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.