Australia v India, CB Series, 7th ODI, Adelaide ; February 17, 2008

Australia 9 for 203 (Clarke 79, Pathan 4-41) beat India 153 (Johnson 3-42) by 50 runs

Australia beats India in the 7th CB Series ODI by 50 runs

There’s been a lot of talk recently about Australia losing the confidence and luster they were once known for. It might be true, but the thing is, they’re still a cut above the rest, whatever level they are at.

Their most in-form bowler didn’t play, they struggled to put up a decent total, and yet they managed to win. You could argue it wasn’t their bowling but India’s batting inadequacies that steered the match in their direction, but who cares. A win is a win. Australia won. End of story.

This Indian team isn’t bad per se, despite the absence of regulars like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid; they just failed to perform. Dhoni said at the post-match presentation that the youngsters are learning. It’s true these guys are rookies, and it takes time to handle the kind of pressure that comes with facing Australia, but inexperience should not be used as an excuse. If they are not good enough to play against Australia, they shouldn’t be playing in these matches. You don’t go to Australia to give practice to your players. And let’s not forget that even with the bigger players on board, India has never truly threatened Australia. Yes, they have challenged Australia’s domination to some extent, but then again, the Aussies never lost sleep over it. Sometimes the batsmen don’t click; sometimes the bowlers disappoint. It doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to put your act together.

Anyway, Gautam Gambhir looked good, but like always, lacked the patience and fell into the trap the Aussie have been using to snare him throughout the Commonwealth Bank Series. Yuvraj Singh was a bit of himself in the match, but you can’t expect a miracle from an out-of-form batsman, and that too at such a critical stage. Dhoni did bring some stability after a disastrous start and could have saved the game, but no go again.

James Hopes’ two quick wickets could be justified as the turning point of the match. They sealed the match for Australia. Pretty much.

Looking at the big picture, there needs to be some serious work done on the players. If the BCCI can take some time off their important matters like IPL, it would do the players some good. The physio and another staffer on the team have left. That might bring their focus back to the team.

The next match is going to give us some idea where this series is headed.

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It must have been quite crazy to see the last few wickets falling. Not for me though, because I switched off the television after Dhoni’s dismissal. And it wasn’t a complete waste of time for me either; I gulped half a dozen oranges while watching, and that’s given me enough Vitamin C for the rest of the week.

Post from: EveryJoe

No Hopes for India

Murali’s 709th wicket

Yuvraj six straight sixes

A tribute to Bob Woolmer

Sreesanth-Roy head-to-head

Post from: EveryJoe

Reliving the Newsmakers

There were loads of good performances that we could applaud here, but when it comes to “making waves” these are the five events that I think qualify best.

The Return of Dada: After the World Cup debacle and the youngsters’ winning performance in T20, everyone was talking about culling the three Indian seniors. Ganguly was on the edge of everyone’s sword and we believed, even hoped, that he’d get the pink slip first. But that was just too much for the man who is worth 17000 runs in world cricket. “Don’t provoke the tiger,” he roared as runs after runs  poured into his basket during the India – Pak fixture. He is finishing the year with more than 1000 calendar runs– his best ever. For me, he’s one of the players to watch out in 2008.

Bob Woolmer Murder: This issue, unfortunately, is still unresolved and most likely we’ll never know the truth. First it was a murder, then a suicide, then a natural death– they’ve tried every thing. Pakistan team has always been strife with conflicts and this incident added another blot on the Eustachian. In fact, this event drew lots of unwanted international attention to the sport.

Murali 709 wickets: This is one man who spurred the most heated debates everywhere. As he inched near the figure of 708 wickets, the debates were revived, but he transcended the record nonetheless. You can hate him, call him whatever you please, but he’s got himself up on the cricket records as the highest wicket taker, a record that won’t be broken anytime soon, not unless someone with hypermobile joints turns up.

Yuvraj sixes: The T20 World Cup was a news maker in itself, but what caught everyone’s attention the most were Yuvraj’s six straight sixes off a Stuart Broad over. This one event was probably the most watched video footage on YouTube and other video sites. It sums up all the T20 cricket is about: excitement, nerve, verve, and curve (uh, the cheerleaders, guys!)

Sreesanth – The Angry Young Man: This man alone took on the number one side in cricket, verbally. Call him a freak, a jerk, but he did what no one has ever dared doing, and that’s not it. He injected adrenaline into the whole team– and just see the results. They might have lost to Australia, but their tongues won’t stop wagging.

Did I miss anything substantial? What was the biggest news maker in your opinion?

Post from: EveryJoe

Cricket News Makers 2007

…would you rope Yuvraj Singh in for the second Test?

On the one hand, I feel that he’s in the form of his life, and we need to tap in on that. But on the other hand, yes, I understand we can’t let go of our long-time trusted Laxman either. Ganguly’s sealed his place again (that’s his only aim these days), so Singh’s entry isn’t impending. Plus, the current scheme of selection, particularly with respect to Singh, seems slightly to be inspired by the Australian model. Like, how Tait (their world cup wonder boy) and scores of other potentially good players are still struggling for a Test spot. In another part of the world, they’d easily secure a national jersey. Maybe this policy isn’t bad, but I still have my doubts.

Yuvi’s a gem, no?

Post from: EveryJoe

If you were a selector…

India called in the reserve bench on ocassion of the last trivial ODI, and as was expected, they took it easy. A friendly Indo-Pak match. Here’s to world peace.

In retrospect, although India-Pakistan fixtures mean good business for all — advertisers, BCCI, players, Bollywood (how they flocked in to garner free publicity for their movies?), this one lacked spice; everyone complained of Pak’s seemingly lack of zest.

From India’s side, we’ve got few questions:

* What are we going to do about Sehwag?

Barring a few flashes in the pan at England, Sehwag hasn’t has much to offer all this while. He’s been India’s trump card for a long time, so the team went over lengths to give him cover. He failed to live up to their expectations, nevertheless. Considering how rare is his type of class and talent, what are we going to do about him now? Move him up to the opening slot again? Everyone’s not a Dravid, and some players work best at certain spots. Or “rest” him, to use BCCI’s terminology. He’s a player you don’t want to lose easily.

* What’s Robin Singh being paid for?

Rameez Raja, remarked candidly (and for the first time in his life, rightly), “India and Pakistan are two of the world’s worst fielding sides,” India’s fielding wasn’t awful, to be honest, and they certainly dropped fewer catches than Pakistan, but the gliding, sliding characteristic of white men (call me racist, will ya?) was missing. Their throws could be smoother, and their direct hits on the stumps didn’t produce as many run-outs. Robing Singh is on board as their fielding coach. Either his North American accent is unintelligible, or well, let’s just say, he isn’t doing the job as well, which is queer, since the man does have international coaching experience.

* Ganguly: Gone with the wind?

If India had lost the series, Ganguly’s form would have spurred debates like dal sprouts. No one’s complaining since it’s a series win. But just because it’s a series win, Ganguly’s form doesn’t become above reproach. He was “rested” for the last couple of matches, I assume. This is the right time to cull him. The kind of morbid look he has on his face these days doesn’t do anyone any good. A respectable man would “quit”.

*Should we let Sreesanth have his way?

No discussion is complete at SixandOut without the angry young man of Indian cricket. He and RP are Indian bowling’s future. Despite his antics, you can’t downplay his prodigious talent. Though his frantic reactions at out calls still freak me out, I think we can accommodate him. People like Freddie Flintoff, Shane Warne, and Sreesanth do their best when you let them have their way.

New kids on the block

This was definitely a great opportunity to test the waters with the newbies. Pravin Kumar, although couldn’t snap any wickets, impressed with this economy and composed bowling in the death overs.

Robin Sharma’s half century might have gone unnoticed, but we can see there’s good raw material. We need to exploit him.

Fawad Alam kid looked great. Something tells me he’s not just another probot.

Individual Records and Achievments

• Sachin Tendulkar, with his 403rd ODI, equalled Sanath Jayasuriya’s record most ODI caps. Plus,with his 393rd innings, he also transcended Jayasuriya’s record of 392 innings.
• Zaheer Khan, who’s another one on the brink of culling, claimed his 200th wicket in his 144th ODI, his 200th victim being Shoaib Malik. He is now the fifth Indian bowler to have bagged 200 wickets or more in ODIs, joining Anil Kumble (337), Javagal Srinath (315), Ajit Agarkar (288) and Kapil Dev (253).
• With Shahid Afridi’s dismissal, Sourav Ganguly completed his 100 wickets and completed the triple of 10,000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches in ODIs. He is only the third all-rounder in ODI history to have completed the triple, joining India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya.

Looking ahead

Test series comes next. I am curious if, and how, they are going to accommodate Singh, and whether Sreesanth and RP make it (chances are slim, but you never know). With Kaneria being roped in, it’s going to be interesting. Asif isn’t coming. And that’s bad.

All eyes, undoubtedly, will be on Dravid and Kumble, the two best friends.

India are definitely the clear favorites. 1-0. Whadya think, cricks?

Now the secret stuff

Gee, not so much of a secret, but it’s a really cool link I found today. This is what the Indian and Paki cricks were doing after the Green Park ODI. I’ve never seen Sachin so animated. And Ganguly is having his last laugh, for sure.

Post from: EveryJoe

Why care about the Indian Oil Cup? (and some secret stuff…)

While the media is surely going to go gaga over it, I’ll admit we aren’t faking any joy over or interest in it. That we are actually discussing genetics at school these days should be a clue to how much interested we really are in it. I am glad it’s going to be over soon. Just one (match) more to go. [We are more into the as-of-yet not started Australia tour, actually. Move over Pakistan, Australia is our biggest rival now.]

But then I thought that it’s not fair to dismiss it just because I did not enjoy it as much. There definitely were a few fireflies to be spotted in the dark night.

* Yuvraj’s way looks forward and up. From what he said at the Green Park match ceremony, I can see he’s desperate to prove himself on the Test circuit. Going by his current performance, looks like he’s finally got to key to unlock the door to the revered spot number six. To accommodate him, someone else might get ass-kicking might have to go. We know who. In an ideal world, we could keep both, but this is not, uh, an ideal world.

* Sachin’s here to stay. (a big round of applause) There’s been ho-hum about his missing centuries, but that has in no way overshadowed his splendid knocks. So the pro-senior culling camp will have to wait.

* Sreesanth’s decadence. Looks to me that he is on the verge of becoming another case of the failed prodigy/one-time wonder. He sat through the whole series, and whenever cameras zoomed in on him, he blew kisses in a most ludicrous style, defying all behavior codes. Reminds me of the roadside jerks. You don’t expect international cricketers behaving like that.

*Gambhir and Afridi Anglo-Saxon exchange. Rameez Raja lamented this series is no fun. True, but there were some bright flashes of the kind of fun he was looking for. Watch video here. Although both the players were fined, Afridi piled up and locked the matter with his “sincere” apology. Like I’ve been saying for a long time, never trust Rameez Raja. Oh, and not to downplay Gambhir. He became a tough guy. Great mile, that.

* Pathetic ground and pitch conditions. Is India really ready for the 2011 World Cup? Guwahati, the venue for the first ODI, has such a low-grade infrastructure. Gwalior had a most unpredictable pitch. The Green Park was in luck though, no dog tresspassings this time.

* Sohail Tanveer’s flying kiss. This will go down in the history of cricket as the first of its kind. Watch video here.

* Dravid’s culling. Most sane cricket fans (emotional element alert) accepted this with a grain of salt. But aloof to all this, he was busy spinning his trademark calculated double century, and if the forces that be want, a comeback’s not impossible. When I write this, he’s hit another ton. Whatever happens, Dravid is still going to be our go-to man for critical situations and giving finishing touches in Test cricket.

* The Curse of the Grasshopper. Pakistan, on a good day, can be a dangerous team. Looks like these good days are going to be hard to come by from now on. We can remember this point as the start of the post-Inzy degeneration of Pakistan cricket.

* Yet another chapter in Dhoni’s captaincy. With an exception of some of the fielding decisions he took, especially in the death overs of the 2nd ODI, he mostly did fine. Thanks to his shrewdness, even the volcano called Zaheer Khan is showing signs of eruption again. Add to that, he and Yuvraj have done the good job of filling Dravid’s void. Dhoni, you too are here to stay.

* I’ll leave this one for our readers. What are you going to remember this series for, if at all?

Post from: EveryJoe

A forgettable series (and 10 reasons we’d have to remember it anyway)

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In the meanwhile, what do you make of this? Look, I have said this before and will say it again: We need some seniors to keep the young guys in check! Er, okay, I am just kidding. We can allow them some fun.

Post from: EveryJoe

…but too many jokes can spoil the broth

Soon after Karthik hit the winning four, he was questioned by one of the commentators, “It was pretty tight when you walked in. But it looked like you batted very coolly. How’d you do it?”

He was like, “Nothing much. We exchanged jokes after overs and kept perking each other up.”

That reminds me of a joke that is doing the rounds of the Internet these days. It’s origin dates back to the India-England series, but it keeps reappearing on and off in different forms.

It’s common knowledge now that Team India were shown Chak De India for obvious reasons before the first ODI. As it turned out, they lost it. (My friend at this: Chak De is strictly for hockey folks. They should watch Lagaan.) Then Mascarahens carted five sixes off Yuvraj’s over in the second last ODI. So somebody pouted a snark: “Yuvraj misunderstood Chak De India (For non-Indians: The title essentially means You go India) to be Chhakke De India (pun on Chak De India, which literally means “Let them hit sixes on our balls”)

So when Yuvraj conceded 15 runs in his over in the last match the day before, everyone was like, “What, did he watch Chak De again?”

Post from: EveryJoe

Jokes can win you matches– even against the Ozzies.

Yuvraj Singh

The six straight sixes he hit has sealed his name in the Indian cricket history. And he can also keep the fastest fifty record to himself for a while.

Brett Lee

Wow, Brett “Brute” Lee is back. I think we need to give him kudos for the superb hat-trick, which also happens to be the first in Twenty20 Cricket, against Bangladesh. Remember, he also has a ODI hat-trick to his name.

Watch it here:

Post from: EveryJoe

Friday Special: Heroes of the Week