Graeme Smith, a doubtful starter for the Kolkata test

Hurt by the ligament damage to one of his fingers, Graeme Smith is a doubtful starter for the second test starting from February 14 at Kolkata. At a fielding practice session, Smith had injured the little finger pertaining to his left hand, and the swelling could force him to miss the test, though the medical team had expressed their confidence about the subsiding of the swelling.

Meanwhile, VVS Laxman will again don the Indian cap in this second test at Kolkata after the recovery from that of a finger injury. This elegant and key middle-order batsman is expected to strengthen the Indian batting brigades, which is still missing the services of ‘The Wall’, Rahul Dravid, as well that of the flamboyant Yuvraj Singh.

South Africa thrashing India in the first test will again grab the number one spot as with Test ranking if they manage to hold the Indians at bay during the second test. The first test between the two countries witnessed stellar performances from Jacques Kallis, who made 173, and Hashim Amla, who scored a brilliant 253, as he remained unconquered too, with Dale Steyn walking away with the bowling honors with a match figure reading 10-108, as South Africa proved too much for the Indian team in the first test.

The second test is expected to throw exciting cricketing moments, as both the teams will be vying for the honors. Can India restore the pride of its cricketing abilities by thrashing South Africa? The second test is sure to provide spectacular displays of cricketing abilities.

Comments

Ash, Batters Despised Your ‘Mate’ Call

Check, mate was a bugle call from that Grand Master. The batters turned pawns, and he the captor. My Tribe. And when someone from your tribe shatters the illusion of off-spinners being not intelligent and sharp, you owe him, or certainly I owe him an ode to an off-spinner, our tribe. My tribe has done the cricket world proud, time and again. Ash, Ash Wednesday, it was. Remarkably, a reflection perhaps of how off spinners have defied the notion of them being orchestrators of damp squibs. Or of repentance of my tribe as not to have set the score straight with their brains deceiving the brawn with flight. Your clarion call may have come out of the blue, denied you the solemn farewell, and may have invited thunderous denunciations. So, what? You will find succor to know that your tribe celebrates you – one of the hallowed sons of the tribe. Your display of cognitive superiority, mind-game thrillers, and the stamp of off-spinning authority on the field puts you there among the pantheons. Th...

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There has always been a riveting talk of traditional batting being blighted by Modern batting. Some whisper the emphatic No, while many bellow the affirmative Yes, or perceptually, it could go the other way. The ongoing craftsmanship vs showmanship game seems to stutter into a draw. But that showmanship of T20 has ignited different avatars of modern batting. And there is also the obvious swap of modern batting for traditional batting in the longer formats of the game. As an anodyne, the mind connects Viv to T-20 cricket live. You can hold Viv Richards as the archetype of T-20 batting. But that’s the story of a craftsman come crowd-pleaser soaked in traditional batting delight. Viv Richards was ace high on traditional bating display. Talking of the infectious modern batting, the flip the script moment on the cricket field awaits. White flanneled colts on the cricket field are a pleasing sight. The roving eyes detect the Cardusian field setup - two slips, a gully, a point, a co...

A Little Bird Told Me

The sound of clickety-clack in no way overpowered the urge to take a peep into the gorgeous M.A. Chidambaram stadium. As the train whistled past the stadium, the glimpse of the sanctum-sanctorum with the lush green outfield and the 22 yard strip was just the sight the tired eyes were yearning for. My spirits soared at the mere sight, but did not peak as it should have for the moment of truth was far away. The wait at the stadium for this moment of truth is a nerve-racking ordeal. Minutes, perhaps seconds, would mean a whole day at the stadium waiting for the action to begin. The excitement begins only when two men walk into the field, signaling the start of play. The limelight they hog, for minutes, virtually falls on the men in white as they make the entry. Their tribe counts more sticks thrown at them than the carrots that come as a pittance. Judgmental errors, lack of control, misuse of authority, intoned bias have been the curse for some men of this tribe who have paid a ...

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