BC CRICKET
Saved by @Alex1Powell

India and West Indies met for the first time on Australian soil on this day, 1991, at Perth.

And they produced one of the greatest ODIs of all time.

In those days the WACA pitch used to produce incredible pace and bounce (it still does, but not as much).
+

 So West Indies picked Marshall, Patterson, Ambrose, and Cummins.

India went in with Kapil, Prabhakar, Srinath, and debutant Subroto Banerjee.

Richardson opted to field, and Srikkanth was out caught in the fifth over.

Now Manjrekar joined Shastri.
+
Both had scored hundreds on West Indian soil three seasons ago.

But while they did not throw it away, runs did not come either.

Manjrekar did not look particularly pleased when he was given out caught behind off Cummins. 35/2. 18th over.

Then Tendulkar was caught mid off.
+
Then Shastri flicked Cummins for the first over of the match.

Ambrose had Azhar caught behind, but Shastri stepped out to drive Hooper straight for four.

I described the two fours because these were the only ones in the 284-ball Indian innings.
+
Then one Brian Lara took a flying catch off a Shastri edge.

His 33 had taken Shastri 110 balls. It would remain the highest score of the match.

Kapil holed out to mid wicket, but Amre and Prabhakar added a crucial 23 for the seventh wicket.
+
Then Amre dropped one close to his feet and ran. The ball rolled behind the stumps, and Williams – still trying to fill the giant shoes of Dujon – beat Prabhakar.

The last three wickets (including two more run outs) fell in no time.

India were bowled out for 126.
+
They had defended 183 against the same opposition eight years ago, but surely this was too few?

They needed a start. Sandhu had done that in 1983. This time it was Kapil.

It took him one ball to get West Indies' most senior batsman out of the way.
+
It pitched on leg and middle, curved away, took Haynes' edge, and went to More.

Meanwhile, Prabhakar kept cramping the batsmen for space. Wallace chopped one on to the stump.

Then Kapil produced another beauty.
+
Richardson tried to not chase it, but the ball still took the edge.

25/3. India were in it now.

Once Kapil and Prabhakar were done, India's change bowlers rose to the challenge.

Hooper tried to leave one from Srinath, but the ball hit the bat and crashed on to the stumps.
+
Arthurton was yorked next ball. 55/5.

All this drama, and it was only the 20th over.

Banerjee's turn. He responded with three wickets.

Lara first, caught behind.

Williams survived when a skier fell in front of Tendulkar and went for four overthrows.
+
But Srikkanth, running backwards, took a well-judged catch to send him back.

Marshall batted for 36 balls before slashing and edging.

76/8. 29th over. Another 51. It was India's match to lose.

But West Indies were not going to cave in.
+
Ambrose, donning a maroon cap, the feeble bat almost a toothpick in his hands, stood (literally) tall.

Along with him was a young, defiant Cummins.

Now Azhar had to take a call.

There were 21 overs left, but the pace quartet could bowl only 11 of them.

What should he do?
+
Take a risk and make all of them bowl their full quota?

Or get Shastri or Tendulkar to bowl from one end?

Azhar chose the former.

Ambrose and Cummins did not wait for the 40th over. They took on the fast bowlers.
+
Cummins cover-drove Banerjee for four and hit Srinath over point for three.

Ambrose lofted a no-ball from Kapil into the stands.

Cummins drove Srinath past mid off for four.

With 13 needed, Cummins hit one to Shastri to mid off and set off.

It was probably hit too hard.
+
It was a direct throw.

Even those legs of Ambrose could not carry him fast enough.

But Patterson, who would finish with 44 runs in 20 ODI innings, suddenly showed some defiance.

Amidst all this, they reached the all-important 40-over mark.

The four fast bowlers bowled out.
+
West Indies needed 6. Who would bowl the 41st over?

Azhar could have gone for the safe option of the senior man, Shastri.

Instead, he opted for the teenager.

Tendulkar bowled mostly seam in those days.

A few months ago, he had taken 4/34 at against the same team at Sharjah.
It was the first time India had beaten West Indies for the first time batting second in an ODI.

He conceded two off the first four balls.

Then Patterson had a hoick, the ball went past mid wicket, and they ran three.

The scores were tied.
+
If Tendulkar could prevent Cummins from scoring a run, Shastri might have a go at Patterson at the other end.

Azhar brought the field in.

Tendulkar bowled outside off.

Cummins went for the shot, and the ball dipped rapidly as it travelled towards the slip cordon.
+
It was dipping fast so fast that it was evident that it would never make it to second slip.

It was also to the left of the fielder.

But the second slip was Azhar, which reduced these "should not"s to irrelevance.

It was an outstanding catch even by his standards.
+
Exactly how he got his hands under a ball so low boggles the mind, but he caught it and came up in one fluid motion.

It was as good a slip catch as they make them.

A fitting end to a classic.

More from Abhishek Mukherjee

Abhishek Mukherjee
Abhishek Mukherjee
@ovshake42
I suppose a lot of us are still upset, so let me share something amusing.

This concerns this book, one that I had been unaware of until I came across a report by Andrew Lang in The Times.

In a piece in 1922, EV Lucas hailed the author as the Indian Nyren.
+


.@sumitganguly14 got a scan of the cover for me from an acquaintance in Lucknow.

I shall share some snippets here.

I shall share more if and when I ever get the entire book.

But first, a word or two on cricket books in India.
+

Calcutta Cricket Club Scores 1844-54, the first known book of scores outside the British Isles, was published in 1854.

In 1867 a Hindi coaching book was published in Agra. It was translated in Urdu in 1868.

In 1889, a Marathi coaching book was published in Baroda.
+

JM Framjee Patel's famous Stray Thoughts on Indian Cricket was published in 1905.

In between all this, this book came out in 1891. As you can see, it has a long name.

I shall refer to this as Cricket Guide.

Here are the promised excerpts, mostly taken from Lang's piece.
+

I am trying to add some comments. I also have some questions. See whether you can answer them.

Excerpt 1:
"Even those who are very good and noble turn so rash and inconsiderate at certain moments that their brains lose the balance and begin to take fallacious fancies."
+
BOOK
Abhishek Mukherjee
Abhishek Mukherjee
@ovshake42
The Boxing Day Test match is two days away, so I suppose it is better to tell the tale of the greatest Boxing Day cricket the world has ever seen.

That happened in 1953, at Ellis Park, Johannesburg (the photograph is from another match).

Warning:
+


I often get carried away even while reading this, let alone writing. There may be overdose of emotions.

First, as usual, some context.

Despite playing Test cricket for over two decades, New Zealand were yet to win their first Test match.
+

Jack Cheetham, on the other hand, was turning South African cricket around.

They had drawn the 2-2 in Australia and had won 1-0 in New Zealand.

And they won the first Test of this series, at Durban, by an innings.
+

The South African attack already consisted of swing bowler David Ironside, the untiring Anton Murray, Hugh Tayfield.

Arguably the greatest South African spinner, Tayfield still holds the record for the most consecutive dot balls in a Test (Bapu Nadkarni does not hold this).
+

And in Durban, they had drafted in Neil Adcock.

Standing at six foot six and gifted with long arms, Adcock could make the ball take off even from a good length.

And he was quick.

The first South African to take 100 Test wickets, he would finish with a bowling average of 21.
+
HISTORY
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Abhishek Mukherjee
Abhishek Mukherjee
@ovshake42
On this day, 1950, a bizarre Test match on a ridiculous pitch got over at The Gabba.

The match lasted only 129.2 eight-ball overs (172.2 six-ball overs), and involved two of the most extraordinary declarations, on 68 and 32.

Here is what happened.
+


Hassett won the all-important toss.

Australia were 66/1 at lunch. 166/6 at tea, and bowled out for 228 just before stumps.

Nothing spectacular so far.

To provide stability to the frail middle-order, England had decided to push Hutton – their best batsman – down the order.
+

Simpson walked out with Washbrook and appealed for bad light before a ball were bowled. It was accepted.

It rained that night. And then for the next day and the rest day.

And for part of Day 3.

Then, against all expectations, play started at 1 PM.

But first, some context.
+

We know that pitches used to remain uncovered back in the 1950s and play began when rain stopped.

So the matches were played on sticky wickets.

Every footmark, every spot where the ball pitched, left an imprint.

These dried in the sun. A drying wicket could be dangerous.
+

And The Gabba had probably the worst of these "gluepots".

The roller tried its best, but not enough.

The first over, from Lindwall, was eventless.

Johnston bowled from the other end. By now the sun was already out.
+
CRICKET
Abhishek Mukherjee
Abhishek Mukherjee
@ovshake42
Raqibul Hasan Sr (also spelled Roqibul, Raquibul, Roquibul) was born on this day, 1953.

He was the first international captain of a representative Bangladesh side.

And his heroics in 1971 on a cricket field, in the face of fire, have been matched by almost no one.
+


Let me provide the backdrop first. This was 1970-71. Threats of Civil War loomed over East Pakistan.

Yahya Khan was making a last-ditch attempt to have control on East Pakistan, and cricket was going to be his tool.

An International XI was touring Pakistan.
+

Their second match was scheduled at Dacca.

In the 1970 Pakistan General Elections, Awami League had won 160 seats out of 300, but were still not allowed to form the Government.

And now Raqibul was roped in, probably as the ruling party's poster boy.
+

A year ago, they had named him twelfth man in the final Test against New Zealand.

Like his teammates, he was given a Gray-Nicolls bat that bore the symbol of the Pakistan People's Party.

There was no way Raqibul, staunch supporter of the Awami League, would agree to that.
+

He sneaked out of Hotel Purbani that night to meet his friend Sheikh Kamal.

They decided that the PPP symbol would be covered with a sticker with the message Joy Bangla (viva Bengal).

The Mukti Bahini used the slogan during the Bangladesh Liberation War later that year.
+
HISTORY
Abhishek Mukherjee
Abhishek Mukherjee
@ovshake42
I often come across gobbledygook like "Spirit of Cricket" or "Gentleman's Game" or "That's Not Cricket".

These comments often remind me of what Archie McLaren did to Charlie McLeod (in photo).

And that happened on this day, 1897-98, at Sydney.
+


In those days, SoC and GG were often defined based on whether MCC were the enforcers or victim.

Before getting into the incident, a bit on McLeod.

McLeod's name never comes up when cricketers who overcame disabilities are listed.

He was hearing impaired.
+

So he could not hear snicks, appeals, even the non-striker's call.

Yet he had 3,321 runs at 21 and 335 wickets at 24 in First-Class cricket.

His numbers were not great in Test cricket (17 Tests, 573 runs at 24, 33 wickets at 40), but he had one great series.
+

The series in question.

McLeod was playing his second Test match, three years after his debut.

McLaren, on the other hand, was filling in for Andrew Stoddart, whose mother passed away just before the Test match.

England amassed 551 before bowling out Australia for 237.
+

McLaren enforced the follow-on.

Till this point, McLeod had 3/80 and 50 not out (from #9).

He was promoted to #3 in the second innings. At stumps on Day 3 he was unbeaten on 20.

He added 6 more the next morning when it happened.

Tom Richardson bowled a full-toss.
+
CRICKET

More from Cricket

Arunabha Sengupta
Arunabha Sengupta
@senantix
Thread:
Cricket loving PM Robert Menzies kept a photograph of a perfect Miller square drive on his office desk. Ian Wooldridge called Miller “the golden boy” of cricket, leading to the nickname “Nugget”. Cardus referred to him as Australian in excelsis.

born #onthisday 1919


Miller ended with 2958 runs at 36.97 and 170 wickets at 22.97 from 55 Tests. The figures put him at the top of the list of all-rounders when he retired, and has been matched by only the likes of Garry Sobers, Imran Khan and Jacques Kallis since then.

With Ray Lindwall, he formed one of the scariest new ball partnerships. And he is one of the very few in history to bat high in the order while also bowling with the new ball.
West Indian captain John Goddard exclaimed, “Give us Keith Miller and we’ll beat the world.”

And all that was done with charisma and a sense of devilry, his stylish hair casually flicked back as he started to run in to bowl.


“Outstanding as he was at cricket, the game was for him only a part of living life as a man might do,” wrote John Arlott. During Ashes Tests, Denis Compton and he used to paint the town red.
CRICKET
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
@mipaltan
The Gabba, 2021.


In reply to Australia’s 369, Ro started well and timed even better in a sublime 44-run knock alongside his record-setting five catches 👌


His opening partner Shubman Gill took charge in the second innings, scoring a brisk 91 to keep India the required impetus in a massive chase 🏏


Rahane's captaincy kept a battered India motivated, bringing the best out of every player 🌟


He got hit on his head. On his chest. On his shoulders. On his thighs. But Pujara scored a fighting 56 that wore down the likes of Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc 👌
CRICKET
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Abhishek Mukherjee
Abhishek Mukherjee
@ovshake42
I often come across gobbledygook like "Spirit of Cricket" or "Gentleman's Game" or "That's Not Cricket".

These comments often remind me of what Archie McLaren did to Charlie McLeod (in photo).

And that happened on this day, 1897-98, at Sydney.
+


In those days, SoC and GG were often defined based on whether MCC were the enforcers or victim.

Before getting into the incident, a bit on McLeod.

McLeod's name never comes up when cricketers who overcame disabilities are listed.

He was hearing impaired.
+

So he could not hear snicks, appeals, even the non-striker's call.

Yet he had 3,321 runs at 21 and 335 wickets at 24 in First-Class cricket.

His numbers were not great in Test cricket (17 Tests, 573 runs at 24, 33 wickets at 40), but he had one great series.
+

The series in question.

McLeod was playing his second Test match, three years after his debut.

McLaren, on the other hand, was filling in for Andrew Stoddart, whose mother passed away just before the Test match.

England amassed 551 before bowling out Australia for 237.
+

McLaren enforced the follow-on.

Till this point, McLeod had 3/80 and 50 not out (from #9).

He was promoted to #3 in the second innings. At stumps on Day 3 he was unbeaten on 20.

He added 6 more the next morning when it happened.

Tom Richardson bowled a full-toss.
+
CRICKET
Abhinandan Nahata
Abhinandan Nahata
@cricketgyani_an
🔥The Forgotten Warriors: EP 10🔥
D Martyn: @damienmartyn.
Nov 1, 2003. Ind vs Aus. Mumbai - TVS Cup.
Aus 55-2 (6 Overs)
Many things had happened in the space of the 1st six overs in Wankhade. India dismissed @HaydosTweets for a golden duck, thanks to @ImZaheer and then..1⃣


got rid of dangerous looking @gilly381 who blistered to 41 off just 30 balls with the help of @harbhajan_singh. The red soil of wankhede was already showing its colour with the pitch already turning and bouncing. The match was on cliffhanger and in came the protagonist...2⃣


of today's show @damienmartyn and within no time he showed why he was batting at one of the most toughest position in ODIs (the no.4) for an Australian team that had so many special batters. So what was special about @damienmartyn and esp this innings i.e. in discussion?3⃣


So let me create the match experience with words here or to say let me try putting the scenarios for you all:
----
Scenario 1:
@harbhajan_singh was getting grip and bounce. Ind responded with a slip, silly point and forward shortleg..4⃣


Aus were looking to consolidate as they scored only 10 runs in the next 24 balls. Bhajji bowls one short and Martyn waits, then rolls his hand over the bowl and cuts it through point. Boundary.

Scenario 2:
@imAagarkar bowls one that beats @damienmartyn's outside edge..5⃣
CRICKET
Abhishek Mukherjee
Abhishek Mukherjee
@ovshake42
On this day, 1950, a bizarre Test match on a ridiculous pitch got over at The Gabba.

The match lasted only 129.2 eight-ball overs (172.2 six-ball overs), and involved two of the most extraordinary declarations, on 68 and 32.

Here is what happened.
+


Hassett won the all-important toss.

Australia were 66/1 at lunch. 166/6 at tea, and bowled out for 228 just before stumps.

Nothing spectacular so far.

To provide stability to the frail middle-order, England had decided to push Hutton – their best batsman – down the order.
+

Simpson walked out with Washbrook and appealed for bad light before a ball were bowled. It was accepted.

It rained that night. And then for the next day and the rest day.

And for part of Day 3.

Then, against all expectations, play started at 1 PM.

But first, some context.
+

We know that pitches used to remain uncovered back in the 1950s and play began when rain stopped.

So the matches were played on sticky wickets.

Every footmark, every spot where the ball pitched, left an imprint.

These dried in the sun. A drying wicket could be dangerous.
+

And The Gabba had probably the worst of these "gluepots".

The roller tried its best, but not enough.

The first over, from Lindwall, was eventless.

Johnston bowled from the other end. By now the sun was already out.
+
CRICKET

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@HiteshAwasthi89
#Thread
Benefits of writing SRI RAMA Jayam!!!

Writing Sri Rama Jayam is known as Likitha Japam- Writing Meditation. This gives one a complete sense of surrender to an inner conscience and peace while writing or chanting the mantras.

#Sri_Rama_Jayam #RamaNavami

Cont 👇

You can write this in any language of your choice. It is the connecting chords with the divine and your inner self.

Below are some points that we came across on the benefits :

Cont 👇

1. Vedas tell that as the sun dispels the darkness, the chanting of Rama Nama dispels all evil and obstacles of life. It is a way of liberation and salvation of human suffering.

2. When you think, that all roads are blocked to walk away from day to day problems..

Cont 👇

writing ‘Sri Ram Ram Ram’ gives you the most needed clarity of thoughts to find away out of odd situations.

3. It was told that a calmness engulfs as one indulges in writing the Sri Rama Jayam bringing in more clarity of mind, tolerance & strength to withstand obstacles in life.

4. Devotion of service of life and its varied forms is devotion to God. So there is no right or wrong way of writing this. The very thought and process to write is a connection with god and finds a inner meaning.

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Lindsey Simmons
Lindsey Simmons
@LynzforCongress
Joshua Hawley, Missouri's Junior Senator, is an autocrat in waiting.

His arrogance and ambition prohibit any allegiance to morality or character.

Thus far, his plan to seize the presidency has fallen into place.

An explanation in photographs.

🧵

Joshua grew up in the next town over from mine, in Lexington, Missouri. A a teenager he wrote a column for the local paper, where he perfected his political condescension.

2/


By the time he reached high-school, however, he attended an elite private high-school 60 miles away in Kansas City.

This is a piece of his history he works to erase as he builds up his counterfeit image as a rural farm boy from a small town who grew up farming.

3/


After graduating from Rockhurst High School, he attended Stanford University where he wrote for the Stanford Review--a libertarian publication founded by Peter Thiel..

4/

(Full Link: https://t.co/zixs1HazLk)


Hawley's writing during his early 20s reveals that he wished for the curriculum at Stanford and other "liberal institutions" to change and to incorporate more conservative moral values.

This led him to create the "Freedom Forum."

5/
HISTORY
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Noah Smith
Noah Smith
@Noahpinion
1/People I know on the Right tend to be obsessed with the idea of "crimethink", taboos, and the (supposedly) oppressive, omnipresent enforcement of liberal cultural norms.

Why?

My new theory: A lot of it is guilt.

2/It's true that in some circles - the media, universities, many big corporations - liberal norms *are* enforced to some degree, and the enforcement has probably gotten stronger in recent years.

But I don't think this explains all of the Right's obsession.

3/The stereotype is that people on the Right tend to be more threat-sensitive. That would help explain the perception that liberal norm-enforcers are lurking everywhere, ready to pounce and anathematize anyone who makes a misstep.

But I don't think that's all of it either.

4/And of course, it's always fun - whether you're on the Right or the Left, or playing a video game, or whatever - to style yourself as the brave iconoclastic rebel fighting against the oppressive forces of blah blah blah.

But I don't think this is all of it, either.

5/The reason I think it's more than these things is that even *in private*, people on the Right express their "crimethink" ideas very gingerly and hesitantly.

I get the sense that they're not just afraid of external censure, but have also internalized liberal norms.
SOCIETY
Enigma
Enigma
@ainittomai
On December 25 Mr Pool retweeted August 16 message about the Phoenix and that the worst was still on the horizon to come. 1/*


Maybe now we can assume that November 3 message meant "FUD" nor "FUN". Putting the word in capital letters seems to indicate the aspect the word fud has in our space, FUD. 2/*


Brad started it on December 22 (1/3 posts (Don't say? Sure) = 13 = Plan B). 3/*


And immediately the SEC followed dropping the bomb (1.3 billions (Don't say? Sure) = 13 = Plan B). 4/*


FUD materializes, Bitstamp is one of the first that haltes XRP trading and so on. 5/*
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Simon DeDeo
Simon DeDeo
@SimonDeDeo
Donna Strickland, one of this year's Nobel Laureates, was not considered "notable enough" for Wikipedia as late as this May—reported by a number of sites, including the Independent. I dug into this a little. Here's the data—


This is the first deletion, back in 2014. A bit hard to read between the lines, but the basic story that an admin had Stickland's page "speedy deleted"—i.e., deleted without debate. The method was something called Copyright Jujitsu.

In particular, the admin had the page deleted not because of notability, but because it included a photograph of Strickland that had ambiguous copyright status. This is a method that people developed to get rid of content they didn't want, but also didn't want to debate.

"Copyright Jujitsu" because it is usually used against spam from companies; a PR officer uploads promotional material to Wikipedia. Instead of debating whether it's neutral, the admin can say "we'd love to have it, but the material appears to violate your company's copyright".

Usually the PR office and the IP office are separate in a company, and the idea of releasing promotional material under public domain is such a legal nightmare that the PR person goes away.
ALL