The Great Wall Of India Saves India’s Pride * Salute *

That's a little Un-Dravid Like

Day-3,India Vs England , 1st Test,Lord’s

India’s First innings is over and for sure did not impress anybody much with their batting prowess  especially with that much amount of batting strength with them. Yes, one has to accept that it is isn’t the perfect batting track to score or lead a total of about 400 or more but with the amount of talent ,experience and expectation  the Indian’s should have atleast crossed 300 without much fuss.Whatever may be said of the Indian performance one cannot take or rob away the credit that Dravid Deserves .

Dravid is one such cricketer that everybody wants to right off and does not want to credit or not too much liked but he stands up every time India needs him that too at the most important of times like the one we had in this match. That innings of Dravid if somebody has missed they have missed a real centurion inning’s i am in path of losing word’s or define it or explain the innings dravid has played. It was classy, old-school, dominating,perseverance,concentration,match-saving(at-least innings saving),glorious,elegant,amazing,etc..,..(i feel like a reality show judge). When i saw that innings of his it gave me the feeling of how a soldier should exercise his responsibilities . His age was not a criteria for describing such a inning’s. The ball’s moving in both the directions and he also was facing some grueling tests in the middle and some bit of luck too thanks to some poor slip(ing) catching  but he never showed that he is out of control . It was like seeing the other batsmen in the other end playing a completely different match. He is a Pure genius who always gets slipped under the hoods for recognition for no reason  ,like a unsung hero(Bangalorian’s fate! i think so, remember our Kumble).

OK! getting back to the Indian Innings, very simple . Mukund missed the much deserved Half-century , gambhir goes to a beauty,Sachin promised initially and well on course for his much anticipated 100 but abruptly stopped by broad,VVS came and went back, Raina, bhajji, zaheer and Ishant had something in common which is nothing. Dhoni showed some perseverance before the new ball did the trick and that’s It ! India bundled out for 286 with Dravid still standing tall. As i finish this Post England are batting again thanks to Dravid once again.Not to forget, Stuart Broad the tall,skinny,blonde haired,T20 captain and out of Form bowler is no more out of form he almost ripped through the top order if not for swanns dropped catch of Dravid . He is in omnius form using his height  and depth of the crease and used the Lord’s slope to his mighty advantage.

It is said that Zaheer won’t bowl this innings too….. Ok, MSD give that bowling of yours an another try.

Indians are not hoping for result in this match . Trust me!

Aussies Fail as England Dominates proceedings

Pictures say it all!

3rd test,Australia Vs England,Perth,Day1

To begin with, I am really puzzled about the match proceedings. I sort of doubt that my cable operator is showing the Adelaide match instead of a live telecast until Aussies crossed that 245 run mark they made in the last match. The story was as similar as it can be . Only difference is the minor shuffle in the batting order of the Aussies but with no effect as Hussey and Haddin again had a good innings to save the innings.

Soon after the lunch Tremlett came and removed Smith who was actually struggling then came the same old partners together Huss & Haddin ,Both restored some pride but how much more can they do possibly?.Then Swann made hussey nick one to prior and was removed with the help of UDRS,Then came johnson who dominated the English bowlers and embarrassed the top order Aussie batsmen by scoring a 50 and incidentally he turned out to be the top scorer of the innings with 62 runs mitch and haddin had a brief partnership which helped the Oz cross the 200 mark and haddin left as Anderson came back strong ,Harris came and went at keast this time he is out not for a duck then siddle had a partnership with Hilfenhaus to frustrate the English but it was short lived as hilffy was removed by Swann forcing him a shot towards short forward. siddle was the lonely batsmen and Australia are yet again bundled out in the first day of a test match for the second consecutive time that too in the ashes the Aussie innings ended @ 268 runs and England are out their batting.

A not so gripping first day is over with England end ‘s the day @ 29/0 and all the Aussie bowlers had a couple of overs and they are back to their hotel rooms hoping to do what England did to them today.

Ashes Urn is slowly but surely slipping from the Aussie hands

Another Oz mishap – Hussey is needed again

Flying high!

3rd test,Australia Vs England,Perth,Day1

Today, The Aussies are having a day where Ponting had nothing to go his way. As i expected Beer was not selected in the playing XI and Aussies are now being criticized for dropping Beer . The Aussies have made huge amount of changes as it seems to me like seeing a new Aussie team.Huges replacing katich,Mitch replacing bolinger,hilfenhaus in place of doherty,smith in for north. Meanwhile,England had just one change of Tremlett in for injured Broad. Even though Aussie’s have a nearly new team but kinda of repeated the Adelaide freakishness here as well.

Today,Ponting lost the toss and was asked to bat in a placid seaming wicket ,Ponting surprisingly accepted that he would also be bowling. Then came Tremlett and Anderson to start their spell and immediately spelt trouble as Hughes who was making a comeback actually soon wentback with the scoreline being 2/1 ,Ponting then came and went without much of a challenge, Clarke followed soon with yet another first innings failure,Watson ass i expected could not score a fifty this time around.Now, Hussey and Smith are trying to save some pride with the score @ 65/4 @ lunch.

About the English bowlers, Tremlett sizzled cleaning up hughes and made Clarke to nick one to the keeper and a due credit has to be given to collingwood for taking one stunner of a catch when ponting nicked one towards the slips of Anderson. Then Finn joined the party with an superb delivery getting watson’s toe in front ,Watson made an referral thinking UDRS would save him again. but finn was too good to hit him exactly in line. The game in Oz point of view is in a sorry state of affairs and in Barmy Army’s view “Just Great”.