PUJARA ... I First Heard it Here. On Bored.

The first time I heard about Cheteshwar Pujara, it was here. On Bored.

Actually, the only place I used to hear about Pujara was here. On Bored.

No online forum, to my knowledge, had promoted Pujara as fiercely as the people on Bored.

The people here at Bored were pushing him harder than anyone; calling for his inclusion into the Indian team since 2008, or even earlier.

I used to hear frequently from a number of the Bored Bloggers about how heavily Pujara was scoring in domestic cricket, how he is the future Indian batting star, how he should be in the team... and a lot of other high praise.

I had never seen him bat.

I had browsed through a few domestic scorecards to see the heavy scoring he was doing, but that was it.

It was Bored that kept on informing me about Pujara's progress.

Fast forward to now and the entire media is raving about Pujara's match winning second innings knock against Australia.

I watched the highlights, not to see how India thrashed the Aussies, but to see how good Pujara's innings was.

And boy did he live up to every single word that I had read about him here. On Bored.

I'm sure all those Bored members who have spoken highly of him are extremely proud today.

As is the new Indian batting star - Cheteshwar Pujara.

To Bored, he was and is known as CHE.

Now, the world knows him as CHE!

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Bored Turns One!

Last summer when I was vacationing in the USA, a new cricket blog started doing the rounds.

It was called "BCC!" and it was being promoted by Naked Cricket, Straight Points, and some others.

At the time I didn't pay much attention to it. I was on vacation so I just frequented my usual cricket blogs such as the ones mentioned above.

When I got back home I decided to check out what BCC! was all about.

Soon I realized that BCC! was a blog that brought together the Indian Cricket Bloggers Mafia.

For a long time that's the name I had for it on my Blogroll over at Well Pitched; I called it the mafia because BCC! was a platform designed to take over the world of cricket blogging and it was controlled by the best of them in the market.

Put together the best of men trying to take over a market and what you get is the mafia!

It wasn't long before I got an offer from Naked Cricket, the brains behind this mafia, to become a part of BCC!

I took the offer up without hesitating and soon I also became a part of the elite members of the bored.

Today, a year later, BCC! turns one and guess where I am?

Yep, the USA again!

How time flies and how life comes a full circle of sorts; and what a year it has been for cricket, for blogging, for the bored members, and for BCC!

What haven't we been through; the list is endless.

The creation of Jatman, talking about the Shakibbing, eavesdropping conversations between bored peons and neons, singing the bored anthems, whooping Australia's ass at home in India, thanking Sachin Tendulkar, inviting bored guests to write, playing IPL games, holding bored meetings in Delhi and Dubai, wondering what makes Jatman tick, covering World T20 games LIVE, a MasterDebate between a Pakistani and Sri Lankan, converting "teri maa ki" into our very own franchise!, getting into WADA's pants, hiring our very own informer in Khufiabaaz, and what not...

As I said, the list is endless!

You think of all that and then you wonder; all this in only a year?

Imagine, what BCC! can achieve in the years to come.

This is just the beginning; there is a long road ahead, and with a start like this, the mafia is truly set to take over the world of cricket blogging.

Happy Bored Day BCC! and a hearty congratulations to all you Bored Members, Bored Guests, and Bored Visitors.

Q also blogs at Well Pitched

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T20 or test cricket - let's hear it from the winner and the loser.

An Indian asks a Pakistani and a Sri Lankan -

For Bored Member Damith (SL) and Bored Member Q (Pak) –

You’ve actually played each other more than your two teams, what with the Master Debate and all. Now, seeing as SL have won the test series 2-0, and you’d think Pak has nothing to show for it – but look back a month, Pak won the T20 World Cup. It’s strange, but both Lanka’s lapses in the twenty20 game and Pak’s collapses in the tests were swift. Almost like a MOU was signed between the two teams– let’s make it quick, painless.

Anyway, as you’ve both counted your losses – which one of you is happier today? Would you swap the T20 for the test series win, Q? And what about you, Damith, you wanted the T20, or is the test series the real deal?

In a time when we’re all hurling the virtues of test cricket at each other with impunity, please think and answer responsibly. But do so honestly. Think about “Jai Ho” playing at the club after the win, Q – is there ever any song after a test series win, Damith? Do tell us about what it feels like? Does Q outscore you on the happiness quotient here? I really wanna know what love is –and which love outscores the other.

Thank you for the music. Let’s hear one last tune for now.

NC (Ind)

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Overheard at Colombo

Bored Peon: You know Chaminda Vaas is retiring so Sri Lanka are playing him today and giving him a farewell test.

Bored Neon: Yeah I heard. Is Danish Kaneria also retiring?

Bored Peon: No, he hasn't announced it.

Bored Neon: Then why is he playing?

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Mendis no longer Splendid...

It all starts again tomorrow.

The Debate.

The Pakistan - Sri Lanka Debate.

Oh yeah the test match too.

Remember the wager Damith?

Let me remind you in case your black hole has been blocking some information.

"Mendis takes less than 15 wickets in this 3-test series, Damith will stop calling him splendid."

So then, lets take a look at where we stand now.

62-5-217-5

Those are Ajantha Mendis' figures right now.

An average of over 40 and a strike rate of almost 75.

Ouch!

The fact that Pakistan have still lost is sad, but Mendis must be sadder, for sure!

So then Damith, another 10 in the 3rd test?

I highly doubt it.

Actually with Vaas making his return for a farewell test, Mendis might not even play.

Falling short by 10 wickets... ouch!

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In conclusion

The debate ended like the movie: with a Mexican standoff directed by the Straight Point. That was after Umar Gul filled in appropriately as Malaika Arora. So far back that Fawad Alam could well have been the difference. Well before that, while the Pakistani batsmen were demonstrating a jelly spine, the same could not have been said of the team's finest online cheerleader. Forget the Sri Lankan team, Q had no problem in getting personal with Damith. Much like an Aussie captain on another small island nation, Q called attention to Damith's tactics, and scored a few points with his rapier thrust. Damith's defence, was to question Q's questions about his tactics.
But that wasn't really required. Q admitted defeat shortly thereafter. Apart from spine, apparently the Pakistani team didn't have bats either. This was discovered well after Q had exhausted his quota of small joys for the rest of the year. Some time before his team failed him, his man stood up and threatened to make the difference. Q was in the seventh for a bit there. But Damith won, dude, though Mendis was quite a bit less than splendid.

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6 LBWs

Looks like the Pakistanis forgot that they had bats in their hands.

I hope now they remember that they have some balls in their hands.

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Lets get the facts in the way of a good story

Q, Why the personal attacks ?

I guess I would also fall to such lows after 9 for 35 collapse.

We are battle weary though and know that we must offer Waranapura and Mahela as a sacrifice to the cricketing gods to pull off this win.

Look I am not trying to rub it in but you did loose 9-35. I mean 9-35 that is pretty shithouse if you ask me.

9-35 in 15 overs or so. That is bad my friend. I mean 9-35, woowee.

Is Monty of Pakistani descent ? Might wanna reclaim him if he is.

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Talk About Convenience

Why does Damith only wake up when Sri Lanka is on top or doing well in a game?

Where does he disappear to when Sri Lanka are looking down the barrel?

Does Damith have a black hole, in which he resides during the bad times?

Or does he have a secret hide out like the Kalu's Getaway?

More importantly, how does Damith hear about Sri Lanka's comebacks in his recluse?

Does he have pigeons that fly in with notes?

Does he have a cellular device that works insude black holes where he communicates with only those who will give him only good news?

I also wonder whether he has a black eye-band and white cotton wool, which he uses for his eyes and ears to ignore all the times that Sri Lanka are down.

So Damith, what is it buddy?

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Oh snap, Pakistan doing the Pakistan AGAIN !

1-85 (Khurram Manzoor, 24.4 ov),

2-285 (Younis Khan, 78.1 ov),

3-294 (Mohammad Yousuf, 81.2 ov),

4-303 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 86.5 ov),

5-303 (Fawad Alam, 87.2 ov),

6-306 (Kamran Akmal, 88.3 ov),

7-312 (Shoaib Malik, 89.2 ov)

8-316 (Abdur Rauf, 90.2 ov)

9-319 (Umer Gul, 95.4 ov)

10-320 (Saeed Ajmal, 96.4 ov)

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Fawad Alam is My Man!

What is the best feeling that a cricket fan can have?

His team winning a match, a series, a world cup. That's probably right isn't it?

What's the best feeling that a cricket blogger can have?

A player that he has been talking up for a long time coming good in his very first match!

That is exactly what I am going through right now.

Every cricket blogger has his own man. His own cricketer. One that he wants to see play for his country. One that he feels will do well for his country. One that he hopes will do well when he gets his chance.

We have seen many cricket bloggers hype their men up; many have also seen their men don the international colours making them proud.

Some of these men lived up to the hype; some didn't.

My man today, lived up to all the expectations I had of him. He lived up to all the hype I had created around him.

He even surpassed some by becoming the first Pakistani batsman to hit a test century on debut on foreign soil.

Fawad Alam, you are my man and you have done me and Pakistan proud!

Damith, who is yours?

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Pakistan Obviously the More Exciting Ones

So Pakistan remain the only team to cross 300 in this test series so far.

They also remain the only team to be dismissed below a 100.

That sort of stuff usually keeps the women excited. This unpredictability leads to a night of a romp in bed; while on the other it leaves them high and dry wondering what the hell happened. Most importantly it keeps the women in check and in expectation of that romp that they know will come again.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have scores of 292, 217, and 240.

How boring and predictable.

Their women will leave them soon; if they haven't already.

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Don't look back in anger

Or rather don't look back at all Younus. It's not pretty. In fact its ugly. Very Ugly.

It appears Pakistan came to Sri Lanka intent on breaking their record of never having lost a test series in SL.

At this point, I would like to inform the Pakistani team, Younus and management, that their team talks and preparation have been par excellence.

Every trick you have tried has worked.

And you know you have had a bad day when your get out jail bowler Ajantha Mendis takes 3-20.

Also a little reminder to Q, Mendis now needs a further 10 wickets in 3 innings for that 15 we spoke about. Are ya nervous?

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What does Pakistan's 90 Tell You?

It tells me that even if Pakistan had all 10 wickets in hand and even if Fawad Alam was in the XI, they would not have scored 97 on the 4th day of the Galle test.

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John Buchanan Cannot let India Go

What exactly is John Buchanan's problem?

In his new book, something that all these gora babas tend to come out with when they're done with their cricket careers, Buchanan has a lot to say about some Indian cricketers.

And all that lot is a bit absurd in my opinion.

On Sachin Tendulkar

"You have to be inventive, fearless. And I don't see those qualities as part of Sachin's make-up at this stage of his career. Sachin Tendulkar is still a great player, but not in this arena of T20"

Really John? Is there anything new that you're highlighting? Is there any new insight that you're giving us?

To me that makes no sense.

I mean if Sachin was playing T20 cricket for India, saying that he's good enough for T20 cricket, and not performing then it would have made some sense for John to point that out.

But Sachin himself knows that he is not cut out for T20 cricket at this stage of his career. Hence he does not play T20 cricket for India.

Out of his own choice.

Sachin knows that, India knows that, we know that; why the hell do you have to give your 2 bits on it?

On Yuvraj Singh

"Yuvraj Singh in a sense tries to be a modern-day Ganguly, but I don't think he has the charisma or the dignity with which Ganguly carries himself."

The surprising bit about this was that John actually praises Saurav Ganguly!

Where did all this praise for when John screwed up the Kolkata Knight Riders?

Yuvraj is Yuvraj and he has a class of his own; I don't think he tries to be anyone.

Anyway, like all of us John is entitled to his opinion as well; all I got to say is that his opinion is wrong!

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New cricket law

Law 45.1e
A batting captain shall not be allowed to bowl.

a)This applies specifically to Captains who are batsmen, as it would be unfair to a captain who bowls.

b)The punishment for breaking this law will be that you will not be allowed to bat in that match.

c)You will be categorically identified as a bowler from that day forth and Cricinfo would need to be notified so that their database can be updated.

Also Broadcasters will need to be notified so that the little bat that appears next to the players name on the team sheet be removed and be replaced with a ball.

d)Umpires are to exercise this law with immediate effect.

e)Close attention to be paid to WI(Gayle)

f)Specific attention to be paid to Pakistan(Younis Khan), who have repeatedly made a mockery of this law.

Subtext- Any team intending to break this law, should immediately report their intention to the opposing team 48 hours before the commencement of the match, so that they can factor in this new problem in their game plan.

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A Wager for Damith

Mendis is woeful.

Well he isn't really but there's something about Pakistan that brings about the worst in him.

I highlighted that before the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka test series got underway; today was just another proof of the same.

Before today, Mendis had bowled 67 overs against Pakistan, in which he had picked up as many as 1 wicket.

His test average against Pakistan then was 178.00.

Today, after 25 overs, and zero wickets later, that average shot up to 267.00.

That is bradmanesque!

Pity that its with the ball in hand though.

Given that all this can hardly be considered as "Splendid", here's my wager for Damtih.

If Mendis takes less than 15 wickets in this 3-test series, Damith will stop calling him splendid.

Not only that, but he will have to announce that "Mendis is no longer splendid and hence cannot be called that".

If Mendis does take more than 15, highly unlikely, then I will say / write whatever Damith asks of me.

Do we have a deal?

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Pakistan play a Test against Sri Lanka and Damith gets Serious

Younis Khan said that T20 cricket was all for fun and entertainment, a bit like WWF.

We didn't take him seriously then, but Damith did.

Damith made sure it was all fun and entertainment and he came out with digs at Pakistan's players, a few laughs here and there, he sent us a kitten with some tissues when Pakistan lost a T20 game to the Lankans, and before the final he laughed at Younis Khan's thought of winning the World T20.

That was then.

Now since its test cricket, all serious and grim and all, Damith is not poking fun at us.

He has also taken a serious turn.

There are no digs and pokes at the Pakistanis by him; instead he is wary of what his first time test captain, King Sanga can pull off.

He does call Younis Khan unstable, but then three quarters of Pakistan is that. Its not bad.

Its good for Pakistan actually. You can prepare to counter stability, but what do you do when the opposition is so unstable?

Can't do much I say.

Pakistan have never lost a test series in Sri Lanka, while the last time they lost a test match there, Damith was probably in his diapers (yeah I don't believe your facebook birth date of 1927).

I believe that is one statistic that will remain intact once this series is over.

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Where are you Damith?

Have you gone into hiding?

Its alright buddy, its all fun and games, just entertainment, much like WWF!

Sure we spanked your behinds, but don't take it too seriously mate.

I told you that "one who laughs last, laughs best", but I guess you were too busy engrossing yourself with King Kumar's reaction to Younis Khan's suggestion that you totally missed that, didn't you?

That's alright, you can always go back, take a look at it, and enjoy a good laugh.

The last time around, I remember you asked what we would do when Dilshan plays one of his scoops.

Even then I said that it would not bother us. But this time, I actually wrote him a letter, requesting him not to play the shot in the final.

But he didn't listen to me. I'm sure you missed that too because you were too busy enjoying King Kumar's laugh, weren't you?

Who else did you mention last time? Ahh the one and only "Splendid" Mendis.

You do know that you're the only one who calls him "Splendid", don't you? I think you even coined that name; I believe its time you reconsider.

Against Pakistan he has been anything but that. I told you that last time too.

The 4-0-34-0 just proved that again; I bet you missed those figures since you were too busy smirking at King Kumar's laugh, weren't you Damith?

I remember the cat and the tissues you sent me last time; in response I mentioned that I live to fight another day.

Fortunately for me, that another day was a day that mattered more than last time.

So what do I send your way now?

At first, I thought I would return the favor.



But then I realized that tissues is not what you need my friend.

What you need is something that will save you from the haunting memories of this World T20 final.

What you need is something that will stop you from questioning yourself everytime you think, "Why did King Kumar laugh?" or "Why did I post that picture?" or "Why did I caption that picture that way?"

Hence, I picked this.



It will help deafen all that laughter from King Kumar that will haunt you forever. and ever. and ever.

Oh and it comes with a Lifetime Garantee!

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Reminder to Damith & King Kumar

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