No balls to you!

By the 49th over, India was 349/4. After that, Fall of wickets 5-352 (Dhoni, 49.3 ov), 6-353 (Raina, 49.5 ov), 7-354 (Kumar, 49.6 ov)

Where’s Ravindra Jadeja - Padded up on the bench.

The kid has a first class double, a highest of 232* plus one more century, an average of 38. Compare that to Bhajji and PK: both have fifties but no century. Bhajji’s first class average 19, PK’s 23.

It wasn’t just the last over, it was a few balls in the last over. India was past 350. Bhajji and PK had crazy quick Domino’s delivery runs in the last game. They were expected to deliver again.

I don’t have much against that, esp after seeing Jadeja all at sea in the first ODI.

But just imagine what it does, when you see the bowlers bat before you – luckily for Jadeja it was only a few balls, imagine the scars had Bhajji and PK gone in earlier.

Then again, imagine what those few balls could have meant to Jadeja? That too with a license to throw Shastri’s proverbial kitchen sink at everything.

Looks like I’ll have to give Jadeja a net in the Kotla. Bhajji, try and stop me.


On Bored: The day this Jadeja will be called Jaddu

With your penknife

Write me off
Pierce me through
It’s ok, know it’s you
My old friend
It’s what you do
You have to do
With your penknife

I stopped scoring
You started keeping count
Each time I failed
You succeeded
I lost, you won
I was caught
You caught me
With your penknife

I played on
You played me
I was bowled
You delivered
I fell short
You cut me
To size
With your penknife

It’s not over
You say it’s over
I didn’t say over
You said it’s over
Over and over again
I said it’s not over
You said it’s over
With your penknife

How come you know me so well?
And how come you feed on me so swell?
You parasite, living off me
With your penknife

I’m not out
You want it referred
I’m not out
You want me charged
I’m not out
You want me banned
I’m not out
You want me dismissed
With your penknife.

Like hell, I’m going without a fight
With my bat
Like hell, you’re going without a fight
With your pen knife.


(to be performed by Paul Simon, ideally)

Need he go to Nagpur?

I’m still hung up on Anil Kumble. And I didn’t even play with him.

How does Rahul Dravid feel? What about Sachin Tendulkar? Do they feel Kumble’s the one that got away – while they go to Nagpur, to prove themselves one more time?

Appears Kumble will be in Nagpur too, for Saurav’s farewell and Laxman’s 100th. Even if he isn’t, his zoom lens will.

Sunil Gavaskar says, of course he should go to Nagpur. This is his team. That was said on an emotional Sunday. Is this still Kumble’s team, Sunny Bhai?

Anyone with even a vague sense of Kumble will know that he wants to be there for the boys.

But, let’s detach ourselves from Kumble the karamyogi. Let’s get down to down ‘n dirty team sport. Can a team belong to two captains?

No one I’ve spoken to in the media knows if Kumble stayed on in Mohali (after his first day announcement that ruled him out) – and no sir, there isn’t an Indian cricket media manager we can call to confirm this one way or the other.

So unless Kumble was at his invisible best, masterminding the Mohali victory, the credit should go to Dhoni’s team.

One if Bhajji’s toe heals, will be the same to play in Nagpur.

So, what is Kumble’s role in Nagpur? Unless he’s going to be the media manager; quite frankly the Indian team won’t find a better man than him.

But apart from that, aren’t those felicitations distraction enough?

Or is Kumble going to sign some gentlemen’s pact with Ponting?

So, one captain can play in the spirit of the game. And the other in the flesh.

Or is Nagpur a necessity – one that will provide much needed closure for Kumble after his rushed retirement at Kotla?

Only Kumble knows.