27 May 2008
Thrilling climax. Not.
On either side of the Atlantic (I had to start with that phrase) Test players colluded to throw water on (cliche alert) an intriguingly poised last innings. Stupid kiwis finally have some ubertalent and they decide to get themelves run out, or play Monty like the pitch was made of coals, and then could not get past the only English batsmen who have been scoring any runs. I guess the "We want Adil" voices will have to hold on a little longer. On the other side, it would have been a bit more difficult to stretch that match to the last hour or the last thirty runs with two wickets remaining, but lets not start blaming T20. Implosions existed fifteen years back as well, and Indians will remember Barbados and Aussies will remember Curtly as well as the expression "skittled out". Batsmen should feel stupid after getting out to Clark. Indians know that feeling.
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2 comments:
Why do you under-rate Clark? Just because he does not have the pace of a Lee or Styen or your very own favourite Sreesanth?
There is a lovely line in cricinfo today - somethin to the effect of how accuracy and smarts are still a potent force on batsmen friendly pitches today. He was spectacular- he bowled 10 overs just on and around off stump - was almost impossible to score off and moved the ball just a little bit in and a little bit out. Perfect in as much as it swing only 2 inches, just enough to move from the middle of the bat to the edge!!
Of the lot of medium fast bowlers in the world today, he is right up there - and with Lee, is becoming the go to man for Ponting. I think in a bowling line up as full of talent as Australia's, that is quite a commendation
TM, I am not undermining Clarke. My point is that Clarke is at best a psychological examination for batsmen. He is not tremendously skilled - though to put the ball in the same spot and make it move slightly either way, should be considered as one. Batsmen getting out to him should know that it wasn't technical inadequacy that got them - like say getting out to a Lee bouncer or a Zaheer/Sree/Arpy banana swinger, but psychological frailty that sometimes prevents the best of them from doing the simple things well.
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