The unbelievable lightness of being Sri-Lanka

When India crashed out of the Cup, the 'weight of expectation' took a lot of blame. Why then is it that a country like Sri Lanka (which obviously needs a World Cup win more than India) is able to field a team that is so effervescent that it is almost amateurish. Is it concievable that India can put together a group of cricketers who derive such joy from the game?
Come on Sri Lanka. Do it for the game!

Can they be stopped?

Pakistan in '99, India in '03. Will the subcontinent be third time lucky? Will Bangladesh lose in the 2011 finals?

Will Sri Lanka suffer the same fate? Will the Aussie penchant for the big occasion prove too much to handle for Lankan wristiness, elegance and joy? For me, that is the key, and that is where India faltered in the 2003 final and how South Africa got so badly outclassed yesterday. Come the big occasion and at least three Aussies put their hands up, and usually that is enough. Where others wilt under the pressure of the spotlight, the Aussies have been able to raise their game. And that will be Sri Lanka's test too. Will they, like South Africa did, buckle under pressure and lose soft wickets at the top of the order? If they do, Shaun Tait will shoot to kill the middle order. Will Malinga, like Zaheer in 2003, lose it? What counts in Sri Lanka's favour is that they have three men who have been there and done that a decade ago.

Level-heads will help of course.

What an innings!

Why should I say anything more? If you didn't watch it, you missed something. If you did watch it, you know what I'm talking about. In either case, what I say will not make a difference. I can't do justice describing it for those who missed it. And for those who watched it, you already know what I'm saying.

The better semi-final

I'll bet that today's will be better semi-final. The other one is going to be a slugfest. This one will have a bigger role for the bowlers. Murali, Bond, Malinga, Vettori, Vaas, Maharrof, Oram - the variety on display is simply delicious, and a fit feast it will be for a semi-final.

Speaking of semis, Rahul Bhattacharya has, as usual, written a brilliant article on the past four editions and their climactic semifinals.

I am excited. Fleming has been out to Vaas for a duck the last four times these teams have met. Can he avoid the jinx and continue to lead from the front as he has done through this tournament and so many times in the last decade? If he stays, the Murali threat would have suffered quite a dent. Not only does he have the left hand batsman's advantage, but he is recognized as one of the better players against this freakish king-among-offspinners. If he gets out fast, Styris, Fulton and McMillan have a job on their hands. Bond against Jayasurya will be crucial as well. Bond's initial spell will determine whether the 'weak' Sri Lankan lower middle order will come into play. And then of course, Malinga with the older ball. His contest with McCullum and Oram will be very interesting as well.

The day the music died

Who cares if he destabilized West Indian cricket, or if he had a massive ego. Where will the joy come from now? Will the laptop lackeys give us the pleasure of watching Lara crackle into position?

Huh?

Ireland beat Bangladesh who beat South Africa who lost to New Zealand after they had trounced England who beat Bangladesh who lost to New Zealand who lost to Sri Lanka who beat England who beat Ireland.

heavyweight championship

The Sri Lankan team management has thrown a spanner into my game preview. Both Vaas and Murali have been rested.
But as I write, Jayasurya has fallen to Bracken. Ha! What did I say? Australia have won one decisive mini-battle.

Lines heard most today

1. "It's okay, yaar. Just a bad day." (three)
2. "I've been saying for years that Sachin should retire." (five)
3. "We should get Dhoni and shave his head. " - (four)
4. "Uthappa should be dropped" - (four)

Five ways to reconcile yourself this morning

1. We still have three batsmen with over ten thousand runs in ODIs.
2. We could invade Sri Lanka if we really wanted to.
3. Our GDP is still growing at a phenomenal rate.
4. A Tamil was the Man of the Match.
5. Ajit Agarkar is young enough to play two more world Cups.

But who will open?

Ganguly for sure.
But Sehwag or Uthappa? Sehwag, say the pundits, because he is an opener and that is where he has made most of his runs. But do we dare risk losing Sehwag to Vaas? Yes, we do, because he can make Malinga howl. And Vaas is not that succesful against us anyway.

Drop Uthappa?

In any case, he is only in the team as long as we are following the 4 bowler strategy. But if we are, then tough call. To be fair, the guy has only failed twice. Might as well give him a last chance, and it will be a final opportunity to make an impact in this World Cup and prove he is ready for this level. But should we go with four bowlers?

We need to WIN this match. Setting them a huge total is not going to decisively win it, though it will turn into the ultimate slog-fest. And if India put them in to bat, India must be prepared to chase down a massive total as well. The Indian bowling has been a little tame in the World Cup, and Jayasurya, Tharanga, Chamara and Sangakkara don't need a second invitation. The only way to contain them is to keep picking wickets and never letting them settle down. And so, we need more and/or better ammo.

So do we trust the four man attack of Zaheer-Agarkar-Munaf-Bhajji to deliver the goods this time? Or do we drop one of them to make way for Sreesanth? Or drop Uthappa and pick Pathan?

Picking Sree is a gamble. He is not the most economical of bowlers, and the pressure of playing his first World Cup game in a death-or-glory cauldron might tell on his discipline. But by god, is he a wicket taker! Pathan? Equally a gamble. Until he plays we will never know which Pathan has turned up. In any event, even if Pathan falters with ball, there is opportunity to compensate with the bat, and Sehwag-Sachin can finish off the overs that Pathan does not bowl. But I feel that picking Pathan is a waste if Dravid is not prepared to give him the new ball. That is where he has got a lot of wickets.
So we stick with our existing attack and trust in them to deliver the goods? Yes, because Agarkar has done extremely well in the past against the Sri Lankans. And a fired-up Zaheer Khan is now a beautiful thing, and Munaf hasn't bowled badly. Bhajji, though will need to up the ante and attack the Sri Lankans for any weaknesses. Keep probing.

And Uthappa. We need some magic today.