Srilanka in India

Well perhaps he is stronger... his diet may be different and may have more protein which gives much more strength. 

Originally posted by spin wizard Meaty diet is the key, I bowl spin and my quicker ball is probably faster than Daren Sammy's quickest ball!

  Sammy is not that slow spinny!

Meat and speed have got nothing to do with one anathor.By the way both Sharma and Javagal were pure veggies.The root cause is the percentage of players who want to become fast bowlers is very very less, every aspiring circketer in India wants to be a batsman.

Thankfully for all the Indians who have turned up in big numbers today, it is not SRL batting, otherwise the stadium would have been half empty by tea. So much for all the talks of a better pitch.

Remember last time India played at Kanpur, they produced a dustbowl to get a result against South Africa. Under the threat of ICC sanctions, we should not be at all surprised with this pitch.

Great day in the office for the Indians. Had that catch been taken of the 4th ball of the morning things could have been so so different. Gambhir once again was superb and justified why he was adjudged the test cricketer of the year while Sehwag just toyed with the bowling.

The partnership was a treat to watch which was a mixture of caution from Gambhir and aggression from Sehwag. They both used their feet well to the spinners and I must say when Sehwag is in that mood its not easy to bowl! While all the light was put on these two Mr. Dependable quietly went about amssing 85 unbeaten runs and looked absolutely relaxed and composed.

With the two big guns at the crease and with the Very Very Special Laxman yet to come to go with the big hitting Yuvraj and Mahi, the crowd is in for a treat tomorrow. India will look to bat Sri Lanka out from the game. Unless they get a couple of quick wickets its going to be another long day for them!

Whereas Gambhir now has four scores of 150+ in eight centuries. Something like seven centuries in his last nine Tests as well.

Chances are pretty high Sledge - although I wouldn't bet a penny.

On Gambhir - yes he is a good player but he has played only 6 tests away from home out of the 33 in total. his averages are bound to come down to modesty.

Nice quiz question JP !  Plenty would get Dravid and Tendulkar , but Jaffer and Karthik are a different story.  I think it sad that such a feat isn't common knowledge and that can only be because Bangladesh just haven't been taken seriously.
      Just read the cricketworld write up - Jaffer retired ill      Bored , more like it !
  


Edited by Sledger - 24 November 2009 at 12:56pm

Blimey , there wasn't a total eclipse of the sun , Liverpool belting United , England thrashing the All Blacks and a dead heat in the Grand National as well on that day was there ?

Now there's another first !  Come to think about it , that was the day when I drank orange juice all day !

Murali has lost that zip with the ball, dead track or not, he use to fizz them past the bat at some point - he just seems to be going through the motions now.

a better day for the bowlers but still it looks like it'll be a draw. IND is the only team that can win this and for that to happen they'll have to get some quick wickets tomorrow morning. If SLN save the follow on then it's pretty much a draw, otherwise IND have a real chance. I think a lot of things will be clear by the end of day tomorrow.

IND would still have prepared dust bowls spinny but since it is SLN they are playing against, It woudn't have worked. You can't take that risk against Murali, Mendis and Herath, can you?

The Lankans in serious trouble at 134-4 with the returning Sreesanth taking 3-57.  No way back from here methinks and I'm just glad I'm not watching - I can't handle that little smug so-and-so !  Big ones needed from the Jayawardenes now.

Edited by Sledger - 26 November 2009 at 5:46am