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"It's wonderful that we have been able to play so much Test cricket. In the last few years we have played a reasonable amount of Test cricket. At one stage, in the early nineties, I hardly got any Test matches. Couple of Test occasions there were just two or three Tests in a year. It was disappointing. That is not the case now." - Sachin Tendulkar, after overtaking Steve Waugh as the player with most test appearances.
After an indirect thank you from Sachin himself, the match fixers at the BCCI, uhm.. I mean the match schedulers at the BCCI have done one better. I like the schedule for the current series against Australia, it's ensured that all the weekends over the next month will see cricket. They've taken a step to make sure that if the game's happening at an empty stadium, at least people elsewhere get to watch it on TV.
The first test began today, which works out fine because I don't have to watch India on the first day of a series, normally the worst show we put on. I get to watch them turn up over the next two days and mount a legendary fight-back, bowling Australia out in a dramatic session, then Sachin & Dravid consolidate over day 3 after Viru & Gambhir get us to a quick 100 before falling in quick succession. Worst case scenario Australia declare after punishing us for a day and two sessions before bowling us out for a huge first innings lead in two sessions.
The second and unfortunately last test does one better by starting on a Saturday. Imagine Dhoni's CSK luck with the toss, puts the batsmen in against the Aussie quicks on Bangalore's pacy, bouncy pitch. Probably the worst case scenario again. I think we'd be better off bowling first. No, wait. Never mind.
And finally, a gentle easing out with the three ODI series beginning and ending on Sundays, the middle one, a day/night match rescuing a Wednesday.
So yeah, dear BCCI match fixers, thank you for scheduling matches on weekends, which I thought you had a policy against after looking at the SA tour schedule from earlier this year. Good on you!
PS: I''ve already missed Zak mouthing off Pricky. I hope they ration out the excitement over the next few days with focus on the weekend.
by Crownish
blogs at FCKING BLOG (Fantasy Cricket Kings Blog)
Main dekhega
Please Tell Me You're Not Serious
We're going half way around the world, to play four ODIs on grounds that are famous for the lack of concern and effort Chinese construction companies have for developing anything related to the sport? This in a year when we will play another stupid 7 match ODI series against the Aussies, the Champions Trophy, the T-20 World Cup not to mention the IPL and Champions League.
The first two tests of the Eng-WI series were exciting, the last one only got a little bit exciting in the last couple of sessions. Otherwise it was one heck of a boring tour. Even like that, I see no point in a team going all the way to the Windies for a bilateral ODI series. Looking at this schedule after this series in NZ we will next play a test in November against SL (3 matches) and then 2 against the mighty TIGER CRICKET minnows, Bangaldesh.
I was really glad when the BCCI decided to add an extra test to the NZ series. But the truth is our schedule is so packed with these stupid, meaningless, bilateral ODI matches that there is no room for tests. And don't get me started with the Champions Trophy, it was a stupid tournament last year when it never took place and I don't honestly know how many people want it this time around. Somebody please tell me that the schedule for the series in the WI is incomplete and they're still working on it. Its right after the T20 World Cup, and the Windies have a series against Bangladesh just after that too.
