- India vs Pakistan | Oct 23, 2022 | Melbourne
- Super 12s or Super 18s?
- Semifinal-1 | Pakistan vs New Zealand | Nov 9, 2022 | Sydney
- Semifinal-2 | India vs England | Nov 10, 2022 | Adelaide
- A Prelude to the Final | England vs Pakistan
- The Final
India vs Pakistan | Oct 23, 2022 | Melbourne
I always dreamt of holding the bat and winning games for India. That was my inspiration to take up cricket.
Virat Kohli
Mr. Virat Kohli, take a bow. One such dream indeed came true today. By winning the most important game at the world’s biggest stage, you might have cemented a permanent place in the hearts and minds of a billion-plus cricket-loving folks.
The tiffinwala in Mumbai, the paanwaala in Delhi, the rickshawaala in Chennai, the chaiwaala in Bengaluru, the techies, the aspiring kids, the netas, the actors, the desi Mom’s everywhere else that were awake despite whatever time of the day to keep the food supply going for cricket-crazy families, and just everyone else. You have infused nothing but joy in them on the eve of the biggest desi festival. I’m utterly sure, there will be a beeline at barbershop after Diwali – “Bhai, can you trim my Kohli-esque beard?”
Growing up, cricket and the festival of Diwali always had a special connection and significance, I must say. In the 80s it was a Kris Srikanth hammering the clueless Aussies and sending them on a leather ball hunt. What followed in the 90s was the emergence of legendary Sachin Tendulkar and his belligerence of decimating bowlers across the globe. It was delightful to see Sunny Gavaskar and Kris Srikanth in attendance at MCG cheering and celebrating after a victorious Team India. They were the core part of the ’85 team that obliterated Imran Khan’s team Pakistan with a thumping win some thirty-seven years ago. I reckon that win at the World Championship of Cricket thrusted Indian Cricket to the pinnacle of glory at the world’s grand stage of white-ball cricket.
The 2022 edition of the most fiercely contested cricket tournament couldn’t have started any better. A clinical win yesterday by a resurgent New Zealand team over the mighty Aussies, followed by today’s cracker of a match. Perhaps even the Almighty Gods took a seat front and center to watch a cricketing counterpart play a symphony with his willow. Yes, at least ninety-thousand-plus were livewire witnesses at The G.
What a humdinger of a cricket match ending in a pulsating finish! Like almost every other match before between the archrivals, it had adrenaline-rush and edge-of-the-seat thriller written all over it. To the delight of fellow fans, it was heartening to see the predictability curve in hindsight. You don’t want to see such a graph on a pulse reading!
It was a classic example of – a) how one team’s skeptical and weakest unit (Team India bowling) came out with a strong performance; b) how one team’s utmost strength (Team Pakistan bowling) imploded while set on a definitive path to victory; c) how you shouldn’t miscalculate to end-up with your weakest link (bowler Nawaz) as the only option to bowl the last over when arguably one of the strongest batsmen in the world is still at the crease; d) most importantly, how to brilliantly capitalize when Lady Luck is smiling on you. For more on “d”, you would need an appointment with Mr. Kohli. If and when you do get that appointment, please relay a message for the future, that resonates with millions of us – “That iconic Miandad last-ball six of ’86 still hurts. Only an in-kind return would bring a closure.”
This edition of the T20 Cricket World Cup might be a global tournament with specialty written over it. What started as an electrifying philosophical final, is going to culminate in a practical finale several weeks from now. I hope Team India would have two things in their hand: a ticket to the practical one as well, and a hold on the coveted trophy. Until then we’ll wait and watch….
Photo Source: www.cricinfo.com
Super 12s or Super 18s?
No one but the three cricketers have had profound impact on key outcomes in the Super 12s. Sikandar Raza, in Zimbabwean colors put a splendid once-in-lifetime performance to out-maneuver eleven from the team of his birth-country. At the end that match, the writing was virtually on the wall for the mercurial Pakistan side. They were staring, yet again, at favors outside the realms of on-field cricketing powers. Favors spun by luck, statistics, planetary motion and more importantly hand of God.
Rashid Khan, the poster boy of Afghan cricket, had almost morphed into God wielding the willow. He just needed a bit of Kohli-esque lady luck to smile on him in order to thrust his team to a historical win. Such was his onslaught that it left a gaping hole in the Aussie psyche. Who might have thought that the defending champions and gladiatorial Aussies would be shown the exit door so soon. Afghanis went home. So did the Aussies. Delighted were the former and dispirited were the latter.
The fiercest of all in today’s T20 format – SKY a.k.a Surya Kumar Yadav is a revelation. Even sky isn’t a limit to this SKY in current shape and form. Match after match, he been raising the bar and bettering himself. Surya has molded a cricketing shell that is very hard to consistently emulate even for the highly talented contemporaries. Ice-cool mind, unleashing supreme skill under pressure, always improvising, piercing wafer-thin field gaps, out-thinking the bowler, seeing the cricket ball in the size of a soccer ball. “I think of two, three shots before the ball is delivered.” – to quote his own words. Potentially two more matches to go for team India and I bet SKY is ready to roar and reverberate.
Controversies are natural in the modern sports era with technology at disposal and a constantly scrutinizing social media. Historically, controversies have always been a part and parcel of the sport itself. This edition of the tournament has had its share as well in abundance. However, what unfolded in the match between South Africa and Netherlands, in the form of the outcome, may put to shame all other preceding controversies. It was the very context under which the outcome came about, that could make it controversial. If it had happened any other time, it might have been deemed an upset win. Having said that, full credit to Netherlands cricket team for pulling an unimaginable win. No doubt whatsoever.
Let’s delve into the context, it came under, for just a bit. When Temba Bavuma went for the toss with Scott Edwards, there was a very complex scenario looming. For a commercially attractive and much desired mix to form in the playoffs, a blend of several factors had to converge. All those factors were probably outside the natural realms of the spirit of the sport. And at the same time there was one sure-shot outcome that would put to rest the need for all those other factors. In the end, that singular outcome is what ensued. I’m hoping that the outcome was not orchestrated in a macro and grand scheme of things.
Upon digging deeper and further autopsy of the SA-Netherlands match itself, few of the key proceedings as they unfolded seemed to fall into a questionable grey area.
- First and foremost, let’s go back one match further, South Africa versus Pakistan. Perhaps some seeds were sown there? South Africa was coming off a thumping win against India. So clinical that triumph was, it shook the foundations of India’s further prospects. Who was the chief architect of that win for South Africa? David Miller. Yet, why did David Miller sit out the Pakistan match? Rilee Rossouw, South Africa’s top batsman, in blazing hot form, walked in to consolidate when Quinton de Kock had fallen for a duck. Yet why did he fall to a rash shot to a set field? With David Miller not in the playing eleven, rest of the line-up folded like a pack of cards
- Now coming to the Netherlands match itself. Just like catches, even toss can win match too. A cracker of a pitch; batting caliber of a de Kock, Rossouw, and Miller in your side; short square boundaries at the Adelaide Oval; evident that Net Run Rate might come into play to determine semi-final lineup; you win the toss. It’s a no brainer even for a high school cricket captain. You bat first, taking into full confidence of your batting potential and try to set a massive score! What did Temba Bavuma opt instead? Have Netherlands bat first. That was a shocker of a decision. Was it utter disdain of SA’s batting proficiency or was it blind confidence in chasing down anything in handful of overs?
- No doubt that Netherlands is a talented side and their batsman have displayed fantastic technical skills. Batsmen with sound technical skills, send the leather ball scurrying when the line and length aren’t probing. Rabada and Ngidi are South Africa’s frontline strike bowlers, yet why did they bowl only six overs between them? Between them they generously gifted a whopping 72 runs with absolutely no room for bowling error. Which means, they bowled a sum total of ZERO no-balls and wides. No extras shows they may not have tried to experiment with line and length. Which translates to no quest for probing length and line. Which further translates to more often good length balls or balls with merit-to-clobber written all over them. The Dutch batsman did rest of the honors at will.
- South Africa at 39/1 in about 5 over with Temba Bavuma finally found his touch. Van Meekeren was consistently bowling the off-stump or outside-off-stump line. Why did Bavuma have to go that much across the off-stump to try and flick? In doing so, he had exposed not only the three real stumps, but also the imaginary fourth and fifth stumps. The result was a shattered set of stumps, and South Africa reeling at 39/2.
- Rossouw and Markram were treading along well with SA at 64/2 in 9 overs. Rossouw’s redundant wallop of that outside off-stump line angling in went straight down the throat of O’ Dowd. He didn’t’ have to move an inch. Either Rossouw didn’t register the field setting or he was ambitious with the swing? Either ways, it was absolutely unnecessary given his form and their pursuit to win.
- David Miller. Oh David Miller. The biggest wicket of all. At 112/4 in 15 overs, asking rate wasn’t the issue, current rate wasn’t either and neither was the wickets. When David Miller is at the crease, none of it matters. That swivel pull was absolutely not necessary given the context. What a spectacular catch van der Merwe, take a bow! Miller time ended, and he gifted his prized wicket away. The clinical precision with which Miller had rallied and orchestrated the win against India, was squarely missing here.
- The rest is now a marked cricket history. Klaasen and tailenders rushed through as if they were in hurry to catch a plane, literally.
History repeats, and it seems to have done so after thirty years. In 1992 it was an awe-inspiring South African side that painfully lost to two opponents in the same match at the cricket world cup. A pedestrian England and a powerful DLS system.
Fast forward to 2022. South Africa eliminated, yet again. This time again, perhaps the loss was to two opponents in the same match. A minnow qualifier and another powerful modern-day system?
South Africa bundled out and complex scenarios ruled out. It was now time for simple and plain cricket to reign in. Pakistan needed a tunnel vision of having to only beat Bangladesh with no other statistical and godly moves required. India versus Zimbabwe outcome was only of statistical significance. More importantly, India didn’t have to carry the monkey-on-the-shoulder of getting a shocking surprise from Zimbabwe. Two billion happy fans and cash registers ringing.
Was it really super 12s? In hindsight, it looked more so like super 18s (below), with the ones italicized continuing further.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group of Power |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | India | Weather |
| England | Pakistan | Toss |
| Australia | South Africa | Lady Luck |
| Sri Lanka | Netherlands | Twitterati |
| Ireland | Bangladesh | Officiating |
| Afghanistan | Zimbabwe | Gerrymandering |
My alter ego – one that is an ardent fan of the sport itself in true spirit – is completely dismissive of all opinions above and concludes that I’m blatantly wrong. Although we may never come to know, I really hope that is indeed true.
Photo Source: www.cricinfo.com
Pakistan vs New Zealand | Nov 9, 2022 | Sydney
Pakistani juggernaut roars, rallies and rolls
Let bygones be bygones. In the modern digital-hogging world, memory is short and connected emotions are shorter. Aussies are chilling with their favorite lager, Springboks touched down in Joburg, and the Dutch might have received a celebratory welcome in Amsterdam. Cricket moves on, and so does life and us. With two high-octane semifinals on the cards involving cricket’s favorite and familiar Asian foes on each side of the spectrum, it was countdown to play.
History repeats, yet again with conviction. In 1992, at Eden Park Auckland, a decorated Pakistani outfit clashed with a belligerent Kiwi side. A belter of a pitch yielded a run fest on par with then cricketing norms. Led by their skipper, a swashbuckling Late Martin Crowe, New Zealand set up a formidable total that was eventually surpassed by Pakistan. Thanks to the iconic knock by the messiah from Multan – Inzamam ul Haq. Rest we know what ended up in the history books.
Many of the players from today’s clash between the same teams may not have been born in ’92. Yet the aura and emotions of defeat for one, and victory for the other was passed down through generations of cricket lovers. Across the Tasman Sea, Sydney is a familiar ground for Kiwis. A juicy pitch that is as batsman friendly as it is spinner friendly. When Kane Williamson called the toss right, it was obvious speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi is going to charge down the first over with full venom. Except for the fact that, on other side would be Finn Allen who single handedly decimated the mighty Aussie attached couple weeks ago. It was match time and we had a cracker of a contest at hand.
The stroke of luck and the corresponding outcome in the first over of either side of the innings set the tone for the match. Finn Allen’s loss in the first over was colossal and New Zealand never recovered from there on. They sorely missed the caliber of a genius Martin Crowe. What New Zealand set was modest yet not enough to test the current Pakistani batting prowess. Babar Azam’s reprieve in their first over was just what was needed for him to emerge stronger and regain form. Now that may be a dangerous proposition for the side that is going to bowl at him in the final.
Historically Pakistan has the track record for pulling clinical performances when the writing is on the wall. The sound of the ball coming off Babar and Rizwan’s willows was sheer evidence of what they would unleash. It’s a different story that the New Zealand bowling attack lacked the spine and variety needed to unsettle and uproot the confidence of Pakistan’s distinguished opening pair. It was a matter of time before they make mockery of the bowling and run away with a smashing win. There was the new rediscovered Pakistan side with regained form in batting, bowling and more importantly fielding. Be it England or India, you got to be way of Pakistan in the final.
Coincidentally, what’s the stake tomorrow at the Adelaide Oval has yet another touchpoint with history. Do you recall 1987 Reliance World Cup semifinal in Bombay? Yes, those days of glorious white clothes and red leather ball one-day cricket. The days of no hawk eye, no ultra-edge, no ball tracking, no third umpire, and no Spidercams zig-zagging the field. Just only the Dickie Birds and David Shepherds refereeing with full on confidence and conviction. Graham Gooch had swept India, literally, from the Wankhede into the Arabian Sea.
We’ll have to wait and see how tomorrow’s edition pans out. It’s now a different era and contrasting style of cricket, yet the passion, sentiment and adrenaline is identical. I bet the Kapil Dev’s, Gavaskar’s and Srikanth’s are glued hoping for a revenge and closure.
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India vs England | Nov 10, 2022 | Adelaide
Buttler & Hales rained thunder and hail
Adelaide bore witness to a yin and yang sort of day at cricket’s biggest stage at the T20 World Cup. A resurgent and clinical England completely obliterated a dispirited and lackluster India. So intense was the drubbing that halfway through England’s innings, there was a deafening silence at Adelaide Oval. And the sound of the ball coming off Hales’ willow could have easily caused ripples in River Torrens.
Buttler and Hales dispatched the ball to all corners of the oval park almost at will. Sprinting to a win with 170 for no loss in 16 overs, in hindsight, it seemed India was easily short by at least 75 runs. More importantly, they came shorter on spine and strategy to be on the offensive to defend the set score.
History juggernaut is absolutely on the roll. If it was Graham Gooch that swept, swept and swept India away thirty-five years ago, it was now Buttler and Hales’s onslaught that made mockery of a pedestrian Indian bowling attack. The only shining ray of light in India’s performance was Hardik Pandya. But for the isolated flash of brilliance from Pandya, this drubbing might have been the worst ever. Effective execution of tag-team fielding is an art and a skill as well. It was baffling when Rohit and Shami tried to sloppily engage in one and leaked four valuable runs. What hurt the Indian fan more was the fact that all four runs were run by the batsman! Such an error may be pardonable at the vastness of MCG but certainly not at Adelaide Oval.
In the backdrop of India’s outcomes in the Super 12s stage, I reckon the bedrock of Team India’s fundamental issues was completely overlooked. We ought to look at the path to semifinal and there lies a few gaping holes. It was never the question of talent, potential, and star power. All of that was and is always a A+ just on paper. A subtle handholding by lady luck in the opener against Pakistan, a close shave against Bangladesh, a total decimation in the hands of a belligerent South Africa. Besides the only comfortable wins were registered against Netherlands and Zimbabwe. And both were matches with no context, no significance, and had no pressure factor. Thus, India arrived grandly at the semifinal holding heads high but with crumbling skeletons in the closet. While the former was perceived, the latter was blatantly ignored.
On the contrary, Pakistan and England had their share of woes in Super 12s. Pakistan snared by a shocking defeat against a spirited Zimbabwe, and England falling to familiar foes across the Irish Sea. However, what is the only differentiator that sets them and India apart? Both Pakistan and England exhibited supreme character and delivered a convincing performance, when it mattered the most, in beating New Zealand and India respectively.
With men in blue packing to fly home, and the Kiwis ferrying across the Tasman Sea, we move to Melbourne for the final showdown. Yes, one more time it is going to be a repeat of the historical clash of 1992 World Cup final. Will Shaheen Afridi emulate the legendary Wasim Akram of ’92? Let’s wait and see. While Babar and Buttler lock horns on the field, a sea of green and the Barmy Army will do so on the other side of the fence. Move over Kapil’s and Gavaskar’s, it is now going to be Gooch’s and Botham’s that will be on the edge of their seats hoping to see a revenge drama unfold.
PS: Note to Team India think-tank – India’s unceremonious defeat at the hands of Bangladesh and subsequent premature exit from 2007 World Cup heralded the advent of IPL. Over the last fifteen years, the evolution and unparalleled economics of the globally popular league had a profound impact on Indian cricket. That very impact could likely be the cause for Team India’s woes of today. To conclude, heads might roll, retirements may be announced, yet a sound multi-year strategy and groundbreaking changes are required. Until then it will be status quo and next IPL, rinse and repeat.
Photo Source: www.cricinfo.com
A Prelude to the Final | England vs Pakistan
England and Pakistan clashing at the world cup final in Melbourne, Australia. Isn’t that familiar? Same cricket teams, same venue, same platform at the world’s biggest cricket stage; yet a full thirty years later. I reckon a few nostalgic nuances from history would lend weight to the context.
March 25 (1992) is vividly etched in my memory. Being a day-night ODI world cup final in Melbourne meant that I was, being in India then, going to be hooked to the Television whole daytime. I was in second year of engineering undergrad program, and several of us had the audacity to bunk classes for a cricket match that didn’t’ figure India. The physics around seam, swing, and willow-thumping-the-kookaburra-ball was far more interesting and higher in priority than Hydraulics theory and Electronics Communications laboratory.
Flashy colored clothes, white ball, beaming lights, MCG on-field squares in contrasting greens, stump vision and acoustics, and classic vintage commentary of the Benaud’s, Greig’s and Lawry’s. The coverage was as fine as the cricket. Even on 21″ tube TV, it would ooze oomph and the gratification was second to none.
I ought to share another piece of nostalgia. Internet aka World Wide Web was publicly launched in Aug 1991. Cricinfo of then, in its infancy, brought live text commentary of the match over the internet for the first time ever,
“This is Sidharth Monga, and along with Andrew Miller, we will use the latest revolutionary technology of worldwide web to bring you live text commentary of this match. The worldwide web opened to public only last August, but in a little over six months, it has over a million users across the world. It will allow us to relay our commentary to you live time and will allow you to send us your thoughts and feedback immediately through the form on the scorecard page. This interaction promises to be the biggest revolution in sport commentary: TV commentators hardly get to hear from you whereas the ones on radio have too much going on to hear from you directly. Also, this can revolutionize the way you watch the game: you won’t need to carry scorebooks to a game; just spend all your energies enjoying the game, and come back home to turn on your personal computers and find our scorecards and details for every ball there”
Just look at the tone and words. Archaic? Absolutely no. It’s only utterly endearing and nostalgic.
Imran Khan showed up for toss, breaking a norm, clad in a white t-shirt with a tiger logo. “Cornered Tiger” was the apparent significance. It was game-on from then and the message was loud and clear. In doing so, Imran was trying to project the team’s steely resolve. It was a clear pursuit to get into the minds and under the skin of Gooch’s boys. A subtle psychological victory going in, to bat first.
The gentle medium pace of Botham, Pringle, Lewis and Defreitas only tested and probed the celebrated Pakistani batting line-up. Nothing more nothing less. A score of 249/6 was more than adequate to defend given the bowling ammunition that Imran Khan had in the team and English batting’s skepticism with swing and spin alike. Akram’s three unplayable deliveries were enough to send back Botham, Lamb and Lewis. The rest of the batsman just didn’t have the technique and temperament to negotiate the mix of spin and swing. The rest is thirty-year-old history.
Fast forward to tomorrow’s epic clash. The on-paper and form equation seems reversed thirty years later. If it was Pakistan that looked stronger in ’92, today it seems England’s very own Buttler and his boys look menacing. One key factor that might come into play – Matthew Hayden being Team Pakistan’s coach. Hayden, an Aussie and distinguished member of Ponting’s dream team has spent years tormenting the English bowlers and their psyche. How would that vastness of experience translate into on-field execution tomorrow? Let’s wait and watch. With the blessing of weather and rain Gods, this marquee final could very well be a cracker of a cricket match.
What might be the prescription for clinching a win and the coveted trophy?
| England | Pakistan |
|---|---|
| *** Whether batting first or chasing, try to unsettle Shaheen Afridi and Naseem from the get-go. A 65-75 for no loss at end of powerplay could translate to a 200-plus final score. *** Jos Buttler and Alex Hales tag team adaptively. One goes after the Paki duo of bowlers and the other drops anchor to rotate strike. *** Frontline strike bowlers not to error in line and length. In powerplay, just stick to good length and/or a tad bit back of good length and lure Rizwan and Babar to play across the line. Both are vulnerable to potential LBW or scoop a simple catch. *** Operate Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali in tandem. *** Zero room for error in fielding and yielding extras. | *** Surprise Hales and Buttler with yorker length in the first and second overs. Hales’ natural stance and affinity for early slogs can put him in a vulnerable position for LBW or even clean bowled. *** If gates to English middle order open up in the powerplay, the game is virtually sealed for Pakistan. *** Babar should drop down to #3 (see third bullet under England). *** Have Shan Masood open with Rizwan. Left-hand and Right-hand combination can and will unsettle English bowlers and have them err in line and length. *** No room for fielding lapses and minimize extras. |
Photo Source: www.cricinfo.com
The Final | Nov 13, 2022 | Melbourne
This final ended up as a revenge script for England and Ben Stokes. In the end England did everything that Pakistan was expected to do, and Pakistan did everything that England was likely to have done. That’s the kind of irony in sports and especially in cricket.
When Buttler won the coin toss and chose to field first, it was along the expected lines. Overcast skies, green top wicket, and lush outfield. I can only imagine what might have been the script had Shaheen Afridi, Harris Rauf et al had bowled first. That’s for speculative minds to ponder.
Yes, the ball was swinging and moving, however we may have assumed that the English bowling attack lacked the firepower to cause destruction. That assumption held validity only until a mercurial Pakistan batting line-up started imploding. When Rizwan dragged on a fullish ball from Curran, it was game on. If the choice and strategy to have Mohammad Harris come-in at number 3 was debatable, his persistent shot selection was appalling. I bet the ardent Pakistan fan was imagining how they wished it was Imran Khan or Javed Miandad at the other end to instill some sound advice. Alas, Babar Azam didn’t follow suit and Mohammad Harris was sent home packing. Kudos to Buttler for setting up that dismissal – Harris swinging and swaying with gay abandon, it was about time to bring Adil Rashid. With mile-long boundaries in the V at MCG, you wouldn’t want to take a chance hitting against the line of a wrist spinner. Rest of Pakistan batting collapsed along expected lines. Staring at scoreboard to To defend a paltry 137, the onus was on Pakistan’s hostile bowling attack. They had the potential but can they do it was the question on millions of minds at innings break.
Catches win matches might be a popular saying in the cricketing world. However, this final showed us that a catch can even lose a match. Alex Hales castled by a peach of a delivery by Shaheen Afridi in the very first over, and England was stuttering to chase down the small total. After Afridi took a regulation catch to dismiss Harry Brook, it was 84/4 in 13 overs. 54 runs required in 7 overs would have been a monumental task for lower middle order with Afridi alone having two more overs to go. It couldn’t have been a better and more apt scenario for Afridi to come back and hurl those menacing two overs at English lower middle order and tailenders. Instead, what we saw was Afridi limping back into the dug-out and the match was virtually over.
What a brilliant cameo by Ben Stokes with the stakes at hand. He hung in, scurried ones and twos, thumped the loose balls and took a firm control. Without Afridi and a potential breakthrough, Naseem and Harris Rauf were dispatched to the cleaners. England won. History was re-written. While the barmy army went ballistic in the stands, the sea of green was pristinely quiet trying to absorb a colossal loss.
Another decorative trophy exchanged hands. Teams retreated to their abodes. So did the millions of fans. The trophy may not have even made it to the shelf at England Cricket, that the English had a face-off with the Aussies at Adelaide in a bilateral, and Ashes to follow suit. The modern-day global cricket is so densely packed that the teams and fans alike are scrambling in a vacuum. The whip of fresh air to celebrate and cherish victories, or rue and reflect on losses is alarmingly sucked out. Perhaps over time, the commercial prospects in the sport has propelled to the forefront of cricket interests.
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