India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and surprise , surprise, New Zealand are the semi finalists. Its a celebration for the sub continent teams as all of them came through in conditions most favorable to them . Whereas India outclassed Australia in a close ,tense match, Pakistan and Sri Lanka demolished the West Indies and England respectively. Biggest upset though was caused by the Kiwis . The South Africans simply collapsed as is their forte. Apparently, its come to a stage where every time there is a knock out , SA just collapse. The media, their opponents, the crowd - no one allows them to forget the dreaded 'C' word. Lets not take anything away from the Kiwis though. Lets look at the first semi -final then, between the Lankans and Kiwis.By the way, its their 6th World Cup semifinal . Exceptional for a country with just 4 million people and cricket not being their primary sport! Its like having a cricket team comprised of players from Jayanagar, Basavangudi, Indiranagar, Malleshwaram and Koramangala!
The visitors face an extremely challenging task of playing at the dancing and partying Premadasa, which is also THE Lanka fort! Home pressure also counts for something as was evident when the Lankans dropped Morgan 3 times but their superior batting led them through .
From the Kiwis side, Ryder and Taylor hold the key. Brendon Mccullum has promised much but delivered so little. Their lower middle order with the young but extremely talented Williamson, the quarter final man of the match, Jacob Oram and the captain himself, Vettori is very much capable of piling up the runs but can the big question is whether they can do it against Lanka's spin. Sri Lanka like in the quarter finals , will surely field 3 spinners and tackling them might be really tough on a slow and low wicket tailor made for the home team. Add Malinga's slingas to the mix and the entire match might be decided by whether the Kiwis will be able to handle Lanka's bowling.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka's top order is in unbelievable form - Dilshan, Tharanga and the golden 2 - Sanga and Mahela - with the top 3 in the top 5 scorers' list of this World Cup but if the Kiwis are somehow able to get through to the middle order , then the game might turn out to be interesting. The Kiwis won't forget the 2007 World Cup when they started off excellently but were done in by a Mahela Jayawardene master class. As always, Mahela and their inspirational captain Kumara Sanagakara are the key predators in their line up. Much will also depend on the field placements off Vettori . Having atleast 6-7 extremely athletic and flexible fielders would surely save 10-20 runs for the Kiwis but field placements are the key. On the bowling front, the black caps will field 3 spinners in Vettori , the younger and currently more accomplished Mccullum and I forget the 3rd bloke. It is going to be a battle between spin of the 2 sides and Lanka's top order vs Kiwis' middle and lower middle order!
Best way for Kiwis to pull off an upset (again)? - Taylor/Mccullum tackle Lanka's spinners and the Kiwi bowlers get the top 4 of Lanka out before the half way mark.
Best way for Lanka to pull off a victory - Top order tears apart Kiwis' bowling . Mahela and Sanga milk their bowling with their spinners going on the prowl during their bowling stint and Malinga running through the lower order.
Key questions - Will Muralidaran play ? Can the Lankans soak in the home pressure and the Kiwis' dare devil attitude to conquer ? We will know in the next 24 hours but If I have to put my money on one of the teams, it has got to be Sri Lanka with a 64% chance . You ask me how ? Well, I ran a complex algorithm starting with the Diffie Hellman Algorithm followed by running the player's statistics against a complex statistical analyser. Do you want to know more ???
Anyway, the stage is set then for a very colorful 1st semi final ,which is almost a blessing in disguise especially because the entire world is probably looking at the 2nd one!
Showing posts with label south africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label south africa. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Time for the Quarters!
30 days of non-stop cricket and we have ladies and gentlemen , the quarter finalists! Some would say the team list is predictable but most definitely it wasn't the case. Inspired performances from Ireland and Bangladesh kept one of the groups alive till the last match. If there ever was a prize for the most entertaining team in the league stage, the deserving winner would be England! With that background, lets look at the clashes and possible winners and match winners!
QF 1 : Pakistan vs West Indies - The match of the unpredictable nations though Pakistan I must say has been most impressive. The Windies haven't won a match against a renowned test nation as yet. Is this the match where they will fire ?
Key match moments and potential match winners (KMMPMW) - Pakistan's spin attack vs the Windies batting. Windies have a phenomenal ability to collapse leaving even gully tennis ball cricket teams far behind. If Pakistan bat first and score 250+ , then West Indies might have to bat out of their skins to win the game. Don't forget Gul. On the other hand, if the Windies play 3 fast bowlers - the 3Rs Roach, Russel and Rampaul (instead of the "nothing can affect me but i will still frown" Benn), then it might be interesting!
General Favorite - Pakistan
My favorite - My heart always supports the West Indies but more often that not my heart ain't right but hope it is this time!
QF 2 : India vs Australia - Some are already saying that this is the final before the final! India surely, I mean SURELY, go in as favorites. Australia seems to be wobbling with a lot of inconsistency in their ranks presently.
KMMPMW - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and Veeru against the Aussie pace attack. Ashwin and Zaheer vs Watson and Ponting. Hussey vs the Indians. Finally, the Batting Powerplay! India has gone from 9/29 to 7/51. Someone might mistake these numbers for Jim Laker or Anil Kumble's best bowling figures in a test match but this is India's performance this World Cup ! I will say this though , if Watson gets going and scores a hundred, Australia will win else India will ! India, avenge the 2003 World Cup final defeat. Do what the Aussies did to you ! Go India Go !!!
Favorites - India ! Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega ! 60-40 to India.
QF 3 : South Africa vs New Zealand - Hmmm, somehow seems like a no brainer . Out and out South Africa and I suspect this will be a one sided game unless Taylor and co. can go hammer and tongs against Steyn and co.
KMMPMW - New Zealand bowling vs SA top order - specially Hashim Amla and AB De villiers. Tahir and Peterson vs Taylor and Oram . Finally, Steyn vs the entire New Zealand team.
Favorites - South Africa unless they choke. It will be a HUGE upset if the Kiwis pull this off. 90-10 to South Africa.
QF 4 : England vs Sri Lanka - This , folks, promises to be a kickass clash! Sri Lanka's spin vs the English. Mahela and Sangakara vs the English. Premadasa vs the English. Mouth watering. Both teams have done well but Sri Lankans at home are clearly the favorites but England is probably the new Pakistan . Moreover, I stand to win 600 rupees if England wins the World Cup !!!
KMMPMW - Its all about how either team will play Spin. Murali vs Swann . Strauss vs Sangakara. Awesome clash! Also remember half the England team is out injured and that means, new faces but with fresh minds! Never ever count out Malinga but I have a feeling the bragging rights will end with Morgan !
Favorites - Sri Lanka
My Favorite - Sri Lanka but am excited to watch the English! Never thought I would say this (ever!)
4 days - 4 matches and we will have the semi-finalists!
So, Ladies and Gentlemen, ready steady go !
QF 1 : Pakistan vs West Indies - The match of the unpredictable nations though Pakistan I must say has been most impressive. The Windies haven't won a match against a renowned test nation as yet. Is this the match where they will fire ?
Key match moments and potential match winners (KMMPMW) - Pakistan's spin attack vs the Windies batting. Windies have a phenomenal ability to collapse leaving even gully tennis ball cricket teams far behind. If Pakistan bat first and score 250+ , then West Indies might have to bat out of their skins to win the game. Don't forget Gul. On the other hand, if the Windies play 3 fast bowlers - the 3Rs Roach, Russel and Rampaul (instead of the "nothing can affect me but i will still frown" Benn), then it might be interesting!
General Favorite - Pakistan
My favorite - My heart always supports the West Indies but more often that not my heart ain't right but hope it is this time!
QF 2 : India vs Australia - Some are already saying that this is the final before the final! India surely, I mean SURELY, go in as favorites. Australia seems to be wobbling with a lot of inconsistency in their ranks presently.
KMMPMW - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and Veeru against the Aussie pace attack. Ashwin and Zaheer vs Watson and Ponting. Hussey vs the Indians. Finally, the Batting Powerplay! India has gone from 9/29 to 7/51. Someone might mistake these numbers for Jim Laker or Anil Kumble's best bowling figures in a test match but this is India's performance this World Cup ! I will say this though , if Watson gets going and scores a hundred, Australia will win else India will ! India, avenge the 2003 World Cup final defeat. Do what the Aussies did to you ! Go India Go !!!
Favorites - India ! Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega ! 60-40 to India.
QF 3 : South Africa vs New Zealand - Hmmm, somehow seems like a no brainer . Out and out South Africa and I suspect this will be a one sided game unless Taylor and co. can go hammer and tongs against Steyn and co.
KMMPMW - New Zealand bowling vs SA top order - specially Hashim Amla and AB De villiers. Tahir and Peterson vs Taylor and Oram . Finally, Steyn vs the entire New Zealand team.
Favorites - South Africa unless they choke. It will be a HUGE upset if the Kiwis pull this off. 90-10 to South Africa.
QF 4 : England vs Sri Lanka - This , folks, promises to be a kickass clash! Sri Lanka's spin vs the English. Mahela and Sangakara vs the English. Premadasa vs the English. Mouth watering. Both teams have done well but Sri Lankans at home are clearly the favorites but England is probably the new Pakistan . Moreover, I stand to win 600 rupees if England wins the World Cup !!!
KMMPMW - Its all about how either team will play Spin. Murali vs Swann . Strauss vs Sangakara. Awesome clash! Also remember half the England team is out injured and that means, new faces but with fresh minds! Never ever count out Malinga but I have a feeling the bragging rights will end with Morgan !
Favorites - Sri Lanka
My Favorite - Sri Lanka but am excited to watch the English! Never thought I would say this (ever!)
4 days - 4 matches and we will have the semi-finalists!
So, Ladies and Gentlemen, ready steady go !
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Paper tigers
Half time - India vs South Africa - India's Score - 296 all out
Someone who hasn't seen this would say "Wow! Awesome performance" but the fans who probably saw them collapse in the manner they did would be very angry, very irritated and deeply shocked !
It was almost like Indian cricket team of 90s and 2000s - Once Sachin falls, every one else follows. If Sachin ever told his team to follow him , he never ever meant that they should follow him back to the pavilion and at the pace at which they did.
To imagine that they were 267/1 and lost their last 9 wickets for 29 runs, is just worse than club cricket. 0 3 1 0 0 0 were some of the scores that our Indian batsmen had against their names on the scoreboard. Our cricketers forgot the concept of singles! So to remind all of us , if you touch the ball with your bat and run across to the other end from where the bowler just bowled (and the nonstriker runs to your end provided you are not caught) , then 1 run is added to your score! If you touch the ball with other body parts and run across, you still get one run (if you are not LBW etc etc).
Many proverbs/phrases were probably made just for the Indian team , an example being "falling like nine pins".
By the way, if someone asked you who is the best bowler of the world cup you must (MUST) tell them that its the batting powerplay.
Last but not the least, a big salute to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. An amazing amazing knock with those trademark straight drives , flicks, cuts, sixes !!! The guys in the dressing room were posing when he was batting and even seemed like they wanted to bat. No one even tried to bat after that! My teacher once said "Paper tigers" with reference to students' writing exams but that quote is so very apt for our batting today! So paper tigers, will you turn out to be bowling and fielding tigers later today ?
Well the game is over and South Africa fought and fought till they won. Hitherto not so good cricketers come good against India and Peterson showed just that right at the end.
India were 10-15 runs short thanks to their woeful batting. Dhoni's luck finally ran out. Maybe Bhajji who had a fabulous day getting the crucial wickets of Amla, AB Deviliers and Duminy, should have bowled the last over . Who knows what would have happened ? Bowling a intoxicated looking Nehra in the last over was in hindsight, a massive mistake. The fielding surprisingly was pretty decent but as they say in life , you pay for your deeds and India did on the cricket field for their miserable collapse. India probably didn't deserve to win today. As Dhoni summarized in his post match conference - "Play for the country , not for the crowds"! As a result, no one has qualified for the quarter finals from this group !!!
Last point - Guys, please win when Tendulkar scores a century :P
Someone who hasn't seen this would say "Wow! Awesome performance" but the fans who probably saw them collapse in the manner they did would be very angry, very irritated and deeply shocked !
It was almost like Indian cricket team of 90s and 2000s - Once Sachin falls, every one else follows. If Sachin ever told his team to follow him , he never ever meant that they should follow him back to the pavilion and at the pace at which they did.
To imagine that they were 267/1 and lost their last 9 wickets for 29 runs, is just worse than club cricket. 0 3 1 0 0 0 were some of the scores that our Indian batsmen had against their names on the scoreboard. Our cricketers forgot the concept of singles! So to remind all of us , if you touch the ball with your bat and run across to the other end from where the bowler just bowled (and the nonstriker runs to your end provided you are not caught) , then 1 run is added to your score! If you touch the ball with other body parts and run across, you still get one run (if you are not LBW etc etc).
Many proverbs/phrases were probably made just for the Indian team , an example being "falling like nine pins".
By the way, if someone asked you who is the best bowler of the world cup you must (MUST) tell them that its the batting powerplay.
Last but not the least, a big salute to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. An amazing amazing knock with those trademark straight drives , flicks, cuts, sixes !!! The guys in the dressing room were posing when he was batting and even seemed like they wanted to bat. No one even tried to bat after that! My teacher once said "Paper tigers" with reference to students' writing exams but that quote is so very apt for our batting today! So paper tigers, will you turn out to be bowling and fielding tigers later today ?
Well the game is over and South Africa fought and fought till they won. Hitherto not so good cricketers come good against India and Peterson showed just that right at the end.
India were 10-15 runs short thanks to their woeful batting. Dhoni's luck finally ran out. Maybe Bhajji who had a fabulous day getting the crucial wickets of Amla, AB Deviliers and Duminy, should have bowled the last over . Who knows what would have happened ? Bowling a intoxicated looking Nehra in the last over was in hindsight, a massive mistake. The fielding surprisingly was pretty decent but as they say in life , you pay for your deeds and India did on the cricket field for their miserable collapse. India probably didn't deserve to win today. As Dhoni summarized in his post match conference - "Play for the country , not for the crowds"! As a result, no one has qualified for the quarter finals from this group !!!
Last point - Guys, please win when Tendulkar scores a century :P
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)