2-0

[undyingking]

Well, India have just taken the second one-day international (of seven), but England put up a much better show this time. They were still outclassed, but not ludicrously so. It would be fair I think to say that Yuvraj made the difference between the two sides -- his second consecutive quick-time century, and also 4-28 with the ball. And that with a bad back. What a player!

This game took place in Indore, where (most of) my family live. The stadium is even named after one of my distant relatives. Glad to see the crowd got a good game to watch. I think though of my late cousin Baba, who was a big cricket fan (which is another way of saying, he was Indian). He actually suffered his fatal heart attack while watching the recent second Ind-Aus test on TV, and would certainly have been at today's game.

Comments

[mr-malk.livejournal.com]

Yes, there was a moment just there, when Fred belted three maximums in an over, when I thought that it might be close fought, but all credit to India; they just closed the game down after that power-play came to an end. The way Fred was playing, his wicket was always going to be up for grabs. I'm a little disappointed that KP wasn't able to stick around for a bit longer afterwards though. You know... till the end of the over would have been a start!

Sorry to hear about your cousin, although I suppose there are worse ways to go than while doing/watching something you love, just as there are probably more vacuous platitudes than that one, but none come to mind just now.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Mm, there certainly are worse ways.

I ought to do a piece on the increasing Sikh-ing of Indian cricket -- today, Harbhajan, R P Singh, Dhoni and Yuvraj all playing. (Plus Monty should arguably have been there for England.) I don't know if they're all religiously observant, but they're all socio-ethnically Sikh.

Of course, Sikhs have played for India before -- Bedi, Maninder, Sidhu etc were Test regulars -- but they were pretty much lone generational representatives.

Sadly, I think it would take a bit of actual research and sociological (and cricketological) insight, and I'm too lazy.

[mr-malk.livejournal.com]

Are you then (wholly or partially), socio-ethnically Sikh then? Or is your interest more generic than that, just in terms of the way that Indian cricket is developing?

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

My Indian family are Hindu. But I'm interested in the devpt of Indian cricket and indeed Indian society in general. Apart from in the Punjab and Haryana where they predominate, Sikhs were often seen as a bit disreputable by the Hindu mainstream. Even eight years or so ago it was quite a shock for my ultra-respectable family when one of my cousins got married to a Sikh guy, even one from a long-serving line of Army officers.

[gbsteve.livejournal.com]

I wondered why Bopara bothers to turn up. As an all-rounder he doesn't get a bowl and bats at number eight. Yuvraj doesn't get this shabby treatment and look at the difference he makes.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Mm, even the Indians were baffled I think. Bopara will need a bit of support to help him reach the top rank, but tbh I'd been expecting him to cave in for lack of it before now.

[rotwang.livejournal.com]

England's continuous one-day chasing problem is letting the run rate get away from them. It wouldn't be such a problem if they kept wickets in hand but you can't accelerate without (not if you have 10+ overs for which to do 9+ rpo).

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

No reliable fast-scoring opener since Trescothick went, so either (a) the openers hang around not scoring much, and we're well behind the rate by the time the strokeplayers get in, or (b) the openers get out and we're two wickets down for not much.

The current batting order is all wrong for me. I think Bell and Prior should be #s 4 and 7 or so. Maybe open with Bopara and Pietersen himself, to get the ball moving around right away. Then Shah, Bell, Collingwood, Flintoff, Prior.