If you believe in god, you know who Sachin Tendulkar is.

So, lets see Harsha Commenting on Sachin. Beautiful video. What a genius.

Post from: EveryJoe

Harsha Bhogle on Sachin Tendulkar

Hopefully his injury has been fully healed and he can thrash the hell out of other teams’ bowlers now. OMG I was so waiting for the Little Master to be fit. Those who say that Twenty-20 is just for 20 -somethings would certainly need to take a backseat now. Meanwhile, here’s the current IPL Points Table for people who love sixandout way too much to go to cricket sites:

I think Bangalore is out, so is Deccan. Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata need to push harder now. With Sachin back, shouldn’t be that tough for Mumbai. To end the post : GO KOLKATA!

Image: sixandout archives and Cricinfo

Post from: EveryJoe

Sachin Tendulkar is Back! IPL Standings Revisited!

To say that I expected India to win the CB series would be a lie. In fact, I am not even sure if they deserved to win. You could of course argue that.

I had decided not to watch the second game because it was somewhat understood Australia would bounce back and make room for the third match, which would have then be dubbed as the final of the finals, etc., etc. But of course, I watched most of it.

But oh, India won. More important than the win itself was the fact how Indians remained composed during the death overs. This is one aspect where they definitely have achieved praiseworthy progress. Clinching two wickets in the last over was dreamlike. Couldn’t believe this is the same team that was notorious for conceding extra runs and losing quick wickets in the death overs.

While this is the kind of win that’s going to elevate their confidence manifold, they shouldn’t forget England has already done this. And currently, they are not in a very good situation. So winning over Australia doesn’t mean they are the best team in the world. On a bad day, even World No. 111 can beat Roger Federer, but that doesn’t make them World No. 1 overnight or even better than Federer, for that matter. So basically, what remains to be seen is how Oz-gate will transform Indians– will it make them complacent? Will that fire their enthusiasm, to use a metaphor, to improve their game even more? Time will tell, but we all know, Indians are not very good at handling victories. Something almost always goes wrong. Consistency has been and still remains India’s biggest issue.

Something went wrong with Australia over the past week, and it’s not my business to find that out. But they still are good. And consistent.

Some interesting discoveries:

* After being in the business for about a decade, Harbhajan Singh has finally learnt a few cliches. I am here to play some good cricket. I’m really proud. (Followed by, “Main Thaka Hoon.”)

* Symonds is the kind of guy you could go on a date with without worrying about eve teasers.

* Sachin is a bit like Gandhi. He gets angry. A lot. But won’t show it.

* Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the man India needs. You can’t pinpoint any move he made. Some tremendous leadership by him. Actually, Dhoni has always been a good captain, but this series, especially the second final made me realize that we can’t do without him. Really. Hats off to him.

What discoveries did you make?

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Great Expectations

Finally, the elusive and much awaited 42nd ton came. At Sydney Cricket Ground. Where it was most needed. Does anyone doubt Tendulkar’s match-winning ability now?

But, the credit for this glory also must go to Gambhir, who selflessly sacrificed his wicket to save Tendulkar.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tendulkar Can Still Win Matches

With Tendulkar, it’s like the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about.”
-Sanjay Manjrekar on Sachin Tendulkar

Source

Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly were picked out of the Indian team prior to the CB series. Rahul, of course, had been culled long before that, so his absence wasn’t talked about. But some people weren’t happy to see Ganguly go and opined if the selection committee can be brave enough to cull Ganguly, they should axe Tendulkar as well.

Moreover, Tendulkar hasn’t brought any laurels to the team in this tournament and was dismissed most of the times even before the match started (except today’s 63, of course). So that’s got tongues wagging again. And Manjrekar’s always one to have his voice heard.

This is quite an important issue for us, really. In fact, we’ve a poll running on this very topic — Which Indian Senior Will Go First?. Obviously, it was started before CB series selections were made and we included Rahul Dravid anyway because there was a slight chance of him coming back into the team. Out of all the people who voted, 19% think Sachin will go first. A whopping 38% reckon it’s Dravid’s turn. Oh really, he’s out already. So no surprise there. 26% foresaw Ganguly packing bags, but again, since he’s flown back already, we’re not surprised. About 17% folks don’t care about this at all. Oh, but we care.

The big question is: Have we found a stable replacement for Tendulkar? Sehwag’s days seem to be limited. He’s lost much of his spark. The BCCI are of course going to keep him in the team, leaning on the same delusion that has had them support him all through his debacle. He’s good, really, don’t get me wrong there. But then again?

Gautam Gambhir seems to be the only opener currently who seems to be in control of things.

And there’s no Dravid now. No Ganguly. We need some experience in the team. Gambhir was heard saying the other day that “tips” from Tendulkar had helped him a lot. That’s just an example. You know what I mean. I think, we can keep him some more.

Whadaya say?

Post from: EveryJoe

Weekly Debate: Time for Sachin Tendulkar To Go?

There has been some interest in Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal, but as Straight Point noted, “It’s one of those things, and you shouldn’t read too much into it.”

Ian Botham’s 1991 Hit Wicket could be regarded as the most famous one, although these dismissals are so rare that each one has a story of its own.

He tried to play a hook shot off a Curtly Ambrose delivery, lost balance, and stepped over the stumps. That in itself was just “one of those things”, but what happened in the BBC Radio commentary box made it something to remember.

Brian Johnston was reading out the scorecard. At the mention of Bothan, his fellow Jonathan Agnew quipped, “He just couldn’t get his leg over.” There’s a double meaning to it, which Johnston was fast to figure. He burst out in laughter and his giggles were all the commentary everyone heard for a minute.

There was no You Tube when the match between England and West Indies was being played at the Oval, but we found this video recording of Botham’s dismissal, along with some other rare ones.

Post from: EveryJoe

Blast From the Past: Ian Botham Hit Wicket

Not much happened in the Commonwealth Bank Series start-up match, but surprisingly, we’ve quite a few things to chirp about it.

Three Moments of the Match (in ascending order):

* Sachin’s dismissal: Hit wicket is a rare form of dismissal, and it was Sachin’s first, so that makes it quite special. The bowler didn’t knew he was out until a few seconds after the stumps were hit.

* Adam Gilchrist’s intuition: Gilly could have waited on to get the umpire’s benefit of doubt but chose to walk away instead. Sreesanth was never sure, and neither was anyone else on the fielding side, but Gilly was. Cool. We’ve got say Adam Gilchrist is one of the most intuitive cricketers out there. He’s walked away once before during the 2003 World Cup.

* Harbhajan Singh and the crowd exchange: Now, Bhajji, as we lovingly call him, is becoming a showman of sorts of Indian cricket. He pretended he couldn’t hear what the audience said, and it was quite well acted out.

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Manoj Tiwary: It’s a very awkward way to spell that surname. We hope, being the evolutionists we are, that spelling wasn’t screwed at the suggestion of an astrologer. Anyway, lots of people inquired of Dhoni’s intention behind giving him preference over Suresh Raina and Dinesh Kaarthik. Dhoni’s reply: “My inner voice prompted me to call him in.” You mean intuition, right? No problem at all. Manoj is a promising young cricketer who had a splendid run in the domestic circuit. We really appreciate Dhoni’s risk-taking ability.

Personally for me, Sreesanth’s two wickets were quite important. That’s good omen for the Indian bowling. Moreover, if he keeps clicking, he could validate his aggression on field. That’s not to say he’ll be allowed to mouth profanity or racial slur of any nature.

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So, does the title of this post make you hate us? Don’t shy away. Tell us what you really think!

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The Real Cricket Begins Now…

I missed it. Darn it. I’ve to get back to cricket!

Post from: EveryJoe

Reliving Sachin’s 100

I have a secret to share. I have been following the tennis over this week. And not cricket. Don’t worry. Cricket is still my first love.

Anyway, Roger lost. That happens every once in a while, but it usually doesn’t in a Grand Slam. Djoker got the better of him. Good for him. He’s in his prime, and there’s a peak time in every sportsman’s career, however mediocre he may be, when they knock off the greats even. I’m not writing off Djoker, but I still believe he’s no threat to the King. King is slightly out of the zone, I suppose. He’s had to fight his way through the Open, rather than breeze along, which is customary of him. But  it’s good to see new kids take away trophies every once in a while. Kind of keeps the game from getting too predictable.

Djoker meets Tsonga, a young Frenchman, the surprise package of this tournament. Tsonga hits hard, and I’m amused by his motivation. On the ladies front, Sharapova will claim her third Grand Slam on Saturday. When I saw her against Henin, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind who’s going to claim the title. Tell you what, this kind of speed and power comes only after weeks of sweating exactly before a big tournament. This is a totally different Maria from the 2007 US Open.

On to cricket and Sachin: It’s a delight to see another one of my heroes taking the reins this time. Didn’t watch him, but compels me to say again: Old is gold.

Post from: EveryJoe

Sachin and Federer: My Two Heroes

In our next poll, we speculate which Indian senior will go down first.

Options:

Sachin  Tendulkar

Rahul Dravid

Sourav Ganguly

There’s one more option, which I advice against voting for.

Why this poll? Your voice matters!

I have voted. Have you?

Post from: EveryJoe

I forget the poll, again…