Whistle Podus vs Game for More

Whistle Podus	Game for More
M Vijay	R Uthappa
S Raina	V Kohli
Bowlers for WC 2011...hmm	Kumble's already retired

Awright! Tonight, at 2100 hrs IST, one of them's going to set their fortune rolling on the better track.

Our declared interest is to look for probable ICC WC 2011 selectees.

We have identified four players for the shortlist, of which one of them is a certainty. The grappling is between the other three for maybe two spots at the most. Could easily be just the one spot between the three too. The four we speak of are all batsmen, two from each side. The four batsmen are Suresh Raina and Murali Vijay from the Whistlers and Virat Kohli and Robin Uthappa from the Gluttons.

No bowler has been shortlisted by us because Anil Kumble has retired, Praveen Kumar is a certainty according to us, and the rest don't matter. Jakati interests us, but he's not going to figure anyways ahead of others. At least not at this stage of the season. Sorry, but true.

Their head to head record should be 4-3 in favour of the Podusses, if I've got it right. The thing to watch in that head to head business is it has a pattern - contests between the two have seen alternation of victory and defeat like a whirring karma chakra. By that token, the red Gormandizers must be looking forward to an early Diwali. Rich prizes await those in the finals; the glory of it all being a great bonus.

M Vijay has done his bit to merit being checked out one last time in the ODIs leading up to the World Cup for temperament issues. Can he concentrate for 30-40 overs, is the question that plagues us. If he does play that long, a hundred is given and India should benefit. Of course, he'll have to be a shadow to either Gambhir or Sehwag.

Uthappa hasn't really fired and he's had an unfortunate run out too. He may merit a looki-see as a finisher. If he can play wll today, he might have advanced his case for an ODI review.

Kohli, according to me, is in. I think he deserves to be in the WC squad and can play at any position.

Raina needs to show consistency. Now that his bowling is taking off, we need that batting consistency to continue and he turn into a solid asset. Just in case Yuvraj's presence and his SLO isn't available for one reason or the other.

As for today's match, I hope chaps turn up with their right games and give us an entertaining match.

Good luck to both and may the better team on the day win.