The Chepauk curse
The Chepauk stadium is considered (not just by people from Chennai) as one of the best venues in India not just for the laurels India has won on this ground, but also because it is "reputed to be the most knowledgeable and appreciative in the country" (Cricinfo.com).
That sporting crowd has, in the past few years, gone home disappointed every time because Mother Nature decided to play spoilsport. The ground where India won its first ever Test match played sad witness to a rained-out fifth day on which India were chasing a gettable total in the fourth innings against Australia. Sehwag's form, the previous evening, seemed like it would ensure a squared Test series, enabling India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Similarly, the previous ODI against New Zealand was also abandoned due to rain, after India had climbed to a respectable position. Sachin Tendulkar, who claims Chennai to be his lucky venue, and where he played one of his best Test knocks (the 136 against Pakistan which India lost by a small margin), was denied a fifty that day.
And the little master would have claimed another record (maximum ODI appearances - 357) had today's match not been abandoned. I think the last completed international game at Chennai, the stadium where Pakistan was given a rare rousing ovation after their Test victory, happened four years ago - a victory against England.
Let's hope and pray that the upcoming Test match against Sri Lanka goes on without any problems, treating the Chennai audience royally.
That sporting crowd has, in the past few years, gone home disappointed every time because Mother Nature decided to play spoilsport. The ground where India won its first ever Test match played sad witness to a rained-out fifth day on which India were chasing a gettable total in the fourth innings against Australia. Sehwag's form, the previous evening, seemed like it would ensure a squared Test series, enabling India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Similarly, the previous ODI against New Zealand was also abandoned due to rain, after India had climbed to a respectable position. Sachin Tendulkar, who claims Chennai to be his lucky venue, and where he played one of his best Test knocks (the 136 against Pakistan which India lost by a small margin), was denied a fifty that day.
And the little master would have claimed another record (maximum ODI appearances - 357) had today's match not been abandoned. I think the last completed international game at Chennai, the stadium where Pakistan was given a rare rousing ovation after their Test victory, happened four years ago - a victory against England.
Let's hope and pray that the upcoming Test match against Sri Lanka goes on without any problems, treating the Chennai audience royally.
posted by Vijay Krishna Narayanan | 11/22/2005 02:11:00 AM
2 Comments:
Guess you got it wrong. The test match against the Windies was played in 2002/03 in Chennai. India won the game.
Another blunder the cricket authorities are doing is to have the matches day-night in winter. If everyone understands a team can't defend any score with the dew in the evening, why the hell they are not changing the matches to day games. Whoever calls the coin right would have a 90% chance of winning. Irritating stuff.
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