Monday, 15 August 2011

A week that was!

A lot has happened and changed in the last week as India who at the beginning of the series didn't look like the minnows they have been made to look by an unwavering English side was forced to throw in the towel and England for the first time in the history became the World Test Champions. And I use the tag minnows for this Indian team which has looked horrendously vulnerable in English conditions. Two of the three test matches finished with more than a day to spare but one factor remained constant in all the three matches - huge margin of defeat. It seemed like England had already won the battle way before it had even begun. The last time Indians looked this badly defeated and were defeated this badly was when they toured Australia in 1999. What this series has also done is brought to surface the need to make pitches in India conducive to seam bowling which sort of got dumped in the last few years owing to India's better performance overseas. 

There's a very interesting battle going in the sub-continent where Australia is playing Sri Lanka. While SL comprehensively swept the T20 series 2-0, Australia is giving Lanka a dose of their own medicine in the one-dayers having won both the matches played so far and looking menacing as ever and will be eager to clinch the series. The one day series will be followed by Test series where SL have a clear advantage playing in their backyard a weakened Australian side. 

The Zimbabwe-Bangladesh series (completely overshadowed by the other two series and naturally so) witnessed Zimbabwe's historic return to the test arena with a thumping 130 run win over the ever so regressive Bangladesh. Zimbabwe's win was marked by centuries from Masakadza and Taylor and impressive show by the debutantes Jarvis and Vitori each picking 5 wickets each. Zimbabwe's good form extended in the one dayers with the hosts leading the series 2-0 and look well on course to win the series.    

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