Re: India/Pakistan series - Daily Diary
Rahul's day 4 review:
Records and records and records, this test should be known as test of records. I am sure every single batting record in the book on this test ground would have been broken or should be under threat. It’s a wicket where Kaneria and Harbhajan Singh will complaint to captains for not allowing them to bat so that they can improve the batting averages. Infact that will be a good solace to bowlers if India can let them come up early to bat tomorrow and get some runs and feel better emotionally after the assault they had faced during Pakistan’s fist innings.
Though India scored at the rate of 5+ somehow India’s reply will be more grinding and fatigue inducing to Pakistani team, rather than the battery with which Pakistan finished its innings.
Sehwag has capitalized the pitch and situation best to own advantage and for India, he is on door step of another triple hundred and if achieved, he will join a select group of people who have scored two triple hundreds. Now there is absolute contrast in two big centuries he has hit against Pakistan in first test of the series. The first one during last series had immense value; while this one is of value since atleast for first century he was under pressure of 679, after that it’s been just another day in the park. Rahul Dravid has played like a captain and true to nick name wall. On this pitch once he decided that he will not lose his wicket, he will not. Credit is due to Sehwag for the pace he scores his runs that demoralize the opposition. If there would have been two batsmen grinding runs like Dravid, Pakistan would have had time to think. Somebody like Sehwag just demoralizes the opposition and bowlers and he does this with an average of 54+ in test cricket, is tribute to his powers and importance to team India in test cricket.
Less said about the pitch the better it is, I was ready to give some credit to curators earlier till day 3 for not getting sun before the match to create a sporting pitch. Pitch still playing absolutely flat at the end of third day isn’t good sign for anybody. It’s surely not good for cricket and it’s not good for money cricket needs.
Going forward on fifth day, I wonder, what will keep motivating players to play three sessions of play tomorrow. There may not be any spectators in the ground, except the grounds men. Grounds men deserve to watch day 5 play, for the work they have done.
All the advantage Pakistan had achieved after scoring 679 is gone, infact at the end of day 4, if any team can take moral advantage, its India. I remember a banner during India Australia series; even my GrandMa can hit a six on this ground. (I think that was a ground with very short legside boundary). We can show a placard here on this ground “Even my Grandma can hit a century”. If I don’t count Rana Naved and Sami, 10 batsmen stepped out to bat on this ground and 6 scored century and only Inzy’s wicket can be attributed to bowler.
At the end of the day, what this ground has done is bring Sehwag back in form and mental shape of playing long innings, which was missing for sometime. That will be biggest disservice the grounds men would have done to Pakistani team for this series. They have also allowed the ghost of Ganguly controversy to take backseat.
This was a pitch by home curator, where it has taken away psychological advantage from home team.