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Sight Screen

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Pak fluffing chances fast(-worma)

A clearly missed stumping of Bell (who had almost started the walk back to pavilion), a sitter dropped off KP...Kaneria warned twice for walking on danger area(I briefly heard something to that effect, someone can confirm?)...and a growing steady partnership between the two overnight batsmen. Pakistan seem to be squandering their chances fast.

Eng, if they can play steady for the whole day, can atleast look forward to salvage a draw out of this. And that would be a big psychological edge for them, going into the next game. But I speak too soon. A lot of cricket left in the match.

Also heard David Lloyd opine during the lunch breake that England might give away the practice of hurtling balls at the batsman, they won't want to be remembered for that. Not sure, but good if that happens. Meanwhile I would still want our team management to err on the side of caution and have a chat with Fletcher and co. when they come touring.

Anyway....this sort of open thread for now....chat away...Eng match...Indian match preview...or anything else cricket-ish.

posted by worma at 2:52 AM

34 Comments:

  • Is the 3rd ODI @ Chennai still in? Thought it has been rained out...

    Dark Nights, can you confirm, please?

    By Blogger Vish Desai, at 03:10  

  • any official word from chennai ?

    By Blogger Gaurav, at 03:13  

  • dark nights: thx...updated that part in the post...

    and yeah..saw some highlights of the morning session..he was bowling really well.

    By Blogger worma, at 03:14  

  • Dravid is the Test captain too. Just announced. Guesses on the team composition? To be announced on Wednesday.

    My two-bits:
    1. Sehwag
    2. Gambhir
    3. Dravid (c)
    4. Sachin
    5. Kaif
    6. Yuvraj
    7. Venugopal Rao (Laxman may just miss out!)
    8. Dhoni (Karthik may just miss out!)
    9. Irfan
    10. Agarkar
    11. Zaheer (RP Singh may just miss out!)
    12. Kumble
    13. Harbhajan
    14. Murali Kartik

    By Blogger Bhupinder Chawla, at 03:19  

  • dark nights...that Kaneria miss is already cost them not only runs but a lost initiative....now Eng is on the way back....although one more wkt and Pak can still top it

    By Blogger worma, at 03:23  

  • what ban?

    By Blogger worma, at 03:24  

  • pietersen throws it just when he shud have cashed in ... very good inns tho

    By Blogger Gaurav, at 03:25  

  • yeah on that topic very surprised that gautam gambhir wasnt fined or suspended for being abused by nel

    By Blogger Gaurav, at 03:28  

  • yes jiet, twas an excllent partnership tho - kept england in with a chance

    By Blogger Gaurav, at 03:30  

  • dark nights: anyway doesn't matter if he's fined the match fee. But how can Botham suggest a match ban for gesturing, I don't understand?

    By Blogger worma, at 03:30  

  • update from chennai?.. Toss?

    By Blogger Balamurali, at 03:31  

  • are the getting carried away with Afridi ban? I'm still surprised that Bell wasn't hauled up. Anyway watching the replay please notice his reaction....he's clearly not sure....looking as if expecting to be referred to third ump

    By Blogger worma, at 03:32  

  • dark nights: Akhtar doesn't live on his match fees anyway ;-)

    But he's bowling dangerously well...its not very good news for India....our top order needs to be in prime form by the time they play Pak

    By Blogger worma, at 03:41  

  • jiet: was Harmison really trying to keep the batsman in the crease? Throughout the summer? In that case, when Martyn 'flicked' one such throw, he should've been given out obstructing the fielder/fielding, no? Was Inzy attempting a run...did you watch...that guy doesnt even attempt a run if the ball reaches mid-on...and this was back to bowler only!

    I am not defending Akhtar or bashing English.....Akhtar may be beyond the line...fine him...and I didnt watch Nel as some are discussing....so cant comment there either. But please do not defend Harmison's case by calling it English bashing.

    By Blogger worma, at 03:44  

  • update from cricbuzz:

    Update 8:45 GMT (2:25 PM IST): The news is not very good from the center, the covers are still on and the super-soakers are in action removing the water from the covers. The outfield is extremely soggy and according to the groundsmen it will take atleast 3 to 4 hours to make the outfield playable. This is provided there are no further showers. Even a single downpour might be enough for the umpires to call off the game. However, the silver-lining is that the match can even start at 8:00 PM IST and we can have an entertaining Twenty20 game.

    By Blogger Balamurali, at 03:55  

  • jiet: I repeat some of what I said yesterday, and also what Agnew wrote - This is not an English invention, we all know that. Often fast bowlers do that as a show of aggression...but while in the past a bowler in Harmison's position would have made a mock attempt to throw (which has the same effect, mind you. The batsman, if outside the crease, would anyway step back in) the English seemed to have made a habit of not mocking but actually throwing the ball.

    Do note that the Australian, while frustrated by this tactic, were a different kettle of fish. They did not expose their stumps when such a throw came in. Hayden took a body blow. Martyn (probably after a team discussion about this tactic) decided to flick one such throw to the boundary(yes it went for 4 :-) and gestured to the bowler after that!).

    Also note....that the bowler knows that the batsman is often out of the crease by a single step...and by the time he collects and throws...there is no legitimate way he can get him out (not even a slow mover like Inzy). Its a different case with a forward short-leg or silly point. They 'beat' the reaction time of batsman. Bowler cant.

    By Blogger worma, at 03:55  

  • jiet: also note that what I said is somewhat the feeling of Jonathan Agnew....and today heard same from David Lloyd...that Eng should give up this practice. We may call Aus case that of cribbing on losing....but Pak is different. I am sure Eng would be as much ashamed of getting that wicket as Pak of the Afridi incident. Ofcourse Vaughan wasn't to blame at that point of time because he may not have known the full details (e.g was Inzy out of crease already or not)

    By Blogger worma, at 03:58  

  • jiet: ofcourse this has nothing to do with 'rules'. Which is why we are having a debate instead of match-referee hauling Harmison!

    Same as bodyline is within the rules....and same as disallowing a runner to an injured(during the match) player is within the rules.

    By Blogger worma, at 04:01  

  • dravid made captain is the best news to have come out of chennai for the last so many hours ...

    By Blogger Gaurav, at 04:01  

  • jiet...not to carry this forward...but just want to make this point...since I havent made it clearly I think, yet....that a bowler throwing in such a way is hoping for the batsman to fear for his body....and that, in my opinion, is not fair (same argument as bodyline, in some aspects, dont you think?)

    Which is why Aussies were different...they took the blow and cribbed. Inzy avoided the blow and paid the price.

    By Blogger worma, at 04:08  

  • jiet LOL :-)..no such intention....this is probably the last time I touch this topic...so wanted to mention all that I had in mind.

    And yes, agreed, its idealistic. So if Indian and England can agree about this before the series, fine. If they can't...I would hope all Indian batsman are prepared for it...and hold their ground (like Martyn did). I'll even ask Prem if he can write to some members of the team and warn them about this ;-)

    By Blogger worma, at 04:16  

  • our game abondoned

    By Blogger Pankaj Tripathi, at 05:09  

  • English women 56/5 after bowling India out for 289. And damage done by pace there as well!

    By Blogger worma, at 05:17  

  • dark nights: listening to English critics analyze SG!...he might as well ask Chappel to do it :-)

    By Blogger worma, at 05:31  

  • dark: yeah some of them are ignorant for sure. Haven't heard much of Willis...just briefly during lunch break today. Anyway Lloyd did the talking then.

    By Blogger worma, at 05:52  

  • Pak slip fielding is shoddy...in fact pathetic

    By Blogger worma, at 05:52  

  • sahir: but they're pathetic against spin as well :-) Looked at the Yousuf miss this morning...and now read Younis missed one as well. They dont even have an idea of the right position. And Yousuf wasn't even a specialist slip fielder. Kept there to protect his shoulder! Yeah right..portect the shoulder and lose the match.

    I don't know about the reason..probably one of them is what you said....now enough outswing bowlers maybe.

    By Blogger worma, at 06:00  

  • dark: Very difficult to get a result in this one now. Esp Pak victory. Since with an under 50 lead...Pak would have to bat for atleast a 300 lead and declare...cant see that happening tomorrow...and cant see them bowling out Eng in less than a day.

    Eng has a *slightly* higher chance of wrapping Pak tomorrow for under 200 and looking to chase that 250+ in a bit more than a day.

    So...mainly a draw...but Eng having the slight upper hand now, and mainly because of ineffectivity of Kaneria.

    By Blogger worma, at 06:07  

  • galli: Kaneria seems to have been affected by the warnings.

    sahir: win is a bit away yet. But yes, possible.

    By Blogger worma, at 06:17  

  • talking of commentator?..have seen this?

    By Blogger worma, at 07:24  

  • galli: actually I don't have much of an opinion on this one. I don't rate them...actually I just absorb the sense and filter out the junk...and also the verbal excess part. So personally, I don't judge them instinctively. For me Shastry, Sunny, Sanjay, Harsha, even Arun make as much sense as Greig, Atherton, Hussain, Boycs etc. None of them is always insightful....they all ramble at times. Ofcourse I discount the fact that the Indians are not speaking in their natural language so tend to repeat pet words and phrases.

    Maybe Prem can express his thoughts on this...and start a discussion. What do you say?

    By Blogger worma, at 07:57  

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger worma, at 10:01  

  • sahir: good method, but I find sense in Arun Lal sometimes...often he gets carried away beyond that point, and then my ears tune off ;-)

    By Blogger worma, at 10:02  

  • Good analysis :

    Ian Chappell.
    Mark Nicholas.
    Geoff Boycott.
    Robin Jackman.
    Michael Slater.
    Harsha Bhogle.
    Ian Smith.
    Tony Cozier.
    Michael Holding.

    Pure entertainment :

    Navjot Sidhu.
    David Lloyd.
    Tony Greig.
    Bill Lawry.

    In small doses :

    Ravi Shastri.
    Sanjay Manjrekar.
    Richie Benaud.
    Rameez Raja.

    By Blogger ClannZú, at 13:41  

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