Cricket fans all over the world, except Australia, will not forget last night in a hurry. It was a night to remember as Zimbabwe inflicted the mother of all upsets in their Twenty-20 game against Australia. They outplayed the best team in the world... a team that looked overconfident right from the word go.
What an embarrassment for the men in skin-tight yellow and grey lycra.
And lest anyone think this was a fluke, it was not. For almost the entire game Zimbabwe were, almost unbelievably, on top. They bowled sensibly, fielded like demons and, finally, batted with the kind of wisdom that any top team would be proud of. They made the world champions look like no-hopers.
The Aussie batting lacked fluency, their bowlers were too wayward and their fielders fumbled and gave away overthrows. On the other hand, Zimbabwe threw themselves wholeheartedly into everything.
A great lesson for all those teams out there looking for ways and means to defeat the Aussies... put them under pressure... they will crumble.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Cricket’s latest avatar: Can Team India adapt?
It’s just a couple of hours before the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup kicks off in South Africa. The Proteas are virtually living on a prayer… that’s the only way they can hope to break the World Cup jinx and not let it again be a case of “so near yet so far”.
On the other hand, the Aussies look all set to continue their domination and add another World Cup to their enviable kitty.
That brings us to the question “Where does Team India stand?”
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already asked fans back home not to expect too much. Does that mean he is giving it up even before the tournament gets underway?
I would say “no”. On the contrary, I feel Dhoni is being practical.
First of all, India has very little experience in this format of the game. Secondly, without the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan and with Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh under pressure to perform, it won’t be cakewalk for India. That’s the reason I say Dhoni is being practical and not raising false hopes.
So let’s sit back, relax and enjoy the newest avatar of cricket for the next fortnight… let the game win.
AN AFTERTHOUGHT:
The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game.
So who knows…
On the other hand, the Aussies look all set to continue their domination and add another World Cup to their enviable kitty.
That brings us to the question “Where does Team India stand?”
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already asked fans back home not to expect too much. Does that mean he is giving it up even before the tournament gets underway?
I would say “no”. On the contrary, I feel Dhoni is being practical.
First of all, India has very little experience in this format of the game. Secondly, without the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan and with Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh under pressure to perform, it won’t be cakewalk for India. That’s the reason I say Dhoni is being practical and not raising false hopes.
So let’s sit back, relax and enjoy the newest avatar of cricket for the next fortnight… let the game win.
AN AFTERTHOUGHT:
The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game.
So who knows…
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