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This is funnier than anything Rowan Atkinson’s ever done. DKNY v Yusuf Pathan, two old timers here at Bored, going at each other with new found vigour, scoring hundreds like it was the done-thing. Would you like to place your order, sir – yes, I’ll have my hundred with milk and sugar.
DKNY has two tons so far, and if Yusuf faces 3 more balls, he’ll have a twin-set two. (think, 84 to a 100, Yusuf on strike, electronic bat in hand) While this may not do much for Yusuf’s immediate ODI chances, MSD could come knocking for a test spot. This Duleep Trophy final is a five day game after all.
Stranger things have happened in Indian cricket. And if Rohit Sharma makes his test debut tomorrow, so should you. Never mind who Che Pujara is, he only scores in local games. He’s not even played the IPL, got injured last time; and anyway, fat lotta good he would’ve done for the Knight Riders.
Mr Has Been.
DKNY is fashionable again.
Last June, DKNY was in the Caribbean, playing cricket for India, opening the batting, in the form of his life, almost MSD’s life. What did he do – something MSD wouldn’t have done, he scored a sixty, got cute, got out.
That’s been his India story – who would have thought he’d play 11 ODIs in 2009-10. A top score of 67 in that game where he threw it all away. Yuvraj got a big hundred, made DK’s 60 look small and silly. How did that series pan out, just like his brain freeze allowed – 67, 4, 47. Not bad, but what about master MS, the man of the series – 41, 95, 46*.
Being second best can be habit forming. Forget outdoing MS, this kid refuses to play to potential. He does occasionally for the Daredevils, and in the last few days for South Zone. Two big hundreds, who’s looking – after the Windies’ series, 8 more one-dayers, all in the subcontinent, some crazy cameos, no hundreds.
So now he is not even the second choice wicketkeeper. All the hundreds in the first class games won’t get him back in a hurry; nor will all the injuries in the India squad.
For a change, DK needs to feel the hurt for doing himself in. He could even dump the keeping, and pitch himself as an out 'n' out batsman. His out-fielding and catching is first rate, and on a good day, he’s even more enthused than Bhajji. Have you seen DKNY clap, jump, mutter away?
Yeah, he’d be far better competing with Rohit Sharma and his ilk. What a job for the selectors – they’d be marking players with fragile minds and their potential. Yusuf Pathan could outscore the whole lotta them. And didn’t he just score one of those manic hundreds? But for now, it’s Rohit who’s been asked to stay back as cover for VVS. We're close enough to the IPL, time for Nohit to become Rohit again.
Spaceman.
Talking of MoYo can the other Yusuf be far behind – damn it, he scored a hundred, and nearly cut his half brother in half while doing so. Anything pitched up, and he was playing like he belonged. He was in the Zone, the West Zone at that – coming at two down; what is it with that position, even MoYo likes it.
He played in the air, played like it was a domestic tournament – came in at 18/2 and walked out at 184/7. He made 108 of those barely facing a ball; he was that quick. The bang bang aside, I liked that one ball where he negotiated a bouncer on middle – lowered wrists, head out of the way. His harshest critics will say, what head?
He did play a lot in the air, and for me Yusuf Pathan could be the first cricketer in space – if Shane Warne holds his hand. But yeah, Uthappa will be hovering close-by too – and you can be sure our criconauts will have fountain pens on them. What will Virus make of them? Dismissed.
Duleep Trophy Final - Update on Discards
However, I have got interested in this one. It is a match full of Indian discards, more than the Indian hopefuls.
While some matches are not awarded first class status, some are. This one is of the second type. DKNY, or BossDK or Dinesh Karthik, has showed that he can bat well in these type of domestic tournaments and how is the second best keeper-batsman in the country. After being reduced to 120-4, the captain of South Zone did well to allow his team to finish the day at 356/6 with his own 161*.
Another Indian discard, Irfan Pathan took 3 wickets to help his side West Zone get the early advantage. Ravindra Jadeja took 2 wickets as well. Looks like Indian discards are taking this match real seriously. There are other discards in the other team as well. Will they perform as well?!
The second day begins in some time. With both Karthik and Ganpathy at the crease, Lord Shiva must be having his fingers crossed!
