Lalit Modi, being the very shrewd businessman that he is, hatched IPL 20-20 to counter the ICL. And, boy! didn't it become an instant success. Slam bang cricket for 20 overs only, lovely cheerleaders to dance, fireworks and evening matches that get over in about 3hrs. Sure, 20-20 provides entertainment. But there were doubting thomases who were worried that 20-20 cricket kills all technique of the batsman, bowlers will look to bowl only dot balls and what not. Like in the movie 2012, we were warned that 20-20 would kill Test Cricket, there would be no more audience for the longer format and what not.
But, this week saw riveting test matches in two continents. Both test matches had enough ingredients to make the test faithfuls leap in glee, bit nails in tension, sweat in cold & feel the pulse of an extremely closely fought contest.
At Sydney in the 2nd test match between Australia & Pakistan, to everyone's surprise Pak bowled out Aus for a meager 127 in the 1st innings thanks to Asif's incredible display of pace & swing. Pak managed to get a decent lead of 200. Batting again, Aus again lost way in spite of a strong 100 run opening partnership. They led only by 40 runs with 2 wickets in hand. When day 4 ended, Aus led by 80 runs with 2 wickets in hand. At this juncture anyone would have thought that Pak were the firm favourites to win the match & break their 15 year old jinx of not having won in Aus. On Day 4, when I switched on my TV set at 7am, to my bewilderment I saw that Aus now led by 160 runs with still 2 wickets in hand. Quoting from my fav Pink Floyd song "These are moments that make up a dull day" :) :). Hussey played the major tormentor with a century and Siddle was no less who consumed more than 20 overs. Finally, Aus ended their 2nd innings with a lead of 175. Quite an easy target to achieve. Why, 175 runs are easily scored off in 20-20's, so this was an easy target.
And surprise-surprise, pressure got the better of the Pak batsmenn & the least expected off spinner grabbed 5 wickets to tumble Pak to a 36 run defeat. This was the least conceivable result on Jan 3rd.
Several thousand miles across, again in Southern Hemisphere, South Africa & England were entangled in a similar battle. With dramatic first innings collapse from both teams, it was left to see who blinked first. Smith bludgeoned the English bowlers all over for a magnificent 182 & SA declared leaving England 466 to create history. The battle was riveting. Fast bowling for extreme good quality was on display, so was a herculean effort of concentration from the batsman. It all boiled down to SA needing to pry out 3 English wickets while the English needed to survive 5 more overs to the close of play. The maxim of it ain't over till the last ball is bowled was apt here. Paul Harris tweaked one to Stuart Broad to have him glove to forward short leg. Broad asked a review, and the decision was upheld. Steyn had pace, lots of it, but was not penetrative. Smith threw the ball to Morkel who produced a beauty on a good length to have Bell edge to Smith at first slip. The English fans moaned & mourned while the SA fans roared. The atmosphere was electric, heavy with tension filled faces, in the crowd and in the dressing room as well.
Morkel was to bowl the final 6 balls. He delivered a beauty of a bouncer which kept rising at Onions' throat. There was a sound and the whole of SA went up, except the ump's finger. Smith called for a review, and it was seen that the ball brushed only Onions' sleeve & nothing else on the way to Boucher's gloves. Magnificent work from the ump despite the pressure cooker situation. Onions managed to evade the next 4 balls and for the 2nd time this season he thwarted a SA win.
Both these test matches had pure entertainment combined with high quality cricket talent on display. People like me live for such matches and it gladdens my heart to see the test art alive & kicking. Nothing can match such exciting and mind taxing contests.
