Cricket Tournaments

Player of the Match James Pattinson

India could have been sniffing a probable victory last night after reducing Australia to 179/8, even though Michael Hussey remained a big threat to their chances as long as he was at the crease. However, one amazing 43-run partnership for the last Australian wicket demoralized India to such an extent that even a modest target of 292 seemed like 492 for a batting line-up having more than 50,000 runs to their credit.

Hussey only 10 runs to his overnight score of 79 as he was dismissed by a snorter from Zaheer Khan outside off-stump but James Pattinson was able to post his highest first class score in the innings of 37 where he demonstrated wonderful technique for a tailender, much like Ishant Sharma did for India in the first innings. While his partner in crime, Ben Hilfenhaus played two cracking strokes as well which frustrated the Indian bowlers.

But the Aussie bowlers continued from where they left off in the first innings as the pitch was deteriorating. The Indian batting collapsed like a pack of cards as the top order struggled against the pace of Pattinson, swing of Hilfenhaus and the seam movement of Siddle. Dravid was trapped beautifully by an inswinger from Pattinson which was bowled at a tremendous pace and that was perhaps the last nail in the coffin of the Indian batting as he is the man in form this year.

Gambhir’s problems outside off-stump continued as he gave a regulation catch to Ponting at second slip off Siddle’s bowling. While Laxman’s poor run at the MCG continued and Kohli failed yet again. Sachin Tendulkar gave the Indian fans a lot to cheer about but Siddle played spoilsport yet again by picking his wicket at a key juncture of the match. At 81/6, India were already staring now the barrel and it was just a matter of time before the match ends.

Dhoni and Ashwin fought hard for India but there was no big partnership to be seen and that cost India dearly as the tailenders could not survive for long. There is some promise in the batting line-up but Australia’s quickies are in red hot form and it was close to impossible to stop their march as they picked wickets at regular intervals.

India have a lot to work on if they are to pose any challenge to this underrated Australian team come Sydney.

West Indies have scored 81 runs for the loss of two wickets againstIndiain their second innings and accumulated an overall lead of 189 runs at the end of the fourth day’s play. The third and final Test is being played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, and is heading towards a draw.

Sachin Tendulkar Missed Century Again

Earlier Tourists scored 590 runs in their first innings which included an excellent century by Darren Bravo who smashed 166 runs.

Indiagave a solid reply to the Carribeans by scoring 281 runs in 80 overs after losing just three wickets at stumps on the third day.

Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were unbeaten at 67 and 34 runs respectively.

All eyes were set on Tendulkar who was creeping to his 100^th hundred in International cricket.

Mumbai is his home ground and every one was thrilled in anticipation of his much awaited ton.

India lost an early wicket once Laxman was caught at gully by Marlon Samuels off Fidel Edwards at 32 runs with the addition of just six runs in the overnight total.

Virat Kohli was the next batsman to join in with Tendulkar who was doing well at the other end and looked poised to achieve the unique feat.

The master batsmen punished Edwards in the 84^th over and scored 14 runs and reached seven runs away from hundred.

Whole Wankhede Stadium was stunned and no voice could be heard from any corner on the last ball of the 87^th over as Tendulkar was caught at second slip by Darren Sammy of  Ravi Rampaul on 94 runs.

Tendulkar could not believe that but that was the truth and slowly he started walking back to the pavilion as he has to wait for some other innings to achieve the mile stone.

The 38-year-old was the fifth batsman to go back to the pavilion at the total of 322 runs and the home side was still 268 runs behind the West Indian target.

MS Dhoni was the next batsman to lose his wicket after scoring mere eight runs at the score of 331 runs.

Ravichandran Ashwin played  gem of an innings batting lower down in the order and thrashed 103 runs off 118 balls which comprised two sixes and 15 fours.

The young off spinner shared 97 runs valuable partnership with Kohli who contributed 52 runs as well.

Indian innings was folded at 482 runs in 135.4 overs and they conceded a first innings lead of 108 runs.

Rampaul and Samuels were the most successful bolwers ofWest Indiesby sharing three wickets each, Sammy claimed two wickets as Edwards and Devendra Bishoo chipped in with one wicket each.

Dhoni gave a surprise to the Carribeans by introducing left arm spinner Prayash Ojha in to attack in the very first over of the second innings.

The trick paid off as the visitors lost their opener Adrian Barath for just three runs and Kirk Edwards followed him at 30 runs at his individual score of 17 runs.

Both wickets were acquired by Ojha but Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo consolidated the innings and took the score to 81 runs at stumps, they were unbeaten at 34 and 27 runs respectively.

The Test looks like heading for a draw as just one day remains in the match and India will be pleased to win the series 2-0 as they have won Two Tests already.

‘And a tremendous win by West Indies over India.’ We used to hear about this news quite frequently during the 1980s and 90s. Defeating West Indies in their own den is even more difficult, with their fast bowlers who were harrowing the batsmen for almost 2 decades. But their performances have just been dropping since then.

Once hailed as the dominant team, nowadays aren’t even close to being one. India taking their apparent ‘A’ team, says it all. India’s series against West Indies was basically a chance for youngsters to prove themselves and a chance for India to test their bench-strength. But with West Indies struggling big time and hardly able to get their combinations right, India had a good chance to set it straight up for them. After winning 3 matches convincingly, India was already out there to prove what they have in store for the world. But the winning combination was changed in order to give everyone an equal chance, but the chance to whitewash West Indies was lost and over. Losing the last 2 ODIs, the sight wasn’t great.

HIGHS

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Amit Mishra have been the highs of this series. Rohit Sharma pioneered Indian innings and helped India India win in a couple of matches. Averaging 128 and scoring around 257 runs in the 5 matches he played, he obviously has acknowledged many greats who have predicted him to be a future great for India. Kohli, another person who has been scoring consistently for India has had a pretty good series, but is capable of much more. Scoring 199 runs in 5 matches, he couldn’t score at all in a couple of matches as he lost out on capitalizing in the games. Parthiv Patel also gave us some solid starts in the games, and is trying to capitalize into the 2nc choice wicket-keeper place in the squad.

Among the bowlers, Amit Mishra was tremendous. Aggressive, he has always been looking for wickets. Picking up 11 wickets in the series with an exceptional economy rate of just 4, he has an awesome future to look at. Along with Harbhajan Singh, a defensive off-spinner, this leg-spinner can have a phenomenal partnership in the spin-bowling department. Munaf Patel has carried his form since the World Cup and looked good here again, picking up 8 wickets in the 3 matches he played.

LOWS

Suresh Raina was an utter disappointment. Playing rash shots, he was certainly over-burdened by the captaincy.  Making him a captain was a bad decision anyway, since he doesn’t have much experience anyways. Virat Kohli, who had the experience and certainly a good captain, could have been given the opportunity. Even Harbhajan Singh, a senior player could have had the chance to be what he ever wanted to be. Scoring just 82 runs, he certainly didn’t play to his capabilities. Even Shikhar Dhawan, lost out on a golden chance to prove his worth scoring as low as 69 runs, which included a fifty. Inconsistent performances are going to hurt. Manoj Tiwary, though didn’t get enough opportunities at the moment, but he certainly couldn’t get in through how many ever opportunities he was given.

Harbhajan Singh, being the senior-most player in the squad with his experience should have inspired the youngsters. Instead he himself wasn’t playing to his capabilities. Picking up 4 wickets in the 3 matches he played, his economy rate was good, and shows his defensiveness and the tendency to not look for the wickets. Even, Praveen Kumar was in the same league though his economy rate wasn’t as good as Bhajji’s. Even Ashwin couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities given to him. Actually he quite failed picking up just a wicket in the 2 matches he played.

WORSE

The biggest disappointment of the tour being, Subramanium Badrinath. Hailed as a great player, ignored by selectors all the time scored just 40 runs in the 4 matches he played.  Scoring well in the IPL, he lost the opportunity he was waiting for. Then why perform in the league games, if you don’t want to perform at the big stage? Nerves! Playing at the big stage is always a challenge and he needs to cope up with it. Dhoni brings out the best in him, and possibly his run tally could have been a lot better if he would have been around. Yusuf Pathan also couldn’t live up to his reputation of being a pinch-hitter and a clean striker of the ball. Poor selection of shots, he had a good opportunity to retain his place in the last ODI. When India actually needed him in the last ODI where wickets were consistently falling, he got a good start but fell for 30. Again losing out big time.

Ishant Sharma, who had a great opportunity to regain his lost glory again disappointed. Hailed as the one to put off fire in India’s fast bowling department when he actually made Ricky Ponting hop around in his crease he certainly has lost all the confidence in himself. He has to work on himself, indeed very hard.

It was a dream, but the dream just remained a dream. A whitewash and what would have been the frolic in the country. History would have been made, and how!  A golden opportunity, lost big time for the players as well as for the history to be made. Hopefully, they will create more opportunities for themselves in the near future.

Cricket is one of the most beautiful games to watch as well as play and I don’t think being from India, where people consider it as a religion, anyone here will have a doubt about it.  With over more than 100 years since the first ever match was played between England and Australia, this game went on beautifying itself with the way it was played.

Playing in true spirits, I’ve always admired some players. But what hurts my sentiment for this game is the way the beautifying effect has been just torn apart by certain players lacking basic sportsman spirit, money and the politics.

Rest aside, getting politics into cricket, just doesn’t seem to be a good idea. Despite being a ‘gentlemen’s game’, cricket and controversies always go hand in hand. Cricketers and their boards are constantly getting engaged in the mind games and the politics of the game.

Spats between cricketers and their respective boards have been going on since a long while. Right from Greg Chappell-Sourav Ganguly which gave rise to the fact that cricketers are mere employees for the board and nothing more. Chappell’s spat with Ganguly not only saw the worst spat ever occurred between a coach and a player but also showed how a player of caliber like Ganguly was treated in India. BCCI, being the most powerful and financially well-off cricket boards, has its own set of rules and treats players basically like slaves. But what weakens BCCI’s power is the fan base in India. Cricket being considered as a religion, the fans would just protest against BCCI if there’s anything going against a high-profile cricketer. Though media can always turn out to be the culprit.

Nevertheless what people fail to understand, is that politics is everywhere and to think that it’s only in India is just naïve. WICB-Chris Gayle, CA-Simon Katich, PCB-Shahid Afridi and it goes on and on to prove the fact that other boards do get engaged in politics too and it’s just that it hasn’t been openly talked about.

Axing senior players like Chris Gayle, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, what kind of team were they ever going to make? Others kept aside, Chris Gayle was on a mission to prove the board officials what they were missing on. And what he does is in style! Smashing sixes all over the ground in the just-concluded IPL, he was like a tornado coming towards the other teams. And this obviously infuriated WICB officials that he chose to play for IPL, instead of waiting for WICB officials to respond. Keeping him out of the current squad against India made the matters worse with WIPA supporting Gayle too. As the war of words goes on, who would axe senior players like them without even disclosing it in front of them? Politics plays its role.

Being in India, would you ever think of removing Sachin Tendulkar or for that matter any player who’s in his prime form with just the matter of fact that age is not by his side? That’s what exactly Australian cricket board has done! Scoring with an average of around 50 after his return to international cricket, no-one had ever thought of him being axed. Being in as many as 17 century partnership at the top after his return, Australia’s opening partnership was the most stable and effective. And the reason been given, ‘We want to forge a better opening partnership for Ashes 2013’. Is this a reason to give, when Katich has better averages than anyone else in the team after his return to international cricket? Why would you want to get rid of one of your best players? Just a bit baffled!

Even Stuart Clark was treated in a very much similar way, though he didn’t protest as such. And if two players are talking about this, there has to be some problems on the other side. And i’m sure there will be more players, just going against CA will make life worse for them.

Though PCB-Shahid Afridi tussle has been two-sided, where just because of stripping him from captaincy, Shahid Afridi decided to quit international cricket. Later again he was in a war of words with PCB and coach Waqar Younis which made the matters worse. Pakistan already at a point where their cricket doesn’t look like being stable any-time soon, with his retirement it looks even more awful. Being a two-sided mistake, you cannot just comment on what is it all about.

But what surprises me is that the board officials consider their players as mere contracted players and basically slaves who are supposed to do whatever the board wants when under contract. The politics played is intense and can’t get through it. Though the entire thing isn’t out, but what matters is all this is just affecting the game.

On top of that, with match-fixers and bookies all around, it makes worse. Even the fact that players favoring club over country hurts, but then it’s their own decisions though.

Cricket is to get back to the way it was, when there were no tussles, when every-one played their heart-out to represent their country, when match-fixing was never even a word in dictionary.

Team India with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Trophy

It was a contest befitting of a World Cup finale, and a victory that a billion countrymen would cherish and relive for the rest of their lives. Sri Lanka played hard and tough – they were sublime at times (read Mahela Jayawardene) and at times deadly (read Lasith Malinga). Still, India managed to garner enough courage to recover from adversity even on the day that mattered the most en route to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 glory. It will be a day that will be etched in the memory of cricket loving Indian public till time immemorial. Here’s a relook at the big moments that made the final.

Toss confusion

This had to make an appearance for it was the first instance in the World Cup final wherein the toss had to be held twice. Apparently, there was so much noise and buzz around the Wankhede Stadium that Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara’s call just couldn’t be heard. The second time around it almost needed a roar from Sangakkara to ensure that he was heard loud and clear. Lanka won it and, with it, augmented their chances of victory.

Zaheer Khan stands tall again

It was arguably the best spell in a Cricket World Cup final and erased the bad memories of an overenthusiastic Zaheer Khan’s atrocious opening burst in the 2003 final against Australia. The left-arm seamer, who ended up as the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament alongside Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, was magnificent in his opening spell, bowling a perfect line and length and was duly rewarded with the wicket of Upul Tharanga. The pressure of the occasion clearly got to the in-form Lankan opener. But, to be fair to him, Zaheer was unplayable in his opening spell, and his figures of five overs for six runs with three maidens aptly reflected it. The ball was doing enough for Zaheer and, using all his experience, he kept the Lankans on a tight leash throughout. Thanks to Zaheer, round one clearly went to India.

Sangakkara-Jayawardene join forces

For the umpteenth time, it was Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who rebuilt the innings amidst a mini crisis. Following Tharanga’s dismissal they seemed to have recovered well enough courtesy a good partnership between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara and some wayward bowling by surprise choice S. Sreesanth. However, just when they seemed to be on the up, Harbhajan Singh struck. He was lucky to get Dilshan bowled round the wicket. From there onwards, Sri Lanka’s two most experienced batsmen took it upon themselves to do the repair job. And they did a wonderful job, rotating the strike at ease and managing to find the boundary whenever the opportunity presented itself. It wasn’t anything new for them as they had done it time and time again in the past. But, this was the World Cup final and they were rising to the occasion.

Yuvraj’s strikes bring India back

Yet again, it was Yuvraj Singh’s left arm spin that brought India back in the game when Lanka seemed to be getting the upper hand. He bowled an innocuous delivery outside the off stump, which managed to find the edge of Sangakkara’s bat, two short of the latter’s half-century. And when another partnership between Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera began to threaten, it was again Yuvraj who broke the threatening partnership, trapping Samaraweera in front of the wickets, URDS coming to India’s rescue again.

Jayawardene’s sublime counter attack

At the fall of Samaraweera’s wicket Lanka were back in a spot of bother. However, Jayawardene responded with a splendid counter attacking innings, finding the boundaries at will and striking two awesome partnerships, first with Nuwan Kulasekara and then Thisara Perera. Both the batsmen played their part too striking some crucial big blows even as Jayawardene was caressing the ball all around the park. The power play overs really saw Lanka take their game to a different level. Ironically, Zaheer who was exceptional in his opening spell, was the one who was taken to the cleaners as Lanka ended their innings on a marvelous high.

Malinga silences Wankhede

In spite of the Lankan counter attack, the large gathering of Indian fans at Wankhede Stadium were hopeful of some fireworks from the explosive Virender Sehwag and of course the master Sachin Tendulkar. However, all it took was two deliveries to silence the noisy crowd. Lasith Malinga trapped Sehwag plumb in front as the latter failed to get bat on a fast, inswinging delivery and was accompanied back to the dressing room by a second ball-duck. Sachin Tendulkar looked untroubled during his stay at the crease, but it was only a brief relief. The pressure seemed to get the better of the big man too as he flirted with an away going delivery from Malinga and nicked it behind the stumps. The ball only just carried to Sangakkara, but it was enough to spark off wild celebrations in the Lankan camp.

Delhi boys rebuild

Lanka were firm favourites once the two Ss departed. However, as Naseer Hussain had commented after the finale of the Natwest Trophy in 2002, “This Indian batting just keeps coming at you.” Nothing much has changed nearly a decade later as Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli went about their job brick by brick. It was partnership that has defined Indian cricket in recent years. The ‘never give up’ attitude of the Delhi boys kept India in the hunt. A striking feature of their partnership was the ease with which they rotated the strike under pressure and always ensured that the run rate stayed under control. However, just when they seemed to be getting on top, Kohli fell to a brilliant return catch by Dilshan to even out the game.

The captain takes it away

How often have we heard… ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man.’ On Saturday, with the pressure reaching fever pitch, M S Dhoni walked into bat ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh to the surprise of many. But how well he played! In the company of a defiant Gambhir, Dhoni ran like a hare between wickets until both grabbed their backs and decided to take it a little easy. And once he got his eye in, Dhoni clubbed the bowlers like only the man from Ranchi can do. The ease with which Gambhir and Dhoni chased down the target saw the Lankan heads fall steadily, and the formalities were completed pretty soon. It was a fitting end to the game as Dhoni smacked Kulasekara out of the ground to clinch the trophy for India.

There were a couple of major disappointments on both sides. Jayawardene did everything right during his innings and yet ended up on the losing side. On the other hand, Gambhir fell tantalising short of a century. But, as Dhoni said post match, he had only himself to blame. Keeping personal glory aside though, it was a team that deserved to win the World Cup for the manner in which they overcame once challenge after the other.

The World Cup began on February 19, a Saturday and also culminates on another Saturday, April 2. In between, there was a month of rubbish when minnows clashed either with the big guns or against each other. And expect when Ireland were playing, it wasn’t a treat to watch. The good games, as expected, began from the quarter final onwards. Like every World Cup, this tournament also sprung up a couple of surprises with Pakistan and New Zealand making it to the final four ahead of Australia and South Africa. At the end of the day though, the top two teams and both favourites to clinch the crown have made it to the summit clash. From here on, two factors will chiefly decide the result – handling the pressure and performing better than the opponent for a major portion of 100 overs. Here’s the SWOT analysis of India versus Sri Lanka

India

Strengths: It goes without a saying that their batting in the top four is their biggest strength. If Virender Sehwag can fire like he did against Umar Gul, but for a longer duration, India’s chances get enhanced greatly. It will be a much more difficult task for Sehwag since this time he would have Lasith Malinga marching in from the opposite end. But to win the World Cup, you have to unsettle the best.

And then there is, of course, Sachin Tendulkar. While everyone is rooting for a ‘Ton’dulkar moment, it is more important for India to win the crown. A hundred in a winning campaign would, however, settle in as the perfect jewel in the crown.

Yuvraj Singh has been in the form of his life and, in hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise that he could not perform with the bat against Pakistan. Hopefully, he has reserved his best for the last. A cracker of an innings from Yuvraj would set up the match perfectly for a fitting finale. And considering his effort with the ball in the tournament so far, it is but natural that India would expect him to chip in on the big day too. Having said that, he shouldn’t be overtly burdened with expectations since the Sri Lankans are after all better players of spin that most other nations. In spite of having registered three fifties in the tournament, Gautam Gambhir has been below par. But, everyone knows he is a big match player. Expect him to rise to the occasion. Remember, he was the man who led India’s charge in the T20 final in 2007 against Pakistan.

Weaknesses: While fielding is India’s biggest hurdle in capturing the cup, the bowling is not top notch despite the marked improvements. Zaheer Khan has been at his supreme best, but Munaf Patel hasn’t always inspired confidence neither with his bowling nor with his body language. Harbhajan Singh has been below par for sure though he chipped in on two big occasions against South Africa and Pakistan. He will have to be at his very best against Sri Lanka at least with his line and length even if he is not picking up wickets. The injury to Ashish Nehra who was beginning to find his rhythm against Pakistan has added to India’s woes. In case they decide to go in with three seamers again ahead of the ever impressive Ravichandran Ashwin, they will have to pick S. Sreesanth, which would be the biggest game of M S Dhoni’s career, after all it’s a World Cup final. But, don’t be surprised if he does so. After all, he is the same man who gave Joginder Sharma the last over in the 2007 World Cup final.

India’s batting in the lower order remains a concern although Suresh Raina’s inclusion has indeed shored it up a bit. They cannot afford to falter in the batting power play overs this time else it could be all over. The likes of Harbhajan and Zaheer need to show the kind of application they did against Pakistan, for it is that additional 20-30 runs that could make all the difference at the end of the day.

Opposition: Unlike Pakistan, who hadn’t played India for over four years, it is exactly the reverse with Sri Lanka, who have been India’s most frequent opponent in the last couple of years and know their game inside out. India will have to come up with something novel to outsmart the Lankans on the big day.

Threat: The crowd would be a massive factor in encouraging Indians, but they could be pressurised as well. The Mumbai crowd has in the past shown a tendency to get volatile when the things aren’t going the way they want it to. And this could well turn out to be a demotivating factor. Team India better watch out!

Sri Lanka

Strengths: Sri Lanka have the most well-balanced outfit among all teams. While the top order batting is among the best in the world today, in Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis they have three genuine wicket taking bowlers, who can destroy the opposition if it is their day. The Indians will have to be particularly wary of Malinga since they have been undone by extreme pace in the past. Also, they haven’t played the bowler with a slinging action as often as the since he was injured for a majority of the games during the India-Lanka marathon.

Further, they have three of the top scorers in the tournament in openers Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga and skipper Kumar Sangakkara. If all three fire in the final, India would be doomed for sure. Dilshan has an excellent record against India, and can chip his arm over as well. India have to try and get him early and they would bank heavily on Zaheer for it. Even Mahela Jayawardene, though not among the top scorers, has still looked fluid and, like Gambhir of India, can be expected to rise to the occasion on the big day.

Fielding is one aspect where the Lankans have a clear cut edge over the home side. And without doubt, they would go all out to maximize the advantage.

Weaknesses: The only perceptible weak point in the Lankan side is their middle and lower order batting, which incidentally hasn’t been tested much owing to the superlative performance of the top order. While Chamara Silva is a talented batsman, he hasn’t quite fired in the tournament so far. Lankans would be hoping that he comes good if needed. Thilan Samaraweera too hasn’t had much to do apart from chipping in with a side act games against Australia and New Zealand. Their problems have been accentuated by the fact that all-rounder Angelo Mathews, a key cog in their well-oiled unit, has been ruled out. There would be a lot of pressure on his replacement Suraj Randiv. It remains to be seen whether he rises to the occasion. Except the batting, there is nothing much wrong with the Lankan team.

Opposition: Indians would have the home advantage for sure as they are playing at home. And if they stay on top, the Lankans would find it difficult to recover as the 33,000-capacity would be behind the Indians.

Threat: The biggest threat to Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign would come in the form of a top-order batting collapse. If India could get a couple of early breakthroughs, the pressure on Lankans would be enormous thereafter.

Mouth-watering prospect!

Indian Team celebrates after defeating Pakistan in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at Mohali

It did not possess the quality of 2003 at Centurion nor were there Ajay Jadeja like pyrotechnics of 1996, but for an India Pakistan clash, there was enough ebb and flow in the game to make the match memorable for the crowds in both the nations, who had put a full stop on their daily chores for a day. The crowds at Mohali, in fact, kept the spirit alive at times when the going wasn’t intense. And why not? After all, this was an Indo-Pak clash and it was the semi finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. At the end of the day, the best team won as Pakistan self-destructed and India, even though not at their best, did well enough to hold their nerves. Here’s a look back at key events in the game that eventually decided the fate of the Mohali battle.

Sehwag outsmarts Gul

Prior to the match, Umar Gul was Pakistan’s best bowler in the series. But, the occasion clearly got to him as he sprayed the ball all over the place and Virender Sehwag was all set to take advantage of the same. The Indian opener launched such a brutal attack on Gul that the latter leaked 21 runs in his second over to get India going. It was a big setback for Pakistan and the perfect start for India as Sehwag was all guns blazing. To the surprise of many, Shahid Afridi, who lost the toss, asked Abdul Razzaq to accompany Gul with the new ball, bowling his gentle medium pacers. Thankfully, Razzaq did not perform as badly as Gul, but the fact was that he did not trouble the Indians either and Sachin Tendulkar also began getting into the groove. Round one, without doubt, went to India.

Wahab fightback!

Just when it seemed Sehwag would bat Pakistan out of the game, Wahab Riaz rose to the big occasion. There was plenty of pressure on the left-arm seamer considering calls from many quarters to bring back Shoaib Akhtar. However, Riaz proved that for a change, Pakistan got it absolutely right. It was Riaz who gave Pakistan the major breakthrough, trapping Sehwag right in front of the stumps, which was confirmed by the review taken by the batsman. Riaz had not only cut short Sehwag’s threatening knock, but also brought down the scoring rate, as it often happens with Sehwag’s dismissal. However, he wasn’t done yet. His best was yet to come. Riaz bowled some brilliant deliveries to send back Virat Kohli – beaten by a rising, pacy delivery and the very next ball the in-form Yuvraj Singh with a fast in-swinging delivery, to which even the left-hander had no answer. Thanks to those strikes Pakistan were not only back in the game, but on top of the Indians. Deservedly, Riaz came back to complete his five-wicket haul by dismissing M S Dhoni and Zaheer Khan in his final spell, again with some exceptional bowling and the batsmen weren’t good.

Sach(in) a lucky day!

Even as Riaz was making the right moves, something bizarre was transpiring in the field, which eventually cost Pakistan the match. Sachin Tendulkar, who went off the boil following Sehwag’s dismissal was dropped four times, three of them coming off their skipper Shahid Afridi’s bowling. All the three catches were dollies, and even the last one wasn’t all that tough by international standards, but probably can’t be considered as a chance taking the standards set by Pakistan into consideration. Eventually, the captain himself took the catch that led to the maestro’s dismissal and was expressive, showing his team how to do it. But, by that time Sachin had made 85 and, in hindsight, the difference as well. Apart from the fielders, Sachin also had the UDRS come to his rescue for a change. It is no secret that the Indians aren’t great fans of the system, but on a manic Wednesday, it was on India’s side as it overturned an lbw decision at a time when Sachin was only just beginning to settle in. Well, the reprieve did not last long as the very next ball, he was nearly stumped off Saeed Ajmal, who eventually got his scalp. Post those anxious moments, Sachin never looked comfortable, but for some inexplicable reason, the Pakistanis did not want to see the back of him, until they finally ran out of luck!

Raina’s crucial cameo

Two games and two valuable 30plus undefeated scores, both resulting in the team’s victory. M S Dhoni’s purpose of getting Suresh Raina in for Yusuf Pathan has worked wonders. On Wednesday, as the Indian lower order once again crumbled, this time to Riaz’s swinging deliveries, Raina was a picture of calm. A couple of boundaries were all he managed, but importantly ensured that India batted out 50 overs. And, how crucial that turned out to be…

Hafeez’s paddling blunder

Chasing 261, Pakistan got off to an impressive start with both Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal finding the boundaries at ease. And then Kamran fell, trying to go for his favourite cut shot that had got him his runs. But, Pakistan were still in command as they were off to a flyer. And then came the shocker. Hafeez, who had the Indian bowling at his mercy, got arrogant ala Aamir Sohail 1996 and trying to play a cheeky paddle sweep off Munaf Patel to give a simple caught behind chance to a relieved Dhoni. There was no pressure on Pakistan until that moment. But, Hafeez brought it upon them and the Indians ensured they stayed down their throat from that point onwards.

Harbhajan seals it

Post Hafeez’s exit, India were on top with wickets tumbling and Yuvraj getting into the act once again, scalping two big guns in Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq. However, the talented Umar Akmal counter-attacked ferociously and hit Yuvraj for a couple of magnificent sixes and some boundaries. For a brief while, Pakistan’s hopes were raised. After all this was an Indo-Pak game and the arch rivals weren’t going to give up easily. For India though, Harbhajan rose to the challenge and deliveries a fasting delivery from around the wicket that stayed a trifle low and beat Umar for pace. Perceptibly, it was the last nail in the coffin and when Misbah-ul-Haq tried to make amends for his slow scoring in the final overs, the horse had already bolted by then.

Dhoni and Afridi

It was supposed to happen in 2007 in the West Indies, or we all thought so. After all, who would have given Bangladesh and Ireland a chance against India and Pakistan respectively? But, everyone now knows what transpired and how the much-anticipated Indo-Pak clash was replaced by the one between Bangladesh and Ireland. The shocking exits of India and Pakistan had such far-ranging repercussions that fours year later, the World Cup format had to be tweaked to ensure the two Asian giants progressed safely into the second round. Pity that the tournament had to be ‘fixed’ in such a manner. Yet, nothing can take away the excitement of an Indo-Pak encounter. After all they are meeting for the first time in seven years in the game’s premier tournament.

On paper, India have an incredible record, having beaten their arch rivals in all four battles between the two sides thus far – 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003. However, that will count for nothing when the teams meet one more time. And a stakes are at an all-time high too, which means the pressure will be that much more intense. This will be the first time the teams are meeting in a semi final scenario, and the winner of this mouth watering clash will only be one step away from glory.

Key clashes

Sachin Tendulkar vs. Umar Gul

Back in 2003, Shoaib Akhtar had (infamously) commented on the eve of the match that he had developed a special delivery to get rid of Tendulkar. Well, whatever he had developed did not work as the Mumbai maestro blasted him as well as Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to every part of Supersport Park, Centurion. This time round, Umar Gul has said that he would be targeting Tendulkar among others. The good thing from Pakistan’s point of view is that, unlike Akhtar, Gul is a far more settled bowler and is in the best form of his life. Even so it is not the best ploy to speak out about your opponents on the eve of the match, as it is only likely to inspire greats to better things. Tendulkar’s knock in 2003 is the best example. There has been evidence of the same even in this World Cup. Yuvraj Singh had pointed out prior to the game against the Aussies that Ricky Ponting wasn’t in the best of form and, although in a losing cause, the outgoing Australian skipper came up with a respectful ton that reinstated his stature as one of the modern greats. It, thus, would be intriguing to see how the battle between Tendulkar and Gul pans out. Whoever outperforms the other will ‘open’ up the door for their side’s victory.

Virender Sehwag vs. Wahab Riaz/ Shoaib Akhtar

There is still a lot of uncertainty over who would partner Gul in the mother of all battles at Mohali. Although most indications point to the fact that Akhtar remains out of favour with the Pakistan team management, with them you just cannot predict. Even at the last moment, Pakistan could change their minds and bring in Akhtar. And so, India should be prepared for any eventuality. In such a scenario, Virender Sehwag is India’s best bet. The swashbuckler does not play the bowler on reputation, but just looks at the delivery and if it is there to be hit, he will give it the full monty. This might work well for India if either Wahab Riaz or Akhtar are chosen. To be fair to the former, he has done better than the speedster Akhtar in the limited opportunities that he has got and is rated very highly as well in the Indian camp. As such, Sehwag shouldn’t take him lightly and get his eye in before making an effort to launch his trademark assault.

Yuvraj Singh vs. Shahid Afridi

Expect this to be the battle of all battles. Yuvraj Singh and Shahid Afridi are two great characters, who are as expressive on the field as much as they are explosive with their respective talents. For a change, Yuvraj’s batting is being pitted against Afridi’s bowling. And why not, after all the latter has been the best and most successful bowler in the tournament so far, which cannot be a fluke. Afridi has been picking up wickets at will in the middle overs, while Yuvraj has been solid for India. The team will look up to him chiefly to keep Afridi at bay during this period. Historically, India haven’t been troubled by spin, but every once in a while comes a spinner who gives India a hard time. For a while, India found even Muralitharan unplayable and then there were times recently when Ajantha Mendis made Indians look like club cricketers. Clearly, the Indian batsmen have seen a lot of Afridi for such an eventuality to occur. But, the fact is that the leggie is now a changed bowler, who is a lot smarter with a number of variations. And thus, Yuvraj’s battle with his assumes greater significance.

Zaheer Khan vs. Pakistan openers

The Indian speedster has been in great form in the tournament. However, most of his wickets have come with the new ball. Against Pakistan, India cannot afford to let the openers get off to a good start. With Munaf Patel not delivering up to expectations, there will be added pressure on Zaheer Khan to strike early. It would be important to do so since both Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez played themselves into form in the quarter finals. It would help if Ravichandran Ashwin delivers the goods from the other end, but like India, Pakistan are also good players of spin and hence it might be a bit too much to except Ashwin to come up with some kind of heroics. Zaheer has been the best bowler in the tournament after Afridi and, being India’s premier bowler as well, the whole country would be looking up to him to deliver the goods.

Harbhajan Singh vs. Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan

It’s about time the turbanator comes to the party. While most of the less fancied spinners have made an impact, Harbhajan has struggled. Thanks to Yuvraj, India haven’t had to suffer much because of Harbhajan’s lack of form. But, against Pakistan it could haunt India if the other Singh doesn’t rise to the occasion. Like Afridi isn’t expected to wreak havoc among the Indian batsmen, the same applies to Yuvraj in spite of their excellent bowling performance in the tournament so far. Harbhajan has to be reminded that he is the main spinner in the team. And while it is good that he has been keeping the runs down, the fact is that he is in the team to take wickets. And as long as he is not doing that, he is not fulfilling his duty at all for the team.