Last time the South Africans were here, they drew the first Test in Kanpur. The Test was memorable only for one Andrew Hall. His 163 off a billion balls frustrated the Indians. I knew the Test wasn't gonna go the Indian way, when Sourav Ganguly tossed the new ball to himself! The test was a dull draw. India comfortably won the second Test at the Eden Gardens, thanks to Bhajji and Jumbo's contribution in the second innings!
Here, we should also note that the last time South Africa had no Gibbs, who would have had a big impact on the game. Nor was Nicky Boje anywhere in the picture. India were expected to win. They won. But, it was a hard earned series!
Now, let's come back to the present. The Proteas are on a roll. They have just steamrolled Bangladesh! They also happened to have dethroned the Aussies for the top of the ODI rankings. Well, such a feat obviously leaves anyone with a lot of positive energy. Dale Steyn is on fire. He does not look like he's gonna slow down anytime soon. A real threat to the unpredictable Indian batting line up.
The Indians are just back from a gruelling tour of Australia. They managed to walk away with the Tri-Series, but they also came home nursing broken bones and weak shoulders. Ok, most of them are fit, but the bowling will not be the same without Ishant, India's rising star..
Both the Captains have agreed to play it fair..no foul play this time. I am really interested to see A.B. de Viliers. The right hand bat is one of the most improved cricketers in world cricket. Morne Morkel also looks fit to challenge the indian top order. Smith firmly believes his pace attack can get the Indian line-up twice. India can take heart from the fact that Nel isn't playing. I am not going to comment on the South African selection policy.
The series promises to be enthralling. Probably just the kind of warm up one needs before the IPL.

The Squads:
India:(For the First two test only.)
Anil Kumble (Captain)
M.S. Dhoni(Vice-Captain/Wk)
Rahul Dravid
Sourav Ganguly
Harbhajan Singh
Wasim Jaffer
Murali Karthik
V.V.S.Laxman
Irfan Pathan
Piyush Chawla
Virendar Sehwag
R.P.Singh
Sreesanth
Sachin Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh

South Africa:
Graeme Smith(Captain)
Ashwell Prince(Vice Captain)
Hashim Amla
Mark Boucher
AB De Villiers
Jean-Paul Duminy
Paul Harris
Jaques Kallis
Neil Mackenzie
Morne Morkel
Makhaya Ntini
Robin Peterson
Dale Steyn
Monde Zondeki
Charl Langeveldt

IPL. Cricket ka Karmyudh. It is the word on everyone's lips right now. We've witnessed things that have never been seen before. The multi-billion dollar event is well and truly on. All this and more, even before a ball has been bowled.This is bigger than pyjama cricket, or the World Series. The IPL has taken the cricketing world by storm..
Eight teams,all with their own share of amazing talent, all with the stars, and most importantly all with the big bucks. The game is short.Entertainment is the key word. Cheergirls. Live Music. Lotsa fun. The masses will vouch for it.
We have seen players retiring from their national teams to come play in the IPL. Contrary to what many say, I strongly believe that the IPL was a strong factor in the Aussie loss in the finals of the Commonwealth Bank Series. Ponting seemed dissapointed that he had less monetary value than Gilchrist, Lee and Symonds. Or, maybe the fact the Ishant Sharma fetched more than him ruffled a few of Ponting's feathers.
The idea of the auction was revolting when I first heard about it. Then came the foray of Priety Zinta into the IPL. The BCCI banned King Khan from attending cricket matches, well what did he do? He got the best revenge by 'buying' a cricket team. What are cricketers? I couldn't quite figure it out when , they had rates marked upon them, much like the Bhendis, the baingans, the mirchis, and the aloos , we buy in out neighbourhood mandis.. It was funny watching our dimpled darling Priety bidding for players like Pathan, like he was some kind of an expensive trinket. The auction was the only part of the IPL that did not impress me.
This will help in spreading the game to different countries, like the money rich USA, where people have big bucks and little patience!And think of the poor fans who watch the game? Can they adjust? After years of supporting the Men-in-Blue, in all faithfulness, can they change loyalties as often as the league demands them too? Can a kid who idolised Sachin all through his life , hope and pray that he gets out quick, the next day? And can the kid shift back to supporting Sachin , the next time he dons India colours???????Well, I am leaving it for you guys to decide...
I am just waiting and hoping that Brett joins the league...well, I can't wait to see him again.....lol!
I am waiting for April the eighteenth. For,
Que sera sera......
As the French say.....
Whatever will be will be..........................

Well, we all love the willow game don't we? It's the shaan, maan aur sammaan of our great country. It is the binding force that unites people all over India, from the snow covered peaks of Kashmir to the multicolored sandy beaches of Kanyakumari. The British sport flows in the veins of every Indian man, woman or child. I feel this is the best gift that the British have given to us.Our dust filled maidaans have produced world class players, right from Ranjit Singhji to our dear old Dhoni. We have seen a few epitomes of perfection, some flawed geniuses, some highs , and some lows..some spats, some patchups. Yeah, Indian cricket has seen it all.
This blog of mine hopes to bring across to all the people out there, a 17 yr old girl's take on everything cricket. I am not here to prove a point. Most of those those who have read my other blog said they were surprised to see a young girl write about cricket.So let me make it clear: I AM NOT A CRICKET PUNDIT.
Now, coming back to cricket..the game is unique in it's own way. No other game has soo many formats. Right from the time it started out as 5-day game to the recently introduced 20-20 format, the game has retained its soul, it's originality.
It's a game going from strength to strength. I believe that cricket had finally exchanged wedding wows with it's longtime partner, entertainment. We are yet to see the impact of their two offsprings, the Indian Cricket League and the Indian Premier League. I am sure that the future holds a lot in store for the two babies.
So, I am waiting for the future........