Cricket - FOREVER

You're Goddamm right!! What the hell is a forum w/o a cricket thread. Place for news, video links, vetti arattai and sometimes a pool of blood.
Ok, Lets start this thread auspiciously.

109 of the finest runs ever scored in the Sydney Cricket Ground. A mere 17 fours while he reaches his 100 in 120+ balls. Lakshmanaa the man born to time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYL-XDl9o78&feature=g-user-u

Michael, what a way to start the thread!
mr butter wrists...vvs the man!

Have any of you had any luck in playing any shots from this dude's book? Darn, I tried a leg-side flick once and ended up hitting myself hard on the ankle!

Gopumon's Vishwaroopam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BNUOCdJtpk

Meanwhile, why is AF "Michael AF"? Stan-nu dhAnE angE kooppiduvAnga?

AF - uNmaiya sollunga. unga varalARu dhAn enna? BashangaRadhu yAru? avanukkum ungaLukkum enna sambandham

Btw did anyone catch the Hongkong Sixes today ??
It used to be a big time favourite event during the mid to late 90s ..
South Africa won the cup this time by beating Pakistan in the final ..They walloped 142 off a mere 5 overs (8 ball over though)
Though , the Akmal brothers put up a good show , the target was always too daunting and they ended up 30 odd runs short.

T20 is the new HK sixes - a much more succesful one, at that.

Remember also there was the Max 8s invented by Martin Crowe ?? Whatever hapnd to that

Stan AF en anna. Avarukku meesai irukkum enakku

plum wrote:Meanwhile, why is AF "Michael AF"? Stan-nu dhAnE angE kooppiduvAnga?

AF - uNmaiya sollunga. unga varalARu dhAn enna? BashangaRadhu yAru? avanukkum ungaLukkum enna sambandham

Kohls/Naina baying for blood and touting this series as means to get back @ Eng is India just about managed to get past Kiwis/Windies @ home and these nutjobs are sounding supremely confident of a whitewash
apparently Lalchand wanted to play on a greentop for this warmup only to be vetoed.

lol of the week

Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh suffered another blow after the demotion by the BCCI, as a job offer from the Punjab police, which came his way in 2002, no longer exists.

The off-spinner was a few days ago demoted from Grade A to B by the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), due to which his fees was reduced from Rs 1 crore to 50 lakh per year.

Now, he cannot turn back to the offer that was made by the Punjab police in 2002.

In February 2002, Harbhajan was given the offer to join Punjab police as a deputy superintendent of police. He was honoured by the then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who even called him the 'Punjab da puttar', besides giving a cash award of Rs 5 lakh and a residential plot.

Harbhajan didn’t take the police job offer as that time he was flooded with offers and with the Indian team.

Now, after 10 years, when he showed interest, the Punjab government responded back that the offer no longer exists.

"The deputy chief minister has made adverse remarks on Bhajji's file and the case is almost closed. Bhajji has been busy in the glamour world and preferred not to serve his state,” a Punjab government official was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

I heard that. Aswin got promoted to Grade A it seems. Lucky phellow "net practice specialist" Rohit still in Grade B.

ESPN Cricinfo best Test Batting 2011 winner.

Tendulkar was bull-headed that day. Some batsmen counterattack at such times, and on occasion get away with it, ending up with charming innings. Tendulkar has done that himself in the past, but on this day he took the harder route. He changed the terms of play. He didn't want to take the risk that came with counterattacking. This was his last chance of winning a series in South Africa. He knew he couldn't possibly cover the swing of every ball. He just kept getting a stride in, eliminating lbws as far as possible, and playing at balls only if they ended up under the line of his eyes.

Once, Steyn pitched too full; Tendulkar drove him for four. Another time Tendulkar committed to a defensive shot well outside the line of off, and decided to withdraw the bat too late, getting a streaky four through the cordon. Apart from that it was almost impossible to break his discipline. It is one thing to tell yourself you are not going to play a defensive shot outside the line of your head, quite another to not be lured by the prolific and late swing. Tendulkar was in the zone that day.

D/N Test matches

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/588728.html

Ind A vs Eng

Ind A 53/1

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/engine/current/match/565801.html

Mukunda got more runs what ATG could have managed in 8 innings.

Ajinkya turning into another domestic bully like Badri

We have to stand up and score runs: Cook


Excerpts of Cook’s media interaction:

Playing in India: India is a great place to play cricket. We can’t wait for the game to start on Tuesday and get ready for the first Test in two-and-a-half week’s time. It’s a huge challenge to change things here. History suggests how hard it is for an English side to win in the sub-continent.

On Kevin Pietersen: We landed this morning and since it’s been a day of recovery. We have seen Kevin, he’s desperate to get going and we are desperate to have him back in the team. It’s always great to have world class players in the team. He’s played a huge amount of cricket, a lot in the sub-continent and in the IPL and that experience will be invaluable for us.

Absence of Andrew Strauss: That will be one of the big changes. It will be strange for me to walk out and bat for England without Strauss. It was a pleasure to bat with him and it was great to know such a familiar face at the other end.

Presence of Gooch and Flower: That’s why we have maximum coaching staff; there’s lot of experience in former world class cricketers. Gooch has done some huge amount of work for me and Andy as well. I started batting with Andy when I was 18 or 19. As captain and coach we have a strong relationship and base to work together and push this England side and get some good results.

Absence of a specialist spinner in the India ‘A’ team: We have no right to select the India ‘A’ team; it’s not in our control. There’s Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina in the team for spin.

On the Indian team: Both sides have world class players. It’s going to be a fantastic series to watch. Whichever team uses the conditions better will win the series.

Flower on Pietersen: It takes a little while to get back into your rhythm and into top form. But he’s an amazing cricketer. Playing T20 cricket (in the CLT20 league) he might have been a tad rusty playing his first few innings.

But he scored a good 50 in the semifinal and with a couple of knocks in the preparatory games for the Test series I am sure he will be fine.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/we-have-to-stand-up-and-score-runs-cook/article4044153.ece

is it part of the plan to lull the Eng into a false of security wrt their spin attack by gifting the wickets away to them.

Raina has repaid the pain with interest

Shamo is running a commentary https://twitter.com/shamyad

Not bad. 369/9

Tiwary 90 and Irfan a 46. I would gladly pick Pathan over Raina. He is a double whammy.

with Zak's form/fitness Pathan may as well play as a frontline bowler, I just don't get Dhoni/selectors fetish for playing a leftie @ 6.
Swann will piss all over any leftie we play @ 6.

pie chucker

Yes. pie chucker 5 wkts- Makes a case for No 6 inclusion. Watch out Raina.

Cook and Patel 100 bothering news right there.

Shamo is running a commentary https://twitter.com/shamyad

going by his tweets looks like Rainman is inflicting some pain


with our batting frailties we can't afford a dasher in Yuvi/Raina I would rather play a scrapper who value their wkt like Manoj/Bist or even Badri

Steyn says he is not the world's best bowler. Enna thannadakkam . Bleddy Inglis learn from the man.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/I-am-not-the-worlds-best-bowler-Dale-Steyn/articleshow/17045036.cms

Wizz, we need more spinners so Yuvi is making a good case. The more the spinner the better are our chances. As batting wise raina/yuvi are the same.

AF, even Dhoni has raised some doubts on Yuvi's fitness, 2 rounds of Ranjis should give us a fair idea on his test match fitness/other contenders form.

Patil has gone against the grain by including Che/Dhawan for Mum A hope he extends that vigour for the test selection by dropping Dilli bellies .

Tendulkar/rahane hit 100's against railways. Idhula kooda adikalaina idhu kooda adika mudiyaliyannu kelvi keppanuga. 100 Adicha ivanunga kooda adicha enna peria vishayamannu keppanunga.

Lord of Spin - The return of the King