Monday, September 24, 2007

A derby (?) like no other!!


End of over 11 (13 runs) - India 82/2 (RR: 7.45)


Gambhir just walloped Afridi for two boundaries, one over and one along. I don't have Gatham in my fantasy team, due to technical reasons.. and now he s gonna go on to a 50. (The only Indians in the team - Sehwag and Yuvraj. One is not playing and one has already played his bit in the tourney. Afridi and Umar Gul are my other playing picks today). Quite apparently, I am not doing too well in this contest.

End of over 13 (9 runs) - India 98/2 (RR: 7.53)

I should technically be working at this point of time. I see people around me working, ignorant of any excitement or al least a sense of it. I have a faint urge to join them in their logically unrestrained activities. But I can't!! The almighty force binding me to this monitor is far too compelling for any mortal Indian to look away from.

13.3 Umar Gul to Yuvraj Singh, OUT, Gone! That's the big one for Pakistan.

There you go.. look at the rockafella go. I picked Umar, that does nt mean he has to go on and pluck the only middle order 'batsman' out that we have. More importantly the only one in my team!!

15.2 Umar Gul to Dhoni, OUT, Gul on fire!

See.. he can have these guys!! Go Umar.. get another one, if you like!! Get one of those plucky tailenders!!

160, I say.. in a hopeful breath of expectancy!!

17.6 Umar Gul to Gambhir, OUT, Another!

Wonderful!! Here comes Rohit Sharma.. my proverbial humara naam roshan karega son of the soil.

18.2 Yasir Arafat to Sharma, FOUR!!
18.1 Yasir Arafat to Sharma, FOUR.


Atta boy!!

19.6 Sohail Tanvir to Sharma, 2 runs, full-toss on the pads, Rohit comes down the pitch and slaps that back down the ground. A couple of bounces and to long-on as India end on 157.

Changa hain!! Chalega.. jeetenge!! There is an unfamiliar air of expectancy about the Indian team nowadays. A feeling robbed from us, since the not so distant days when a certain Indian captain jumped onto a frenzied Md. Kaif in 2002. We may not go on to win this one, but the sense of disapproval is absent. We dont have any ghosts of heroes in the team (not this one at least) anymore. The plane seemed wide open for a hero to be born every match. And it would be enthralling to see if one pops up today. I would love to see an Indian team similar to this one, take on the men in yellow later on.. oh, wait.. it is on already!! Man, these games are short termed!!

0.5 Singh to Mohammad Hafeez, OUT

Contrary to popular opinion, this is an unfortunate thing to happen early on in an Indo-Pak innings.. Whenever there is a wicket down in the first over, we lose!! Stats may not agree, but I insist. After all.. superstitions win matches, not stats.

2.3 Singh to Kamran Akmal, OUT

This, however is a great thing to happen!! Two wickets in three overs generally means.. we gonna win. Check the stats!!

5.4 Sreesanth to Younis Khan, OUT. Direct hit!

There is definitely something weird with the world of cricket when Indians start getting direct hits. And catching the batsmen short actually!! Divine signs..

11.3 IK Pathan to Shoaib Malik, OUT

Finally!! Errm.. it does nt help of course, it that paves way to an Afridi entry. Bugger better play today!! (And get out two runs short of the target on the last ball).

11.4 IK Pathan to Shahid Afridi, OUT

Nahee!!

IK Pathan 2-0-7-2

Check that shit out!! Please, o' good God, remind him of this spell when he bowls to Ricky next month!!

End of over 14 (4 runs) - Pakistan 92/6

IK Pathan 3-0-11-2

Ditto, God.. ditto!!

15.6 IK Pathan to Yasir Arafat, OUT

We gonna win!! We cannot possibly lose this from here.

Pakistan 138/7
17.5 Sreesanth to Sohail Tanvir, SIX

Ahem.. Sreesanth is the by far the most Olonga-esque Indian bowler I have seen, in my two decade long career as a cricket enthusiast.

17.6 Sreesanth to Sohail Tanvir, OUT, Comeback!

(Sheepish grin) Well.. point proven.

18.5 Singh to Umar Gul, OUT

There goes my chances at some (any) respectability in the Fantasy League.

13 needed from 6 balls now. This big final has gone right down to the wire. Misbah on strike.

One wicket!!

19.2 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, SIX, full-toss outside the off, that's not the place to bowl at this time. Misbah is cool as ice, lines this up and pounds the ball straight back down the ground. This is a baseball style home run. Such incredible hitting under pressure. You have to give it to Misbah.

How the hell did he manage to do that.. I mean, bowl a full toss!! One wicket, for the love of God.. where is Yuvraj Singh?

19.3 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, OUT, India! It's all over here!

Nevermind, Joginder Sharma will do!!

5 comments:

IC said...

"I am somehow reminded of a certain version of cricket called 'book cricket' (made popular in many a last bench of large classrooms by uninterested souls subjected to tedious monologues) whenever I encounter this T20 thingy. No respect for this rather boisterous form of cricket, which has the bowlers torn apart by contemptible slogs (and inventive cricketing shots, I am contested) and games ending in bowl-outs (talk about brazenfaced commercialization!!)"

and now...u ask mr.pathan to remembr certain spells!!draggd into irony eh!!

P said...

DUDE!!!!
WHATAY MATCH!!!!

Sharad Ragas said...

Hehe.. I see.

I still have very little respect for this form of cricket, which ranks prolly third in the three forms of cricket (oh wait, there is also that Hong Kong Sixes thing, which was quite similar to this circus here).

Irrespective, of the form of cricket.. I love the Indian cricket team. It is a team I grew up watching more than any contemporary sports team. Heck, I even played India when I played book cricket. You should listen to my prayers when Sachin's score read 6,6,6,4,6,6,6,6,6,4,4,6.. =p

Seriously though, for any bowler to bowl the way Singh or Pathan did, in this slaughter house, is absolutely marvelous. It was heartbreaking when Pathan pulled out of the international scene two years back.. and then to see him get pummelled in the national leagues. For him to bowl anything close to what he was bowling today is a prayer answered to most.

There are a dozen reasons may be, as to why this form of cricket is a bad habit to get into.. especially for a national side which will struggle once 'the three' quit Test cricket.. but it makes people happy today owing to its novelty. Novelty has a very short life, remember.

Irony is not a hard thing to find around here. But this time it might have missed me. Look again. =)

Sharad Ragas said...

Dude!!

I am telling you.. that Dhoni fellow.. too much, eh?

Toooo much!!

ADR said...

"There is definitely something weird with the world of cricket when Indians start getting direct hits."

Ahh nothing compares to the sound n sight of a direct hit!!! :D