10-0-113-0, 434,438,500,175,164,600. It's been a week for batsmen, statisticians and spinners. The bowlers, especially the Aussie and Protea kind, are probably pitching in to get a bowling machine and save themselves the agony.
Yes, we know both captains and certainly most of the players called the Sunday runbath "the greatest game ever"; something in which they were proud to have played a part. I, on the other hand find it hard to imagine a day, when Mick Lewis, grandchild on his lap, will lounge in front of a cackling fire and relate, misty eyed, the story of how he bowled the worst one day spell in history. My sympathies. The entire match, on the other hand, was a treat of nuclear proportions. Sadistic domination by Ponting, Gibbs, Smith and Hussey, grafting by Katich, late onslaughts by Van Der Wath and Symonds and the icing on the cherry by Mark Boucher. The ground might have been small but the memories loom large.
Closer to home, India beat the Brits rather convincingly in a truncated test match. Munaf might have hauled 7 on debut but the match belonged to that glorious monarch (not servant) of India cricket, Anil Kumble. In Bangalore, the old joke goes that when you're passing through Kumble circle on MG Road, you have to go straight on, even if your indicator proves otherwise. If bowling straight gets you 500 test wickets, please tell me where I can sign up. A deep bow of gratitude from a humble fan of cricket.
Due East of Mohali, a different ilk of spinner operated his way to the 600 mark. Bangladesh (although spirited) might not be the best place for a 600th wicket tour but the smiling assassin will take it, eyes aglint and googling. The race is on with Warny and we get to watch it in our lifetime. Lucky huh?
So while statisticians crunch their numbers and record books are rewritten, all us cricket fanatics can catch a wink of sleep before the Aus/SA, Ind/Eng battles capture our imaginations and fuel our dreams.
(Cartoon by Dundee)
