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1. Daljit Singh: For saying it’s a common sense that a pitch is never at its best in the first 6-12 months and also revealing that the entire square at Kotla, which houses seven pitches, was relaid in April;
2. Vijay Bahadur Mishra: A scam, a hoax. He is a DDCA Sports Committee member who doubles up as curator! He is basically a kit-seller. Talk to any of the kids and they would tell you it’s mandatory for them to buy his stuff only;
3. Chetan Chauhan: For saying Sangakkara & Co chickened out. They should have waited till someone got decapitated, he perhaps meant. He said he played on worse tracks. But then we too stayed in caves at some point of time;
4. Arun Jaitley: The holy cow at DDCA who needs the goons for those proxy votes but still claims that moral high ground;
5. Sports Committee: An assortment of petty criminals, shady thugs and middlemen who can’t tell a mid-on from a midwicket but have completely hijacked DDCA with Jaitley’s quiet patronage;
6. BCCI Tour and Fixture Committee: For their association-appeasing rotation policy, which they often conveniently bend whenever it suits them. Lalit Modi & Co don’t consider weather/ground conditions/schedule when doling out matches. They knew Delhi is unfit to host any match at least till April next year but still they scheduled it here;
And finally
7. Kotla crowd: For their sheer lethargy that allowed the DDCA officials to return unscathed from the ground.
7 villains of the Kotla fiasco
Artist's impression of Kotla & Kumble
by Naked Cricket
Kumble may have left the Kotla, but the Kotla refuses to leave me. Out at dinner, I was seated alongside an artist’s impression of the medieval Feroz Shah Kotla. B&W drawing with derelict Mughal architecture lurking, donkey, man, woman and child ambling on. And I think to myself, is that life after cricket, Jumbo?
very short story
Anil is in the details
How don't we play now
by Naked Cricket
Try not to think of the second Ashes test played at the Adelaide Oval in December, 2006.
England scored over 550 runs, had a first innings lead of 38 runs, and lost the match.
India’s first innings lead is 36.
In the ’06 game, Collingwood scored 206.
Here, Gambhir made a similar score.
England declared after losing 6 wickets, India 7.
Australia still has the intent. They just don’t have Warne. Or McGrath.
But they have Clarke. Who also made a ton in that game.
Declaration of Indian intent
by Naked Cricket
Kumble with the ball – who would have thought we’d welcome that.
At 201 runs behind, Shastri says “Australia will definitely avoid the follow on from here”.
After being on the field for over 125 overs, this Indian team must want to have another crack at the Aussies.
Shastri didn’t say that.
An injured Kumble needs to. One who is far more fiery than his fit avatar.
Bring out the bandages, I say.
Declaration of Aussie intent
by Naked Cricket
The Oz of old would’ve tried to win Delhi.
From a losing position to a drawing one to a shot at a win.
Even if they didn’t have a realistic chance, they'd be thinking: what can we gain from Delhi and carry forward to Nagpur.
For that, when would good ol' Oz have declared? 500, 550 – by tea today? One hour after tea?
By the way, the Kotla is in New Delhi yet close enough to the old city.
Where is this Aussie team situated?
Deffered Live from Kotla
by Naked Cricket
The high point of the days’ play was also the low point: when the players lay down in lieu of a bee invasion.
This was soon after lunch. Which begs the question, what did the players’ eat?
Was it the crap catered to the corporate boxes - Rs. 150 for a kebab roll with leather lining - Rs. 100 for a Keema Samosa - Rs. 150 for midget chicken sandwiches -Returning the rolls: Priceless
The beer was sold out. The cola was free.
In an adjacent enclosure a beastly kid ordered cola, cake and Ishant to take a wicket.
He was dressed in the Nike Blues. Altogether unlikable. I propose a one test match ban on him.
Later when I looked away, Sehwag took a wicket. Not to worry. I watched it seconds later on the live telecast. Which is deferred live, like this.
Faking it.
Highly unreliable sources claim that there are plenty of fake passes to be had for the Kotla.
There are plenty of fools to be had for these fakes too.
Last heard these sources claimed that an uncertain Kirti Azad and Bishen Singh Bedi were disallowed entry.
Asked to comment, security said they’d rather pass.
Entries are now being weighed in holograms.
Gra'm Gooch was unavailable for comment.
Bored to the Bone 19 (Kotla)
Gambhir clocks a double. A beaming Brett Lee ruffles his hair. Mind you, no beamers so far.
Update: Laxman clocks a double. A beaming Brett Lee pats his shoulder.
Bored to the Bone 18 (Kotla)
It didn’t take a session’s judge to condemn the Aussies.
2-1 is how the sessions went, but if you manipulate the toss into the first session, then it’s more like 3 ½ -0.
Dravid plays shot, gets out.
Sources close to Dravid's edge claim he was in a hurry to load some Diwali pictures on to Facebook. Appears he will be tagged soon.
Cough Wicket
by Naked Cricket
In the aftermath of bombastic Diwali celebrations, a rare case of hit wicket afflicted Australia. No sooner had Ricky Ponting shouldered arms to an Ishant Sharma delivery, he started to cough relentlessly, causing the bails to dislodge themselves. This has been recorded as the first case of Cough Wicket in cricket. With four more days to go in the test match, you can be rest assured this will not be the last. Appears this is one celebration the Aussies will lament.
Lick Your Lips!
By Q
Anil Kumble seems to be fit and back for the 3rd test against Australia.
How could he not. The match after all is being played at the Kotla!
So out goes star-debutant-and-hope-for-the-future-of-leg spinners Amit Mishra and in comes skipper Anil Kumble.
Atleast that is what I heard on the news last night.
Now though, I am hearing that Harbajhan Singh might be injured. Something wrong with the toe?
So that means that Mishra might end up playing because it certainly does not make sense to go in with 3 seamers and Kumble.
Thats like 4 seamers on a Kotla wicket!
So Kumble and Mishra?
What is the likelihood?
Two legspinners?
Bring it on I say! I'm already licking my lips at the prospect of watching that.
I'm sure Kumble & Mishra will be as well once they get a sight of the Kotla pitch.
If both of them play, India win the series I say!
