Well finally it is the moment of truth is here for the Indian cricket team. Can they continue their dream run? Or will they crumble against the awesome pace of Brett Lee and Glen McGarth? Or will Sachin and Shewag will use their bats as “weapons of mass destruction” just like they did against the awesome “Pakistani pace battery.” These are tough questions, as I sit and wait in anticipation. Safe to say these are the longest 15 hours of my life. As an Indian fan, I would love to see us win. But then that is what every single Boston Sox says every year before the opening day. In the end it is those “Damn Yankees.” Or in our case, Damn Ozzies.
An amazing word of support from unexpected quarters. “I am not saying Australia can be beaten easily. But I would back India for the title. Particularly seeing the way they have been playing in the last few games. The team now believes it can beat any side in the world. Maybe Sunday they will take revenge from Australia,” said Zaheer Abbas, a class act from Pakistan.
I have be trawling through some of the best cricket sites and here I have a collection of headlines which might entertain you, anger you and if you are an Indian fan, lull you into a sense of delusion about our pending victory.
Sachin:: The big stage for the master [Wisden.com]
“TendulkarÌüs greatness as a batsman has never been open to question. But that said, his most memorable match-winning performance sits rather incongruously against his colossal stature. It was a stirring win against Australia in Sharjah, but it would have escaped no one, not the least Tendulkar himself, that it was only a three-nations tournament, and it was five years ago. From the moment he stepped into this World Cup, he has seemed like a man possessed with a zeal to set the record right.”
Tendulkar is Australia’s only obstacle: Warne [Rediff.com]
“There is only one thing that stands between Australia and back-to-back World Cups and that is the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar,” Warne wrote in the Herald Sun newspaper on Saturday.
Tendulkar and the toss are key to India challenge [Guardian UK]
“f Australia bat first they usually win. And if they score in excess of 200 they almost inevitably win.”
Intimidation will be name of the game against India :: Brett Lee [Sydney Morning Herald]
Ponting’s Strategy [Sydney Morning Herald]
RickyPonting, playing in his third successive World Cup final, believes Sachin Tendulkar and India’s three-pronged pace attack – Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra – represent Australia’s main obstacles in defending their world champion status.Labelling the final as “the biggest event in world cricket”, Ponting said his pacemen would restrict Tendulkar to back-foot strokes, while predicting his top order would look to dominate India’s quicks in the early overs.
Winning is everything for Ganguly [HTCricket.com]
Cash money and more [Daily Mirror, UK]
In addition to sharing a possible ®£3million in prize money and bonuses, a sponsor has promised Tendulkar and his India team-mates a seven-star apartment each if they topple the Aussies.With the Bhaji Army colonising vast tracts of the South African capital last night, they are already guaranteed huge support at The Wanderers and the TV audience is tipped to be a staggering 250million in India alone.
Numberon ki hera pheri suggests India will lift World Cup! [Indian Express]
Numerologists JumaaniÌüs have announced their predictions for the forthcoming World Cup final between India and Australia on Sunday.Sanjay B Jumaani had recently on a radio channel recommended that Saurav Ganguly wear a number Ìü24Ìü, T-Shirt instead of Ìü99Ìü as his lucky number is Ìü6Ìü, and Saurav did heed to the recommendation, going on to hit 3 centuries for the team making him the only cricketer to have hit three centuries in the current world cup matches. The reason being Saurav is numerologically no.Ìü 8;Ìü and his T-Shirt adds up to 9+9=18, which was unlucky for him.For the forthcoming matches, the JumaaniÌüs have a tip for Virendra Sehwag suggesting that he should wear a No. Ìü46Ìü T-Shirt, instead of his present No. Ìü44Ìü, which adds up to 8 – a Saturn number, which is unlucky for Sehwag.