gullycricketblog

Finding a long-lost friend is like finding a lost treasure, and as I was basking in the glory of finding such a treasure that shared the bench-strength of our inimitable Santhome School X1 that conquered all the trophies that possibly could have been lifted, in came the black and bleak India – England test series. The shambolic performance of the Indians had already left many a fan high and dry. This long-lost friend was himself a fantastic all-rounder, who could bowl those stinging leg-cutters with such panache that batsmen had to be told that one of their bails was missing. He could pelt the ball around, and could even graft his way to play the anchor role with the bat, as he did wield his willow to good purpose. His tigerish prowls on the outfields had even yielded better results for me as when I had to roll-over my arms to deliver those second-class off breaks. Such was his potentials, though he failed to make it big on the Indian cricketing scene. Our email conversations had i...

The rafter-packed Chidambaram stadium had witnessed another Super Kings’ victory, and this time, the boisterous crowd had known the outcome even before Vijay and Hussey took their long walk to the wicket. A mauling on the part of the home team had put the hopes of a Challengers victory beyond the most lunatic assumptions, as M. Vijay and M. Hussey tucked in to the Challengers bowling with such relish. The IPL 2011 final came up with a blistering start, but, faded into one of the softest endings that this truncated version has ever witnessed. After the parching heat that drove many sundown-slurping enthusiasts to invigorate and resuscitate themselves with a chilled beer or a wispy cocktail, the hot summer evening at Chennai was gathering momentum for the coveted IPL-IV finals, and two neighbors were set to lock horns to bring home the bacon. Both the teams were captained by leaders who remain cool even when the tides turn against them, and both the leaders have the uncanny ability to ...

Unlike Julius Caesar and his men, who saw the ships consumed by the raging fire while they set foot on the shores of Britain, Strauss and his men saw the plight of the degrading Australian cricket when they set foot on the Australian soil, as they made use of the degrading scenario to inflict further damages, and with it squander the hopes of an early Australian resurrection. The Australians are no more the pantheons of this trade, as they unceremoniously enter into the league of also-rans, with their pride annihilated beyond repair. With England retaining the Ashes, made possible by a convincing 3-1 victory, the Australian cricket is panic-stricken, with redemption unforeseeable in the near future. For now, the battered and bruised Australian side has no answer to the future, and there is no sign of crafty bowlers on the horizon. The frail batting line-up adds more to their cup of woes. For long, the Australian administrators have been busy soaking up in the glorious moments, and ha...