Sport Today

only two results possible out of this game, A draw or a win for
Indians and sachin will play a important knock.

Just as I had not much doubts about Lax n Dravid show, I am pretty
sure about the fact that India wont lose. I would be surprised if Aus
wins this and wont be shocked if India wins.

'There is something about Mary' about this Indian team...! esp with
this Aus team without McGrath

SRW has let his team disintegrate in the past when under pressure and
when the game has stretched onto the final day. I expect the same
tomorrow esp as one bowler short, and another bowler short of
confidence (McGill, who bowled   to Patell ,possibly the three worst
balls ever bowled in Test cricket last evening..!)

This is a very nice chance for India to finish on a high here, either
a comfortable draw (lose 5-6 wickets at the most) or if Kumble can
strike today, then a hard fought and nailbiting win..! Kumble needs to
strike.

Sachin is going to cash in., he is in that transient phase right now.
Indian team needed him as a god in the 90s. everything else was nearly
falling apart in the batting department, matchfixing cloud came on the
Indian skies in the later half, team spirit was lacking, they needed a
god to take them out of that decade and sachin did, repeatedly, Now
there are a few other batsman coming to his help, even the skipper
scored a century which to me is the turning point in the Indian
cricket not for Gangs but for the belief that it would have sent down
the veins of Indians. Dravid would have felt if he can I can, ditto
others. Lax has shown admirable resolve for couple of years now and is
improving constantly on the mental department.

Now the god is not needed, what we need is a good batsman and sachin
would have to get adjusted to this new role. He doesnt have to make a
statement rightaway to the opposition, like he tried to do it in the
last innings, like going after the bowling. He will just have to bat
without that extra baggage and Sachin imo is going to settle into that
role soon. he has adapted to various situations before, ,most of them
mental adjustments and he has to do this now and will do it.

Even Indian movies now have stopped producing those great  sole
superhero destroying the evil forces, its now more of a tight planned
script with a few main characters sharing the good moments on screen.
Sachin will have to do that on field now, make that mental shift  and
imo will make it.

After all the man from mumbai has always shown tremendous strength of
mind and character and much of this current Test form is do with his
mind rather than with his foot movement.

CiL
Loha gharam hai, Maar do Hathoda..!

-sriram

The pitch looks flat still, I think Waugh digs in for a longish knock.

<snip>

<snip>

--
Shripathi Kamath

Ok going back to Sachin, my point is that there was lot of pressure on
him before, he had to shoulder the team plus the god's tag. He had to
take the team and also show he is the best batsman and he is doing a
wonderful job of it. With this Aus opposition, we need him at his
purest form, just as a batsman. We all felt that could happen only if
the other batsman shoulder the responsibility consistently., the
openers, n other MO batmen. Now they are beginning to (not attained
consistency, but atleast beginning to spot the path and have made a
few tentative steps on it) to do it and Sachin does not need to strike
the mental blow to opposition, like he tried to do the aggressive
attempt last innings too early or try to really dig in deep and curb
too much his natural game. His natural game will blossom in a
environment which the other batters are now creating for him.

Lara said a imp thing yesterday, that he has now learnt a lot from
Adams, hooper and in this last stretch of his career going to hang in
there and build the innings and grit his way through tough phases in
the middle. A huge mental shift for him, he does not feel the need to
be the most attractive batsman all the time.
There was this absolutely top class moment from yesterday.
Nel had a few things to say, got hit a few times in the gloves, lots
more verbal, Lara waved him off angrily with the gloves and started
walking towards squareleg when he suddenly turned, took his gloves
off, and made a visible gesture of talking to himself and trying to
concentrate harder and he did it, grit his way out of that phase nad
off the last ball of Nel in that spell, hit him for a cover boundary
but before that played out a couple of overs. Lara of the old would
have flashed around and got out, he says now he has learnt a lot.
Certain situations and environment demand a certain mindset from
players and now sachin is that mould.

My prediction is he will suddently find himself free from mental
tension of the Sole need to be the superhuman hero of the team and
will score freely and craftily. Runs will come n flow again but the
difference will be in his mindset. he will and will ahve to realise it
is not because he is the best batsman in the world that he NEEDs to
score or whole Indian team depends on him to score, both the factors
will go out of the mind and he will start scoring again again without
that dual pressure but just for team' needs from its best batsman.
This was the ideal situation that one kept hoping from the Indian
team, and signs are on at the moment against a mentally strong
opposition but without its best bowler McGrath.  The start needs to be
made in this series, now when the situation is ripe. The other batsman
in the middle order will have to get consistent and my gut feel is
they will . Lax n Dravid are going to have a fab 3-4 years from now on
and ganguly also will do better.

And the Sachin show will go on.

:-)

No, it was a bad shot.  Uncharacteristic, really.

<snip>

--
Shripathi Kamath

Slip sliding away...Feel sorry for Patel.