Fourth ODI, India v Sri Lanka 2008
Scorecard
The past month and a bit more India has been in Sri Lanka, has been revealing and innovative. One could prefix the Kitply tournament final to set up a proper introduction.
The world discovered a new bowler, a new method, if not less common, of delivering the ball, while India discovered a new challenge. Pundits and professors suddenly became aware again of their own unattended lacunae, or limitations they hadn't known about before. This has been an inquisition like never before of scholars and students before the public eye. Of their knowledge, skills and physical, psychological and intellectual aptitudes. The examiner was one.
As the series has progressed, we saw, first in the tests and later in the ODIs, some grasp, humble accomodation, and willing innovation. India lost the test series, but in the last test one saw a player or two showing a keenness to learn a new game...Dravid in particular. Now we see a few among the ODI team ready, eager and more confident to explore their ignorance and hesitation. Perhaps it was the spirit of youth which cannot accept hegemony for extended periods of time that set off this quest, or maybe it was the brief but fresh perspective brought to the team by Badri and Munaf. Yes, Munaf has surprised us all too (not Balajhi though, who had long been pushing for him to play in Lanka)!
Today, after the test series went west and the ODI series looked headed that way, India could have played itself on the shoulders of these improbables and a bullish captain, to actually rise out of the swamp with some kind of hard-fought series win...no matter if it is only an ODI series for it is within that that a few young men are learning to conquer Mendis and Murali, and Munaf is looking to make a welcome in-form enthusiastic comeback, albeit very noticeably.
What this ODI series may also show is how Lankan batsmen cope with Indian bowling and greater familiarity of batsmen with Mendis. It will be riveting to watch the new innovations and counter-adjustments.
Monday, 25 August 2008
India v Sri Lanka 2008: 4th ODI - Has the Pressure Shifted?
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3 comments:
pressure has definitely shifted...
as said else where the loss of most experienced player sachin and most performing player sehwag add a bit of stiff neck of GG and forever youngster and sitting duck yuvraj...not forgetting mendis menace...there was enough masala for any capatain to sulk...but not dhoni...
he seems to be on mission everytime he comes out to bat and never ever appear like getting out despite not being technically sound...
i also feel those 25 odd runs that badri made had invaluable impact in dressing room that mendis can be played and scored off...
while on other hand SL starting to feel alls not well in thier den which was being masked by mendis success till now...
sangakara is tentative... jayasuriya showing the slowness of reflexes...vass is more like a passenger...virtually no middle order...
it will be nice to see how far they can go riding on mendis success only...
MSD has his strengths and he rides them well. A few others could learn from that. Badri's play could have been the trigger.
Well, today's another day :) Hopefull rains hold up.
The youngsters did it again! Dhoni did it again for India! I think he should lead India in the test matches too.
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