Sport Today

After a period of about 3 years, I got to watch the 1st ODI between NZ
and IND. Here are some brief observations:

1. SRT *has* to be over rated. After hearing all the adulations from
just about every authority in the world, I have yet to see an innings of
substance from him (the last time I watched him was at home against WI).
It may be that I happen to watch the few times he has failed, but he has
never looked comfortable, or in control. When I watched him in India (do
not recall dates or specific matches), he did have a couple of good
innings, but even then one had the feeling that he could be out the very
next ball. None of the composure and class that SMG exuded, for example.
The ball he got out too was a good ball, but the #1 bat in the world
should not have succumbed to it - IMHO. I hope I change my opinion after
I get to see him a few times.

This past Sunday, TV Asia also re-ran the first match of the SINGER
championships in SL. SRT scored a 65. Regrettably, my opinion was just
reinforced. That innings, had it come from McMillan for ex., would have
been termed a "good" inning. Just because it ws SRT, everyone in the
commentary booth seemed obligated to call it brilliant, breathtaking
etc. Ganguly's shots in that innings were more worhty of praise than
Tendy's.

Of course, my disappointment is not based on watching him over a number
of years, in scores of matches and is just an impression. I hope that
changes over the next few months.

2. Dravid is just *awesome*. Take my comments above and completely
reverse them. Never looked bothered, the ball always found the middle of
the bat, did not have to resort to hoisting the ball for runs (I hate
that one day shot - 2 bounces to the boundary, over mid-wicket. Reminds
me of my own batting). Just pure class. Simply the number one bat on
both sides, by a long mile. Is "the #1 fan of Dravid on RSC" taken?

3. Our bowling sucks. Never looked like we were going to restrict the
NZers, or take wickets. Going back to the SL game re-run, Agarkar must
have been sorely missed. That guy has potential! Wonder if he is making
progress with his injury. Any chance of him returning for the Pakistan
series?

4. NZers looked a professional side, from start to end. I don't know how
of that was due to our own dismal showing.

5. Every single commentator was sub-par. Not one insightful comment!

6. Very distratcting to have the music playing throughout the match.
Takes away from getting into the 'trance' mode, where you stare at the
tube in intense concentration and are transported into a different,
cricket dimension.

7. General: The lights fiasco must have been embarassing to the
organizers. Was the ground smaller than average? It sure seemed that
way. The crowd seemd to be having a good time, though. During the
interruption due to the lights failure, they cut to Charu Sharma swaying
his considerable hips in cadence to some song, and I almost turned the
damn tube off. I wish thay had shown more footage of the falls and the
surrounding areas - looked absolutely gorgeous! Next vacation plans were
influenced by the little they showed of the country.

I hesitate to go on, because I am getting the 2 games I saw mixed up,
having had little sleep this weekend. Here's to a better match on
Tuesday.

Cheers!

I believe the claim was staked a few years back, by a certain
Sadiq Yusuf. Yes, the same Sadiq Yusuf who upon watching Dravid
in a SAARC ODI game not a long while ago, rapidly came to the
conclusion that the man couldn't play pace at all and that the
likes of Rizwan Shamshad and a whole host of other wannabe's
*were* the real thing.

Cheers,

Harish [the #2 fan of Dravid on rsc, thankfully]

probably because of that above phrase. he's certainly improved since the WI
series. of course most of his ODI knocks have been in the subcontinent.

yes, that is what i was saying after his dismissals in the test series. he
did seem to have the bowling under control (in the 2nd inngs of T2, he ought
to have made more than the 110 he did, 150 ? 200 ? there was time to play for
!) ... and he threw it away with careless shots.

taken by yours truly, unofficially though :) actually he did do some
improvisation, coming down the track, hitting on the up, over midwkt etc. but
none of them slogs in the tendulkar mould :)

funny you didnt mention jadeja's superb contributions to indian cricket in the
last month or two. he cant bowl, bat or field. he's proved it in tests, now
he's trying his level best to do so in odis too

jagadish
--
Real programmers don't document. If it was hard to write, it should be
hard to read.

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Part of both.  NZ hasn't had a great run lately, though the test series
victory certainly would've given them a boost.

It was the first ODI ever played at Taupo, and it isn't a major population
centre either.  For the actual size of the ground (seating-wise) it was
quite well-filled.  The actual boundaries were short, AIR.

Andrew M.

Hey now. One person on this forum claimed fanship before he made his
debut for India. Several jumped on the bandwagon, but after his first
two ODI's, every single one of the others happily jumped right back
off it again. Don't anyone even think about it (with the honourable
exception of Sadiq [ I pulled him out of the womb myself ] Yusuf, of
course).

Rohan.

Damn, these #1 fan titles go at a premium, don't they? CRICINFO should
host a page devoted to these titles, and maintain statistics on claim
date, voluntary abdications of such titles and auctions for vacated
titles!

..snip for brevity..

Ajay Jadeja is by a long mile the most ridiculous selection on the team.
It is embarrasing to watch him on the field, especially when he nods his
head in that dismissive manner after being beaten outside the off,
dropped at short midoff or whatever, as though implying all is under
control and the preceding was just an aberration in an otherwise
flawless performance. What's his sobriquet - "holy cow"? I am relieved
that he has been relieved of his duties in IND-PAK series, just hope it
is a prolonged absence we will be treated to.

Regards,

Rajiv Trikha