Cover Points : Sehwag

MS Phoney? Come on!!

gchakravarthy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:04:00 GMT

Then:

The Iceman Cometh!
Captain Cool!
Captain Fantastic!

Now:

The Axeman cometh??
Captain Evil!
Captain ... you get the pic!

"As you reap, the harvest you shall not keep" ... seems to be what many from the conventional media as well as new-world media vigilantes, also sometimes referred to as bloggers are saying to Dhoni.

This is a classic case of unsolicited generosity with severe strings attached. The media wanted poster-boys to replace the dog-eared hoardings of the previous generation. They got these in Mahi, Viru, and Yuvi. Great builders can be worse destroyers.

Pens that paint superstars can also vandalize their posters. Dhoni's crimes were making hay when the spotlight shone, taking media speculation about his integrity to heart and ... oh yes, how can one forget that ONE defeat in the World T20 Super8 match!!!

How dare an Indian captain who was hailed for taking the team to historic, even improbably, feats take it down? But what does taking a team down entail? If the media is to be believed: an injured player sent back home in the middle of a tournament and his captain who's suddenly unwilling to speak freely to the media.

Choose your journeys carefully, but choose your journos even more carefully!

Sehwag at Chepauk

dcsiva — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:47:00 GMT

Cricket guru, arguing that the flat pitch robs something from Sehwag's performance, describes Test cricket at Chepauk:

Chepauk, in past, has been witness to some remarkable test matches, beginning with the third and final test match of the 1933 home series against England. India’s first ever victory in a test match (1952) and the near victory against the WI in 1966/67, Vishy’s superb batting (1974/75), the tied test against Australia (1986), Hirwani’s dream debut against the West Indies (1988), Sachin’s memorable knock against Mark Taylor’s Australia (1998) and the standing ovation to the visiting Pakistan team (1999) bear testimony to it.

Shiv Kumar writes generously about Sehwag, pitch notwithstanding:

Sporting geniuses, who go on to become great, almost always wrap a few layers of illusion around their opponents. Sehwag typically prefers another illusion, that of vulnerability. The dangling backlift fooled the bowlers and the slips fielders- the in-sliders were met with a straight drive that had his arms trace a classical arc. If GR Vishvanath’s uncorking was an artistic suspension, Sehwag’s was no less thrilling, no less magical in execution and no less sweeter on the sound of leather kissing the willow.

King Cricket looks forward to the county season. And Srikanth and Soulberry welcome back Kaif.

First up

dcsiva — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:25:00 GMT

Welcome to the Cover Points blog. My aim here is to cover some of the wonderful writing going on in the blogging world. Consider it a daily blog round-up.

There's plenty of celebration of Sehwag's monumental innings, of course. But perhaps it's tinged with a little sadness because he didn't get close to Lara's record and the subsequent batting collapse. Kunal Nanda has Sehwag's youtube highlights.

Meanwhile Dravid has edged over the 10,000 runs mark. He must have been told to get on with it during the lunch break, looking very out of sorts.

Finally, and by no means least, the trouble between the BCCI and the ICL is continuing to brew. Shafqat Naghmi denies that the BCCI has contacted them about the No Objection Certificates issued to the ECB for Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

Here's Samir Chopra's always direct take on the BCCI objecting to a transaction between Pakistan and England. Meanwhile the Professional Cricketers Association (when will India have such an organization?) is getting involved on the question of IPL schedules and county cricket.