It feels a bit difficult to gather thoughts post enjoying a humdinger between the two evenly matched stars studded teams. The occasion was a second semi final tie between the Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both teams representing south India along with the Deccan Chargers from Hyderabad who already has booked a finals berth. Coming into this knockout match the RCB were on a roll winning 4 matches on trot. The CSK too were hot upsetting the Kings XI Punjab in a low score encounter. It was pretty clear from the outset that it was to be a spectacle to witness. The ground of Kingsmead, Durban, as always, was full to its ultimate capacity and spiritedly supported both teams. CSK were the favourites while the RCB had the benefit of being Underdogs. And to prove the unpredictability of this great game of cricket, once again the history favoured the weaker team. The RCB entered the grand finals of the IPL 2009 with a bang. They brought down the huge star studded team, the CSK’s with a master stroke well executed. The victory unveiled the zest of each and every person attached with the team. The players themselves, the extras, the coaches, the support staffs and the owners attempted a focused effort that has reaped a heavy harvest for the team, plus the bumbling fans to savor for.
The CSK went down but with a fight. Captained by MS Dhoni the CSK’s were favourites for the title. But as often it happens, the pressure of performance can cause players to succumb at such a big stage. They heavily banked on the gusty Matty Hayden who has blown attacks single handedly until now to ensure the semi finals spot for the CSK’s. The cunning rival captain of the RCB, Anil Kumble, rocked Hayden’s path with some interesting field positions and the surprising bowling changes. For the first time in the entire tournament the CSK’s struggle to cut loose at the beginning. Soon Hayden was trapped. MS Dhoni promoted himself to no 3 to gain momentum, which he failed to. The bulky batting line up consisting of Raina, Morkel, Oram and Badrinath managed a mediocre score of 146 on a pitch that was a batting paradise.
Kallis opened the innings for RCB. And right from the initial over the aggressive intent was evident. To a ball short and wide outside off stump; Kallis played a sensational upper cut to gain four runs. It had the Kallis’s elegance written all over it. This particular stroke for me was ‘The Stroke’ of the tournament. It provided the heavenly happiness to a spectator one who admires skillful strokes. Young Manish Pandey and Rahul Dravid marshaled the team towards the crossover point. Ross Taylor alongside the talented Virat Kohli sealed the moment. The team that was heading out until the last week made an unbelievable recovery and turnaround the calculations of the entire tournament. This RCB team now would be the hottest favourite to win from here. The winds are with them. The momentum is with them. The spirit too is with them. Go RCB go!!!
And I say the RCB can win is because they are meeting the Deccan Charges from Hyderabad, who just a day before has concurred the no. 1 team of this years IPL, the Delhi Daredevils. The DC’s began this year’s IPL with 4 straight wins to loose their way in middle and just managed the semi final’s seat on a better run rate to KXIP. The DC’s that totter at the bottom until last made a Herculean effort to reach semis. And the semi final match against the DD signified the idiom: Commeth an hour, Commeth the man. The man who stood up to task was none other than the skipper himself, the fearsome Adam Gilchrist. The knock he sculptured has no words describing. It was an art admiring, a science acknowledging and a commerce gaining from. By par the finest batting performance of the IPL separated the best amongst good and better. They call it as batsmen in a kind of zone where bitter tastes sweet. Where worries don’t trouble. Where heaven meets earth. The bliss worth enjoying. Gilchrist measured every corner of the ground, whacked all bowlers and garbaged every single plan of DD’s. They too as RCB have the drive, the thrust, the enthusiasm going their way. And if Gilly fires again, we the followers of this divine game are to be treated.
Hence the IPL finals of 2009 would have not asked for the bigger platform then these 2 teams to perform on. It’s good to relax and seat back when your team is not into the grueling finals. You breathe easy. You don’t pray. You don’t jump. You don’t scream. You are calm and you enjoy the game without being bias. The turnaround has been gigantic. The scores have changed. Hopefully the course to will. May the best team win?
The CSK went down but with a fight. Captained by MS Dhoni the CSK’s were favourites for the title. But as often it happens, the pressure of performance can cause players to succumb at such a big stage. They heavily banked on the gusty Matty Hayden who has blown attacks single handedly until now to ensure the semi finals spot for the CSK’s. The cunning rival captain of the RCB, Anil Kumble, rocked Hayden’s path with some interesting field positions and the surprising bowling changes. For the first time in the entire tournament the CSK’s struggle to cut loose at the beginning. Soon Hayden was trapped. MS Dhoni promoted himself to no 3 to gain momentum, which he failed to. The bulky batting line up consisting of Raina, Morkel, Oram and Badrinath managed a mediocre score of 146 on a pitch that was a batting paradise.
Kallis opened the innings for RCB. And right from the initial over the aggressive intent was evident. To a ball short and wide outside off stump; Kallis played a sensational upper cut to gain four runs. It had the Kallis’s elegance written all over it. This particular stroke for me was ‘The Stroke’ of the tournament. It provided the heavenly happiness to a spectator one who admires skillful strokes. Young Manish Pandey and Rahul Dravid marshaled the team towards the crossover point. Ross Taylor alongside the talented Virat Kohli sealed the moment. The team that was heading out until the last week made an unbelievable recovery and turnaround the calculations of the entire tournament. This RCB team now would be the hottest favourite to win from here. The winds are with them. The momentum is with them. The spirit too is with them. Go RCB go!!!
And I say the RCB can win is because they are meeting the Deccan Charges from Hyderabad, who just a day before has concurred the no. 1 team of this years IPL, the Delhi Daredevils. The DC’s began this year’s IPL with 4 straight wins to loose their way in middle and just managed the semi final’s seat on a better run rate to KXIP. The DC’s that totter at the bottom until last made a Herculean effort to reach semis. And the semi final match against the DD signified the idiom: Commeth an hour, Commeth the man. The man who stood up to task was none other than the skipper himself, the fearsome Adam Gilchrist. The knock he sculptured has no words describing. It was an art admiring, a science acknowledging and a commerce gaining from. By par the finest batting performance of the IPL separated the best amongst good and better. They call it as batsmen in a kind of zone where bitter tastes sweet. Where worries don’t trouble. Where heaven meets earth. The bliss worth enjoying. Gilchrist measured every corner of the ground, whacked all bowlers and garbaged every single plan of DD’s. They too as RCB have the drive, the thrust, the enthusiasm going their way. And if Gilly fires again, we the followers of this divine game are to be treated.
Hence the IPL finals of 2009 would have not asked for the bigger platform then these 2 teams to perform on. It’s good to relax and seat back when your team is not into the grueling finals. You breathe easy. You don’t pray. You don’t jump. You don’t scream. You are calm and you enjoy the game without being bias. The turnaround has been gigantic. The scores have changed. Hopefully the course to will. May the best team win?
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