"Umar Akmal has got all the shots in the book", says Saurav
Ganguly on air. He always has.
Pakistan has just lost Younis khan to an away spinning slower delivery from Yuvraj after Asad shafiq was clean bowled by Yuvraj with an angled in quicker delivery.
In the whole World Cup, Yuvraj has been the strategic choice for bowling fifth bowler's quota. Without his bowling, India would play a specialist bowler, or a bowler who would act as if he could bat a bit -- as India found out in World Cup 2015. Or, someone like a Stuart Binny.
With half the target razed off, Umar Akmal decides to give Yuvraj a charge and disturb India's plans. He comes down the track and hits Yuvraj for a couple of maximums. One of them being a one handed six. He, for sure, has all the shots in the book. Saurav Ganguly is right.
Espncricinfo says -
"31.3 Yuvraj Singh to Umar Akmal, SIX, Akmal has decided Yuvraj has to go, he charges the spinner, gets under the ball and hammers it over the sight screen, he took one hand off the bat even and it still went miles, is he turning the game?"
Umar Akmal has put Pakistan ahead in the game. India's bowling plans are in disarray.
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In the England vs West Indies match, Ramnaresh Sarwan was within striking distance of shutting England down. English commentators kept on reminding themselves and the viewers about one remaining over for Graeme Swan. He bowled that over and took out Sarwan. England stayed alive.
A couple of years later, in the Champions Trophy final, Nasser Hussain on air would describe 2 remaining overs of Ashwin and Jadeja like gold dust. They would bowl them to precision.
Young Harbhajan Singh with less round arm action could extract more bounce, dip and turn. Australia helped him announce himself on the world stage in 2001. A decade later in the world cup, he is a different Harbhajan. Anil Kumble is no more around. Afridi has tonked him for 4 sixes in an over in a test match. He does not extract the same turn, bounce or dip. For the entire brave and in-your-face image, he looks more concerned about returning with respectable figures.
T20 Cricket and life experiences can change you big time. Harbhajan Singh is a live example.
No commentator described Harbhajan's remaining overs as gold dust. Today's over defensive Dhoni may not give him a go against an aggressive right handed batsman, for he is an off spinner.
When did you change this much, Dhoni!
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Yuvraj is out of the attack. Harbhajan has to take the responsibility. He has to make a game out of it. Oh, he is going round the wicket. Maybe the plan is to get him leg before somehow. What will he bowl - sharp off spinner, dipping ball with over spin or a Doosra?
Except that he does not bowl any of these. It is a straight one! floater, arm ball - whatever you want to call it. It is his first ball. Umar Akmal has no clue what hit him. Neither forward, nor back; neither playing for off spin, nor for Doosra, he is awestruck.
Harbhajan runs and roars. The team runs behind him and roars. Blue Billion roars. He would come back for another spell in the night to take out Afridi.
Dhoni's bowling plans would be back. Yuvraj would come back in the next over. 'The Times of India' would print the whole newspaper in Blue ink the next day.
Harbhajan, for all the changes in his action, approach and mindset, bowls the perfect delivery from the prefect angle. India live to fight another day, where Dhhhonnni would send the ball sailing into the Mumbai night skies.
In the England vs West Indies match, Ramnaresh Sarwan was within striking distance of shutting England down. English commentators kept on reminding themselves and the viewers about one remaining over for Graeme Swan. He bowled that over and took out Sarwan. England stayed alive.
A couple of years later, in the Champions Trophy final, Nasser Hussain on air would describe 2 remaining overs of Ashwin and Jadeja like gold dust. They would bowl them to precision.
Young Harbhajan Singh with less round arm action could extract more bounce, dip and turn. Australia helped him announce himself on the world stage in 2001. A decade later in the world cup, he is a different Harbhajan. Anil Kumble is no more around. Afridi has tonked him for 4 sixes in an over in a test match. He does not extract the same turn, bounce or dip. For the entire brave and in-your-face image, he looks more concerned about returning with respectable figures.
T20 Cricket and life experiences can change you big time. Harbhajan Singh is a live example.
No commentator described Harbhajan's remaining overs as gold dust. Today's over defensive Dhoni may not give him a go against an aggressive right handed batsman, for he is an off spinner.
When did you change this much, Dhoni!
********************************************************************************************************
Yuvraj is out of the attack. Harbhajan has to take the responsibility. He has to make a game out of it. Oh, he is going round the wicket. Maybe the plan is to get him leg before somehow. What will he bowl - sharp off spinner, dipping ball with over spin or a Doosra?
Except that he does not bowl any of these. It is a straight one! floater, arm ball - whatever you want to call it. It is his first ball. Umar Akmal has no clue what hit him. Neither forward, nor back; neither playing for off spin, nor for Doosra, he is awestruck.
Harbhajan runs and roars. The team runs behind him and roars. Blue Billion roars. He would come back for another spell in the night to take out Afridi.
Dhoni's bowling plans would be back. Yuvraj would come back in the next over. 'The Times of India' would print the whole newspaper in Blue ink the next day.
Harbhajan, for all the changes in his action, approach and mindset, bowls the perfect delivery from the prefect angle. India live to fight another day, where Dhhhonnni would send the ball sailing into the Mumbai night skies.
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