08.31.08
MSD Dethrones Smith
After an impressive series in the emerald isle which helped him get the Man of the Series, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has dethroned South African counterpart Greame Smith to become the numero uno in the recent list of ODI batsmen. With Smith being ruled out of the current series, Dhoni could well extend his lead with few more good shows. Meanwhile, English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has leap-frogged to the top ODI all-rounder after his scintillating show in the Series against South Africa. Kevin Pietersen has also broken into the top 10 and Stuart Broad has raised to his all time best of 4th rank.
08.30.08
Fishing Symonds Sent Home
Andrew Symonds has been sen back home after missing the important team meeting just a day before the first ODI against the touring Bangladesh Team in Darwin. Andrew Symonds decided to go fishing rather than attending the meeting. He has now been given a month’s time to clear all the charges before CA decides whether or not to board him to tour India. Captain Michael Clarke wa confident that Andrew Symonds would ” get his head right ” in time. Symonds also decided before hand that he would not take part in the optional training session. Clearly, Symonds should have acted responsibly in the absense of seniors like Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Matthew Hayden.
Symonds has already been in similar situations in the past when he was not allowed to play the game when he came into the ground under the influence of alcohol at Cardiff against the same opposition and the Australians were beaten in that game. He also missed the team bus in the Carribbean after getting up late. Clearly, he has to put in a lot of thinking.
08.28.08
The Don Liked Gilly’s Ability
Sir Donald Bradman was a special player and the World speaks of him still. Recently his family and CA celebrated his centenary. The Australian players were invited for a lunch. All of them spoke of so many things thats happening in World Cricket. Gilly was asked whether the emergence of T20 would thrash Test cricket and he striaght away said a no.
He said the World had survived the threat of ODI and World Series a few decades ago and hence even this would be overcome even though T20 is booming into a real big one. He is bound to lead the Deccan Chargers next year. He also admitted that he enjoyed playing Cricket in India. He has never met the Don before. John Bradman said,”He thought his ability was absolutely second to none and that his modesty and integrity was of the very highest order.” John Bradman is the Don’s son.
A Cramped New Zealand Tour Before IPL
After a gruelling tour of Pakistan early next year, India will do to New Zealand after six years where they have a tight schedule. India will have to play a T20 tie followed by five ODIs and a three day practise game and two tests. All these happen in a span of 33 days. They also have a short gap between games which would make it all the more tough.
The schedule is so very tight that they have just a days break between the T20 tie and the first ODI as well as the fifth ODI and the practise game. The practise game ends just a couple of days before the start of the first test. Sounds really tiring specially after the series against the Pakistanis. They will have to come back and play for their respective teams for the IPL where their teams would want the best from them. Here’s the schedule for the tour :
08.27.08
Chaminda Vaas Picks Up Number 400
13th over of the game. Chaminda Vaas to Yuvraj Singh. A perfect Vaasy ball. Straight in line with the stumps and the ball stops on the batsman. Yuvarj chips it in the air and he is caught at short mid-wicket. Thats number 400 for Vaas.
What an amazing bowler he has been for Sri Lanka in the past decade or so? He has single handedly won so many matches for the Lankans. His deadly accuracy is on par with that of Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock, the two modern day role models. He must have been a happy man to join the elite league which comprises of Wasim Akram ( 502 Wickets ), Waqar Younis ( 416 Wickets ) and Muttiah Muralidaran ( 479 Wickets ). He deserves every bit of praise he has been receiving on achieving this feat. He looks all set to break the record held by Wasim Akram if he carries on in the same pace and might end up second only to Muttiah Muralidaran. Kudos to him.
