Attack of the Weeds
Normally I don't care much about ODI results. But the CB series win has really warmed the recesses of my heart. There are several reasons why this win is significant. Sachin tendulkar finally produced a pair of innings to silence critics about his inadequacies while chasing, and in crucial matches, and away from home, and against tough opposition. India won a series abroad after ages. New stars emerged and earlier emerging stars consolidated (Dhoni topped the averages table).
But none of these reasons even comes close to the real reasons - we showed them! The Hayden radio interview in which he arrogantly said that India havent won anything, and the RJ who said India should just get on with the cricket. The incessant attacks from the Aussie media and fans, especially their obsession with Harbhajan Singh (a new youtube video apparently "proves" to the Aussies that Harbhajan was giving Gilchrist the finger. Comments by ex-players that Australia aren't able to dominate India as effectively because they are treading on egg-shells.
The Indian win is extra special mainly because it enables us to derive the vicarious pleasure of pointing a finger at the Aussies and going "Nanananananana...hahahahahahaha... we won the CB series, and you guys didn't." Eric Cartman will tell you that being able to say that is much more satisfying than saying "Screw guys, I'm going home", which the Indian threatened to do a few weeks back.
Even better, the 2nd final was closely fought. The audacity of Hopes was not quite enough to stop India. (OK, this paragraph exists only so I could use the "audacity of hopes" pun, given that it is the 2nd of many super tuesdays in USA. I thought I would prepare you all for the barrage of Hopes-based puns that the Indian newspapers will throw at you tomorrow.)
People have remarked that Ponting looks a lot like Bush. But he is like Bush in other ways too. As Peter English notes, he is almost incapable of timely introspection. Just as well. Considering how effective Clarke was, dropping Hogg was a mistake not unlike Bush's mistake of invading Iraq with insufficient troops.
But none of these reasons even comes close to the real reasons - we showed them! The Hayden radio interview in which he arrogantly said that India havent won anything, and the RJ who said India should just get on with the cricket. The incessant attacks from the Aussie media and fans, especially their obsession with Harbhajan Singh (a new youtube video apparently "proves" to the Aussies that Harbhajan was giving Gilchrist the finger. Comments by ex-players that Australia aren't able to dominate India as effectively because they are treading on egg-shells.
The Indian win is extra special mainly because it enables us to derive the vicarious pleasure of pointing a finger at the Aussies and going "Nanananananana...hahahahahahaha... we won the CB series, and you guys didn't." Eric Cartman will tell you that being able to say that is much more satisfying than saying "Screw guys, I'm going home", which the Indian threatened to do a few weeks back.
Even better, the 2nd final was closely fought. The audacity of Hopes was not quite enough to stop India. (OK, this paragraph exists only so I could use the "audacity of hopes" pun, given that it is the 2nd of many super tuesdays in USA. I thought I would prepare you all for the barrage of Hopes-based puns that the Indian newspapers will throw at you tomorrow.)
People have remarked that Ponting looks a lot like Bush. But he is like Bush in other ways too. As Peter English notes, he is almost incapable of timely introspection. Just as well. Considering how effective Clarke was, dropping Hogg was a mistake not unlike Bush's mistake of invading Iraq with insufficient troops.
