Consider this, at the beginning it was a 7 day game. Then reduced to 5 day. Reason primarily would have been that seven days was a long time.
The five day game was dominated by the bowler. The only way to win the game is to bowl out the opposition twice in the five day period. Only the blowers can really win you the game. The batsmen can set it up. Or chase a target which got set due the lack of effectiveness of the bowlers.
The five day game gave way to the 6o over and subsequently the 50 over, One Day International format. This enlivened the game. Lot of excitement. A format which hugely supported the batsmen. Go and fire at the bowling. Over time this format matured, and I would consider that the balance got restored. The bowlers learnt new techniques. Some became specialist of bowling at the death. Some learnt a new art - reverse swing. Thus a new format was created - Twenty20.
Twenty20 and specially the IPL (Indian Premier League), glorify cricket and the art of whacking the ball around the ground. The hitting has been brutal and savage to an extent. Flurry of runs and matching steps of the cheer leaders have created an atmosphere never seen before in cricket. It is as if it is a party of cricket.
But, the bowlers are getting on top again. They have a strategy to bowl out the other side in mere 20 overs. The other day Mumbai Indians bowled out the Delhi Daredevils to win the match. The Punjab's King XI has just blowed out the Banglore Royal Challenges in under 20 overs. The bowlers are gaining the edge again!
What will happen next I wonder to ensure that the entertainers (batsmen) gain an edge. In cricket the batsmen gets a single chance, where as the bowler can run in again the next ball after being hit for a six to take the wicket.
Just a thought!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Addiction to coffee or free spirit...
Where does one have coffee at 12:30 am in Bangalore? Well you have a choice of either heading to a five star, for 200 rupees coffee; or run down to Mysore!
Well there is a 24 hr Cafe Coffee Day outlet on the Bangalore - Mysore highway. So was the desperation for coffee that we traveled 80 km one way of a cup, finally costing 200 rupees each. But ten times more interesting!
5 of us started the newly acquired santro (by my room mate) and started from home without even knowing the way to Mysore. We just had a general idea. At that time of night it is very difficult to find a single soul to guide us. But as luck would have it we were absolutely on the right path. The highway had excellent roads, the only trouble was the on coming traffic had high beam lights which made the visibility very poor.
Once we reached the Cafe Coffee Day it was jam packed. It is really difficult to understand that in the middle of no where there was this congression of people. The mix of people was really interesting.Most of them high on alcohol and may be drugs. This seemed to be the natural hideout once bars/pubs would shut down in Bangalore. Just a few kilometers away from Mysore a bright lights and coffee, trying there best to drive out the impending hang-over. Since the cafe was a self serve while ordering coffee I realized most of the people were college students trying to make the most of their weekend.
I was at the drivers seat on the return journey. Freshly woken up by the coffee the ride was a breeze. Ziz-zaging the mostly truck traffic in pitch darkness, the speed and darkness making the headlights quite ineffective. Good I just had a coffee! Just not enough to remind me about a crucial turn, which I missed and had to take a much longer route back home. Finally reached back at 3:30 at night!
I guess the biggest question in mind was how does regulation help. Bangalore is shut down early to avoid such places. Expecting people to sleep early. But as they say when there is a will there is a way! People will find places like these. If this is shut down a new one will be found, may be much further, but then you cage a bird but how do you cage the youthful spirit?
Well there is a 24 hr Cafe Coffee Day outlet on the Bangalore - Mysore highway. So was the desperation for coffee that we traveled 80 km one way of a cup, finally costing 200 rupees each. But ten times more interesting!
5 of us started the newly acquired santro (by my room mate) and started from home without even knowing the way to Mysore. We just had a general idea. At that time of night it is very difficult to find a single soul to guide us. But as luck would have it we were absolutely on the right path. The highway had excellent roads, the only trouble was the on coming traffic had high beam lights which made the visibility very poor.
Once we reached the Cafe Coffee Day it was jam packed. It is really difficult to understand that in the middle of no where there was this congression of people. The mix of people was really interesting.Most of them high on alcohol and may be drugs. This seemed to be the natural hideout once bars/pubs would shut down in Bangalore. Just a few kilometers away from Mysore a bright lights and coffee, trying there best to drive out the impending hang-over. Since the cafe was a self serve while ordering coffee I realized most of the people were college students trying to make the most of their weekend.
I was at the drivers seat on the return journey. Freshly woken up by the coffee the ride was a breeze. Ziz-zaging the mostly truck traffic in pitch darkness, the speed and darkness making the headlights quite ineffective. Good I just had a coffee! Just not enough to remind me about a crucial turn, which I missed and had to take a much longer route back home. Finally reached back at 3:30 at night!
I guess the biggest question in mind was how does regulation help. Bangalore is shut down early to avoid such places. Expecting people to sleep early. But as they say when there is a will there is a way! People will find places like these. If this is shut down a new one will be found, may be much further, but then you cage a bird but how do you cage the youthful spirit?
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