Pinch Hitter

Best of Sledging in Cricket

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
The term Sledging in cricket is equivalent to trash talk in Basketball. Both these terms have the same intentions – to distract the opponent or to break his concentration. But the point is where do you draw the line? These banters have become part of the game. Even the greatest players sledge because at the end of the day, you play to win. Don't...

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Mahi Way

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
Yet another famous victory and Dhoni completes a hat-trick. Wonder how many more such victories will come out of Mahi's hat! While all of us sincerely hope he is not buried under the burden of hope, the stars of Indian cricket couldn't have been shining any better. While we would be sujected to reams of prose in Dhoni's praise in the next...

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Test of Cricket

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
At the end of the first Test between India and Australia in the current Border-Gavaskar trophy, I couldn't resist a temptation to treat myself to live action at least once before the Aussies go back home. The high-adrenalin action the second test in Mohali promised was too good to be missed by any cricket lover. One look at the prospects and you...

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Less to gain and lot to lose…

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
In cricket, they say you are only as good as your last inning. And when your string of bad form prolongs, you open yourself to the risk of being tolerated by the same fan who put you up on a pedestal not too long ago. Like in life, you perish if you don't perform and all the years spent carving out a career can come to a nought with just a few dismal...

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Dada's winning note

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
Now that the first of the Fabulous Five has announced his retirement, is this the beginning of the end of an era? All these five mesmerising men played together for the maximum period together. But inspite of their brilliant individual records, one has to admit that they couldn't collectively achieve for India what they promised. Even after a collective...

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Now that Sourav Ganguly is part of the Indian team, I have few questions...

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
Is Sourav in the team because we have a new selection panel now? Or, is it because of the relentless media hype and crowd pressure? Or, according to the new selectors, experience really is the need of the hour? Or, is he in the team because they want to say bye – the Aussie way? Share this post: email it! | del.icio.us! | digg it! | newsVine!

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Bye -- The Aussie Way

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
The argument continues. Should Sourav Ganguly be included in the team for the Border-Gavaskar series, because, remember, he is India's most successful captain, or should the selectors be ruthless and stick to their vision for a team of the future? Now, I would say our selectors should do what the Australians did to Steve Waugh. Unarguably one of...

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Game for Money?

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
Aussie captain Ricky Ponting could very well be sporting a "See-I-told-you-so" look on his face since Saturday's deadly suicide attack on Islmabad's Mariott Hotel. His comment justifying Australia's decision to call off the Pakistan tour. "The decision to not tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy had been the right one, following...

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Off the record

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
Here's some more interesting cricket facts. When England toured India in 1976-66, Yajurvidndra Singh took record seven catches in his debut Test to equal Greg Chappel’s record. He took 5 catches in the first innings to equal Vic Richardson’s record of five catches in an innings. Singh played only 4 test matches for India. Rahul Dravid has taken...

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Bradmanesque

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
The only time Bradman got out in his 90s was at the age of 92. He died at the age of 92. Bradman did not get his hundered this time but had he been alive he would have turned 100 today. Bradman was special but he too was human. If you read Ian Chappel’s article "My fight with the Don" (27th August, page 19 HT) and "Bradman’s Best"...

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Coming back to me?

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
From 2000-06 Marcus Trescothick played 76 tests for England. He, conveniently, stepped out of the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia by citing excuses ranging from stress to overwork. The fact, though, was something entirely different. Trescothick, I firmly believe, and many cricket enthusiasts agree with, was scared to play Ashes in Australia. Especially...

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Is the "Wall" slowly crumbling?

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
Rahul Dravid's cricketing career has come a full circle: he made his debut in Lords, England in 1996, and for many, cricket's Mecca also marked the beginning of the end of an illustrious innings, when he captained India in the 2007 England tour. The Wall scored the only one fifty in the 2007 England tour after which he resigned from the captaincy...

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Another NO-BALL?

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
It is in human nature. Talk of taming a raging bull, and we don't mind playing the patience card, waiting for the beast to tire and die a natural death. Now, at one level, wise people say it's the best policy. I beg to differ, even if it is at the risk of being ousted from this rapidly swelling wise men's club. I say, avoiding controversies...

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Spare Sachin

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
India's fabulous four never fired in Lanka, and, arguably, we lost the Idea Cup Test series because of a strong-on-paper-but-weak-on-form middle order. Now, understandably, its time for some heads to roll. But, I am not sure if it will happen any time soon. Why? Because this is also time for a change in the selectors: we expect to have a new team...

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Time to hang boots?

Posted by Manoj Madhavan at 
With both Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly out of the Indian team for the ODI series in Sri Lanka, I am afraid the two veterans of more than 600 one-dayers between them, may not after all get a chance to announce their retirement. Bowing out in style, as they say, may not really be meant for them. But then, they don’t have anything to write back home...

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