7th heaven for Ishant - 2nd Test, Lord's , England vs India

Day-1

Ajinkya Rahane managed to get over the dangerous 20s syndrome shown by Indian batsmen and found himself a place in the famous honours board at the Lord’s. It was a top top knock considering, India were 145 for 6 towards the end of the 2^nd session and in danger of losing whatever reasonable ground they were able to make in the first session.  And it was heartening to know when he revealed later that he watched Video’s of Mike Hussey’s batting to learn how to bat with the tail. Taking a leaf out of Mr  Cricktet’s book, Rahane did not try to farm the strike too often, instead trusting the tail enders and allowing them to share the responsibility as well. The pitch was so green that MS Dhoni and Co had a tough time finding it when they strode out in the morning. That is the greenest I have ever seen at the Lord’s , though it was an altogether different matter that England could not fully capitalize. They were way too short in the first session, had a good second session and the tired legs showed in the last session.  James Anderson was the standout bowler. He managed to attain reverse swing even on that spongy green top, and consistently troubled the batsmen though, throughout the day he wore the expression of a man who just had a 14 hour shift in a coal mine.  May be it is the impending hearing on his altercation with Ravindra Jadeja, may  be it is those backbreaking number of overs he delivered in the last 3 years, or may be it is just that he woke up at the wrong side of the bed! India finished the day with a score which looked highly unlikely by the end of the second session, which makes them the happier of the two sides when the day finished.

Day-2

Thos who know Gary Ballance would be telling that he showed much less energy on the cricket pitch in amassing a well crafted 100 than when he danced half naked at midnight in a bar after the first Test! Whatever the means, his innings helped to keep England afloat though he would be cursing at the way he got out towards the end of the day.  In the first Test at Trentbridge, Ishant Sharma showed why he is playing in his 56^th Test match despite a bowling average of 37.79. Today he showed how he ended up with such an average after 56 Test matches. When the pitch and conditions demanded a fuller length, he went back to his now notorious three quarter length and consistently beat the bat, without ever inducing an edge.  Dhoni was decisive most of the occasions today when it came to captaincy decisions. It was a relief that he did not try to match Cook’s decision to put 6 men on the boundary when India’s number 10 and 11 were batting on the first day evening!

Day-3

By the close of play, what appeared to be a snoozefest of an innings from Murali Vijay carries more importance than actually seemed in the beginning. Throughout the day the momentum shifted hands in a way which only Test cricket can produce. India needed early wickets and got them which suggested that they would get a small but handy lead. But it was England who ended up with a 24 runs lead thanks to the last wicket heroics from Anderson and Plunket. India wiped the arrears of without much trouble before Joe Root at point pulled off a brilliant catch to send Dhawan back. India then appeared to be getting back in the game with the second wicket partnership between Vijay and Pujara but the Test came alive with 3 wickets in no time. Dhoni managed to see off the day without further trouble but the game is still on a knife edge. Vijay is still there and if India’s lower order can give him enough support, a target of 250-270 is well on the cards. One bad session or even a bad phase of 10 overs is what either team needs to lose the match. So expect a cautious but fascinating 4^th day at the Lord’s tomorrow.

Day-4

Ravindra Jadeja to win a Test match for India at the Lord’s with his batting. If someone had told me that an year ago, I would have promptly sent him to the remotest corner of earth to regain his sanity. Not anymore though.  Nobody would have blamed Alistair Cook for starting to think about his batting when India were 6 down with a lead of only 180 odd runs in bowler friendly conditions. Enter Ravindra Jadeja.  It is probable that he did not read the script or missed my point about cautious cricket on a defining day. The new ball is only 2 overs away. His senior partner is nearing a century and trying to pull India out of the mess. What does he do? He charges the bowler and nearly holes out. But once the nerves settled and sanity returned, he counter attacked with precision which forced the England bowlers to bowl short while bowling full and straight was the logical option. And he brought the sword too, which was on display when he reached 50. It was the Lord’s, holy turf and all that, and he was fooling around in the middle. It is safe to assume that he won’t getting X’mas cards from anyone from this England team. By the time he departed the lead swelled over 300 and there was a general feeling that the target has been achieved. And when England appeared to be making a decent start he returned and won a marginal LBW decision against Sam Robson with his first delivery. Ishant’s inspired spell and 2 wickets towards the end of the day makes India slight favourites to win this. But after 3 years and 15 overseas Tests, they won’t be taking anything for granted.

Day-5

Couple of overs before lunch, Mahendra Singh Dhoni wore a magician’s hat and pulled out an Ishant Sharma sized rabbit out it. And the entire England team played the perfect audience to it clapping and encouraging, egging on and asking for more. An hour later after lunch, the show was all over.  The sight of an Indian bowler bouncing out the opposition was exhilarating. But a greater concern for England is to find that, of the 5 wickets which fell to short balls, 4 were down to temperament not technique. It is downright surprising to think that an England think tank with 80 odd support staff could not make any one in the team to understand that the short ball tactic from Dhoni can’t go on forever and sooner rather than later, he would be forced to take the new ball which would mean going back to full length with Kumar and Shami. Somewhere during that spell it went to their head and the battle became personal.  On a bigger picture, somewhere during the their ascent to the No.1 Test team in the world, among those 160 odd page cookbook and robotized training sessions, they lost the fun part of it. It became everyday work and Monday blues would have caught up with them as well, watching the thoughtless way they played.  Years down the lane, we will look back at this Test match and realize that it is one of India’s great overseas wins. Lord’s is added to the list of Headingly, Melbourne , Rawalpindi and Perth.  And on a different note, I am not a firm believer of poetic justice or moral victories. But there is tinge of karma in the joke that England have not won a Test match since they urinated on the pitch. At the end you get what you give.

Test, the best!

Outside it was 3 degree Celsius and windy too. At best it was butt freezing cold. Inside I sat hunched in front of my laptop, sweating profusely. My index finger started to pain tapping on that refresh button frantically, every 10 seconds. And finally it was all over when Dale Steyn lifted the final delivery into the stands with an expression which said “Fuck those booing”. I have no idea why or how I managed to follow the entire Test match on Cricinfo and look like someone who got hopelessly drunk after a college party at the end of it. Then again, Test cricket does that to you.

Test cricket touches your senses like no other sport. It stimulates and pacifies your soul at the same time.  It does that by giving you infinite possibilities on a passage of play, or even a single delivery.  Pitch, tea break, seam size, old ball, new ball, first day, fifth day, lunch, wind, dust, slope, swing, stance, shiny side, bounce, drinks break, moisture, rough outfield. No other sport has managed to combine even half of those variables and put them together to form a spectacle to captivate the audience, as much as Test cricket does. It can both pause and pace, with equally spectacular efficiency. I have watched Adam Gilchrist scoring a hundred in a session and also Rahul Dravid blocking his way to 12 from 96 balls. On both the occasions, it broke the backbone of the opposition. “It takes all sorts” was one of Peter Roebuck’s books but you will not find a better caption for something which talks about characters in cricket. Cricket’s ability to accept a supreme athlete as good as Jonty Rhodes along with a not-so-movable Inzamam Ul Haq with same nonchalance is what makes it an extra ordinary sport.

Venues play a part too. The boxing day test match at MCG is an yearly pilgrimage for many Australians. Eden Garden fills up for a Test match like no other ground in India. Rum, Reggae and Parties are essentials when cricket comes to Barbados.  The Lord’s is still holy turf. They add to the theater and drama, as much as the cricket on show. In Eden Gardens, I have seen nothing happening for 60 overs and then a slow and rhythmic clap starting at one corner of the stadium. In a matter of seconds, it catches up with the entire crowd, egging the home team on. Then a wicket falls, and another in the same over. The crowd roars, as if a sound of approval. Suddenly a benign pitch start playing tricks, with batsman’s mind. In a matter of session, the opposition gets bowled out. Those who schedule Test matches at new stadiums, most of them suave engineering marvels, in upcoming cities with the emphasis on making cricket more popular, will never understand that feeling of watching Test cricket, accompanied with tradition and culture. 

After 5 days of ebbs and flows, punches and counter punches, batting marathons and fiery spells, the Johannasburg Test match ended in a draw. Born and bred on Superbowls and knockouts, Americans will never understand how a sport can be played over 5 days and still ends in stalemate. Perhaps it was justice that neither team won. After the kind of cricket which was on show, finding a loser from either of those teams would have been cruel. 

There were many who accused the batsmen for trying to be safe in the last 3 overs, than trying to win. But let us not forget that they tried to win for 133 overs faced with a target of 458, while most teams would have shut the shop after losing 4 wickets. That is the ramifications of having a 2 match series, for South Africa just could not lose. There is an argument that the great Australian team under Steve Waugh would have risked a loss while still trying to win that and there is truth in that. But cricket as much reveals character, culture, society and tradition as it enhances them. Unlike Australia, South Africa is a country which is still trying to recover from those apartheid years. Years when isolation and loss were the norms and those scars take time to subside. Cricket always reflects the society it represents, and as any recovering society will do, they chose safety first. Perhaps the chokers tag played a part too.  Perhaps it was cricket’s way of showing that it can be fair too.  Perhaps cricket decided to save me from a broken index finger and a sleepy day at work!

First Ashes Test, Trent Bridge 2013

Connoisseurs of Test cricket will have an almighty smirk on their face tonight looking towards the IPL fanatics and its ilk. No artificially created excitement, no manufactured adjectives and no forced super over would have produced the drama we witnessed at Trent Bridge today. The day started with England as clear favourites and they won at the end, but nobody could have imagined what actually happened in between. As it happened throughout the Test match, the momentum fluctuated wildly, before a lucky lunch break and judicial use of DRS finally settled the matter for England.

For all I can remember for a long time, this is a an Ashes series which England started as an outright favourite and there were even talks of a 10-0 results over the two legs in favour of England. Personally I don’t think the gap between these two teams is as big as it is made out to be, especially with the appointment of Darren Lehman, someone who knows the dynamics of how things work in the Australian Test team, prior to the series. As much as England are delighted to win such a close match, when the dust settles and euphoria subsides, they will look back and realize that only 14 runs separated the sides. After four and a half days, 385 overs and 40 wickets, only 14 runs separated the two teams, and that is not how an outright favourite wins by any means.

By the end of second day, thanks to the debutant Ashton Agar’s heroics, Australia had their noses in front. Looking for a big lead over England’s first innings of 215, the Australian top and middle order collapsed, only to be rescued by the mammoth last wicket stand of 164 between Hughes and Agar, the latter missing a deserved century by 2 runs. And to think that they had England on the ground with 218 for 6, a lead of only 153 runs, Australia must be kicking themselves for letting them off the hook. Bell played his best innings of an Ashes test, ably supported by Prior and Broad in particular, and by the time Jimmy Anderson was caught by Hughes, the target 311 looked over the horizon.

The fifth day started with England needing 4 wickets to win and their fans in full flow. They never panicked until Brad Haddin’s calculated attack on Finn and Pattinson’s brave handling of Swann brought the target down to less than 50, after small but handy contributions from Agar and Siddle. England knew that they needed only one wicket to win but that never seemed to arrive. I was very surprised when England took the option of extending lunch by half an hour in search of the last wicket, when everybody around the ground could really see the momentum shifting towards Australia, slowly but decisively. What they needed was to go back to the dressing room and think with a clear mind rather than trying to finish it in a hurry. It just takes your heart to beat a tad faster for your best laid plans to go awry. By the time England realized it, it was almost too late and Stuart Broad had to fake a ‘stone in my shoe’ act to remove and re lace it to avoid an extra over before lunch. Aleem Dar had none of it and duly signalled for another over, and with that it all came down to 1 wicket or 20 run at lunch. At this point, this was a welcome distraction for England who got the opportunity to regroup. In hindsight, they would not have extended the session for half an hour, and in all probability Australia would have won the Test match without that lunch break. That is the real beauty of Test cricket, with its ifs and buts. Over 5 days, with all the breaks, with follow-ons, with new balls, it offers a theater of infinite possibilities.

The last few minutes of the match were played as if in slow motion. Anderson’s off-cuttor was inside edged, albeit a tiny one, to Prior who duly convinced his not-so-convinced caption to go for a review. From Haddin’s reaction and the slight sound, it looked out but the third umpire took an unbelievably long time, just to conform to the rule of being sure without a doubt to overturn the field umpire’s call. And when Aleem Dar raised his left index finger, the ground, where deep breaths were clearly audible until 5 minutes ago, erupted. Perhaps it is fitting that the last moment of the match is decided by DRS, as it was a talking point throughout the match. As much as it almost did its purpose, eliminating clear howlers, it also showed its drawbacks in ‘broad’ daylight. Australia was furious when Stuart Broad edged to second slip and stood his ground, but they were helpless as they had already used their quota of 2 unsuccessful appeals. Imagine if England did not have an option of review for the last wicket and Australia goes on to win it, it would have been a gross injustice. It is high time ICC finds an alternative to the limited number of times DRS can be used, else an ugly situation is bound to occur sooner.

The words Edgbaston 2005 were used a million times in the last hour of play. I will be happier if I can get to use them all through this series. Here is hoping for a drama filled and action packed 4 more Tests.

Catch me if you can!

I should have tried my hands on some jackpots last week. My prediction in the last blog for the last four of the French Open came exactly right, thanks to my stars being in their best positions! Though I missed out on making a fortune, I decided not to miss the final and took my rightful place in front of the TV very early. On a Sunday evening, that is a very dangerous proposition considering how volatile my better half can be when she wants!

Today morning Cricinfo had the preview of the Champions trophy clash between Sri Lanka and New Zealand themed as Ferrer vs Murray of cricket. Ferrer was NewZealand. They didn't call him an underachiever but he, most appropriately, was termed as someone who has the ability to just remain in the top bracket while never being able to truly challenge the top four when it comes to trophies. In essence, they called him a honest trier. We all know that ilk, we respect them, we admire them for always giving their 100% but they lack something that true winners have. That extra ounce of talent, that inimitable aura, that ability to bounce back when everything seems lost. If Ferrer is to change that image tonight, he has to bring his A game to Roland Garros and hope that Rafael Nadal had a late night drinking binge and then shows up with a twisted ankle. That is just to show what Rafa is capable of on clay than to show that how hopeless Ferrer is when it comes to hoping!

First Set:  Ferrer showed up in bright green Tee while Rafa flaunted his Tarzan like biceps in a white shirt. Nobody quite knew how Ferrer managed to break Rafa's serve in the first Set. Rafa was practically bulldozing from the baseline. There were numerous occasions when all he had to do was wait for the right time to open up and unleash his trademark forehand. Everything is going according to script. Nadal 6-3 Ferrer.

Second Set: As soon as the first few drops of rain fell, I could see pink and green umbrellas coming up. Paris, fashion capital? Really? But unlike last year, the drizzle soon subdued and didn't last long enough to trouble Rafa's game. In the blink of an eye, he raced to a 3-0 lead. Though Ferrer improved his game over the course of the set, the damage had already been done. The good thing was Ferrer managed to break Rafa in this set too and the bad thing was that Ferrer had already given his opponent a 2 game break head-start. And, on clay, against Rafael Nadal, that is a cardinal sin. By the end of the second set, it is clear that Rafa did not have a late night drinking session and his ankles are doing just fine. Nadal 6-3, 6-2 Ferrer.

Third Set: if you need any proof that Ferrer is a quick learner, you just have this watch this set in which he played some forehands which even Rafa would have been proud to execute. With the Championship on the line he upped his game and gave Rafa a few problems. He managed to get even with Rafa until the 8th game in which his double fault gave Rafa the break and he safely served out the match & the championship in the next game. On watching Ferrer being wrong footed on his forehand, Rafa fell on his back covering his face, clearly overcome with emotion. He became the first man on the planet ever to win the same Grandslam a record 8 times. It is fair to say that he likes this red dirt more than the African elephants. Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 Ferrer.

Epilogue: Just after Ferrer lost to Nadal in straight sets, New Zealand somehow managed to drag themselves to the brink of defeat, chasing 139 against Sri Lanka but won by 1 wicket at the end. So it is not all that bad for honest triers around the World today.

The battle of dirt

There is something about Roland Garros.

The red coloured dust. The almost suffocating but beautiful domination by Nadal. Those ugly and dusty socks after a single set.The way it defied and remained as an unsolved puzzle for Pete Sampras for his entire career. The never ending tapping of shoes with rackets. The bright Sun. The equal prize money. The constant supply of sliding shots. There is a lot to like about it but incidently those big servers and serve-and-volleyers tend to disagree!

French Open is already on us. Four days into it, there are no serious casualitites, except the first round exit of Venus Williams, albeit seeded 30. I did not want to write a about the contenders even before the tournament started and then, as sports always does, being forced to watch one of them crashing out in the first round itself, making myself look like a perfect jack ass. Writing it now, I still run the risk of it but the chances are comparatively less. Intelligent, huh?

For me, these are the four players who will make it into the Men's semifinals, provided they don't face each other before the Semis, as I am not aware of which side of the draw they are in. Here we go

Rafael Nadal: Only a fool or a betting illiterate will bet against him winning a record 8th French Open title. He was in red hot form, winning 4 out of 6 tournaments on clay since his comeback from injury. An year ago, his knee finally gave up after years of "Vamossss" powered pounding. But, by the look of it, he has somehow got that in a piece and moving pretty well too, considering he almost feared for his career at that point. Only a terrible off day or some freak culmination of circumstances (like rain and the chair umpire refused to stop play until he played 6 games in the wet clay in last year's final) will prevent him going all the way. The bad news for all his opponents is that, after missing out the last 2 grand slams he seems hungrier and fitter.

Novak Djokovic: If anyone is going to match Rafa in spirit and endurance, it has got to be him. He gave Rafa a good fight last year, with help of rain, but at the end it was not enough to stop the spanish bulldozer. Though he did not have good 2012 as fruitful as the previous year, he is more rounded with his game now. He is an absolute powerhouse for his fragile physique and possess a forehand as good as any in the game.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: The man with a beautiful name and cheerful personality has the game to back it too. Being French definitely helps and expect the volume in Center court to act as an extra point every game if he reaches the Semis. Admittedly clay is not his best surface and his huge serve will not play as big a part as on hard courts, but he is still a threat nonetheless. His aggressive ground-strokes and effective net play will play an important part on the slower clay. The only thing which stands against him is his performance in the big matches when stakes are at the highest. Time to change that Jo.

David Ferrer: Talk about a cheap Spanish imitation (not politically correct, but still) and here he is. Except for being Spanish and being friends, there is not much common between Ferrer and Rafa in terms of playing styles. One of the best returners in the current game, he is supposed to be a clay court specialist with his quick feet and viciously spinning backhands. He is yet to reach a Grand Slam final but that is more in his mind than in his game.

Note-1: I don't have anything against Roger Federer but I simply don't see him getting to the Semis here. He has started the tournament in great fashion, though against lesser opponents, but you don't have to be Mirka Federer to know that clay is not his favourite surface. Any of the above four is capable to take him out and even those in the next tier, the Gasquets and Tipsarevics, will be giving him a good run for his money on clay.

Note-2: With the risk of justifying my wife's accusation that I watch women's tennis not for tennis, I have to admit that it is too tight (no pun) to pick a top four there. Admittedly Serena had a great last year but she has won French Open only once, back in 2002. Not a very comforting statistic. Any one from the top 10 seeds is capable of defeating any one. So I will probably dare to start watching the women's matches to make a prediction around the QF time to save me time, ridicule and some brownie points in front of wife.

IPL - The great Indian circus!

Watching the final day of the first Test match between England and New Zealand reminded me of the reasons why i fell in love with the greatest game Man has ever created on earth, Test cricket.There were no DLF maximums, no strategic timeout and no half naked cheer girls, but still I am sure, not a single sane minded person wanted to take his eye of the action. It was the plain white clothes, old school swing and the serene Lord's which made it attractive. And more than anything else there was a genuine battle going on, the essence of cricket or for that matter the essence of any sport.

it will be asking too much to expect the IPL organizers to take a cue from this but they will do well to do so. The only surprising thing from all the spot fixing stories which have come out this week is that everyone seems surprised with it. From the outset, it was bound to happen sooner rather than later. IPL, the best scripted drama ever, is made specifically for external elements to thrive over the real sport. First and foremost, the shortest format of the game, where a wrong short or a mis-field carries more weight compared to other formats, gives the best opportunity for bookies. That is what makes them to be able to allegedly offer as much as 60 Lakhs for a single over. To put things in perspective,a premier Test bowler doesn't make half of that money from a 3 Test series.

Then there is the artificially created excitement and drama, where the onus is to drag every game to a last over finish so that more advertisements can be stuffed in and more TRP rating can be gloated about. The financial spending cap, imposed over each team during the players' auction (which itself is as ugly to watch as the nether region of a transgender) is specifically for that purpose. While it creates a level playing field and better competition, it doesn't produce excellence. Excellence is when Dale Steyn bowls to Sachin Tendulkar on a Newlands green top for a 12 over spell, not when Chris Gayle smashes a god-knows-who third rate bowler out of the park. That is why more sixes are hits, more records are broken and more wickets are taken, just as the organizers wished. The financial equality among teams makes sure that, all teams are equally matched which in other words, converts to the match, almost always, being played into the last over.

As much as BCCI despises Lalit Modi presence now, it was his novel idea to involve Bollywood also in this great circus. He foresaw the potential of combining India's two most lethal entertainment powers, Cricket and Films, a marriage made in heaven. Each match in the IPL now becomes the perfect platform for them to market a new movie or endorse a new brand. During the first season of IPL, viewers were treated to more air time of SRK's face than KKR's games. Combined with the after match parties, where Bollywood and Cricket unceremoniously copulate, this 6 week circus has grown bigger than the game.

When IPL began 6 years ago, starting with its name, the ambition was to match the enormity and fan base of English Premier League (And CSK is now being called the Manchester United of IPL. I strongly think that it was one of the reasons behind Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement !!). But what they conveniently forgot was the fact that the fan base for the English League is built over intense competition and geographic rivalries over a period of 150 years and for them, following their team is a family tradition built on fierce loyalty. The men at Sky Sports who powered the Premier League era, starting from 1993, had the brains to milk it without compromising on the values of the game. For IPL to generate such an innate feeling of belonging among its supporters, it needs to clean up and start afresh. It has to project a reputation based on integrity and fair play.

IPL's original projected intention was to make a cricketing platform where the best in the world can compete, which will in turn help India to produce a capable talent pool. It, and much more, still can be achieved if wholesome changes in approach and mentality can be brought in. Until then, real cricket lovers will be prepared to wait for those beautiful sunny afternoons from far away Lord's and MCG.

How the title was won

To be totally frank, the pain still lingers. In fact, I feel the same intense pain every time I think back on that night. There are 3 types of pain in this world. Pain, excruciating pain and the pain of watching Manchester United losing the League Title by the last kick of an 8 months long season, on goal difference. I am talking about the last one. Nothing in this world can make me forget that pain, and a mere mention of the name Sergio Aguero bring it back with all its intensity. But let me tell you, I don't want to forget it. That is what makes this title all the more sweeter, incredibly satisfying and amazingly spectacular. To think that One person's determination and collective dedication from 25 players can still defeat an investment of 1 billion by Sheikh Mansour is absolutely incredible and this is what makes Manchester United tick. The best part of this title win is that none of us have to sit through the launch of a book named "How to defend the Premier League Title" written by a Manchester City player.

League titles are never won on a solitary moment or game, instead it is almost always the culmination of an 8 months long slog. Even when City won it on goal difference last season, it was not because QPR showed them an open goal after knowing that their place is safe but because they were the best team in the country for the season. There would still be moments through the course of the season which give the gut feeling about the eventual destination of the crown. This is an attempt to capture those moments which stood out during the season and made sure that the predicted rise of the blue moon went up in smoke.

Number 20: Perhaps the most important moment in the title race happened even before it actually began. United got what no one else in the country had, the Robin Van Persie signature. It still gives me goosebumps to think that RVP rejected a 300k per week salary from City to come to United. RVP unknowingly made himself available for the strongest possible candidate for the Mastercard punch line "Money can't buy you everything". It was a statement of intent from United after the way League title was lost in the last season. Above all Sir Alex Ferguson decided that he doesn't want to see losing the title on goal difference in his life time. When RVP pulled that Number 20 jersey and announced "Let's do it" he meant every letter of that. While United got RVP, City were busy signing Maicon, Scot Sinclair, Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia. Well, if the numbers were that important, pigs would be ruling the jungle over lions.

The blue smoke: What I remember most about that derby at Etihad is the amount of blue smoke around the stadium when RVP scored the winner deep into the injury time. It was as well that City supporters realized their crown is going up in smoke. The blue smoke, RVP's 'Eric Cantona' posture celebration and Rio Ferdinand with a blood soaked eye gave it an almost war like atmosphere at the end of it. And war it was. On that night in Manchester, a battle was won, a blow was delivered, the enemy was cornered but the war remained be conquered.

That snowy night: Before this match there were doubts that it would be postponed due to the extremely hostile climatic conditions, but eventually a 'go' signal was given. Watching it in TV, it looked like more of an expedition from Antarctic than a football match in London. Throughout that match, amidst the heavy snow fall, a 71 year old chap stood outside the dugout without a hat. At the end of it, Sir Alex Ferguson looked like he was just rescued from a snowfall avalanche in the Alps. Come the final whistle, a Clint Dempsey goal denied all 3 points for United, but Sir Alex Ferguson's desire to combat even the weather gods to land the 20th league title was there for everyone to see. (What still beats me is how Mike Phelan, with that glass like blad head and a pair of uncovered ears which are big enough to hold atleast a ton of snow, survived that night standing next to Sir Alex, without even a coat!)

Boxing day classic: It was a 7 goal thriller and United took lead in this match for the first time on the cusp injury time when Michael Carrick found time, space and imagination to deliver a perfect through ball for Hernandez to score. It was more relief than elation on everyone's face when Hernandez slid through the rain soaked pitch in celebration. United were particularly poor in this match, conceding 3 easy goals to a Newcastle side they annihilated 3-0 at St James Park. That we won even after playing piss poor for most of the match helped to build a growing feeling that finally the elements are on our side but I am sure improvements would have been demanded by Sir Alex, in no uncertain terms, particularly in defense at the end of the match.

The killing machine: And improvements duly arrived in time. In all probability it was a back handed compliment when Joe Hart spoke about the difficulty in keeping pace with United, calling them 'the Manchester United killing machine' because in reality it was anything but. But what was lacked in the name of beautiful football was made up with effort and efficiency. When RVP had a mid season dip, Rooney chipped in. Danny Welbeck put in some good shifts at right wing where Valencia was out of form for the whole of season. Giggs showed the reasons why he is still playing at the age of 39. De Gea made a transition from boy to man in goal. When everything failed, Hernandes found a hair's breadth of difference to beat the offside trap and score. And when the title was in sight, it inspired even Valencia to score for a change! A season which started by heavily depending on RVP to score goals ended with 20 different goal scorers. So much for a one man team.

Goal of the season: Such was the brilliance of the goal that it touched the Aston Villa half for the first time only inside their goal. From United's half, Rooney made a diagonal pass which was astonishingly met with the left foot of RVP. The run he made was a lesson in timing while the finish was exquisite. This was the icing on the cake on a night when United clinched their record breaking 20th league title.

Fergie the grand dad: There was a beautiful moment during the trophy presentation lap of honour at Old Trafford. In the middle of the ground Sir Alex was being mobbed by some of his grand children when he spotted the youngest child of the family. As any grand dad would do, he just leapt to get near her to hold and pamper her in his hand. The same way he has pampered all of us with moments, games and trophies enough to remember for a life time. It showed an entirely different side of the man we are so used to seeing every week on the touch line, and it probably provided the reason why he finally decided to call it a day. For the last 27 years he has dedicated every minute of his life and every ounce of his energy for this football club, with the support of his family. And finally it is the time to give it back to family and they deserve it. Later he would go on to reveal that he made his decision to quit after the death of his wife Cathy's sister, as she needs his presence and time, more than ever. At 71 years of age, he went out in his own terms, as a winner.

The MAN who UTD us!

How do you recollect the best moments of your life? You usually associate them with a particular period of your life, or some special person you came across, or even relate to some beautiful places where you had been. For me it is easy, for almost all of them have been provided by one man, Sir Alex Ferguson. If you define happiness as that sudden surge of elation, ecstasy, relief and above all that blissful feeling of 'don't care' about your surroundings, i have had many of those such moments since I started following Manchester United.

For people like us, born in the 80s he is all what we know when we talk about Manchester United. We were spoilt, for we never needed to be worried about the stability of our club while we were mocking Chelsea and City. Even when we occasionally berated some of his squad selection, we secretly hoped the "Sir Alex knows' saying to be true. We reveled in his genius when, 2 years ago, he put 8 defenders in his team against Arsenal in an FA cup tie and still won. The collective sigh of our relief were immense when he backed away from his planned retirement in 2002. From Cantona to Ronaldo, RVN to RVP, Andy Cole to Wayne Rooney, he has always been there.

When Sheringham and Solksjaer prodded those 2 goals past Bayern Munich in the last few seconds in Barcelona, he took all of us from the depths of despair to the promised land. When Macheda transferred the ball from his left foot to right, stopped momentarily, swiveled in a flash and shot past a diving Brad Friedel, we all danced with him, however comic his 'grandpa in party' dance steps were. Incidentally those little jig is something which remained in him from his initial days till now, remarkable for a man who changed his tactics, rivalries, formations and management style to bring success to Old Trafford. The fact that he was ready to change and accept the change on his way was the main reason behind the unbelievable success over the last 26 years. A mere glance towards Arsene Wenger and his almost childish commitment to his methods is the proof of that.

His legacy lies not only in the unmatched supply of trophies since 1986, but making Manchester United a global beast of a football club than just a football team. In the Australian outback or Arabian deserts, the African deepwoods or subcontinental streets, wherever you are, the name Manchester resonates with United. Irrespective of your colour, country, language, religion and ethnicity you can wear a Manchester United T-shirt and become part of a global family. When he took over in 1986, Manchester United was still big but not the money making, trophy winning, awe inspiring giant of today. His vision and courage made all this possible.

And more importantly, he made our lives better too. Even when we miserably failed in jobs, relations and life in general, we found success and solace in winning the premier league. When deadlines missed and hours in office stretched, we somehow found happiness in waiting to watch those 11 men in red play over the weekend. Staying in a far away street in India, we pride ourselves in having the bragging rights in the City of Manchester, when United win a derby. He made winners out of each one of us pathetic losers. Feeling bored, we login to twitter and find a person who we have never met to passionately talk about United for hours as if we were best mates for decades. He united all of us.

Thank you Sir Alex. Thanks for all those wonderfully blessed moments.

Flashback 2012

From 2012 these are the moments which stood out for me from what I have watched or read. Here is hoping for another wonderful year ahead filled with sporting drama.


Best signing of the year: Robin Van Persie. He just beats Michu because of the quality and importance of his goals.

Most inspiring moment of the year: Oscar Pistorius competing with able bodied men in the Olympics.

Worst coach of the year: Duncan Fletcher.

Most dramatic sporting act of the year: Manchester City winning the title with the last kick of the season via the swish of Serio Aguero's right boot.

Most painful memory of the year: The look on the face of Manchester United players after they came to know that City have scored in the injury time.

Most humiliating performance of the year: India losing 8-0 to England and Australia, during which they plummeted from No.1 to No.4 in Test rankings.

Most poignant moment of the year: Andy Murray giving a teary eyed speech after losing the Wimbledon final.

Most beautiful moment of the year: Andy Murray finally winning a Grand Slam at the US open, following an epic final.

Most enthralling sporting occasion of the year: London Olympics 2012.

Most comic moment of the year: John Terry lifting the European Cup in his full kit after sitting out of the entire match through suspension.

Coach of the year: Ivan Lendl

Best article I have read: "A sportswriter’s love letter.." by Rohit Brijnath. Here is the link for all of you.

http://nonstriker.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/a-sportswriters-love-letter/

Team of the year: Spanish football team. Battered everyone in sight.

Stupidest act of the year: Joh Terry sticking his right knee at the back of Alexis Sanches right in front of the linesman.

Goal of the year: Zlatan Ibrahamovic's overhead kick against England.

Best statistic of the year: QPR having more red cards than wins in 2012.

Most dominating performance of the the year: Rafael Nadal in French Open.

Best rumour of the year: Arsenal's talisman striker Robin Van Persie to join Manchester United. Oh wait..

Player of the year: Radamel Falcao. Even after considering what Messi has done, this kid has been nothing short of sensational.

Most heroic performance of the year: Fernando Alonso's title challenge in an evidently inferior car.

Worst sacking of the year: Steve Kean, because he should have been sacked a good 12 months ago.

Worst signing of the year: Fernando Torres. Yeah, I know the he was not signed last year, but some how he wins it hands down, just like the last 2 years!

Best celebration of the year: The Gangnam style by the entire West Indies team after their T20 WC triumph.

Worst style statement of the year: Djibrill Cisse's haircut.

Retirement of the year: Shahid Afridi. Though he may have made yet another comeback by the time you read it!

Best quote of the year: " I am quite bad at analysing technique. You have seen mine". MS Dhoni when asked to comment on Rohit Sharma's technique.

Athlete of the year: Usain Bolt. He somehow had the talent to live upto his own modest claims of being the best in the history, in the biggest of sporting stages.

Disgrace of the year: Lance Armstrong being found guilty of doping and stripped of his 7 Tour De France titles.

Achievement of the year: Sachin Tendulkar's 100th century. Sure, it did take its time to come but it is a monumental achievement, enormity of which we all will fully grasp only when we see the expression on the face of our grand children when we tell them about it.

BRAVE AND BRAINLESS

You are the captain of your side. You side is trying to win one of the most coveted competitions which you have never won. You are playing against one of the best sides in the history at their home ground. You have a 1-0 lead from the first leg and you just need to be sensible and determined to protect it. In this situation the chances of you kneeing your opponent at his back when the linesman is looking straight at you to hold the offside line is pretty much nonexistent, isn't it? But if your name happens to be John Terry none of the above things apply to you. But sensible is not one of the words you usually associate with John, do you? Branding what he did as stupidity will be risky because that leaves us to find new definitions for Mario Baloteli's everyday life! In fact it is good to do a research to find out whether these 2 people are related in anyway and considering John Terry's free time 'activities' it is safe to bet on a successful research.

If anything beat his on-field stupidity, it was the interview he gave after the match. A man who was stripped of the national captaincy twice, being investigated by police for racial insults and slept with his teammate's wife said that he is "not that type of a person". Really John? I seriously believe that he thinks we all have the same intellectual capacity as Wayne Bridge. The only silver lining is that Roberto De Matteo doesn't seem to be as dumb as Kenny Dalglish to lead his team out with all of them wearing 'For JT' T-shirts before the Champions League final in Munich.

Anyways, coming back to the match Chelsea got their tactics absolutely spot on and by tactics I mean parking the bus in front of goal. When you see Didier Drogba as a left back, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know what they are going to do (To be fair to Chelsea, this happened after John Terry had that brain freeze). They came with a Double Decker bus but what stood out was Barcelona's inability to break it or fall back on Plan B. Watching the second half, it seemed like an unwritten rule in Camp Nou that everything should go through Messi and a goal scored without his touch is an inferior goal. They have to understand that a ball which is fired like hell from the right wing by Danny Alves, bounces of the shoulder of Ivanovic and falls inside to inches of goal line is still a goal. There was absolutely no wing play yesterday. Didier Drogba may still be a beast of a left back but essentially he was playing out of position. There was no initiative from Barcelona to exploit it and time and again they played it through the middle trying to find an opening. As seconds ticked by Chelsea grew familiar with it so much so that their goal machine (yes you are right, I am kidding here) more-than-50-million-worth Fernando Torres found time and space to counter attack and kill the tie. But, that goal aside, if what Torres was doing on the pitch was worth 50 million, I am worth 10000 times of that to my company. At the end, their brave resistance paid of even with a brainless captain.

When AVB, took over Chelsea at the start of the season, gloating about his 3 year 'project' there was a growing feeling that it was time for the old guard at Chelsea to hang up their boots. But, if anything, what Roberto De Matteo has shown is a willingness to include them in the scheme of things, however short term it is. You don't just throw away that experience to the sidelines over a fortnight. It may still be the last season for the likes of Terry (I hope not, who else will inspire us to produce so many adult jokes on my twitter TL?), Lampard and Drogba and this remains their last short at the European glory. Bayern or Madrid, the final is going to be battle of epic proportions. Bayern will obviously want to win it in front of their home crowd and if it is Madird, Jose Mourinho needs no second initiation to remind Abrahamovic once again that it was wrong to sack him 4 years ago. When Manchester Untied crashed out of Europe in the first round itself, I never thought I would have so much fun this season. Well, John Terry definitely had a different idea!

El - Clasico

El-Clasicos can't get bigger than this, with a possible exception of the potential Champions League Final at the Allianz Arena, come May 19. With the league title on the line, 4 points separating the bitter rivals, Messi and Ronaldo engaged in battles of their own, goals and red cards are almost certain, if past meetings are anything to go by. And eye pokes too if Jose Mourinho finds himself in one of those playful moods!

A win for Real Madrid and the League title will be almost certain to find its way back to Santiago Bernabeau after a 3 year gap. In fact, even a draw will suit them considering the 4 points cushion, but going to Camp Nou with a mindset and tactics for a draw is a cardinal sin. It is akin to going for a blind date with Jennifer Aniston in your worst outfit and slippers, hoping that you would nail her. It never happens that way. Jose Mourinho has never lost a league lead going into the last two months of a season but a loss against the Catalans and the Madrid players will start to feel the fear in the air.

I couldn't believe that Barcelona were 10 points behind Real Madrid less than 2 months ago because the quality of difference between the teams is not worth that many but as they say the league table never lies. Not that Barcelona were weaker than last season, far from it. But teams around are getting used to their style of play and they are coming with different tactics to derail their tika-taka, and Real Madrid were far more clinical while dealing with lower positioned teams. Still there are many who believe that, while going head to head, Barcelona are a better team than Madrid, proven by their outright and ultimately comfortable victory over Madrid earlier in the season. But the league is just not only beating your rivals twice in a year (Just ask Rafael Benitez, if you have any doubt) but beating those teams which come to your ground and put 11 defenders on the pitch. Another intriguing thing about this match is that both of these teams have got to deal with the small matter of overcoming a defeat in the first leg of the Champions league semifinal midweek. As things stand Barcelona needs to win this to stand any chance of winning the league and it is definitely Madrid's trophy to lose, considering the gap they have now. Bring it on squeaky bum time!

First Half:
You know that Barcelona are in trouble when they punt a long ball down the pitch in the 8th minute of the match. Madrid looked sharper and hungrier and were rewarded with a deserved goal, however scrappy that was. Mesut Ozil was the engine room at midfield who mastered Iniesta and Alves, which not many teams in Europe can claim to have done. For once Mourinho out-mastered Guardiola and showed the world that the title pressure can get to even the best in the business. I have never seen Messi chipping at the referee in any of the games I have watched but the fact he headed straight to referee instead of the tunnel at half time spoke for itself. If anything Barcelona have always shown an ability to come back against Madrid and an intriguing second half awaits.

Second half:
Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the Spanish League title done and dusted. Though there is still a mathematical chance for Barcelona to catch Real Madrid, I am ready to bet my entire saving (That is not much, for those who are thinking about to bet) on that not happening. A 7 point lead with 4 games to go with is wider than the Panama canal in footballing terms. The lasting memory from the second half is Ronaldo’s celebration at his winning goal. It politely suggested “Shut the fuck up you whining Catalans” to the 90000 thousand odd home supporters. As much as Madrid needed this victory, as much as Mourinho wanted to win in Camp Nou, I can’t help but to think that it was more important to Ronaldo as a player. Ever since he moved to Spain from Manchester United, he lived in the shadow of Messi losing individual battles, Clasicos, League titles and European titles. One more of those and an almost insurmountable mental block would have been built. I personally think that, in terms of ability both players are almost on par, but the way Barcelona play and form their tactics enhances Messi’s role and his visibility, along with the midfield masteros who provide defense splitting passes to him almost at will. It is almost impossible to think that the best team in the World failed to win their local league, but once again, the league table never lies.

In other news:
On a night in which the Spanish title race is technically over, Borussia Dortmund emphatically claims their second successive German League win. I like the competitiveness in German league but its coverage in India is horrendously poor. Neo Sports telecast gives me a feeling that I am watching a game being played in the space! It beats me how they get the camera angle and distance wrong in every match they show. In EPL I get this uneasiness only when watching Spurs at White Hart Lane where the camera position is so high. Now, is there any more twists remaining in the EPL title race? Personally I like to watch United claiming the title at the Etihad beating city. That will help to heal some of the wounds of that 6-1 defeat at OT. Everton will be tough tonight, but these are the kind of games Champions need to win when that big prize appears so near. The match is still 7 hours away but I am already starting to feel the excitement kicking in.