Cricket Tri-Series: Rotate, Experiment And…Tie!

 Winning the toss and electing to bat first Sri Lanka made 236 for the loss of 9 wickets in allotted fifty overs. India replied making 236 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in allotted fifty overs. So, it was India’s first tied one-day international (ODI) cricket match against Sri Lanka and total six against other teams. It was also the first ever tied ODI at the Adelaide oval in Australia. Both the teams earned two points each at the fifth Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series played today.

It was the perfect thriller swinging either way all the time down the wire. On a flat and slow wicket Sri Lanka made a modest 236 despite cruising at one stage with Chandimal and Jaywardene in full swing. Indian pacer Vinay Kumar again did an excellent job by capturing 3 wickets and the Indian fielding effort was also commendable. So far in the series, Sri Lanka has not been able to put its batting in top gear as evident in the earlier two matches it played and lost.

Midway in the Indian innings if you put Gambhir out the batting was just dismal with three top batsmen Tendulkar, Kohli and Rohit getting out at the seemingly obsessed score of 15 each. Raina and Jadeja failed too. Captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni, like in the earlier match against Australia, played the sheet anchor’s role keeping one end going till the end.

India seemed to be cruising to victory at 178 for 4 in the 41^st over and at 91 Gambhir seemed to be heading towards his well-deserved century that he missed in the last match. But at that very moment Gambhir got run out due to a horrible call by Dhoni for a non-existent single. Gambhir could not regain his crease and the ball broke the stumps at the non-striker’s end breaking his and so many Indian hearts. After the match Dhoni acknowledged it as his fateful decision that cost India the match.

Sri Lanka, flooring a few crucial catches, came back roaring into the match and started pouncing on the ball making run-making most difficult. The asking rate kept around at the manageable level of under six an over kept on rising—to 7, 8, 9 and nearing 10. Wickets kept on falling too at regular intervals. Nine runs were needed in the last over and four off the last ball. Dhoni managed three and there was a historic tie.

Meantime rotation continued and this time it combined with even experimentation. As feared, Tendulkar came back in Sehwag’s place and Irfan Pathan was inducted for the first time inexplicably in place of in-form Zaheer Khan. Due to this weird rotation top three batsmen are not being able to get used to playing and so failing consistently. Gambhir capitalized on his two consecutive chances playing pivotal innings on both occasions and maybe he will be out next time—against Australia! And, Team India is yet to ensure its place in the finals!

For a cricket team in its worst ever overseas performance phase winning should have been the only priority and for that you must always put in your best possible team. For what reason? Only for playing Rohit Sharma persistently, consistently and insistently in al the matches till he makes a substantive score? I have been saying this again and again and maybe almost earning the tag of an India cricket fanatic!

No! You may be going great-guns for being able to watch a classic and historic tied thriller! But winning is always the best result. Particularly for India--at this stage or any stage. And, India have in them to win, but not allowed to do so. For some obscure reasons that only Indian cricket is capable of concocting. 

Cricket: India Beat Australia! Headline Most Wanted!

India almost fielded the best possible team today and pulled off a dramatic nail-biting victory against Australia in the fourth Commonwealth Bank Cricket Tri-series in Adelaide. Gambhir came in as Tendulkar was rested as a continuation of the weird rotation policy. Now, Tendulkar had not been a regular in India's one-day team except for the World Cup-2011 and so this time the weird policy did not affect the team much. As the take-it-rough policy continues we have to keep our fingers crossed for next time! If Tendulkar comes back it should never be at the cost of either Sehwag or Gambhir.
Australia made a challenging 269/8 thanks to India's tight bowling in the last ten overs of the innings that yielded only 57 runs. But the target of 270 was the biggest target for India to chase successfully against any team in Australia. The big game was set up perfectly.
The opening pair of Sehwag-Gambhir started well both looking to be in good nick. But as usual in this tour Segwag fell again cheaply for 20 runs. Getting on Gambhir laid the foundation of the win with an excellent 92 off 111 balls finally perishing to a doubtful LBW decision.
The suspense started building up at India 178/4 in 35 overs and skipper Dhoni laid anchors with Raina playing a cameo. The asking rate hovered around 7 and started climbing when Raina got out.
At 239/5 40 runs needed off last five overs. 19 needed off last two. Doherty gives only 4 in penultimate over and thus 13 required for win in 6 balls!
Dhoni-the slow but sound anchor-hits a huge six and India finally romped home by four wickets and two balls to spare.
For Australia David Hussey top scored with 72 and debutante Forrest made 66.
Australia looked invincible after their five run victory over Sri Lanka. Now India stops them and the Tri-series opens up tantalisingly.

Aggressive Marketing: Are You Game For A Ride?

Even if you put your cell phone number in the National Do-Not-Call Registry you can hardly escape from this aggressive tribe of telemarketers. Somebody somewhere somehow will find your number and call you up asking you for a minute to describe the offers that have to be taken immediately. You can cut the line rudely, but because most of the callers are ladies you cannot be too rude either. Banks are becoming masters of this art and they have the ability to shower you with pre-sanctioned personal loans, credit cards and the like anytime. Not that only your mobiles are vulnerable, they stalk you in every corner of your everyday existence. Sometimes you win and sometimes they make a perfect fool of you.

That day my mobile rang and on answering the same sweet-talking lady voice resonated through it.

‘Sir, I am calling from ----finance company. Can I talk to you for a minute?’

‘Well, regarding what?’

‘We have pre-sanctioned a personal loan of -----rupees for you on the basis of your home loan repayment performance. This comes with a very attractive rate of interest…’

‘What home loan?’ Honestly I never took a home loan so far.

‘Sir! It’s based on the home loan you are repaying now’.

‘I never took a home loan! How come?’

‘Sir, what is your name?’ At that very moment I cut the line!

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Another day we were shopping in a supermarket. Our bill became a big one due to long-pending purchases of a variety of items. The moment I paid the bill with my card one lady appeared out of nowhere and took us aside promising a 200 bucks voucher for our big payment. She took Xerox copies of my credit card, my bill and my income tax ID card. ‘Where is my voucher?’ I asked getting suspicious. ‘Just a minute Sir, you will get it. First sign on here..here…and here.’ She had been doing it in a break-neck speed and by the time I knew that was an application form for a credit card the process was over. I asked indignantly now,’ Where is my voucher?’ ‘You will get your new credit card in two weeks sir!’ ‘But where the hell is my voucher?’ ‘It will come with the card sir! Thanks a lot!’ ‘You see, you have given me a card I don’t want. I’ll never use it, I promise!’ And, we stormed out.

The new card came indeed in two weeks, but no voucher as I had already presumed. I put the card unsigned in my unused files vowing never to use it. ‘You have made a fool of me and got your commission! But I will not allow the marketer behind you to profit from it!’

The lesson? Never give in to the temptations of low interest rates, discounts, one plus one, vouchers and all that! But we are only human beings! Next time around this could be the deal of your life! Or we may think so!