The Game We Love...: March 2015

Certain matches involving associates deserve special mention, not out of mere respect and sympathy towards those teams, but out of the sheer brilliance displayed by them. Afghanistan vs Scotland was one such match, which went down the wire and had heads turning towards them all over the world. Scotland, in the first innings, reached a respectable 210 and set a target of 211 for Afghanistan. Afghanistan stuttered and stammered as their wickets were dwindling at a fast pace and runs weren’t coming by smoothly. They looked deliriously close to suffering a massive defeat, when they were at 97-7 in 24 overs. Then came a gritty knock of Samiullah Shenwari, who helped Afghanistan inch closer to victory. He made a gutsy 96, missing out on a well-deserved century. With the fall of his wicket, Afghanistan were at 192-9 in 46 overs, and either team had a fair chance to win this thriller. Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran batted sensibly and brought the equation to 5 needed off the last over. Shapoor Zadran sealed their win with a boundary in the 3^rd ball of the final over, to bring Afghanistan their first-ever World Cup victory. For a team to recover from 7 wickets down and go on to win the match, Afghanistan (mainly Samiullah Shenwari) had given a brilliant lesson on how to bat responsibly under pressure. Scotland also did very well to recover from Samiullah Shenwari’s knock and take the match down to the last over, but finally had to settle for a very close loss

- Harini Raman

2015 World Cup Moment - Double Centuries

Double Centuries from Gayle and Guptill

Gone are the days when scoring centuries was revered upon, scores of around 250 were match-winning, and batsmen reaching 150+ were a rare breed. With the rule changes in the game becoming more batsman-friendly, today we see a single batsman scoring more than what whole teams used to score in earlier days. Before the start of the World Cup, there were 4 double centuries, all scored by Indians. This World Cup was no exception to the “batsmen, celebrate with our new rules” theme of ICC, as it saw 2 more batsmen reach 200+ scores – Gayle against Zimbabwe and Guptill against West Indies. Double centuries from batsmen are becoming more common these days, nevertheless, it was a treat to watch these guys bring the crowd alive and keep despatching the deliveries to the fences.

- Harini Raman

2015 World Cup Moment - Mitchell Starc against NZ

1Mitchell Starc’s Spell against New Zealand - Auckland, Feb 28, 2015

Anyone watching this match would have written off Australia, after they were bundled out for 151 against a lethal pace attack of NZ. The target seemed a cakewalk for the hosts, who were comfortably cruising to victory, with 130-4 after 19 overs. Then, Maxwell removed Anderson, and NZ’s tail was exposed. What followed was a scintillating spell from Starc as he simply blazed through the lower order, bagging the wickets of Ronchi, Milne and Southee. NZ were left tattering at 146-9, and they huffed and puffed their way to victory as Williamson remained level-headed and sent Cummins beyond the fence to secure a tense win for NZ. This spell from Starc proved to one and all that even a low-scoring game has the potential to become one hell of a thriller.

- Harini Raman

2015 World Cup Moment - Sangakkara’s 4 Consecutive Centuries

Sangakkara’s 4 Consecutive Centuries

Sangakkara is synonymous with class, and any non-believers of that statement, would have had to change their view after witnessing his tremendous accomplishment in CWC 2015. Sangakkara hit centuries in 4 consecutive matches, the first person to do so in the history of cricket. Teams at the receiving end were Bangladesh, England, Australia and Scotland. His centuries helped SL to race past 300 in all these matches. It was quite hard to say goodbye to this majestic player, as SL lost to SA in their QF encounter and with that, his illustrious ODI career spanning 404 matches with 14000+ runs, 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries, came to an end.

- Harini Raman

2015 World Cup Moment - Virat Kohli Century against Pakistan

Virat Kohli’s Century against Pakistan - Adelaide, Feb 15, 2015

India vs Pakistan matches are always a treat to watch, given the history, and Pakistan faced a daunting task of achieving their first win against India in World Cups, being unsuccessful in their last 6 encounters. India lost Rohit early, and what followed with Virat’s entry, was a treat to watch. From 34-1 in 7.3 overs, he took India to a commanding 273-2 in 45 overs with well-knit partnerships with Dhawan and then Raina. Virat completed his well-deserved century in the first ball of the 43^rd over, which helped the team secure a convincing win against their archrivals in the World Cups, yet again.

- Harini Raman

2015 World Cup Moment - SA vs NZ Semi Final

South Africa vs New Zealand Semi-Final - Auckland, Mar 24, 2015

Words aren’t enough to describe this epic Semi Final between the two teams, one who had just won their first Knock Out game ever and reached this stage, and another which had previously reached 6 Semi Finals and never made it to the Finals. This match was laden with so many nerve-wrecking moments, that each of those would go down in history as some of the most unforgettable moments in cricket. First off, SA survived an early collapse and managed to bring the score from 31-2 in 8 overs to 216-3 in 38 overs. At this critical juncture when both AB de and du Plessis were on song with half centuries and SA looked to reach 350+, their perennial and unlucky connection with rain showed up, as the match was reduced to 43 overs a side, leaving SA only a 5-over notice to try and maximize their score. With the help of Miller’s cameo, they reached 281, and 298 was set as target as per D/L method – SA’s eternal enemy. SA were initially shaken by McCullum’s blitzkrieg, as NZ raced to 71 in just 6 overs. SA got back into the game, as NZ struggled at 149-4 in 21.4 overs. Anderson and Elliott then steadied the ship and looked to take NZ home, when a mighty easy run-out chance of Elliott was fumbled upon, even in the 2^nd attempt, by AB de himself and this proved to be a turning point. SA’s best talent – fielding – let them down, as another crucial catch of Elliott was dropped, thanks to a collision between Behardien and Duminy. The match was getting to its nerve-wrecking best, with NZ needing 12 off the final over, and Steyn being given the task of defending it. In the penultimate ball of the innings, Elliott smashed Steyn for a 6, securing a tense and historic victory for NZ, as they entered the Finals. The mere sight of AB de and his men, letting off their emotions after a close loss, caused an overwhelming heartache for all viewers.

- Harini Raman

2015 World Cup Moment - Wahab vs Watson

Wahab Riaz’s Spell against Shane Watson - Adelaide, Mar 20, 2015

This undoubtedly was the most memorable spell in CWC 2015 and would be remembered by everyone, especially Shane Watson, for a very long time. Wahab Riaz, with his fiery speed and stunning accuracy, made Shane Watson look like a cat on the wall, who didn’t know what to do. Ultimately, Shane Watson gave in and hooked a bouncer that straightaway found Fine leg, where Rahat Ali astoundingly dropped the sitter. That drop proved to be a game-changer, as Shane Watson went on to score an unbeaten 64. He was indeed lucky to have survived that spell from Wahab Riaz, as later proclaimed by himself in his tweet.

- Harini Raman

Sunday, March 29, 2015

World Cricket 11

It was an interesting World Cup with several teams raising the benchmark, several legends retiring & several new records made. All this came to an end with Australia lifting the World Cup for the 5th time.
So how does one sum this up, ICC just announced it's team of best 11 players from the world cup including a 12th man.
Here is the list -

Brendon Mccullum - Captain

Martin Guptill

Steve Smith

AB De Villiers

Glenn Maxwell

Corey Anderson

Kumar Sangakkara

Morne Morkel

Daniel Vettori

Trent Boult

Mitchell Starc

Brendon Taylor

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Saina Nehwal World No1

Dear Saina Nehwal,

In a cricket crazy country like ours where we are still mourning the loss of India in World Cup Semi Finals, your Win & the World No 1 Rank gives a great jubilation to the country. We feel immense happiness & joy within to hear that an Indian girl has achieved epitome. In a country where every other sport is struggling to make a foot mark, hope this win of yours gets more attraction towards other sports & we shift our minds from a SINGLE SPORT.

Keep it up Saina Nehwal.

You have done the country proud.

Brendon McCullum's Letter to Indians

2015 World Cup Final

Dear Team New Zealand & Australia,

We Indians might be out of the tournament but we love the game of cricket. Tomorrow morning when we get up, we expect both of you to play some exciting cricket & want to see a tough competition.
While Aussies you may have the home advantage & New Zealand may have the advantage of a confident mindset of being unbeaten in the tournament & defeating the mighty Proteas, we are wanting to see this Sunday clash full of raw fight for the ultimate glory in the game of cricket.

Just a request please play this beautiful game with the spirit of cricket. That is all that matters.

All the very best to both the teams.

- Love India

Thursday, March 26, 2015

THANK YOU TEAM INDIA

Dear Team India,

Please do not feel hurt, you have not let your country down. You tried but you failed, such things happen in sport & this cricket crazy country has realised that.
We don't score 100/100 in our exams and even we make mistakes at our offices.

Dhoni you have been a gem for this nation, leading the team to such new heights & meeting the expectations of a frenzy country is not always easy.

Bowlers no one gave you a chance but you proved all of us wrong & stepped up.

You were considered to be a team which does not have bowling strength, you proved us wrong...
You were expected to defend the cup, you tried your best & we are happy about it...
You were expected to WIN everything, we realise it is not possible...

Victories & Defeats are part of this game & we are still PROUD of you. Keep Smiling :)

THANK YOU TEAM INDIA

Love,
-An Indian

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Important Factors in Clash of Titans

Some of the really important factors to keep in mind as India face Australia in the Semi Finals

1. This will be the first ever meeting between India and Australia in a World Cup semi-final.

2. The two teams have faced each other 10 times with Australia having the upper hand with a 7-3 advantage.

3. Australia has never lost in a semi final match. They tied one game against South Africa in 1999 and have won five in 1975, 1987, 1996, 2003 and 2007.

4. So far in the tournament, India are unbeaten winning all the seven matches while Australia has lost to New Zealand in a group stage.

5. Ajay Jadeja is the only Indian player to score a century against Australia in a World Cup.

Dear Dhoni

Dear M S Dhoni,

We all love you & you know that but the reason we love you for may not be the one you might be thinking. Yes we love you for all the World Cups you have won for us, all the achievements you have done for this Cricket Crazy Country & for the way you have lead the team India for a while now. But we love you beyond all that.

While you hitting that final winning shot is still fresh in our minds, the hope, the wish, the craving of seeing you lift another cup has already begun. While the last cup the media, your team mates & the nation dedicated it to SACHIN TENDULKAR, this one I want you to play for your DAUGHTER.

My chest thumped when I came to know that you denied to come to India to see your new born daughter & chose to be with the team owing to National Duty. We want to dance, celebrate, scream, shout, cheer, roar & lots more but we all would be glad if you could do this for your new born daughter.

For a father to not see the first two months of a new born is a feeling we 100 billion might not easily relate to, so go there & do it for her.

REMEMBER we are with you in THICK & THIN

From An Indian who expects you to WIN everything.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

SA You Are Still The Champions

Dear South Africa,

You may have lost the Semi Final but you have won our hearts. To see your captain in tears made us equally sad as you all must be. You have been a great team, great ambassadors & above all great cricketers.
Victories & defeats are part of this game but winning hearts is a rare thing. ABD we Indian always love cricketers who have BIG hearts & yours is the biggest of all.
We have loved our SACHINS, our DRAVIDS & our MSDS, you have managed to get yourself up there too. When you return to India this April to play for your franchisee during the IPL, the support you will extract will somewhat heel the pain of your defeat to NZ in Semis.

South Africa loads of RESPECT & BEST WISHES to your team, you have been true GENTLEMAN of the wonderful game we all love.

- An Indian