Friday, November 23, 2007

What Have the Commentators been Smoking? - Day 2 at the Kotla

Friday is a day off in the Middle East so I woke up early in the morning to catch the LIVE action, hoping for a Misbah 100. That was not to happen, but I sure did enjoy the cricket throughout the day. I think India is slightly ahead at the end of day 2 but only slightly.

Here are some of the key things that I noticed during the day:
  1. Ul Haqs playing for Pakistan will always manage to find the strangest ways of getting out.
  2. Dravid wants his ODI spot back.
  3. Best way to Ganguly out: Bowl a wide one and let him smash it for 4 and then bowl one coming into him - he would either play it on to the stumps or to the slips.
  4. Mohd. Yousuf is a better fielder in test cricket than ODIs.
  5. No one has been out caught in the slips in 2 days of cricket.
  6. 20-20 cricket can be the stepping stone for new test players - examples: Misbah and Sohail Tanvir.
  7. Geoff Lawson has his heart with Pakistan.
  8. I still don't know what the commentators are smoking. Pakistan lost 5 wickets between lunch and tea yesterday, India lost 4 today and yet Rameez, Arun Lal, Bishop, Yardley & Co. keep saying that the 2nd session is the best time to bat.
  9. The post tea session is the best time for batting. Pakistan lost no wickets yesterday and India lost only 1 today.
  10. Malik has used Kaneria better than all other former captains he's bowled under.
  11. Yuvraj Singh will have to continue bringing the drinks during test matches. Laxman's career is far from over and Ganguly is India's 3rd pacer.
  12. Not only do umpires help Kumble get wickets at the Kotla (1999), they also help him stay at the crease (2007).

Make your pitch on this post...



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4 Pitched:

  1. NAzhar said...
     

    great observations Q...i loved Lawson's reaction when Tanvir dismissed Dravid.

    also agree about Malik using Kaneria well...perhaps because he is a spinner himself.

    Kumble is extremely lucky to still be there!

    Laxman is a very good batsman...Yuvraj should be playing instead of Karthik and let Ganguly open.

  2. Q said...
     

    Nazhar - Karthik is India's leading run scorer for 2007. I'll give a link for the stats later but they were showing the list during the game today. So I don't see him being dropped, not do I see Ganguly opening - his career will be over if he does that in tests ;-)

    I forgot one observation - Shoaib Akhtar! Actually u pointed it out Nazhar - the man cant bowl more than 3 overs in a spell! He bowled well I thought but he definitely needs to be fitter and bowl longer spells.

    Yep maybe Kaneria was used that way cos Malik is a spinner himself, or maybe it Kaneria himself doing the thinking - he's shortened his run up, bowled the google much less than he usually does, and didnt give away too many runs. Or is Lawson behind this?

    I loved Lawson's reaction too.

  3. Anonymous said...
     

    Q/N,

    That delivery evoked almost the same reaction from me, albeit more in pain.

    However what a beut!

    BTW, None of the batsmen want to open and surely none would like to head to Australia as the designated opener.

    Karthik/Jaffer will stay.

  4. Q said...
     

    I like Karthik. From what I saw of him in England, he's a very good bat.

    Ottayan - a lot of us thought that Tanvir is not a test bowler but after today most of us are thinking otherwise.

    I think Lawson was as surprised as he was happy seeing Tanvir bowl that beauty. I had a similar reaction - I was ecstatic, but also surprised that it was Tanvir who had gotten DRAVID!

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