Chak De, Chak De India!!!

Based on Ind Vs Eng, 6th ODI played on 5th Sept, 2007

Wow...What a terrific performance! India has shown some great nerve to keep them alive. Or else who would have thought after a 3-1 lead by Eng that India would bounce back. The thought was difficult if not impossible because of the kind of team combination which was picked. We couldn't do it with 5 bowlers for sure and Karthik, who's out of form in ODIs, was being picked, even when the dazzling Uthappa was back on bench.

Mr. Wall had to return to the winning combination of 7+4 and not 6+5, the latter one was his cry always. But then today being an important day, I don't know how the thought came to him that we are going with only 4 bowlers, hence an extra batsman. Knowing Dravid lead the team for so long, it was not difficult to think that they would go with Karthik and Gambhir as the extra two in addition to the usual 5. But then, am I dreaming? Karthik's not playing and of all, Dravid has picked Uthappa, on whom he never had any belief. I thought, this cannot be his choice. May be there was a suggestion from team mates and then Dravid probably lost it because of the majority support funda to get Uthappa in. Just joking... but this is the impression I have about him.

The game was all set to rock. English men would bat first, matlab India has to chase. Oh! Lord, Let the target be easy one. We lost the initial advantage. Never mind, the bowlers and fielders did a splendid job to get Eng rolled on mat at 137/5 with only youngsters and inexperience to come in. Can u believe... Ganguly made a run out, actually he was the sweeper and after hitting the ball in the covers in his direction, KP decided to go for a two where there was only one and thanks to Shah for denying the 2nd run and KP was out. Our enthu fielder Karthik, who I thought only showed excitement, got Colly run out after the drama of Umpire's refusal and then when it looked obvious on the big screen, he had to show the square (refer to 3rd umpire). It was a shame! Keep putting people in and out, they'll give the maximum commitment, that's seen here from Karthik. But who knew the debutant Wright and Shah will rescue the English. Towards the end, thanks to Mascarrenes, 30 run of the last five balls. England was in a commanding position, 316-6.

Chasing 300+ in a must win game is a challenge and that's when Indian big guns never fired as well. Take the world cup or whatever, we choke to death in big games. That was my impression. Kevin had different ideas. He thought we would win. That's the thought he has every time Indians play a match, ha..ha.. that's nothing new. Hamish came home to watch the match, there was a power failure at his place. Sachin gets out early during chases, we were all waiting for that to happen.

The chase began and the class of Sachin and Saurav was seen again. What tremendous timing! Never did a feeling creep in that they were trying hard. Just get behind the ball and putting it past the fence. The run chase became possible with a current rate of over 6 and required rate going under 6.A 150 run opening wicket stand, this was the exact start needed. Ganguly is gone and in no time Sachin is gone. They say when big partnerships are broken, it’s not long before the other partner also gets out. It happened true. Gambhir and Yuvy in the middle, but it were no longer looking easy. The fall of wickets and arrival of the new men, took some time and hence the required rate was now above 6. But soon the lefties got the momentum going and it all looked Indians are set for a victory, until yuvy got out. He got out to Mascarrenes, the man who had hit him for 5 sixes. Yuvy would have wanted to take the revenge, but he fell for him. That was worse. Captain walks in, and walks out. Indians looked in trouble, a match in the pocket was now being thrown away. I thought One should learn from India how to lose winning situation matches. Gambhir looked in good touch and with Dhoni and uthappa to follow, it was not impossible but as Kevin says 'It's very very tough'.Had to get over 8 an over, Gambhir decided to cut lose, not before giving away his wicket. With around 90 runs to be made and the only last recognized partnership in the middle, the match was all set for a blinder. Dhoni takes time to settle and so did he then as well.

60 balls, 85 runs needed. Some good bowling display and next 9 balls saw only 4 runs. A 51b 81 required and there goes a 4,4 and a single. 72 to get from 48, 9 per over. The match went till the last over with no clean hope that India will win or eng will win. It was evenly balanced.A 10 of the last over and by then Dhoni and Agarkar are also gone. The positive for India was Uthappa on strike. Broad for England. Zaheer, the non-striker. First ball, hit hard to long on and amazing running. Zaheer returns for a 2 and Uthappa still on strike. 8 of 5. A delivery in the block hole, hit back to Broad but Khan out of crease. Gone, not for the wicket, but because it became a dot. 4 to go and 8 to get. Next ball Broad bowls a full toss on off stump. By nature, it such crunch situations, one tends to hit it hard, hard out of the ground. But Uthappa had different ideas. He moves across and chips it behind fine leg for a four. What a cool headed shot! Impressive and tremendous. It all about another boundary from last three deliveries. Colly put the fine leg back and pulled in the long off. Next delivery, Uthappa walks 2 steps forward, converts a Yorker length ball to full toss and hits it straight to the right of mid off. Desperate dive from Cook but ball wins the battle, so does India.The man who would have carried the curse, otherwise, yuvraj comes into the ground and runs into Uthappa hard, really hard. But I can imagine, what a relief it had been to him. With the platform set by the openers and some cool headed batting down the order by Dhoni and Uthappa sees us a chance on the last encounter at Lords on Saturday, 8th Sept.

Hoping to see a wonderful game, never mind, who wins. After making the entire series worth watching. But yeh dil maange more, Chak De, Chak De India!