World Cup - 2nd Quarter-Final: The Victory Moment

Sometimes a picture says it all.

A bit of photoshopping and an image which sums it all up.

P.S. India and Yuvraj won. Australia lost but Ponting certainly had not been beaten.

World Cup Thoughts - March 24th

Its been a couple of hours since the match ended but the sense of euphoria is still preventing any sleep. Was a nervous day but I successfully stayed in front of the TV throughout the Indian chase, thus proving that I can handle some pressure (:P). At work, it was a tense few hours waiting for the match itself to begin. And office itself was caught up in cricket fever. Even the daily "Thought for the Day" mail carried SRT's picture. Now on to the game itself.

• Ricky Ponting has been facing some tough times as a player. Today he played the perfect innings to build the Aussie innings almost single handedly. The perfect World  Cup swansong for Ricky Ponting, the batsman. Didn't like seeing him booed by the crowd though.
• Yuvraj Singh has had his place questioned in the team before the Cup began. Now after his 4th man of the Match winning performance, can anybody raise such a question? Seems to have already booked the Player of the Tournament award for his all round display (no pun intended).
• Watching Raina play the pull shot to Tait & Lee felt real  good. An inspired selection to say the least. Played his part in a calm finish after the madness of Gambhir's runout and Kohli's dismissal.
• Is there anything that Zaheer can't do with the ball now? Mike Hussey is the  latest victim of a Zaheer return spell special.
• We are still one bowler short. And well of course, what has happened to Dhoni's batting?
• And finally to Brett Lee for all the commitment on the field. Can't even imgaine our bowlers dive around in the field like that. Was this the las time we have seen Lee in action on the international stage?

Now, awaiting the semi-final clash in Mohali against Pakistan. Wondering (and hoping) if the government will just declare a national holiday on Wednesday. 

P.S. The first 2 games turned out as per my predictions.

World Cup Quarter-final Predictions

Its Prediction Time

The quarter-final line-up has been finally settled. The matches in the league did not exactly fit into any pattern. But they did show that the unpredictable can happen in a matter of overs. New Zealand's 92 run blast in 4 overs against Pakistan, India's 29/9 collapse against South Africa or West Indies fading away against England. All showed that games can turn around in a matter of few balls. There are enough players who can take the game away from any opposition at any time. Someone like Zaheer Khan can turn it in just one magical ball (Andrew Strauss & Devon Smith will certainly vouch for this). All this just shows that predicting the winners on a given day isn't an easy task. So here are my predictions for the 4 Quarter-Finals.

QF1 - Pakistan vs West Indies

Predicting a Pakistan game is like predicting the unpredictable. On the plus side, they have a well rounded bowling attack with all kinds of bowlers available to them and a deep batting lineup with Razzaq coming in at No. 8. On the minus, they have Kamran Akmal behind the stumps (enough said). Add general pathetic fielding and a top order which does not provide any confidence. Against them are the West Indies, who have collapsed from eminently winnable positions against England & India. Roach and Gayle can change the game on their own though.

Prediction - Pakistan should win. (or Kamran Akmal drops a catch of Gayle who the unleashes mayhem,  then any result can happen)

QF2 - India vs Australia

Australia are the enemy No. 1 in the eyes of the Indian cricket fan. They have a real FAST bowling attack and Shane Watson. Apart from that they have Ponting's tantrums and a hopeless spin attack. India on the other hand have a much vaunted batting lineup, which tends to collapse after the 40th over, and Zaheer Khan.  India have done every thing they could to make sure that they are not considered as favorites by anyone. But they are still the bookies favored ones to win the Cup. 

Prediction - India to win. (I am an Indian, what else would I say?)

QF3 - New Zealand vs South Africa

Seemingly the easiest of the lot to predict. South Africa to stroll to a win. They have better batsman, better fast bowlers, and surprisingly even better spinners than New Zealand. But this is a knock out stage and they have a tendency to, umm... choke (:P) (On the other hand they might have taken care of that choke against England). And if something like 92 runs in 4 overs happens, then who knows.

Prediction - South Africa

QF4 - Sri Lanka vs England

Sri Lanka playing in Sri Lanka. They should win.  But they are up against England who have proved to be the real jokers of the tournament. Had 6 close games when quite a few others barely had 1. The teams they lost to did not qualify for the knock-out while having an unbeaten record against those which did. And they have provided 6 entertaining games on the trot. 

Prediction - Sri Lanka (though want England to win for the sheer entertainment they have provided)

Disclaimer: I am no octopus, just a mere mortal human being. So I could be wrong :)

World Cup Thoughts - March 20th

Finally the league matches come to an end. But in the end it can be said that they were not as bad as had been expected. Coming to today's matches.

• Wondering if this is the last time we are seeing Kenya on the big stage. They certainly look on the decline. And the worst of all the Associates which have turned up. Not a single performance can be said to be memorable. Sad state of affairs really.
• Goodbye to Steve Tikolo. One of the greatest batsman from an Associate country. This was a World cup too many for him. But he had a long and good innings.
• Unlike Kenya, Zimbabwe seem to be back on track. They are returning to Tests later this year. Won comfortably against Canada & Kenya and lost easily to the big boys.
• A Test series between Zimbabwe and Ireland would be an interesting idea. Would give Ireland test status and help Zimbabwe ease back into playing Test cricket. But I am sure ICC would have none of such "progressive thinking".
• Zaheer Khan after the West Indies game said: "As a bowling unit, I think I am doing well". Was probably unintentional but said the truth about the state of the Indian bowling. A one man bowling attack, with support in the form of Yuvraj Singh. And this team might go on to win the World Cup.
• India collapsed again at the end (though as Dhoni said 51/7 is certainly an improvement from 29/9). But West Indies out-collapsed them.
• Darren Bravo definitely reminds of a certain Brian Charles Lara. Should achieve great things.
• Sachin Tendulkar walked off today though the umpire had signaled not out (Aside, Should that be considered as dissent?). Ricky Ponting yesterday did not walk off though he knew he had nicked it and waited for the review. Both right in their own regard. But nothing can stop us Indians gloating and taking the moral high ground.
• West Indies have a selection headache in picking between in-form Roach and Rampaul. On the other hand, India have to pick between out-of-form Nehra and Munaf. Unfair.
• All Quater-finals lined up. Now over to the business end of the tournament. 

World Cup Thoughts - March 19th

The penultimate day of the league stage action.

• Goodbye Bangladesh. To be honest you were a disappointment. You surprised everyone by winning against England (but that can be easily attributed to England being England). But the 2 crucial matches in which victory could have secured a quarter final berth, the batsmen simply froze. 58 against West Indies and 78 against South Africa were a collapse too many. Home support ultimately counted for nothing.
• South Africa beats Bangladesh and India, England, West Indies qualify for the quarter-finals. Pretty good example of the Butterfly effect.
• Finally it ends. Australia lose a world cup match after some 4139 days. Thats a long time. Last defeat also coming against Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup.
• Ponting and the Aussies are becoming grumpier by every passing game. Haddin involved in some unsavory incidents today.
• So its going to be a New Zealand-South Africa quarter-final. This is certainly going to break the sequence going on since 1992. Both South Africa and New Zealand have reached the semi-finals in the same world cup and lost there, or not qualified for the semis.
• Tomorrow's games lined up. Farewells to Zimbabwe and Kenya, and a QF slot finalising game for India and West Indies.

And wishing all readers a very Happy & Colourful Holi :)

World Cup Thoughts - March 18th Goodbye Ireland

Farewell Ireland & Netherlands. If the ICC sticks to its crazy idea of a 10 team cup in 2015, we might not see you in the next World Cup. But you certainly entertained.

• Ireland for the second consecutive World Cup put up a spirited show. Beat England and Netherlands, were in command at various stages against Bangladesh and West Indies, and certainly had India and South Africa in a bit of bother. Ireland became my second favorite team through the course of the cup.
• Farewell to Trent Johnston and his chicken dance. Don't think there have been more innovative ways to celebrate a wicket in cricket.
• Hoping to see a couple of Irish players in the IPL. The O'Brien brothers (Niall & Kevin), Paul Stirling, George Dockrell have serious talent. It would be sad though if they turn up in the next World Cup playing for England.
• Netherlands scared England but could not really fight it out with the other big boys. They did resemble a One-man army at most times. Ryan ten Doeschate (tendo in short, provided me quite a few points in the cricinfo fantasy league) came in with the highest batting average amongst all players. And certainly did not do those numbers any harm even playing against the big boys. Will certainly follow his performances in the IPL with interest.
• The other game of the day between Sri Lanka & New Zealand continued the trend of one sided matches in Group A with New Zealand beaten easily. 
• The tables are still a mess though with no idea of who is going to face who in the quarters.
• For tomorrow, Bangladesh have a chance to script their own destiny. They have beaten South Africa in the last World Cup and might as well do so again tomorrow.

World Cup Thoughts - March 17th

Straight into the bullet points today

• England are at it again. How do they manage to make every game exciting regardless of the opposition?
• After 6 games, all of which they could have won or lost, England are somewhere in the middle of the table. Not yet qualified but not yet out though.
• Most of the England players seem to have hair issues. Going by the number of nerve sapping games that they are having, no wonder.
• Moment of the Day - Trott's catch off Russel. England's Hope seemingly depended on if Trott's shirt was on the rope. I thought it was not. Simon Taufel seeing the same replays thought it was and gave it a six. He umpires in top level cricket, I do not. 
• Andre Russel did everything with the ball, on the field and with the bat, yet could not win it for West Indies.
• For sheer entertainment, England deserve some award not the cup itself.
• And for tomorrow, a battle for honor between Ireland & Netherlands and a placing match between Sri Lanka & New Zealand.
• Wondering why Sri Lanka is playing a game in Mumbai when they are co-hosting the Cup?

World Cup Thoughts - March 16th

After many many days of play we finally bid goodbye to our first team. While one more team dropped out of the race for the World Cup. 

• Ireland had the South Africans in trouble at one stage. But South Africa got away thanks to JP Duminy's 99 (who as per Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary missed out by 1 run on a well deserved century). 
• We bid farewell to Canada. Nothing was expected of them. But hey had a decent outing here. Beat Kenya and had Pakistan in trouble for a long time before letting them off the hook. Nothing else to write about in their performances.
• Also goodbye to John Davison, the oldest player in this tournament. A man who will always be remembered for that blistering century against the West Indies in the 2003 edition. And taking the catch to dismiss Ponting was a nice way to leave the world stage. The 40 year old also was part of the oddest opening combination with a 16 year old Nitish Kumar.
• Tomorrow is a "Do or Die" for England at least against the West Indies. Hopefully, if nothing else they will entertain.

10 Years of a Very Very Special Test

March 15th 2011 marks the 10th occasion of the greatest Indian Test victory of all time. Some other matches might have been landmarks in their own right, but none of them can compare to the 171 run victory over Australia in the Eden Gardens Test in 2001. Probably one of the greatest come from behind victories in all sport. India overturning  a near certain innings defeat against the seemingly invicble Aussies into a huge victory. Harbhajan's Singh's 13 wickets including the first ever Indian hat-trick, Rahul Dravid's magnificent 180 and over them both VVS Laxman's 281, the first and the most special of the many Very Very Special innings that he has come to conjure over the next decade. But above all that the Laxman-Dravid partnership has ensured that however grim the situation may look like, the Indian fan can still dare to hope. And for that the match will always remain VERY VERY SPECIAL.

World Cup Thoughts - March 14th

4 consecutive one-sided matches in a row. Someone somewhere has really goofed up with the scheduling. Here are some thoughts after that.

• Group A situation is clear. The minnows (Kenya, Canada & Zimbabwe) are out. The Big boys are through to the quarters. Only relative positioning to be decided. But given the murky situation in Group B, its still pure luck whom they draw in the Quarters.
• In Group B, Netherlands are out of contention, while all the other 6 are in line for a quarter final place as well as losing out on a berth. Almost every game will have a bearing. And England are the first ones to face a Do or Die situation against the West Indies. The permutations and combinations are covered pretty well here)
• Nothing much to write on about the cricketing action which went on.
• Collins Obuya's missed century reminded me of the century missed by Kennedy Otieno against the Aussies in the 1996 World Cup.
• Zimbabwe have a good fielding side, a good wicketkeeper batsman, a handy group of spinners. Batting and pace bowling still dodgy though.

Now to round off with a Kamran Akmal joke (his keeping was decent today though) 

A for Akmal, B for Ball, Ca for Catch, D for Drop (via a comment on cricinfo)

P.S. In other news, there is Jharkhand Premier League going on and it is being telecast live on Ten Cricket (Is the Indian viewers' appetite for cricket insatiable?)