In the manner in which Kaif had batted for the past two games, he seemed to be completely relying upon other batters (Yuvraj in first ODI and Sehwag in third ODI) in order to improve his own score. At least that is the way things have looked so far, from my point of view. I would like to think that he is on the right track of finding his old self once again, but it might not help in the long run if things don't change from hereon now. This dependency needs to be removed, once and for all.
Sehwag, hardly any consolation. Apart from that one Tamasha match in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan, Sehwag has not fired in eight (8) innings. His last solid knock came in that flat batting track - Qabristan pitch - in Rawalpindi, the same match where the likes of Younis went on to score a half-century.
Even though we had two nail-biting finishers in this past week alone, seems as if no one is taking any interest in either this match or in the several discussion topics spread throughout. A few folks are just lurking around in the shadows waiting for that spark of interest to flare up, once again. Hopefully, we will get one pretty soon.
Samuels was hit above the knee-roll and TV replays indicate that the ball would have gone over the stumps, umpire Asad Rauf was trigger happy in giving that decision and it seems that he has got it wrong on this occasion.
8.6 Sreesanth to Samuels, OUT, first-blood! good length delivery, pitched close to the off stump line and coming in with the angle, bit of a skidder - Samuels rocks back in an effort to whip it away through midwicket but fails to make contact and the ball hits him high on the pad, loud appeal and the dreaded finger goes up
22.4Powar to Gayle, SIX, take that! tossed up delivery, Gayle dances down the track, for a moment it looked like he got it wrong but no, he reaches out a bit and hammers it over the long-on fence,** put that down as Gayle’s contribution to the hole in the ozone layer - that was as big as it gets! **
24.3 Agarkar to Gayle, OUT, got'm! that's the wicket they wanted! short of a good length delivery, pitched close to the off stump line and shaping away a touch, Gayle had no option but to play at it and the resultant edge goes straight to Dhoni behind the stumps - Agarkar with the all important breakthrough, West Indies three down.
