Quote:
Originally Posted by mclaren1885 Joginder "WIDE" Singh was perhaps the luckiest bowler on the pitch yesterday. Almost 90% of his ***** were close to being called wides. |
McLaren, Dhoni was standing back while keeping to Joginder unlike earlier matches when he stood up to stumps for him. So it was clearly their plan to bowl wide outside of stumps.
Now, I haven't played as much cricket as you said you did, and was never on the verge of something as big as you say you were, but in my opinion, a low ball wide outside off is pretty hard to hit at. I am copying here ball-by-ball commentary from cricinfo his first three overs -
Bowling change - its going to be Joginder Sharma for some gentle slow-medium pace
6.1 Joginder Sharma to Younis Khan, no run, begins loosely, short and wide, he tries to cut too hard but cant beat the fielder at point
6.2 Joginder Sharma to Younis Khan, no run, short and wide again, Younis cuts, getting an under-edge that rolls to Dhoni
Brave move from Dhoni to bring on Sharma now
6.3 Joginder Sharma to Younis Khan, FOUR, slow half-volley outside off stump and this time Younis doesnt let it go, reaching out and driving it excellently through the covers for four
6.4 Joginder Sharma to Younis Khan, 1 run, short of a lenth again, this time Younis calmly opens the face of the bat and eases it down to third man for a single
6.5 Joginder Sharma to Shoaib Malik, no run, good length outside off stump, Malik gets forward and runs it straight to backward point
6.6 Joginder Sharma to Shoaib Malik, no run, short of a length on the stumps, stays low as Malik pulls into the ground in front of midwicket
8.1 Joginder Sharma to Younis Khan, 1 run, short and wide, cut behind backward point to bring him a single
8.2 Joginder Sharma to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, full and wide now, he's really letting them take the singles is Joginder, as the batsman easily drives through the covers for one
8.3 Joginder Sharma to Younis Khan, OUT, but he's got his man this time! Joginder bowls it fuller for once and immediately gets Younis, who cant resist thumping it down the ground, not timing it off the middle at all, and mid-on easily pouches it in his lap without movin more than a foot!
Younis Khan c YK Pathan b Joginder Sharma 24 (27m 24b 4x4 0x6) SR: 100.00
Pakistan are in deep trouble...but here's Misbah-ul-Haq. Dhoni brings a wide fifth slip into position.
8.4 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, no run, back of a length outside off stump, left alone by Misbah
8.5 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, no run, back of a length outside off stump, pushed off the back foot into the covers where Rohit Sharma moves well and fields
8.6 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, no run, tight stuff, just back of a length and he steers it towards backward point, where Yuvraj reacts ever so quickly and denies the single
Good over from Joginder
10.1 Joginder Sharma to Shoaib Malik, no run, fullish and outside the off, driven at, outside edge down to the keeper
10.2 Joginder Sharma to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, short of a good length and wide outside the off, a bit too much width, cut just wide of point
10.3 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, 2 runs, fullish and on the off, the batsman walks across his stumps and clips the ball into the on side for a couple more
10.4 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, 1 wide, full and wide outside the off, swing away from the bat, big swing, there's a thick sound and Dhoni goes up for the catch, loud appeal from the bowler too ... Simon Taufel gives it a wide and the Indians are unhappy
10.4 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, no run, good-length ball outside the off, this time it's safely left alone to the keeper
10.5 Joginder Sharma to Misbah-ul-Haq, 1 run, again full and on the off, Misbah walks right across his stumps and deflects the ball into the leg side for a single
10.6 Joginder Sharma to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, just short of a driving length and on the off, Shoaib opens the face of the bat and runs the ball down towards third-man for a single
So you can see that he gave only 13 runs from his first two overs and took one wicket. Figures much better than any of your favourite Pakistani bowler.
Agreed we bowled badly at the end, and should have won much easily, and also that we blew while batting as well, and should have score at least 25-30 runs more. But the fact is that Pakistan couldn't score as many as we did. And our bowlers restricted them. So I fail to understand how did they deserve to win.
Cheers
Nitin