Asian Test Championship

A Prediction!

India wins - whole of Pakistan commits mass suicide and no more problem!

RE: FerozK

Pakistan will be the winner and this will lead to riots in India-yesterday was just a brief show at Calcutta-and annihilation of the ``natural hegemon`` providing a sigh of relief to small, respectful neighbouring countries.

RE:all

The great game of cricket will bring the two neighbours close no matter who is the winner. Hopefully problems between Pakistan and India will be solved amicably.

Abdul Nadir

Re: RanaRansher.

Hausla rakh, javaan! India is not the only team capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory :-). Pakistan is pretty good at this, too (I suppose that`s what makes the anticipation for tonight so delicious). Kumble and Ganguly are going to hang on to their wickets like a drowning man hangs on to a lifesaver. I agree with ZZ that the odds are with Pakistan, but probably more like 70-30.

Saad

PS: What a tremendous 3 Tests these have been! More than enough cricket joy to last a lifetime.

THe game is actually over. And yes India have yet again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. 4 wickets (really only 2!) remaining, Ganguly NOT a good runner between the wickets, and will not be able to shield the tail-ender for long. Of course, Srinath did have that 100 run stand with Ganguly in Delhi. And Kumble is known to wield the bat in the domestic circuit. Kumble needs to come up with obdurate defense while Ganguly attempts to overhaul the deficit on the other. That really is the only way.

I frankly did not know that absurd ICC rule. SRT`s bat was grounded and in. Shoaib was running in to back up the throw, there was a collision between the two as they were both looking at the throw coming in. This caused SRT`s bat to be out of the crease when the throw did hit the stumps. According to ICC rules, if the collision was UNINTENTIONAL then the batsman is ruled out.

I wonder how baseball handles this. A lot of the Baseball rules have been more progressive in these kind of grey areas.

My mourning has already started. More than the players, the security has a big job ahead of it tomorrow. Calcutta bhadra lok are quick to let you know they are not really enjoying the game !!! Yes, this is the same venue that was set on fire following WC semi-final rout at the hands of SriLanka.

re: Old ball v/s new ball
Akram will continue with the old ball. THe Pak bolwers are good with the old ball and get a lot of reverse swing. Plus Saqlain can operate from the other end. If within the firts 5 - 10 overs the match is not over, then Akram will happily go for the new ball.
A win win situation for the Pak captain really.

Re Rana,

``And yes India have yet again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.``

100 % agreement.

CLIFF HANGER !!!!!!!!!

Can the Indian Batsmen or Pakistani bowlers
hang on better?

We`ll find out tonight.

Ras

Omar1974,

I have to take issue with your post about accusing Miandad of dragging his feet in the betting scandal.

He can do nothing. Nothing at all.

He is simply the coach of the team. It is the entire Pakistan Cricket Board and I think Akram has, infact, clearly neamed people including Majid Khan, who have personal axes to grind.

With India nedding 65 to win at close on the 4th day, with 4 wickets in hand, and Saqlain beating the bat on one end and Wasim & Shoaib on the other, Pakistan are faced with a gamble. Take the new ball after 4 overs, and the dilemma on not having Waqar reemerges. Wasim & Shoaib spelled each other. Pakistan for all practical purposes was playing with 3 bowlers, since A.M is not expected to be able to take wickets. If they take the new ball, and cannot bowl India out within 10 overs (about as long as Shoaib lasts at max pace), Saqlain won`t find the ball as helpful. On the other hand, if India have not won in 14 overs they will have been bowled out in all liklihood.

Still, money on India, although odds have narrowed to 1:1.

As exciting as it gets. One moment you are losing hopes and then suddenly one crucial wicket falls down reviving your hopes. India batting at 194/6. Target is withing sight but only tail enders left to fight. Pakistani bowlers are getting tired too. It`s 5`o clock in Calcutta and shadows are growing longer. It`s time for Shoaib and Akram to fire up some bouncers and shatter the lower order. Akram knows well how to get rid of tail enders. I am sure that whole Pakistan is missing Waqar in this match. A very bad call by team selection comittee. Which way this match goes from here? Still unpredictable. Will the local hero(Ganguly) turn the odds in favour of India or the speedsters/spin doctor combo will snatch another victory for Pakistan? One has to see. Good luck to..........

p.s. Omar1974: O bhai thora kam jazbaati ho. posting per posting laga raha hei. Haath hola rakh puttar.

With India needing 89 to win and the departure of Azhar, young Ganguly must be reeling under the most intense pressure of his life if front of a packed Eden Garden stadium.

Time to rip thru the tail.

A..Oh !!
SRT just got run out. 134 runs away from victory. Looks like India may snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again.
Meanwhile the crowd is misbehaving. Calcutta can be quite a jungly crowd. Lets hope noihing bad happens.

Ganguly & Azharuddin must be feeling the heat, 116 runs required for Victory, and they are both playing and missing and being beaten by both Wasim Akram & Shoaib Akhtar. The question is how much stamina do Pakistan`s pace duo have to keep up this full scale onslaught. My money is still on India though. One edge to a slip fielder or Moin Khan is what Pakistan are looking for.

With SRT gone and India 145 for 3 an Indian win is not a certainty. In fact, I expect the ball to move around after tea and Akram to pick up a few wickets very quickly [it could be Shoaib too].

It would be ironic that India`s biggest win [if that happens] will have no contribution from SRT.

Well time to move onto the little matter of team selection for the next test match in Karachi.

My guess is the following:

1)Saeed Anwar (no brainer there)

2)Wajahatullah Wasti (unfortunately very likely)

3)Inzamam Ul Haq

4)Yousuf Youhana

5)Saleem Malik/Ijaz Ahmed/Aamer Sohail (which one gets this slot depending solely upon PCB`s mood of Charitability and because its a home game)

6)Moin Khan

7)Wasim Akram

8)Mushtaq (recalled if recovered from injury)

9)Saqlain

10)Waqar Younis

11)Shoaib Akhtar

As Pakistanis gulp down the bitter dregs of defeat, one should also not forget some other people in apportioning the blame for losing the match, in addition to those i listed in my previous post. W.W, Wasim Akram (for playing A.M & leaving out Waqar) & Inzamam (for being a great big oaf and injuring himself, and thus being unavilable for selection, leading to the unfortunate test capping of W.W).

Finally, the PCB & Miandad for prolonging the betting controversy w/o any real evidence, based upon rumour, conjecture and mere innuendo.

Turn off the T.V set now. With India at 134/1, and the wicket not doing much to help Pakistan,it is clear that Pakistan have lost the match. Send floral wreaths to Ijaz, Salim & Azhar Mahmood + Afridi with kind regards for this loss. We couldn`t have lost without `em.