Sportolysis – The World Sports Blog

I HAVE been watching IPL on and off. Here’s how I rank the teams –

1. Mumbai – They have depth with guys like Saurabh Tiwari, Tendulkar in form, an excellent bowling unit with Zaheer coming off a long lay off and Malinga bowling well. I picked them initially to win the title and I will stick with it.

2. Delhi – Sehwag is in excellent form. The only real problem is they really too much on Sehwag, Dilshan and Gambhir.

3. Bangalore – A very strong team with depth and quality all the way through. They are favorites for the title IMO even though they are a bit unfancied.

4. Chennai – The bowling is the weak link but over all, a very strong side.

5. Deccan – They are one pace bowler short but a good side neverthless.

6. Punjab – A mediocre team which might surprise on it’s day but lacks the consistency to go far in the tournament.

7. Rajasthan – No really strong batsmen and Pathan, despite his aggressive stroke play, is not a real batsman. He is more of a pinch hitter.

8. Kolkata – The batting is dire. Really poor team.

Each of the top teams have a weak chunk. Mumbai for example have the old Jayasuriya opening. The team which overcomes it’s weakness will win in the end. I have a strong feeling and I hope Mumbai wins the IPL. The only reason I am watching this year is to watch Tendulkar bat. I cherish each time I can see him bat. I will be going to a multiplex tonight to watch Bangalore v Mumbai and I can’t wait to watch Tendulkar on the big screen.

It is semi finals and one loss away from exit from the tournament and as Delhi found last year, you may not win despite being the strongest team in the tournament.

One gripe – The ads in between balls is really irritating. Abroad, they have an ad every 4-5 overs. There is an Advertising Standards Authority which is very strong and ensures the consumers are not exploited. It is about time we had some thing like that in India.

200*. Once Tendulkar’s career is finished, he will have 100 international centuries too, a feat never to be surpassed ever because ODI cricket will reduce and T20 doesn’t produce as many 100s. When you compare records of the 90s, Lara achieved more while Tendulkar was more consistent. For instance, Lara made the 375, the 400*, the inning v Australia. Tendulkar came close but no cigar like in Chennai. However, the career of Tendulkar will be so prolific once it is over, he will surpass contemporaries like Lara in achievement.

What about past greats?

Richards was not as consistent a test player with a test average of just above 50. Sobers played the solitary ODI. Hobbs did it in FC cricket but 20 years in international cricket, 30-40 ODIs a year, 8-10 tests, ranks higher in being testing despite the more grueling FC schedule in Hobbs’ time.

You will have to place second to Bradman.

He is the best batsman in the world right now IMO. Sehwag is best in tests but if you look at over all performance including ODIs, Sachin tops. Being the best in the business at 36 is incredible.

There are still targets ahead of Tendulkar’s career which he can aim for and which can make his career even more prolific. Winning a test series in South Africa, then Winning the World Cup, then winning a test series in Australia. It CAN all happen. We CAN dream, hey.

Go Sachin!

With Sehwag missing most of the time in the field in England’s second inning due to injury, he can bat only lower down the order.

Debate between Jawagal Srinath and Dean Jones occurs on who should open with Jaffer. Jones reckons it should be Munaf Patel.

No he wasn’t joking as he backed it up:

I would say Munaf Patel. If he gets quick 15 runs, India could be off to a flyer. Certainly he is wasted at number XI and should bat up higher.

Hmm.

Rahul Bhatia wrote a wonderful small piece on his blog where he fears India wont matter once Tendulkar is gone. The following is what I have to say on the same:

Some generations leave their darlings on people. Some players who are chrished a lot more than the game itself.

In these times we forget that the game goes on. It went on after Bradman in Australia and many cherished players in many eras.

For us, who have been priveleged to have our cricketing ‘wonder years’ in the era of Tendulkar, specially Indian fans as others may cherish a Lara or a Warne, and not necessarily to the same extent, cricket will indeed never be the same.

But we will look back and feel proud about being in the same era as Tendulkar. Our love for the game wont decrease. We are likely to appreciate many finer aspects of the game once there isn’t a Tendulkar. We often have done the same (appreciate the game a lot more) when we watch tests of other nations for example.

That said, I am confident it is not over for Tendulkar.

After the news of the FIR against Jagmohan Dalmiya comes the news that Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will not host any Champions Trophy matches. A CAB representative wasn’t even present at the meeting. Was it because of the FIR and thus a means of protest? Also was the reason to not distribute the match because the CAB wanted the latter matches? Did CAB put strict conditions because of the FIR? Did CAB put strict conditions at all?

We might never know.