Granger Gab

Tag: Ashes

Missing McGrath…

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On August 5, 2005

In Cricket

What a freak injury that was and bad timing! Surely the Aussies missed the Pigeon yesterday. Poms were on a rampage. 10 sixes and 54 fours in 79.2 overs!!! A run-rate of 5 throughout the day. Don’t want to take anything away from the Poms. 407 in a day in a test match is very good by any standards.
Wait a sec, did I just say Poms got those runs? Surprised aren’t you? So was I, especially since we are so used to see that score against the Aus name. But I’m glad the positions are changing.
My Cricket-Aus Crazy friend Saurabh puts up a nice chapter on why we desperately need this change and who are the ideal candidates for it. I couldn’t agree more with him!

I didn’t get to see much of their innings:-( Wanted to catch the Flintoff & Pietersen partnership in action. Pietersen’s six of Brett Lee showed me what I had missed! The chap is going great guns on his debut.

Aussies had a shocking start, Hayden out early, but they seem to have recovered. Only Langer seems to know that it is test-match and not ODI!

What fun, enjoy the battle till it lasts!

P.S: Are people even glued to the Tri-Series happening in SL? ODIs can never take anything away from exciting test-cricket. That’s the real stuff and that’s the real challenge. Invent a Twenty20 or Ten10, Test cricket will never die.

The cricketers and the fans will keep it alive. Does the Indian Board even know what a true cricket fan craves for? Atleast I’ve yet to meet one who will tell me, “Minal I enjoy ODIs more!”

Battleground Edgbaston

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On August 4, 2005

In Cricket

I’m glad I can finally call the Ashes a Battle. Engand are slowly putting up some fight, and some fright in the Aussie Camp.

The first test had an exciting start. Harmisson had the Aussies bundled out for 190 and Glenn McGrath celebrated his 500 wickets in style by getting a five wicket haul for a mere 21 runs!
That opening spell by McGrath was demoralizing for the England batsmen who for the first time must’ve thought, well here is our chance to get one up on the Aussies. The old warrior had some other tricks up his sleeve. Accuracy is what undid the England batsmen. Accuracy is McGrath’s potency and the Poms could not overcome that.

What followed later was as per the old Aussie victory script. The two days had me interested then it was the same run-of-the-mill story so I shall not write about it.

My current favourite Clarke got a fine 91 , finally he is back in form! Pietersen had an impressive debut, I’m waiting to catch more of him. Will he also become a favourite? Only time and performance will tell. He sure is one hell of a prospect and SA must be ruing that!

Time to shift focus to Edgbaston…

The Battle Begins……Today!

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On July 21, 2005

In Ashes, Cricket

Vaughan begins his campaign today. He will lead his team to try and win the Ashes back from the Aussies. It’s going to be a tough, tough challenge but his team’s performance has given the Poms some hope and a chance to put the Aussies in serious trouble.

Ponting on the other hand is glad that Australia picked up its game in the last two matches. Gilchrist and he were in their usual devastating form. They love to walk into a series as favourites and enjoy living up to that tag. In all probability they should retain the Ashes and then ask the MCC to finally hand them over, so that they can carry the Ashes to the Aussie shores.

Who have you placed your bets on to become McGrath’s 500 test victim? Strauss or Trescothick? There is some serious betting happening there. Tremendous achievement for a fast bowler, considering only one has got to that landmark before him and the other two leading wicket-takers are spinners!

Walsh was phenomenal, not everyone expected him to get there and he did. McGrath has only ripened with age and looks in golden touch this time around too.

What a series this should be.

  • Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff at no.6 & no.5 respectively hammering the Aussie bowlers
  • Steve Harmisson troubling the batsman no ends
  • Trescothick, Vaughan and Strauss building partnerships steadily
Yes, England finally putting up a challenge!
  • Gilchrist smacking the ball all around the park
  • Hayden-Langer blasting century stands
  • Ponting adding that dazzling double in between
  • Clarke building himself up in the international era, what a batsman! Such a pleasure to watch
  • McGrath bowling relentlessly near and about the off-stump compelling the batsman to make mistakes and fall in his trap, and they sure do! How he manages to get that accuracy going ball-after–ball, over-after-over is a real mystery!
  • Gillespie doing his eagle run-up with hair all over the place, his sight is frightening and I don’t blame the batsman if they get out;-)
  • Finally sheer pace by Brett Lee
Can’t wait to catch the action on TV

Will He Be Aus’s Nemesis?

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On June 20, 2005

In Cricket

He has been much talked about before the series began. He has a record to back the reputation he is earning as Destroyer-in-Chief.

He proved it again yesterday.

What would be interesting to see is will he be able to do to the Aussies what Sachin did to them in the 1998 season??

Interesting battle ahead!

Confidence Personified…

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On June 14, 2005

In Cricket

England drew first blood against Aus when they thrashed them by 100 runs in Twenty20 match.

Hmmmm…These days an Aussie defeat in any version fo the game makes ” Big” news; just the way our victories in any version of the game would;-)

Well if England thought they could rest on cloud nine, Ponting brought them down right away with his take on the match:
“I think it’s that sort of game, Twenty20. So much happens that wouldn’t normally happen in a 50-over game so I don’t think the result of today’s game will do them any good and probably won’t do us any harm,“

Mental Disintegration? And Aussies are proven champs at it:-)
I’m looking forward more than ever to the Ashes this time…

The Return of the ‘Invincibles’

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On June 9, 2005

In Cricket

Cricket followers might know whom I’m referring to!
Go here to have a look.
Sometimes you wish time stayed put, that one could travel back in time…Sigh!
Given a chance I’d like to witness a few things in Cricket History:
  • Sir Don’s Majestic Batting
  • The “Invincibles’ in full action
  • The Series that changed the face of Cricket: ‘ Bodyline’
Many more to the list, this is just the beginning.
That gives me an idea. Every week I’ll list the moments I would like to witness live, given the opportunity to travel back in time.
Hmmm…not a bad idea for a weekly topic on my blog;-)
You can join in with your list too..

The Ashes Kicks off with Mental Disintegration…

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On June 7, 2005

In Cricket

Most cricketing fans await the Ashes with great passion and interest. The Ashes, at one time was the biggest rivalry in test cricket till England slumped, Australia rose and rose, and other rivalries like India- Aus, India-Pak, SA-Aus began to overshadow the charm of the Ashes.

However this time, England seems in a better state to challenge the Aussies. Mind you I’m betting on only the Challenge part not the result. For England to win; Aussies need to have ‘Bad Days’ in the field and that is a once in blue moon occasion! And we do not see the blue moon often do we?

Sledging was redefined by the Aussies especially Steve Waugh as ‘Mental Disintegration’. The Aussies are well-known to start off their ‘Speech Therapy’ before the actual matches begin. The only man who gave them a dose of their own medicine was our dear captain! Whatever his current (lack of) form and other cricket woes, that’s a good enough reason to stand by him in his time of distress:-)

Anyways our captain crisis later, here is what The Aussie Captain had to say when he set foot on the shores of England: ‘You’ve had your fun against Bangladesh, guys; now get ready for the real competition’.

And to this he further added, with a reference to the fact that Australia have not lost a Test series against England since Allan Border’s 1986-87 team, said, “England have always had very good teams coming at us over the last 20 years, but they probably haven’t played the way they would have liked.”

Joining the captain are the fans too! This piece was interesting:
Reacting to a dyed-in-the-wool supporter’s forecast that the Ashes will “change hands” in the forthcoming series, an Aussie fan responded, “Yes, they will. They (the Ashes) will travel to Australia from the MCC, where you are holding on to them under one pretext or another.”

I agree with the Aussie fan, it’s time the Aussies were sent to Australia.
If they want them to remain at MCC, the Poms better win it back!!!

Who am I supporting? Except when they play India, it is Australia always, what a bunch of players!!! Only this team can afford to bring in Gilchrist at no. 7 and yet have him score a century!

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