Test

World Test XI

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Ron Reed and Vic Marks have done it. And so has Uncle JRod.

Here is mine.

  1. Sehwag – The innings against South Africa and Poms at Chennai. Enough said.
  2. Smith – Gambhir is unlucky to miss out, but Smith scored more runs, and at crucial times.
  3. Pietersen – The guy can bat.
  4. Tendulkar – I don’t want to explain this one.
  5. Ab – Loads of runs, and with style.
  6. Chanderpaul – I hate to do this. I mean I really hate his tape under his eyes, but he made runs, and buckets of it.
  7. Dhoni – The best keeper batsman in Tests today.
  8. Mendis – Amazing debut against the best players of spin in the game today.
  9. Ishant Sharma – One of the three awesome pace bowlers. His spell to Ponting was one of the best spells of fast bowling in almost a decade. 
  10. Dale Steyn – Look at the number of wickets.
  11. Mitchell Johnson – Very impressive young bowler with a lot of heart and good cricketing sense.

Reserve bowler – Zaheer Khan – again amazing cricketing sense. Reserver batsman – Gautam Gambhir.

Any ideas??

Cricket becomes interesting…

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… once again!!

A long long time ago, test cricket became boring. Not because of the run rates or the draws. But because one team beat everyone else, every God damn time. And then as it happens with everything else, the winds of change started blowing.

McGrath, Warne, Langer and Gilchrist retired. About a year ago Ponting and Hayden decided they could not bat anymore. Symonds found things more important than playing. Hussey and Clarke were ok, but they couldn’t carry nine other. Lee lost his mojo. Krezja is a pathetic excuse of a spinner (tonnes in first four innings!!), even Symonds and Clarke bowl before him. Only Mitchell Johnson looks like he can do some damage. But then one bowler doesn’t a test match win.

India started the downturn, and Australia lost at WACA. Can you believe that?? They lost at the WACA. It was the Australian fortress, and they had not lost there in more than a decade. They cheered for a victory that was more a farce than anything else.

In fact, the entire Australian team lost is so much that they lost again at WACA. That is a first in history. Back to back losses at the WACA for Australia. Who woulda thought?? 

But here is the thing. The test world has become interesting again. India, SA, England and Australia are now equal contenders for Test supremacy, and possibly Sri Lanka.

India has a good batting line up, and a promising bowling department. Australia still have Ponting and Hayden, and along with Clarke, Symonds and Hussey can bat anyone out of a test. England with KP and Flintoff would have a realistic chance at the Ashes, but methinks they need another good bowler. SA seems to have buried the ghosts of the past, and seem to have a good batting line up, and perhaps the best bowling with Ntini, Steyn, and Morkel.

So here it is. To exciting times ahead.