There
was some flutter but the first day-night test at Kolkata played with pink ball
ended short. It took India about 47
minutes on the third day to become the first team in Test cricket to win four
straight matches by an innings. At 968 balls, this was the shortest Test with
an outright result in India, beating the 1028 balls against Afghanistan last
year. This was India's first home Test win without a single wicket from a
spinner. It was only their second such win overall, after Johannesburg in 2018.
Can you
identify this footballer ~ who was at Eden Gardens too !!
Away,
Bangladesh batsman Saif Hassan was denied boarding pass by Biman Bangladesh
airlines ! On reaching the airport, Saif learnt that his six-month visa had expired
a day before, on November 24. Since he
was ruled out of the tour due to split webbing, there was no reason for the
Bangladesh Cricket Board to keep him in India for so long. But even if he had
played the pink ball Test here, he would have missed the visa expiry cut-off
date. He stayed back to complete visa
formalities - to extend the validity - with the help of the High Commission. The incident reflects BCB's responsibility
lapse and lack of planning. Saif is expected to leave for Dhaka on Wednesday.
This series
was about Indian pacers especially Ishant Sharma, Mohd Shami & Umesh Yadav. Umesh Yadav is
quoted as saying that he knew. he would get another shot at the highest level
if he kept himself fit and trained hard when he was picked only occasionally
across formats over the last two years.
Yadav was often badly treated, either not selected for prolonged periods
and when getting a chance once a while, would get only very few overs at home
then would get dropped on performance ! However, in India's last two home Test
series - against South Africa and Bangladesh - he has emerged with the most
wickets, the best strike rate and the best average among India's quicks. .. .. he has a point in telling that it is
hard to remain positive, when not playing and getting dropped often .. .
In
the broad corridors of the Red Building
of Hindu High School, the walk of the attender would attract the attention of
students inside the class room – before it even sounds, some would ready to fly
away…. It was the sweet sound of school
bell – #not physically a bell# – but
that of a metal hammered with a wooden object, creating enough sound audible to
the locality. There was a Public address
system too, through which Morning prayer
was heard and some important announcements would be made.
At Lords, the ringing of 5 minute bell is ceremonious – and
is usually done by an international cricketer, administrator or well-known
enthusiast of the sport, a recent
tradition introduced in 2007. The bell located outside the Bowlers’ Bar of the
Lord’s Pavilion, is rung to signify the imminent start of play,. In 2014 during England India Investec Test on
day 4, it was our World Cup winning Captain Kapil Dev who rung the bell. .. .. and a few years back the iconic Eden
Gardens got a ‘bell’ like the one that hangs at the hallowed Lord’s ground in
London.
Away from Cricket,
in Nov 2013, Vishwanathan Anand to played
the challenge matches against Carlsen - FIDE World Championship 2013. The reigning champion Vishy Anand faced 22-year-old upstart Magnus Carlsen of
Norway—nicknamed the "Mozart of Chess" because of his meteoric rise
at such a young age. The FIDE World
Chess Championship Match ( FWCM) is the final event of the World Championship
cycle... .. all roads led to the
National Library as Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen
squared off in a Round 7 rapid game of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) meet. All 600
seats at the Bhasha Bhawan auditorium were taken up even before the chess
greats reached the venue. A huge applause greeted Anand, who arrived with wife
Aruna, and Carlsen.
Years
have rolled by .. .. Eden Gardens welcomed two special guests recently, when chess wizards Magnus Carlsen and
Viswanathan Anand made a quick visit to ring the ceremonial bell to signal the
start of second day’s play in the pink-ball Test between India and Bangladesh.
Since both Grandmasters had three rapid games lined up in the penultimate leg
of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) later in the day, they didn’t get time to watch
any cricket. Asked about his Eden experience, the World chess champion Carlsen revealed he had no clue of what was happening.
“What actually happened was Anand rang the bell and I stood there stupidly
having no knowledge of what was happening… That was my experience to sum it up,”
he admitted.
Young Vidit
Gujrathi, Grand Master however, did not
miss the chance to catch some cricket after finishing his matches at National
Library’s Bhasha Bhawan. “Watching the cricket match #IndvsBan. The perfect way
to unwind after a long day of chess,” the Nashik-based GM tweeted. Vidith, the
India No. 3, was happy to bump into one of his idols Rahul Dravid at the team
hotel. With the cricketers and chess stars staying in the same hotel, Dutch GM
Anish Giri came across Virat Kohli, but could not recognize the India skipper. “I
was in the hotel gym and there was an Indian guy right next to me. He was doing
the stuff very well and looked quite tough. Later I came to know that he is a
cricket legend — Virat Kohli,” Giri told a website. Giri, however, found time
to visit the Eden Gardens, on Saturday afternoon.
Interesting !
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
28th
Nov. 2019.
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