Couch Talk 196 with Simon Taufel
5 years ago
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Sportskeeda App Review: The Sports Fanatic's Dream
Being a sports nut is hard enough without having to suffer the ignominy of being out of the loop. Not knowing what's going on in a match can turn me into a nervous wreck, scrambling for my phone at every opportunity to load the heavy pages of reputed sports news websites. Sportskeeda's app (on Android here, where it boasts a 4.8 rating) made this easier for me, being an easy-to-use source of constant updates on any sport you might follow, from cricket and football to kabaddi and archery.
Upon installation, you'll be given a little tutorial on what content goes with which tab: hot content, live updates, most popular content and the last tab allows you to browse the vast variety of sports. Then you get to pick the sports you follow, which dictates what content shows up for you. Yup, it's customizable with a few taps - you can basically use it as an app dedicated solely to certain specific sports of your choice. And you're all set!
The content is easy to read and pictures can be viewed independently. The live coverage of current games are fun to follow, making the best use of analysis and humor found on social media.
As far as data usage goes, the Sportskeeda app won't be causing any problems. In fact, it's a great deal better in that regard than any other app you may be using - it has a download size of 4.4 MB and it appears to be well-optimized. The live-stream data usage is negligible. It's lightning quick and takes no time at all to switch between tabs and content - which, by the way, can be easily shared to Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp as well as any other apps you may have.
In conclusion, this really is the app that can (and will) quench your thirst for updates from the ever-revolving world of sports. You'll get your news and your scores, and you'll get them fast. If you have 10 seconds to get an update, you won't spend 8 of them on a loading screen and a menu like on other options you've been forced to try; you'll be reading the content in a flash. And it's still just in the beta stage! Again, available here for Android.
The IPL so far (part 2)
We're heading into the latter stages of the IPL - and by that I mean there are only 20ish games to go and just over two weeks left! In other words, it's the perfect time to speculate on things such as whether Ganguly's imminent retirement to the bench is temporary, or if Shane Watson thinks he is competing with Dale Steyn as a bowler, or if James Franklin holds the secret recipe to the best vada pav ever. I'd pick him for every game too, if he possessed such secrets.
Or, you know, who is likely to make the - er - playoffs. I didn't pay much attention last year, but from what I understand, the top two sides will play a warped game that will turn out to be a virtual semifinal for its winner (let's call them D for neutrality) and a virtual quarterfinal for its loser (K). The sides placed third and fourth will play a virtual quarterfinal - the winner gets to play another virtual semifinal against K, and the loser is out for good. The winner of this game goes through to the final to face D. Simple, really. This is the table as I write this:
So, who's going to the playoffs?
If these two sides mess up from here, they deserve to be surrounded by bowling machines and be bombarded. Without protection. (Why isn't this a recognized punishment? I'll have to become a coach one day just to try this method.)
Or, you know, who is likely to make the - er - playoffs. I didn't pay much attention last year, but from what I understand, the top two sides will play a warped game that will turn out to be a virtual semifinal for its winner (let's call them D for neutrality) and a virtual quarterfinal for its loser (K). The sides placed third and fourth will play a virtual quarterfinal - the winner gets to play another virtual semifinal against K, and the loser is out for good. The winner of this game goes through to the final to face D. Simple, really. This is the table as I write this:
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | Pts | NRR |
| Delhi | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | +0.977 |
| Kolkata | 12 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 | +0.6 |
| Bangalore | 13 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | -0.058 |
| Mumbai | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | -0.198 |
| Chennai | 13 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | +0.081 |
| Rajasthan | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +0.184 |
| Mohali | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | -0.309 |
| Pune | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -0.348 |
| Hyderabad | 13 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -0.717 |
So, who's going to the playoffs?
The Certain
If these two sides mess up from here, they deserve to be surrounded by bowling machines and be bombarded. Without protection. (Why isn't this a recognized punishment? I'll have to become a coach one day just to try this method.)
The IPL so far
Nearly 30 matches in, and we're finally a third into the IPL. It's great to see that, for once, one or two teams aren't running away with it. How often do we have a six-way tie for anything? Usually, if there are six incompetent teams sharing points, it's the bottom 6. All the better to slate the Deccan Chargers - they really must love that basement. Here are the standings, as I write this. In 15 hours or so, two out of the current top three will share the lead with 10 points.
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Pts | Net RR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi Daredevils | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.681 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.432 |
| Pune Warriors | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.290 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.190 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.033 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -0.192 |
| Mumbai Indians | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.117 |
| Kings XI Punjab | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.467 |
| Deccan Chargers | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.032 |
Surprise packages
By "surprise packages", I don't mean an unexpected parcel delivered to your door, with a clearly audible ticking noise coming from it. Or maybe I do. I'm not sure.
Anyway, the teams that have done better than expected are the Pune Warriors (India) and the Delhi Daredevils (also India, but they aren't all smug and in-your-face about it).
England vs India: Halfway series review
It would be the understatement of understatements to say that the series has been full of action so far, but that doesn't stop anyone from saying it either way.
Such competitive pitches... it could have been so much more than the one-sided whipping it has turned out to be. The first session at Lord's is proof of that. And then, like Dhoni said, everything that could go wrong, did.
The tour began without Sehwag; Zaheer, Gambhir, Sachin, Yuvraj and Harbhajan filled up the sick room pretty quickly, igniting my suspicion that the physio gives them a complimentary paratha or something after each visit.
I reserve high praise for Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma, both of whom have bowled way too many overs than advisable. Ishant has put in 105.2 overs, still fewer than PK, who at 118.3, has bowled around twice as many overs as Harbhajan Singh. More praise, of course, for Dravid, who has scored more than twice as many runs as any other Indian batsman on this tour.
Sachin and Laxman have looked at ease without pushing on; Mukund has, as predicted, been a walking wicket - his initial struggle in the West Indies was a flashing neon sign indicating the same. Yuvraj and Raina have contributed ultimately inconsequential half-centuries. And to round up, Dhoni is having a horror series - he has done absolutely nothing right, in any department of the game. If Sachin and Warne get the fairytale scripts, Dhoni's got this tour's story from Wes Craven (Wiki it).
England, meanwhile, haven't been perfect (but very close to it). Cook and Strauss haven't got going, and Swann has been carted around in his half-fit state. They've been on the back foot one or two times, but they haven't allowed themselves to be backed into a corner - they've counter-attacked with aplomb. Mr. Anderson, Broad Jr. and Bresnan have all got a five-for to their name.
India's second practice game didn't really help them in any way. Gambhir, Sehwag, Raina and Dhoni didn't get the runs, Mukund (who isn't expected to play the third Test) hit a quick hundred. Zaheer Khan, for yet unknown reasons, bowled only three overs. Mishra, the second spinner in the squad, was expensive again, just like in the first practice game. So, don't expect any comebacks, Sehwag or no Sehwag. The two batsmen who can win a Test are the fit and in-form ones - Dravid, Sachin and Laxman. And Ojha must play.
Preferred XI: Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Sachin, Laxman, Kohli, Dhoni, PK, Ishant, Ojha, Sreesanth.
Probable XI: Same, but with Raina and Mishra.
Possibility of India remaining #1 after the next two Tests: see image.
Such competitive pitches... it could have been so much more than the one-sided whipping it has turned out to be. The first session at Lord's is proof of that. And then, like Dhoni said, everything that could go wrong, did.
The tour began without Sehwag; Zaheer, Gambhir, Sachin, Yuvraj and Harbhajan filled up the sick room pretty quickly, igniting my suspicion that the physio gives them a complimentary paratha or something after each visit.
I reserve high praise for Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma, both of whom have bowled way too many overs than advisable. Ishant has put in 105.2 overs, still fewer than PK, who at 118.3, has bowled around twice as many overs as Harbhajan Singh. More praise, of course, for Dravid, who has scored more than twice as many runs as any other Indian batsman on this tour.
Sachin and Laxman have looked at ease without pushing on; Mukund has, as predicted, been a walking wicket - his initial struggle in the West Indies was a flashing neon sign indicating the same. Yuvraj and Raina have contributed ultimately inconsequential half-centuries. And to round up, Dhoni is having a horror series - he has done absolutely nothing right, in any department of the game. If Sachin and Warne get the fairytale scripts, Dhoni's got this tour's story from Wes Craven (Wiki it).
England, meanwhile, haven't been perfect (but very close to it). Cook and Strauss haven't got going, and Swann has been carted around in his half-fit state. They've been on the back foot one or two times, but they haven't allowed themselves to be backed into a corner - they've counter-attacked with aplomb. Mr. Anderson, Broad Jr. and Bresnan have all got a five-for to their name.
India's second practice game didn't really help them in any way. Gambhir, Sehwag, Raina and Dhoni didn't get the runs, Mukund (who isn't expected to play the third Test) hit a quick hundred. Zaheer Khan, for yet unknown reasons, bowled only three overs. Mishra, the second spinner in the squad, was expensive again, just like in the first practice game. So, don't expect any comebacks, Sehwag or no Sehwag. The two batsmen who can win a Test are the fit and in-form ones - Dravid, Sachin and Laxman. And Ojha must play.
Preferred XI: Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Sachin, Laxman, Kohli, Dhoni, PK, Ishant, Ojha, Sreesanth.
Probable XI: Same, but with Raina and Mishra.
Possibility of India remaining #1 after the next two Tests: see image.
What India gained from the West Indian tour
The tour didn't get ignored as much as I'd thought, actually - quite unlike Raina's first captaincy stint in the tri-series with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh year. There was plenty of interest in the progress of India's next cricketing generation. Here's a list of things that have been added to our knowledge over the course of the T20I, ODIs and Tests.
- I have no idea what Shikhar Dhawan is doing in the team with Rahane and his runs lying around.
- Parthiv Patel has looked like a classy opener for months without scoring big runs. It's like he's a lefty Rohit Sharma or something.
- Badrinath only looks like he may be an effective Test player when he's playing T20's.
- Ashwin can't take wickets when no one is attacking him. He can't use the new ball for India, because we already have good new-ball bowlers.
- Rohit Sharma may have turned the corner. Where a banana skin may still be lurking. That expression never makes sense to me. Does 'turning a corner' mean revolving where you stand while you're in a corner?
- Raina shouldn't be captain - it neutralizes his midwicket-hacks. And he has registered himself for a huge English test by scoring those Test runs.
- Manoj Tiwary deserves another chance.
- Yusuf Pathan does not.
- Rahul Dravid still has some juice in him. Which is good, or else he'd be dehydrated from all the sweat. I think he's only programmed to bat in tough conditions at this point.
- Abhinav Mukund is going to have a real tough time in that first Test against England.
- Virat Kohli. Not ready. Tests. Future of India. Time on his hands. Attitude.
- Hey, Murali Vijay won CSK the IPL4 trophy.
- Praveen Kumar can be very useful in the right conditions. And he's still a tidy bowler when it's not swinging. He will be competing with Munaf and Sreesanth for the third seamer's position though... and going by Dhoni's track record, I have a suspicious suspicion about who might win that spot.
- It's great to see that Ishant is not cutting down on pace. For now.
- Sehwag, Gambhir and a great Indian spinner are conspicuous by absence.
Coming soon, to a blog near you (this one): England vs India preview.
Rohit Sharma: Flashes in the pan
It has been four years (plus 6 days, but who's counting) since Rohit Sharma made his debut. He was, at the time, an obligatory new face that had to be brought in after India's epic World Cup campaign in '07. Obviously that couldn't be the only reason he was picked - he had a decent start in domestic cricket, including a fifty on first-class debut against New Zealand A and a match-winning innings on his List A debut (Pujara and Jadeja were the other debutants). And anyone who has seen him bat will know that there's no way this guy can remain a mere domestic cricketer.
Following his composed, series-sealing innings against the West Indies, there were plenty of those perfunctory 'coming of age' remarks and articles about him. This is not one of them. I just decided to look at some stats and think-analyze-write about them. Just out of curiosity for how often RG Sharma seems to have got on track.
He didn't get to bat on his debut, in a match against Ireland. And when he did, it took him a couple of innings to get to double figures. In fact, it was a classy half-century against Pakistan, in a dead rubber (which, incidentally, was Praveen Kumar's debut - he fittingly began his career with a maiden). Sharma's mode of dismissal was a familiar one - caught at long-on just when he was looking like winning the game. He was the topscorer though.
That innings, though not matchwinning, was significant in another sense - it got him a fixed spot for India's next one-day assignment: a tri-series in Australia, also featuring Sri Lanka. We know that series because India won it - we know it better because of Sachin's performances in the finals. Sharma managed to catch the eye of many with some vital contributions, including a couple of half-centuries.
It was after this that the lean period started. And by lean, I really mean string-thin. Much unlike the rope that the selectors were handing him. I don't mean it was a thick rope, I mean long. Okay, I could have set that up better. Point is, the stats for all the series (seven of them) between June '08 and June'09 are quite dismal. In the 25 innings in that period, he averaged in the low 20s with just one half-century, in a high-scoring loss to Pakistan.
It was eight months before he played his next ODI - and he scored 48 in a dead rubber against South Africa, chasing 365. It probably didn't matter much, but there's a tiny chance that it influenced his selection to the tour of Zimbabwe. Yeah, he probably would've been picked in that second-string side even if he had come off a bunch of ducks in domestic games (that is a really strange sentence). Anyway, he was a bright shining light for India in that seemingly pointless series. Bright, bright, shiny light. And by that I mean he scored a couple of hundreds (his only ones so far) and then fizzled out.
His performance in India's successful Asia Cup campaign meant more praise, and also that he was firmly back in the general scheme of things. Until, of course, the next tournament. 20 runs in 4 innings against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, followed by 49 runs in 5 innings in South Africa pretty much sealed his fate ahead of the World Cup. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Except it isn't. It was a really good way to end that last paragraph though, right? Anyway, it isn't history. It's fairly recent. And that ODI series against the West Indies? Ended last week. Definitely not history. And Sharma batted remarkably well in a series where the only consistent thing about India's batting was its tendency to succumb to the domino effect.
So, this could be a complete turnaround and be the first series of the rest of his career, or it could be one of his many flashes in the pan. He could be RG or WG. Provides some super content to write on, either way.
Note 1: This was first published at Sportskeeda, where it could win me an iPhone 4 - all you have to is head over to it and 'like' it, and comment if you want to.
Note 2: I started writing this around the time of the 4th ODI and forgot about it. So yeah, it's a bit delayed, and not too dated hopefully.
Following his composed, series-sealing innings against the West Indies, there were plenty of those perfunctory 'coming of age' remarks and articles about him. This is not one of them. I just decided to look at some stats and think-analyze-write about them. Just out of curiosity for how often RG Sharma seems to have got on track.
He didn't get to bat on his debut, in a match against Ireland. And when he did, it took him a couple of innings to get to double figures. In fact, it was a classy half-century against Pakistan, in a dead rubber (which, incidentally, was Praveen Kumar's debut - he fittingly began his career with a maiden). Sharma's mode of dismissal was a familiar one - caught at long-on just when he was looking like winning the game. He was the topscorer though.
That innings, though not matchwinning, was significant in another sense - it got him a fixed spot for India's next one-day assignment: a tri-series in Australia, also featuring Sri Lanka. We know that series because India won it - we know it better because of Sachin's performances in the finals. Sharma managed to catch the eye of many with some vital contributions, including a couple of half-centuries.
It was after this that the lean period started. And by lean, I really mean string-thin. Much unlike the rope that the selectors were handing him. I don't mean it was a thick rope, I mean long. Okay, I could have set that up better. Point is, the stats for all the series (seven of them) between June '08 and June'09 are quite dismal. In the 25 innings in that period, he averaged in the low 20s with just one half-century, in a high-scoring loss to Pakistan.
It was eight months before he played his next ODI - and he scored 48 in a dead rubber against South Africa, chasing 365. It probably didn't matter much, but there's a tiny chance that it influenced his selection to the tour of Zimbabwe. Yeah, he probably would've been picked in that second-string side even if he had come off a bunch of ducks in domestic games (that is a really strange sentence). Anyway, he was a bright shining light for India in that seemingly pointless series. Bright, bright, shiny light. And by that I mean he scored a couple of hundreds (his only ones so far) and then fizzled out.
His performance in India's successful Asia Cup campaign meant more praise, and also that he was firmly back in the general scheme of things. Until, of course, the next tournament. 20 runs in 4 innings against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, followed by 49 runs in 5 innings in South Africa pretty much sealed his fate ahead of the World Cup. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Except it isn't. It was a really good way to end that last paragraph though, right? Anyway, it isn't history. It's fairly recent. And that ODI series against the West Indies? Ended last week. Definitely not history. And Sharma batted remarkably well in a series where the only consistent thing about India's batting was its tendency to succumb to the domino effect.
So, this could be a complete turnaround and be the first series of the rest of his career, or it could be one of his many flashes in the pan. He could be RG or WG. Provides some super content to write on, either way.
Note 1: This was first published at Sportskeeda, where it could win me an iPhone 4 - all you have to is head over to it and 'like' it, and comment if you want to.
Note 2: I started writing this around the time of the 4th ODI and forgot about it. So yeah, it's a bit delayed, and not too dated hopefully.
Worst XI of the World Cup
This one's all about those who were expected to do better, but grossly underperformed throughout the tournament, or whatever they played of it anyway.
The order/combination is irrelevant, since there seemed to be way more successful bowlers than batsmen.
The order/combination is irrelevant, since there seemed to be way more successful bowlers than batsmen.
The Ian Bell Referral
Haven't made one of these in a while (pronounced hhh-wile), and I also didn't feel like writing about that very irritating game. So yeah, it's pretty stupid. Basic meme knowledge also needed.
Kohli: a perfect second-fiddle innings
He came in when India had lost Gautam Gambhir for 39 in the 24th over. The score was 152/2, so it was a pretty good platform for him to start with.
I don't need to describe the innings, you all (probably) saw it. He's a slow starter, and that part didn't change. He had reached 6 from 16 balls before he got his first boundary, an off-drive off Mahmudullah. That's where he started to get fluent - rotating the strike with ease, getting the boundaries with cover-drives (the best-looking shot there is) against spinners. He didn't hit any boundaries in the batting Powerplay, but instead did the smart thing and passed the strike over to Sehwag, who had already reached his hundred and was looking to explode, but not literally.
Kohli's fifty came from 46 balls, which means that he had scored his last 44 runs from 30 balls. As the partnership grew and India went into the final 10 overs with 400 a possibility, some of us (and me) were probably thinking. "55 from 55? Well done Kohli, but maybe it's time for Pathan or Dhoni." He ended up scoring 45 from the 27 balls he faced in the last 10 overs - not bad for someone who was playing in Sehwag's shadow.
The point I just made up, and which I also just realized I am making so that this article isn't completely pointless, is that Kohli could be great. Not simple adjective great, but great great. He just keeps ticking along, scoring runs while everyone is focused on the more flamboyant players around him. Even as he was set, going towards his hundred, we were probably watching Yusuf Pathan. Remember Dravid? Yeah.
Also, which other batsman would have played the same kind of innings? Not Yuvraj, he would have got out to Mahmudullah in the same over Gambhir got out, or perhaps a while later to Naeem Islam. Not Dhoni, we've all seen his middle-overs batting. Not Yusuf. Maybe Raina, but I prefer classy cover drives to midwicketal hoicks any day. Yep, I just made up a word. Poetic license and all.
Anyway, it's a great start to Kohli's World Cup. He seems to bursting at the seams with runs, and there's no better place to let them out. Having won one World Cup already, he's likely to want more. Um, go forth.
I don't need to describe the innings, you all (probably) saw it. He's a slow starter, and that part didn't change. He had reached 6 from 16 balls before he got his first boundary, an off-drive off Mahmudullah. That's where he started to get fluent - rotating the strike with ease, getting the boundaries with cover-drives (the best-looking shot there is) against spinners. He didn't hit any boundaries in the batting Powerplay, but instead did the smart thing and passed the strike over to Sehwag, who had already reached his hundred and was looking to explode, but not literally.Kohli's fifty came from 46 balls, which means that he had scored his last 44 runs from 30 balls. As the partnership grew and India went into the final 10 overs with 400 a possibility, some of us (and me) were probably thinking. "55 from 55? Well done Kohli, but maybe it's time for Pathan or Dhoni." He ended up scoring 45 from the 27 balls he faced in the last 10 overs - not bad for someone who was playing in Sehwag's shadow.
The point I just made up, and which I also just realized I am making so that this article isn't completely pointless, is that Kohli could be great. Not simple adjective great, but great great. He just keeps ticking along, scoring runs while everyone is focused on the more flamboyant players around him. Even as he was set, going towards his hundred, we were probably watching Yusuf Pathan. Remember Dravid? Yeah.
Also, which other batsman would have played the same kind of innings? Not Yuvraj, he would have got out to Mahmudullah in the same over Gambhir got out, or perhaps a while later to Naeem Islam. Not Dhoni, we've all seen his middle-overs batting. Not Yusuf. Maybe Raina, but I prefer classy cover drives to midwicketal hoicks any day. Yep, I just made up a word. Poetic license and all.
Anyway, it's a great start to Kohli's World Cup. He seems to bursting at the seams with runs, and there's no better place to let them out. Having won one World Cup already, he's likely to want more. Um, go forth.
India v Australia Test Series Review - Australia
Right, I know this is coming in a few days late, but I had finished half of it earlier and I didn't want to waste it. That's right, I'm calling typing 'exercise', and this thing is a little rushed (5 minutes and below).
Here's how the Aussies did, then.
9 - Shane Watson (271 runs at 67.75, 2 wickets at 40): Pratson was in great touch, providing great starts with Katich every time, and he even curbed his aggression to score what was probably his slowest century since his Stick Cricket session. He also had his moments with the ball, but got only 25 overs and a couple of wickets. Points off for not realizing that his dismissal meant the batting was about to collapse.
7.5 - Tim Paine (183 runs at 45.75): Promising show from T-Paine, who did his best filling in for Brad Haddin. Not too bad behind the stumps and played some really great-looking strokes in front of them.
India v Australia Test Series Review - India
Obviously I'm doing India first. Since they won, not because I would have done it anyway even if Australia had won.
Right.
Two games that seemed to be heading for draws, sprung into action on their fourth and fifth days, and ended up with India chasing relatively similar targets in the fourth innings. Which they did, the first one via an outstanding rearguard partnership between VVS Laxman and chump/champ Ishant Sharma. The second chase was much simpler, despite Sehwag's early dismissal, as Vijay, Pujara and Sachin comfortably tackled Mitch's randomness (pointed out by Test Match Sofa, whose player you'll see on the right), Hilfy's *insert German word for awesome* stuff, and George's Peter. There wasn't much tackling to do with Hauritz.
So this is how the Indian players did (in my head, but I'm known to be accurate in there):
8.5 - Sachin Tendulkar (403 runs at 134.33) : Almost always looked comfortable against all the bowlers, he bettered an already tremendous year for him. Points off, though, for getting out to a silly shot on the final day at Mohali, which could have cost India the game.
So what ARE we good at?
Everyone now knows a simple tactic to get the Indian batsmen out - just bowl short at them, they'll combust.
All right, we said, so we can't play the short ball. Bring on the spinners, we'll smash 'em.
Because we're supposed to be the best at playing spin. Another Indian side, even the one full of our rested players, would have aimed for 300-350 when facing 40 overs of Zimbabwean spin, with the only medium pace being that of Andy Blignaut, who has a career economy rate of 5.3.
There are a few reasons for opening with a spinner, as they did with Ray Price - you don't have the best (or any) quicks, the pitch is already turning, or you know that the openers won't go after you. It was all three in this case.
During the initial Powerplay overs, if the batsmen aren't going to go after the bowlers with the fielders in, singles aren't going to be easy either, and what you'll get is a shitload of dot balls. This is exactly what is happening with Karthik and Vijay - they haven't, at any point of time, looked like taking charge and dictating play. They've allowed the bowlers to get on top of them, and they just lie there and get screwed. (not originally intended in an 18+ way)
They've left all the hard work to the middle order - which despite impressing in the last couple of games, had to fail at some point. Yusuf Pathan, yesterday, had plenty of time to bat against ordinary bowling and failed, surely a sign that he is no longer needed. He and Jadeja have similar bit-part roles, and it's time one of them is replaced by a full player with a clearly defined role.
That's it.
Michael Hussey reaches the finals
At 105/5 in the 13th over, chasing 191, one Hussey replaced another.
At this point, with 87 required in 45 balls, it seemed that Pakistan had one foot in the final.
Cam White departed four overs and only 34 runs later, leaving 53 to get in 21 balls.
And with 34 needed in two overs, you could sense that Pakistan were now sitting on the final and dangling both feet in it, while talking about how lovely the weather was.
At around this point of time Mike Hussey started to creep up behind them with a taser. And eleven balls later, he dragged them away, kicking and screaming, and took their place.
By the way, Ajmal is still an awesome spinner, though his T20I economy rate just went up from an amazing 5.96 to a little less amazing but still great 6.24.
Stuff that's happened
The T20 World Cup has gone exactly as expected, no surprises have been sprung. The big 'uns have all progressed to the next round. The minnows showed some fight and, being minnows, were overpowered before bowing out. The Afghans were spirited in the field, and despite their pre-tournament fearlessness at facing Steyn, were butchered by the Saffa pace attack before Graeme allowed them a go at Albie. Also, this would have been the perfect time for Dean Jones to be back in the commentary box, but apparently no one saw the opportunity but me. Why am I not an ICC official?
Suresh Raina and Mahela Jayawardene showed us that the IPL is good for something, as both smashed hundreds for India and Sri Lanka respectively.
Sachin Tendulkar joined twitter, and verified his account by posting some geeky pictures of himself to prove that he's human (he's tricking us, don't believe a word of it!). He also already has more than 178,000 followers, and is literally gaining more than one follower every second. Keep refreshing his twitter page to see for yourself. (I am also on twitter)
India and Australia play today in what has the potential to be the biggest game of the tournament so far, though we will be missing Sreesanth, Hayden and Symonds. Harby alone just isn't enough drama. Hopefully Gambhir's stomach isn't runny anymore, so we don't have to open with Karthik again. Seriously, Rohit Sharma is a better option!
The other match is between Sri Lanka and the Windies. It may or may not be a close match, but it'll definitely be boring if Gayle and Dilshan don't score some runs.
I'm also brainstorming for more usage of Billy. Not much else.
Still, Mumbai Indians > Chennai Super Kings
The IPL is over for the year. Chennai Super Kings are the champs, by virtue of winning one match, the final. The Mumbai Indians dominated the entire season, and booked their place in the semis quite early. Chennai barely made it, and only did so because Sangakarra said, "Hey, Sreesanth isn't here, so why don't I toss the ball to the next most hittable bowler!"
Anyway, I'd prefer not to dwell further on Sachin's brain-fart in keeping Pollard out too late, so let's see how my pre-season predictions fare against the final positions.
Team My Prediction Final position
Kolkata Knight Riders 6th 6th
Rajasthan Royals 8th 7th
Deccan Chargers 3rd 4th
Kings XI Punjab 5th 8th
Chennai Super Kings Runner-up Champs
Delhi Daredevils Champs 5th
Royal Challengers Bangalore 4th 3rd
Mumbai Indians 5th Runner-up
Not too bad, my KKR foresight was spot-on, and my major miscalculations were about Punjab, Delhi and Mumbai. Oh well.
Players whose stock rose include: Murali Vijay, Saurabh Tiwary, Naman Ojha, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, T Suman, Michael Lumb, Vinay Kumar, R Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Harmeet Singh (as a legspinner), Rusty Theron, Iqbal Abdulla.
Special mention: Umesh Yadav consistently hit the 140 kph mark. How long until he becomes a 130-er who bowls short? I guess he's lucky not to be in the spotlight.
Players who sank (and stank): Manish Pandey, Yuvraj Singh, Matthew Hayden, Yusuf Pathan (to some extent), Adam Gilchrist (too many quickfire 15's and ducks), Ishant Sharma, Sanath Jayasuriya, Manpreet Gony, Sudeep Tyagi, RP Singh, T Dilshan.
And that's a wrap, on to the World Cup.
KKR knock RR out, but can't avoid elimination
A sort-of commanding win over the Rajasthan Royals kept KKR's chances of making the semifinals, but Chennai's fantastic Dhoni-driven final-over victory over the Kings XI Punjab has more or less demolished any hopes they may have had. Hopes of making the semis, that is, not their other hopes - I'm sure they're all in good mental health and not in any way scarred beyond recovery.
An excellent team effort in the field kept RR to 132 despite a strong start provided by Shane Watson, who opened for them. All of KKR's bowlers picked up wickets and conceded less than 8 an over, with Jaydev Unadkat being named man of the match for his threefer.
In reply, Kamran Khan removed Gayle and McCullum in one over, after which Ganguly and Pujara steadily built a partnership before opening up later to secure a one-sided victory with 23 balls to go.
Ideally, they should have chased this small target a lot sooner to boost their NRR, which could have left the door to the semis still open - however, their only option now is to secure a massive victory over the Mumbai Indians. As famous violinist Louis d'Argent once said, "Non. Ce n'est pas possible."
So we now know which teams are in the semis and in what positions, finally. The Mumbai Indians are on top, as they have been all season. The Deccan Chargers move up to second after beating the Delhi Daredevils for their fifth win in a row. The Chennai Super Kings are in third place after their last-over thriller, while the Royals Challengers Bangalore should hang on to fourth place unless MI fields an under-12 side against KKR.
If KKR had an under-12 side, would Agarkar play for them?
KKR edge closer to elimination. Or as they call it, 'vacation'.
The post-match presentation.
Ravi Shastri: What do you have to say about the loss this time, Sourav?
Sourav Ganguly: Strategy.
RS: What's that?
SG: Strategy. That was a strategic loss.
RS: And what exactly is a 'strategic loss'?
SG: Simple enough. Dav -
RS: Whatmore?
SG: Yes, him. So Dav -
RS: Whatmore! Haha, I love saying it.
SG: Aaaanyway, I sat down with the coach and we noticed that our trend for the last seven matches was LWLWLWL. We just wanted to break the pattern, so we figured if we lost this match against CSK, then we'd have two losses in a row. That means we would be certain to compensate for that by winning the last two games, which we need to do anyway. And also for Delhi to win the next one and for Deccan and Chennai to lose their games. Not complex at all.
RS: Why not just plan to win all three of your last games?
SG: Heh heh, who do you think we are, Mumbai?
That's what I believe happened, since this was a pretty decent thrashing dished out by CSK. KKR was 19-4 inside four overs, then they crawled to 92/5 by the 16th over before a late charge by Mathews and Shukla managed to set a target of 140, which CSK chased down with 39 balls to spare. Raina played a blinder and Vijay notched up another 50. The KKR bowling was torn to bits - you know you've got issues when Agarkar has the best figures.
KKR are still alive, though the terrible NRR means that even if they win both their remaining matches (against RR and MI), they are still not safe, and they are also relying heavily on other teams' results.
This would still be their best season so far, either way.
Another loss after another win, how surprising
The post-match presentation:
Ravi Shastri: So what happened, Sourav?
Sourav Ganguly: About what?
RS: The match. The one you just lost?
SG: Oh. Yes. the boys played pretty well -
RS: No you didn't.
SG: You didn't let me finish, foga. I was going to say: The boys played well... NOT! The team was absolutely rubbish and just pathetic. Terrible fielding.
RS: You dropped a catch too, right in the first over.
SG: Er, yes, I broke a fingernail.
Dav Whatmore: That's perfectly understandable.
RS: Sourav, you have the coach's support. 'What more' could you ask for? *snicker*
SG: Oh, brother.
RS: Don't you mean 'oh, Dada'? You know, because you're Bengali. *booming laughter*
Rishabh: This skit's getting longer and lamer, time to end it.
That's how much attention I paid to the RCB v KKR game. If you had trouble getting some of the stuff above, here's some reading to catch up on it.
The gist of it: Ganguly, Gayle and B-Mac provided a great start to get KKR to 103/1 in the 12th over before the middle order threw it away.
Dinda was great with the ball, so was Agarkar initially, as KKR gained the upper hand for the first 10 overs, but Dravid and Uthappa took advantage of some poor fielding to smash their way home. Example: Uthappa plays a reverse-sweep, Ishant misjudges it and it goes for six. He sweeps and reverse-sweeps the next three balls for ten more runs.
Vinay Kumar was man of the match for his threefer, but I'd have given to Dravid because his innings was awesome to watch, unlike Uthappa's hoicks.
End of line for KKR if they don't beat CSK today, likewise for CSK.
"No one Warnered us," said Ganguly
If you've seen the scorecard of the DD - KKR match, you know that there was one man who made the difference to the outcome of this match - David Warner. He scored 107* out of a total score of 177, and his slambanging took the pressure off Paul Collingwood, who was able to nurdle it around until it was safe to start slogging again. After Warner's innings and Colly's 53, the next highest score was Viru's 8. DD had lost 3 wickets in 3 overs, when they spontaneously decided that they would like to bat out 20 overs.
So Warner and Colly knuckled down (or atleast, Colly did), and KKR got some decent overs in courtesy Dave Hussey, Kartik and Mathews. Ishant didn't get more than one over after being boshed by Warner - have I mentioned that Ganguly is a good captain? That's proof. Agarkar, as we know, is blow hot, blow cold, and since he bowled well last match, today was predictably the off-day. Expect a 7 wicket-haul next match. And then an economy of 354468764 in the match after that.
177 was always going to be tough on a slow pitch, but after Gayle's breezy (snicker) 30, scored mostly off a fiery bowler called Andrew McDonald, no other batsmen made a concerted effort to chase it down. Nannes was beardy and economical as ever and Mishra made the best use of a turning pitch. Umesh Yadav, the find of the tournament so far, impressed, while Rajat Bhatia was, again, so slow that the batsman contemplates retirement before playing the ball. In the face of such bowling, KKR crumbled. Ganguly decided that under new rules, created by him, anything on the legstump is a wide. Thus, Nannes was lucky to get a wicket off a wide. Tiwary's erratic form continued, Dave Hussey thought the target was 77 and ambled to 29 off 32. Matthews and Saha came to the party after everyone had left, so they danced together for a bit.
And that was today's news, join us for tomorrow's news: Mumbai Indians beat Kings XI Punjab by an innings and 30 runs.
