Federer is the greatest ever

Someone once said that a true champion is one who can conquer his weakness and turn his life around.

Take 1: As an upcoming tennis player, Federer was prone to choking on the big stage, one who would do a la-Marat Safin when confronted with frustrating situations. The manner in which he overcame that fallibility to go on and break every record in tennis speaks for itself.

Take 2: Clay, the slowest possible surface to play the great game on tennis on. Red dirt totally removes the skill aspect from the game. No matter how graceful you are, it boils down to physical strength, raw power and tenacity. No so long ago, clay used to be Federer's weakest surface. These days, Federer is the second best player on the surface and not too far from the best. One semi-final and two runner up finishes in the last 3 yrs at Rolland Garros is a terrific performance, especially considering that clay is his weakest surface. Moreover, he wins the other three slams in the year quite easily, almost sleep walks them.

I'm sure Federer will conquer clay one day. It is just a matter of time. Roll on Rolland Garros 2008.

The battle of surfaces

One is the undisputed king in his trade, possibly the greatest to have ever stepped onto a court with a tennis racket; some say he is an incarnation of God. The other is a pretender, the king of clay but without too much to shout about on other surfaces. They are the number 1 and 2 players in the world, and daylight separates them from the rest.

In one of the most innovative moves ever, a hybrid half-clay half-grass tennis court was developed for a speculated cost of 8,00,000 pounds in Mallorca. An exhibition match was planned between Federer, who is riding a 42 match winning streak on grass and 4 consecutive Wimbledon titles, and that boy Nadal who hasn't lost on clay for 72 matches and is the winner of the last 2 French Opens. Despite this being an unofficial match, there was room for a number of potential statements to be made during this game, as these 2 players could possibly play the finals of the French Open in a month's time. Federer's defeat to Nadal just a week back in Monte Carlo finals had brought back nightmares of last year. Knowing how dear a rolland garros title is for Federer, few expected him to take this game lightly.


However, as luck would have it, Nadal edged Federer in a nail-biting 3 set thriller, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (12-10). Nadal broke Federer twice - once on clay and grass, while Federer broke Nadal once, on grass. It was only appropriate that a game of this nature went down to the wire. Nadal somehow continues to have the upper hand over Roger. I feel Roger has a problem with his backhand against Nadal's topspin. He seems to make too many unforced errors; the slowness of clay doesn't help either. All said and done, there is still not much to suggest that Federer will not win the French this year and create history.

It was a pity that no sports channel aired this 'freak' encounter. I followed it on www.thebattleofsurfaces.com but unfortunately couldn't find any websites that had live commentary or audio/video feed. If anyone comes across highlights of this match on youtube or anywhere else, please share it.

'Big Daddies' complete a hat-trick

Australia won an unprecedented third successive World Cup in Barbados on April 28th to reconfirm their status as one of the best teams ever to play ODI's. The way they have won this WC without ever being challenged and not once threatened has been quite unbelievable. All talks about this being the 'most open' WC ever turned out to be a farce. It is now 29 games since they lost a ODI in a WC. Once again on the big stage, an aussie player raised his hand to be counted. Here is a toast to them.

Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath...all true legends who bowed out in style, on a high. There are legends who win 3 WC medals in their cricketing careers, and then there are media-created legends who get paid for the amount of time spent at the crease, enjoy super-stardom, walk the ramp between games and bask in the public and media hype. Still wonder why some of the sub-continent mortals don't get a respected farewell?

Cricket is a game of uncertainties. But not when the opposition is Australia. Anyone betting on the kangaroos pouching a 5th successive WC in 2015?

The most bedaubed Indian wedding ever

The media ingeniously coined it 'Abhiwarya'. The speculation and build-up to the 'W' day seemed to go on for ever and ever. Who would be invited? Would Salman Khan or Vivek Oberoi be present at the wedding? Will Aishwarya Rai now be called Aishwarya Bachchan? Will she quit acting after marriage like her mom-in-law Jaya?

Honestly, does anyone care how many kgs of jewelery will adorn that frail frame of Aishwarya? Or whether Amar Singh will be one of the hosts of the marriage? Or whether Aishwarya married for the Bachchan name and the Rs. 7000 cr fortune?

Seriously, what's the deal about 2 ordinary people doing the 'saat-pheras'? Why do websites have to run specials like this on them?

This when atrocities continue in parts of our country and the burning issue of quota system continues to stymie our progress.

The kangaroo march continues

Australia thumped, actually no, annihilated New Zealand by a small matter of 215 runs to complete their Super 8's with a clean slate. It was the most brutal of thrashings you will ever witness. Thrashing minnows or 2nd rung test teams like Eng, WI or India is one thing, but this effort to dismiss NZ - a world cup favorite, was special.
Match home

What's with Matthew Hayden? This time 12 months back, he wasn't even part of the ODI set-up. Today he blasted his 3rd 100 of the WC and 5th in his last 11 matches. Stunning.

NZ and SL might have thought by resting their key bowlers, they could surprise Australia in the finals, but on today's evidence they will probably need a gun.

Well done Australia. You are now 2 steps away from an unprecedented 3rd World cup. At times such as this, I wish I was born in Sydney instead of Ahmedabad. Just what will it take to stop these awesome folks?

Bloodbath on Virginia Tech campus

A deranged 23 yr old South Korean student opened fire on a Monday morning to leave 33 people dead on Virgina Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA before shooting himself. The first shooting incident was reported at 7:30 am when, according to reports he shot his girlfriend after an altercation. At 9:15am, he opened fire in the engineering building to leave scores dead before shooting himself. This is the worst case of shooting on a US campus, eclipsing the events that took place on the UT Austin campus in the 60's.

Totally barbaric and absolutely deplorable. It is difficult to understand the mind of a mass-murder. There is no motive behind his actions, no hatred towards any particular person or group, no rhyme or reason. Terrorist activities are universally deplored, but when a university student opens fire and kills people, one can only sympathize, feel angry, frustrated and sorry.

P.S: 2 people of Indian origin died in this tragic incident. Prof. G V Loganathan who was with the Civil and Environmental engg dept and Minal Panchal, a graduate student from Mumbai. CNN-IBN mentioned her orkut profile

May their souls rest in peace.

introspection

Worry about funding. Worry about internship. Worry about converting internship to job. Worry about family. Convert internship to job. Worry about thesis. Worry about India's world cup chances. Worry about net run-rates. Worry about other match results going a certain way to favor India's progress. Worry about defense. Worry about H1-B visas. Ponder over a possible dark future if things don't go to plan. Worry about thesis presentation. Worry about turning 25. Worry about not having a bandi.

What a life!

Indian electronic media

I believe the media, both electronic and print, has an important role to play. To some extent, they represent the thoughts of our society & they have this unsurmountable ability to influence the thinking of common man. Just look at what has happened in the aftermath of India's world cup exit. Protests, mock-funerals, abuses hurled back and forth between players and coach has not enhanced the reputation of our country and her people in any way.

I've always considered timesofindia (both electronic and print) as the worst journalism. They have this uncanny ability of making a mountain out of a mole. Of late, some of the articles on rediff have been quite appalling. If you thought their "Stars we spotted" section was ridiculous, sample this, this and this

For chrissake, do these people actually pay rediff to be interviewed? Nothing else can explain the above three 'personalities' being featured.

England v Kenya - Game 23

Kenya 177/10 in 43 overs (Steve Tikolo 76) lost to England 178/3 in 33 overs (Joyce 75, Pietersen 56*) by 7 wickets

A virtual knock out game as the winner would be progressing to the next round. Kenya mustered only 177 runs and got pretty easily rolled over by a determined english team. This was the first game for Flintoff following his suspension in the previous game due to his late night pedalo adventures following England's loss in their first game against NZ.

With this win, England progress past the first round of the WC for the first time since 1992. One has to really feel for Kenya. Semi-finalists in 2003, they have hardly played any ODI's against test-teams since. Steve Tikolo after this game, pleaded for more matches for Kenya against top teams. I don't understand the mindset of the ICC. They want to globalize the game but they hardly give any of the associate teams a chance to play cricket against test teams. Throwing the smaller teams into the deep end of a WC will not work. You've got to give them games throughout the calender year.

Someone please instill sense into Malcom Speed's brain.

South Africa v/s Australia - Game 22

South Africa v/s Australia (Group A) at St. Kitts

Australia 377/6 in 50 overs (Hayden 101, Ponting 91, MJ Clarke 92) beat South Africa 294/10 in 48 overs (AB deVillers 92, GC Smith 74, JH Kallis 48, Hogg 61/3) by 83 runs
Match home

After months of build-up and talking up their respective team's chances, the heavyweights from Australia and SA finally swung into action in this super-charged Group A encounter in the small ground at St. Kitts. Australia batted first and bullied their way to 377 runs (their highest score in a WC). Hayden scored a majestic 101, in the process smashing the fasting WC 100 of 66 balls. This was Australia's 5th successive 300+ score.


Having failed to defend their last 2 300+ scores against NZ, there must have been a few nerves in the Aussie camp when SA started their chase. This was further compounded when SA openers flayed 160 runs in 20 overs and it looked like we could well have a repeat of that match from Johannesburg. A direct hit by Clarke from the boundary followed by Smith's bout of cramps changed the complexion of the game. Smith retired hurt, Kallis couldn't force the pace according the demands of the situation and suddenly the world champions turned the squeeze.

After being in the hunt till about the 25th over, SA eventually fell way short of the target. Australia carry 2 points from this win to the super 8's and look in terrific shape for their 3rd successive WC! As for SA, despite their loss they should still be favorites to reach the semis atleast.

West Indies v/s Ireland - Game 21

West Indies v Ireland (Group D) at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

Ireland 183/8 in 48 overs (JP Bray 41) lost to West Indies 190/2 in 38.1 overs (Chanderpaul 102*) by 8 wickets
Match home

Ireland and West Indies having already qualified for the Super 8's from this group, this match held significance to see which team would carry 2 points forward to the next stage. Having sneaked a tie with Zimbabwe and just gone past the line against Pakistan, the irish finally ran out of luck against the hosts. West Indies hardly broke a sweat in their run-chase in the final Group D match. The Irish fans thought had a great time. In the absence of both India and Pak, these folks are truly adding color to this WC!

the show will go on

When I started this blog, I was hoping to cover Team India's journey deep into the world cup. I had hoped to spend more typing hours writing about india's progress into the super 8's and then the semis atleast. However, Team India is deservingly out of the World Cup and I am pretty sure everyone out there has his/her own theory on what went wrong.

On the brighter side, there are some exciting matches to look ahead to, some fascinating cricket to be played by good teams. The WC might be poorer with india's exit but the beauty and the unpredictability of the game is intact.

The show must go on!

India v Sri Lanka - Game 20

India v Sri Lanka (Group B) at Port of (S)pain, Trinidad

Sri Lanka 254/6 in 50 overs (Tharanga 64, L Silva 59) beat India 185/10 in 43.3 overs (Dravid 60, Sehwag 48, Muralitharan 41/3) by 69 runs.
Match home

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. One of the darkest days in Indian cricket history as they put a spineless performance in a do-or-die game to crash out of the World Cup. Batting first on a difficult pitch, SL amassed 254. For a team like India with the Tendulkars, Dravids, Gangulys, Sehwags, Yuvrajs, Dhonis it shouldn't have been a tall order. The pitch eased out in the afternoon when India batted but the much vaunted batting line up failed miserably to get rolled over for 185. This is India's worst WC performance since 1979. Unless Bermuda can turn the world upside down by beating B'desh, India is out of this WC.

The gloom on the indian player's faces told the story. Man of the Match, Muralitharan paid the perfect tribute when he said that the Indian team had the best betting line up on paper in this competition. The greats like Dravid, Ganguly, Tendulkar and Kumble will retire without a World Cup medal. Sad. Very Sad.

Netherlands v Scotland - Game 19

Netherlands v/s Scotland (Group A) at St. Kitts
Scotland 136/10 in 34.1 overs (Stelling 12/3) lost to Netherlands 140/2 in 23.5 overs (ten Doeschate 70*) by 8 wickets
Match home

Those who expected another minnow classic along the lines of Ireland v Zimb would have been disappointed as Netherlands defeated Scotland by an Australian-esque margin of 8 wkts. With both teams already knocked out of the world cup, there was only pride at stake. Netherlands will go home happy after the mauling received at the hands of Oz and SA.

Canada v New Zealand - Game 18

New Zealand vs Canada (Group C) at St. Lucia

New Zealand 363/5 in 50 overs (L Vincent 101, Fleming 66, Fulton 47) beat Canada 249/10 in 49.2 overs (Davidson 52, Billcliff 50, J Patel 25/3) by 114 runs

Match home

Having already booked their place in the Super 8's, NZ showed why they are such serious contenders for this world cup by thumping Canada. Vincent followed his 2 ducks in the first 2 games with a fluent century, Fleming continued his good form, Styris and Oram batted well again and McCullum slammed a 50 of 22 balls at the end. Davidson showed glimpses of his form from the 2003 WC by flaying 52 glorious runs but Canada were never really in the hunt.

Good job by the Kiwis. They should be really confident going into the next stage.

Pakistan v Zimbabwe - Game 17

Pakistan 349/10 in 49.5 overs (Imran Nazir 160, Inzamam Haq 37) beat Zimbabwe 99/10 in 19.1 overs (Afridi 20/3) by 93 runs (D/L method) at Kingston, Jamaica
Match home

Defeat to West Indies. Defeat to Ireland. The shocking demise of their coach. Fingers of suspicion for the same being pointed at them. Nothing to play for literally. Yet, Pakistan showed why they are such an unpredictable and dangerous team as they first scored their highest total in a World Cup match and then bundled Zimbabwe out for 99. Imran Nazir flayed 160, going from 100 to 150 in 21 balls. At one stage, he looked like becoming the first batsman to score 200, wouldn't that have been the perfect tribute to Bob?

This was Inzy's last ODI match, as he has announced his retirement from ODI cricket and stepped down from captaincy. 'Alloo' bowed out in some style with 37 vintage runs. Thanks Alloo for 15 years of wonderful entertainment.

Sri Lanka v/s Bangladesh - Game 16

Sri Lanka v/s Bangladesh (Group B) at Port of Spain, Trinidad

Sri Lanka 318/4 in 50 overs (ST Jayasuriya 109, KC Sangakarra 56) beat Bangladesh 112 all out in 37 overs (Md. Ashraful 45, Malinga 27/3) by 198 runs (D/L method)
Match home

B'desh came into this match with huge expectations after their upset win over India. A good performance here would have pushed them closer to a berth in the Super 8. From India's point of view, they were hoping for the lankan lions to absolutely beat the daylights out of B'desh so that their run rate falls way below that of India. Batting first after being inserted in, SL amassed 318 runs, thanks largely to the ever marauding Sanath Jayasuriya. Despite being all of 37 yrs, Jayasuriya remains their biggest match-winner as he demonstrated today by smashing his 24th ODI century. Sangakarra, Jayawardene and L Silva also chipped in with useful scores to boost the Lankan total.

In reply, B'desh were never in the hunt and were duly bundled out by Vaas, Malinga and co for 112 runs. This results has done India a world of good, as they now only have to beat SL to progress and not worry about run-rates. For B'desh to qualify, SL will need to beat India. On evidence of today's performance, it would take a brave man to bet on India to go the next round

SL look is very good shape. Their batsmen lead by the inimitable Sanath Jayasuriya are in great form and their bowling trio of Vaas, Malinga and Muralitharan look in ominous mood. India will have to play out of their skins in their next game if the Lankan lions come out in the mood they did today.

Scotland vs South Africa (Game 15)

Scotland v/s South Africa (Group A) at St. Kitts
Scotland 186/9 in 50 overs (D Brown 45*, A Hall 48/3) lost to South Africa 188/3 in 23.2 overs (G Smith 91, AB Villiers 62) by 7 wickets

Match home

After witnessing tall scores by test teams against minnows in the past few days, it was a welcome sight to see SA put Scotland in after winning the toss. Against a highly disciplined bowling attack comprising of the frugal Pollock and the likes, Scotland were never going to have it easy. Thanks to some lusty hitting by Brown at the end, Scotland managed to post 186, not a total that would send shivers down the spine of SA, but atleast they had something to bowl at. Batting like a team possessed, as if to make a pre-match statement to the aussies, SA chased down the target with plenty to spare. G Smith creamed 91 glorious runs.

Scotland captain, Ryan Watson, used to be Graeme Smith's captain and would make him carry his bags while they were in school. Smith surely did turn the tables on his tormentor today.

For South Africa, the world cup really starts on Saturday, when they take on bitter rivals Australia in what promises to be a cracker. Scotland's misfortune that they got drawn in the same group as the top 2 teams in the world, however they still have a game against Holland left. They will be hoping to win it and salvage some pride.

Kenya vs New Zealand (Game 14)

Kenya v/s New Zealand (Group C) at St. Lucia

New Zealand 331/7 in 50 overs (R Taylor 85, C McMilliam 71,S Styris 63) beat Kenya 183/10 in 49.2 overs (RD Shah 71, T Odoyo 42) by 148 runs
Match home

NewZealand came into this match well aware about Kenya's ability to upset top teams at the World Cup. However, their middle order batsmen all got good runs which enabled them post a total that was ultimately way beyond Kenya's reach. With this victory, the Black Caps qualify for the Super 8's. McMillian played another belligerent knock, he seems to have taken his batting to Jayasuriya-esque levels since his return to the side for the Chappel-Hadlee series that preceded the World Cup. NZ overall looks in terrific shape, and they have their best chance of winning the world cup since 1992 when got pipped in the semis by a young player called Inzamam-ul-Haq.

As for Kenya, their tournament isn't over yet. The winner of the Kenya-England match will join the Kiwis in the super 8's from this group.

West Indies v/s Zimbabwe - Game 13

West Indies v/s Zimbabwe (Group D) at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

Zimbabwe 202/5 in 50 overs (SC Williams 70*, B Taylor 50) lost to West Indies 204/4 in 47.5 overs (Lara 44*, Gayle 40) by 5 wickets
Match home

West Indies with this win have booked their spot in the Super 8's. Not the most exciting of cricket matches, but atleast the home team is through. Zimbabwe showed stomach for fight after a bad start, but they were never going to be good enough to beat the hosts.

If WI can beat Ireland in their next game, they will take 2 crucial points going into the next stage.

India v/s Bermuda - Game 12

India v/s Bermuda (Group B), Port of Spain, Jamaica

India 413/5 in 50 overs (V Sehwag 114, SC Ganguly 89, Yuvraj 83) beat Bermuda 156/10 in 43.1 overs (DL Hemp 76*, Agarkar 38/3, Kumble 38/3) by 257 runs
Match home

After the embarrassing loss in their previous game, the indian batsmen came out all guns blazing to post the highest ever score in WC history, in an innings containing a world record 18 sixes (jointly with South Africa). By winning the match by a record margin of 257 runs, India improved their net run-rate which might be crucial at a later stage. A result everyone expected but the margin would have heartened many. The bigger test awaits on Friday, when then meet Sri Lanka.

After the pelting of stones on cricketers house and burning of effigies, don't be surprised if the fickle fans start talking up India's chances at this World Cup!

a sad day in sport

News of Robert Woolmer's death after being found unconscious in his room shocked the entire cricketing fraternity. He had been under immense pressure lately, starting with the Oval fiasco, the doping scandal to hit his team, the internal fighting of PCB and finally his team's pathetic performance that lead to their premature exit from the world cup.

It is said that Woolmer might have suffered from a heart attack. He was found unconscious in his room with vomit on the walls and floor, and blood on the bathroom tiles. This gives me the impression that he was poisoned, either he took it himself or some deranged individual gave it to him after Pakistan's exit from the world cup. Hopefully, I am wrong in my surmise.

We, the people of the sub-continent are to blame for this. Cricket is just a sport, not a matter of life and death. It's high time we stop letting cricket rule our lives and stop deifying/criticizing our cricketers everyday. There are bigger things around us that demand our attention. It's awful if someone has to lose a life cos of the game.

Woolmer was a fine man and a revolutionary coach who changed the way cricket coaching is done. He brought new ideas into coaching and was very highly regarded by his contemporaries. He is credited with putting SA on the cricketing map and making them the world beaters they currently are. Credit also to him for being courageous enough to agree to coach Pak and help them achieve good success. May his soul rest in peace.

England vs Canada - Game 11

England v/s Canada (Group C) at St.Lucia

England 279/6 in 50 overs (Joyce 66, Collingwood 62*) beat Canada228/7 in 50 overs (A Mulla 58, Bopara 43/2) by 51 runs.
Match home

A win for England but nothing to shout about. A pretty cold performance but after two big upsets on Saturday, they will take this. The day began with the news that talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was dropped for this game as he was out drinking till 4am on Saturday morning. His night of adventure ended with capsizing on a pedalo and had to be rescued by hotel staff. As a result of indiscretion, Flintoff has been stripped of his vice-captaincy.

This event was overshadowed by the tragic news of Bob Woolmer's death, a day after his team Pakistan crashed out of the world cup with a defeat to Ireland. A sad day in the history of sport.

Australia v/s Netherlands - Game 10

Australia v/s Netherlands (Group A) at St. Kitts

Australia 358/5 in 50 overs (Hodge 123, MJ Clarke 93*) beat Netherlands 129/10 in 26.5 overs (B Hogg 27/4) by 229 runs.
Match home

Australia dished out another minnow bashing by annihilating Holland by 229 runs. This is their second successive 200+ run win at this world cup, and their third successive 300+ world cup score. They certainly seemed to have mastered the art of beating the minnows.

One must question the wisdom of associate teams getting routinely thrashed by top countries like Australia, SA and SL. The best way to give them exposure and help develop their cricket would be to play them against the volatile and unpredictable sub-continent teams India and Pakistan - given how prone they are to upsets.

Ireland vs Pakistan - Game 9

Ireland v/s Pakistan (Group D) at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

Pakistan 132/10 in 45.4 overs (Extras 29, Akmal 27) lost to Ireland 133/7 in 41.4 overs (NJ O'brien 72) by 3 wkts
Match home

A shock of seismic proportions as Ireland knocked Pakistan out of the World Cup. On St. Patrick's day, the Irish played with grit and determination to hand Pak its most embarrassing loss ever as a result of which Ireland now stand at the threshold of qualifying for the Super 8's. Who would have given them a chance at the start of the tournament?

As for Pakistan, the knives have sharpened. Their leadership looked unimaginative in both the games and their players didn't show the never-say-die spirit that the Pak teams of the '90s were famous for.

With Pakistan's early exit and with India also on the brink of elimination, the tournament is in danger of losing its 2 most charismatic teams. Not good news for the ICC, the sponsors, the media moguls and the other middle man with financial interests the game.

Bangladesh vs India - Game 8

Bangladesh vs India (Group B) at Port of Spain, Trinidad

India 191/10 in 49.3 overs (Ganguly 66, Yuvraj 47, M Mortaza 38/4, M Rafique 35/3) lost to Bangladesh 192/5 inn 48.3 overs (M Rahim 56, S Hasan 53) by 5 wkts
Match home

I am absolutely gutted! India's campaign got of to the worst imaginable start as the Bangladeshi tigers trounced their much hyped neighbors. Batting first after winning the toss, the much vaunted batting line up, considered by many as the strongest in the world, fell like flies. To collapse from 157/4 to 159/9 in the space of 1.4 overs is inexplicable. A team with such an enormous wealth of experience should know better.

Bangladesh, on the other hand have improved beyond recognition. Remember, they beat NZ in the warm up leading to the WC. At a time when the minnows are getting slayed left, right and center, this performance should silence those critics who have been questioning the inclusion of 'lesser' teams for a premier event. It's nice to see B'desh do so well, and with the 2011 WC scheduled to be held in the sub-continent, we could very well be saying hello to a new champion then.

India have a lot of soul searching to do. They didn't show any urgency while batting and their body language while bowling & fielding left a lot to be desired. Sehwag was terrible and one must really question the team management's wisdom to continue backing him on the pretext that he is only one good knock away from regaining form. Ganguly was pathetically slow at the start (he scored 5 runs in the first 10 overs) and there seemed a touch of selfishness in his play. Dravid and Tendulkar failed to rotate the strike while the lower middle order fell like 9 pins. When you are defending 191, the bowling gotta be really aggressive and fielders have to hold on to half chances but sadly, they dropped regulation catches. A few bouncers at the start of the innings, a few sledges at the b'desh batsmen and other intimidatory tactics wouldn't have hurt.

On the whole, the team looked flat on the field and gave the impression that they would have rather been elsewhere. The last 2 years have been spent in preparing for this world cup. The 'experimentation' and chopping and changing of batting order in every other ODI was done with the entire idea of making players play in different situation to see how they respond. Gosh, the fans must feel cheated to have bought into the idea.

Team India now stands in the brink of elimination as they are one defeat away from exiting this WC. Big wins will be needed against Bermuda and SL and then have to hope B'desh lose to Bermudda to harbor any hopes of qualifying. India began poorly in 2003, Pak were even worse in 1992, Aussies were struggling in the early stages of the 1999 competition. Both Pak and Aust were a defeat away from a first round exit. But considering Sri Lanka's hot form lately and B'desh determination & enthusiasm, things looks pretty downhill for the blue billion. This result was a shock of seismic proportions, but little did it prepare the cricketing fraternity for what was to follow...

Netherlands vs South Africa - Game 7

Netherland v/s South Africa, (Group A), St. Kitts

South Africa 353/3 in 40 overs (J Kallis 128*, Boucher 75*, Gibbs 72) beat Netherlands 132/9 in 40 overs (RN ten Doeschate 57) by 221 runs

Another minnow bloodbath as SA destroyed Netherlands by 221 runs. Gibbs smashed 6 sixes in an over (yes!!) and fired himself into the record books as he became the first player to achieve such a feat in international cricket. Gary Sobers and Ravi Shastri had done it previously in domestic cricket. This feat leaves Kerry Packer's company, Johnie Walker, poorer by USD $1 million as they had promised to donate the amount for charity if anyone was to hit 6 sixes in international cricket. The Habitat for Humanity will be singing praises of Hershelle Gibbs for a long time to come. As for the bowler, Daan van Bunge, he will now be an answer to quiz questions across the world.

Those who missed the action, can watch the 6 sixes here

Other than this, nothing else to talk about this game. Minnow bashing continues at the World Cup and the debate whether associate teams should be allowed to take part rages on.

England v/s New Zealand - Game 6

England v/s New Zealand (Group C) at St. Lucia

England 209/7 in 50 overs (KP Pietersen 60, P Nixon 42*, Bond 19/2) lost to New Zealand 210/4 in 41 overs (S Styris 87*, JP Oram 63*) by 6 wickets.
Match home

This was the marque match between the best two teams in Group C with the winner almost certain of topping the group and carrying 2 points into the next round. England, after being put in, batted poorly at the start until Pietersen and Bell consolidated. However, a spate of wickets in 2 overs set them back. Agent Bond and Scott Styris knocked the stuffing out of their middle order as England struggled to reach 207/9 in the alloted overs.England however were in with a great chance when they picked up quick wickets including that of captain Fleming. However, Styris and Oram (broken finger and all) eased the Kiwis past the target.

A great all-round performance by the Kiwis who look like a really balanced outfit. It was pleasing to see Bond excel with the ball. He looks in real top shape, free from any niggling injuries, which is good news for the team. Oram, despite playing with a broken finger, did well with the ball and bat. With Styris also running into some form, it would take a brave man to bet against them reaching the semis!

Ireland v/s Zimbabwe - Game 5

Ireland v/s Zimbabwe (Group D) at Kingston, Jamaica

Ireland 221/9 in 50 overs (JP Bray 115*) vs Zimbabwe 221/10 in 50 overs (Matsikenyeri 73*) match tied!!
Match home

The minnows produced their version of the classic Australia vs South Africa 1999 world cup semi-final encounter. At a time when the minnows are getting thrashed by superior opponents and their inclusion in a premier tournament such as this is being questioned, Ireland and Zimbabwe produced an absolute cracker. Ireland batted first and scored 221/9 in their 50 overs, thanks largely to the australian JP Bray. I didn't watch the match but apparently his batting was as bullish as Matty Hayden's. In reply Zimbabwe seemed to be cruising and needed 15 runs of 39 balls with 6 wkts in hand. Unbelievably, ended up needing 1 run of 1 ball with 1 wkt in hand.

A tied result will feel like a victory for the irish, and with st. patrick's day around the corner, the irish party had just begun. As for Zimbabwe, I seriously don't know what to make of this. They seemed to be a very competent side during the days of flower brothers and used to regularly beat test-playing teams. On the evidence of this performance, they probably should be stripped of their test status. I guess things with Zimb cricket won't change until tyrant Robert Mugabe is dethroned.

For those who missed the match, you can watch the last 2 overs here
49th over and 50th over

P.S: Irish women are pretty ;-)

Bermuda v/s Sri Lanka - Game 4

Bermuda v/s Sri Lanka (Group B), Port of Spain

Sri Lanka 321/6 in 50 overs (Jayawardene 85, Sangakkara 76, LP Silva 55) beat Bermuda 78/10 in 24.4 overs (Cannn 28, Maharoof 23/4, Malinga 10/3) by 243 runs

Match home

Another minnow bashing as Sri Lanka thumped Bermuda by a small matter of 243 runs, which is the second largest win in terms of runs in a WC match. Sri Lanka batted first and all their top order batsmen made merry. Jayawardene overcame his poor form to top score for the Lankans. The lankan bowlers also had a fruitful outing. All in all, a match that made little sense except giving SL a feel of the West indies conditions.

Canada v/s Kenya - Game 3

Canada v/s Kenya (Group C) at St. Lucia

Canada 199/10 in 50 overs (Barnett 41, Kamande 25/2, Tikolo 34/2) lost to Kenya 203/3 in 43.2 overs (Tikolo 72*, Ouma 58)
Match home

The semi-finalists of 2003 WC eased home quite comfortably in this clash between the two minnows. Canada having performed credibly during the 1999 world cup (remember dawson smashing the fasted WC century against WI and then smashing the kiwi bowlers?) were fancying their chances of winning this game. But they were out-gunned by a far more experienced Kenyan side, lead by veteran Steve Tikolo, who have this happy habit of doing well at world cups.

Noticeably, the Canadian team is composed of the sub-continent diaspora. Canadian bowler Anderson Cummins previously played for WI in 1992 world cup, thereby becoming only the second player after Kepler Wessels to play for 2 counties in this competition. Cummins is also one of the only 5 players (Jayasuriya, Tendulkar, Inzy and Lara being the others) in the current competition who also played at the 1992 world cup.

Australia v/s Scotland - Game 2

Australia v/s Scotland (Group A), St.Kitts

Australia 334/6 in 50 overs (Ponting 113, Hayden 60, Gilchrist 46) beat Scotland 131/10 in 40.1 overs (CJ Smith 51, G McGrath 14/3) by 203 runs
Match Home

The result of this 'contest' was always a foregone conclusion. Ok, there have been upsets in ODI's in the past, but honestly Scotland didn't have a cat in a hell chance of beating Australia.
Batting first, Australia amassed 334/6 in 50 overs. Punter Ponting continued his prolific ways by notching up another century. The way this guy has been batting over the last 2 years is quite scary. He will surely go down as one of the greatest batsmen of this era and will probably hold most of the batting records. Ponting came into this game on the back of some heated differences with Gavaskar, which probably spurred him up.

In reply, Scotland were never in the chase. Oooh Aaah Gleen McGrath was at this best again picking up three top order wickets before allowing other bowlers in this team to share the spoils.
Looks like Glenn's final hurrah is going to be memorable.

Pakistan vs West Indies - Game 1

Pakistan v/s West Indies (Group D) at Sabina Park, Kingston Jamaica

WI : 241/9 in 50 overs (Sameuls 63, Sarwan 49, Lara 37, Ifthikar Anju 44/3) beat Pakistan 187/10 in 47.2 overs (Shoaib Malik 62, D Smith 36/3, Bravo 42/3) by 58 runs.
Match home

The opening game of the world cup featured two highly unpredictable teams in which the hosts took on the 1992 champions Pakistan. After winning the toss and putting WI into bat, Pak struck an early blow by removing the dangerous Gayle. WI struggled to get off the blocks and runs came in a trickle during the first half their innings. However, good aggressive batting by Samuels, with able support from Lara and Smith stretched their total to 241/9. Pakistan lost early wickets and never really looked in the chase once Yousuf got out. Eventually, West Indies finished comfortable winners. Frankly, Pakistan played quite poorly and never looked turned-on for this big game but full credit to WI bowlers for exploiting the slow nature of the pitch. For the success of the world cup, it is imperative that the host nation does well. With this win, and assuming Pak make it to the super 8's, west indies will take 2 valuable points which might make their task of reaching the semis easier. As for Pakistan, they better raise their performance significantly in the future games else this could turn out to be a disastrous campaign for them.

A curtain raiser

After months and months of build up, hype, hype and more hype, the 2007 Cricket world cup finally got underway in the Caribbean this Tuesday. A grand opening ceremony showcasing some of the finest Caribbean talents set the tone for what should be a cracking 51 days of cricket. The event that took place at the Trelawny Stadium, in northwestern Jamaica, featured top Jamaican musical bands Third World, Sly and Robbie and Byron Lee and Dragonaires, as well as top regional entertainers such as David Rudder, Jimmy Cliff, Byron Lee, Machel Montano, Alison Hinds, Sean Paul and Beres Hammond. A ceremony lasting lasting a little over 3 hours was the longest in the cup's history, but then this tournament has never features as many as 16 teams, so it was probably befitting.


Out of the 16 teams, the chances of the top 8 nations (Australia, SA, NZ, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka, India and West Indies) are being fancied. Australia's sudden slump ( 5 defeats in a row) coupled with the resurgence of England and NZ, has made the pundits talk about this World Cup being the 'most open' one ever. This somehow sounds illogical, every world cup played so far has been pretty open. There have always been good teams and never has one team gone into the championship as an out n out favorite. If Australia goes on to win this WC without dropping a game, people who termed this world cup an 'open' one might just feel stupid.

The teams have been divided into 4 groups of 4 teams each, with the top 2 teams from each group progressing to the Super 8. Absurdly, (to suit television audience, of course!) the Super 8 games have been decided well in advance. For full world cup schedule, click here

I'm quite excited about this world cup, the format of which is quite stunning. Each team plays the other atleast once before the semi-finals. Hence, unlike last time, if a minnow nation is to reach the final 4, they will have really earned it.

My take on the top 8 teams is as follows.

Australia - despite having lost some of their stars to injury and retirements, still remain a force to reckon with. With Ponting in such prolific form and McGrath still his parsimonious best, Australia will be a force to reckon with. Since reaching the semi-finals requires a team to win only 5 games out of 8, the 2 time defending champions will probably sleep walk into the semis.

SA - go into this world cup at the #1 ranked team in the world. This should give their confidence a major boost. However, SA are notoriously bad chokers and the world cup record is quite poor. They enter every WC as strong contenders only to deceive. Anything less than an appearance in the finals of this edition will be another major let-down.

India - the media hype is so high that every indian supporter inevitably feels that the team will bring home the ultimate prize. No other country enjoys such passionate support from its fans. Despite some pretty average one-day form lately, due to the slow nature of the caribbean pitches, india shouldn't have too many problems reaching the semis but going all the way looks highly improbable. With legends like Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and Kumble probably playing their final world cups, this world cup might just be special.

WI - with the world cup being played across 9 different islands, where conditions are expected to vary quite significantly, home advantage for the hosts should certainly enhance their prospects. A highly inconsistent team who can collapse one day only to beat the best on the next, they will probably need a lot of luck to cut deep into the tournament. If Lara can inspire his team, along with the vociferous local support, WI might just reach the semis but I don't see them going any further.

NZ - a great all round team devoid of any superstar, this team is capable of causing major surprises. With the likes of Agent Bond, all-rounder Oram, flamboyant McMillian and Taylor along with the astute captaincy of Fleming, the Kiwis should fly high. The way they outgunned Australia in the recent Chappel-Hadlee series was a revelation. A semi-final finish shouldn't be surprising, infact I'd love to see them win this trophy. After India, they are my favorite team.

England - an average team on their best day, worst at other times, England I believe made a big blunder by picking Vaughan. With a knee that can snap at any time, it will not be surprising to find Flintoff leading England in the Super 8's. Despite stars like Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff and Strauss, England can never been consistent enough to challenge the top 4 and will probably be fighting for the bottom spot in the super 8's.

Pakistan - Winning the WC in '99 under the inspirational leadership of Imran was probably their finest hour. Since then their performances the WC have been quite tepid. On paper, their team at this edition is the weakest ever since '92 and they should be quite pleased it they can compete this time.

SL - The '96 champions have run into hot form lately. In Moody and Jayawardena, they have strong leadership that has seen some positive results over the last one year. With Jayasuriya at his brutal best again one can expect fireworks at the top. Murali, Vaas and 'slinger' Malinga give their bowling a strong look. They will do well in the super 8's but might miss out in the semis.

Here's hoping for an exciting and close world cup with lots of memorable matches!!