BLOCKBUSTER

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- National Stadium, Karachi [March 13, 2004].

In the Summer of 2004, Indian Cricket Team toured Pakistan to play 5 ODIs and 3 Tests. The Tour was a special one since the Indians were touring Pakistan after 15 long years. As a result, everyone was excited for this series. The first match was scheduled in the National Stadium of Karachi wherein the Pakistani Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss and elected to field first. 

It was a batting paradise and the inconsistency of Pakistani bowlers and fielders made sure that the Indians can take full advantage. And Boy! What a batting display we saw that day. Openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar just blew away the Pakistani bowling attack. The bowlers looked helpless in the scorching heat of Karachi. By the time both the openers were dismissed the scorecard read 142/2 in just 14.2 overs. A run rate of 10 in an ODI match was unheard of those days. To be honest even today this is not that easy.  So, one can imagine the carnage. 

Post this Skipper Ganguly and Rahul Dravid batted sensibly in the middle overs and made sure India took full advantage of the great start. Rahul Dravid was unlucky as he was dismissed for 99, but still the Indians managed to score 349 at the end of 50 overs. Pakistani Bowlers literally struggled in their own backyard as the Hosts were now required to chase down 350 at a run rate of 7 per over. 

The Indian Bowlers started of pretty well as the Pakistanis managed to score just 40 runs in the first 10 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. It appeared that the Indians will easily win this game, but this is when the game tilted towards the Host. 

For a considerable amount of time, the middle-order duo of Yousuf and Captain Inzamam appeared unstoppable. They consistently hit boundaries to put up 134 runs for the third wicket. In the 28th over, Sehwag produced the important breakthrough as he dismissed Yousuf for 73. However, Tendulkar was met with three boundaries from Pakistan in the ensuing over, with Inzamam and Younis Khan appearing increasingly assured.

To chase down the target, the hosts needed partnerships, and Inzamam played a captain's knock in this pressure situation. He scored a brilliant 122 runs, comprising of 12 boundaries and 2 sixes. Furthermore, he and Younis Khan shared a partnership of 109 runs before Younis Khan was dismissed in the 43rd over. 

The Pakistanis needed regular boundaries. However, Shoaib Malik and Moin Khan were unable to build on the foundation set by the top order. In the last over, Ashish Nehra had nine runs to defend while giving up just three runs in five balls. It was thus necessary for Moin Khan to hit a six off the final ball, something that Pakistan's then-coach Javed Miandad had accomplished against India in 1986.  However, this time the luck was with men in Blue as Moin Khan failed to connect the ball and was caught out on the final delivery. Indians won this game by 5 runs, leaving a disgruntled Miandad standing in the balcony. 

To watch the highlights of that Historic ODI, Click Here.  

THE ART OF CRICKET COMMENTARY

 

Image Credit- Daily Telegraph.

One fine evening, I switched into the Jio Cinema App to watch Pepsi IPL 2024. While watching the game I found out that there were options of listening to cricket commentary in regional languages. Curiously, I selected Bhojpuri Commentary and found it humorous and entertaining. However, soon I realized that something important is missing. This observation wasn't limited to Bhojpuri alone but extended to other regional languages as well. The missing element was the cricketing knowledge and understanding of the game. The regional language commentators did entertain their audience but were unsuccessful in imparting cricketing knowledge.

For someone used to the high standards set by legends Bill Lawry and Richie Benaud, this experience was disappointing. Back in the 2000s, cricket fans not only watched matches, but also absorbed cricket analysis and commentary with utmost seriousness. No True Cricket Fan can ever forget the Alan Wilkins Show or the Channel 9 Coverage. I must admit that these legendary commentators not only educated me about cricket, but also improved my vocabulary. Due to them I have been constantly following the Australian Cricket Summers since 2003-04.    

Unfortunately, amidst the overwhelming commercialization of cricket, we seem to have lost the essence of cricket commentary and analysis. While Sky Cricket do provide some solace, but nothing matches the class of Channel 9 Coverage.   

BEN STOKES- ON FIRE- BOOK REVIEW

 

Image Credit- Amazon.

The Summer of 2019 was a summer which no English Cricket Fan will ever forget. After 20 long years England were hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup which was soon followed by a Home Ashes Series. Interestingly the Hosts due to their recent performances were favorite to win both the events. As a result, there was a lot of expectations from everyone. And Boy! What a cricketing performance we witnessed. The Hosts were successful in winning their maiden World Cup Title. It was a topsy-turvy World Cup Campaign, but they held their nerves when it mattered the most. At one stage it appeared that they will be knocked out from the World Cup, but 3 straight wins against India, New Zealand and Australia meant that they were now playing the finals after 27 long years. 

Furthermore, in a closely fought final against the Kiwis they were successful in winning the tie by the barest of margins (Boundary Count). However, they were not that lucky in the Ashes Series as it ended in a 2-2 draw which meant that the Aussies retained the urn. Even though the English failed to win the Ashes, but their performance was such of which they should be proud of. In this book, Author Ben Stokes has relived those moments which has now gone down in the history books.  Hence, it is a must read for everyone interested in the drama and magic of cricket. 

THE BEST OF BRIAN LARA

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica [March 1999]

In the summer of 1999, Australian Cricket Team toured West Indies to play 4 Tests and 7 One Day Internationals.  The Windies were not in their best of forms. Due to this Brian Lara was announced as the Captain of the Side for only first two tests. Hence it was quite apparent that Lara has to win if he wants to save his captaincy. Unfortunately, the Windies suffered a humiliating defeat in the first test as the Aussies won it by a massive 312 runs. As a result, the second test was a must win game for Lara to save his captaincy and for Windies to keep their hopes alive in this series. One more defeat and it would have marked an end to Lara's Captaincy tenure. 

Things did not start very well as the Aussie Captain Steve Waugh won the toss and decided to bat first. However, it was not that easy to bat upon, but Captain Waugh scored a wonderful 100. Apart from him only his brother Mark (67) managed to get past 50 as the visitors were bowled out for 256 in their first innings. Courtney Walsh picked up 4, whereas Pedro Collins managed to get 3 wickets. 

In response the Windies were struggling at 56/4. It appeared that the Aussies would bowl them below 100 and will take a huge lead. However, this is when Captain Lara played one the greatest knocks. In such a tough condition he scored an incredible 213 and helped his team go past 400. His innings comprised of 29 boundaries and 3 massive sixes. It is pertinent to note that this knock was not just about power hitting, but also about class and timing. Alongside Lara, Jimmy Adams too scored a gritty 94 as the West Indies ended up scoring 431 in their first innings. The balance of the game shifted in favor of the Host Nation.

The Aussies were on a backfoot now and the lethal bowling of the Men in Maroon made sure that they level the series. The Visitors were bowled out for just 177 runs and the Windies needed just 3 runs to win the match and level the series. It was an easy target which the Hosts chased down in just 3 deliveries. 

The match was won the series was well and truly alive because of just one cricketer- Brian Charles Lara.  

To watch the knock of Brain Lara, Click Here. 

THE BEST OF JIMMY ANDERSON

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Lord's, London [May 22-24, 2003].

In the summer of 2003, Zimbabwe Cricket Team toured England to play 2 Test Matches. The first test of the series was scheduled in Lord's wherein the English decided to hand over the test cap to a 21-year-old promising youngster. It was a wonderful moment for the boy who was going to play his debut match in the home of cricket. 

He looked happy and determined to perform well on this big stage. And Boy! In the very first innings he picked up 5 wickets. The ball he bowled to dismiss batsmen were literally amazing. The swing and pace with which he bowled made every cricket fan go gaga. The Zimbabweans had no answer to his lethal bowling.  It was like poetry in motion. Everyone was in awe with this 21 years old lad whenever he took the ball in his hand. It is not hard to imagine that the English won this game comfortably and took a 1-0 lead in the series which they eventually won 2-0. 

 21 years later he bowled the final ball of his career at a place where it all started. And Man! What a career he has had. In a total 188 test matches he picked up 704 wickets. Be it Asia, Europe, Africa or Australia, he performed well in each and every continent. As a result, his departure will leave a vacuum in English Cricket which would be hard to fill. 

Goodbye Jimmy. You will be missed.   

To watch the debut spell of James Anderson, Click Here. 

 

MAGNIFICENT ABD

 

Image Credit- NDTV Sports.

Venue- Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai [October 25, 2015].

In the autumn of 2015, South African Cricket Team toured India to play 3 T20s, 5 ODIs and 4 Test Matches. The Proteas won the T20 Series 2-0, whereas the ODI Series was tied at 2-2 after 4 ODIs.  As a result, the final one day at Mumbai was a do or die game for both the sides. In a must win game South African Captain AB de Villiers won the toss and decided to bat first. 

On a batting friendly wicket South Africa started off pretty well but lost their first wicket in the 4th over itself. Hashim Amla was dismissed for 23 by Mohit Sharma as the Proteas scorecard read 33/1. However, post this De Kock and Faf du Plessis stitched a brilliant partnership as the duo added more than 150 runs to the South African Total.  Eventually De Kock was dismissed for 109 in the 27th over as the Proteas scorecard read 187/2.  

This is when the South African Captain AB de Villiers came out to bat. And Boy! What happened next was something truly unbelievable. ABD played one of the magnificent knocks of his cricketing career as he scored a quickfire 119 of 61 deliveries.  Be it spinner or fast bowler, everyone faced the same fate in the hands of AB de Villiers. His innings comprised of 3 boundaries and 11 huge sixes. Literally there was no part of the ground wherein he did not score any boundary. Furthermore, it was such a knock that even the Mumbai crowd was singing in the praise of Proteas Captain. 

Riding upon the 100s of de Kock, Faf and ABD, Proteas ended up scoring 438 in this must win game. The Indians now needed 439 runs to win the game and series. It was never going to be an easy chase and the South African bowling line-up made it impossible for the Indians. The Hosts were bowled out for just 224 as the Proteas won the game by 214 runs. The Indian Batting Order literally succumbed before the bowling attack of Steyn and Rabada.  De Kock was awarded the man of the match award, whereas ABD was awarded the man of the series award. Furthermore, AB de Villiers became the first Proteas Captain to win an ODI Series in India. 

Hence it can be said that it was truly an amazing series as we witnessed a magnificent performance by one of the greatest cricketers. 

    

Image Credit - Indian Express

To watch the magnificent knock of AB de Villiers, Click Here. 

THE BEST OF BAZ

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Basin Reserve, Wellington [14-18 February 2014].

In the Summer of 2014, Indian Cricket Team toured New Zealand to play 5 ODIs and 2 Tests. The Kiwis won the ODI Series 4-0 and were also leading the test series 1-0 after the first test. Even though the visitors made a strong comeback in the second innings, but it was not enough to save the game. As a result, the second test was a do or die test for the Indians. 

On a bowling friendly Wellington track, Indian Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to field first. The decision turned out to be a good one as Ishant Sharma bowled one of his finest spells [6-51] in this must win game. Due to the destructive spell of Ishant Sharma, the Hosts were bowled out for just 192 runs in their first innings.  In response the Visitors scored a commanding first innings score of 438. For Indians, Rahane led from the front as he scored a brilliant 118 whereas Dhawan missed his ton by just 2 runs. Apart from Rahane and Dhawan, Captain MS Dhoni too scored a quick-fire 68 of 86 deliveries. For Kiwis, Boult, Southee and Wagner picked 3 wickets each.  

It appeared that Indians would win this game comfortably. Furthermore, at one stage the Kiwi Scorecard read 94/5: 154 runs behind the Indian total. However, this is when we witnessed one of the finest knocks of the New Zealand Captain. Brendon McCullum scored a magnificent 302 of 559 deliveries and took his team to a massive score of 680. His innings comprised of 32 boundaries and 4 sixes.  It is interesting to note that this innings of his was not just about power hitting but was also about finding gaps and running between the wickets.

Apart from Baz, BJ Watling and James Neesham too scored wonderful 100s as the Kiwis took the game away from the hosts. The Visitors were given a target of 435 which was not going to be easy. Virat Kohli scored a gritty 100 in the 4th innings which resulted that the match ended in a draw. 

The Kiwis won the series 1-0. Captain Baz was awarded both man of the match and man of the series award for his exceptional performances in both the test matches. 

To watch the knock of Brendon McCullum, Click Here.

To watch the knock of Virat Kohli, Click Here.  

ABD MASTERCLASS

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- St George's Park, Port Elizabeth [March 2018].

In the summer of 2018, Australian Cricket Team toured South Africa to play 4 test matches. The visitors won the first test at Durban comfortably and the action now shifted to Port Elizabeth.  Furthermore, the drama, action and sledging in the first test gave us signs that this series will definitely make into the history books for both good and bad reasons. However, at the conclusion of the first test when SA lost, AB de Villiers tweeted that this series will be a memorable one worth remembering. So, everyone expected a master class from Mr. 360. And Boy. What a performance he delivered in the very next test. 

The Proteas in their first innings were struggling at 183/6, 60 runs behind the Aussie first innings total. It appeared that the visitors would bowl them out under 200 and take another crucial first innings lead. But this is when ABD delivered one of his finest performances. De Villiers scored a magnificent 126* of 146 balls and took South Africa to a commanding score of 382. Furthermore, this inning of his was not only about power hitting, but also about timing, class and finding gaps. The way he toiled the Aussie bowling line-up was worth watching. 

It is interesting to note that when De Kock was dismissed the Proteas scorecard read 227/7; still 15 runs behind the Aussie total. However, De Villiers batted sensibly with the tailenders and added 155 more runs to the board. These 155 runs proved too costly for the Aussies as they managed to score just 239 runs in their second innings. Kagiso Rabada literally ripped apart the Australian Batting line-up. 

The Proteas now needed just 101 runs to win the test and level the series. It was not going to be a tough task for them as they chased it down with 6 wickets in hand. The Proteas were well and truly back into the Series. Furthermore, post the second test everything went down the hill for the Aussies [To know what happened next, Click Here].  Hence, it can rightly be said that it was an inning which changed the course of this high-octane series.  

To watch the ABD Masterclass, Click Here.