Cricket: Sidney Blockbuster Turns Into India-Crusher!

Team India lost a great opportunity with history behind and history-to-be-made ahead. They won the toss and elected to bat first—a tremendous advantage in a match they wanted to do well. The so-called best batting line-up of the world flopped miserably. If 13 wickets fell in the first day of the second cricket test between India and Australia in Sidney it was due to Indian batting failure and if only one wicket fell on the second day today it was Australian supremacy.

Doubtful starter for the series Ricky Ponting went from strength to strength—scoring two half centuries in the two innings of the first test in Melbourne and scoring his 40^th ton here in Sidney. He scored this ton after two years. Well, there is a saying about Team India’s proverbial generosity—if someone or a team is hopelessly out of form, play with India because India would restore the confidence lost in overflowing measure! Australia looked to be a team in disarray prior to the start of the series and now, they look set to dominate world cricket once again.

It’s really inexplicable how seasoned batsmen like Gambhir, Laxman and Kohli could go on doing absolutely nothing for the team. Sachin Tendulkar looked good and set for a historical performance, but finally it was a far cry from what the whole of cricket world wanted of him. And, for an ominous change, Indian bowlers lacked penetration with at least three strike bowlers in action. Australia scored 366 runs today—at the rate of over four runs per over like in one day affairs. They finished the second day at a mammoth 482 for 4.

There is already a lead of 291 runs and Australia look poised to take it beyond 500 with 6 wicket in still intact. Now, only calculations that are possible would be the margin of defeat for India. Get ready to read the headline, ‘Australia crush India by an innings and __ runs!’ You need just to fill in the blank assuming of course India stick to its time tested policy of generosity. It could very well be over on the third day tomorrow itself or the agony may prolong to the fourth day too.

A miracle? Certainly not plausible at the present state of things. India skipper Dhoni has no answers or excuses to offer though he got an unbeaten fifty. Australian captain Michael Clarke is oozing confidence leading from the front and achieving his first double ton, still unbeaten at 250 plus. A repeat of the England drubbing seems to be the final result.  

The tigers on flat and slow pitches at home are just running away from the prey while out of home environs. Again and again. Very disappointing indeed. Not that we are obsessed with Indian win only. But, at least give a brave fight and make the matches interesting. 

Remembering Kamalananda Bhattacharyya--the Poet-Composer-Freedom Fighter of Assam!

Today is the 62^nd Death Anniversary of Poet-Composer-Singer-Playwright-Actor-Freedom Fighter Bauli Kavi Kamalananda Bhattacharyya. 

On behalf of Shrutinaad, music lovers and our most respected readers we offer glowing tributes to the legendary Poet-Artiste of Assam. 

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Cricket: Sidney’s 100th Test! Sachin’s Hundredth 100 Too?

The second cricket Test between India and Australia will be played from tomorrow at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). All eyes are obsessively focused at the moment on this much awaited duel between the two giants of test cricket.

Apart from the classic cricket rivalries the Test is of great interest for two reasons. First the celebrated Australian cricket ground in Sydney is going to hold its hundredth test match. Second Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has not yet achieved his hundredth feat—a century of international centuries. The batting maestro has a great record in Sydney with two tons and one double ton  during his four series outings in Australia. In 1992 he became the youngest ever test cricketer to score a ton in Australia.

Australians fans are happy for the hundredth test at their favorite venue. They will be elated if Australia defeats India to take an invincible lead in the four-match series. Indian fans will be crazy with joy and pride if Team India win and level the series. And, all cricket lovers of the world will definitely relish the historic moment if Sachin Tendulkar achieves the epic milestone. 

Indian skipper Dhoni has been down, but not out. He has to make a point or two while leading his team. The famed batting line-up must deliver for any chance of winning. Apart from Sachin SCG has been a favorite hunting ground for VVS Laxman too. The pitch here too is friendlier than Melbourne or Perth and historically it favors spin bowlers. The curator of SCG promises that the pitch would favor both the teams equally.

 Meantime, Australia had been back at its usual mind games. Considering Indian batsmen’s eternal weakness to rising balls outside the off stump, witnessed in the Melbourne test too, the Kangaroos had been floating reports about taking an all pace attack or at least four pacers—one more than at Melbourne. True to their aggressive competitiveness skipper Michael Clarke’s comment on Sachin’s expected hundredth hundred is interesting, ‘We will be very happy if he accomplishes the feat, but we will not allow it here. Let him achieve that in some other series?’

A big match indeed it’s going to be—a blockbuster so to say! Considering the fact that the two teams have come to Sydney after the most controversial test played in 2007-08 series here. That was also the second test starting 2-6 January with India being drubbed as usual in the first test. This test witnessed 11 huge umpiring errors—10 going against India. Steve Bucknor who delivered most of the blunders never umpired again. Then, there was the racist bout between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh. One Australian newspaper reportedly wrote that it would not support for Sachin’s feat, because Sachin favored Harbhajan in that black abusive duel! That test would never be forgotten thanks also to the twist in the last day when India crumbled in just two sessions turning a to-be-drawn match on its head. One more interesting fact--Australia won that test by 122 runs! Remember Melbourne?

Dare miss the Blockbuster? The Test starts at 5am Indian time. Go to sleep early tonight and get ready!