Tag Archives: India

Book Report #1: Wounded Tiger

03 Sunday Dec 2017

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I had been looking for a new book for a while before I came across Wounded Tiger. My usual go-to reads are Dan Browns and Phillip Pullman novels. I love delving into an adventure with Robert Langdon and being absorbed by tales of mystery and secrets. For some reason however this time I felt the need for a change and followed my vacant clicks through Amazon in search for my next read.

Somehow I stumbled upon this book without realising it had been selected as Wisden’s Book of the Year 2015. The history of Pakistani cricket had always been of interest to me and somewhere along the way through these endless India v Sri Lanka matches I had dozed off. I had stopped watching games or following scores and it seemed like fate that I should come across this extraordinary tale to reignite my fire.

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I was born to bleed blue. There was no question about it and regardless of ones knowledge of partition or history, being Indian instantly means that you firstly love cricket and secondly support anyone BUT Pakistan. It had been drilled into me until that fabled (because I’m sure I’ve referred to it in over 5 of my previous blog posts) 2015 World Cup quarter-final between Australia and Pakistan where I somehow found myself unwittingly supporting Wahab Riaz and the men in green. I had gotten so emotionally invested that when Rahat Ali dropped Shane Watson on 6, I felt my heart sink. Apart from India, no other sports team had ever made me feel like their loss was my loss and this stuck with me for a while. It stayed with me and on July 17th 2016 I found myself once again in unwavering support of Pakistan on day 4 at Lords at the re-birth of Mohammed Amir. As Pakistan did their push-ups and salutes I once again found myself in awe of this incredibly dogged team.

It seems to me that somehow Pakistani cricket is destined to continue even if the world were to end. From a country younger than my parents, the team have survived a journey through terrorist attacks, match-fixing scandals, the mysterious death of coach Bob Woolmer, becoming nomads and countless accusations of ball-tampering and yet somehow have also produced some of the greatest players to grace the game. I needed to know how and why.

I have managed to ramble on for 400 words without once discussing the mastery of Peter Oborne’s book. I won’t give away the story, in fact this post can hardly be called a book report. My sole purpose for writing this is to try and make you read it. (You’re more than welcome to borrow my copy, but i’ll definitely be wanting it back).

I admit it was a challenging read for me. To digest the horrors of partition, it’s impact on both countries and the game and to try and comprehend the complexities of Pakistani cricket in it’s cultural and political context. I found it difficult to try and wrap my head around the extent to which external factors and deep-rooted prejudice and condescension has continually tried to keep cricket in Pakistan down, from the Rana-Gatting incident to the kidnapping of umpire Idris Baig by the touring MCC team.

However, Peter Oborne allowed me to travel with him on a journey not just through the history of cricket but a history of Pakistan through the lens of cricket. He narrated the stories of AH Kardar and Fazal Mahmood who helped shape not only the cricket team but the nation. He charted Pakistan’s first win in England and how it was orchestrated by a man who refused to let the political and social chaos of partition stop him from playing cricket. A man who could have been killed on a train were it not for the legendary Indian CK Nayudu who protected Fazal Mahmood from Hindu fanatics with his cricket bat.

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AH Kardar and Fazal Mahmood

It tells the story of how young boys were picked out of street games and thrown into an international team, of how Wasim Akram asked his captain how much money he would need to bring on tour not realising international cricketers were paid. It helps us comprehend an almost magical realism where a 12 year old plays first class cricket and a ball can be released at 100+ mph. The book wanders a bit in the middle but Wounded Tiger takes the story far beyond Imran Khan’s ‘cornered tigers’ and the heroics of the 1992 World Cup. It doesn’t just paint over the cracks or chisel out new ones, Wounded Tiger gives a full account of both glory and grievance of the team from their astounding victories to their bewildering defeats.

Wounded Tiger feels very unburdened given the extent to which Oborne covers an entire country’s past in under 600 pages. It intertwines fact with anecdotes to create a dynamic picture and continues to surprise and entice you to read just one more page. Oborne states that writing on Pakistan cricket “has sometimes fallen into the wrong hands . . . carried out by people who do not like Pakistan” and this book gives us a chance to revise how we see Pakistan through stories including that of the legendary Lala Amarnath who was born into a poor Hindu family in pre-partition Punjab and adopted by the Rana family who sponsored his cricket education in Lahore.

Unable to (with good reason) continue a straight narrative to cover such a vast history, Oborne adapts to a thematic approach to cover topics such as reverse swing, the emergence of women’s cricket, Shoaib Akhtar (aka the ‘rawalpindi express’), Misbah-ul-Haq and lastly Pakistan’s Age of Isolation. The post 9/11 era that has left Pakistan using homes from home.

This book covers it all, it delves into the introduction of the doosra, it covers the history, politics, war and geography of Pakistan, it exposes the opportunity costs of continued social ostracism from India and the terrorist attacks that have forced Pakistani cricket away from their rich and vibrant history and through a cast of heroes and villains allows us to try and better understand this nation under siege.

 

 

Cricket’s ‘extremists’.

07 Wednesday Oct 2015

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Every religion has a huge spectrum of followers. From those who associate themselves with a religion, to those who follow their teachings to a T. However it is only ever the extremists that get the attention. From the gang rapists in India, to the terrorists in Iraq and Syria. It may be far stretch to compare certain fans to terrorists, but to me, these people are the terrorists of my religion.

On Tuesday the 6th of October at the Cuttack stadium, the good name of Indian cricket was sullied by a group of Individuals. Individuals who had decided to take it into their own hands to try and alter the course of the game after India struck out for 92 in 18 overs. They had decided to throw bottles onto the field in protest of India’s poor performance. The first instance of bottle throwing occurred between innings. Luckily it had no impact on the game. That however is where it should have stopped. The fact that two more episodes occurred, one of which forced the players off the field just showed how poor security was at the stadium and how poor the crowd were. There was no love for cricket as a sport that day.

Were a football fan to throw anything onto the pitch they would be kicked out immediately. You wouldn’t even notice. However it took 50+ minutes and an entire stand evacuation before play could continue. Even those fans who had come just to appreciate the game were kicked out.

How can a team feel encouraged to go and play abroad when this is the response they get? South Africa were clinical. Albie Morkel bowled fantastically well but there was no appreciation for him. Instead he was greeted with a mob of angry Indians who were not happy their team had performed so poorly.

It was also a poor response from MS Dhoni in the press conferenceto downplay such behaviour. It may well have been that the crowd were just doing it for fun and it had nothing to do with the fact that India were losing (however unlikely), but it was completely not in the spirit of the game and extremely dangerous for the players

Hopefully the rest of the series will not carry the bitter taste of such behaviour, regardless of India’s performance. (I will however pray India find some form soon).

The 2015 World Cup: Review

12 Sunday Apr 2015

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Though the 2015 World Cup has come to a close, it will be remembered for a long time. It was a tournament of hope and belief. Ireland almost reached the knock-outs, South Africa broke their World Cup jinx and India burst through their summer slump with flying colours. It was also a tournament of tumbling records and unimaginable performances, from Kumar Sangakkara’s four consecutive tonnes to Martin Guptill’s incredible 237 against the West Indies.

Had the ICC removed the associate nations this year it would have been a very different tournament. Some of the most thrilling games were between the smaller nations. Turnout might not have been what it was at India v South Africa but for true cricketing fanatics they were some of the most exhilarating matches. Ireland and the UAE fought tooth and nail until the very end and Afghanistan’s Samiullah Shenwari rallied the lower order to beat Scotland by one wicket. Not only did the associates test each other, they challenged the top nations. Afghanistan gave Sri Lanka a run for their money and only a classy century from Mahela Jayawardena helped Sri Lanka pull through. Scotland gave New Zealand a big scare as they picked off seven wickets defending 142 and Ireland chased down a massive 304 against the West Indies. It was a huge step towards breaking down barriers between the test playing nations and the associate members.

The pinnacle of the group stage matches however was between the two host nations Australia and New Zealand. It was not about the chase. It was not about the batsmen. It was the bowlers that stole the show. Something all too rare in modern one day cricket. The entire match lasted the length of one innings. 80-1 was a great start for Australia but it was a collapse from there as the next eight wickets fell for 26 runs. Australia reached a mere total of 151 with Trent Boult picking off five wickets. However an astounding bowling performance from Mitchell Starc brought the game down to the last wicket.

This World Cup will be remembered for more than just nail-biting games. It will be remembered as the year of triumph for many teams. For Bangladesh it was beating England to make it to their first quarter-final. For South Africa it was winning their first knock-out game and for New Zealand it was making it to their first World Cup final. Bangladesh.

Though England had lost to Australia New Zealand and Sri Lanka, it was never expected that they would not qualify for the knock-outs. They had been going through a rough phase in all forms of cricket but in particular, ODI cricket. Eoin Morgan was only handed the captaincy just before the start of the tournament. However unlike Jason Holder who led the West Indies from the front, Morgan was unable to marshal his troops. Nevertheless Bangladesh deserve full credit for the win. They were a young a passionate team and they showed that heart and belief can breed dreams.

The quarter-finals brought out some phenomenal cricket. It was almost clear which teams would pull through the games but that didn’t make it in any way dull. Martin Guptill scored the highest individual score as he racked up 200+ runs alone within 50 overs. Wahab Riaz put on one of the most phenomenal bowling spells in history. It was possibly the most captivating 10 minutes of the World Cup until Rahat Ali dropped that pivotal catch.

The game of the tournament was not the final. The final was in fact it was a fairly anti-climactic end to the spectacular tournament as Australia bowled out New Zealand for 183 and chased it down with seven wickets to spare. It was the first semi-final that upstaged both the other semi-final the final itself. The game between New Zealand and South Africa reminded the world exactly why it loves cricket. It was an unbelievable performance with both teams pouring their hearts into the game. It was one of the most captivating games of cricket where the game went down to the second last ball of the final over. For cricket lovers there was a small hope for a Hunger Games finish where both teams could pull through together. However it was New Zealand with the help of Grant Elliot that made it through to their first final. It was a beautiful end to the game as Elliot gave a hand to help a broken Dale Steyn up off the ground.

Australia won the 2015 World Cup to make it their fifth ever title. They initially had a choppy start as their team changed on one too many occasions. However they pulled together as a unit just at the right time to beat Pakistan, thrash India and swoop in to claim the cup.

The Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of cricket

29 Sunday Mar 2015

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The semi finals of the World Cup 2015 showed the world both faces of cricket. The ugliest side and the most beautiful.

South Africa were facing New Zealand on the 24th of March in Auckland. Neither team had ever made it to a World Cup final and they were here facing each other in an attempt to make it their first. Both teams knew they could not both make it through to the finals and that this would be a fight to the last second. Considering the pressure on both teams to make it through to the finals, it was possibly the cleanest and purest game of cricket ever. It was also the most heart-breaking.

Both teams were coming into the semi-final from unbelievable wins. South Africa had smashed through Sri Lanka and beaten them with nine wickets in hand. New Zealand with an unbelievable performance from Martin Guptill had beaten the West Indies by 143 runs. South Africa were batting first at the Eden Park ground. They got off to a fairly slow start and Trent Boult who has been New Zealand’s key this tournament picked off the openers cheaply. Rilee Rossouw and Faf du Plessis slowly built back up. At 114 it was Corey Anderson who got the break through and removed Rossouw. Next in was AB de Villers. The man who could completely take the game away from New Zealand. It was a wonderful partnership from du Plessis and de Villiers. They ran well between the wicket and picked up the run rate. The two built up a 100 run partnership before the rain came to New Zealand’s aid. It wasn’t the first time rain had interfered with a South African World Cup knock-out game and it had never ended well for them especially when Duckworth-Lewis came into play. The game was reduced to 43 overs and South Africa needed to push on quickly with roughly six overs to go. Unfortunately du Plessis was removed almost immediately after play restarted and de Villiers found it hard to get going straight away. However David Miller came to their rescue as he smashed 49 off 18 balls and pushed South Africa up to 281.

Duckworth Lewis changed New Zealand’s target to 298 from 43 overs. It wasn’t an easy target but it was easier than the one South Africa were heading for before the rain. McCullum set off in true McCullum style, without any inhibitions he bludgeoned 59 from 26 off South Africa’s World Class fast bowlers. It was just the start that New Zealand needed to begin the chase. He brought down the required rate to a mere six per over. South Africa however continued to pick off wickets and pushed ahead. Kane Williamson was removed early and just as partnerships began to build up, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor got out. It was looking as though New Zealand might finally crumble under the pressure but a brilliant partnership between Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott kept the game alive. They put on a 103 run partnership before Anderson was removed. The game was still in the balance, both teams fighting with all their might. New Zealand still needed 46 from the last five overs.

The final over came and New Zealand needed 12 runs off the last 6 balls. It was not an easy ask with Dale Steyn bowling. Both teams were still well in the game. The intensity grew and New Zealand needed five from two when Elliott smashed a six out of the ground. As the ball crashed down it brought the dreams of the South African’s down with it. Dale Steyn fell to the floor and Grant Elliott went over to give him a hand before going to celebrate. There was an unbelievable amount of respect shown by both teams and it was possibly the most bitter-sweet ending to any cricket game.

The second semi final however was all but that. It was however, a game of sheer aggression in the wrong way. Both teams had faced issues with each other in the past and India’s new and younger side were much more ready to give what they got from Australia. The crowd atmosphere was almost mucky in places and tainted with bitterness of Bangladeshi supporters who had come specifically to boycott the Indians. This was India’s biggest test of the tournament. They hadn’t faced a significant challenge in the group matches or the quarter-finals.

It all began well with India removing David Warner early. Bowling Australia out was always going to be their biggest issue. In particular Steve Smith who had played so brilliantly against India over the summer. Smith and Aaron Finch put on an incredible 182 run partnership. India looked like they were back in the test series, unable to pick up a wicket. Smith was finally removed and Glenn Maxwell was sent in early to keep the momentum going and as always he got off to a flyer before he was removed by Ravi Ashwin. Two quick wickets fell as Finch and captain Michael Clarke fell leaving Australia 248-5 at 43. It wasn’t a great start but India had pulled it back from what could have been a 350+ run total. The game still got away from India however as James Faulkner and Mitchell Johnson put on great cameos to bring Australia up to 328. An incredibly tough ask.

As the game went on it just got more sullied. India got off to a flyer with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. The pair put on a great first wicket partnership of 76 runs from 13 overs. There were some loose shots and some lucky misses but the openers had taken some pressure off. Once the Australian’s broke through that first partnership, India could just not get another one to stick. Virat Kohli got out for one. Had Kohli stuck around he was likely to be the man to get the brunt of it. However it all fell on the in-form Suresh Raina who had pulled India through on more than one occassion this World Cup. Mitchell Starc attacked Raina and on one occasion threw the ball at the stumps to hit Raina before appealing for obstruction. The atmosphere changed from there. The Indian fans had gone silent. There was no fight left. No one put up a fight except the captain MS Dhoni but he could not finish the game by himself. India fell 94 runs short of the total. It was a weak fight from them that left everyone disappointed. They had the ability to win, or at least make Australia really sweat but their run finally came to an end.

Australia had bowled beautifully to restrict India but it was a bitter end to the game.

Semi-finals Preview: India v Australia

25 Wednesday Mar 2015

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Two of the strongest teams coming into the World Cup, the game on Thursday the 26th of March is going to one of pure intensity. India, unbeaten in the group stages are coming in strong with contributions from each of their players. Virat Kohli kicked off the season smashing a century against Pakistan. Shikhar Dhawan pulled off two centuries with Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma also jumping in on the century bandwagon. Batting was never the big question for India, it’s their bowling that has let them down in the past. However with a fit Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami they have pulled out 70 wickets from seven games. The spinners have also contributed massively towards India’s success with Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja also taking wickets.

Australia have had a more interesting run up to the semi-final. They had lost their game against New Zealand as their batting line-up crumbled. It was only an incredible bowling performance from Mitchell Starc that helped them save face. The quarter-final against Pakistan also highlighted the chinks in Australia’s armour. Wahab Riaz bowled as if he was reading from a manual of how to pick off the Australian batsmen. He should have had four wickets had Pakistan taken their catches.

The fact that the game is being played at the SCG is a huge factor. It is almost a dream pitch for India, as good a pitch as they could ask for in Australia. Ravi Ashwin will be key in India’s bowling attack. Imran Tahir bowled phenomenally against Sri Lanka at the quarter final and backed up by JP Duminy they picked seven out of the ten wickets. A number that may unnerve the hosts. They have so far only used a specialist spinner once in Xavier Doherty and if they choose to change their team dynamic again to suit the pitch it may work against them. India have used the same 11 throughout the tournament, with Shami resting for one game only. They have settled as a unit and they compliment each other well.

Australia are likely to continue with their brand of aggressive cricket in an attempt to wind up the Indians, in particular Virat Kohli. They will look to throw him off his game from the start. However as with Riaz, Kohli can change the game in an instant. If he gets fired up and gets into the game, India will be flying back to the MCG for the finals against New Zealand.

India continue unbeaten run.

23 Monday Mar 2015

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Seven matches and 70 wickets later, India are still in the running to for title. Many fans had booked their holidays around the group stage matches with no expectations for the team to make it any further. They had not accounted for Shikhar Dhawan’s return to form, or for Mohammed Shami to be sitting third on the wicket takers list.

The 19th of March marked the day MS Dhoni took his team to an unbeaten streak of 10 spectacular wins. India were playing Bangladesh in the quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup. Bangladesh had a great run in the lead up to the game, they had beaten England and given New Zealand a real run for their money in the group stages. However they were playing in the big leagues now. A format they were not used to, a format where one misfield could knock them out of the running. They were also playing at the intimidating ground of the MCG. On the same ground that they had played poorly against Sri Lanka in the group stages. They were also playing the current champions who were more fired up than ever.

It was expected that India would win and go on to play the semi-final in Sydney but this was a day of belief for the Bangladesh team and their fans. They had beaten England and made it into the knock-outs. Could they go all the way?

The might of the MCG and the pressure of the game appeared to be too much for Bangladesh. They started the day off bowling great lines and lengths and constantly questioning the Indian batsmen. They were able to remove Shikhar Dhawan who was closely followed by Virat Kohli and then Ajinkya Rahane. At 115-3 from 28 overs, it was looking like they could limit India to under 270 runs. However Suresh Raina was next in and along with Rohit Sharma who was still at the crease, they accelerated. It was the partnership that broke Bangladesh. Raina had been such a key player in so many of the World Cup matches and once again he performed beautifully. A lot of powerful hitting, some misfields and some unfortunate decisions allowed India to push past 300 runs. Sharma ended on a match winning 137 which was well backed up by Raina’s 65.

Bangladesh had almost given up hope, they looked unfocused. There was no diving for the ball to stop the boundaries, there was no support for the bowlers and there was no team spirit left on the field by the end of the innings. They had been defeated.

Bangladesh went on to lose the match by 109 runs. India were in control of the game from the start and constantly picked off wickets as partnerships began to build up. Bangladesh’s key performer in the previous two matches, Mohammad Mahmadullah, was removed for 21 and Nasir Hossain top scored with 35.

It was as though the team had given up on themselves before their fans. They had done well to get where they had and they will have a lot to take home and build on in preparation for the 2019 World Cup.

West Indies make India sweat.

06 Friday Mar 2015

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India’s World Cup campaign still remains untarnished. Having beaten Pakistan, South Africa and the UAE with a certain ease, India were looking unstoppable. They hadn’t had a real challenge and they were heading down the mountain at full speed straight off a cliff. Confidence is one thing but without a challenge in the group stages, India would have been very unprepared to face a side like New Zealand when crunch time came, particularly the batsmen. During India’s fourth game though, the West Indies provided the team with possibly enough traction for them to find a safer route down the mountain.

On Friday the 6th of March, India were playing the West Indies in Perth. It was their second game at the WACA and they would have been feeling fairly comfortable with the ground. The West Indies had been having an rough World Cup from even before the tournament started. With two of their key one day players being stopped from playing by the WI Board and Sunil Narine being stopped by the ICC, they were already at a disadvantage. The team also had to face the challenge of being under new captaincy with a very young Jason Holder being given the reins only a series before the World Cup began.

West Indies had also been having a very patchy run through the tournament in the lead-up to the India game. Their 304 had been chased down by Ireland, then they went on to beat Pakistan and Zimbabwe by fairly large margins before losing by a massive 257 runs to South Africa. Their sketchy form meant that there could be no expectations for the game.

Holder won the toss and elected to bat first. This was their final chance to keep themselves in the running to qualify for the quarter finals without banking on net run rate. From the start, the West Indies looked uneasy. It took both openers a while to get moving. Chris Gayle did not score in the first five overs of the game and they had to sweat for every run. Dwayne Smith was removed early by Mohammed Shami and was followed very closely by Marlon Samuels who was run out when Gayle refused what looked like an easy single. West Indies were struggling to score as the Indian seamers bowled great lines and lengths. Though Gayle was dropped three times, the bowlers really exploited the bounce and pace of the WACA ground and finally removed him and Denesh Ramdin in the next ball. The West Indies stuttered to 38-4 from 10 overs and the game was looking as easy for India as the UAE game. Jonathan Carter stuck around and looked like he was playing himself in. Once again though, India struck at the right moment. With Darren Sammy the old captain and Jason Holder the new captain at the crease, there was still a chance for West Indies to pull it out of the bag. However Sammy played a very un-captain like innings. He tried too hard to score and swung at one too many balls before he was removed by Shami. At 124-8, the Indian fans were cheering every time Holder hit a boundary. The fans that had followed India around had not seen a really competitive match and this was looking as unchallenging as the rest. The captain was once again was the man to save the day for for West Indies. He gave the West Indies bowlers a chance as he top scored with 57 runs hitting four fours and three sixes.

Chasing 183 seemed like an easy enough total for India to reach but the West Indies played extremely well and put some real pressure on Dhoni’s men. None of the Indian batsmen looked in a rush to chase down the total but the West Indies bowlers appeared to be getting a lot out of the ground as both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were removed edging the ball. Virat Kohli looked like he was in for the long haul as he hit some beautiful shots and settled in. However in the 15th over, Kohli skied one straight into the hands of Samuels. Just as India had done, the West Indies continued to pick off wickets with Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina also edging the ball back to Ramdin. At 107-5 it was still India’s game to lose. Their middle order had not faced a challenge in the tournament so far so this was the perfect time for them to settle in without the weight of a required rate on their shoulders. West Indies however had not given up yet, they removed Ravindra Jadeja who looked as though he was itching to finish the game. This brought Ravi Ashwin to the crease. One more wicket and the West Indies would have been into the tail end of India. A tail end that could not bat like Australia’s. However MS Dhoni played a wonderfully calm innings and, with the assistance of a cool headed Ashwin they pulled India over the line.

The West Indies bowlers bowled very well, they were aggressive and looked to take wickets. Having just faced a pummelling from AB de Villiers, it was great to see them bounce back the way they did and really challenge the Indian team.

The best and the worst game of the season.

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

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On Saturday the 28th of February, India were playing the UAE. No one expected the UAE to beat India but they hadn’t gone down without a fight thus far and were still supposed to give India a proper game. 80% of the crowd appeared to be India fans as they had all arrived early in anticipation of the India vs West Indies game on Friday the 6th. The UAE had posted 285 and 278 against Zimbabwe and Ireland respectively in their first two games. That may not sound impressive considering their oppositions but Zimbabwe had taken South Africa’s top four batsmen out for only 83 runs in their last game.

However it all unravelled for the UAE as their batsmen dropped like flies. They were only just able to muster 102 in 32 overs with the help of Shaiman Anwar who top scored with 35. Even the Indian fans were cheering when Anwar smashed a few boundaries. It looked all too easy for India as they picked off the UAE and then went on chase the total in 19 overs only losing one wicket. Tea was taken with 15 runs to go to try and extend the game for the fans but the stadium slowly emptied in the half hour as the result was inevitable.

The whole game lasted 50.2 overs. It was over before it had even started.

The day however had a stark opposite match going elsewhere. Australia were playing New Zealand. The two big dogs of the tournament. It was an epic low-scoring game of top class bowling. It may have been one of the shortest games of the tournament but it was the most thrilling.

The kiwis had been having an incredible run so far, their bowling attack had ripped though Scotland and England and they were hungry for more. Australia had only played one game in the tournament so far but had shown their worth in the Carlton Tri-series against India and England.

Australia were batting first and they got off to a blinder. Aaron Finch and David Warner smashed 30 off the first two overs. The start however, was unsustainable and Finch was bowled. Australia did not lose all their momentum though, Warner and Shane Watson continued and reached 80 runs before Watson was removed. Even at 80-2 from 13 overs it looked good for Australia, it looked like they were headed for a big score and that it would be an incredible chase from New Zealand. That was not the case. Daniel Vettori’s removal of Watson sparked something in the New Zealand bowlers and kicked off a chain reaction. Within nine overs, Australia had gone from 80-2 (a respectable start) to 106-9. It was an incredible collapse spearheaded by Trent Boult who picked off five wickets and only gave away 27 runs. Brad Haddin and Pat Cummins played through another 10 overs to bring Australia up to 151 before Haddin mishit one straight into the hands of the sub fielder. It was almost unbelievable to watch Australia’s power hitters crumble to good old fashioned swing bowling. It showed just how ready New Zealand were to claim the title of World Cup champions.

The game wasn’t over though and chasing 150 can almost be as tough as chasing 350. New Zealand had already had a little trouble chasing down a small total against Scotland. New Zealand’s innings began in a remarkably similar way to Australia’s. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum looked like they were out to prove something as they smashed fours and sixes all over the place. McCullum caused some panic as he took a ball from Mitchell Johnson to the arm, just to add to the drama of the day. The pair were going at 10 an over until Guptill was removed in the fourth over. McCullum and Kane Williamson continued just as Warner and Watson had until McCullum was removed after making his 50. At 78-2, New Zealand would have still been happy. However, another collapse was written into the story as Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot followed McCullum in the next over. New Zealand were now at 79-4. Still they had nothing to fear with Kane Williamson at the crease and a target of only 152. Williamson and Corey Anderson came together to bring New Zealand right to the brink of victory. They built up again and at 131 it all looked all too easy, but the story wasn’t over. There was one final twist as Corey Anderson was removed. New Zealand somehow ended up going from 131-4 to 146-9 with eight runs needed and one wicket in hand. Boult the hero from the firt innings was the last man in to join Williamson who was there throughout to watch the whole Kiwi innings unravel. Boult came out to face a pumped up Mitchell Starc who had picked off six of the wickets with some phenomenal bowling. Bowler against bowler, Boult faced two balls from Starc and survived. He gave Williamson the opportunity to finish the game off and Williamson finished it in style. The winning runs came from a six off Pat Cummins. The Kiwi’s had won by one wicket.

It was an extraordinary performace and one that both teams will learn from. If the World Cup final is as competitive as this game was, it will be incredible.

#ClingOnToTheCup

24 Tuesday Feb 2015

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India’s pursuit to protect their World Cup title began remarkably well as they beat Pakistan by 76 runs in their opening game of the tournament. The Indian team appeared to be well settled and though it wasn’t the most experienced team the World Cup has seen; it still looked highly competitive and ready to take on the world.

After the hype of the India vs. Pakistan match finally sizzled out, it was down to business. The next team India were to face was South Africa, a very unpredictable and dangerous World Cup team. South Africa were coming off a high, they had been playing extremely well in the lead up to the tournament and were expected to be very competitive. However South Africa and World Cups do not go well together. They had already had a shakey start against Zimbabwe losing their top four wickets for 83 runs. It was only thanks to David Miller and JP Duminy were they able to reach 300+ runs.

Regardless of South Africa’s World Cup antics, they had never lost a game against India in a World Cup. This game was to be their fouth against each other, with South Africa having chased down every total set by India in the three previous head-to-heads.

MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. A fairly strange decision considering India’s chasing record and the fact that all three loses to South Africa have been where India batted first. However India’s bowling unit have appeared a lot more consistent recently and if Indian batsmen could set a large total and then put pressure on the South African top order, they could be in with a chance.

It all began quite badly for India as a huge mix-up between the openers left Rohit Sharma well short of his crease in the third over. The wicket brought in the the man of the match against Pakistan and everyone already seemed to have forgotten that a wicket had just fallen. The cheers from the crowd as Virat Kohli walked onto the pitch were deafening. Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli toiled away and put on a great patnership of 125. They began very slowly and the run rate didn’t hit four until the 14th over. The pair batted well, they took very few risks after the first wicket fell and gave away only a few chances.

South Africa on the other hand fielded terribly. Considering they are one of the sharpest fielding teams around, it was amazing how many misfields there were. Dhawan was dropped by Hashim Amla on 53 and JP Duminy missed a runout chance; had either of these chances been taken, South Africa could have been facing a much smaller total to chase. Not only that, a lot of runs were given away through poor ground fielding. Imran Tahir removed Kohli on 46 but it was a bad ball and a poor shot that got him as he smacked it straight into the hands of Faf du Plessis. The next man in was Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane played a great innings and ran very well between the wickets with Dhawan. He showed true class hitting seven fours and three sixes. Dale Steyn looked almost like an ordinary bowler against these two and after South Africa lost Vernon Philander to a hamstring injury, their bowling department looked weak. Wayne Parnell ended up bowling the extra overs and was the most expensive South African bowler in the history of the World Cup, he conceded 85 runs in his nine overs.

Dhawan went on to make an incredible 137 to anchor the Indian innings. Once he got out it began to resemble their’s against Pakistan but with seven overs to go and 261 runs on the board, all the batsmen had to do were come out and swing. Had Raina or Dhoni been able to connect from the first ball, India could have been looking at 320+. They still ended on a highly respectable 307, the highest target India have set out of the four games.

307 might be a decent target against most teams, but not against South Africa if they settle in. India still had their work cut out for them and unless they were able to take early wickets, they would be in some serious trouble. Dhoni stuck with the same bowling attack that played against Pakistan, it appeared to be a good mix of bowlers that complimented each other well and once again they did not disappoint. India’s bowlers were able to do what South Africa’s could not. They picked off the batsmen at crucial intervals. Just when partnerships were beginning to look dangerous, another wicket fell. Both Quinton de Cock and Hashim Amla fell early. At 40-2 from 11 overs, South Africa needed to consolidate and gather themselves just as Kohli and Dhawan had done. It was not as though they were in any trouble with Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers at the crease. In fact, South Africa were still well in the game. The pair looked like they were on the right track as they added 68 to the total but at a crucial time, AB de Villers was run out going for the second run. There was no need to take the extra risk so early on in the innings. Faf du Plessis top scored with 55, he initially looked like he might go on to make a big score but once again, the Indians broke through.  From there it was only downhill for South Africa, they went from 133-4 to 158-8 in less than 10 overs. The South African innings ended 130 runs short of India’s total.

It was an anti-climactic game considering how competitive both teams are and how each game of the three previous World Cup head-to-heads have gone. It did however prove just how capable and hungry the Indian’s are to retain their World Cup title. They may well be in with a shot if they can keep up their momentum.

The holy grail of cricket matches

19 Thursday Feb 2015

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15th of February, probably the most anticipated day of the past four years for most Indians. Everyone forgot about Valentine’s Day in all the excitement for the 15th of Feb. India vs. Pakistan.

It was an incredibly hot afternoon in Adelaide and all the Indian and Pakistani fans had swarmed into the city for the day. The streets were bathed in blues and greens and the air filled with drumming and chanting. The Adelaide Oval saw over 40,000 fans gather in the stadium for the match in wigs and costimes with flags and drums, it was an incredible sight. The match was set to be the most watched game in the history of cricket. It was expected that over a billion viewers would tune in to watch India vs Pakistan.

It was MS Dhoni who won the toss and decided to bat first, the crowd noise when he won the toss was as though India had already won the game.

The match began well for Pakistan when they removed Rohit Sharma early on in the eighth over, but that was their only significant breakthrough until the 46th over. Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan put on a great partnership of 127 runs and Virat Kohli went on to once again impress the cricketing world and score an incredible century. The young star smashed through more records as he became the first Indian to score a century in a World Cup against Pakistan. He also became the first Indian to score a century in an World Cup hosted by Australia. Kohli hadn’t had the best time in the Carlton tri-series against England and Australia even though he had played beautifully in the Test matches but as always,  when it really mattered, Kohli stepped up to the challenge. It could have ended very differently for Pakistan though had they taken all of their chances. Kohli was dropped on three and 76 and once he was dismissed, India faced some real trouble with five wickets falling in the space of 24 runs. Had Pakistan dismissed him earlier they may have been chasing a much more reachable total.

Misbah Ul Haq ran out Shikhar Dhawan on 73 when India were on 163 but that only brought in Suresh Raina. A very strange decision as Ajinkya Rahane was yet to bat. Whatever Dhoni’s reasoning was to push Raina up the order, it appeared to be a good one. Raina hit three sixes and five fours in his innings and scored at better than a run a ball. He took some of the pressure of Kohli which likely helped the vice-captain reach his century. India didn’t lose another wicket until 273 runs when Kohli edged the ball to Umar Akmal in the 46th over. It looked as though they would easily reach 320+ runs considering they were only three wickets down even without Kohli, especially with Dhoni ‘the finisher’ to come. However, India stuttered. As soon as Kohli got out, Raina followed suit along with Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane who got out for three and a duck respectively. Dhoni contributed to the total but only 27 runs were scored in the final four overs and it almost looked like India would not reach 300. Sohail Khan dragged back the Indians as he went on to pick up five wickets. Understandably the Indian batsmen were going in to swing for the ball considering their total already and the fact that they had wickets in hand. Though with four overs to go and two set batsmen just being dismissed, it was not an ideal situation. India could have ended on a much higher total had Raina become slightly more careful once Kohli was dismissed.

Regardless of India’s ending, 300 runs was going to be a difficult chase for Pakistan. They lost their first wicket fairly early but slowly built back up. Haris Sohail along with Ahmed Shehzad put on a 68 run partnership for the second wicket. Once again though, India broke through the partnership as it was beginning to look good. Misbah Ul Haq, the captain, was the next man in who had rescued Pakistan on more than one occasion. Once again his team needed him to perform but they could not provide the support to back him up. The next three wickets fell in the space of two runs leaving Pakistan 103-5. Shahid Afridi came in and made a start, he hit a six but never looked completely comfortable. Had Afridi been having a good day, Pakistan might have gotten much closer to the 300 target. However he was removed by another great spell from Mohammed Shami and from there on it was clear that India had the game. Misbah went on to score 76 but Pakistan still fell 76 runs short of the total.

The Indian bowlers did not look like their usual uncompetitive selves, Dhoni coaxed fiery spells out of his fast bowlers and used them very effectively. Shami picked up five wickets and both Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav picked up two each. The fast bowlers were well backed up by Ravindra Jadeja who took a wicket and Ravi Ashwin who bowled three maiden overs and also picked up a wicket. It was an all-round strong opening performance by India and a positive start in their quest to retain the World Cup title.