First Note: May 2010

Today Pakistan had their worst nightmare come true as Mike Hussey (AKA Mr. Cricket) rescued Australia from a dire situation and won them the semi final single handedly. The game was well placed for Pakistan. First half of Austailian batting order had been sent back to their dug outs. Their last recognized pair of White and Hussey struggling to cope with a ever rising run rate things seemed very comfortable for Pakistan. By the worst of their imagination pakistani's would have never imagined that they would not be going to their third consecutive finals from this position. The wickets kept on tubling with Australia having to do a daunting task of chasing 53 runs from last 24 balls. But Hussey kept on the fight, puffing and running the 2's when the sixes/ fours were not coming. They managed to somehow maintain the asking run rate around 18- 20 runs mark. But they kept trying. Last over, it was 18 run required. Only 1 run was scored from the first ball and the game was almost over. 5 balls, 17 runs. Pakistan fans started their celebration. The pakistani player even were getting prepared to do the victory lap. But in cricket, there is a cliche - Game is not over till the last bowl is bowled. Then Pakistani players were struck by Hussey exploits. And before they could recover, the game was over. The next 4 balls produced 22 runs. Australia had won the match with 1 ball to spare. Hussey final score was a splendid 22 ball 60.

Now some stats about Mikes Hussey:
1.) He played for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL
2.) Might have attended the parties.
3.) Played the warm up before T20 world cup.
4.) Saved australia when they went to problems against Sri Lanka
5.) Took Australia to their first ever T20 finals

Its the passion you bring to the game and not the reasons...Elementary Mr. dhoni.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Sports Quiz

Questions contributed by Abhinash

Sporting quiz

View more presentations from Subhankar Pattanayak.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

weeping democracy

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Curious Case of short Pitched Balls

I just pulled out the definition of short pitch ball - The ball pitched outside the good length and rises above waisted height. By pitching outside the good length, it prohibits the batsman to come forward and the only way to tackle it is by staying at your place or going back foot. There are couple of shots which are be played - a offside slash or a defensive stroke or a lawn tennis slog to the mid wicket region and the hook and the pull. I am sure there are many more shots which can be innovated.

So in other words, we have ways and methods to tackle the short pitch deliveries.

And with the new rules that a bowler can bowl only one bowl above the shoulder height, it is a risky proposition to attempt for more than 1 short ball in a T 20 or One day format. So at a maximum we can get 20 short balls per inning in a T 20 match. I am assuming that 1 bowler bowls one per over and he is a seamer. One a average, each team has 4 seamer who bowl 16 overs. So we will have 16 short pitch balls. It accounts to 16/120 (~13% of the bowls) which are pitched in a short length.

But in India's match against Australia and west Indies, we lost our early wickets ( around 50% of the wickets) to well directed bowls. Just wondering if we had not attempted any shot for these balls !!!! If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

And also a note to Selector, like we have a specialist for slog over, let us have a specialist for these balls as well. May be states which have Mohali and Chinnaswamy as their ground can definitely produce cricketers who can be well equipped to handle this problem.

But for me the current problem could be avoided ( In case we defeat Sri lanka Comprehensively and WI are royally defeated and by the stroke of Luck which has been perennially benevolent to MS Dhoni ,qualify for Semi's) by just avoiding the short ball.