India v England, 1st Test, Ahmedabad, 15-19 November, 2012

I think it was Sanjay 'This Space Is Available' Manjrekar.

So here's the scenario.

Prior gets a good one early. Cook soldiers on with the support of the long tail. Lad gets a couple of lives, then plays some drives, gets into it, holes out for 30.

Broad gets his middle pole knocked out first ball, but Swanner decides to throw the bat (as usual). Only he connects a few times, fours, even heaves a mammoth six - he's the new Botham - before missing one and being trapped plumb. All this while Cook is accumulating, trying (unsuccessfully) to farm the strike, but building some sort of a score with singles, twos and threes.

England have a lead of 129 at lunch, 9 down.

Anderson strokes a magnificent leg bye first ball after lunch, and tragically, Cook misjudges one and is snapped up at slip.

India need 130 to win, all but two sessions. Gambhir out of the action, but still. Easy-peasy, pommiegranite-squeezy.

Sehwag hammers Anderson's first ball down mid-on's throat first up. The rest of the first over goes for 18 runs, though.

Swann come on for the second over and screeches as the first ball is nicked thickly wide of Prior (no slips in) to third man for a single. He claims two scalps in the rest of the over.

Sam replaces Anderson, and not believing his luck, Tendy slams the rank long-hop into the sky. Swann hops it back from above the rope to Anderson, who takes the catch at the fourth attempt.

The fielding side, now sensing an unlikely victory, crowd in. There's even a slip. Indian bats sliding around.

Sam flukes another couple while conceding two or three sixes and a couple of fours, and Swann runs through the rest of the batting - even Dhoni, who hits a masterful 19 before losing his off stump. India 111-9, effectively all out (Gambhir absent).


There you go. You couldn't make it up.

So here's the scenario.

Some cricket happens. Some events occur. Some things happen after.

There you go. You couldn't make it up.

PeterCS wrote:So here's the scenario.

Prior gets a good one early. Cook soldiers on with the support of the long tail. Lad gets a couple of lives, then plays some drives, gets into it, holes out for 30.

Broad gets his middle pole knocked out first ball, but Swanner decides to throw the bat (as usual). Only he connects a few times, fours, even heaves a mammoth six - he's the new Botham - before missing one and being trapped plumb. All this while Cook is accumulating, trying (unsuccessfully) to farm the strike, but building some sort of a score with singles, twos and threes.

England have a lead of 129 at lunch, 9 down.

Anderson strokes a magnificent leg bye first ball after lunch, and tragically, Cook misjudges one and is snapped up at slip.

India need 130 to win, all but two sessions. Gambhir out of the action, but still. Easy-peasy, pommiegranite-squeezy.

Sehwag hammers Anderson's first ball down mid-on's throat first up. The rest of the first over goes for 18 runs, though.

Swann come on for the second over and screeches as the first ball is nicked thickly wide of Prior (no slips in) to third man for a single. He claims two scalps in the rest of the over.

Sam replaces Anderson, and not believing his luck, Tendy slams the rank long-hop into the sky. Swann hops it back from above the rope to Anderson, who takes the catch at the fourth attempt.

The fielding side, now sensing an unlikely victory, crowd in. There's even a slip. Indian bats sliding around.

Sam flukes another couple whiel conceding two or three sixes, and Swann runs through the rest of the batting - even Dhoni, who hits a masterful 19 before losing his off stump. India 111-9, effectively all out (Gambhir absent).


There you go. You couldn't make it up.

You have a vivid imagination, Sir. More likely, the new day will have done England no favours, Prior and Cook both get dismissed pretty early, and our 'strong' tail go down playing wild shots as they decide that runs are more important than time.

England to get 67 ahead, India to knock them off in 9 overs. Sehwag 43 not out.

Brass Monkey wrote:So here's the scenario.

Some cricket happens. Some events occur. Some things happen after.

There you go. You couldn't make it up.

I beg to defer.

Like furri to Gangooly.

Speaking of Indian commentators, I see that Rohan Gavaskar was commentating on the Bangers v Windies test. Yeah, I'm sure he got that gig entirely on merit.

Any relation?

PeterCS wrote:
I beg to defer.

Like furri to Gangooly.

Well maybe YOU couldn't make it up.

PeterCS wrote:Any relation?

Well yes. Sunny's son. Played a handful of ODIs for India about 5-10 years back. Also ENTIRELY on merit......

Henry wrote:Speaking of Indian commentators, I see that Rohan Gavaskar was commentating on the Bangers v Windies test. Yeah, I'm sure he got that gig entirely on merit.

He speaks English. He's already better than Ather Ali Khan and Shamim Choudhury.

Maybe his dad used a bit of influence then??!

Henry wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Any relation?

Well yes. Sunny's son. Played a handful of ODIs for India about 5-10 years back. Also ENTIRELY on merit......

No denying. What a special talent.

Was funny when he associated himself with the ICL and Sunny with the IPL. Must've been an interesting dinner conversation.

Better bowler than his Dad, I think.

Although Sunny did open the bowling for India on one occasion, IIRC.

Sunny got Zaheer Abbas' wicket, on 95 or some similar score. So he can challenge Rohan on that too.

Ashwin gets a 100. Not a century he wanted against his name...LOL

Overheard on day 1 when batting slowed after quick India wickets on TV:
Arun Lal: The pitch isn't turning the ball as much as expected [Like it was natural for on Day 1 session 3 itself]
Navjot Sidhu: You yourself said one that its the bowlers who turn the ball and not the pitch!

I was right. We should not have made England follow on.

^^ Not yet, you aren't.

Henry wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Any relation?

Well yes. Sunny's son. Played a handful of ODIs for India about 5-10 years back. Also ENTIRELY on merit......

Actually Sunny has been exemplary in not promoting his son in his playing days.

furriner wrote:

Henry wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Any relation?

Well yes. Sunny's son. Played a handful of ODIs for India about 5-10 years back. Also ENTIRELY on merit......

Actually Sunny has been exemplary in not promoting his son in his playing days.

In public, sure. But behind the scenes? Rohan was a decent player, but I think there were more deserving batsmen that didn't get a go.

I'd think name more than dad would've helped him. He could've easily played a lot more than say a similar position player like Hemang Badani if Sunny had campaigned. I'd say Sriram too but he was actually a very good bat domestically.

Henry wrote:

furriner wrote:

Henry wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Any relation?

Well yes. Sunny's son. Played a handful of ODIs for India about 5-10 years back. Also ENTIRELY on merit......

Actually Sunny has been exemplary in not promoting his son in his playing days.

In public, sure. But behind the scenes? Rohan was a decent player, but I think there were more deserving batsmen that didn't get a go.

Now you're getting into conspiracy theories and 'insider info', based on what you think. I love how you'd assume this of Sunny.

Let me put it another way- in a country like India where allegations of nepotism and 'favourtism' can be and are easily made, no one ever said it of Sunny.

I actually think that, unless evidence to contrary forces me to change my opinion, Sunny did an exemplary job in this regard.

Now about Rohan's commentating gig, I dunno. He's not very good, but then neither are Siva, Arun Lal, Sidhu et al.

furriner wrote:I actually think that, unless evidence to contrary forces me to change my opinion, Sunny did an exemplary job in this regard.

Now about Rohan's commentating gig, I dunno. He's not very good, but then neither are Siva, Arun Lal, Sidhu et al.

But it is the Bangladeshi tests commentary, even Siva can hold his own among their current lot.

taipan wrote:Beginning to remind me of Athers and Jack Russell at the Wanderers.

India looked quite flat after tea - and some of Dhoni's field placement left a lot to be desired. At one point his seamers were bowling to Cook without a slip.

If ever the first hour of a day's play was going to be crucial, it's tomorrows.