The World Series

I don't know how many of you had watched the World Series match last night, between KKR and King's Punjab. I did, fully, to the last ball ( was 2 a.m. my time by then). 

I call it the World Series, because , it gave me the impression that I was watching a gripping baseball match, rather than a cricket face-off. 

The Eden Gardens is one of the bigger grounds in India. And yet, everyone and his uncle went about hitting sixes as if that is the gentler way of treating the white ball. Almost like petting your dog. We used to hear of class-top pitches, but this year's IPL pitches have redefined glass-tops with some fine nano-technology. Anyone can trust the bounce. Anyone knows that it is hard for any spinner to spin the ball viciously. 

To add Phil Salt to the wound, the IPL now has an impact player rule, which enables you to get in yet another hulk ( காட்டான்) to continue to onslaught.

 

If you happen to be a bowler, you need special exercise for your neck - just to make sure that you dont sprain it, while trying to track the ball disappear into the night skies. You cant do anything else, but rue the day you chose to become a bowler instead of a hulk. I recommend to the IPL management to apply Kunkum on the forehead of every bowler and hang a garland of lime on their necks, before sending them in.

In good old days, in Tamil and Hindi movies, we used to have "item dance" with an "item girl" ( Jayamalini, Helen etc) doing the odd sleazy dances for 3 minutes without any relevance to the storyline, and then disappearing.  Over the years, their role has been usurped by the heroines, and - hold your breath - in the name of equality, the heroes themselves! No one has any compunction anymore, to bare their bodies. 

In good old days, we used to have a "pinch hitter". His bat was more like a gyroscope, flashing in all three dimensions, and ever-looking for that mythical fourth dimension. Technique had been deposited in his grandmother's attic, long before he had sought to deposit the cricket ball over the roof-tops of stadia.  A pinch hitter soon gave way to a "finisher" . These days, an opening batsman like Sunil Nariane wears the look of a finisher, right from ball no.1. I mean, he looks to finish off any semblance of contest between the willow and the white cherry with brute force. 

A few years ago, history was created in ODIs, when Australia had hit 434 in an innings, and the Proteas had successfully chased it down. Yes, records are meant to be broken. 

But the pace of "progress" in those 22 yards in the dark of the nights is frightening. History books were re-written last night, for the highest ever successful run-chase in a World Series, er, T20 match. 

And who knows? 434 in 20 overs may not be out of bounds, any more. Watch out, you baseball champs!