Couch Talk 196 with Simon Taufel
5 years ago
Showing posts with label west indies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label west indies. Show all posts
Sehwag's 219
I don't have a lot to say about the innings, because I was denied the full experience by time zonal/ examinatory/ interest-related restrictions. Relegated to watching highlights, what I got out of it (apart from the entertainment, of course) was:
(a) He was just playing straight initially, as he usually does when he goes after the bowling. His innings was made so much easier as the West Indians bowled short, wide and leg side (hey, that sorta rhymed) filth.
(b) He didn't seem to have any fitness problems during the innings, which is great for a 33-year-old batsman. lot of younger batsmen cramp up at the mere prospect of a long innings.
(c) The other batsmen combined scored at 8 an over.
(d) There are probably going to lots of "flat track bully" critics. Not a lot of 200's despite all these flat tracks, people.
And with those inconsequential mutterings out of the way, here are the highlights of the carnage that was Sehwag's innings.
(a) He was just playing straight initially, as he usually does when he goes after the bowling. His innings was made so much easier as the West Indians bowled short, wide and leg side (hey, that sorta rhymed) filth.
(b) He didn't seem to have any fitness problems during the innings, which is great for a 33-year-old batsman. lot of younger batsmen cramp up at the mere prospect of a long innings.
(c) The other batsmen combined scored at 8 an over.
(d) There are probably going to lots of "flat track bully" critics. Not a lot of 200's despite all these flat tracks, people.
And with those inconsequential mutterings out of the way, here are the highlights of the carnage that was Sehwag's innings.
Insights: Sachin
For what it's worth, I think he's already moved on to "what's for dinner?"
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
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.
India vs West Indies: Preview of my preview
With the token T20I out of the way and the first ODI about to begin in a couple of hours, I will probably* do an extensive preview of what to expect from the one-day series that is being taken so seriously because it is very challenging and of so much importance. Actually, the challenging bit is actually sort of true, with only 5 or 6 first-choice players in the Indian squad. And the skipper and deputy are Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh: a combination of commonsense, ridiculousness, street-smarts, lassi, experience and insanity (there's no pattern linking either guy to a trait).
Anyway; in my forthcoming preview, I'll probably mention how good a chance this is for Badrinath and Rohit Sharma to fight for that one middle-order spot, so expect plenty from those two. Then I might add a bit about Parthiv deservedly getting the back-up opener/keeper spot, and how picking Dhawan was pointless because he is clearly not ready for this level. There'll even be a gratuitous paragraph about how Amit Mishra has earned his spot over a slightly unlucky Pragyan Ojha. The preview can't be complete without a few lines on Ishant Sharma's return, with a couple of wordy lines on our hopes that he will replicate some of that IPL venom for India.
Of course, it would be rude not to say something about Manoj Tiwary and Vinay Kumar, so I might just throw in something about how they might not get (m)any games but would like to perform all the same to cement their substitute status.
I'm certain that I'll say what my ideal XI would be - and it's likely that there will be a gag about how it should just be 7 Tendulkars and 4 Zaheer Khans.
And then, I think I'll end with another joke, possibly a knock-knock joke. Something like 'knock knock, who's there, bhajji, bhajji who?' but with an awesome punchline. It'll be a really good preview.
* Probably = not
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Anyway; in my forthcoming preview, I'll probably mention how good a chance this is for Badrinath and Rohit Sharma to fight for that one middle-order spot, so expect plenty from those two. Then I might add a bit about Parthiv deservedly getting the back-up opener/keeper spot, and how picking Dhawan was pointless because he is clearly not ready for this level. There'll even be a gratuitous paragraph about how Amit Mishra has earned his spot over a slightly unlucky Pragyan Ojha. The preview can't be complete without a few lines on Ishant Sharma's return, with a couple of wordy lines on our hopes that he will replicate some of that IPL venom for India.
Of course, it would be rude not to say something about Manoj Tiwary and Vinay Kumar, so I might just throw in something about how they might not get (m)any games but would like to perform all the same to cement their substitute status.
I'm certain that I'll say what my ideal XI would be - and it's likely that there will be a gag about how it should just be 7 Tendulkars and 4 Zaheer Khans.
And then, I think I'll end with another joke, possibly a knock-knock joke. Something like 'knock knock, who's there, bhajji, bhajji who?' but with an awesome punchline. It'll be a really good preview.
* Probably = not
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| Preview within a preview |
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So much news. This is some of it.
Plenty happening in the cricverse (cerse for short, pronounced the same as curse). Contrary to what some may think, the season has not ended with Chennai being crowned champions of everything.
Time is scant, however. Here's a possibly inaccurate graph to emphasize the scantiness of time relative to the news being coughed up by cricket.
Right. Now here's some of that news, in point-form to make it look more professional, to go with the graph.
Time is scant, however. Here's a possibly inaccurate graph to emphasize the scantiness of time relative to the news being coughed up by cricket.
Right. Now here's some of that news, in point-form to make it look more professional, to go with the graph.
- Chennai Super Kings have won the IPL for the second year in a row. No surprises there. Around a 100% of the people I asked correctly predicted that Ashwin would get Gayle early for a duck.
- Some changes were made to India's squad for the West Indian tour. With Gambhir and Yuvraj being ruled out and Sachin not playing the Tests, doors have suddenly opened for Abhinav Mukund, Shikhar Dhawan and - the biggest one - Virat Kohli in the Test squad. Raina gets another shot at ODI captaincy, which is unfortunate for Kohli but ultimately fair. Also, Gayle hasn't been picked to play us in the LOI's, which is one less reason to actually watch and one more reason to check the results online afterwards.
- England surprised themselves, Sri Lanka, and the 4 people who follow cricket in Brazil by winning at Cardiff, with Tremlett and Swann nipping out the Lankans for 82. Prior to the fourth innings, the match had not just been heading for a draw - it had long since reached it, taken a nap and was heading back to the draw. I can only assume that the strong Lankan top order had already switched off in anticipation of having some of their finest island curries for dinner (I don't really know their food).
- Shahid Afridi has retired, in protest against something the PCB did at some point when he didn't want those things to happen. I've set a timer for 71839 minutes from now for his unretirement - if the event doesn't take place I think something might explode. Seems like a safe bet.
- Here's a couple of pieces I liked: Aakash Chopra's analysis of Chawla, Mishra and Pirate Sharma (get it?). And Warne has some wise words for us legspinners.
I guess that's it for now.
India's squad for the Windie tour
India's selectors threw up a squad for the tour to the West Indies today - and there were no surprises. Partly because Srikkanth and Co. have lost the ability to shock us, but mostly because it is, after all, a tour to the West Indies.
Squad: Gautam Gambhir (c), Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Vinay Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha (wk).
With MS opting out (I presume), Gambhir will be the skipper (Fact: this originates from the Dutch word 'schipper', meaning 'shipper', or captain of the ship. I know there's a joke in here somewhere, about one-legged captains who can't run.) Raina will be the eager deputy, hoping to learn many things, like how Powerplays aren't magically constant.
WC Preview: India vs West Indies
Finally. The last match of the awesomeness that was Group B.
Drama, injury, close games, tears, backstabbing, wardrobe malfunctions, weave-pulls, wine chucked in faces, and superb dance moves. But enough about England, this is India v West Indies.
This game will be pretty much a dead rubber if Bangladesh doesn't beat South Africa, because India is already through and it would take a very large defeat for the West Indies' NRR to fall below Bangladesh. So here's hoping the Banglas win, to ensure that the Windies have something riding on that last game. It will also mean that my pre-WC prediction, that the Banglas qualify ahead of the Windies, has come true. That looks as likely as... something highly unlikely.
Expert analysis aside, India hasn't beaten a Test side in the World Cup yet, apart from Bangladesh. This could and should be an easy win - if James Tredwell and Ravi Bopara can choke the Windies, just think of what Harbhajan and Ashwin could do! No seriously, I'm backing Harbhajan in this game to the extent of picking him in my Fantasy team with my one remaining transfer, and I intend to make him the captain too. As far as Ashwin goes, he could be as hittable as Chawla. Everyone wants him to play just because he hasn't played and got thrashed yet, unlike the others. The cloak of mystery is probably why he should play. Proof - Imran Tahir, James Tredwell, Devendra Bishoo, Ajit Agarkar (find the odd one out). He still has to bowl well, though. Crap on a stick won't get you wickets.
The game is being played in Chennai (another sign for Ashwin), a very good place for Sachin and spinners. It is going to be a fresh pitch apparently, so it could be another high-scoring game. It will be anyway if India bats first, but Gayle looked in a particularly rapish mood against England, so expect a close, exciting contest for about 15 overs. Brian Bravo has been underwhelming so far, as has the rest of the order - a good score will depend entirely on Pollard, IPL teammate of Harby and (formerly) Zaheer.
My picks for the game: Harbhajan, Sachin, Ashwin, Yuvraj, Gayle, Bravo, Benn.
Ideal line-ups:
India: Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c)(wk), Harbhajan, Ashwin, Chawla, Zaheer, Nehra.
West Indies: Gayle, Chanderpaul, Bravo, Sarwan, Pollard, Sammy (c), Thomas (wk), Russell, Benn, Bishoo, Roach.
Official-looking prediction: India to win with ease. High-scoring game. There will be 4 celebrities in the crowd.
TV in front of me, which seat should I take?
Drama, injury, close games, tears, backstabbing, wardrobe malfunctions, weave-pulls, wine chucked in faces, and superb dance moves. But enough about England, this is India v West Indies.
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| The Captains: Sammy and Dhoni |
This game will be pretty much a dead rubber if Bangladesh doesn't beat South Africa, because India is already through and it would take a very large defeat for the West Indies' NRR to fall below Bangladesh. So here's hoping the Banglas win, to ensure that the Windies have something riding on that last game. It will also mean that my pre-WC prediction, that the Banglas qualify ahead of the Windies, has come true. That looks as likely as... something highly unlikely.
Expert analysis aside, India hasn't beaten a Test side in the World Cup yet, apart from Bangladesh. This could and should be an easy win - if James Tredwell and Ravi Bopara can choke the Windies, just think of what Harbhajan and Ashwin could do! No seriously, I'm backing Harbhajan in this game to the extent of picking him in my Fantasy team with my one remaining transfer, and I intend to make him the captain too. As far as Ashwin goes, he could be as hittable as Chawla. Everyone wants him to play just because he hasn't played and got thrashed yet, unlike the others. The cloak of mystery is probably why he should play. Proof - Imran Tahir, James Tredwell, Devendra Bishoo, Ajit Agarkar (find the odd one out). He still has to bowl well, though. Crap on a stick won't get you wickets.
The game is being played in Chennai (another sign for Ashwin), a very good place for Sachin and spinners. It is going to be a fresh pitch apparently, so it could be another high-scoring game. It will be anyway if India bats first, but Gayle looked in a particularly rapish mood against England, so expect a close, exciting contest for about 15 overs. Brian Bravo has been underwhelming so far, as has the rest of the order - a good score will depend entirely on Pollard, IPL teammate of Harby and (formerly) Zaheer.
My picks for the game: Harbhajan, Sachin, Ashwin, Yuvraj, Gayle, Bravo, Benn.
Ideal line-ups:
India: Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni (c)(wk), Harbhajan, Ashwin, Chawla, Zaheer, Nehra.
West Indies: Gayle, Chanderpaul, Bravo, Sarwan, Pollard, Sammy (c), Thomas (wk), Russell, Benn, Bishoo, Roach.
Official-looking prediction: India to win with ease. High-scoring game. There will be 4 celebrities in the crowd.
TV in front of me, which seat should I take?
WC Preview: South Africa vs West Indies
Not here, but at HoldingWilley, where I'm doing posts from the West Indies' perspective. So get over there. Now. Now. Stop reading and click. Now. Still here? Okay, just checking.
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.
