Day 5 @ The Oval, England v India, 3rd Test

LUNCH: India 664 & 6/180d. England 345 & 2/126. [England need 374 runs to win, off ~60 overs, with 8 wickets in hand. RRR 6.23]

At the stroke of the first hour, India struck twice. It sent a glimmer of hope through the hearts and minds of every Indian supporter following this match, but it was to be the only success till Lunch. Nevertheless, there's still a long way to go. England need to play off roughly 360 deliveries; India need just 8 of them to get wickets. There's no guarantee yet that Sidebottom will even bat, so who knows? Maybe we need only 7 wickets! Either way, there is still a good chance for an Indian victory. Now, I've gone through the statistics for most runs in a day etc., and here are the findings: Only 14 times in the history of the game, has a team scored more than 444 runs in a single day, with England's highest being 503 runs against South Africa at Lord's in 1924, on Day 2. The most number of runs on Day 5 however is 404, by Australia's "Invincibles" at Leeds in 1948. In a thrilling finale to the contest, Bradman and Morris scored big centuries to take the Aussies to the then highest fourth innings victory total. It was Bradman's penultimate innings in Test cricket. And as anybody who follows the game should/would know, Bradman was bowled for a duck in his final Test innings in the next match at The Oval, almost exactly 59 years ago (it was on August 14!). With that crushing blow, the greatest batsman in the history of the game left the arena just 4 runs short of an average of 100! One of sporting history's greatest tragedies.

The bottom line is, England had absolutely no chance of expecting to win at the beginning of the day, and now that they've lost two quick wickets and not scored much till Lunch, it's obvious that they cannot win from here. Eve if KP is at the crease. Also, I chose not to go because sense was knocked into me that I have an interview on Thursday that is more important to prepare for. This is a small price to pay for the chance of getting a job that pays enough to splash out on lots of cricket and other sporting fun in the future. Now that I've made the ultimate sacrifice, will the good men at Sea & Water read this and simply gimme the job on arrival?

TEA: India 664 & 6/180d. England 345 & 3/232. [England need 268 runs to win, off ~31 overs, with 7 wickets in hand. RRR 8.65]

Just the one wicket. Possibly the most boring session of the match as England moved within 150+ deliveries of safety, and just the small-matter of a 1-0 series loss to India. India maybe ruing the opportunity to have declared earlier on the 2nd day. Unless they get Pietersen and/or Collingwood early after a cuppa, this match is going to peter out into a tepid draw.

Wow! Aggers just had an interview-chat with Harsha Bhogle, my favourite Indian cricket commentator. Is it just me, or are some globe-trotting Indians suddenly becoming the most well-spoken people on the planet!? Two of my favourite non-political ambassadors for India have been chatted to during this match, and both I'd just love to emulate. (In the way they know so much more about stuff outside India, than even non-Indians themselves, yet also know more about India than everybody else. If you get what I mean.)

And now the final Test session of the summer is underway...

--Thoughts on Day 1
--Thoughts on Day 2
--Thoughts on Day 3
--Thoughts on Day 4

2007 Rugby World Cup

I just learnt that it starts in less than a month's time, and just as India's tour of England ends. I couldn't have asked for better timing, and it's probably the best news I've heard all week. As I mentioned in a previous post, I really wanna get into Rugby, and what better chance to push things forward than a World Cup? Infact, everything I know about it till now can be attributed to its last two World Cups. The Six Nations also helped, especially since there were people in school who used to follow it, particularly Scotsfolk. But this will be something else. Following a World Cup while in London. This summer of sport just keeps getting better. Have I mentioned just how incredibly happy I am to have moved to London? It's the best thing that's happened to me since McGill readmitted me in 2003!

[Poll #1038582]

England 0 - 1 INDIA -- JAI HIND!!

India 664 & 6/180d drew England 345 & 6/369. [Pietersen 101, Bell 67; Sreesanth 3-53]

WE'VE DONE IT! And what good timing too. India celebrates 60 years of Independence from the British on Wednesday. :D

India have become the first team to defeat England at home since Australia in 2001, and Sri Lanka in 1998. That's an impressive record to overturn, and it is especially satisfying to know that India of all teams, inflicted that defeat! The victory is also satisfying because it was only our 3rd series victory in England (in 15 attempts), and the first since Kapil's Devils won 2-0 in 1986. In such context, the achievement is nothing short of incredible, but not too surprising, if one takes into account our accomplishments abroad since 2000. After the series losses here in 1990 and 1996, India made substantial progress by drawing the last series in 2002. Five years later, the Galacticos, (three of whom played in the last two series), came to the party not through individual achievement, but a true team effort. As it happened, one match victory was enough to snatch the series. And if it wasn't for a delayed declaration, that ended up not happening on the second day, who knows what might've transpired in the final Test? That being said, it's best we leave the ifs and buts with pots and pans, and concentrate on the actual results themselves!

Until 2000, India was justifiably criticized for its Test record abroad. Since then things have changed dramatically. And it all began with Sourav Ganguly's captaincy, and John Wright's managerial stewardship. Ganguly brought mental steel, Wright instilled a sense of professionalism. Though they achieved nothing stellar in absolute terms, in the context of Indian cricket, their accomplishments were remarkable, and augured well for a different combination to takeover. If Ganguly's leadership was version 1.0, Dravid's captaincy upgraded it to version 2.0. And the results speak for themselves. Ganguly and Dravid are the only Indian captains who have more Test wins abroad, than losses*. That says a lot, in a little. In fact since 2000, India have won series in Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Pakistan, West Indies and now England. They've drawn a series in Australia, and lost only in South Africa (after winning the first Test), Sri Lanka and New Zealand. But between the 1986 victory in England and Ganguly's captaincy in 2000, India won only a single series abroad in Sri Lanka (1993), drew a series in Pakistan (1989), and lost everywhere else, including Zimbabwe in 1998! (In the corresponding period at home, including the last seven years, India have lost only four series (out of 30)! See what I mean?

All that said and done, there's still a long way to go for India to be taken seriously in countries such as South Africa, Australia (despite what happened last series), and especially New Zealand (where India has a pathetic record). But thanks to Ganguly and Dravid, India have set new standards from which to build and take-off. It is no coincidence that the Indian economy has been flourishing during the same period. As the economy grows, so does the confidence of its sportsmen, particularly cricketers. Ganguly is famous for describing what inspired him to do well in Australia in 2003/04; he was in the dressing room after the 3-0 thrashing in 1999/00, and there was no way he wanted a repeat of that. Dravid and SRT have also shared these experiences. They all know what it's like to be the world's best individuals, but also play for a team that continually fails to deliver. Especially abroad. And perhaps in a fitting tribute to Ian Chappell's views on the use of coaches, or lack thereof, India has won a Test series in England without one. I guess nothing can substitute successful careers, hardened by experience, inspired by a booming economy, a new philosophy of hope and emboldened expectations.

The bottom line is that India's cricket team, like its economy, is not yet a Bengal tiger, but no more a slumbering elephant. We've arrived, and we're hungry for more. Or at least I am. I just hope Dravid and Company, are just as hungry too! Jai Hind!

(* Dravid's record abroad, Ganguly's record abroad)