This. Is. So. Exciting.
Now, normally I like this blog to be a bit more high-brow, not necessarily concerned with the latest scandal or sporting result, but more with the construction of the game.
Whatever. I will be live blogging the first day of the India and Australia Test match, set to begin in about an hour and a half. It should be exciting stuff, and if ever you find yourself feeling bored with the commentary (which is bound to be just about dismal), check back regularly.
11:56 p.m.: It’s not easy following Test cricket online. But with a fair amount of Googling and creative searching, I’ve found the requisite Sopcast site. I should add, though, that it’s not that easy to beat this time zone difference. India is 10.5 hours ahead, and while it may be bright and shiny over there, it’s cold, dark, and rainy over here. Sigh.
11:57 p.m.: I hate Neo Cricket.
9:33 a.m.: Let’s go to IST. Matthew Hayden out! And what does NEO cricket do? It promptly goes towards commercials. You cannot lose a moment when making the ad revenue, huh? Not even enough time to show a replay of the best batsman in the Australian team losing his wicket in the first over of a match?
9:38 a.m.: Ishant Sharma going against Ricky Ponting! Memories of their Perth exchange come rushing back. Have a look:
9:46 a.m.: Ok, not to flood on the ads, but 2 principles should abide: first, if you must show an ad every 2 minutes, make sure you have enough. I do not want to see Sachin Tendulkar getting dressed every other hour. Secondly, make sure you don’t have Sachin Tendulkar endorse the Royal Bank of Scotland, all impressively dressed, only to put him quickly endorsing some other thing, dressed in a yellow polo shirt and talking with that high voice of his. Lord!
By the way — did that RBS ad remind anyone else of the music from “Batman Begins”? Sachin as Batman…not quite implausible. Compare:
And this:
10:05 a.m.: Could Zaheer Khan please stop staring at a batsman after every remotely good ball? Please?
10:07 a.m.: Mark Nichols! On Indian television! And not in a match involving England! Oh, joy!
11:02 a.m.: Here’s what I don’t like about Shiva: first, he looks like a dweeb. Short, bespectacled, oiled hair…he really doesn’t inspire much interest. Second, he just doesn’t exhibit much creativity. Listen to Nichols, as he exults in the words and finds new expressions; listen to Shiva, and watch him just imitate what he thinks a commentator should say (“Good effort”; “good line”; “good bounce”). Third, I don’t like the way he talks. He emphasizes the wrong things, and sometimes he stretches out words longer than they need to be. Any questions?
11:15 a.m.: It’s happening again! Ricky Ponting is leaving deliveries he shouldn’t; he can’t read the late in-swing; he’s lunging, people!
11:17 a.m.: Nichols just totally schooled Shiva in what LBW means. If you don’t offer a stroke, it doesn’t matter if the ball hits you outside the line. All that matters is the trajectory.
11:31 a.m.: Does anyone else think that Harbhajan Singh is overrated? Anyone?
11:55 a.m.: First blood goes to Ponting, easing the Singh delivery down to the boundary. I don’t know — I feel like the session is slowly slipping away from India, but I also have no patience whatsoever.
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