Udit’s World

Well, Well…I have tried to refrain from cricket related posts because the general feedback I have gotten back is that I am a cricket Fanatic and all I write about is Cricket..but this one was too tempting to write..and I think I as an Indian fan, it is my duty…

So, watched the match between India and Australi this past Sunday..and as you will duly note in the scorecard, India comfortably lost. India made 249, thanks to Rahul Dravid, Virendar Sehwag and Dhoni..which I thought was competitive..wasnt the greatest of scores considered the famed batting line up, but considering Brett Lee, Glenn Mcgrath in the opposition’s attach, you thought 249 was respectable and largely DEFENDABLE…So, I sat down with my morning coffee and excitely starting watching the Aussie reply hoping against all hopes that India would do something to put them under pressure early…get some wickets…put on a display of tight bowling…14th over..Australia 101/1 Game OVER..Laptop switched off..I am bawling, screaming, cursing away at the indian bowlers..
I had issues with alot of things in that game..

1) Indian Fielding… A complete shambolic display of fielding…If Geoffrey Boycott was commentating on this game, he would have said that his grandmother could have stopped those boundaries that the Indian fielders let go..I mean, Munaf Patel and Virendar Sehwag refuse to dive after the ball at the boundary rope to save a boundary, save say 2 runs. Why wouldnt they do that? These guys are representing their country, a billion people whose hopes are joys are pinned on them, and these highly paid professional sportsman refuse to dive after a ball. I was furious..I was angry.These guys might as well wear sarees and field because thats how they were running after the ball..

2) The bowling…enough has been written about Indian bowling, but when your 3 frontline bowlers who are good enough to be selected from a population of 1 Billion people cannot bowl wicket to wicket..keep a tight line and lengh..forget pace because Indian bowlers are never ever going to bowl pace..I dont understand why these guys cant bowl straight…just bowl it straight..JUST BOWL IT STRAIGHT..how hard is that?..atleast dont gift the batsman the easy balls to hit..

3) The Captaincy..Rahul Dravid is my hero, but in this match he was listless..Didnt encourage his bowlers and didnt show any sort of imaginative captaincy…I would have thought that he would have tried something different after the first 7-8 overs, but he didnt..kept on bowling his pace bowlers..his pace bowlers kept on getting smacked and the game was effectively over by the 15th over..Its unreal how India cannot perform in do-or-die matches…its so dissapointing..

The lasting image that I cant seem to get out my head..is the image of Munaf Patel running towards the ball at the boundary rope and when he could have easily dived and stopped it, chose to practically let the ball go through and he simply ran on…as if to show he tried so hard and then he couldnt stop it..Munaf Patel, go wear a Saree..

Yesterday morning I got a little opportunity to watch the tail end of the West Indies innings in the match with Australia..I was also fortunate to watch some Brian Lara shots..and man, some of the shots you just watch them in awe..Coming to think of it, he has been playing for SOO long..I started following him in 1990 when I got to watch him play live in trinidad…and its 2006…1ts 16 years since he has been playing…and he is still pretty damn good at it..Looking at it in perspective, all the names that you associated with the WI team, Greenidge, Haynes, Richie Richardson, Gus Logie, Phil Simmons, Ambrose, Walsh..all of these guys are gone..Lara is still going strong….The only other team member who you could say is from Lara’s time is Chanderpaul..Besides these two guys, the whole WI team is from an entirely new generation. The man is a genious..inspirational..regardless of all the controversies that surrounded him throughout his career..There is Tendulkar yes, but the awe that Lara brings when he bats is unmatched by none..

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I had an interesting observation yesterday on my way to work…Traffic was a little heavier as usual, we were probably going 5 MPH when up ahead I noticed a White Benz and a green BMW parked on the side of the road..The green BMW had its hood open, so I am guessing something went wrong with it..As I was passing these 2 vehicles, noticed that there were these 2 elderly gentleman, entertaining themselves in very casual chat..both were dressed in almost casual suits and it occurred to me that perhaps these 2 were friends, and when one guys car broke down, he called his fellow rich friend and both of them were probably having a good ol time till the tow truck came. I guess the point that I am trying to make, and could be a mute one at that is, in today world, we seldom have time to just spend time with friends or loved ones..we are always rushing..life is fast..we hardly have time to take care of our own selves..So seeing the two elderly gentleman enjoying themselves on the side of the road brought about the feeling that perhaps I should make an effort to reach out to friends, family and simply share some moments together..