“Hey paal. Wath’s gowun’ on – is this a new world cup or wath? Once ahgain we ar playun’ tha 1st match of a World Cup; an ahgain a green team is fieldun’ against us. Ahgain our one drop baathsmaan is dropped aat slips firsth ball and again he proceeds to play a steady haand, again a lower order maan scores a fifteen-ball thirty two that gets us to aa competitive tothal…and again…” Better to stop there, yo maan from WI; it’s only half way thru and we gotta wait for the rest.
But Pakistan supporters won’t be happy with that history-repeating start. Not only do they stand to lose the ongoing match by three runs, at this rate Pakistan are going to be ejected on a D/L miscalculation like the 'green team' of 2003!
That hardly matters to me though. What a glorious joy it will be to watch Team India walking out to play another final against Australia!! And then – hell, something needs to change BADLY then…..
Speaking of resemblances, I always find familiarity in the mannerism and looks of Pakistan’s Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Today I connected him at last - to my friend, across-the-street neighbour and cricket-mate Anupam. Anupam’s name having 4 of the 5 letters in ‘Anjum’ in same order should be proof enough of my accuracy of observation.
That hardly matters to me though. What a glorious joy it will be to watch Team India walking out to play another final against Australia!! And then – hell, something needs to change BADLY then…..
Speaking of resemblances, I always find familiarity in the mannerism and looks of Pakistan’s Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Today I connected him at last - to my friend, across-the-street neighbour and cricket-mate Anupam. Anupam’s name having 4 of the 5 letters in ‘Anjum’ in same order should be proof enough of my accuracy of observation.
Another familiarity struck me in the 5th over of the freshly fragrant World Cup when Danish Kaneria overthrew the wicketkeeper by about 20 feet throwing from a similar distance and yielded four overthrows. During their 1996 post-WC tour to England I watched skipper Akram bowl a delivery and then yell at mid-off fielder Waqar for attempting a direct hit at the bowler’s end which went past the bowler and overthrew a run. The front-on slo-mo suggested that the run-out was on. The other camera revealed Wasim's side of the story – Waqar had threw 10 feet wide of him from virtual touching distance.
With Pakistan fielding, nothing much has changed even in 11 years.
Update: Minor alterations in pattern finally emerge late in the inaugural match. The result is the same as 2003 with the West Indies once again lording it over a green team but this time the margin is much more than 3 runs.
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