Lull after the storm (IPL2)

It seems there is something missing in my evening today - definitely amiss in my daily life. A daily ritual has stopped as of last night and nights are not the same any more - I am sure that there are many more who share the same feeling with me.

The same IPL last year had not ignited the feeling that an international tournament would bring about - was it because of the nature of wickets the IPL1 was held? Probably. Maybe it is because of my confused loyalties to the clubs - I have spent half my life in Chennai and Bangalore, speaking the language of the third semi-finalist (the eventual winner). I did not have any feelings of favoritism last night - there was no favored side for me. Hence, there was an empty feeling inside. But, the match was interesting on many counts.

As mentioned earlier, the match was significant for the two captains who had points to prove, on many counts. The way the match tilted in different directions was praiseworthy. More interesting for me was the way Symonds came out on the field after the break - I have seen him in that manner only when he played for his national team. He was determined to prove his point to the selectors.

Rahul Dravid's dismissal was, in my mind, the turning point of the match for he would have been the ideal anchor for the strikers (Ross Taylor, Virat Kohli, Robin Uthappa, Mark Boucher) to play along. The way he tried and failed, showed that even the experienced can falter in situations like this. Looks like the adrenaline rush is too hard to conquer.

I am looking forward to the next version of IPL but not if there are two versions every year. That is too much to swallow. And then there is the Champions League. One wonders where this will stop. Lalit Modi must not be allowed to run amok - but he has become bigger in the context of the international cricketing politics. The ICC will listen to him, it seems.

The other question that was asked to me - Will the ICC T20 World Cup be of any interest now? - by my Oz friend, Nik. I will try to answer it shortly - let me get back to normal routine first!!!