The Surfer

By no means is it impossible that the semi-finals of this enjoyable, albeit absurdly slow-moving, CWC will bring together teams from predominantly Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist nations. Or it may feature white, brown and black, sometimes these days in a single team. Cricket is not a post-colonial indulgence. It is a glorious melting pot held back by dimwits. Do they know that the game is under way in schools in Morocco? Or that Rwanda is rising?

Eden Gardens does not belong to India alone, but to the world of cricket. It was here that the West Indies vice-captain, Conrad Hunte, risked his life to bring down the West Indies Federation flag in the midst of the flames on that fateful day of January 1967. Steve Waugh sportingly waved six and did not appeal for a catch when his right foot had barely touched the boundary rope at this very ground. The same spirit still remains, the spirit that overcomes barriers. Eden Gardens will continue to weave its spell on generations of cricket lovers and cricket players in the days to come.

He empowered the players in a way they had not been empowered before and in the way he wished he had been empowered as a player. There's no point in asking a bowler or a batsman what "works for him" as a pre-match practice routine, if he's only ever done what his coach has told him to do. So they had to find out what worked for them.

Most of all, however, and this is probably what Kirsten would choose to be remembered for, he presided over a period of Indian cricket in which the national team played more as a Team than ever before.

Teams who are incapable of batting against spin on a slow pitch, or of bowling it properly with the exception of Graeme Swann, do not deserve to qualify for the knockout stage of this World Cup -- or any other.

Critics of limited-overs cricket who say it is degenerating into a slogathon should savour England's batting against spin on a slow pitch, especially in a powerplay, as there is precious little chance of the ball going off the square.

There was a banner at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on Saturday night saying 'countdown to God's 100 hundreds'. The 'God' in question is India's Sachin Tendulkar, a man whose cricket genius has elevated him to a stratospheric level of fame on home soil.

Some would have found it insensitive, but Michael Atherton certainly struck a nerve with the first question he asked Shakib al Hasan after Bangladesh's epic last-gasp victory against England. "Last week, they were stoning your house," he said. "This week, do you think they'll build you a new one?" Shakib answered with a smile, but the question shed light on both Bangladesh's topsy-turvy performances and the schizophrenic nature of the support.

The approaching World Cup had started buzzing on television, but Wankhede seemed to be worryingly and non-valiantly incomplete as 2011 neared. Till one day, mighty suddenly — like realising a younger sibling having shot up a foot and many inches above you overnight — the paneled many tiers of the stadium rose on the commuter’s horizon.

It felt like playing football with both hands tied behind my back. The ball was changed three times in total but it should have been changed every two or three overs. Of course, the dew wasn't the umpires' fault but every time the replacement rolled across the outfield, it became drenched. I try to spin the ball hard, so I need to be able to grip it. I was getting more and more frustrated because the wicket was such a good one to bowl spin on.

The substitution rules may be strict on comfort breaks, but there’s always a loophole to exploit — an injury, cramps, or mere rotation of bad fielders has given the captain a chance to allow his worst fielders to take a break for the agile ones.