Arm Ball

He didnt bowl or train in 8 months. Didnt bowl in a game for close to 17 months, yet when he picks a bowl he is back to his self, we all know.

Pidge has just been a fantastic bowler over the ages. What do I say about him. He is just awesome.

And Sehwag has now cleared the fear about his injury. His absence was the prime reason India bowed out in the first rounds of back to back ICC tournaments.

Dinesh Karthik, the dancing babe, today slog sweeped Mendis to 3 sixes in 3 before evoking Yuvraj comparisons and putting Sangakara on mute who had just praised tough character of Mendis.

Oodi baba. Sangakara mention. And mention of character. Japanese would be pissed off.

Good to see Pidge playing and Veeru demolishing bowlers after 6 months. And yes Delhi Daredevils were 2nd team to be in the Super Eights. Ding dong

I predict a India – South Africa final .

Not to forget historically Indians have done too good in ODI tournaments in SA and also their greatest win in T20 came in 2007 in SA itself.

If acclimatising to the conditions go, then nobody better than Indians do it after of course the home team. They just played IPL – 2 here 5 months back

Everybody in the Indian team played the IPL and one of them reached the finals. Didnt they. Sachin, Yuvraj, Dravid, Harbhajan and Nehra would cherish the 2003 memories. Especially Nehra when he rocked England in Durban.

India plays Pakistan in Centurion on 26th Sep, the same ground where they royally thumped Pak in 2003 and sent Waqar, Wasim and Anwar out of the cricket career.

The magical 6s to Shoaib from Sachin and Sehwag. The 6s to Wasim Akram. Who can forget that. So who is this time ? Gul ? Or Aamer ?

Let the CT begin. !!

He would be needed as a batsman — the role of Tendulkar would be passed onto him. Mainstay in tests and also groom then the replacements. So I feel he has made a candid admission to relinquish the vice-captaincy and play just as a batsman.

This is another gem from Viru’s cap and thats what makes him the uncomplicated person he is. Keeping the things simple as he bats.

Good stuff Viru!!

“For us, the match is also important for the simple fact that we haven’t beaten them in an ICC event and we’re desperate to break that sequence [Pakistan have actually beaten India in the 2004 Champions Trophy]

Yo baby, we are waiting for the same too. More than you. More than any other game. And did we forgot to add that the game is in Centurion, the place where Sehwag demolished Waqar’s career for good and Sachin pushed Akram to retirement before teaching a couple of lessons to Shoaib Akhtar.

India and Pakistan are special teams. Even special is their rivalry and even special is when India beats Pakistan. You see forgetting those tormenting 90s Sharjah defeats when every match used to be scheduled on Friday for some unknown reasons. Those humiliating moments of 90s when the umpires wont budge to call off the game even if it was dark and the batsmen couldnt see the ball. That was the age when likes of Imran Khan used to add fuel in the fire by saying let Kashmir be decided on Sharjah. Idiot.

It feels special when Indian team of 90s wipes out those painful memories by beating Pakistan convincingly. In fact its now ages Pakistan last won a ODI series against India (2-4 in 2005 and before that in 1999). In between its 3-2 for India in Pakistan, 4-1 in Pakistan and then again 3-2 in India.

A generation of players in India played with an inferiority complex against Pakistan in Sharjah. Bring in any new player and he would excel against India. That was till Saurav Ganguly came in. Tendulkar had shown that the Akrams, Imrans, Qadirs and Waqars can be hit, but team didnt have the confidence till then. Ganguly changed it all and now Dhoni is carrying forward before Dravid did it in 2006.

India vs Pakistan is most awaited match now after all damp series in England, SL and elsewhere. Time for some crackers and time for some rivetting, breath taking action. Who better than India and Pakistan vs each other.

Sunil Dev, the official who not so long ago was charged on match fixing (2000s when he was manager of often touring teams) has fired a salvo at Sehwag that he just wants to have his cousin in the team.

Thats what always happens in the country. Any issue when raised for good is nipped in the bud and cover firing is done to save the ass.

Sehwag has a mettle in Delhi cricket. He is default captain of Ranji team. When he doesnt play for India, he captains Delhi. He is like Sachin Tendulkar to Delhi. Jaitley has rightly appealed for calm and may be they would meet to find some solution.

For now the Delhi’s Indian players have joined the coup against DDCA and it might take a while before the issue is resolved. I dont know if this was a right time to take over the issue given the season is about to start and the cricket administrators in the country mostly are ASS. So expectation of maturity would be futile on behalf of DDCA officials.

If this revolt cleans up the DDCA now famous for corruption, it would be a good jab done by Sehwag.

Right now Delhi has 4 players in the national team — Sehwag, Mishra (he plays for Harayana but is a Delhi lad), Gambhir, Nehra and 5th one Ishant Sharma. Count in Kohli and it makes 6.

Sehwag should ensure he takes the matter to logical conclusion and doesnt give in the middle.