Any time banking, and the Son of Swampy
The Plays of the day for the IPL match between the Kings XI Punjab and the Kolkata Knight Riders
Cricinfo staff
03-May-2008
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Maintaining appearances: Greg Chappell was the man out in the
middle with both captains for the toss. And when Sourav Ganguly's turn
came to have a chat, you'd never have guessed that the two men had been
responsible for one of the most damaging schisms in the history of Indian sport.
Those looking for any drama from the former coach and ex-captain were
sorely disappointed.
Any time banking: Yuvraj Singh's dismissal was a huge blow to the
King's XI Punjab's hopes of a massive total. But for over a minute, no one could
even figure out if Wriddhiman Saha had dislodged the bails in time. The
replay from side-on was inconclusive, thanks largely to the logo of a bank
that kept twirling around the screen even as everyone tried to make out if
the bail had come out of the groove. Talk about milking every last dollar.
Son of Swampy: Sean Marsh was just four when his old man, Geoff
[Swampy to his mates], made his highest one-day score. That was down the
road at Chandigarh's Sector 16 Stadium, in a World Cup match against New
Zealand. By the standards of that era, Marsh senior's knock was a rapid
one, and the son showed signs of replicating the feat before a fellow
Aussie, David Hussey, sent him on his way.
Not quite champagne class: With wickets falling in a heap and no
boundary for three overs, the crowd was getting restive even in the posh
seats above the pavilion. Then, Ishant Sharma misfielded on the rope and
the drumbeats boomed out with renewed vigour. A group of men celebrated
with a spray. Not Dom Perignon, but a soft drink of a dark hue. Others
that got soaked didn't look too delighted.
A better man?: Having reacted as though he'd been jilted by a lover
on being denied an appeal against Debabrata Das, you wondered how
Sreesanth would react when a subsequent delivery was off-driven for four.
With good grace, a word of appreciation and a handclap or two. There was an
element of theatrics when he dismissed him soon after, but it finally
looks like he's ready to button his lip and let the ball do the talking.
Middling it: No matter whether it's a Test match, a club game in a
park or the IPL, there are few finer sights than watching a quick bowler
shatter the stumps. When Laxmi Ratan Shukla made room for an expansive
drive, it was VRV Singh's turn to feel that adrenaline rush, with the
middle stump poleaxed, and the Kolkata Knight Riders down for the count.