Crookbond Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 No-one's doosra spins very much to be fair. I think Saqlain got the most movement from his. I think Muralitharan got the most of his doosra than any other bowler.
Crookbond Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Hambantota - The ground at the end of the universe http://www.wisdenindia.com/the-ground-at-the-end-of-the-universe Douglas Adams and Ralph Waldo Emerson were present in spirit, though certainly not in person, on a typically sweltering day in what is meant to be the monsoon season, at an impeccable cricket ground in the deep south of Sri Lanka. The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium might well be described as the ground at the end of the universe, and if you were not a player taking part in the ICC World Twenty20 2012 choppered in from Colombo in army helicopters you would strongly disagree that itÃÔ the journey that matters, not the destination. ItÃÔ tempting to say øelcome to Hambantota for the start of the ICC World Twenty20, which begins with TuesdayÃÔ opening game between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, except that the locals point out this would be factually incorrect. The MRICS, using the acronym for convenience and with apologies to the President of the country after whom this venue is named, is actually in Sooriyawewa, rather than Hambantota, which is about 38 kilometres away. To get to Hambantota, most plebs endure a seven-hour road trip from Colombo. The first 110 kilometres on the expressway, built by the Chinese to connect Colombo to Galle, is a modern marvel, a surface so smooth and path so straight that few can resist the temptation of breaking the 100 km/hr speed limit. From Galle onwards, though, itÃÔ back to traditional Sri Lankan roads, hugging the coastline and as beautiful as anything you might see, if your nerves are calm enough from having to watch out for wandering buffaloes, the odd cyclist with a skinful of arrack in him, and government buses hammering at you in the opposite direction with little regard for driving etiquette. After you go past Matara a sleepy fishing village that Sanath Jayasuriya singlehandedly introduced to the world what you might encounter trying to cross the road gets a bit more serious, and heavy. Repeated reminders that the road is wending through elephant corridors are disregarded till you see the amount farmers have invested in electrified fencing. For most, the journey to MRICS does not end there, for thereÃÔ little suitable accommodation in Sooriyawewa, and tourists move on to Tissamaharama, traditionally the base from which trips to Yala National Park are made. But if itÃÔ cricket youÃÓe stalking, rather than leopards, then youÃÃl find yourself in the unique position of having to travel 50 to 60 km each way to get to the action. When you finally do get to the ground, you canÃÕ help but be awed by the audacity of it. Not long ago, the region was scrub and scree, and today, in the middle of nowhere is a cricket ground that can compete with the best. An imposing, but by no means ugly, main pavilion sits opposite a grandstand, with a giant scoreboard towering over one quadrant. But the rest of a massive playing area and this ground is bigger than most of its modern counterparts has gentle stands behind it. Two expansive grass banks make the overall capacity, officially pegged at 35,000, a bit flexible. The lack of concrete stands ensures that the swirling winds the region is famous for have an unobstructed run of the arena, and if quality fielders are occasionally left looking silly, thereÃÔ a good reason for this. While playing at the venue presents logistical challenges to all those involved, the fact that top-flight cricket has reached this far south is a sign of the progress the country has made in recent times. Indeed, while many may wonder why cricket has come so far from Colombo, the real point of curiosity is how someone from these parts went all the way to become president of the country. If thereÃÔ some adjustment needed from all those who come to the cricket at Sooriyawewa, itÃÔ best done with a smile, as is the practice in this part of the world. Mahela Jayawardene, Sri LankaÃÔ captain, certainly sees the point of playing here, rather than merely being comfortable in Colombo. ŪtÃÔ significant playing here in that this is a unique venue and we enjoy tremendous support here in a developing area, said Jayawardene. Ÿe first played here in the World Cup and since then weÃ×e been playing against all the touring teams. The facilities, as you can see, are world class. ThereÃÔ no doubting that final statement, and the important thing is that enough people take the trouble to make the effort to come and see for themselves what is possible. Must be quite an ordeal this for everyone to reach here... Phew!
velu Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 It's time Rohit translated these performances on the big stage....Seriously one must be blind not to see his talent...Is it frustrating to watch him fail-yes but should we give up on him yet-No vinod kambli v 2.0 :nervous:
Asim Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 bhajji can bowl doosra? :hmmmm2: hardly seen even his 'pehla' :phehehe:
panther Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Shoaib akhtar said rohit is his favourite batsman to watch. :two_thumbs_up:
Crookbond Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Shoaib akhtar said rohit is his favourite batsman to watch. :two_thumbs_up: :facepalm:
Square Drive Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 dont say it mate Indian posters will come to troll and say: "More prof. than test playing nations like SL" That means they accepts my main argument, hence no problem.. :dontknow:
velu Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Shoaib akhtar said rohit is his favourite batsman to watch. :two_thumbs_up: maybe he likes to see the batsmen getting bowled :hysterical::hysterical:
maniac Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 maybe he likes to see the batsmen getting bowled :hysterical::hysterical: I understand you are a big fan of SRT...so going by your recent love for Rohit Sharma....I can now gladly say what the future holds for him :--D
carnish Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 India will do well to go beyond Round 2. Now whenever Kohli scores a 50, India loses :wall: He scored 68 against SRL in the T20 game after the ODI series and we won that.
Tiger-Don Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Cmon guys...this was a practice match and Indian players used it as a practice! They probably tried some new combinations or somwthing@
Stuge Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 ` Shoaib akhtar said rohit is his favourite batsman to watch. :two_thumbs_up: :haha::haha:
mastana Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Woh kahawat suni hai "every dog has its day" us din india ke bowler ka din tha aaj pakistani batsman ka. :hehe:
mastana Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Enough of moaning over the warm up loss,lets be happy thinking positive B-> We defeated Pak in warm up in 2009 and they won the tourny ,now its our turn to do the same :cantstop: Our trundlers may deliver in crunch :aha: Thats the spirit. :cheer:
Silva Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Rohit Sharma - Warm-up matches specialist :--D I agree. It not like we can depend on him to score a clutch 30 runs in 16 balls in the last 5 overs in an innings to beat a team like Pakistan in a important match like the final of the t20 cup that we end up winning by 5 runs.
mastana Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Do you think India vs Pakistan match will happen on 30th September 2012? Personally i think it won't happen. One of these teams will be kicked out before that. It will be padosis. Bangladesh is ready to upset them. I am ready to lose my ICF money on that. :hehe: The first poster who posts in this thread will get my ICF money if this match happens.
bangladeshifan Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 Personally i think it won't happen. One of these teams will be kicked out before that. It will be padosis. Bangladesh is ready to upset them. I am ready to lose my ICF money on that. :hehe: The first poster who posts in this thread will get my ICF money if this match happens. i dont mind getting sum easy money. bookmarked
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now