first of all, well done Zaheer Khan. As far as the Bangladesh batsmen are concerned, well done to you too.
I, as an India fan, would like to thank all the Bangladesh batsmen to remind the Indians that test cricket will still have its hard days. Days where the wickets would dry up. Days where the end of a wicketless session would mean joy for the fielding team, for it would give them a much needed break from it all.
Bangladesh gave India just that day yesterday, proved their point that they are no pushovers in test cricket. And this is the part where I stop praising them.
Yes, Bangladesh were no pushovers, but only yesterday. They might as well hang a placard signed with:
we were no pushovers on January 26 2010
That’s about it for them not being pushovers. Because, the very next day, which not so surprisingly is today, they were handed their resistance back to them, still in the bubble wrap.
What was it? 290/3 to 312 all out, and after that all we are supposed to do is say “well bowled zaheer”? I disagree, and that is the least I will do.
I have nothing against Zaheer Khan, he bowled brilliantly, but the disarray shown by the Bangladesh middle order defies the qualifications norms of test cricket. What does Jagmohan Dalmia have to say to that?
Coming to the headline of this post. Scroll up, read it.
When India came in to bat in the fourth innings, they needed a massive 2 runs for vistory. Everyone took it seriously, India sending in Gambhir and Sehwag, and Bangladesh relying on their skipper Shakib-al-Hassan to get the requisite 10 wickets to tie the series at 1 game apiece.
One ball into the innings, Hasan realised that Bangladesh couldn’t win the game. An idea instantly burst in his mind. “We can’t win, so we will not let India win as well. They will win eventually, but on my terms. Sehwag would not be allowed to hit a straight six over my head, if I have any say in this”, thought he.
The next ball, the keeper misses a low ball, and the requisite 2 runs are ran.
Bangladesh lose.
India don’t win, but win anyways.
Bangla National Pride Prevails
Bangladesh Cricket Team – giving you reasons to give us more time, all the time.
PS: If you are a cricket blogger, do look at this.
before day 4:
India 243 & 122/1 (22.2 ov)
Bangladesh 242
India lead by 123 runs with 9 wickets remaining
India had their task cut out. All they had to do was bat till the lead was around 400, and then declare.
Bangladesh asked themselves, and reckoned that they needed 9 wickets. Skipper Shakib-al-Hassan, one of the ordinary clan, the person who epitomises optimism in third-world-cricketing-countries, rose to the dais and proclaimed that:
“I have decided that we want to win the game, and in order to win the game, we need to take 9 wickets as soon as possible. To do that, I am not going to utilise any textbook strategy, but instead start with the most successful bowlers in the first innings, to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting Indians.
“You are here not as a Cricketer. I mean you are one, but not just a cricketer. You are here not to play cricket, but to prove to the Indians that we are not ordinary.
“We might play less than ordinary cricket, we might bowl rank long hops to a night-watchman, but we are not ordinary.
“The most inspired captaincy decision that I might ever have taken is give you guys this speech. It is not easy, to lead an ordinary team which is not ordinary, add to that the disappointment of losing out of an IPL seat, again!“
I repeat. We are not ordinary. Give me the ball Tamim, you ….err….ordinary opener.
after this, the players were too exhausted to understand what they were going to do next.
As Shakib and Shahadat opened the bowling, followed by the others, the only semblance of a fight came from the Indian batsmen, who were keen to reduce this game to a contest.
Talk about the best taking an initiative to preserve test cricket. Bravo.
After hours of torture to the eyes, which also included Mishra getting a 50, and Gambhir a hundred, his 5th in as many matches, India finally declared at 413/8, setting an improbable 415 for Bangladesh to win.
At the close of play, Bangladesh were 67/2, still needing 348 more to win with a day’s play left. Highly unlikely that a draw will ensue tomorrow, unless bad light takes its toll.
Meanwhile, Shakib, one of the ordinary tribe, proclaimed that he was going into tomorrow with a victory in mind.
If only.
Well, this is where we do the first live blog for paddlesweep.net. Why? Because I am bored right now, and felt that writing interesting stuff about the day’s play would keep me busy, and you entertained.
Sri Lanka vs India at Dhaka
Tri Nation Tournament (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh)
5th January 2010
the average indian fan is asking a question for quite some time now. i will come back to the question in a while.
Right now, let’s talk about my roommate. Let’s call him Amar, for fuck’s sake. Let me tell you that he is not a cricket fan. Which means he is not much, considering he lives in Mumbai.
About a few days ago, when India were happily beating Sri Lanka at about the 45 over mark in the first innings of the first ODI at raj400+kot, Amar crept up to me and asked:
“for how fucking long will we keep on playing Sri Lanka”
All i replied with was:
precisely
That my friends, was the question an average indian cricket fan has been asking for quite some time now.
Finally, the tour was over, and the Sri Lankans happily left. Not for home, but to Bangladesh, to welcome us again!
Blast!!!
anyways, we can do nothing to change the fact that Sri Lanka will play India today at Dhaka. So let’s accept it and get on with our wretched lives.
The mood in the team is upbeat as usual, they have been upbeat ever since MSD became skipper. That was more than 2years ago. The drugs should have been wearing off by now. Maybe they are given fresh doses every quarter.
Sri Lankans are tired as usual. Tired of too much cricket. Tired of playing India. Tired of bad pitches. Tired of not getting the referral system. Tired of a well-read skipper. Shit tired.
To know more of the actual cricket geeky stuff, head over to cricinfo.
Amar, if this really is your real name, no offence meant.
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