Three Test Matches

In the past few days, I was able to watch snatches of the three test matches in progress - Australia vs England in the 2009 episode of the Ashes, West Indies vs Bangladesh in West Indies, and Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.

Two of these matches have concluded and the third is about to conclude. A bit of history has been made and will be added to.

Ashes 2009

Australia had England down at the tip of their bayonet but could not summon enough character to plunge it through the heart. Australia could not draw first blood in the series, despite being marshalled excellently into a purposeful fighting unit by Ricky Ponting, simply because their slinging arms were weakened by the grim defence by the stout Collingwood.

Andrew Strauss gains heart from his team's poor play on a batsman's pitch - he is emboldened by the sneaky escape conjured up between the batsmen, him and the minions thronging the dressing room. Captain Strauss feels they have weathered the worst this version of Australia's Ashes army can attack them with. The English media is squeakily relieved...they can breathe again now for the final ball of the Cardiff test has been bowled and Australia were a wicket short.

Has Australia given its best and England less that its best and yet survived?

Whenever such a situation arises, it always appears so. What one must not forget that the only session which truly belonged and was dominated by England without any worry was the first hour on the first day on a batting track. Forget any partnerships later...they were always repairing wounds.

England's bowling was mostly as meaningless as the field placings, and unless it is helped along by very typical English conditions, could remain so. What must also not be forgotten is the regimented captaincy Strauss executed - his bowlers being bowled in fixed, inflexible quotas in a well-marked sequence irrespective of the state and cry of the game. It was only to Monty that he provided attacking fields, which were otherwise largely defensive.

This test match could just be a "probing session" of sorts, England trying to guage the strength at the opposition's command, but that argument isn't convincing unless it is an extention of the media hysteria over the Great Ashcape. There is more if you look around to applaud Collingwood's deserved efforts and the resistance offered.

But it is a little over the top when you consider Ricky's Ponting's protests over timw wasting.

Time wasting is an age-old phenomenon...we all do it, everybody does it in their own way. Cricket's laws are more liberal in comparison to other games in this regard.

But consider this and consider this.

Both are links from the archives of an institution of sorts - BBC's cricket records. Can you spot the difference in the two besides the teams playing/involved?

Observe the difference in tone and tenor of the two articles from the same Beeb. You could say, the Beeb has probably matured over time and is less icky-picky about silly tactics. Eight years later, it is more charitable and is willing to brush it off as a laugh. No, I didn't say that was because England was playing in 2009!

Then, as now, the number of overs, or time lost was not the issue..probably not enough to matter anyway. The protests (of Shaun Pollock then and Ricky Ponting now) are probably more out of respective disappointments.

But there is a twist - Dinanath Ramnarine and Mervyn Dillon were pulled up by one MH Denness (sound familiar? From a SA tour?)), who was the match referee then, and reprimanded soundly for their tactics. Pat Rosseau, the WICB headman, supported the action.^Cricinfo

You might ask why not JJ Crowe do a MH Denness?

I leave it to difference in perceptions - MH Denness was stung by what he saw and JJ Crowe turned a buffy back to what he witnessed. Both are right in their own ways and there is no end to the debate.

If however you feel ICC ( not the Imperial Cricket Conference of yore but the International Cricket Council of today ) still treats different teams and different players...well...differently, then that's your perception. Like MH Denness and JJ Crowe's opposite interpretations and resultant action on the same issue being both acceptable, your view also could be considered fair alongside an opposite one.

All said and done, Australia failed to nail it. Strauss can still smirk after abjectness over all days, and the British Media can take out a graphic .pdf document over chronicling the evening! That...that's a sign of how things have changed for Australia but not for England.

The last laugh, however, may yet be something like this.

Scorecard

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Bangladesh open their overseas scorecard

From the sordid ending of a test match between two well-hyped teams either of which couldn't win it, we now go across to St.Vincent to celebrate a slice of history.

Bangladesh recorded its first test win overseas. That monkey is now off its back now.

Mohammadullah sealed it with an eight wicket haul for the match. He is the debutant on the BD side and hence shows greater fortitude than all the debutants in the opposition team.

One was thoroughly disappointed with the way BD played initially on their best chance to win overseas at the moment. Ashraful continues to cause despair, but Tamim Iqbal. another talented youngster, who often unfortunately tends to the Ashraful way of throwing it away, was able to hold it all together to record his maiden hundred. And waht an important one it was for BD! Overseas and in their first victory on distant shores! Could this be the innings which steers this talented nephew of Akram Khan, BD's first captain, away from the Ashraful stagnation? Can it give him more purpose to perform more usefully for BD? One has learnt to be wary about predictions when it comes to BD players...but we can hope.

I must applaud Shakib Al Hasan here. Not just the bowling and useful thumps lower down the order, his contribution to the direction BD should take as stand-in captain were exemplary.

This was a match which could test the soft-hearted - you would have wanted the West Indies team to do well...to save pride dragged out onto the streets already by their own people..."Scabs" they were being called, when it is certain that many will only be playing just the test or two in their lives and were stepping in for players who refused to don their national colours and take field.

But would you also not want BD to do well? A team at the recieving end of most and searching for inspiration beyond just one star - Mohammed Ashraful.

Well done Shakib, Tamim, Mohammadulla and BD! Also, well played Philips, Bernard, Roach, Sammy. No shame there.

Scorecard

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Lanka register their first series win at home against Pakistan

Like they say, it took a long time coming baby!

But come it did, thanks to Herath and Kulasekara.

Fawad Alam tried his best to do what we know Pakistan generally like to do - come back in from behind in a match - with a brilliant century on debut. But to no avail! None other than Younis Khan supported him.


Pakistan's batting has been iffy and I don't really know what Misbah is contributing as a lead player of the team other than hausla afzai.

Play Abdul Razzaq instead...he gives you two options - a good experienced batsman and a bowler in one. Surely, he can do no worse than Misbah in this series? Play Misbah only against India and forget about the rest. They too good for him.

Well done Sri Lanka! Well played Fawad Alam!

Scorecard