Desicritics Section: Sports

Pakistan Win ICC Twenty20 Championship 2009

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:10:23 EDT

The spirit of cricket was alive and well at Lord's on Sunday. The "People's Final" was getting underway, and the finalists had more than realized their countries' dreams by making it so far. Cricket as a unifying force was evidently at work, as could be evidenced by the mixed crowds and also the online cheerleading. #PakCricket had many cross-border followers, although Sri Lanka was the team to beat.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat. Their innings was just about getting underway when star player Dilshan was caught by Shahzaib Hasan off Mohammed Aamer in the first over. Even more stunningly, Jehan Mubarak was caught off Abdul Razzaq in the second over. Sri Lanka were 8 for 2 at the end of the over, and the crowd was going wild. Jayasuriya and Sangakkara started to get the score going, but Jayasuriya was bowled at 17 by Razzaq in the fourth over, followed by Jayawardene in the 6th. Pakistan looked to have the game well in hand by now. Sri Lanka found its steadying anchor in Kumar Sangakkara, who batted on through the innings, finishing off unbeaten at 64 off 62 balls, and pushing Sri Lanka to 138/6.

Kamran Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan opened the batting for Pakistan. They got the innings off to a quick start, taking Pakistan to 48/0 after 7 overs, two sixes from Akmal. He fell in the first ball of the 7th over from Jayasuriya's first delivery. Hasan went in the 9th over, caught by Jayasuriya off Muralitharan. Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik took up the charge, taking Pakistan to 103 in the 15th over, with 36 runs required off 30 balls and eight wickets to spare. The batting seemed to pause for a while, until Afridi took the blinkers off and knocked two massive sixes in the 18th over. Pakistan needed 7 off 12 balls to win the ICC Twenty20 Championship 2009.

They wrapped up the match in the 19th over, the winning run was a leg bye past Shahid Afridi, who had a 76 run partnership with Shoaib Malik. The entire team got on their knees in the middle of the field and did a victory lap. A comfortable performance under pressure and one that was sure to build up their spirit.

ICC Twenty20 Finals: A Fairy Tale of Justice & Resilience

sufferingsocrates — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:44:27 EDT

The ICC Twenty20 2009 Championship features a dream final. A final which one may never have imagined could happen so soon, after the terror attacks on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan. A final which now seems like the God-sent gift of divine justice to the cricketers who bore the brunt of that cowardly act. Pakistan, having ridden an indifferent form throughout the T20 World Cup in England, found the mettle and the resilience to wear down and choke the Proteas in the 1st semi-final. Pakistan had been virtually isolated from playing cricket at home, after that terrible attack. Though they did play a 5 match ODI series against Australia, which they lost 3-2, there really wasn't any other serious cricket they played at the international level.

Coupled with the often blow hot - blow cold symptoms of a supremely talented side, Pakistan's run to the finals may not seem that surprising after all. There has never been a question raised about the passion of Pakistani cricketers. Often ridden by controversies on and off the field, Pakistan found maturity in Shahid Afridi, and confidence in Umar Gul to take them till the Finals at Lord's on Sunday. Moreover, after an early exit of the defending champions India, it was important that the crowds in England still poured in to witness the matches. Pakistanis being a significant population of Asian immigrants, poured in to encourage their team. And respond they did, and how !

For no fault of theirs, the Pakistani cricketers were deprived of playing international games in their own den. For no reason of theirs, their IPL participation was declined in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks in 26/11. For no reason of theirs, their plans to host matches of the 2011 Cricket World Cup in the Indian sub continent was withdrawn. Another opportunity lost for the unfortunate cricketers. That's why justice is delivered by someone invisible, whose magical powers let Pakistan come through struggles at home and on the field to qualify for the World T20 final.

The Sri Lankan team on the other hand has been unbeaten in the tournament. What an unbelievable turnaround for a team, which was the recipient of the terrible attacks, when they were in Pakistan. If Pakistani cricketers are not at fault for the terror attacks, the Sri Lankan cricketers were never deserving of the attack on them on Pakistani soil. Ducking under gun shots inside a team bus in Lahore, and being inflicted with the trauma of the incident, Sri Lanka's road to the finals is the story of sportsperson's resilience. The true resilience of a side which, by sheer will and determination to tide over happenings which inflicted wounds, physically and mentally have come out even stronger. For this reason alone, my money is on Sri Lanka to win, because they deserve to.

Though Jayawardene had himself decided to step down as captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team following the Pakistan tour, he would never have wanted his tenure to end in such a tragic note. Jayawardene himself was wounded, and so was Sangakkara and Mendis. Each of them, have been influential in Sri Lanka's road to the finals. To overcome mental trauma, and shock and to then rebound by performing on the field, is truly the mark of a champion sportsman. Wasn't it in 1996 Cricket World Cup that the Australian and West Indies teams refused to tour Sri Lanka for their league matches ? In the end, Sri Lanka defeated Australia comprehensively in the World Cup final, demonstrating how Sport always has it's own unique way of serving the right judgement.

What a strange coincidence. Two countries, battling wars in their own land. Pakistan, trying to end Taliban's influence and its own battles with terrorism. Sri Lanka, which was fighting its own war against the LTTE. Both of them, undeserving of the experiences in the aftermath of tragic events, will turn up to face each other at Lord's. One can't imagine the level of joy it would bring to its countrymen who have suffered so much in the recent past. An opportunity for the wonderful cricketers of Pakistan and Sri Lanka to once and for all, exorcise the demons of Lahore. When there are claims to T20 being a game of luck, the final tomorrow will go down in the annals of Sport as an outcome of pure divine intervention!

ICC Twenty20 2009 Semi-final: Pakistan Defeat South Africa

Aaman Lamba — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:43:58 EDT

The Pakistan cricket team might not have expected to get this far in a world series, and one would like to believe that at least for a few hours, all was well back Home. A good game of cricket was to be had, and the team needed to focus against a formidable opponent to have a chance of making it through to the finals.

The South Africans looked composed. They were coming off a five-match winning streak in this tournament. Their bowlers were in form. Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat on a pitch that looked like it would turn later, and runs get harder.

Kamran Akmal started off well, scoring 8 in the first over. He had a few more boundaries and sixes, before being caught off Steyn in the third over, scoring 23 off 12 balls. Shoaib Malik came in, somewhat early, to partner Shahid Afridi, who just about appeared to be getting started. The pair played it slow and safe until the 11th over, when Afridi unlimbered himself and scored 18 off the over. His flamboyant innings came to an end soon after. Shoaib Malik plodded on for a while before turning over the batting to Younis Khan and Abdul Razzaq for the final overs. The Pakistani team scored a respectable, though not spectacular 149/4 from their innings, perhaps wishing they had notched up a few more high-scoring overs.

The South African openers looked to set a good pace early on, so that the 7.5 required run rate did not climb up too soon. They looked to have the task well in hand, and were 26/0 after three overs. The run rate stayed pretty much constant until Graeme Smith was caught and bowled off Mohammad Aamer in the 6th over. In the next over, Shahid Afridi decided to up the ante and took Herschelle Gibbs wicket off the last ball. 104 runs were needed off 78 balls, with 8 wickets in hand.

AB de Villiers was dropped off the second ball of the ninth over, but fell to Afridi's short length the very next ball, and South Africa were now 50/3. Pakistan sensed the game might be turning, and that it might be a close finish. The score was 61/3 after the 10th, and 64 at the end of the 11th. The required run rate was now hovering near 10.

Umar Gul came in to bowl the 14th over. He bowled a few interesting deliveries but didn't bag a wicket. All the same, the required run rate had climbed to over 11, and there were little fireworks on display. South Africa scored a few more runs in the next over, but the chase was a long shot by now. Umar Gul tightened the screws further in the 17th over, giving away just six runs.

Jacques Kallis was caught by Shoaib Malik off Saeed Ajmal close to the boundary in the 18th over. He played a steady, good inning, but it wasn't enough. With two overs to go, South Africa were 121/4, 29 runs more needed. Umar Gul gave away just six runs.

A dot ball, a six, and a wicket - the final over had all the excitement of top quality cricket. In the end, 10 runs were needed off the last ball, and Pakistan, much to their surprise, were through to the finals of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 Championship.

10 Reasons Why India Lost And Who Is Responsible!

Kim — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:00:52 EDT

As I have earlier confessed, I'm not a Cricket fan.

This analysis is my husband's who is one of cricket's ultimate fans. He watches the Ranji Trophy, every ball of Test Cricket, county cricket and even Mirzapur XI against Rae Bareily XI (if such a thing exists). What can I say? Opposites attract!

Since he follows the game so intently, I have no reason to doubt his analysis, but was wondering what other cricket fans would have to say about it. We'd love to hear your opinions.

In his words:

Well the World Cup is over ... for India atleast ...

We will see a lot of reasons/explanations being given for this state of affairs from experts and a lot more from non-experts. Given below is my list of the top 10 reasons, India is no longer a part of the World Cup.

1. Sehwag Episode
BCCI and Media

2. Dhoni's Batting against West Indies (11 in 23 balls :: SR 7)
Dhoni

3. Jadeja being send ahead of Yuvraj against England
Dhoni

4. Jadeja's Batting against England (25 in 35 balls :: SR 71)
Jadeja

5. Raina's strike rate against WI (5 of 12 :: SR 62) & England (2 of 7 :: SR 40)
Raina & Dhoni (by batting at number 3 in practice and group matches)

6. Ishant's Selection against West Indies 3-0-31-0 (Over RP) and England 4-0-36-0 (Over Irfan)
Ishant & Dhoni

7. Not using Overs of Irfan's inspite of 2-0-9-1 against West Indies and RP's 3-0-13-1 against England
Dhoni

8. India's Top Order's inability to play short ball.
Indian Pitches & Dhoni (for rubbishing the need for practice after West Indies defeat)

9. Fatigue due to IPL
Lalit Modi

10. Cosmic Design to humble MS Dhoni and ensure that success does not go to anyone's head.
Universe

Point to note is that MSD and his charismatic leadership has been given a lot of credit for India's success over last 2 years. I too am a big fan of MSD and his clear, uncomplicated, people driven style of leadership.

However if one goes over the list and the people responsible :- MSD's name pops up 6 out of 10 times. Obviously there is something wrong in his logical reasoning before his actions, because a few of these are big tactical blunders. I wonder how a clear thinker and a keen student of the game can make such mistakes.

As they say, more often than not success & failure are products of the "mind" rather than "skill".

From an MSD Fan.

My husband - Brajesh will respond to comments on this post.
I am just the messenger.

ICC Twenty20 2009: India Lose to England, Out of Championship

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:56:14 EDT

The do-or-die moment for India meant a struggle to contain the English batting, followed by a mixed set of batting. While Yuvraj Singh did his part, Jadeja played it slow, and in the end, a close enough finish just wasn't enough. India lost to England in the Super Eights of the ICC Twenty20 Championship, two years after winning the first edition of the tournament, and were packing their bags for the flight home.

India opted to chase after winning the toss, and the first overs went well. Zaheer Khan gave away just three runs, and RP Singh took a wicket in his first over. England pushed the run rate beyond 7.5 upto the 9th over, but began sliding back once the spinners took control. Jadeja's thrilling bowl out of Pietersen just after a lofty six brought out the cheers, while Harbhajan Singh's 3/30, two wickets of which came off the final over, limited England to a mangeable 153/7.

India came out to bat with some aplomb, and Gautam Gambhir's steady batting gave them some hope, despite early losses of Raina and Sharma. Jadeja came up to the crease perhaps a little too early in the batting order, and played a slow game, while Yuvraj Singh built up his pace. before both fell in the 14th over, leaving India needing 67 from 36 balls.

MS Dhoni and Pathan pushed through a good partnership, but the bowlers were up to the challenge, holding them down. India were 115/5 at the end of the 17th over, needing 39 runs more. The 18th over provided 11 runs, quite a relief to the Indians, who knew they would be on the flight home if they lost this game. Nine runs were procured from the 19th over, and India needed 19 from the last six balls.

The field was rearranged, Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan took a gander at the setting, with Pathan at strike. The first ball was a single, the second a double, and then another single. The fourth ball was a smashing six, and just nine runs were needed from the last two balls. Sidebottom came up to bowl the penultimate ball, giving away a single, and then reaffirmed his determination to bowl a clean final over. It crossed the boundary, and India ended at 150-5.

The English team played very good cricket, and the Indians were positively stunned. The final partnership of 63 not out between Dhoni and Pathan just didn't cut it.

ICC Twenty20 2009: Pakistan Trounce New Zealand

Aaman Lamba — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:25:15 EDT

The Pakistan team showed today that they are still a team that cannot be written off by any stretch of the imagination. The match against New Zealand in the Super Eights of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 Championship was a "do or die" moment for the team and they chose to stand fast.

New Zealand won the toss and Daniel Vettori chose to bat. McCullum got off to a rousing start, but was caught in the second over. This didn't slow the Kiwis down too much until both Redmond and Guptill fell in the fifth and sixth overs. Things looked precarious now for the batting side, but they were able to hold it together until the end of the 10th over. The second half of the batting collapsed altogether, mainly at the hands of Umar Gul, who took a stunning tally of 5 wickets for just six runs. The New Zealand team ended their innings at a measly 99 in the 19th over and it was up to Pakistan to show their prowess at the bat could equal the bowling action.

The Pakistani batting started of well. Kamran Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan took Pakistan to 30 at the end of the 4th over. Shahzaib Hasan played a good knock of 35 off 28 balls before he was run out in the 9th over, with Pakistan at 61/3. Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi wrapped up the chase in the 14th over, much to the excitement of Pakistani supporters. Umar Gul took the Man of the Match award for his spectacular bowling figures.

ICC Twenty20 2009: West Indies Defeat India in Super Eights

Aaman Lamba — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:27:56 EDT

The unnecessary brouhaha over Virender Sehwag's departure seems to be taking its toll on Indian captain MS Dhoni. His batting in Friday's match in the Super Eights stage of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 championship against West Indies at Lord's was lacklustre and the team were unable to make a stand. West Indies, on the other hand, let Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo take charge and cream the putatively stronger side.

The Indian team, unchanged from their last game, came in to bat. Gautam Gambhir did a reasonably good job before being bowled for 14 in the 5th over, seeing Raina and Sharma fall along the way. The rest of the first half was test-match paced, with Dhoni scoring 5 runs off 15 balls, and Yuvraj Singh playing a steady but not spectacular pace.

The Windies and perhaps the entire stadium heaved a collective sigh when Dhoni was caught by Fletcher off Bravo in the 12th over, having played a slow knock of 11 off 23 balls. This seemed to be the trigger for Yuvraj Singh to take off, and along with Pathan, he provided 16-17 run overs at a stretch, before being caught and bowled by Fidel Edwards, otherwise known as Castro, whose final tally was 3/24, besides Dwayne Bravo's 4/38.

India wrapped up at a reasonably respectable 153/7. Unfortunately, the bowlers were not able to convert the wickets, and Dwayne Bravo's unbeaten 66 off 36 balls made the victory almost a breeze for the West Indians. His finishing six sent cheers through the stadium, and he garnered a well-deserved Man of the Match award.

Fourteen For Federer!

sufferingsocrates — Sun, 7 Jun 2009 11:32:50 EDT

When Del Potro faced upto Federer in the semis of the French Open on Friday, there was only one man the entire Rolland Garros crowd was supporting. A man, chasing two kinds of history - an elusive French Open title, and in doing so, equalling a record 14 Grand Slam which Sampras held. Del Potro was upto the task, though he had a 0-5 losing streak against the Swiss superstar coming into the match. Del Potro started strongly, using his tall 6'6'' frame, and rushing Fedex all over the park. One wondered if Federer would lose out on a big opportunity. But as the game wore on, Federer was the stronger, as he held his nerve and won a tight five setter.

The stage was set today for Fedex to chase history, and Soderling was at the receiving end. It is destiny, that Soderling had defeated Nadal en route to his dream run to the final. Though not a Nadal, this was as good as Federer v/s Nadal at a Grand Slam final yet again. But Federer had nothing to do with any such thoughts and came out guns blazing against Soderling. Soderling had no clue what hit him, as Federer wrapped up the first set 6-1 in under 30 minutes.

The second set was more tight, with neither player giving a break of serve. The tie breaker saw Federer keep his cool, and win it comfortably, 7-6(1). The crowd was more expectant and badly wanted Federer to win the 1 title, he deserved to win, for the sheer consistency of his appearances at the Finals in the last 4 years. But which had been denied to him by a relentless Rafael Nadal.

As the match drew to a close and Federer served out for the title, the next debate started sprouting in all tennis fans' minds. Is Federer truly the greatest ever ? In terms of talent, arguably the most gifted, for his sheer mastery of all surfaces. At Grand Slams, 20 consecutive semi final appearances at Grand Slams, including the French Open this year, which is incredible in any era. Federer, undeterred by history and expectations and determined to etch his name in history books, closed out the set 6-4, retaining his unbeaten record against Soderling, thus increasing his win-loss record to 10-0 against the Swede. Federer won in straight sets, 6-1, 7-6(1), 6-4.

In true historic gesture, Andre Agassi handed over the trophy to Federer, being the last man to have completed the 4 Slams, thus becoming only the 6th man in history to complete a career Grand Slam. Thus with 2 monkeys off his back (French Open and 14 Grand Slams), Federer, just 27 will probably be more clinical and dangerous for all his opponents in the tournaments that follow.

Cynics might insist, losing consistently to a contemporary (Nadal) certainly takes the sheen off his claim to all time greatness. Nadal though has to be wary of a new Federer, who has more freedom, more at ease and mentally feeling better than he was a year back. But to keep the cynics happy, it is sufficient to add that something should be there in the record books to show that Federer was human after all!

Roger Federer Wins French Open To Tie 14th Grand Slam Streak

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 7 Jun 2009 11:27:13 EDT

Roger Federer succeeded on his fourth attempt at Roland Garros to bag all four Grand Slam championships, and equalled Pete Sampras' haul of 14 Grand Slam titles. Pete Sampras himself never won the French Open, and Federer joins only five others to have bagged all four major singles titles, the others being Don Budge, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, and Andre Agassi. He won the match 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 against the 23rd-ranked Swedish Robin Soderling, who defeated Rafael Nadal on his way to the final.

Strong gusty winds and rain were an additional hurdle for Federer to cross before his win. The event was also briefly interrupted when a fan got onto the court and attempted to put a beret on Federer's head. He was taken away by security personnel soon after, and this did not appear to affect Roger's equanimity in the third set. The clay victory did bring him to his knees, and a shout of exultation, before he buried his face in his hands. He might have preferred his opponent to be arch-rival Rafa, but took pride in the victory nevertheless. Andre Agassi presented the trophy to Roger, and the crowds went wild.

Roger Federer can now easily be considered among the greatest tennis players in history. He has not had a pretty good streak of late, defeating Rafa most recently at the Madrid Open, but losing other tournaments this year, and losing to Nadal in the Australian Open earlier in 2009.

Rafa's Rolland Roll Ends

sufferingsocrates — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:28:14 EDT

Watching the match between Rafael Nadal and Robin Soderling yesterday was indeed a privilege for me. For here was a man, who was undefeated since his first ever attempt at Rolland Garros in 2005, pitted against a rival who has struggled to find his footprint on a ferociously competitive men's tennis circuit. Rafa, as Rafael Nadal is fondly called, was defeated by a more resolute and clinical Soderling 6-2, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 in the Fourth Round at the French Open yesterday.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind, that if ever Rafa plays a five setter against any player, there can only be one winner. Rafa. Nerves of steel and hours of concentration which are as yet arguably unknown to men's tennis. That's what Rafa owns. Or atleast till yesterday's big upset. Soderling had to make sure he wraps up the match in straight sets or four to have any chance of overcoming the relentless Rafa. Soderling did just that.

Roger Federer would be as pleased as he would be surprised at this early exit from the Spanish Armada. Rafa has been the biggest nemesis to Federer's aura of invincibility, having a stupendous 13-7 win loss record against the Swiss maestro till date. Credit to Federer to have an astounding 19 consecutive grand slam semi final appearances or better. Rafa though has been always there to spoil Federer's quest for ultimate greatness when he won the Australian Open earlier this year, denying the Swiss from equalling Sampras' all time record of 14 Grand Slam titles.

Federer has been the closest to rival Rafa on clay and has been in the Finals at Rolland Garros for the last 3 years. Federer had a torrid final last year when he won only 4 games against Rafa. This year, there won't be a Nadal in the final. Going by the recent match ups, this is probably Federer's best chance at the French Open. The funny part though is, even if Federer wins the French Open now, it will be a hollow victory for him. Being the champion that he is, Federer would definitely want to beat Rafa in a French Open final to lift the elusive trophy. On the flip side, Rafa has tended to be all over Federer in all their recent Slam Final meetings.

In last year's US Open final, Federer was at his clinical best. He dismissed Murray's chances and won a lopsided final , after Murray had upstaged Nadal in the semi finals. I am sure if Nadal had faced up to Federer in that final, things would have been totally different. That is the effect Rafa has had on Federer, more mentally than the skills. All said and done, Federer has been the the second best player at the French Open and does deserve his fair chance at Rolland Garros. Even if that be without his nemesis around.