Rise of the Under Dogs Part Deux

And this time I'm talking about the Indian under-dogs - Sachin and Sehwag whom I basically thought were useless last match, showed that they were worth their place in the Indian team this time around vs. Bermuda. Superb performance by Sachin, Sehwag and Yuvraj. And of course, the fantastic 6 off the last ball from Dravid.

Sachin and Yuvraj were a sight to behold and it was a feast for the Indians who've been starved of 6s and 4s for a while now. Bermuda got badly knocked around. I do hope it was a learning experience. And I do hope they will come back and play next time.

India made a whopping 413 - the highest total in World Cup History. And though we didnt manage to get them out for less that 125, like we should have, it was still quite a beating. Onto the match vs. Sri Lanka fingers x-ed.

In other news, the Pakistan coach died suddenly of "unexplained causes, waiting the autopsy" after their defeat in the match vs. Ireland. And Inzamam has stepped down as Captain. I'm quite sad about both. Inzamam has done a lot for Pakistan cricket, and so has the coach.

The Rise of the Under Dogs

Un-friggin-believable! India lost to Bangladesh in their first game today in the World Cup! I, for one, am appalled!! I mean Bangladesh is definitely the best of under dog teams - or should I say those that aren't in the Super 8. But really, Bangladesh?? C'mon, India! I have been rooting for India to get to the Semi-finals (I still think the finals will be between South Africa and Sri Lanka), but looks like they might not make it!

I can't believe we still think of Sachin Tendulkar as a hero in this country. His performance in the past couple of years has been dismal at best. He's made it big in maybe a couple of matches and every single time, the country says "wow thank god Sachin is back in form", only to find him getting out for a single figure the next time! I'm tired of people thinking he's the saving grace! Move on, people. Sehwag, another disappointing performance. And I expected more from Dravid. What's going on, dude?

But the worst performance I've seen so far from a super 8 team was Pakistan today vs. Ireland. On St. Patrick's Day! Woohoo Ireland! Superbly played indeed. Sent Pakistan packing by 3 wickets! That is, Pakistan is out of the world cup! This is definitely a turn-the-tables, edge-of-the-seat type world cup. Can't wait to see Ireland play the West Indies. I'm sure it'll be superb judging by Ireland's performance so far. They might even make it to the top of their group! Happy St. Pat's!