An Indian optimist’s dream of repeating the cricket world cup win

  Can he hold it again? (Image courtesy: NDTV)

After a great start with an emphatic win against arch rivals Pakistan followed by an impressive victory over the tournament’s favourite, South Africa, Team India is geared up for a tremendous competition.  The way things are shaping up, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand  and Sri Lanka are the four teams that can threaten India defending the title. The Proteas and the Kiwis have never made it to the Finals, while the Lankans won the Cup once, in 1996.  Other teams like England, Windies and Pakistan don’t seem to measure up to the competition for some reason or the other.  While it appears South Africa’s time to sparkle, the Indian fans just don’t empathise with other teams.

With batting its strong point, Indian skipper M S Dhoni, whenever calls it right and often lucky with the coin, opts to bat first to gain the psychological merit.  When you bat first, the team is resting while the opponents are on the field and you set the target and know how much to defend, hence plan accordingly.  There is more scope for trial and error, test and research when you have runs on the board, but the margin for error is thin when you have less than 200 to guard.  Though the Kapil Dev-led camp made it in 1983 (in a 60-over decider), can one really fancy a sub-200 risk in today's batsman-dominated game? Mind you, cricket, today, is breathing in a T-20 age.

Though Indian bowling is not at its peak, Dhoni does have options with seven regular time bowlers, but lacks one genuine legendary bowler like an Anil Kumble or a Dale Steyn.  The media hype with plenty of advertisements are okay but it usually works against the ultimate goal of retaining the World Cup.  Cricketers are deemed immortal when the team performs well but the support evaporates when they hit a slump till they restore form and perform again.

With the magic spell of great victory against South Africa, the bowling seems matured to become more trustworthy. If the exhibition in the fist two matches is any indicator of Team India’s subsequent delivery, the Indian fans can be in for a treat, and can be expected to qualify for the semis and why not clash in the finals as well.  An  optimism assumes why the winning title shouldn’t be defended?  An India vs. Australia final is what many of the cricketing world will be  hoping for and the 2003 results can be avenged.

Lucky with the toss aside, Indian team has it that they have been playing matches in Australia for quite a while before the World cup and are accustomed to the weather and pitch conditions.  As India sails through the remaining matches, it will be delightful when the quarter-finals starts and move to heated semi-finals and the ultimate finale.  Can we hope for a party for the third time?

AB de Villiers bludgeons Windies

18/01/2015

“Life is all about taking the right decision, seeing Gayle bat today I think I took the right decision of being wicket-keeper”.  Recall the message tweeted by MS Dhoni when Chris Gayle massacred the Pune Warriors with his record-breaking 175 in the IPL-T-20-2013 edition.  Similar sentiments would be echoed  by many more teams and players on seeing the AB de Villier’s holocaust today, while most international bowlers must be sighing, “Thank God, we are not at its receiving end”.

What unfolded at Johannesburg can only be described as absolute carnage. The West Indian bowlers were annihilated by the Proteas batsmen, dominated by the captain Abraham Benjamin de Villiers.  The South African skipper shredded the record books at the New Wanderers Stadium with his sensational 44-ball 149 that is registered as the fastest century in the cricket history. 

Records galore

Studded with 16 sixes (sharing the record number of sixes with Rohit Sharma) and nine fours during his devastating knock, AB broke the record of New Zealand Corey Anderson’s 36-ball ton (2014).  AB’s  16-ball fifty followed by 31-ball 100, in today's One-Day International against the West Indies, kept the scorers and statisticians busy. The strike-rate flashed a whopping 338.63, whereas he stepped in to the wicket only after the fall of first wicket at 38.3 overs.  From the start of his innings, it was evident that AB was going to make it a special day, but little did anyone, including his own team mates– who were spellbound by his blitzkrieg.

In the fierce contest between fours and sixes from AB’s bat, the boundaries ultimately gave way for the big ones, and the calypsos left to be mere spectators.

A genius of batting innovations

As many as seven bowlers tried their luck, but … not today! The decimation inflicted on the bowlers, instead of making the rivals numb, turned them into AB’s fans, on the field. The helplessness of the bowlers was writ large on their faces, ball after ball sailing over the boundary ropes. The odd dot-balls,  far and few, reflected disbelief in the fielding side and the spectators alike.

Though the openers Hashim Amla (153 n.o.) and Rilee Rossow (128) posted an opening partnership of 247 runs, the captain’s domination was loud and clear to finally post a record total of 439/2 in 50 overs.  What stood out more than how much he scored or how much he spurred the team to an almost surreal total, was the way in which he dominated the rival bowling attack.  He took on every bowler and sent each one of them on a leather hunt, producing the big shots at will, and reached his century at frenetic 31 balls in an exhibition of ceaseless, remorseless hitting.

Colourful stadium, colourful spectators, colourful  South African team. AB De Villiers richly added content to the colour. The picturesque record appears to be safe and stay with the  ever-entertaining AB for a long time to come.

While it should send jitters to Indian cricket fans with the World Cup around the corner, AB deserves sport-hearted salute.  And if you are an RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) fan, add your extra quota.

You might ask what was the reply by the West Indies.  The flip side to these type of matches is that it makes the second half of the game a mere formality.

A magic indeed!

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