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.

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....".

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.