It was 7:30 am in Reno, NV when I got to up to check the voice mail that I received from Ronnie asking me to check cricinfo for some incredible game going on in South Africa. A quick check of the date revealed that April 1st was still 3 weeks away. So I called him back and ended up listening to a ball by ball commentary for the last 6 overs of the greatest game ever in the history of cricket.
The last time the two teams met at WC2003 semi finals for what was then the greatest game ever, they totalled 426 in 100 overs for the loss of 20 wickets. But today the Aussies alone scored 434 runs in half the time and losing half their total wickets. For most cricket enthusiasts the game was over by lunch, the outcome was inevitable. But the Proteans couldn't have chosen a better stage to shed their tag of "Chokers", and surely couldn't have chosen a better opponent.
Some complained that the ground was small on square, some complained that Wanderers is at high altitude and the air is thin, some said the pitch was flat and the outfield was cracking fast. I say it's all rubbish. Trying to explain what transpired at the "High Velds" using such explainations is belittling the greatest ODI game ever. Games have been played at smaller grounds in Padang, Ferozshah Kotla, and many others and the sub continent has dished out pitches flatter and faster outfields. What separated this game from others was an attitude shift which might soon revolutionise ODIS. Ponting lead the way showing 400 is gettable, and Gibbs & Smith added method to madness in carving a mammoth chase.
About 10 years ago, a team batting first could score 250+ and rest assured that they could win the game. Till the extraordinary game at Wanderers, 320 was gettable. After losing to the Aussies in WC2003 finals, Ganguly remarked, " 320 is a gettable total, but 360 is probably beyond anyone's reach". Well not anymore. What next ? 500 !!
One sadening truth is that the game is exceedingly favoring the batsman. I believe much of it is also due to the change in attitude wrought in by players like Srikkant, Tendulkar, Jayasurya, Gilchrist et al who exploited the 15 over fielding restrictions to their benefit. Although this change of mindset has added a very positive side to test cricket, we certainly need to restore some parity in ODI's. Although high scoring ODI's attract more crowd, I would rather see a team scoring 230 and defend it, than see a team score 400 and lose it.
ps: I had always wanted to post a blog with the title "What Gives ?". I don't care what it means exactly.
10 comments:
so r u agreeing with me or disagreeing with me :-), of course i wouldnt be so mean as to constrain you to a binary scale of answering the question.
I partially agree with the view that the the conditions r becoming favorable to batsmen.
But I still think it was the greatest game ever ! Hence I disagree with you on this regards.
That game was awesome!! One of the best in recent times.
The match was phenomenal, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it the greatest ever. It was a batsmens game. The bowlers were of no consequence whatsoever. Mick Lewis' 0/113 in 10 overs was a joke. I could have bowled as worse. :)
Eeven I wouldnt go as far to term it as the greatest game ever, games like the previous ones between Aus SA, or the India-Pak game in Bdesh, or even India's chase in the Natwest finals would be some that will definitely rank higher in my book.
@reader..I agree
@Anarkist..the bowlers sure did take a beating...but the pitch wasnt drastically different from the Indo-Pak ODI series...the batsmen were just awesome in this ODI
@Rohan....Come on man...u can't rank India's Natwest chase higher than this, although it was great too...I am sure if India were involved in this ODI instead of Aus SA, you would have had a different comment..
No the thing was in that game the bowlers were in with an equal chance before a couple of nobodies led a struggling team with a record of choking in the finals to the highest reord run chase at that time. This game was more about the bat dominating totally with established thrashers like gibbs and Ponting beating around a bowler pack depleted of the services of Warne, Mcgrath and Pollock. And of course any chase involving India wud definitely rank higher :)(if India had done somethign similar in the World cup final wouldnt you call it the greatest game ever?)
the natwest final was quite similar to this game, both sides had absolutely pedestrial bowling attacks.
as an aside, the natwest final was one of the worst things to happen to indian cricket -- the mega hype surrounding yuvraj and kaif, both of limited talent and commitment have stuck around longer than they deserve to!
Aussies suck.You plagiarist. You actually copied the cricinfo bulletin and then you added a copy of some movie name :p..busy with candidacy..R THERE...
Dude, did you get to watch V for Vendetta?
-Pseud Deer
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