Well, we will not hear the end of the bizarre. Watching international teams flare up, it is no wonder that wars over the years have broken out over the flimsiest of excuses.
Net needles
The Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground was reported the venue of the first skirmishes between the touring England team and the Indian tea, still buoyant over its 2-0 victory over the Australians in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Some foreign news channels, read newspaper dailies, are reporting that it was net sessions that caused more heat than necessary.
Apparently, Kevin Pietersen intends to continue playing his switch short, used with some contention with some like Ian Chappell calling it illegal. But that was not what a row was about. It was when a ball hit with gusto from the Indian net went sailing over Zimbabwean Andy Flower, who is incidentally the batting coach of the England team. The question was: was the switch shot also then used a revenge shot?
If reports are to be believed, Venkatesh Prasad was at the receiving end of a talk by Andrew Flintoff while Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kevin Pietersen, captains of the respective teams decided to play it down saying a few balls were bound to be sailing high and over given that both teams have some genuine batsmen who know how to use the long handle of the bat.
Both teams will be missing their key bowlers for the crucial first tie, the one day international in Rajkot, Ishant Sharma for India and Ryan Sidebottom for England. But there should be more balls sailing through the air, but over the ropes.
Hayden’s third world woes
Matthew Hayden has apparently found the reason why Australia lost the four Test series in India. He told a newspaper back home that the Australian cricketers had to often wait for someone to clear the area before the sight screen, which apparently according to him, happens to only happen in “third world countries.”
The next time someone happens to see someone in front of the sight screen and not on an Indian ground, please do show Haydos the clipping.
What it was that Dhoni said? Ah, about focusing on the eye of the bird and letting everything else blur. Now if only the Australians knew of Arjuna or the Mahabharata. They sure missed a lesson and nearly lose their world champion crown!
Another Deano delivery
A gem of a statement from Dean Jones commenting on the game between the Chennai Superstars and the Hyderabad Heroes in the ICL encounter – “Sambar and biryani don’t go together.” Those who have tried the combined, please feel free to leave your opinion.
This compiles an interesting piece for the news curios.
