DLF IPL 3.0 - In bed with Gauti

Lets here from the DareDevils captain how excited he is to bring back IPL in India!! Wat's that having problems in bed are we??

DLF IPL 3.0 - Gilly in action

Defending champs Deccan Chargers have a message, hear it from captain Gilly!..

DLF IPL 3.0 - Punjab di Aan Baan te Shaan

King Kumar the new Captain of Kings XI Punjab tells us more.. Going topless and more..

DLF IPL 3.0 - Sachin ala re

DLF IPL 3.0 chronicle continues.. we see the Mumbai Indians! Yes, its back in India! d'uh!!!

Who is Mithun?

We'r not talking about the "Disco Dancer" Mithun Da.

We are talking about the young rookie Abhimanyu Mithun who has been picked for the 1st test against the Saffers. Oh did I miss the "squad" for the 1st test. Most newspapers fail to see the point in that. Agreed he's been picked in the Indian team but, he's not set to play. Unless, MSD sees the magic in him or he wrecks the Saffers in the Board Presidents XI warm-up game.But, the lad definitely has lots going for him. He picked 47 wickets in the Ranji season. The highest wicket taker this season, one more than state-mate Vinay Kumar. Took Hat trick in his debut match for Karnataka u-19 team. Again a hat trick on debut for Karnataka u-22 side. Then got into the state's Ranji side, and Voila! Hat trick on his Ranji debut as well. So if this is the trend I would play him!! He's got some sting in his bowling, does hit the 140 kmph mark. But, the downfall is he doesn't have much leather ball cricket behind him. Sources reveal that he took up leather ball cricket only 2/3 yrs back. But, he sure has impressed a lot in the short period. Which brings another argument into question, Lakshmipathy Balaji was the highest wicket taker in Ranji last season he dint get a long run, he was just carrying drinks in kiwi-land most of the time. Tyagi has been in the scheme of things, will he be overlooked at this point in time? So, will Mithun make it or will he not, until then Mithun and his folk men are celebrating the good news there is. All the best to him.

DLF IPL 3.0

I'm too lazy (read sloshed), so taking an off this weekend, unless something urges me to blog. Till then enjoy the action that awaits us!!! Yea, the "DLF IPL". Nothing less than *Wah!*

W.W.W.S. – AGAIN

• Once again Pakistan respectfully turned up at the Adelaide Oval and let Australia resume business as usual. This time Shaun Marsh got the opportunity to hit 83, Pup Clarke also fired 80 off 90 and later Mike Huss blasted a quick-fire 49 off just 28 resulting in Aus posting 286 in their 50 overs. Ryan Harris who got a chance in this game, dint miss the opportunity to send a note to the selectors with luv. In just his
  2nd ODI he took a 5fer. Pakistan’s top order faired miserably again. But, a lot of middle order batters got starts. None of them though continued to make an impact. This resulted in Pak getting all out for 246 in 47.4 overs. So, the series is now over at 3-0 Aussies looking for another clean sweep. But, you and I both know how they fair in dead rubbers!!



• The Aussie colts too meant business in the semi-final match of the u-19 WC against islanders Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka batting 1st were bundled out for 205. Josh Hazlewood taking 4 wickets, Alister McDermott, Luke Doran and Nick Buchanan picked up 2 each. Australia too started very tentatively losing early wickets. But, skipper Mitchell Marsh and keeper Tom Triffitt took the game away from the islanders. Marsh got out on 97(110) and Triffitt scored 50(70). Australia now faces Pakistan in the finals of the u-19 world cup. But, this time Pakistan seemed to be having the upper hand.



• Brad Hodge’s 139(136), David Hussey’s 93(85), Andrew McDonald’s 41(30) helped Victoria put up 326 in 50 ovrs in the Ford Ranger Cup. Victoria Bushrangers beat Tasmanian Tigers by just 20 runs. Travis Birt scored 97(77) for the Tigers. Nice Bryce gave away just 45 in his 10 overs. Most economical bowler of the day.
  
  
• Elsewhere, New South Wales Blues put up 294 in their 50 overs courtesy David Warner, Thornely and Smith’s efforts. It wasn’t enough as South Australia chased it down with Klinger scoring a superb 124(133) and helped by Christian for his 90(73).



• In Duleep trophy semi-finals West zone help their strong grip pver North zone. West zone ended the 1st innings on 769. Abhishek Nayar with a brilliant 259. Romesh Powar scored 109. Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan left North zone struggling at 36/3 at stumps.



• The other semi-finals saw Central zone take on South zone. Central zone’s 1st innings ended on 333 with fine contributions from Kaif and Piyush Chawla scoring 112 and 90 respectively. Vinay Kumar taking 5 wickets for the South zone. The South zone batsmen struggled throughout despite getting starts now at 254/8. Praveen Kumar earning 5 scalps.
  

First-Aid

Due to some unpredictable circumstances the forthcoming test championship battle between the top two test playing nations South Africa and India (read in order) now seems more like a battle of chimps. Yes, first the saffers monkey around sack the coach and then the entire selection committee. Mean while self appreciating team India go to Bangladesh for a two test series, the toughest there could ever be and result in injuries. It started with captain MS Dhoni, Bhajji, and then spread like wild fire to Sreesanth, VVS, Dravid, Yuvraj and some bits of Sachin to add. Although MSD and Bhajji have recovered since and Sachin looks okay it raises the basic question whether the two teams are ready to play for the top position. The Proteas don’t seem to be bothered with Mickey and the rest of the Disney gang changing but, India need some serious replacements if they are to retain the no.1 spot in the ICC (mindless morons inc.) test ratings. So, who are capable to replace the likes of Dravid, VVS and Yuvi in such short notice let us see.

Mock’s pick:
Well, with Dravid out with the jaw fracture, I just can’t see a better replacement than S Badrinath. He has got what it takes to be a 1 down batsman. Skill, technique, good hand eye coordination etc. He has been the backbone for Tamilnadu in the Ranji Trophy for years now.
Vijay is sure to hang on to his place since Laxman isn’t playing against the Chokers... Oops Saffers. Though Vijay did not score much in this test, his technique did stand out. Confident and elegant.
An aggressor replacing another aggressor, a lefty replacing another lefty. Yes, it’s none other than the one who sends the ball screaming to the cow corner, Suresh Raina. Though he hasn’t played an Intl test yet, he has proved himself time and again in the county circuit. He has come of age and has proved he’s matured enough to play at the test level. Can be a handy part time bowler too and about his fielding…you know it .

Quite a coincidence that all the 3 replacement players are from Chennai Super Kings… HAIL CSK!

Steam’s angle:
There’s no point in pondering about who will when it’s the matter of who can. There is no question in the ability of Murali Vijay so, regardless whether Gauti plays at the crucial no.3 or opens with Sehwag, Vijay can play either ways. Considering Sachin is fully fit he bats at no.4, otherwise a whole new slot opens another debate. No.5 spot presently belongs to VVS playing his twilight years of cricket. Now that he is injured he should be replaced by Badrinath who has been in and out of the side for quite some time. But going on current form and the Pied Pipers tune I am tempted to opt the not so forgotten and lucky monkey of 2010 Md. Kaif. Kaif has the experience and the caliber to play the long game. His high bid in the IPL auctions and recent burst in the zonals have only helped him appear once again in the selector’s radar. Whether or not he is chosen is another case. (Remember he dint attract a single bid in the 1st round of auctions. But, what happened last lasts longer.) So, good for the chap. MSD will have to now bat at no.6 in place of Yuvi and someone can take his place batting with the lower order tail. Raina would be one contender but, recent form again points towards Virat Kohli. The boy is now a man so why not test him. Raina is in good form himself but, honestly Kohli looks more solid (tried and tested down under) and Raina’s history with the short pitched stuff will only bring smiles to Saffers. So, Badri and Raina could make the squad but not the playing eleven.

One’s who closely missed out: Pujara – he’s still got time till there are permanent openings. One opportunity and you don’t want to end up ruining your chances forever. Manish Pandey – good season of domestic cricket, still have time. Probably play some ‘A’ tours abroad. Rahane – all izz well! But not tested against international attacks. Rohit Sharma – no.

B.B.O.T.D - Left arm class

Two south paws, one thousand three hundred and twenty four international wickets among them. Incidentally, both hailing from two small countries as well. Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas a.k.a Vaas or Vasi & Daniel Luca Vettori a.k.a Dan the man share their birthday on this very day. Apart from being left arm bowlers and coming from island nations like Sri Lanka and New Zealand, both of them have been highly instrumental in the cricket played by the respective countries.

Vaas, the older of the two, known very well for his control of line and length at which he bowls. Undoubtedly, the best seam bowler Sri Lanka have produced. With 755 international dismissals (and more if he gets to play on ODI’s) to his credit Vaas has genuinely lead the attack from the front. Often in the shadows of team mate Muttiah Muralitharan, Vaas’s credit can be delayed but not denied. Having broken so many records with the ball, Vaas has been a useful batsman lower down the order. He has scored over 3000 runs in tests and 2000+ runs in ODI’s. He also has a test century under his belt. Vaas has taken two hat tricks in ODI’s and also has the best bowling figures in ODI’s that of 8 for 19 which came against minnows Zimbabwe. He has also the rare distinction of claiming wickets of the first three balls of the game. With 400 ODI victims Vaas stands only behind the likes of Akram, Waqar and Murali. Vaas will always be known for his impeccable line and length and undying fighting spirit.

Dan the man Vettori, started at a very early age. Probably the youngest Kiwi to play test cricket. Started of as a left-arm slow orthodox bowler today is ranked as the best spinners in the world. Vettori has gone from strength to strength as a cricketer. His ability with the ball has never been questioned with over 569 international wickets to his name and counting.. But, from the time of Stephen Fleming’s departure Vettori has proved to be an able leader as well. Vettori’s skills with the bat have only improved with time. He has 5 test centuries and almost 4000 runs with a batting avg of 30 to his name. A distinction he can be proud of which includes him in the illustrious company of Sir Richard Hadlee, Chris Cairns and Chris Harris. Recently, we saw him bat at no.6 which most likely he will retain for some time.

Regardless of the numbers, Vaas & Vettori will be remembered as greats to have represented their countries in the international arena. For this and more they are the Bday bums of the day! “HAPPY BDAY!”

W.W.W.S. -While Wah were Sloshed...

• Pak lost to Aus again.


• Ind bowl out Bangers for 233.


• Saf announced their test and ODI squad for Indian tour.


• SL resume the romance with Ind.


• Pak u-19 reach u-19 WC finals.


• GG does a Viv, in search of the Don.

The second ODI between Australia and Pakistan played at Sydney, resulted in the Aussies thrashing the Stanis by a mere 140 runs margin. Opting to bowl first, Stani’s fast bowlers were not effective enough. Aussie openers, Twatto & Marshy put up a hundred run stand and set the drums rolling. The spinners though brought them back in the game. White once again played well, his fifty helped Australia post 267. Not a mighty but, a competitive total keeping both the teams interested in the match. The second innings however, faired very poorly for the Stanis. Bollinger started strongly claiming 2 early wickets, Pak – 2/7. Clint McKay continued the Aussie onslaught reducing Pak to 7/71. Peter Sizzle was sizzling as well.. Not long before Pak were all out for 127 falling short by a mere 140 runs. Aus now 2-0 up in the 5 match ODI series.

The other Pakistani team though was just proving to be unbeatable. The u-19 boys beat the Windies and moved into the finals of the u-19 world cup. Sri Lanka face Australia in the other semis match.

Saffers announced their test and ODI squad for the Indian tour starting in February. Botha gets into the test squad. Gibbs in the ODI squad. Peterson in both. Albie Morkel still missing. I hope Prince is not going to Open the batting with Smith again. It’s clearly not his game. I’d prefer to see Amla-Smith opening, followed by Kallis, AB Devil, Prince then Doominy. Let’s see wats in store for us ahead.

Sri Lankans though don’t seem to be interested in sitting idle. They got the time, they got the deal. Yet another Ind-SL tournament now featuring Kiwis. The Ind-SL romance just can’t be kept under wraps for the moment.

Gautam Gambhir who hit his 5th consecutive ton in tests against the Bangers at Cheetah-gong, was very much in line to achieve sir Don’s record of 6 consecutive test tons in the 2nd test at Dhaka before he got out on 68. Awwww… u just can stop feeling for the man. Gauti however did manage to equal sir Viv Richards record of 11 consecutive 50+ scores in as many tests. Wow!! I dint see that coming..

India earlier bowled out the Bangers for 233 in the 1st inn at Dhaka. Ishant claimed 4 wkts, Zaks took 3. Mysteriously, Mishra-ji was dropped in this test. Pragyan Ojha and Bhajji made their return. Also, Murali Vijay replaced the injured VVS Laxman. MSD resumed duty behind wickets. Mahmudullah once again played well for his 96.

Aus-Pak 1st ODI : White-wash

To easily describe the 1st ODI between Australia and Pakistan, it was "White-washed". Battig first Pakistan put up 274 thanks to some big hitting in the end by Shahid bOom boOm Afridi, who scored 48 off 26. Butt batted well for his 72 but, it was Younis Khan who scored 46 off 74 balls scoring jus one boundary in the 74 balls' innning. Wreckers in chief were Shane (Twat) Watson 4 wkts , Clint (eastwood) McKay 3 wkts and Douggie (brown) Bollinger 2 wkts. 274 looked very competent total considering Pakistan has a better bowling attack than Australia at the moment.

Presumably, Asif & Aamer kept things quiet and tight. They were rewarded with the wickets of the openers. Picky Ponting & Pup Clarke then started the building phase. Ponting fell to Afridi, entered Cameron White. From here White took the game away from the Pakistanis. His ton came off just 80 deliveries. Clarke made a working-class 50 and then got out. Pakistan needed a break through when these two were at the crease. The wicket came a little late, Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin helped put the final pieces of the puzzle in place. Yet, another Aussie victory! Aamer bowled well, Asif looked good too. One expensive over from Afridi (21 runs) turned the game on its head. Stay tuned for more "Wah".

2009 - gone bys & good byes 4th QTR

In the ongoing series of the Quarterly review of 2009, we have finally reached the last of the four quarters. Nevertheless, the cricket has not. In the final quarter the quality and quantity of cricket was taken to a new level.

First, the tests. Sri Lanka visited India for a battle of the spin stars. So, that was Murali+Medis+Herath Vs Bhajji+Mishra+Ojha. Disappointing to say the least, Lankans went down 2-0. Murali was simply attacked, Mendis was even dropped, Herath was a bit of “if - but” throughout. Sehwag continued destructing attacks as a routine thing. Gambhir notched up 4 test centuries in a row, after 2 in kiwi-land. Sachin, Dravid, Laxman got runs and more runs. Sri Lanka were overpowered and a list of injuries to players dint help either. As a result, for the very first time since India began playing test cricket.. they became the #1 test side in the world courtesy some crap rating system (read ICC). West Indies toured Australia, with the players and WICB finally putting down their swords. But, that dint change the course of the test series. Aussies easily winning 2-0. Australia then beat Pakistan 3-0 in tests, winning from losing situations thanks to the generous Pakistanis. The far more interesting test series were played between Pakistan-New Zealand and South Africa-England.

Pakistan toured New Zealand in November, a side which saw a new captain in MoYo and few ICL stars returning to the side along with the i_wanna_be_ShoaibAkhtar Md. Asif. Kiwis too were playing with the return of ICL stars like Tuffey and Bond. The test series was closely fought closer than it seems 1-1 the final result. Players who impressed were Umar Akmal, Md. Asif, Aamer, Bond, Tuffey, Vettori. Not so surprisingly Bond got injured after m.o.m performance winning the first test. This left Kiwis losing the final test and helped Pakistan drawing level in the series. The England-South Africa series up the stakes even higher. England managing to draw the 1st test with just the last wicket remaining, denying Saffers a victory. Upbeat Proteas then lost the 2nd test to the Poms after a batting slump. Proteas fought back hard in the 3rd test, once again England managing a draw, denied victory by one wicket. This confirmed England were now the most annoying side in test cricket. Remember the Ashes – Cardiff test? Saffers somehow did manage to pick 20 english wickets and thus won the 4th and final test leveling the test series 1-1.



ODI’s first saw the Aussies thrash England after losing the Ashes test series.
Australia beat England 6-1 in a 7 match ODI series. The tri-nation series held in Sri Lanka featured India, New Zealand and the hosts. India won the tri-series all geared up for the prestigious Champions Trophy in South Africa. Australia won this major event in the cricketing calendar without pulling a muscle. Shane Watson was impressive, taking his role in the team to a new high. Pakistan for once was very impressive, only losing to the Kiwis in the semi-finals, raised questions about the match being fixed. England surprisingly made it to the semis of an ICC tournament, losing to their friends, defending champs and eventual champs = Australia.
Australia then played another 7 match ODI series this time in India. Beating India at home 4-2. Pakistan lost the ODI series in NZl, but won their area of expertise the T20’s. England beat SAf at home 2-1, becoming only the 2nd nation to beat SAf at home in ODI’s. Sri Lanka – India continued playing cricket as though nothing else was left to do. India won 3-1, with the final ODI at Kotla, New Delhi being abandoned. Ind, Bangladesh and no prize for guessing Sri Lanka played a tri-series, this time Sri Lanka winning the finals.



The Champions League T20, held in India saw some of the top domestic teams fighting it out T20 style. Which means the top 3 teams from the IPL, 2 teams from Aus, SAF, Eng and 1 each from W.I. , S.L., NZl. 12 champion teams and only one possible champion of the champions. The tournament did raise a few questions as the current world T20 champs dint have any representative side i.e. Pakistan were booted out. Nevertheless, the tournament took off to a flier, the current IPL champs i.e. Deccan Chargers were blown out in the very first round. This left Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils in the next round but, in the same group. But, it dint stop there, none of the Indian teams qualified for the semis. Trinidad & Tobago team the surprise package. In fact, they beat the Cape Cobras and met New South Wales who beat Victoria Bushrangers in the finals of the Champions League. New South Wales emerged as the winners of the first champions league T20. Being crowned champion of the champions. Kieron Pollard left an impact with a batting strike rate of 197!


So, in a year action packed with cricket it wasn’t easy summing things up. Major tournaments like the Ashes, ICC Champions Trophy, T20 World cup, Champions league T20 and of course the IPL all featuring in a single calendar year. Hope, you’ve enjoyed reading as much as enjoyed watching the cricket and wishing 2010 takes the competition to the next level. Until then say “Wah”.

2009 - Gone Bys and Good Byes! 3rd QTR

Despite the second season of the Indian Premier League mugging TV rights and commercial endorsements in the second QTR of 2009, the third QTR had all the excitement and more. The second world T20 championships were held in England. The Pakistani players may have been kept away from the IPL action in South Africa but, this only came as a blessing in disguise as Pakistan went on to become the world champions in T20 cricket. Despite starting poorly Pakistan showed what top quality cricket they can play. The finals of the world cup again saw two sub-continental teams fighting it out for the championship glory. This time it was Sri Lanka to join Pakistan in the finals. The tournament had a lot of cherished moments, like Netherlands beating England, Ireland moving into the 2nd round, Shahid Afridi’s magic, Gayle’s destruction, Dilshan’s err.. Dilscoop. Even Angelo Mathews’ wonderful catch in the deep also regarded as volleyball-catch or wateva!



The tournament lived up to millions of expectations; Pakistan defeated SAF in the semis thanks to an Afridi special and the Proteas re-living the “Chockers” tag. Sri Lanka on the other hand defeated West Indies in the other semi-finals courtesy a magical 1st over by Mathews reducing W.I. to 3/1 claiming Marshal, Simmons and Bravo. Md. Aamer did the same but, not exactly. In the final he removed the dangerous Dilshan in the opening over. There by, stealing momentum away from the Islanders. It was a memorable tournament where Pakistan justified their love for the shortest version of the game.

Following the T20 world championship, other cricket was played in the 3rd quarter of 2009. Where SL avenged for their T20 finals loss against Pak winning the ODI’s 3-2 and 2-0 in tests, West Indies lost too many, first against India then the minnows Bangladesh. The West Indies’ cricket board and players had a long tussle which resulted in a second string Windies team taking on the visiting Bangladeshis. This helped the Deshi’s create history winning the tests and ODI series in West Indies. Kiwis toured Sri Lanka only to lose 2-0.



But, it was the mother of all cricketing ties “The Ashes” which stole the thunder. Once again Ricky Ponting failed to win the Ashes in England. This time against Andy Strauss’s side 1-2. The statistics showed a completely different story. Australia over powered England in every aspect of the game. But, the end result was that Ricky Ponting became the second captain of Australia to lose the Ashes twice. Which just made the drawn test at Cardiff very hard to digest, where Monty Panesar the last man in survived 40 mins denying Australia a win. The find of the series were Swann and Broad, for their brilliant work with the ball and some crucial knocks with the bat.

So, that’s that in the third and most entertaining quarter of 2009. In the final quarter we saw the NatWest series, Champions Trophy, Champions League and more. All that until, we bring you on sloshedcricket keep chanting “WAH”.

SOLD OUT!!!

The last time we spoke of the IPL auctions, we got them spot on! There were a few questions on Brad Haddin but, we told you it would be a definite “NO”! Besides the Pakistani’s a.k.a. World champs in T20 we got almost everything right. The lack of interest in the Pakistani players was mutual among all the franchisee owners. Almost as though they had agreed upon before hand or Lalit pie face Modi had including it in the rules sheet. So, minus the Pakistani’s from the list the franchises had only 1 maximum 2 slots to fill in their respective teams. Some had the slots but had run out of “money”!

Kings xi Punjab acquired Adrian Barath for 75,000$ outside of the auctions. This meant they were starting with a balance of 650,000$. First player to go under the hammer was Shahid boom boom Afridi also the captain of the world champions. He failed to get any response. All wondered it must be the high base price of 250,000$. Next was Kieron Pollard, and suddenly every franchise wanted him on their side, like Ramesses had found Moses. It wasn’t surprising as 4 teams locked their maximum bids of 750,000$ for Pollard. This meant the tie-breaker was on now. Any team with the highest bid now will get the services of Pollard and the difference amount was reaped by the IPL (read B.C.C.I.) Mumbai Indians out bid everyone and thus Pollard now joins the Indians. News is that M.I. side bid a whooping 2.75 million $ tats nearly twice the amount KP & Freddie were bought for last season, breaking all records. One by one, every Pakistani player who came onto question was shown the middle finger in a polite way. Shane Bond, drew the next big interest again resulting in a tie-breaker and finally joining the Kolkata Knight Riders. Again the sum is said to be 1.3 million $.

If you thought these were easy picks for anyone to predict, we also managed to get Damien Martyn spot on. Martyn joins the Warne led Aussie Royals oops Rajasthan Royals team for a steal away price of 100,000$. Adam Vogues, the only other Australian picked up today, once again by the Rajasthan Royals side for 50,000$. Eoin Morgan was chosen by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for 220,000$ but, it was the cockroach, Kemar Roach who went for 720,000$ picked up by the defending champions, Deccan Chargers. The other fast bowler who gained interest was Wayne Parnell had stiff bidding finally ended up at the Daredevils camp for 610,000$ further strengthening the Delhi side.

The Chennai Super Kings outfit, who were outbid in every attempt ended up choosing Justin Kemp for 100,000$ and continued their love-affair for Sri Lankan cricketers picking Thissara Perera for 50,000$. Again, predicted by us. When there are players like Pomersbach and Noffke available at cheaper rates we can only say CSK only wasted their money this time around. Whether they are going to use the money from Freddie’s withdrawal and buy players outside the auctions is still unknown.

Kings xi Punjab also picked up Yusuf Abdulla after some sweet success in the previous edition of the IPL. Coming at 50,000$ I would say it’s a rather smart pick. Douggie Bollinger was left out with no buyers. 3 u-19 players joined the RCB, DC and MI sides. But, the final shocker came when Md. Kaif was re-called for bidding. From 100,000$ his value went upto 250,000$ joining his bum-chum pal Yuvraj at KxiP. Truly, a citi moment of success I should say. :-)

Which leaves us with just the cricket to play, the trophy to be won. Daredevils look mighty strong with the addition of Parnell into their attack, Mum Indians look well balanced as always, Rajasthan Royals have their Aussie flavor, Deccan Chargers look to hurt a few, break a few, KxiP were smart during the auctions, KKR the lesser spoken the better, RCB were fairly quiet and CSK were plain yellow, to say the least. Looking forward to an exciting IPL, “Wah!”

B.B.O.T.D. - What could not become, became..

Vinod Ganpat Kambli, born in the year 1972 on this very day is widely regarded as one such player who could not fulfill his potential. It is difficult when one bursts on the stage with a world record partnership of 664 runs which he shared with Sachin Tendulkar as school kids. Soon, both boys made it to the national team and perhaps this was when things changes dramatically. Not that Kambli was an utter waste of talent. Kambli scored 2 back to back double centuries against Zimbabwe and England. In his first 7 tests for India he had 2 centuries and 2 double-centuries under his belt. Then where did he go wrong, to be completely invisible!!! He lacked consistency, had major disciplinary issues a.k.a. Shoaib-ness. He once scored 22 runs of a single over from Shane Warne, soon had 3 ducks in 6 innings against the West Indies. His vulnerability against the Short-ball spelled his downfall. A prodigious talent, a fun bloke, flamboyant personality he is, allows him to remain in the hearts and minds of all cricket buffs in India. In 2009, Kambli did try to charm the public, contesting in the local elections. He gained 3,000+ votes only losing by 53,000+ votes which showed people love him but, take him in the light-hearted way only. Hopefully, ending his political career as well.

For many more such innings off the field, we wish u a very Happy Birthday. Vinod Kambli, is the Birthday Bum of the day.

SURPRISED!!?

U May be, we’re not!

How did u not see it coming, it was so evident. If there was any way Mumbai was to win the Ranji championship there could be just one man for the job. Yes, undoubtedly Ajit Bombay Duck Agarkar. I do not by any means want to diminish the quality of cricket Karnataka team has played throughout the season. They have the best numbers by far. All said there was just one man standing between them and the coveted championship glory, Ajit Agarkar. Justifying, he took 5 wkts in the final innings preventing Karnatka the championship by a mere 6 runs. He was already docked 50% of his match fee due to disciplinary reasons during the match. Nothing, absolutely nothing can stop this man from winning. And in his honour, we salute his undying spirit and passion for the game. Wah!

2009 Gone bys and Good Byes 2nd QTR

In the 2nd Qtr of 2009 we saw very less action in international cricket, for which we can solely blame the Indian Premier League. Australia decided to play some cricket in the desert against Pakistan. Aussies won the 5 match ODI series comfortably 3-2 and lost the T20 international match against the same rivals. England & West Indies’ players played in the first half of the IPL later, playing each other in England which the English won 2-0. Another, less important series because, in South Africa the world was experiencing the second edition of the killer IPL.




The 2nd season of the IPL was shifted to SAF due to security concerns in India, and the Hon. Home Minister disapproving the scheduling of the IPL in India during election polls to be contested at the same time. So, when the entire nation was busy choosing who is gonna run the nation, a few merry men under the man-in-charge a.k.a. Lalit Weasel Modi planned to move an entire tournament outside India, across the Indian Ocean to South Africa. The tournament was organised very well to suit the Indian audience, not harming any T.V. viewership or TRPs! So, as BCCI racked in the moolah, the 8 honourable teams were playing dirty!! This time we saw lower scores, worse chases, DROP catches, slower pitches, effective spinners, lots of SAF talent, less SRK, more Lalit, some fake Akon, fake IPL player, Strategy (my ass hurts) breaks, yada yada yada..But, the most indigestible part of the 2nd edition of IPL was the fact, the one team who were beaten, actually thrashed by every other IPL side, who ended at the bottom of the table in the 1st season went on to win the IPL in South Africa. Complete Bollocks!! Now, there aint a way to determine a loser.. anyone, I mean anyone can win the PRESTIGIOUS IPL. More so, better if you lose miserably then u are more likely to win the next edition. Hahaha.. The Deccan Chargers beat Royals Challengers Bangalore in the finals by a mere 6 runs. Delhi Daredevils were unbeatable during the league winning 10 off their 14 games, only to be beaten by a Gilchrist special in the semi-finals. Chennai Super Kings the other losers in the semi-finals going down to Royals Challengers Bangalore. Kolkata Knight Riders had every bit of newspapers and T.V. focus. Only, they couldn’t play cricket to win. They wud have easily lost to the junior girls cricket team had Lalit organised one. But, what this meant is.. *drums* KKR are most likely to win IPL III :) just wait n watch!! Mumbai Indians, Kings xi Punjab continued to screw up their chances of making into the top 4. Rajasthan Royals a.k.a. the defending champs a.k.a. underdogs etc etc were still living glory of 2k8 and missed the same magic.

This was about it.. Hopefully! The second Qtr was more about IPL than citizen exercising their right to vote. Cricket took a back seat, controversies, commercials, cameras were in focus. Continuing in the 2009 review we see what the 3rd Qtr had in store for us (world T20 championship n moooore) Till then stay tuned, Say Wah!

English Stripped & More on the IPL

Just about a week left to go, all set for the 3rd players’ auction for the 3rd season of the Indian Premier League. The IPL committee has finalised a list of 51 players set to be available during the auction. Firstly, the English players have failed to get the NOC or the No Objection Certificate from the ECB due to which we will not see the likes of Eoin Morgan, Luke Wright, Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad etc etc in action. The final list has some interesting names (not just “names”) like Doug Bollinger, Damien Martyn, Wayne Parnell, Kieron Pollard, Lou Vincent, Shane Bond & bunch of Pakistanis - Aamer, Afridi, Umar Akmal, Razzaq, Nazir, Rana Naved Ul Hasan. Of course the list does have quite a few hopefuls from all over the globe and a few lesser known cricketers like Rizwan Cheema from Canada.

Steve’s Pick:

Doug Bollinger – Hot! Should be picked.
Brad Haddin – NOT! Are you surprised we mentioned him?
Kieron Pollard – Definite Hot!!!
Sulieman Benn – Not! Enuf spinners in Ind.( Benn should be happy that we put him under spinner's category)
Shane Bond – Hot! Expecting bid wars here.
Jason Krejza – Not. See Benn.
Wayne Parnell – Hot! Smart choice.(Hottest)
Daren Ganga – Not. New teams will arrive in 2011. No need for captains now!
Rana Naved Ul Hasan – good wit bat & ball.. Hot!
Nuwan Zoysa – how does he make it to this list everytime!! NOT!!!!
Umar Akmal – Exciting cricketer so.. Hot!
Nathan McCullum – Not.
Imran Nazir – Hot.
Darren Bravo – Not.
Shahid BoOm BOom Afridi – HOT!!
Grant Elliot – HOTTTTT.. just kidding, Not. :-)
Damien Martyn – Hot, Hopefully.
Wavell Hinds – Does he still exist in the cricket arena?Not.

Some Serious Maybe’s
Lou Vincent – Lots of experience.. comes in the Dam Martyn category. Shud come cheap as well.
Justin Kemp – can hit big.
Yusuf Abdulla – based on prev IPL performance.
Upul Tharanga – Recent form!
Shakib Al Hassan – Shud be! But, won’t be.
Rizwan Cheema – Who?
Thisara Perera – Chennai Super Kings have a habit.. So, it cud be him this time.
Ramnaresh Sarwan – Well, he’s good enough.
Kemar Roach – if u r planning to hurt ur opposition.
Adam Vogues & Ashley Noffke – Cos they’r Australian!
Chanaka Welegedara – an outside chance.

That’s that. No one else needs a mention here.. Let us know where u disagree with us. IPL, its time for WAR!

2009 - gone by & good bye! 1st QTR

Now that "2009" has come to an end and we welcome "2010" with fireworks and celebrations with our near & dear ones in our own special ways. Lets look back at the year 2009 was with all the ups and downs in what else but, cricket.

The year started with the Proteas beating Aussies down under, undoubtedly causing waves of the aussie decline. Which started everyone claiming glory for what had actually the Proteas shud be given full credit. First in the line were of course the Indians. The Indians claimed that they were the first team to give the Australians a fight in their own backyard (and in everyone's living room) and hence, the SAFFERS were able to learn and accomplish the victory down under. Poms were not behind, they absolutely thrashed the Indian's for their roobish claims! It was the Poms who beat Australia in the Ashes under Vaughan (only they never seem to recall the 5-0 whitewash they got when they went to Aus). Chris Gayle was not far behind, of course he was solely responsible for not just the decline of Aussies but also the Windies.

But, as we know the Proteas give back what they get. So, when Aussies toured SAF, what do they do?.. They lose! EXACTLY! now no one is shouting out and taking credit for losing. Moving on..

India travelled to New Zealand to win 1-0 in a 3 test series only to play 3 more tests in the entire calender year. Which was quite an achievement in itself!! They also beat Sri Lanka and New Zealand in ODI series.

Sri Lanka toured Pakistan where nothing went right. The terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus resulted in the tour being called off. Which resulted in further no games being played in Pakistan. And thus, the PCB had to look for neutral venues like Abu Dhabi to play some home games.

Lots more of action on the cricket took place in the following months in 2009. Stay tuned for the 2nd quarter of 2009. We have the 2nd season of IPL covered and more..