The wait was finally over. A first World Cup title of any description now sits gleaming alongside the triumphs of Ashes past, such was the eminence of the emphatic win for England, the nation that invented this format of the game, the nation that infact invented Cricket. They faught back the stature and prestige which they had graciously allowed the rest of the world to plunder.
The build up to the dream final had in itself been a lip smackering prospect for both the teams. Both the nations came into the tournament desperately in need to change the course of history. On one hand the Englishmen were radically in search of their first ICC tournament victory in the 35 years of existence of limited over matches while for the Australians, seeded a lowly 9th in the tournament, it was a chance to show the world that they could play this format of the game with an added incentive of completing a cleansweep – World Cup (50 overs), Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup. And both the teams did justice to their cause by playing some immaculate cricket throughout the tournament.
England, catapulted beyond the sum of the individual brilliance by a collective quality almost impossible to quantify, had a sense of certainty in the results this past fortnight, underpinned by refreshing competence in all areas. The Australian juggernaut on the other hand continued to roll on destroying their opponents with utmost of ease and a touch of their typical arrogance. Pakistan, although seemed to be on the verge of stopping their onslaught were not able to land in the final blow and the Australians scraped of with one of the greatest T20 wins ever.
The final, touted by many as the reincarnation of the ashes in the shorter format, never lived upto its reputation of being a tough encounter, a showdown unlike the India Pakistan clash three years ago. As was the story at the Kennington Oval during the 2005 Ashes, the Kennsington Oval and the occasion did not suffer for the trans-Atlantic transfer.
England continued with their cagey thrift with the ball and committed themselves to full-on attack with the bat– a strategy similar to the one Australia’s Test team used to thrive on. They were again quick to adopt their leg side short ball tactic. The slow bouncer is Twenty20’s bodyline. Just like the original tactic it is designed to intimidate, the difference being that it relies on frustration rather than fear to scare the batsman.
The Aussies were unable to match the exploits of their opponents with the ball and it was intriguing that they didn't seem to have a plan B. So far in the competition their bullying pace attack had it pretty much all their own way but after they failed to break through England, they had nothing to fall back on. This is where the attitude of the players and the captain come into the picture. The Aussies, although a better side on paper than their counterparts, found themselves in an unknown territory when their pace battery failed to incur any serious damage and their helplessness was for everyone to see. Once the England batsmen were able to see off the new ball, the result was just a formality.
The result has meant the upcoming of many new horizons in world cricket. The looming Ashes winter has suddenly become a mouth watering prospect. The emergence of a new resilient and united England means that we are unlikely to see a repeat of the last tour Down Under, which began with a reckless wide to second slip from Steve Harmison and ended in whitewashed mortification. Defeat is always possible, but not humiliation.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tour de Monaco
If Formula One stands at the technological pinnacle of all motorsport with it being the richest, most intense, most difficult, most political, and most demading racing championship in the world then the Circuit de Monaco is surely the crème de la crème in the world of motorsport. The Monaco Grand Prix held each year on the Circuit de Monaco, is considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world alongside the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (with which it forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport). The legacy, spectacle and charisma result in the race being considered “the jewel of the Formula One crown”. The degree of audacious eminence on show can offend but Monaco is synonymous with the glamour and wealth of the most expensive sport in the world.
The circuit boasts of numerous elevation shifts, tight corners, chicanes, a blinding run through the tunnel section and a narrow course, all adding up to make it perhaps the most demanding track in Formula One racing. The famous tunnel section (which infact runs under a hotel) is touted to be one of the most formidable and ardous racing circumstances in motorsport since the tunnel has a flat out kink which is,by far, the quickest corner in Formula one(with drivers hitting the corner at speeds well over 260 km/hr). Apart from the body crushing g-force that is generated during the turn, what adds to the complexity is that the drivers have to cope with the quick switch from light to dark, and then back to light again, at one of the fastest points of the course. The fact that this track also possesses the slowest turn in Formula One(the Grand Hotel hairpin, taken at just 50 km/hr) perhaps simply sums up its difficulty. Despite the fact that the course has changed many times during its history, it is still considered the ultimate test of driving skills in Formula One.
However, the tight and curvaceous nature of the track restricts manouverablity and greatly reduces overtaking opportunities. With the track being so narrow and dangerous, the slightest of errors on part of the driver can transform into a deadly acident. As a result, race outcomes here are greatly influenced by grid positions as well as pit strategies.It is one of the few tracks around the globe where a driver with better skill and finesse can outclass those who drive relatively faster cars. As Nelson Piquet puts it, “driving in Monaco is pretty similar to riding a bicycle round your living room.”
So as Formula One heads to its Mecca, the tension and apprehension among the drivers and the masses are becoming more and more palpable with every passing moment. The drivers love it, for Monaco’s tight and twisty streets provide a challenge different from anything else and the thrill is almost as great for spectators – nothing compares to the sensory assault of an F1 car pushed upto its limit. With only 10 points separating the top three drivers in the current standings, there will be a lot at stake when the five lights go out in front of a packed Grand Stand this Sunday.
The circuit boasts of numerous elevation shifts, tight corners, chicanes, a blinding run through the tunnel section and a narrow course, all adding up to make it perhaps the most demanding track in Formula One racing. The famous tunnel section (which infact runs under a hotel) is touted to be one of the most formidable and ardous racing circumstances in motorsport since the tunnel has a flat out kink which is,by far, the quickest corner in Formula one(with drivers hitting the corner at speeds well over 260 km/hr). Apart from the body crushing g-force that is generated during the turn, what adds to the complexity is that the drivers have to cope with the quick switch from light to dark, and then back to light again, at one of the fastest points of the course. The fact that this track also possesses the slowest turn in Formula One(the Grand Hotel hairpin, taken at just 50 km/hr) perhaps simply sums up its difficulty. Despite the fact that the course has changed many times during its history, it is still considered the ultimate test of driving skills in Formula One.
However, the tight and curvaceous nature of the track restricts manouverablity and greatly reduces overtaking opportunities. With the track being so narrow and dangerous, the slightest of errors on part of the driver can transform into a deadly acident. As a result, race outcomes here are greatly influenced by grid positions as well as pit strategies.It is one of the few tracks around the globe where a driver with better skill and finesse can outclass those who drive relatively faster cars. As Nelson Piquet puts it, “driving in Monaco is pretty similar to riding a bicycle round your living room.”
So as Formula One heads to its Mecca, the tension and apprehension among the drivers and the masses are becoming more and more palpable with every passing moment. The drivers love it, for Monaco’s tight and twisty streets provide a challenge different from anything else and the thrill is almost as great for spectators – nothing compares to the sensory assault of an F1 car pushed upto its limit. With only 10 points separating the top three drivers in the current standings, there will be a lot at stake when the five lights go out in front of a packed Grand Stand this Sunday.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Believe to live another day
The writings have been written on the wall and the final testament has been read. For India to imitate their triumph of 2007, the road that lies ahead is devoid of any junctions and bifurcations. Logically the task has abridged down to its minimal complexity and there is only one possible solution left to re capture the lost glory. India needs to win every match that it plays from now on in order to be crowned the champions. If at any point of time, it fails to satisfy the criterion, all that would be left is packing the bags and checking the flight timings, that will be the end of the road for this year’s World Cup race. Full Stop. Thank You for flying down to the Carribean.
However slim and tender may be the odds more than one billion hearts always find the courage to conjure up that tiny ray of hope that finally decides on which side of the border you finally end up. However grim the chances may appear, more than one billion hearts pray incessently as if the world was struck by an apocalypse. That is the amount of pressure that the players have to bear and that is just one side of the coin. Add to it the mind games, sledging and the counterattack from the opposite team and you are surely looking at a pressure cooker scenario.
Call it a blessing in disguise or a killing curse, the choice, although is yours, they say it hardly makes a difference on the final outcome. As eleven of the country’s top cricketers take the field tonight against the erratic West Indian squad, every Indian’s hope of them making through to the semis would have reached its pinnacle. Every move of theirs will be scrutinised to the atomic level by the media, every mistake would be magnified a million times. Such is the magnitude of this sword wielding pressure that a pessimistic of the lowest degree would not have a seconds hesitation in terming this to be a deterrant.
But there have been miracles in the past and more are yet to follow. The Men in Blue have had to face such do or die situations in the past and on more occasion than one have they been able to make the cut. They have shown in the past that they have the mettle to survive through such intense situations and end up on the winning side. That is one of the reason why this country boasts of having cricket’s most frenzied followers on the planet. That is also one reason why the little ray of hope never extinguishes from the hearts of some billion odd people. And that is one reason why cricket is revered as the greatest sport of all by many around the globe.
It is as they say that a wounded tiger is a more dangerous opponent. Call it a blessing in disguise or a killing curse, the choice is yours, and I believe it is this essence of hope and fidelity that makes all the difference in the end.
However slim and tender may be the odds more than one billion hearts always find the courage to conjure up that tiny ray of hope that finally decides on which side of the border you finally end up. However grim the chances may appear, more than one billion hearts pray incessently as if the world was struck by an apocalypse. That is the amount of pressure that the players have to bear and that is just one side of the coin. Add to it the mind games, sledging and the counterattack from the opposite team and you are surely looking at a pressure cooker scenario.
Call it a blessing in disguise or a killing curse, the choice, although is yours, they say it hardly makes a difference on the final outcome. As eleven of the country’s top cricketers take the field tonight against the erratic West Indian squad, every Indian’s hope of them making through to the semis would have reached its pinnacle. Every move of theirs will be scrutinised to the atomic level by the media, every mistake would be magnified a million times. Such is the magnitude of this sword wielding pressure that a pessimistic of the lowest degree would not have a seconds hesitation in terming this to be a deterrant.
But there have been miracles in the past and more are yet to follow. The Men in Blue have had to face such do or die situations in the past and on more occasion than one have they been able to make the cut. They have shown in the past that they have the mettle to survive through such intense situations and end up on the winning side. That is one of the reason why this country boasts of having cricket’s most frenzied followers on the planet. That is also one reason why the little ray of hope never extinguishes from the hearts of some billion odd people. And that is one reason why cricket is revered as the greatest sport of all by many around the globe.
It is as they say that a wounded tiger is a more dangerous opponent. Call it a blessing in disguise or a killing curse, the choice is yours, and I believe it is this essence of hope and fidelity that makes all the difference in the end.
Time to drop Duckworth and Lewis?
Cricket appraises its double acts — be it the great English pre-war opening batsmen Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe or the more recently retired West Indies fast bowlers Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose or the charismatic pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly. Cricket has always been a game where an individual brilliance rarely equates to a victory; what is required is teamwork and coordination and that is what makes this sport so special. Yet it remains ambivalent about potentially the most influential duo, Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis.
Duckworth and Lewis, joined at the hyphen, have made their presence felt on the cricketing field on numerous occasions while being miles away from all the action. As the grey clouds start hovering around over the ground, the couple suddenly soaks up a major quantum of everyone’s domain of imagination. The D/L method has been in use since more than 13 years now and it still continues to baffle the masses all over the world. One does not have to be a rocket scientist (but it certainly helps) to understand the intricacies of the calculations but by and large the world of cricket has embraced the method.
But as is the case with great players, during the course of their career they come across an opponent that more often than not seems to get better of them like the exploits of Pedro Collins against Sachin Tendulkar or Graeme Smith’s helplessness against Zaheer Khan. But the point is that one needs to adapt and acclamatize to the situations, you cannot just go on playing your natural game without taking into account the external factors. Pretty similar is the case with this method. Although it has served the cricketing quite amicably for so long, the D/L method finally seems to have met its meddlesome opponent.
With the onset of the T-20s, the works of Mr.Duckworth and Mr.Lewis have suddenly come under the scanner. And the point that is being raised against their theory is a valid and a logical one. You simply cannot superimpose a mathmatical principle built up for a particular format of the game onto another format. It is very obvious that this superimposition will surely be less effective as compared to its effectiveness in the original format for which it was developed. The entire mindset of the players and their approach to the game is different in the shorter version and hence implementing the same technique is infact a contradiction to the basic principle on which the method was incorporated.
Hence it is time we moved forward and let Duckworth and Lewis savour the monopoly in ODIs and leave the T-20s for something newer, something closer to this version of the game.
Duckworth and Lewis, joined at the hyphen, have made their presence felt on the cricketing field on numerous occasions while being miles away from all the action. As the grey clouds start hovering around over the ground, the couple suddenly soaks up a major quantum of everyone’s domain of imagination. The D/L method has been in use since more than 13 years now and it still continues to baffle the masses all over the world. One does not have to be a rocket scientist (but it certainly helps) to understand the intricacies of the calculations but by and large the world of cricket has embraced the method.
But as is the case with great players, during the course of their career they come across an opponent that more often than not seems to get better of them like the exploits of Pedro Collins against Sachin Tendulkar or Graeme Smith’s helplessness against Zaheer Khan. But the point is that one needs to adapt and acclamatize to the situations, you cannot just go on playing your natural game without taking into account the external factors. Pretty similar is the case with this method. Although it has served the cricketing quite amicably for so long, the D/L method finally seems to have met its meddlesome opponent.
With the onset of the T-20s, the works of Mr.Duckworth and Mr.Lewis have suddenly come under the scanner. And the point that is being raised against their theory is a valid and a logical one. You simply cannot superimpose a mathmatical principle built up for a particular format of the game onto another format. It is very obvious that this superimposition will surely be less effective as compared to its effectiveness in the original format for which it was developed. The entire mindset of the players and their approach to the game is different in the shorter version and hence implementing the same technique is infact a contradiction to the basic principle on which the method was incorporated.
Hence it is time we moved forward and let Duckworth and Lewis savour the monopoly in ODIs and leave the T-20s for something newer, something closer to this version of the game.
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