A Picture, they say, speaks a thousand words. 23rd March 2003, a date most Indians will not forget. The Stage was set for a mega clash between the two best sides in the World Cup 2003. The Wanderers was noisy & jam packed, the streets of India were filled with slogans of victory, the entire nation was glued to the tv set & prayers were being offered to god. In the midst of all this excitement, India won the toss & on a flat, placid track put the mighty Aussies into bat.
A young, nervous Zaheer Khan, playing only his first World Cup was given the daunting task of bowling the first over to the most destructive opening pair in World Cricket. He stuttered & stammered & ended up bowling a 10 ball first over which yielded 15 runs. The rest, as they say, is history. Experts claimed India lost the game in the first over itself.
Exactly 8 years & a day later on the 24th of March 2011, the same teams will clash in a final before the finals. Times have changed, personnel lost on both sides, strategies re-invented & for the first time in 12 years, the Aussies go into a Match as the underdog.
But today, Zaheer is raring to go, raring to tear apart the might, raring to atone himself for the loss of 2003. This is Zaheer's chance of Atonement. This is India's chance to avenge the final loss. He has been the spearhead of the Indian attack for a while now. He's more experienced now, a cunning bowler who uses the variations well & also a great prodigy with the old ball. Modern crickets most dangerous bowler, he always has a Plan B & a bag full of tricks up his sleeve. With 15 wickets in 6 matches, he has been instrumental in bringing India back into the game on two occasions by salvaging a draw against England & ripping the Windies Apart. What remains to be seen is how he uses his skills & experience in this crunch quarter final game.
Even though the Indians have never won a single game out of 4 played at the Motera Ground, Ahmedabad, they are tipped as clear favorites. The confirmation of Sehwag's availability is also a morale booster to the side. Sachin has been in fine touch this series and yuvi has been the best player for India. But the lower order batting collapse & the Power-play batting are two areas which need to be significantly improved. Dhoni has disdainfully re-iterated the fact in each of the 6 post match presentations that the fielding will not improve much. But to beat a champion like Australia, we need to be at our best. The Bowling has been wayward, but the right combination & the effective rotation of pace & spin would be crucial.
On the flip side, Australia has always been a fighter and will not bow down easily. "A Wounded Lion still knows how to roar". They have to be beaten by precision, skills & the right mix of temperament & balance.
The other questions to be pondered over are:
'Will Sachin score his 100th International hundred or will Ricky have the last laugh?'
'What Combination do India Play?'
' Will this be Ricky's last match as Captain & ODI player?"
Ricky's career as a ODI player & Captain is at stake & a loss could mean that the ruthless Australian selectors may show him the door. A career which hinges on the outcome of this match. No wonder he commented that this is the most important match of his life.
Lets hope the Match lives up to the hype which it has created over the past few days. A one sided encounter like the Pak Vs Windies quarters will be a spoil sport.
Watch out, this could be another classic in the making!
India Vs Australia
Quarter Final 2
Motera Stadium
Ahmedabad
24.03.2011
Live on ESPN, Star Cricket, Star Sports, DD
2.30 pm IST
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