2nd Semi Final: More Than a Match

In this cricket-infested country there is virtually nobody who is indifferent to the game but there are many who, if I can politely say it, have a restricted understanding of it. There also are a plenty who might not understand the technicalities of the game and would not consider the cricket world cup as something of immense importance. Yes, there is a large variety of people in India. However, when it comes to an India-Pakistan game, there is no pair of eyes in either of the countries that fails to have a glimpse. I have seldom seen folks, disinterested in the game of cricket, discussing it with such remarkable fervour. Moreover, when the stage is as big as the semi-final of the world cup, the craze is just indescribable.

Mohali was the stage for a game that was second in magnitude only to the final of the world cup. For some, it was even bigger than the final. As we often see in both India and Pakistan, there is no impure opportunity, that is missed by the politicians and the media. Unfortunately, the pristine match between the old rivals was no exception. And amidst the chaotic blend of fanatical spectators, opportunistic politics, and air-tight security started a game that was watched by a number of people that could easily outnumber the population of most of the countries on the planet - even that of a few continents if I'm not making a miserable mistake in geography.

The vital toss that was won by India was followed by an Indian innings that started with Sehwag's exuberant stroke-play. He smashed 5 fours to amass 21 runs of Umar Gul's second and the third over of the innings. As a result, Umar Gul, arguably Pakistan's best bowler in the tournament, endlessly struggled for line and length. Every bit of confidence in him was shattered by that merciless assault by Virender Sehwag and India quickly set off to a flier.

The violent cameo ended with a beautiful delivery from an unknown Wahab Riaz that hid the swing on it till very late before snatching an lbw that led to sighs of relief across Pakistan. At the other end, as usual, was the master in the run for another finely placed knock. Gautam Gambhir joined the king in an attempt to carry the Indian innings forward. All went fine for India as they looked to be marching towards at least 300 on a pitch that many had misread to be a belter.

It was an over by Sajeed Ajmal that brought the rarest of the moments in the game. Sachin Tendulkar - yes, Sachin Tendulkar - was deceived twice in two consecutive deliveries and survived a lethal lbw appeal followed by an appeal for an unimaginably close stumping. The first one was the regular off break which the master failed to read the turn on and was struck on the pads. The very next one was an attempted wrong one or the doosra - which did not turn at all - which Sachin treated like an off break. After this, started one of the shakiest knocks I have ever seen from the master. Nonetheless, he hung in there and also played a few fantastic strokes in between but offered chances to the fielders fairly regularly which they failed to grab on four occasions. Dropping someone of Sachin Tendulkar's stature four times was a sin that the Pakistanis eventually paid for. A Sachin who was far from his fluent best finally gave it up after scoring a trembling 85 (Mind you, he still top-scored in the match). His struggle was a clear indication of the fact that the pitch was far from being a belter.

After the first 10 overs, the wicket had slowed down and was allowing a lot of turn. Before Tendulkar got out, Gambhir was stumped on 27. Kohli and Yuvraj were gotten rid of in two consecutive deliveries - both carrying some late swing on them and the second one, the one that bowled Yuvraj out on the first ball he faced, gently reminding us of Wasim Akram. Dhoni offered some resistance and played a wise yet unmoving knock of 25 to offer Raina some company. Suresh Raina, however, seemed to be a different batsman since his memorable knock against Australia and played a superb unbeaten knock of 36 from 39 to push India to 260.

Pakistan should have been delighted to have not allowed India to reach even 275 and could have been bustling in confidence at the innings break but the other half had a different story to tell.

Kamran Akmal started off in a Sehwagish manner with a boundary through the covers and Pakistan looked well placed at 44 for no loss before he fell to Zaheer Khan. At 70-1, Mohammad Hafeez played the most irresponsible shot of the world cup to get caught behind off a Munaf Patel delivery. Asad Shafiq formed a decent stand with Yunis Khan to carry the Pakistani innings forward but was left with broken stumps in a poor attempt of cutting a quicker one from Yuvraj Singh. The Indians were fielding like the South Africans and were bowling tight as Glenn McGrath. As a result, the asking rate was slowly increasing. Yunis Khan was stagnated at a poor 13 from 32 deliveries and was forced to play bad shot in a desperate attempt to score runs only to get caught by the fielding livewire called Suresh Raina. With him, fell many Pakistani hopes of a maiden world cup win against India although a fighter called Misbah was still at the crease.

The talented Umar Akmal showed some flamboyance with the bat as he launched onto some Indian spin and looked to be in fine shape to rebuild the Pakistani innings with Misbah before he fell to what was the ball of the innings to me. Harbhajan Singh, coming around the wicket to the right hander for the first ball of his new spell, bowled a quicker one that pitched on length and knocked Umar Akmal's off stump off. The incident left Pakistan struggling for momentum as Misbah, at one point, was batting on an inexplicably slow 10 off 30 balls. The mindless hitters in Razzaq and Afridi were to follow but the former was bowled out by a slower one from Munaf Patel that had hints of swing and the latter went for a hopeless slog only to get caught by Sehwag. The tail had little role to play as Misbah watched from the other end. He then accelerated and also played a few good shots that must have gently threatened the Indians but by that time, it was too late and all over for Pakistan.

India surprisngly found their criminals bowlers - Munaf Patel and Aashish Nehra - on the delightful side of the game as they bowled out of their skin. Nehra gave just 33 away from his 10 and picked up 2 wickets and Munaf gave just 40 in 10 to pick up his 2. Only 5 Indian bowlers bowled and picked up 2 wickets a piece to bowl Pakistan out for 231 with one ball to spare.

India improved their already perfect record by making it 5 world cup wins against Pakistan in 5 matches. Sachin Tendulkar, who has played in all those 5 games, won the man of the match award for his shaky - and probably the worst in recent times - inning of 85. As a result of this epic drama, India have booked a place against Sri Lanka to play their 3rd world cup final and the first on home soil.

The win was celebrated through every corner of the Indian street as crackers went off and their flashy light mixed with frenzied cheers of most of those whose sole objective was to see India beat Pakistan in a world cup match. Bars and restaurants were flooded with people. The tri-colour was being flaunted prodigiously and the people - rich or poor, fair or dark, dumb or smart - were celebrating the event with an unmatchable zeal. I, for one, led a rather quiet celebration to rejoice in one of the most special moments in the 15 passionate years of my love for cricket, hoping that Saturday could just be the most special one.

Man of the Match: Sachin Tendulkar

1st Semi Final: A Fight in a Mismatch

Yes, as expected, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand to march to the final. However, that takes nothing away from the spirited Kiwis who have outgrown the odds to reach where they eventually did in this world cup.

Once again, New Zealand batted sensibly and very much within their limits. They were not aiming too high as the inning kicked off. Their inning demanded steadiness and they had to bat out fifty overs. Apart from the shaky end, where at one point they lost 4 wickets for 4 runs, steadiness was maintained throughout the innings although the run rate looked to be an issue. But that's the best the Kiwis could manage playing in Colombo against a spin-studded Sri Lankan attack. Nobody had given them a chance, just as nobody did when they played South Africa. They won that one but lost this. To me, this one looked much tougher for them than any other game they have played in the tournament and the reason for that is spin. Had they played Sri Lanka in Auckland or Perth it might have been a different story altogether.

New Zealand are a better fielding side than a batting side but defending 207 was always going to be difficult. Continuing his form from the previous game, Dilshan got off to a flier and scored a match-winning 73. Tharanga and Sangakara played well too. There was a little bit of panic in the Lankan camp when these three and Jaywardhane had gotten out and their untested middle-order was suddenly exposed to the hugeness of the event. Yet, in the end they sailed through and won by 5 wickets.

Sri Lanka have booked their ticket to the city of dreams - Mumbai - and the Kiwis will have to go home with a lot of respect and with memories of some great fights they have put on show in this world cup to finish among the top four.

Man of The Match: Kumar Sangakara

A Quick Bite

Sri Lanka are the clear favourites. Although, I'd like New Zealand to come out strong. I shall be supporting New Zealand tomorrow, knowing that a team like New Zealand - none of whose batsmen can tackle quality spin - will have to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament so far to beat Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Hopefully, it won't be a walkover for Sri Lanka unlike the one against England. This, anyway, is the lesser celebrated semi-final and a Kiwi win could be its only way to fame.

4th Quarter Final: A Walkover

Yesterday's match, which was as big as a quarter-final of the world cup, unfortunately turned out to be a soporific encounter dominated by Sri Lanka. Playing at the Premadasa, the pitch and the game both turned Sri Lanka's way. England enjoyed a fair share of luck by winning the toss which is vital at the Premadasa. Batting first was their best chance to make a match out of it, and honestly speaking, they did not play too bad. Of course, they struggled against spin. Not that they did not put up a fight while batting but they simply lacked any talent to tackle quality spin. None of the Englishmen seemed confident picking any of the three spinners that Sri Lanka were armoured with. Jonathan Trott's fine 86 and Eoin Morgan's fortunate 50 helped England to reach a decent total of 229.

It was not impossible to defend 229 but considering England's impotent bowling attack we all thought it would be tough. And it indeed was. It proved to be so tough for England that they did not manage to pick even a single Sri Lankan wicket. Sri Lanka's road to victory was no tougher than a walk around a park. Dilshan and Tharanga both scored unbeaten hundreds and took Sri Lanka to the target with 63 balls to spare and 10 wickets in hand.

In my opinion, there was nothing spectacular about the match. Not the Lankan spin. Not even the 2 hundreds by their openers. The English inning looked like an elongated struggle and the Sri Lankan batting, although the scorecard suggested otherwise, lacked any flamboyance whatsoever. Not that they did not play well. They were dominating right since the beginning but it's just that the Lankans are not exciting to watch in my opinion.

The docile English attack looked simply incapable of making a mark on the slow pitch of Colombo. And that's why the teams seemed to have batted on two different pitches. England endured a seemingly endless struggle against spin to reach 229 for 6 in 50 overs whereas the Sri Lankans chased down the target with all their wickets in tact in 39.3 overs.

This was the story of the 4th and the last quarter-final which, by all means, turned out to be a dull match to watch and a walkover for Sri Lanka. This was also the end of a media-hyped and sensationalized English world cup campaign that, unlike some of its previous versions, did entertain us most of the time but failed to leave a lasting impression on the cup of glory.

Man of the Match: Tilakratne Dilshan

3rd Quarter Final: The Come-Back of a Wicked History

I wonder if there is a greater sorrow in world cricket than being knocked out of the world cup after starting as one of the favourites, especially by a team that even the hardest optimist did not expect much from.

Nobody, as I said, nobody gave New Zealand a chance yesterday. After all, they were playing against what apparently was the most balanced side in the tournament. South Africa enjoyed being the best bowling side on paper, they batted deep, and fielded to excellence. They were certainly one of the sides to beat.

New Zealand, on the other hand, lacked talent. They lacked the sort of stars that most of the other teams in the tournament could sport. They were also haunted by a defamatory defeat to Bangladesh just before the world cup.

This was predicted to be the most one-sided of the quarter-finals, closely followed by Pakistan vs. West Indies. So much so that, people had already begun to talk about a semi-final involving South Africa. Then what went wrong? Did New Zealand outplay South Africa by pulling off a one-in-a-million performance or, as it has happened often in the past, did South Africa kill themselves?

Well, to me, it was a day when New Zealand did nothing wrong. They did not aim too high as they batted first and tried to keep it as steady - although slow - as possible. The openers fell early and Jesse Ryder had to meet Ross Taylor in the middle to form a fine stand of 114 runs. Taylor scored a vital 43 and Ryder top-scored with 83.

As Vettori said later, they were targeting 250. It is often important that a team does not get over-ambitious in a match like this. New Zealand were well-aware of the might of the South African attack and also their own limitations as a batting side. Hence, they kept going slow and at one point it looked difficult for them to even cross 200. Kane Williamson scored an unbeaten 38 of 41 in the final stages of the innings to take New Zealand to 221.

222 was definitely not a tough task for a team that batted as deep as South Africa. New Zealand, on the other hand, might have thought that it was their best chance to make a match of it by picking up some early wickets on the slow and sluggish Mirpur wicket where the bounce was never true. They got a lucky break as Hashim Amla got out early in one of the rarest fashions. Jack Kallis, the old horse, formed a couple of good partnerships with Smith and AB De Villiers. The South African ship was sailing smooth at 108-2 in 24 overs before Jacob Oram caught a blinder on the long on boundary to get rid of Jack Kallis. This marked the beginning of a play of fate that way going to lead South Africa to tears in the next couple of hours. Wickets fell as if there was an earthquake in Mirpur. Duminy was bowled by Nathan McCullum. AB was run out. Then came defeat chasing the last remaining and the only deserving participants from the African continent to confirm what was more of a South African loss than a Kiwi win.

South Africa remained at the bitter end of another tragic tale of a world cup qualifier, and, as I am forced to say - apart from 1992 when they had as valid an excuse as one will ever find - they should have only themselves to blame for acquiring this destructive trait commonly known as chocking.

Man of the Match: Jacob Oram

2nd Quarter Final: The End of an Era

Occasions don't make men stronger, but without an occasion there could be no exhibition of strength. The greatest measure of the fight in a fighter is how he rises up to an occasion, and India have showcased their share of fight in a phenomenal manner today in Ahmedabad.

Knocking Australia out of a world cup had remained an unattained dream for most teams in a generation. It was way back, 19 years ago, in 1992 when it was the last time Australia did not qualify for the semi-finals of a world cup. Since then they have played all the finals of the four world cups till the current one and, as we all know, have won 3 in a row. It was an era of utter dominance, marked by a gradually and carefully acquired habit of winning. Home or away, Australia kept winning. An Australian loss was as rare as a good ball from Munaf Patel. In fact, as the analogy might further suggest, it was virtually non-existent.

However, as they say, nothing is permanent in this world filled with fragility and change. Everything, how much ever significant and great, has an end, and today the team that had fought the best against Australia in their golden era and the team that had managed to ask them questions fairly regularly - although mostly in Test Cricket - marked the end of that era. Yes, I take immense pride in saying that it is India who have beaten the Australians in the quarter-final of the world cup 2011 and have set them right on their way home.

The dilettantes might believe that today's was not an exciting game of cricket as not many spectacular shots were played and not a lot of action was staged on the ground. However, the literates of the game would know that it was a thriller - more at the inside than from the outside - by all means. It was a match that pressure resided in like a permanent citizen and, soon as the match began, spread all over in the territories of both the sides like a fluid of low viscosity. Australia did well to reach 260 as Ricky Ponting played a fantastic knock for his fifth, and most probably last, world cup hundred. India, on the other hand, who have been one of the worst bowling sides for a large part of the tournament believed that they had done well to restrict Australia below 275. Zaheer Khan bowled brilliantly and rose up to the occasion. Harbhajan and Ashwin spun the ball well and kept things tight in the initial stages. Yuvraj, the statistically best bowler, bowled his 10 for 44 and picked up 2 wickets.

India came on to bat with a purpose and got off to a good start before Sehwag fell mistiming a pull as he was caught at midwicket. Sachin Tendulkar looked superb as usual and played some remarkable strokes all over the ground for his 53 and formed a good stand with Gambhir. Sachin was caught behind on Tait's bowling which was the only highlight of Shaun Tait's presence in the match. Otherwise, Tait was haywire, never settled down, and frankly, never bowled well. The occasion was a huge one and the match that was getting away from the Australians was once again well-balanced as Kohli got out off a full-toss ball and Gambhir killed himself running with Yuvraj Singh in the most bizarre possible manner. And when Dhoni got out shortly after, the Indian ship looked to be sinking and the famous Australian attitude of never-say-die suddenly looked alive and shining.

Then came the 7th man - Suresh Raina - the last person guarding the weak Indian tail from the lethal pace of Brett Lee, Mittchel Johnson and Shaun Tait. Yuvraj Singh, with great support from Suresh Raina, scored a match-winning 57 not out in 65 balls which, to me, was as good as a hundred. The two formed an unbeaten partnership of 74 which was as good a match-winning effort as you will ever see. Raina remained unbeaten on 34 off 28 and actively participated in writing a glorious piece of the history of Indian cricket.

Fascinating pieces of cricketing history have been written by the Indians and importantly they have a lot more to come their way. With this scintillating win, India have confirmed an appointment with their arch-rivals Pakistan in Mohali on Wednesday, 30th of March, 2011. That is as big a game as one could possibly see in world cricket. For tonight, India can rejoice and cherish a victory that would have tasted like a divine delicacy cooked in their own backyard.

Man of the Match: Yuvraj Singh

Pre'match'ure Take: India Vs. Australia

Excitement was never greater. India playing Australia in a world cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad. It's been days of excitement leading to this day and it has dawned. The quarter-final will be on its way in less than an hour from now. The toss will take place shortly.

Australia have been struggling with the bat but have a pretty good, balanced bowling attack. India sport the best batting line-up in the tournament but have been close to pathetic with the ball so far.

This is THE CLASH.

I predict a nail-biter. The fan in me wants to be pampered and wants to watch India sail through. From an analytical standpoint, too, I think India will have a slight edge today. I predict a 55:45 to India. Fingers crossed. The biggest match so far will shortly be on its way.

1st Quater Final: A Mini Match

The world of cricket was bleeding excitement as the knockout stage of the world cup '11 was on its way in Mirpur. Predictions were floating around in every corner of the cricketing world and a pre-analysis was attached to every word that was spoken around oneself. All knew Pakistan were the favourites. Yet, an outside chance was given to the West Indies just to satisfy the demands of the cricket fan who always asks for hard-fought matches.

The match began and the match ended. Pakistan walked, or rather ran, over the West Indies. No fight. No doubts. No twists. West Indies shamefully crumbled for 112. There was no highlight of this performance. Gayle fell as irresponsibly as he usually does. Sarwan spent some time on the wicket like a tourist, watched the ball, stayed around for a while, and then ended an aweful innings of 24 runs of 68 deliveries. Shivnarain Chanderpaul top scored with a solo, random, and pointless 44 not out of 106 balls. Afridi grabbed another four-for and continued to enjoy being the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

Pakistan came out to bat and looked in tremendous hurry. They reached the target in 20.5 overs with all their wickets in tact as Kamran Akmal scored 47 not out and Mohammad Hafeez scored an unbeaten 68 to be the man of the match award. This was supposed to be a grand event. The first quarter-final. But it turned out to be the worst match of the tournament. Yes, Pakistan were always the favourites but the West Indies could have at least put up a fight. I know they are talentless. They know they are talentless. But they could have at least risen up to the occasion. Yes, collapses happen. Yes, at times, you are outplayed. But the West Indies are such a careless team that they just don't seem to be wanting to win. They lack killer instincts. They lack the basic will to win a match. They look like they just don't care. There is a thin line between aggression and a boorish irresponsible performance and each of the West Indians - Chris Gayle leading in this regard - has crossed that line. If I were a selector I'd never - NEVER, in my life - tolerate such careless attitude. I mean, you are playing the world cup, darn it!

I think Ireland could have been a much better candidate for the quarters. Not that they would have beaten Pakistan at all but they have put up some strong fights against major teams in this tournament, and could have done that again. They are a team that can do anything to win - they field brilliantly, are maturing into a talented side, and most importantly - in stark contrast to the West Indies - play with all their heart. The West Indies are the worst and the most disappointing team of the tournament to me. Yes, they were the kings back in the day and no questions whatsoever about the deserving dominance of the Clive Lloyd era, but in the last two decades, particularly in the last decade, they have been a team on the decline and with this attitude, I won't be surprised if their test status is snatched away in the near future. As far as Pakistan are concerned, they have been a surprise package this world cup, and after tasting something sweeter than a piece of cake in the quarter-finals, they will be waiting to meet either Australia or India - whoever wins today - for some spicy food in the semi-finals.

Man of the Match: Mohammad Hafeez

Road to the Quarters

Well, well, well! The league stage - a set of remarkably exciting matches - has finally concluded today. And we have 8 teams - the same 8 that were expected to make it to the next round before the start of the tournament - marching ahead. The way these 8 qualified, however, was not easy and as expected. There were upsets, many of them. Group 'A' remained the good boy as it did not see any major upsets. However, New Zealand beating Pakistan, Pakistan beating both Australia and Sri Lanka were results clearly against the initial odds. Group 'B' saw everything happen over the last few days. It featured a fascinating tie between India and England. It saw England losing to Ireland and Bangladesh, but pulling off a remarkable 6-run win over South Africa. It saw South Africa beating India with 3 balls to spare. The rest of them were fine games of cricket too and we have seen a lot of action already in the tournament. Now, let us march ahead with the 8 best teams of the world cup to the quarter-finals.

Here's a list of the four matches that will see 4 teams exiting the grand event.

1) Pakistan Vs. West Indies in Mirpur

2) Australia Vs. India in Ahmedabad

3) New Zealand Vs. South Africa in Mirpur

4) Sri Lanka Vs. England in Colombo

We will analyze each of these matches as they unfold. Although, I believe, in this cup any of these teams can beat the other on their day but it is comparatively easy to pick favourites for the three matches apart from the second one.

Pakistan will certainly have an edge over the West Indies considering their recent form. Plus, Pakistan can also expect some support from the crowd in Mirpur.

I guess, India playing Australia is going to be the greatest of all these 4 clashes as it is almost impossible to pick a winner right now. This is the clash. Personally, nothing would please the cricket fan in me more than India knocking Australia out of the world cup. It would be a dream come true. Analytically, if both the teams play their best cricket, I think India will have an edge. However, knocking Australia out of the tournament is a task not many teams in the history have achieved. They are a different team in crunch games and India will have to handle the pressure very well to win this one. The pitch will play a vital role too.

New Zealand will have to play out of their skins if they want to win this one. I believe, South Africa will have a strong edge here. These are the only 2 teams out of the 8 that have never played a world cup final and both would be desperate to change that. South Africa, as of now, look well on their way to the semis at least.

I'd be mighty surprised if England win this one. And the major reason for this belief is not the team they are playing against but the venue of the match. Beating Sri Lanka in Colombo on a pitch that is likely to spin like a tossed coin is going to be a paramount task for England. They'd have to be particularly carefully while batting. The best they can hope for is to win the toss and elect to bat. The toss has mostly been the match-winner at Premadasa but even if England win it, they will have a long and tough road ahead.

So here are the four probable semi-finalists in my view - Pakistan, India (the toughest call), South Africa, Sri Lanka.

The Coda of the League

England sneaked in with a win against the West Indies in another match that saw the latest possible hour of the night. The West Indies collapsed and were as indisciplined as they have been over the last two decades. Yet, in their favour, were a few moments of brilliance like Gayle's quickfire 43 off just 21. Albeit, England have finally qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time after 1992.

The next day was dedicated to creating history or rather stopping a 12 year-long continuous creation of history. Australia finally lost a world cup match after an unimaginably stunning 34-match long unbeaten run that spanned 12 years and four world cups. As fate had it, at both the ends of the dream-run Australia were to find Pakistan. Pakistan played competitive cricket, especially while bowling. Umar Gul was absolutely brilliant and looked to be one of the very few sane Pakistani cricketers, and was well supported by the tight left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman. The part-timers bowled neat and tidy and Pakistan bowled Australia out for 176. Australia were bowled out in a world cup match for the first time after 1992. Defending 176 was always going to be difficult but never impossible, not one bit considering the team that was defending it. Australia fought hard as expected. Brett Lee put up a fascinating display of fast bowling as he picked up 4 for 25 in 8 overs but Pakistan managed to cross the line with 4 wickets in hand and beat Australia who felt that they should have scored more runs.

India played the West Indies today in the last league match of the tournament. India won the toss and chose to bat in Chennai. Tendulkar got out in the first over for 2 runs off 4 deliveries which gave the West Indies some hopes. Yuvraj Singh, who shared a fine partnership with Virat Kohli, was the star of the day as he scored a fantastic hundred. Ravi Rampaul bowled really well and the last few overs were once again not sweet for India although there was a slight improvement compared to the grand collapse against South Africa. India scored 268 which looked pretty good. R.Ashwin, the much talked-about off-spinner played his first match of the tournament and also bowled the first over. At one point the West Indies looked well on their way as Devon Smith was batting rather well. Zaheer Khan sneaked in with a beauty to get rid of Smith and since then started a typical West Indian collapse as nobody from number 5 to 11 seemed to be either capable or willing to play a defensive stroke. Zaheer was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 3 for 26 in his 6 overs. Ashwin bowled his full quota for 41 runs picking 2 wickets. West Indies ended at 188 and the scoreboard confirmed what later turned out to be an easy Indian win by 80 runs.

Today, was the last day of the league stage which provided us immense entertainment and some top-class thrilling cricket. Let us now get geared up for the quarter-finals that start on the 23rd of March, and mature to the next level of excitement.

A Quest for Supremacy

When India played South Africa in Nagpur, it turned out to be quite the show the world was waiting for. It was always going to be an evenly contested battle. It was always going to be the biggest league game of the tournament. It was a battle of two of the hot favourites to win the cup. It was a finely cut piece of the greatest sporting spectacle on earth that the fans savoured till the very last minute. From the perspective of a cricket fan, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the game. From an Indian perspective, however, I felt miserable and disappointed as the match ended.

The match began with downright dominance of the Indian openers in Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. Sehwag flashed his bat in the air so often that it seemed like a law of the land to do that each time a ball was bowled at you. He flew ferociously in the African skies conquering a bowler after another. At the other end, of course, was the man my words can never suffice for - a man who has achieved so much that the more you talk about him the more incapable do you find yourself to describe his genius. And as it happens often lately, while Sehwag was gambling at one end, Sachin was playing shots that could not be better timed, better placed, and more adored. Sachin looked in sublime form and looked like a man on a mission. He knew exactly what he was doing and when he pushed one straight passed the bowler and then checked his stance like he was learning the straight drive, I knew that day was going to be special. And when he hooked Dale Steyn over deep midwicket for a six, it looked as if he was reminding the world, in his own wonderful manner of course, of what he is and what he has been - Sachin Tendulkar. After Sehwag's departure, Sachin carried the innings in remarkable style, advising Gautam Gambhir every now and then as he initially struggled and later went on to score a fine 69 of 75. These were a couple of hours of unmatchable perfection that had every South African effort look dull as Sachin registered his 48th ODI hundred and 99th international hundred with all the charisma and greatness that he had scored the previous 98 with.

This, however, was the situation till Sachin was on the ground. Soon, as the batting powerplay was taken, started a collapse never seen, never imagined. From 267/1 in the 40th over, India were reduced to a shameful 296/10 in 48.4 overs. It was a shock, an aweful, unwise display of the fancy Indian middle order. Dhoni was stranded at the other end as Dale Steyn came back rather viciously after Tendulkar's dismissal, taking a 5-wicket hall. He was fast, accurate, and too much to handle for the Indian tail. India lost 9 wickets for 29 runs and this to me was the greatest turning point of the match.

The South African batting looked strong enough to chase 297 in Nagpur where chasing is relatively easier than on some other venues. Against a toothless, indisciplined Indian bowling the Africans were always going to be the favourites to chase anything under 300. Zaheer Khan, however, looked in good rhythm, and bowled pretty well throughout the match. Harbhajan, finally got some flight on the ball, occasionally came around the wicket and finally managed to impress in the tournament. India's woes were, however, to bear the burden of talentless bowlers like Nehra and Munaf who were treated like school-kids by the Africans. I really doubt if either of them really belong to this level of cricket. They lack talent, they lack pace, they lack accuracy. They have nothing that would qualify as an attribute of a good seamer. Moreover, they lack energy and fitness too. It's amazing how a country that has produced so many great batsmen and a few excellent spinners, fails completely to produce one genuine fast bowler. Nehra and Munaf are neither fast nor bowlers. Munaf is Right Arm Straight and Nehra is Left Arm Haywire. That's all. Any team can milk them at will and India will without much of a choice have to play them and pay for them in the tournament.

The African run-chase was fuelled by will and a hope that was broaden by the kind of attack India staged against them. They started slow and steady and the match was always in the balance. When Jack Kallis was run-out after an inspiring 69, I guess, India had a wonderful chance of capitalizing on the situation since the asking rate had gone high up then. The part-timers in Yuvraj and Pathan had bowled decently and right when it went to the final few overs, India missed fast bowlers. They needed just one of them to bowl in tandem with Zaheer Khan - who was bowling beautifully - but couldn't find him. As a result, it came down to getting 17 from 2 overs. Zaheer Khan bowled a fantastic second-last over and gave away just 4 runs. Dhoni had to choose between Harbhajan and Nehra. If I were him, I'd blindly choose Harbhajan. Not that I'm saying it now, but I believe some kind of spin on the ball is better than a straight ball right in the slog. India might have still lost it had Harbhajan bowled the last over but would have certainly had a better chance. Nehra bowled three lousy deliveries - the second one being the worst ball of the world cup so far - and South Africa scored 14 off 3 balls when 13 were required from 6.

South Africa won. India lost. South Africa had held their nerves till the very end in this classic of a cricket match. As teams stand now, South Africa are the only team in Group 'B' to have qualified for the next round. India are most probably in too and have a match on their hands. If they can beat the West Indies - who gave the victory away foolishly to England today - they'd be through for sure. India have a lot of questions to answer before they (hopefully) play the knockouts. I hope the nail-biters against England and South Africa would teach India quick and vital lessons about life in world cup cricket, and hopefully they will make the most of it. For now, India will have to deal with another unfortunate climax to a spectacular hundred by the great Sachin Tendulkar.

A Taylor-Made Birthday and Group 'A'

What we all thought would be a spin-dominated, convincing Pakistani victory was ended with another stamp on the belief that this is the first open world cup in an age. New Zealand's steady start was converted into a mountain of runs by a fierce assault towards the end of the innings by Ross Taylor. Martin Guptill (57) was the second highest run-scorer who batted with patience as an opener. The real star of the day was undoubtedly Ross Taylor. On his 27th birthday, Taylor played one of the finest knocks of his career on the grand stage of the world cup scoring an unbeaten 131 off 124 deliveries. New Zealand scored 85 runs in the last 4 overs. Abul Razzaq went for 49 in 4 overs whereas Shoaib Akhtar walked back with shameful bowling figures of 70 for 1 in 9 overs.

Pakistan were expected to fight back with the bat but crumbled right from the beginning as at one stage they were 45-5 which turned into 66-6. Abul Razaq tried to avenge the merciless treatment given to him in the first innings and scored 62 off 74 deliveries. Pakistan ended at 192, losing to New Zealand by 110 runs.

The Kiwi win opened a lot of possibilities in the group. As I write this, all the four of Australia, Pakistan, New Zeland and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the quarter finals. The final position in the group may be crucial since it will decide who plays whom in the quarter finals. There are two big games that might have the final word on how the teams stand in Group A. Sri Lanka vs. New Zealand in Mumbai and Pakistan vs. Australia in Colombo will be great practice games for the four sides. Calculations will anyway not help them much since who qualifies at which position from Group B is still a big question. Group B is turning out to be a real group of death as only South Africa are sure to reach the quarters. India, barring a major mishap and a rare statistical chance, are pretty much through as well. England, Bangladesh and West Indies are currently engulfed in complex statistics.

Although, this world cup is full of surprises and has been a treat to watch so far, we have our habit of picking favourites before the match. And for Sri Lanka Vs. New Zealand, I believe, Sri Lanka have an edge though I'd like the Kiwis to come out victorious. Pakistan and Australia are two teams I'd usually like to see on the losing side, but since they are playing each other in Colombo, I think it will be a fascinating match and I'd give Australia a slightly better chance. Say, a 60:40 to Australia. Yet, I'd love to see the Australian dream-run ending at the earliest, even if it takes a historic Pakistani victory.

Pre'match'ure Take: Sri Lanka Vs Australia

One of the biggest and the most anticipated league clashes of this tournament is the game that's scheduled to start in 30 minutes as I write this. The country of Ravana will battle against the country of Jason Gillespie. I have never seen Ravana but imagine him looking similar to Gillespie.

The last time these two met in a world cup was in a mismatched final dominated by the Australians and particularly by the legendary wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. That, however, is a story of the past and Australia are definitely not the world-beaters they used to be back in the day. Yet, Australia are a great team, one of the best in ODIs even to this day, and shall have many reasons to believe that they can beat Sri Lanka in Colombo. Although, this time they will have to work real hard, stick to the strategies, and keep it as tight as possible when it comes to bowling. Ricky Ponting will have to get some runs and lead from the front. Shane Watson, the in-form opener, will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Michael Clark must have to strengthen the middle-order. Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, and Mitchell Johnson should try and get one of the openers along with Kumar Sangakara in the first 10 overs. Australia are still the world champions and stand a superb chance to win the battle of Colombo.

Sri Lanka, too, have a fair chance of winning the game this time since they are playing at home, and, as I just saw, they have won the toss and elected to bat. I believe Premadasa is not a great cricketing venue since the results here depend too much on the toss. The team batting first invariably has an edge here. The Lankans should expect either Sangakara or Jaywardhane to bat through the innings. I tend to feel that Sangakara will play a larger role today since he is a better player of pace than any other Sri Lankan. A lot will depend on Dilshan-the gambler and Tharanga. However, the biggest factor of the match will be spin and the player to watch out for is a person who can turn even on cement let alone at Premadasa - Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali will play with all his heart since it is his lats world cup and beating Australia is something precious to every player in his generation.

The only time Sri Lanka have ever beaten the Aussies in a world cup was in the final of the '96 cup and they would be desperate to improve that. The first ball is about to be bowled and I sign off to watch the action. My prediction - since the match is at Premadasa and since Sri Lanka have won the toss - is a thriller of a game. I'd give a 55 to Sri Lanka and a 45 to Australia.

Shahid Afridi - The Bolwer

The world cup continues to amaze us in many ways as after 19 matches that have been played so far, the highest wicket-taker is Shahid Afridi. Afridi has picked up 14 wickets in 3 matches - 5 against Kenya, 4 against Sri Lanka, 5 against Canada - which is awesome by all standards. Afridi has undergone a remarkable transformation over years. From being an aggressive opening batsman to being an aggressive pinch-hitter to being an aggressive lower-middle-order batsman to being only aggressive at one point was the first phase of his career. Afridi could be deadly with the bat on his day but his days are so far spaced from one another that I could barely appreciate him as a batsman. Afridi knows virtually no batting technique and that adds to the reasons for me not calling him a good batsman. This, however, was, and pretty much is, the story of Afridi - the batsman.

In the last few years, he has been giving enough importance to the role that he played his first ODI in - that of a leg-spinner. Few would know that Afridi made it to the Pakistan side as a replacement for Mushtaq Ahmed. However, fate had it that he were to create the record of the fastest hundred in ODIs - which still stands - only in his 2nd ODI when he was sent in as a pinch-hitter. This made him forget the ball in the former half of his career and play as a batsman.

Shahid Afridi is now again a bowler, and to be honest, a remarkably consistent and a surprisingly clever bowler. Talking only of this world cup, Afridi has varied his pace and the flight on the ball beautifully in all the three games that he played. He has also worked on his googly, and has the habit of bowling a fast wrong one - clearly different from a top-spinner - to people who cannot read him. In fact, a spinner who can occasionally bowl so fast and vary his pace so well could always be dangerous. On a turning track, this gets worse for the batsmen because Afridi has the ability to turn his faster ones as well. And when the ball turns rapidly into the right-hander (in case of Afridi's googlies) the batsman better read it well, else he might be gambling with his wicket.

Although I'm not too fond of the term, Shahid Afridi is also a partnership-breaker. And I think, the reason for that is the batsmen do not play him with the respect he deserves. Not many expect Afridi to bowl a stunner of a delivery all of a sudden and the prejudice of the batsman is what costs him his wicket. This, however, does not take any credit away from Afridi who has been the best bowler of the tournament so far and I don't say this only because he is the highest wicket-taker.

Afridi is also a passionate captain though not the best of the strategists. He has always been passionate and always been aggressive as a cricketer. But I feel, the best thing that has happened to him in the recent years is that he has learned to apply his aggression and direct it well as a bowler, something he could never really manage as a batsman in a career that spans 15 years.

The Irish Win

This is more of a tweet than a blog post - Kevin O'brien.