Test Cricket Back at its Best!!!!
If you are a cricket fan and you didnt follow the second test between Ind and Eng, then I must say without hesitation that you missed something. For people who follow one day games and are of the opinion that test cricket is boring, this test match would have made them think again.
I love cricket and I am a bigger fan of test cricket than one day cricket. The key to a good test match is the nature of the pitch and in Eng, Aus and SA, we find pitches where both the bowlers and the batters have equal chance. I prefer Aussie pitches (surprising..he he..) as it aids the spinners as well thereby giving everyone some chance to prove their mettle.
I always thought English pitches were mostly bowler friendly. I didnt want to see pitches where either bowlers or batsmen are dominating. However this test match had everything with assistance all around. Fantastic batting by Karthik, Sachin, Jaffer,Vaughn and Ganguly and excellent bowling by both Eng and Indian seamers. Most of these guys who batted well were under pressure to perform and they played really well in spite of difficult conditions. I haven't seen good swing bowling like these from Indians for quite some time. Ashes 2005 provided some terrific contest, but after that, this contest has been equally close.
Shenanigans apart, the intensity of both the teams were very high and very determined. India desperate for a victory in the foreign soil, while Eng keen to keep its good home record intact. The contest was filled with dramas, trash-talks and of course the one you have heard about, the jelly beans.
The highlight of the match which was sort of overlooked was the type of Innings Sachin played. It was a typical Rahul Dravid/Steve Waugh type of innings. I couldn't be more proud of him. It was a gritty, patient, ungainly and at times graceful innings. Hardcore Sachin fans wouldn't have been excited about this innings, but when you know things are not going your way, you gotto dig deep and thats what the master did. I have been waiting for a innings like this from Sachin for a long time and I was delirious when he delivered one. I couldn't agree during a conversation with a friend of mine that Sachin's probably the only batsman who has altered drastically his technique after several years of International Cricket where he would have faced all kinds of top bowlers and seen everything thrown at him.
I cant wait for the third test and lets hope Ind pulls off a deserved victory, so that the Eng media wont point out at the Lord's ill-luck for England!!!!
I love cricket and I am a bigger fan of test cricket than one day cricket. The key to a good test match is the nature of the pitch and in Eng, Aus and SA, we find pitches where both the bowlers and the batters have equal chance. I prefer Aussie pitches (surprising..he he..) as it aids the spinners as well thereby giving everyone some chance to prove their mettle.
I always thought English pitches were mostly bowler friendly. I didnt want to see pitches where either bowlers or batsmen are dominating. However this test match had everything with assistance all around. Fantastic batting by Karthik, Sachin, Jaffer,Vaughn and Ganguly and excellent bowling by both Eng and Indian seamers. Most of these guys who batted well were under pressure to perform and they played really well in spite of difficult conditions. I haven't seen good swing bowling like these from Indians for quite some time. Ashes 2005 provided some terrific contest, but after that, this contest has been equally close.
Shenanigans apart, the intensity of both the teams were very high and very determined. India desperate for a victory in the foreign soil, while Eng keen to keep its good home record intact. The contest was filled with dramas, trash-talks and of course the one you have heard about, the jelly beans.
The highlight of the match which was sort of overlooked was the type of Innings Sachin played. It was a typical Rahul Dravid/Steve Waugh type of innings. I couldn't be more proud of him. It was a gritty, patient, ungainly and at times graceful innings. Hardcore Sachin fans wouldn't have been excited about this innings, but when you know things are not going your way, you gotto dig deep and thats what the master did. I have been waiting for a innings like this from Sachin for a long time and I was delirious when he delivered one. I couldn't agree during a conversation with a friend of mine that Sachin's probably the only batsman who has altered drastically his technique after several years of International Cricket where he would have faced all kinds of top bowlers and seen everything thrown at him.
I cant wait for the third test and lets hope Ind pulls off a deserved victory, so that the Eng media wont point out at the Lord's ill-luck for England!!!!
posted by Praveen @ 7:54 AM
3 Comments:
It is a nice read. Seems more like an overall assessment of the situation. Personally, I would have liked a deeper introspection of the incidents and wider speculation for the 3rd test.
My $0.02!!
Good analysis ....by any chance if the friend you are referring to regarding Sachin's technique is me, then probably we misundersttod each other. I was telling that Sachin has changed his approach/style of play (not technique) over the years in comparison to other top batsmen of this era. But to me I would take Sachin's innings like this for an Indian win then any of his flamboyant centuries which results in Indian loss or draw. good work anyway ...keep it up
You are right on both counts dude...I should have probably mentioned Sachin's approach rather than technique as its definitely misleading..(thats what i intended..) Thanks for pointing it out...
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