Life Etc Etc

Somewhere at the back of my mind I had to publish a follow-up to my previous commentary because in all these years of watching cricket there were lot more than just three performances which caused me pain. You might have already noticed that I am using the word ‘performances’ instead of ‘knocks’. This is because even though Cricket is a batsman’s game all the three departments of bowling, batting and fielding need to work in order to make a team go over the line. So here are a few embarrassing moments in the sport of cricket which have well and truly upped my pain levels. Shastri deadbats:   Ravi Shastri paved the way for many Indian triumphs over the course of his career but the 1992 world cup (which was also his last) came at a time when he was at the nadir of his powers. Shastri started off the world cup with a sluggish 57 (112) against England which India went on to lose by nine runs .   Shastri decelerated further in the next match against Australia where he blocked...

Its been just a shade over twenty four hours since the World T20 final and the story on everyone's lips continues to be how Yuvraj's knock of 11 from 21 balls deprived India of a second world championship in the shortest format. I watched the Indian innings in its entirety and I must confess that even though  Yuvraj's knock was agonizing, what was even more painful to watch was the disappointment on the faces of the spectators (who had travelled far and wide to support the Indian team) and the disbelief on the faces of the players (in the Indian Team dugout) regarding what was transpiring on the field. Yuvraj Singh unable to middle the ball Yuvraj Singh Strike Rate 2014 T20 World Cup <Courtesy:  Chandi Sports > Now make no mistake I have tremendous respect for Yuvraj's determination and have been an ardent admirer of his talents right from his fiery debut in Nairobi. His unbelievable six-hitting in Durban was magical and his champion like perf...