No Longer The Underdog?

[Rajiv]

It was Test Drama at its best 1) Return of Bond 2) Return of Druggie 3) Rookie showing the rest ( 1s innings ) 4) Rookie showing the rest ( 2nd Innings ) 5) A Ground smaller than Vijay Mallyas backyard 6) A chase- collapse-chase and possible chance of survival in the end

[cowboysfan]

Oh c'mon guys' date=' you can't be looking for objective journalism from Cricinfo these days. They are a business. In order to increase their viewership, they aim to please. Cricinfo is obviously gearing the article towards the Kiwis and Pakis (mostly Pakis), and what better way to get more eyeballs than by headlining it "Test Cricket at its finest" and taking slight digs at the recent Indian win.[/quote'] they are following their parent company.you cannot expect objectivism from ESPN either,they mainly go for "shock and Awe" articles and try to maximize their ratings.

[Sooda]

It was an exciting match and to be fair im sure Monga does say in his article something like 'the batting line ups were fragile' which added to the sense of excitement. I cant say I watched, or even followed the Pak test enough to know how good the quality was or wasnt but we cant expect him to praise Sree just because he's Indian! The post test verdict did a good job of that. The guy was writing about Pk-NZ... chhod do becharey ko. The 'flat roads' rants are being taken too far now, thats for sure- Kanpur certainly wasnt, it was a good test pitch.

[THX_1138]

It was Test Drama at its best 1) Return of Bond 2) Return of Druggie 3) Rookie showing the rest ( 1s innings ) 4) Rookie showing the rest ( 2nd Innings ) 5) A Ground smaller than Vijay Mallyas backyard 6) A chase- collapse-chase and possible chance of survival in the end

could someone please provide some details there? i was unable to watch the game live, but the images on cricinfo suggest that the ground is less of a cricket field, and more of a clearing in a forest conjured by a herd of elephants as a communal defecating spot.

[vvvslaxman]

could someone please provide some details there? i was unable to watch the game live' date=' but the images on cricinfo suggest that the ground is less of a cricket field, and more of a clearing in a forest conjured by a herd of elephants as a communal defecating spot.[/quote'] It was like my backyard. :giggle: Very tiny ground.

[Mr. Wicket]

Sidharth Monga may be the textbook example of the law of diminishing marginal returns. He started off as a halfway respectable writer, then turned to a depository of cliches and absurd overhype and keyboard fellatio, and these days the more he writes (unfortunately, he does write a lot), the less there is to gain from his writing for anyone with a few working brain cells. The usual pile of nonsense as usual. Thanks for shedding light on this, Dhondy, though it is really not much different from the usual crap Monga disgraces Cricinfo with. Hey, remember back when we used to have actual *writers* on there, rather than cliche machines with all the perspective, insight and understanding of an immature Pakistani jerking off over a couple of slogs while waiting in the unemployment line. PS: A couple more classic quotes from this idiot.

The function of Mendis' left hand could not be overstated; it was like the final salute. Abdul Qadir used to hold it up in the air before he started to run in, Mendis' left came down with the index finger stuck out, ruling the batsman out even before he had bowled. When he beat the batsman, he grinned in a sinister manner; he knew a secret the batsman didn't.

Eat your heart out KP. Fret not, Misbah, you have company. For years to come, Younis Khan's reverse-sweep will be discussed, debated, derided, and blamed for the final collapse that cost Pakistan the match and the series. By the time you read this, that shot would have played thousands of times on the loop, reminding everyone of what could have been.

(Oh - and can anyone even REMEMBER the match that legendary debated/derided/blamed reverse sweep came in? )

[The Outsider]

Oh c'mon guys' date=' you can't be looking for objective journalism from Cricinfo these days. They are a business. In order to increase their viewership, they aim to please. Cricinfo is obviously gearing the article towards the Kiwis and Pakis (mostly Pakis), and what better way to get more eyeballs than by headlining it "Test Cricket at its finest" and taking slight digs at the recent Indian win.[/quote'] varun, I wish that was the case - however, I think it's just plain old ignorance and lack of understanding rather than a campaign to boost their hits.

[Chandan]

Oh c'mon guys' date=' you can't be looking for objective journalism from Cricinfo these days. They are a business. In order to increase their viewership, they aim to please. Cricinfo is obviously gearing the article towards the Kiwis and Pakis (mostly Pakis), and what better way to get more eyeballs than by headlining it "Test Cricket at its finest" and taking slight digs at the recent Indian win.[/quote']

varun' date=' I wish that was the case - however, I think it's just plain old ignorance and lack of understanding rather than a campaign to boost their hits.[/quote'] Varun is right, Shwetabh. It clearly seems that they are trying to attract viewers from other cricket nations. And perhaps they are taking a calculating risk here, thinking they would not lose their main and biggest viewers base, that is India, despite writing against it. They seem to be quite sure that Indians would visit cricinfo, whether they like the articles there or not. But their standard has slipped alarmingly these days. Some of their reporting is inaccurate and wrong too. Just the other day I was mentioning the wrong news they had given about the Green Park track. Now CI is good only for score-checks. And some of the other sites are giving them tough competition there too. The day, another site will start covering every match, domestic seasons and have organised records of past matches, I'll leave CI without batting an eyelid. That is how bad their writing pieces have become.

[Mr. Wicket]

Speaking of low standards Chandan... dug this up from old RSC archives. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.cricket/browse_frm/thread/9759e42469d204d8?hl=en&scoring=d&q=author%3Awill+author%3Aluke& A brief but very insightful discussion in there that makes me wonder just how valuable and insightful even CI's domestic match reports are. For that, I'll just stick to local papers.

[Chandan]

Speaking of low standards Chandan... dug this up from old RSC archives. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.cricket/browse_frm/thread/9759e42469d204d8?hl=en&scoring=d&q=author%3Awill+author%3Aluke& A brief but very insightful discussion in there that makes me wonder just how valuable and insightful even CI's domestic match reports are. For that, I'll just stick to local papers.

Oh yes. Very true. I don't read the domestic match reports too, which even my son can write looking at the scorecards. I prefer Hindu for K'taka TN and Hyderabad matches, HT for Delhi and UP matches, Indian Express for many other match reports of the domestic matches. Sometimes DNA have extra news about Mumbai matches and Mumbai mirror is always there with Mumbai match reports. Telegraph is best for Bengal and Orissa matches. HT had started a very healthy tradition two years back where they used to have seven reporters, each reporting from the place where match was played, for Ranji matches. But this year, it isn't happening and you have to search for all those newspapers to get accurate report. Cricinfo is absolutely useless there, apart from having a full scorecard.

[EnterTheVoid]

Can you name one cricket site, that at some stage or another, wasn't guilty of the poor standards of reporting CricInfo is apparently guilty of ? And Yes, Sid Monga is a goose, although I'd be lying if I said I didn't read his articles every now and than

[Dhondy]

Actually, I suspect Monga was delighted like the rest of us Indians that Pakistan collapsed like a pack of cards from a winning position for the third time in three Tests. You can flog your neutrality all you like, but you can't stop being an Indian at heart, can you? :--D Unlike the rest of us though, he has to cloak in delight in journalistic blunderbass, evoke superlatives, romanticise his orgasm. He is forgiven.

[The Outsider]

Actually, I suspect Monga was delighted like the rest of us Indians that Pakistan collapsed like a pack of cards from a winning position for the third time in three Tests. You can flog your neutrality all you like, but you can't stop being an Indian at heart, can you? :--D Unlike the rest of us though, he has to cloak in delight in journalistic blunderbass, evoke superlatives, romanticise his orgasm. He is forgiven.

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[Mr. Wicket]

Unlike the rest of us though' date=' he has to cloak in delight in journalistic blunderbass, evoke superlatives, romanticise his orgasm. He is forgiven.[/quote'] You forgive too easily. I read a handful of pieces in the past, and had the urge to reach for some strong alcohol just to mercy-kill the brain cells that became stupider by reading his nonsense.

[Dhondy]

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I read both new entries, Shwetabh. The usual high standard, a delightful concoction of nostalgia, science and analysis, all mixed into one pot that only you are capable of. Couldn't think of a reply that would do justice to the quality of the blog. Besides, I am trying my damndest to stay away from this site. It's too bloody addictive. Might email you if I get any thoughts that I just have to share (not a bad idea, going by our old email archives). Don't feel "forummy" any more.

[Mr. Wicket]

Besides' date=' I am trying my damndest to stay away from this site. It's too bloody addictive.[/quote'] I noticed; but I did see that the Pakistanis being embarrassed yet again was enough reason for you to return. I only hope we will see more cameos in the future, and more such Pakistani non-performances!

[Chandan]

I read both new entries, Shwetabh. The usual high standard, a delightful concoction of nostalgia, science and analysis, all mixed into one pot that only you are capable of. Couldn't think of a reply that would do justice to the quality of the blog. Besides, I am trying my damndest to stay away from this site. It's too bloody addictive. Might email you if I get any thoughts that I just have to share (not a bad idea, going by our old email archives). Don't feel "forummy" any more.

That is not fair Dhondy! Why keep other ICF-ers away from your such entertaining and well written posts? What wrong have we done?

[The Outsider]

I read both new entries, Shwetabh. The usual high standard, a delightful concoction of nostalgia, science and analysis, all mixed into one pot that only you are capable of. Couldn't think of a reply that would do justice to the quality of the blog. Besides, I am trying my damndest to stay away from this site. It's too bloody addictive. Might email you if I get any thoughts that I just have to share (not a bad idea, going by our old email archives). Don't feel "forummy" any more.

I actually thought my Cosmic ladder analogy will draw loads of brickbats specially from you!:giggle: Frankly speaking it might have been half well written but is ridden with enough holes to drive a Hummer through.... but anyhow, the only reason that I spend time here is to elicit intelligent responses from people like you!

[zubinpepsi]

aloha... sambit bal came up with a better one....

Easily it was the best Test of the year: if it failed to move you, cricket will be never be your game

:hmmm: wtf is going on.. these ppl are going OTT about this test match.. Its a good match.. but to call it best match of the year is just pure BS...

[Sachinism]

I was gonna post about that too. Seriously WTF