Harbhajan and Symonds in the middle
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the match between Mumbai Indians and Cape Cobras
Nitin Sundar at the Chinnaswamy Stadium
30-Sep-2011
Sarul Kanwar went after JP Duminy • Associated Press
The reunion
You wouldn't have ever caught Douglas Jardine and Don Bradman sharing a beer together. You will never see Dennis Lillee and Javed Miandad exchange pleasantries. You will never catch Steve Waugh sending Curtly Ambrose Christmas greetings. But if you were at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, you would have seen Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh batting together, for the first time since they became team-mates at the IPL auction. Harbhajan swaggered out to the crease the fall of Kieron Pollard's wicket, had a quiet word with Symonds and got ready for a bat. The crowd didn't seem to realise the gravity of the situation but, more incredibly, even the protagonists went about their business without any ado. Have they really buried the hatchet, and put behind them a dispute that nearly split the cricketing world wide open? Or, are they just incredible actors who know how to turn on their game-faces when the flashlights are on, irrespective of what they feel deep down? Either way, Bradman and Jardine wouldn't have approved.
You wouldn't have ever caught Douglas Jardine and Don Bradman sharing a beer together. You will never see Dennis Lillee and Javed Miandad exchange pleasantries. You will never catch Steve Waugh sending Curtly Ambrose Christmas greetings. But if you were at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, you would have seen Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh batting together, for the first time since they became team-mates at the IPL auction. Harbhajan swaggered out to the crease the fall of Kieron Pollard's wicket, had a quiet word with Symonds and got ready for a bat. The crowd didn't seem to realise the gravity of the situation but, more incredibly, even the protagonists went about their business without any ado. Have they really buried the hatchet, and put behind them a dispute that nearly split the cricketing world wide open? Or, are they just incredible actors who know how to turn on their game-faces when the flashlights are on, irrespective of what they feel deep down? Either way, Bradman and Jardine wouldn't have approved.
The ball retriever
The Chinnaswamy Stadium is used to seeing more than its share of balls being lost, thanks to home boy Chris Gayle's monster blows landing outside the park. Today, Aiden Blizzard made a ball disappear for a while without even hitting a six. In the third over of the match, he backed away and cut Dale Steyn powerfully behind point for four. The ball bounced away and sought refuge under the sparsely populated seats behind one of the platforms erected for the cheerleaders. Twenty20 cricket moves at a pace so furious that within moments, the fourth umpire CK Nandan was summoned to bring in a replacement ball. Herschelle Gibbs was more persistent, though, and managed to retrieve the original with some help from the people near the outfield.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium is used to seeing more than its share of balls being lost, thanks to home boy Chris Gayle's monster blows landing outside the park. Today, Aiden Blizzard made a ball disappear for a while without even hitting a six. In the third over of the match, he backed away and cut Dale Steyn powerfully behind point for four. The ball bounced away and sought refuge under the sparsely populated seats behind one of the platforms erected for the cheerleaders. Twenty20 cricket moves at a pace so furious that within moments, the fourth umpire CK Nandan was summoned to bring in a replacement ball. Herschelle Gibbs was more persistent, though, and managed to retrieve the original with some help from the people near the outfield.
The bumpy landing
JP Duminy could do no wrong with the ball in Cape Cobras' previous game when he picked 4 for 20 against the Chennai Super Kings. Life came a full circle for him when he ran into Sarul Kanwar in his first over today. Kanwar skipped down the pitch to the third ball and blasted it over midwicket for a six, before driving past a lazy Charl Langeveldt, and sweeping for boundaries. Duminy was clearly rattled, bowled two wides as well to put the over's damages at 17 runs. One day you deceive spin-killers like Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina, and on another day you are taken apart by a man without a reputation. What was that cliché involving cricket and levellers?
JP Duminy could do no wrong with the ball in Cape Cobras' previous game when he picked 4 for 20 against the Chennai Super Kings. Life came a full circle for him when he ran into Sarul Kanwar in his first over today. Kanwar skipped down the pitch to the third ball and blasted it over midwicket for a six, before driving past a lazy Charl Langeveldt, and sweeping for boundaries. Duminy was clearly rattled, bowled two wides as well to put the over's damages at 17 runs. One day you deceive spin-killers like Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina, and on another day you are taken apart by a man without a reputation. What was that cliché involving cricket and levellers?
The (near) ice-breaker
Duminy hit back in his second over to get rid of Ambati Rayudu, but normal service resumed in his third. He generously flighted his first ball to Kieron Pollard who leaned forward and launched it into orbit with a menacing lofted drive. If he had hit it any straighter, the scribes covering the game would have been showered with shattered glass. Time stood still for a fleeting moment as heads in the press box turned to the right, partly in awe, and partly in genuine fear. As it transpired, the missile missed the edge of the glass enclosure by a few metres, and the inmates let out a collective sigh of relief.
Duminy hit back in his second over to get rid of Ambati Rayudu, but normal service resumed in his third. He generously flighted his first ball to Kieron Pollard who leaned forward and launched it into orbit with a menacing lofted drive. If he had hit it any straighter, the scribes covering the game would have been showered with shattered glass. Time stood still for a fleeting moment as heads in the press box turned to the right, partly in awe, and partly in genuine fear. As it transpired, the missile missed the edge of the glass enclosure by a few metres, and the inmates let out a collective sigh of relief.
Nitin Sundar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo