Shekhar Joshi bats a 100 balls, 120 minutes without scoring and helps Baroda draw their match versus Bengal.

Tim de Lisle proves it once again in his new column on cricinfo. He has mixed reactions on BCCI’s superpower status:

Business has the upper hand. TV contracts go to the broadcasters with the most money, not those with the most viewers. Administrators express themselves in the grim, grey jargon of the businessman. Players blithely promote companies that run sweatshops, cause pollution, create obesity, collude with tyrants. Even the ICC aspires to be a brand.. ..The Champions’ Trophy has yet to find a decent format, let alone a place in cricket lovers’ hearts. The FTP has done more harm than good, abolishing the one-off Test (except when it suited ICC for its Super “Series”), creating far too many two- and three-Test series, and making five-Test series even harder to schedule. And someone had to do something about Bangladesh.

He ventures in the new fast bowlers we are seeing:

The rising generation of fast bowlers are a different breed, delivering more ferocity and less precision. We are witnessing the end of a game of patience.

Finally, Kerry Packer isn’t looked at with tinted glasses which the media has done:

His personal baby, the annual triangular series of 50-over internationals, was exposed as a bore. Spectators turned up, because Australia’s cities are far-flung and it’s a great country for floodlit viewing. But as sport, the B&H, Carlton, VB or whatever you called it was a dud, long-winded and repetitive. The triangle was too often one-sided.. ..His TV coverage, on Channel 9, was similarly stolid, and was made to look it as soon as Britain’s Channel 4 entered the picture.

I had written this after Day 2 when not many were giving India a chance:

India has 110. At 3 and half runs per over then can reach 425. Accelarting tomorrow, they can reach the score of Pakistan. Then a performance by Kumble and Harbhajan (provided the pitch provides support) can lead to a change in scenario. India may have to chase around 200-250 in the last 2 sessions or so. Could be a mouth watering prospect. On the other hand the Indian batting can collapse and we can see a Pakistan victory. There is a lot to unfold still in this match

It will indeed be very interesting to see how Kumble and Harbhajan perform now.

I wrote regarding it when it first surfaced. A lot of reactions have come up in the cricketing world regarding the same. Kamran Abbasi has written an authorative article on the subject.

I particularly like parts of the last two paragraphs:

Leadership, though, carries responsibility and requires values. India’s unilateral declarations of the past month - and importantly outside the sphere of the ICC - are an irresponsible beginning. Derogatory remarks about other countries, such as those about Bangladesh, expose a shortage of values other than pursuit of profit.. ..But the test of leadership really begins here. Unless cricket’s Age of India allows the minnows and the big beasts to thrive together - and works in partnership with those outside India and Asia - this month’s milestone may become difficult to celebrate. Cricket’s Age of Empire, ruled by Australia and England and governed by the clubs of Marylebone and Melbourne and the Imperial Cricket Conference, once seemed immortal too. It is now dead.

It’s not the umpire’s fault that the technology is better than the past. Also they travel an extra ordinary amount of time which doesn’t make their task easier. Blame the ICC for not implementing technology where its conclusive and the ICC for not appointing at least a few more umpires than they do currently. The ICC panel of umpires has gone down to 7 from 12 when it started off if I am not mistaken.

Make the job more lucrative and make their schedules less hectic.

I have to bring on the point of Dravid opening and Laxman batting at 3.

I am happy with the development. It still has to be seen whether Dravid decides to come back to number 3 or maintains this spot in more helpful conditions/abroad. If he puts his mind to it, he can do the job I am convinced.

It is no secret that Laxman loves batting at number 3.

A common arguement can be - opening is not an easy job. Another can be - what message does it send other openers in the country. Another can be why unsettle the important role Dravid plays at 3.

I see the much bigger problem in India’s opening worries in the past 10-15 years abroad and if it can be solved, it would be a big achievement.

Should be interesting to see how it goes.

Sri Lanka inflicted a defeat on Australia. Not many were giving them a chance in the VB series after their performances versus India and New Zealand.

Bengal courtesy Deep Dasgupta and Laxmi Ratan Shukla look all set to go into the Ranji Final. So do Uttar Pradesh.

The India-Pakistan match meanwhile turned into the Afridi show yet again yeterday. The essential point in this match is there is a lot of time left. Two things are very vital from now on - whether the Indian batting puts up a total or collapses, what the effect of the spinners is from the 3rd day evening session onwards.

India has 110. At 3 and half runs per over then can reach 425. Accelarting tomorrow, they can reach the score of Pakistan. Then a performance by Kumble and Harbhajan (provided the pitch provides support) can lead to a change in scenario.

India may have to chase around 200-250 in the last 2 sessions or so. Could be a mouth watering prospect.

On the other hand the Indian batting can collapse and we can see a Pakistan victory.

There is a lot to unfold still in this match

BBC carries the wonderful story of how sport unites a nation divided.

That’s what has seems to have happened all the three cricket matches from glance at the scorecards. Inzamam and Afridi ensured Pakistan went over 4 runs an over for the day. Even 10 years ago that would have been unthinlable in most scenarios. I am very happy with India playing five bowlers. It is not some thing which is unusual. India has played Prabhakar as the 5th bowler in the 90’s for example. The first necessity to win a test match is to take twenty wicket. India look more likely to that with a 5 man attack.

Bengal, surprisingly as far as I am concerned, have a first inning lead over Baroda. The unlikely hero has been Subhomoy Das. Subhomoy Das who? The same guy who averages a mere 35.84 in First Class matches. He is also the guy who’s 83, along with Jhunjhuwala’s 139 were instrumental in taking Bengal to the semis. Kudos to Shib Pal for putting Bengal in a position to take a first inning lead. But the batting collapses in the past have been all too familiar. In that regard the efforts of the young guns like Das and Jhunjhwala (even though he has made a duck in this match) and of course Rohan Gavaskar have to be commended.

Uttar Pradesh has taken their first inning lead versus Mumbai after bundling them for 199. Kaif, Raina and Rizwan Shamshad have been instrumental in that.

Now the question is - can India, Baroda or Mumbai script a resurgence.

The semi finals kick off today at the Wankhede and Eden Gardens.

Mumbai vs Uttar Pradesh

Mumbai felt the absence of in-form Jaffer in the loss against Maharasthra. They face a strong U.P. side with players like Md. Kaif, Suresh Raina, Jyoti Yadav and Piyush Chawla.

Mumbai has the in-form Amol Muzumdar, rookie opener Sahil Kukreja (who has been doing well) and Ramesh Powar. They are low on confidence and look weaker against U.P. strangely despite having home advantage.

Bengal vs Baroda

Bengal too look to be the weaker of the two sides despite having home advantage versus Baroda. Baroda has a solid attack with the return of Rakesh Patel and Rajesh Powar. Yusuf Pathan is already there. Bengal would be riding on Rohan Gavaskar (who has fever ominously) and rookie Avishek Jhunjhunwala. If there is any where Bengal’s Sourashish Lahiri and S.S.Paul can hope to be effective, it would be at home at Eden.