Desicritics Author: Minal RS

Superlative Sunday: An Exhilarating Day of Cricket

Minal RS — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 07:08:04 EST

What a day it was for the world of cricket! Three men inspired their teams to commanding positions. The three men made Sunday, 12th March, 2006 their own and made sure cricket history will remember them for their fine contributions. Each had a different story to tell but fighting for one common cause. The cause of victory for their team.

One constantly trying to come out of the black episode that could have tarnished is career for ever. One fighting injuries that plagued what could have been a bright career. And one who despite having been the most successful bowler for his country has to keep fighting in every match to prove his potential!

Herschelle Gibbs, Shane Bond and Anil Kumble provided every cricket fan a feast of Super cricket on Super Sunday. Moments we will be cherished for a long time to come.

The ODI between South Africa-Australia has left an unforgettable mark in history. The two test matches between New Zealand-West Iindies and England-India which were looking to go any where but result in a victory for the hosts were won by some fine bowling performances spear-headed by Bond for NZ and Anil Kumble for India.

First the sensational final match of the South Africa-Australia ODI series finale at Wanderers. I got home yesterday at 9.00 p.m. and switched on the TV set for surfing channels; I just stood still in my seat as I read the score of 392-7 and South Africa still requiring 43 runs to win off 26 balls on ESPN. I did not know how to react!

Ten thousands questions came to my mind:

How much did Australia (Aus) score in the first place when South Africa (SA) was so close to 400 and still a fair distance from winning it?

Now that Aus had scored 400-odd the first time ever in the history of ODI, how the hell did SA get so close to the target and also looked good enough to win it?

What happened to the bowlers on both sides?

How in the world did Australia and South Africa maintain a rate of 8 throughout the 50 overs. This after starting lousy starts for both?

Was I dreaming?

What kind of a match is this?

From then on I did not move from my seat till the final ball was bowled!

Excellent, excellent stuff! This is what ODI cricket is made of; nail-biting finish, fight to the finale, every ball being bowled just wrecking your nerves. The South African and Australian teams managed to give me a heart attack quite easily. Seriously, I could sense my heart skipping beats. I was ruing the fact that I had missed both Ponting's awesome 105 ball 164 earlier in the day and Herschelle Gibbs' 175 later to lead the valiant South African fightback. Boucher played a brilliant knock in the tense situation. He was as cool as a cucumber. And he got some excellent support from Van der Wath, Telemachus, and Ntini. Telemachus hit some lusty blows along with Boucher and brought down the target from 30 off 18 balls to 13 off 12 balls. From there on it was going to be South Africa's game but Brett Lee and Co. had some other plans! With 3 balls left and 2 runs to get, Lee had Andrew Hall caught at mid-on and the chokers tag began to haunt the SA again. If they were to lose this one by one run I doubt they would have come back strongly ever against any team in the world.

Ntini walked in with all the pressure in the world on him! Calmly he nudged the ball down to the third man to grab a single and made sure that SA would not lose. At that point I felt maybe a tie would be a befitting result but cricket can be a cruel game at times and Boucher's four of the next ball sealed the victory for South Africa and slashed Australia's hopes.

With that hit, not only did they win an enthralling match and create history but also wrapped up a keenly fought ODI series 3-2. The series going right down to the wire, to the very last ball. South Africans were in nth heaven and deserve to be there fully. The Aussies left wondering, 'what more could we have done?' When Ricky Ponting blasted that 164 and then had his men walk back to the dressing room having scored 434 , the first time ever a team had achieved 400 in ODI history, he must have felt that his team had won the match and with that the series. What a fine comeback by Ponting's men after being 0-2 down in the series. Little would he have imagined that South Africa would chase this one successfully. Cricket can be a cruel, cruel heart-wrenching game!

And while this will go down as the greatest match ever, here are a few things to think about: Why were the boundaries shortened? To enable the batsmen to get more runs? Does anyone care for the bowlers anymore? At this rate I think they will get extinct as far as ODIs are concerned.

Agreed that seeing a team bowled out under 100 does not make an exciting match but neither does a team getting 400 odd. Spare a thought for the bowlers. This is a game for both batsmen and bowlers. Let's not make it so batsmen-friendly. Bracken got 5 wickets in the match and yet his contribution amounts to zilch. For heaven's sake what more must a bowler do?

But it was an exciting game and I loved the fight the two teams gave till the very end. Though I didn't quite get the logic of bowling full-tosses and short pitch deliveries towards the end which were easy meal for the set South African batsman. Aussies will have to think about that.

On the other hand I'm wondering what the South Africans had for dinner. The menu will be a resounding success at all matches! What must have their coach and captain given them as motivational talk? When you have been bludgeoned and beaten black and blue how do you tell your blokes that they have a chance at victory? I think that talk (if any) given to the South African team needs to go down in all books that write about motivation! Graeme Smith paved the way with a captain's knock and Gibbs took the challenge ahead. Phenomenal stuff! A fine example of what self-belief (and of course a little bit of luck) can do.

The other two matches were in the pure version of the game. Shane Bond and Anil Kumble both inspired their teams back into the game with their fine bowling performances.

What seemed to be heading towards a seemingly dull draw with two days of play not completed in Mohali, Kumble turned on his magic in the last session and had England on the back-foot. 112-5 out of which Kumble picked up 3 wickets to follow up his previous 5 in the first innings. What a lovely way to celebrate his 500 wickets in test cricket. He deserves a standing ovation for his grit and gumption shown throughout his career. He has been Team India's silent warrior. There have been times when he has been criticized, yours truly being an equal accomplice. He has never been deterred though and gone about his game plan quietly, just like his nature. No controversies, no verbal attacks. He has achieved everything a bowler would wish for in his international career and done that without any hoopla or noise. Anil we salute you, and you have set affine fine example for youngsters to follow!

Kumble's effort has set up an exciting 5th day's play for Mohali. The 38 run lead could possibly prove to be a handful on the final day if we are able to bowl out England cheaply and then chase around 150 -180 in the last two sessions, one would think.

And as I write this India has completed a fine victory over England, winning by 9 wickets. Munaf Patel has impressed on his debut. The lanky bowler from Baruch has once again had a fine outing against England following his 10-wicket haul in the practice game. 7 wickets in the match and 4 in the second innings to wrap up the tail quickly is as good a game you can get.

India has its woes - Sehwag-Tendulkar's lack of runs and the tail batting. Surely 300 was not an indomitable target for our batting order. The top order needs to do some serious thinking. Bowling looked much better in the second innings though Bhajji better get some wickets to his name. All and all, an exciting prospect at Wankhede, Mumbai, beckons and I can't wait to catch it live!

And now for Shane Bond - the final hero among the three. He is one of my favourite bowlers in the international arena. I still remember the VB series of 2001-02 when Bond shone into limelight. After Hadlee, New Zealand finally had a bowler who could bring the opposition down to its feet. Sheer pace again. Yesterday while chasing 290, West Indies looked good to win having started off at 148-0 but Bond came in and triggered a collapse and today morning New Zealand sealed their victory.

A fine day for world cricket, savour it folks! There is a reason why test cricket is still the best form of cricket. Bowlers get their due; and more often than not, it's the bowlers who win matches for their teams. Bond and Kumble have given some fine examples yesterday. On the other hand only batsmen dominate the ODI. There is no room for bowlers there. Don't believe me? Go watch Ponting and Gibbs' knocks of yesterday!

P.S.: I also thought it was a fine sporting gesture by Ponting to refuse the joint man-of-the-match award saying Gibbs deserved it as he not only got more but also helped his team to win. Excellent stuff Ricky and a good example set again!

Book Review: Once Upon a Furore: Lost Pages of Indian Cricket - Boria Majumdar

Minal RS — Wed, 1 Mar 2006 00:34:25 EST

History for cricket often chronicles matches played, batting and bowling records and a few tit-bits, anecdotes and trivia associated with cricketers. Cricket was brought to India by the British. Though the game is today more Indian than British we take a backseat when it comes to writing about the game. We do not have much documentation on the early rise and development of the game; about events that brought glory and events that could well be forgotten.'Once upon a Furore' is a fine attempt at revisiting those events.

The book traces the 'Lost pages in the history of Indian cricket' through some fine research and substantiates the events discussed with media references available from those times. Boria Majumdar and his research team have done some great work to revisit the birth of cricket in India, the earlier tournaments, the birth of Ranji Trophy(not without its share of controversies), the power play by the BCCI and the controversies surrounding some of India's greatest players, Ranjitsinghji, CK Nayadu, Lala Amarnath and Vinoo Mankad.

The chapters that visit the trials of these players come down to one common point that no player escaped the wrath of politics and power play; and the scenario does not seem to have changed much in the present day unless you are a Sachin Tendulkar!

As we traverse these cricketing memories, we discern a few commonalties that recur through time. Communalism will be an issue with everyone but those playing the game. (A point brought to the forefront to ban the Pentangular Tournament.) Camaraderie, sporting spirit and loyalty to the team are qualities that most sportsmen consider important and will always be present in the finest of them. Money always makes the world go round, it was so during the princely rule, during the 50s and 60s decades and even today the picture is not different.

We are not aware about all aspects that go into the selection of players but over the years it has been seen that merit is not the sole criteria in being awarded a place in the team. Power play exercised by Vizzy against Amarnath and then later CK Nayadu, both being India's finest players, proves the above fact. Both suffered due to non-cricketing reasons and so did Vinoo Mankad as we see later in the book. Surely these players had earned enough respect through their performances on-field to not deserve such treatment off it.

The Player-Board conflict has continued through decades. A stark example would be the Rajputana Cricket Club's tour of England and the events that followed it. We see some changes in the modern era but the Board's insistence to be the Boss continues even today.

In uncovering the events, the author fortunately does not sideline the always ignored 'Men in Black and White'. This is an interesting chapter where the author reflects on the selection of umpires and the reasons behind India not producing excellent umpires to perform on the international arena despite producing the world's best cricketers. How dirty the politics was regarding umpire selection and the depths it plunged to; is observed in this very chapter.

I was disappointed about the coverage given to the match fixing episode which shook Indian cricket in 2000. There was much more media coverage then and maybe a bit more perspective on the issue could have been given. It is mentioned fleetingly and could have been dealt with in detail.

At the end of it, I found the book lacking in one aspect. It fails to hold the reader's attention continuously. It does so in parts especially towards the latter half. Reading the early chapters is like going through news archives and some better narration would have helped to maintain the reader's attention.

If you are neither a cricket fan nor with any interest in history then you might not appreciate this effort but if you are both, then I feel you should give it one glance atleast. Boria Majumdar and his team have done fine justice in compiling the events of early days in Indian cricket and giving every fan a chance to revisit them.

As we reach the end of this fine effort we realize one thing that we learn from history that 'We never learn from history.' The saga continues in the modern era albeit with different actors enacting the parts in the drama called Indian Cricket.

Missing Wankhede

Minal RS — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:04:42 EST

India finally set their ODI record straight at Wankhede. As far as I could remember, after the memorable Titan Cup win and the one-off match against SA in the 96-97 season Wankhede has proved to be a graveyard for the Indian team when it came to ODI matches. The added security measures made watching the match anything but a memorable experience. Indian victories could have proved to be a balm on these discomforts but even they were hard to come by except the one victory against Bangladesh in 1998 where I'm sure the stadium did not overflow with spectators. (Two reasons: Opponents were Bangladesh and the torturous May heat!)

But seeing the second innings on TV on Monday 28th November brought back tons of memories and I started missing Wankhede all over again!

The long queues (to get into the stadium) that begin at 9.00 in the morning; when the stadium gates are slated to open at 12.30.
The colourful crowd dressed in their sporty best
The huge Indian flags flowing all along
Little flags painted on cheeks and hands
Young little tots on their way to experience their first match live at the stadium, all excited and lost
Teenage girls screaming and yelling to catch a glimpse of their cricket heroes
Despite seeing them several times the excitement to catch the cricketers in flesh and blood
The mad rush to get the best of the seats (Seat numbers rarely matter in any of the stands except the MCA Pavilion and Garware)
The frenzy to get hold of all the water bags and eateries cause there won't be a break or a chance to get out once the match starts
The loud cheers that welcome the two captains for the toss
The never ending wait between the toss and match to start
The discussions across age-groups; almost like a pre-match analysis
The deafening cheer to mark the start of the match when the bowler comes in to bowl the first ball
The chants for fours and sixers when the Indian batsmen are on a song
The sudden silence when the Indian wicket falls and the next moment a loud applause if the opposition batsman has played a fine knock.
(Yes, the Mumbai crowd has still not lost the spirit to applaud the opposition. I hate the silence that follows a good stroke or a wicket-taking ball from the opponents! Come on cheer a good player and the game!)
The outstanding live commentary that is going on, in and around you, trust me you learn a lot of cricket there by listening to the people around. Yes, most of them do know their stuff
The hilarious moments when you see people passing themselves off as experts when they don't even know ABC of cricket! I know it's sadistic but it's fun to hear them yap away to glory
The fear that you will miss the shot to the boundary or the fall of a wicket because there aren't any replays at the stadium
The thundering roar that marks the arrival of local boy Sachin Tendulkar, 'Amchya Mumbaicha Mulga' (Our Mumbai's Son) to the batting crease. (If Tendulkar is slated to bat one-down or two-down, Wankhede must be the only ground in this country that cheers the fall of the Indian wicket the loudest! Yes, they are human at times and can be partial!)
The chant to cheer individual players which goes for e.g.: 'Dra-vid, Dra-vid (clap along in the beat) and followed by quick three claps, accompanied with loud whistles in the same beat.' (Drums and dholkis have been banned since the Mumbai blasts, else the beat and sound was phenomenal, you got to witness a fine example of unity in diversity)
The Mexican waves splashing across stands and the crowd booing the stands that refuse to show the energy to continue the wave in the same vigor (Garware stand is often the target!)
The chanting of 'Ganapati Bappa Morya', every time the Indian team is in trouble
The entire ground singing 'Hum Honge Kamyab', when ever the team needs encouragement
The chants and discussions that follow post the match, when everyone is tired yet energetic, relishing every moment of the day ; hoping to see one and all the next year once again to cheer their team and see the best of cricket yet again.

Sigh! It's noisy, it's discomforting, it's maddening, it's crowded, it's frightening, but all the moments above make these small complaints look miniscule compared to the tremendous atmosphere at the stadium. One walks in as any other spectator and walks out only as an Indian and a true sports lover (where one learns to appreciate a good play even if it is by the opponents). The one quality that binds one and all coming to see the match. Yes, it's one of the smallest things of many important ones that makes one proud as an Indian and unites one and all.

Savour the experience for a lifetime and keep visiting again to relive it. I have surely tried it in the last 14 years of watching cricket. I would give anything to be at the stadium rather than watch the match in close comfort at home on TV. The two are simply not comparable!