India clinch a thriller at the Oval

With cricket being one of the passions, it won't be too long before I publish a full fledged blog and today is the time to go for it. If you are not a **die-hard cricket** fan you can stop reading right here. Thanks, visit again. All those people who has a tendency of checking cricket score once in a while just because your colleagues are discussing it, and spitting spiteful comments and asinine remarks on the best players that India has ever produced can also get back to work. But hey, I do check scores and analyze the game myself whenever I can, even though I am not into debates regarding the same. Okay. You are considered. When I mean die hard, the sheer victory evokes that dying spirit in you, which will make you elated, which will give you confidence to do your activity the next day, which will let you forgive the past blunders that the team has committed, which will give you satisfaction that you've achieved something on that victory day, which will keep you hyperactive for the remaining hours of the day- is the need of the hour. By analysis, we mean blokes who have been watching the game for more than a decade, say 15 years, listening to each and every detail in the commentary, who can quickly judge an Lbw decision on first look just as an umpire can, who can predict what could possibly happen in next couple of deliveries and who has a gut feeling that they are talking right about cricket all the time without any proclivity to the players.

Having been set a stiff target of 316 in 50 overs by England at the Oval, India were off to a flier by the 22nd over with the score card reading 150 for no loss. Just when you felt that the match was going to be one sided, Ganguly holed out to Pietersen at covers and India were one down. Tendulkar, the champion bastman, whose batting form in the series reminds you of the Tendulkar in 1994 in New Zealand, was at his imperious best. With a dont care attitude and a free swing of the arms he is back at the top of his game in this match. The trademark Tendulkar stroke, thrusting his front foot forward,with a straight bat, striking the ball straight down the ground, back past the bowler - the shot that holds your breath for couple of seconds until the ball hits the advertisment hoardings- is back! And din't you gape at that shot by, saying, "Oh man...." without a blink? That's when you know the Little Master is at his belligerent best.

Having attempted a big heave over mid wicket to which he was unable to connect, Sachin was seen holding his back expressing pain and fatigue. After hitting sumptuous strokes, he experienced cramps and when he was on 94, was out to nothing of a shot to Monty Panesar. Gambhir played a handy knock. With Yuvraj and Dravid disappearing in quick succession, despite both being in rich vein of form in the series, left India tottering at 234 for 5 with 80 runs needed off the last 10 overs. Dhoni had taken his time in the middle and consumed more than enough balls to have a sighter, and England were a sniffing a victory. Robin Uthappa, the young unsung lad from Karnataka, is the hero of the day. After having couple of streaky fours behind the wicket and his share of luck, he remained composed and they both had taken India to striking distance ,before Dhoni departed at 294, needing 22 runs off last 12 balls. Couple of fours in the penultimate over meant, India needed 10 runs of the last over with two wickets in hand. First delivery, Stuart Broad to Uthappa, a couple taken. Second delivery, Khan run out at the non strikers end in an attempt to sprint for a quick single. Tension mounts. Uthappa still on strike with 8 runs needed of 4 deliveries. Two wickets remaining. Next delivery, with the fine leg up in the circle , Uthappa tried a cheeky four down the leg side and India are a hit away from an emphatic victory. Now the final leg is pushed back to the fence and long off is brought inside the circle. Broad bowls a yorker length ball, Uthappa takes couple of steps down the pitch and smokes it straight past the bowler for a four. And boy, what a shot that was for a winning stroke chasing a mammoth score ! It was Yuvraj, who was in his tracks ran straight onto the pitch and gave a warm hug and jumped, embracing him for few moments. He was holding him tight, not leaving him and that was one of those wildest celebrations you'd ever see for clinching a thriller.

Sachin in the post match interview stated, as long as he scores a 90 and gets out, and if the team wins from there on, he said, he'd prefer that than a century. Wasn't he emotional, is Sachin? So is Dravid and Sourav. They are playing as a unit now. They are supporting each other than ever before. They know that they are in their twilight of their careers and are thoroughly enjoying each and every bit of the game now than in the past.

The three big boys of Indian cricket whom we all revered and worshiped are back at their helm of affairs for one final onslaught. We burn effigies when India doesn't do well, we feel we are blessed when we get to see their repertoire of strokes, we exonerate them when they give us a humdinger, we take it to the heart when they get emotional over the post match conferences, we even shed a tear or two when they celebrate a hard fought thriller. Cricket is not anywhere present in our religion, it's there in our blood !