Exceptional Overseas Performance

South Africa seems to be the exception to the rule.They drew with Pakistan in the UAE and won in New Zealand.It will be good if England fight to draw the series.Otherwise,English victory against any team in England will not really advance their reputation.Just as England are discovering that cricket is little different outside the UK, Afghanistan are also discovering that t20 and ODIs are different sport.The Netherlands have been playing ODIs for much longer and it will be some time before Afghanistan can be considered as a regular ODI side.

Overseas Win

The travails of English and Indian cricketers in overseas tours makes the South African victory in Newzealand a creditable one.While following the Test Match at the Basin reserve,on the last day, the radio sport commentary team and their impassioned description highlighted why the TV commentary cannot match up.The cricket follower is wiser as he gets a more informed view.The summariser is privileged ex cricketer and gives his view as if talking to the uninitiated not one expert talking to other expert.
Kane Williamson set up a fighting draw and South Africa should have declared earlier and keeping him company for much of the way was Kruger van Wyk, a blue blooded South African.Gayle cannot be accused of being the only mercenary cricketer.

The winner comes second.

Five thousand Englishmen and women are in Sri Lanka for the test series.Test Matches appear to be alive in the UK at least.And the smiling and jumping West Indies supporters at Gros Islet on.Friday also are good tidings for the game.So is Bangladesh's spirited Asia Cup Campaign where the winner actually came second.
The t20 qualifier established Afghanistan as an up and coming t20 team.The Associates are playing cricket of high quality and popularity is.on the rise.The Afghans have aem with no expats and soon cricket will be a majot sport itrhete.r. sport

No Free Lunch

If he Indian cricketers thought Sr Lanka will toil to get them through to the Asia Cup Finals, they were befooling themselves.They simply failed to realise that as per the playing condition,the Bangladesh match was a must win because Bangladesh were playing the last match and they merely needed to win.So India inspite of defeating Pakistan for which the media went gaga,find themslves knocked out after having beaten both Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The obsession of the media and fans with Pakistan needs to be put into perspective.An India Pakistan match up should be given just the mileage it deserves.Pakistan has been doing well in Tests but are struggling in ODIs under Misbah and it would be in fitness of things if Bangladesh win the Asia Cup.

Waiting for the 50th ODI 50

Now that Tendulkar has reached his hundredth international hundred,albeit in a match which was more about young Bangladeshis batting their way to glory, the Indian media more than its fan can rest easy.The dedicated cricket follower can heave a sigh of relief.The hectic cricket across so many continents means that few matches register for long.However Bangladesh defeating India coincided with Sachin's hundredth Hundred and we will cherish the match.From pure cricketing point of view it has thrown the Asia Cup wide open.Any of the three teams can join Pakistan for the finals.

However, there is a milestone Sachin's 50th ODI hundred to look forward to.It will be the beginning of a fresh count, ten more,may be twenty, who knows what the count will be by the time Sachin has played his last match.It will be really replicate the record for oldest ODI player.Maharaj Singh was 72 and Governor of Bombay,it will be fitting if Sachin is a governor of an I.ndian state when he goes past this record.

Sachin in a Raj Bhavan will be a greater thing than a Bharat Ratna.

Regional Carribean Cricket and Asia Cup

The two regional matches between T&T and Jamaica and Guyana and Barbados finished mid way through the last day.The West Indies batting will continue to be in an unsettled position as the best bet yet appears to be Chanderpaul.However with the changing nature of wickets the spinners will be more than handful for the Australians.

Gautam Gambhir has been an India regular for some time now but has played many more List A and First class matches in proportion to ODIs and Tests.This is a good trait.One that is evident in Ganguly's penchant to lead Bengal quite some time after having retired from international cricket.Playing for Bengal when he could easily do cushy commentary is what marks out genuine cricket lovers from only the players.

Into Hey nonny, nonny. Into Hey Nonny,Nonny

"Converting all your sounds of woe
Into. Hey nonny, nonny."
That's how "Much Ado About Nothing" ends and we are perhaps in a similar situation when a troubled tour to Australia has been converted into a comedy, with Kohli and Raina playing deftly at Hobart.so much so that the eventual failure of India to make it to the finals was hardly noticed.Viewers have moved on to Live election Coverage which will be followed by Holi and the Asia Cup.

Which will mean that for sometime now the spectre of away matches does not loom on the horizon.India can rebuild and even though it might be some time before India could push to the No.1status in Tests,the future will depend on how good we are at home.That was what launched decent performance abroad.If India is not good at home,they can hardly be good overseas.For that to happen our spinners have to be good, keeping has to be good (Remember Mongia keeping to Kumble) and of course batting has to be good.

So with Asia Cup and one off ODI in South Africa notwithstanding, it is the English visit that we must look forward to.Redemption must start from there.