Indian Series Win

Some past months have been good for Indian Cricket. From doing an excellent work in South Africa in inagural version of the T20 to winning the ODI and the Test series against the arch rivals - Pakistan. The beginning of the Test series too was what any Indian fan would have wanted. A winning beginning done in any form of cricket surely gets the confidence of the team sky high. No other man than Kumble would have wanted this. Appointed for the first time as the full time Test captain, Kumble got to work. Playing and experimenting with his bowlers, he did what he had to.There was a big onus on Kumble, firstly because he has been appointed as a full time Test captain, and secondly the ODI captain had just done India proud. But Kumble a seasoned campaigner was right upto his job. Leading from the front he led India to victory; not only in the series, but his magical spell also threatned to snach victory on the last day of the last Test. It was a much needed victory for the Indians as they are soon going Down Under for a tough series. And as usual, his Australian counterpart has begun with his mind games. Trying to discourage Kumble - a new leader - and all know how Australians are invincible. So this is how Australians begin their tour weeks and months before actually even a bowl is bowled.

India Vs. Pak Test - Day 3

Pakistan dominated batting on day 3, which seemed to be good enough to save the Test. But still there are 2 more days to go and scenario can change fast enough. But that said, no on can take the credit away from stand-in skipper Younis Khan who played well for his half-century. And equal credit goes to Misbah-ul-Haq who is playing defaently trying his best out there. Misbah and Kamran were on 54 and 32 respectively. These two had scored match saving centuries in the Kolkata Test, in quite a similar situation. But before that it was Younis Khan who carried the innings forward. He scored 80 important runs, to take Pakistan in a so-so position; if not quite good. On his way to 80 he once got a life when he was nearing his half-century. While trying to leg glance Saurav Ganguly, he edges one to the keeper. Dinesh Kartik collected the ball cleanly and all went up. And what a surprise! Kartik himself did not feel the need to appeal, when all his teammates were appealing. That, probably created doubt in the mind of ever alret umpire Simon Taufel. TV replayes did show the ball kissing but bat on the way.
The Pakistani made quite a good use of this opportunity that came his way and soon reached his half-century. The Terminator - Harbhajan Singh - at last got the better of him, when he tried to reverse sweep Harbhajan. The same shot gave him some success at the beginning of the day, when Harbhajan was reserve swept for boundries. Mohd. Yousuf too departed in the space of 11 balls while trying to drive Irfan Pathan. But it did not come before some verbal combat between him and Anil Kumble. Then started the repair works by Misbah, who looked rock solid in his defence. He did not hesitate to punish the loose balls. He looked patient and cool like a cucumber and left the good balls. He didn''t seem to be too excited and his second innings seems to be saving Pakistan. Firstly, he seems to have set his eyes firmly on saving the Test if not winning it; and secondly he is on his way to a consicutive second century. Of course, he would want Pakistan to win in any case, but the first task is to save the Test. But for him, it would have been a difficult task.

India Vs. Pak Test - Day 1

Who would have imagined India''s recovery from 60 odd runs when almost half of the team was sent back to the pavilion? And who were among those sent back? Last match''s double centurian Wasim Jaffer and centurian VVS Laxman - both dismissed cheaply this time. The Wall too could not resist the attack and crumbled. And who dismissed all these star cricketers? A debutant seamer. Yasif Arafat - the same Arafat who important document had gone missing some weeks before. When the fourth wicket fell for 61, Younis Khan, the stand-in skipper might have seen some hopes of disallowing the Men in Blue - but presently white - of not winning a series for nearly 28 years. The last time was when under Sunil Gavaskar, the Indians had comprihensivly beaten the Pakis. The reason why Younis Khan might have had hopes is that India already were 61/4, and another major reason can be the great Sachin Tendulkar and the corageous M S Dhoni are not playing the last match due to injuries.
But destiny had some other things in mind. The comeback boy & One Day specialist Yuvraj Singh - playing his first Test match almost after more than a year and his only Test in 2007 - stood upto the test. Hammering a fluent hundred - as he always does, and with a better strike rate than Ganguly - saw India through really tough tough times. His 169 - his third Test century of the career, all of which have come against the arch rivals, was a masterpiece in itself. He took the game to the opposition, knowing that offence is the best sort of defence. Those who were lucky enough to watch his game, will for long remember this very very special century. Another centurian of the last drawn match, Ganguly, too looked in a fine touch. Classy as he is, he was a treat to watch for any Indian fan. These two not only took India out of the woods, but also put her in the driver''s seat, dictating terms on the opposition bowlers. From a precariously placed 61/4, India was well placed 361/5 when the fifth wicked fell in the form of Yuvraj. till then a record was created for the fifth wicket for a whopping 300 runs. The fightback was led by both the southpaws amassing 127 runs in the afternoon session and 173 in the last. Yuvraj and Ganguly might well see a record created almost after more than a quarter century on home soil winning both the ODI and the Test series.