Asian Test Championship

Chowk Staff:

This reply was erroneously misdirected.

With Pakistan now at 59/6 just after the Lunch break with play in full swing, i get the feeling that the entire team must be praying for Moin Khan to score a century. Despite the fact that Salim Malik & Moin Khan have had about equal strikes so far (played 70+ balls each), Malik is not advancing his total at all, just like he played at Delhi. I wonder when, if at all he will open up and play some shots to ease up the pressure. Must be feeling the whole weight of the team/nation is resting upon his shoulders. If he fails, he won`t be forgiven and will be remembered only as a has been test washout, dropped unceremoniously after this tour ends, although all the younger batsmen have failed as well.

Pakistan is 128 for 7 in 58 overs - Moin is 49 not out. If Akram can stick around then Pakistan has a shot for 250 and this will be a game.

What will Akram, Waqar and Shoaib do on a wicket where Srinath and Prasad are unplayable?

Oops, I meant Akrama and Shoaib. Waqar is not playing.

I think dropping Waqar & Inzi (that clumsy Oaf due to injury, he hit his head on the roof of the bus and really needs to get into better shape, Gastric pains at his age and all) may have been a mistake. Wajahatullah Wasti & Azhar Mehmood did not perform with the bat at all, so leaving out a strike bowler like Waqar for an all-rounder (A.M)who didn`t perform with the bat in the first innings is now a questionable choice with 20/20 hindsight ofcourse. Mushtaq ofcourse is injured and back in Pakistan. Pakistan is now 171/7 at the drinks break after tea. I see my prediction about Moin Khan coming good has been on the mark. Hope he gets the (his 4th) century i was predicting early on. Batting at 70 now.

About Salim Malik, the less said the better. A shadow of the player he was long ago. Wasim Akram showed how to get runs on this wicket, as did Moin. Getting out was inevitable, Salim should at least have scored an additional 20-30 runs in style considering the number of deliveries he faced. It never seemed that Salim Malik was comfortable at the crease, Moin kept out scoring him.

Well, Pakistan are all out for 185. Moin out at 70. I get the distinct feeling that the Pakistani batsmen threw away their wickets, and that this wicket is a batting track full of runs. My predictions are the India will score over 300 runs at a minimum. Pakistan will be batting again by about the time of tea break on the third day, and will NOT last till the morning of the fifth days play. Should be an exciting run chase by India if Pakistan can set them a target of about 250 runs, in the fourth innings, which i very much doubt at this stage.

What the hell is wrong with this team. I spent the whole night sitting up and watching them give away their wickets like candy and now untill nappy time I will be up for about 44 hours before I get any sleep at all. Even if they loose, I want them to give a good fight atleast. This is really depressing. Mofeez, man, where do you get the motivation to do all this after watching what I saw last night.

India is 26 for 1. Lets hope that Tendi doesn`t go wild with his bat tommorrow. I see him comming in early since the nightwatchman will probably depart soon.

And, why the hell did they drop Waqar. In both T1 and T2 he was bowling on tracks that did not favour him. This one might have.

What about this Wajahatullah Wasti. I have never seen him bat before. Is he supposed to be any good.

Chalo, not bad. 185 is 135 more than what they looked like making at 26 for 6. Considering that none of these characters is a Test caliber batsman, they`ve actually done well for themselves.

Shoaib Akhtar is supposed to be really, really quick. This is his chance for stardom.

OK, so Pakistan 185 all out and India 26 for 1 at end of day 1.

Predictions:

India 144 all out (Shoaib Akhtar 7 for 59; Tendulkar lbw Shoaib Akhtar 0 - pitching perfectly straight and beating Sachin with sheer velocity).

Pakistan 93 all out (needs no explanation).

India 135 for 9, win by one wicket. (Sachin b Shoaib Akhtar 11 - pitching just short of a length outside off and ferociously cutting in to clip the off bail).

Saad

PS: Can someone send Moin Khan over to Boston ? We`ve got some gold we`d like to weigh him in.

Eden Gardens - Green top hard wicket. Helps seamers in the morning, before the wicket eases up in the afternoon and becomes a good batting track with plenty of runs.

Tomorrow morning will be crucial. Akram - No need to elaborate, he will get his share. Shaoib ?? Fast - yes. Does he move the ball around off the seam ? Don`t know, will be interesting to watch how he utilizes the conditions. Mark my words, Azhar mahmood- a good seam bolwer will make his mark. A good pace line-up. Better than what Indian had in the form of Srinath, Prasad and Ganguly.
Saqlain with his variety may still prove to be a handful.

First day Srinath and Prasad were unplayable in the first hour. Both bowling well within themselves and getting a lot of swing and seam movement both ways. Did the Paki batsman in, a lot of them again playing across the line, getting foxed by the movement, etc. (can`t say pitch, umpires, etc. anymore or can they ?? ;-)

Indian batting. Azhar`s favourite hunting ground. Will get a 100 in one of the innings. Dravid (Kumble the night watchman will be done away with early tomorrow) and Ramesh need to stick around for about 1 hour in the morning. After which they should go into their stroke play. SRT should blast a quickfire 100 or so.

Can the Indian batsman hold up to Akram`s guile and wizardry, in helpful conditions nonetheless ? THere lies the outcome.

regards

Pyaare bhraaon and other chowk wallon

This is not related to this match but is cricket related. If you are a registered user at Cricinfo, you have already seen this. Otherwise, please go fill out this survey.. WHo knows ? you may influence it enough so that the next Year 2000 ICC knowckout tournament is held in Orlando Florida. It was supposed to be held here last year, but was shot down at the last moment and it went to Dhaka instead. Since cricket is now viewed more through satellite (and thats where the bucks are !) the ICC is looking for new venues. hence the survey.

http://icc.cricket.org/survey_start.html

PS If you are not registered you will have to register first.
regards

Folks I am sorry I keep choking up with seemingly unrelated cricket info. But you may actually like this one.

Kelly Braodcasting is now covering all the matches. ATC and WC99 and beyond. Check out www.kbs-tv.com and follow links or call 800-333-3474. There is a cricket subscriber special where you pay $299 for installation (they will do everything - and there is a pangaa with the direction it has to face for Cricket - some apts may not be suitable !! - so let them do the installation.) After that you can pay per match or subscribe monthly for all the cricket.
This Channel 546 (as it is called) is FANTASTIC. It is ESPN for cricket. COnstant cricket day and night. SO if you are having a sleepless night you can actually tune into some cricket (replays, if there is no match on at the moment) instead of the infomercials, etc. Regular cable is also included.

I just got this recently. And have now decided NOT to move back to India :-)
Now I just need to get fired from work for the World Cup !!

regards

Rana, man, that satellite deal sounds COOL! I`ll give them a call right away (bus bivi maan jaaey ...).

Thanks.
Saad

Moin, Akram and Salim have built up a face saving total of 185 for Pakistan. However, my gut feeling is that India will get a lead of around 150 runs or so. Their batting line up is strong and unlike Pakistani batsmen, Sachin, Azhar, Dravid and Ganguly are technically correct and will score runs tomorrow.

Obviously dropping Waqar was not a good decision. I am not sure if Pakistan batted first after winning the toss, but if they did that gamble has also not paid off. This wicket is not going to break on the last day like Feroz Shah Kotla`s did. Would it seam in the morning? Pakistani fans hope so. Would Waseem get wickets in the first session on a damp wicket? Would Pakistan`s new fast bowler live up to the expectations? Could Saqlain`s straight one`s still do it for Pakistan? I watched all his replays of the first and second matches carefully and it is very difficult to read the one that does not turn or some times moves away from the right hander?

Only time will decide, particularly in this game of glorious uncertainities.

Watching game live will be great. I hope that I could get it in time for this game.

Nadir

Re: Ferozk

Aik Chowk key Konay main aap French main baatain karnay kee koshish kar rahay hain.

Aik aur Konay main your contribution to the discussions concerns wines.

In yet another Kona, you are now bashing cricket.

Buraa naa maneeyay ga.... but you are starting to look a little too zanana.

Re: RanaRansher,

``This Channel 546 (as it is called) is FANTASTIC. It is ESPN for cricket. COnstant cricket day and night. SO if you are having a sleepless night you can actually tune into some cricket...``

Rana ji, CONSTANT CRICKET DAY AND NIGHT???????????

Why have you visited this abomination upon us?

Anita

Re: Anita Zaidi # 14

Glad to see you walking around Chowk! ...about time you got out of your little corner of Chowk and mingled with the rest of us chowkwallahs! :)

Regarding Cricket ESPN being touted by cricketophiles ala Rana ji, I agree with you: what have we done to deserve this nightmare! I can barely stand the damn game for a day, and now there is a 24hr channel devoted to cricket!? It is a sad, sad commmentary on our times....whom the gods wish to make mad, they make them watch cricket!!!!