Wanted: Comprehension and Bowlers for one dayers

It is often said that there are some moments in history that are never forgotten. If you ask Americans of yore, they will always say that they will remember exactly what they were doing when they heard that President Kennedy was shot. The modern equivalent might be when they heard about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Analogous to this in the cricketing era might be the massacre of bowlers that took place in Johannesburg this past weekend.

In what is now being referred to the greatest game in modern cricketing era, South Africa chased down a world record score of 434 made by the Australians and in turn posted a new record of 438/9 with one ball to spare. Never had a team scored that many runs in a limited overs match. And for it to happen twice in a day has to beg a few questions.

How do you prepare to chase down such a score when no one hasnt scored that many? What were the bowlers doing? What was the pitch doing? Was there any seam on the ball? Would this have happened if McGrath and Pollock would have played? I mean it is totally mind blogging. It has been two days since. I have read almost all the reports there are and still cannot fathom how it happened. Posting a score of 434 can be comprehended after a few shots of a Russian's favorite clear drink but someone chasing down that score (you will have to pause a little here since I sat here with nothing coming to me... I think I will leave it at that)......

Well when I heard about the Australian score I was watching the India-England 2nd test match with Fatass, Razaa and Venky. We guffawed and assumed the foregone conclusion and continued watching Kumble doing what he does best. Next morning while dropping Razaa at his place without knowing what was transpiring, I commented that it was good for Indian cricket since SA would lose ICC ODI points. I was working when Nishant called to give me the news. I dutifully passed on this to Cartman much later. It is two days since and still anyone we meet remotely interested in cricket starts a conversation with "How about the Australia-South Africa game?" and it leaves me dumbfounded.

Is this the new precedence in cricket? When ODIs started with 60 over games, scores of 200 + were considered winning totals, nowadays 300 + scores are chased down with extreme ease. Are 400 + the next phenomenon? Why would anyone want to bowl if that becomes the case? What would be the motivation but to stay out of the record books as not being the most expensive bowler. There was a cartoon supposedly in one of the newspapers calling for the formation of SPCB - Society for Prevention of Cruelty against Bowlers. I hope this was a freak game and let's happily go back to our 300 + games. Thanks but I must be getting old and cannot handle this much excitement.

Flashing bulbs

It has been a while since I saw cartoons of old. Sure I watch animations like Southpark and Family Guy but it has been a while I caught Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes. I was reminded of it when I read about yet another innovative internet idea to earn shit loads of money starting with absolutely nothing. Like a flash bulb lighting up in one of those cartoons. With blogging and huge amounts of space on the web, one can launch these ideas for peanuts.

I am sure a lot of you must have heard about the Million Dollar Homepage idea. Someone started a page and sold a million spots of 100x100 pixels for $1 each. With links to the ads and the mouth of word publicity, people bought the pixels since they were sure to get advertisement and hits for $1 investment. The person sold out the million spots making a million bux to help pay off his student loans.

Another one I came across while reading Hindustan Times recently is of a person who is using the idea of a childhood game where you start with one item and exchange it with friends to end up with something that you want. Well his plan is to start with one red paper clip and trade up to eventually end up with a house. His progression so far... red paper clip... fish pen...door knob....bbq grill....diesel generator....keg and neon sign....snowmobile...trip to Yahk, BC, Canada...van....recording contract.

Finally someone is using the internet to promote innovative ideas besides its obvious use... porn.

"Gentlemen, let's play!"

Finally a test match to watch. Cricket in its purest form. The old test matches played in England would start on Thursdays to ensure that the 3rd day would be played on a Saturday when people could come watch the most interesting day of play, a day that would make or break the test match. There would then be an off day on Sunday (being the lord's day). The first test match between England and India (both of whom are contending to be the second best team in test match cricket) is posed at an interesting point entering the third day's play.

With injuries plaguing the visitors it was expected that they would roll over to the dominance of the Indians on their home pitches. Flintoff being the lone player who has plaed in India before for the current English team, the spinning tandem of Kumble and Bhajji were supposed to bamboozle the english batsmen. The pitch at VCA, Nagpur after getting flak for the loss against Australia in the opening test match of previous series was laid out as per instructions...brown and crumbly. But a great knock by Collingwood played around with the tailenders that the analysts said would make Glenn McGrath look like Garry Sobers saw them post a respectable score after being in the hole. The fact that the Indian bowlers helped them by not bowling to a plan should not take away from the way in which Collingwood protected the tail to some extent and upped the scoring with innovative shots. More important than the 393 runs scored was the number of overs they occupied and it could be a telling factor in them salvaging a draw and scoring a few confidence points to take away to the second test. India's only hope of winning this match is to bat through the 3rd day and score a huge total and hope that the script of a spin win will ensue. But here too a cat and mouse game is being played. On a pitch which is slow and bounce becoming low, playing shots is not easy. Still the 2nd and 3rd day pitch will be good to bat on and understanding this, Flintoff in his first stint as captain has proved to be a smart one. Once Dravid and Jaffer had settled on this pitch and the ball was not doing anything, he started playing on their patience by placing a defensive field to defensive bowling. Sehwag having gotten out before getting his eye in helped the cause by not being there. Slowing down India's scoring would ensure their first aim of drawing the match. I am sure that if they get wickets, they will immediately apply pressure. Still the patience of Dravid (which can be assumed) and Jaffer (which will stand him in good stead) has ensured that the Indians carried on. I wonder if Gambhir as the opener would have stuck around to this game plan? With the pitch starting to liven up to play its predicted tricks, it sure will be a great days play to watch.

With the scale of one dayers increasing, 20-20 on the horizon, the game becoming a bowler's nightmare I was afraid that we might lose the charm of the one team sport that requires skill, patience, adaptability and determination to win. The impact of one dayers can be seen clearly on the test matches in the recent past. With great hitters of the ball whom one cannot afford to miss out on the test arena, hardly is a test match now been played on pure grit determination. Scoring rates have shot up with teams scoring close to 400 runs in a day's play. Massive first innings totals on flat pitches either taking the other team out of play or leading to a massive reply. Green wickets with not much application by the one day hitters shown leading to games being finished off in 3 days or less with scores not reaching the one day levels.

A few tests now stand out in which players, analysts, true connoiseurs of the game applaud the spirit of the game. One game in the recent past that comes to mind is the Australia-South Africa 1st test match from the 2005-2006 series. A gritty batting performance by Rudolph and Kemp on a final day pitch at Perth saw the Proteans salvage a draw after being asked to chase a mammoth final innings score on Hodge's double century. The fact that the match was a draw might lead people to think it was a drab match while in fact it was pure thrill until the last ball was bowled. Warnie threw everything in the match bowling 47 overs in the second innings but the batsmen played it out. People still applaud Sachin's innings in a losing effort against Pakistan in the 1st test match at Chennai. He batted through a sore back and sigle handedly chased down the score with no other batsman showing up for the game. His determination was applauded by all pundits.

After the recent run fest in Pakistan, this test match has been a breath of fresh air. I had expected the game to be over by 4th day but watching the determination of this English team, tactics and mind games, I predict that a lot more is to be written on this test match. I hope we are treated to a peach of a game lasting a full five days. After all we have invested a lot in the dish package and would like to get our money's worth.