tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32959840225428756592024-02-20T10:44:52.868-08:00Cricket CircusMy Cricket My Life!!Vishnuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10512411575853246387noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295984022542875659.post-81597356960790805782011-04-24T09:30:00.000-07:002011-04-23T22:19:48.669-07:00What Sachin Tendulkar can still achieve!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">'The God resurrected on this day [24 April] to help India Win the Cricket World Cup'</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On 24 April 2011, it has been exactly <span class="bigger"><span style="color: black;">7831</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span>days since Sachin made his entry to International Cricket playing a Test against Pakistan at Karachi on<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #222222;"> Nov 15</span></span>, 1989. With 631 matches, <span style="color: black;">32813</span> runs, 99 centuries and exactly 200 wickets to his credit till date (Tests+ODI+T20I together) there is no question that Sachin is the greatest ever to play the game of Cricket and is arguably the Greatest Sports Icon ever lived. His records speak for his achievements and one cannot defy the fact that most of those records would never be surpassed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If I were asked, what Sachin’s most illustrious World Record is? I would say it is 'The Sportsman with most number of World Records in his credit or rather the human being who has excelled his own record, the most number of times'. If a Sergey Bubka has beaten his own heights a record 35 times or a Yelena Isinbayeva has broken her own Pole Vault World record a record 27 number of times, Sachin betters his own feat or rather sets a new benchmark, whenever he plays a match, scores a run or hits a century, whether it be Tests or One Day Internationals. Now, I don’t think the greatest of all statisticians can give an exact count on the number of times Sachin has excelled himself. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Almost everything has been discussed and written about Sachin. Hence on this day I decided to consecrate something special for Tendulkar to be sent to the Master as my wishlist for him. Am not discussing the heights Sachin has achieved, but rather what he can still attain.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sQMyQEOCYVV1riqP0NiYrBee-SEExsAIsH1o32MIhkKhPqDoLuE1HGuYpdThS8c4ovBUwcNaZLzQxi0Kx-bP-TOFtuEjmra3cvwOh74mdt_TKvVPsMwfCx7NONk0cRQoO-Xx5Op3jPQ/s1600/Sachin_WorldCup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sQMyQEOCYVV1riqP0NiYrBee-SEExsAIsH1o32MIhkKhPqDoLuE1HGuYpdThS8c4ovBUwcNaZLzQxi0Kx-bP-TOFtuEjmra3cvwOh74mdt_TKvVPsMwfCx7NONk0cRQoO-Xx5Op3jPQ/s400/Sachin_WorldCup.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here is my 10 wishlists on ‘<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What Sachin Tendulkar can still achieve’ </b>in the reverse order of priority.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>No 10: A test score of 500 (400 and 300’s has already been scored, isn’t it? So lets target a 500)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Daunting task? Well yes!! Only one person in the history of Cricket has ever scored over 500. Brian Lara (West Indies) has scored 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston, Birmingham in 1994. Considering the fact that the batsman has to face minimum of 500 balls (84 overs) to achieve the feat, the individual score of 500 seems rather mountaineering in modern day test cricket. But with Sachin, you never know.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The most runs scored in an innings is 400* by Brian Lara against England in 2004 and the most runs scored by a batsman in a match is 456 (333 in first innings and 123 in second innings) by Graham Gooch vs India at Lords which happens to be Sachin’s first series in England in 1990. Sachin's best in a match so far is 301 (241* & 60*) against Australia at SCG otherwise known as Sachin's Cricket Ground and best in an innings is 248 not out vs Bangladesh.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No 9: Fastest 100 and 50 ever in Tests or ODI’s<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The target Sachin will have to beat for the fastest fifty mark is 24 balls in tests (set by Jacques Kallis) and 17 balls in ODI’s (record set by Sanath Jayasurya)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The fastest test hundred is scored off 56 balls by Sir Viv Richards for West Indies v England in 1986 and the fastest ODI hundred is scored in 37 balls by Shahid Afridi vs Sri Lanka in 1996.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tendulkar’s fastest ODI ton is in 71 balls vs Zimbabwe at Sharjah in 1998 and the highest batting strike rate Sachin has ever achieved (when he scored a test hundred) is 85.5 vs Australia in 1998, when he scored 177 runs off 207 balls at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No 8: Most runs in a Test series<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sachin has never scored over 500 in a Test series (3 tests or above), his highest aggregate in a series being 493 runs in 4 match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India vs Australia) in 2007/08. Donald Bradman tops that list of 'Most runs in a Test series' having scored a mammoth 974 runs in the 1930 edition of The Ashes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No 7: A Hundred (Test & ODI) against each test playing side in both home and away matches</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We know that Sachin has scored a test hundred against all nations. However Sachin is yet to score a Test ton vs Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe, highest score in that country being 74. It’s not a surprise that Sachin has not scored a test ton against Bangladesh in India, because Bangladesh is yet to tour India for a test series.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When it comes to ODIs Sachin has an ODI ton in his name against all test playing nations except Bangladesh, his highest ODI score against Bangladesh being 82* at Colombo in 2004. Sachin hasn’t hit an ODI ton against West Indies in West Indies, highest score against them in their country being 65*. But he has a century against West Indies in credit away from home, having scored 141* at KualaLumpur in 2006, which in-turn is his highest score against the West Indies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No 6: 100 in both Innings of a test</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sachin has never scored 100’s in both innings of a test match. The closest he has ever achieved is 241* (first innings) and 60* (second innings) against Australia in Sydney 2004.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No 5: Most runs in a calendar year</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sachin is <a href="http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284246.html">7<sup>th</sup> in that list</a> of scoring Most runs in a calendar year (Test, ODI and T20I together).The Sachin Tendulkar of 1998 scored 2541 runs in that year. The score to beat is 2833 runs set by Ricky Ponting in 2005.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No 4: Highest ever ratings in ICC Test and One Day rankings</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The highest rating points ever achieved in Tests was 961 by Sir Donald Bradman in 1948. Believe it or not Sachin is only <a href="http://www.relianceiccrankings.com/alltime/test/">26<sup>th</sup> in that list</a> with 898 points achieved in 2002. Currently Sachin is No 1 with 883 points, with several tests for India in pipeline with ICC FTP (Future Tours Program) in 2011, anything can happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sir Vivian Richards tops the same position in ODI's with an all time best rating of 935 points. Sachin’s best being 887 points again in 1998 is <a href="http://www.relianceiccrankings.com/alltime/odi/">13<sup>th</sup> in that list</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>No 3: A test 100 at Lord's</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sachin is yet to score a test century at Lords, the Mecca of Cricket at St John’s Wood in London. His highest score at the Marylebone Cricket Club's venue is 37 against Michael Vaughans's English side in July 2007. Sachin will be aware of this when India plays England at Lords in July 21-25, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>No 2: A test series victory in Australia and South Africa</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sachin has won a test series for India against all Test nations in home and away, the only exception being when India toured Down Under and to Proteas. Team India (with Sachin in in the side) has only drawn one test series against Australia in Australia in <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/series/62294.html">2003-04</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Against South Africa in South Africa, India has only managed just one series draw, which was in the recently concluded series of <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/series/463136.html">2010-2011.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sachin will have this series win in mind when India tours Australia later in <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/download/423882.html">2011</a>. However India's next tour to South Africa is not being scheduled by current ICC FTP.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No 1: Yeah!! you know what</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It would be the 'biggest single' he would have ever taken. From 99th to the 100th International hundred landmark. Let’s hope Sabina Park, Kingston in Jamaica will be the venue for that milestone. Sachin is supposed to play his next test from 20 - 24 June 2011 at Sabina Park where <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-v-india-2011/content/series/489197.html?template=fixtures">India play the West Indies</a>, India's first International outing since the World Cup triumph. (There is a 5 match ODI series preceding the test matches, but I don’t think Sachin will feature in that ODI team, for he will be resting to give an opportunity for the youngsters)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now someone of you will be raising your eyebrows and thinking 'Is there something this man could never achieve or something he has missed'. Yeah there is one in that list. Sachin hasn’t scored a hundred in his ‘International’ debut. Tendulkar was bowled by Waqar Younis for 15 in his debut test at Karachi in November 1989, and was a duck caught by Wasim Akram off the same bowler in his ODI debut at Gujranwala in December 1989 and scored 10 runs in his T20-I debut vs South Africa in 2006. But wait a minute!! Sachin has a century on his First Class debut and he is the only player to score a century in all three of his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debuts for Mumbai, perhaps the only cricketer to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Maradona hasn’t consumed drugs when Sachin started his career in 1989, Lance Armstrong has just bought his new cycle, Forget Roger Federer, not even Sampras has won a grand slam then, Schumacher didn’t had the F1 driving license, Tiger Woods didn't knew about the 'Golf holes' then. Now, they all have past their prime, but the aura of Sachin's career is still intensely bright even after 21 years in International cricket. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Happy Birthday Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, India's proudest possession and Thank You for dedicating your career to help India win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup thus making Billions of Indians proud.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Complied by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/r.vishnu">Vishnu</a> on Sachin's Birthday.</span></div></div>Vishnuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10512411575853246387noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295984022542875659.post-47705266300094162732010-04-24T12:21:00.000-07:002011-04-23T21:05:58.370-07:00Happy Birthday Sachin !!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It has been an incredible journey, starting from 15 November 1989, a trip that statistics alone cannot define. Not that they lack weight, but they are astonishing. He has scored an avalanche of runs with more than 90 centuries to his credit. Still a prized wicket, producing blistering innings even in the IPL, and demolishing the opposition irrespective of whether it is Twenty-20, ODI or test cricket. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST03yEIsp6RvynH-uRoP2ixnztGHWwG-tzBHQ3SyGqR5lUnqjjOS2jfOdBtSLFDdBUO7SpEJbfFeZzcD1kFFxSGhcl3xK71YpczyhPQM8WyUSXGvRLGhvVRiFVr6A9U0V_dwWNxa6lYU/s1600/_47364926_sach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST03yEIsp6RvynH-uRoP2ixnztGHWwG-tzBHQ3SyGqR5lUnqjjOS2jfOdBtSLFDdBUO7SpEJbfFeZzcD1kFFxSGhcl3xK71YpczyhPQM8WyUSXGvRLGhvVRiFVr6A9U0V_dwWNxa6lYU/s640/_47364926_sach.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My adoration towards Tendulkar began ever since I started watching cricket. Long before Internet came to India or Cricinfo has started, I began collecting and analyzing his statistics, and used update my 'Sachin file' after each and every game he played. I can still recollect Tony Grieg’s commentary on Sachin's stroke play when he crafted the master piece at Sharjah against the mighty Australians. I can still visualize each and every part of that innings, coming down the track against the fierce attack led by Warne, hitting the ball across longon, battling not only the the wickets falling at the other end but also the sandstorm in the Arabian desert eventually taking India to the final of the Sharjah Cup, only to win it for us on his 25th Birthday, on 24 April 1998 with yet another century. If that was chef-d'oeuvre, then I have no words to describe what he accomplished on 24 February 2010, when he became the first man to score a double hundred in ODI Cricket. That was the day Sachin truly played like ‘Tendulkar’ and that might well might be corporate India’s most unproductive day, because almost everyone might have paused their act to see their ‘God’ in his original incarnation. No other cricketer </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">could draw an entire nation’s energy towards himself, not even Bradman I think.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZh65DeIHkPOfhEcXIcWcghCS3tFZbMOY35V9yjFGdaAVjTMkvrdr9E036NUeFCdZbH4zU3sOqKnefwW91wC5k2LJRK7Bt_smXvICc2mEAL8R1AHj4OWv_eXd_qWdgVSNF7Bui-oGbxk/s1600/sachin-birthday-photos+(4).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZh65DeIHkPOfhEcXIcWcghCS3tFZbMOY35V9yjFGdaAVjTMkvrdr9E036NUeFCdZbH4zU3sOqKnefwW91wC5k2LJRK7Bt_smXvICc2mEAL8R1AHj4OWv_eXd_qWdgVSNF7Bui-oGbxk/s640/sachin-birthday-photos+(4).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div></div>Vishnuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10512411575853246387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295984022542875659.post-43853625308421517272009-06-25T05:42:00.000-07:002009-09-03T06:35:56.384-07:00Enjoy Leicester Ricky!!<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></h3><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is my article in Cricinfo.com about Australia's exit from the ICC T-20 World Cup 2009 in England</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can read the same </span><span style="font-size: small;">in </span><a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/wt20page2/content/story/408105.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Cricinfo</span></a></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Why I picked this match</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Actually, I didn't pick this game, but the ICC picked me up as a volunteer for all the World Twenty20 matches being played at Trent Bridge. My duty was for the Bangladesh v Ireland match in the afternoon and I decided to stay on and watch the </span><a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/wt202009/engine/current/match/355998.html" style="color: #0068c3; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Australians play the Sri Lankans</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">. I badly wanted an Aussie win in this group of death.</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Key performer</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/wt202009/content/current/player/50710.html" style="color: #0068c3; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Kumar Sangakkara</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> played a captain's knock and held the Sri Lankan innings together at a time when they slowed down a touch after the explosive start Tillakaratne Dilshan provided them. But for me the real playmaker was </span><a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/wt202009/content/current/player/268739.html" style="color: #0068c3; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Ajantha Mendis</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">, who snatched the crucial wickets of Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson and Michael Hussey, and kept the Aussies under 160.</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">One thing I'd have changed about the match</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">I would definitely have increased the number of Aussie supporters in the crowd. The majority in the stands were either Sri Lankan supporters or Irish fans who were still in the gallery following the excitement of their team making it into the Super Eights. Where were the Aussie fans? Did they go home with Symonds?</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Face-off I relished</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/268739.html" style="color: #0068c3; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ajantha Mendis</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> bowling against the Australian batsmen was a treat to watch. He completely baffled them with his repertoire of tricks and was the standout in the Sri Lankan bowling. Each over he bowled conveyed the feeling that a wicket was imminent. I haven't seen him bowl with such spirit since the Asia Cup in 2008.</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Wow moment</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
When Dilshan accelerated with four boundaries off a Shane Watson over. He was hammering it if it were a tennis ball. That was the over that really changed the course of the game.</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Shot of the day</span></div><div class="news-body" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dilshan scooping a four over the wicketkeeper's head off Watson. I wonder how he had the audacity to sweep a fast bowler.</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Crowd meter</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trent Bridge was at nearly 75% capacity. The Sri Lankan flags were waving high from all parts across the ground. There were a few Bangladeshi fans who still couldn't digest their team's exit from the competition. But it was the Irish fans who made the stadium come alive, cheering fours, sixes and wickets, irrespective of whether it was from the Aussies or the Sri Lankans. The English fans were also seen cheering the Sri Lankans against their Ashes opponents.</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Fancy dress index</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">I spotted a Batman, a Superman and a Spiderman, all with Irish flags.</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Entertainment</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">The remix of Guru Josh Project's "Infinity" by Klaas and Michael Jackson's "Beat it" rocked the stadium from the DJ box when a wicket was fell or a boundary was hit.</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Banner of the day</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
"Enjoy Leicester, Ricky!" was the best I spotted.<br />
"New captain, New Beginning" was another one from the Sri Lankan fans.</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Overall</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">An excellent experience. Though I was supporting the Aussies, I am pretty pleased with the result at the end of the day. After all, when was the last time you last read "Australia out in the very first round in a cricket world cup"? I was there to witness it.</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">Marks out of 10</span></div><div class="news-body" size="13px" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">8. It lacked a nailbiting finish.</span></div></span></span>Vishnuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10512411575853246387noreply@blogger.com1