india, australia or south africa?
the race to the top of world cricket is as hot as an egg in a frying pan...
before the depature of the big names in australian cricket there was a constant debate as to whether they would be able to hold on to their vice like grip on international cricket. a country which was immensely proud of its cricket structure - a domestic hotbed of talent, and a team which at one point seemed unbeatable.
it was a known fact that it was virtually impossible to find a place in the national team no matter wat your domestic credentials were. A 30 something year old mike hussey is such a case. but things have changed. the australian team and selectors are equally puzzled and confused. new faces are being pushed into the side at a never before seen pace. a reminder of the ian border times.
india on the other hand have found a way to ressurect themselves after the 2007 world cup debacle. the fresh face of captain ms dhoni and his band of fearless boys has transformed indian cricket. their undying belief in themselves as well as the fact that these boys seems to have their head on their shoulders has held them in good.
the selectors seemed to have temporarily lost their way in the appontment of kumble as captain. dont get me wrong, i have tremendous respect for the man both as an individual and as a cricketer. but how in the world can we think of appointing a man at the twilight of his career as the captain. not the way forward especially after the rahul dravid saga. things seemed to have gotten back on track with dhonis appointment as captain of the test team. a post that he should have been given with dravid's resignation in the first place.
south africa also seem to have taken off from the ashes like the mythical phoenix. their recent victory in oz proves this fact. for years they brandished the tag of the perrennial under achievers and under performers but this coat was finally peeled of with their series victory.
graeme smith in a lot of ways is like dhoni. talented, young but with his head on his shoulders. he too was given an ageing team in ruin and despair and his never die attitude has turned things around.
smith like dhoni has learnt to concentrate on cricket and ignore the extras that seem to be flying around these days (might i say primarily from australia). ricky ponting could do well to learn to learn from them. concentrate on your cricket the rest will take care of itself.
ponting on the other hand inherited a polished team. used to winning no matter how and when they played. losses for the aussies were few and far between. he now has a team that too has a certain extent has no focus and no direction. no clear cut roles as well. though if they change their focus to playing an honest game n truly being gentlemen i am sure things will begin to look up.
at the end of the day the aussies have to admit that other teams india and australia in particular are beating them at their own game. these young teams are willing to play with them at their own game both the cricket as well as other aspects i shall not mention.
times are changing india and south africa are on the way up. consistency is something they will have to learn. on the other hand australia have the talent to remain at the top they just need to figure out team roles and player roles.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
the slam down under
so here goes after years of reading loads of blogs ive decided to start my own:)
i guess my first post will be bout something youll probably be reading about - tennis!!!
the oz open was filled with the expected and unexpected.
expected
the heat
roger rafa final
long matches going early into wee hours of the morning
shocking exits
retirements
upsets
player complaints
unexpected
rafa capturing his first oz open crown on a surface he is least comfortable on (being a fan i must say i was hoping he would!)
fedex bursting into tears
murray losing early on
dokic capturing the imagination of australia (yet again)
an all spanish semi final (verdasco in particular)
yuki winning the junior boys title
indians winning the most number of titles at a grand slam
the tournament had its share of exciting ups and downs right before it started with many players calling for a rescheduling of matches. happens year after year, understandably with global warming and other factors, one can understand their frustration. have absolutely no idea how one can manage a 5 hour game of tennis in the searing heat. as it is the season is pretty demanding. am sure that certain changes can be made to accomodate the players. after all its the players who bring in the crowds and the money. one may argue that the oz open has been traditionally played at the beggining of the year but traditions are meant to change. its highly unlikely that rod laver had to play half as many tournaments as rafa or roger.
longevity is important in a game like tennis where the fan base takes a while to build. n with tennis stars emerging out of regions that rarely produced players in the top 100, players health must be considered. a few extra weeks off would not hurt anyone. i am no expert, but i think that the human body cannot possibly take such strain and stress for such long periods of time.
the new drug policy has also got players worked up. with complaints flying in furiously from the top to the bottom.
the womens final was over even before the croed got comfortable in their seats. safina sinply got blown away by a ruthless serena williams who made the final look like a practice hiting session with a junior player.
but the mens final was something that will be spoken about for years to come. though at the rate that these 2 are going the next final will probaby be even more intriging.
roger must hate the sight of rafa at the other side of the net. no matter wat the shot or where the ball lands the man from spain has an answer.
at 22 rafa must fabcy his chances of writing his name in the history books. he has achieved more than what most critics ever thought he would. he has adapted his game to suit all surfaces and has proven time n time again that he can be successful anywhere.
i am sure if he continues to work as hard as he has and has that never say die attitude he will definitely rewrite the history books. his attitude (oz open presentation ceremony) has won him many fans n admirers world over. even the harshest critic has to got to give him the credit thats due to him!
VAMOS RAFA
how bout another one at the french open??
i guess my first post will be bout something youll probably be reading about - tennis!!!
the oz open was filled with the expected and unexpected.
expected
the heat
roger rafa final
long matches going early into wee hours of the morning
shocking exits
retirements
upsets
player complaints
unexpected
rafa capturing his first oz open crown on a surface he is least comfortable on (being a fan i must say i was hoping he would!)
fedex bursting into tears
murray losing early on
dokic capturing the imagination of australia (yet again)
an all spanish semi final (verdasco in particular)
yuki winning the junior boys title
indians winning the most number of titles at a grand slam
the tournament had its share of exciting ups and downs right before it started with many players calling for a rescheduling of matches. happens year after year, understandably with global warming and other factors, one can understand their frustration. have absolutely no idea how one can manage a 5 hour game of tennis in the searing heat. as it is the season is pretty demanding. am sure that certain changes can be made to accomodate the players. after all its the players who bring in the crowds and the money. one may argue that the oz open has been traditionally played at the beggining of the year but traditions are meant to change. its highly unlikely that rod laver had to play half as many tournaments as rafa or roger.
longevity is important in a game like tennis where the fan base takes a while to build. n with tennis stars emerging out of regions that rarely produced players in the top 100, players health must be considered. a few extra weeks off would not hurt anyone. i am no expert, but i think that the human body cannot possibly take such strain and stress for such long periods of time.
the new drug policy has also got players worked up. with complaints flying in furiously from the top to the bottom.
the womens final was over even before the croed got comfortable in their seats. safina sinply got blown away by a ruthless serena williams who made the final look like a practice hiting session with a junior player.
but the mens final was something that will be spoken about for years to come. though at the rate that these 2 are going the next final will probaby be even more intriging.
roger must hate the sight of rafa at the other side of the net. no matter wat the shot or where the ball lands the man from spain has an answer.
at 22 rafa must fabcy his chances of writing his name in the history books. he has achieved more than what most critics ever thought he would. he has adapted his game to suit all surfaces and has proven time n time again that he can be successful anywhere.
i am sure if he continues to work as hard as he has and has that never say die attitude he will definitely rewrite the history books. his attitude (oz open presentation ceremony) has won him many fans n admirers world over. even the harshest critic has to got to give him the credit thats due to him!
VAMOS RAFA
how bout another one at the french open??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)