It’s not just the Sensex which can be unpredictable in a turbulent market.
A commodity called Indian cricket, too, has its highs and lows, with the win at Nottingham coming at the right time – even though three wickets were lost chasing a paltry total.
It was just some time back, the Men In Blue almost lost the first Test at Lord’s before rain came to India’s rescue in a big way with nine wickets down. This has been a very wet summer in England, and even the second Test seemed like written off because rains were going to be a menace.
Not only was the weather kind, the conditions were extremely conducive for the Indian medium fast bowlers to succeed, with Zaheer Khan showing the fire is there in his belly. I have always believed this handsome man has it in him to do the damage, especially when conditions are useful. And the way he did it on Monday was worth raving about.
Going back to less than ten days, it was the same Indian bowlers and the famous Indian batting line-up – Sachin, Sourav, Rahul and VVS – who had flopped. But if the second Test has to be discussed in a stock market sense, there were plenty of blue chips for Team India, though Zaheer was the hottest pick.
The record books says that the last time India won a series in England was two decades back. The third Test starts at the Oval on August 9, and I am sure Rahul and his boys should go in with the same positive mindset. I don’t see the Oval wicket being very different, but when you have an Indian battling line-up like this -- class and composure – they can score big again and let the medium pacers take over then.
There may be some who would probably advocate a defence strategy for the Indian team, but I am not one of those who believe in that. This English side has no quality bowler, and someone like Sidebottom is not going to be a menace.
Having said that, I do think a Test series win in England will make some cricket fans forget the agony the team underwent in the World Cup. And last but not the least, is anyone still talking of a foreign coach for Team India?
No.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Hyderabadi zafrani pulao!!
For long, Sania Mirza has been an enigma for Indian sports fans.
The Hyderabadi, blessed with one of the most natural and blazing forehands, once again captured the attention of the tennis globe when she stormed through the draw at the WTA event in Stanford, US, last week. She lost the final to Anna Chakvteadze rather tamely, but the most tangible gain has been a big rise in the WTA rankings.
Sania has often used the phraseology “Ranking is just a number, the real task is to play well” as a defence mechanism when she has been caught in the free fall. But now that she is No 31 as per the latest WTA rankings, she will be hoping this can get better or stay constant so that she gets seeded – again a first for an Indian in a long time – when the US Open starts at Flushing Meadows on August 27.
To be sure, this is not the first time Sania has caused a few ripples in the circuit. Coming as it were in the hard court season leading up to the US Open, there can be nothing better than this in a year which has been pretty wretched for the Indian. Getting injured early on and missing valuable weeks in the clay season meant Sania had a big handicap for the rest of the season.
And unlike just some niggle, this was a major surgery on her knee forcing her to miss a lot of tennis. On return, she was getting bumped out in round one or round two, but her resilience never vanished.
Despite what critics had to say (I include myself in it!) I thought Sania would find it very, very difficult to stay ahead in the last few weeks leading into the US Open. But one thing I knew for sure was all the wins she was scoring in doubles was bound to help her as far as her own game went. The best of pros have used doubles to hone their skills at the net.
And in a way, when you are out of a tournament early (in singles), it always makes sense to be in there and get in as many matches as you can for getting a better feel on the ball. The Sania forehand is now being referred to as oft as the old Jim Courier forehand, who would bludgeon his opponents into submission.
All I can say right now, to borrow some lines from the movie Cheeni Kum, the Hyderabadi Zafrani pulao flavour is there across the oceans. Sania, I hope this aroma lasts well through the US Open fortnight…
+
The Hyderabadi, blessed with one of the most natural and blazing forehands, once again captured the attention of the tennis globe when she stormed through the draw at the WTA event in Stanford, US, last week. She lost the final to Anna Chakvteadze rather tamely, but the most tangible gain has been a big rise in the WTA rankings.
Sania has often used the phraseology “Ranking is just a number, the real task is to play well” as a defence mechanism when she has been caught in the free fall. But now that she is No 31 as per the latest WTA rankings, she will be hoping this can get better or stay constant so that she gets seeded – again a first for an Indian in a long time – when the US Open starts at Flushing Meadows on August 27.
To be sure, this is not the first time Sania has caused a few ripples in the circuit. Coming as it were in the hard court season leading up to the US Open, there can be nothing better than this in a year which has been pretty wretched for the Indian. Getting injured early on and missing valuable weeks in the clay season meant Sania had a big handicap for the rest of the season.
And unlike just some niggle, this was a major surgery on her knee forcing her to miss a lot of tennis. On return, she was getting bumped out in round one or round two, but her resilience never vanished.
Despite what critics had to say (I include myself in it!) I thought Sania would find it very, very difficult to stay ahead in the last few weeks leading into the US Open. But one thing I knew for sure was all the wins she was scoring in doubles was bound to help her as far as her own game went. The best of pros have used doubles to hone their skills at the net.
And in a way, when you are out of a tournament early (in singles), it always makes sense to be in there and get in as many matches as you can for getting a better feel on the ball. The Sania forehand is now being referred to as oft as the old Jim Courier forehand, who would bludgeon his opponents into submission.
All I can say right now, to borrow some lines from the movie Cheeni Kum, the Hyderabadi Zafrani pulao flavour is there across the oceans. Sania, I hope this aroma lasts well through the US Open fortnight…
+
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Perform or perish
I have been getting a few calls from my friends as to why I have all of a sudden stopped blogging. Well, I was in the process of changing jobs and just wanted to take my mind off computers and sport for some time. Now that I have had a decent break, I have joined a new work place where the challenges will be bigger.
Talk of challenges, I guess I cannot really say whether my challenge will be bigger or the challenge for Rahul Dravid and his men in England. I had thought before the first Test began at Lord’s, India would go in as overwhelming favourites against an almost toothless English attack. But the way the famed India batting line-up flopped against lesser-known left-arm seamers like Sidebottom (amusing name isn’t it), I think we were very lucky. Rain did prevent an Indian defeat and the Indians escaped without their pants being taken off!
Having said that, I really wonder what this hype is over the famed stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman coming a cropper against the Englishmen. My point is, if wicketkeepers – Dinesh Karthik and MSD – can bat and save us the embarrassment, what are we going to do with the stars who don’t perform. Are they going to perish for the second Test? I don’t see that happening, and if anyone is going to be made the sacrificial lamb again, I am sure VVS knows it by now!
There was a time in Indian cricket when even if the top order flopped, we had genuine all-rounders chipping in. But I guess after Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabahakar, we really do not have anyone to fill in. Guru Greg tried making Irfan Pathan more than an all-rounder and even pushed him to the opener’s slot. He scored there as well but lost his way with his bowling rhythm.
Right now, it seems like the famed Indian batting line-up needs to be woken up from slumber. Perform or perish should be the mantra for all..
And I believe in it strongly.
Talk of challenges, I guess I cannot really say whether my challenge will be bigger or the challenge for Rahul Dravid and his men in England. I had thought before the first Test began at Lord’s, India would go in as overwhelming favourites against an almost toothless English attack. But the way the famed India batting line-up flopped against lesser-known left-arm seamers like Sidebottom (amusing name isn’t it), I think we were very lucky. Rain did prevent an Indian defeat and the Indians escaped without their pants being taken off!
Having said that, I really wonder what this hype is over the famed stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman coming a cropper against the Englishmen. My point is, if wicketkeepers – Dinesh Karthik and MSD – can bat and save us the embarrassment, what are we going to do with the stars who don’t perform. Are they going to perish for the second Test? I don’t see that happening, and if anyone is going to be made the sacrificial lamb again, I am sure VVS knows it by now!
There was a time in Indian cricket when even if the top order flopped, we had genuine all-rounders chipping in. But I guess after Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabahakar, we really do not have anyone to fill in. Guru Greg tried making Irfan Pathan more than an all-rounder and even pushed him to the opener’s slot. He scored there as well but lost his way with his bowling rhythm.
Right now, it seems like the famed Indian batting line-up needs to be woken up from slumber. Perform or perish should be the mantra for all..
And I believe in it strongly.
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