion and made a strong statement to the selectors.The situation has just got tougher for the Sri Lankan selectors as their are too many passengers wanting to board the same train! There exists a healthy competition among the players and such situations are a captain's delight.Chandimal was given a well earned promotion and he failed to disappoint.He really looks a very good prospect for Sri Lanka and seems to be apt to take over from Sangakkara when the time comes.Samaraweera and Kandamby are two highly rated players in Sri Lankan cricket but are yet to prove their credentials at the top level.

For India, Amit Mishra deserves a special mention.Eleven no balls in the first innings and six in the second, this is a performance you do not expect from a kid playing gully cricket, let alone an international spin bowler.His performance was horrible and if Harbhajan continues to be unfit and unavailable for the first test match, playing Abhimanyu Mithun or an extra batsman won't be a bad option.Indian cricketers like Yusuf, Parthiv and Irfan shall do themselves no harm by lowering their voracity for money and ignoring the media attention.These players find time to attend various shows, participate even in television serials, let alone the advertisements. Perhaps, a couple of seasons in IPL are enough to bring them ample money and hence, the desire to play for their country might be fading away.Cricketers like Yuvraj,Irfan, Ishant, Sreesanth,Utthappa,Mishra,Yusuf and Raina have allowed weeds to grow in their garden of talent and skill.Let's hope our beloved legends (Dravid,Sachin and Laxman) find their form so that all cricket fans enjoy what is real cricket! :P