When Uthappa, Ryder and Munaf flew

When the wonderfully named Aiden Blizzard edged a cut he would have been actually happy to see Robin Uthappa, the keeper, go for the catch. The ball was going towards an established slip catcher in Graeme Smith, but Uthappa's reflexes took over. He took one step towards his left and flung himself with an outstretched left hand to hold on to a stunner. He then gave his signature bow to the crowd. Uthappa had started as a wicket-keeper in Brijesh Patel's academy many years ago, as a podgy kid. Some old habits die hard.

Sachin Tendulkar had just survived a close shout for lbw when he backed away and drove Yuvraj Singh inside-out to the left of short extra cover. It seemed a safe hit but Ryder anticipated superbly, glided to his left and lunged out to pouch a good catch. Shh… don't make any jokes about stodgy, podgy men flying.

Tendulkar tapped the ball very close on the leg side and wanted a run. However, his young partner Ambati Rayudu refused to comply to the suicide pact and didn't budge. Tendulkar turned but by then Robin Uthappa had dashed across to the ball. Surely, a run out? Robin missed the stumps and quickly sank to the ground in agony.

It was a bouncer from Jerome Taylor and it was climbing over Andrew Symonds. There were several options available to him at that point: a horizontal cut, a pull, an upper cut, a Brendon Taylor ramp shot, a good old slog but he chose to get inspired from tennis. Up went the bat, like how a racquet would be positioned for a smash- and top spun the ball down to long-on.

It was a fierce snorter from Lasith Malinga; the ball kicked up viciously towards the throat of Yuvraj who somehow managed to arch back and get his body out of the line of trouble. Alas, the bat was held up like a periscope and the ball rammed into it and ricocheted to third man where more surprise awaited us. Munaf 'Jonty' Patel rushed to his left, slid on the ground and held on to a good catch. Times, they are changing.