Mohali.
3 November 1996.
If the earlier game was a low scoring affair, the scores in this match were some robust figures. Both teams were relatively fearless since they did not have to face rampaging South Africans. For an Indian fan, both the results were delightful. For a neutral cricket fan too, both the results were fulfilling.
For the wicket which turned out to be the best batting wicket in the tournament, Australia chose to field first. This was perhaps due to the dew factor or the demons of the earlier game. Tendulkar started his routine (i.e. flogging the Australian bowlers), but Siddhu (11 off 25) and the promoted Srinath (3 off 8) couldn't hold their end. Tendulkar and Azharuddin started positively but Tendulkar took an ambitious risk off Mark Waugh to get caught in the deep mid wicket on 62 off 60. The score was 95-3. Dravid joined Azharuddin and the duo kept their head. The conditions allowed collecting runs without taking any risks and the pair made merry of it.
Dravid (56 off 67) then fell with the score 205-4. The newly selected all rounder Robin Singh couldn't make a good score and fell for 6. Azharuddin fell short of a century with 94 off 104 balls. The score was 253-6, but Jadeja (25 off 18) and Nayan Mongia (19 off 15) did some hitting and the score at the end was 289-6.
As expected, the Aussies started off well. Things were ominous for India at 84-0 but Robin Singh struck off consecutive deliveries to get rid of Mark Waugh (37) and Stuart Law (0). Steve Waugh (33) took the score to 151 with Taylor when Sunil Joshi struck. Taylor looked set for another hundred but he too, was quickly removed by Kumble on 78. 155-4. Game on now. But Bevan and Slater put up a fierce partnership of 86 in a quick time. Prasad broke the thread to remove Bevan (40 off 43) and Ian Healy was run out on 2. 248-6. Aussies were loosing wickets in pairs. Srinath scalped the threatening Slater (52 off 38) to a slightly dodgy lbw decision. Now the game was in India command. Kumble ran through another pair of wickets by cleaning Reiffel up, but they somehow had taken the score to 273-9. One would hope to remove McGrath easily but he scored an important boundary with Hogg at the other end looking determined.
It was the last over. 6 runs were needed. After a long conference the captain Tendulkar chose to bowl the last over. It was a gamble but the key bowlers had finished their overs. The crowd, the t.v. viewers were now totally into it.
The noise from the crowd grew louder and louder as Tendulkar took each step of his run up and then it nosedived into a silence as he released the ball. It struck Hogg on his pads. Loud appeal. Both the batsmen scampered through. Wicketkeeper Mongia got the ball and hurled at the strikers end. He missed it. But the ball trotted off and found the bowlers end stumps. Hogg... was short of his ground. India had got better of the Aussies by 5 runs.
Amidst the cheers, Taylor looking like a child who was denied a toy, came to the middle, accepting the inevitable. Hogg was looking skyward, but his eyes were closed. India were through.
Scorecard.
I Remember: The game reminds you of a similar encounter. Both games were a semi final for the two teams. Sachin scored a crucial half century but Azharuddin played a larger hand. And though Azharuddin was the man of the match, Sachin bowled the last over to stifle the opponent and to take India through to the finals. It was Hero Cup 1992, India vs South Africa.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Best Of: Sukhvinder Singh
('Best Of' is another series which will list out performances of an artist/author/player, which I am extremely fond of. Needless to say, additions are always welcome!)
- Chaiyya Chaiyya, Thaiyya thaiyya (What a way to announce oneself!)
- Dil Haara (My personal Sukhvinder favourite)
- Beedi (Check out the way he laughs at the beginning) and Omkara (A voice reaches to the scale of dizzy heights)
- Haule haule se hava lagti hain (See how delicately he pronounces 'sharmo sharmeele')
- Chak De India (One of the best patriotic songs ever. Again, see how powerfully he sings 'Tas hain na mas hai ji' and 'khul ke aaj bikhare)
- Raat ki daldal. (A chillingly dark song. Fitting to the situation, song starts like a train leaving a junction and ends like a train arriving a junction.)
- Ramta Jogi (Often, a drunkard is either ugly or amusing. But this time he is melodious.)
- Titlee daboch lee maine (Another Rehman- Sukhwinder special.)
- Aayo re sakhi from Water (Who says he can't be tender?)
- O saaki saaki (Makes Sanjay Dutt's swagger more prominent.)
(Almost there: Dhan te dan and Fatak, Jai Ho, Woh Kisna hai, Rut aa gayee re, Un ke nashe mein, lagan lagan from Tere Naam, Fashion ka hai yeh jalwa)
- Chaiyya Chaiyya, Thaiyya thaiyya (What a way to announce oneself!)
- Dil Haara (My personal Sukhvinder favourite)
- Beedi (Check out the way he laughs at the beginning) and Omkara (A voice reaches to the scale of dizzy heights)
- Haule haule se hava lagti hain (See how delicately he pronounces 'sharmo sharmeele')
- Chak De India (One of the best patriotic songs ever. Again, see how powerfully he sings 'Tas hain na mas hai ji' and 'khul ke aaj bikhare)
- Raat ki daldal. (A chillingly dark song. Fitting to the situation, song starts like a train leaving a junction and ends like a train arriving a junction.)
- Ramta Jogi (Often, a drunkard is either ugly or amusing. But this time he is melodious.)
- Titlee daboch lee maine (Another Rehman- Sukhwinder special.)
- Aayo re sakhi from Water (Who says he can't be tender?)
- O saaki saaki (Makes Sanjay Dutt's swagger more prominent.)
(Almost there: Dhan te dan and Fatak, Jai Ho, Woh Kisna hai, Rut aa gayee re, Un ke nashe mein, lagan lagan from Tere Naam, Fashion ka hai yeh jalwa)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Nail Biters 2: Ind vs Aus, Titan cup '96.
Bangalore.
21 October 1996.
Titan Cup was brutally dominated by South Africa, leaving India and Australia to fight for the other berth in the final. Both of their encounters were terrific.
Winning the toss didn't prove to be too fruitful for Australia when V Prasad got Mark Waugh & Slater early. But Steve Waugh (41 off 61) joined the captain Mark Taylor and they took the score to 115 with a 92 run partnership. Then it was Bevan (36 off 49) to accompany Taylor. Signs were good for Australia when Taylor got to his 1st one day hundred, but Tendulkar struck and removed Taylor on 105 off 144. That triggered a collapse and Aussies finished on a weak 215/8 which was 197/4. Tendulkar's evening had just begun.
Tendulkar had to watch his partners leaving one by one on the other end; when Sujit Somsundar (7, 30-1), Dravid (6, 41-2), Azharuddin (1, 42-3) Ganguly (4, 47-4), all perished. (Azharuddin walked away furiously which made the crowd think that he was unhappy with the umpire. The notorious Banglore crowd disrupted the match for 20 minutes, which was eventually pacified by Azharuddin with a 'pacifying lap')
Jadeja showed some common sense (27 off 62), giving Tendulkar the most of the strike. But he was caught up in the unfortunate run out by colliding with a fielder. 127/5. Tendulkar kept scoring heavily, but Mongia (14, 157/6), Sunil Joshi (1, 164/7) left quickly. Worse for India, Tendulkar was out next over on 88 (111) and the score was 164/8. Usually, the Indian team collapsed when Tendulkar was out. But this time they had managed to collapse even without him getting out. So the game appeared hopelessly over, but what followed was a stunner.
After getting some runs, the Karnataka mates Kumble (16 off 19) and Srinath (30 off 23) unleashed. The moment of the match came when Srinath hoisted a six over the bowler's head. India was back in the game, but only just. But the duo kept stealing the runs, and the crowd went into frenzy. Both the ecstatic mothers were seen when their sons had took the score to 210/8 and one could believe that India cannot lose from here. Srinath then scored a knock out boundary followed by the winning two runs. The scenes were jubilant and Kumble-Srinath were the heroes of the hour.
Tendulkar got the man of the match award but it was that rare occasion when one could think that someone deserved an award more than Tendulkar.
Scorecard.
I Remember: We were going to move in to a new home that day, built in place of the terrace of the earlier home. It was Paadwa, but this win was what had made my day more auspicious.
21 October 1996.
Titan Cup was brutally dominated by South Africa, leaving India and Australia to fight for the other berth in the final. Both of their encounters were terrific.
Winning the toss didn't prove to be too fruitful for Australia when V Prasad got Mark Waugh & Slater early. But Steve Waugh (41 off 61) joined the captain Mark Taylor and they took the score to 115 with a 92 run partnership. Then it was Bevan (36 off 49) to accompany Taylor. Signs were good for Australia when Taylor got to his 1st one day hundred, but Tendulkar struck and removed Taylor on 105 off 144. That triggered a collapse and Aussies finished on a weak 215/8 which was 197/4. Tendulkar's evening had just begun.
Tendulkar had to watch his partners leaving one by one on the other end; when Sujit Somsundar (7, 30-1), Dravid (6, 41-2), Azharuddin (1, 42-3) Ganguly (4, 47-4), all perished. (Azharuddin walked away furiously which made the crowd think that he was unhappy with the umpire. The notorious Banglore crowd disrupted the match for 20 minutes, which was eventually pacified by Azharuddin with a 'pacifying lap')
Jadeja showed some common sense (27 off 62), giving Tendulkar the most of the strike. But he was caught up in the unfortunate run out by colliding with a fielder. 127/5. Tendulkar kept scoring heavily, but Mongia (14, 157/6), Sunil Joshi (1, 164/7) left quickly. Worse for India, Tendulkar was out next over on 88 (111) and the score was 164/8. Usually, the Indian team collapsed when Tendulkar was out. But this time they had managed to collapse even without him getting out. So the game appeared hopelessly over, but what followed was a stunner.
After getting some runs, the Karnataka mates Kumble (16 off 19) and Srinath (30 off 23) unleashed. The moment of the match came when Srinath hoisted a six over the bowler's head. India was back in the game, but only just. But the duo kept stealing the runs, and the crowd went into frenzy. Both the ecstatic mothers were seen when their sons had took the score to 210/8 and one could believe that India cannot lose from here. Srinath then scored a knock out boundary followed by the winning two runs. The scenes were jubilant and Kumble-Srinath were the heroes of the hour.
Tendulkar got the man of the match award but it was that rare occasion when one could think that someone deserved an award more than Tendulkar.
Scorecard.
I Remember: We were going to move in to a new home that day, built in place of the terrace of the earlier home. It was Paadwa, but this win was what had made my day more auspicious.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Nail Biters 1: Aus vs WI. World Cup 1996 Semi final.
(This is a series of some neck-to-neck ODIs which I can remember since I started watching cricket. Indian matches will dominate the series of course, but there will be neutral games too. Like this opener. Hope you enjoy!)
14 March 1996.
This game was a dull one-sider for 91 overs but went haywire in the last 9. West Indies proved that they could bring the game back from dead, by killing their own chances in return.
On a Mohali pitch (one of those few in India who support pace to some extent) Australia were 15 for 4 with Waugh twins, Ponting and skipper Taylor gone. But the run-pirates Bevan (69 off 110) and Stuart Law (72 off 105) steadied the ship with a 138 run stand. Ian Healy scored a useful 31 off 28 to take the score 207 for 8 at the end.
WI were strolling in reply with Lara's run a ball 45 and Chanderpaul playing on 80. The score was 165 for 2 in 41 overs. Then the wheels came off.
Chanderpaul played a rash shot to get out. In a fatal move, Roger Harper and Ottis Gibson were promoted.
Shane Warne brushed past them easily which gave the Aussies the momentum to remove Adams and Arthurton. Suddenly the score was 187/7. It was now up to captain Richardson with only tailenders to accompany. But Australia hardly miss a chance like this, do they? Warne struck again, getting Ian Bishop. 194/8. Warne (man of the match) had bowled a spell of 9-0-36-4. 10 was needed off the last over. Richardson scored a boundary on the 1st ball Damien Fleming bowled. But he mistook a run resulting into Ambrose getting run out, that too at the striker's end. It was all too much for the king-of-the-ducks Walsh, who was bowled on his 1st ball. All over.
Richardson (fittingly a run short to his 50) stood his ground for a long time, watching the Aussies in a jubilant huddle. His last game lay demolished in front of him.
Watch the Scorecard.
I REMEMBER: A power cut denied us watching the WI chase. We were at the terrace when our neighbour Chetan and his friends heard it on the radio and confirmed that it was over for West Indies. "Harle...West Indies harle....".
14 March 1996.
This game was a dull one-sider for 91 overs but went haywire in the last 9. West Indies proved that they could bring the game back from dead, by killing their own chances in return.
On a Mohali pitch (one of those few in India who support pace to some extent) Australia were 15 for 4 with Waugh twins, Ponting and skipper Taylor gone. But the run-pirates Bevan (69 off 110) and Stuart Law (72 off 105) steadied the ship with a 138 run stand. Ian Healy scored a useful 31 off 28 to take the score 207 for 8 at the end.
WI were strolling in reply with Lara's run a ball 45 and Chanderpaul playing on 80. The score was 165 for 2 in 41 overs. Then the wheels came off.
Chanderpaul played a rash shot to get out. In a fatal move, Roger Harper and Ottis Gibson were promoted.
Shane Warne brushed past them easily which gave the Aussies the momentum to remove Adams and Arthurton. Suddenly the score was 187/7. It was now up to captain Richardson with only tailenders to accompany. But Australia hardly miss a chance like this, do they? Warne struck again, getting Ian Bishop. 194/8. Warne (man of the match) had bowled a spell of 9-0-36-4. 10 was needed off the last over. Richardson scored a boundary on the 1st ball Damien Fleming bowled. But he mistook a run resulting into Ambrose getting run out, that too at the striker's end. It was all too much for the king-of-the-ducks Walsh, who was bowled on his 1st ball. All over.
Richardson (fittingly a run short to his 50) stood his ground for a long time, watching the Aussies in a jubilant huddle. His last game lay demolished in front of him.
Watch the Scorecard.
I REMEMBER: A power cut denied us watching the WI chase. We were at the terrace when our neighbour Chetan and his friends heard it on the radio and confirmed that it was over for West Indies. "Harle...West Indies harle....".
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Shree Ganesha (?)
Okay, starting the blogging activity on the day of Ganesh Chatoorthi is special. But to be honest, it is not pre-planned. So it is just a coincidence, though an auspicious one. It is more to do with a constructive activity during the usually empty day.
"The more you get personal, the more you get universal.", Sujeet once told me. (Being a genuine artist, he himself is an example of that statement.) That thought has struck me ever since. Not to mention Aditya and Rohan, my ardent blogger friends. And hence, the activity of blogging. It gives you the license of expressing what you feel and that's what blogging is for. No 2048 characters limit, no restriction of choosing the subject like those in school tests. (Write anyone....'of the above') and no deadlines.
Just any damn, random, freakish train of thoughts.
Bowling is a waste of an activity if there isn't any batsman at the other end. Similarly this blogging will be meaningless if there aren't any readers other than the blogger himself, alone fond of his work. So you all are requested to spare a fair share of seconds to read what the bummer has to say! Happy reading, take care.
"The more you get personal, the more you get universal.", Sujeet once told me. (Being a genuine artist, he himself is an example of that statement.) That thought has struck me ever since. Not to mention Aditya and Rohan, my ardent blogger friends. And hence, the activity of blogging. It gives you the license of expressing what you feel and that's what blogging is for. No 2048 characters limit, no restriction of choosing the subject like those in school tests. (Write anyone....'of the above') and no deadlines.
Just any damn, random, freakish train of thoughts.
Bowling is a waste of an activity if there isn't any batsman at the other end. Similarly this blogging will be meaningless if there aren't any readers other than the blogger himself, alone fond of his work. So you all are requested to spare a fair share of seconds to read what the bummer has to say! Happy reading, take care.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
