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It has been an exhilarating month-and-a-half for cricket aficionados. The two Test series in the antipodes, Australia and South Africa, witnessed enchanting, entertaining cricket from four sides.
The Ashes, whose history goes back over a hundred years, and the Sumo tie between the Goliaths of modern day cricket, India and South Africa, were a treat for the eyes. The Ashes more so for the excellent Hot Spot camera views. No complaints about umpiring decisions there.
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Will 2011 see more head-to-head matches between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
The man from Mallorca certainly hopes so.
“I would love to play against Roger Federer this year a few more times because when we play each other it’s in the final, so that’s already a very good result for both of us to be in the final of important tournaments,” said Nadal.
Federer seconded the motion: “We only played twice last year in Madrid and the [Barclays] ATP World Tour Finals in London, which was a great end for both of us.There’ll be huge hype going into the new season with him going for his fourth Grand Slam in a row and me trying to defend the Australian Open title. So right off the bat we’ll have some excitement.”
The recent invitational Abu Dhabi tourney finished with Nadal edging out Federer in two sets 7-6, 7-6.
Here’s a toast to the New Year and more exciting tennis and finals between the supremoes of the sport.
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Marvel comic book fans will surely have heard the news. The Fantastic Four will no longer be a fearsome foursome. The comic book creators will dispose off one member in the January issue. Who will it be? That will be a secret unveiled early next year.
Who are the Fantastic Four?
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Two tests began on the 16th of December, 2010. One at Perth, the other at Centurion.
The similarities were striking. Both pitches were expected to have something for the speed demons. And they did.
For Australia, after being shot out for 268 on the first day, it looked like deja vu. The Englishmen were on top and were pressing for an unprecedented third Ashes triumph, in the process, signalling their willingness to end the Punter’s reign at the helm.
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Ricky Ponting feels that the Perth wicket will allow him the luxury of playing four fast bowlers. Horses for courses is the theory in play. It may well be a ploy that could backfire. The last time India played Australia in Australia, it was at Perth that the Indians pulled one back to make it 2-1 under the inspiring leadership of Anil Kumble. The Englishmen’s cause,however, is not helped by Stuart Broad’s injury and consequent absence.
Some ramblings,rumblings and grumblings on the current Ashes series :
There’s a lot of Strauss on Ricky Ponting to pull up his socks and make a contribution.
The press-hounds are Ponting out scapegoats — Ricky is first among equals.
“NOT since Australia’s darkest days in the mid ’80s has the Test team played so badly.
Has the national side which was so recently ranked number one in the world really fallen this far?
Australians are entitled to ask who is to blame?”
“It is hard to see where Australia’s next victory or Ponting’s next century is coming from.”
Catch the Ashes! (Image via Wikipedia)
Two Tests into the Ashes and England are up 1-0. It could very well have been 1-1 but for a stirring fight-back by Strauss, Cook and Trott in the first Test at the Gabba. At least, that’s how the optimists in the Australian camp would like to look at it.
That’s not how the realists see it. The selectors pressed the panic button in the run-up to the series when they announced a squad of 17 for the first Test. They compounded their folly by dropping Mitchell Johnson after the initial Test performance. What if the selectors had dropped Hussey from the squad? Not quite a vote of confidence in the players who have served you well in the past three years.
Djokovic is now truly bold, beautiful and bald. He capped a marvellous 2010 by leading Serbia to its first ever Davis Cup championship in front of a raucous, baying and partisan home crowd in Belgrade.
The Davis Cup always manages to evoke strong emotions; incredible comebacks are the need of the hour and happen more often than not.
This year’s final was no stranger to drama either. The score was even-stevens after the first day’s play. The top seeds on either side, Djokovic and Monfils justified their ranking and clinched wins over their less acclaimed opponents,Simon (6-3 6-1 7-5) and Tipsarevic (6-1 7-6(4),6-0) respectively.
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The Ashes evoke reactions like no other Test series in the cricketing world.
Some excerpts of the media reactions to the first Test between England and Australia at the Gabba. A stream of classy vituperations: