Tag: Cricket

My cricket legacy—fractions of 6th

Growing up in India, cricket was one of the central parts of life. I am also curious, and a tad numerically inclined. So, my favourite pass-time while watching cricket while growing up was calculating run rates, required run rates and other similar fractions while watching a match on TV. This was before the live statistics on TV really kicked off.

An over in cricket is 6 balls. Calculating those averages every 6th ball ensured that I became really good at knowing the various fractions of 6—⅙ to ⅚—in decimal, and at quickly manipulating them within themselves and with other non-3-x numbers.

I don’t really follow cricket anymore. But some of this skill has stayed with me even all these years later :)

Continue reading My cricket legacy—fractions of 6th

Ian Bell was just being selfish in the…

Ian Bell was just being selfish in the aftermath of being of having acted foolish and arrogant.

However, I can’t understand that what was Strauss doing going to the Indian dressing room asking for Bell’s recall! Did he go begging bowl in hand? Or did he go threatening them with dire consequences on and off the field if they didn’t recall Bell? Or was it that he & his team suddenly remembered that cricket has a ‘spirit of the game’ that they can mould according to their needs and flout it about for getting a decision reversed?

Not one of the many people discussing the incident in Sky studios said that Bell had been wronged. Almost all of them went out and said that Indian team’s appeal was not against the spirit of the game. Nasser Hussain accepted he would have acted in the same way as Dhoni in appealing for the decision. English hero Ian Botham was clear in his belief that Bell should have gone. Still, Strauss had the balls to go into the Indian dressing room and ask for the recall!

Can’t figure how he’ll sleep with his decision tonight. It was clear from Bell’s behaviour that he knew he was out and that the protest could get him out. He acted in a manner to incite the situation and use the crowd to force Indians to recall him. However, I expected Strauss to remember that Cricket isn’t really a Gladiator’s arena – crowd doesn’t decide what’s wrong and what’s now. My disappointment is in Strauss, for I expected better of him.

R for Record?

This should have warmed the cockles of my heart. Hasn’t :(

Yesterday, I wrote about how this India-SA test was reminding me of our glory days in the 90s. Well, we’ve got one difference already.

Apparently, Kallis did not applaud Sachin’s century and Smith casted doubts on his commitment to the team, seeing how he didn’t farm any strike on the 5th day leading to India getting bowled out in a jiffy while he managed to stay not out and add to his average.

Now, had we still been in the 90s, numerous effigies of both those SAfrican greats would’ve been burnt and Shiv Sena would’ve banned them from every playing in Bombay again. In modern day terms, this would mean is them getting blasted on twitter, in comments on that article and being banned by MNS from every playing in Mumbai again. Surprisingly, none of this has happened.

In fact, it’s not just the Sachin-defenders who’ve let us down but also the Sachin-baiters who’ve let us down. Another away test match where Sachin tots up the runs while not even attempting to eke out a draw for the country. Such a brilliant opportunity and none of the Sachin baiters have gotten on his case.

What is this country coming to when we can’t even fight over our most successful test batsman (or the worst team-player to ever score 50 test centuries for India, if you’re a baiter)?

Anyway, I won’t let the fond memories of those brilliant 90s down. I’ll do my bit. I’ll be the Sachin baiter that I was all through that decade. So, here it is… my bit:

Every time Sachin gets close to a century, he starts believing that the middle ‘R’ in SRT stands for ‘Records’. It’s only natural he chooses to ditch the team and go for the records – centuries, not-outs, what-nots. The team may go to hell, or a series white-wash, for all he cares!

#bleh

This 1st India-SA test is bringing back …

This 1st India-SA test is bringing back some fond memories. Of Indian cricket as it was in the brilliant 90s.

Team India touted as best ever to improve the away winning record before a tour outside the subcontinent.
Team India’s long & strong batting line-up surrenders meekly in face of fast bowling on bouncy wickets.
Team India’s always-average bowlers struggle to bowl out opposition for lack of any real-pace or spinning wickets.
Desperate hope for rain, fog, bad light and all other possible factors that could help snatch a draw.
The inevitable – Sachin tots up another hundred as India lose another away test match horribly.
Heated discussions between pro- & anti-SRT groups on ‘Sachin only plays for records but can’t win/save a match for India’
Cosmetic changes to the team for 2nd test.
Repeat.