Virat Kohli and Run-chases

Virat Kohli. What an outstanding player he is turning out to be. India would look very ordinary without him. He is just self confidence personified. A lot of youngsters and children who are watching him bat right now will learn a lot from him, just as Virat learnt from the great Sachin. Very hard working and extremely talented cricketer. India is blessed to have him in the team at the moment.

Virat Kohli's unbeaten 82 helped India seal the semi-final berth in the ICC World T20 and beat Australia by six wickets in their final group game at Mohali. Chasing 161 after losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, India needed a big performance from their top order and Kohli delivered for the umpteenth time.

I didn't think Kohli could ever surpass his famous assault on Sri Lanka is Oz but he did today. Absolute magical innings. It is a miracle that a team with a misfiring Rohit, Dhawan, Raina and Yuvraj is through to the semifinals. And that miracle is called Kohli. Can he carry the pathetic Indian top order for another two matches?

There are times when words aren't enough to describe a performance on the cricket field; the adjectives seem clumsy, the praise clichéd, and the description utterly prosaic. Virat's performance today was such that it renders any effort to describe it obscenely inadequate.

To finish off a close game is special; to finish off a seemingly lost game single handedly is extraordinary; but to finish off seemingly lost games, in do-or-die situations, single handedly, while playing on your terms, match after match, is nothing short of legendary. Take a bow Virat; you justified your name, which roughly means Gigantic, today.

Kudos to Nehra as well, for that was a great performance under pressure. Well done to MSD, what are we going to do without him, for superb bowling changes and keeping things calm, as usual, after that horror show of a start.

 

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India-Bangladesh match in World T20 - Humdinger of a match

Phew! What a humdinger of a match it was! Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah needed only 2 runs in the last 2 balls and both got out going for the glory and thus India stays alive after this heart-stopping match. Now, the match between India and Australia is going to be a virtual Quarter Final. Bangladesh played brilliantly throughout the match but only the last 3 balls. They executed their plans perfectly. So we should call them a small team. India must learn from this match and the mistakes it made. We were just lucky that we made it through. Dhoni too should be credited for his strong captaincy. Bangladeshi team too shouldn't feel demoralised, they played brilliant cricket. People will never forget this match for years to come.

And it seems fitting when Pandya is the man called upon to bowl the final over. He is virtually mobbed by supportive team-mates when he gets the ball in hand. There are whispers in his ear from Virat Kohli. Dhoni deals out instructions. Ashish Nehra gives advice. Through the course of his walk from long-on to the top of his bowling mark at the opposite end of the ground, Pandya has more arms around him than a 21st-century warlord.

This is all for very little, because in truth, he bowls a poor over. Mushfiqur Rahim is sublimely calm as he drills the second ball through cover. He showcases the wit that made him a former captain when he paddles the next ball past the wicketkeeper for a boundary.

Two runs needed from three balls. Bangladesh have the tournament favourites and their baying home fans by the throat. The World T20's biggest upset is at the tips of their fingers.

But this is the end of their 237 balls of glory. In the seconds after that shot is hit, something profound is lost. Mushfiqur gets in Pandya's face. He flails, he screams, he snarls, he pumps his arms.

In three balls, Bangladesh lose sight of the distance they have come. They forget the captain that has inspired them. In three balls, Bangladesh turn out the light.

Everyone who saw yesterday’s match can testify what a rollercoaster ride it was. Mushfiqur’s timely fours in the final over definitely swung the match our way. Yet the night ended in heartbreak and despair for Bangladeshi fans and Mushfiqur Rahim apologized to the nation for the unprecedented loss.

Bangladesh needed two off three balls to win against India and stay alive in the ICC World Twenty20 yesterday and there were Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at the crease to win the game.

They were the most experienced batsmen that Bangladesh had to stroke those two runs off the last three balls to create a small piece of history at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Instead they surrendered three wickets and lost the match by one run to bring about widespread dejection in the Bangladesh camp.

The last three balls in this India-Bangladesh game were monumental events that will remain carved in the memory for a long time. Some will recall with pleasure, others with pain. Especially the last ball of that game. Dhoni had to trust his instincts and make a decision in a micro second to whether throw the ball at the stumps with his gloveless hand or just sprint and win a direct one-one race for victory against the non-striker. Was there ever a int'l game when a side lost the game losing three wickets in three balls with two runs to get? I don't think so. And it is a mathematically improbable that we will ever watch it again in our lifetimes. Hands down the moment not just of the Super 10s, but in the history of the T20 world cups. It is already remarkable now that India have reached semis and will look even more stunning if India win the World Cup. If in fact, India win the world cup, expect a Bollywood blockbuster with that last over depicted as a pivotal scene in the movie.

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New Zealand cricket great Martin Crowe passes away

The former Test captain of New Zealand cricket team, Martin Crowe passed away yesterday having suffered a long fight with cancer. He had been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in October 2012 and underwent treatment for the cancer but it returned in September 2014. Doctors identified his condition as double-hit lymphoma, a rare and aggressive blood disease. Only 5% of those diagnosed with it live for longer than 12 months.

He chose not to continue with chemotherapy, opting instead to “chill out at home” as he managed his illness with natural remedies.

Crowe said his diagnosis had helped him realise what was important in life. “The main thing is the love I have for the people around me, and I only really focus on compassion and forgiveness because that’s the only way and I didn’t used to do that at all. I took too long to grow up, and now I’ve got that perspective on what my life should be about I’ve probably never been happier.”

The former Black Caps captain scored 17 centuries in 77 Tests for his country and was considered one of the greatest batsmen of his generation, leading his country between 1990 and 1993. The elegant right-hander also scored 4,704 runs at an average of 38.55 in one-day internationals. In 1991 he was named New Zealand sportsman of the year and was also awarded an MBE for services to cricket.

He was at his inspirational best during the 1992 World Cup, when he led New Zealand with flair to reach the semi final in front of a partisan home crowd.

Crowe’s influence in New Zealand cricket continued in recent years as mentor to Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor. New Zealand opener Guptill said tips from Crowe had elevated his game, and a message from the former Black Caps skipper was behind his unbeaten 237 in New Zealand’s 143-run World Cup quarter-final win over West Indies in March.

McCullum said Crowe had been invaluable in working on the batting of senior batsmen Taylor and Guptill. 

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