England 0-2 Down! Whats the Road Ahead

I had written this article a couple of days back for Crickblog. If you find some 3 minutes to thumb through, I'd suggest you click here

Conversations during the 6th one day International

I had come home to watch the one day match, while my friend Bhaskar Sahay, decided to stay back at his place, as it was raining heavily and taking the hike back to college library was put on hold till the rain stopped. He was on Cricinfo, and the update was a ball or 2 late, and I was on Google Talk and this conversation happened...........as the match went on.Relive the match in the last 10 overs, through the agonies and joys of text messaging on chat.

Bhaskar Sahay: Chak de India !!!
kartik: Hey Bhaski
Can u send me Murthy's slides
Bhaskar: ok
r u on gtalk ?
dont c a send file option in this window
kartik: yes
Bhaskar: let me relogin
kartik: ok
gambhir gone
234/5
84 off 57
Bhaskar: still cant
u relogin
kartik: ok
Sent at 9:53 PM on Wednesday
Bhaskar: You cannot send files because Kartik Kannan is using chat in Gmail or is using another chat program.
kartik: why dont u mail me then:-)
Bhaskar: oki
wats ur mail id
kartik: kartik.kannan@gmail.com
Bhaskar: sent
kartik: thanks yaar
how many ppts totally?
Bhaskar: 5
kartik: ok
Sent at 9:58 PM on Wednesday
kartik: 4
Bhaskar: this is gonna go down the wire
kartik: is it
these guys are struggling
u need to watch them play
64 of 42
Bhaskar: their bowling looked pretty weak to me man
till the time sachin was there
kartik: all runs coming by byes and wides
Bhaskar: then i came home
kartik: dhoni and uthappa are strugglng
Bhaskar: hehe
:((
Sent at 10:04 PM on Wednesday
Bhaskar: 65 off 44 is gettable
kartik: not with these duds
Bhaskar: that bloddy yuvi over costed us this match
kartik: serious man
5 sixes is 222222222222222 mcuh
Bhaskar: consecutive
kartik: colingwood in 2 bowl
64 of 42
uthappa starts
Bhaskar: y arent u watch the match in lib ?
kartik: 4
at home man
grandma is alone
Bhaskar: oh wow
kartik: so cant leave her alone
Bhaskar: ok
kartik: 60 43
60 41
59 40
56 37
56 of 6
Bhaskar: man
m missing tv
:((
kartik: u sure are :-)
pu ur earphones on. I can give live commentary
Bhaskar: haha
kartik: shall i call
Bhaskar: i hv got an infection in ears
cant use earfones
its paing man
no thanks mate
kartik: ok
dot ball
Bhaskar: m avoiding all calls
kartik: single
55 34
Bhaskar: its raing
else i wud had gone to coll
kartik: strugglng
anderson rocks
54 33
dhoni sucks
Bhaskar: shit man
kartik: yorker single again
great bowling
all 140 plus
Bhaskar: nnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooo
kartik: 53 32
Bhaskar: we need 1 big over now
kartik: uthappa 2 thrdman
1 run
52 31
Bhaskar: m checkn on cricinfo
its fast
kartik: 4
misfield by pietrson
uthappa
is it as fast as me :-)
Bhaskar: i think i need to goto coll
no yaar
chal c u after match
kartik: ok
Bhaskar: goin 2 coll
Sent at 10:13 PM on Wednesday
Bhaskar: itsraing 2 heavily man
:((
kartik: dont worry
u arent missing anything
fuckers bastards
struggling
11 an over
Bhaskar: wtf man
kartik: 44 of 24
Bhaskar: looks tuf now
this is THE over for india
kartik: anderson in now
4
shiit
saved
2 only
Bhaskar: wwwaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh
oh no
kartik: great fielding by mascarenhas
42 23
39 23
Bhaskar: yuvi ki maa ki yaar
kartik: 4
Bhaskar: saale ne hara diya
kartik: uthapa
over slips
full toss
35 22
amazing noise
Bhaskar: ya man
kartik: lbw
appeal
not given
34 21
Bhaskar: run ?
kartik: anderson 147
leg bye
Bhaskar: man
kartik: dhoni single
amazing overthrow
1 more
32 20
Bhaskar: wow
its all hapng
this is gettable man
1 gud over
kartik: partnership 51 38
Bhaskar: 15 runs
kartik: 6
6 o r 4 wait a sec
full toss mishit
Bhaskar: ssssseeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxxyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
kartik: 4
not 6
Bhaskar: oh
kartik: 2 mts away from the boundary
28 19
Bhaskar: ah
kartik: fulltoss long off sngle
27 0f 18
Bhaskar: hmmmmm
kartik: so ction begins
27 off 18
bal being changed
Bhaskar: can v pull it
kartik: broad to bowl this over
8 1 32 1 are his figures
Bhaskar: hit himm man
kartik: bit of a delay
ball change
Bhaskar: wat drama
kartik: broad 2 dhoni
in he comes
full toss
only one to long on
26 off 17
Bhaskar: oh shit
y cant they hit full toss man
crap
kartik: uthapa now
batting on 23 21
fuck
dot ball
Bhaskar: ssh
kartik: tried to improvise, missed contact
26 16
Bhaskar: shit
cum on guys
kartik: one
long off
Bhaskar: lets do it
wtf
kartik: 25 15
Bhaskar: v need 2 4s now
kartik: all deliveris full and straight
india not being able to put away
Bhaskar: cross bat shot is needed
kartik: full toss again
straight to bell
at long on
Bhaskar: shucks
kartik: 1 run :-)
Bhaskar: lost
kartik: 24 14
Bhaskar: pathetic
kartik: uthappa
full toss again
to bell again
1 more run
Bhaskar: oh man
kartik: what the fuck
Bhaskar: seriosly
kartik: 23 13
dhoni bowled
Bhaskar: shit yaar
wowo
kartik: broad says fuck offf
Bhaskar: hehe
kartik: india fuck de
Bhaskar: yo
kartik: dhoni 35 37
Bhaskar: wtf man
kartik: 23 12
Bhaskar: so slow
in these situations
kartik: good he got out
he was strugglin
Bhaskar: whzoz next
kartik: AA
Bhaskar: he is such a sucker
kartik: agarkar at non strikers end
Bhaskar: than god
kartik: 4
Bhaskar: wow
kartik: uthappa
Bhaskar: whoz bolwn
kartik: 3rd man
anderson
19 11
Bhaskar: club him man
gone down the wire
as i said
:)
kartik: 1 to sqr leg
18 10
agarkar facing
slapped away for 1 to covers
17 of 9
300 up
Bhaskar: v need a 6 now
can RU do it
kartik: 4
Bhaskar: sahiiiiiii
kartik: fuck uthappa is lucky
Bhaskar: once more
watevr
kartik: all his 4's have come because matt prior is dumb
Bhaskar: v need runs
kartik: 13 8
Bhaskar: wow
closer
kartik: monty misfields
2 runs
11 7
Bhaskar: gr8
1 4 man
or a 6
kartik: down the pitch
agarkar run out ?
1 run taken
Bhaskar: hehe
kartik: 3rd umpire decesion waiting
Bhaskar: k
kartik: out
agarkar out
10 of the final over
Bhaskar: doesnt matr
RU on strie?
kartik: yes
Bhaskar: gr8
kartik: 10 of the final over
Bhaskar: whoz bowln
kartik: i guess broad
ad showing
Bhaskar: k
kartik: 2
Bhaskar: 8
kartik: 8 off 5
Bhaskar: come on RU
u can b a hero tonite
kartik: fielded
out
zaheer run out
Bhaskar: fcuk
kartik: 309/8
Bhaskar: oh man
kartik: ru on strike
Bhaskar: shit
kartik: 8 of 4
romesh powar comes
he's at the non strikers end
Bhaskar: mota saala
kartik: 4
Bhaskar: wah
kartik: uthappa chip to fine leg
smashing man
Bhaskar: yyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
kartik: fultoss
4 off 3
Bhaskar: sexy
wat a match
how cud i miss it
:(((
1 4 man
kartik: broad is runing in
Bhaskar: k
kartik: fine leg gone back
straihjut
4
india win
Bhaskar: yyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeee
kartik: long off
misfield
indian team on the pitch
outsnading shot
3-3
lordsmatch on
u there dude
Bhaskar: wow
calln u
cant get u
pic
ppl r shouting here like crazy
kartik: espn playing CHAK DE INDIA
song
Bhaskar: yyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeee
india rocks man
kartik: uthappa's a hero
Bhaskar Sahay: Chak diya India !!!
Bhaskar: surely dude
wat a match
i missed it big time man
ssssshhhhiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttt
kartik: yes u did
check the highlights
Bhaskar: i hv to
Sent at 10:46 PM on Wednesday
Bhaskar: whoz MoM
kartik: presentations not yet started
I would hand over to uthappa
Bhaskar: i think sachin wl get it
Sent at 10:48 PM on Wednesday

Any Difference?

The World Cup is a few days away, and as I was watching this picture of a warm up match, I notice that most of the uniforms seem to be minor variations in the shades of Blue Green and Red. Gone are the days when you would wait with a suspense for the uniforms that cricket players would wear, Now its some insane logic via which they seem to design the uniforms.

Check the one Below, it seems to be almost similar. The Teams-England and Bermuda

What does it take to the beat the Aussies

Ashes-What the Poms should do?

The Poms have just started their tour down under and have been just thrashed by a second string Australian XI by 186 runs. Will the Poms be thrashed severely in the Ashes? My take on the Poms is that as long as they are able to have a steady bowling attack that can unsettle and dishevell a few aussies, who knows the Aussies can be given a run for their money.

England needs to settle into a strategy where their batsmen need to dominate the Aussies at more than 3 an over and not to try to match the high Aussie run rate.Sometimes the advantage that Australia gives the opposition by their fast run scoring is, the time it gives the opponents to strategise against the aussies.Thats how India almost knoocked the wind out of the Aussie sails in 04.The Aussie strength lies in their mental mien that they exude, while that is just what England lack.Performance under testing conditions makes you belive in yourslf and since the aussies have done that quite consistently for some time, I presume hiccups for the aussies would be quite minimal and what England need to ensure is that they strategise well on and off the field.

10 Tips for England to keep the urn.

1) Dont give up on Verbal Banter.Give the aussies as good as they get.

2) Try to bounce out the Australians like the English summer of 05.

3) Attack the Aussies to make them lose 2o wickets.

4) England for heavens sake, please get out of your slumber and start performing from Test 1, as the first 2 tests have always been warm up games for England, as seen in the 94,98 and 03 series, the English performances start to peak only after the Sydney test matches.

5) Have the Barmy army in full force to vociferously support you.

6) Dont prepare Tactics against warne, just learn to hold on for dear life.

7)Learn to defend Mcgrath and Co and negate them and then attack after being settled.

8) If you are in a winning position, dont try harakiri against the Aussies, they are getting too bored.

9).Dont do foolish things and have your players injured.If I remember right the 93 or 94 series against the Aussies had 34 different English players playing in 5 test matches and the one day series.

10) Remind the Aussies hard that they lost the ashes last time and let Ponting and Warne only be spectators

The Ashes-Part 2

Ashes Part 2 – Obituary of English Cricket

A hundred and twenty four years back, when the English cricket team lost for the first time to the Australians at the Oval,The Sporting Times in 1882 carried a satirical obituary stating that the English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.

Fast Forward now to 2006, Yesterday, October 21st , the 7th match of the ICC Champions trophy , where before the toss, the match seemed to have all the makings of a thriller, but the contest flattered to deceive and was a totally one sided contest, with England being a pale shadow of what it was a year back when the Ashes was won by them. Cornered tigers, they say are more dangerous, but the cornered Kangaroo can actually be more ruthless, and this match hyped as the “Ashes “battle, saw a clinical display by the Aussies to demolish England. Having seen the way England has performed in the last 26 one day internationals (winning 5),I assume its time they renew the “ashes” and burn another bail, to mourn the obituary of English cricket all over again.

English cricket fans could have never had it worse, this is their team’s worst patch in recent years and it doesn’t seem like improving any soon though. Ricky Ponting won the toss and inserted the opposition, as is the wont of most captains preferring to bowl first during the afternoon, than to lay their hands on a moist ball later in the evening, with the dew compounding their problems manifold. The English openers got off to a splendid start with Bell and Strauss, going hell after leather; bring 50 from the first 10 overs. Ian bell, was severe on Bracken and Mcgrath, with 60% of Bell’s runs coming in the region of point and midwicket as he packed 6 boundaries in those regions. At 83 for no loss from 18 overs, England was well set for a 250+ score, when their usual listless batting style came to the fore.

IMAGE SOURCE-CRICINFO AND GETTY IMAGES
Bell seemed a totally changed player, from what had one seen him against the Aussies in the last ashes series, and just as he was about to get into change gears, the brakes were applied by a rather ugly long hop from Shane Watson, which Bell mistimed into the hands of the cover fieldsman Mike Hussey. This was the beginning of the end, as batsmen fell like 9 pins, no one showing resilience to spend some time at the wicket and accumulate runs. Peterson, the next batsman in, did his reputation no justice, when he poked his bat at an away going delivery by Mitchell Johnson, whose delivery had just done enough to elicit the edge, straight down Gilchrist’s throat, and the Aussies were cock-a-hoop with the Poms reduced to 85-2.

It took some excellent bowling from Australia here on, to stifle the run scoring from 5 an over to less than 4 runs, as Strauss and Flintoff seemed to struggle to get runs, after the double whammy that the Aussies struck. Soon frustration gave way for 2 indiscrete shots from the skipper Flintoff and his deputy, when they departed in the space of 3 overs and 5 runs, with England in a huge mess at 115/4. In came Michael Yardy, and his promotion ahead of England’s highest run getter this season, Paul Collingwood, certainly warranted a debate, but even before you could spell d-e-b-a-t-e , Yardy was gone, to a doubtful decision, caught down the leg side, but even if he had been given the benefit of the doubt, he hardly looked convincing in the 4 runs he scored, consuming 15 balls. After that it was a procession that followed that more or less sealed England’s fate at 169, hardly looking like troubling Ponting’s men.

The problem plaguing English cricket, is that apart from Pieterson, Strauss and Collingwood, nobody really has the ability to turn a match around or the confidence to pace the innings. Andrew Flintoff is just back after a long lay off, and will take some time to get into the groove, while the rest like Dalrymple, Read and Hardy , being more so batsmen who would prefer the safe mode of stroking singles. Another major problem for England has been pacing the innings, as their batsmen don’t seem to rotate the strike well, and consume a lot of balls before getting out, helping the team cause to no end.

The Australian chase started like the bullet train, with Gilchrist and Watson putting on a quick fire 30 in 4 overs before Gilchrist succumbed to rush of blood, being comprehensively bowled by Mahmood, off the latter’s first delivery, which followed a brief flood light power failure break, that seemed to have undone the Aussie’s concentration. Ponting didn’t last long before, playing an Anderson delivery to the slip cordon which Strauss juggled, but managed to hold the ball for dear life and England were ecstatic with the cheap dismissal of the Aussie captain. More disaster was to follow when Shane Watson, under edged an intended pull on his stumps to the leave the Aussies tottering at 34-3.

IMAGE SOURCE-CRICINFO AND GETTY IMAGES
Did some body say “we have a match on here”? Martyn seemingly didn’t’ hear that and went on to produce an innings laced with audacious shots that seemed to bludgeon the English bowlers into submission, while Hussey on the other hand was content playing second fiddle. Martyn picked his bunny in Harmison, who seemingly was still fresh from the insipid bowling effort against India, and Martyn clubbed him for three fours in an over, and that scathing attack that Martyn delivered seemed to knock the wind out of England’s sails with Martyn reaching a quick fire 50 off 35 deliveries.

IMAGE SOURCE-CRICINFO AND GETTY IMAGES
Martyn’s swashbuckling innings came to an end when Harmison priced him in the dying stages of the match, after Martyn knicked an innocuous delivery from Harmison. Martyn’s initial carnage had brought Australia 19 short of a victory, before he was dismissed for a strokeful 78. Hussey and Clarke carried out the formalities by seeing the Aussies through by 6 wickets.

So one elimination has been decided here, England will most probably go back home after their next match against the West Indies, but can still expect a favor or two technically speaking from India. If India beats both the Caribbeans and the Aussies, and England managed to defeat the West Indies by a huge margin, then it will boil down to net run rate amongst West-Indies,Australia and England. But whether India has the might to do England a favour is question that hangs in balance,as India’s one day form all too recently has not been that impressive to make the Ladbrokes put their money on them.

----------------------

The fact that I had a 4 day long weekend, and some time to spare on saturday helped me compose this little piece.Cricket related journalism is something I'd love to do, so hence a write up on the match, with me envisioning myself to be a sports columnist. :-)

-----------------