It is finally upon us - a cricket final in Mumbai, featuring an Indian team.
Here are some last-minute thoughts on the off-chance that an Indian player reads it and passes along the message to MS Dhoni.
a) Virender Sehwag promised to bat 50 overs. Now would be a good time for him to remember the promise. If he bats 50 overs, the game is almost certainly out of Sri Lanka's reach.
b) Sachin Tendulkar is going to score his 100th international century in the Final. Not for nothing has he accumulated no less than 26 international scores in the 90's. A few years ago in Cuttack, Dinesh Karthik went ballistic with SRT eying a century, stranding him on 96 not out against the Sri Lankans. Now I know for sure that Dinesh did not strand the Master, it was part of a Grand Plan.
While on that, can we stop calling SRT a "Little" Master? He has gone beyond the Little stage by now, I would like to think.
c) In Masada, I trust. I had adream vision that Masada and SRT were at the crease as the winning runs were scored. That means...
d) Masada needs to lose the toss. I have more faith in the batting chasing down a total than the bowling defending a total. Invariably, because of the great start that Sehwag provides the commentators place a curse on the Indian team by talking about projected scores in excess of 350, only to have the natural course of events bring it down to the 260-280 range which feels like a letdown when, in fact, it should feel like a great total.
e) Ravi Shastri: I know it is the final of a World Cup. You need not scream yourself hoarse reminding us of it. We know that you will be feeling the following things:
Actually, why don't you just click on this link for more.
f) While their careers have overlapped for almost 19 years, I was shocked to read that SRT has faced only 91 balls in ODIs and 366 balls in Tests from Muttiah Muralitharan. What?!! here's hoping for 59 more (and someone else's wicket off the 60th one for Murali).
There are many more thoughts but considering how incoherent the previous ones have been, I should just shut up and write only after my nerves have settled.
By this time tomorrow.....
Here are some last-minute thoughts on the off-chance that an Indian player reads it and passes along the message to MS Dhoni.
a) Virender Sehwag promised to bat 50 overs. Now would be a good time for him to remember the promise. If he bats 50 overs, the game is almost certainly out of Sri Lanka's reach.
b) Sachin Tendulkar is going to score his 100th international century in the Final. Not for nothing has he accumulated no less than 26 international scores in the 90's. A few years ago in Cuttack, Dinesh Karthik went ballistic with SRT eying a century, stranding him on 96 not out against the Sri Lankans. Now I know for sure that Dinesh did not strand the Master, it was part of a Grand Plan.
While on that, can we stop calling SRT a "Little" Master? He has gone beyond the Little stage by now, I would like to think.
c) In Masada, I trust. I had a
d) Masada needs to lose the toss. I have more faith in the batting chasing down a total than the bowling defending a total. Invariably, because of the great start that Sehwag provides the commentators place a curse on the Indian team by talking about projected scores in excess of 350, only to have the natural course of events bring it down to the 260-280 range which feels like a letdown when, in fact, it should feel like a great total.
e) Ravi Shastri: I know it is the final of a World Cup. You need not scream yourself hoarse reminding us of it. We know that you will be feeling the following things:
- It does not get any bigger than this.
- It's anybody's game.
- The atmosphere is electric.
- What the batting team needs is a good partnership.
- What the bowling team needs is a couple of quick wickets
- (or, if it is late in the inning) a couple of good overs.
Actually, why don't you just click on this link for more.
f) While their careers have overlapped for almost 19 years, I was shocked to read that SRT has faced only 91 balls in ODIs and 366 balls in Tests from Muttiah Muralitharan. What?!! here's hoping for 59 more (and someone else's wicket off the 60th one for Murali).
There are many more thoughts but considering how incoherent the previous ones have been, I should just shut up and write only after my nerves have settled.
By this time tomorrow.....
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