The Yuvraj conundrum
Plays of the Day for the final day of the second Test at the SSC
Sidharth Monga at the SSC
30-Jul-2010
Sri Lanka's most successful bowler in the game was strangely utilised • AFP
Why should batsmen have all the records?
Suraj Randiv - bowling offbreaks that were rendered gentle by the pitch - has immortalised himself too. In the process, he has saved Jason Krejza the blushes, for before Randiv, Krejza was the man to have conceded the most runs in a debut innings in Test cricket. Both of them suffered at the hands of the same opposition: India. Krejza, though, took eight wickets for his 215. Randiv's 222 runs earned him just the two wickets.
Suraj Randiv - bowling offbreaks that were rendered gentle by the pitch - has immortalised himself too. In the process, he has saved Jason Krejza the blushes, for before Randiv, Krejza was the man to have conceded the most runs in a debut innings in Test cricket. Both of them suffered at the hands of the same opposition: India. Krejza, though, took eight wickets for his 215. Randiv's 222 runs earned him just the two wickets.
The strange use of Mendis
The way Sri Lanka have used Ajantha Mendis has been, well, strange. On day four, when India were yet to avoid the follow-on, and when Sri Lanka should have been striving for quick wickets, their most successful bowler in the match got only two overs in the first session, and by that time the draw was certain anyway. On day five, with India's last wicket at the crease, Mendis was given nine overs in the first session.
The way Sri Lanka have used Ajantha Mendis has been, well, strange. On day four, when India were yet to avoid the follow-on, and when Sri Lanka should have been striving for quick wickets, their most successful bowler in the match got only two overs in the first session, and by that time the draw was certain anyway. On day five, with India's last wicket at the crease, Mendis was given nine overs in the first session.
Cordon them off
When did you last see Harbhajan Singh bowling with three slips? Well, today of course. Of course we don't remember what was happening in the match, and what prompted MS Dhoni to employ such fields.
When did you last see Harbhajan Singh bowling with three slips? Well, today of course. Of course we don't remember what was happening in the match, and what prompted MS Dhoni to employ such fields.
Man in hurry
Virender Sehwag is always in a hurry with the bat. With the ball in hand he is twice as quick, rushing through his overs off a short run. Today he surprised his team-mates too. In the 32nd over of the innings, he asked Pragyan Ojha to move from long-off to mid-off, but by the time Ojha was half-way through, Sehwag had bowled the delivery with the fielder in motion. The umpires and the batsmen had long before stopped bothering about fields, such was the day's play.
Virender Sehwag is always in a hurry with the bat. With the ball in hand he is twice as quick, rushing through his overs off a short run. Today he surprised his team-mates too. In the 32nd over of the innings, he asked Pragyan Ojha to move from long-off to mid-off, but by the time Ojha was half-way through, Sehwag had bowled the delivery with the fielder in motion. The umpires and the batsmen had long before stopped bothering about fields, such was the day's play.
A Yuvraj-sized dilemma
That Yuvraj Singh came on to the field with drinks, and also substituted, means he is fit again. He also made a full-length diving save at cover. Now if we were to go by the Australian logic, he should walk in and take his No. 6 spot for the next Test, never mind Suresh Raina's century. But has he made the No. 6 spot his?
That Yuvraj Singh came on to the field with drinks, and also substituted, means he is fit again. He also made a full-length diving save at cover. Now if we were to go by the Australian logic, he should walk in and take his No. 6 spot for the next Test, never mind Suresh Raina's century. But has he made the No. 6 spot his?
Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo