Victory after the storm
Nov 5.Mumbai: After a foursful (forceful) start by the openers, West Indies were geared to blow another Gayle. The numerous sixes and fours left the Australian bowlers spellbound, which drove them to change their strategy. And the success of their new formula worked as wickets kept falling.It turned out to be a case of calm after the storm,for the world champions.The turning point was Chris Gayle being bowled, which left the cheering crowd with dashed hopes.
Nathan Brackens bowling went beyond expectations as he took the top order wickets. The stadium with the initial yelling at top of their voices crowd was filled with stunned silence as the twist in turn of the game happened from 80-2 to 138 all out. As the second innings started, prayers to the almighty were done with clasped hands hoping for miracle that would bring the cup to the Windies Skipper.
The audience bounced back to the game as the wicket of Adam Gilchrist was taken by Bradshaw, bringing back some hope and life into the almost dead match. It gave another opportunity for the sea of faces to gear up as Ricky Ponting's wicket, cleverly taken by Taylor, to applaud for the Windies.In contrast the Australian Skipper was booed so badly, that his head hung in shame as he left the grounds.
As the game halted for lunch break, rains had their own cynical contribution, acting as a cooler to the heated and tensed atmosphere of the Mumbai Stadium. It left a certain uncertainty about the resume of the match as more spells of shower poured on the evergreen grounds. After a prolonged three hours, the game began and ended with the Kangaroos defeating the “former champion’s trophy” winners and ascertaining the cup in their hands. They created history of winning this trophy for the first time.
This was a live encounter for me and indeed a pleasure to see a good smashing game by the Windies initially and a great performance by the Australians. A sport watched live with the enthusiastic crowd of Mumbai is far better than watching it on television in the corner of ones homes. Whether it is a match of 80 all out by West Indies or 138 all out, a game watched live still has its own charm. It was a pleasure to see Mumbaiites cheering for the Windies and not Chennai's favorite Australians who were probably happy to see the opponent team lose.
Watching it on field gives you more insight to view the on goings behind the camera that one does not get to see on Set Max.It was great to see players like Mike Hussey who would come and practice his batting during breaks and other players indulging in a game of Rugby while the Umpires were debating on a decision due to the rain.
Other instances of waving to the players like Glenn McGrath and Ramaresh Sarwan as they were fielding, is unforgettable. The crowd had fun by calling Sachin’s name out as McGrath looked up and smiled sportingly. Also it was nice to see the large heartedness of the mighty Australians to lend a helping hand in clearing the ground out of excessive moisture due to the rain, before the match resumed.
Even though West Indies lost, it was amazing to watch Chris Gayle win “the man of the series” award. This made up for the disappointed feeling in me of seeing the Kangaroos victory.
One thing however remains that West Indies prove to be a much better team than the Indians under the so called great wall which is diminishing by the day. At least Windies and other teams do not indulge in such desperation to involve Hollywood stars to shout”: OO AA Australia" or "OO AA West Indies" or "OO AA New Zealand” as marketing gimmicks. It’s indeed pathetic to see the stars like the aging Shahrukh Khan Wail "OO AA India" and killing the spirit of cricket (Doesn’t look bad when Dada does the same).
Hope that more matches take place in amchi Mumbai and gives us juntas more lively encounters with the game. It would give us numerous more chances to cheer and encourage our favorite teams to perform their best.
Nathan Brackens bowling went beyond expectations as he took the top order wickets. The stadium with the initial yelling at top of their voices crowd was filled with stunned silence as the twist in turn of the game happened from 80-2 to 138 all out. As the second innings started, prayers to the almighty were done with clasped hands hoping for miracle that would bring the cup to the Windies Skipper.
The audience bounced back to the game as the wicket of Adam Gilchrist was taken by Bradshaw, bringing back some hope and life into the almost dead match. It gave another opportunity for the sea of faces to gear up as Ricky Ponting's wicket, cleverly taken by Taylor, to applaud for the Windies.In contrast the Australian Skipper was booed so badly, that his head hung in shame as he left the grounds.
As the game halted for lunch break, rains had their own cynical contribution, acting as a cooler to the heated and tensed atmosphere of the Mumbai Stadium. It left a certain uncertainty about the resume of the match as more spells of shower poured on the evergreen grounds. After a prolonged three hours, the game began and ended with the Kangaroos defeating the “former champion’s trophy” winners and ascertaining the cup in their hands. They created history of winning this trophy for the first time.
This was a live encounter for me and indeed a pleasure to see a good smashing game by the Windies initially and a great performance by the Australians. A sport watched live with the enthusiastic crowd of Mumbai is far better than watching it on television in the corner of ones homes. Whether it is a match of 80 all out by West Indies or 138 all out, a game watched live still has its own charm. It was a pleasure to see Mumbaiites cheering for the Windies and not Chennai's favorite Australians who were probably happy to see the opponent team lose.
Watching it on field gives you more insight to view the on goings behind the camera that one does not get to see on Set Max.It was great to see players like Mike Hussey who would come and practice his batting during breaks and other players indulging in a game of Rugby while the Umpires were debating on a decision due to the rain.
Other instances of waving to the players like Glenn McGrath and Ramaresh Sarwan as they were fielding, is unforgettable. The crowd had fun by calling Sachin’s name out as McGrath looked up and smiled sportingly. Also it was nice to see the large heartedness of the mighty Australians to lend a helping hand in clearing the ground out of excessive moisture due to the rain, before the match resumed.
Even though West Indies lost, it was amazing to watch Chris Gayle win “the man of the series” award. This made up for the disappointed feeling in me of seeing the Kangaroos victory.
One thing however remains that West Indies prove to be a much better team than the Indians under the so called great wall which is diminishing by the day. At least Windies and other teams do not indulge in such desperation to involve Hollywood stars to shout”: OO AA Australia" or "OO AA West Indies" or "OO AA New Zealand” as marketing gimmicks. It’s indeed pathetic to see the stars like the aging Shahrukh Khan Wail "OO AA India" and killing the spirit of cricket (Doesn’t look bad when Dada does the same).
Hope that more matches take place in amchi Mumbai and gives us juntas more lively encounters with the game. It would give us numerous more chances to cheer and encourage our favorite teams to perform their best.
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