Roebuck in me ...

I am not a sports journalist nor a columnist. I am not a cricket veteran(I am just 23, how can I be a veteran??) or a professional either,to be paid for writing a match report.

And this is not an ideal place to write a match report.I won't do that.Because I was not on the
field.Nether was I glued to the TV all the time. But managed to visit cafeteria often to watch most part of the match. Ya, there is a TV in the office cafeteria which is on the top floor.

After hurrying to the office in the morning and seeing nobody around I just didn't waste my time to move to cafe in no time.Watching Sachin in his elements and Sehwag with his elegant belligerence is a treat to your eye , u just can't resist. Very recently one of the respectable gentlemen, who come in suit,boot and tie to give me and you lots of subtle and detail cricket analysis, in TV ,commented Sachin should more concentrate on bowling because his dominance with the willow piece is no longer there. Not only him, in India where there are million selectors and billion enthusiastic Peter Roebucks (Me too one of them :D) everybody exercises their freedom of speech and now after this, I am thinking how hard will be for them to eschew their words.They are now baying for Ganguly's blood. Ya he is going through a woefully poor form and I am not brave enough to put my bet on him to return in runs in the next couple of matches too . But I am sure all those 9900+ runs with a healthy average of more than 40 was not just fluke. And with a little bit of confidence and lost touch regained this man can still be one of the best players in the modern version of the game. The question is how long we need to wait? And remember 90% of the one million selectors have already got impatient.And few more matches, that number will surely increase by at least one.. ****

Pakistan is always one of the best run chasers. In fact since Imran's zamana they have earned this reputation.I distictly remember they chased 280+ successfully in Eden against India with Imran leading from the front with aa aggressive 50 during early 90s. I was a small boy then ; but a keen follower of cricket nevertheless. Those days 280 was as competitive as India's 315 today.May be more.

Today also one mature performance by their captain helped them to square the series.It's interesting to see how history repeats itself.And as that memory still lingers, this also promises to haunt me for long.

Both of these two subcontinental giants have one thing in common. They can make difficult things look easy.They can make easy situations tough. Just for an example after India's innings India was on the top. Pakistan steadily progressed and seemed to seal the fate of the match till Shoaib Malik was there. Then four wickets fell in quick succession to make the match more interesting, to make our office-cafe more crowded, to make heartbeats of many a supporter pace faster and faster.

And then Ganguly gambled on Tenulkar to deliver for him yet again in the last over when Pakistan was hoping for only 3 runs, and India 3 wickets. And Inzamam took 6 balls to reach the milestone for his team. The over read 0,2,0,0,0,4!!!!

**** Just now I came to know a 6 match suspension has been imposed on Mr. Captain. I think great God of cricket (ICC) made things easier for Ganguly and Indian selectors for the time being. Ganguly would have found it difficult to withdraw himself after the series in concern of his poor form. And selectors also would have frowned many times before dropping India's most successful captain.