Tuesday, March 5, 2013

CHETESWAR POOJARA-The best for filling the Shoes of Great Rahul Dravid


It had been a real hairraising experience for everyone besides Cheteswar Poojara when he completed his double century at the Uppal Stadium Hyderabad. In the process he also proved himself beyond doubt that he is the Best batsman in filling the Shoes of the Great Rahul Dravid in slot of the third batsman in in the playing eleven of the Indian Squad. Time&again I have been writing Blogs on him raising doubt about why he was not being allowed a chance to play against England when India was playing against visiting England Team of Captain Alistair Cook. I have been writing repeatedly about the need to include Poojara in the Playing eleven MY PLEADINGS FELL IN DEAF EARS . This innings at Hyderabad from him should have opened the eyes&ears of the authorities empowered to determine the Playing eleven in Test Match in future. The 4th Day of the Hyderabad Test had illfated beginning for Australia. Ishant Sharma who had not claimed any wicket in this series began his share of taking wickets by hammering the first nail by removing the best batsman-cum-all rounder of Australia Shane Watson caught behind by Dhoni.UIt was the most unfortunate wicket for the Australians,The ball from Sharma on the Leg stump was good enough for Watson to go for an easy four.But he played the ball too fine to meet with his end.The ball sailed to the left side of Dhoni who took it with an expert dive to the left. It was a sharp catch to the surprise of Watson who walked back to the Pavilion cursing himself. The score card read 3 wickets for 78 runs in the35th over at this stage. Soon after in the 46th over of the innings Ravinder Jadeja sent one unplayable ball to Captain Michael Clarkewho was to revive Australia after the departure of Watson.Michael Clarke played the ball with all the cautionsin the world forward,missed to find his off stump uprooted.The score stood at 4 wickets for108 runs This was the unkindest cut of all fate did to Australia.With the departure of Captain Clarke, who had the reputationof lifting Australia from any crisis, the sliding of the Australian wickets turned into rapid routine. In the 48th over,EJM Cowan who was playing so well was rather struck by NELSON than Jadja when he was caught by Veerender Sehwag, when the ball after touch from the bat of Cowan was rebounded to the Indian opener from the pad of Dhoni.Indeed technically it was the right catch as the ball had not touched the ground. The score card read now a miserable 5 wickets for just 111 runs.The next to follow Cowan in hastening the inevitable was Henriques who was run out to a throw from Jadeja.Thus the 6th wicket fell at the lap of Nelson.The score 6 wickets for 111 runs. In the 49th over of the Australian innings,Maxwell joined Wade in the middle.&added 12 more runs before he was struck in front a pulpLBW to R.Aswin the destroyer at Chennai.The score card now spelt disaster for Australia at 7 wickets for123 runs. The process of hammering nails by fate continued for Australia. Siddle ,who joined Wade in the middle fell after a partnership of 7 runs at 130 in the form of 8th wicket in the 58th over. At the same score of 130Wade too fell in the next over.Score 9/130 runs.Pattinson&Doherty who were left in the middle played routine cricket for a few minutes more. Finally ,in the 67th over,again Aswin struck Pattinson in front LBW to a good ball to mark the end by lifting finger by the Umpire. It was the 5th wicket haul for R.Aswin again. The man of the Match was rightly &wisely judged none other than the skillful Cheteswar Poojara. It was,in fact the2nd best win against Australia by India with a margin of an innings&135 runs. The biggest speciality of this win was ,however, something differentto expect the unexpected. M.S.Dhoni turned out into a Captain with highest number of Test wins by an indian Captain overcoming the record of Sourav Ganguly. The 3rd Test match is scheduled to be played at MOHALI from 14th March 2013. Once again all the Best to Australia to level the series&India to win the series. A whitewash, which is doubtful under the circumstances,could lift India from the bottom level to the third position in the Team Rankings of Test Cricket. Good Bye from SreedharanMundanat 5th March 2013 at 19-05 hrs(IST) ,

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