The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : All set for the clash today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 08, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

All set for the clash today

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

India leads 1-0 in the three-Test series
Fans pray rain god not to play spoilsport

Bangalore: If you have been coming across some people looking skyward and mumbling what seem to be prayers, you can safely place your bet that they are cricket fans.

Clearly, they are sending silent prayers beseeching the rain god to take a short holiday, at least till the India-Pakistan face-off at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the third and final Test commencing here on Saturday is over.

And, it is also an emotional moment for Anil Kumble to lead India in his hometown. “It is a great achievement and is a tribute to his longevity. I am sure the home crowd will be terrific,” said batting great Gundappa Vishwanath.

Meanwhile Kumble, after admitting that his emotions are running high while leading India in his backyard, stressed on the need to win the match and the series.

India leads 1-0, and either a triumph or a draw here will ensure a series victory over Pakistan at home after 27 years. Younis Khan’s men though will play hard as Kumble himself admitted in the pre-match media briefing.

An air of despondency does linger for the home crowd as injuries to Sachin Tendulkar and M.S. Dhoni might force them onto the bench and deprive fans a glimpse of their cricketing icons.

Add to it the inclement weather and the probability of a rain-marred game does hurt those who still cherish the memories of some great jousts between the two teams in the past.

In 1987, Sunil Gavaskar’s last Test innings – 96 – failed to stop Imran Khan’s men from registering a victory, and in 2005 Sourav Ganguly’s men choked while chasing on the fifth and final day. In between in 1996, Ajay Jadeja slammed Waqar Younis all over the park and B.K. Venkatesh Prasad castled Aamir Sohail to set up a stunning victory in a World Cup quarter-final. A touch of humour is also part of the folklore as a swarm of bees had the players ducking for cover in the 1979 Test.

But as local heroes Kumble and Rahul Dravid often say: “History doesn’t matter, it’s how you play that counts.” The fans, meanwhile, are struggling for weekend tickets though the rush is expected to ease from Monday. As for the weather, Kumble quipped: “It is something not under my control.”

Weather

Meanwhile, the “sky might open up a little” on Saturday, according to officials at the Meteorological Centre. But for most part, they said it would be a cloudy day, with some light rain too.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka