Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies

1. Because Australia was going to anyway. They played Steven Smith. What did Smith do – he did Pollard.

12.3 85.9 kph, gone! Lovely piece of bowling from Smith, he's turned the ball just past the bat of Pollard, who is trying to get forward and work through leg, and Haddin whips the bails off, no need for the third umpire there 77/6

A few weeks back in the IPL, one anonymous leg spinner, a guy called, whatshisname Ladda was picked by the defending semi finalists, Delhi Daredevils. He bowled his first over of the match, the 18th – to Pollard. Pollard miss-timed a few but got them over the ropes anyway. Ladda did not bowl the 20th.

That was Gambhir’s captaincy. Something that’s rubbed off Dhoni. Gambhir at least bowls Mishra, Dhoni rather bowl batsmen.

2. Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies
This was not the Hero Cup, this was the Losers’ Cup and India had to defend their early exit in the last edition – that was no fluke.

3. Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies
Anil Kumble and Hirwani have retired.

4. Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies
Piyush Chawla refused to have his head bandaged – not like Kumble who had an open mind, head…

5. Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies
Refer to 1. If India played a leggie, that would prepare the Windies for the Aussie game, and for India to advance to the semis it was imperative that Australia beat the Windies.

12.4 85.6 kph, first ball! Smith is on a hat-trick! Tossed up on leg and turning back to off, Sammy has gone for the drive but straight back to the bowler, who takes a good catch 77/7

Steven Smith was Man of the match

6. Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies
It was wrong enough to pick Chawla to play him would have been wronger

7. Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies
At 21 years, 139 days, international debut more than 4 years’ back, long periods out of the team, Chawla is jaded and not the bowler he once was – whereas Smith, 20 years 344 days, made his debut earlier this year. He’s a farm fresh leg spinner, not even the Windies' videos know how to play him.

8. Why India did not play a leg spinner against the West Indies
Beats me, and it beats India too.


On Bored: India is over and out of the World Twenty20 + MSD: Mahi, Sex aur Dhoka

I am not my twin.

Hey kid, who are you?
Where do you think
You are going?
You are not in the eleven
So go, get a net, sit in a corner, fret
I dunno, do something
Make yourself useful
Around here

It’s so simple
To make me feel small
I am small
I believe what they say
Because I am insignificant
Fed on crumbs of praise
Nobody looks at me
These days
They never did
I am "Verbal" from The Usual Suspects

BOOM! I’ll be back when they least expect
I won’t get a net, sit in a corner, fret
I will earn their respect
But not like this
I will bowl in the middle

You know
Everybody digs the Aussie way
Especially in stralia
My twin out there waited
Till he turned grey
One day, he found himself to be
Just another moody, middle aged relic
With a day job
He could not grasp
How it all had fallen out
Of his grasp
Again
That too when it was all
In his grasp,
He had to let it go
Again.

I have been waiting for
the last five years
I am not my twin
I made my team win
I bowl leg spin

I am Kaizer Soze from The Usual Suspects.


(to be performed by 10,000 Maniacs, ideally)