50!!!!

50!!!!!!!
The God takes up three digits on the score column for the 50th time....

50 Test centuries. 
7285 runs amassed in total century scores.
Average century score of 214.

Mark the date for a spot on "Kaalnirnay" as "Tendulkar Shatak-Pannashi Ekadashi"  from now on......

We are like this only !!!! Hail Steyn!

Exactly as expected, India started a series on a disastrous note. 

India closed the first day of the tour at 136/9 at Centurion Park, and effectively kicked themselves right out of the match.

Dale Steyn, once again, is the missile launcher from the Smith Army that got the job done (with due regards to Morkel's five-for). Bagging three of the most prized wickets in today's Cricketing world in a single session - Sehwag, Tendulkar and Laxman - he has basically thrown India in the trash can already....and not the first time in memory that he has done so.

I do not see India even manage a draw from this point on....(which is just 40 overs into the match, by the way). Indians do die quick when they do, don't they? :)

Should we look to the second Test, now that this one is a done deal already?

Mitchell Johnson, in the meanwhile is having a hell of a match against England at WACA-Perth. After top-scoring in Australia's dismal first innings, he also secured the bowling honors with 6 wickets in England's first innings to put Australia right on top.....Would be interesting to see if this one gives us any result other than England's (imminent) loss.

First Match Blues

The two best teams in Test Cricket take on each other today onwards.

Indians have traditionally been bad starters in a series...more so against South Africa.

Will the trend continue or would the #1 team show us why it is #1?

Santa Baby

If you are not already, then I'd highly recommend you follow Andy Zaltzman's blog on Cricinfo. He is a class statistician with the wacky wit of Johnny Lever (the Hindi film comedian, not the English left handed quickie of the 'vaseline' fame). 

In today's script Andy points out in his typical stats sprinkled humor that Sachin Tendulkar and Christmas don't go very well, and fears for Sachin's well being in the series just about to begin in South Africa. Made for some rib-tickling reading.

I quote an extract from Andy's blog:

" Since 2002, excluding that mauling of Bangladesh, Tendulkar averages just 30 in December Tests. And this grievous problem is exacerbated when the opponents are South Africa – he averages a pitiful 24.3 against South Africa in December, compared to 43.4 against them in other months. Overall, this suggests that, when the greatest batsman of his era plays South Africa in December, he is only 42% of the player he usually is. (Please do not concern yourself with how I unearthed these statistics, nor with the effect they have had on my family life, or the way my wife looks at me when I’m using my computer.)

The only rational conclusion to this is that Tendulkar’s main – perhaps only – weakness as a batsman is, evidently, that he gets overexcited about Christmas. Indeed, if those last eight Christmases since 2002 are anything to go by, he finds it increasingly difficult to focus on his batting when he is thinking about what Santa Claus will bring, or has just brought, to him. 

I realize that Tendulkar is not a Christian, but Christmas crosses religious boundaries these days, and you simply cannot argue with statistics. Or with the rumor that the South Africans have been leaving large, bulky presents in the Indian hotel with little tags reading “To Sachin”."

Ho Ho Ho.

All 10 in the North-West quadrant.

Will we ever in our life see anything like this on a Test match field ?


Ian Chappell sets field for Dennis Lillee to bowl at ..... 5 slips, 2 gullies and 2 points...all 10 fielders behind the wicket.

While I sympathize with the perplexed batsmen, this must have been a bigger challenge for the bowler. Imagine bowling one wrong delivery to this field. No margin for error whatsoever..... 

Austra-laid.

Time-stamp: Adelaide Oval, as of 5th December 2010, in the Ashes contest of 2010-11.

When was Australia last seen struggling so much at home ?

Counting on from the first ball of the second Innings of the previous Test at Brisbane, Australia have so far conceded a mind-boggling sum of 1068 runs for the purchase of just 5 England wickets, and also given up 5 centuries (including two doubles) in the process.... a pedestrian effort that is a complete antithesis of the Australia I know.

I do not recall Australia get dominated so much by a  touring England, or perhaps even by any other touring side, in my life time of Cricket.

Agreed that the bowling Australia is a very young side. All the 5 main bowlers taken together clock just 64 Tests between them, but a pathetic 1000+ runs for 5 wickets on home turf belies whatever  previously held images of a fighting/resourceful Australian spirit that I had held for myself.

It sets me thinking about a similar scenario that may become of the Indian batting in 2011/12, after the stalwarts in its line up go away. Will the likes of Kohli, Vijay, Raina et-all do well enough to absorb the shock coming from the pothole of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman's absence ?