Virile Saurav

Ganguly's batting at Kanpur was a measured repartee to critics, and even I have done that occasionally, who have always questioned his spine. Now his fans have one of the great Indian knocks to hold up when his determination/virility/team-play/skill is questioned. He came to the crease after Morne had a piece of Dravid's finger and his wicket, and while he was at the other end, Laxman played inside the line to one that pitched on leg and took off and middle - Morkel at work again. Given how the pitch was behaving, and given that the Indian batting has over the last couple of years been guilty of permitting easy momentum shifts, Ganguly was phenomenal - driving out of the rough, fearless in coming down the track, and almost chanceless against the quicks.
Sreesanth had a fantastic opening to the third days play. Not only did his batting deprive Smith of any initiative, his bowling was also quite spectacular, outshining Ishant Sharma for the first time.
Could the South Africans have done better? Maybe, if Smith and Kallis hadn't let things drift for that long in the second innings, if Ashwell had taken a few more risks.
Any sense criticizing the pitch? Maybe, but only on the grounds that the match did not last full five days. Predictably, when something was in it for the bowlers, it made for exciting cricket. It also threw mud on the giant strides that the South Africans seemed to have taken in learning how to play spin effectively.
Did they choke? Yes. The Indian tail wagged longer than at any point in the series on a crumbling pitch on the decider.

My name is Piyush Chawla, NOT Babyface

Al Capone had to let his one time enforcer, Lester Joseph Gillis go, because he was too violent. Called Babyface Nelson for his youthful and tiny appearance, he had a psychopathic bent, and used a list of license plate numbers he had compiled, to hunt cops down. He took seventeen bullets before he died after a prolonged machine gun shootout in which he took out two policemen.

Since what will be known as the Mauling at Motera, Piyush Chawla has dramatically transformed from Babyface to Jesus Christ, getting talked up as the one man who is going to reduce Smith and co. to tears, come the third day. This messiahnic appeal draws from gross overestimations of his limited performances in one-dayers, where he is has only done just enough to suggest a great deal of talent and toughness - certainly not enough to burden him with the responsibility of carrying India back from the brink of a series defeat at home.

It is quite strange that this shit should happen because if the South Africans have done something in this series, it is to show that they have become surprisingly good against spin. If inducted into the XI for Kanpur, he will be under immense pressure. More so, if he is going to replace Anil Kumble. The only thing he has going for him is a face that'll make everyone want to step out of their crease and pet him.