Champions Trophy 2006 - India Stutters in their chase

Being a day n night match in the Indian Continent means, its middle of night for an ardent fan to stay awake in US - on the west coast... As a result you end-up- missing ur precious sleep and it makes you feel really disheartened when the same old seems to be repeating itself....Bowlers bowl their heart but the batsman almost make it a mountain climb of a mole ...

If India needs to act and play like a 'champions' then these small targets need to be accomplished with ease and confidence. You cannot have the fans biting their nails till the last ball of such chase is bowled. Experimenting with the batting line-up does not seem to end. Even a 'club' cricketer like me would have liked the 'captain - the wall' coming in at the fall of 'virubhai' wicket. In first match of such a big tournament, you expect the team to put its best foot forward and win in a convincing manner. Had India wrapped the match in a convincing manner, the Indian team n fans would have celebrated the 'festival of lights - DIWALI' with a bigger bang. But now everyone would be feeling bit hesitant in their expectations of India's performance against their next opponents - West Indies. West Indies cannot be taken lightly as they are turning in good performances since India played the humble guests in bringing them back to form from the depths of crevice.

But India can definetely take some positives out of the match

• Pathan seems to be finding his rythm back
• Pawar does not seem to have lost his loop
• Yuvraj seems to be getting his touch back

But India has worries on their head before the next game against WI..

• Dravid seems to be struggling
• Virubhai seems to be throwing away a good start
• Dhoni seems to carried away in the 'fast track'

If India needs to win...Consistency seems to be the key...All of them need to click at the same time..Bowlers n Batsmen together will have to make it happen...

Let's hope for the best that India comes good against WI at the MOTERA stadium in Ahmedabad. Motera Stadium brings the memory back when I had the opportunity to see my idol 'Kapil' bowl his heart out to take 8 wickets and bring India close to doors of victory in the first ever test match played in this stadium...Again the same old story :-)

A loss @ Motera ...and INDIA can say good-bye to their chances of qualifying ..

HAPPY DIWALI AND ALL THE BEST FOR THE "BLUE SQUAD"