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New Zealand v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Napier. Teams aim for batting revival in decider

Posted by Red Sun

Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal have scored nearly half of Pakistan's runs this series

Match facts

December 11-15
Start time 12pm (2300 GMT)

If this series could be a template for all cricket contests over the next decade, we might be in for fun times; so cruel has been the bat's rule over the sport over the last decade. Bowler-dominated series have become increasingly rare, and though they are generally to be found in New Zealand, even that trend has been slowly giving in to the inevitability of the willow.

In any case, this series has been as much about the batting frailties of both sides as it has been about the sharpness of the bowling; it is inconceivable that stronger batting orders would not have scored more on surfaces which rewarded good batsmen and good bowlers equally. New Zealand's top order has come to resemble the best boy-bands; built around the talents of one man, Ross Taylor, the purpose of the others seems unclear, other than just hanging around making him look even better. Tim McIntosh, Peter Fulton, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn and Grant Elliott together have scored ten runs less than Taylor. Daniel Vettori has been his usual busy self lower down, but by then, mostly stuff has hit the fan.

Pakistan's hasn't been much better and they might, after the tour, name Muhammad Akmal Siddique and his wife as Players of the Series, for providing them their sons Kamran and Umar. Very nearly half of all the runs Pakistan has scored have come from the brothers. The pair nearly returned to Pakistan after the Wellington Test because their mother suffered a heart attack, but she insisted they stay on and Pakistan should be doubly grateful. The openers remain a concern, though the bigger concern might be with the thinking behind their continued selection. Surely some new, younger, fresher blood is worth trying, if only for the sake of change?

Traditionally in New Zealand, heading to Napier has meant conditions easing up for batsmen. McLean Park is the most batting-friendly venue and the last Test - against India earlier this year - produced five hundreds in all, including a double. It would be a shame for this series to end with a stalemate run-fest, even if you suspect strongly that neither side - unused to winning of late - will mind that too much.

08:08 | 0 Comments



Test of the Character

Posted by Red Sun


It would be a cardinal sin to say that the Test Match is on the verge of a downfall. There is no comparison when it comes to Test Cricket. People have their own set of opinions that by the advent of the T20 or better called as IPL, there would be a downfall in Test Matches. The T20 is an interesting format of the game and it gets over fast, but it is of no match with the Test cricket. A person has to earn his Test Cap by proving that he has the capacity to play for long hours. It is not a bang bang kind of cricket. It’s all about survival on the wickets. The temperament of the person is put to test. The best part is that it’s played in sessions. The morning session is the vital one where the first hour of the play decides the forte of the match. It swings and bends. If the wickets start falling in the first session, it becomes very difficult to stay in the match. In the shorter format of the game, even if the wickets fall, if the score is at par, still there are chances to win. However, in test cricket, even if you have score on the board, it does not make much of difference if you cannot survive for time. Test match gives affair chance to the bowlers.
The team who knows how to take those 20 wickets will certainly win. There’s a proper test of the character of the bowler, how much purchase he can get from the wicket. When it comes to limited over cricket, the economy rate of the spinners is too high. In test cricket, spinners can be lethal from the third day onwards. Bowlers like Muralidharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble can take the game away from the opponents almost single handed.
The bowlers of high caliber go on and on and they always want to be in the game and bowl the maximum overs. The moment they see there is turn and bounce, there’s a killing smile on the face of the spinners. There is no doubt whatsoever that Yuvraj Singh is extremely talented player and he can fit into any team in the when it comes to a T20 format or a limited over format. But he himself is never sure of his inclusion in the 11 member squad of the Test Side. He has been playing the ODIs for a long time now and has pretty good scores against his name. He is a tremendous fielder as well. Yet the beauty of Test Match is that still his place is not yet cemented. Test cricket is all about playing big innings and having the metal to stay on the wicket. The Australians are more worried when VVS Laxman is on the crease. They respect Sachin, but they fear VVS Laxman because he has always come for Indians rescue when they play against Australia. Even the best looking balls are sent to the boundary line by him, such is his timing.
It is the Test Matches that has given him such amount of respect. He is called as Very Very Special Laxman although his name is Vangipurapu Venkata Sai Laxman .When it comes to ODI, even his place is not fixed in the playing 11 and he is not considered as a threat. The moment it comes to Test Match, he is considered as the ‘Thorn In The Arm’ Test Match is played only in white uniform, that thing is not yet tampered with in the Test Matches, while limited over games are played in colorful uniforms. Earlier even ODIs would be played in Whites. The best of the reverse swing is seen in the Test Match. Unlike ODIs, test match is played with the red ball, so it does not get that much dirty that a player can’t cite it. Reverse swing is always on when the ball is old. The ball has to be worked on. One side of the ball has to be looked after and continuously shined. Pakistanis have this art of looking after the ball. One would always notice this in the test matches that ever player would shine the ball and pass it on to the other. There will be a fielder placed near to the bowlers starting mark so that he shines and gives the ball to the bowler. In ODIs there’s less chance of playing with the old ball as it gets very dirty and it’s mandatory to change the ball after 35 overs. In test matches, one has the option to change the ball after 80 overs. They can still play with the old ball if they want to.
I can go on writing on and on like the Test Match will be played on for years from now on and on. On the ending note, please post your comments on What’s your Take on the Test Matches!!

00:22 | 0 Comments

Tiger Woods mother in law, Barbro Holmberg hospitalised - latest news

Posted by Red Sun Labels:


Tiger Wood’s mother in law Barbro Holmberg has been hospitalised with stomach pains and her condition is stable now after a 911 call from Woods' Orlando-area home.
Barbro, the mother of Woods wife Elin Nordegren is a prominent Swedish politician who had came to the couple’s home a day or two ago. She was taken to the Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in an ambulance after a telephone call to emergency services at around 8:30 GMT.
TV pictures showed that she was on at stretcher at the medical centre. She was admitted for a stomach discomfort and she is recovering and her condition is stable. It is the same hospital where Tiger Woods was treated after his car crash outside his home last month.
After the car accident a series of Tiger Wood’s affairs have come into light which even led to Woods apologising to his family and saying that he regretted unspecified transgressions with all of his heart.
There have been reports that Ms. Nordegren has moved out of their Florida House following the string of affairs surrounding her husband.

00:14 | 0 Comments

Tiger Woods needs to have better personality packaging

Posted by Red Sun Labels:


Professor Vincent Presti, CEO of I Wanna Be On, Inc., the pioneering social research network for celebrity-seekers, is closely following the recent media "scrutiny" of Tiger Woods and his celebrity golfer image.

"Events surrounding Tiger's personal life are tragic on so many levels," according to Professor Presti, "but they contain an invaluable lesson for how a celebrity should brand an image that contains sufficient elasticity for these types of personal foibles."
In light of the Tiger Woods news phenomena, Professor Presti believes sponsors and advertisers behind a particular "celebrity franchise", like Tiger Woods, will now spend more time getting to know their talent and the risks associated with their investments in a particular media.

"After Tiger Woods," Professor Presti opines, "I anticipate that our Personality Packaging consulting services, especially for high-profile clients, will now include some form of due diligence to identify potential issues between personal lives and public images so that we can develop a media image with sufficient elasticity to withstand unintended disclosures."
Professor Presti anticipates that the Tiger Woods "media scrutiny" will have far reaching effects for all aspects of our celebrity culture. "It appears that the public wants or expects complete transparency between a celebrity's personal life and public image. This could significantly discourage other individuals to achieve professional excellence, like Tiger Woods, and reap the proper awards for their talent.

00:02 | 0 Comments

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